THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.
CHAPTER 30-I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COME TO THIS---
They struck with the force of a small hurricane, instantly scattering the meager defenses that those left in the Hyperion had thrown up to impede their progress. Riley and Sam had set up their explosives in a defensive and retreating pattern back towards the sewer access point. Robin and Gunn had taken charge and split the new slayers up into three groups, with one group being led by Robin, another by Gunn, and a final one by the combination of Jenny, Willow, and Faith. Molly had reluctantly gone with Robin's group while Kennedy had grabbed one of Angel's deadliest looking swords and sadly followed Gunn's group instead of going with Willow. Each took a different path away from the Hyperion, hoping that by splitting up they'd lose their pursuers and keep everyone safe. Dawn had immediately wrapped a warm blanket around Joyce before following after Willow down a foul smelling stretch of tunnel after the witch had cast a sphere of light spell to guide their way.
"Be safe Wes…wherever the hell you are," Faith whispered softly to herself under breath, almost in a prayer to a God that she didn't know if she believed in, before she gripped the scythe more tightly and brought up the rear of the column of new slayers.
* * * * * *
"Okay…we've figured it out that we're in the future and we have to stop this whole bad nightmare from hurting our daughter…so where is everybody," Buffy asked with a confused expression on her face as she slowly turned away from the pictures on the mantle, holding a small one cupped in her hands.
"Pretty soon the future Buffy and Spike are going to have a party where they and their friends will all be killed, along with their eldest daughter, now to save everyone we have to keep everyone safe and sound…well not we exactly, more aptly you guys have to keep anyone from getting killed," Whistler replied with a slightly cheesy grin on his face as he shuffled his way around the living room, gazing around sadly.
"So what are we facing here demon boy…vampires, werewolves…global cosmetics company's…," Spike quipped with a bored and frustrated frown on his face as he hopped up out of his seat and turned to look at Whistler, all the while not looking Buffy's way. At this Buffy's bottom lip began to unconsciously jut out a bit and she hunched her shoulders a bit and hung her head.
"Hardly…since we're in little Joan's nightmare here then you'll all be facing your worst nightmare, whatever that is…," Whistler explained with a somber and serious frown on his face as he turned back to the group.
"Angelus…," Angel muttered softly with a scared and very worried frown on his face as he hung his head and stared at the tops of his shoes while Wesley turned back to the picture of he and Faith on the mantle and felt tears stinging his eyes.
"Wait…that's impossible, I know what my worst nightmare is and it can't happen, she's here beside me…," Spike stated with a cross between a very certain and totally confused and worried look on his face as he cast Buffy a sidelong glance, but not locking eyes.
"Really…you're worst nightmare William…is that something will happen to Buffy or the children and you couldn't keep it from happening, well I'll say this, unless you stop the nightmares that are coming your whole family will die," Whistler said with an almost challenging tone to his voice as he walked up to Spike and looked him in the eye, slightly shocking Angel by the act of courage displayed by the demon.
"How will we know that we've beaten the nightmares…when they come," Giles asked with a concerned and deep in thought look on his face as he stepped in front of Angel.
"When they're beaten you'll be returned to where you were taken from…simple as that…," Whistler smiled back through his reply before he turned and headed towards the door.
"I'm supposed to fight in this…," Buffy asked with a confused and slightly hesitant look on her face as she gestured to her small amount of clothing.
"Not all battles are in the physical realm honey…your nightmare is in your mind…but you'd better all get ready, they'll be here before you know it…," Whistler answered with a shrug of his shoulders before he smiled at the group and disappeared.
* * * * * *
The Scourge took only a few moments of flooding the Hyperion's lobby and first floor before they discovered the tunnel that led down to the sewers. Leaving only a few of the weaker members to stand guard in the hotel lobby the vanguard of the crusade charged into the sewers, likewise their prey before them, splitting up into three groups and charging off. The group led by Willow, Jenny, and Faith was the first to fall victim to the Scourge.
