"No, seriously. What's up with him?" Xander asked.
The smile melted from Buffy's face as she realized she didn't really have an answer to that particular question.
"I don't know. You have any ideas?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"Let's see. Stylish threads. Bling-bling on the neck, wrists and fingers. Thin build. Good moves. I don't know. Up and coming boy-band member?" Xander answered.
"You wish."
The Scoobies turned their attention toward the unknown assailant, now clearly visible in the fiery glow of Willow's magical containment. Xander was right. He was decked out in a lot of jewelry for someone stalking a Slayer and a vamp.
A blue crystal hung from a thin silver chain around his neck and each wrist was adorned with silver braclets set with matching blue stones identical to the one in his necklace. What Xander had mistaken for jewelry on his fingers actually looked to be brass knuckles, although the metal was onyx in color and obviously not brass.
"Who are you and why did you attack us?" Buffy asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Spiked grunted. "He's a vampire."
"Oh, I'm much more than that." he menaced in reply.
Willow watched him carefully and thought that calling him a man might be overstating things. He looked no older than 18 or 19 years old. His build was very slight and he had an unkempt, although not dirty, look to him. How could this man, this boy, get the drop on Buffy and Spike?
"I want Giles to see him. There's something vaguely familiar about him. Wil, can you nix the Towering Inferno recreation and maybe...wrap him up to go?" Buffy asked.
"No problem," she replied, "Please pull up to the second window."
The ring of flames began to collapse inward. He showed no sign of fear and only moved to cross his arms over his chest. The fire changed hues several times before settling into a decidely greenish tint of energy that wrapped him tightly in it's grip.
"Here's your order. Please come again!" Willow joked.
Not to be outdone,Xander chimed in. "You want fries with that?"
The Scoobies all grinned at the absurdity of the situation and laughed despite the close call Buffy and Spike had narrowly avoided.
Only Spike abstained from the antics. He eyed the stranger suspiciously, all too aware of just how dangerous he was. Dawn poked at his ribs and tugged his jacket playfully.
"Quit acting your age. At least try and remember what it was like when you were a 100."
Spike ignored her and noticed the first traces of a grin on the strangers face.
"Red? Are you sure you got 'em?" Spike questioned.
Willow didn't have the time to answer. The stranger's arms surged forward and the bands of energy shattered, spraying the remnants like shrapnel.
Spike took the brunt of the explosive energy and collapsed in a heap shielding Dawn from the blast.
"Spike!" Dawn screamed.
"..run..'lil..bit," was all he could utter before blacking out.
The sudden rupture of her spell hit Willow like a blow. She was fully aware that she might be the only one able to keep him from escaping. Her last thought before blacking out was "I should have listened to Spike. Who'd a thunk?"
The man in black moved purposefully toward Dawn. Xander and Buffy, the only others left standing, moved to intercept him. Xander knew better than to attack head on and let Buffy engage him before joining the fray. She unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks as Xander watched for his opportunity. More than once, Xander was sure it was over. More than once he was wrong.
Finally, it seemed Buffy had managed to push him back a step. A particularly wicked backhand followed by a kick and three-punch combination snuck through his defenses. Xander immediately seized the opening and leapt in, determined to drive a stake into his back.
The stranger easily side-stepped, twisted Xander's wrist and guided the stake into Buffy's leg. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Buffy's hair and drove her forehead into Xander's face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his nose in the process.
He pulled Buffy upright by her hair and kissed her, savagely biting her lip and drawing even more blood. Her legs as stable as jello, she fell to the ground uselessly when he released her.
"The great Buffy Summers. The One. The greatest Slayer of all time. How pathetic."
He turned his attention back to Dawn. She was on her knees sobbing softly. She looked around for anybody left standing, but found nobody.
Dawn raised her chin defiantly and attempted to stare her predator down.
"Go ahead. Kill a defenseless girl. Be a big man."
He looked at her coldy. "You're not a girl. You never were. Energy is what you are. No more, no less."
"You can kill me if you want, but I'm no more energy than anybody else. I'm flesh and blood now. Summers blood."
