Xander stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. He could hear
shuffling, in the bushes beside the path. His eyes narrowed, squinting into
the darkness, trying to see what was lurking there. He curled his hands
into fists and rocked back slightly on the balls of his feet. Whatever was
in there, was about to pounce and he wanted to be ready. Senses alert,
every nerve in his body alive, he could taste the night. It danced on the
tip of his tongue and swirled through his nostrils. It tasted of fear, of
terror, of bloodthirsty monsters that didn't hide under the bed, but lived
in plain sight. He grinned, ready for action and spoiling for a fight.
Suddenly the bushes exploded and with an inarticulate roar, something launched itself at him. Xander reacted quickly, sidestepping the creature's lunge and turning to face it.
"You guys have just got to get a new routine," he said shaking his head."The sneaking-up-and-jumping-people thing doesn't work anymore."
The creature snarled, his face in full game mode, and made a swipe towards him. Xander just laughed and moved out of the way.
"Oh come on," he said. "Is that all you got? At least make it interesting for me."
Xander knew this was a fledgling, newly risen, and consequentially was going to be easy pickings. The new ones didn't have the same reflexes as older ones. They were starving, confused about their surroundings, still trying to adjust to the whole vampire thing. Xander sighed. He really was in the mood for something a little more challenging, something that was going to stretch his skills. But he didn't have time to play around with a fledgling. With a regretful sigh for the fun he could be having, he zigged and zagged a few times as the vampire tried to grab him. Pulling a stake from the sheath under his sleeve, he saw his opening and took it. The vampire exploded into a dust cloud as the stake penetrated its black heart.
Xander coughed and waved his hand in front of his face.
"I hate the smell of vamp dust in the evening," he muttered.
He took a moment to replace the stake in the custom made sheath that was strapped to his left forearm, then continued walking along the path that wound through Sunnydale Park. He knew from experience that it was a veritable breeding ground for vamps at night. Patrol had been quiet tonight though, and he wondered how the others were doing. As he walked, he stared up at the sky, watching the stars, keeping an ear out for any movement around him. He wondered what it would be like to live on another planet. Were there even any vampires out there? Vampire organisms perhaps. A planet without vampires. He grinned. What a wonderful place that would be. What would it be to actually have a normal life, he wondered.
Suddenly mmovement up ahead caught his eye. Something was standing underneath a large tree by the path as it turned a corner. Xander sighed. Another vamp thinking it was about to feast on an unwary human. You'd think the vamps would have realized that in a town such as Sunnydale, most humans that walked alone at night, in dark places, weren't just ordinary humans. But that's what he liked most about vampires. The majority of them were dumb. Only thinking ahead enough to get their next meal. Very few of them had the brains to be truly cunning and successful. Xander knew it was a good thing that most vampires were solitary creatures, not liking to band together. If every vampire in town, in the country in fact, banded together as a group and worked together, they would be able to take over. They could rule the humans. There was only so much a Slayer could do, even if the Scoobies did help. The town's contingent of vampires could easily overpower the Slayer if they attacked en masse.
Xander sighed and shook his head again. He was closer to the crouching figure in the shadows now, and he flexed his arms, feeling the stake sheath and thinking about the various other weapons hidden about his body.
The figure moved and he suddenly realized it was two vamps in the shadows, not one. He quickened his step and was stopped in front of them, knees slightly bent, hands away from his side. He was grinning fiercely, already relishing the fight.
"Damn that's ugly," Xander said as the two vamps spread out before him. "Hate to tell you, but I think you guys put your pants on the wrong end this morning."
One of the vamps growled and moved forward. Before it got within two steps however, Xander was on it and staking it. He shook the dust from his hair and turned to the second vamp.
"Slayer," the vamp breathed in shock. He began to back away.
"Ah, I see you've heard of me," Xander smiled grimly. "Prepare to -."
The vampire turned tail and ran.
"Hey wait!" Xander called. "I had a quip and everything!"
Xander grinned. Now this was more like it! A chase and at the end of it, a nice staking. And if he finished up quick, he'd be home in time for the Halloween Marathon on cable.
The Slayer took off after the vampire.
Suddenly the bushes exploded and with an inarticulate roar, something launched itself at him. Xander reacted quickly, sidestepping the creature's lunge and turning to face it.
"You guys have just got to get a new routine," he said shaking his head."The sneaking-up-and-jumping-people thing doesn't work anymore."
The creature snarled, his face in full game mode, and made a swipe towards him. Xander just laughed and moved out of the way.
"Oh come on," he said. "Is that all you got? At least make it interesting for me."
Xander knew this was a fledgling, newly risen, and consequentially was going to be easy pickings. The new ones didn't have the same reflexes as older ones. They were starving, confused about their surroundings, still trying to adjust to the whole vampire thing. Xander sighed. He really was in the mood for something a little more challenging, something that was going to stretch his skills. But he didn't have time to play around with a fledgling. With a regretful sigh for the fun he could be having, he zigged and zagged a few times as the vampire tried to grab him. Pulling a stake from the sheath under his sleeve, he saw his opening and took it. The vampire exploded into a dust cloud as the stake penetrated its black heart.
Xander coughed and waved his hand in front of his face.
"I hate the smell of vamp dust in the evening," he muttered.
He took a moment to replace the stake in the custom made sheath that was strapped to his left forearm, then continued walking along the path that wound through Sunnydale Park. He knew from experience that it was a veritable breeding ground for vamps at night. Patrol had been quiet tonight though, and he wondered how the others were doing. As he walked, he stared up at the sky, watching the stars, keeping an ear out for any movement around him. He wondered what it would be like to live on another planet. Were there even any vampires out there? Vampire organisms perhaps. A planet without vampires. He grinned. What a wonderful place that would be. What would it be to actually have a normal life, he wondered.
Suddenly mmovement up ahead caught his eye. Something was standing underneath a large tree by the path as it turned a corner. Xander sighed. Another vamp thinking it was about to feast on an unwary human. You'd think the vamps would have realized that in a town such as Sunnydale, most humans that walked alone at night, in dark places, weren't just ordinary humans. But that's what he liked most about vampires. The majority of them were dumb. Only thinking ahead enough to get their next meal. Very few of them had the brains to be truly cunning and successful. Xander knew it was a good thing that most vampires were solitary creatures, not liking to band together. If every vampire in town, in the country in fact, banded together as a group and worked together, they would be able to take over. They could rule the humans. There was only so much a Slayer could do, even if the Scoobies did help. The town's contingent of vampires could easily overpower the Slayer if they attacked en masse.
Xander sighed and shook his head again. He was closer to the crouching figure in the shadows now, and he flexed his arms, feeling the stake sheath and thinking about the various other weapons hidden about his body.
The figure moved and he suddenly realized it was two vamps in the shadows, not one. He quickened his step and was stopped in front of them, knees slightly bent, hands away from his side. He was grinning fiercely, already relishing the fight.
"Damn that's ugly," Xander said as the two vamps spread out before him. "Hate to tell you, but I think you guys put your pants on the wrong end this morning."
One of the vamps growled and moved forward. Before it got within two steps however, Xander was on it and staking it. He shook the dust from his hair and turned to the second vamp.
"Slayer," the vamp breathed in shock. He began to back away.
"Ah, I see you've heard of me," Xander smiled grimly. "Prepare to -."
The vampire turned tail and ran.
"Hey wait!" Xander called. "I had a quip and everything!"
Xander grinned. Now this was more like it! A chase and at the end of it, a nice staking. And if he finished up quick, he'd be home in time for the Halloween Marathon on cable.
The Slayer took off after the vampire.