Hearing Andrew's girlish shriek, Xander turned and saw the black creature holding him by his neck at the doorway. Watching his roommate have the life squeezed out of him, Xander was quick to action. Grabbing a steak knife from the kitchen drawer, he charged towards the demon. Not wanting to inadvertently injure his roommate, Xander attempted to drive the knife into the arm of the creature with all of his strength.
In doing so however, Xander was reminded that he did not have any super-strength. Upon hitting the black scales of the demon, Xander learned that they didn't just look like armor. The knife blade broke into pieces and a scorching pain from the failed attack shot through his arm. Reacting to his failed attempt, the demon threw Andrew across the room, sending him crashing into the table, breakfast items flying about the room and hit Xander with the back of his hand, sending him into the nearest wall.
Wasting no time, the creature stabbed its claws at Xander's head, barely missing thanks to his quick reflexes, ducking out of the way. With Xander crouching on the floor beneath him, the demon jabbed its claws toward him, sticking into the apartment floor when he rolled away. Taking advantage of the demon's momentary weakness, Andrew ran towards it, meat cleaver in hand. He struck the demon rapidly about the head until his makeshift weapon shattered in his hand, having not penetrated the black armor scales of the demon.
Pulling its claws from the floor, the demon slashed with both pairs at Andrew. He jumped away from each slash, screeching for help louder with each consecutive missed attack. Xander recovered quickly and jumped on the demon's back, covering his eyes, or what he thought to be his eyes, with his hands. "Run!" He hadn't needed to give Andrew the instruction, his roommate was already running for the door as the demon flailed about, trying to remove Xander from its back. Once Andrew was through the door, barely holding it open, waiting for him, Xander made his move.
When the demon was turned away from the front door, Xander jumped off his back, pushing him towards the nearest wall and making a break for the door. Needing only a second to recover, the massive demon was quick in pursuit. Luck was with Xander it seemed. He made it out the door, slamming it behind him and Andrew quickly locked it with his key.
"What was that?" Andrew was still panting, both of the men had transferred their weight against the door in an attempt to hold the creature inside should it try to break through the door.
"Very, very, very, very bad thing," Xander's voice oozed with sarcasm. "For the record, I didn't know that was going to be a demon," Xander thought making light of the situation, given his comment before Andrew opened the door, might help the situation.
It did not.
"We need to get Faith," Xander couldn't believe he actually used those words though desperate times call for desperate measures.
"Right, find the Slayer, the Slayer kills demons," Andrew's mouth was working several seconds behind his brain. "But how do we keep the demon in there while we find the Slayer, so the Slayer can kill the demon."
Black claws slammed through the door in between the heads of the two would be victims. "Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem," the demon's second pair of claws punctured the door and Xander could hear the hinges straining as it attempted to pull the door off.
"Run?" Following the attempt on their lives, Andrew wasn't able to think entirely clearly.
"Run." The two bolted down the hall and out of the apartment with no sign of the demon in pursuit and quickly piled into Xander's car. With the engine started, he threw the car into drive, and gunned it out of the parking lot. Xander was thankful he did not have to work this morning because he wouldn't be making it in on time. He drove through the streets as quickly as possible, barely obeying traffic laws on his way to Faith's or more correctly Buffy's house.
***
A rerun. Spike wondered what minion of hell had come up with the concept of the rerun. More so than that, he wondered which had come up with the idea of having a rerun on every single television station available. Finding nothing of interest on any channel, Spike ceased fingering the remote and settled on watching the rerun of Passions, a particular episode he had seen three or four times.
Watching a particular scene, Spike couldn't believe exactly how stupid some of these people were. "Oh, bloody!" He tossed the remote at the set. "She's cheating on you with your identical twin you stupid git! No wonder he unplugs your life support when you're in a coma, you're bloody idiot!" It wasn't the show, the vampire was simply frustrated. Even the late night brawl in the Drunken Fisherman hadn't done much to relieve the tension he was feeling. Something about being a potential target for a Tarical demon didn't sit well with him.
