Animals of Prey
Previously on BtVS…
Willow screamed as Shanzi reached out and grabbed her hair. Buffy yanked Willow's arm and Shenzi fell back, taking some of Willow's hair with her. Willow screamed again with pain but Buffy kept running. They reached The Magic Box's street. The three were fast and Buffy felt that she would tire and the kids would catch up. As they drew closer to the magic shop, the three started to slow down till only Shenzi was chasing them. Buffy pushed open the door and pulled Willow inside. She than turned around to wait till Shenzi came inside, but she didn't. She had stopped at the door. Buffy watched as she paced the front like a caged animal than giving up, she kicked her fingers and disappeared in a poof of smoke.
"Um…What was that?" Giles asked.
…and now the conclusion.
Buffy paced the stretch of The Magic Box. Turned around and started again. Her legs were tired and sore form the chase, but she felt that if she were to sit, she would shut off completely and never get up again.
"So let me get this straight." Giles interrupted her pacing. "These three kids ripped a girl to shreds for what seemed for the fun of it?"
Buffy was not sure if her was asking a question or making a statement. To be on the safe side, she nodded.
"Not the three of them, just the girl. The guys chased her, I think" This came from Willow, who was gulfing down another tea that Tara made. Buffy didn't even touch her coffee. For some reason she was turn off of coffee.
"The one who stopped at the door?" Giles adjusted his glasses for the millionth time.
"Yep." Buffy stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. The hardness of it made her feel safer for some reason. Maybe because everything keeps sneaking up on me, she thought.
Giles shifted though some books and asked questions about the strange three children.
"Scary. Giles, they were scary. Even I felt scared. They would have came out and jumped us, but I think they wanted to, you know, play with us." Buffy rubbed her arms as if she were cold. But she wasn't. She was upset at her self. She had let her training go astray. She couldn't stop those kids. Or save that girl. Plus, she could have got not only herself, but Willow killed. There was also that thing with Damian. Than she remembered.
"I think they had some connection with Damian. One even said he was their father." Buffy shock her head and pressed her palms into her eyes. "This doesn't make any sense."
Giles snapped the book he was leafing through shut. "Related to Damian." He mumbled to himself as he picked up another book. "I wonder…"
With her face still buried in her hands, Buffy felt the gaze of someone on her. She looked up to find Spike staring at her with his ice blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him. He gave one last worrying glance at her than turned away.
"Aha!" Everyone jump as Giles turned back to them. "I think I may have something.
"There is a record here, made nearly 100 years ago by a watcher. It says:
We came across the mangled body of the mayor's daughter. She looked like she was either pulled apart or beaten, we could not tell."
"Sounds like our girl." Buffy interrupted, than looking at Giles. "Sorry."
"Yes, um…:
Alice, that would be his slayer, said that she felt a 'strangeness' and went to investigate. Moments later I heard her cries for help and I raced for her rescue. But alas, I was too late. And there, standing above my Alice was a girl of 14. She looked human, but she was soaked in what had to have been two victim's blood; Christine's, the mayor's daughter and my Alice's. She smiled at me and it was a smile that should never be apon a young girl's lips. She said her name was Shenzi, and I thought it peculiar. She then introduced me to her two brothers, Bonzai and Ed. I ran for my life, feeling ashamed that I left Alice's body for them to devour."
Willow looked ill. "Devour?"
"Yes." Giles skimmed the pages. "Ah, here's some useful information. According to this the spell I place up to keep Damian from visiting will work on those children as well."
Buffy pushed herself from the wall and walked over to Giles. "That explains why Shenzi stopped at the door."
"Oh, my" Giles said as her picked up the book to get a closer look.
"What?" asked Buffy.
"According to this, they have a name, well a few names: Liberi Daemonicus and/or Cachinnare Daemonicus."
Buffy gave her watcher a blank look and so did everyone else.
"Liberi Daemonicus is Latin for Children of Satan and Cachinnare Daemonicus is Laughing Demons."
Xander laughed himself, "Laughing Demons? Why Laughing?"
Giles' eyes darted over the page. "I really don't know, I… Oh, one moment. Here's another one; Circlor Cacabo Daemonicus Hyaenidae."
Xander stared at him, "I don't like the sound of that. Brings back memories of pig eating days at high school."
Gilestook his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.
"What?" Willow and Buffy both yelled.
"Translated it means, Cackle of Demonic Hyenas. They kill to eat and are said to be the offspring of Satan. They're shape sifters"
They sat in the shop; Giles had closed for the day. Didn't want anyone walking in while they were discussing demons. Buffy sat the furthest away form Darla. It was hard considering that the table was round and no one wanted to get that close to the vamp. Giles stood by the counter, leaning against it. Anya was busy counting last night's earnings. Xander, Tara and Willow sat at the other end of the table and Dawn sat on the stairs that lead up to the second part of the store. It was where Giles keep the old books from the old Sunnydale High. Darla didn't seem all insulted that no one wanted to get close to her. She actually seemed grateful that she was by herself, like she didn't want to around anyone.
