Willow greeted Buffy as she arrived at the lobby of the hotel. The
redhead was smiling and buoyant as usual, or at least was concealing her
emotions well.
"Buffy! Where have you been? We were wondering when you would finally come down..I." Willow's statement was interrupted by a solemn Buffy who just continued walking past her, without even exchanging a look.
Willow ran up to Buffy, trying to maintain the conversation. "Anyway, you missed a great dinner! Lorne and Gunn were telling us all about the apocalypse they had to fight off and we were telling them of our adventures battling the First."
Buffy stopped and turned around to face Willow. "I can't really talk now Wil, a lot of things are on my mind and I just need to be alone."
Willow nodded, perhaps now was not the time to engage in a pleasant conversation. She noticed how Buffy's face looked grimmer than it had been for the past several weeks, even with the First. She sensed fear, frustration and anxiety within Buffy's voice. Willow backed off and walked towards the study where Giles and Wesley were catching up.
Buffy sighed and walked out of the hotel, ignoring the puzzled looks of any of her friends or Angel's. She stepped out into the black night and dark streets of LA. The isolation, the darkness, the sense of uncertainty were all she needed now. She knew nothing could ever be the same after Spike died and with Angel, well, they could never love each other. Angel had found others to vent his lust upon as had she. They could never be reconciled and she knew it. For now she just needed release, release from the friends who abandoned her, the friends who rejected her, the friends she had saved so many times and the friends who almost seemed like a family to her. Now, they meant nothing to her and neither did Angel. She shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts, every moment stepping deeper and deeper into the dark threshold of LA.
She arrived in an abandoned quarter of the city. Shadows lurked across every building and the few unbroken flights cast a fluorescent haze on the street. Broken glass and garbage lay strewn across the desolate wasteland. Windows were boarded up, doors were grated shut and condemnation notices seemed to be on every building. It reminded her of Sunnydale before the apocalypse, a once prosperous, booming area now empty and abandoned. It was the perfect nightspot for demonic activity and sure enough, she spotted a tense situation in need of resolution.
A homeless man was surrounded by three vampires. The tallest one, a punk dressed in tattered jeans and a black t-shirt stooped over the bleeding, defenseless old man. The leader grinned and his visage changed from human to demonic. His yellow eyes flashed as he ran his tongue across his fangs.
"Delicious," he smirked as he stooped to tear out the wino's throat. Just then, he felt something bury itself in his back. His hands groped to discover a wooden object buried in back that had pierced his heart. He turned around to face his killer and instantly decayed into dust as he came face to face with a short blonde in a red leather jacket.
"Anyone else want some," she grinned as she seized the stake from the pavement. Her blue eyes flashed with bloodlust as she crouched in a fighting stance.
One of the vampires rushed at her, snarling and with arms outstretched. He intended to dispatch her with a series of quick blows but his thoughts were interrupted by a swift kick to his groin that sent him sprawling. A thrust from a stake permanently ended his conscious thoughts.
The sole remaining vampire stood riveted to the ground as he watched the slayer dust his buddies. He backed off, his arms raised in a peaceful gesture. However, Buffy learned to never take prisoners and she strutted up to the astonished vampire and snapped his neck. The vampire fell to the ground in a pile of dust and she helped the old man to his feet. The wino was dressed in frayed combat fatigues and a bloodied shirt. His gray eyes stared at her in amazement and gratitude.
"You saved my life!" he exclaimed before his savior vanished. He took care to remember her appearance and he staggered down the alley ignoring the pain. Micah had promised him salvation if he completed his assignment, which he had. Now, the enemy had a face and his duty was to inform Micah and his brothers and sisters. Soon the demons would fear the humans they preyed on and the heretics would perish with them, starting with the slayer. Yes, salvation was at hand, he thought as he finally reached an enormous church. Its façade was decorated with stained glass windows and an immense steeple. He threw open the doors and meet the faces of a congregation of hundreds.
"She's here," he spoke.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel, Willow, Kennedy, Gunn, Fred, Lorne Giles and Wesley were discussing matters in the study. Giles sat on a chair, perusing through one of the tomes he saved from the destruction of Sunnydale. Wesley and the others stood, exchanging glances or making small talk.
"So any news about our friends at Wolfram and Hart?" piped up Giles as he interrupted his reading.
Gunn shook his head, "nope, not since Jasmine. They're place is completely abandoned. It's as if something scared them off."
"Yes, it's quite odd. The peculiarity of the situation seems to reflect that there may be an ulterior force manipulating us all," Wesley spoke, his voice giving a sense of anxiety.
"Caleb said something about a champion greater than him. He promised this would be a "beast with ten horns and seven heads, resembling a leopard but with a mouth of a lion" that would transform the world into a kingdom of evil. He claimed none would know the identity of this monster until it was too later and he would be so powerful that not even a slayer could stop him," Willow said, her voice wavering. Kennedy put her arm around Willow to comfort the Wiccan, Willow's expression changed to a smile as she stared at her lover. The others however did not share in the tender moment.
"I don't know about you guys, but I think we've faced so many apocalypses that this jibe seems like the same-old, same-old prophecies about doom and the end of world and blah-blah," interjected Lorne, trying to create some mirth out of the gravity of the situation.
"Lorne, this could be a completely serious issue. We as always, cannot fathom what or who we're up against, so the best plan is to research, Wesley do you recall anything of this magnitude?" Giles spoke in a grave and stern voice.
Wesley shook his dead, as did Gunn and Lorne. Fred's brow furrowed as she tried to remember something.
"That sentence sounded vaguely familiar, but I can't quite remember," mused a puzzled Fred.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a hurtling object that crashed through the doors, raining glass around her. The object collided with the floor, leaving a few traces of blood. It was Faith, who was covered in bruises and scratches.
