A pair of green scaly legs firmly planted to the ground as a pair of human legs dangled kicking out from someone pinned high against a tree. The monster makes gurgling noises and low-pitched roars as Buffy is being held against the tree by her neck.
Buffy yells out desperately "Nnnrrf! Nnnrrf!" Nearby a picnic table Xander is just coming to having been knocked around by the monster, at the table, Willow frantically searches through their bag of demon-killing implements "Oh, God! Demon! Demon! What kills a demon?!"
Buffy struggles with the monster's hand at her neck, but can't get it to budge and has a hard time breathing "Nnnrrf! Nnnrrf!" Willow still searching through the bag suddenly understands "Oh, Nerf! Not Nerf. Knife!".
She finds a knife and runs with it to Buffy's aid. She tosses the knife to Buffy, who blindly grabs it from behind out of mid-air and stabs the monster in the chest. The monster immediately falls over dead, taking Buffy down with it.
Willow and Xander help her up as Buffy sighs with relief "Okay. That was too close for comfort. Not that slaying is ever comfy, but... you know what I mean?" she takes a deep needful breath "If you guys hadn't been here to help..."
Willow grimaces at her best friend knowing the dangers of Slaying "But, we were, and we did, and, and we're all fine" she looks down at the monster and tilts her head thoughtfully "Isn't he gonna go poof?" Xander and Buffy both look at the monster confused before the latter shrugs "Mm, I guess these guys don't. We'll have to bury him or something. Uhhf...".
They all walk over to the picnic table wary from the new monster "Makes you appreciate vamps, though. No fuss, no muss" Buffy sits cross-legged on one end of the table, Xander sits on the other and Willow sits on the bench below and between them and grabs a drink.
"So how come Faith was a no-show? I thought mucus-y demons were her favorites," Xander questions as he munches on a snack "Couldn't reach her... again. She hasn't been hanging out much" Buffy shrugs reaching for a snack.
Xander eyes his blonde friend "I detect worry," Buffy shrugs her shoulders "A little bit. Slaying's a rough gig. Too much alone time isn't healthy. Stuff gets pent up," she munches the snack as Willow pipes up "We should try to do more socializing with her".
Buffy looks at Willow with a small pout "Mm I tried but I get the feeling she only has room for one blonde Slayer in her life," she half-joked talking about her twin sister "She still choosing Nikki to Slay with?" Xander asks as Buffy nods quickly "like I get they're friends but now it just seems like Nikki doesn't want to hang with me anymore".
The three of them are quiet until Xander pats his legs "Well, burial detail aside, does this cap us off for the day?" Buffy glances at him questioningly "You got plans?" The dark head teen laughs sarcastically "I cannot stress enough how much I don't have plans".
Both girls grimace at his tone "No luck reaching Cordelia?" Buffy asks gently knowing how many voice-mails he was leaving his ex-girlfriend daily "I've left a few messages. Sixty... Seventy... But you know what really bugs me?" he looks at Willow "Okay, we kissed. It was a mistake. But I know that was positively the last time we were ever gonna kiss".
Willow nods quickly in agreement "Darn tootin'!" Xander gestures wildly "And they burst in, rescuing us, without even knocking? I mean, this is really all their fault" Buffy rolls her eyes at her friend's dramatics "Your logic does not resemble our Earth logic".
Xander shrugs as he continues to snack "Mine is much more advanced" Buffy smirks as she lets out a soft laugh "and it's times like his I can see why Nikki has trouble not hitting you" Xander just pouts at the Slayer's words.
"I just don't get it, Nikki hated Cordelia when she moved here and now they best buddies?" Xander questioned looking put out "Cordelia was there for Nikki after Angel tried to..." Willow stopped and looked at Buffy who looked sad.
"Have the two of you ever talked about that... thing?" Willow asked gently as Buffy shook her head "Giles told me not to, Mom still doesn't know and Nikki won't even talk about Angel without threatening to kill him... I wish she would understand that Angel wasn't himself without his soul".
The other two teens looked at each other carefully but said nothing, both not sure if they agreed with their Slayer friend's logic, until Nikki wanted to talk about it they wouldn't say anything about the topic that everyone was avoiding like the plague.
"At least tomorrow's Monday, another school day," Willow said trying to shift the conversation from the topic she had started "Well, that's good. You know, focus on school. That's the strong Willow way to heal" Buffy nodded to herself sounding positive for her best friend.
"Actually, I was more thinking Oz will be there, and I can beg for forgiveness," Willow explains with a small smile as Buffy nods slowly "That works, too" Willow sighs knowing that look "I-I wanna be strong Willow. But then I think I may never get to be close to Oz again, and it's like all the air just goes out of the room".
Buffy frowns thinking about what Willow had said "I know the feeling," she lets out a sigh as Xander looks at her knowingly "Right. I mean, you went through it with Angel, and you're still standing. So tell us, Wise One, how do you deal?".
Buffy now smiles as she looks at the two friends she didn't have in Hemery back when Slaying was hard and lonely "I have you guys".
Cordelia sits alone in her room with the lights low. She has a picture of Nikki, herself, Xander, Willow and Buffy all with their arms around each other, and is cutting each person off with a straight vertical cut, leaving only herself and Nikki connected.
She lets the pieces fall into a bowl on a breakfast tray, picking up the now smaller picture of her and Nikki placing it back into her photo-box. In the background, her answering machine plays back her messages.
"Hey, it's Xander. If you get this, call me".
Taking the scraps of Willow and Buffy she throws into a bowl carelessly as the last part of the picture left in her hand is of Xander, and she cuts diagonally right through his face.
"Hi! Xander. I, uh... Well, I'm in if you feel like calling. Bye".
Cordelia's eyes and cheeks are heavy with tears, she never knew someone like Xander Harris would be the source of her pain but he was. She sighs heavily, takes a match and strikes it before she lights Xander's part of the picture.
"Hi, Cordelia. Um... If you get the chance, if we could talk, I'm here".
She drops the lit piece into the bowl and holds the match to the others. They all suddenly burst into flame. The light of the flame shows just how tired, slagged and haggard Cordelia has become.
"Hey again! It's me. I'm here. Again".
She watches as the flames consume the image of Xander but none of it makes her feel any better; it doesn't make the pain go away.
Slamming my locker shut I turn around and bump into Willow who was nervously playing with her hands but made no move to talk "Sup Will" I said as the redhead gave me a small smile I notice her eyes are getting watery "are you still my friend" she asks sounding like a scolded child.
Placing my hands on her shoulder I gave her a firm but comforting smile "Of course I'm your friend Willow" she gave me a bright smile "But.." her smile diminishes as I continue on "I'm really disappointed in you, I never thought it would be you to do something like that".
Willow nods as her shoulder drop in defeat "I know," she muttered as I sighed heavily "Remember when we caught them kissing for the first time and you ran to the bathroom crying brokenhearted?" Willow looks up at me in surprise "Imagine how Cordy is feeling right now".
Giving Willow a small pat on the shoulder I move past her only to find Xander in my path "not now Harris" I grumble hitching my bag up higher on my shoulder as I almost stop to let him talk but thought better of it and kept on moving.
Walking towards the quad I hear the horrible sounds of preppy laughter, shivering internally I rounded the corner to see Harmony and her fleet of brainless minions stood with Cordelia who looked beaten down "I'm pretty sure he won't cheat on you. At least not for a while. Plus, he's got a killer moped".
Stepping closer I noticed Jonathan sitting on the steps looking up at Cordelia sympathetically "Harmony you have the rest of your life to be a jerk, why not take today off?" I say to the blonde girl who was now looking at me speechless like she was trying to think of something to say "Oh god just go...".
