Summary: AU, High School. Spike just got to the school, and it looks bad.
And he likes that. He is, after all, the Big Bad.
Spike examined Riley while pretending to study his homework. The huge, soft-spoken football player -well, hold on. It was rugby. Never mind their insistence that it was football. Spike knew enough about sports to tell football from rugby.
Americans were just so confused.
Anyway, the huge, soft-spoke football player was talking to Buffy.
Spike made no effort to hide his leer as he watched Buffy. After all, he was the Big Bad. If everybody else didn't have the sense to be scared of him, especially after he'd wiped the floor with Mister Trick (wasn't the kids real name Barney or something?), then they were too dumb for words.
And Buffy was cute. In fact, she was down-right beautiful. Spike would know: he was the world's foremost expert on women.
Okay, his last girl-friend (and first) in New York had just been too scared to break it off with somebody who had absolutely no qualms about violence. Still, he understood women.
And the fact that she had been able to toss him around with her little kung fu had impressed him mightily. And turned him on.
He wondered what they were talking about.
**
"Buffy, I just wish you'd let me handle these things."
"Riley, you don't handle these things. You just go tell some adult or responsible figure who does nothing." Said Buffy, her tone cynical.
"I just worry about you, Buffy. You try to help little geeks like Jonathan, and eventually somebody's going to get a little too mad, and then you'll get hurt."
"None of the muscle-bound pinheads out there can lay a finger on me." She said dismissively.
"Spike can." Said Riley, glaring at the British student, who didn't stop ogling Buffy. "He hit me pretty hard, Buffy."
"Yeah." Said Buffy, biting her lower lip. "He's not like the others. He scares me, Riley. They're just stupid, think they own the world cuz they can bully this little school around. He's different. He had Trick down on the ground, Riley!"
Riley touched her arm. "You know I love you, Buffy." He said, his face hurt. "Please don't go out tonight."
She jerked her arm free, her face hard. "And then what? We'll find Jonathan dead somewhere, or find another student dead of an overdose, that's what."
"You're not the cops, and you're not superman!" Said Riley. She glared at him.
"I can take any one of them down." She said seriously.
"Scuse me." Said Spike, tapping Riley's shoulder. Riley whirled, his fists coming up. "Oo, please don't hit me mister big tough rugby player. I think I'd just cry if you did." Spike glanced at Buffy. "What's this about you going out to play tonight?" A smile flickered around his mouth. "You go out at night and fight crime? Help the helpless?"
She smiled sweetly at him. "Why don't you come out tonight and find out-- or, potentially, get your nuts kicked up your little non-existent spine."
He laughed. "Oh, manly threats. I'm so scared." He grinned wider, glancing at Riley. "What, all downcast cuz the little woman is so much more manly than you? I'm sure you'll get over it. Someday you'll make a beautiful bride, when she leads you down the aisle."
Riley's face was a mask, hiding whatever he was thinking. "You get out of here." He said.
"Or what? You'll batter my poor defenseless fists with your face?" Taunted Spike. "I'm leaving." He added when Riley tensed to fight him. "By the by, what kind of stupid name is Vampires for a gang?"
"They like blood." Said Buffy. "Cut open a kid last month and dripped blood all over the third floor."
Spike grinned. "Sounds fun." He said. "I wonder if there's a fee for signing up."
He turned and walked away, whistling as he went. Buffy's hands, formed into fists, gradually relaxed as he got farther away.
"What a jerk." Said Riley.
"Yeah." Said Buffy. "So, I'll see you later. I've gotta get home."
**
Buffy walked into her own home with a false smile, acting cheerful. "Hi, mom, I'm home!" She said.
Joyce turned and looked at her daughter blankly. "Buffy, honey? What happened to your face?"
"Bet she 'fell down the stairs' again." Said little twelve-year-old Dawn, making air-quotes with her fingers.
"God, Dawn! Those are sooooo out of style now." Said Buffy, running up the stairs. Joyce watched her go, worry etched in her face. Dawn snickered, hugging her mother.
"Don't worry, mom, she's just bein` mean like always." She said.
**
Giles considered the police officer in front of him. "You're not allowed to carry firearms? Is the mayor mad?"
"No, he's pretty calm most the time." Said the policeman. "Bit crazy, but not mad. And if you think about the headline--cop shoots teenager--it's not a pretty picture. It really does make sense."
Giles shook his head. "And the dealers?"
"We have nothing on anybody, as far as dealers go. And we nail a kid every so often, but that only goes so far."
