Madiss Hotel, Santa Barbara.
Sheila Rosenberg just put down the phone after having talked to Willow. She then looked up at Ira, who was in a suit and tie, before telling him that it was about time they left. That they had about fifteen minutes to get to the dinner being held for the attendees of their conference.
"It's going to be at the reception room on the twentieth floor of this hotel, Sheila," said Ira with a frown, "we've got the time to just take it easy."
"That's true," said Sheila with a sigh.
"How's Willow?" asked Ira as he looked at the reflection of his wife, who was walking towards him, in the mirror.
"She sounded worried," said Sheila as she stepped up next to her husband, "but you know our daughter, she won't share things with us and…."
"That's because we haven't been there for her," replied Ira with a hint of regret on his voice.
"We're doing everything we can to give her a future," said Sheila as she stood next to Ira and looked into the mirror, "she's learning the value of being independent, and not to rely on us. She'll thank us one day, you'll see."
"Maybe," said Ira as he tuned and then walked towards the side table, and picked up the phone while Sheila looked at the reflection of what her husband was doing and shook her head. She saw Ira pick up the phone, and then dial a number; after a while he placed the receiver on his ear. Unknown to him, Willow had only just flown out of her room when the phone rang back in the Rosenberg household.
Willow missed that call.
"Willow," said Ira as the answering machine picked up while Sheila walked towards him, at the same time mouthing that they had to go. Ira nodded his head while putting up a hand, signalling his wife to give him a minute, "Willow, this is dad. I guess you must be taking a shower or studying. Just wanted to say that your mother and I are heading for our dinner, and… and know we love you. We'll see you in three weeks, Willow."
"Let's go," said Sheila as Ira put down the phone.
"How did she sound when she called you?" asked Ira as he looked at his wife.
"Just worried," said Sheila, "you know our daughter, Ira. It's nothing, come on… she'll be fine just as she's always been fine. She's a Rosenberg, she'll be stronger because of what we're doing."
"I suppose you're right," said Ira as he walked towards his wife, "but I can't shake this feeling that there's something wrong."
"She'll be fine," repeated Sheila as she reached for the doorknob. As she turned the handle, they could hear footsteps running down the hallway. Opening the door, the both of them stepped out into the hallway, and then immediately gasped and stepped back to get out of the way of a young couple who were running to the room three doors away from them. Sheila, who had her hand on her chest due to the surprise, and Ira saw them open their door while kissing each other. After the couple went into their room, the older couple closed their own door.
"What happened to us?" asked Ira as he turned to the other side of the hallway with Sheila after the young couple closed the door behind them, "we were like them once."
"We grew up," said Sheila as they continued walking down the hallway, "besides, Willow was conceived in a hotel the day of our graduation."
"True," said Ira as they headed for the elevators, "lets never ever tell Willow about that."
"Agreed," said Sheila as the both of them got into the elevator, and headed for the dinner.
Devon's house, at that same time.
Oz was in his room packing some clothes; the Dingo's were preparing to go to Los Angeles for four gigs. He wished that Willow would have been able to go with him, but he knew that she had her own life too… and that she couldn't take a break again from school. He missed her when she went to Pasadena, and regretted saying 'no' when she asked him to go with her.
"It'll be our first trip together," said Willow a few days before she received permission from Snyder to have the day off, "I mean... if you want to go with me that is. I'll understand if you say no and…"
"I can't," said Oz and his heart broke when he saw the sadness on Willow's face, "it's not because I don't want to, the Dingo's have a gig lined up at the Bronze for the entire night."
"Oh," said Willow, "right… I kinda forgot you told me."
The smile that Willow gave him that day put a smile on the present Oz's face as he continued packing. He remembered her saying that she'll bring him something, which she had. He loved the shirt she got for him, as well as a JPL embossed guitar pick the redhead got for him. He recalled just looking up at the stars with Willow on top of his van while they lay together.
