Showdown
Episode 21
The Hellmouth:
"Good job!" Caleb exclaimed, "You lowered their morals, made them weak. Now we can go in for a follow-up attack, weaken them even more. This is our day of glory."
The First, in the form of Caleb, was speaking to its Ubervamp army. There were more of the vicious vampires. No matter how many were killed, more would always take their place.
"As soon as the slayer and her friends are destroyed, we will go after that goddess," Caleb went on, "I will make her pay for tricking me. Once she's out of the way, this world will be ours."
Suddenly a powerful wave of energy swept through the Hellmouth. It swept through all the vampires. It was all absorbed into Caleb. He screamed in pain as all the energy flowed into him.
Caleb's body exploded into blood and flesh. In his place stood a frightening-looking demon type thing. The demon was fairly large. It had large wings on its back and huge horns on its head. Its eyes glowed dark red.
In the dark shadows of the basement, a familiar ghost stood, listening and watching. He stared in horror at what he saw happen. A chill ran through his body. He had to get to the others.
"At last," it growled, "I am finally corporeal."
Downtown Haynesville:
Spike and Xander had met up again. They both seemed to be enjoying their talks. Spike had just come from the Hellmouth, while Xander had come from Giles's.
"You know," Spike said, "You aren't that bad mate."
"It took you that long to figure it out," Xander replied, laughing.
Spike smirked at the comment. He was beginning to like the boy.
"You aren't so bad yourself," Xander added.
"Oh bollocks!" Spike exclaimed, "I feel like I was back in the day with Angel."
"Well that's interesting," Xander replied, "How's that?"
Paris, France 1883:
"Did you see the look on her face when you killed her bloody husband?" William asked, "It was priceless."
"That it was," Angelus replied.
Angelus and William were walking down the streets of Paris. They had just enjoyed a good kill of some woman and her husband. The man tried to protect his wife, but the two vampires killed both of them.
"It's so nice to have another man around," Angelus said.
"What do you mean, mate?" William questioned.
"I had been traveling around now for a while with just Darla and Drusilla," Angelus went on, "Traveling with just women. It gets boring. I needed another man around to enjoy the fun with. And now I have you around."
William nodded at this comment. He had been in their little group for a couple of years now. He was quickly learning the life of a vampire. And he enjoyed it.
"I've never had a bloody friend before," William said, "No one really liked me as a human. The only one who did was my mother. But then she came on to me after I turned her and then I had to put a bloody stake through her heart."
"Hmm…that's an interesting little tale of woe," Angelus replied, "My life as a human was no better than yours."
"Let's here it, mate," William said.
"Well, I was a poor man, living in Ireland," Angelus began, "I was a drunk. Oh did I love to drink. I was mean to people when I was drunk, so no one enjoyed my company. My family even disowned me. That's when I met Darla and she sired me. After I became a vampire, I killed my whole family. I got them back for what they did. Poor bastards."
"That was a nice little after dinner story," William said.
Angelus just burst out laughing. In turn, William started laughing along with his Grandsire. The two vampires stopped laughing after a few moments and went on their way.
"Well, that was really interesting," Xander said, after Spike had finished, "I never knew you and Angel to be buddies. Always thought you hated each other."
"That was pre-soul Angel," Spike replied, "He was very different after he got a soul."
"Come on," Xander said, "We should get back. I don't wanna be caught out here by either one of those armies."
Giles's Apartment:
"The odds are against us!" Fred exclaimed, "There is no possible way that we can win!"
"There's always a way," Giles said, "And we have always found it, no matter how hard it was."
"Except this time, we are Buffy-less," Xander put in, "Buffy's always been the one to figure these things out. She had gotten us through every apocalypse."
"This time, during the biggest battle, the greatest apocalypse, we don't have her here," Giles added.
The door to Giles's apartment suddenly opened. A familiar face stepped in the door.
"Hey!"
Everyone turned their attention to the doorway. They smiled at what they saw.
"Jake?" Giles questioned.
"I'm back," he replied.
"Hey Jake," Xander said, coming up to him, "Long time, no see. I haven't seen you in several months. As a matter of fact, not since we left that bus so long ago."
