Newcomers

Episode 18

Summers' Residence:

            It had been a little more than a week since Buffy's encounter with Angelus on the outskirts of town. Demonic activity was greatly increasing and Buffy and her friends knew exactly why. Time was running short until summer, only a month and a half. Everyone was nervous around the house. They wanted time to move faster so that the end would come sooner.

Giles still hadn't returned from England and Buffy was worried. Everyone was. He had told them that he would return before the world ended.

            "Giles still isn't back," Buffy brought up.

            "He said he'd be back before the apocalypse, Buffy," Willow said, "You know he wouldn't lie."

            "Yeah, maybe he's on his way back right now," Xander added, "You never know."

The Watcher's Council, England

            "Are you all ready to return, Cindy?" Giles asked.

            "Yeah," she replied, "My stuff is packed."

            "You do what you are getting yourself into?" Giles questioned.

            "Yes."

            "And you are prepared to fight it?"

            "I hope so."

            Suddenly a siren went off. It was the warning alarm. Red lights were flashing throughout the entire Council building.

            "Giles!" Jake shouted, running into the room, "What's going on?"

            "I'm not sure," Giles responded, "Could be a false alarm."

            Quentin's voice came over the PA system.

            "Attention everyone, The Watcher's Council is under attack! Evacuate the building immediately! Mr. Giles, I want you to report to my office beforehand!"

            "What kind of attack?" Cindy asked.

            "I'm not sure," Giles replied.

            The three of them left the room and headed for Quentin's office. They walked in the door to find him packing some stuff.

            "You called," Giles said.

            Startled, Quentin looked up at Giles, Cindy, and Jake.

            "Yes," he replied, "We have slayers-in-training here at the base. I want you to take the three of them with you to Sunnydale. I'm afraid this is the end."

            "Where are they?" Giles questioned.

            "There are three of them. They evacuated a few moments ago. They are in the woods. Go there. It's the safest route out of here," Quentin informed.

            "Is this goodbye?" Giles asked.

            "I'm afraid so. If any of the watchers survive, the Council will be revived."

            "This is the work of the First," Cindy said.

            "Most likely," Giles replied.

            "Goodbye everyone," Quentin said, "I wish you the best of luck with you life."

            With that, Giles, Jake, and Cindy fled the building.

The Woods, Outside of the Watcher's Council:

            Giles had just escaped the building and watched it explode in a ball of fire. He had lost Cindy and Jake while trying to get out. He hoped that they had gotten away safely.

He walked around through the woods for a short while. He eventually found three girls, standing there, looking frightened. They were slayers-in-training, which meant that one of them would become slayer if Buffy died.

            "Hello, I am Rupert Giles," he said to them, "I have been informed to take you three with me to America."

            None of the three said anything.

            "We must leave immediately. You can introduce yourselves on the plane," Giles informed.

            Giles headed off in the direction of the airport. The three slayers-in-training followed.

Sunnydale High:

            Drusilla opened the steel doors and walked inside.

            "Everything is working out perfectly," she smirked.

            "Is the Watcher's Council destroyed?" Adam asked.

            "It is burning to the ground as we speak," she informed.

            The six of them smiled. They were all prepared to kill the slayer. Only the Master had shown himself to her and her friends. They knew that without The Watcher's Council, she would be worse off then before.

            That's when the shape shifter appeared in front of the doors. It was in the form of Buffy. It smirked at them.

            "I have news on Angelus," it spoke.

            "What kind of news?" The Master questioned.

            "He has fled town," it informed.

            "Why?" Drusilla asked.

            "I don't know. He just bought a car off of some vampire and left Sunnydale," the shape shifter said.

            "He knew he couldn't handle our power. He didn't want to resist us or to join us, so he left," Warren concluded.

            "He is a coward!" Glory shouted.

            "Soon," the shape shifter said, "I promise you, soon."

Summers' Residence:

            There was a knock at the door. Buffy got up from the table and opened the door. She stood in surprise.

            "Who is it?" Willow shouted from the kitchen.

            Buffy didn't answer. She was so happy.

            "Giles, you're back!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

            "I told you I would be," he said, "But I have brought some bad news along with me."

            The two of them walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

            "What's that?" she asked.

            "The Watcher's Council has been destroyed," he informed.

            "What!" Buffy exclaimed.

            "Last night, there was a large explosion at the Council Headquarters. I managed to get out alive. I believe the First is responsible for the attack."

            "Is everyone okay?"

            "I'm not sure. I don't know how many people escaped or were killed."

            "We're in big trouble now. We have no one to help us out."

            "It's not like we did in the first place, Buff," Xander said, walking into the room, "Remember, Giles was the one who figured out the prophecy."

            "I know," she said, "We are still gonna need some help with this, especially with Angel gone."

            "What does Angel have to do with this?" Giles questioned.

            "That antidote was only temporary and when Angel became a vampire again, his soul was taken," Buffy began, "He's Angelus again."

            "What's that have to do with the apocalypse?" Giles asked.

            "I learned that it is Angelus' destiny to join with me to stop the First. He came here, which is where he learned of his destiny," Buffy continued, "He left town after he found this out."

            "I see," Giles said, "Any idea of where he went to?"

            "No, he didn't say anything about it," Buffy informed.

            "There has to be another way to stop it without him," Giles brought up.

            "We haven't found anything," Willow put in.

            "I'm going to return to my apartment and research more," Giles informed.

            "Alright," Buffy agreed, "Call if you find anything."