Harmony huffed and swung her long hair over her shoulder before stomping away with her groupies following her, looking down at the dumbfounded boy I gave a short nod "Jonathan" he lifted his hand and waved.
Putting my arm across Cordy's shoulder I steered her away "So... that went well" dropping my arm I nudged my friend as she remained frozen "breath Cordy" she looked at me gratefully when we stopped in the middle of the hall "thanks, I had nothing to say to her, I am the queen of combacks and I blanked".
"I'm pretty sure I'm the queen of comeback Cordy" I grin at her before gasping "Oh and sarcasm" I laughed and turn only to see Xander at the end of the hall when he spots us he stops "shit" Cordelia looks for a way to turn this to her advantage, and pulls an old boyfriend out of the crowd "Hey, John Lee. Do I have something caught in my teeth?".
Quickly drinking from the water fountain, I use it as an undercover disguise as I watch for Cordelia's revenge I turn slightly to see her smile to expose her teeth and angles her head up so he can see. She shifts her head back and forth, and John Lee dutifully follows her movements.
Xander soon gets the message and heads into the cafeteria. When Cordelia sees he's gone, she steps back from John Lee "So... What's new? God, it's been, like, a gazillion years!" Cordelia exclaims to the jock.
"Look, the guys are kinda down on me lately. Coach has cut me back to second string. If anyone saw me hanging with Xander Harris' castoff on top of that... Death, you know, but... maybe... If you wanna go someplace private..." John Lee says attempting to sound seductive.
Straightening up I notice Cordelia looking surprised to find the tables turned "What?" I wince at her tone "Think about it" John Lee leaves promptly but not before giving me a quick wink making me curl my lips in disgust.
And just like that Cordelia had become a social leper, the once queen bee is nothing more than... well nothing "Ouch, painful" I mumble as she starts back down the hall, and is startled when a blonde girl bumps into her.
She smiles at widely at us "Hey," Cordelia just huffs and rolls her eyes "Go ahead. Dazzle me with your oh-so-brilliant insults. Just join the club," The girl just looks at Cordelia stunned "Hardly. Uh, actually, I've been looking for you. Ever since we met this morning, I was, like, thank God there's one other person in this town who actually reads W".
Cordelia gives me a subtle shocked before turning back to the new girl "But Harmony..." The girl just shrugs carelessly "Oh, she follows me around. If that girl had an original thought, her head would explode".
I snorted at her words making her turn to look at me with a friendly smile "I'm Anya Emerson. Nice verbal hit back there" I just nod not realizing she had been there, but I was often oblivious to new people when I was on a mission to destroy preppy bitches "Nikki Summers".
"Is that Gucci?" Cordelia questions once she notices Anya's pendant "Um... no. It's an actual old thing, sort of a, um... good luck charm my dad gave me" I glance at her pendant and frown at the gaudy looking necklace.
"Hm, all my dad ever gave me was an evil stepmother and daddy issues," I said with a grin noticing Anya's mouth curve up into a small smirk "Too bad I didn't have one of those pre-Xander," Cordelia said nodding towards Anya's 'lucky," pendant.
"Can I just say... Men" Anya huffed as the three of us started down the hall "Second it" Cordelia agreed with a nod "Yeah... men," I mutter with no real force thinking about Beck, the one guy I liked and was currently avoiding.
"Apart from being without class, the guy's obviously blind. Deserves whatever he gets," Anya tells Cordelia who just shrugs "I'm not even thinking about him. I am past it. I am living my life".
I smile and nudge my friend as she tries to piece herself back together "Still, I mean... Don't you kinda wish..." Anya begins but Cordy interrupts her quickly "I don't wish. I act. Starting now, Xander Harris is gonna get a bellyful of just how over him I am".
Somehow Cordelia had managed to drag me to the Bronze with her, which coincidentally was the same place, Xander, Willow, and my sister was also hanging out. Faith had asked me to chill out with her tonight but apparently my other brunette friend needed a wing woman.
Cordelia, Anya and I are at the bar, dressed sexily, which is exactly how Cordelia told us to dress when she called me after school to ask... well demanded for me to go to the Bronze with her. Cordy, Anya and I are all dressed in similar short dresses each in a different color.
I huff as Cordelia pretends to have a great conversation with some guy as his friends hit on Anya and me, the former looking bored and almost offended at the boys' attention.
Behind us sitting on the couch beneath the stairs, Willow and my sister look glum, while Xander pretends to be having fun, forcing himself to laugh. I notice him glance at Cordelia before looking back at Willow and Buffy and lets out gales of laughter.
Zoning in an out I practically ignore the guys in favor of people watching, not that I don't like their attention but I was already in deep with Beck after catching feelings for him, I needed no more boy drama right now.
I smile watching Cordelia use the old pushing the guy's shoulder with a flirty giggle trick but I knew she was only doing it because we were being watched right now, catching Anya's eye I smirked as she rolled them at me jokingly.
"Well, as fun as this is I've gotta go," Anya speaks up "aw, really?" Cordy questions as the blonde nods her head and grabs her purse "I uh, promised my dad I would be home early" she blurts but soon smiles at us "I'll see you guys tomorrow".
Cordelia grabs Anya in a small hug and they kiss each other's cheeks "Bye" I just smiled and nod to the girl as she smirks at me already knowing my preference to not being hugged or kissed... or touched in general.
As she goes a boy bumps into Cordy, jostling her wound "Hey watch it!" I growl at him as she puts her hand over it "Come on let's get you some fresh air" I say as Cordelia holds onto my arm letting out a pained sound as we moved to the back door.
"Hey, wait a second" Cordelia and I both stop hearing my sister's voice "hey B" I greet as Cordelia lets go of my arm to face my sister "Did Xander send you to beg for him? Because if he did...".
Buffy shakes her head adamantly "No. I'm a free agent, I promise. I just wanted to see how you are" Cordelia gives Buffy a bitter smile "Never been better" she turns and starts to leave.
"Cordelia, I know what it's like to be hurt by someone," Cordelia turns slowly to face Buffy again "Hurt so much that you don't think you're gonna make it. But I told my friends how I felt, and you know what? It got a little better".
Suddenly a vampire jumps down behind Buffy and swings at her head, but she middle blocks it and punches him in the face which sends him to the pavement on his side and Buffy punches him in the face while he's down.
She reaches for his shirt and yanks him back up to his feet "Stay back" I tell Cordelia who nods at me hurriedly still holding her tender wound. Suddenly another vamp joins us and I jump into action.
Blocking both of his punches I bring my knee up into his gut making him double over, I quickly carry on the momentum and deliver an uppercut to his chin knocking him backward "Aww come on Snowflake, at least hit me once" I mock as the vamp lets out a dazed growl.
He staggers backward two steps but keeps his footing. He advances and does two roundhouse kicks, which I low block. He quickly jumps on me with a roar "Bitch!" he growls at me as I struggle with him.
Looking around for a weapon I notice a sharp metal pole in the pile of rubbish next to us, getting my feet in between us I kicked the vampire up and off me. Bringing my arm up rapidly the metal soars into the vampire's chest as he looks down at me dumbfounded "Oh shit" He quickly turns to ash.
Letting my head drop to the concrete I watch as the vampire Buffy's fighting try to punch Buffy but she ducks it and rises back up to deliver a roundhouse kick to his side. This sends him stumbling backward right at Cordelia "Cordelia, look..."
Cordelia has no time to react and gets knocked into a pile of garbage "... out" Buffy finishes as the brunette girl lets out a shocked grunt "shit, Cordy!" I swear getting up to run over to her.
