DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it
all belongs to Joss Whedon.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the penultimate chapter, which I hope you will enjoy. I'd really appreciate feedback, so please review.
Chapter 11
Buffy went through the corridor of changing rooms. Nobody knew she had come here, even though she was positive somebody had to be looking for her.
She reached a door that was labelled 'Kate' and the words 'the Great' were scribbled by it in marker pen. Kate actually had her own changing room - how long had she been fighting here?
Buffy heard a voice through the door. A man's voice. She put her ear against it to hear better.
'Ugh, it's all his fault. And yours - haven't you learned to fight yet you wimp?'
There was a whimpering sound heard, and then footsteps. Buffy stood back behind the door, ready to hide if anyone came out.
'Oh, stop your whining!' the man's voice cried out again. The doorknob turned, and an unknown person - probably a trainer or similar - emerged. He shut the door behind him, and walked down the corridor with his back to where Buffy was standing. She peered at him curiously, memorising his face and shape.
She opened the door to Kate's changing room silently, and without looking inside, closed it behind her. When she turned around, she received a huge shock.
There was a woman lying, sobbing on the floor in a corner. But it wasn't Kate - it couldn't have been - this woman was small, weak, pathetic. . .
The woman looked up, tears in her eyes, cheeks swollen red with crying, and she gasped. 'No, don't look at me!' her voice was gentle but gritty. 'You can't look at me like this!'
Buffy's cold heart suddenly melted away, as she knelt down to see the woman's face.
'Please. . .I'm here to help you. Who are you? Who's been hurting you?'
The woman looked right at Buffy with her soft, deep eyes. 'Don't you recognise me?'
Buffy drew back as she realised who this woman really was.
It was Kate the Great.
'But. . .how?' she looked away thinking. 'Just 5 minutes ago you were strong and muscular and. . .' she turned back to Kate. '. . .how?'
Kate shook her head frantically. 'No, no! I couldn't possibly say. . .'
'Are you a demon?' Buffy asked upfront. The woman stopped shaking her head, and just sat there.
'I don't know,' she eventually said. 'I thought when I started working and my boss invited me out, I was doing well. Then he started to do things to me. . .and I changed. A demon? Is that what you'd call me?'
Buffy stepped out of the tense moment for a second. 'Oh, please don't tell me you don't know about demons. . .'
'He doesn't call me a demon,' she replied dreamily. 'He calls me his champion. Or at least he used to. Now, he never talks to me - especially considering you're his new champion. . .' She stood up. 'He doesn't feel the need to make an effort on me anymore.'
'Who is this guy?' Buffy demanded. 'You have to tell me, he's hurting you. . .'
'Well, Ms. Summers. . .' a voice spoke from behind Buffy. She spun around.
It was Mr. Cooper.
**********
Buffy stepped back a few steps. 'Sir!' she exclaimed.
'I understand the need to go and gloat to your opponent about winning,' he reasoned. 'But right now that's simply unacceptable.'
'Have you anything to do with this?' Buffy, ignoring what he'd just said, pointed to Kate, who had now backed into the wall.
'So she hasn't blabbed?' her boss sounded surprised. 'I'll tell you, she's a pretty good fighter, but otherwise completely useless. . .the only way I could shut her up was to keep her here permanently.'
Buffy scowled at him. 'What have you been doing to her?'
Mr. Cooper smiled pleasantly. 'I must ask, are you on some kind of drug-
'Don't change the subject,' Buffy warned.
'I guess that's fair.' He paced around the small changing room. 'So you're not on drugs. But you have some kind of power, I'm sure of it. What are you - demon? Witch? Goddess? You can't be a vampire, I've seen you in daylight. . .'
'So you're informed on the supernatural,' Buffy concluded. "Or totally natural when it comes to my world," she added in her head. 'Is it a spell? Pumping her up with magickal strength, are we?'
'No, nothing like that,' he shook his head. 'I'm unique. I do it my own way. We still haven't covered what you are though. . .'
'Slayer - get it already!' Buffy tried to get back to the issue at hand.
'Ah, of course.' He nodded in acknowledgement. 'There has been quite an increase of those in the past year, hasn't there? When did you become. . .?'
'I was the One.' Buffy answered simply. 'Or, I guess I should say one of the two. . .but before there were two, there was One. And that was me.'
He seemed mildly impressed. 'How interesting. . .so you're the great one. I didn't expect that. So - I must ask - how did you destroy the Hellmouth? You couldn't have done it all on your own, could you?'
Buffy looked him in the eye. 'We're not talking about me; we're talking about what you're doing. . .'
'Who helped you?'
Buffy froze, as she felt a lump rise in her throat. 'My. . .my friends.'
He seemed very pleased about this. 'Hmm. . .your friends. Where are they now?' he lifted his hands up, looking around. 'As far as I can tell, you're all alone.'
Buffy tried to interrupt him, but he kept talking.
'All on your own. . .just like a Slayer was meant to be.' He was encircling her. 'You think anything has changed, now that there are lots of you? Nothing has. You're still alone, and you always will be.'