Spike stood, pacing about the crypt. Having only moved back in three months ago, something about it just didn't feel as right to him as it used to. Probably had something to do with the fact that he hadn't lived in it since his soul was given back. Something about the whole crypt scene just didn't appeal to him as much as it did when he was still evil or on the brink of evil.
At least he would be able to get out tonight; even if it was to do something most sensible people would consider suicide. Faith hardly seemed the sensible type though and whoever this Robert character was seemed more suicidal than most independent demon hunters he had encountered in his years. Granted, a healthy degree of suicidal tendencies was good for a demon hunter but this man seemed all too willing to put himself into life or death situations, especially, Spike considered, challenging him.
A knocking at the door echoed throughout the crypt, quickly putting Spike on the defensive. It was not often he received visitors and anything that would visit a crypt in the first place didn't exactly qualify as the type of visitors he would want to receive. Picking up a discarded two by four conveniently laying on the floor, Spike slowly slid towards the door.
"Who is it?" Spike took the chance that if it was someone intent on killing him, they might be stupid enough to reveal their true purpose.
"Post office," a rather shaky male voice answered.
Spike grinned and shook his head; they weren't even being creative anymore. "Yeah bloody right," the vampire whispered to himself. "Getting mail in a crypt, that'll be the day." Standing to the side of the door to avoid a deadly dose of sunlight, Spike raised his weapon with one hand and reached for the door handle with the other. Flinging it open, he prepared to strike.
Seeing a man in a post office uniforms walk in, Spike barely managed to stop his swing before the board landed atop his head and tossed the board to the side. "You Spike?" The man was noticeably scared as he surveyed the interior of the vampire's home.
"Yeah, what's it to you?"
"A letter," he handed Spike an envelope, his hand shaking.
"How'd you find me?" Spike noticed there was nothing aside from his name written on the envelope and, even with this being Sunnydale, he doubted the post office had a list of demon haunts and homes, an up to date list at least.
"Wherever this was mailed from had directions and they passed them on to us," he continued nervously looking about the crypt, keeping a steady eye on Spike at all times. "Can I go now?"
Spike considered having some fun with him but decided it wouldn't be in his best interest. "Yeah, get out before I change my mind." The postal employee was quick to obey, slamming the door to the crypt behind him. Spike sat back down in front of the television and turned the set off with his remote control before tearing into the envelope. He instantly recognized the scent on the single sheet of paper as he unfolded it and began reading.
Dear Spike,
I'm sorry this letter has been so long in coming; no doubt you've probably been won wondering if I'm all right and I apologize again for being out of touch for so long. I wanted to write to let you know that I'm fine. Please tell Dawn, Xander, Kennedy and Faith that both Willow and I are still alive and doing well. I don't have a whole lot of time to write this, we're in New York right now, about to hop a ship to Spain so I need to make this brief.
I know this isn't what you wanted Spike. In a lot of ways, it isn't what I wanted either. I guess we all have to do things we don't necessarily like or even want, if that's what gets the job done. I can't tell you, how much it means to me, that you were willing to stay in Sunnydale. I'm still not sure about Faith taking care of everything and having you there makes me feel a lot better about everything, even though I know it's not what you wanted.
So, I guess, I'm trying to say thank you. Thank you for everything you've done and thank you for everything you're still doing. I couldn't have done it without you, I still can't. I don't know if that means anything to you but well, it does to me.
Tell the rest of the gang not to worry about Willow and I, we're managing pretty well. Please Spike, take care of Dawn and take care of yourself. I'll try not to be so long in writing next time.
Love,
Buffy
"What do you know," Spike crumpled up the letter and tossed it over his shoulder, not caring where it landed. "She does remember me." The vampire swiped his remote from the chair's arm and clicked the television back on, deciding that watching reruns of fictional people's messed up lives was preferable to dealing with his own.
Another knocking at the door, this one significantly louder. "Let me guess," Spike picked up the two by four again as he want to the door. "Federal Express! Can't a vampire get a moment worth of peace!" As Spike approached, the door burst open, a large black figure standing in it. Spike jumped out of the way, dodging the few rays of sunlight that made it past the Tarical demon and froze, desperately needing a plan. The Tarical flexed its long claws and slowly approached Spike, opening its mouth and emitting a slight snarl.
