WELL HERE WE ARE. ANOTHER CHAPTER. LAST CHAPTER WE SAID GOOD-BYE TO THE FAIR HYPERION HOTEL, AND WE WERE LEFT WONDERING THE FATE OF ILLYRIA. THIS CHAPTER WILL CONTINUE THE BATTLES AND CREATE SOME INTERESTING SITUATIONS. AS ALWAYS READ, REVIEW, AND TELL A FRIEND.

TITLE: THE END OF ALL THINGS

AUTHOR: AVES


CHAPTER 20
BRUTAL CONFLICTS

Marcus was fighting back to back with one of the priests that was a long time friend. "Glad to see you decided to finally show up," the priest said as he decapitated a vampire.

"You know me Adam, I always did like waiting till the last minute," Marcus replied as he cleaved a demon in half with his two-pronged sword.

Father Adam smiled at his friend's comment, "Remind me to ask you about all these girls when this is," Marcus turned to see why his friend stopped in mid-sentence as saw the priest impaled by a huge creature that was one of the most hideous things Marcus had ever seen. It was part machine and stood over seven feet tall. The creature let the priest slide off its blade and fixed its eyes on Marcus. The warrior screamed in agony and rage as he leaped at the thing his sword swinging wildly. The creature actually seemed surprised by the warrior's cry and took a step back raising its weapon in a defensive postion as Marcus crashed down on it with his sword. The beast recovered from the initial attack and both combantants slashed and stabbed with their weapons neither able to land a solid strike. Marcus dodged a swing from the creature by rolling past it and tried to attack it from behind only to be caught with a blow from the creature's fist that sent him flying into the entrance of the Hellmouth chamber. The warrior regained his composure and was waiting, sword ready, when the beast followed him in. Marcus glanced back at the Hellmouth and then he looked back at the creature. "Ever been to Hell?" he asked an evil smile on his face, "Well get ready, because I'm about to send you there."


The pain hit Faith like a bullet. A sharp force inside her head that sent her to her knees. "Willow?" she thought to herself trying to connect with her mental link to the wiccan. "Willow?" she said out loud this time unable to connect to her link with the home base. She tried to stand up but dropped again to one knee.

"Aw, what's wrong?" she heard a familiar voice say, "Little Faithy have a headache?" The slayer looked up to see Angelus standing over her. "I don't know what pain you're feeling," he said his face in full vamp mode, "but it's nothing compared to what you'll be feeling when I'm done with you."


"Willow!" Buffy screamed as the mental link with her friend was cut. The slayer thrashed about screaming, trying to free herself from the Master's grip.

"Oh yes, struggle slayer it really pumps the blood," The Master said trying to sink his fangs into Buffy's neck, however the Slayer's thrashing gave her the chance to connect the back of her head with his jaw. The Master stumbled back releasing his grip and Buffy fell to her hands and knees disoriented from the break of her link with Willow. The Master shook off the effects of Buffy's headbutt and started back towards her, "Ah Hamilton must have arrived to pick up your little sister." Buffy screamed at the mention of Dawn and lunged at the ancient vampire who easily deflected her unfocused attack and slammed her to the ground. He smiled evily and licked his lips as he pinned her down. "Look around slayer, your girls are dying, your sister is ours, and the Hellmouth will soon be open. We will rule the Earth." His face became even more grotesque as he bared his fangs once more. "I was supposed to save you for Angelus, but I think I'll just turn you and keep you as my pet. Soon you will truly call me master."


The pain Spike felt was worse than when he had the chip in his head. He nearly passed out but Drusilla brought him back by drawing blood with the dagger at his throat. "No, no Spikey, you've got to stay awake for the party."

"Willow," Spike whispered, "Oh no." The vampire screamed with rage and grabbed Drusilla's hand not really caring if she cut off his head or not. The female vamp shrieked and tried to slash his throat but Spike, fueled by rage, twisted her hand in an unnatural position and freed himself from her grasp. Drusilla countered by slashing his face with her long nails. Spike spun around ready to catch Drusilla with backhand punch but instead heard her scream and then saw her go flying as finished his spin.