'You don't know anything about me!' Buffy fought back. She was getting furious.
'I can smell it. . .the power you hold, yet the fear you have and just can't get rid of. . .'
'Shut up!' Buffy shouted at him. He was still walking around her and making her dizzy. She closed her eyes, and covered her ears.
'You can't admit that you're still scared. You have your love by your side, and yet you have to lie to him - and all those that care about you. Why, Buffy? Why do that? Don't you trust them? Haven't they always been there. . .?' He paused. Buffy could feel a tear rolling down her cheek, but kept her eyes shut tight. 'Where are they now? Now, when you really need them?'
She opened her eyes, and found her setting had changed. She was back in the ring, but the crowd were gone. And Kate was gone. It was the same building, but it seemed different. 'It's time to fight your true fight. And all on your own,' he turned around, and when he faced her again, his expression had become monstrous. Buffy's eyes widened.
He was huge - his colour a cross between maroon and green, and he was wrinkled, old. He had grown claws and hair all over his head. She was terrified - she couldn't get out of there, what was she going to do?
'I gave her a temporary power,' he spoke, but his voice was deeper and shook her inside. 'It gave her strength, the ability to fight - an honorary demon, if you like. I just did it to make some money, not to mention how much I enjoyed torturing her all the time. . .but you - you were greater. You were going to be my new conquest. It would be more than just money and pain - with you it was grace and beauty when you fought. And I want to experience that.'
He tore his suit off, which had already ripped when he had increased in size. 'I want you to fight me Buffy.' She stepped backwards, stunned. 'Of course, you'll die, but I couldn't let you go free now that you know my secret. Using you like Kate. . .it just doesn't seem right. It's dog eat dog right now - you'd kill me if I didn't kill you, right?'
Buffy was frightened, more than she had been in a long time. How had this guy/demon known every fear she had felt? How could he prey on her like that? How could she defeat him when she had nobody there? She'd done it before, but now she just had no strength, his cruel words were echoing in her mind.
Just as the monster tried to attack her, Buffy heard a British accent behind her that made her heart sigh with relief.
'Oi - mate - step away from her. If you wanna get to her, you've got to go through us lot first.'
Spike had talked, and was holding an axe. Sure enough, with him, were Xander, Anya, Willow, Kennedy, Dawn and Faith, all armed.
**********
A/N: In the last chapter. . .the gang are up against the boss, and then there are some emotional confrontations between Buffy and her friends. If you like this, please check out my ficlet 'A Bundle of Trouble?' with Anya and Spike having a kid, set as AU to Season 7.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the penultimate chapter, which I hope you will enjoy. I'd really appreciate feedback, so please review.
Chapter 11
Buffy went through the corridor of changing rooms. Nobody knew she had come here, even though she was positive somebody had to be looking for her.
She reached a door that was labelled 'Kate' and the words 'the Great' were scribbled by it in marker pen. Kate actually had her own changing room - how long had she been fighting here?
Buffy heard a voice through the door. A man's voice. She put her ear against it to hear better.
'Ugh, it's all his fault. And yours - haven't you learned to fight yet you wimp?'
There was a whimpering sound heard, and then footsteps. Buffy stood back behind the door, ready to hide if anyone came out.
'Oh, stop your whining!' the man's voice cried out again. The doorknob turned, and an unknown person - probably a trainer or similar - emerged. He shut the door behind him, and walked down the corridor with his back to where Buffy was standing. She peered at him curiously, memorising his face and shape.
She opened the door to Kate's changing room silently, and without looking inside, closed it behind her. When she turned around, she received a huge shock.
There was a woman lying, sobbing on the floor in a corner. But it wasn't Kate - it couldn't have been - this woman was small, weak, pathetic. . .
The woman looked up, tears in her eyes, cheeks swollen red with crying, and she gasped. 'No, don't look at me!' her voice was gentle but gritty. 'You can't look at me like this!'
Buffy's cold heart suddenly melted away, as she knelt down to see the woman's face.
'Please. . .I'm here to help you. Who are you? Who's been hurting you?'
The woman looked right at Buffy with her soft, deep eyes. 'Don't you recognise me?'
Buffy drew back as she realised who this woman really was.
It was Kate the Great.
'But. . .how?' she looked away thinking. 'Just 5 minutes ago you were strong and muscular and. . .' she turned back to Kate. '. . .how?'
Kate shook her head frantically. 'No, no! I couldn't possibly say. . .'
'Are you a demon?' Buffy asked upfront. The woman stopped shaking her head, and just sat there.
'I don't know,' she eventually said. 'I thought when I started working and my boss invited me out, I was doing well. Then he started to do things to me. . .and I changed. A demon? Is that what you'd call me?'
Buffy stepped out of the tense moment for a second. 'Oh, please don't tell me you don't know about demons. . .'
'He doesn't call me a demon,' she replied dreamily. 'He calls me his champion. Or at least he used to. Now, he never talks to me - especially considering you're his new champion. . .' She stood up. 'He doesn't feel the need to make an effort on me anymore.'
