Halloween was a memory, a very bad one it seemed. Something odd began happening, demons began disappearing or turning up dead. Giles was at a loss to explain it and although Buffy searched, she could find no trace of evidence that betrayed what was going on. Depressed she escaped to the pub and it was not long before she discovered the house brew.

Buffy's campus pub appearances were becoming the stuff of legend. Her stronger constitution meant she could drink the jocks under the table and still not feel the brew. Xander could not say anything without giving away her secrets. So he resorted to every trick a barman has of keeping drinks out of the hands of paying customers. Water, soft drinks ignoring her demands for more beers until the owner took over the dispensing and he was relegated to clean up duties.

Giles was no help because Buffy's slaying didn't suffer. in fact, whatever it was that drew the inner jerk out of the jocks after they drank made Buffy a more brutal Slayer. She would hunt relentlessly and Both Willow and Giles reported that she often threw herself at opponents with an intensity that was putting the fear of Slayer back into the hearts of beings long used to the status quo.

Avoidance became the Scooby stratagem of choice. Willow chaffed at Oz-man's need for space, which came to a head when he volunteered to head out to LA to deliver The Gem Of Amara and didn't ask Willis to accompany him. The gem had been the prize won in the latest dust up with Spike; who lusted after the Gem's abilities to neutralize the effects of sunlight on the vampires.

Buffy decided that the best place for the gem was with Angel. Xander had little doubt it was a peace offering, a way to ease tensions caused by their break-up.

Oz jumped at Buffy's invitation to leave town and Willis covered her shock and sadness the only way she knew how, by throwing herself into her studies and her work with Doctor Conners. No time with Buffy and feeling neglected by Oz she turned to the only people who seemed to value her lately. Tara McClay, her only friend from Wicca Group, and Curt Conners, who rewarded her newfound zeal for class work and study by offering her a once in a lifetime chance. He advertised for a research assistant and barely glanced at the other applicants once he saw Willow's name.

Xander would have wanted to be there for Willow but Spider-man acquired a menagerie of villains virtually overnight all very dangerous and all wanting a piece of Spider-man all their own.

A Shaman possessed by a demonic Bird Spirit, hatched a bizarre kidnapping scheme. Spider-man battled Vulture, as the papers insisted on calling him, to a spectacular finish atop the campus bell tower. Then Shocker came looking for payback after his last humiliating defeat. Spider-Man dealt with him twice. Once, when he started tearing up the town, and again when a rejuvenated Vulture sprang him from jail.

Spidey had no sooner recaptured both Shocker and Vulture, than Calypso, a dark voodoo priestess, came to town. She had some long ago connection with dead Vampire Slayer Kendra. Calypso blamed Spider-man for Kendra's demise. Her voodoo drums and magic caused Xander to come down with a debilitating illness, sapping his strength. However, when Calypso and her vampire gang seized Tara. Xander left his sick bed and scoured the town. He found her in an abandoned rat infested building. When Calypso collapsed the building on top of them both. The sick-to-his-stomach Spider-man managed to hold up the roof, protecting Tara long enough for the novice witch to use her hidden wellsprings of power to heal Spider-man. He kept her alive until Buffy could dig them out. Willow went Spell to spell against the Evil Priestess who escaped swearing vengeance against the redheaded witch.

Little wonder then that when Oz finally returned, Willow was too exhausted to respond to him, which further strained an already strained relationship. Oz also returned with news about a masked Super Heroine named Daredevil. She was tearing a swath of chaos though LA's underworld.

A recovered Spider-man was unable to find the force that was vanishing or killing the demonic populace of Sunnydale. What he did find was trouble, lots of it. Crooks thieves and vandals all took their shot at the invincible Spider-man. As Spidey dealt with each one, people started talking, and when people started talking, trouble was not far behind.