"That half-breed truly needs to die," Illyria said, now standing where Drusilla had been just a moment ago.

"You okay Blue," Spike asked noticing that Illyria was holding her stomach.

"I shall make the foul creature who dared to strike me bow at my feet," she responded.

Spike looked past her and saw that the creature was slowly reaching the Hellmouth, "You might have that chance love, let's go stop that thing before all Hell breaks loose."


A blue light appeared just outside what was now the ruins of the Hyperion. It seemed to open up a few feet above the ground and a collection of weary heroes fell to the ground. "Ow," Giles said as he hit the ground.

"Couldn't make that landing a little softer could you?" Angel asked as he stood up.

"Sorry," Willow replied, "Trying to teleport thirty people at, Ow!" she exclaimed as she stumbled back holding her head.

"Willow!" Giles cried as he reached out for her.

"I'm ok," she responded as she regained her balance. "I was working on contacting Dawnie and she was screaming for me."

"Is she ok?" Angel asked in a panicked tone.

"Yea," Willow replied, "she just freaked out when the link was cut. She's safe at Spike's."

"You made the right call," Giles said to Angel, "you might have saved us all."

"Save the congrats until we win," Angel replied. "Come on, let's get to Spike's. This isn't over yet."


Faith rolled out of the way as Angelus brought his blade down. Shejumped up ready for a fight as Angelus stood in front of her smiling. "You know Faith, I've always wanted another taste of you. Despite that little drug you slipped me the last time I really enjoyed sinking my teeth into you."

"Don't even think I'm going to let you have that shot," she replied.

"I don't want you to let me," Angelus said with a smirk. "Taking is so much more fun." The vampire started his attack swinging his sword in a deep arc that would have cut Faith across her torso if she would not have flipped back away from the attempt. The slayer looked around for the weapon she had lost when her head pain hit and her face fell when she saw it was behind Angelus who was coming at her again. Faith arched her body backwards to avoid a swing at her head, but the vampire reacted quickly kicking her legs out from under her. Angelus stabbed down with his weapon trying to impale Faith but only knicked her side as she rolled to the left mostly avoiding the attack. The slayer stood back up holding her side which was now bleeding. Angelus brought the tip of his weapon up to his mouth and licked her blood off it. "Hm, tasty, I can't wait to take all of it." The vampire attacked again lunging forward as he tried to stab at her neck. Faith countered by doing the splits and punching Angelus right between his legs. "Ugh," he groaned as he fell on his knees. Faith grabbed his weapon as was about to end the vampire's existence when a movement beside her caught her eye.

"Oh damn," she thought as a huge fist hit her jaw. The attack sent Faith down flat on her back as another blow started to come for a huge foul-smelling demon with two heads.Faith was preparing to try to block the thing's fist, but the demon staggered back from the force of four arrows to its head. Faith took the opportunity to pick up Angelus' sword and beheaded her attacker. Faith looked at the four slayers who had rescued her. "Thanks for the save, now get back to work."

"Sure thing boss," one of them replied and they went back to the battle.

Faith turned her attention back to Angelus who now had her weapon in his hand. "I'm done playing with you Faith!" he snarled. "Now you've really pissed me off.

The slayer assumed abattle stance and smiled, "Bring it on baby."


Illyria reached the creature and leapt on its back pounding it with one hand while trying to choke it with her opposite arm. "You will submit to Illyria!" she screamed. "You will urk!" she groaned as she was stabbed by a huge curved spine that shot out from the creature's back. Illyria pushed herself off the protrustion and fell to the ground. The creature turned to attack her and received a blow from a new opponent.

"Let's dance ugly," Spike growled.


