Chapter 8

Kaya tightened the strap around her thigh that kept one of her many knifes in place under her expensive tailored suit. Apart from passing on his preference for designer clothing Angel had also taught her that being smart in a fight gives you a much better advantage than brute force. In her case that usually meant making her opponent think she was harmless and hiding her knifes was a key part in that strategy. She was slightly stronger than most humans but more than anything she counted on her speed too win. Demons in general were so slow she had a knife in them before they even thought to throw the first punch. Straightening, she pulled her hair back with a leather cord then sat down on one of the rock formations. It was only a matter of minutes until the ceremony began, and not much else to do but wait.

Kaya watched the many soldiers along the walls, weapons ready and their eyes on Buffy. The Slayer was standing at the forefront, armed with a sword and nothing else, staring motionless into the black gateway. With some help from the witches she had recovered well, physically at least. Kaya was a little reluctant to admit even to herself that the half-pint Slayer had done an impressive job of putting together a strategy. Even though she was clearly in a great deal of emotional pain the Slayer was every bit the warrior. Kaya felt the knot in her stomach stir again. She hated the woman, or at least the wished she did. Hated how pretty she was, how strong, smart and brave she was. But most of all she hated the fact that she couldn't help but admire her. Buffy had an air of goodness about her that was hard to escape. She made you want to do your best, even if you weren't sure why. Like now, for instance. They were minutes from fighting the battle of a lifetime that would probably kill them all and the Slayer just stood there, back straight, head high, sword in hand. Never flinching, not one sign of fear or doubt. She would see them through this; all they had to do was follow. Angel was like that too. Kaya had to look away and bite her tongue not to scream. Seeing them together these past few days she had to accept that Angel was not meant for her. To him Buffy was everything and it hurt more than she had expected.

The witches were standing on a ledge some distance from the gateway. Close enough to do their magic-thing but out of harms way. The High Priestess looked like a queen where she stood right at the edge, keeping her eyes fixed on the gateway. She was still impressive but after the little showdown with Buffy she was no longer in charge. Willow stood by her side, looking anything but regal. In fact she looked sick. She had been torn in so many directions in the past few hours Kaya was amazed she was still standing. When the High Priestess had announced that it would be Xander's job to get the crystal from Dacq'ilion while the others fought, Willow had actually objected. Then, when Buffy had agreed, she had seemed so miserable even Kaya had felt sorry for her. Not that she had interfered of course. She wasn't a part of their little group and she didn't care to be either. She was Angel's assistant, nothing else and he would be back soon. Then everything would be all right.

Kaya's eyes eventually landed on Spike. The vampire had kept to himself since the attack, moping around like a wounded dog. Angelus had hurt him pretty badly but at first he hadn't even wanted any healing. It took a stern talking to from Willow to make him submit. Now he sat on a rock, away from the rest, smoking his cigarette, trying hard to look like he wasn't watching Buffy like a hawk. Kaya could never figure him out. They had met on occasion in the past, always on business, a fight against evil or simply an administrative problem. When she first heard about him she had assumed he would be more like Angel. After all they had spent close to half a century together and Angel had always spoken of him with brusque affection. But as it turned out they really couldn't be more different. Where Angel had class and sophistication, Spike was just crude and blunt. And the name! At least Angel had the good sense to change his name after he got a soul. Spike still used the name that related to his favorite torture device! She shook her head and looked away.

"So, do you think he'll make it? Angel, I mean?" the voice came from one of the soldiers who was standing slightly behind her. She gave him a cold stare. She wasn't in a mood to talk, especially not to some idiot who dared question Angel.

"Of course he'll make it!" she snapped.

"Good, I really hope so, cause if he doesn't we're screwed."

"You should probably spend a little more time worrying about doing your own job and less time worrying about other peoples." She hoped he heard the snubbing tone in her voice but to make her point clear she got up and walked some distance away from him. She didn't even want to imagine the possibility that Angel might not come back, let alone talk about it.

Angelus proudly inspected his troops. After the plan to eliminate the Slayer had failed the Teacher had agreed that it was vital to prepare for an attack. Now that the witches knew their plan hadn't worked they were sure to come up with something. But he would be ready. He knew how the witches operated and how Buffy would set up her strategies. He had magicians set up along the walls along the grand hall and they would be able to counter any attempt by the witches to shatter the gateway. And even if the magicians failed, Buffy and her pets would never get close enough to the Teacher to interfere with the ceremony, he had made sure of that.

