The lights in the Bronze flickered and came on with a loud buzz. Many men
in black worked on the strobe lights to get them flashing upon the dance
floor. A loud crash of the drum cymbal was heard, but didn't make much of a
difference to the workers. Strains of the guitar floated through the air as
the band warmed up. It was only 2 hours before the Bronze would fill to the
fire Marshall's orders, and even beyond. But nothing exciting ever happened
at the Bronze.
At the Chase household, things were moving smoothly as usual. The only thing out of place was Cordelia's absence from the center of attention. She seemed to be very detached to everything going on around her. Of course, her parents were too busy planning trips to different islands to worry about their daughter. As long as they gave her money and bought her clothes, Cordelia didn't complain. But that was before. Now, the tall brunette sat in her room, her head buried in her hands. Music by the 4 Non Blondes played in the background as Cordelia wallowed in her own misfortune.
Substitute my gloom with happiness.
Substitute my sickness with health.
Substitute my enemies with real good friends.
Morphine and chocolate are my substitute.
Substitutes.
Morphine and chocolate can bring me up.
Can warm my heart whenever I want it.
And every once in a while when I stop and think.
Morphine and chocolate are my.
Substitute, substitutes.
And you can say, "Hey, we've really come a long way."
And you say, "Hey, it can only be this way."
You might be careful; it really hurts when it's real.
You might be careful; it really hurts when it's real.
You'll go down.
Set the alarm clock, baby.
Don't you miss the sun?
I'm feeling really warm-hearted baby.
Don't you know I'm feeling like someone?
I'm fearing for my life again and I am.
Fearing for my heart.
Morphine and chocolate could never.
Substitute my art.
And that's real love baby.
Cordelia got up, switching off the stereo before she depressed herself even further. She fell asleep the night before in LA. A 22-year old woman with a job, a pending acting career, and a whole life of do-gooding ahead of her. And when she awoke? She was a high school sophomore, getting ready for a day at school. At first she panicked, as a normal human being would if they were forced back 4 years. But her mind quickly flashed back to what that creepy little man had told her in the office. That things would go back to the way they were, but different. And on the first day, Cordelia noticed the difference. Faith. The day had almost gone the same way, just with Faith instead of Buffy.
Why Faith? What did the Powers think they were doing? And to whom, exactly, were they giving a second chance? Cordelia? Faith? Buffy? They were messing up time for a reason. Maybe it was a second chance for everyone. But another problem stood in Cordelia's mist. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone about her psychic ability. Or..."time would unravel" as he put it. This heavy weight was quite the burden for a 16-year-old girl to handle, but there was no way of going ahead in time to find out why things were different. All she knew was her life was going to change drastically. Because now she acquired the knowledge of how to kill the Master and the Mayor. And that Angel would lose his soul to...ew. Oh God ew! Faith! Faith would fall in love with ANGEL and make him lose his soul! ...How sick. Evil and twisted. Or maybe, things wouldn't happen like that at all. Maybe..it would be a completely different set of events that would happen to them all. But for now? Cordelia had a dance to make an appearance at.
The band started the first verse to their signature song, prompting a cheer from the crowd. The teenagers danced to the beat the drummer gave them, humming the word to their song. Cordelia sat up on the second level with the Cordettes, glancing around at the room. If she remembered correctly, a huge vampire named Luke would bust in, kill some people, and she would be saved. But everything was pretty much the same. Until she arrived.
Faith's chestnut eyes scanned around the room as the bouncer stamped her hand. Smiling politely, Faith entered the dark club. Her senses were on high power, as she suspected this was the ultimate breeding ground for vampiric activity. But there were no vampires in sight as Faith sat down on a barstool. Ordering a coke, Faith watched people dance happily. With her senses being so far enhanced, she could feel herself being watched. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that cheerleader from school eyeing her. Faith looked back up at her with determination, and the girl looked quickly away. What the hell was her name? Cornelius? Delilah? ...Well, whatever it was, it was the name of the girl "stalking" her. Itching for a little action, Faith frowned in dismay as the crowd was strictly human material. Damn. Wasn't there ANY action on this mouth of hell?
