Xander enters the library with Cordillia. She is all dressed up; clearly having primped and preened her hair for hours. Xander lightly pushes her back with his hand and she tries to remain steady on her high-heels.
"God, don't you guys have anything else to do than be way super uncool? I hope this doesn't take long. I have to be fashionably late for this party at seven. Sorry you weren't invited. Cool people only."
"Cordillia, shut up. Sit down," Buffy commands.
Cordillia walks by Pryce who has his arms folded. His eyes follow her.
"Hello Wesley."
"Miss chase."
Xander pulls out a chair for Cordillia. She looks at him miffed.
"As if!" she pushes the chair back under and then pulls it out herself.
"Fine then, I'm not gonna argue," he throws his arms up. He sits.
"Last night a third person was stabbed in the Hathaway Place," Buffy begins.
"Are we still counting Faith as a culprit?" asks Giles.
"Nah, Faith's a killer, but not a serial killer. Who ever is doing this, is doing it for pleasure. The police got that place locked up tight now. Who ever, or what ever is killing these people will have to find another one. And I know they'll do it again. They set up a patrol yesterday, yet this guy still went in. Blatant, no respect for authority. Is there any word on swamp thing?"
"Swamp thing?" asks Cordillia.
"This really slimy thing Buffy killed a couple days ago," Xander fills in the blanks.
"Ew, looks like I won't be having the Jell-O tonight," Cordillia says disgusted.
"There's always room for Jell-O," Says Oz.
"As a matter of fact we found some information," Wesley answers Buffy.
"Yes, it's rather vague. The creatures are part of some ritual. The book refers to them as Chamillas. The text said 'Those of clouded eyes' whose skin was like that of tar. There are no pictures to be sure and it doesn't say what the ritual is. It just mentions a 'Profound Change'. We're trying to find more, but we may not have the necessary books. We seem to be a few short after Principal Snyder's tirade earlier," Giles comments.
"I've phoned the Watcher's Council and they promised to send any information my way," Wesley adds.
"Hey, it just occurred to me. If it was the creature from the blue lagoon, then wouldn't there be slime on the victims cloths?" asks Xander.
"I didn't see any, but I could have missed it. I was in a hurry. That reminds me, Willow how goes that hack?" Buffy asks.
"Null, they haven't posted the crime scene photos into their database yet. Not even reports. Must still be in the paperwork. I'll try it again tomorrow."
"We'll wait till we have more information. But what ever those slimy things are, they attacked me. Without even knowing I was the Slayer. They're a danger to others and I know I can kill them. Show of hands who want to join me tonight?"
"Count me in," Xander raises his hand and looks around. No one else has done so.
"I'd like to, but I got to study for the Science Test tomorrow. I really wish I could. I can still join you tomorrow. Promise," says Willow.
"Meeting adjourned people," Buffy finishes.
The doorbell rings at Buffy's house. Joyce answers it.
"Hello Xander. Buffy's upstairs," Xander walks in, "how are you?"
"Hello Misses Summers. I'm okay."
"I just need to get a few things. Xander, come get a weapon," Buffy calls from the top of the stairs.
Xander runs up and turns right. Buffy's door is open. He enters. Buffy is putting on a jacket. A cold front had moved in, but was almost over. Yet the air was a tad nippy.
He heads for the weapons' chest in the closet. He rummages through them until he finds one that catches his attention. A wrist to elbow length flat black case with straps.
"What does this do?" he holds it up to his face.
"It's a spring activate broad sword," replies Buffy, "you thrust your arm forward and it shoots out. Careful, you'll out you're eye out."
"Really?" he holds the closed end and throws his arm out quickly. A sharp knife jets out, "I wanna take this one, but only because I'm a little scared of it."
"You filled the tank up?"
"Yeah, regular. IT cost me a bit more. Prices have gone up," he raises his sleeve and straps in on tight.
"All right, let's go."
They walk downstairs. Buffy throws a shoulder strap purse on.
"I've never seen you use a purse when Slaying. Buffy, what's up?" her mom asks curiously.