Connor's rage refused to diminish as he battle the massive creature. Both combantants continually blocked lethal attacks from the other's weapon. "Die!" Connor screamed. The thing howled in pain as its leg was slashed open by Connor's blade. The creature staggered back, then retaliated by firing a sharp projectile from its hand that hit Connor in the shoulder. Connor flinched back and grabbed his now bleeding shoulder with his opposite hand. The younster stared at the wound for a moment and his eyes got a wild look. He reached into the wound with two fingers and ripped out the projectile. He glared at the creature as he threw the weapon to the ground. Connor kneeled down and retrieved his weapon. He screamed as leapt from his crouch. His only thought as he came at the creature was to kill.
Angel and his group now gathered in Spike's apartment. Willow was working at reestablishing her mental link with the three teams.

"What's the plan?" Giles asked Angel as they watched Willow.

"Willow teleports me to where I am needed most," Angel responded.

"Buffy!" Willow cried.

"Willow, what is it?" Angel asked rushing to her side.

"I got back into contact with Buffy," Willow said breathing heavily, her face full of worry. "She's losing her fight with the Master!"

"Get me there now!" Angel demanded.

Willow cried out again as she grabbed her head. Angel supported her to prevent her from falling. "Willow?"

Willow leaned on him her voice betraying her fear. "Angel, there's so much evil flowing into L.A. I think the Senior Partners are here, and oh my God. Angel one of the Hellmouths have been opened!"


Spike ducked to avoid a swipe from the creature's wrist blade that still had Illyria's blood on it. The vampire twisted his body in an attempt to land a blow with his axe but was stopped by a sharp pain in his gut. The vampire looked down to see a wooden stake in his stomach. Spike moved to the left to avoid another stake that was fired from a protrusion coming from the creature's other wrist. Spike was able to buy himself enough time to pull the stake out of his gut. "That was too close," he thought to himself. Spike had to move again as the creature pressed its attack moving the vampire back towards the Hellmouth. Spike teetered on the edge trying not to lose his balance. Spike was preparing to try to dodge another stake from the creature's wrist blaster but instead saw Illyria ram her arm all the way to her shoulder into the thing.

"Now foul creature I shall send you back to Hell!" she screamed. The creature let our a piercing wail and turned to hit Illyria. The creature nearly tore itself in half but hit its attacker. The force of the blow sent both Illyria and the creature over the edge down into the Hellmouth below.

"Blue!" Spike screamed. The vampire looked over the edge and saw a surge of energy coming up at him. "Oh balls," he muttered as the full force of the Hellmouth was released onto the Earth. Spike fell back as a fiery column of energy escaped the pit. The vampire sat too stunned to move when he heard the familiar cackle of Drusilla.

"Poor Spike, he lost his little blue friend and my pet has opened the Hellmouth. I've got to go now, maybe I'll see you at the end of the world party. Bye bye Spikey." The female vamp waved at him as a dark vortex appeared behind her. Spike laid down on his hands and knees as his former lover disappeared.

"I've failed," he groaned.


"Willow, what's going on?" Angel pleaded. The sky over Los Angeles had gone totally black. No moon, no stars, theonly color in the night sky was a crimson streak that seemed to orginate from the Northeast and ending somewhere in the city.

"I've restablished my contact with Spike," she responded. "They've failed, an oh sweet Hectate I've got to warn the other teams."

"Wait," Angel interrupted, "Get me to Sunnydale I can help there."

"Don't be hasty," Giles said. "We may need you here. If Willow's feeling is correct and the Senior Partners are here, then you may need to lead an offensive against them.

"I think Buffy is going to be okay now," Willow said, her voice now a calm tone.

"How do you know that?" Angel asked.

Willow looked at him and smiled, "Help is on the way."


"Help is on the way," Buffy heard in her mind as Willow reconnected with her. The slayer gave The Master a knowing smile as he stalked her.

"Does the idea of me killing you amuse you Slayer?" he asked.