"Go…faster, I see them," Faith shouted out loudly with a nervous look on her face as she pushed the new slayers ahead of her forward and spun around, scythe in hand, to meet the first stalwart Scourge soldiers. The first two fell quickly to the scythe, with Faith initially enjoying the melee. But soon the forward crush of the Scourge in front of her mixed with the almost snail like pace of the new slayers behind her led Faith to quickly feel like she was in the middle of a giant vise.
"Dawn…come here…," Willow shouted out the demand while rushing headlong through the tunnels, unfortunately not taking the proper time to try to figure out exactly where they were headed.
"Willow, what is it," Dawn asked with a very worried look on her face as she held a fussing Joyce close, the fear in her eyes mirrored perfectly by the look of terror on Andrew's face.
"The next manhole that we come to I want you to take Joyce up above and get as far away from here as you can, don't worry about us we'll be fine," Willow exclaimed as she hurriedly turned back to help one of the potentials that had tripped and fallen to the ground.
"But…," Dawn started to protest with a somewhat angry look on her face before Jenny cut in.
"But nothing Dawn, just go…we have to keep Joyce safe for Buffy and Spike when they get back," Jenny interjected with a serious scowl on her face as she pushed aside an old collection of boards that were barring the way down the tunnel.
"Come on Dawn let's go," Andrew said with a panicked look on his face before he started to scramble up the ladder towards the manhole cover, not thinking that he wouldn't be strong enough to actually push the manhole cover off by himself.
"Andrew watch out…," Willow shouted up at the former nerd only moments before she spat out the words to a spell and waved her hand upwards in the direction of the manhole cover, sending it up and skidding off to one side.
* * * * * *
"This is getting us nowhere," Fred shouted with a tired look on her face as she slowed down in an effort to try to catch her breath.
"We don't really have a choice Fred, we have to keep moving or else we'll all die," Gunn shot back with a take charge edge to his voice as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along after him, trying to keep the fleeing form of Lorne in his sights.
"Mr. Gunn wait…we need to…damn, they found us," Kennedy shouted at the top of her lungs up the column of new slayers before she spun around and caught sight of the shadows of the approaching Scourge dancing on the walls. Moments later she gave one last look to the column of new slayers and charged headlong into the approaching threat.
* * * * * *
The nightmares came slowly at first, locking Angel into an almost zombie like trance before he rushed outside and started to wildly throw punches and kicks into the air. Spike was about to ask him what he was doing when like phantoms floating through the bubbles of seltzer water the ghostly images of the future Buffy and Spike started their party, putting their two daughters to bed before welcoming their guests. Giles tried to explain what was happening but stopped suddenly when he burst into tears and collapsed into a nearby chair, instantly locked into a similar trance to the one that Angel appeared to be in.
"Spike what's going on…," Buffy gasped out with a shocked and confused look on her face as she ran her hand through her ghost self, watching closely as the vapors swirled around her hand.
"I think the party's started luv…," Spike replied with a concerned look on his face as he slowly began to study his future self intently.
"Angel and Giles are battling their nightmares, it won't be long now before we join them…Spike, Buffy, you need to find your daughters and protect them…," Wesley exclaimed with a hurried look on his face before he was seemingly struck by a bolt of lightning as he was blasted off of his feet by an unknown force and thrown back through the window and out into the yard.
"Wesley…," Buffy shouted with a very surprised expression on her face as she started to take a step forwards but was summarily stopped dead in her tracks by a booming voice from behind her.
"He cannot help you pitiful fools, I rule this realm and you will not leave this place alive," The Beast cackled with pride before Spike threw himself forward, intent on getting the jump on their nightmare. All that he got in return was a punch that sent him up into the air and finally crashing back into the fireplace, shattering the many images of a possible future in the process.
