Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow II: The Rising Sun

Notes: Sorry for the lack of updates. This was my finals week, so I've been studying my brains out. But the semester is over now, so I'll be updating more regularly. Enjoy.

Previously:

"Why don't you try to go to sleep?" Buffy suggested.

"Can't," Faith said. "I just want to think for a while," she replied, leaning her forehead against the airplane window again. Buffy nodded and squeezed Faith's hand.

"I'll be here," she said. Faith smiled slightly.

"I know."

Chapter Twenty-Three:

"This town really is dead tonight," Kara commented as she and Kennedy strolled through the graveyard. While Dawn and Spike had reported little activity, other than an over zealous coyote on their patrol, the two slayers still felt obligated to take a spin around the cemetery.

"Maybe the demon population has finally figured out that with so many slayers around, Sunnydale isn't the demon tourist attraction it used to be," Kennedy replied, absently playing with her stake.

"Let's swing by mansion row, there's usually some action up there," Kara said as they began walking toward the cemetery entrance. A strange howl pierced the night as the reached the gates and they stopped dead in their tracks.

"If that's a coyote…," Kennedy said, abruptly turning and looking back. "Shit," she muttered suddenly and Kara looked back at her.

"What?" She asked, turning as well, only to find that several yards behind them, the cemetery was crawling with hellhounds. "Where did they come from? This place was totally empty like thirty seconds ago."

"They're hellhounds, I thought it would be fairly obvious where they came from," a voice in front of them said. Turning, they saw a man standing before them, dressed in black slacks and a button up, black shirt. His eyes were bright green and a slight smiled tugged at his lips.

"Who are you?" Kennedy demanded, instantly falling into slayer mode, and stepping slightly in front of Kara, who could entirely handle herself, though Kennedy still felt some primal urge to protect her.

"I've seen you before," Kara said suddenly, her eyes widening in recognition. "In the future."

"That's right," the man said, smiling widely to reveal perfectly white teeth. "That was quite a world you came from. It took me a long time to get things right and then the Powers had to go and send you back."

"Who is this guy?" Kennedy whispered over to Kara.

"I'm pretty sure he's the devil," Kara whispered back, watching as Kennedy's face turned ashen.

"As in the devil?" She asked, looking back at him suspiciously.

"The one and only," Lucifer replied. "You did such a good job at preventing the ruin of the world when the First came, I thought I'd come down here personally to congratulate you. That, and create a little havoc of my own."

"So you're the one that orchestrated Veronica's murder," Kara stated, referring to the now dead Power.

"Not exactly," Lucifer stated. "Cassius only did what he thought was best. Of course, now he understands that he's only to do what I think best. It's a perfect arrangement really."

"What do you want?" Kennedy said wearily, knowing instinctively that another apocalypse was looming on the horizon.

"I want the other two Powers. You know where they are," Lucifer said. "Unless you deliver them to me, I will ravage this town with everything in my power."

"And how much power is that again?" Kara asked. "Because you only look like one, kinda short guy to me."

"Kara, baby, are you forgetting about the army of hellhounds just behind us?" Kennedy harshly whispered. Kara glared at her.

"I was being sarcastic," she replied. Then turning her attention to the man in front of them, she said, "I never really believed in the devil."

"Have it your way," he said. "But by the time I'm done, you'll worship me." With that, he turned on his heels and faded into the night. The hellhounds let out a chorus of howls and charged. Kara and Kennedy took one look at each other and ran as fast as they could down the street.

……………………….

"Checkmate," Lucian said, sliding his piece across the chessboard. Xander stared at it dubiously.

"No, there's gotta be another way," he said, resting his head on his palm and concentrating furiously. Anya walked over and peered over his shoulder at the board.

"He's right. You lost," she said bluntly.

"Thanks, An, for being so understanding about it," Xander said, rolling his eyes. Anya smiled and walked away, heading toward the dining room with several drinks in her hands. The group, or those still in the state of California and not on active patrol, was gathered at Joyce's house for an informal party of sorts to celebrate Callum's return from the dead. Currently, he, Spike, and Giles were playing darts in the basement. Meanwhile, Dawn, Joyce, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Cordelia were playing penny poker on the dining room table. From the sounds coming out of the room, Lucian and Xander had guessed that Dawn was winning.

"Okay, one more game," Xander said, finally giving up. "I've got a whole new strategy this time. Can't lose."

"That's what you said last time," Lucian replied, smiling as he put his pieces back in their correct places.

"Yeah, but you can't win every time. One of these times, you're gonna mess up, and when you do, hopefully, I'll stumble blindly into it and win completely by chance," Xander replied.

Lucian was about to respond when the front door crashed open, Kara and Kennedy running inside before slamming the door shut again. Kara leaned back against the door, completely out of breath, while Kennedy lowered herself onto the bottom step. "Are you guys okay?" Lucian asked, as he and Xander stood and moved across the living room toward them.

"Hellhounds," Kara said, in between panting breaths.

"Chased us from the cemetery," Kennedy filled in.

"Sent by the devil," Kara said.

"And they're all over town," Kennedy finished. "I need some water," she said, begrudgingly rising to her feet. The women came in the room a second later, concerned about the noise.

"Hellhounds," Xander and Lucian replied in unison before they could ask.

"Sent by Lucifer himself apparently," Xander added.

"What are we gonna do? They're not in town are they? They'll wreck the store," Anya said, her voice reaching a whole new octave. Kara winced slightly.

"Don't worry, the store will be fine," Kara said.

"How do you know that?" Anya asked suspiciously.

"I don't. But that's really the least of our concerns," Kara replied. "They followed us here."

Suddenly, they could hear howling echoing down the street and something thumped against the front door. Kara looked back at it wearily. "You guys might want to get some weapons."