"No," Buffy replied with a smirk, "The fact your ass is about to be kicked is."

The Master smiled and was about to attack when he was hit by dozens of projectiles hit him as the chasm filled with light. The strikes really didn't hurt The Master but it gave Buffy the distraction she needed to go back on the offensive. She attacked with a roundhouse kick followed by a punch to his chest, and another kick that sent the vampire over a small ledge down about fifteen feet. A figure in black landed next to her a machine gun in hand. He detached himself from a cable and Buffy noticed the rest of his gear consisted of standard military tactical gear mixed with some weaponsshe recognized as once used by the Initiative.

"Hello Buffy," the soldier greeted her.

"Well Riley Finn long time no see," she replied.

"Thought you might could use some help," he said.

"You have no idea," she said with a smile, "Help yourself, but the prune-faced vampire is mine."

Riley pulled out a couple of baton like weapons that crackled with electricity when he activated them. "Happy hunting," he said and joined the battle. Buffy saw hundreds of soldiers joining her one time boyfriend in the battle providing her team much needed reinforcements. The Slayer turned back to where she had knocked down The Master and found him standing a few feet in front of her, his face full of rage. "Come on raisin-head," she taunted. "Show me what you got."

"I am becoming weary of your tounge," he snarled. "I think I shall rip it out."

"You're tired of me?" she responded. "Have you ever listened to yourself? I bet everyone in whatever Hell you were in threw a party when you were pulled out because you are just so freaking dull, so please shut up and fight before you bore me to death."


The fear in Willow's message was clear to Faith as she received her warning via their mental link. "Ow!" Faith yelped as Willow screamed in her mind.

"Please Faith, save those noises for when I really get my hands on you." Angelus taunted.

Faith answered him with a kick to his chest. She tried to get away from him to look for Marcus and the creature he had been fighting. "Marcus!" she screamed, "Marcus!" she shouted once more while dodging an attack from Angelus.

Angelus continued his mind games while trying to attack her, "Oh come Faith, screaming for the guy? That is so old school damsel in distress." The slayer ignored him and tried to get to the entrance of the Hellmouth chamber hoping she would find Marcus in there. She made a mad run for it but was cut off and tackled by her opponent. Faith rolled with the tackle and was able to kick the vampire off her, however he was now between her and the chamber. "Well, well, looks like someone knows our little secret," he said. "Too bad, now I have to kill you quicker than I wanted." Faith said nothing,her thoughts consumed on a way to get past the vampire. "What?" Angelus asked, "No quips, no smart-ass comments? Where's that spunk that makes you taste so sweet?"

"Willow, see if you contact Marcus," Faith whispered her thoughts going to her ally thousands of miles away. "I've got some business to handle."


"Faith!" Willow shouted. "Damn, she's stubborn."

"What is it?" Giles asked.

"She won't respond to me anymore," Willow replied."She told me to reach Marcus."

"Well do it then!" Angel snapped his frustration threating to boil over.

"Angel it's not that easy," Willow said. "I know Faith's mind, but finding Marcus in all that chaos, it would take hours."

Angel pounded the wall in frustration. "Wait," he said an idea forming in his head. "What if you had some help? A little boost from someone who has empathic powers." He turned to Lorne. "Lorne you know Marcus."

"I just spent a few days with the kid when he was a baby," Lorne replied. "I don't know if I could be any help."

"Lorne, you're our last shot, please," Angel pleaded.

"All right," Lorne sighed. "What do you need me to do?"


