DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it
all belongs to Joss Whedon.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy New Year everybody, wherever you may be in the world. Here's my first fight scene - sorry about the corny name, by the way, couldn't think of anything more original. Just in case you're wondering, this Kate has nothing to do with Kate the policewoman from Angel. Please review, and keep reading!
Chapter 6
'Fight? Well, there's a job requirement you don't hear often,' Xander said. 'Except for on boxer's résumés and stuff.'
The gang had gathered at the house that evening to discuss the situation.
'I don't know if this is a good idea, Buff,' Xander went on. 'This is like sleeping with someone to get a job. You'll feel as if you're just not appreciated for what you do.'
'You sound as if you're speaking from experience, Xander,' Buffy fought back jokingly. However, his cheeks started to flush, and when Buffy saw this she quickly changed the subject.
'Anyway, fighting and having sex with people are two totally different things,' she continued.
'Yeah, in sex, you don't stand the risk of getting injured,' explained Anya. 'Well, not seriously anyway.'
'I'm behind you, whatever you choose to do, B,' Faith assured.
'Me too,' added Kennedy.
'Thanks you guys!' Buffy was flattered. 'See? The Slayers support me; the rest of you could to.'
'I support you love!' Spike defended. 'I just don't want you to get hurt.'
Buffy smiled sarcastically. 'This from the man who's first thing on his to- do list not so long ago was to kill me.' Those who had been there and knew what she was referring to grinned.
'Hey, that hurt,' he said, offended.
'I love you really sweetie,' Buffy told him. 'Besides. . .the first thing on my to-do list at one point was to kill you too.'
Anya spoke again. 'Xander, you wanna go have some "we just got married" sex? This is boring.' There was a pause, and then:
'I'm gonna go get a drink of water!' Kennedy exclaimed over- enthusiastically.
'I'll join you!' Buffy said with equal over-enthusiasm.
In the kitchen, Buffy and Kennedy started talking again.
'No offence to Anya or anything,' Buffy said, 'but I'm too pre-occupied right now to hear about her sexcapades.'
Kennedy poured herself a drink of water. 'How about listening to them all day?' She downed the water like a liquor shot. Buffy made a questioning face.
'Anya showed up at work today,' Kennedy said tapping her fingers nervously on the counter. 'The fact that she got no sleep last night didn't stop her from telling all the waitresses, bartenders and customers what kept her awake.' Buffy winced.
'Oh, God, I do feel sorry for you. . .'
'Remind me again why I got her this job?'
Buffy calmed Kennedy down. 'To keep the income rolling in,' Buffy explained in a soothing voice.
'Don't take this the wrong way Buffy,' said Kennedy. 'But I really hope that we have to fight a demon tonight because I need to take my fury out on something.'
Buffy smiled appreciatively. 'Come on. We should start getting ready.' Buffy put her hand on Kennedy's shoulder as they walked back into the living room.
They found Anya speaking - quite openly about what Kennedy and Buffy had dreaded - while Willow put her hands over Dawn's ears. Spike's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, Xander's face was in his hands, and Faith looked incredibly bored.
Buffy walked over to Faith, whispered something, and Faith smiled cheekily.
'Anya, Xander, that sounds great. Too bad she's not doing any of the stuff I did with you, eh Xand?
Anya's eyes widened as Faith continued to speak. 'Let's go get ready for this.'
The three Slayers went up the stairs to the bedrooms, followed by everyone except Anya and Xander, who were now quarrelling.
**********
At ten to 8 o'clock, the three Slayers and Spike (armed with weapons) loaded themselves into the car. The plan was that Spike would drive them there, go on to work, and they'd report back to him later that night. All terribly anxious, they pulled up at a very hidden-away place that was the address they were meant to go to.
'Now remember,' Spike said. 'You go in together, ready to fight right away, weapons by your sides.' They nodded. 'Don't forget to report back to me - I'll be at the door until 2 in the morning.'
'We'll be fine sweetie,' Buffy was sitting in the front with him, and she bent over to his side and kissed him quickly.
'Let's go girls,' she said, stepping out of the car, followed by Kennedy and Faith, who was carrying the weapons bag. Spike drove around the corner to the club he worked at.
'OK,' said Buffy, pulling out the business card and trying to see it in the darkness. 'It must be down those stairs. . .' she pointed to some stairs that headed downwards into what seemed like nothing. Faith pulled out a torch and shone it down the steps.