* * * * * *
The ground was wet and muddy beneath his earth caked knees. He was shocked to find himself kneeling in front of the greatest failure of his life. Lifting up his eyes and gazing through the rivulets of water that trickled off of the ends of his tousled locks he took in the sight that he had only seen once before, and hoped, prayed, and begged that he would never see again. A few feet ahead of him sat a simple white marble tombstone with the name of his slayer, his girl, with the epitaph reading only; Beloved sister, Devoted friend…she saved the world a lot. He tried his best to choke back the sobs that ravaged his body but soon could no longer control his own body and as the light rain intensified into a maelstrom he slipped a dagger out of his pocket and stared at his reflection in the blade.
* * * * * *
Facing off against the innermost darkness of oneself leads to enlightenment. He had heard that saying before but couldn't remember where. He had always hated that saying because he had lived with his innermost darkness for almost two hundred years and he for the life of him couldn't remember seeing any traces of enlightenment. The yin to his yang sneered at him through the ghostly mask of his own visage in between sharply barbed taunts and jabs. With each and every one opening one new gaping wound after the other, all feeling as if they would never heal.
"You can't win Angel…God how could you ever be the one in charge, you're so weak…look at you, you're name used to be one that others of our kind feared to utter, but now you're barely a paltry remnant of me…you disgust me," Angelus taunted with a sinister smile on his game face before he landed a quick jab to the side of Angel's jaw.
"I'm…in charge, because I'm stronger than you," Angel grumbled back his reply with an angry look on his face as he glared up at Angelus for a split second and then threw a punch, one that Angelus easily blocked. Before Angel could retract his arm Angelus withdrew a stake from the sleeve of his duster and jammed it straight through Angel's chest.
* * * * * *
"She's all around you…laughing at you…I can see her you know…," Drusilla moaned with an aghast gasp as she awkwardly danced around Spike as he started to pick himself up off of the floor.
"What, Dru…," Spike asked with a confused and surprised squinting of his eyes as he staggered back up to his feet.
"You've been a naughty boy…yes you have…Ms. Edith is cross with you," Dru added with an almost hallucinogenic smile on her face as she gleefully stared up at the smashed pictures on the mantle.
"Ms. Edith is only a bloody doll Dru…nothing more than old smelly bellybutton lint and some…," Spike started to growl back before Dru's countenance sharply changed to one of anger and she slipped into her game face.
"No…you're being a very naughty boy Spike, you've been defiled by love…," Dru droned on with a scornful sneer on her face as she paced around Spike, making sure that he was focusing solely on her.
"Enough of your bloody games Dru…where's Buffy," Spike demanded with an unveiled threat in both his tone of voice and posture.
"She's right in front of you my dear…but she didn't pass go…she didn't collect the two hundred dollars…," Dru chirped with a mocking edge to her voice before she morphed in front of Spike's eyes into his first love. "You're beneath me William…," Cecily stated with such a look of pure pleasure on her face that Spike was stunned into motionlessness, leaving Cecily an opening to drive a stake into his chest.
* * * * * *
"Vampire whore," The Beast mocked Buffy with a smug and disgusted sneer on its face as it slowly stalked her around the living room. Buffy fearfully scrambled out of the way each and every time the Beast half swung one of its arms in her direction. Truthfully her awkward movements were not completely out of fear for herself, but out of fear for the ones that she loved so dearly.
"Where is he, what did you do to him," Buffy shouted with an angry look on her face as she hopped around back behind one of the larger chair, desperately wishing that she had a weapon lying around and that she didn't look like the Goodyear blimp so early in her third pregnancy.
"Me…what makes you think that I did this, how are you so sure that it was not you that created the hell that your pitiful beloved is now suffering endlessly in…," The Beast mocked with an arrogant sneer on its face as it crept closer and closer to Buffy.
"You're lying…I would never hurt Spike," Buffy pleaded with a sincere scowl on her face that hid the fear beneath it.
"Even after he tried to kill your friends…and rape you, he's evil Buffy, you're better off without him, or that other pathetic excuse for a vampire, you'd be better off…," The Beast started to joke back with a chuckle before Buffy cocked her head to one side and stitched up one of her eyebrows in such a way that seemed to suggest that an idea was forming in her mind.
