Disclaimer: Mutant Enemy, the great and powerful spreader of good things,
owns them: I don't.
--
Chapter 10: Of seers and men
"No!" Bellowed Spike, staring at the overturned bus that had previously held Dawn and Buffy. "No, no, no!"
"We're too late." Said Xander with horror.
"My God." Said Riley blankly.
Giles couldn't find words to describe what he was feeling, and glanced to Angel. A muscle in the larger vampire's jaw was working.
"Where is Dru now?" Asked Spike, grabbing Xander by the collar.
"I don't know!" Said Xander.
"No. You have visions. If you don't know, you can know!"
Angel, Giles and Riley, in the back, all did a double take at the mention of the visions.
"They only come when I'm asleep." Said Xander.
Spike punched Xander in the head, and he slumped to the floor unconscious.
--
The world was a pasty gray.
People swam by, oblivious to the huge red demons among them. One of them sat beside Xander, patiently waiting.
Xander, lacking the obliviousness of those around him, chose to play it cool. "Do you have any gray poupon?" He asked the demon.
"There are no tickets." Said the demon.
Xander tried to figure out the psychology behind the answer, then shrugged, stepping back, away from his body. As he did so the world tilted, and he was screaming headlong down the street.
His stomach lurched, even though it wasn't there, and the rainbow swirling around him coalesced.
He could see lines of something sparkly all around, pulsing lines across the ground.
He could see feathery gray silent beings hovering. Their intentions were clearly malevolent. At least to him.
He avoided them, swirling through the depths, trying to concentrate. He was here for a reason, wasn't he? Whatever that reason was.
Time slowed, and Xander saw Drusilla. He looked up and could see how he had come to this place, and smiled. He tried to speak, to say 'of course,' but he had no mouth here.
There were no words here.
He came to slowly, feeling as if he were fighting his way through waves and waves of water. And perhaps a plastic sheet over his face. He struggled and struggled, forcing his eyes open.
"Welcome back, mate." Said Spike.
"I can't believe you hit me." Xander burbled out through numb lips.
"Neither can I." Muttered Riley from the back seat.
"I can." Offered Angel.
"It was for the greater good." Said Spike. "Did you find Buffy?"
"Y-yeah. Drusilla plans to turn her." Stammered Xander. His entire body still felt numb, sore, and a bit cold. He smacked Spike's arm as hard as he could, a light slap at best. "Can't believe you hit me." He muttered again.
"Where?" Asked Spike patiently.
"There's an old, really really creepy mansion about a mile and a half that way."
"Which way?" Asked Spike, glancing back at him.
"West." Said Xander.
Spike stomped his foot on the gas. "Hang on!" He said gleefully.
As the tires spun, burning rubber, the car spun around to head back the way it had come. "Easy on the tires!" Protested Xander.
"Yeah, sure." Growled Spike.
"I mean it!" Growled Xander right back at him. Spike glanced at him in surprise.
"You're not trying to grow a spine, are you?" He asked.
"I've seen into your deepest, darkest nooks and crannies. I can't be afraid of you any more." Said Xander. "If that's growing a spine, I'm guilty as charged. If you mean, am I comfortable yelling at you. . ? I've always been comfortable yelling at you."
Spike chuckled. "Well, keep it up, 'sidekick.'"
"I'll do that." Muttered Xander. "Cause, you know, at some point you become expendable. And then, pow! Payback."
"Hey, it was all I could think of to save Buffy and Dawn!" Snarled Spike.
"Sure, and a little extra thought—that's it."
"You know," said Angel as they all got out of the car. "Cordelia was my Seer. She had visions from the Powers That Be, because I was a Champion." He looked at Spike in disgust. "Just something for you to think over."
The front door was open, and they just walked in, Giles and Riley taking up the rear.
Drusilla was waiting for them, standing over Buffy. "She's delicious." Said Drusilla, practically purring.
"Get away from her!" Snapped Xander. Spike started forward.
"No! Naughty!" Snapped Drusilla. She lifted Buffy. "I drank, now she drinks. That's how it works, isn't it? Then she will be my golden dark girl. And what fun we'll have, eating the world up!"
"Dru, this is you and me. Forget her." Said Spike.
"And the girl!" Said Drusilla. "Cut her, the world bleeds! Cut her open, let it all end!"
"You. And. Me." Said Spike. "Let's just keep it simple."
"Simple ended." Said Drusilla. "Now it's all horror and brimstone and complicated." She smiled when she said complicated. "Daddy tried to warn me about you, once. But I didn't believe him, because you were weak."
"I was weak." Agreed Spike. "Weak like you are now. But now I'm strong."
"But I'm stronger." Said Drusilla. She put Buffy down, eyeing her Sire and Spike.
She shot forward, her fists whirling into action. Spike and Angel fell back under her assault, gasping and choking. Her punches hit like blows from somebody twice her size. Or like blows from Buffy.
She had taken the Slayer's blood.
She had the Slayer's strength.
"No!" Spike said, lashing out. His sudden attack was all Spike, spinning, kicking, lashing, and striking her so hard that she screamed with pain.