The three started descending the metal stairs silently, and reached a large door.
'Do we knock?' asked Kennedy.
'I say we break it down,' Faith said, lifting her foot to kick the door down. Buffy stopped her. 'The rule is: knock first. If there's no answer, then you break the door down.'
Faith was disappointed.
Buffy knocked politely, and to their surprise, a slot slid open, with two eyes staring through them.
'Password?' a man's gruff voice called out.
'Uh, we don't have one,' said Buffy. 'But we have this,' she put the business card in front of the two eyes.
The slot slid shut, and the Slayers shrugged. Just as they lifted their legs to kick the door down, they heard some bolts, and the door opened.
'Come in,' said a man with a moustache and greasy hair.
They hid their weapons from him as they shuffled in, and the door slammed behind them, making them jump.
They had entered into a huge crowd of people; cheering, calling out, with banners carrying slogans, and in the middle of it all was a ring.
'Oh my God. . .' said Buffy breathlessly. 'It's a wrestling arena. Of course! The blue and red lines on the card are like the rope colours.'
'Looks like we won't be needing these,' said Faith in a let-down voice, looking longingly at the weapons bag.
'It also means no demon,' said Kennedy pouting.
'It means that I have to wrestle someone,' said Buffy in an annoyed voice. 'Fighting? Wrestling isn't fighting! It's stupid set-up struggles between people with corny names and in tight latex costumes!'
'Do you wanna back out B?' asked Faith.
Buffy looked around at all the cheering fans, and back at the currently empty ring.
'No,' she decided. 'I can take some loser in latex on any day.' Faith and Kennedy smiled as they pat Buffy on the back.
'Buffy Summers?' A voice called out behind them. They jumped once again and spun around.
A man was holding a clipboard with a sheet attached to it.
'Yeah?' Buffy said coming to the front.
'You're on next,' said the man. 'I'll take you to the back so you can get changed.' He urged her to follow him. Faith and Kennedy started going, but the man stopped them.
'The blonde comes alone. You two can take a seat and watch.'
Faith and Kennedy looked on helplessly as Buffy went somewhere hidden away.
'What if she gets in trouble in the ring?' Kennedy asked nervously.
'We jump right in there and kick the ass of her opponent,' Faith confirmed. They shared a high five.
They were going to stand united now.
**********
Meanwhile, Buffy had been taken to a shared changing room, where intimidating muscular women were getting ready. Among them all, for the first time, Buffy felt weak. One of them even took one look at her and burst out laughing.
Buffy was led into her own dressing room, and the man addressed her there.
'Your costume's in the closet. Put it on, I'll be back in 10 minutes to take you to the ring.' He was about to leave, but then he turned around, taking a good look at her. 'Are you sure you're gonna be able to take one of those women on? You're kinda. . .petite.'
'I can take care of myself,' Buffy replied coldly.
The man was surprised by her tone, and he rushed out of the room.
Buffy turned towards the closet, and with incredible fear, opened the door.
Staring back at her was a ridiculously ugly tight costume - blue, yellow and red - and it looked like something a cheesy superhero would wear. Without the cape.
Buffy gasped at the fashion faux pas. She couldn't believe hundreds of people were going to see her wearing this. "Just think of the job and the money," she told herself. "The job and the money. . ."
As she put it on, she thought to herself: "This is the ugliest and most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn." She paused in her mind. "Well. . .except for Anya's bridesmaid dress."
Soon after that, the man came back to pick her up. 'Great, you're ready!' He took her by the arm and led her in a certain direction.
'I have a couple of questions,' Buffy released herself from his grip. He sighed.
'What?'
'Where's my boss?' she asked roughly.
'In the audience. Don't worry, he's watching.' The man took her arm again, but she pulled it away.
'What exactly are the rules of this fight?' she continued.
'No rules,' said the man definitely. 'First one to get the other one on the ground for 3 seconds wins.' He tried to grab her arm again, but she backed away.
'One more.' She crossed her arms. 'Who am I fighting?'
He laughed darkly. 'You'll see. . .'
This time she let him grab her by the arm, and before she knew it, she was in the middle of the crowd, trying to get to the ring. She looked around for Faith and Kennedy, but there were too many people for her to recognise anyone.
As she reached the centre, a loud voiceover started to speak.