Giles sighed, shaking his head and glancing around. "Well, it's a nice jail." He observed.
"Here he is." Said another cop, entering the office. "William, say hi to your uncle."
"Sod off." Muttered Spike, marching in the door. He was wearing the leather duster again, and glowered at the cops.
"What about night-sticks? Mace?" Asked Giles.
The first policeman shook his head. "No, nothing."
"Let's go." Said Giles, grabbing Spike by the arm. Spike followed sullenly.
"Stupid cops." He said after they'd left the jail.
Giles hauled him against the side of the building, his face hard. "This town is falling apart at the seams, Spike. I would suggest that you pay attention to somebody's problems besides your own for a change!"
Spike pushed him away. "Mate, you do that again and I'll kill you." He said. He turned and walked away.
"Ungrateful burk." Muttered Giles.
**
Buffy dropped the large bag on her bed, then reached under the bed and pulled out a nightstick, dropping it into the bag. Then she slid an arm between the mattresses of her bed, pulling out a pair of nunchuks.
Xander and Willow stood watching her unhappily. "This is a bad idea." Warned Willow. "After the beating Mister Trick received they're going to want blood, Buffy."
"The freaks always want blood." Said Buffy. "And if I don't stop them, whose will it be? The cops aren't going to help, too scared of another one of them getting knifed. If not me, then who?"
Xander scowled. "What if they have a gun?"
"Then I get to really hurt them." Said Buffy sweetly.
Willow shook her head. "This kind of vigilantism isn't right, you know."
"What's not right is letting some poor geek like Jonathan get killed." Said Buffy, tying her hair back. "
Buffy carefully packed a large bag, stuffing a nightstick into it, then a pair of nunchucks. Xander and Willow watched nervously.
"So, here we are." Said Xander.
"Ready for anything!" Added Willow.
Buffy gave them a small smile. "You guys just stay here and try not to get hurt." She said. Xander's face fell. "I'll tell you how it went when I get back."
She left the house with the bag over her shoulder, walking stiffly. She headed for the park, location of most of the incidents.
What was wrong with the vast majority of the students? Didn't they realize that the Vampires and the Demons were in a turf war? Didn't they realize that walking the streets would get them hurt, or worse? Didn't they realize all that? Or were they just so pumped up with testosterone that they had to go out, had to face the danger?
Whatever the answer, there was a group of three gang members terrorizing yet another stupid kid. She recognized the skinny guitar player, and her scowl returned.
"Oz!" She said, moving closer. She put her right arm behind her back, into the bag slung casually. "What are you doing out?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Band's playing at the Bronze tonight." He said.
The number of words coming out of his mouth told Buffy that he knew he was in great danger, told her that the punks around him had probably already hit him. So she moved, not waiting for them to start the fight.
The sai in her hands looked like a slender dagger with a sharp point, but it was actually much heavier than it looked. She whipped it around, using it as a club. She smashed it into one head, then kicked another. As they both yelped she shifted to a two-handed grip on the sai and crashed into the third gang-member's face.
As they backed away slowly she slipped the sai back into her bag, coming out with a pair on nunchuks. As she began whirling the metal-weighted stick on the end of the chain the three gang members began to back away.
"That's right." She said softly. "Run along."
They ran.
Buffy quickly stowed the nunchuks away, sparing a glare for Oz, who shrugged. "Sorry." He said simply, heading for the Bronze. She followed him.
"You know, there's a new kid at the school." Said Buffy. "I'd appreciate it if you kept on eye on him."
"Spike?"
"Yeah, that's the one." Said Buffy. "He hit me." She touched her face. "I didn't think anyone could hit me. But he's good. He ignored the pain, channeled the pain. He's not like the others, not just some stupid high frat boy. He's smart, he's violent." She glanced at Oz. "He's not going to go away just because I know karate."
**
Spike examined his hands. The knuckles were bleeding, and hurt a lot.
Pain is your friend.
"Let me get this straight. The bint knows kung fu, and you run away from her?"
"What else are we gonna do, eh?" Asked Trick, who was holding his head and glaring at Spike.
Spike grinned. "Find her, kill her. Know where she lives?"
"Revello street." Said Trick. "We all avoid that street."
"Well, that's where I'm going, then." Said Spike.
"You're nuts!" Exploded Trick. "She's nuts, pure nuts! She breaks kneecaps, she can make grown men cry!"
Spike grinned. "Sounds great." He said.
**
A/N: Yes, more fights and less smoochies for the next chapter. But don't worry, soon, despite their hatred for each other, Spike and Buffy will be forced to team up.
