Disclaimers
All characters appearing in D.C Comics & Time Warner, Marvel Comics, Gargoyles/Gargoyles: the Goliath Chronicles, cartoons created by Murakami Wolf Swenson Inc. & IDW comics, and media created by Joss Whedon. Are property of their respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are not authorized by the copyright holder.
All original characters are the property of Celgress.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode One – Hearts of Stone
By
Celgress
Outside Sena Gallica in the Po Valley of Northern Italy Mid-July 387 B.C.E, night
A tall, well-built Celtic warrior with flaming long crimson hair sat on a large flat stone. His shaking left hand pressed firmly upon the lacerated left side of his torso. Rivulets of blood seeped between his fingers through the ruined armor. His ashen countenance stared at the wondrous stars that sprinkled the sky above in a sea of brilliance. It was a beautiful calm night. If not for his present situation it would have been a lovely evening.
"So, this is what it is like to die." The Celtic warrior whispered. "A disheartening sensation."
He had dealt death out more times than he could remember. In his thirty-five years of life, many fell beneath his blade. He did not regret his actions. He was a royal a sub-chieftain of the mighty Senones Tribe, respected by many feared by more. Under his glorious leader Brennos, he had taken part in the sack of Rome three years prior. Now here he sat dying from a wound inflicted by a lucky unskilled young warrior of a rival tribe of Celts.
"A shameful end if ever there was one. Oh, the indignity of it all." The Celtic warrior lamented. "What I would not give to avoid my dishonorable fate." He halfheartedly pleaded while gazing up at the timeless stars. His braided red hair fluttered in the light breeze of the warm summer night.
A pale bald man of medium build clad entirely in black silk robes appeared before the stricken Celtic warrior. Where he came from the Celtic warrior had no idea. One second there was no one the next this stranger stood in front of him. The strange man's ears seemed unusually pointed his eyes briefly glowed red, or was that merely a trick of the night or perhaps a weakened state of perception?
"Who are you?" The Celtic warrior demanded. His right hand moved to his belt where he drew forth his sword from its sheath.
"Fear not, I am a friend of sorts. At the very least I bear you no ill will. If you should find my offer appealing I shall then be your new master." The bald stranger answer.
"Why would you desire servitude from a dying warrior stranger?" The Celtic warrior laughed mirthlessly. "Are you mad? I have no time for madmen, be gone!" He said pushing himself off the rock he stood in spite of his pain. He turned ready to leave this madman behind.
"Accept my offer then death shall hold no power over you." The bald stranger beckoned.
"Stranger you truly are mad. None can conquer death, all must pass away in the fullness of time." The Celtic warrior scoffed stalking away with as much speed as he could muster in his mortally injured state.
"I am no man." The bald stranger said looming up out of the shadows directly in front of the Celtic warrior.
"By the gods h-," The Celtic warrior said. His words were cut off by his shocked reaction to the monster which his failing eyes beheld.
The bald stranger's visage transformed from that of a man into something else. Red eyes burn like embers from a cooking fire in a wrinkled greyish-white face framed by pointy ears that more resembled a bat than a human being. A mouth full of fangs smiled at the Celtic warrior sending a shiver down his spine. A clawed hand encircled the startled man's neck. Although he was a large strong man the Celtic warrior could not break free of the thinner creature's grip.
"Should I allow you to join me or should I hasten your demise warrior? Thus far I confess I am disappointed by your lack of faith." The creature snarled. "Long have I watched you from afar. You are a person of action one whose appetites that are not easily sated. You left the Druid Order because their shortsighted philosophy of respect for all life constrained your horizons. I can relate child. I to know what it is to be held back by the machinations of spineless fools. I offer you an existence beyond the petty concerns of humanity. I offer you true freedom born of power beyond your wildest imaginings, decide!"
"I, do, not, wish, to,,, die. I,,, accept..." The Celtic warrior said an instant later.
The creature smirked at the Celtic warrior. "I thought you might. Soon child you will call me by my proper title, master."
And so the ancient vampire lord called the Master sired one of his most infamous and long-lived children. Christened Lothos by his "father" a name derived from the Latin and Greek word lithos roughly meaning "stone". Almost at once the new vampire set about making a fearsome name for himself. Over his ensuing two millennia of activity the "one with the heart of stone" more than lived up to his name. He became feared by other vampires, vampire hunters and demons alike. His name only whispered in dreaded silence.
The Summers Residence Sunnydale California early May 2015, morning
"Buffy, did you take out the trash like I asked?" Hank Summers said to his eldest daughter a hint of annoyance in his voice. He was dressed in a gray business suit with a navy blue undershirt and black tie.
"Uh-huh," Buffy said.
Buffy sat on the living room sofa all but oblivious to her father's presence. She scrolled through the hundreds of social media messages displayed on her pink cased smartphone. She wore a pleated pale yellow skirt, a dusty pink short sleeved top and black low rise heels.
"Then why am I holding the bag?" Hank said hefting the full white plastic garbage bag in his left hand.
"I dunno," Buffy said with a shrug. "Maybe mom or Dawnie brought it back in. People do strange things." Buffy's mother Joyce had already left to take Dawn to school.
"Buffy, how many times have we went over this?" Hank groaned. "Taking out the garbage every second week is one your few chores."
"I did take the garbage out," Buffy lied still looking at the message on her smartphone.
"Give me that," Hank said plunking the device from his daughter's hand.
"Hey, I was in the middle of typing an important reply!" Buffy said. "Now no one will know what I think about Harmony's new dress!" Buffy the added snarkily. "Which looks terrible by the way. I mean lime green and purple polka dots, as if."
