Disclaimer:
I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The
Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.
Authors Note: Lets Just say, The past can come back and bite a chunk out of
ones ass, no matter how powerfull one are.
ON
WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!
23.06 p.m.
As the movie ended a slow moving mass of people flowed out into the street, and disappeared each to theirs. Two of them were slowly walking down the road. The woman was resting her head on the man's shoulder. As they reached a red Opel Corsa, he quickly kissed her before he held the door open for her, then he got in behind the wheel. They drove in comfortable silence. No conversation necessary, just being with the other was enough. But as they neared their street, Peter noticed a frown on Enya's face, as she became restless in her seat. As he parked he turned to her.
"So, do you want to come in for a coffee? No, no I didn't mean it that way", he said as he saw the worry on her face. "I have said it before, and I'll say it again. We are taking this as far and as fast as you want. You are in the drivers seat, as far as our relationship goes. You tell me when or if you are ready to take things further. I just got the feeling something is bothering you. Wanna come in for a coffee and talk about it?" Enya let out a little smile of embarrassment. Then she nodded.
"Yeah, I think I need to talk to you about something."
"Now what's bothering you," he said ten minutes later as he handed her a mug of coffee. She slowly added sugar and cream to the coffee, a delaying tactic so obvious that she cringed inwards. Then after a sip, she made up her courage.
"Peter, for the short months I have come to know you, I have seen what a fantastic person you are. You never say a bad word about anyone. You are always polite and kind, even to people that you don't know, or you with a good reason don't like. Therefore I am a little shocked about the way you treat Buffy.
Yeah, you are always polite, but there is a coldness, hardness about you when it comes to her. And you always seem to be in a hurry to get away from her. I hope she hasn't noticed, but I certainly have. What is it about her that bothers you so much? At first I thought it was because of her past as The Invulnerable, but then you would have had the same feelings towards me. Death was just as evil and destructive as The Invulnerable, if not worse."
"No!!!"
She jumped back from the intensity of his shout.
"You are nothing like her. I wont have you comparing yourself to her!" To her shock he was shivering from suppressed rage. "That woman is the most evil, perverted, deranged bitch that has ever set foot on this world. She did things so unspeakable that you can't even imagine it. If given the choice, I would much rather face a demon of the first circle of hell, than her. I bloody well would have a hell of a lot better chance at survival!!!"
"Peter, listen to what you are saying…"
" No, you listen!!! You haven't seen what she can do. You haven't seen people littered around like discarded toys, young people, old people, children, ripped to shreds, just for her bloody amusement. You haven't seen the kind of Carnage she consider fun. She is the devil incarnate. She is-"
PFWAPH!!! He reeled back from a punch to his abdomen, and a small twinge of fear coursed through him as he for the first time watched her eyes turn yellow. "So I haven't seen what a Slayervampire can do, hah?
You don't know shit about Carnage! You were just a child when The Invulnerable ran havoc. Hell, your biggest concern was what to have in your lunch box in Kinder Garden. The same goes for me. But let me remind you, buster. The Council of Watchers, The Tower, Ring any bells? What I did that day, can compete with anything The Invulnerable ever did. If you were there that day, you would know. But no, you lucked out that day! You chose that day to get the bloody Flu.
Well let me tell you about Carnage. 75 Watchers died that day. 75 Watchers and many of them with their families, died in that attack. And the families that "lucked out" and were elsewhere, were left with unimaginable pain and grief. Wives, sons and daughters lost their husbands or fathers that day."
"But-"
"Shut up Peter!! You want to hear about Carnage huh? Well here it is in all its gory details. I drained five Watchers that day, and felt an almost orgasmic sense of joy as their blood flowed through my body. And how many I killed! I don't know. But I did it with considerable creativity I tell you. I pulled them apart limb by limb. I tore of their heads, or stabbed out their eyes. Strangled them, and I even ripped out their still beating harts with my bare hands.
And worse. You know what was worst. The one hideously perverted crime that made all the others pale in comparison? There was this little girl; she couldn't have been more than five. No, shut up! You will listen to this! Do you know what I did to her? I played with her pressure points, to give the most pain possible without rendering her unconscious. And then…."
