Author's Note: Yep, my turn to try my hand at what is becoming one hell at a fic. For those of you on neopets I'm kittybeenbad and for those who haunt fanfiction net I'm sanityfair or just 'Kitty' if you're referring to me directly. Hopefully, I'll do this story some kind of justice and special thanks to Erin for beta reading this for me.

A.N 2: I added the last bit, because it's kinda been bugging me since I started reading. So, if it's lame, or any of this for that matter, then forgive me.

August 2nd, 2004 11:45pm

Oz did not reply, but by the rapid increase in his breathing and the fact that his lips were moving with no words coming out, Faith knew that he was attempting to. Faith looked around anxiously, but saw no means of getting him out. She held the lighter and examined the lock, which was reddened from a long period of decay.

"Stand back," she said although she wasn't sure if he understood.

Either way he continued to lie there, now looking at her and continuing to move his mouth.

Faith kicked the cage door as hard as she could, sending it crashing inward. Oz still made move as the cage door scraped against him, cutting his flesh as it did. Faith leaned inside the cage and pulled him out careful to be gentle with him as she was sure he would be in shock and his injuries would be unknown.

"Okay, your okay, j-just chill," she muttered while taking off her jacket and placing it over him.

Oz was still shivering, but the once pale hue that covered his skin was starting to darken thanks to the jacket and Faith rubbing him for warmth. Faith pulled up Oz's eyelids to examine his pupils. She wasn't exactly a medical doctor, but she knew how to check for a concussion.

"W-who….w-w-w," Oz began to speak incoherently

"Don't try to talk, just uh, we'll be okay," Faith said more so trying to convince herself, "I'm going to try to get us out of here."

As she looked at the rows of cages and the windowless room around her, she wondered how she was going to keep this promise.

Just outside the door back in the main section of the warehouse The Master stared down at his hand, which still held remnants of Faith's blood. The blood had done something to him, given something to him. Power.

"My lord," one of the remaining vampires said walking up and bowing before his master, "The slayer has locked herself in the amalgamation room. Should we attempt to break in?"

"Why is it that you cannot simply open it?" The Master asked viciously, "Do not have the key? Or is that you are lacking of a mind?"

The vampire looked down in embarrassment, "No, m' lord, the door is opened and closed with a code, w-which Domingo has, a-and he's dead."

The vampire cowered beneath The Master's steely gaze sure that his fate would be.

"This is my folly for entrusting vampires, how many are left?" The Master asked

"Eight, m lord, the slayer has killed the others, and I'm quite certain the other's will come looking for Faith," the vampire said still looking at the ground.

"You are certain of nothing," The Master shouted, "Leave me, I must think. In the meantime, let the slayer figure stay where she is. She's not going anywhere."

The vampire left along with two others that were flanking him to go stand guard at the amalgamation room. The Master closed his eyes and flexed his hand feeling the sensation of strength that emitted from it.

"Are you content now, Zinihila?"

The Master jerked his eyes open. He recognized that voice, knew it all too well. And with this realization came great fear for him.

"How can y-you….how are y-you speaking to me?" The Master stammered looking around for the body that owned the voice.

The warehouse was empty, he was all alone, and the voice came from his head.

"No dimension is too far away to reach, Zinihila, you should know that," The voice said amused, "I see you have a taste of power, tell me, how does it feel?"

"Nephi 'Ah 'ka 'la, I'm only taking the power that bound to slayers to do your bidding, I assure you."

"Yet, you call yourself 'Master,' I am not amused nor am I impressed. When I banished you to this dimension my instructions were clear, destroy it, and yet you linger around playing games of power," Nephi 'Ah 'ka 'la said angrily.

" It will be, on my word…on my life."

"In truth, this had better be, or I shall come down there myself, with a trembling force this world has never seen."

August 3rd, 2004 11:00am

Three hours later after much of the fallen debris had been cleared and everyone's nerves had been calmed, the Scoobies and members of team Angel sat or stood in the cramped living room of the apartment. If team meetings alone could distinguish apocalypses, then this was surely one.

Xander, Anya, and Tara all sat together on the couch while Willow sat on the couch's armrest next to Tara holding her hand. Gunn, Wesley, and Giles, all sat on chairs that had been brought in and Connor and Dawn sat on a small sofa together sneaking occasional worried glances at each other. Buffy, Illyria, Spike, and Angel all stood up while the room stayed in a subdued silence.

"So, if Faith is dead, maybe the big scary demon guy won't drain her, maybe he'll just forget or something," Anya said hopefully breaking the silence.

"Ahn, we're trying to think optimistic here," Xander said.

"I am, but we have to be realistic too, I mean no one's heard from her, no one's seen her, and since Buffy's safely here that means he's probably trying to figure out the perfect knife to use on Faith," Anya said.

"We don't know that yet, hell, for all we know Faith ain't even in London," Gunn said.

"Yes, we can not loose hope," Giles said.

"No, Anya's right," Buffy said, "We have to consider our options here, all of them, and we can't rule out that something's already gotten to her."

"Maybe that's what the earthquake was," Connor said, "I mean, that wasn't exactly normal."

"You humans know nothing," Illyria said, "The Earthquake that just occurred was average on the Richter scale, judging by the time it occurred and the time it stopped, one could conclude it was natural and not mystical in nature. Unless the demon has managed to shift the Earth's plates while still worrying about getting to the slayer."

Everyone stared at her.

"How the bloody hell, do you know that?" Spike asked, "They teach you that bit in demon school?"

Illyria herself even looked confused, if such a feeling were possible to read in her emotionless face.

"It was the shell…"

Wesley suddenly jumped up, "I told you not to call her that, she is more than a 'shell', Illyria."

Everyone stared at him with their mouths agape.

"Winifred Burkle, or the shell, whichever I speak to name it you still bear the same anger. It is a contradiction and I care not for contradictions," Illyria said in the same monotone, "This knowledge is not my own. I do not care for Earth's occurrences."

"Wait…Fred?" Willow said in a sudden realization, "This is Fred?"

"Was Fred," Gunn corrected quietly looking down at the floor.

"What is going on?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Illyria murdered her and took over her body," Angel said narrowing his eyes at the memory of it, "So, what are you saying, Illyria? We should just ignore the Earthquake that just happened? Cause, last I heard, actually I've never heard of one happening in London."

"No, I'm saying there might be another that caused it," Illyria said, "It is still of no concern to me. I do not see why you strive to save a world that is already drenched in it's own filth and decay. It is not the world I left behind."

A.N - Okay, that's it for me, thanks for reading, and good luck to all that follow me.