"Oh, they lot the doggy out to play," Spike tapped the board against his hand as the demon approached. Preparing for battle, Spike's face changed to that of its demon nature and the vampire grinned. "Well, let's have some fun!" Spike ran towards the demon, dodging the slashing claws and slamming the two by four against its head, splinters of wood shattering. Spike had forgotten exactly how strong the skin of Tarical was. The demon turned and hit him in the face with an open hand, sending him flying into the top of a wall.
Sliding down it, Spike collapsed to the floor. "Ow," he managed. He regained his footing, with the demon slowly advancing on him, lowered his head and charged. He rammed his shoulder into its stomach, slowing it down long enough for him to land a series of blows with his fists on its chest. Before it could respond, Spike hit the Tarical with his strongest uppercut underneath its chin.
The demon was not stopped however. It slammed both of its fists down on Spike's shoulders, sending the vampire to his knees before kicking him in the face, sending him flying back into the wall. "Strong little bugger," Spike popped his neck as he regained his footing yet again with the demon charging towards him, claws held in front of it. Spike ducked out of the way, the Tarical impaling its claws into the wall.
Spike escaped from between the demon and the wall, punching the Tarical multiple times in the back and kicking its knees, or what he thought were its knees. None of Spike's attacks seem to phase the creature however. It kicked Spike in the chest, sending him flying into the furthest wall. The Tarical pulled its claws out of the wall and charged towards the still recovering vampire.
When Spike got back to his feet, the demon was upon him. He could not react quickly enough to escape this time; the demon drove one set of claws into his shoulder, pinning him against the wall of the crypt. Spike did not scream; he refused to. "Don't you go thinking I'm going to give you the pleasure of hearing me scream for my life," the vampire spit a mouth full of blood into the face of the demon which only snarled in response as it positioned its other set of claws in front of Spike's neck.
As he braced himself for the final blow, Spike heard the familiar sound of a sword clearing its sheath. The demon was not distracted by this until a sword pierced its lowered back from behind. It cried out in pain, releasing Spike who fell to the floor and saw Robert standing behind the demon, pulling his sword from its back.
"Good timing," Spike decided to hold the question of how he found him for a later time, springing to his feet, ready to join the demon hunter in the battle.
"Thanks," Robert swung his sword at the head of the demon which ducked out of the way. Returning the attack by slashing its claws at the demon hunter, Robert parried with his sword. Reaching into his trench coat, he pulled a shorter sword with a curved blade from his side and slid it across the floor to Spike before stabbing at the demon who sidestepped the attack.
Taking advantage of the Tarical's focusing on Robert, Spike charged behind it, stabbing the blade into the demon's upper back, quickly pulling it out and stabbing it in the neck. The demon growled in pain, distracted from its battle by the wounds Spike had inflicted. Robert brought his sword around, cutting the demon across its upper legs, stomach and chest before finally cutting it across and stabbing it through its neck. Spike spun his sword around in his fingers several times before driving the blade again into the upper back of the collapsing creature. It fell to the floor, still drawing weak breathes.
Robert sheathed his sword, reached into his coat, underneath his shoulder pulling one of his black, semi-automatic Glock pistols. Aiming at the creatures head, he fired sixteen rounds into it, green blood splattering on the floors of the crypt with each shot until the demon finally succumbed. Robert changed the magazine in his pistol and replaced it in the holster, Spike took a nearby clothed, wiped the blood from the blade and handed it back to Robert as well.
"You know how much it's going to cost to have that cleaned?" Spike pointed to the demon blood covering the floor.
Robert placed the sword back in the sheath. "What is it with Sunnydale and people, or vampires in your case, not thanking someone when he rescues them from unspeakable evil?"
"I had it completely under control," Spike took the time to wipe the blood from his lips. "Was just getting ready to finish him when you walked in with your swords and guns and all. Lots of hardware by the way."
"Yeah well, got to make up for not having super human strength one way or another."
"So, I guess you were right," Spike kicked the body of the demon once for good measure. "Looks like the Tarical demons have come to Sunnydale. Looks like they know pretty well who is allied with the Slayer too. Lucky me."
"We should check on Faith."