By now Enya were shivering in violent spasms of grief. "And then…" Her feet buckled and she fell to her knees. "And then I crucified her with Railroad spikes, Just like that bastard William the Bloody, before I slit her wrists and stabbed a wooden stake through her abdomen. I left her hanging there, like some freaking perverted work of art.
So how is that for Carnage? Do I qualify for your hate now?" Her whole body wracked in frightening sobs as she relived the horrors of the not so long ago past.
"Do I qualify?!"
"No, you don't. What happened at The Tower, that wasn't you! It was the demon that did all those horrible things, not you. Do you hear me, it was the demon not you." Her knuckles whitened as she fought for control, and when she again looked up at him, she was calm if still pained.
"Exactly!"
The word hit him harder than her fist had. "It wasn't me that did those things. I have no guilt in that. I know that now, thanks to Buffy, Xander you and the rest. Buffy didn't have that advantage. She was all by herself. For an entire year she was alone with the guilt, the fear, the pain. Can you imagine that? And still all it took was one little boy, and she fought herself back to a liveable life. I'll tell you, I would have succumbed to madness.
Now, tell me. How was her situation different, apart for hers being so much more painful." Her still yellow eyes bore into his with merciless scrutiny, and he moaned in self-castigation.
"I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that."
"Well, you did."
Then her voice turned full of concern. "Do you mind telling me why you have such trouble separating Buffy from her demon, when you have treated me kind and considerate since you first laid eyes on me?"
"No. You deserve that. The reason I have trouble with Buffy, is because 17 years ago, The Invulnerable killed my parents right in front of me. I was only five years old, and had to watch her break their neck, before she came at me." She gasped in shock, and spontaneously hugged him. She felt him shiver from the memories that were forever burned into him.
"How did you survive?"
"I don't know. I still don't know," he murmured. "But I will find out tomorrow. This can't go on anymore. I have to speak to her."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Enya. I owe it to both of you to square things out."
They were silent for a while. Then Enya drew back a little. "You know, in some way I am glad. Don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't want you to go through what you have, in a hundred lifetimes. But in some weird egotistical emotionally screwed up way it is good to know that I'm not the only one to have emotional hang-ups. Does that make me a bad person?"
"No, Enya. Its only natural, to feel more at ease with a person that you have something in common with, or whom you find out is more equal to you than you though. Nobody wants to feel like they are the only ones that have problems. It's what you do with those feelings that makes it good or bad. And I think you do fine. It only turns bad if one starts to look after, and cherish the thought of other people's problems and faults, and use it to humiliate them so that oneself can feel big."
She sighed in relief and enveloped him in a tight hug, which he returned. Finally she had gotten it, she thought. Finally she had understood what Buffy had told her for months. She understood, and it filled her with peace of mind. There still was pain and sorrow, but most of the guilt was gone.
16.November 2014. Location: New York The Summers Residence.16.39 p.m.
"Thank you for a delicious meal," Peter said as they all stood up from the dinner table. He nodded to Enya, who grabbed Xander and pulled him with her out in the garden. Buffy lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Now why do I get the distinct feeling you have something to say to me?" she asked as they walked into the living room.
"It's because I do, Miss Summers," Peter said as he combed his fingers through his hair. "But first I want to apologize for the way I have been treating you. I hope you can forgive me when I tell you the reason why I have been so cold and intolerant to you.
Well. here it is. The whole thing started 17 years ago," he said and watched as all colour drained from her face. "I was there. I was there when your demon attacked Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. And my parents were probably the last civilians she killed. She broke their necks right in front of me, before she went after me. To this day I don't understand why she suddenly screamed as if someone had rammed a stake into her hart, before she tore through the SWAT team that came down the corridor and disappeared. What happened? Why am I alive?"
It became so silent, he could hear her breathing increase. Her whole body language tightened up, and just as he was about to flee, tears started flowing freely down her chins.
