ENVOI
"All right," the lead singer of the band playing at the Bronze grasped the microphone in his hand as lights swirled around him. The after football game crowd had been slowly filtering in but was not as large as it usually was, given the strange events that happened earlier in the evening. "This is one we've been working on for a while, I hope you all like it." The song was kicked off by a drum break followed by a strong but slow and melodic guitar and bass intro before the singer began, his voice soft and matching the slow pace of the music. "Through the dark and empty streets, where it's cold and no one meets. I walk away from you."
Faith sat alone at the bar, nursing the first drink she had ordered an hour before, reflecting on the events of the evening and the past couple days. Though she hadn't particularly liked Preston, something about him had started to grow on her and now she had been betrayed again.
The song continued. "Despite the loneliness in my heart, a place you've been from the start. I walk away from you." Robert walked in, having finished processing his prisoner at the city jail and changed clothes at his apartment. He didn't know why he had come, couldn't come up with any good reason for his being here. He ignored the glances of a few of the young woman and sat down at a table, instantly picking Faith out at the bar and gazing at the back of her head.
Guitar, bass and drums signaled an increasing pace for the song, as a heavy instrumental pickup led into the first chorus. "And you'll never know the pain, 'cause you'll never see me there. And you'll never be with me, so stop pretending that you care." Heavy cymbal crashes and guitar accented the last few words before the instruments again slowed, leading into the next verse.
As she listened to the music, Faith felt something. She glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see anything, the crowd was too thick but despite that, she had a feeling. "Late at night one day," the singer continued in this slow, emotional section. "I saw you, in that special way. And I'll never understand, how you never saw me too. Since I was always there, behind you in that dark and lonely place."
The music again picked up, leading into the next chorus where the lead singer was joined by the guitar player, echoing his words. "'Cause you'll never know the pain, and you'll never see me there. 'Cause the truth will always scar, the very people that we are." The music led into a riff.
***
Spike sat alone in his crypt, chugging a bottle of whiskey. He was angry with himself, for being controlled so easily, for what he almost did and for what he almost allowed himself to become. He didn't care what Faith thought of him but he did not want to be her enemy either. He wanted to be left alone, to be forgotten.
When there was a knocking on his door, he reacted without a second thought. Grabbing the stake from the table near his chair, he strolled towards the door, bottle in one hand and stake in the other. He flung the door open, stabbing the vampire threw the heart before he could say anything, dust falling to the ground as he took a drink and flung the door shut, hoping to close himself off from the world in the process.
***
"So lie to me at least," the riff was sung slowly and emotionally, accompanied by a heavy guitar, bass and soft cymbal taps. "Pretend that we could be. Or I'll walk away for good, and you'll never know." A slight pause as the singer looked out into the crowd. "How great it could have been," the familiar instrumental break led into the final chorus. "And you'll never know the pain, 'cause you'll never see me there. And you'll never be with me," each phrase became louder and heavier. "So stop pretending that you care, 'cause you'll never know the pain. And you'll never see me there. 'Cause the truth will always scar, the very people that we are."
A slow guitar and bass marked the beginning of the end of the piece. "Through the dark and empty streets," as he listened, Robert shook his head and stood up, realizing he had no reason to be here. "Despite the loneliness in my heart," he looked a final time at Faith who did not look back at him. "I walk away from you. I walk away from you," the music and voice of the singer became more melodic with each repetition. "I walk away from you, away from you."
***
The wooden door, bearing the number '13' in brass letters in the center, splintered and flew off its hinges, crashing against the dull-gray paint of the second story, run down apartment in one of London's lower-class areas. Six men clad in black tactical uniforms, helmets and vests, brandishing MP5 sub machineguns with active laser sight devices. They quickly and methodically swept the single room apartment, all the while keeping their weapons ready to fire at a second's notice.
"Clear!" The leader of the entrance team announced, followed by the other five members responding in a similar fashion. The team lowered their weapons and removed their helmets, allowing themselves to relax slightly.
Giles and Robson were through the door next. The trace of Giles' e-mail had led them to this address and he was all too eager to lead the investigation personally, with some backup from a special division of the London Police. The room was scant in its décor; a single couch, coffee table, bed, dress, desk and chair, all plain, nothing distinguishing about them. The only thing that caught Giles' eye was an open laptop computer sitting on the desk.
The leader of the Watcher's Council quickly made his way to the device, Robson following slightly behind him. The police entry team began checking the dress as well as under the bed and for any hidden hiding places. Giles noticed that the computer was powered up but the screen was blank, meaning it was in power save mode. Giles tapped the touchpad and the monitor flickered to life.
Instead of information as he had hoped however, Giles saw something radically different. The entire screen was filled by a simple white number, eight. This soon changed to seven. Five. Four. Three.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Gary Boshears
NEXT TIME ON SLAYER
[images: quick montage of the main cast against dark backgrounds: Faith, Spike, Robert, Kennedy and Dawn]
Narration: Dark forces are coming ...
[images: Robert and Faith standing under a tree at night, he looks into her eyes and she looks back into his]
Robert: Something is headed for this town Faith.
[image switches to Spike standing face to face with an unfamiliar blonde wearing a tight red leather outfit]
Spike: They're not for you.
Woman: This town, this world, everything will be ours and you can be a part of that Spike.
[Spike seems to consider this]
[images: Faith, Robert and Kennedy all holding weapons surrounded by a group of vampires in a cave lit by torches]
Faith: All right, let's get it on.
Narration: On an all new Slayer you can't afford to miss.