"Buffy! Where have you been? We were wondering when you would finally come down..I." Willow's statement was interrupted by a solemn Buffy who just continued walking past her, without even exchanging a look.
Willow ran up to Buffy, trying to maintain the conversation. "Anyway, you missed a great dinner! Lorne and Gunn were telling us all about the apocalypse they had to fight off and we were telling them of our adventures battling the First."
Buffy stopped and turned around to face Willow. "I can't really talk now Wil, a lot of things are on my mind and I just need to be alone."
Willow nodded, perhaps now was not the time to engage in a pleasant conversation. She noticed how Buffy's face looked grimmer than it had been for the past several weeks, even with the First. She sensed fear, frustration and anxiety within Buffy's voice. Willow backed off and walked towards the study where Giles and Wesley were catching up.
Buffy sighed and walked out of the hotel, ignoring the puzzled looks of any of her friends or Angel's. She stepped out into the black night and dark streets of LA. The isolation, the darkness, the sense of uncertainty were all she needed now. She knew nothing could ever be the same after Spike died and with Angel, well, they could never love each other. Angel had found others to vent his lust upon as had she. They could never be reconciled and she knew it. For now she just needed release, release from the friends who abandoned her, the friends who rejected her, the friends she had saved so many times and the friends who almost seemed like a family to her. Now, they meant nothing to her and neither did Angel. She shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts, every moment stepping deeper and deeper into the dark threshold of LA.
She arrived in an abandoned quarter of the city. Shadows lurked across every building and the few unbroken flights cast a fluorescent haze on the street. Broken glass and garbage lay strewn across the desolate wasteland. Windows were boarded up, doors were grated shut and condemnation notices seemed to be on every building. It reminded her of Sunnydale before the apocalypse, a once prosperous, booming area now empty and abandoned. It was the perfect nightspot for demonic activity and sure enough, she spotted a tense situation in need of resolution.
A homeless man was surrounded by three vampires. The tallest one, a punk dressed in tattered jeans and a black t-shirt stooped over the bleeding, defenseless old man. The leader grinned and his visage changed from human to demonic. His yellow eyes flashed as he ran his tongue across his fangs.
"Delicious," he smirked as he stooped to tear out the wino's throat. Just then, he felt something bury itself in his back. His hands groped to discover a wooden object buried in back that had pierced his heart. He turned around to face his killer and instantly decayed into dust as he came face to face with a short blonde in a red leather jacket.
"Anyone else want some," she grinned as she seized the stake from the pavement. Her blue eyes flashed with bloodlust as she crouched in a fighting stance.
One of the vampires rushed at her, snarling and with arms outstretched. He intended to dispatch her with a series of quick blows but his thoughts were interrupted by a swift kick to his groin that sent him sprawling. A thrust from a stake permanently ended his conscious thoughts.
The sole remaining vampire stood riveted to the ground as he watched the slayer dust his buddies. He backed off, his arms raised in a peaceful gesture. However, Buffy learned to never take prisoners and she strutted up to the astonished vampire and snapped his neck. The vampire fell to the ground in a pile of dust and she helped the old man to his feet. The wino was dressed in frayed combat fatigues and a bloodied shirt. His gray eyes stared at her in amazement and gratitude.
"You saved my life!" he exclaimed before his savior vanished. He took care to remember her appearance and he staggered down the alley ignoring the pain. Micah had promised him salvation if he completed his assignment, which he had. Now, the enemy had a face and his duty was to inform Micah and his brothers and sisters. Soon the demons would fear the humans they preyed on and the heretics would perish with them, starting with the slayer. Yes, salvation was at hand, he thought as he finally reached an enormous church. Its façade was decorated with stained glass windows and an immense steeple. He threw open the doors and meet the faces of a congregation of hundreds.
"She's here," he spoke.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel, Willow, Kennedy, Gunn, Fred, Lorne Giles and Wesley were discussing matters in the study. Giles sat on a chair, perusing through one of the tomes he saved from the destruction of Sunnydale. Wesley and the others stood, exchanging glances or making small talk.
"So any news about our friends at Wolfram and Hart?" piped up Giles as he interrupted his reading.
Gunn shook his head, "nope, not since Jasmine. They're place is completely abandoned. It's as if something scared them off."
"Yes, it's quite odd. The peculiarity of the situation seems to reflect that there may be an ulterior force manipulating us all," Wesley spoke, his voice giving a sense of anxiety.
"Caleb said something about a champion greater than him. He promised this would be a "beast with ten horns and seven heads, resembling a leopard but with a mouth of a lion" that would transform the world into a kingdom of evil. He claimed none would know the identity of this monster until it was too later and he would be so powerful that not even a slayer could stop him," Willow said, her voice wavering. Kennedy put her arm around Willow to comfort the Wiccan, Willow's expression changed to a smile as she stared at her lover. The others however did not share in the tender moment.
"I don't know about you guys, but I think we've faced so many apocalypses that this jibe seems like the same-old, same-old prophecies about doom and the end of world and blah-blah," interjected Lorne, trying to create some mirth out of the gravity of the situation.
"Lorne, this could be a completely serious issue. We as always, cannot fathom what or who we're up against, so the best plan is to research, Wesley do you recall anything of this magnitude?" Giles spoke in a grave and stern voice.
Wesley shook his dead, as did Gunn and Lorne. Fred's brow furrowed as she tried to remember something.
"That sentence sounded vaguely familiar, but I can't quite remember," mused a puzzled Fred.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a hurtling object that crashed through the doors, raining glass around her. The object collided with the floor, leaving a few traces of blood. It was Faith, who was covered in bruises and scratches.