Chapter Twenty-Nine
Faith, Buffy and Angel surrounded The First attacking with everything they had. The First barely flinched.
Xander watched this from across the room. He huddled into a corner holding Willow. He rocked her gently and spoke softly to her. "Come on, Will. You have to wake up now. We have to get out of here. Come on. I can't go with out you." Xander peered around the corner and watched as Buffy was sent soaring into the air and back into the basement wall. Xander flinched. He held Willow tighter.
Faith filled in the gap left by Buffy. She gave The First everything she had.
"Silly girl." The First growled. "If I'd wanted you dead, I would have killed you!" With that, The First backhanded Faith and sent her crashing into the staircase with a loud crack.
Angel looked worried. He saw neither Buffy nor Faith moving. Angel pulled from deep inside and swung his sword upward, slicing The First along the chin. The First simply laughed. "No mere mortal can stop me!" The First said, smacking Angel.
"I'm not a mere mortal!" Angel shouted as he began fighting back. He pushed past the pain in his body and called on the feral nature that once resided with in him. Angel began moving quicker and quicker, his speed surpassing The First's.
"Tricky little human." The First said. "You would have made a fine right hand man, Angelus. You and the trampy little slayer."
"She's not a tramp!" Buffy shouted, pulling The First away from Angel. "She's not yours, she'll never be yours. And neither will he! They're mine!" Buffy continued to shout and she landed blow after blow. Her knuckles began bleeding as she continued to fight The First.
Angel regained his footing and rejoined the battle, pushing The First back toward a wall. Faith rose from the ground and shook off her battle injuries. She regained her balance and rejoined the battle.
Xander sat, still rocking Willow. "Come on, Will." He gently shook her shoulders and begged for her to wake up. "Will, come on!"
"Xander?" Willow's voice was weak.
"Yes." Xander whispered excitedly. "Yes, Willow, can you hear me?"
"What's?" Willow breathed hard. "Tara?" She began to cry.
"Will." Xander said. "Tara's gone. The spell worked, but they're getting they're butts kicked."
"We gotta help." Willow said groggily.
"We've got to get you out of here." Xander said seriously, helping Willow to her feet. The two peered around the corner. Buffy, Faith and Angel had The First cornered against the back wall. The staircase was blocked by a large red demon and fallen debris from the fight. Xander looked toward the passage the others had used. Two Turok-Hans stood by the opening.
"Will, listen to me." Xander said. "I'm going to rush the guy on the staircase; you make a run for it. I'll meet you outside."
"I'm not leaving you." Willow said. She grabbed Xander's arm and pulled herself upright. "Separate!" She called. A lightening bolt flew against the Turok-Hans, they both bounced to different parts of the basement.
Xander grabbed Willow in his arms and fireman carried her into the passageway. He ran faster than he though possible. The two emerged into the sunlight.
Willow's face fell as Xander put her on the ground. There was blood everywhere as the group struggled to gain the upper hand in the battle. Willow tugged on Xander's shirt. "Take me over there." She said, pointing to a tree.
Xander supported Willow's weight against his arm and made a run for the tree. He placed Willow down and looked back at the battle. "Will, I've gotta."
"Go." Willow said. "Be careful."
With that, Xander left Willow's side and joined the battle.
Willow sat with her legs crossed beneath her and began to chant. "By force of heart, and mindful power, by waning time and waxing hour, I echo Diana, when I decree, Remove this evil from in front of me." With a flash the demons were gone. Willow closed her eyes and sighed. She rested for a moment.
"Willow?" Dawn asked tentatively.
"They didn't go far." Willow said tiredly. "They'll be back. Right now, Buffy needs your help."
Dawn ran from Willow and pushed her way back to the passageway.
"Dawn, wait!" Rona yelled.
"She needs us!" Dawn shouted as she continued to run. The others gathered themselves and followed.
Willow pulled herself up and followed the group.
Dawn rushed in and instinctively ran to Buffy who was lying against a wall. Rona entered next and gasped at the sight of The First, holding Angel upside down by one leg. Faith was pinned between two bookshelves with a Turok-Han attacking her on both sides. Gunn entered behind Rona and quickly raised his crossbow. He let a bolt fly, hitting The First in the wrist.
Perfect shot.
No Effect.
Gunn took a deep breath, tossed the crossbow aside, raised his axe and rushed The First. Rondell and boys followed without thought.
