The Wiccan stood up slowly, taking in her surroundings.
"Are you alright?"
She laughed softly. "The Erus Veneficus tortured me worse than any of you can imagine."
"Will…"
"Don't feel sorry for me. I don't. Because he made the worst possible mistake any living being can make."
Everyone in the small, dark crypt took an unconscious step backwards as Willow's face turned into a deranged snarl.
"Piss me off," she said darkly, hoisting the Scythe in her hand.
Giles suddenly frowned.
"What it is?" asked Buffy.
"It's Willow," he answered worriedly.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I'm…not sure. I get the impression that - "
He was cut off as a scream echoed from down in the hall. They ran to the edge of the balcony to see a massive spectral body float through the wall of the hall and make towards the closest group of humans.
"What in the hell…?"
Angelus gaped at the Reaver, then at the surrounding panicking Slayers.
He shrugged. "May as well add to the carnage."
He grabbed a girl who was running past him and vamped out. Then he bit into her neck and drank.
Spike opened his eyes at the sound of a scream and sat bolt upright.
To look straight into the dark eyes of a massive wraith.
"Oh, bollocks," he said, and rolled backwards to just avoid being impaled by one of its massive talons. He jumped to his feet and leapt backwards to avoid another swipe.
He turned around just in time to see another huge wraith enter the hall through the burned out rubble that used to be the entrance.
"Oh, bollocks," he said with great emphasis, and leaped as high as he could manage onto the seating stand.
He swept his gaze around the hall and spotted Buffy hauling Slayers up onto the higher and more defensible balcony, and the by extension saw the hordes of ravenous Turok-Han standing not metres away.
"What in the hell happened here? A bloke falls asleep for a few ticks…"
He leaped across the open air above the Reaver and grabbed hold of the lighting apparatus hanging from the ceiling. From there he swung off and managed to grab the balcony on which Buffy was standing with most of the other humans.
"Now I can really understand what that rock and a hard place thing means," commented Buffy dryly.
"It does appear to be an inescapable situation," admitted Giles.
"Maybe we could cheat then," said Andrew suddenly.
"If the words 'Kobayashi Maru' come out of your mouth, I am gonna slap you silly," said Buffy.
"Oh…uhm…okay then," said Andrew and was silent.
Giles gave her a puzzled look and Buffy snorted. "Xander the Second," she said in explanation, and from there Giles could guess.
The Reavers were floating upwards, following the trail of their prey.
"However it does seem that whatever situation we get ourselves into, fate seems to be sympathetic and allow us an escape route."
Buffy glared at him. "You know, if you say it then it doesn't come true. That's called tempting fate."
"Oh…well, I was just making an observation."
She sighed.
At that moment, the entire far wall of the huge drama hall collapsed and there hovered –
"The Erus Veneficus." Buffy whirled on Giles. "See? You don't question fate, because it's just gonna crap on you and laugh."
"Well now," commented Angelus, dropping the dead Slayer. "Isn't this interesting?"
The Erus Veneficus said nothing, but pulled a clenched fist towards his chest abruptly. Spike flew off the balcony and milliseconds later a Reaver's claw cracked the wood of the structure.
Spike hit the ground hard and rolled sideways to his feet.
"This is gonna get worse before it gets better…" he muttered.
The Erus Veneficus pointed at Dawn.
"You. You're coming with me."
"NO!" screamed Buffy, hurling her sword at the hovering wizard. He contemptuously flicked it aside and raised both his arms at the girl.
And then Spike was on him. On his back. Holding on for dear life with his arms wrapped around the higher being's neck.
He roared and flailed his arms with the sudden impact. Random magical blasts shattered the floor and punched holes into the walls of the hall. Buffy covered Dawn's body with her own.
Giles crouched next to the two girls. "We need to get out of here!" he called over the rising noise of the wizard's presence and the detonations.
Buffy simply nodded and when she looked up, she noticed the Turok-Han were no longer standing sentry, and there was a smoking gap in the balcony.
She ushered Dawn to her feet, and along with the rest of the balcony's inhabitants ran along the wooden walkway.
She hopped over the gap in the floor and then lifted Dawn over. She turned to continue but a body blocked her passage.
"Hey," said Angelus.
"You…big…floaty…bugger!" shouted Spike as the Erus Veneficus struggled to release the vampire from his neck.
"I told you there would be consequences if you sought out the Slayer after our conversation. Instead of killing her I'll take her sister; she has already died for her sibling once, I believe it would be unfair to inflict another death upon her when her sister has suffered none but earned many."
