6:10 pm, Monday - 11th Precinct

"Tell me you're making progress on this heart-snatcher, Pezzini." Captain Bruno Dante always seemed to have it in for her. Sara wondered how she was able to stay in his precinct when it seemed that not only did Dante not like her much, but was also well on his way to handing her her walking papers any minute.

"Yeah, Captain, we've made some progress. Turns out this guy's hunting... witches," Sara said, wincing at the term.

"Run that by me again?"

"Witches, as in casting spells and stuff," she replied.

"Great, some wacko serial killer. Alright, get a profiler in here tomorrow on what this prick's next move is. Last thing I need is more bodies popping up. And keep this stuff out of the press. We don't need the public getting into a panic."

"One more thing, Captain," Jake intervened. "Also turns out two people were asking about Ms. Valakesh before we got there. One British guy and a young blonde female."

Dante was displeased as ever. No one muscled in on an investigation of his. No one. But if these guys weren't a problem per se, he wanted them found as an added plus, in case they knew something the police didn't. "Try and find this wacko first. If these people become a problem, track'em down and bring'em in, see what they know."

"Got it, Captain," Jake replied.

Sara let out a long sigh she didn't even know she held after Dante left. Then again, she should have known she held it because she did it most of the time he was around.

"What you got planned for tonight, Pez?" Jake asked as he started to put on his jacket.

"I'm going to head home and call it a night, McCartey," she replied. "Something tells me I'm going to need the sleep."

"Got it. What about you, Danny?"

"I'm going to finish up some stuff, see if I can help out the profiler tomorrow."

"Guess I'm all alone tonight. See ya guys," replied Jake, as he left for whatever he had planned.

"See you tomorrow, Danny. Don't stay up too late," Sara said.

"Night, Pez."

Sara got out of the precinct and on her motorcycle. Contrary to what she had said, her destination wasn't home... at least, not yet. She made her way to a building with a swanky apartment, the home of a... well, 'friend' was not something she used at all to describe him. After her confrontation with Kenneth Irons, Ian Nottingham held Sara personally responsible for his demise. And she was, in some way, though Sara felt Irons had brought it upon himself. But Nottingham was a mystery. First a protector, then as devious as his former master, now an enigma, she trusted him as far as she could throw him. It had been over a year since the last time she saw him, a total of two years since Irons' death. She could tell, whenever she looked into his eyes, that he was plotting something against her. But until then, she would make him useful. She arrived at his home and was escorted by the butler.

"Good evening, Lady Sara," Nottingham said when she entered, brooding over a fire whilst in his chair. "It's been a while."

"Cut the niceties, Nottingham," Sara replied curtly. "You know why I'm here."

"The murder victim you discovered this morning, I suppose."

"Yeah, you suppose right."

"You believe that this murder is linked to a previous one, about a month ago?" he asked.

"Yeah. What's the story on them?"

Nottingham just smiled, though Sara didn't see it, as his face was focused on the fire. He had known about them, but someone had done something in his city without his permission and without his foreknowledge. In a way, he was impressed. He was also, thought he didn't show it, displeased. If the killer had the power and audacity to do something like that here, it would only be a matter of time before their interests clashed. And that clashing would bring bloodshed and expend precious resources. "You waste your time, Lady Sara. I know nothing of these murders, with the exception of their occurrence."

Sara didn't buy it. "I don't believe you."

Nottingham smiled again as he stood. "What you believe is irrelevant," he replied. "I have told you the truth and nothing less."

Defeated, she said, "Fine. But if this is some sick game..."

"I believe you were on your way out," Nottingham replied curtly.

Sara was partly incensed, but held it in. "Yeah," she replied. And with that she turned and left.

"I will tell you this, though, Lady Sara. Things will soon change. I feel it. I do not know how or when, but I know things will change. For all of us," he said cryptically.

Registering this comment and furrowing her brow in confusion, she turned and left for home.


8:15 pm, Monday – Slayer Base HQ

"So we've got two witches with their hearts removed. Probably a ritual of some kind," said Willow.

"That was my first assumption as well," said Giles.

Buffy wanted to be out and about slaying vamps and gathering info. She'd leave the research to the experts. "I'm going on patrol, see if I can dig up some dirt," she said on her way out.

Giles wanted to make a strategy first. He called out to Buffy, "Wait! Buffy, we don't want to alert anyone to our presence just yet. While this city probably has many Slayers, I doubt any of them fully understand things yet. We also don't know who's involved in this. If we tip our hand, we could cause them to step up their plans. Maybe you should wait until tomorrow for patrol." Buffy looked at him surprisingly. "As a suggestion, of course," he amended. Ever since that night he and Robin tried to kill Spike, Buffy was cautious of Giles' advice. She still respected him and trusted him, but even she had to admit things weren't the same after that.

Still, she saw the logic in it and relented. "Alright, we'll hold off until tomorrow."


1:15 am, Tuesday – NYU Campus

Kyrie and Kelly Tobias were walking home from their extremely-late 'club' meeting. They had been existed about finishing up their second year of college. Identical twins, Kyrie dreamt of being a world-famous physicist, while Kelly had pursuits in the arts. But in the rush to be the next Nobel Prize or Academy Award winner, they had found time to take a couple of classes together, such as their business course during the current quarter. They had agreed to at least take something together every school year.

Walking home at night had not been a exercise in danger that most thought it would be. They had gotten quite accustomed to it. However tonight was going to be different, particularly since no one, save the perpetrators, knew what was going to happen when four figures grabbed the two girls unnoticed in the dark.