Spike sighed and shook his head. Again, Robert displayed his definite lack of knowledge regarding demon tactics. "We don't need to be worrying about her yet," he sat back down in his chair, turning the television on, planning to catch the last few minutes of Passions. "Like I said, these guys take out everyone she cares about first, and then they go after her."
Robert walked behind Spike, leaning on the back of his chair and glaring at the set. "This is the one where he finds out she's cheating on him," he commented, recognizing the particular scene in the episode Spike was watching.
"How'd you know that? Don't exactly seem like the soap opera type?" Spike realized the irony of that statement a second too late to do anything about it.
"Kid sister used to watch it all the time," Robert's voice became grin. He focused on the problem at hand, worrying about Faith. He leaned closer to Spike's ear and whispered in it. "Just an idol thought, how high do you think you rank on the list of people Faith cares about?" Spike realized his point. "Still think we have time?"
"Right," Spike jumped up, collecting his trench coat from the arm of the chair, tossing it over his head. "You drive then." They approached the door and Spike placed an arm in front of Robert, stopping him. "By the way, how did you find me and what were you doing here in the first place?"
"Actually, thought I'd see if you wanted to get in a little friendly sparring. As for how I found you, went to the demon bar and told them I was a friend of yours, they pointed me in the right direction."
"I gotta find a new place."
***
"Faith! Faith!" Xander and Andrew both shouted as they pounded on the door to Buffy's former house. As they pounded repeatedly on the door, both kept a watchful eye behind them, in case the demon they encountered earlier was in pursuit.
While Xander increased his rate of pounding on the door, Andrew was the first to notice a red Ford Mustang pulling up to the Summers' house behind Xander's car. "Xander, Xander," Andrew rapidly tapped his shoulder, drawing his attention to the approaching vehicle. "I think I heard somewhere that evil things always ride in sports cars." The passenger door to the car flew open, revealing a figure dressed all in black with a black coat over his head that quickly ran to the cover from the sunlight provided by the porch, smoke rising from his body.
"No not evil," Xander glared at Spike as he removed his makeshift shield and put his coat on in a normal fashion. "Just, really, really, annoying."
"Put a sock in it," Spike was hasty with his come back. Xander, occupied with Spike, did not notice Robert slowly approach. "What are you and nerd boy doing here anyways?"
"Excuse me," Andrew spoke before Xander could, drawing a glare from Spike who did not care to hear whatever it was he had to say. "But I prefer, normal boy, or former super-villain boy or –"
"How about late breakfast, early lunch boy?" Spike really had no interest in eating him, simply in shutting him up.
"Nerd boy works fine."
"And what are you two doing," Xander realized he had never seen Robert before. "And who are you for that matter?" It had been his experience that new people in Sunnydale typically meant trouble, especially when the first time said new person was seen, it was in the company of Spike.
"Robert Bloodworth."
"Demon hunter extraordinaire, at least in his own mind." Spike added.
"We're looking for Faith," Robert decided it best to skip the gruesome details of his and Spike's encounter with the demon.
"Us to," Xander was however willing to be more forthcoming with information. "Some evil demon thing decided to have us for a morning snack and we need Faith's special brand of taking care of it."
"Talicars," Robert and Spike looked at each other, making the same comment at the same time. "Spike and I just took care of one," Robert continued. "We think they might be after Faith to."
"Well, she doesn't seem to be home or," the possible implications hit Xander like a rock in the head. "Oh no."
"They could have gotten to her already. Our last chance for survival could already have been defeated by those sent to kill us all." Andrew rambled as he became increasingly nervous that they all might not survive until tomorrow.
"Shut up!" Xander and Spike both insisted.
Robert, remaining cool despite the circumstances, approached the door, surveying what little he could see of the interior. Drawing his pair of curve bladed short swords from his sides, he handed them to Spike before drawing his matching pair of Glock pistols from underneath his arms. "Spike, cover me." With a swift movement, he kicked the door in, scanning the inside, weapons ready before he proceeded in, the vampire close behind. "You two wait here."
"Yes sir," Xander acknowledged with a wry salute. Robert ignored him. "Great," he muttered as they entered. "Rambo and a vampire, this couldn't get any worse."