It began innocently enough. A special effects guy named Quentin Beck appeared challenging Spider-man to prove that he was all that he claimed. The prize was a million-dollar donation to charity. Spider-man sent him packing in a public defeat that left the Special Effects genius looking like a boob

A day later a powerful warlock calling himself Mysterio appeared looking for Spider man. His tricks and illusions pushed Xander's abilities to the utmost, when it turned out to be Beck in a cheesy costume using stolen magic, Xander beat him silly and then turned him over to the Cops. When last seen, Beck was fighting to stay in jail. Xander suspected that Beck was scared of what Wolfram and Hart might do to him once they had freed him from jail. Spider-man was sure the evil law firm was behind this latest attempt to kill him.

Willow was in Conners lab the day after the epic Spidey/Mysterio match-up casting frequent looks out the window to take in the semi destroyed central quad that the University had unwittingly donated for their battle royale.

"I'm sorry Ms Rosenberg, are my attempts to redefine the boundaries of bio-genetic science boring you." Conners asked peevishly after he saw her gazing out the window for the umpteenth time.

"No sir it's just that I was near that big fight the other day. It was intense."

Ms. Rosenberg we are involved with hard science not Hollywood parlour trickery, Beck is a Special Effects genius but frankly from what I hear his constant need to deliver bigger bangs has almost gotten the studios he works for sued. Now if I could have you focused."

Willow buckled down and began copying data from the screen to a laptop unit. Ironically, the scientist having refocused her efforts began looking down on the quad while rubbing his upper arm right above where the prosthetic he wore fit in place. "Its people like Beck that cost me my arm, some military moron didn't bother checking the area where I was studying lizards…working alone. He set off a fragmentation bomb that sheered off my arm. Frankly it's a miracle I survived."

"That's why this test data is valuable, by figuring out how Lizards regenerate missing limbs maybe we can activate a missing or lost gene in the human genome." Willow supplied "of course transferring that gene would be difficult at best."

"Really and why would you say that?" Conners asked expectantly

"Well Lizards are kind of far removed from us, if we could find a species that possessed the same trait and was close to humanoid then the genetic cross would be less dangerous, less of a shock to the system.. But I guess you've already thought about stuff like this."

"Indeed, I have so I'm even more impressed at your effortless grasp of the facts. Indeed Ms Rosenberg we are collecting this data to find a lizard species closely related to man."

A knock at the door interrupted their talk Connors opened the door to reveal Maggie Walsh. She stood smiling at him. "Conners you were dead on. The rejection rate is down sixty percent over the last batch. In fact, I'd like to begun the next series of…" She finally noticed Willow standing behind him. "Ms Rosenberg, and where was your roommate, Ms Summers, today."

Willow didn't want to say that Buffy was hung over so she went with the old standard of family emergency.

Conners quickly interjected. "Ms Rosenberg was just leaving to check on Ms. Summers."

"I've been hearing some interesting things, Ms Rosenberg. If I find out Ms Summers skipped out on me because of her Beer buzz there will be hell to pay." Walsh dismissivly sneered

"Buffy drinking? Please. " Willow laughed nervously trying not to think of the mumbling heap Xander had dropped off at their dorm room the night before last "Buffy is all about the schoolwork."

"Well then Ms Rosenberg you should hurry along. Please remind Ms. Summers that her essay on Primitive Cultures is still due at the end of the week and I don't care who is sick, dying or in jail. They aren't in my class, she is."

Willow nodded and scuttled out the door. As she passed Walsh, she noticed that the teacher was carrying a vial containing a glowing pale green substance. When Walsh noticed Willow was looking, she shoved the vial further into her pocket scowling at the young woman as she did so. Willow squeaked and quickly fled.


Quentin Beck looked at the public defender. "What do you mean you are standing aside."

"Mr. Beck, as your attorney its my job to advise you in your own best interests well its my advice that you suck it up and take the legal counsel being offered by Wolfram and Hart."

He was about to respond when the door banged open and a cool brunette power strutted into the room. "I've been waiting in the hall Mikey." Beck noticed the defender wince at the diminutive of his name. "Do I look like someone who likes waiting, Mikey?"

Beck assumed a façade of bravado. "I'm not interested, you tell the Senior Partners that I know things, if they…"

The brunette cut him off. "Mikey take five minutes and go get me a Shasta and then you can have your client back."

