The Quickening

Previously:

"I want to see my amulet. I don't care how you procure it. Just get it. Use any and all resources available to you. Understand?" Balthazar said. Vincent nodded.

"Whatever you require."

Chapter Fifty-Six:

Vincent waited in utter silence. He had managed to sneak into the Mayor's office unheeded. After looking for a suitable place to hide, he chose the closet in which the Mayor kept some of his more unsavory knickknacks. Vincent gazed at the supernatural paraphernalia surrounding him on the neatly arranged shelves and smiled. The citizens of Sunnydale had no idea how entrenched their government was in darkness and evil. Adjusting his grip on his sword, he determined that he would wait as long as it took for the Mayor to come back for the evening. Balthazar had instructed him to find the amulet in any way necessary. Vincent was not the smartest of vampires, but he knew that the Mayor of Sunnydale was aware of everything that happened in his town. The easiest way to find the amulet would be to coerce the Mayor into telling him where it was located and who currently possessed it.

The Mayor was only human, after all, and Vincent was certain that he would crumble under the pressure of Vincent's sword pressed against his throat. Balthazar had always called Vincent his most noble and fierce warrior. Surely the Mayor would tremble before him. Vincent was ripped out of his thoughts by the sound of the Mayor entering the office. Another individual, who Vincent instantly recognized as a vampire from his scent, followed him. Vincent watched them through slits in the door. He had seen the tall, black man around town and knew that his name was Mr. Trick. He was one of the Mayor's most devoted lapdogs, mostly from fear for his life rather than any devotional feeling. Vincent could hear them talking through the door in muffled tones. He had not anticipated another person being present when he attacked the Mayor. He would have to take care of Mr. Trick first.

"He's late," Trick said gruffly.

"I know and it's completely unlike him. Alan is usually so very punctual," the Mayor replied in his usually cheery voice. Vincent tightly gripped his sword, closed his eyes briefly, and then burst out of the closet. The door flew off its hinges, clattering on the floor.

"Die!" Vincent yelled as he charged at Mr. Trick. Trick sidestepped him and elbowed him in the back of the head. The last thing Vincent saw before the world went black was his sword slipping from his hand and Mr. Trick standing smugly over him.

………………………..

Buffy looked around the room. The fight had gone well, although, they all seemed to be rather tired. "Everyone okay?" She asked as Wesley, Giles, and Angel gathered around her.

"Been better," Angel replied, nursing his side.

"Hasn't been the best evening of my life," Giles added, wiping some blood off of his forehead.

"I staked a vampire," Wesley beamed. He was smiling so large that his sparkling, white teeth seemed too big for his head.

"Congratulations," Giles said rather unenthusiastically as he slapped Wesley on the back.

"It was quite exciting," Wesley stated.

"We know, Wesley, we were there," Buffy replied.

"Well," Wesley said indignantly, "I'm just saying, it wasn't all a loss."

"No, it wasn't," Giles said. "We have the amulet, El Eliminati is for the most part entirely disbanded, and Balthazar is dead." The group turned to look at the demon. He was still smoking from the electrical wires Buffy had dumped into his tank of water. The reek of his burning flesh was beginning to fill the warehouse.

"You ever wonder what happens to stuff like that?" Buffy asked suddenly. "I mean, this place has to belong to someone. What happens when someone comes in here one day and sees that?"

"I really have no idea," Giles said, removing his glasses and cleaning them on the front of his shirt. "I've never thought of it before."

"Might I suggest that we leave?" Wesley interrupted. "He's emitting a rather ungodly smell."

"I agree," Angel replied. "And I don't even have to breath. Let's get out of here." Buffy nodded and followed the group as they walked out of the warehouse.

"Where are we heading?" She asked as they walked down the street.

"Back to the library," Giles answered. "We can store the amulet there from now on. It shouldn't pose any danger."

"Agreed," Wesley chipped in.

"I wanted to ask you," Giles said, falling back to walk beside Buffy as Angel and Wesley moved forward, "where was Faith tonight?"

Buffy looked down at the street and sighed heavily. "I hate to say this, Giles, but we really need to talk."

……………………..