"Yeah, it has been a while," Jake replied.
The two men seemed to be ignoring everyone else. They just stood there in front of everyone, having a regular conversation.
"Hey, remember when we chased those girls through the Bronze?" Xander asked.
"Yeah,"
Jake replied, "And then those monks showed up and tried to kill us all."
"Good times, good times," Xander said.
Giles cleared his throat very loudly. That caught both their attentions. They turned their heads in the direction of everyone else.
"Whoa!" Jake exclaimed, "Is this like a vampire-slaying convention?"
"Actually, more like the end-of-the-world convention," Faith said, stepping forward, "You look good, kid. Where have you been?"
"Home," Jake replied.
"Home?" Faith questioned.
"Back in Erie," he answered.
"Sorry to interrupt your little reunion, but we have a major apocalypse to deal with here," Wesley said, interrupting.
"What kind?" Jake questioned.
"Well, two huge armies are roaming around Haynesville, destroying everything in their paths," Giles answered.
"And this is threatening the world, how?" Jake asked.
"The two generals, or whatever you want to call them, are building up their forces little by little until they finally have enough power to defeat the other," Giles replied.
"Sounds like fun," Jake said.
"Oh it is," Xander said.
"Oh will you two nerds just shut up already?" Cordy questioned, coming forward and wrapping her arms around Xander, "You two should stop fooling around. We need to be serious."
"Who are you?" Jake asked.
"Cordelia Chase," she replied, "But everyone calls me Cordy."
"Nice to meet you," Jake said to her, "You must be Xander's new girl."
"Yeah," she replied.
"Oh bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed, "You stupid blokes need to stop messing around. We have two massive armies trashing this town, lead by two powerful evils. And Buffy is unconscious. Stop screwing around! Get back to work!"
"I don't see you doing any work, ghost boy" Angel said, stepping forward.
"Shut your bloody mouth, you ponce!" Spike snapped, "I've been doing more work than you all think."
"And what would that be, Spike?" Angel asked, "You know, since you are a very helpful little ghost."
"The First is corporeal," Spike said.
"What?" Giles questioned.
"What did he just say?" Faith questioned.
"I saw it," Spike replied, "A wave of energy came out of nowhere and struck the First, in the form of that bloody preacher. The preacher started screaming and suddenly he exploded, blood and flesh went everywhere, and standing where the preacher once stood, was a huge demon with horns and wings."
"I don't believe it," Wesley said, "Its not possible."
"Oh but it is," Spike replied, "I can feel its power. I can feel both of their power. They are ready."
"Ready for what?" Faith asked.
"The showdown."
"What showdown?" Xander questioned.
"Between the two great forces of evil," Spike said, "The battle is coming. I can feel the power radiating off of them, they are ready to fight."
"The final battle is beginning," Wesley said softly.
"No you stupid git!" Spike yelled, frustrated, "The battle for who will have the privilege to rule this world."
"Well, then I guess we still have a few days left to live," Xander added, trying to lighten the mood."
There was a loud knock at the door. Everyone looked confused.
"I'll get it!" Xander exclaimed, running to the door.
"Be careful, Xander," Giles warned.
Xander turned the knob and cautiously opened the door. There in the doorway stood a group of young girls. Xander breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh its only girl scouts," Xander reassured, turning back to the group.
He then turned back to the girls.
"Sorry," he replied, "We don't have time for cookies."
The girls looked at him confused. Then one stepped forward.
"Is there a Mr. Giles here?" the brunette-haired girl asked.
"Yes, that would be me," Giles said, stepping forward, "Can I help you?"
"We've been sent here by Mr. Robson to seek protection from you and the slayer," the girl informed.
"Robson," Giles said quietly, "He's still alive."
"Who are they?" Oz questioned, "They're just little girls."
"They are potential slayers," Giles informed, "Girls who may one day be the slayer."
Faith turned and headed towards the door. She swung it open and was just about to walk out when Giles cleared his throat.
"Where are you going?" he questioned.
"Going to rally the girls," Faith replied, "I'm sure they haven't had a workout in a while. Besides they need to be ready for anything."
With that, Faith disappeared down the hallway. Angel turned and ran off after her.
