I'm sorry I waited too long before posting, but I'm really very new to writing... thanks for the reviews all you cats and kittens. It really means a lot that you guys took time out to read my story. But enough talk from me... on to the show.

7:34 pm, Tuesday – Slayer Base HQ

She couldn't believe it. She really couldn't.

Three hours they had visited some of Robin's contacts and they all got about one thing out of them: nothing. A large pile of nothing, topped with a dollop of nada, with a huge, heaping side of squidoo.

Buffy was ready to explode. Oh, she got a few of the old standards: a 'Something-big-is-coming' here or a 'Something-huge-is-on-the-way' there, but it was stuff she, Giles, and Willow already knew. Mostly it was just people having no clue what was going on.

She figured patrol, and pounding the face of some vamps, was going to get her at least a starting place to work with. And be somewhat therapeutic.


10:07 pm, Tuesday – Hudson St., Johnny Red's Bar and Grille

Sara had seen to the last of her paperwork. She, Jake, and Danny were compiling a list of suspects, anyone from Ms. Devereaux's employees to new transfer students to NYU. Following the description given by the profiler, they had weeded down the list. Then there was the British guy and blonde girl who were asking questions about the victims. She treated them as a side issue until they became a problem which, she hoped, they never did.

She decided to call it a night. At least, that's what she told her partners... again. In truth, she went to get some info at a bar on Hudson Street. She had gotten some leads there before, so she was hoping they wouldn't disappoint this time.

Walking in, she went over to the bar. The place was pretty popular for a bar its size and the food was good. Better than that, though, the bartender had a knack for having some of the best info this side of the Western Hemisphere. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but Sara was pretty impressed by the guy's ability to have the hard-to-get information. It was even more impressive that he had just gotten in a few years ago, from some place in California, to help out his cousin who owned the place.

"Hey, Willy," said Sara.

"Detective Pezzini, how you been?" Willy said.

"Not doing too great, Willy. I'm sure you've heard about the serial killer out there taking out hearts," Sara said.

"Yeah, I heard about it alright," Willy replied.

"You got something on it for me, Willy? Something useful?"

"I might have somethin'," he responded.

Sara smiled and produced a single hundred-dollar bill. She didn't worry about the cost: it came from the police stash used for informants. Normally she wouldn't pay that high a price, but the cops needed the info badly this time. Willy went to grab the bill, but Sara snatched it away.

"You know the deal: the info first, Willy. Then you get the cash."

"Okay, look, I heard through the grapevine of somethin' weird going on at one of the abandoned warehouses by the docks. Overheard a couple of guys sayin' they seen figures walk in and out. Robed, too."

"Robed?" Sara said inquisitively.

"Yeah. Robed."

"Know who was doing the talking?"

"These ain't the types you wanna be talkin' to, Detective, especially at night."

Sara remained skeptical. If you only knew what I dealt with every day. Continuing, she asked, "Got an idea of which warehouse, Willy?"

"Nope, didn't catch that. But I did hear that they used it to store canned tuna a couple years back."

Sara knew the warehouse. The company had gone out of business a few years back due to the competition in the market. No one had bought the building since.

"Thanks, Willy," said Sara, handing him the money.

"No problem, Detective. A pleasure doin' business with you."

Sara got on her bike. The warehouse her next destination, she left hoping to crack the case wide open.


10:22 pm, Tuesday – Outside of Johnny Red's Bar and Grille

Buffy had been out patrolling for over an hour. Her purpose tonight wasn't slaying vamps; that was an added bonus. No, the goal tonight was reconnaissance and interrogation. She had stakes in her jacket and her Slayer scythe hidden in a custom violin case. No need to let anyone think I'm the killer, she thought. Hopefully, the vamps would lead her to the killer/killers or to someone who knew where they were. And that hope was paid off when one of the vampires she threatened to stake told her about this place. He said it was the place to go for info and that the bartender had a knack for it. After dusting the vamp, she quickly went to work looking for the place.

Walking in, she made her way over to the bar. The bartender had his back turned to her as she set herself up on the stool. She touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, I heard you were the guy to..." she trailed off as the bartender turned.

"You!" Willy said, shocked.

"Willy."

"What are you doin' here?"

"Me? What about you?"

"Hey, I'm just helpin' out my cousin. We run a respectable business here."

"Respectable, huh? Word on the street is you deal in underground info."

"What do you wanna know?"