The vampire gets back up to his feet and picks me up before throwing me through the air, my back hits the side of a wall and I drop to the fall harshly "Damn it" I hiss looking back up in time to see Buffy flip him over onto his back.
She pulls out her stake and jams it home making the vampire bursts into ashes, getting back up with a groan I walk over to Cordelia and carefully pick her up out of the garbage "are you okay?" I question as she looks troubled.
Behind us I hear the laughter of a group of girls, Buffy quickly tosses aside her stake, as Harmony and her friends walk by, looking Cordelia over and keep laughing as they go.
Noticing the banana peel hanging off Cordy's shoulder I quickly pick it off her and throw it in the pile as the girls continue to laugh mockingly. After they've gone, Cordelia spins around to look at my sister and if she could spit fire, I think she would be right now.
"You know what I've been asking myself a lot this last week? Why me? Why do I get impaled? Why do I get bitten by snakes? Why do I fall for incredible losers? And you know, I think I've finally figured it out, what my problem is? It's you!".
Buffy glances at me like I had some sort of answer for her, Cordelia huffs out a broken laugh and walks away "Cordy wait" I call but she just puts her hand out to stop me "I just want to be along right now, please Nikki".
Watching her limp away I let out a sigh as my sister stood by my side "What do we do?" I shrug at her empty words "I don't think there is anything we can do, B". Turning around I started in the other direction "Where are you going?" Buffy called after me.
"Home" I mutter back to her as I crossed my arms regretting letting Cordelia talk me into wearing this dress, luckily for me the walk home wasn't really that long and I was way too far into my thoughts that it made the journey seem short.
As I walked through the door I notice my mom's head peek around the corner "Ah there's my youngest child" she smiles until she notices my face "are you okay?" I nod sitting on the arm of the couch "me? For once I'm the okay one".
Suddenly the shrill ring of the house phone sounded and my mom picked up the receiver "Hello?" waiting for her to finish I take off my shoes "Oh Beckett" I jump up when my mom's voice lightens up.
"Sweetie it's Beck," mom says holding the phone out to me, picking up my shoes I slowly back away "Tell him I'm not feeling well," I say as she relays my message before following me to the stairs.
"What's going on Nicola?" She questions in her mom voice I stop on the stairs "You never pass up the opportunity to talk to Beck" tears filled my eyes, but I didn't turn to her "we broke up" I tell her simply as I carried on the ascent to my room.
"is there anything I can do?" My mom questions genuinely as I think about it "No" I mutter opening my door and softly closing it behind me placing my head on the cold wood, feeling lost "I don't think there's anything anyone can do".
After a night of night terrors and insomnia, I walk beside Cordelia and Anya as the former tells her recollection of her night including her fall into the garbage pit but minus how she really got there.
"... Buffy Summers. That's when all my troubles started" Cordelia winces in pain and holds her side "When she moved here" Cordy glances at me "no offense" I huffed a laugh shaking my head with a smile.
"Are you okay?" Anya questioned looking concerned but Cordelia waves her off "Oh, I just pulled some stitches last night. Know why?" she glares in my sister's direction "Surprise It was Buffy's fault".
Anya follows Cordelia's gaze and sees Buffy and company sitting on a bench "not 100% sure it was.. yep okay" I stop seeing her face, her feud with Buffy was not something I wanted to get myself involved in.
Harmony soon interrupts us with an evil smirk on her face "Oh, hey, it's Garbage Girl. Loved the look last night, Cor. Dumpster chic for the dumped" She and her troop rudely giggle as Cordelia looks down in embarrassment.
Glaring at the superficial blonde idiot I gritted my teeth "Did your brain take a laxative because there is a lot of shit coming out of your mouth, Harm?" I sneer her name as she gasps making the other idiots follow her lead.
"Aww, what's the matter can't give as good as you get? Did I upset you, princess? That's a shame. I'll pencil in some time to cry about it later," Getting yet another annoyed scream from her she pushes her way through our small group.
Seeing Cordelia's broken expression Anya takes her pendant off "Here. I think you need this more than I do right now" I frown wondering how an ugly necklace would help Cordelia out of her own personal hell.
Cordelia lifts her hair away from her neck and lets Anya put it on "Yeah, I can use some luck," she eyes Buffy still looking annoyed "And a stick with pointy, sharp bits. If that Buffy wasn't... I swear. She's a pain".
"But Xander, he's an utter loser. Don't you wish..." Anya begins but Cordelia shakes her head "I never would've looked twice at Xander if Buffy hadn't made him marginally cooler by hanging with him".
"Really?" Anya questioned as she too looks over at my sister who was paying no attention to us "Yeah, I swear! I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale".
Anya suddenly turns back to Cordelia, who gasps to see that her face has suddenly become very wrinkled and raw-looking, she has an evil smirk on her face and a dark look in her eyes "Done".
Cordelia looks around her. Anya and Nikki are gone. Buffy, Willow, and Xander are not sitting at the bench anymore. There are far fewer students in general. The place is, in fact, rather a mess. Garbage and palm leaves are strewn about the quad.
"Anya? Nikki?" Cordelia calls out to her only two friends, but they were both strangely absent, suddenly she notices that she no longer has her injury. Anya's pendant, however, is still around her neck. Slowly she begins to figure it out.
"'I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale.'" Cordelia smiles to herself "She was, like... a good fairy. A scary, veiny... good fairy" she smiles again gleefully as she almost squeals.
She laughs as she heads into the halls and just like outside, there are far fewer students inside. Everyone is dressed in dark and drab clothing. Cordelia is the standout in her bright turquoise dress.
She sees Harmony and her friends at her locker, and hesitates remembering their last encounter, Harmony closes her locker and sees her "Where have you been?!" the blonde calls as she approaches Cordelia, and her friends follow.
Cordelia gives them a careful smile "Ted Chervin just totally went for third with Ginger in front of everybody" Harmony informs her as one of the girls gives her a friendly smile "Love the dress. It's so daring" Harmony nods in agreement.
John Lee walks up to them smiling flirtatiously "Cordelia," Cordy glances at him wondering what he had to say "Yeah?" he pulls her aside "Look, every guy on campus has probably asked, but if you're not going to the Winter Brunch with anyone, I'd be honored, and we'd have fun".
Cordelia considers her response back to queen bee mode "I'll get back to you" John Lee grins widely "Really?" Cordelia smiles at him happy to be back on top of the food chain once again "Yeah".
"Great!" He heads down the hall, a happy man. Harmony steps over to her "Cordy, you reign!" she says almost dreamily as if she wishes she were Cordelia "I do? I mean, I do. So what's with the Winter Brunch thing?"
"Alright. Now, don't forget, tomorrow we have our, uh, monthly memorial, so, uh, there's no class" the teacher informs the class before he rushes out of the room. The students also make a point of getting out of there quickly "What's the rush?" Cordelia asks seeing her friends quickly packing up their things.
"Oh, you know, my mom hates it when I'm late" Harmony tells Cordelia rolling her eyes "Since when? Aren't we going out tonight?" she questions getting up as a Cordette gives her a confused glance "Curfew starts in an hour".
"Curfew? Come on, I'm in a really good mood! Let's go to the Bronze!" Harmony and her friends all stop and give Cordelia a disbelieving look "Is that a joke?" she questions with a disgusted look.
Cordelia just nods like she missed something "Oh! The Bronze isn't cool in this reality. I've gotta make these little adjustments" She smiles as Harmony and Cordette exchange looks.
"Cordy, what's with you? I mean, you wear this come-bite-me outfit, you make jokes about the Bronze, and you're acting a little schizo," Harmony claimed looking troubled at her friend.
