Title: RETURN
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: A Spike-centric alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVS, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
ACTUALLY NO SPOILERS THIS TIME
-------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 23. Here Draw I a Sword
The doorbell rang again. Spike opened the door for Clem. "'Lo, mate, good to see you. Come on in."
"You know how you asked me to keep an eye on Rack?" Clem said urgently. "Well, it looks like he's up to something big. He's been doing some major summoning; I asked around, but nobody can tell what he's calling up, exactly. It's pretty scary stuff, though."
"We know," said Spike. "We saw him at it, too. Just what we needed right now."
Buffy said, "Jonathan, you haven't met our friend Clement before."
The group in the living room welcomed their demon friend. Jonathan gulped, and stole a few apprehensive glances at his 'skin condition'; but since the others seemed to know him, Jonathan didn't ask any awkward questions. Clem was there on business, however.
"Rack's a bad dude," Clem said. "Very bad reputation. If something evil's going on, he'll be involved in it."
"Ah, yes, indeed. I fear this can hardly be a coincidence. He probably has quite a good idea of what's happening," Giles said. "We're working on the assumption that he means to distract us from our attempt to seal the Hellmouth, since he has plans to use it himself."
"Something's gotta be done about that geezer," Spike said. "And soon. We can't have him interfering on the night."
Willow spoke up, a bit hesitantly. "What do you know about the summoning? I mean, do you know what ingredients he might have used? What time of day or night it was? Did he have any others helping him with the spell?"
"Yes, that's a very good notion, Willow," Giles said approvingly. "That information might certainly narrow it down."
"I know some particulars," Clem said.
"Well, look, if you could tell me everything you found out, I think we can figure out what's happening. Using my computer," she added hastily, with a glance at Spike.
Willow set up her laptop on the dining room table, and Clem sat beside her feeding her information. She swiftly created a database to cross-reference summoning spells and their required elements. Winnowing out the details looked like it would take a couple of hours; Xander ordered pizza, and the others sat around the living room in desultory conversation, the television on but the sound muted. Shadows began to appear on the front lawn. Spike smoked morosely in his armchair; he didn't like the looks of this. At all.
Eventually Willow and Clem appeared in the doorway triumphantly waving a printout.
"We've got it!" she said.
"Well, we've sort of got it," Clem amended. "We narrowed it down. There are three types of evil demons it could be -- "
Willow read from her list. "It could be: a large Tennack demon -- "
"Oh, I don't think so," Anya said helpfully, "because you have to feed them whole cows every day, or they get cranky."
"I love a woman with esoteric knowledge," Xander said.
"Excellent! Scratch the Tennack demon - and I'll just add that little factoid to my demon database. Then there's a group of Kaa Lore demons," she said, looking a question at Anya, who shook her head; she didn't know that one. "OR, a family of Izran demons."
"No, it couldn't be them, either," said Anya, "because they have to be immersed in seawater every twenty-four hours. At least, it would be very impractical."
"You go, girl," Xander said.
"Great! Kaa Lore it is, then!" Willow said, high-five-ing Clem, who thoughtfully held his talons out of the way so as not to scratch her fingers. She actually felt good for a moment. This was real Scooby work.
Bitterly, Spike said, "Bugger!" Giles gave him an inquiring glance, and he responded, "Warrior demons. Can only be killed by being pierced through the heart with a metal blade. Operate in groups of four - technically called messes," he added.
"So we've actually got a whole mess of demons?" Xander asked rhetorically. Spike gave him a look.
"No axe-y hacking and slashing? No stakes? No crossbow?" Buffy said. She didn't see what the problem was; it just sounded like an opportunity for more Slayer fun. "I'm pretty good with a sword, though. I think there's an extra one upstairs; I'll get it." She headed for the stairs.
"I'm, ah, pretty good with a sword myself," Giles said with becoming modesty. "And I do think we should dispose of these possible impediments as soon as possible. Do we know how many demons there are?"
"No, but if they travel in fours, there must be at least eight, because he's done exactly the same summoning twice, so far." Clem said.
"So, we need another swordsman, then?" Giles said. "That shouldn't be too difficult to arrange, should it, Spike?"
"Yeah, well, the thing is, there's a bit of a problem there."