"It was you? You were the little boy with the little red fire truck?" He nodded. "Oh, God!" She sat down in the sofa and curled her arms around her knees. "The reason you survived was because that was the moment when my soul started to come back. Sadly between then and when I finally was back, the pain I inflicted upon the demon, caused it to become twice as brutal. Those SWAT guys didn't stand a chance."
She sat there slightly rocking back and forth for a while. Then she dried her eyes and looked at him with eyes that had just the slightest hint of yellow in them. "I can understand that you don't exactly feel great when you are near me. So what are we going to do about this? I hope you don't consider quitting as Enya's Watcher? Besides, I realise that you two have something going on. I fear that she feels just a bit more for you than you for her. And I would hate it for her to be hurt because of my past."
Peter shook his head. "Miss Summers, Enya and I are taking things very slowly. It has to be like that. She is only ready for slightly more than friendship. But believe me, my feelings for her are not at all friendly. I mean, I'll always be her friend. But the simple fact is that I think I am in love with her. I would never willingly do something to hurt her. Now, for what you and me are gonna do. This might sound a bit strange, but would you please go into vamp mode for me?"
"No! No, absolutely not!!"
"Please, I need to see for myself that even in vamp mode you have your soul." She hesitated for a moment, before she did as he said. He watched her as she stood before him; he stood up and walked around her.
"The Invulnerable had this aura of pure malice around her, it's not there anymore."
"You mean this," she said, as her head dipped forwards, and her shoulders straightened and her stance became wider, more confident and athletic. And just like then, he felt this aura of murderous intent rolling off her in waves as she barred her teeth in an evil grin. She watched his eyes widen in fear as he backed up a few steps.
Then he stopped up and shook his head. "No, it's a good imitation, but no. There is a difference. It doesn't feel as pure. Besides, you emanate more power than malice now. If I was to take a guess, I'll say that you are even more powerful now than you were then." Swiftly she shifted back to herself.
"You are right. For some reason I don't understand, I seem to get stronger for every year that goes. Now, did it work?"
"Yes some. But my problem here is trust. Even though I mentally know I can trust you, emotionally I can't. I know you still go patrolling. I think it would be a good idea if I went with you, learned to work with you." She thought for a while, and then she nodded.
"Perhaps that would be a good idea." Then she got a worried wrinkle behind her eyes. "How good of a fighter are you?" He flashed her a smile, the first she had seen in days.
"I have a black belt of fifth degree in Okinawa'n style Karate, I can hit any target with just about any fire weapon, and I can throw stakes and silver daggers with the best of them. I have been training most of my life, and my mentor was the head of the Taraka clan. Relax; I'm not talking about The Order here. It's a different line of the family. The rest of the clan disowned them four hundred years ago, and they have been enemies ever since."
"How did you ever meet up with them?"
"Pure coincidence. My mentor moved to USA to get away from The Order, and ended up in my neighbourhood; where I witnessed him beat the heck out of some teenage street thugs that were beating me up just for the fun of it."
"Well, then I think it is safe to assume that you can handle yourself, and you may need all your skills. I have been informed, that some of the demon children of Death have taken a trip over the pond. Word says they are out to take down their Sire and gain her position in the vampire world. They are already in the neighbourhood. Think you are up for that much action?"
He nodded. "How many vampires are we talking about here?"
"There are five of her fledglings. Each of them has their own demon children. We will be facing at least thirty vampires, thereof five with powers close to those of a master vampire. I was thinking of taking them down by myself, but this makes it easier."
He shook his head. "You are talking about taking down 30 vampires by yourself like its something you are used to."
"It is. I usually take down about thirty vampires on a patrol. The trick is not to take them all on at the same time. When badly outnumbered, fight dirty." He surprised her with letting out a low chuckle.
"You know, already now, I think it'll be all right. We are not so different after all. Now lets start preparing. It's only a few hours to nightfall."
16.November 2014. Location: New York The Summer's Residence. Out in the foyer16.55 p.m.
"Jeeesuss!!"
The word was only a whisper as it worked itself over Enya's lips, as she slid down by the cabinet in which she had gone to get a scarf for her and Xander's jog.