"You're right. I just... Well, I bumped my head yesterday, and I keep forgetting stuff. Not that I care, but Xander Harris, he's miserable, right? And that Willow freak he hangs with, not even a blip on the radar screen, right?" Cordelia babbles with a smile hoping Xander and Willow are both suffering in this universe.
Harmony gives Cordelia a look of pure confusion "Well, yeah. They're dead" Cordelia's smile fades, not at all sure how she feels about that, Harmony rolls her eyes and leaves the room with Cordelia running after her "Wait, what about Nikki?... Where's Nikki?".
Harmony turns to her friend with a raised eyebrow and Cordelia knew she wasn't going to like the words that left her on and off again, frenemies mouth "Who?"
The Sun Cinema is closed. The last shop pulls a metal gate across its storefront. The street is dirty. A smashed car just sits in the middle of it. In the distance, Cordelia can hear sirens and screams as she walks along.
Suddenly Xander appears in front of her, wearing only a white T-shirt and black leather jacket and pants. She startles and stops short "Well, whadaya know? Cordelia Chase" his voice seems different now, smoother more confident.
"What is this? Some kind of sick joke? Harmony told me you were dead," Cordelia cried out as Xander shrugs and plays her game as he tries not to grin "Now, why would she say something like that? Let's think".
Cordelia stops him before he could say anything else "Listen to me. We have to find Buffy or Nikki. They'll figure out a way to save us. They were supposed to be here, and as much as it kills me to admit it... things were better when Buffy was also around".
Xander glances at Cordelia his eyebrow raised "Buffy? The Slayer?" Cordy just rolls her eyes dramatically still not realizing the danger she was in "No! Buffy the dog-faced girl! Duh! Who do you think I'm talking about?".
"Bored now" Willow voice drones out as she slowly walks up to them, she is also dressed in black leather but the bodice of her outfit is trimmed in red lace "This is the part that's less fun. When there isn't any screaming".
Cordelia looks between the two of them confused "What's up with you two and the leather?" Willow faces Xander slowly "Play now?" the teen sighs and looks at his redhead companion "It's not that I don't appreciate your appetite, Will, but I thought we agreed it was my turn".
Willow whines and brushes her hand against Xander's chest "No. No! No way! I wish us into Bizarro Land, and you guys are still together?! I cannot win!" Cordelia cries out as Xander looks at her "Probably not" he vamps out suddenly showing his true colors "But I'll give you a head start".
Cordelia gasps distraught and afraid "No!" She drops her bag and runs as Willow smirks happily "I love this part" They kiss passionately with lots of tongue before Xander turns his attention to the chase "You love all the parts".
Willow follows at a walk as Xander runs after Cordelia. He jumps up, runs over the smashed car and jumps down behind her, grabs her by the neck and throws her down to the street roaring at her as she screams terrified.
"No fun. She isn't even putting up a fight" Willow moans as she pouts up at Xander, the brunette on the floor looks fearful of her two formal friends when someone begins to walk out of the shadows.
"Do you two always have to play with your food" A smooth, confident voice rings out as the two vampires' heads drop submissively at whoever was walking towards them. Cordelia suddenly gasps again but this time it wasn't from fear "Nikki?" she exclaims as her friend struts over to them her face void of any recognition.
Cordelia looked her friend over, she had dark brunette hair and her usual confident stance but what confused her most was they way Willow and Xander seemed to be scared of her; they looked like two petulant children being scolded by their mother.
"Hello human, do I know you?" Nikki grinned showing off her pearl white teeth "Why are you with them, you're a Slayer and they're vampires?" Cordy questioned as Nikki lets out a loud mocking laugh.
"I'm sorry little human but you have the wrong person" Her face suddenly morphs into something terrifying and her eyes beam yellow as she leans in closer to Cordelia "I'm much better".
Suddenly a van comes screeching around the corner "Aw, swell. It's the White Hats" Nikki lets out a pissed growl as the van screeches to a stop next to Cordelia, and Giles jumps out with a large cross in hand to ward them off.
They have to back away "That's not nice Rupert" Nikki hisses as the humans all jump "Oh god, it's you" Giles stutters out in his accent voice as Oz has a crossbow trained on them.
Two others jump out of the sliding door, one with a stake held ready, the other with another cross "I've got them! Get the girl!" Cordelia is quickly helped into the van as Xander and Willow growl angrily as they watch their prize being stolen from them.
Once Cordelia is safely inside, Giles hops back in "I'll be coming for you librarian" Nikki laughs manically as he slams the doors shut and they take off "Let's go" Nikki orders the two vampires who dutifully nod their heads and follow her back to the hideout.
They lay Cordelia out on the large center table her having passed out in the back of the van from shock "How's she doing?" Oz questioned as Giles looked the poor girl over she'd had a rough night "Her pulse is strong".
"What was she doing wearing that? Everyone knows that vampires are attracted to bright colors," Nancy implored glancing down at the happily colored clothing the popular girl was wearing.
"That's Cordelia. It's better to look good than to feel alive" Larry attests knowingly as Giles shakes his head "we shall talk with her when she wakes," he tells the teens scratching his head.
"I can't believe Nikki was there" Larry begins as he stands next to Oz "She the one vampire I never want to run into" he finishes with a grimace on his face as Nancy crosses her arms nodding in agreement "She's definitely a different level of vampire".
"Uh, go and, uh, watch the perimeters in case they follow" Giles instructs them as it too left him feeling unsettled seeing the usually vicious brunette vampire, he was just glad they had made it out in one piece.
Music blares loudly as Xander, Willow and Nikki approach the club. A couple of the vampires standing outside feast on fresh victims caught out after dark. The three of them go into the club and check out the happenings inside.
There are several cages containing terrified humans suspended a few feet from the floor as Willow as Xander lap up the attention of the club Nikki moves through the building swiftly and stoically.
Willow reaches into one of and strokes a victims cheek, the man recoils making Willow laugh. Xander and Willow follow Nikki's lead as they head toward the back of the club, past the pool tables where a vampire has a wayward biker tied to all four corners.
Xander runs his hand across the man's chest "Slap my hand, dead soul man" he grinned at the vampire as they shake hands, Nikki rolled her eyes at his attitude as they continue into the back, sometimes it was hard to be around these two without killing them herself.
Seeing the brunette vampire walking closer a guard vampire holds the curtain aside for them to enter, Nikki winks at him with a smirk across her red lips giggling when he was visibly affected.
When he sees them come in, the Master rises from his throne happily. His three favored vampires come to stand before him, leaving them behind her Nikki took her place in her usual seat, on the right-hand side of the Masters.
The older vampire gave Nikki a fatherly embrace before she sat down in a smaller throne similar to her sires, The Master turns to smile at the other two vampires in his presence "Ahh. Xander... Willow... Hungry?".
He grabs a girl by the hair and lifts her by it, the girl remains silent with fear but keeps her eyes fixed on the Master as he eyes her with disgust "I've lost my appetite for this one. She keeps looking at me. I'm trying to eat, and she looks at me".
He notices Willow's desire for a kill and turns the girl's head toward her "Go on!" he coos as Willow smiles up at Xander, who gives her a look of approval. She turns back to the Master and vamps out.
The Master shoves the girl over to her, Willow catches her in her arms with her head laid back and bites her hard. Xander, as always, is impressed with her zest for a fresh drink.
"I remember that lust for the kill" he sits back down on his throne crossing one leg over another "Now... What news on the Rialto?" Xander faced the older vampire who looked up at him patiently.