Cordelia and Xander gathered around Faith as she attempted to pick the lock on Alan Finch's front door. "Just add breaking and entering to my list of crimes for the night," she muttered to herself.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Cordelia asked, watching intently.

"Trying to pick up some pointers?" Xander asked, smiling at her eagerness.

"No," Cordelia quickly said, defending herself. "But it seems like a good skill to have."

"I ran with a rough crew back in Boston. We used to break into shit all the time," Faith replied. "Some things you just don't forget how to do." Faith smiled as the lock clicked and the door slid open. "Bingo," she replied. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside of the apartment.

"Lights on or off?" Xander asked, pausing in the doorway.

"Off, dumbass," Cordelia replied, pushing past him. "That's why we brought the flashlights. We don't want to attract any unnecessary attention."

"It would be easier with the lights on, that's all I'm saying," Xander grumbled.

"Valid point," Faith said, trying to bolster his confidence, while playing the peacemaker. "But we'd also get caught." Switching their flashlights on, the group fanned out, searching for anything that Alan might have been hiding from the Mayor.

"If I was illegally obtained evidence against a huge governmental scandal, where would I be?" Cordelia muttered to herself as she walked around the rather sparsely furnished apartment.

"Not over there," Faith said, pointing her flashlight at Xander, who was raiding Alan's store of alcohol.

"What?" Xander asked, clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels. "It's not like he's going to need it anymore."

"Have some respect," Cordelia said in exasperation.

"Fine," Xander grumbled, setting the bottle back down where he found it.

"Wipe off your fingerprints," Faith said handing him a tissue. He obliged, wiping the bottle clean before focusing on the task at hand. "We don't want anyone to know that we were here."

"Hey," Cordelia said suddenly. "I think I found something."

"What is it?" Xander asked as he and Faith moved over to where Cordelia was standing.

"Our secret information," she said, pointing the flashlight at a safe in the corner of the room.

"I think I can pick it up," Faith said, moving over to it.

"That's great, but why would you?" Cordelia asked.

"It'll take too long to break into it here," Faith explained. "The less time we spend in this apartment, the better off we'll be."

"Good point," Cordelia conceded. "So grab it and let's get out of here." Faith nodded and picked up the safe. It was not very heavy and Faith imagined that there was not much inside of it. They filed out of the apartment. Cordelia wiped the doorknob down with another tissue before locking the door.

"Good as new," she said, admiring her work.

"Excellent. Let's go," Faith said. Sneaking back down the hallway, they exited out of an emergency door on the side of the building. Faith placed the safe in the backseat of Xander's car and covered it with a blanket. When they had all situated themselves in the car, Xander stuck in the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life with a rumble.

"Where to?" He asked.

"Your place," Faith replied. "It's closer." Xander nodded and pulled out onto the street. Faith looked over at the safe. She could break into buildings without a problem, but she had never tried to break into a safe. Sighing, she laid a hand down on top of the metal box. It was going to be a long night.

……………………………

Vincent glared angrily out of the metal bars of his cage. He had been caught. Balthazar would not be pleased when he discovered that Vincent had failed. Vincent shuddered, thinking of what his master might to do him if he were to escape and report back. "Well, well," the Mayor said, moving around to the front of the cage where Vincent could see him. "Look who's awake."

"I will tell you nothing," Vincent stated boldly.

"That's great," the Mayor replied happily. "I wasn't planning on asking you anything. Now, Mr. Trick, please open the door."

"What?" Trick asked, looking over at him in surprise.

"You heard me," the Mayor said, nodding at the cage. "Open the door." Trick nodded warily and opened the cage door. Vincent spotted his sword propped up against the desk. Rushing out of the cage, he grabbed the sword and plunged it into the Mayor's head before Trick had a chance to react. Vincent watched proudly as the head split in two. However, his pride suddenly turned to confusion as the head began to knit itself back together.

"What the hell," Vincent muttered to himself when the head had entirely reassembled itself. The Mayor smiled.

"If you don't mind," he said to Mr. Trick. Trick nodded and staked Vincent in the back. Vincent's eyes went wide for a moment before he exploded into dust.

"That's that," the Mayor said, smiling in satisfaction. "So, what's next on my agenda?"