"You keep your big Latin mitts off the Bit!" cried Spike.
The Erus Veneficus finally earned some leverage with Spike's arms and threw the vampire back onto the seating podium. He looked to check his prey on the balcony…
…But there wasn't anyone standing there.
He growled at Spike.
"You will pay for this."
"The way I see it," said Angelus, "Is that the Erus Veneficus is an ultimate evil. And he might be needing some help."
"What…?" asked Buffy.
Angelus sighed. "Never were the sharpest tool in the shed, were you Buffy?"
"Angelus," said Giles.
"Thank you," said the vampire. "One of you finally shows some intelligence."
Buffy lunged forward to attack but he skipped back out of the way. "Ah-ah-ah, Buff. Need to play nice or our magical friend will rip out your spine."
"And why would he do that?"
"Because he went to all of the trouble to have that filthy soul taken out – must need me here pretty bad, you heard what he said…difficult spell, low chance of success. Didn't put that ward on Spike's aura, did he?"
"What was the comment about tools and sheds? There's another one about pots and kettles I think applies to you."
Angelus turned slowly in minor disbelief to see Willow and the rest of the group standing behind him.
"He took your soul out to stop that prophecy. 'Ensouled but more than human?' Sound familiar? He's made it clear he wants it to be Spike because of his on-the-fenciness. So, you have to ask yourself – are you gonna take your chances with the person who'd kill you if you look at him wrong, or the people who'll put your soul back at the earliest opportunity?"
She stepped closer to Angelus. "Would you rather be Angel, or dead?"
Angelus eyed her with obvious reluctance.
"I thought so. Now, get out of the way."
Angelus stepped aside. Buffy and the others stepped past while Angelus glared in hatred at Willow.
"Good boy. Now, heel."
She walked away, and Angelus, perhaps involuntarily, followed behind her.
A low rumble built in the now almost empty hall.
It was coming from the Erus Veneficus' throat.
Spike looked up and winced at the higher being.
"Oh…bugger."
"We need to get out of here. Now," said Willow. She led the way along the corridor everyone suddenly found themselves in.
"Wait, where are the other girls?" asked Dawn.
"They'll be fine."
"How do you know?"
"Because they haven't pissed him off as much as we have."
"We need to put Angel's soul back in, Will," said Buffy.
"No. The Erus Veneficus will blow him apart if we try it. I wasn't kidding when I said he'd kill him if he looks at him wrong."
"I know that, but - "
"Look, Buffy. Be quiet."
Buffy gaped at her friend, and then went to retort hotly.
"We don't have time for it. I'll explain everything later."
"But…oh, alright."
Everyone but the Wiccan ducked and covered their head as a massive explosion shattered the corridor behind them. Another detonation ruptured from close to the left.
"What's going on?" roared Giles over the noise.
Willow seemed to speak normally, but everyone heard her over the explosions.
"He's looking for us."
The Erus Veneficus hovered in the air, fists clenched and trembling in anger.
Then he threw his head and his arms back, and let loose an all consuming roar of rage that released a shockwave of power in an expanding sphere around the wizard's body.
The drama hall simply shattered and ceased to exist in face of the higher being's power. Then he floated a little higher and let loose concentrated bursts of white light onto the school buildings around him. Each blast tore chunks of mortar into the air, and covered the nearby area in dusty residue because that's all that was left of the building's structure.
"GIVE ME THE GIRL!" he screamed down at the school.
Dust showered Willow while she didn't even flinch.
"What's so important about Dawn?" asked Fred loudly.
"I'll explain later. Right now we can't let him get her."
She started down the corridor again, everyone else doggedly following while the ceiling crumbled around them.
"Wait, where's Spike?" cried Buffy.
"There's no time for that. The Erus Veneficus won't kill him."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just trust me. He won't harm Spike."
"I'm taking a lot of this on faith, Will!"
"There's not much you can do about it. Just hold on tight."
As she spoke, the corridor crumbled in on itself behind them. Willow lifted her hand high as a rippling crack signified the end of the line for the corridor; it finally collapsed, the rubble rolling over an invisible barrier the witch had presumably erected.
"This is a bit risky, so good luck. Try your best to keep Dawn away from the Erus Veneficus, if Angelus tries anything, stake him, and head for the Bronze. I'll explain everything there."
Before anyone could comment, everyone vanished into thin air, and the rubble of the collapsing school folded in on itself.
A/N: I know, I know, it's been a very, very long time coming, but Tariq finally kick started me into writing it again and I've got some time off college, so what the hell.