Unseen

What was that?

Angel, Spike, Gunn, & Illyria moved steadily and stealthily toward the spot that Illyria had claimed that something was coming.

As they got closer to the point, they took up a four point position, each watching each other's back, in case of a surprise attack.

Heaven and earth gave a violent shudder when they got just close to the edge of the building.

While the others were struggling to maintain their balance, Illyria was looking up at the surroundings and then back toward them.

"Yeah, no need to hang on, you got some inner balance thing going, huh Blue?"
"No…this is merely an illusion."

"Feels pretty real to me."

"It is real…it is also an illusion though."

"Must you speak in riddles like that?"

"Look around you…can you truly not tell what is real and what is not…you who are champion in this world? Nothing shakes but the heaven and the earth….but when the earth moves, it only moves us. These buildings are not disturbed. Nothing has fallen but demons and swords."

"Are you trying to tell us something else is playing with us?"

"Like we need other things on top of the Wolf, Ram & Hart demon slay brigade."

"I'm merely telling you what is."

"Well then, let's stop standing here like merry ole frat boys then; let's find out what's causing this."

"I'm with the pet."

"Hey!"

"Wha? Only you get to mess with anyone else and only Blue Thunder here gets to call you a pet and get away with it…I think not."

"Weren't you supposed to be on my side Charlie Boy?"

"I've known Angel longer…"

"I believe I've known Broody Pants way longer than you."

"I meant that I've known Angel longer than I've known you."

"Oh that."
"You know your both beginning to annoy me."

Gunn smiled, but Spike gave him a look.

"And apparently you think that telling me that is gonna make me stop? Is someone's old age finally catching up to them?"
"Shut up Spike."

Spike chuckled, but didn't press it further. Instead he tested the ground and then deciding that it was stable enough to move on, started forward again.

His goal was to get beyond that building where Illyria was sure something laid in wait for them.

Angel, however, remembering the dragon incident, wasn't about to let Spike get ahead of him this time, so using his advanced speed and agility he sped past Spike, and ended up picking himself off of the floor.

To the others, it just looked like he had bounced off of nothing.

Spike reached him in seconds, but instead of offering a hand to Angel, he merely gave him a smirk before walking up to where the building had ended and gently pressed his hand against the invisible wall, stealing himself for pain he was sure to come from such an action.

But there was none.

"Hmm" was all he said, as he pressed against the unseen wall.

He then stepped back and looked at it.

"Hmm," was all he said again.

"Who would make such a blockade?"
"Personally, I'm more interested in why."
"Is it to keep us in or something else out?"
"I'd wager a bit of both."
"Think you want to share something Spike."
"Not just yet."

At Angel's look…

"I'm still working a few things through my noggin'."

"Sounds like an all day job."

"I could let you figure this out on your own mate."
"It would probably be quicker…"

"Says you….your starting from scratch and probably sniffing in the wrong direction."

"Look Spike, if you know something…"

"I know a lot, but it just occurred to me that you never bother giving me credit I deserve. Even when you KNOW I'm right, you just brush it off: 'Spike can't be right, he can't have had a good idea.' Just once I'd like to hear you give me credit."
"I don't believe this…we are in the middle of an apocalyptic battle and you want to stop and receive credit for past ideas?"
"No need to sound all mighty & incredulous, now is as fine a time as any."
"Why pray tell?"
"Cause if some demon gets a lucky shot and you croak, I'll never hear it."

As the two continued to bandy words, Illyria asked Gunn,

"Why is he annoying him?"

"Apparently it's his reason for living."

Illyria shrugged.

"They are very strange."
"I'm with you there Blue."
"You seem to be improving with each moment passed."
"I feel much better…kind of like my wounds are healing…but unless I start stripping, I really can't tell."

Illyria tilted his head and looked at him.

Gunn nodded and then said,

"Well, since they're otherwise occupied, what say you and I go check out the invisible wall?"

Illyria gave a ghost of a smile & they headed over to a point just beside the two vampires.

Just as they reached the still quarreling vampires & the invisible wall, the building beside them gave a tremendous quake and then seemed to implode on itself before exploding and disintegrating next to them.

The building's explosion was effective in catching the attention of Angel & Spike who, quickly moved closer to the other side of the invisible wall, dodging falling debris.

Illyria, moving at a speed almost as fast as Spike & Angel's, grabbed Gunn's arm & ran over to where they were standing, leaning up the against the barrier, waiting until everything settled.