"I can't go around right now with weapons in sight. Three people have been killed, town's a little edgy."
"Can you blame them? Check this out," Xander swings his arm and the blade shoots out.
"Oh my lord, what is that?"
"A Slayer project," answers Buffy.
"It looks awfully dangerous. Xander, please be careful with it. What are you going to do with it?" Joyce asks.
"See how many whacks it takes to get to the center of a demon. I'm betting it's three," Xander replies.
"Buffy opens the door and they head out.
"Please be careful. Good luck," her mom calls out.
They leave.
"I just don't know sometimes," Joyce comments to herself.
They drive down a street toward a cemetery in the inner city. The second one they were now going to search that was nearest to Hathaway.
"Park across the street again?" asks Xander.
"You got it."
"Ah, perfect."
"What?"
"You see those cars in the Piggly Wiggly?" says Xander.
"Yeah? Isn't it closed?"
"It is. Those are grocery stockers. If we park our car close enough, it'll seem like it's one of theirs."
"You mean they work all night? Shouldn't there be a law against that? The Anit-Labor Law or something?" says Buffy.
"Buff, stay with me here. Okay, lock your door."
They get out and walk across the street into the cemetery.
"No slimy demon monster around will try to take your purse now that I got Mr. Sharp Thingy here. Eat lead scum suckers. We've gone pretty far. My car looks so small from here. how big is this one anyway?"
"Pretty big. It's one of the biggest and oldest ones in town. Keep your eyes peeled for anything," says Buffy.
"Yuck. I never really thought about that phrase until now."
A gargled roar approaches them. It rushes at Xander and slams him onto the ground. It inhales and it vehemently discharges the acid like substance at Xander. Xander rolls over just missing it. The monster bends at the knees and roars at Xander. It inhales again. Buffy kicks it in the back. Her foot sticks to it.
"Damn..."
It backs up, not giving her the chance to pull free and she unsteadily bounces back on one leg.
"It slimed me. I wonder if I should save some for Willow..." says Xander.
Buffy falls on her back. The monster inhales and just as it is ready to heave she rolls over, narrowly missing the deadly stream. The chemicals in it cause the grass to light up a noticeable orange. A few shreds catch fire.
"You know, a little mouth wash in the morning will clear that right up," says Buffy.
It reaches for her and as a reflex she grabs at it's arm to try to stop it. IT gives a low broken bellowy roar right in her face.
"Holy lord," she tries to hold her breath, "you know, you may have acid reflux di..."
Xander builds up his courage and resolve and yells, "Hey ooze monger!"
It stands up and turns to see Xander. Buffy slips off his body slowly to the ground.
"Inhale this puppy!" he flings the blade out, slashing it through the monster's neck. Cloven from it's body, the head spins in the air and sticks to the ground at an angle.
Xander helps Buffy up.
"Ummm ... did you get the number of the demon who hit me?"
"I did better - I got his head."
"Please don't make any head jokes."
"Way ahead of you Buff," replies Xander.
"I don't know if I'm groaning at the joke, or groaning at the sharp pain in my back. Aren't old people only supposed to feel that?
They both stop and look at the demon. The body is still standing. They wait a minute until it finally collapses, then go back to what they were doing. They are both startled by a rambunctious disturbance about fifty feet away. There are four more.
"Buffy, what do we do? There's to many of the," says Xander.
"Try to take as many of them as we can. Hurry up," Buffy runs at them with Xander trailing a few feet behind.
He stops and yells, "Buffy!"
She eases to a stop and watches the demons get away.
"Buffy, you better come and see this. Hurry."
She jogs over. "What?"
"Look," he points.
Laying on the ground, slumped over a tombstone are five dead bodies. All the ones facing up had obvious stab wounds.
"What kind of person Buffy? I just ... I just can't understand."
"Come on, we need to go."
"We're not going to say a little prayer, or something?" asks Xander.
"We'll do it later, right now I'm more concerned with remembering how the police were called here last time. Come on, we need to get that demon body," she has to drag him by his arm a bit before he joins her.