Once the door closed, She turned to Beck. "You are in deep Beck…fathomless depths deep, help us help you cover up the train wreck that was your scheme to rid us of Spider-man. "

"Or else?" Beck said defiantly already knowing the answer.

"Or else your next illusion will be conjuring up a heart to replace the one The Senior Partners have ripped out of your chest in the prison exercise yard."

"You're bluffing, this is a secure facility, you'll never get to me."

The brunette sneered at him "You just keep telling yourself that Beck. It will make your panicked phone call all the more enjoyable." She tossed her card at him before turning on her heel and opening the door to admit the returning PD. "Give him a day or so Mikey and then he'll come around."

"But Lila…"

The brunette turned at the sound of her name and slapped the PD viciously "did I give you permission to use my name."

"No Ms Morgan "

"And what have I given you permission to do. "

"Whatever you tell me to do, Ms Morgan."

"Then you will call me in a day or so when Mr. Beck reconsiders his decision to stick with a low ranking peon like you."

"Yes ms Morgan, I apologize, ms Morgan "

Lila pinched his cheek hard. "I'm disappointed Mikey, I thought we had these little discipline problems worked out in Law School. I thought we could have a nice relaxing get re-aquatinted dinner tonight. But, it looks like you need a refresher course in manners."

"I'm sorry Ms Morgan " Micheal groveled

"Carry my things out to the Limo" Lila Snapped and gestured toward the door. "We can discuss what you will wear this evening on the way."

"Yes Ms. Morgan." He headed to the door without a word to his client

"You see Beck you can either profit by Wolfram and Hart pulling the strings or you can get choked, its your choice." She left with his Public Defender scuttling after her like a cockroach.

Beck looked at the mirror in the interrogation room. That stark terror in his eyes was no illusion. He was deep trouble. Except, neither Lila Morgan nor Beck himself knew much trouble he was in.


Willow arrived at the pub a day later. "What's the emergency, what was the problem."

Xander pointed wordlessly to the corner. Buffy was Drunk and showed no signs of working on her Primitive Cultures essay Walsh had been talking about.

Willow wandered over to the table where she interrupted a heated debate among the drinkers as to who was stupid.

"Willow" Buffy smiled dazedly "Willow, Pretty "

"Thank you Buffy, I was thinking could we go back to the dorm now."

"Is there beer, beer is ….foamy "

"Foamy is good." Willow said gently " You know what's also good? strong black coffee and periods of abstinence."

One of the jocks curled his arm around Willow drawing her closer to the table. "Sit down and drink, honey."

Willow had to wriggle free of his grasp "I don't drink "

"Yeah, leave pretty Willow alone." Buffy reached out and slammed her palm against the jock's chest sending him crashing into a wall several feet away. The others at the table found this hilarious and began roaring for a repeat.

To the horror of both Xander & Willow, Buffy decided to oblige. She began hurling her companions around the room with unabashed drunken glee. Willow found herself using her powers to soften the landings of one or two of the guys Xander heard the sirens of campus security and the police responding surprisingly fast.

He raced toward Buffy absorbed one blow from her and caught the next one. He looked at Buffy her face was wreathed in pulsing, glowing lines that looked like tribal markings. He knew without asking that he and maybe Willow were the only ones who could see the ghostly markings.

She peered at him and then smiled "Spiderman, smell like Xander, Xander is friend."

"Xander is Buffy's friend and will be even more friends if Buffy would remember that Xander has a secret identity "

"Spiderfather lives to see his childer consumed by his dark power, but do not worry Xander, the Slayer will protect you. The Slayer will…" She passed out as the first Cops came through the door. Unfortunately too many of the other patrons had seen her throw the punch that started the brawl so Xander had to sit idly by while his friend was dragged off senselessly

Willow looked around at the devastation and noticed something. "Xander, is there some caveman look that is suddenly popular on campus."

"Not that I'm aware , why?