"Welsey," Giles said, "Take Oz and Kennedy and go after them."
Oz, Wesley, and Kennedy followed. Giles stood and closed the door behind them.
"Why are they leaving?" Cordy questioned, "I mean, come on. They know perfectly well what'll happen out there."
"They'll be fine," Xander said, putting an arm around his girlfriend, "Faith knows what she's doing."
"Girls," Giles said, "If you'd like, you can follow them. They are going to train."
The group of new girls took off after Wesley, Kennedy, and Oz.
Haynesville Cemetery:
"So what are we doing?" Danielle asked.
"You girls are probably a little rusty," Faith began, "So we need to start up on your training."
"What for?" Liz asked.
"You're going to need to be ready for anything," Faith replied, "Especially with all that has been going on lately."
"And what would that be?" Vi asked.
"Well," Wesley interrupted, "As you may all know, the end of the world is upon us and…"
"Shut up, Wes!" Faith shouted, "We're not trying to scare them."
"What?" Julia questioned, "The end of the world."
"No, its nothing," Faith said, "He was just kidding."
The potential slayers all looked at her with puzzled stares. They had no idea what was going on and they desperately wanted to.
"Have any of you new girls had any training, raise your hands?" Faith asked.
All the girls raised their hands and Faith smiled with delight. It was gong to be easier than she thought.
"I feel like a teacher," Faith whispered to Angel.
Angel didn't pay any attention to her. He seemed distracted by something. It was like he was listening to something.
"What's wrong?" Faith questioned.
"Something's coming," he replied.
"Vampires?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he said, "I can't tell."
That's what Spike appeared in front of them. He didn't look to happy.
"You stupid gits!" he scolded, "They're coming."
"Who is coming?" Wesley asked, coming towards the three of them.
"Who do you think?" Spike asked, "The First and The Goddess of Evil."
"I can smell the vampires," Oz interrupted, stepping towards them, "They are close."
"We need to get out of here," Wesley said, "We are all in very grave danger."
"It's too late," Spike replied, "There is no time."
"What'll we do?" Kennedy asked.
"We'll take the girls and hide in the woods," Faith said, taking command, "Then we'll wait there until the battle is finished."
"Let's go!" Angel called.
Faith led everyone into the woods, where they just stood and waited. They were all very nervous.
"What's going on?" Vi asked.
"We'll see in a few moments," Angel replied.
Suddenly, several hundred Ubervamps appeared on one side of the gang. Moments later, several hundred demons lined up on the other side. They looked ready for battle. But they were waiting for something.
A large demon came walking up through the lines of Ubervamps. It was very large. It had huge horns on its head and wings on its back. It had huge claws and it was a dark reddish-orange color. It growled loudly at the demon army in front of it.
"So, we meet again," a female voice said, "Figured you would have left town a while ago."
A young woman appeared in front of the demon army. She was kind of short. She had long, straight, black hair and completely black eyes.
"Someone's become corporeal," she said, "Now the fun really begins."
The woman began to transform. She grew a few feet and horns sprouted from her head. Giant claws replaced her fingers and toes. Large wings grew from her back and a tail sprout from her behind. Her color changed to a dark black, like the color of her hair. Its form slightly resembled the First's.
"You seem so confident," The First growled, "But you will not beat me. This earth is mine."
"Its foolish of you to try and defeat your creator," The Goddess hissed, "You will fail."
The First flapped his wings and rose into the air, above his army. He raised his arm up and then dropped it down quickly. His army of vampires charged at the demons. The Goddess flew above her army, as it charged at the vampires.
The Goddess fluttered above her army, commanding the demons to crush the vampires. The First took this opportunity to take the offense. It quickly flew high up and then dove down at the Goddess. It knocked the Goddess to the ground, landing on a few of her soldiers.
The First charged her again, knocking the Goddess off balance as she rose to her feet. Then it swung its massive claw, knocking the Goddess across the face. The Goddess growled in anger and jumped at the First. Both landed on the ground, making it shake.
"What the hell is going on?" Liz questioned, from the woods.
"It's the ultimate showdown," Faith replied, "Between the First and the Goddess of Evil."