"Why? You should have, um, access to plenty of swordmasters."
"Right." He took a rather agitated drag on his cigarette. "The thing is, none of them are bloody left-handed."
"Dear me! I never thought of that. Well, can't you -- you know, adapt?"
"Not within twenty-four bloody hours, I can't. And we should do this tonight." He sprang to his feet. "Let me see what I can do," he said, striding through the kitchen and out the back door.
"Three against eight?" Xander said. "Those sound like good odds."
Jonathan asked uneasily, "You don't want me for this part, right? Because I don't do weapons - "
"No, no; occult work only, no action; don't worry," Giles reassured him.
Buffy came down the stairs, carrying two swords wrapped in a blanket. "Where's Spike?" she said immediately.
Giles cleaned his glasses. "We've hit a bit of a snag," he said. "He's trying to work something out."
Buffy looked at him curiously, but she could hear the sound of Spike's voice, so she followed it. Dusk had fallen, and he was pacing back and forth across the backyard, puffing furiously, and talking to himself.
"Oh, right," she heard him say. "Well, you should have bleeding thought of that before, shouldn't you? I don't see why I have to think of everything."
Then, having apparently received a reply, he said, "Oh, no; no re-wiring. That's bloody out. You lot just find somebody. And do it quick."
"What's he doing?" Buffy whispered to Giles, who had followed her, and was watching with bemusement.
"He's, ah, arguing."
"Oh." She thought it over. "Who's winning, can you tell?"
"Well, that'll have to do, won't it? I thought all you great brains had a better grip," Spike said sarcastically to thin air. "Just go ahead, then. And this had better work." He sighed in exasperation, and mounted the porch steps, saying to Giles through the screen, "Listen, Rupes, we found somebody we can use, but he's from a bit further back, so keep an eye on him, right?"
"How much further, exactly?"
"1740."
"Good lord. Well, if we must, we must. Who is it, exactly?"
"Etienne De Treville."
"Good lord!"
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I thank him that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profess not talking. Only this,-
Let each man do his best: and here draw I
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain
With the best blood that I can meet withal
In the adventure of this perilous day."
Shakespeare, Henry IV Part I
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: A Spike-centric alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVS, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
ACTUALLY NO SPOILERS THIS TIME
-------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 23. Here Draw I a Sword
The doorbell rang again. Spike opened the door for Clem. "'Lo, mate, good to see you. Come on in."
"You know how you asked me to keep an eye on Rack?" Clem said urgently. "Well, it looks like he's up to something big. He's been doing some major summoning; I asked around, but nobody can tell what he's calling up, exactly. It's pretty scary stuff, though."
"We know," said Spike. "We saw him at it, too. Just what we needed right now."
Buffy said, "Jonathan, you haven't met our friend Clement before."
The group in the living room welcomed their demon friend. Jonathan gulped, and stole a few apprehensive glances at his 'skin condition'; but since the others seemed to know him, Jonathan didn't ask any awkward questions. Clem was there on business, however.
"Rack's a bad dude," Clem said. "Very bad reputation. If something evil's going on, he'll be involved in it."
"Ah, yes, indeed. I fear this can hardly be a coincidence. He probably has quite a good idea of what's happening," Giles said. "We're working on the assumption that he means to distract us from our attempt to seal the Hellmouth, since he has plans to use it himself."
"Something's gotta be done about that geezer," Spike said. "And soon. We can't have him interfering on the night."
Willow spoke up, a bit hesitantly. "What do you know about the summoning? I mean, do you know what ingredients he might have used? What time of day or night it was? Did he have any others helping him with the spell?"
"Yes, that's a very good notion, Willow," Giles said approvingly. "That information might certainly narrow it down."
"I know some particulars," Clem said.
"Well, look, if you could tell me everything you found out, I think we can figure out what's happening. Using my computer," she added hastily, with a glance at Spike.
Willow set up her laptop on the dining room table, and Clem sat beside her feeding her information. She swiftly created a database to cross-reference summoning spells and their required elements. Winnowing out the details looked like it would take a couple of hours; Xander ordered pizza, and the others sat around the living room in desultory conversation, the television on but the sound muted. Shadows began to appear on the front lawn. Spike smoked morosely in his armchair; he didn't like the looks of this. At all.