She had healed wonderfully, with only a few scabs and she was dressed in some of Buffy's clothes. They were both the same size. Buffy wondered if that was why Angel had a thing for her. She and Darla look almost alike.
"You know," Darla broke the silence first. "I don't really remember who all of you are. I only remember you." Darla turned to Buffy at that moment.
"The rest of you seem…have you always been like this?"
Buffy stood up, ignoring Darla's question. "We need answers." She said as she walked over to Giles and sat on the counter near him. From there she could get a better view of Darla. Not that she would do anything bad, but Buffy wanted to watch her facial expressions. Sometimes the face tells more than words.
"Somehow, you saving me out of the goodness of your heart seem too good to be true." Darla said smiling. Her attitude was reappearing.
"No, I saved you so that you would answer some questions that Damian is to stuck-up to answer himself."
The vampire laughed. "Damian asks the question, he rarely answers them unless you trick him in to doing so. Play on his pride and his ego and you'll have him in the palm of your hand. That is, until he realizes what your doing."
Giles straitened up. "You can 'trick' the Devil?"
"Yes, he's also a sucker for sweet talk." She turned to Buffy. "And a pretty face." Buffy frowned, she didn't like where this conversation was going.
"Who's the albino woman?" She demanded.
Darla look taken back. "The who?" she finally said, acting as if she had no idea what the hell Buffy was talking about. But Buffy knew what she was doing. She saw Darla's face when the albino had walked out of the room.
"The woman who got us out. The one who saved our butts. Who is she? What is she?"
Darla shrugged. "No idea who she is. I just see her every now and again. I'm not supposed to look or talk to her." She looked around at the group. "Honestly"
"What about the three children, the Liberi Daemonicus?" Giles asked. Buffy knew that Darla knew something, because her eyes widen.
"Liberi Daemonicus?" Buffy didn't know if it was statement or a question.
"The three freaky kids that belong to Damian." Buffy snapped.
"Named after The Lion King's hyenas. Ed, Bonzai and Shenzi." Xander said. Than he turned to Willow, "Is that right?" he asked her. Willow nodded.
"They're back!" Darla nearly jumped out of her seat. "They're not supposed to be back for another few months." The vampire took in some deep breaths and than eased herself back in her chair. She hugged her arms and closed her eyes. Trying to calm herself. It seemed to work.
"Ed, he's the 'nicest' of the three." She finally said. "He probably just hangs around them. But Bonzai and Shenzi are the worst, especially Shenzi. She's crazy, Bonzai is just weird." Darla buried her head in her hands.
"Where were they supposed to be?" Willow asked. Darla turned to her with a look on her face that Buffy couldn't read.
"You said that they were not supposed to be back for awhile. Where were they?"
Darla sat up and than thought about it for a while. Than she turned to Giles. "You've heard about other realms, right? Not things like alternate realities, but other realms that co-exist with this world."
Giles nodded. "The Realm where the demons were supposed to originally come from."
Darla nodded than shock her head, "Yes and no. There is more than one, there are thousands. Each has it's own race and own agenda and ways. But only a few realms are in some sort of treaty. Which is how the earth got it's fair share of nasties. Some realms even have some sort of slayer." She looked at Buffy as she said that. "About fifteen realms are part of this treaty, which include the vampire realm. That story about some human being infected by a disease that made him make more vampires is a load of shit. Vampires are refugees from the Vampire Realm.
"Damian's kids were in some baron wastelands realm where the only thing there is a negative demonic boarding school. They were there."
The Scooby Gang was quiet. If what Darla was saying is true, the Watcher's Council would have to rewrite they're history books. Giles look like they found the cure for cancer.
"So vampires originally came from some other realm?"
"Yes." Nodded Darla. "They are the rebels that ran away when they're leader signed the treaty with God. After that only high class demons and higher beings can pass from realm to realm, others need permission from they're realm leader."
"There is a King Vampire out there somewhere?" Buffy said.
"Treaty with God?" said Giles.
"Who's our realm leader?" Asked Anya.
"Yes, there is Vampire King. Don't worry; he's nothing like The Master." Darla shuddered at the mention of her Sire. "His name is Fredrick and as far as I can tell, he's much older that Damian." Darla turned to Giles. "Also, yes. There's a treaty with God and God is our realm leader. God actually rules a ton of realms, and this treaty means that God runs many more."
Buffy was confused at the fact that Darla referred God as just God, not Him or He. Maybe Darla didn't believe that God was a man.
"What did you mean by a 'negative demonic' school?" Giles said, coming to sit next to Darla. She looked a bit uncomfortable and scooted her chair a bit to be out of reach. Like Giles could do anything to her. She could probably break him over her knee like a twig.