"The bodies lay strewn about. Male, female, no discernment, or preference was made in the selecting of the slaughtered.
The blood of the humped over a tombstone on his belly, ray dark red down the stone face and over the engraving, "they will be missed."
They both end up back at the demon corpse. They both start to cough and gag.
"I can barely breath. It feels like my lungs are burning," comments Xander.
"A slight mist of the internal acid from the white abomination rose into the air.
"It's the acid! Do this!" commands Buffy. She takes off her jacket and ties it around her head, covering the mouth and nose. Xander follows by example.
"Bags!" she orders loudly.
"What?!" he asks.
She moves in closer to him and yells, "Bags!"
"Oh!" he pulls out two large black garbage bags from each pocket. He throws two to her and they both open them and double bag.
"Car!" she calls out.
"Right!" he runs as fast as he can for his car.
She places the head in, then the body. She then puts the other half in the other double bag and the bag opening meet in the middle of the bag. She takes the plastic draw strings and ties them together.
Xander pulls in and stops. He pops the trunk and rushes out to help Buffy. They both shuffle the body to his trunk. She slams it closed and just then they hear the sirens.
"They're coming!" Xander yells. He runs like hell to the driver's seat and she jumps into the back. they slam the doors and he floors it.
"I got to keep out of sight. Is there a way out?" asks Buffy.
"There's a back exit. I cut through here once," Xander replies.
"Act normal, obey the speed limit, use your blinkers. Just don't do anything suspicious. If you see a cop, don't look at him."
"10-4 Buff."
When he reaches the end of the street he had turned onto, he turns right. He comes to a stop sign. A Police car speeds by.
"Man ... I can feel the blood pumping through me - we really shouldn't do this again. I've watched COPS. I'm carrying a concealed weapon," says Xander.
"Xander, I'm sorry. I promise I won't make any of you do this again."
"It's all right. Should we head over to Giles', or something?"
"No, we need to lay low. Act normal. Not draw any attention to ourselves. We'll wait till morning," she says huddled in a ball in the back. Neon lights from store signs run over her face as they drive. She looks up front and sees Xander breathing deeply and tears start to form in her eyes.
"God, don't you guys have anything else to do than be way super uncool? I hope this doesn't take long. I have to be fashionably late for this party at seven. Sorry you weren't invited. Cool people only."
"Cordillia, shut up. Sit down," Buffy commands.
Cordillia walks by Pryce who has his arms folded. His eyes follow her.
"Hello Wesley."
"Miss chase."
Xander pulls out a chair for Cordillia. She looks at him miffed.
"As if!" she pushes the chair back under and then pulls it out herself.
"Fine then, I'm not gonna argue," he throws his arms up. He sits.
"Last night a third person was stabbed in the Hathaway Place," Buffy begins.
"Are we still counting Faith as a culprit?" asks Giles.
"Nah, Faith's a killer, but not a serial killer. Who ever is doing this, is doing it for pleasure. The police got that place locked up tight now. Who ever, or what ever is killing these people will have to find another one. And I know they'll do it again. They set up a patrol yesterday, yet this guy still went in. Blatant, no respect for authority. Is there any word on swamp thing?"
"Swamp thing?" asks Cordillia.
"This really slimy thing Buffy killed a couple days ago," Xander fills in the blanks.
"Ew, looks like I won't be having the Jell-O tonight," Cordillia says disgusted.
"There's always room for Jell-O," Says Oz.
"As a matter of fact we found some information," Wesley answers Buffy.
"Yes, it's rather vague. The creatures are part of some ritual. The book refers to them as Chamillas. The text said 'Those of clouded eyes' whose skin was like that of tar. There are no pictures to be sure and it doesn't say what the ritual is. It just mentions a 'Profound Change'. We're trying to find more, but we may not have the necessary books. We seem to be a few short after Principal Snyder's tirade earlier," Giles comments.
"I've phoned the Watcher's Council and they promised to send any information my way," Wesley adds.
"Hey, it just occurred to me. If it was the creature from the blue lagoon, then wouldn't there be slime on the victims cloths?" asks Xander.