"Had a prime kill. An old crush, actually, till that wannaslay librarian showed up" Xander informed as Nikki's eye twitched, that damn librarian was always getting in our business.
"He'll be dealt with soon enough," The Master waved it off as Willow comes back to Xander's side, licking her fingers "Weird thing: girl kept talking about Buffy. 'Gotta get Buffy here.'" The Master sat up straighter at the boy's words "Isn't that what they called the Slayer?".
Xander's eyes meet Nikki's questioningly "Your Slayer?" Nikki rolled her eyes at his words, if Buffy was here he'd already bed dead, she knew her sister couldn't kill her, she'd had so many chances before.
Willow strokes his chest "Hmm. Buffy. Ooo. Scary" she drawls as Xander gave her a small grin his eyes never leaving The Masters "Someone has to talk to her people. That name is striking fear in nobody's hearts".
Nikki grinned as she leaned forward at Xander's words "Her people are a little indisposed right now but I bet if you dig up their rotting corpses they'd be happy to talk about how affected you are by their child's name".
The Master stands up looking annoyed holding his hand out to silence his favorite's sassy words "She talked of summoning the Slayer here, now, at this time, and you didn't kill her?" Nikki smirked drumming her fingernails on the chair as the two vampires almost cowered back.
"Well, they had crosses," Willow answered quietly as if she was being nagged by a parent "The plant begins operation in less than twenty-four hours," The Master steps up to them "You will find this girl," he reaches out to stroke their cheeks "You will kill her before she contacts the Slayer. Or I'll see you two kissing daylight".
Turning to Nikki he placed a hand on her cheek as she looks up at him in absolute adoration "we all know how I hate insolence and insubordination" Xander and Willow shiver at the threat they both knew the story of how the Slayer sister came to be a vampire.
Not wasting any time the two leave quickly to find Cordelia as The Master sits back in his throne next to his sired child "Soon the world will be ours, child, we are the future" Nikki grins at her Sire's words she liked the thought of ruling the world and with The Master by her side she would rule it with an iron fist.
Cordelia groans as she regains consciousness. Giles comes rushing down to her from the stacks and tries to keep her from getting up too fast "Hey! Hey..." Cordelia seeing the Watcher starts to talk frantically "Giles! It's all my fault! I wasn't... I made this stupid wish..."
Giles gently tries to lie the young girl back down believing her to be hysterical "Come on. Please lie..." Cordelia shakes her head adamantly "No! You have to get Buffy. Buffy changes it".
Giles lets go of her as she continues to babble "It wasn't like this. It was better. I mean, the clothes alone..." Giles takes off his glasses "But people were happy. Mostly. And... Wait," Cordelia slides off of the table confused "Why are you here and she's not? I mean, y-you were her Watcher".
Giles is amazed by what he's hearing "H-how do you know I was a Watcher? I've never..." They hear a series of thumps and taps outside "What?" Cordelia gasps as Giles looks around carefully and puts his glasses back on.
"What?" The lost teenager's questions again sounding worried "I thought I heard something" Giles tells her offhandedly as he goes into the cage and grabs a large cross and a stake from the weapons cabinet.
"Now, I want you to start again and explain everything very carefully" Before he can come out, he finds the cage door slammed shut on him "You're in a big cage" Willow taunts him with the key.
Xander has Cordelia pinned against him with his hand over her mouth as Willow looks over at him "Not too bright, Book Guy" Willow turns back to Giles, who slams the cross against the cage, forcing Willow back making her growls angrily.
Xander forces Cordelia closer angry at how Giles treated Willow "So you're a Watcher, huh?" he smiles widely with a manic gleam in his eye "Watch this" He lets go of Cordelia's mouth and sinks his teeth into her neck.
Giles rattles the cage hard in protest, helpless to do anything. Willow smiles at him then turns around and bites Cordelia also on the other side of her neck.
Together they suck her dry, Xander reaches his arm around Willow's head and caresses her hair almost as if they were dancing sensually. Giles rages in anger as he is forced to watch the girl he couldn't help be drained painfully.
Soon Cordelia is dead, and Xander pushes her lifeless body aside, letting it fall to the floor before he starts out of the library. Willow gives Giles a smile and tosses the key at him as she also leaves.
Giles pants heavily as he looks down at the body of the latest victim of these two vampires. Grabbing a weapon from his storage cupboard he swings at the cage door with the double-bladed battle-ax.
It soon gives way and opens, and he rushes out to check on Cordelia. He feels for a pulse in denial but he's too late, he already knew the young girl was dead having seen her take her last breath.
Larry and Oz come running in through the stacks looking worse for wear "They hit us right outside" Larry exclaimed as Giles glanced at the two boys noticing they were missing someone "Nancy?"
The two boys shift uncomfortably "She's dead," Giles takes the news as well as can be expected "Um... Would you mind... Could you take her to the incinerator? I have some business to..."
Larry and Oz set themselves to their grim task, Oz goes around to get her legs, Larry grabs her by the shoulders. Just as they are about to go, Giles notices the pendant around her neck "Wait a moment". He takes it off, and the boys carry her body away.
The Master takes a fresh hot demitasse of blood espresso from his machine and sips it. He blows on it and takes another sip "Anything for you my dear" he asks Nikki who just blows air out of her mouth seemingly bored.
Behind him Xander and Willow report back from their mission, The Master turns to face them expectantly "The deed is done" Xander informs as Nikki sits up straighter "You killed the girl that sought the Slayer?" The Master questions as the two vampire nod.
"It was too easy" Xander shrugged like he hadn't just drained the girl he used to fawn over "I felt cheap" Willow pouted childlike as the Master grinned happily "Excellent. The opening will commence as scheduled" he takes another sip of his drink.
Willow approaches eagerly "So, you're pleased?" The Master nods at the redhead as Nikki wonders about Willow's game "Ecstatic" The older vampire states as Willow's eyes quickly passes over Nikki before returning to The Master innocently "Then... can I play with the puppy?".
Nikki grits her teeth as Willow directs her question to her sire knowing she'd probably get her own way, The Master directs his gaze to Nikki whose nails clenched that chair tightly "child?".
Nikki growls before taking the key from around her neck, Willow smiles and claps happily "Let's go" Nikki hisses as she leads Willow and Xander down to the basement, the place where she takes her toys, the place that usually strikes fear in other vampires knowing the extent of her heinousness.
The approaches the jail cell that was built in the basement and Willow begins to giggle to herself "Bored now" Nikki rolls her eyes at Willow's famous trademark as the redhead walks over to the wall of whips, chains and other instruments of torture.
"Daytime's the worst" she runs her hand over the leather "Cooped up for hours. Can't hunt" She takes a pair of iron shears and clinks it along the bars of the cell "But the Master said I could play" Nikki coughs loudly making Willow sigh "Nikki, said I could play".
Inside the cage, a figure stirs "Isn't that fun, Puppy?" reaching out to take the key from Nikki's outstretched hand she gasps when the brunette's other hand locks around Willow's own squeezing a little.
"Don't forget my rules Willow: No letting him out of his cage, No killing him" Nikki steps closer to the other female and letting her voice drop lower as she clenches Willows hand tighter hearing bones crunch.
"And most importantly... he is my pet" She finishes possessively looking over her pet as he bows his head at her much like Willow at this moment but she made no move to try to get out of Nikki's grip "Don't disappoint me Willow".
Smiling deviously Nikki soon lets go of Willow and gives her the key, she unlocks the cell door and swings it in "Aw... Puppy's being all quiet. Come on. Don't be a spoilsport".
Nikki's pet groans as Willow straddles him. She grabs him by the hair and jerks his head up. Angel moans from the rough treatment, he seems short of breath "Guess what today is?" Willow runs the tip of the shears along his chin and down his throat.