When she was at a comfortable distance she said, "A negative demon is a demon with 'evil' powers. Like Damian. A positive being is like an angel or some fey. Negative usually refers to a demon. Shenzi, Bonzai and Ed are negative demons because of the Daemonicus blood within them. This treaty with God states that any child born with an or any negative power will have to attend this school. This way they stay out of trouble and are trained to not abuse their power. Damian went there too, and his father and his."
"So Damian is not the first devil. There were those before him." Giles, like the rest of them was trying to get a grasp on what Darla was saying.
"So being Satan is like a heritage. First born gets to be the devil." He said it like a statement.
"So," Buffy interrupted before Darla could open her mouth. "Would that mean that Ed is next in line? I like to know where you get your info from. I highly doubt Damian would willingly share the family history with the likes of you. He treats you more like a dog."
Darla looked at her lap. She took in some deep breaths. Buffy thought that she was trying not to get mad, but when she looked up, Buffy saw tears in her eyes.
"There is actually a book about it. It's really big. I sometimes get it thrown at me. If I'm lucky, I don't get knocked out. I had plenty of time to study some of it. It's fairly disturbing. After I read it I've never expected anything more from Shenzi. She's the family's pond of flesh. She's anyone's meat, that's high enough." She turned to Buffy.
"Ed will never be Satan. He doesn't talk, so the Powers That Be have removed him from the position of Heir. Damian now technically doesn't have an heir.
First born's are the first from each females. Bonzai can never be Satan because be was born second. But if Damian took another wife or got another pregnant, that that child would be the heir.
If two or more 'first born's' exists than when they are older they will either fight till the death or the first to kill their successor will get the throne. Also female cannot be an heir. If a female is born first, they would be killed on sight. But they will only survive if they are born later down the track, being only used as meat. Their status means nothing." Darla stopped to take a deep breath. It was strange that Darla seemed to act more human than vampire. It got Buffy thinking. She pushed herself of the counter and walked over to Darla. The vampire's eyes following her. She stop just in front of her and pressed her fingers to Darla's neck. Her pulse thumped against the skin. Was she alive? Only one way to find out. She grabbed Darla's arm and pulled her to the door and shoved her out into the sun.
Buffy heard Giles call out her name, but she ignored him. Darla tumbled out into the street. Bystanders all stopped to stare. If they had known why Buffy had just chucked her out for they would really be amazed. Darla didn't burn. Buffy watched her slowly get to her feet. The look she gave Buffy wasn't a nice one. But she wasn't worried anymore; Darla was mortal.
They both walked back into the shop while the Scooby Gang gaped at them with their mouths open.
"And what would you have done if she had burned?" Giles said with his fatherly tone.
"I donno? Watched." Was all Buffy could say.
"You know." Said a voice from above them. "It might have been better that she burned. I would have had her back."
The group looked up to the second storey section of the store to see Damian leaning against the bar. Dawn scooted away from the stairs and stood next to her sister. But Buffy doubted that she would be able to protect her from him.
Damian clicked his fingers and everyone watched as he turned to smoke. The smoke gracefully fell to the ground and reformed back into Damian's perfect body. Buffy had to admit, the stunt was pretty impressive. And scary.
Darla stood her ground as Damian walked, no glided towards her. If she was scared, she was doing a damned good job at hiding it.
"Well, my pet. Are you done playing escapee? Because, child, it's time to go home." Damian reached out his long fingers to touch the side of Darla's face. She jerked away. But Damian moved fast, too fast for anyone to notice. His hand was around Darla's arm holding her close to him. He turned to the rest." Thanks for baby-sitting; I really have to get going."
Giles interrupted him from clicking out. "You're not supposed to be able to come in here. The spell is supposed to keep things like you out!" Brave Giles, Buffy couldn't help thinking to her self. One day his direct questioning is going to get himself killed.
Damian stalked over to the watcher, pulling Darla along with him. He stopped in front of him, nearly touching. Giles was an inch taller than Damian. But Damian seemed more comfortable being a bit short, and he was able to be intimidating. Giles stepped back.
He whispered, but his voice carried and everyone could hear. "I am the Devil. No little spell is going to keep away." He turned to everyone else. "You have been warned. You all have made a very powerful enemy. If I want something from you, I will have it. Nothing, I mean nothing, can stop me." He looked straight at Buffy. "Not even you."
He took a few steps to the middle of the store, so that everyone got a good view of him. Still dragging Darla. He raised his hand into a clicking position. He gave one last look at Buffy.
"You still have something of mine, my love. I will return for it when the time is right. You will always carry it with you. Don't anger me and all will go well. I'll keep in touch, sweetie." He than clicked his fingers and disappeared in a fiery flame.
To Be Continued…