Based on what he had seen in the cave, Buffy were apparently expecting a lot of werewolves with all the silver bullets she had gathered, so he had decided to give them werewolves. It had taken some physical pain on their part to get the specially bred werewolves the Teacher had brought in, obey his command but eventually they had learnt their lesson. Now they stood in a long line at the front, grinding their sharp teeth, snarling and twitching, jerking their chains from time to time. They would fall easily of course but they were only there as a distraction. Crouching behind them were the real threat, a dozen Urgolty demons; ugly, smelly little critters with the brain of a house fly but the outcrops on their bodies shot out poisoned darts capable of killing almost all living things. Behind them he had ordered five dozen Garuli demons to take up position. They had been very eager to prove their fighting skills to the Teacher since their last failure and he had, in his infinite wisdom, decided to give them a second chance. In addition to that, there were representatives of at least fourteen different demon-clans, all eager to be a part of this glorious battle.

There were other things too, things lurking in the shadows. It had taken Angelus some time to discover just how to utilize this particular location to its fullest but he felt very proud of himself over the result. The entire building was made of some strange form of liquid metal. It mostly felt hard, cold and smooth to touch but if you knew how, it was possible to change it to whatever shape you desired and you could also put things inside. After some interesting experiments he had discovered that at least three types of demons could survive in this metallic liquid. The fiercest of them was a Pa'rlk, a large, octopus-like creature whom the Teacher had encountered in a rarely visited dimension. It had taken some persuasion to convince it to unite with them but the creature had eventually succumbed to the many promises and threats given and had now taken up position deep within the wall itself, with the honorable mission of protecting the Teacher himself.

The Teacher was sitting on a large, ornate throne, his white beard glistening against the bright read mantle. Behind him was a large window to the world they inhabited; a dark, barren land with endless storms and hurricanes tearing at its soil. Angelus liked this place. It was powerful, unrelenting and unforgiving, just like him. With the Teacher's encouragement, Angelus had finally risen to the highest level of power and he was given the respect he had never known before, but always knew he deserved. As he made his way across the room, each lethal demon he past respectfully stepped out of his way, head or tentacles bowed in awe. The remaining fighters from the Varnush clan crossed their arms over their chests as a sign of honor. After he had killed their old leader they had come to treat Angelus as their new one and he took great satisfaction in that.

When he reached the center of the room, he took his place slightly below the throne. He looked up at the impressive sight of the Teacher in his bright red mantle, proudly surveying the scene below him. Angelus tilted his head respectfully.

"Everything is ready, Teacher." he said. The old man looked at him with affection.

"You have done well my son." he replied gracefully and he felt a surge of joy but also regret. All those years lost because of his love of his sire! He could kick himself. But at least now he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Suddenly he could hear a vague murmur coming from the black gateway in front of them. It was time. The Teacher closed his eyes and began a chant that soon filled every part of this magnificent hall. Angelus stood firm, his back straight, his head held high, eyes on the gateway. Soon it would become transparent and those on the other side could see, see him, the powerful Angelus at his Teacher's side, and they would know their time had come!

Xander crouched on the ground under a rock-ledge, as far from the gateway as he dared. He had thrown up a few times since the High and Mighty Priestess had told him he had to grab the crystal from under Dacq'ilion's nose and now he pressed his hand to his stomach, sure he would hurl again. He tried to concentrate on breathing deeply, closing his eyes so he could pretend he was somewhere else. A part of him was proud that they had selected him for this important job but mostly he just wanted to run away. When he opened his eyes again, after he was reasonably sure he had his stomach under control, he saw someone approaching from the corner of his eye. When he turned to see who it was he was surprised to see Spike casually strolling towards him. When he reached Xander he knelt down next to him, giving him an unusually sympathetic look. Xander held his breath, not sure what to expect. Spike hesitated for a moment then said,

"Look, I know you and I aren't exactly palls. My fault probably... Anyway, I just wanted you to know that in my book you've got bigger balls than anyone else in here." He thought for a bit before he continued, "You know Willow and Buffy wouldn't let you go through with this if they didn't think you could do it, right?" Spike looked at him questioningly. Xander couldn't help but stare at him. This was the first serious conversation they had ever had in over ten years of knowing each other. The very idea that Spike showed so much respect for him, the idiot who always screwed everything up, was mind-boggling. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he just nodded, even though he didn't feel sure about that at all. Spike nodded too, as if that was all that was needed. He put a strong hand on Xander's shoulder and the honesty in his voice almost made Xander want to weep.

