Ashes to Ashes

First in a Series

Chapter Three: Touched by a Demon

By Shelley L. Inks

The creature that had once been Buffy Anne Summers walked down a residential street, taking in the choas. In the distance behind her a siren wailed but she seemed not to notice. A pout crossed her pretty face, making her lower lip protrude. Someone had come to her city, her personal playground, and messed it all up. She'd been looking forward to doing that herself. With a sigh she leaned against a car parked in a driveway. Instantly the lights flares to life and it's security system began to honk loudly.

The house lights came on as the front door swung open and a man in his robe came out holding a shotgun pointed at her. She straightened up casually, showing no concern as he shouted at her, gesturing with the weapon, "What are you doing? Get away from there! Do you hear me?"

She narrowed her eyes disdainfully at this puny little man who presumed to order her about. Who did he think he was? She was the Slayer! No...no she was even more than that now! She could feel the power coursing through her veins. The man dared to procede out onto the porch and her keen eyes could pick out the straining veins on the side of his neck and the nervous tick the corner of his mouth had developed. He was afraid of her. Smart, but evidently not smart enough for his own good.

"I said get off my property! Leave us alone. Get outta here!" He shrilled then fired off a warning shot into the air. She frowned and approached him, noting how badly his hands were shaking. Her eyes glittered ever so softly in the firelight like ruby chips set in her pretty face. He cut a ridiculous figure in his shabby bathrobe and pajamas. Insignificant little filth...

"You should have made that shot count.." she responded icily then the man suddenly gave a yelp and looked down at the gun in his hands. The metal had heated to a firey red and was now melting. He dropped it in shock and stared at her, backing away.

"What...what are you?" He choked out in a whimper, pressing his back against the door and searching frantically for the doorknob to escape inside.

She looks up at him for a moment, and then smiled. "I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are...?" Suddenly her eyes lit up like burning embers and the man burst into flame. He shrieked and stumbled around for moment that two minutes before collapsing in a heap. Buffy frowned and tilted her head to one side,"Quite boring, really.." She shrugged as as an after-thought lit the entire house on fire, an amused expression crossing her face as she walked away, the sounds of the dying family trapped in the house echoing behind her.

"I need to find Willow," the Buffybot stated for at least the tenth time in the last half hour.

She walked toward the Summer's front door, knocking over a side table with a vase on it. Spike snatched the vase out of the air with one hand then turned to restrain the bot but found there was no need. She was walking determinedly into a wall repeatedly.

Onyx raised an eyebrow,"Some Slayer you got there..."

"She's NOT the real Slayer...Buffy...the Slayer, is dead," Spike said slowly, grabbing the bot and pulling her away from the wall, steering her over to the sofa and sitting her down. "Stay put now! There's bloody well enough things out there goin' bump in the night withou' you joining them."

"But my homing device locates Willow when I am injured. I am programmed to go to Willow," the bot insisted, sparks flying from her forehead as she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"We've had this discussion before, okay? Out of everyone here right now, I'm in charge. I'm the reason you were made to begin with so don't question me."

"I'm sorry, Spike.." A very affectionate look formed on her face as she stared at him and smiled,"You're right. You're always right. You have such good judgement and not just during sex!"

Having been drinking a pepsi Dawn had gotten her from the fridge Onyx coughed and spat out a mouthful of foamy soda in shock, shooting Spike a disgusted look as Dawn blushed and looked away. "I didn't need to hear that. Not at all.."

"Long story. It was a while ago," Spike muttered, running his fingers through his hair and stalking away to look out the window.

"I hope the others are okay...do..do you think they're okay?" Dawn asked, watching Spike's back as he stared out at the dying fires.

"Sure, pet. They're probably all huddled together safe as a bug in a rug," Spike replied with more confidence than he felt. Though if anything should happen to Xander he wouldn't really be that heartbroken about it...no. He frowned to himself. Can't think like that. It would upset Buffy. If only Buffy were here now...

Huddled safely in the Magic Shop the remaining Scoobies were having a nervous discussion. Anya cleared her throat and addressed Willow nervously, "Um, question. You want us to go back out there?"