"The killer. Got anything on where he might be?" asked Buffy.

"Maybe. Got any cash?" Willy asked.

"No, but I do have currency from our previous arrangement. Hard currency", she said threateningly.

"Aw, man. Alright, just make it quick. Remember I'm a bleeder." Buffy sighed heavily and rolled her eyes as she drew back a fist, Willy saying loudly, "She mean nothin' to me, baby!"

Connecting to Willy's nose she grew impatient and asked, "So what do you know?"

"What's going on over here?" a man asked as he approached Willy.

"Sorry, Bobby. Old girlfriend. She'll be gone soon."

"Fine, just make it quick, huh? And next time, leave the personal stuff at home," Bobby said before returning to serve his patrons.

Willy, still reeling from the punch and holding his nose said, "Man, why can't you just pay cash like everyone else?"

"Willy!"

"Alright, alright. Some of the local vamps were talking about some old canned tuna warehouse by the docks. Seems somebody's puttin' it to use."

"Hey bartender!" someone yelled out. "Can I get a drink over here or what?"

"Sorry, Slayer. Gotta get back to work," Willy said quickly as he left.

"Wait! Willy, which warehouse?" she yelled. It was futile. She couldn't get through over the music playing and the patrons clamoring.

Buffy let out a loud grunt in frustration. Right when she could get more info the source got away from. She was beginning to think it was fate messing with her. Hopefully, a foreman or dock worker could point her in the right direction.

Willy then remembered that in, his pain stupor, he had completely forgotten to tell Buffy about the cop also checking out the warehouse.

He looked at the blonde run out the door. Knowing how she would react upon him leaving out a vital piece of information, he commented to himself.

"She gonna kick my teeth in."


10:57 pm, Tuesday – Docks

Sara had arrived at the docks to make a sweep of the area before going into the warehouse. Though some of the traffic had kept her from getting there sooner, she had arrived at what she hoped was a decent time to catch something out of the ordinary going on there. After combing the area a little, she made her way toward the warehouse. As she walked, she heard something rustle around the corner. She pulled her piece out of her holster and had it ready. She turned the corner quickly and yelled, "Freeze!" To her dismay, it was cat sifting through some garbage left by some wooden crates. Sighing, Sara decided to keep her gun at the ready. Stupid cat. Thanks for taking ten years off my life, she thought. She began to slowly make her way toward the east end of the warehouse.


11:15 pm, Tuesday – Docks

Buffy had kept to the roofs of the buildings to bypass pedestrians getting in her way. Clichéd, she thought, but effective. Making her way until she saw the docks, she dropped down to the ground and walked toward them. She wanted to ask somebody where the warehouse was, but wanted to do it without arousing suspicion. If someone had noticed weird activity there, she didn't want to be on the suspect description list. As she thought up some lame story to use to get info, she felt something familiar. It was exactly like what she had felt on the plane when they were arriving, only stronger. She had been feeling it ever since then. Forgetting the late night dockworkers, she followed the strange sensation.


11:21 pm, Tuesday – Old 'Fish Feast' Warehouse

Sara had taken her time to walk around the perimeter of the warehouse. She then climbed on some of the empty crates on the side to look get an idea of what she would expect before going in. Up there, she felt a strange presence, just like before in the ME's office. Seeing nothing in through the warehouse window, not even a light or candle or anything, she decided to get down from her "perch" and enter the premises. It was when she approached the door on the east side of the warehouse that the sensation started to intensify and she realized it was coming from the north side of the building. It was the same as yesterday, only much stronger... and closer. She was practically bathing in its presence, the power washing over her like a waterfall. Her heart was racing. It was damn near overwhelming. Holstering her gun, she activated the Witchblade, unsheathing its sword.


11:24 pm, Tuesday – Old 'Fish Feast' Warehouse

Buffy's "Spidey-sense" was going off the charts. She had never felt anything like this before. Formerly a strong, powerful sensation, the feeling was now like waves crashing against her. And the even stranger part was that it seemed to have emotion attached to it. She slowly took out her scythe as she approached the east side of the warehouse. She wanted to be prepared for whatever she encountered. Prepared, she thought. If prepared meant your senses going into overdrive and your heart racing, then yeah, I'm prepared.

As the two women started to turn their respective corners, the last thing each of them saw (or heard) before being thrown back against stacks of crates was the sight and sound of metal clashing against metal and the sonic boom of a tiny explosion.