PART SIX:

"I don't get it, why do you want us to do that?" Buffy asked the stone statue suspiciously.

"Because it will gather together all the reprobates of high society," Giles answered.

"Quite correct, Ripper, you are very astute," the manifestation of Onet boomed.

"Presumably you want to corrupt the powerful people in society to your own will?" the former Watcher proposed.

"And, again, your intellect astounds me," the demon's voice oozed sarcasm. "Now, surely you must know of a suitable place?"

Buffy frowned, and then grinned evilly, "I know the exact place."

"Then let me see it," Onet demanded.

"I don't understand, how can I…" Buffy began to inquire, but then collapsed on the floor in pain. "Oh, I get it now," she groaned, holding her head.

Giles bent down, looking slightly worried, "Are you all rig…" and then, he, too, fell to the floor clutching his head, images flowing through his mind.

After a few minutes, the pain subsided, and the two vampires were able to stand up shakily. "Yes, that is a suitable place. Put things in motion immediately!" Onet ordered.

Using her mobile phone, Buffy and Giles contacted the appropriate people, and dropped hints as to what was to occur, when and where. Giles grinned as he got off the phone to the Chief of Police, "He took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. I can't wait to kick his sorry little arse. He always bugged me for some reason."

Buffy smiled, and added, "Well, as long as I can thrash Angel to a pulp, I don't care."

"I don't see why you're obsessing about that vampire," Giles said, as he picked up a sword, and ran his finger along the edge idly.

Buffy's jaw muscles clenched, "He's a vampire with a soul, and he killed lots of us. Plus, he put me through agony, and for that he deserves a few years of torture."

"Well, he did have his reasons, Buffy," Giles pointed out. "But, I admit, his brooding did get on my nerves a little. And, I would love to carve him into little pieces for torturing me," Giles waved the sword about viciously.

"I promise we can take turns," Buffy answered, picking up an object that looked like a pair of tongs. She frowned as she looked at them, but soon she had an evil glint in her eye as she envisioned all sorts of gruesome injuries she could inflict with it.

"What about our former friends?" Giles asked, seemingly uninterested.

"Kill them," Buffy shrugged. "They were always hangers on, and I hate hangers on."

"Great. I love a good, simple killing," Giles grinned cruelly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nareia turned over in her sleep, and moaned. Her arm touched something, and her eyes flew open. She took in an unneeded breath of fear, until she realised that she was in Spike's bed, and it was Spike's chest that she had come up against. She let the breath out in a soft sigh.

Spike said softly, his eyes still closed, "Feeling any better, pet?"

"Ummm," Nareia replied, cuddling up against his sturdy chest. Then she remembered what had happened earlier, and she sat up quickly, dragging Spike's arm up with her. "Oh, bloody hell, what time is it?"

Willow looked up from the other end of the room where she was still studying, "It's about 10 o'clock. Xander and Anya are already asleep." She pointed to a sofa, where the two were cuddled up under a blanket.

Angel was sat beside Willow, his head resting on his hand, "Time to go out and see if we can find anything."

"Right, come on, Spike, up you get," Nareia dragged the reluctant vampire from his bed.

"What's the plan?" he asked, as he pulled a new shirt over his head.

Angel replied, "I suggest we scout around. See if we can find if anything unusual has happened. And try and avoid Buffy and Giles."

Nareia stood in thought, her brow furrowed, "We should try and discover where they are laying up."

Angel and Spike exchanged a look. "Are you sure that's a good idea, pet?" Spike asked.

Nareia shrugged, "Well, it would give us an advantage over them. Plus, it might help us to find out what Onet's up to."

"Right, let's get this over and done with," Spike went to the weapons pile, and grabbed a few stakes, and the dagger he had been handling earlier.

Nareia and Angel joined him, taking their own stakes, and also a crossbow and a sword. Willow stood by the table as they passed. "I'll stay up and keep studying," she offered.

"Are you sure?" Nareia asked, worried.

"Don't you think you should get some sleep?" Angel added.

Willow waved away their concern, "I can sleep later. Right now, we need answers. Now, go, shoo!" She shooed them up the stairs. "And be careful," she called after them.