He knew that he loved Willow.
And Willow loved him.
He could just stare into those emerald eyes for the rest of his life, and he'd be content.
Oz was just about finished packing when he heard a thud from the living room right outside. He was living with his bandmates since they had to leave around three the next morning, and it was better that they all stay together before a gig so that they could practise one last time, and then stay together before heading off at the same time. Oz suspected that Devon, the lead guitarist, dropped something. Oz walked out of his room to ask if everything was alright. The young man suddenly stopped in the living room when he saw Devon and Adam, the drummer, lying on the floor dead. Their throats were sliced open and blood was flowing down into the carpet. Oz then looked up at a woman who had her vampire face on and was looking at him with her head tilted.
"The king of the princess of the night," said the woman, who Oz saw had sharp fingernails that were dripping with blood, "daddy has a message for you and your princess."
Oz quickly turned around and headed to his bed where he kept a cross underneath, Willow had told him to place it close to him while he was travelling; and he stored it underneath the bed he would be sleeping on for emergencies. He also had a bottle of holy water, and a stake; but none of them mattered since the woman was faster than he was and knocked him off his feet by flinging him to a wall.
Oz had the wind knocked out of him as he slipped down to the floor, and from his vantage point he could see the cross under the bed. It was so close as he reached out for it, but his face twisted in pain when the woman stepped down on his wrist, breaking it. The woman then kicked him until he was lying on his back and looking up at the lopsided grin and the madness in the eyes that were looking back at him. He was grunting in pain as the woman then knelt down and then felt a hand around his neck.
And he felt numb, he couldn't move as he stared into her eyes.
"Hell is coming to this world," said the woman with a crazed look in her eyes, "your princess will fall, and my daddy will rise to rule hell. Goodbye, prince. Angel will make a hero tonight."
He saw the woman leaned forward before she bared her fangs. Oz then felt the woman biting down into his neck, he felt his life leaving him as the woman drank his blood. The only person he could think about was Willow, the last thing he saw in his mind before he died was Willow's face. He felt her touch, her lips when they kissed. He tried to remember the details of her face, her smile, her eyes, her hair, he tried to remember every part of her. As his life left him, Oz had flashes of images going through his mind of the two of them getting married, having children who were not werewolves. He imagined how their lives could have been, a mixture of the normal and supernatural. He saw how their lives could have played out in his dying mind before closing his eyes.
And then, there was nothing else.
Just blackness.
Sunnydale High, five minutes later.
It took Willow five minutes to get to the school through a mixture of using her telekinesis to fly, and her magic to hover around the school so that she could search for Miss Calendar. She needed to find where the I.T teacher was at that moment, and then get her out of there. Willow hovered around the school with her magic, a technique that Althanea taught her… it was a way to take the telekinesis out of the equation so that she wouldn't get her headaches. However, Willow found that using magic to fly was uncontrollable... that she was finding it difficult with magic. So Althanea told her to use her telekinesis to fly, and to hover using magic. That way, she keeps the tactical high ground if she starts getting a headache. Then once the headache passes, she could transfer control to her telekinesis and start flying again.
Back over the school, Willow went around the school one more time, but she couldn't see any lit classrooms. With a frown on her face, Willow lowered herself to the school's entrance and used her telekinesis to unlock the door. She then ran inside; once inside, she ran as fast as she could to the hallway she saw in her vision. After hovering around the school for five minutes, Willow knew that Miss Calendar would pass that particular hallway in five minutes… and she was going to be right there.
Willow was going to make sure that Angel failed, he was not going to kill her.
"I am not going to be a hero born out of tragedy," whispered Willow to herself as she ran as fast as she could.
As Willow was running down the halls, she didn't see a white car being parked in the parking lot facing the school's main entrance. She didn't notice Giles get out of the car quickly with a crossbow and a cross in hand before he ran up the stairs, past the front lawn, and through the doors. If he had been thinking straight, he would have known something was wrong since the doors were already unlocked.