"I didn't see any, but I could have missed it. I was in a hurry. That reminds me, Willow how goes that hack?" Buffy asks.
"Null, they haven't posted the crime scene photos into their database yet. Not even reports. Must still be in the paperwork. I'll try it again tomorrow."
"We'll wait till we have more information. But what ever those slimy things are, they attacked me. Without even knowing I was the Slayer. They're a danger to others and I know I can kill them. Show of hands who want to join me tonight?"
"Count me in," Xander raises his hand and looks around. No one else has done so.
"I'd like to, but I got to study for the Science Test tomorrow. I really wish I could. I can still join you tomorrow. Promise," says Willow.
"Meeting adjourned people," Buffy finishes.
The doorbell rings at Buffy's house. Joyce answers it.
"Hello Xander. Buffy's upstairs," Xander walks in, "how are you?"
"Hello Misses Summers. I'm okay."
"I just need to get a few things. Xander, come get a weapon," Buffy calls from the top of the stairs.
Xander runs up and turns right. Buffy's door is open. He enters. Buffy is putting on a jacket. A cold front had moved in, but was almost over. Yet the air was a tad nippy.
He heads for the weapons' chest in the closet. He rummages through them until he finds one that catches his attention. A wrist to elbow length flat black case with straps.
"What does this do?" he holds it up to his face.
"It's a spring activate broad sword," replies Buffy, "you thrust your arm forward and it shoots out. Careful, you'll out you're eye out."
"Really?" he holds the closed end and throws his arm out quickly. A sharp knife jets out, "I wanna take this one, but only because I'm a little scared of it."
"You filled the tank up?"
"Yeah, regular. IT cost me a bit more. Prices have gone up," he raises his sleeve and straps in on tight.
"All right, let's go."
They walk downstairs. Buffy throws a shoulder strap purse on.
"I've never seen you use a purse when Slaying. Buffy, what's up?" her mom asks curiously.
"I can't go around right now with weapons in sight. Three people have been killed, town's a little edgy."
"Can you blame them? Check this out," Xander swings his arm and the blade shoots out.
"Oh my lord, what is that?"
"A Slayer project," answers Buffy.
"It looks awfully dangerous. Xander, please be careful with it. What are you going to do with it?" Joyce asks.
"See how many whacks it takes to get to the center of a demon. I'm betting it's three," Xander replies.
"Buffy opens the door and they head out.
"Please be careful. Good luck," her mom calls out.
They leave.
"I just don't know sometimes," Joyce comments to herself.
They drive down a street toward a cemetery in the inner city. The second one they were now going to search that was nearest to Hathaway.
"Park across the street again?" asks Xander.
"You got it."
"Ah, perfect."
"What?"
"You see those cars in the Piggly Wiggly?" says Xander.
"Yeah? Isn't it closed?"
"It is. Those are grocery stockers. If we park our car close enough, it'll seem like it's one of theirs."
"You mean they work all night? Shouldn't there be a law against that? The Anit-Labor Law or something?" says Buffy.
"Buff, stay with me here. Okay, lock your door."
They get out and walk across the street into the cemetery.
"No slimy demon monster around will try to take your purse now that I got Mr. Sharp Thingy here. Eat lead scum suckers. We've gone pretty far. My car looks so small from here. how big is this one anyway?"
"Pretty big. It's one of the biggest and oldest ones in town. Keep your eyes peeled for anything," says Buffy.
"Yuck. I never really thought about that phrase until now."
A gargled roar approaches them. It rushes at Xander and slams him onto the ground. It inhales and it vehemently discharges the acid like substance at Xander. Xander rolls over just missing it. The monster bends at the knees and roars at Xander. It inhales again. Buffy kicks it in the back. Her foot sticks to it.
"Damn..."
It backs up, not giving her the chance to pull free and she unsteadily bounces back on one leg.
"It slimed me. I wonder if I should save some for Willow..." says Xander.
Buffy falls on her back. The monster inhales and just as it is ready to heave she rolls over, narrowly missing the deadly stream. The chemicals in it cause the grass to light up a noticeable orange. A few shreds catch fire.