Eventually Willow and Clem appeared in the doorway triumphantly waving a printout.
"We've got it!" she said.
"Well, we've sort of got it," Clem amended. "We narrowed it down. There are three types of evil demons it could be -- "
Willow read from her list. "It could be: a large Tennack demon -- "
"Oh, I don't think so," Anya said helpfully, "because you have to feed them whole cows every day, or they get cranky."
"I love a woman with esoteric knowledge," Xander said.
"Excellent! Scratch the Tennack demon - and I'll just add that little factoid to my demon database. Then there's a group of Kaa Lore demons," she said, looking a question at Anya, who shook her head; she didn't know that one. "OR, a family of Izran demons."
"No, it couldn't be them, either," said Anya, "because they have to be immersed in seawater every twenty-four hours. At least, it would be very impractical."
"You go, girl," Xander said.
"Great! Kaa Lore it is, then!" Willow said, high-five-ing Clem, who thoughtfully held his talons out of the way so as not to scratch her fingers. She actually felt good for a moment. This was real Scooby work.
Bitterly, Spike said, "Bugger!" Giles gave him an inquiring glance, and he responded, "Warrior demons. Can only be killed by being pierced through the heart with a metal blade. Operate in groups of four - technically called messes," he added.
"So we've actually got a whole mess of demons?" Xander asked rhetorically. Spike gave him a look.
"No axe-y hacking and slashing? No stakes? No crossbow?" Buffy said. She didn't see what the problem was; it just sounded like an opportunity for more Slayer fun. "I'm pretty good with a sword, though. I think there's an extra one upstairs; I'll get it." She headed for the stairs.
"I'm, ah, pretty good with a sword myself," Giles said with becoming modesty. "And I do think we should dispose of these possible impediments as soon as possible. Do we know how many demons there are?"
"No, but if they travel in fours, there must be at least eight, because he's done exactly the same summoning twice, so far." Clem said.
"So, we need another swordsman, then?" Giles said. "That shouldn't be too difficult to arrange, should it, Spike?"
"Yeah, well, the thing is, there's a bit of a problem there."
"Why? You should have, um, access to plenty of swordmasters."
"Right." He took a rather agitated drag on his cigarette. "The thing is, none of them are bloody left-handed."
"Dear me! I never thought of that. Well, can't you -- you know, adapt?"
"Not within twenty-four bloody hours, I can't. And we should do this tonight." He sprang to his feet. "Let me see what I can do," he said, striding through the kitchen and out the back door.
"Three against eight?" Xander said. "Those sound like good odds."
Jonathan asked uneasily, "You don't want me for this part, right? Because I don't do weapons - "
"No, no; occult work only, no action; don't worry," Giles reassured him.
Buffy came down the stairs, carrying two swords wrapped in a blanket. "Where's Spike?" she said immediately.
Giles cleaned his glasses. "We've hit a bit of a snag," he said. "He's trying to work something out."
Buffy looked at him curiously, but she could hear the sound of Spike's voice, so she followed it. Dusk had fallen, and he was pacing back and forth across the backyard, puffing furiously, and talking to himself.
"Oh, right," she heard him say. "Well, you should have bleeding thought of that before, shouldn't you? I don't see why I have to think of everything."
Then, having apparently received a reply, he said, "Oh, no; no re-wiring. That's bloody out. You lot just find somebody. And do it quick."
"What's he doing?" Buffy whispered to Giles, who had followed her, and was watching with bemusement.
"He's, ah, arguing."
"Oh." She thought it over. "Who's winning, can you tell?"
"Well, that'll have to do, won't it? I thought all you great brains had a better grip," Spike said sarcastically to thin air. "Just go ahead, then. And this had better work." He sighed in exasperation, and mounted the porch steps, saying to Giles through the screen, "Listen, Rupes, we found somebody we can use, but he's from a bit further back, so keep an eye on him, right?"
"How much further, exactly?"
"1740."
"Good lord. Well, if we must, we must. Who is it, exactly?"
"Etienne De Treville."
"Good lord!"
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I thank him that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profess not talking. Only this,-
Let each man do his best: and here draw I
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain
With the best blood that I can meet withal
In the adventure of this perilous day."
Shakespeare, Henry IV Part I