Heya Peoplz,
This is my attempt at writing proper fanfic. Takes place early Season 2. That means Angel isn't evil, Xander and Cordy aren't together, neither are Willow and Oz and Ms. Calendar is still alive. I haven't got a full idea of what the plot is going to be yet, I just wanted to put Buffy and co. up against some greek mythology figures. The title will become less lame once I've sorted the plot out. Please read and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: If it were mine would it be on this site?

Shadowed Echo

"Angel?" Buffy asked. Buffy and Angel were curled up together on Buffy's roof. They were watching the stars. Lying down on the tiles, in among the shadows they were content. They had their arms around each other and were pressed together closely.

"Hmmm…" he murmured against her neck. The action sent shivers down the slayers spine. To be the slayer, and to have a vampire so close… he could rip her throat out should he so choose, but she trusted him, loved him even. It was ironic, and exhilarating for the slayer and a vampire to be so intimate.

Angel loosened his hold and looked at her. Prompting Buffy to go on with what she wanted to say.

"The school has a dance on, and… I thought maybe we could go?" Buffy looked at Angel hopefully. He twisted a lock of her golden hair between his fingers as he thought.

He could see all the possible things that could go wrong. Someone noticing he didn't have a reflection. Her mum noticing, or someone mentioning to her mum, that he was there with her. That would definitely put a spanner in the works. As Angel looked at his teenaged girlfriend he realised that the problems would always be there, but the dance she so badly wanted them to go to, would not.

So he smiled his rare smile at her and told her "Sounds like fun." He watched as her face lit up, and knew that he didn't deserve this. Buffy cupped his face and kissed him, a look of joyful excitement on her face. He might not deserve this, but she did.

"Beep, beep, beep." Buffy broke off the kiss and glared at the offending object, which was still beeping. She sighed. She gave Angel an apologetic look.

"Duty calls…" she groaned.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he offered.

"Nah." Buffy said. "I said I'd go with Xander." Angel immediately scowled, still jealous of Buffy's male friend. She grinned at her boyfriend, kissed him and ran off.

She crept with the shadows, and against her fellow night-creatures. She sought those who would stalk the innocent. She was the avenger of those who did not know another world existed. She ran into a big lump of stone… even the slayer it seemed couldn't see in pitch darkness.

"Oww! Damned stupid slayer vision." she muttered. Reaching out to see what exactly she had walked into.

"You see that's why I said we should use the flash-light." Xander complained. "But you're like 'Noo-"

"Turn it on." Buffy ordered, her fingers feeling the features of a face in cold stone. Xander was startled, but he did as she requested fumbling for the flash-light in his pocket. A light-beam illuminated a lady who was clearly terrified, frozen forever in rock. The cave they were searching in held three other people each stuck in a moment fear they could not escape.

Buffy stole the flashlight off Xander and shined it around. The cave was bigger than it had appeared. There was no grass or other plants growing on the ground, just cold dirt. The walls were marked with wiggly black symbols. She only noticed now, but this section of the cave had perfectly smooth walls. Tracks in the earth proved that the human statues had been dragged from somewhere else.

Xander took an involuntary step back, so his back was against the wall. He did not feel comfortable in here. Buffy took a close look at the statues. They had no obvious wounds so it didn't look as if they'd fought the thing that had done that to them. Maybe they hadn't had a chance Buffy mused.

There was nothing to suggest what kind of thing was responsible. Xander shivered. He glanced around in fear, clearly expecting the creature to arrive back in its den at any moment.

"Ah, Buffy?" Xander sought the slayer's attention. "Why don't I just, go home and… uh… do my homework?" Without waiting for his friend's permission, he slunk out of the cave that was giving him goosebumps, with both hands outstretched so as to not run into anything.

Buffy had a weird expression on her face, as she searched for clues to help find what had turned to stone the four victims. She found no amulets that a spell could have been stored in. Also, nothing suggested that the victims were anything other than average Joes.

Unable to think of anything else to look for, she shrugged. Then Buffy turned off the flashlight and exited the cave. She needed to go home too… she'd check in with Giles in the morning.

As Buffy strode through the streets she felt a familiar tingle. She smiled in anticipation. It didn't take long for the pair of vampires to overtake the 'slow human' and block her path with their cruel figures.

Buffy was shocked. Not because of their game faces which they proudly as masks of pride. These vampires were identical twins. I suppose you get all sorts on the hellmouth. Buffy thought. I wonder if I'll ever find a mentally retarded vampire? That would be funny…

She was rudely interrupted from her thoughts as the twins attacked her, growling. Buffy was unimpressed. Wow. These guys are retarded she thought. Remembering what she had thought before she burst into giggles.

One of the twins growled "What's so funny?"

Buffy lent forward and staked her. Then she kicked the remainder. The twin fell to the ground. With a disgusted look, Buffy staked her.

"Noobs." said Buffy contemptuously, borrowing one of Willow's favourite sayings.

I'd enjoy hearing people's opinions, if I've gotten something wrong, let me know and I will fix it. BTW... Points to whoever can guess what greek figure is in it so far...

Shadowed Echo