Spike shook his head, "That's some girl."

Angel smiled softly, "For once, I agree with you on that."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Uh!" Nareia said in disgust, "This is getting us nowhere. We haven't seen or heard a single sodding thing."

Spike added, "And for once, I feel worried. This town is far too bloody quiet."

"Wait!"

Spike and Nareia stopped at the older vampire's hissed order. Nareia looked around, "What is it?" she whispered.

"Over there, that church," Angel pointed in front of them. "Isn't it meant to be abandoned?"

Spike nodded, "I checked it out as a prospective home, but it was a tad small for my taste."

"Well, it's not empty anymore," Angel pointed out, "I saw a light coming from it."

"I don't see any…wait, I do now," Nareia agreed. "Do you think it's the Slayer?"

The dark vampire nodded, "I can feel her."

"From here?" Nareia asked, surprised.

Spike groaned behind her, "It's this whole bloody love thing, makes them tingle when they're near."

Nareia concealed a giggle at Angel's glare, and said, "Well, what now?"

"Burn it," Spike suggested cheerfully.

"Don't be bloody daft," Nareia retorted, and opened her mouth to add something, but Angel cut her off by putting a hand on her arm.

"Follow them," he whispered. The three vampires, hidden from view by trees, saw the Slayer and her Watcher come out of the church and head towards the outskirts of town. "We'd best stay a ways behind them, Buffy's senses will be extra sensitive now she's a vampire," Angel advised.

Spike snorted, "And, of course, she's going to recognise broody boy here a...ugh!" He grunted as Nareia elbowed him, hissing,  "Shut the bloody hell up."

Angel smiled briefly as he turned to lead the younger vampires in tracking the retreating Buffy and Giles.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Do you think that everyone will turn up? I mean, the sewer isn't exactly the most glamorous place in the world."

"Definitely," Giles nodded. "The "high society" are always there where crime and gambling are involved. And a bit of supernaturalness will compel them like moths to a flame." He grinned.

Buffy frowned, "So what does Onet want us for? I mean, we're not high society."

"Precisely. He wants a couple of people with the brains and the brawn to control those insects. I believe he doesn't have the power, or the wish, to control each and everyone of them separately," Giles hypothesised.

"Huh! Makes sense," Buffy agreed. "So, are we going to kick some ass?"

"To coin one of your phrases, you bet," Giles led the girl into sewer.

"I hate sewers! They're too smelly," Buffy moaned.

"Buffy, what do you expect?" Giles shook his head at her. "Come on." He led the way down the sewer.

Soon, they came to a door, which appeared to be locked. However, after Buffy attacked it with a crowbar, it was easily passable. Through it, they entered a large round room. In the centre was a sandy pit, surrounded by railing. Along the edge of the pit was a ledge, wide enough to hold four people deep. Off to the right was a door leading into more darkness. The room was lit by candles situated at various points in the wall. Onet had been there before they arrived.

The room was not empty. It was filled with demons of all shapes and sizes. Many were members of Sunnydale, police officers, councilmen, and other authoritative figures, once human, now vampires through Onet's curse. They turned upon hearing the Watcher and the Slayer break in.

The ex-Deputy Mayor, approached them. "And who are you?" he asked threateningly.

Buffy casually punched him the face. "Someone you should be polite to," she told the unconscious body as she stepped over him.

Giles smiled, "This is going to be fun." He followed Buffy to the edge of the railing. "Everyone, quieten down. From now on, you will answer to us. If you don't, you will die. This is Buffy. You may have heard of her, she once had a peculiar affliction to kill vampires." He noticed the horrified looks on the vampires' faces. "Don't worry," he chuckled, "she's been cured, almost. Anyone who disobeys our orders, answers to her more violent tendencies."

"Who are you?" "Whose orders are you taking?" were called out.

"I'm Ripper, Buffy's Watcher, and we're taking orders from the demon who brought you all here tonight," Giles answered shortly.

There was short silence, and then whispered muttering followed. "When do we get to the games?" someone yelled.

