CHAPTER 5:
""
Buffy wonders into the fair unnoticed, during its last few minutes being open. Few people are left and it is clearing. Some of the booth lights go out and some dim. Off in the distance Spike and O'Malley catch sight of her.
"Now see her? All alone, obviously a wonderer. She shouldn't be to big a hassle. Colin, I've placed an order."
Spike watches as Colin sneaks around some booths, quietly making his way toward Buffy. She stops. She turns around. Colin is standing there.
"Tickets please," Colin demands and shifts his face.
"Sorry," she says, "it must be in my other pants."
He rushes forwards and she kicks him back.
"Now don't help him. He fights like the devil himself."
He stumbles back and regains his balance. He comes at her again. She kicks high up and he bends backwards then grabbing her leg, he pulls it forward quickly. She falls flat on her back.
"I'm going to let you get up, but only because I believe it's unfair to strike a person when they are down," Colin says.
"You're positively gushing with manners."
"When you're ready. Seeing as how I have a slight advantage, I think I should go easy on you. Would you like that? If I eased up?"
"You want to give me a handicap? I got news for you - right now, your handicap, is surpassed by no one."
"That so? You won't mind if I test that?" asks Colin.
"Take it for a spin," replies Buffy.
She kicks again and again. Both times missing. He runs at her and ducts and rolls behind her. He jumps up, cups his hands, kicks her in the back of the legs where the knees are and hits her on the back with his hands.
She falls down, but catches herself before she hits the ground. She kicks backwards into his crotch. It doesn't phase him.
"Lost those to a Slayer. What match do you possibly think you are?"
She gets up, her hair hanging in her face and disheveled, she speaks in a low voice, "I am the Slayer."
Colin looks at her wide-eyed.
"Slayer. Why would the Slayer be here, if not to protect something. We're on the hell mouth aren't we? I knew I felt something," O'Malley says befuddled.
"What? You didn't know?" Spike says.
"Cursed be, I didn't. Why didn't you inform me?!"
"I thought it was common vampire/demon knowledge."
"Obviously I don't."
Buffy picks up a baseball from one of the booths. She tosses it up and down and then looks at Colin.
"So Slayer, you want to play in the major leagues now? So be it. Hit me with your best shot."
"You're out of bounds." She holds the baseball with her right hand and swings her arm faster and faster.
Colin gets worried and starts to back up.
She let's go and zoom! The ball flies at him at over a 120 miles per hour. It bashes through the front of his chest and flies out the back. Spitting insides and dust with it. He screams as he melts into a pile of dust.
"I through like a girl."
O'Malley's lips tremble and a vein on his forehead throbs.
"That wee Slayer lasse has bitten more then is possible to chew. Go get her Tommy."
"For what? Another pointless sacrifice?" Spike points out.
"To avenge Colin's death!" O'Malley exclaims to him.
"We need a plan you Irish git. So let's just make haste to the trailer and hope she passes over us."
"Perhaps you're right. There will come another day."
They both back off and leave. As he walks, Spike pulls out his cigarettes. O'Malley grabs him and throws him up against the side of the trailer.
"Look here, you do that again and."
O'Malley pushes him back again and moves in closer until his face is so close to Spike, that Spike can smell his breath and see the anger in his eyes.
"I am proud of my Irish heritage. Don't you ever use my people's name as an insult ever again. We struggled over oppression and still do so to this day. If my people can over come that, I can most certainly handle a Slayer."
"And if you can't?"
"I'll die trying. Laddy, your next steps, had better be taken carefully."
Frederick watches from a window. O'Malley let's go and Spike straitens his coat and bends down quickly to pick up his cigarette.
"Where are you going?"
"Sorry mate, I got my own flat."
"It would be best if you stayed here."
"And do what? Until I get this chip out, I am no use. So you and your three ringed circus just relax."
O'Malley steps up into the trailer. He closes the door. Frederick is sitting down on his bed watching him.
"O'Malley?"
"Go to sleep boy."