He smiled grimly. "Yes, you are flesh and blood, but the energy is still there as well. I'm going to take it. Just like I took the others."
"What others?"
He moved close and circled around behind her. He pointed to Buffy struggling to get to her feet, but failing miserably.
"Look at her. This is all her fault. Your sister and that idiot boyfriend of hers."
"Spike?"
He didn't answer. He wrapped one arm around Dawn's waist, pinning both hands to her side in the process. The other hand grabbed her hair roughly and yanked her head back exposing her milky white neck.
The crystal around the strangers neck glowed dimly and Dawn felt all strength leaving her body. She began to glow brightly and, just as quickly, began to fade. With each passing moment, the crystal glowed more brightly and Dawn grew dimmer. Finally, Dawn no longer glowed. She looked like any other teenage girl. Well, at least any other teenage girl who was being held against her will by something more than a vampire.
"What did you do to me?" she asked.
"I took what I came for."
"That's it? That's all you wanted?"
"It was. But now that you mention it..."
Buffy stood weakly in front of them. She didn't utter a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. If looks could kill, she would be guilty of mass murder.
"Let her go."
He walked toward Buffy, carefully keeping Dawn between them. He absently ran his fingers up Dawn's stomach suggestively while meeting Buffy's steely gaze head on. The same hand lashed out and put Buffy back on her ass with one blow.
Buffy looked up at them helplessly, tears forming pools in her eyes.
"See that. She knows. Knows you're mine."
Dawn whimpered helplessly as his hand wandered over her body and he licked her neck lustily. Buffy could only watch as his teeth sank into her jugular. Dawn's face contorted into a mixture of pleasure and pain as he drained the life from her.
Buffy struggled to get to her feet, but her legs were on vacation. She managed to get to one knee, but was knocked back down by the force of Dawn's lifeless body falling upon her.
The man in black pulled Dawn's body off of her and straddled Buffy, pinning her arms to the ground. He leaned in close and licked her ear gently as she wept.
"You want to know who I am, why I did this?" he whispered, "Go ask Angel. Tell him Connor sent you."
End Chapter Two
The smile melted from Buffy's face as she realized she didn't really have an answer to that particular question.
"I don't know. You have any ideas?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"Let's see. Stylish threads. Bling-bling on the neck, wrists and fingers. Thin build. Good moves. I don't know. Up and coming boy-band member?" Xander answered.
"You wish."
The Scoobies turned their attention toward the unknown assailant, now clearly visible in the fiery glow of Willow's magical containment. Xander was right. He was decked out in a lot of jewelry for someone stalking a Slayer and a vamp.
A blue crystal hung from a thin silver chain around his neck and each wrist was adorned with silver braclets set with matching blue stones identical to the one in his necklace. What Xander had mistaken for jewelry on his fingers actually looked to be brass knuckles, although the metal was onyx in color and obviously not brass.
"Who are you and why did you attack us?" Buffy asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Spiked grunted. "He's a vampire."
"Oh, I'm much more than that." he menaced in reply.
Willow watched him carefully and thought that calling him a man might be overstating things. He looked no older than 18 or 19 years old. His build was very slight and he had an unkempt, although not dirty, look to him. How could this man, this boy, get the drop on Buffy and Spike?
"I want Giles to see him. There's something vaguely familiar about him. Wil, can you nix the Towering Inferno recreation and maybe...wrap him up to go?" Buffy asked.
"No problem," she replied, "Please pull up to the second window."
The ring of flames began to collapse inward. He showed no sign of fear and only moved to cross his arms over his chest. The fire changed hues several times before settling into a decidely greenish tint of energy that wrapped him tightly in it's grip.
"Here's your order. Please come again!" Willow joked.
Not to be outdone,Xander chimed in. "You want fries with that?"
The Scoobies all grinned at the absurdity of the situation and laughed despite the close call Buffy and Spike had narrowly avoided.
Only Spike abstained from the antics. He eyed the stranger suspiciously, all too aware of just how dangerous he was. Dawn poked at his ribs and tugged his jacket playfully.
"Quit acting your age. At least try and remember what it was like when you were a 100."