Sometime during the last few seconds, several of the beer guzzling jocks had transformed into Neanderthal-looking thugs. Xander took one look at them and stalked over to his boss. He picked him up and hauled him over to the senseless jocks that now looked like cavemen. "Explain " was Xander's one word command. It was effective

"My brother is a warlock he charmed all the drinks, makes them attractive to anyone that drinks them, that's why I wanted someone who didn't drink to work here. "

"And the instant caveman "

"A little joke. " The Barkeep pointed at the Jock and his senseless friends also sporting thick brows and simian features. "Him and his kind are always lording their school smarts over guys like you and me, guys who have to work for a living so I did this little charm. It's a joke, the effects wear off after a few hours."

"How much beer do they have to drink before they start seriously questing for fire."

"Depends on body weight and mass just like a regular drunk."

"The campus attacks, the thugs who were chasing Tara and the others they been under the influence of the evil brew."

"Honestly you can't blame me for that. All the brew does is make you more prone to act on your natural instincts, there would have to have been something inside of them in the first place that would make them attack a person. Like your friend, Muffy or whatever her name was."

"Something inside," Xander looked at Willow and saw that she was thinking the exact same thought." Buffy."

Minutes later, they were in a car with Giles. He divided his time between berating Xander for serving Buffy spiked Beer and pointing Willis in the direction of online sources for studying the effects of the magic used on the beer. They arrived at the police station and barged past the guards. Arriving at the drunk tank, they found it divided between all the usual rowdy guys on one side of the cell and on the other side, Buffy, scrawling arcane symbols into the walls.

"I cant be sure but those look like protection signs and totems, but where would Buffy learn those symbols " Willow asked mystified

"from her predecessors, the brew is, to use a term you would know, messing with Buffy's natural magic."

"She's just going cave girl like everyone else right G-man?" Xander asked worriedly

"No it's a bit more serious then that. I think she might actually be falling under the influence of the spirit of the first Slayer."

Xander knew that the Slayer power passed from person to person down through the centuries. In theory, there had to have been a first best Slayer from which all other derived their power. What Giles theorized as Buffy continued to scrawl primitive magic on the walls of her jail cell was that over the centuries nervous watchers had found ways to restrict or curtail some of the abilities of the Slayer.

"To make them easier to control " Willow said accusingly

"To make life easier for them," Giles replied placating "allow them some sense of normalcy , some degree of comfort in their calling "

"In other words, to make them easier to control " Xander deadpanned

"Yes well, not every Watcher was like me nor has every Slayer had friends and allies to assist them hence their generally short life spans."

"Well what she doing."

"Its a protection ritual but what she is protecting against I can't be sure I mean the creatures linked to some of those symbols don't exist anymore."

"What are they "

"An elder race of lizard men, kind of a low end link between a demonic species banished from this mortal plane by Mankind."

"So Buffy goes feral and starts thinking that there are lizard men every where "

"It is an unlikely circumstance for one thing That species of Lizard was notoriously hostile and quarrelsome but they were reputed to be photosensitive. It's unlikely even if there was one around they would venture into a place as bright as this." As if to mock Giles the lights choose that moment to die. Plunging the cellblock into darkness.

A policeman started herding the Scoobies toward the exit.

"What about the prisoners?"

"They will be fine, ma'am the cells are all on a separate circuit then the light as long as they stay in their cells they should be fine."

"Well is there anyone else on this level maybe they should be evacuated."

"No one here but the guys in the drunk tank. The only other person on this floor is that special effects guy and he won't be much trouble."

"Beck, Quentin Beck is here?"

"Yeah his lawyer was in to see him, good looking lady from some LA uptown law firm."

"Lights go dark, Buffy is going feral, and someone who Wolfram and Hart might want to silence is involved, I'd say it was Spidey-time wouldn't you. " Xander said quietly as he opened his shirt revealing his uniform.

"We will cover for you." Willow hissed


Beck sat in the darkness. He could hear … something rattling around in the vents. "They're coming for me." he muttered fearfully

"Who's coming for you Beck" Quentin looked up and perched on the ceiling was Spider-man

"How did ?"