"It could be vampire Rambo," Andrew offered.
"Shut up."
"Faith!" Robert shouted as he surveyed the ground floor of the house, Spike close behind him. "Faith!" Robert went so far as to check the cabinets in the kitchen, being thorough in his search, keeping his pistols ready to fire.
"Slayer!" Spike shouted angrily. Immediately after, the vampire started laughing.
"Something funny?" Robert poked his head around the staircase, making sure it was clear before proceeding up it.
"Just not used to carrying weapons, looking for a Slayer when I'm not planning to kill her." Robert shot him a slightly mocking expression. "Remember, I used to be evil you know."
"Yeah well, we all have our demons I suppose," Robert slowly walked up the steps.
"And apparently not knocking is one the two of you share," Faith's voice from behind them caught them both by surprise. As she approached, Spike and Robert let down their guard, Robert placing his pistols back in their holsters and took his swords back from Spike, securing them as well.
"Sorry Faith, the Taricals went after Spike and your other friends, we thought you might be in trouble," Robert felt the sudden need to justify their breaking and entering.
"Hey, not a problem," she said, waving off any other further attempts at apologizing. "So they're making their move already? Thought someone said they wouldn't be trying anything until tonight?" She shot Spike a glare that almost made him thing that a stake wouldn't be very far behind.
"Right, like I'm supposed to be able to perfectly predict the behavior of demons that have been doing the underworlds dirty work for millennia. Even I can be wrong on occasion Slayer."
"Can't worry about that now, we just need to worry about stopping them."
"They usually travel in packs of fours," Spike remembered what he could about them. "He and I got one of them. One came after the two out there, meaning we've probably got to worry about two trying to get at you."
Faith was about to agree when she remembered what Spike told her about the way these demons go about their killing. "Dawn!" She shouted running outside. Robert and Spike were quick behind, the three of them quickly jumping into his car while Andrew and Xander were in the other.
***
"That guy is checking you out," Kennedy leaned over and whispered to Dawn, pointing to a guy with blonde hair in the front row, neither of the girls paying a great deal of attention to Mr. Watson's lecture on reconstruction following the Civil War.
Dawn looked up from the notes she was pretending to take, a big smile quickly appearing on her face. "Tyler?" She beamed. The majority time she hadn't spent making it through classes or worrying about the festering Hellmouth last year had been spent trying to get Tyler Jacobson to notice her.
Kennedy nodded. "That's a good thing?" She was far from being an expert in such things. Aside from the obvious, the whole high school dating game didn't make a great deal of sense to her.
"Well, yeah, I mean, look at him," Dawn commented, now staring from her near back row seat to the guy in the front row, diligently taking notes. She was so involved in her gazing, she had momentarily forgotten who she was talking to.
"Can't say such things appeal to me," Kennedy gave a playful response, not wanting Dawn to incorrectly believe she had taken any offense to the comment.
Mr. Watson, hearing the two girls conversing, cleared his throat and shot them a stern look before continuing with his lecture by drawing various illustrations on the chalkboard.
Kennedy lowered her voice. "Talk to him after class."
"No, no, no," Dawn quickly answered. "No talking, only looking."
"How come?" Again, Kennedy did not understand the seeming complexities of these high school dating and relationship games. She also considered that she understood them perfectly and that Dawn was the one who didn't understand.
"Because, I try to talk to him, I fail and then nothing ever happens, ever. I don't talk to him, then I can at least preserve the dream that something might happen at some point." Listening to Dawn, Kennedy considered that her second explanation was beginning to sound more and more correct.
"You can't just wait for things to happen Dawn," Kennedy didn't need to go into the details about how she didn't wait for things to happen between her and Willow, as it was a story Dawn already knew quite well.
"You're waiting to become the Slayer," Dawn had Kennedy there and was pleased with her creative way of not talking about the subject. Before the potential could respond, one of the classroom windows shattered, a large, black creature with glowing red eyes and long claws on its fingers came flying through. Everyone in the class, including Mr. Watson, panicked, screaming and running into the hall, save for Dawn and Kennedy who sat still. "Though right now I'm wishing you were one."