"Don't worry, we've got your back. Just keep your eyes on the price. It'll be over in no time." Then he rose and walked back to his designated position, right behind Buffy. She threw Xander a quick glance and what seemed like an encouraging nod then turned her attention back to the gateway. Xander took a few deep breathes. He wasn't sure how to feel, but a strange sense of ease filled him. He straightened a bit. Maybe he could do this after all, maybe... He froze. A murmur was emanating from the pillars guarding the gateway. Inside them something stirred. Slowly the murmur grew louder and the vague movements became clearer; limbs thrashing, distorted facing appearing and disappearing. The noise now filled the cave and to Xander's horror he realized what it was; the shrieks and moans of thousands of souls in immeasurable pain.

The blackness of the gateway faded, turning to gray, then more and more transparent. When he could see the other side, he actually started to tremble. Hundreds of demons, one more hideous than the other, werewolves by the dozens, eager to rip the flesh off his bones, creatures with weapons, claws and fangs, and all of them were staring right at him! Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore he saw Angel. He was standing tall, his hands casually behind his back, a malicious smile on his face and his eyes fixed on Buffy. Xander gasped for air, his heart beating so fast he thought it would explode. Without thinking he looked over at Spike. The old vampire hadn't moved. He still stood as calmly as ever, leaning slightly on his long sword, nonchalantly smoking his cigarette while watching the scene in front of him. Buffy didn't seem too concerned either, her eyes never wavering from Angel's stare. Xander breathed deeply. It was going to be all right. It had to be.

Angelus felt exhilarated, intoxicated even. Everything was going according to plan. The fear on the faces of his opponents was obvious, the bloodthirst of his troops palpable. And Buffy had never looked more vulnerable as she stood so far below him, trembling, waiting for him to end her misery. The Teacher was fulfilling his destiny and he, Angelus, was right by his side. This was the best day of his life! He was the chosen one, the ultimate... strange... something happening... no! The witches had done something to him, he had to stop them...must focus, stay calm...pain...something pulling him down...NO! Falling deeper and deeper... clawing at the fading light... had to fight... mustn't let them do this... NOT AGAIN...NOOO! Gone.

Angel swayed a bit, shifted his stance, tried to stay on his feet. He could still hear the demon scream deep within him. What happened? He looked around, disoriented, confused. The demon Dacq'ilion was right behind him, his wrinkled hands clutching the Crystal, his chant echoing through the hall and mixing with the insufferable shrieks and moans of tortured souls. Hundreds of demons looked back at him suspiciously. He wanted to cringe but knew they would kill him in a second if he showed any sign of weakness. Then, beyond the grayish, transparent gateway, he saw Buffy. Her eyes were fixed on him, calm and focused. Slowly memories began to flood his mind, painful and horrifying. He had to force himself not run, swallowed hard not to scream. Then he heard a faint voice inside his head. He couldn't make out what it said, too much pain and the eerie chant and shrieks blocking all coherent thought. But the voice persisted and finally he heard Willow repeating the word gateway over and over again. He suddenly realized what it meant.

The two guardians of the gateway stood only a few feet from him, their arms stretched out, their bodies swaying to the rhythm of the chant. It would be easy enough to kill them the problem was the second he did his cover was blown. The Urgoltys hiding behind the werewolves had to be eliminated before Buffy came within range of their poisonous darts. Angel blocked out Willow's incessant chattering in his head and ran through the best course of action in his mind. He carefully lifted the sword, a strangely light weapon with intricate ornaments along the shaft and blade. Memories of the unique quality of the special metal rushed back to him and he had to draw on all his strength not to fall over. His mind was starting to feel very crowded, with the memories, his own feelings, his demonic counterpart still screaming and Willow, all fighting for space.

It was with a great sense of relief that he let himself concentrated all his energy on the kill. In an elegant flow of motion he chopped the heads of the guardians then quickly moved down to the ground floor, slashing demons left and right as he went. His focus was on the Urgoltys but he could sense the erupting chaos around him. The chanting even stopped for a second before it resumed again with greater urgency. The shrieks of pain had stopped and he assumed the gateway had been shut down. He had to hurry, Buffy wouldn't wait. He could hear the roars of the werewolves as the silver bullets hit them. When he reached the Urgoltys he started to pick them off one by one. Luckily they were easy enough to kill and so far the other demons didn't seem to know what to do. But that wouldn't last.