"Hey, where did you go Enya?" Xander froze in mid step as he saw Enya on the floor. He ran over to her. "What is it, what's wrong Enya?" She didn't answer. She just kept on repeating that one thing.
"Jeesuuuusss!," while her eyes slowly turned bright yellow. Finally she seemed to snap out of it, as she started to silently weep.
"What's wrong Enya," he repeated. Now really worried. She looked up at him, and finally told him what she just had heard.
"Is it true Xander? Is five of my vampire children coming after me?"
Xander nodded. "Yes. We don't know who it is, but they have come here with their cadre to take you out. Buffy hoped to settle the whole thing before you ever knew. But now the cat is out of the sack."
She seemed to be struggling with herself for a moment. Then she stood up.
"I'm going with them."
"Are you sure, Enya? Remember that you haven't been patrolling for close to three years."
"Yes Xander. I have to. If I'm ever gonna be able to face my own reflection, I have to. I have to know that I at least didn't let you two fight all of my battles for me, that I did something myself."
"Okay, then we all go." He let out a low chuckle. "It'll be the world's first Slayer double date. Well, then it's about time we start preparing. Come with me, and I'll show you Buffy`s armoury."
16.November 2014. Location: New York New York Warehouse District.23.30 p.m.
They stood on a rooftop, looking down on the warehouse where the vampires were. "Are you sure about this Enya?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, I am. You and Peter attack from the front, and I and Xander attack from the back, one minute later."
"Are you really sure you are ready for the Slayer gig again." This time it was Peter, asking her.
"I don't have a choice. I have to face my past. What's more, the last weeks I have been feeling the need to go hunting again. My Slayer instincts are back full force, and quite frankly, they have been wreaking havoc with my sleep lately. So yeah, this is it, the point of no return."
Peter nodded, and grinned approvingly. Buffy listened to her, and felt immense pride. She really was back. It had gone a lot faster than Buffy had expected. She knew that Enya still had a lot to struggle with. But for the first time Buffy felt sure everything would be okay. It might take time, but Enya would be okay. Buffy had to clear her throat a few times before it finally worked.
"Okay then. Lets show those damned bloodsuckers, who owns these streets." With that, she grabbed Peter and jumped of the roof.
17.November 2014. Location: New York Warehouse District. Inside a certain warehouse00.30 a.m.
"Now what can you tell us about Death, lackey?!"
"I have good news, and bad news, Great Ones. I know exactly where she lives. She is at the moment living at the house of a mortal female cop. It should be easy to get to Death. The only trouble might be the cops' boyfriend, who is living there. His Name is Alexander Lavelle Harris, and used to be a close friend to the Slayer Buffy Summers."
"Don't worry about him. He was always the weakest link in the Slayers gang," A tall and curvaceous woman with slightly Asian features said. "Now tell us the name of the cop, and where they live."
"The cops name is Anne Summers, and-"
"What!!!!!!" The five Vampire Masters shouted.
"You stupid imbecile!" This time it was a high and muscular built man with features that would have made Hitler weep from joy, who spoke. "Have you no knowledge at all? The Slayer Queens name, as a mortal person was Elisabeth Anne Summers!"
He had just barely finished his sentence, when there was a whistling sound, and the vampire lackey disappeared in a cloud of dust, hit by a silver tipped crossbow bolt. Then the five looked on in fear, as a circular area on the floor before them, started to glow. The glow intensified until it almost felt as if rays of sun hit them. Then as sudden as it started, the glow faded away. Leaving a scorched circle with the shape of a wooden stake in it.
Fear gripped them as they all recognized the seal of a Master Vampire. But not just any vampire, no, without doubt the most feared vampire Queen in the history of The Nosferatu. And as they as one raised their heads, the doors blew open in a rain of flaming debris. Slowly she came gliding in, a couple of inches off the floor, The Invulnerable!
"Stupid fuckers," she hissed.