'And now for our next fight,' the voice boomed. 'We have a new vs. old battle. In the red corner, new girl Buffy!'
Buffy clambered into the ring, and Faith and Kennedy watched from the side.
'What is she wearing?' Faith stared at the outfit.
'That's not what I'm worried about. . .' Kennedy commented, as she scanned the crowd for Buffy's opponent.
'And in the blue corner. . .' the voice continued to boom. 'The roughest toughest girl in San Fran, never been beaten, Kate the Great!'
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Buffy suddenly realised that EVERY banner had a slogan supporting Kate.
'How come these losers didn't cheer like this for Buffy?' Faith complained. Kennedy however was completely in awe.
'Did that guy just say "never been beaten" Kate the Great?'
'Oh whatever,' Faith rolled her eyes. 'B can handle. . .' She stopped dead as she caught sight of the woman climbing into the ring.
Not only was this woman extra tall, she was much more muscular than any other woman they had ever seen. She had a fierce look on her face - more so than of any wild animal - and a loud voice.
'Who dares challenge Kate the Great?' she shouted, glaring at Buffy. Buffy trembled slightly, but she was determined to keep eye contact to prove that she was not afraid. And what was there to be afraid of? She'd fought the First just a few months ago - the Ultimate Evil - and had beaten it. Except then of course, she'd been armed with 50 Slayers and a plan. Now she was alone, and all she had was a stupid costume.
The referee stood in the middle of the ring. 'First one held down for three seconds that I count wins. Ready,' he raised his hands. '3, 2, 1. . .fight!' He dropped his hands and walked out of the ring.
Buffy and Kate the Great started encircling each other in the ring. Suddenly, Kate stopped, laughing.
'You really think you can challenge me? You're so puny, I don't understand how you walk!' The crowd laughed with her.
Buffy threw up her hands in protest. 'Alright, that's it! Why do people automatically think that I'm a weakling just because I'm short and thin? I've had enough!'
'I'll have you done in a minute,' threatened Kate.
'Give me your best shot,' said Buffy.
With that, Kate charged for Buffy like a bull. Buffy stood on the spot, hands on her hips.
'Why isn't she moving?!' Kennedy said urgently.
'Give her a sec,' said Faith smiling.
Just when it looked as if Kate would jump on Buffy, the Slayer did a sideways somersault in the last available moment, and Kate jumped on the ropes, tangling herself in them. The crowd gasped in surprise, and Kennedy let out a sigh of relief.
As Kate released herself from the ropes, she glared at Buffy. 'You were lucky then,' she claimed.
'Yeah, I accidentally, but luckily, somersaulted my body sideways,' Buffy said sarcastically. This time, the crowd laughed with her.
'I'll get you this time,' Kate growled. 'You wanna do gym, we'll do gym.' With that, she did multiple flips towards Buffy, and when she reached her gave her a hard kick in the face. Buffy fell back into the ropes, and a loud groan echoed from the crowd.
'I can't watch,' Kennedy wailed, covering her eyes. Faith however was waiting anxiously for the fierce comeback she knew Buffy was capable of.
Buffy stood up from the ropes, and raised her fists, like she had done so many times before.
'It's not so funny when you're the one in the ropes, is it?' Kate said.
'You're really gonna regret doing that,' said Buffy through gritted teeth.
'Oh am I?' Kate taunted. 'What are you gonna do about it little girl?'
Buffy smiled. 'I heard this fight has no rules. Is that true?'
Kate snorted. 'Yeah, I can break your neck if I want.'
'I was hoping you'd say that.' Buffy jumped out of the ring. 'Hold on a sec,' she told Kate.
The audience were bewildered. What was the new girl doing?
'I know what she wants,' said Faith. She opened the weapons bag. 'Buffy, over here!' she called. Luckily, the arena was silent enough at that moment for her to be heard.
All heads turned her way, as well as Buffy's. 'Faith! Toss me the duel pole will you?'
Faith nodded. She removed the pole from the bag, lengthened it, and like a javelin, threw it down to Buffy, who caught it perfectly. Buffy knew that wrestlers were strong, but they definitely weren't agile. She had realised she had the upper hand in this fight.
'Thanks!' Buffy climbed back into the ring. All faces were confused, and Kate was looking extremely frightened.
'What is that thing?' she pointed at the pole.