Buffy breathed deeply. This was it, the battle they had been waiting for. Finally. She gripped the sword a little tighter, felt the weight of it. It was a comforting feeling although she missed the simplicity of the wooden stake. Riley had ordered his men to fire and bullets were whizzing past her but she stood her ground. The soldiers had no problem eliminating the strangely high amount of werewolves so there wasn't even a need for her to get near them. She saw Angel thrashing about behind them. She couldn't see what it was he was fighting but for some reason he had been in a hurry to get there. The other demons had been rather dumb-struck at his sudden change. Apparently they had come to put a lot more faith in Angelus than she had anticipated but as long as it worked in their advantage she wasn't about to complain. But now they were starting to move in on him, clearly still not aware that the gateway had been shut down. Most werewolves lay dead on the floor, some reverting to their normal form, which to Buffy's relief was not human. Werewolves made out of demons, that was an interesting thought. Seconds later she had rushed through the gateway, sword held high, aiming at the horde of demons charging for Angel. She noticed the strange, small brownish creatures laying dead at his feat, thinking for a second it was odd that he had been so keen on killing such seemingly harmless things then she let go of all thought and focused entirely on the fight.

The demons head came off easy when her sharp sword cut through flesh and bone. On the rebound she pulled it into another demons side, kicked off another, blocking the knife of a third with her free arm. Angel was already on the ground, covered in blood from the many wounds he had sustained, but he was still fighting. Two more demons crashed in front of her, the sword in her hand moving too fast for any on them to escape. A sharp pain made her jerk away but seconds later she her sword pierced the demon before he had a chance to get her again. She ignored the wound in her side. It would heal soon enough. She had to get Angel out of there, they needed him if Xander was going to stand a chance. She could hear roars, groans and curses behind her. Spike was close, she could sense it. A quick glance was all she afforded herself and to her surprise she saw Spike busy cutting the heads off werewolves. Some of them had apparently not died. Riley and his men had begun to pour in through the gateway, fighting in groups of five, making sure no one had their backs unguarded. It took at least five of them to defeat one demon but their job was to clear a path for Xander, not kill all the demons in here.

When she reached Angel he had fought off the demons enough to get up from the floor. She pulled her sword in one ugly looking thing with horns everywhere, before he could put his knife in Angel's back. Angel turned around just in time to see the demon crash to the floor, the knife slipping from its grip. As their eyes met time froze. The pain she saw on his face felt like hot rods piercing her heart. She rammed her fist in a demon almost without noticing, not taking her eyes from his. She couldn't breathe and all thought was incoherent. Suddenly a sharp claw cut into her left arm and she let out a cry of pain, pulling both of them out of their temporary paralysis. She had dropped the sword and was forced to fight unarmed. With a fury building up from years of emotional trauma and agonizing burden, she unleashed all her strength on this unsuspecting demon, literally beating it to death with her fists. When she was finished she felt strangely relived. The pain inside was gone and all she could feel was the joy of the kill. She heard herself laughing, as she picked up her sword and started cutting through anything that moved, anything that would get in her way. She was the Slayer!

Xander made himself crawl the last few feet towards the gateway and then crouched close to the wall, making himself as small as possible. The thought of actually going inside made him shake all over. He was getting too old for this. He could see Buffy, Angel and Spike drawing all the attention, fighting their way through droves of demons, more than he had ever seen before in one place. Riley and his men had positioned themselves as they had agreed, giving him a clear path close to the wall. The witches kept the magicians busy with fireballs flying through the air as well as the occasional lightening-bolt. They were all doing their part, now it was up to him. He just wished he could have had a little more courage. Dawn had a lot of courage. He had always admired that about her... He clenched his fists. This was no time to be thinking about Dawn. He had to pull himself together!

He took a deep breath then slowly crept through the gateway. With all his heart he hoped no one would notice him as he made his way up towards the throne and the demon with the long beard and the ridiculous red cape. He didn't stand a chance against any of these demons. A vampire or two he might be able to handle, but this crowed was a tuff match even for Riley's trained and slightly enhanced men. But Willow had promised she would keep an eye on him and he hoped she could. With all the craziness in here it would be easy to miss one tiny, pathetic creature painstakingly making his way towards certain doom.