But all he could think about was keeping Miss Calendar safe.
Back in her I.T room, Miss Calendar was looking on with fear in her eyes before she ducked, missing the thrown Orb of Thesula that was thrown at her by Angelus. The Orb, used to contain a soul that was called back from the ether, was smashed against the wall above her. Miss Calendar's heart fell as she realized that the only way to retrieve Angel's soul, the key ingredient she needed, was gone. She looked for a way out while Angelus was gloating, she pushed against the classroom door.. but it was locked. She then ran to another door, but Angelus was faster as he grabbed the screaming teacher, and then slammed her into the main door… knocking it off its hinges.
"Someone's going to be a hero tonight," said Angelus with the corners of his mouth turning up as he watched Miss Calendar groaning in pain before scrambling to get up. He watched Miss Calendar get onto her feet before she ran down the hallway with Angelus stepping over the fallen door while watching the teacher look of very her shoulder before running, "I feel like a chase before dinner, run little rabbit… run."
Miss Calendar ran as past as she could. She looked over her shoulder occasionally to see Angel jogging behind her chuckling as he looked directly at her. Shaking her head, Miss Calendar ran even faster. She felt her legs burning as she ran into the colonnade that led to the other building. She ran as fast as she could in the dark while hearing Angelus' footsteps running behind her.
"You're done," chuckled Angelus as Miss Calendar reached the closed doors to the other building at the end of the colonnade. She pushed on them with tears in her eyes as she realized that she would die today. She would die without ever having fixed her mistakes.. without having told Giles again that she loved him, she would die without giving back Buffy what was taken away from her, she would die without being forgiven by the Slayer, and she would die without seeing Giles one more time. She continued pushing the door in a like a maniac when it suddenly opened.
"Noo!" shouted Angelus as Miss Calendar hurriedly opened the door, and the ran into the lit hallway, and then shut the door behind her. She took a few steps back after she turned around to see Angelus with his vampire face activated; he glared at where while his nostrils flared, and a snarl escaped his lips. Miss Calendar then turned around again and ran as fast as she could while hearing the door behind her open, and rapidly moving footstep coming towards her. She was running towards a janitor's trolley when she heard running footsteps coming towards her from a flight of stairs, the same flight of stairs that she was heading towards. She lost her footing, falling onto the floor, as she suddenly stopped when a figure in jeans and a black jacket ran down the stairs and then turned towards her direction once she entered the hallway. Miss calendar saw the one the Scoobies referred to as Nighthawk run past her while extending a baton, and the teacher got up and took a step back as Angelus went to punch the costumed figure. Instead, Miss Calendar watched Nighthawk slide on her knees as she went below that punch, and then went back on her feet once she was behind Angelus. She then saw Nighthawk swing the baton at the back of Angelus' knees with a 'twack' sound, leading him to stumble back onto the floor while growling as Nighthawk jumped back slightly before swinging her baton down hard across Angelus' face. It all happened in seconds as after the third strike with the baton, Angelus grabbed Nighthawk's hand and swung her towards a wall.
Miss Calendar looked around the hallway and saw a fire extinguisher in a glass case. She ran to it while she looked behind her and saw Angelus fling Nighthawk to another wall before he rushed towards the teacher. However, Miss Calendar shattered the glass using her elbow as Angel stopped mid-stride while Nighthawk was slowly getting up. The teacher took out the extinguisher while an unseen force slammed Angelus to the ceiling, and then turned him around mid-air and slammed him onto the floor. Miss Calendar saw Nighthawk nod at her as she pulled the pin from the extinguisher before it was pulled out of her hand, and then smashed onto the floor as Angelus rolled away. But as he was about to stood up, the metal extinguisher was slammed into him before Nighthawk pulled the metal tube back, and then slammed it towards him again. This time, Angelus grabbed the tube in mid-air and pushed it away while running at Nighthawk.