"Today the plant opens. It's a big party," She licks him from the base of his ear to his forehead and runs her sharp fingernails along his neck as Nikki stands back with her arms crossed "You remember I told you about the plant? All those people you tried to save? It's gonna be quick for them. Not for you though. It's gonna be slow for you".
She flips him over onto his back and straddles his stomach, Angel lets out a painful moan from all his previous torture "Wow, you've completely broken him" Xander laughs as he stands next to his superior looking at her in amazement as Willow continues to taunt Angel.
Nikki grins at Xander "It wasn't easy but I found there's more than one way to break a person" Xander is in awe of Nikki as she manically laughs, Angel cries out when Willow rips open his shirt to reveal several very deep and bloody wounds on his chest that had been left by Nikki.
When she touches them he flinches hard "Oh... Maybe Nikki went too hard on you last time" Willow cooed toying with the older vampire as he continued to let out small whimpers, Xander strikes a wooden kitchen match with his thumbnail and tosses it onto Angel's chest.
Angel cries out in pain "Too hard? No such thing" Xander boasts glancing back at Nikki almost as if he was trying to gauge her reaction, he wanted to please her, their place in the Master's inner circle wasn't secure if Nikki deemed them to be soft and useless.
"Watch it with those things. You almost got my hair" Willow hissed at her lover who just shrugged uncaring "Sorry. Got carried away" He tosses her the large box of matches "Don't you want to?" She questions surprised as Xander shakes his head "No, thanks, baby. I just wanna watch you go".
Willow smiles and turns her full attention on Angel. She lights another match and places it inside one of Angel's deep wounds forcing him to scream out in agony, Nikki only looked on in annoyance of having to share her toy.
Giles is sat in his office while Oz tunes the crossbow and Larry carves stakes in the main area "Here it is! I've found it" Giles cheers as he comes out of his office "Look" He sets down a book which is opened to a page with a sketch of Cordelia's pendant.
"It's what, um, Cordelia was wearing. It's the, the, uh, symbol of, of Anyanka," Giles explains as Oz looks up at the older man bewildered "I don't think I know her".
"Well, no. Um, Anyanka is a, sort of a Patron Saint of scorned women" Giles informs the boys as he sits on the table taking off his glasses "What does she do?" Larry questions the librarian.
Settling the arm of his glasses between his teeth Giles flips to the next page of the book "Uh, sh-she grants wishes" Still tuning the bow Oz glances at Giles confused "So Cordelia wished for something? Well, if it was a long, healthy life, she should get her money back".
"She said something about everything being different, that the... the world wasn't supposed to be like this. It was, um, better. Before," Giles frowns trying to decipher the now dead girl's words.
"Okay. The entire world sucks because some dead ditz made a wish?" Larry snorts as he gets looks from Giles and Oz, the former putting his glasses back on "I just, I just want it clear" he shrugs continuing with his stake whittling.
"She said the, uh... the Slayer was supposed to be here, was, um, meant to have been here already," The older man recalls "Certainly would've helped," Oz mutters what they were all thinking.
"Yes. I tried calling her, but, um..." he stands up off the table with a tired sigh "Look, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna have to... research this Anyanka thing further. Um, I have some more... volumes at, at home. You two, two get some sleep," Giles starts off leaving the two boys behind "Watch your back" Oz calls before Giles is gone.
Driving along in his ancient Citroen he drives by a park he sees a bunch of people being herded into a van. He stops his car, grabs his large cross and rushes over to help.
He holds the cross up to the two vampires, who are forced to back away, and yells to the people in the van "Run!" When the people have all run away, he turns to run back to his car, but a third vampire slams the rear van door into his face, knocking him flat on his back.
They try to grab him to load up, but the one at his feet suddenly finds himself flying through the air and landing hard on his back. The other two attack, but meet with similar fates.
The first one runs at his attacker again but gets staked. The attacker grabs another and stakes him whilst the others flee. Giles looks up at the person standing at his feet in amazement "Buffy Summers?"
Giles looks at the girl as she stands in front of him, she's dressed in cargo pants holding a stake in one hand and a crossbow in the other but it was the scar across her mouth and the hollow look in her eyes that gets his attention "That's right. Wanna tell me what I'm doing here?"
Buffy looks around Giles' apartment bored out of her mind whilst Giles is on the stairs looking through a book and finally finds something "Ah! Ah! Ah! Yes!" he glances at Buffy and stands up "Here" he motions to the book as he reads aloud.
"In order to defeat Anyanka, one must destroy her power center," Giles walks down the steps "This should reverse all the wishes she's granted, rendering her mortal and powerless again. You see? Without her power center, she'd j-just be a-a-an ordinary woman again, and all this would be, um... well, different"
Giles receives no reaction from the stoic blonde Slayer "Well, I'd say that my, my Watcher muscles haven't completely atrophied after all" he jokes closing the book and takes off his glasses.
Buffy glances at him totally unimpressed "Great. What's her power center?" she questions hastily ready to get down to business and get out of this little town "Um, well, um, um..." placing his glasses between his teeth he glances at the book again "It doesn't say".
Buffy stands in front of Giles her hands on her hips like she had better places to be "Why don't I just put a stake through her heart?" she moves towards his kitchen bar"
"She's not a vampire" Giles replies to the Slayer "Mm, well, you'd be surprised how many things that'll kill," Buffy says as she sniffs a liqueur bottle grimacing a little.
"I don't want to kill her, Miss. Summers. I want to reverse whatever effect she's had on this, this... world" Buffy puts the bottle back down and turns to face him "You're taking an awful lot on faith here, Jeeves".
"Giles," The Watcher/Librarian corrected as Buffy shrugs uncaring "Kill the bad fairy... destroy the bad fairy's power center, whatever, and all the troubles go away?".
"Yeah, well, I'm sure it's not that simple, but..." Buffy interrupts before Giles can get any more words out "World is what it is. We fight. We die. Wishing doesn't change that".
Giles shakes his head in denial "I have to believe in a better world" Buffy once again shrugs looking at the man like he was stupid "Go ahead. I have to live in this one".
She strolls over to his chess table, lifts her right leg up to set her boot on its edge and spits into her hand to literally give it a spit shine "Cordelia said she knew that I was meant to be your Watcher. She said she knew you" Giles informs the girl.
Buffy works her spit into the leather "She's probably just a big fan," Giles huffs in thought "The Master sent his most vicious disciples to kill her. Now, she, she must have posed some threat to him. Even his right-hand vampire was seen with Cordelia before her death," he puts his glasses back on.
Buffy looks up suddenly attentive "The Master?" she questions as Giles glances over at her "Um, supreme vampire around these parts. He, he lives on the outskirts of town in an old club" he explains as Buffy stands up.
"You know where he lives, and no one's ever tried to take him out?" Buffy says accusingly as Giles seemed dismayed "People have tried. The Master's right-hand is highly viscous, if you see her there's a slim chance you get away with all of your body parts".
Buffy grits her teeth "Well, point the way. I might as well do some good while I'm in this town" she goes to get her weapons "You can't just walk in there and..." Buffy whirls around her face scrunched up in anger and something else the older man can't place.
"I have to stop Nikki, I'm the only one who can," Buffy tells the man who seems surprised that Buffy knew the brunette vampire "How... How did you know?" Giles begins as the blonde sighs roughly "Nikki.. is my sister".
Giles staggers back a little "Your sister?" Buffy nods like she was uncomfortable "My twin sister" rubbing a hand over his face Giles looked confused "A Slayer with a vampire twin sister".