* * * * * *
Molly's second go-around against the Scourge was luckily going much better than her first instance had been. Using the cramped quarters of the sewer tunnels to her advantage Molly relied on the many hours of training that she had spent with Spike and Buffy to effectively use herself as a cork in the tunnel, keeping the Scourge bottled up in front of her as long as she could. The Scourge fell like wheat to the thresher as Molly wielded the spear with such a deadly accuracy that had their assault not been driven by a bloodlust the Scourge might have backed down.
"Need some help," Rhona asked with an energized smile on her face as she rushed back to help Molly, over Robin's strong opposition.
"I…I'm okay, you should get back to the group," Molly answered with a hacking breath of her own as even though she was well trained and probably in better shape than anyone short of Spike or Buffy even Molly couldn't last forever and her calves and sides were burning fiercely.
"No you're not I can tell," Rhona declared with a defiant but yet worried look on her face as she started to hurry forward the help Molly but Molly stepped in her way and drove the point of the spear straight through the nose of the closest Scourge member.
"I said I'm fine," Molly shouted angrily with a very triumphant look on her face before one of the Scourge slung something at her. Unable to move out of the way, and only catching the oncoming object out of the corner of her eye, Molly could only let out a startled gasp before the world went dark and she collapsed to the ground.
* * * * * *
He stared at the knife the way a drug addict would stare at the needle containing their next fix. In such a way that the knife would make all of the hurting stop, make all of his pain and tears go away forever. He turned the knife over and over again in his hands, not bothering to look at his reflection in the blade. It began to sprinkle softly before becoming a torrential downpour, but all the while Giles never once broke his gaze away from the knife. In his head he could hear a voice telling him to do what he knew must be done to make the hurt go away. The voice would alternate between sounding like Joyce's voice and then Jenny's voice, both sounding so soft and comforting. With a strangled cry he threw himself forward, digging into the soft mud with his fingers, sobbing almost painfully as he squished the wet earth in his hands. Blinking through the rain Giles picked up the knife and placed its point over his heart.
"I'm sorry Buffy…," Giles started to utter in a soft whisper before he felt the prick of the point of the knife against his skin.
* * * * * *
"No…leave me alone, you're wrong, you don't have a bloody clue who I am anymore," Wesley shouted with an angry and torn look of panic on his face as he glared at his father.
"I know exactly who you are Wesley, a sniveling little snot of a watcher that's sleeping with his slayer…quite the slutty bitch I…," Wesley's father started to say with an overly mocking sneer on his face before in one fluid motion Wesley snapped, pulling a gun that he had kept hidden in a special harness in the lining of his coat and aimed it so that his father could look down each barrel without having to cross his eyes. With the slightest traces of a smile on his face Wesley gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger.
"Bloody…," Wesley started to scream before he doubled over in pain, his head hitting the ground at the same exact time that the body of his father crumbled to the ground. Soon the pain in his gut became too intense and he squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could. But as soon as the pain had come it left him. When he opened his eyes back up his breath caught in his throat. Staring him down, with the point of a spear lightly resting on the tip of his nose, was a very nervous looking member of the Scourge. Somehow, someway, he had beaten his nightmare and returned to the Hyperion, apparently ahead of the others.
* * * * * *
"You're beaten Angel…look at you, crawling around on the ground like a common human, at least get up and give me the satisfaction of a respectable kill," Angelus taunted with a snicker as he began to relentlessly kick Angel in the side. Angel tried his best to get out of the way but found that his body would not react to his commands. The gaping maw in his chest sent spiraling lighting bolts of pain throughout his body with each and every movement and breath, no matter how small or large. The beating that he had received from Angelus had pushed him to what he thought were his limits, leaving him barely able to command the simplest of muscles.
"I'm…never, beaten…," Angel gasped out through chattering teeth as he desperately tried to stretch out for a chunk of cement that he hoped to use as a weapon.