'Well, you said there were no rules,' Buffy explained, spinning the pole in her hands idly. 'I just thought I'd have some physical aid.' Without warning, she stuck the pole out and knocked Kate off her feet. Unfortunately, Kate jumped back up too quickly. She laughed, but it was somewhat nervous.
'I can break that little twig any day. It's wood.' She grabbed it, trying to break it, but failed, barely making it crack.
'We call it a pole for a reason. It's got a thick metal pipe down the middle; otherwise it would be called a stick.'
Faith was clapping her hands, while most of the public were still. The banners supporting Kate had been dropped, and the cheering had died down.
'Enough of the chit chat and empty threats,' said Buffy. 'Time to fight.'
She spun the pole around so that it hit Kate twice within a second. Buffy ran up to her, kicked both her legs up high, straight into Kate's chest, and used her free hands for the pole, keeping Kate's hands busy (which were trying to grasp the pole, but unable to because she couldn't see anything). Then Buffy alternated, spinning the pole on the ground with her feet to distract Kate's, while she punched Kate's face and stomach.
Just when Kate looked like she was going to faint, Buffy elbowed her in the face, grabbed the pole and knocked her off her feet.
This time Buffy made sure that Kate stayed on the ground, using the pole to keep her down. The referee had been prepared, as he was already in the ring. Buffy held down the pole with all her strength as she waited for the count.
'1, 2, 3. . .you're out!' Buffy let the pressure off Kate, who didn't seem able to get up.
'New girl Buffy wins!'
The crowd cheered even louder for Buffy than it had done for Kate, and some of the banners went back up - except Kate's name had been scribbled over with Buffy's. Faith and Kennedy had jumped up and were hugging each other.
Buffy smiled as her arm was raised by the referee victoriously. She had beaten Kate with classic Slayers moves, strength and agility.
She turned around to see how Kate was. To her great pleasure, she was still on the ground, and some man was bandaging her knee.
Kate turned her head, looking directly at Buffy, and suddenly, her eyes glowed green.
A very unnatural, non-human green.
Buffy turned away and swallowed as she realised:
She had just fought a demon.
**********
A/N: More coming soon, but I'll be on holiday for the next few days, and I hope everyone gets a good rest for the New Year. Coming up. . .a little comic scene at Spike's club, and the Slayers tell all to the gang.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy New Year everybody, wherever you may be in the world. Here's my first fight scene - sorry about the corny name, by the way, couldn't think of anything more original. Just in case you're wondering, this Kate has nothing to do with Kate the policewoman from Angel. Please review, and keep reading!
Chapter 6
'Fight? Well, there's a job requirement you don't hear often,' Xander said. 'Except for on boxer's résumés and stuff.'
The gang had gathered at the house that evening to discuss the situation.
'I don't know if this is a good idea, Buff,' Xander went on. 'This is like sleeping with someone to get a job. You'll feel as if you're just not appreciated for what you do.'
'You sound as if you're speaking from experience, Xander,' Buffy fought back jokingly. However, his cheeks started to flush, and when Buffy saw this she quickly changed the subject.
'Anyway, fighting and having sex with people are two totally different things,' she continued.
'Yeah, in sex, you don't stand the risk of getting injured,' explained Anya. 'Well, not seriously anyway.'
'I'm behind you, whatever you choose to do, B,' Faith assured.
'Me too,' added Kennedy.
'Thanks you guys!' Buffy was flattered. 'See? The Slayers support me; the rest of you could to.'
'I support you love!' Spike defended. 'I just don't want you to get hurt.'
Buffy smiled sarcastically. 'This from the man who's first thing on his to- do list not so long ago was to kill me.' Those who had been there and knew what she was referring to grinned.
'Hey, that hurt,' he said, offended.
'I love you really sweetie,' Buffy told him. 'Besides. . .the first thing on my to-do list at one point was to kill you too.'
Anya spoke again. 'Xander, you wanna go have some "we just got married" sex? This is boring.' There was a pause, and then:
'I'm gonna go get a drink of water!' Kennedy exclaimed over- enthusiastically.
'I'll join you!' Buffy said with equal over-enthusiasm.
In the kitchen, Buffy and Kennedy started talking again.
'No offence to Anya or anything,' Buffy said, 'but I'm too pre-occupied right now to hear about her sexcapades.'
Kennedy poured herself a drink of water. 'How about listening to them all day?' She downed the water like a liquor shot. Buffy made a questioning face.