Rona raised her sword and followed the attack, with Molly, Vi and Kennedy behind her. Amanda ran to Dawn and Buffy's side.
"Is she?" Amanda started, but choked back the words.
"Alive." Dawn practically cried. "She is. Barely."
Xander rushed in with Giles and Wesley just in front of him. The three men ran to Buffy's side, before rushing to help Faith.
Willow entered last, every movement draining more and more energy from her body. She pushed herself against a wall and chanted again. "Air like nectar thick as Onyx! Cassiel by your second star! Hold mine victim, as in tar!" Instantly the air thickened around The First, allowing Gunn and the others to pry Angel from its grasp. Willow quickly looked to where Giles, Wesley and Xander were fighting the two Turok-Hans. "Spirit of serpents now appear, Hissing, writhing, striking near." Fallen debris kicked up and wrapped the Turok-Han in a blanket of wreckage. Wesley pulled back on his sword and neatly chopped off one of the heads. Xander punched with all his might and snapped the second Turok-Han towards Giles, who quickly cut off his head. The three men began to unbury Faith from the bookshelves.
Xander stopped and smiled, nodding at Willow, who stood against the wall forcing herself to control her magic.
"We have to fall back." Faith said weakly. "Fall back." She breathed, collapsing into Wesley's arms.
"Fall back!" Giles screamed into the room. "Fall back!"
Quickly, the team began to flow out the passageway. Connor grabbed Buffy on the way and half carried half dragged her out. Gunn and Rondell flanked Angel and carried him out of the basement. Wesley held Faith tightly as he followed. Everyone helped. Everyone made it out.
Willow stayed behind as the group staggered out. "Block." She commanded. Bricks and other debris flowed into the passageway as she ran out, blocking The First and keeping any demons from following. Willow practically fell to the ground as she shuffled out; she was tapped beyond her limit. Her hands shook, her body shook.
Xander and Kennedy rushed to Willow's side and pulled her along. The van was waiting for them. The group loaded in. Giles leapt into the front seat and jammed the van into gear; he sped off with the tires squealing. Oz, still in wolf form, whimpered.
"Don't worry." Dawn said comforting. "We'll replace the tires." She smiled and rested her head against Oz's.
The gang looked beat.
And The First was still out there.
Faith, Buffy and Angel surrounded The First attacking with everything they had. The First barely flinched.
Xander watched this from across the room. He huddled into a corner holding Willow. He rocked her gently and spoke softly to her. "Come on, Will. You have to wake up now. We have to get out of here. Come on. I can't go with out you." Xander peered around the corner and watched as Buffy was sent soaring into the air and back into the basement wall. Xander flinched. He held Willow tighter.
Faith filled in the gap left by Buffy. She gave The First everything she had.
"Silly girl." The First growled. "If I'd wanted you dead, I would have killed you!" With that, The First backhanded Faith and sent her crashing into the staircase with a loud crack.
Angel looked worried. He saw neither Buffy nor Faith moving. Angel pulled from deep inside and swung his sword upward, slicing The First along the chin. The First simply laughed. "No mere mortal can stop me!" The First said, smacking Angel.
"I'm not a mere mortal!" Angel shouted as he began fighting back. He pushed past the pain in his body and called on the feral nature that once resided with in him. Angel began moving quicker and quicker, his speed surpassing The First's.
"Tricky little human." The First said. "You would have made a fine right hand man, Angelus. You and the trampy little slayer."
"She's not a tramp!" Buffy shouted, pulling The First away from Angel. "She's not yours, she'll never be yours. And neither will he! They're mine!" Buffy continued to shout and she landed blow after blow. Her knuckles began bleeding as she continued to fight The First.
Angel regained his footing and rejoined the battle, pushing The First back toward a wall. Faith rose from the ground and shook off her battle injuries. She regained her balance and rejoined the battle.
Xander sat, still rocking Willow. "Come on, Will." He gently shook her shoulders and begged for her to wake up. "Will, come on!"
"Xander?" Willow's voice was weak.
"Yes." Xander whispered excitedly. "Yes, Willow, can you hear me?"
"What's?" Willow breathed hard. "Tara?" She began to cry.
"Will." Xander said. "Tara's gone. The spell worked, but they're getting they're butts kicked."
"We gotta help." Willow said groggily.