"Quit lying to yourself, you're beaten, you just don't know it yet," Angelus started to add to his taunt with an excited and gleeful smile on his face before a bright white light flashed out, blinding both Angel and Angelus for several seconds. When his vision cleared Angel could only attempt to stutter out a reply through quickly cooling lips, overflowing with trickles and rivers of blood.
"Cordy…," Angel gasped out with his remaining strength as above him the last image that he saw was of Angelus exploding into a shower of dust.
* * * * * *
"What's so funny…," The Beast demanded with a fed up and anxious sneer on its face as it picked the couch up and heaved it out through the nearby window.
"You…I know what you're trying to do and I'm telling you that it's not going to work, you should have tried harder you know, if I didn't truly love Spike with all of my heart…my being…then I would have fallen for your ruse…," Buffy replied through a fit of giggles as she stopped dodging around the room and crossed her arms in front of her, resting them on her stomach.
"How dare you…," The Beast growled back with a very angry and desperate grimace as it lunged for Buffy with murderous intent in its eyes.
"No…how dare you hurt my family and seriously think that I'm not going to kick your sorry ass through this realm and into the next," Buffy stated with a very firm and confidant edge to her voice and stance before there was yet another bright flash beside her. When the flash subsided Buffy nearly cried as Spike wearily got back to his feet and looked around.
"Guess it really wasn't Dru then," Spike mumbled with an awestruck look on his face before he snapped himself out of his almost trance and set his intense glare on the Beast.
"Spike," Buffy exclaimed with a very heartfelt and relieved look on her face as she again backed up just enough to slip out of the Beast's clutches before impulsively throwing her arms around Spike. Seeing this the Beast became wholly enraged and leapt at the couple, intent on smashing them into paste. But with another bright flash of white light the Beast soon found itself all alone in the destroyed living room.
"No…," The Beast roared in anger and pent up frustration as it reared its head back and let out a primal scream.
* * * * * *
He lay there bleeding to death, confidant in knowing that he would see his slayer again soon. His dying thoughts trailed off to those others that he had also failed in his endeavors to train his slayer. The redheaded witch that he had seen grown from an easily forgettable slip of a girl to an uber-powerful force of nature, the nerdy carpenter turned hero, and the young girl that he had treated like a second daughter come into her own.
"I'm sorry…," Giles whispered softly through his tears before a gentle hand reached down and gently wiped away those tears.
"Don't be sorry Rupert; you did what you could, it was fated to happen, she needs you the most now, you need to go to her now," A soft feminine voice said that sounded like church bells chiming in step before the glow subsided and Giles found himself staring into the face of Joyce Summers.
* * * * * *
"Molly," Vi shouted with a terrified look of panic on her face as she rushed forward, getting in a little too much of a hurry as she stumbled in the last few steps and was forced to crawl through the muck to get to Molly's side.
"Vi watch it," Rhona exclaimed with an alarmed look on her face as she hurriedly picked the spear up off of the ground and met the oncoming rush of the Scourge. Then ensuing battle was short and to the point, with Rhona not being as wholly trained as Molly she took the direct approach, aiming the spear at about bellybutton level and charging ahead.
* * * * * *
Sight and sound came back to them at exactly the same time. However they found themselves momentarily suspended about twenty feet off of the floor. With almost the snapping of a person's fingers whatever force was keeping them suspended in the air subsided and they started their descent towards the floor. Buffy reacted quickly enough and reached out and caught hold of the second floors railing, leaving Spike to latch onto her foot. After several deep breaths, making sure that both could stay where they were if need be, Spike let go of Buffy's foot and dropped the rest of the way to the floor.
"Okay Buffy…let go," Spike exclaimed with a hurried and somewhat confused look on his face as he kept one eye on Buffy above him and the other on the lobby, making sure that they were alone.
"Okay…here I come," Buffy shouted back with a nervous frown on her face before she took a deep breath and let go of the railing, freefalling for a bit before Spike steadied himself and caught her in his arms.