God. He hated working with vampires. They had this way of making people feel as if they were beneath them. He thought that was a good way to put it. Nevertheless, he had heard many things about the Slayer and figured he would need them in order to have everything go his way. For the greater good, or greater evil, if you thought about it.
He slowly took a seat in a lavishly furnished chair, hidden behind one of the largest oak desk in the world. His gaze slowly laid rest upon four of the most legendary vampires ever. There was a slicked back blonde with an attitude, who answered to the name Spike. An insanely beautiful brunette by the name of Drusilla. An elegant blonde by the name of Darla. And a tall, dark and handsome man by the name of Angelus.
He continued to gaze upon the four. Angelus and Darla stand in front of his desk while the other two wandered about the quite large office. After a few moments he finally spoke.
"Now you'll do what I ask of you or you will find yourselves in the pit making new friends. I don't care how bad you think you are, got me?" As he awaited an answer, the first thing he heard was a high-pitched laugh that emitted from Drusilla, who now came up behind Angelus, wrapping her arms around him.
"You're not going to let him to speak to us that way are you Daddy?" A dark, grim sort of smile fell upon Angelus figures as he spoke with a tone that would make the devil himself shudder, if he, in fact, existed.
"No darling, not at all. Now Mr... your name would be?" With a quick answer the demon spoke.
"Saibot." The smile widened a bit on Angelus tiers as he continued.
"Now Mr. Saibot, I don't think you quite get what and who you're dealing with."
With a smile of his own, the demon closed his eyes for a moment... and all of a sudden, Spike came screaming towards them. He ripped a knife across Darla's mid-area. The blood came flowing. Darla looked at Angelus with a frightened look plastered across her face. Angelus stood up, rushed in front of Darla, and checked it out. He turned to Saibot with a look of pure anger in his dark orbs.
"I'll kill you with that." He was about to attack when the demon spoke. Spike in the corner, wondering why he had done such a thing. Drusilla looming over Darla like a virtue.
"If you try anything I'll kill you all. Now if you choose to calm yourself there is a first-aid kit in the room over."
With a nod from Darla, Angelus slowly agreed. The four vampires slowly left the room, Darla in Angelus' arms. It was all coming together quite nicely. He laughed as a mad man would as Angelus bandaged up Darla in the other room. Plotting against Saibot. Like everyone else.
At the Chase household, things were moving smoothly as usual. The only thing out of place was Cordelia's absence from the center of attention. She seemed to be very detached to everything going on around her. Of course, her parents were too busy planning trips to different islands to worry about their daughter. As long as they gave her money and bought her clothes, Cordelia didn't complain. But that was before. Now, the tall brunette sat in her room, her head buried in her hands. Music by the 4 Non Blondes played in the background as Cordelia wallowed in her own misfortune.
Substitute my gloom with happiness.
Substitute my sickness with health.
Substitute my enemies with real good friends.
Morphine and chocolate are my substitute.
Substitutes.
Morphine and chocolate can bring me up.
Can warm my heart whenever I want it.
And every once in a while when I stop and think.
Morphine and chocolate are my.
Substitute, substitutes.
And you can say, "Hey, we've really come a long way."
And you say, "Hey, it can only be this way."
You might be careful; it really hurts when it's real.
You might be careful; it really hurts when it's real.
You'll go down.
Set the alarm clock, baby.
Don't you miss the sun?
I'm feeling really warm-hearted baby.
Don't you know I'm feeling like someone?
I'm fearing for my life again and I am.
Fearing for my heart.
Morphine and chocolate could never.
Substitute my art.
And that's real love baby.
Cordelia got up, switching off the stereo before she depressed herself even further. She fell asleep the night before in LA. A 22-year old woman with a job, a pending acting career, and a whole life of do-gooding ahead of her. And when she awoke? She was a high school sophomore, getting ready for a day at school. At first she panicked, as a normal human being would if they were forced back 4 years. But her mind quickly flashed back to what that creepy little man had told her in the office. That things would go back to the way they were, but different. And on the first day, Cordelia noticed the difference. Faith. The day had almost gone the same way, just with Faith instead of Buffy.