Willow was angry… angrier than she had ever been since Angelus was now attacking them directly. She saw the hit coming, but she was too slow to move as his fist connected with her face; however, she slammed a telekinetic wall into him just as she was reeling back from the punch. Angelus hit the door that he came through to this hallway hard while Nighthawk stumbled from the force of Angelus' blow before she rushed and stood next to Miss Calendar protectively. It was then that they heard another set of footsteps behind them.
"Angelus!" shouted Giles as he reached the hallway, turned, and then shot an arrow at the vampire. Nighthawk saw the arrow flying away towards Angelus, and she gave it a little push. Even so, the vampire smiled and moved to one side, the arrow just missing him.
"Giles, Nighthawk," said Angelus as he wiped the blood from the side of his mouth, "such a nice name that… Nighthawk… right? Willow?"
"Willow?" asked Miss Calendar as she looked at the figure in black, she then noticed Giles glancing over at Nighthawk while he was still reloading another arrow. Mentally talking the arrow, and the rest of the arrows in the bag that Giles was carrying, Nighthawk then shot them all towards Angelus who chuckled as he opened the door, stepped outside and closed it… using it as a shield before peeking his head into the hallway again, the rest of his body behind the door to protect him from the wooden arrows.
"A bit angry, are we!" exclaimed Angelus as he looked at Nighthawk who pushed Giles and Miss Calendar behind her, "I know who you are Willow, a little girl who thinks she can become a hero. I read up on Niko's abilities… I took some time, but I saw you fight alongside Buffy a few times in costume. You think I can't tell who you were then? Angel was an idiot too… never thought to check up on the mysterious chick who suddenly dropped in after Halloween after you showed that similar power in the library? You have telekinetic powers in Halloween, and then after Halloween, there's this mysterious dark figure with similar powers. Buffy, and Xander are idiots not to see it. But your secret's out, Willow… remember what I told you? The message I left on your costume? Did you like it? Inspiring don't you think? Now that you are a hero… I just wonder if you can continue to be one. I'll see you soon, Willow…. You'll be mine soon enough. Your clairvoyance is something I'll have. Ah, you and Buffy, there's a threesome I can get into."
Willow rolled her fists tight as she lifted the arrows again just as Angelus ran into the colonnade, closing the door behind him. The redhead remembered the letter that she received on her costume that night, she remembered the names on it.. and what it said about heroes needing a tragedy. Her heart started to beat faster as she looked back at Giles, and then at Miss Calendar who looked back at her and shook her head.
"Take her home, Giles," said Willow who spoke underneath the mask.
"Willow?" asked Miss Calendar, "is that you?"
"Take her to you apartment, Giles," said Willow ignoring Miss Calendar before she turned and ran towards the exit, the same way that Angelus went through, "I need to check on something."
"Willow!" said Giles.
"Take her home! Keep her safe!" shouted Willow just before she got out of the hallway, and took off into the air. She went as fast as she could towards Xander's house, and then once she was there, she used magic to hover over his window. He saw the young man in his room, talking on the phone. She stayed there for a few more minutes before heading to her home which was close to Xander's house. She called her mother's cell phone without checking the machine, and was relieved when Sheila picked up the phone. Willow could hear people speaking in the background, and guessed that they must still be at the dinner.
After telling both Sheila and Ira that she was asleep and had a nightmare, the redhead let them go.
Willow then flew out of her home and went over to Buffy's house where she used her magic to hover over Buffy's window. After noticing that Buffy wasn't in her room, Willow hovered around the house until she saw that Buffy and Joyce were in the living room watching TV. Willow then flew to Oz's home, she hovered over the house and saw that some of the lights were on.. but there was no movement inside.
Her heart racing, Willow lowered herself to the back door of the house. She used her gloves and twisted the knob, but she saw that it was locked. The redhead then used her telekinesis to unlock the door, and then she opened it after taking off her googles, and balaclava, and stuffing them into her jacket pockets. Stepping into the house, Willow covered her nosed and closed her eyes… she knew this smell… or at least Niko knew this smell.