"You can take the Slayer's strength, love." Said Spike, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her close to him. She winced with pain. "But I've killed Slayers. And I didn't need some fancy mumbo-jumbo 'be in me' to kill them. It's all me. You forget, they all forget." He leaned in, kissing her. He broke it off suddenly. "You taste of her blood." He said. "But you'll never be as good as her. I left you for her, Dru. Because she's better than you. Brighter, purer than you."
"You'll come back." Said Dru. "You can't be good forever."
"Yes, I can." He hissed, morphing to game face. "Did you feed her, Dru?"
"Not yet." She said petulantly.
He yanked hard on her hair, snapping her neck. She collapsed to the floor bonelessly, letting out a pained squeal as she landed.
"Stake her." He said to Angel, who was leaning against the wall, nursing a hurt arm.
"No." Said Angel.
Giles and Riley both looked ready to volunteer. Spike ignored them. "Xander. Stake her."
"You could stake her." Said Xander, watching the still-living but momentarily helpless vampire on the floor.
"No, I couldn't." Said Spike viciously. "Now stake her, okay?"
Xander considered it, drawing a stake from his pocket. "Okay." He said, walking over to Dru. Spike closed his eyes, looking away as Xander plunged the stake into Dru's chest. As she exploded into dust Spike let out a long, slow breath. Angel simply stared.
Giles looked around. "How did Drusilla ever put a plan like this together?"
"Not to mention the amulet she used to suck away my soul." Growled Angel.
"She sucked out Angel's soul!?" Xander's eyes almost bugged out of his skull and his grip on the stake tightened.
"Don't worry, Buffy put it back." Said Spike. He walked over to Buffy and leaned down. "Dru fed off her. She's lost a lot of blood." He noted, touching her cheek. "We need to get her to the hospital."
"Dawn?" Asked Angel, crouching over the teenager.
"Should be fine." Said Spike. "I can't smell her blood."
Angel sniffed. "Right. Let's go." He said, scooping up Dawn. "Giles, get your car ready."
Riley looked around. "There's something wrong here." He muttered.
"You and Xander stay here, look around." Suggested Giles. Spike picked up Buffy slowly, cradling her to his chest. "Come on. Spike, do you still have Xander's keys?"
"Yes." Said Spike. "Come on."
Xander looked around. "What are all the chains for?"
Spike, Angel and Giles left quickly, carrying the two girls with them. Riley glanced at the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. "Somebody's been living here." He noted. "Stalking you. Drusilla was just a minion. Somebody's been...something's been planning an attack. They've just been waiting for Spike."
--
Chapter 10: Of seers and men
"No!" Bellowed Spike, staring at the overturned bus that had previously held Dawn and Buffy. "No, no, no!"
"We're too late." Said Xander with horror.
"My God." Said Riley blankly.
Giles couldn't find words to describe what he was feeling, and glanced to Angel. A muscle in the larger vampire's jaw was working.
"Where is Dru now?" Asked Spike, grabbing Xander by the collar.
"I don't know!" Said Xander.
"No. You have visions. If you don't know, you can know!"
Angel, Giles and Riley, in the back, all did a double take at the mention of the visions.
"They only come when I'm asleep." Said Xander.
Spike punched Xander in the head, and he slumped to the floor unconscious.
--
The world was a pasty gray.
People swam by, oblivious to the huge red demons among them. One of them sat beside Xander, patiently waiting.
Xander, lacking the obliviousness of those around him, chose to play it cool. "Do you have any gray poupon?" He asked the demon.
"There are no tickets." Said the demon.
Xander tried to figure out the psychology behind the answer, then shrugged, stepping back, away from his body. As he did so the world tilted, and he was screaming headlong down the street.
His stomach lurched, even though it wasn't there, and the rainbow swirling around him coalesced.
He could see lines of something sparkly all around, pulsing lines across the ground.
He could see feathery gray silent beings hovering. Their intentions were clearly malevolent. At least to him.
He avoided them, swirling through the depths, trying to concentrate. He was here for a reason, wasn't he? Whatever that reason was.
Time slowed, and Xander saw Drusilla. He looked up and could see how he had come to this place, and smiled. He tried to speak, to say 'of course,' but he had no mouth here.
There were no words here.
He came to slowly, feeling as if he were fighting his way through waves and waves of water. And perhaps a plastic sheet over his face. He struggled and struggled, forcing his eyes open.
"Welcome back, mate." Said Spike.
"I can't believe you hit me." Xander burbled out through numb lips.
"Neither can I." Muttered Riley from the back seat.
"I can." Offered Angel.
"It was for the greater good." Said Spike. "Did you find Buffy?"
"Y-yeah. Drusilla plans to turn her." Stammered Xander. His entire body still felt numb, sore, and a bit cold. He smacked Spike's arm as hard as he could, a light slap at best. "Can't believe you hit me." He muttered again.
"Where?" Asked Spike patiently.
"There's an old, really really creepy mansion about a mile and a half that way."
"Which way?" Asked Spike, glancing back at him.