'Anya showed up at work today,' Kennedy said tapping her fingers nervously on the counter. 'The fact that she got no sleep last night didn't stop her from telling all the waitresses, bartenders and customers what kept her awake.' Buffy winced.
'Oh, God, I do feel sorry for you. . .'
'Remind me again why I got her this job?'
Buffy calmed Kennedy down. 'To keep the income rolling in,' Buffy explained in a soothing voice.
'Don't take this the wrong way Buffy,' said Kennedy. 'But I really hope that we have to fight a demon tonight because I need to take my fury out on something.'
Buffy smiled appreciatively. 'Come on. We should start getting ready.' Buffy put her hand on Kennedy's shoulder as they walked back into the living room.
They found Anya speaking - quite openly about what Kennedy and Buffy had dreaded - while Willow put her hands over Dawn's ears. Spike's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, Xander's face was in his hands, and Faith looked incredibly bored.
Buffy walked over to Faith, whispered something, and Faith smiled cheekily.
'Anya, Xander, that sounds great. Too bad she's not doing any of the stuff I did with you, eh Xand?
Anya's eyes widened as Faith continued to speak. 'Let's go get ready for this.'
The three Slayers went up the stairs to the bedrooms, followed by everyone except Anya and Xander, who were now quarrelling.
**********
At ten to 8 o'clock, the three Slayers and Spike (armed with weapons) loaded themselves into the car. The plan was that Spike would drive them there, go on to work, and they'd report back to him later that night. All terribly anxious, they pulled up at a very hidden-away place that was the address they were meant to go to.
'Now remember,' Spike said. 'You go in together, ready to fight right away, weapons by your sides.' They nodded. 'Don't forget to report back to me - I'll be at the door until 2 in the morning.'
'We'll be fine sweetie,' Buffy was sitting in the front with him, and she bent over to his side and kissed him quickly.
'Let's go girls,' she said, stepping out of the car, followed by Kennedy and Faith, who was carrying the weapons bag. Spike drove around the corner to the club he worked at.
'OK,' said Buffy, pulling out the business card and trying to see it in the darkness. 'It must be down those stairs. . .' she pointed to some stairs that headed downwards into what seemed like nothing. Faith pulled out a torch and shone it down the steps.
The three started descending the metal stairs silently, and reached a large door.
'Do we knock?' asked Kennedy.
'I say we break it down,' Faith said, lifting her foot to kick the door down. Buffy stopped her. 'The rule is: knock first. If there's no answer, then you break the door down.'
Faith was disappointed.
Buffy knocked politely, and to their surprise, a slot slid open, with two eyes staring through them.
'Password?' a man's gruff voice called out.
'Uh, we don't have one,' said Buffy. 'But we have this,' she put the business card in front of the two eyes.
The slot slid shut, and the Slayers shrugged. Just as they lifted their legs to kick the door down, they heard some bolts, and the door opened.
'Come in,' said a man with a moustache and greasy hair.
They hid their weapons from him as they shuffled in, and the door slammed behind them, making them jump.
They had entered into a huge crowd of people; cheering, calling out, with banners carrying slogans, and in the middle of it all was a ring.
'Oh my God. . .' said Buffy breathlessly. 'It's a wrestling arena. Of course! The blue and red lines on the card are like the rope colours.'
'Looks like we won't be needing these,' said Faith in a let-down voice, looking longingly at the weapons bag.
'It also means no demon,' said Kennedy pouting.
'It means that I have to wrestle someone,' said Buffy in an annoyed voice. 'Fighting? Wrestling isn't fighting! It's stupid set-up struggles between people with corny names and in tight latex costumes!'
'Do you wanna back out B?' asked Faith.
Buffy looked around at all the cheering fans, and back at the currently empty ring.
'No,' she decided. 'I can take some loser in latex on any day.' Faith and Kennedy smiled as they pat Buffy on the back.
'Buffy Summers?' A voice called out behind them. They jumped once again and spun around.
A man was holding a clipboard with a sheet attached to it.
'Yeah?' Buffy said coming to the front.
'You're on next,' said the man. 'I'll take you to the back so you can get changed.' He urged her to follow him. Faith and Kennedy started going, but the man stopped them.
'The blonde comes alone. You two can take a seat and watch.'
Faith and Kennedy looked on helplessly as Buffy went somewhere hidden away.
'What if she gets in trouble in the ring?' Kennedy asked nervously.
