Chapter Two

Willow stood transfixed as Adam advanced on Spike. Desperately, she looked around for something – anything - to use. Her eyes widened as she spotted an object on the ground close by. She looked from it, to the cyborg, and back.

Oh, Goddess, if I miss… she thought as she started to concentrate.

"Oh, Spike," Adam said as he walked up to him, shaking his head. "When did you wander?" He stooped down and grabbed the blonde vampire by the neck, bringing him up to face level. Face turning red from Adam's crushing vice-grip, all Spike could do was glare.

"You had such promise, vampire. So much power would've been yours in the new order. Why throw that all away?"

You bastard, thought Spike, how would you understand if I told you that I came this close to handing the Slayer to you on a silver platter, but didn't? And the reason? No, I don't give a rat's ass about the slayer, or most of her gang …but the witch…she was the only one, out of the whole bloody lot of them, who showed me any kindness…!

Adam throttled Spike, bringing him back to the present. "Well, Spike?" he prompted. "Anything to say before…" his left arm came up and a spike came out, dangerously close.

"Not to bloody you!" Spike spat out.

Adam just sighed. "A pity," he said. "Goodbye Spike." He cocked his arm back, aiming for the heart.

Willow saw her opportunity. Now!

Spike closed his eyes to the inevitable. He flinched a bit when he felt a rush of air, and heard a thud. Before he realized it, Adam's grip loosened and he fell unceremoniously to the ground. Opening his eyes, he gaped at what he saw. Grunting, Adam staggered back and clawed at a knife that had been thrown into his data port on his left breast. The same knife, he realized, that he'd used to save Willow. Sparks, smoke, and a clear resin-like liquid slowly oozed from the wound. He fell down to his knees, and then to his side, his back to Spike. Spike crawled away, when Willow ran up to him, her eyes still on the cyborg.

"Spike, you ok??"

The blonde vampire nodded numbly. He then looked from Willow to the prone body of Adam, and pointed to his own chest.

"You?" he asked incredulously. Willow gave a small grin, shrugged, and nodded.

"Bloody hell, luv," he said, "and here I thought you were only deadly with a No. 2 pencil."

"Only on my SAT's." she said with a smile, as she pulled him off the floor. She looked him over, concern in her eyes. Spike gazed down at her. I could kiss her right now. Action following thought, he did just that. Willow's eyes widened, but to Spike's surprise, she returned the kiss. They pulled away, a little breathless.

"Willow," he said with a swallow, " I…."

"Ahem!"

Willow jumped a bit, though she was held slightly by a protective Spike. Both looked at the two confused faces of Xander and Buffy.

Buffy looked from vampire to witch. "Will…are you ok?" Willow, a little flushed, nodded.

"Yeah, Buffy, but I think we should…" Willow suddenly gasped violently as her chest jerked forward. She pitched forward into Spike's arms, whose eyes widened in horror as he saw a knife protruding from her back.

"Noooo!!" he screamed, his hands coming to the hilt and feeling her warm blood pulse around the wound. All three turned as one and looked behind them to see Adam sitting up, his arm outstretched as he'd just thrown the knife.

"You son of a bitch!!" screamed Xander as he brought up his tazer and fired point-blank at Adam.

"Xander, nooo!!" Buffy yelled as the blast hit the cyborg in the chest.

The knife wound had caused enough damage to impair a good percentage of Adam's systems. With sufficient power, he'd be able to get his internal diagnostics up and running. The tazer blast was exactly what he needed. He spasmed as the charge arced all over his body. When over, he looked back at the group, smiled, and slowly stood up. With a limp, he advanced on them.

"Thank you, again," he said, backhanding Xander towards the incoming Riley. Both crumpled to a heap.

Screaming, Buffy attacked with a roundhouse kick to Adam's dragging leg. Off-balance he stumbled back, as the Slayer mercilessly pushed her attack. Adam's internal equilibrium was trying to recalibrate, but the Slayer's continual onslaught kept throwing it off. Right hook, left hook smashed into Adam's face. Buffy kept switching attacks to throw the cyborg off from any kind of defense. With each blow, she pushed him closer to the edge of the deck leading to the lower levels. At the edge, Buffy threw a swift back-kick knocking Adam over, but at the last second his arm whipped out and grabbed the slayer's ankle. Clawing to grab something, she slipped over the edge screaming, and fell with Adam to the lower levels.

"Buffy!!" screamed Xander and Riley as they ran up to the edge. They both peered over into the depths, seeing nothing but darkness. Giles ran up to them as Riley crouched to start climbing down.

"We have to find her!"

"No!" yelled Giles as he pulled Riley back up. "The most important thing now is to complete the spell, for it's the only hope she has against Adam, even in his weakened state."

Xander frowned as he looked around trying to find something in the surrounding chaos. "Wait! Spike, Willow…where are they??" All looked around, but for a small pool of blood, could find nothing.

Both had disappeared.

(continued)