"Got ya," Spike grunted out softly as he wobbled a bit before solidifying his feet under him and hefting Buffy around a bit in his arms to hold her better.
"Okay Spike…you can set me down now," Buffy whispered softly with an odd smile on her face after spending several seconds in Spike's arms, with the latter not making a move to set her down.
"I could…don't want to…," Spike snickered back with a sly grin on his face before Buffy mirrored his smile. In a moment of serene sublimity the two were the only two beings in the world. As their smiles slowly slipped from their faces their lips met in a storybook kiss, complete with the fireworks and relieved tears.
"Buffy…Spike," Wesley shouted with a scared look on his face as he burst into the lobby, gun in hand, followed closely behind by Giles who looked to have eaten something that wasn't agreeing with him and Lindsey and Eve, both of whom looked to not be fully understanding everything that was happening to them.
"Giles," Buffy exclaimed with a start, after having reluctantly broken the kiss with Spike and spying the condition of her watcher.
"Buffy…," Giles stammered out with a relieved but overly tired smile on his face before he reached up and wiped the sweat off of his brow.
"What happened," Eve asked with a timid and worried look on her face as she slowly looked around the lobby, finally poking Wesley in the shoulder, almost as if in an attempt to make sure that he was really there instead of an illusion.
"Whistler took us all into your memory," Angel stated with a preoccupied scowl on his face as he slowly walked around the corner and then down the stairs, sporting more than one bruise on his face and side, keeping a hand over his heart.
"Wait…her memory, that's not possible," Lindsey declared with an angry and confused expression on his face as he put an arm around Eve but kept his glare aimed straight towards Angel.
"Well Whistler's not exactly normal, he's an immortal demon whose sole purpose is to keep good and evil balanced, no matter which side he has to play on," Angel answered with a grim and unhappy look on his face as he walked towards Lindsey but cast Spike and Buffy a quick look along the way.
"We fought our nightmares and won…," Buffy added with a serious look on her face as Spike set her down and the two began to follow Angel's lead towards Lindsey and Eve.
"And wound up back here, twenty feet off of the bloody floor no less," Spike quipped with a sarcastic pout on his face as he stopped walking, ending up standing next to Wesley.
"Same here…except not the twenty feet in the air part…," Wesley added with a curious look on his face as he looked first to Angel and then to Spike.
"Nnh…Lindsey…," Eve grunted and pleaded softly with a pained scrunching up of her face as she grabbed her head with both hands and dropped to her knees.
"Eve," Lindsey shouted with a very worried and panicked edge to his voice as he dropped to his knees beside her.
"What's going on," Buffy asked with a worried look on her face as she turned to first Spike and then Angel.
"The entire nightmare that you just beat, and all of its venom, is being pulled out of her memory, soon she won't even remember that anything out of the ordinary happened that night," Whistler stated as he shuffled out of the kitchen with a happy and celebratory smile on his face.
"And that's a good thing…right," Spike asked slowly with a confused look on his face as he took Buffy's hand in his and squeezed.
"So she's still our daughter," Buffy added almost in a whisper as she felt a tear slipping down her cheek.
"As much as little Joyce is…speaking of which," Whistler replied with an almost bored smile on his face before he began to dig around in his pockets. As suddenly as the pain in her head had started it suddenly subsided, prompting Eve to slowly stand back up and look around a bit before settling her gaze on Spike and Buffy.
"Mommy…daddy…," Eve stammered out, as tears filled her eyes, before she rushed over and threw her arms around both of their necks, pulling them into as tight of a hug as she could muster. Still shocked by the act Spike and Buffy both awkwardly at first returned the hug, with Buffy's tears soon matching her daughter's and Spike's only beginning.
"Such a touching moment…to bad it'll be your last," The Beast declared with a very angry sneer on its face as it slowly appeared out of a cloud of smoke that suddenly formed in the middle of the lobby.