"You know, a little mouth wash in the morning will clear that right up," says Buffy.
It reaches for her and as a reflex she grabs at it's arm to try to stop it. IT gives a low broken bellowy roar right in her face.
"Holy lord," she tries to hold her breath, "you know, you may have acid reflux di..."
Xander builds up his courage and resolve and yells, "Hey ooze monger!"
It stands up and turns to see Xander. Buffy slips off his body slowly to the ground.
"Inhale this puppy!" he flings the blade out, slashing it through the monster's neck. Cloven from it's body, the head spins in the air and sticks to the ground at an angle.
Xander helps Buffy up.
"Ummm ... did you get the number of the demon who hit me?"
"I did better - I got his head."
"Please don't make any head jokes."
"Way ahead of you Buff," replies Xander.
"I don't know if I'm groaning at the joke, or groaning at the sharp pain in my back. Aren't old people only supposed to feel that?
They both stop and look at the demon. The body is still standing. They wait a minute until it finally collapses, then go back to what they were doing. They are both startled by a rambunctious disturbance about fifty feet away. There are four more.
"Buffy, what do we do? There's to many of the," says Xander.
"Try to take as many of them as we can. Hurry up," Buffy runs at them with Xander trailing a few feet behind.
He stops and yells, "Buffy!"
She eases to a stop and watches the demons get away.
"Buffy, you better come and see this. Hurry."
She jogs over. "What?"
"Look," he points.
Laying on the ground, slumped over a tombstone are five dead bodies. All the ones facing up had obvious stab wounds.
"What kind of person Buffy? I just ... I just can't understand."
"Come on, we need to go."
"We're not going to say a little prayer, or something?" asks Xander.
"We'll do it later, right now I'm more concerned with remembering how the police were called here last time. Come on, we need to get that demon body," she has to drag him by his arm a bit before he joins her.
"The bodies lay strewn about. Male, female, no discernment, or preference was made in the selecting of the slaughtered.
The blood of the humped over a tombstone on his belly, ray dark red down the stone face and over the engraving, "they will be missed."
They both end up back at the demon corpse. They both start to cough and gag.
"I can barely breath. It feels like my lungs are burning," comments Xander.
"A slight mist of the internal acid from the white abomination rose into the air.
"It's the acid! Do this!" commands Buffy. She takes off her jacket and ties it around her head, covering the mouth and nose. Xander follows by example.
"Bags!" she orders loudly.
"What?!" he asks.
She moves in closer to him and yells, "Bags!"
"Oh!" he pulls out two large black garbage bags from each pocket. He throws two to her and they both open them and double bag.
"Car!" she calls out.
"Right!" he runs as fast as he can for his car.
She places the head in, then the body. She then puts the other half in the other double bag and the bag opening meet in the middle of the bag. She takes the plastic draw strings and ties them together.
Xander pulls in and stops. He pops the trunk and rushes out to help Buffy. They both shuffle the body to his trunk. She slams it closed and just then they hear the sirens.
"They're coming!" Xander yells. He runs like hell to the driver's seat and she jumps into the back. they slam the doors and he floors it.
"I got to keep out of sight. Is there a way out?" asks Buffy.
"There's a back exit. I cut through here once," Xander replies.
"Act normal, obey the speed limit, use your blinkers. Just don't do anything suspicious. If you see a cop, don't look at him."
"10-4 Buff."
When he reaches the end of the street he had turned onto, he turns right. He comes to a stop sign. A Police car speeds by.
"Man ... I can feel the blood pumping through me - we really shouldn't do this again. I've watched COPS. I'm carrying a concealed weapon," says Xander.
"Xander, I'm sorry. I promise I won't make any of you do this again."
"It's all right. Should we head over to Giles', or something?"
"No, we need to lay low. Act normal. Not draw any attention to ourselves. We'll wait till morning," she says huddled in a ball in the back. Neon lights from store signs run over her face as they drive. She looks up front and sees Xander breathing deeply and tears start to form in her eyes.