As they waited, Angel, Spike, & Illyria pressed Gunn between them, using themselves as barriers to protect the only human & non-physically enhanced member of their group.

Deciding to mess with them, because, what else was he going to do, Gunn said,

"Luckily for me, there's a building falling down on top of us….otherwise, I'd have to worry about you three."

Two pairs of extremely annoyed eyes (one set brown & one set blue) and one pair of ice blue eyes sporting regal & royal disdain met his laughing ones.

Gunn chuckled & waited….he was sure that besides the looks he had just received, two of his companions would stay silent, the third however…he counted softly…

"Would you rather we step back & let you get smooshed, Charlie Boy?"

And there it was. He knew Spike wasn't going to be able to hold a remark back.

"Naw, I'm good here….I was just…passing conversation, that's all."

"Right," Spike muttered, rolling his eyes.

As the building debris, dust, and broken glass finally settled on the ground, they stepped away from their barrier and started towards the building's base.

"Did anyone see what made it fall?"
"Nope…I got my guesses though."

"Gonna share with the group yet?"
"Not yet…have to be quite sure…however…I will say that it's the same thing that's causing our new invisible wall."

Gunn peered at the wall.

"Hey…anyone notice that there doesn't seem to be anything behind it. We're not reflected, but I don't' see anything on the other side either."

"It is cloaked; I can sense movement on the other side. If I had my powers I could phase through such an inferior barrier….the fact that such an insignificant thing can contain the likeliness of me annoys and disturbs me."

"Welcome to the club."

Angel seemed to be checking to see if he could get around the debris, but the wall would not let him advance.

Spike, for once, however, wasn't commenting…he was looking at the barrier & then up towards the full moon night.

At last he said,

"Well, well…bravo for new tricks. Didn't know the Chit had it in her…although…can't say I'm rightly all that surprised though."

"Are you supposed to be making sense? 'Cause I'm here to let you know you're not."

As Spike was about to answer, the wall in front of him shivered & wavered. In the blink of an eye, Spike had delivered a powerful kick to Angel's chest, sending him flying backward to the left, pushed Illyria hard backwards, sending him toward the rumble, & had grabbed Gunn, pushing them both onto the ground.

Angel, full of fury, had recovered quickly and was seconds from forming the best way to punish Spike for the surprised attack when he noticed the barrage of arrows and axes flying through the area that they had all just been in, before they slammed into a building behind them.

Gunn, unaware Spike had just saved his life, got up slowly glaring at the blonde vampire.

"Please tell me you had a good reason for doing that."

Spike pointed behind them towards the wall.

"Okay…good reason."

Spike grinned.

"'Duck' would have also worked," Angel chipped in.

"True…but it wouldn't have been quite as satisfying to me," Spike smirked at him.

Angel just glared at him.

"The change is occurring again."

"Yes it is."
"What happened to the shield/barrier?"
"She got distracted."

"Do you know how little sense that makes Spike?"

"Makes sense to me."

"That's 'cause you're warped."

"And you're not?"

"Not as much as you."

"Must they do this all the time?"
"It's kind of entertaining."
"It's childish."

"Well…yeah…but it's them."

Illyria shrugged…he had nothing to say to that.

They all stepped past where the barrier had been to find themselves on a whole another battlefield.

The street was literally filled with demons…dead demons.

"Dead already?"
"Doing more impressions now are we Blue…didn't know you had met Dru."
"Who is Dru?"
"Drusilla."

Illyria's head tilt and blank looked answered his question.

"Never mind, I'll fill you in later."

Illyria nodded.

"Who did this?"
"Man are you really this slow…if I ever slow down as much as you when I get that old, I'd like to be put out of my misery."

"Age in vampires means strength, speed …"

"And in your case senility."

"Spike…please…just tell him."
"Fine…ruin my fun Charles. Angelus, look around you mate. Use your senses. The answers are almost in front of your face."

"I don't have time for game, Spike."

"Humph…judging from the piles of demons that were after us now being dead at our feet, literally, I'm thinking you have some time."
"Spike..."
"Be quiet & concentrate…close your eyes if it'll help."
"Fine."

With a hulking sigh, Angel closed his eyes and clamed down & then that's when he sensed what Spike had been talking about.

Spike laughed knowing exactly what Angel was sensing.

"Now you're getting it."
"It can't be."
"But it is."
"But how?"
"I know you didn't think there was going to be an apocalypse we weren't in on, did you?" Buffy asked, stepping out of the shadow of the fallen building, "Cause honestly, you should have known better."