Spike examined Riley while pretending to study his homework. The huge, soft-spoken football player -well, hold on. It was rugby. Never mind their insistence that it was football. Spike knew enough about sports to tell football from rugby.
Americans were just so confused.
Anyway, the huge, soft-spoke football player was talking to Buffy.
Spike made no effort to hide his leer as he watched Buffy. After all, he was the Big Bad. If everybody else didn't have the sense to be scared of him, especially after he'd wiped the floor with Mister Trick (wasn't the kids real name Barney or something?), then they were too dumb for words.
And Buffy was cute. In fact, she was down-right beautiful. Spike would know: he was the world's foremost expert on women.
Okay, his last girl-friend (and first) in New York had just been too scared to break it off with somebody who had absolutely no qualms about violence. Still, he understood women.
And the fact that she had been able to toss him around with her little kung fu had impressed him mightily. And turned him on.
He wondered what they were talking about.
**
"Buffy, I just wish you'd let me handle these things."
"Riley, you don't handle these things. You just go tell some adult or responsible figure who does nothing." Said Buffy, her tone cynical.
"I just worry about you, Buffy. You try to help little geeks like Jonathan, and eventually somebody's going to get a little too mad, and then you'll get hurt."
"None of the muscle-bound pinheads out there can lay a finger on me." She said dismissively.
"Spike can." Said Riley, glaring at the British student, who didn't stop ogling Buffy. "He hit me pretty hard, Buffy."
"Yeah." Said Buffy, biting her lower lip. "He's not like the others. He scares me, Riley. They're just stupid, think they own the world cuz they can bully this little school around. He's different. He had Trick down on the ground, Riley!"
Riley touched her arm. "You know I love you, Buffy." He said, his face hurt. "Please don't go out tonight."
She jerked her arm free, her face hard. "And then what? We'll find Jonathan dead somewhere, or find another student dead of an overdose, that's what."
"You're not the cops, and you're not superman!" Said Riley. She glared at him.
"I can take any one of them down." She said seriously.
"Scuse me." Said Spike, tapping Riley's shoulder. Riley whirled, his fists coming up. "Oo, please don't hit me mister big tough rugby player. I think I'd just cry if you did." Spike glanced at Buffy. "What's this about you going out to play tonight?" A smile flickered around his mouth. "You go out at night and fight crime? Help the helpless?"
She smiled sweetly at him. "Why don't you come out tonight and find out-- or, potentially, get your nuts kicked up your little non-existent spine."
He laughed. "Oh, manly threats. I'm so scared." He grinned wider, glancing at Riley. "What, all downcast cuz the little woman is so much more manly than you? I'm sure you'll get over it. Someday you'll make a beautiful bride, when she leads you down the aisle."
Riley's face was a mask, hiding whatever he was thinking. "You get out of here." He said.
"Or what? You'll batter my poor defenseless fists with your face?" Taunted Spike. "I'm leaving." He added when Riley tensed to fight him. "By the by, what kind of stupid name is Vampires for a gang?"
"They like blood." Said Buffy. "Cut open a kid last month and dripped blood all over the third floor."
Spike grinned. "Sounds fun." He said. "I wonder if there's a fee for signing up."
He turned and walked away, whistling as he went. Buffy's hands, formed into fists, gradually relaxed as he got farther away.
"What a jerk." Said Riley.
"Yeah." Said Buffy. "So, I'll see you later. I've gotta get home."
**
Buffy walked into her own home with a false smile, acting cheerful. "Hi, mom, I'm home!" She said.
Joyce turned and looked at her daughter blankly. "Buffy, honey? What happened to your face?"
"Bet she 'fell down the stairs' again." Said little twelve-year-old Dawn, making air-quotes with her fingers.
"God, Dawn! Those are sooooo out of style now." Said Buffy, running up the stairs. Joyce watched her go, worry etched in her face. Dawn snickered, hugging her mother.
"Don't worry, mom, she's just bein` mean like always." She said.
**
Giles considered the police officer in front of him. "You're not allowed to carry firearms? Is the mayor mad?"
"No, he's pretty calm most the time." Said the policeman. "Bit crazy, but not mad. And if you think about the headline--cop shoots teenager--it's not a pretty picture. It really does make sense."
Giles shook his head. "And the dealers?"
"We have nothing on anybody, as far as dealers go. And we nail a kid every so often, but that only goes so far."
Giles sighed, shaking his head and glancing around. "Well, it's a nice jail." He observed.