"You know, this isn't the best place I would have picked to hide," Spike said, appearing next to Faith, "It's only a matter of time before they get to the woods."
While the armies were fighting, the First and the Goddess continued their fighting. The First lifted the Goddess over its head and tossed her through the air. The Goddess stopped herself and flew back towards the First, knocking it into the woods. The gang dove to the ground, ducking out of sight.
The First opened its demon mouth wide and a blast of fire flew towards the Goddess. The fire turned into a cyclone and engulfed the Goddess. It followed up its attack by giving her a few punches and slashes. It finished her with one punch. She flew backwards into a crypt, causing it to cave in on top of her.
The First bellowed, "Finish them!"
The Turok-Han increased their onslaught against the bladed demons. The demons realized that they were outnumbered and began retreating. Their retreat started in the woods, where the gang was hiding.
"Run," Faith whispered.
Everyone took off in different directions, fleeing from the demons. The Turok-Han quickly followed, chasing the demons through the dark woods. Oddly enough, the vampires had the upper hand, even though the demons could slice the vampires quite easily.
Faith ran through the woods, behind everyone else. She had to make sure all the others got away before she could go. She came across a stray Ubervamp. It growled loudly and charged her. It tackled her to the ground and proceeded to beat her senselessly. Faith was now bleeding from her face.
Suddenly, the vampire was knocked off of her. She sat up and watched as Angel attacked the vampire. Angel definitely had the upper hand. He knocked the vampire around a bit before snapping its neck. The vampire exploded into a cloud of dust which blew away in the early summer breeze.
Angel walked over and put his hand out for Faith. She took it and he helped her to her feet. The two turned and glanced back to where the battle was taking place.
"We should get going," Angel said, "There's nothing for us here."
"You're right," Faith replied, "We should catch up to the others."
Giles's Apartment:
"Are you all right, Faith?" Giles questioned.
"I should be," she replied.
"What happened?" Fred questioned, coming into the main room.
"Big battle," Wesley replied.
"Battle?" Giles questioned.
"Yeah," Faith replied, "Huge battle between the First and the Goddess."
"So the new potentials had a chance to train against Ubervamps?" Xander questioned, "Sounds cool."
"Only it wasn't," Angel answered, coming out of Buffy's room, "Spike was right. The First is corporeal."
"So now we have something else to worry about?" Fred asked.
"Yup," Faith replied, "Not good."
"Actually," Giles said, speaking up, "This might benefit us."
"How so?" Xander questioned.
"It leaves us with only one evil to fight, instead of two," he went on, "We'd have only one army to fight also."
"And if we're lucky, the First will win," Xander said, "You know, since we beat its army once."
"The odds are against it," Wesley told them, "The Goddess is the one that created the First. The odds of the First beating it's creator are not that high."
"That makes me feel a whole lot better," Jake said, sarcastically, joining the others.
"How are the girls doing?" Oz asked from the couch.
"They seem to be doing all right," Faith replied, "Nothing happened to any of them while they were running. And the new ones seem to be getting along well with the others, which is good."
"You should all get some rest," Giles told them, "We have a large battle coming up soon. We need all the rest we can get."
The Cemetery:
"You didn't think you could beat me, did you?" she asked.
The First was lying on the ground. The Goddess had her large foot on its back, pinning it down.
"I am all-powerful," she said, "Nothing can stop me. Not even you, the First Evil."
The First growled, trying to get up, but the Goddess had a powerful hold on it. The Goddess bent down and gripped the First by the neck. She squeezed tightly, digging her nails into its skin.
"You put up a good fight, you know," she informed, "Nice try. But this is where it all ends. Goodbye."
She took her other demon hand and shoved it down into the First's mouth. She reached down its throat. She shoved her demon hand down further and found its heart. She gripped it tightly and tore it out and up through its mouth.
She held the heart loosely in her hands. The First glanced down at its black heart, before falling dead to the ground. The Goddess lifted it into the air and smirked.
"This is it," she shouted, "I have beaten the First Evil. And soon I will rule this planet!"
She brought the hand to her mouth. She tossed the heart in. She swallowed it. And as she did, a wave of energy flowed through her body.