'We jump right in there and kick the ass of her opponent,' Faith confirmed. They shared a high five.
They were going to stand united now.
**********
Meanwhile, Buffy had been taken to a shared changing room, where intimidating muscular women were getting ready. Among them all, for the first time, Buffy felt weak. One of them even took one look at her and burst out laughing.
Buffy was led into her own dressing room, and the man addressed her there.
'Your costume's in the closet. Put it on, I'll be back in 10 minutes to take you to the ring.' He was about to leave, but then he turned around, taking a good look at her. 'Are you sure you're gonna be able to take one of those women on? You're kinda. . .petite.'
'I can take care of myself,' Buffy replied coldly.
The man was surprised by her tone, and he rushed out of the room.
Buffy turned towards the closet, and with incredible fear, opened the door.
Staring back at her was a ridiculously ugly tight costume - blue, yellow and red - and it looked like something a cheesy superhero would wear. Without the cape.
Buffy gasped at the fashion faux pas. She couldn't believe hundreds of people were going to see her wearing this. "Just think of the job and the money," she told herself. "The job and the money. . ."
As she put it on, she thought to herself: "This is the ugliest and most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn." She paused in her mind. "Well. . .except for Anya's bridesmaid dress."
Soon after that, the man came back to pick her up. 'Great, you're ready!' He took her by the arm and led her in a certain direction.
'I have a couple of questions,' Buffy released herself from his grip. He sighed.
'What?'
'Where's my boss?' she asked roughly.
'In the audience. Don't worry, he's watching.' The man took her arm again, but she pulled it away.
'What exactly are the rules of this fight?' she continued.
'No rules,' said the man definitely. 'First one to get the other one on the ground for 3 seconds wins.' He tried to grab her arm again, but she backed away.
'One more.' She crossed her arms. 'Who am I fighting?'
He laughed darkly. 'You'll see. . .'
This time she let him grab her by the arm, and before she knew it, she was in the middle of the crowd, trying to get to the ring. She looked around for Faith and Kennedy, but there were too many people for her to recognise anyone.
As she reached the centre, a loud voiceover started to speak.
'And now for our next fight,' the voice boomed. 'We have a new vs. old battle. In the red corner, new girl Buffy!'
Buffy clambered into the ring, and Faith and Kennedy watched from the side.
'What is she wearing?' Faith stared at the outfit.
'That's not what I'm worried about. . .' Kennedy commented, as she scanned the crowd for Buffy's opponent.
'And in the blue corner. . .' the voice continued to boom. 'The roughest toughest girl in San Fran, never been beaten, Kate the Great!'
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Buffy suddenly realised that EVERY banner had a slogan supporting Kate.
'How come these losers didn't cheer like this for Buffy?' Faith complained. Kennedy however was completely in awe.
'Did that guy just say "never been beaten" Kate the Great?'
'Oh whatever,' Faith rolled her eyes. 'B can handle. . .' She stopped dead as she caught sight of the woman climbing into the ring.
Not only was this woman extra tall, she was much more muscular than any other woman they had ever seen. She had a fierce look on her face - more so than of any wild animal - and a loud voice.
'Who dares challenge Kate the Great?' she shouted, glaring at Buffy. Buffy trembled slightly, but she was determined to keep eye contact to prove that she was not afraid. And what was there to be afraid of? She'd fought the First just a few months ago - the Ultimate Evil - and had beaten it. Except then of course, she'd been armed with 50 Slayers and a plan. Now she was alone, and all she had was a stupid costume.
The referee stood in the middle of the ring. 'First one held down for three seconds that I count wins. Ready,' he raised his hands. '3, 2, 1. . .fight!' He dropped his hands and walked out of the ring.
Buffy and Kate the Great started encircling each other in the ring. Suddenly, Kate stopped, laughing.
'You really think you can challenge me? You're so puny, I don't understand how you walk!' The crowd laughed with her.
Buffy threw up her hands in protest. 'Alright, that's it! Why do people automatically think that I'm a weakling just because I'm short and thin? I've had enough!'
'I'll have you done in a minute,' threatened Kate.
'Give me your best shot,' said Buffy.
With that, Kate charged for Buffy like a bull. Buffy stood on the spot, hands on her hips.
'Why isn't she moving?!' Kennedy said urgently.
'Give her a sec,' said Faith smiling.