"Well, yeah. Uh, unless somebody's got a better idea."

"Well, um, it's just ... we're minus a Buffybot. And, uh, Spike is missing in action somewhere with Dawn, and Giles flew away, and, uh, well you, you're looking a little magicked-out," Anya babbled, earning an uneasy look from her secret fiancee.

"Ahn honey, we're nearing your point, right?" Xander asked

"It's just how are we supposed to fight those guys? We can take a Vampire or two, sure, but there's a whole cavalcade of demons out there ... I mean, I think this, you know ... it, it takes, um ... I mean, I ... we need..." She fumbled to a stop, looking at Xander for support. For once she understood ahead of time she was about to say something that might upset everyone. But it needed to be said so Xander finished for her.

"Buffy."

"Buffy," Anya agreed.

"Buffy.." Willow started harshly, looking at the expectant faces around her, looking for encouragement and leadership but she had none of either to offer,"...is not coming back.We failed." Dismay and sorrow filled the others. Stumbling on, attempting to ease their pain, Willow stated,"So ... we're it, gang. Xander, grab the weapons. We're gonna look for Dawn and Spike." She got to her feet slowly. The sound of glass breaking started them all and they whirled to look.

"If we're gonna go, we should go now, they're just getting more and more worked up by the moment," Tara whispered.

"Well, they can't keep it up forever. I mean, maybe they'll party themselves out, you know, tire of this place and move on," Xander offered hopefully. he looked form one face to another, finding little reassurance there. His throat bobbed in a hard swallow,"R-right?"

Gathered in a trashed parking lot the remainder of Razor's Hellions waited for his orders. He regarded them all for a moment, keeping them in suspense. "Say hello to your new home, boys."

The demons broke into a riotous cheer, opening stolen beer and chugging it enthusiastically. Fire barrels cast their eerie shadows on the surrounding concrete.

Back-lit by a massive burning pile of trash, Razor continued, his guttral voice ringing out loud and clear in the smokey night air. "This here is a momentous occasion, the beginning of a new era. Now, no question, the open backroads and highways have been good to us. But we've got ourselves a juicy little burg here, just ripe for the picking. And I ain't in no hurry to leave it, you?"

"Hell no!" the demons chorused as a slender form drew closer, approaching them from behind.

"So I figure, what better way to start off than to hunt down those two bitches responsible for the deaths among our ranks? A symbolic act commemorating the new order around here ... and ridding ourselves of any not-so-pleasant reminders of the old!"

A fluid female voice spoke up and interrupted him,"I have some problems with that...see this is my town." A rumble of dismay stirred in the crowd and they parted so Razor could achieve a clear look at the petite blond standing with her hands on her hips in their midst. Leaden silence fell as all eyes turned toward the girl in her ragged, dirty grave garments. Her head tilted calmly to one side in a curious bird-like gesture, the move of a predator sizing up her prey. Her irises breifly gleamed the color of blood.

"Another one for the fire, boys," Razor commented, eyeing what he wrongly pressumed to be another Buffybot. He ferally grinned, showing a his ragged fangs. "Tear it up!"

As the demons advanced on her, brandishing clubs and whirling chains over their heads, Buffy smiled wicked.

Wandering down the alleyways in an attempt to get home without being seen and attacked, Tara was trying to convince Willow that the failure of the ressurrection spell hadn't been her fault but Willow was remorseful and adamant. They all stopped as a blood stained figure emerged into the alley ahead of them.

"It ... it's the Buffybot." Anya said in relief, taking in the tore black dress and blood splattered blonde-hair. The bot had an odd expression though, and had failed to greet them with her characteristic bubbliness. Or greet them at all for that manner. infact her face creased momentarily in an expression of disgust before smoothing out indifferently once more.

Xander shook his head sarcastically," Ah, peachy. No doubt to lead the wild bunch right to us again. Hey Will, next time this thing's damaged, couldn't ya program it to find the nearest Radio Shack, or..." He broke off at the look on Willow's face. A vaguely hopeful, astonished look.

"Buffy?"

The blond studied them calculatingly for a moment longer before an easy, self-satified smirk bloomed, "That's right. Wanna tell me what I'm doing here?"