            "I will," he said and left the house.

Sunnydale Cemetery:

            Buffy was walking through the cemetery. It was too quiet and she didn't like it. She had brought Spike along just in case she needed back up. It's not like he would be much help.

            "Why'd you bring me along, luv?" Spike asked.

            "For back up," she replied, "I don't want to be caught out here by one of the six. Why, does it bother you?"

            "No," Spike answered, "It's just why me?"

            "Because you are the only one who could help me take on anything that the First throws out," she said.

            "I guess you're right," he said.

            The two continued walking. Buffy was looking for clues that could help them find more information about the First.

            Buffy spun around when she heard rustling in the bushes. Spike looked towards the bushes.

            "Should we go for it?" Spike questioned.

            "No, let's wait to see what it is first," Buffy replied.

            The bushes continued to rustle, but nothing came out. That's when the two of them heard faint whispering. Suddenly, three young women jumped out of the bushes.

            "Vampires!" they all shouted.

            The three women stood several feet from where Buffy and Spike were standing. They all had brunette hair, but two of them had hints of red. They were well-built and very pretty.

            "This is the end, vampires!" the brunette shouted.

            "Vampires?" Buffy questioned.

            They ran at Buffy and Spike. They easily dodged or blocked the three separate attacks.

            "You vampires are no match for the three of us," one said, "Before this fight is over, both of you will be dust."

            "What the hell?" Buffy shouted, "You think we're vampires?"

            "That's right, because you are," the brunette answered.

            "No, you've got everything mixed up," Buffy began, "Just because we're in a cemetery doesn't automatically mean that we're vampires."

            "How stupid do you think we are?" the brunette asked, "We know enough about this town to know that you are vampires."

            "And how would the three of you know about vampires?" Buffy questioned.

            "We've been trained to fight them," the brunette replied, "Now prepare to die!"

            "Hold up!" Buffy shouted, "Who would the three of you be?"

            "You don't recognize slayers when you see them?" the brunette asked.

            "Slayers? But there's only two," Buffy said, confused.

            "That's where you're wrong vampire!" the brunette shouted, "Now enough stalling!"

            "If you're gonna attack me, you should at least know who you are dealing with," Buffy said.

            "And why's that?" she questioned.

            "I guess you three have never seen my picture in one of those fancy watcher books," she replied.

            "Huh?" the all said.

            "Come on," she said, "You don't recognize Buffy the Vampire Slayer when you see her?"

            "You're not Buffy," the brunette replied.

            "How much you wanna bet?" Buffy challenged.

            "Our current watcher told us that you lived here. We just didn't think we'd run into you already," the brunette spoke.

            Buffy guessed that she was the leader of their small group. She was still confused at how they could be slayers.

            "What did you say you were?" Buffy asked.

            "We are potential slayers," the brunette replied, "If you should die, one of us would take your place."

            "What are you doing here? This isn't the best place to live if you want to stay alive," Buffy asked.

            "We were sent here after the Watcher's Council Headquarters in England was destroyed," she answered.

            "I wonder why the Council would send you here," Buffy thought aloud, "This won't be the safest place in a few weeks."

            "Why, what's going on?" the brunette asked.

            "You don't want to know," Buffy added, "Coming here was like a death wish."

Summers' Residence, The Next Day:

            It was the middle of the afternoon. Buffy had been trying to contact Giles all morning and early afternoon. She couldn't get through to him. Finally, the phone began to ring.

            "Hello."

            "Hi, Giles, it's me."

            "Buffy, what is it?"

            "Last night I was patrolling in the cemetery."

            "Right."

            "Spike and I were…"

            "Buffy, I can't talk now. Why don't we set up a meeting for tonight?"

            "Alright, Giles. Be here at 7."   

            "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

            Buffy hung up the phone and headed down to the basement, where Spike was staying. She had set up a bed and a refrigerator for him. It was like an apartment in the basement.

            "Spike, it's me," Buffy called while walking down the stairs, "We need to talk."

            Spike opened his eyes and sat up from his bed.

            "Buffy, you know I sleep during the day," Spike began, "Couldn't you have woken me up after sunset?"

            "This is important," she began.

            "What is it?" he asked.

            "I know you were under the First's control," she continued, "Were you ever within contact with it?"

            Spike didn't answer. He sat there thinking for a few minutes.

            "My memory is a little messed up; I guess that it is its way of keeping you from interfering. I believe I was in contact with it," he finally said.

            "Was it in a specific location?" Buffy questioned.

            "Umm…" Spike thought aloud, "I remember! Sunnydale High basement! I guess that its little mojo doesn't work that well."

            "Of course! The Hellmouth is down there!" Buffy exclaimed, "Now we know where it is hiding out."

            "What good'll that do?" Spike asked.

            "There may be a way to weaken the evil," Buffy answered.

            "The seal is how it will escape. Once it gathers enough life energy," Spike stated.

            "What seal?" Buffy questioned.

            "I'm not sure the name, but there's a special seal under Sunnydale High where it will come forth into this world," Spike continued.

            "We have to go there!" Buffy exclaimed.

            "It's impossible," Spike informed, "The six of them are down there."

            "Oh, right," Buffy said, disappointed, "But there still has to be a way to prevent it from getting free."

            "Buffy, luv, this is the end," Spike started, "The First can't be stopped. We can't prevent the six from killing to feed it power. There is nothing we can do. You must realize that this is the end. You, the slayer, will be powerless to stop it. The end is near. From beneath you, it devours."