"When I was called I fought the Master, I nearly killed him too, but he escaped our battle. The only vampire to ever get away," Buffy lets out a small broken laugh "He hunted my sister down and turned her into a soulless animal as a punishment for me".
Buffy wrapped her arms around herself as Giles listened intently "Nikki blamed me, I didn't protect her from him, I let a vampire hurt her in the worst way" Buffy sniffed and tried to hide her sorrow "You know what she did to punish me?" Giles shook his head dreading the outcome of Buffy's 'punishment'.
"She murdered our parents, she didn't drain them or take even a sip of their blood. She tortured them for hours before finally putting them down. She took everything from me, she wanted me to feel the way she felt," the blonde let out a hysterical laugh "even after all that I still couldn't kill her, I couldn't drive a stake through her heart".
Giles had no idea what to say, everyone knew Nikki as being a sociopathic, brutal monster but now he knew why "The Master warped her mind, he broke her down but I can't let her get away with this anymore".
Buffy straightens up once again looking determined "Look, you wanna stay here and play make-believe, fine," she puts her crossbow strap over her shoulder "I'm not gonna be any help to you, anyway. There's only one thing I'm good at,".
Giles quickly steps in front of her "At least let's muster some kind of force," Buffy snorts like he had told her a bad joke "I don't play well with others. Now, I'm gonna ask you this once, and then I'm gonna get testy," Giles gives in and tosses his book onto his desk "Where's this club?".
Standing next to her Sire on a stage, Willow and Xander behind them, Nikki held her hands behind her back as she gazed over the crowd protectively, ever since Buffy's name came up she had been on high alert in case her twin came to town.
The crowd of gathering vampires stood in front of Nikki and the master as a wooden cage full of humans and a machine waited across the room. The Master raised his hands and all vampire suddenly quietened down respectfully.
"Vampires, come! Behold the technical wonder, which is about to alter the very fabric of our society. Some have argued that such an advancement goes against our nature. They claim that death is our art. I say to them... Well, I don't say anything to them because I kill them. Undeniably we are the world's superior race".
Nikki noticed vampires were nodding along with her Sire as his voice carried across the room "Yet we have always been too parochial, too bound by the mindless routine of the predator. Hunt and kill, hunt and kill. Titillating? Yes. Practical? Hardly".
The vampires below them started to talk among themselves "Meanwhile, the humans, with their plebeian minds, have brought us a truly demonic concept," The Master spreads his arms "mass production!"
Vampires cheered from every corner of the factory "Yeah! Yeah!" Nikki's lips curled into a smirk, they were one step closer to their future, they would rule and no one could take it from them now.
Giles is stood in his apartment he has several bags and bowls of various herbs and powders laid out on his chess table. He grabs a couple of them and goes over to his desk with them where he has a large golden goblet already smoldering.
He pulls bits of an herb from a bushel and drops them into the goblet as he recites the ritual to summon Anyanka "Oh... Anyanka... I-I beseech thee..." he puts on his glasses to read.
"Um..." he turns a page shakily "In the name of all women scorned..." he adds more herb to the fire "Come before me" He looks around his apartment to see where she might appear.
She does so, but in the shadows under the stairs to his loft, where he doesn't notice. Slowly she walks into the dim light of the room "Oh!" Giles jumps and lets out a nervous breath after seeing her.
"Do you have any idea what I do to a man who uses that spell to summon me?" Giles gazes at her with a look of foreboding.
"Bring on the first!" Nikki calls out from her space next to The Master as he's eager to try out the machine they had worked so hard on. At the cage, the vampires shove a couple of the humans back from the gate, lift off the crossbar and open it.
Oz realizes what's about to happen, but can't do anything. Two vampires go into the cage and choose a victim "You!" one of them points to and grabs Cordette "Nooo! No! Please! No! Help me! No! Noooo!"
Some of the men in the cage attempt to resist and help her, but they are easily knocked aside. Once they have her outside, one of them shocks her with a cattle prod making her body go limp "Idiots" Nikki mutters under her breath.
The gates to the cage are closed, and the mortals all gather to watch in horror, the two vampires drag her to the end of the machine. One of them lifts her into a long stainless steel pan like the ones used for autopsies and lays her down in it
"She's still alive, you see, for the freshness" The Master states as all the vampires in the factory watch on in expectancy.
The machine is turned on, and the pan moves along the conveyor to the blood draining station. On either side are four arms that extend over the Cordette, each with a very large needle on the end.
They all plunge into her body and begin to suck the blood from it. At one end of the contraption is a tap for sampling the blood, and a glass is filled for the Master to taste.
In the cage, Larry and Oz watch in disbelief.
At the back of the factory, Buffy and Angel peek around a corner. On the machine, Cordette lets out her last few muffled sounds and dies "What's the plan?" Angel questions Buffy who just holds up her stake "Don't fall on this".
The glass with the blood sample is passed up to the Master.
Buffy and Angel calmly make their way through the crowd of vampires toward the stage, Buffy sees her sister standing on the stage acting as a soldier, her eyes watching her Sire closely.
The Master rubs his fingers in anticipation of the first taste of blood from his new machine. The arms extract themselves from Cordette, and the pan with her body moves along the conveyor for disposal.
The glass of blood is finally handed up to the Master, he holds it up to his subjects for a toast "Welcome to the future" He cheers as Nikki turns her head slightly almost as if in tune with something else.
"To the future! To the future! To the future!" Buffy raises her crossbow at the Master and fires, Nikki quickly pushes Xander in front of The Master and the bolt hits him in the right shoulder.
Buffy aims the crossbow at another target, but it gets knocked from her hand "Buffy" Nikki growls seeing the other half of her causing panic on hers and her Sire's big day.
Panic sets in among the vampires as they run off "Cowards" Nikki states as most of them leave with their tails tucked between their legs but a few stay behind to fight the Slayer.
Buffy ducks a wide swing from a vampire, she jumps up and brings her foot down to smash the back of his knee. Angel attacks a vampire by the cage, punches him in the face and shoves him aside, he rushes over to the gate and throws off the crossbar.
"Uh-oh. Puppy got out" Willow taunts into Nikki's ear as she fumes seeing her pet running around with her sister acting like a hero.
Angel throws open the cage's gate and pulls people out. Buffy twists a vampire's arm around, immobilizing him, and does a jumping roundhouse kick to his gut.
The crowd of humans streams into the fray. Oz reaches up and breaks a piece off of one of the wooden cage bars. He immediately jams it into the back of a vampire. All around humans and vampires fight.
"Get down there now!" I order Xander and Willow who jump down from the stage into the crowd, their game faces on ready to defend The Master.
Anyanka slowly approaches Giles, who bravely stands his ground "Cordelia Chase. What did she wish for?" He questions the demon who smiles deviously at him "I had no idea her wish would be so exciting! Brave New World. I hope she likes it".
Giles glares at the woman "She's dead" Anyanka wastes no time as shrugs "It happens" Unbelieving at her attitude Giles huffs at her "You're gonna change it back".
Anyanka finally gets too close, and he takes a couple of steps back "I'm not afraid of you. Your only power lies in the wishing" Anyanka makes a sudden and hard grab for his neck "Wrong!" She lifts him and slams him against a wall.
"This is the real world now," Anyanka tells Giles as he groans in pain "This is the world we made. Isn't it wonderful?" she says gleefully not believing this was the world Cordelia had wished for them to be in.
Seeing my sister defeat all of our vampires I look to my Sire who nods and waves me forward, jumping off the stage I let out a loud roar as my sister turns to me "Hey B" I greet changing into my game face "long time, no kill".