"What now," Giles shouted with a concerned look on his face as he fully straightened up and had seemed to regain his breath.
"You're asking me, I don't even know who this son of a bitch is," Lindsey replied with a bitter and angry tint to his words even though he was really angry about Eve's actions rather than Giles asking him a question.
"Your death pitiful human," The Beast added with a mocking smirk on its face as it took a step forward.
"Not if I have anything to say about you're not," Whistler exclaimed with a proud and energized smile on his face as he stepped forward and brought forth the same substance that he had used to send Angel and the others into Eve's memories. Seconds later Whistler tossed the substance up into the air and spoke a disjointed series of arcane words, words that both Giles and Wesley kept an attentive ear to.
"What's that supposed to do…," The Beast asked with a bored out of its mind look on its face before there was a bright flash of light that filled the entire lobby, momentarily blinding everyone assembled. When it subsided the effects of Whistler's spell was quickly discovered.
"Hey wait…where'd they go…Wesley," Faith exclaimed with a wary and confused look on her face as she turned around on her heels before she spotted Wesley and her eyes grew large in recognition and relief.
"Faith…what…," Was all that Wesley could get out before Faith nearly tackled him in a passion filled kiss that he soon returned. In the center of the lobby the Beast seemed to be disgusted by Faith and Wesley's act as it barred its teeth and growled.
"Buffy," Dawn shouted with a look of great relief on her face after she spotted her older sister.
"Dawn…," Buffy stammered out with a confused look on her face as Eve reluctantly pulled away enough to wipe away her tears.
"Rupert," Jenny exclaimed with a worried look on her face as she hurried to Giles' side and pulled his arm around her shoulders, helping him to stay standing as he seemed to still be a bit wobbly on his feet.
"Hey what the bloody…," Molly grumbled with an angry and confused look on her face as she came to and winced when she gingerly touched her left temple and felt the large black bruise there.
"We're back…," Gunn stated with an unsure look on his face as he looked around the lobby before his gaze fell on Angel and the others.
"Yeah…out of the frying pan and into the fire," Vi screamed with a very scared look on her face when her gaze fell onto the Beast, who seemed to revel in her fear and panic.
"What happened to the Scourge," Fred asked with a confused look on her face as she searched the lobby for any signs of their pursuers.
"They're gone, when Angel and his friends defeated their nightmares in Eve's memory the nightmare here was defeated as well," Whistler answered with an almost proud smile on his face even though the Beast was intently glaring at him.
"The Scourge were the nightmare here…when we defeated our nightmares…," Spike guessed with at first a confused look on his face before he brightened up into a proud smile.
"They left to…leaving us with only big, dumb, and ugly here…," Buffy finished with a frustrated and almost mocking smirk on her face as Faith chuckled a bit.
"You dare mock me…," The Beast growled with an angry and somewhat amazed look on its face as it clenched its hands into fists.
"Um…yeah, we do," Molly joked with an amused smirk on her face as she took the spear back from Rhona and Spike pulled the sword out form its hiding place.
"You will all die…," The Beast roared with a furious look etched into its face before it charged towards the nearest group of new slayers, scattering them like dust in the wind.
"After you…," Buffy added with a very serious look on her face before she grabbed the scythe away from Faith and followed Spike into the fray. Angel did his best to get the new slayers and others out of the way of the fight as he knew that the Beast had a particular penchant for throwing his adversaries around like rag dolls. Gunn started to grab an axe and join the fight but Fred latched onto his arm and pulled him away with all of her might. Soon the lobby was vacant except for a few of the new slayers who had been unfortunate enough to get caught on the wrong side of the Beast, having it being in between them and the exit, and most of the chosen few.
"Watch it Molly," Spike exclaimed through a labored breath as he ducked underneath the Beast's swinging arm. With an almost impish smile on her face Molly leapt back away from the Beast and then dove back in, burying the tip of the spear deep into the Beast's side. Roaring in both pain and anger the Beast jerked away from Buffy and Spike's attacks and stumbled back first into and then over one of the terrified new slayers, killing her in the process.