Neither Marcus, nor the creature he fought had ever been in such a battle. Marcus because battle has always been a duty. A part of his life's work as a warrior, and protector, but this time he fought with a thirst for revenge. He was determined to kill the thing that had, just a few minutes earlier, killed his long time friend. For the creature the battle was different because it was losing. The thing's armor was dented so badly is was almost useless. One of its arms was taken off at the elbow. The creature shrieked and swung its wrist blade at the warrior only to have it caught between the prongs of Marcus' twin bladed sword and was snapped off by a quick twist of the weapon by Marcus. The warrior followed with a forearm shot to the jaw that snapped the thing's head back. The creature took another shot and staggered back toward the edge of the Hellmouth. The thing seemed to smile as it remembered its primary mission. Just one more attack would send it into the Hellmouth and maybe it would take the annoying human with it.
Willow and Lorne sat in the floor across from each other their hands joined. "I'm going to focus my mental energy throught you and try to pinpoint Marcus by using your powers to home in on his emotions." Willow explained.

"Let's find our boy sweet thing," Lorne said.

Willow closed her eyes and sent her mental energy throught Lorne boosting her powers with his. She focused her mind on the Mexico team. She located the minds she was familiar with first quickly eliminating them from her search. She found Faith who was continuing to hold her own against Angelus. Quickly she moved until Lorne's empathic boost drew her to a mind that seemed to be filled with rage. She continued to try to probe it until she was in discovering a plan. She cried out as she was able to realize what the mind was thinking. "Marcus, don't!"


The voice in his head was so loud that Marcusgrabbed his ears in reflex. He realized the voice was in his head and it seemed familiar. "Willow?"he asked. The voice acknowledged his question and told him the consequences of his plan to to hurl the creature into the Hellmouth. The warrior's rage abated as he realized what his actions would have caused. He calmed himself and prepared to attack again with a different approach. The creature seemed to sense the change in Marcus' demeanor and turned around to face the Hellmouth. "Oh sweet Lord," Marcus thought. "It's going to jump."
Buffy's battle with The Master had become a back and forth affair. The Slayer flipped kicking The Master who grabbed her backfoot and threw her. The Slayer landed on the ground with a thump. Buffy started to raise herself up when her hands found a familiar object. Buffy put her hands around the scythe she had lost earlier in her battle. "Am I glad to see you," she said. She picked up the weapon and stood once more. "Last dance prune face," she said to the ancient vampire. "I hope your buddies in Hell kept your seat warm because I'm about send you back."
Connor howled in delight as his blade found its mark right in the creature's stomach, however his glee was short lived as the thing just grabbed the sword and and thrust it deeper into itself. The creature stared into Connor's eyes and twisted its mouth into what seemed to be a smile. "You got to be kidding me," Connor mumbled right before his opponent hit him with a side arm blow that caused him slam into the ground face down. The youngster rolled to the side expecting a follow up attack but was surprised when instead the creature screamed in pain. Connor hopped to his feet and saw a figure in black hitting the creature with a pair of stick looking weapons that seemed to be shocking the monster with every rejoined the fight, running towards the creature and slamming a powerful fist into its temple. The thing staggered back, confused at now having to defend itself against two attackers. It decided its primary mission took precedent over the destruction of its foes. The creature growled at its opponents and then turned and ran.

"What's it doing?" Connor asked his new ally.

Riley looked at the young man his face betraying his fear, "It's going to blow up the Hellmouth."


Spike kneeled near the Hellmouth which had a continous red beam of energy erupting from it. All of Drusilla's forces had vanished after the Hellmouth had been blown open. Many of the remaining Slayers gathered around him. "So what happens now?" one of them asked. Spike was about to answer when a horrible scream from the Hellmouth got his attention. The vampire looked at the red beam and saw a figure come from the pit. Spike could hardly believe his eyes as he recognized who it was.

"Blue?" he asked. Illyria looked at him as she arose,a wild look in her eyes. She screamed a piercing wail that made everyone cover their ears right before she shot up the energy beam out of sight.

"What just happened?" one of the Slayers asked.

"No clue girlie," Spike responded, "but I got a feeling this little party ain't over yet."


COMING NEXT CHAPTER

The fate of the other teams revealed, a new crisis, and the champions of good begin to realize their destiny. All this and more in Chapter 21 of THE END OF ALL THINGS: WARRIORS' CAUSE