Death.
She continued walking past the kitchen and into the living room where she saw both Devon and his friend dead, blood already soaking into the carter.
"Oz?" asked Willow, her voice breaking as she imagined the worst whiles she cautiously walked towards the young man's room, "Oz?"
Willow walked through the door, and then stopped. Her blood froze, and her heart started to beat faster as she looked at the pale body lying on the floor behind the bed. She could only see part of the feet, and the shoes.
But she recognized the shoes.
Oz's shoes.
Willow slowly walked around the bed as tears welled up in her eyes. It was when she saw Oz's pale face, and the two marks on his neck did Willow open her mouth and covered it with both of her hands before she stumbled back against the wall. Once she hit the wall, Willow started to sob as she slipped down on the floor while she rested her forehead on the palm of her hand.
The man she loved was dead.
And it was her fault. Willow looked at Oz's body while she was sobbing, saying sorry between breathes. Sorry that he knew her, sorry that they had gone out, that if he hadn't met her.. then he'd be alive.
"Forgive me, Oz," said Willow, "please forgive me."
It was thirty minutes later, that the still sobbing Willow got up to her feet and then stumbled towards the door. She couldn't be there; she couldn't be there with her dead boyfriend's body… she just couldn't. As she got to the door, she came to a horrible realization as she turned around again and looked at a part of Oz's body.
'He could have been turned,' thought Willow, horror etched on her face as she thought about that implication. A demon taking over the man she loved, a monster walking with the skin of her love. She couldn't have that…. She couldn't have that because if she did, she'd never forgive herself. She couldn't have a vampire take over Oz's body.
Willow closed her eyes and mentally closed all of the windows in the house. She then looked at the body one last time before she walked to the kitchen. Willow looked behind the stove, and telekinetically broke the gas line. She could smell the gas as she ran out the backdoor. She put on her balaclava and googles to hide her tears, and her anger, and her shame at what she was about to do.
Willow rose into the air and flew all the way home where she retrieved her badge. She then flew back to Devon's house and hovered using her magic. She had already calculated on the way back to her house, and on the way back to Devon's house in regards to long it would take for the gas to permeate the small house before she used her magic to hover right above it.
Now all she needed was a heat source.
With tears in her eyes, and her bottom lip quivering at what she was about to do, Willow pressed her Rangers badge. She felt the Alpha radiation go into her Series Five implant, increasing her gifts, as she gathered energy around her fists. She could feel the heat from the swirling energy as she lifted her arms forward while she increased her altitude and then placed a telekinetic shield all around the small house so that debris does not fall into the neighbour's homes.
"Goodbye, my love," said Willow with a broken voice as she fired off multiple bolts of energy into the house. She closed her eyes and dropped her arms as the entire house exploded, the shield she placed around the house keeping the debris inside. Willow opened her eyes to see the shield flaring multiple times from the debris hitting it. It was a few seconds later that the shield failed just as she felt the badge run out of its Alpha radiation charge… a charge that went to covering the entire house with a shield. With tears in her eyes, and her heart beating fast Willow saw the fires around the property and she knew that nothing survived. A few seconds later, she saw people coming out from the neighbouring houses while others were shouting for someone to call the fire service.
All Willow could do was fly away with a heavy heart as she gripped the badge in her hand.
She felt tired. She felt weak. All Willow wanted to do was curl up somewhere and just die.
As she landed outside Giles' door, all she saw was Oz's face in her mind.
She took off her goggles and balaclava and knocked on Giles' door. She stepped back as Giles opened the door with a surprised Miss Calendar by his side as she looked at Willow up and down.
"Willow?" asked Giles as the redhead's face twisted in anguish as she broke down before ushered in by Miss Calendar, with Giles closing the door behind her.
TBC.