The end of the world came as a surprise.
So what brought the world to its knees and the end of mankind? Acathla? Group of demons? The Scourge?
Mankind brought itself to its end.
One of America's enemies had dropped nuclear bombs in several of the large cities. New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago were all hit. What no one hadn't counted on was the radiation spreading so quickly. The wind carried the poisonous gas and wiped out the entire Northern Hemisphere within a week. The Southern Hemisphere had a few weeks before the winds traveled south of the Equator. No one could escape it; death was inevitable.
Except for those who don't breathe.
I, Angel the former Scourge to Europe, witnessed the end of the world and survived. As have the rest of the vampires of the world.
Some vampires consider this a blessing. They now have the freedom to do whatever they want, with no Slayer to stop them. They are the fools. What they don't realize is that we are also doomed. There is no way for us to get a regular blood supply, except off each other. We will eventually kill each other off, until the world is completely void of any life form.
It's the scariest thing in the world, being one of the last people alive. My friends are dead. My enemies are dead. My purpose on Earth is pointless.
It's sad, really. Buffy averted apocalypse after apocalypse, stopping the demons from killing humans. In the end, it was the humans, those she worked so hard to save, that destroyed us all. The concept is beyond my understanding.
I walked through Los Angeles last night, for no particular reason. Waded through the radiated airs that killed everyone. The city is so dead, nothing like it used to be. There were no demons feeding off the innocent, no innocents gambling with their lives. Life is a beautiful thing, and look at how it ended.
Maybe I could find solace in another dimension, another time. Pylea, perhaps. Even those dimensions with evil reigning had to be better than this.
I remember when I first found out. I walked downstairs, expecting to find Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, and Fred waiting for me. We had a case to work on; a pack of Tyean demons had kidnapped a girl to complete a ritual. I wonder if they were trying to end the world? But when I went downstairs, no one was there. I called each of their houses and there was no answer. I turned the TV on to see the news and there was nothing on the TV. I tried the radio, and there was nothing. I ran to the window, ignoring the sunlight burning my flesh, and I saw the dead bodies. So many dead bodies. Too many.
I waited until later that night to go out, and there I met the last survivors. Vampires of course. They were searching for some uncontaminated blood, and they told me what they heard. It was then I realized it was only a matter of time until we were all dead. Just because vampires are immortal doesn't mean that we live forever. Eventually there would be no blood, we would starve to death, and become nothing more than a skeleton, much like the humans.
Most vampires have given up; they saw the sunlight for the first and last time since they died. I don't know why I haven't. There's no one here to stop me. There's nothing here in the world for me. I've gotten so thin lately, from the lack of blood. I think the silence is the worst of all. Before the end, I loved silence, it gave me time to think. Now, I would give anything to hear Cordelia chattering about a party, Wesley talking about a demon of a sort, Gunn telling about his gang, and Fred going on about physics. That's all gone now, and I long to hear the voice of somebody, anybody.
I stand here, at the beach, watching the ocean crash to the shore, the moonlight reflecting in the water. It's a beautiful scene and yet one of the saddest that there is.
"Hello mate," a familiar English voice comes from behind me.
"How'd you find me?" I reply, not even recognizing the sound of my own voice. It's been so long since I've said something, had anyone to say it too.
"You're the only sign of life there is," Spike replies and stands next to me as the ocean comes crashing in. "Nice scenery," he comments.
"It is." I pause. "Beautiful- it makes me wonder if any of us deserve a world like this- look at what is has become. In the battle of good and evil, no one ever stopped to appreciate life."
"Deep thoughts," Spike hesitates, "I loved her. She didn't love me, but we- slept together." Even though Buffy is long dead, Spike still feels like he was betraying his grand-sire. It didn't matter to him back then; but now, when he is the only one left in the world Spike could talk to- it matters.
I don't even flinch. The part of me that would've killed Spike for touching the love of my life has died along with the rest of humanity. "It was quick for her. Too bad it couldn't be like that for us."
Spike nods, "Do you think this is a punishment? For those of us who are undead?"
I stare out to the seemingly endless ocean, now void and empty of life. "Does it matter?"
The blond vampire sighs, "I guess not." He stands still a bit, still deep in thought. "I miss her- them. Even Xander."
"I miss them too."
"I wish we could see them again."
"Maybe someday- somewhere."
Spike laughs hollowly. "At least you have that. You were some warrior for 'them'. What was I? Just some neutered puppy who fell in love. You strove for redemption- I sought solace in Buffy. I waited for the day my chip would come out, so I could paint the world red. Now I wish I had done things differently."
"Everyone wishes that when faced with death. Maybe the future isn't as bleak as you imagine it to be."
Spike gesticulates wildly. "Look around Angel- this is the future! Look at what people died to protect, and look at what has become of it! When Buffy died to close the portal- do you think she died to protect a world that would come to this!"
I close my eyes, not wanting to see the world around me anymore. "Stop it. No one knew it would come to this- not you, not me, not Buffy."
Spike starts laughing, the pain of the last few months overtaking his senses. "Look at us- the two of us. The Scourge of Europe and the Big Bad themselves, standing around, mourning the end of the world! Mourning our human friends who are dead! Who would've thought!" Tears start to fall from his eyes, and I am unsure of whether they were from his laughter, or his grief.
"Things never go as expected," I reply dryly.
"Aye, they don't." Spike shakes his head and stares once more into the ocean. "As you are the only one left to make amends with, I may as well do so." He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry for torturing you, for sleeping with Buffy, and for any other wrong doings I have done."
"You are forgiven. I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I was evil, for leaving, and any other wrong doings that I have done."
"You are forgiven." We both stare at the ocean, not looking at each other, yet both grateful to have the forgiveness of at least one person. At least some amends were made.
"So this is the world without hope." Spike remarks. "It'd be easier if I was drunk. Even though there's absolutely nothing, I can't help but fight the urge to run back inside, to save myself."
"I know. There's only a few minutes though. And there's nothing to save yourself for. There's no way we can earn redemption. All we're doing is filling up space here, space that has gotten surprisingly larger."
"Still it's hard." Spike chews his bottom lip. "I'm glad you called. At least a small part of me will know some peace."
"That's good." The sun begins to rise along the horizon. "It's about to end."
"Good luck Angel."
"Good luck Spike."
And then the last bit of humanity crumbled to dust.