The surrounding area is in chaos but right now at this moment it was sister vs sister, Slayer vs Vampire "it's time to end this Nikki" Buffy hisses at her sister who nods with a wild grin "I couldn't agree more sister".
Nikki ducks a swing from Buffy and stomps on the back of her knee. She grabs her by her shirt and throws her twin over the conveyor "I don't need to be a Slayer to beat you, hell I don't even need to be a vampire, you'll always be that lollipop eating, preppy cheerleader to me, princess".
Buffy grits her teeth at her sister's words as she gets up and punches her in the face "that was before you killed our parents and made me into this" Buffy spat as Nikki reeled back from the hit, jumping back up from the floor Nikki smirked "okay I'll admit that was nasty".
Buffy swings at Nikki but misses as she ducks the punch. Nikki backhand punches Buffy in the face and follows up with a roundhouse kick to her stomach "I think I'll take that" Nikki grins as she rips the stake out of her sister's hand and places it in her waistband.
Buffy sensing her sister's closeness gets up in time to backhand punch her. She spins around again grabs onto her shoulder and yanks her body down to meet her knee, getting Nikki twice in the gut and then in the face.
Nikki groans realizing she and her sister are both evenly matched "time to die cupcake" she whispers and gets to her feet and comes at Buffy who was hand to hand with another vampire. Angel sees Nikki make her move, and runs to Buffy's aid "Buffy, look out!"
Angel runs past her and throws himself at the vampire who had been the main cause of his pain, wrapping his arms around Nikki he tries to hold her still knowing Buffy would want to take care of her sister.
Nikki elbows Angel in the gut viciously before uppercutting him "I'm really sorry to see you go pet but if I can't have you neither can she" Nikki pulls out Buffy's stake and impales Angel who turns to face Buffy and grabs his wound.
"Buffy..." he whispers as he crumbles to ash. Buffy takes it like he's just another dead vampire, and marches over to another fray of the fight she turns her attention back to Xander, who is just throwing a man aside. He sees her coming and advances on her in turn.
He swings at Buffy, and she punches his arm away. Taking advantage of the opening, she swings her stake into his chest, and he explodes into ashes. Without a care, Buffy turns back around and looks for her next victim.
Willow sees her love staked and makes a move toward Buffy, but Larry grabs her by an arm and tries to pull her back.
Oz shakes free of a vampire and runs to Larry's assistance, grabbing her by the waist and shoving her back into a broken piece of the cage she instantly bursts into ashes "Bored now" Nikki mocks not caring that the two sidekicks were dead.
Looking around the battlefield Nikki roars as her numbers deplete and marches over to where the two White Hat boys were fighting, grabbing the bigger one she twists his neck quickly before either of them realize she's there.
The ginger gulps before throwing himself at her, she could have laughed at her fearlessness but she was too angry to bother "goodnight darling" Nikki coos as he barks threats and insults at her but he's no match for her strength.
Pulling his neck to the side she rips her teeth into the side of his neck as she holds him closer, smirking when his body went limp in her arms. Turning Nikki notices her sister making her way over to her Sire as The Master does the same.
He slides down the stair railings from the stage and shoves aside the vampire and mortal blocking his way. Buffy begins a determined stride in his direction, the Master shoves more people and vampires aside in his determination to get at the Slayer as Buffy does the same.
Buffy and the Master finally meet with swings that middle block each other. Buffy tries to wrap her hands around the Master's forearm "I'll make you pay for what you've done".
Giles chokes as Anyanka's grip tightens on him, just then he notices the amulet around Anyanka's neck begin to glow green, and makes a grab for it, wresting it from her neck.
This causes her to let go of him, and he backhand punches her in the face, sending her staggering across the room. He scrambles to his desk, lays the amulet on it and searches frantically for something to smash it with.
He soon has his marble paperweight in his hand as Anyanka gets up from the floor "You trusting fool! How do you know the other world is any better than this?" Giles raises the paperweight and swings it down with full force at Anyanka's amulet "No!" she screams as Giles just looks at her peacefully "Because it has to be".
The Master does a backhand swing, snapping Buffy's head back, dazing her. Nikki suddenly jumps up from behind her sister and grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her to her chest as The Master grabs Buffy's head.
The Master gives Buffy's head a hard twist, snapping her neck, Buffy's expression is blank as she begins to sink to the floor looking up at her sister one last time.
Giles quickly swings down his arm as he smashes the paperweight onto Anyanka's amulet. It shatters into thousands of pieces and emits a burst of green light.
Nikki watches as Buffy's body falls, her face unchanging as the other half to her whole, the Yin to her Yang takes her last breath "here lies Buffy Summers, she died for nothing, she didn't save the world" The brunette vampire laughs loudly "killing you was my best revenge yet".
"I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale" Anya suddenly turns back to Cordelia "Done" I crossed my arms rolling my eyes at my friend's dramatics I pushed my blonde hair out of my face "Ouch Cordy".
Cordelia grabs my arms excitedly as she dismisses my words "That would be cool! No, wait. I wish Buffy Summers had never been born" Anya frowns looking lost "Done!".
I raise my eyebrow at Cordelia "What the hell Cordy, that means I won't get born either" Cordelia nods at my words and waves her hands as if erasing her wish "I wish that Xander Harris never again knows the touch of a woman" Cordelia smiles and starts to walk away.
"And that Willow wakes up tomorrow covered in monkey hair" Anya looks down at herself in confusion "Done!" I turn to Anya wondering what she was talking about "what's done?" the older blonde just lets out a frustrated squeal and stomps off.
Watching Giles walks past me he makes a point of checking his watch and motioning at me, I just smile at him and nod as I turn to see my other friends all smiling and talking cheerfully among themselves "Idiots" I whisper fondly turning to walk off.
Suddenly I bump into something hard "Hey watch..." my words die out when I notice it was Beck "why are you avoiding me" he demanded as I try to walk around him only managing to get to the stairs.
Beck followed me and grabbed my arm gently pulling me under the stairs for privacy "Please I just want to know" sighing I carefully took his hand and pushed it off "I like you that's why I'm avoiding you" I tell him honestly as confusion forms over his face "you've not spoken to me in 3 days because you like me?".
Placing my bag on the floor I crossed my arms in comfort "You're leaving soon, and I didn't and still don't know how I'm going to keep myself going whilst you're not here" I licked my lips as Beck stayed quiet knowing I would only put my walls back up if he argued with me.
"Being with you made me forget just how much I hate myself, you made me forget all the bad things that had happened and helped me get through my hard days," I stopped thinking about my next words carefully "but I also know it's not safe for you to be with me, if anything my sister's last relationship made me realize that".
Beck sighed running a hand through his dark curly hair as he bent down slightly to look in my eyes "I have no idea what you're talking about but I know by now not to ask, the late nights, the missed dates and the way you and your friends talk about weird things when you think I'm not listening".
I let out a small laugh knowing how sneaky he was "but I know if it was something I could know you would have told me by now, I trust you, but please don't force yourself out of my life I want you in any way I can, even if that means being a pen pal," Beck jokes as he wipes away my tears.
"I really did like you but I know I have to set you free," I say as I move back slightly "I... I love you" wrapping my arms around his neck I place my lips on his for one final kiss before he pulls me into his chest swaying the two of us sweetly "I love you too".
Pushing him away gently I picked up my bag before looking over my left shoulder at my sister who was still sat with Willow and Xander oblivious to my heartbreaking, turning my head to look over my right shoulder I faced the way to our house.
Lifting up my backpack higher on my arm I let out a heavy sigh before making the lonely walk home wishing that I had never come to Sunnydale.