Demon:
It's incredible how quickly things can fall apart. I was prepared for the summit, travelled all the way from London, which I don't mind telling you cost quite a pretty penny. Then Jericho broke in, with Angelus and someone else in tow, and began a killing spree. Well, it was a shame, but no great loss really. Most of the people in that room wanted to do evil, but had very little capacity for it. Unwilling to be hacked apart with the others, I threw myself out of the window at the first opportunity. The concrete hurt, but for a demon like me the pain was transient and no damage was done.
I was under the impression, when I agreed to attend Mr Clarke's summit, that Angelus was going to unite all of us. Clearly that didn't happen. And now I'm the only one left. I can lead them, I have no doubt, but I can't unite them. I have no reputation among the creatures of the night. I find that it makes it a lot easier to do unspeakable evil when nobody knows who you are. Still, that means that I need someone else - someone strong - someone that wants the attention.
No sooner have I escaped the carnage and retreated to the shadows to tend my wounds, than I find exactly what I'm looking for. Across the street from me is a bookstore that just screams 'headquarters'. Why is that demon hunters gravitate towards books?
I just see a tall woman with black hair walk through the door, but I'm more interested in the man that's just walked out. Another woman appears, seemingly from thin air and circles him like a vulture. Oddly, she looks exactly like the woman that entered the shop a moment ago. Astral projection, perhaps? Or a relative? It doesn't matter.
The poor boy is taken completely unawares. She strokes his arms, whispers huskily in his ear, and he can't see that it is all for show. He blushes and stammers and clutches at the bunch of flowers in his hand. What a fool. Still, one must commend his self control. If that girl had done that to me, I certainly wouldn't have held back.
But what impresses me most of all is what follows. While he shuts his eyes, tears at the corners, she positions herself behind him. Her left arm shoots out and she clutches his heart. Then removes it. The flowers hit the floor and begin to soak up the blood that pours from his chest.
I have to keep an eye on this girl.
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Edward:
"Hello Kass." My mouth moves, but my mind has completely shut down. I didn't think I would ever see her again. We didn't part of the best of terms, and we haven't spoken for almost a year.
"Edward, close your mouth." I do so. This woman can still make me feel small without even trying. "Edward, I'm here to see my daughter." Ah.
"Kass… I'm… I'm afraid…" Her eyes narrow, angrily, and then widen and I can tell that she's worried.
"What? What's happened to Jackie? What did Matt do?" There's a moan of pleasure from the doorway, and Kass turns.
"Mmm… Matt didn't do anything, Mommy. But Edward did." Kass runs over to her and throws her arms round her daughter's neck. They look so similar. If it weren't for the fact that Kass is slightly taller, and Jackie has more muscle tone, it would be difficult to tell them apart. Jackie's hair is slightly lighter also, and her eyes darker, but from a distance it is hard to see such differences.
"Oh Jackie, I've been so worried. You haven't called me for weeks, and I had no idea what happened." Jackie whispers soothing words in her mother's ear, but she is looking straight at me with those dark eyes and caressing Kass' raven hair with her right hand. Subconsciously I let my gaze wonder down to her left hand, which is hanging by her side.
She's holding a red mass tightly in her fingers, and red liquid is dripping on the floor. I almost vomit when I realise what it is. She's holding a heart, ripped straight out of someone's chest.
This is delicate. I have to save Kass, but I can't let Jackie know what I'm doing or she'll kill Kass without remorse. I know I've got a bottle of holy water around here somewhere, but if I make large movements she'll see what I'm doing. There! I've got it. But I can't throw it, because she'll see it in the air and Kass will be dead. I need a distraction. Somebody help me!
"Hey, do I know you?"
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Demon:
Now this is fun. What an interesting girl that Jackie is. Oh, look at this. The cavalry is here. Won't this be the real test of her worth?
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Whistler:
I brought Angel back just in time. We turn up at the shop to find Jackie and her mother in the middle of an embrace. It's the perfect opportunity for him to play the hero. And what does he come out with?
"Hey, do I know you?" I suppose he hasn't seen either of them before. And it does get their attention. Jackie spins round, holding Kass around the neck and glares menacingly at the new arrival. This sends Kass into confusion, and she begins to clutch at her daughter's arm. I slip into the shadows. It's habit really, because I've become so used to not being seen that I do it automatically.
Just then, a jar collides with Kass's back and sprays holy water over the pair of them. It must be enchanted, because a small bottle like that couldn't possibly contain so much water. Jackie can't yet be used to being a vampire, because she reacts by hurling her mother to one side and clawing at her back.
Angel is quick, because he instantly dives forward, and the pair of them land on the ground. Edward scuttles towards Kass, and Angel and Jackie both rise to their feet. Then move forward again, attack, block, counter. Jackie is strong, but so far Angel seems to be stronger. I will Angel to kill her, but I know he won't. He's not ready yet. But if he did, things would be so much easier for all of them.
Jackie leaps to her feet again, kicking out at Angel and knocking him back. She catches him in the stomach, flooring him.
"Jackie?" Oh dear.
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Matt:
I was with Eve - Buffy - when we heard the commotion from the shop floor. Neither of us thought much of it. Sound doesn't carry well through the building, and I assumed that it was Angel arrived back with news from his mysterious contact. So I went to take a look.
It turns out that that was a mistake.
"Jackie?" She looks up at me, in what seems to be horror, and I can see for myself what she has become. She must have exerted herself in the fight, because her face is a vampiric one. Her fangs are obvious, as is the dried blood on her arm. She hesitates for a moment, and Angel pushes himself to his knees. I clutch the stake that I always keep with me, praying that I won't be called upon to use it.
She does nothing, just stares at me, and everyone in the room just stares at her. Suddenly, a man in a leather jacket - the same man I met earlier! - appears beside her and touches her on the shoulder.
"Leave," he says in an accented voice, and she immediately runs out of the shop and into the darkness. He turns to Angel, who's still holding his stomach by the wall. "I've revealed myself, Angel. Get your Slayer quickly, because very soon I won't be able to help you any more."
I can't react as Angel walks past me. Jackie was here, a vampire. Angel brushes by me again on his way out, and Eve's prone body is in his arms.