"Ah, yes, when you get to test out your newfound strength on each other," Giles confirmed. "Well, go and get yourself sorted," he pointed to the door on the right.

"What's in there?" another demon asked.

"Curious bunch, aren't they?" Buffy commented to Giles. "Weapons!" she answered. "And I suggest you go and find one fast, before all the best ones are taken."

There was a rush for the door, as everyone scrambled to be the first through. Buffy rolled her eyes, and shook her head, "They'll never learn. How are we going to do this with this pathetic lot?"

Giles turned to look at her, and then back at the demons, "I think you might be surprised."

Soon, the demons were coming back with their arms loaded with weapons. Some, who had not gone, stood aside from the rest.

"What are they?" Buffy pointed to them.

Giles peered at them, "I believe they are mind-readers."

Buffy's eyes went wide, "You mean like the scabby guys I slayed ages ago?"

"No," Giles shook his head, "these are only able to read minds if they are focussed on an individual. They can't communicate telepathically."

Buffy sighed in relief, "Phew!" Then she looked round at the demons congregating near them. "Right, time for some action! You, and you," she pointed to two demons near her, "You're first, jump down into the pit."

The two chosen looked first shocked, and then pleased at having been picked, and eagerly followed her orders. The crowd surged up to the railing to watch the impending fight.

"This is going to be such a riot!" Buffy laughed.

"I certainly hope not," Giles retorted.

"Oh, lighten up," Buffy hit his arm, none too gently, "Even as a vampire, you can still be stuffy!"

Giles growled at her, and grabbed her arms, turning her to face him. "Don't ever hit me again, missy, or you'll see just how unstuffy I can get."

Buffy stared at him wide-eyed, and then smiled shyly, "Why, Ripper, I never knew you had it in you. I wonder what other surprises you've got hidden."

Giles let her go, and looked at her intensely, "Keep treating me like you used to, and you'll find out soon enough."

"Promises, promises," Buffy giggled, and turned back to the pit before Giles could say anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow sat at the desk, frantically searching the books for a reversal spell. Finally, she threw the last book down in frustration, and stood up to wander around.

Next to the bed, she saw a small pile of books on the dresser. Curious, the redhead picked them up, and saw from the titles that they were books concerning demons and curse spells.

Berating herself for not having noticed them earlier, she sat down to skim read them. Suddenly, her hand stopped on a page. On it was a drawing of a demon, none other than Onet. However, all it told her was that he had an affinity for vampires, and liked to wreak havoc.

"That was a big bunch of help," Willow grumbled, and picked up the next book. She managed to find a section on transformation curses, and there, in black and white, was the spell that Onet had to have used. Willow's eyes went wide, and she quickly scanned down the page, hoping desperately to find the counter-spell.

After a few moments of blind panic, when she thought that there wasn't one, and Buffy and Giles were doomed to die, somehow, her frantic eyes rested on text which said that the talisman that stimulated the curse had to be destroyed.

"Great, now all we need to know is what the talisman was," Willow muttered. She kept looking but could find nothing else that was helpful.

"Angel, Spike, Nareia! They have to know this!" the witch got up quickly, and looked at Xander and Anya, fast asleep. She frowned. She didn't want to wake them.

Willow stood in silent contemplation for a moment, and then narrowed her eyes as she came to a decision. Moving swiftly around Spike's crypt, quietly speaking Latin, she set up a protection spell on it. Then, she grabbed a protection spell pouch she had made earlier, along with a couple of stakes, and headed out the door, with a determined look on her face.

Once out of the church, she quickly cast a finding spell, and set it on the vampires. Soon, Willow was striding confidently through a cemetery, her uneasiness only given away by her brief anxious looks around her, and the white knuckles of her hand as it clutched a stake.

It wasn't long before she saw them, three figures clad in black, their long coats sweeping out behind them as they strode along, Nareia looking tiny between the two tall men. Willow was about to call out to them from across the road, when Angel bent down, pulled up a sewer cover, and the three jumped down into it.

Willow groaned, "Why sewers? Why is it always sewers?" She ran across the road, and followed them down into the dark sewer, very glad that she had learnt the light spell off by heart.