"Dreadful pity," Hank said. "Until you start acting responsibly your social media privileges are suspended, young lady."
"Daddy no," Buffy pouted. "I need to stay in touch with my friends. How else can I keep up on the latest trends? You're being so unfair."
Hank frowned at her. "You need to learn actions have consequences Buffy. Someday, you'll thank me for this."
"As if," Buffy again muttered her favorite blow off phrase as her father left the room.
"I love you to Buffy. See you this evening." Hank called over his shoulder. Buffy just pouted more.
Sunnydale Junior High School, two hours later
"Daddy was a total jerk this morning," Buffy complained to her best friend fellow cheerleader Cordelia Chase. Around them milled a group of lesser social entities, all of them equally well dressed girls, who hung on their every word. "How am I suppose to live without social media? This isn't the stone age."
"Maybe you can use the computers here at school Buffy." Harmony offered helpfully.
"Only for eight hours a day airhead, besides most of the computers have social media blockers installed." Buffy snapped at the other blonde.
"Yeah, airhead shut it," Cordelia said. "Hey watch where you are going shrimp!" Cordelia growled after a shorter girl with red hair and glass accidently bumped into her.
"S-Sorry, I-I didn't see you there." The red head said timidly.
"Whatever," Cordelia said.
Usually Buffy would not give the red head named Willow something or other a second thought. Today, however, seeing the red head gave her an idea. A brilliant, sneaky one if Buffy did say so herself. Buffy had heard Willow and her few friends were hackers, by all accounts they were good too. Maybe Buffy could make use of their skills if she played her cards right.
"Willow is it?" Buffy said in her nicest tone.
One of Cordelia's elegant eyebrows flutter upwards. A glance from Buffy along with a quick rightward bob of her head shutdown any further protest the brunette might offer. At a single from Cordelia she and the other in-girls dispersed leaving Buffy along with Willow.
"Y-Yes," Willow squeaked. "I-I'm sorry if, if I have offended you somehow."
Buffy ignored Willow's awkward apology. She walked up to the other girl and put her arm around Willow's shoulders."Trust me that doesn't matter. I have a proposition for you. Can we talk in private?" Buffy said.
"Sure," Willow said uncertainly. "Wait, this isn't a trick. You girls aren't going to lock me in the boys bathroom again are you? My parents will kill me if that happens a second time."
"Of course not," Buffy said sweetly. "In fact, I need your help. Friends help friends, right?"
"We're friends?" Willow said quizzically.
"We can be if you help me with a tiny problem," Buffy said.
"What sort of problem?" Willow asked.
Sunnydale Junior High School Computer Lab, afternoon
"Hate to break the bad news, but Buffy Summers is using you Will." A boy of medium build with messy short black hair said.
"Maybe I'm using her Xander," Willow said defensively.
"Yeah right," A pale blonde girl with glasses laughed.
"Good one Amy." A boy with short brown hair and a prominent nose said high fiving the blonde girl. Like Xander, Willow and Amy he was seated in front of a computer. The monitors of which were dominated by multiple windows full of code.
"You guys are mean." Willow sniffed.
"I got in." Xander howled triumphantly a second later. He jumped out of his seat pumping his fist in the air.
"Let me see" The brown haired boy said excitedly. He leaned over and examined the screen of Xander's computer. "It's a dummy site dummy."
"Wait, you mean I didn't just successfully hack the Justice League's mainframe Jesse?" Xander said disappointed by the revelation.
"Nope," Jesse said snickering. He pointed at the forming text displayed on the monitor in bold yellow letters trimmed in neon black. They read - BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME CRIMINAL signed Batman.
The computer Xander had been using made a god awful whirring sound then exploded in a shower of sparks. "We'd better book folks," Xander said before he grabbed his school books and sprinted from the room.
"Hey wait for us!" Amy called after him. She, Jesse and Willow quickly followed Xander's lead. A moment later the fire alarm sounded and the sprinkler system sprang activated.
Sunken Church beneath Sunnydale
"Ah, I see my call has been answered. I am pleased my favorite son is the first of my wayward children to come home." The Master said from the spot where he reclined upon a wooden throne illuminated by the light of thousands of candles. Nearby dozens of lesser vampires both male and female stood at attention. To the right of the Master's seat stoically stood one of his most trusted lieutenants the dark skinned fanatical vampire preacher named Absalom.
"Yes, father I have come," Lothos said kneeling on one knee before the elder vampire. His red cloak draped around him. Behind him looking bored stood his own chief minion Amilyn."What is your bidding lord?"
"I sense a new Slayer has been called. She lives in the town above my prison. If properly trained she may pose a threat to my escape. Our plans for the future must not be jeopardized." The Master said.
"I am aware of her my lord." Lothos said. "Even as we speak our agents under my personal supervision monitor her every move."
"Excellent, bring her before me my favorite son so that I may feast upon her life's blood and at long last be freed from this wretched place. Once I again roam the Earth the Old Ones shall return. The unspeakable Dormammu, Illyria the merciless and their brethren shall lay wast to this world ending the plague of humanity!" The Master said declared standing up from his throne. "Do what must be done Lothos, show no mercy!"
"I understand my lord. I always have enjoyed playing with my food. I'll take great pleasure in the downfall of this new Slayer, as I have many before her." Lothos said rising to his feet a cruel grin spread across his face.
"Of that I have no doubt my favorite son. Your dealings with the enemies of our kind have always made me proud." The Master said flashing an evil grin of his own.
To Be Continued