'Who is this guy?' Buffy demanded. 'You have to tell me, he's hurting you. . .'
'Well, Ms. Summers. . .' a voice spoke from behind Buffy. She spun around.
It was Mr. Cooper.
**********
Buffy stepped back a few steps. 'Sir!' she exclaimed.
'I understand the need to go and gloat to your opponent about winning,' he reasoned. 'But right now that's simply unacceptable.'
'Have you anything to do with this?' Buffy, ignoring what he'd just said, pointed to Kate, who had now backed into the wall.
'So she hasn't blabbed?' her boss sounded surprised. 'I'll tell you, she's a pretty good fighter, but otherwise completely useless. . .the only way I could shut her up was to keep her here permanently.'
Buffy scowled at him. 'What have you been doing to her?'
Mr. Cooper smiled pleasantly. 'I must ask, are you on some kind of drug-
'Don't change the subject,' Buffy warned.
'I guess that's fair.' He paced around the small changing room. 'So you're not on drugs. But you have some kind of power, I'm sure of it. What are you - demon? Witch? Goddess? You can't be a vampire, I've seen you in daylight. . .'
'So you're informed on the supernatural,' Buffy concluded. "Or totally natural when it comes to my world," she added in her head. 'Is it a spell? Pumping her up with magickal strength, are we?'
'No, nothing like that,' he shook his head. 'I'm unique. I do it my own way. We still haven't covered what you are though. . .'
'Slayer - get it already!' Buffy tried to get back to the issue at hand.
'Ah, of course.' He nodded in acknowledgement. 'There has been quite an increase of those in the past year, hasn't there? When did you become. . .?'
'I was the One.' Buffy answered simply. 'Or, I guess I should say one of the two. . .but before there were two, there was One. And that was me.'
He seemed mildly impressed. 'How interesting. . .so you're the great one. I didn't expect that. So - I must ask - how did you destroy the Hellmouth? You couldn't have done it all on your own, could you?'
Buffy looked him in the eye. 'We're not talking about me; we're talking about what you're doing. . .'
'Who helped you?'
Buffy froze, as she felt a lump rise in her throat. 'My. . .my friends.'
He seemed very pleased about this. 'Hmm. . .your friends. Where are they now?' he lifted his hands up, looking around. 'As far as I can tell, you're all alone.'
Buffy tried to interrupt him, but he kept talking.
'All on your own. . .just like a Slayer was meant to be.' He was encircling her. 'You think anything has changed, now that there are lots of you? Nothing has. You're still alone, and you always will be.'
'You don't know anything about me!' Buffy fought back. She was getting furious.
'I can smell it. . .the power you hold, yet the fear you have and just can't get rid of. . .'
'Shut up!' Buffy shouted at him. He was still walking around her and making her dizzy. She closed her eyes, and covered her ears.
'You can't admit that you're still scared. You have your love by your side, and yet you have to lie to him - and all those that care about you. Why, Buffy? Why do that? Don't you trust them? Haven't they always been there. . .?' He paused. Buffy could feel a tear rolling down her cheek, but kept her eyes shut tight. 'Where are they now? Now, when you really need them?'
She opened her eyes, and found her setting had changed. She was back in the ring, but the crowd were gone. And Kate was gone. It was the same building, but it seemed different. 'It's time to fight your true fight. And all on your own,' he turned around, and when he faced her again, his expression had become monstrous. Buffy's eyes widened.
He was huge - his colour a cross between maroon and green, and he was wrinkled, old. He had grown claws and hair all over his head. She was terrified - she couldn't get out of there, what was she going to do?
'I gave her a temporary power,' he spoke, but his voice was deeper and shook her inside. 'It gave her strength, the ability to fight - an honorary demon, if you like. I just did it to make some money, not to mention how much I enjoyed torturing her all the time. . .but you - you were greater. You were going to be my new conquest. It would be more than just money and pain - with you it was grace and beauty when you fought. And I want to experience that.'
He tore his suit off, which had already ripped when he had increased in size. 'I want you to fight me Buffy.' She stepped backwards, stunned. 'Of course, you'll die, but I couldn't let you go free now that you know my secret. Using you like Kate. . .it just doesn't seem right. It's dog eat dog right now - you'd kill me if I didn't kill you, right?'
Buffy was frightened, more than she had been in a long time. How had this guy/demon known every fear she had felt? How could he prey on her like that? How could she defeat him when she had nobody there? She'd done it before, but now she just had no strength, his cruel words were echoing in her mind.
Just as the monster tried to attack her, Buffy heard a British accent behind her that made her heart sigh with relief.
'Oi - mate - step away from her. If you wanna get to her, you've got to go through us lot first.'
Spike had talked, and was holding an axe. Sure enough, with him, were Xander, Anya, Willow, Kennedy, Dawn and Faith, all armed.
**********
A/N: In the last chapter. . .the gang are up against the boss, and then there are some emotional confrontations between Buffy and her friends. If you like this, please check out my ficlet 'A Bundle of Trouble?' with Anya and Spike having a kid, set as AU to Season 7.