Why Faith? What did the Powers think they were doing? And to whom, exactly, were they giving a second chance? Cordelia? Faith? Buffy? They were messing up time for a reason. Maybe it was a second chance for everyone. But another problem stood in Cordelia's mist. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone about her psychic ability. Or..."time would unravel" as he put it. This heavy weight was quite the burden for a 16-year-old girl to handle, but there was no way of going ahead in time to find out why things were different. All she knew was her life was going to change drastically. Because now she acquired the knowledge of how to kill the Master and the Mayor. And that Angel would lose his soul to...ew. Oh God ew! Faith! Faith would fall in love with ANGEL and make him lose his soul! ...How sick. Evil and twisted. Or maybe, things wouldn't happen like that at all. Maybe..it would be a completely different set of events that would happen to them all. But for now? Cordelia had a dance to make an appearance at.
The band started the first verse to their signature song, prompting a cheer from the crowd. The teenagers danced to the beat the drummer gave them, humming the word to their song. Cordelia sat up on the second level with the Cordettes, glancing around at the room. If she remembered correctly, a huge vampire named Luke would bust in, kill some people, and she would be saved. But everything was pretty much the same. Until she arrived.
Faith's chestnut eyes scanned around the room as the bouncer stamped her hand. Smiling politely, Faith entered the dark club. Her senses were on high power, as she suspected this was the ultimate breeding ground for vampiric activity. But there were no vampires in sight as Faith sat down on a barstool. Ordering a coke, Faith watched people dance happily. With her senses being so far enhanced, she could feel herself being watched. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that cheerleader from school eyeing her. Faith looked back up at her with determination, and the girl looked quickly away. What the hell was her name? Cornelius? Delilah? ...Well, whatever it was, it was the name of the girl "stalking" her. Itching for a little action, Faith frowned in dismay as the crowd was strictly human material. Damn. Wasn't there ANY action on this mouth of hell?
God. He hated working with vampires. They had this way of making people feel as if they were beneath them. He thought that was a good way to put it. Nevertheless, he had heard many things about the Slayer and figured he would need them in order to have everything go his way. For the greater good, or greater evil, if you thought about it.
He slowly took a seat in a lavishly furnished chair, hidden behind one of the largest oak desk in the world. His gaze slowly laid rest upon four of the most legendary vampires ever. There was a slicked back blonde with an attitude, who answered to the name Spike. An insanely beautiful brunette by the name of Drusilla. An elegant blonde by the name of Darla. And a tall, dark and handsome man by the name of Angelus.
He continued to gaze upon the four. Angelus and Darla stand in front of his desk while the other two wandered about the quite large office. After a few moments he finally spoke.
"Now you'll do what I ask of you or you will find yourselves in the pit making new friends. I don't care how bad you think you are, got me?" As he awaited an answer, the first thing he heard was a high-pitched laugh that emitted from Drusilla, who now came up behind Angelus, wrapping her arms around him.
"You're not going to let him to speak to us that way are you Daddy?" A dark, grim sort of smile fell upon Angelus figures as he spoke with a tone that would make the devil himself shudder, if he, in fact, existed.
"No darling, not at all. Now Mr... your name would be?" With a quick answer the demon spoke.
"Saibot." The smile widened a bit on Angelus tiers as he continued.
"Now Mr. Saibot, I don't think you quite get what and who you're dealing with."
With a smile of his own, the demon closed his eyes for a moment... and all of a sudden, Spike came screaming towards them. He ripped a knife across Darla's mid-area. The blood came flowing. Darla looked at Angelus with a frightened look plastered across her face. Angelus stood up, rushed in front of Darla, and checked it out. He turned to Saibot with a look of pure anger in his dark orbs.
"I'll kill you with that." He was about to attack when the demon spoke. Spike in the corner, wondering why he had done such a thing. Drusilla looming over Darla like a virtue.
"If you try anything I'll kill you all. Now if you choose to calm yourself there is a first-aid kit in the room over."
With a nod from Darla, Angelus slowly agreed. The four vampires slowly left the room, Darla in Angelus' arms. It was all coming together quite nicely. He laughed as a mad man would as Angelus bandaged up Darla in the other room. Plotting against Saibot. Like everyone else.