"We've got to get you out of here." Xander said seriously, helping Willow to her feet. The two peered around the corner. Buffy, Faith and Angel had The First cornered against the back wall. The staircase was blocked by a large red demon and fallen debris from the fight. Xander looked toward the passage the others had used. Two Turok-Hans stood by the opening.
"Will, listen to me." Xander said. "I'm going to rush the guy on the staircase; you make a run for it. I'll meet you outside."
"I'm not leaving you." Willow said. She grabbed Xander's arm and pulled herself upright. "Separate!" She called. A lightening bolt flew against the Turok-Hans, they both bounced to different parts of the basement.
Xander grabbed Willow in his arms and fireman carried her into the passageway. He ran faster than he though possible. The two emerged into the sunlight.
Willow's face fell as Xander put her on the ground. There was blood everywhere as the group struggled to gain the upper hand in the battle. Willow tugged on Xander's shirt. "Take me over there." She said, pointing to a tree.
Xander supported Willow's weight against his arm and made a run for the tree. He placed Willow down and looked back at the battle. "Will, I've gotta."
"Go." Willow said. "Be careful."
With that, Xander left Willow's side and joined the battle.
Willow sat with her legs crossed beneath her and began to chant. "By force of heart, and mindful power, by waning time and waxing hour, I echo Diana, when I decree, Remove this evil from in front of me." With a flash the demons were gone. Willow closed her eyes and sighed. She rested for a moment.
"Willow?" Dawn asked tentatively.
"They didn't go far." Willow said tiredly. "They'll be back. Right now, Buffy needs your help."
Dawn ran from Willow and pushed her way back to the passageway.
"Dawn, wait!" Rona yelled.
"She needs us!" Dawn shouted as she continued to run. The others gathered themselves and followed.
Willow pulled herself up and followed the group.
Dawn rushed in and instinctively ran to Buffy who was lying against a wall. Rona entered next and gasped at the sight of The First, holding Angel upside down by one leg. Faith was pinned between two bookshelves with a Turok-Han attacking her on both sides. Gunn entered behind Rona and quickly raised his crossbow. He let a bolt fly, hitting The First in the wrist.
Perfect shot.
No Effect.
Gunn took a deep breath, tossed the crossbow aside, raised his axe and rushed The First. Rondell and boys followed without thought.
Rona raised her sword and followed the attack, with Molly, Vi and Kennedy behind her. Amanda ran to Dawn and Buffy's side.
"Is she?" Amanda started, but choked back the words.
"Alive." Dawn practically cried. "She is. Barely."
Xander rushed in with Giles and Wesley just in front of him. The three men ran to Buffy's side, before rushing to help Faith.
Willow entered last, every movement draining more and more energy from her body. She pushed herself against a wall and chanted again. "Air like nectar thick as Onyx! Cassiel by your second star! Hold mine victim, as in tar!" Instantly the air thickened around The First, allowing Gunn and the others to pry Angel from its grasp. Willow quickly looked to where Giles, Wesley and Xander were fighting the two Turok-Hans. "Spirit of serpents now appear, Hissing, writhing, striking near." Fallen debris kicked up and wrapped the Turok-Han in a blanket of wreckage. Wesley pulled back on his sword and neatly chopped off one of the heads. Xander punched with all his might and snapped the second Turok-Han towards Giles, who quickly cut off his head. The three men began to unbury Faith from the bookshelves.
Xander stopped and smiled, nodding at Willow, who stood against the wall forcing herself to control her magic.
"We have to fall back." Faith said weakly. "Fall back." She breathed, collapsing into Wesley's arms.
"Fall back!" Giles screamed into the room. "Fall back!"
Quickly, the team began to flow out the passageway. Connor grabbed Buffy on the way and half carried half dragged her out. Gunn and Rondell flanked Angel and carried him out of the basement. Wesley held Faith tightly as he followed. Everyone helped. Everyone made it out.
Willow stayed behind as the group staggered out. "Block." She commanded. Bricks and other debris flowed into the passageway as she ran out, blocking The First and keeping any demons from following. Willow practically fell to the ground as she shuffled out; she was tapped beyond her limit. Her hands shook, her body shook.
Xander and Kennedy rushed to Willow's side and pulled her along. The van was waiting for them. The group loaded in. Giles leapt into the front seat and jammed the van into gear; he sped off with the tires squealing. Oz, still in wolf form, whimpered.
"Don't worry." Dawn said comforting. "We'll replace the tires." She smiled and rested her head against Oz's.
The gang looked beat.
And The First was still out there.