"West." Said Xander.
Spike stomped his foot on the gas. "Hang on!" He said gleefully.
As the tires spun, burning rubber, the car spun around to head back the way it had come. "Easy on the tires!" Protested Xander.
"Yeah, sure." Growled Spike.
"I mean it!" Growled Xander right back at him. Spike glanced at him in surprise.
"You're not trying to grow a spine, are you?" He asked.
"I've seen into your deepest, darkest nooks and crannies. I can't be afraid of you any more." Said Xander. "If that's growing a spine, I'm guilty as charged. If you mean, am I comfortable yelling at you. . ? I've always been comfortable yelling at you."
Spike chuckled. "Well, keep it up, 'sidekick.'"
"I'll do that." Muttered Xander. "Cause, you know, at some point you become expendable. And then, pow! Payback."
"Hey, it was all I could think of to save Buffy and Dawn!" Snarled Spike.
"Sure, and a little extra thought—that's it."
"You know," said Angel as they all got out of the car. "Cordelia was my Seer. She had visions from the Powers That Be, because I was a Champion." He looked at Spike in disgust. "Just something for you to think over."
The front door was open, and they just walked in, Giles and Riley taking up the rear.
Drusilla was waiting for them, standing over Buffy. "She's delicious." Said Drusilla, practically purring.
"Get away from her!" Snapped Xander. Spike started forward.
"No! Naughty!" Snapped Drusilla. She lifted Buffy. "I drank, now she drinks. That's how it works, isn't it? Then she will be my golden dark girl. And what fun we'll have, eating the world up!"
"Dru, this is you and me. Forget her." Said Spike.
"And the girl!" Said Drusilla. "Cut her, the world bleeds! Cut her open, let it all end!"
"You. And. Me." Said Spike. "Let's just keep it simple."
"Simple ended." Said Drusilla. "Now it's all horror and brimstone and complicated." She smiled when she said complicated. "Daddy tried to warn me about you, once. But I didn't believe him, because you were weak."
"I was weak." Agreed Spike. "Weak like you are now. But now I'm strong."
"But I'm stronger." Said Drusilla. She put Buffy down, eyeing her Sire and Spike.
She shot forward, her fists whirling into action. Spike and Angel fell back under her assault, gasping and choking. Her punches hit like blows from somebody twice her size. Or like blows from Buffy.
She had taken the Slayer's blood.
She had the Slayer's strength.
"No!" Spike said, lashing out. His sudden attack was all Spike, spinning, kicking, lashing, and striking her so hard that she screamed with pain.
"You can take the Slayer's strength, love." Said Spike, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her close to him. She winced with pain. "But I've killed Slayers. And I didn't need some fancy mumbo-jumbo 'be in me' to kill them. It's all me. You forget, they all forget." He leaned in, kissing her. He broke it off suddenly. "You taste of her blood." He said. "But you'll never be as good as her. I left you for her, Dru. Because she's better than you. Brighter, purer than you."
"You'll come back." Said Dru. "You can't be good forever."
"Yes, I can." He hissed, morphing to game face. "Did you feed her, Dru?"
"Not yet." She said petulantly.
He yanked hard on her hair, snapping her neck. She collapsed to the floor bonelessly, letting out a pained squeal as she landed.
"Stake her." He said to Angel, who was leaning against the wall, nursing a hurt arm.
"No." Said Angel.
Giles and Riley both looked ready to volunteer. Spike ignored them. "Xander. Stake her."
"You could stake her." Said Xander, watching the still-living but momentarily helpless vampire on the floor.
"No, I couldn't." Said Spike viciously. "Now stake her, okay?"
Xander considered it, drawing a stake from his pocket. "Okay." He said, walking over to Dru. Spike closed his eyes, looking away as Xander plunged the stake into Dru's chest. As she exploded into dust Spike let out a long, slow breath. Angel simply stared.
Giles looked around. "How did Drusilla ever put a plan like this together?"
"Not to mention the amulet she used to suck away my soul." Growled Angel.
"She sucked out Angel's soul!?" Xander's eyes almost bugged out of his skull and his grip on the stake tightened.
"Don't worry, Buffy put it back." Said Spike. He walked over to Buffy and leaned down. "Dru fed off her. She's lost a lot of blood." He noted, touching her cheek. "We need to get her to the hospital."
"Dawn?" Asked Angel, crouching over the teenager.
"Should be fine." Said Spike. "I can't smell her blood."
Angel sniffed. "Right. Let's go." He said, scooping up Dawn. "Giles, get your car ready."
Riley looked around. "There's something wrong here." He muttered.
"You and Xander stay here, look around." Suggested Giles. Spike picked up Buffy slowly, cradling her to his chest. "Come on. Spike, do you still have Xander's keys?"
"Yes." Said Spike. "Come on."
Xander looked around. "What are all the chains for?"
Spike, Angel and Giles left quickly, carrying the two girls with them. Riley glanced at the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. "Somebody's been living here." He noted. "Stalking you. Drusilla was just a minion. Somebody's been...something's been planning an attack. They've just been waiting for Spike."