"Here he is." Said another cop, entering the office. "William, say hi to your uncle."
"Sod off." Muttered Spike, marching in the door. He was wearing the leather duster again, and glowered at the cops.
"What about night-sticks? Mace?" Asked Giles.
The first policeman shook his head. "No, nothing."
"Let's go." Said Giles, grabbing Spike by the arm. Spike followed sullenly.
"Stupid cops." He said after they'd left the jail.
Giles hauled him against the side of the building, his face hard. "This town is falling apart at the seams, Spike. I would suggest that you pay attention to somebody's problems besides your own for a change!"
Spike pushed him away. "Mate, you do that again and I'll kill you." He said. He turned and walked away.
"Ungrateful burk." Muttered Giles.
**
Buffy dropped the large bag on her bed, then reached under the bed and pulled out a nightstick, dropping it into the bag. Then she slid an arm between the mattresses of her bed, pulling out a pair of nunchuks.
Xander and Willow stood watching her unhappily. "This is a bad idea." Warned Willow. "After the beating Mister Trick received they're going to want blood, Buffy."
"The freaks always want blood." Said Buffy. "And if I don't stop them, whose will it be? The cops aren't going to help, too scared of another one of them getting knifed. If not me, then who?"
Xander scowled. "What if they have a gun?"
"Then I get to really hurt them." Said Buffy sweetly.
Willow shook her head. "This kind of vigilantism isn't right, you know."
"What's not right is letting some poor geek like Jonathan get killed." Said Buffy, tying her hair back. "
Buffy carefully packed a large bag, stuffing a nightstick into it, then a pair of nunchucks. Xander and Willow watched nervously.
"So, here we are." Said Xander.
"Ready for anything!" Added Willow.
Buffy gave them a small smile. "You guys just stay here and try not to get hurt." She said. Xander's face fell. "I'll tell you how it went when I get back."
She left the house with the bag over her shoulder, walking stiffly. She headed for the park, location of most of the incidents.
What was wrong with the vast majority of the students? Didn't they realize that the Vampires and the Demons were in a turf war? Didn't they realize that walking the streets would get them hurt, or worse? Didn't they realize all that? Or were they just so pumped up with testosterone that they had to go out, had to face the danger?
Whatever the answer, there was a group of three gang members terrorizing yet another stupid kid. She recognized the skinny guitar player, and her scowl returned.
"Oz!" She said, moving closer. She put her right arm behind her back, into the bag slung casually. "What are you doing out?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Band's playing at the Bronze tonight." He said.
The number of words coming out of his mouth told Buffy that he knew he was in great danger, told her that the punks around him had probably already hit him. So she moved, not waiting for them to start the fight.
The sai in her hands looked like a slender dagger with a sharp point, but it was actually much heavier than it looked. She whipped it around, using it as a club. She smashed it into one head, then kicked another. As they both yelped she shifted to a two-handed grip on the sai and crashed into the third gang-member's face.
As they backed away slowly she slipped the sai back into her bag, coming out with a pair on nunchuks. As she began whirling the metal-weighted stick on the end of the chain the three gang members began to back away.
"That's right." She said softly. "Run along."
They ran.
Buffy quickly stowed the nunchuks away, sparing a glare for Oz, who shrugged. "Sorry." He said simply, heading for the Bronze. She followed him.
"You know, there's a new kid at the school." Said Buffy. "I'd appreciate it if you kept on eye on him."
"Spike?"
"Yeah, that's the one." Said Buffy. "He hit me." She touched her face. "I didn't think anyone could hit me. But he's good. He ignored the pain, channeled the pain. He's not like the others, not just some stupid high frat boy. He's smart, he's violent." She glanced at Oz. "He's not going to go away just because I know karate."
**
Spike examined his hands. The knuckles were bleeding, and hurt a lot.
Pain is your friend.
"Let me get this straight. The bint knows kung fu, and you run away from her?"
"What else are we gonna do, eh?" Asked Trick, who was holding his head and glaring at Spike.
Spike grinned. "Find her, kill her. Know where she lives?"
"Revello street." Said Trick. "We all avoid that street."
"Well, that's where I'm going, then." Said Spike.
"You're nuts!" Exploded Trick. "She's nuts, pure nuts! She breaks kneecaps, she can make grown men cry!"
Spike grinned. "Sounds great." He said.
**
A/N: Yes, more fights and less smoochies for the next chapter. But don't worry, soon, despite their hatred for each other, Spike and Buffy will be forced to team up.