"Damn you slayer bitch," The Beast growled as it glared venomously at Molly as it pulled the spear from its body and hefted it up into a throwing position before launching it in the young slayers direction.
"Molly look out…," Rhona shouted with a panicked look on her face as she rushed forward and pushed Molly out of the way, ending up taking the point of the spear through her chest in the process. For several sickly moments Rhona's limp body hung up, suspended on the spear, before Faith and Angel rushed over and rectified the situation.
"Oh God…," Vi gasped with a deathly white look on her face as Spike thought that she was about to pass out before she turned to her side and lost her lunch.
"Rhona…," Molly stammered out through trembling lips as tears sprung to her eyes.
"Snap out of it Molly," Faith shouted with an angry and sickened grimace on her face as she handed the bloody spear back to Molly, shivering slightly as drops of Rhona's blood slipped off of the shaft and splashed onto her arm.
"O…okay…," Molly stammered out with a scared look on her face as she took the spear and got back up to her feet.
"Two down and more to go," The Beast mocked with a proud smile on its face even though the wound in the Beast side made the celebration by the Beast a short one.
"You bastard," Robin growled with a look of shocked rage on his face as he caught site of the bloody body on the floor. Raising the sword that he had used earlier Robin charged towards the Beast, completely oblivious to everyone around him, warning him against it.
"Robin no…," Angel shouted with his arms outstretched in a feeble effort to try and stop the former principle. Buffy watched in horror, and almost in seemingly slow motion, as Robin slashed at the Beast with his sword, only to be rebuffed with ease. The Beast's first attack against Robin was also its last. With an arrogant snicker the Beast grabbed a hold of the blade with one hand and Robin's head with the other.
"Bloody…," Was all that Spike could get out as he surged forward to go to the former principal's aide before the Beast grinned widely and squeezed Robin's head until it popped like a cork from a bottle of champagne. Once more Vi found the sight of the death of a friend of hers too much to take and she wretched all over again.
"God…," Faith gasped with a stunned expression on her face as a couple of tears found their way out to run down her cheeks before she regained her composure.
"Gotta end this before anyone else gets killed," Spike stated with a very serious look on his face before he to rushed towards the Beast. The Beast blocked his first attack and snapped its foot behind Spike's and took his feet out from under him.
"Now you will see the punishment for those who dare to defy me…," The Beast declared with a triumphant snicker before it proceeded to try to squash Spike by using its foot smash Spike's chest in. For a few moments no one moved, leaving an eerie silence in the room. Buffy was the first to react after hearing the sound of some or most of Spike's ribs being busted.
"Spike…," Buffy shouted with a panicked look on her face as she rushed towards the Beast and dodged its first attack before she swung the scythe upwards and buried it into the Beast's stomach.
"Molly now…," Spike did his best to shout through the pain as he turned his head towards Molly and grabbed the Beast's leg and held on with all of his might even though as he did so he felt another one of his ribs breaking.
"Now Molly," Angel agreed with a shout as he rushed forward, along with Faith, and threw themselves at the Beast, each grabbing an arm and straining to hold the Beast in place.
"I don't…," Molly stammered out with a scared look on her face as she hesitated to act.
"Molly…," Faith shouted with a very angry scowl on her face before she was forced to grit her teeth and use all of her strength to hold the Beast's left arm.
"Okay," Molly returned with a panicked look on her face before she hefted the spear up to shoulder level and charged headlong towards the Beast.
"You fools…you cannot…," The Beast mocked them with a sinister sneer on its face before Molly sped up and drove the point of the spear home into the Beast's black heart. A low and powerful shudder reverberated through the Beast's body before it growled in pain and then exploded; flinging everyone that had played a part in killing it flying. Out in the streets many vampires and other demons were forced back into the shadows as the humans filled the streets and cheered the return of the sun.
END OF CHAPTER 30-ONLY EPILOGUE LEFT