Spike ignored her and noticed the first traces of a grin on the strangers face.
"Red? Are you sure you got 'em?" Spike questioned.
Willow didn't have the time to answer. The stranger's arms surged forward and the bands of energy shattered, spraying the remnants like shrapnel.
Spike took the brunt of the explosive energy and collapsed in a heap shielding Dawn from the blast.
"Spike!" Dawn screamed.
"..run..'lil..bit," was all he could utter before blacking out.
The sudden rupture of her spell hit Willow like a blow. She was fully aware that she might be the only one able to keep him from escaping. Her last thought before blacking out was "I should have listened to Spike. Who'd a thunk?"
The man in black moved purposefully toward Dawn. Xander and Buffy, the only others left standing, moved to intercept him. Xander knew better than to attack head on and let Buffy engage him before joining the fray. She unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks as Xander watched for his opportunity. More than once, Xander was sure it was over. More than once he was wrong.
Finally, it seemed Buffy had managed to push him back a step. A particularly wicked backhand followed by a kick and three-punch combination snuck through his defenses. Xander immediately seized the opening and leapt in, determined to drive a stake into his back.
The stranger easily side-stepped, twisted Xander's wrist and guided the stake into Buffy's leg. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Buffy's hair and drove her forehead into Xander's face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his nose in the process.
He pulled Buffy upright by her hair and kissed her, savagely biting her lip and drawing even more blood. Her legs as stable as jello, she fell to the ground uselessly when he released her.
"The great Buffy Summers. The One. The greatest Slayer of all time. How pathetic."
He turned his attention back to Dawn. She was on her knees sobbing softly. She looked around for anybody left standing, but found nobody.
Dawn raised her chin defiantly and attempted to stare her predator down.
"Go ahead. Kill a defenseless girl. Be a big man."
He looked at her coldy. "You're not a girl. You never were. Energy is what you are. No more, no less."
"You can kill me if you want, but I'm no more energy than anybody else. I'm flesh and blood now. Summers blood."
He smiled grimly. "Yes, you are flesh and blood, but the energy is still there as well. I'm going to take it. Just like I took the others."
"What others?"
He moved close and circled around behind her. He pointed to Buffy struggling to get to her feet, but failing miserably.
"Look at her. This is all her fault. Your sister and that idiot boyfriend of hers."
"Spike?"
He didn't answer. He wrapped one arm around Dawn's waist, pinning both hands to her side in the process. The other hand grabbed her hair roughly and yanked her head back exposing her milky white neck.
The crystal around the strangers neck glowed dimly and Dawn felt all strength leaving her body. She began to glow brightly and, just as quickly, began to fade. With each passing moment, the crystal glowed more brightly and Dawn grew dimmer. Finally, Dawn no longer glowed. She looked like any other teenage girl. Well, at least any other teenage girl who was being held against her will by something more than a vampire.
"What did you do to me?" she asked.
"I took what I came for."
"That's it? That's all you wanted?"
"It was. But now that you mention it..."
Buffy stood weakly in front of them. She didn't utter a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. If looks could kill, she would be guilty of mass murder.
"Let her go."
He walked toward Buffy, carefully keeping Dawn between them. He absently ran his fingers up Dawn's stomach suggestively while meeting Buffy's steely gaze head on. The same hand lashed out and put Buffy back on her ass with one blow.
Buffy looked up at them helplessly, tears forming pools in her eyes.
"See that. She knows. Knows you're mine."
Dawn whimpered helplessly as his hand wandered over her body and he licked her neck lustily. Buffy could only watch as his teeth sank into her jugular. Dawn's face contorted into a mixture of pleasure and pain as he drained the life from her.
Buffy struggled to get to her feet, but her legs were on vacation. She managed to get to one knee, but was knocked back down by the force of Dawn's lifeless body falling upon her.
The man in black pulled Dawn's body off of her and straddled Buffy, pinning her arms to the ground. He leaned in close and licked her ear gently as she wept.
"You want to know who I am, why I did this?" he whispered, "Go ask Angel. Tell him Connor sent you."
End Chapter Two