He turns off the lights.
""
Buffy wonders into the fair unnoticed, during its last few minutes being open. Few people are left and it is clearing. Some of the booth lights go out and some dim. Off in the distance Spike and O'Malley catch sight of her.
"Now see her? All alone, obviously a wonderer. She shouldn't be to big a hassle. Colin, I've placed an order."
Spike watches as Colin sneaks around some booths, quietly making his way toward Buffy. She stops. She turns around. Colin is standing there.
"Tickets please," Colin demands and shifts his face.
"Sorry," she says, "it must be in my other pants."
He rushes forwards and she kicks him back.
"Now don't help him. He fights like the devil himself."
He stumbles back and regains his balance. He comes at her again. She kicks high up and he bends backwards then grabbing her leg, he pulls it forward quickly. She falls flat on her back.
"I'm going to let you get up, but only because I believe it's unfair to strike a person when they are down," Colin says.
"You're positively gushing with manners."
"When you're ready. Seeing as how I have a slight advantage, I think I should go easy on you. Would you like that? If I eased up?"
"You want to give me a handicap? I got news for you - right now, your handicap, is surpassed by no one."
"That so? You won't mind if I test that?" asks Colin.
"Take it for a spin," replies Buffy.
She kicks again and again. Both times missing. He runs at her and ducts and rolls behind her. He jumps up, cups his hands, kicks her in the back of the legs where the knees are and hits her on the back with his hands.
She falls down, but catches herself before she hits the ground. She kicks backwards into his crotch. It doesn't phase him.
"Lost those to a Slayer. What match do you possibly think you are?"
She gets up, her hair hanging in her face and disheveled, she speaks in a low voice, "I am the Slayer."
Colin looks at her wide-eyed.
"Slayer. Why would the Slayer be here, if not to protect something. We're on the hell mouth aren't we? I knew I felt something," O'Malley says befuddled.
"What? You didn't know?" Spike says.
"Cursed be, I didn't. Why didn't you inform me?!"
"I thought it was common vampire/demon knowledge."
"Obviously I don't."
Buffy picks up a baseball from one of the booths. She tosses it up and down and then looks at Colin.
"So Slayer, you want to play in the major leagues now? So be it. Hit me with your best shot."
"You're out of bounds." She holds the baseball with her right hand and swings her arm faster and faster.
Colin gets worried and starts to back up.
She let's go and zoom! The ball flies at him at over a 120 miles per hour. It bashes through the front of his chest and flies out the back. Spitting insides and dust with it. He screams as he melts into a pile of dust.
"I through like a girl."
O'Malley's lips tremble and a vein on his forehead throbs.
"That wee Slayer lasse has bitten more then is possible to chew. Go get her Tommy."
"For what? Another pointless sacrifice?" Spike points out.
"To avenge Colin's death!" O'Malley exclaims to him.
"We need a plan you Irish git. So let's just make haste to the trailer and hope she passes over us."
"Perhaps you're right. There will come another day."
They both back off and leave. As he walks, Spike pulls out his cigarettes. O'Malley grabs him and throws him up against the side of the trailer.
"Look here, you do that again and."
O'Malley pushes him back again and moves in closer until his face is so close to Spike, that Spike can smell his breath and see the anger in his eyes.
"I am proud of my Irish heritage. Don't you ever use my people's name as an insult ever again. We struggled over oppression and still do so to this day. If my people can over come that, I can most certainly handle a Slayer."
"And if you can't?"
"I'll die trying. Laddy, your next steps, had better be taken carefully."
Frederick watches from a window. O'Malley let's go and Spike straitens his coat and bends down quickly to pick up his cigarette.
"Where are you going?"
"Sorry mate, I got my own flat."
"It would be best if you stayed here."
"And do what? Until I get this chip out, I am no use. So you and your three ringed circus just relax."
O'Malley steps up into the trailer. He closes the door. Frederick is sitting down on his bed watching him.
"O'Malley?"
"Go to sleep boy."
He turns off the lights.