Just when it looked as if Kate would jump on Buffy, the Slayer did a sideways somersault in the last available moment, and Kate jumped on the ropes, tangling herself in them. The crowd gasped in surprise, and Kennedy let out a sigh of relief.
As Kate released herself from the ropes, she glared at Buffy. 'You were lucky then,' she claimed.
'Yeah, I accidentally, but luckily, somersaulted my body sideways,' Buffy said sarcastically. This time, the crowd laughed with her.
'I'll get you this time,' Kate growled. 'You wanna do gym, we'll do gym.' With that, she did multiple flips towards Buffy, and when she reached her gave her a hard kick in the face. Buffy fell back into the ropes, and a loud groan echoed from the crowd.
'I can't watch,' Kennedy wailed, covering her eyes. Faith however was waiting anxiously for the fierce comeback she knew Buffy was capable of.
Buffy stood up from the ropes, and raised her fists, like she had done so many times before.
'It's not so funny when you're the one in the ropes, is it?' Kate said.
'You're really gonna regret doing that,' said Buffy through gritted teeth.
'Oh am I?' Kate taunted. 'What are you gonna do about it little girl?'
Buffy smiled. 'I heard this fight has no rules. Is that true?'
Kate snorted. 'Yeah, I can break your neck if I want.'
'I was hoping you'd say that.' Buffy jumped out of the ring. 'Hold on a sec,' she told Kate.
The audience were bewildered. What was the new girl doing?
'I know what she wants,' said Faith. She opened the weapons bag. 'Buffy, over here!' she called. Luckily, the arena was silent enough at that moment for her to be heard.
All heads turned her way, as well as Buffy's. 'Faith! Toss me the duel pole will you?'
Faith nodded. She removed the pole from the bag, lengthened it, and like a javelin, threw it down to Buffy, who caught it perfectly. Buffy knew that wrestlers were strong, but they definitely weren't agile. She had realised she had the upper hand in this fight.
'Thanks!' Buffy climbed back into the ring. All faces were confused, and Kate was looking extremely frightened.
'What is that thing?' she pointed at the pole.
'Well, you said there were no rules,' Buffy explained, spinning the pole in her hands idly. 'I just thought I'd have some physical aid.' Without warning, she stuck the pole out and knocked Kate off her feet. Unfortunately, Kate jumped back up too quickly. She laughed, but it was somewhat nervous.
'I can break that little twig any day. It's wood.' She grabbed it, trying to break it, but failed, barely making it crack.
'We call it a pole for a reason. It's got a thick metal pipe down the middle; otherwise it would be called a stick.'
Faith was clapping her hands, while most of the public were still. The banners supporting Kate had been dropped, and the cheering had died down.
'Enough of the chit chat and empty threats,' said Buffy. 'Time to fight.'
She spun the pole around so that it hit Kate twice within a second. Buffy ran up to her, kicked both her legs up high, straight into Kate's chest, and used her free hands for the pole, keeping Kate's hands busy (which were trying to grasp the pole, but unable to because she couldn't see anything). Then Buffy alternated, spinning the pole on the ground with her feet to distract Kate's, while she punched Kate's face and stomach.
Just when Kate looked like she was going to faint, Buffy elbowed her in the face, grabbed the pole and knocked her off her feet.
This time Buffy made sure that Kate stayed on the ground, using the pole to keep her down. The referee had been prepared, as he was already in the ring. Buffy held down the pole with all her strength as she waited for the count.
'1, 2, 3. . .you're out!' Buffy let the pressure off Kate, who didn't seem able to get up.
'New girl Buffy wins!'
The crowd cheered even louder for Buffy than it had done for Kate, and some of the banners went back up - except Kate's name had been scribbled over with Buffy's. Faith and Kennedy had jumped up and were hugging each other.
Buffy smiled as her arm was raised by the referee victoriously. She had beaten Kate with classic Slayers moves, strength and agility.
She turned around to see how Kate was. To her great pleasure, she was still on the ground, and some man was bandaging her knee.
Kate turned her head, looking directly at Buffy, and suddenly, her eyes glowed green.
A very unnatural, non-human green.
Buffy turned away and swallowed as she realised:
She had just fought a demon.
**********
A/N: More coming soon, but I'll be on holiday for the next few days, and I hope everyone gets a good rest for the New Year. Coming up. . .a little comic scene at Spike's club, and the Slayers tell all to the gang.