"The first rule in being a good Master Vampire is: Know thy enemy. And you sorry chaps and dudettes haven't done your homework. That's for sure. Mess with Enya, and you will face the wrath of me, Angelus the Scourge of Europe, both of the slayers, a werewolf and a naturally born sorceress in the service of The Powers That Be. And did I mention Ripper, the only mortal warrior alive that can match the viciousness of any vampire, and that absolutely hates vampires?"
"You do not scare me," the platinum blonde Arian said. "I do not believe the hype about you. If you were so bloody powerful, then why did you disappear, and hide away in this little neighbourhood?"
The Invulnerable just sniggered, as suddenly a wooden stake penetrated his heart from behind. "That's because she got her soul and life back you idiot," Peter said as the vampire exploded in a cloud of dust and sparks.
"Guards!" A short woman with hip long raven black hair shouted.
"Oh spare your breath, you walking dustbin," Peter snorted. "All of your little demon families are gone, dead, dust in the wind, knocking at Lucifer's gate. Capiche?"
"How… how…" she stuttered. Totally baffled by this mortal man that didn't seem one shred afraid in the presence of four Master Vampires.
"Well, I should think them easy targets for Buffy Summers, Enya Thompson Alexander Lavelle Harris a warrior of the Light, and me. I am Peter Travers, Enya's Watcher and a fifth Dan in Okinawa`n Style Karate." As he spoke, Enya and Xander came in and now the terrible foursome was surrounded.
Enya stepped forth. "Danila Sugorawa, Erzebeth Dragovitch, Michael Anderson, Keriwo Mobuto and the now late Siegfried Zimmerman. You five were picked out by Death, to become her generals, in the army she intended to create. She handpicked you for your unique fighting skills. All of you were warriors for The Light when you lived. Well except Siegfried. He was just a bloody Neo Nazi. Guess if she was pissed off when you guys left! Now it is time for me in some small way to make amends to your souls by releasing them." She drew a katana from behind her back, and prepared for battle. With an unnatural glow in her eyes Buffy softly started to chant, and the foursome found themselves incapable of moving. Enya looked startled at Buffy, who looked just as surprised, but gave her a slight nod, while continuing to chant. Enya nodded back. Suddenly knowing what Buffy meant her to do.
"Danila Sugorawa, come forth and be released." Twack!!!
"Erzebeth Dragovitch, come forth and be released." Twack!!!
"Michael Anderson, come forth and be released." Twack!!!
"Keriwo Mobuto, come forth and be released." Twack !!!
As the last vampire exploded, Enya fell to her knees and the sword hit the concrete with a clang as huge sobs shook her body. Immediately she felt strong loving arms embrace her as she rocked back and forth. After a while she stopped crying, and looked up into those beautiful eyes of Peter's. "Thanks" she said and kissed him softly.
Then she turned to the other two. "Buffy, Xander, thank you doesn't seem to cut it. You have done so much for me, that I never will be able to pay you back. And now this Buffy, did you really intend to take on all of those vampires on your own?"
The older Slayervampire nodded. "I have done it before, and I can do it again. You may not be my daughter in blood. But I love you as if you were. Have no doubt about that. And when it comes to my family, there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect them," Buffy stated with steel in her voice.
Enya nodded, "I believe you there. But what the hell was that chanting? I didn't know you could do magic? Well, apart from you inherent Master Vampire magic."
Buffy shook her head. "Neither did I. The words just seem to burst up from some hidden reservoir within me. It was kind of scary. I think I will have a talk with Rupert and Christopher, or maybe Willow."
"Yeah, do that. But for now, I vote that we go home and order tons of Pizza and Cola. For some reason I am starving."
"Yeah, I second that," Xander said as they started walking out of the warehouse.
Neither of them noticed the lone vampire that was curled up in the shadows, nearly insane from fear. Never had he seen a massacre like this. In half an hour forty-four vampires were simply executed, by two mortal men, The Invulnerable and Death. It was nearly dawn before he finally ran away to spread the word. Twenty-four hours later, the same thing was said in all layers of demon society.
"Lucifer, protect us! Cause The Invulnerable and Death have become warriors of The Light!!!"
To be continued