"You could ask me questions or you can keep breathing, think fast magic man."

"Wolfram and Hart, I told them I'd squeal "

"Stupid move on your part lets get you moved then you can tell me all about your sordid deal with them."

"Spider-man webbed Beck's hands together before bundling him over his shoulder. "Whatever is in here likes the vents so we had better stay away from them."

He made for the staircase his spider-sense going wild al the time. Something was moving really fast and was setting his senses off with its dangerous intent.

As Spidey carried his burden around the corner, he confronted two over excited cops. They pulled guns on him. Spider-man web-lined the guns out of their hands then yanked them off their feet.

"Cute trick" Beck sneered

Xander didn't spare him a response. he just started running his spider-sense screamed a warning just as a tearing announced something breaking through the vent above him suddenly his burden was gone. Beck had been snatched from his very hands.

Spidey leapt into the dark vent "If I don't get him back they'll make me turn in my Super Hero card for this."


Giles and Willow were watching Buffy she began to whine.

"What's wrong with her " Willow fretted

"I think the dark and noise have her agitated " Giles said, "we should calm her."

"Get back from the bars." A guard remarked sarcastically. "No one leaves until the emergency is over."

"She is obviously in need of help "

"I got her help right here." He pulled a baton from his belt and slammed it against the cage doors. Buffy snarled, to the guard's delight he whacked the door again and was surprised when Buffy reached out and snagged the baton and yanked hard pulling his arm through the bars, slamming his body repeatedly against them.

"Grab his Keys" she said roughly

Giles was taken aback " I thought "

"I got my powers of speech back a few minutes ago I've been faking it since then.

"Why him ?"

"He smelled like a jackass I figured he'd act like one too. Make with the Keys."

Giles snatched the key ring off the guards belt and opened the door

"Nice to have you back Buff " Willow smiled

"Nice to be back hun nice to have you both around." Giles and Willow moved to hug her she clasped them both and then quickly banged their heads together rendering them unconscious. She completed the scrawl she had been preparing and then dragged her friends in to the cell locking them inside.

If Willow had been awake she would have sensed a protection spell revving up. A magic older then time, but which Buffy had made without knowing how she could. "All right" the Feral Slayer growled "Time to see if what else I'm good for besides mystic wall tagging."

She set out with the nightstick in hand to find the thing she had been sensing moving around the building. She could sense Xander too, and hoped that he would have the good sense to stay out of her way. In her current hyper-state of excitement, she might well attack anything that got between her and her quarry.


Spider-man crawled through what felt like miles of vent shaft. He could hear Beck calling out and the hissing of something that was not interested in the slightest with what he had to say.

At last, he saw a opening before him that let out on the roof of the station. He popped out on the roof and saw Beck still bound his body tossed to the rooftop like a rag doll. A subhuman roar and the flaring of his spider-sense was his only warning that something had been waiting in ambush and had chosen that second to spring its attack.


Buffy landed on her target, who cried out and spun to the side Buffy leapt back from a leg sweep lashing out with her nightstick trying to land a blow but her quarry blocked then countered. The Slayer sensed that her backward evasive bend, should be impossible but she executed it. Spinning the nightstick to ensnare her foe, who snarled and kicked at her. Buffy danced to the side, she felt complete, unbound and free like never before as though she could do anything.


Spider-man guarded his throat from another attack, this guy is in the zone. He thought. There was nothing for it, he had to bury himself in that same place as well or beck was dead. He buried himself in his Spider-sense but even this was only slightly effective. He landed one or two more hits and evaded a few more blows but his enemy was still staying with him, still trading him blow for blow, still matching him strike for strike. The force of their onslaught driving him backward toward the roof edge.


Buffy felt her enemy giving ground and pressed her attacks. Her foe tried to entangle her nightstick, Buffy just let it go lashing out with the talons on her hands. Her quarry grunted in sharp pain as the blow sent them sliding across the floor clutching at their side. A huge feral smile crossed Buffy's face and she darted after them.


Spider-man crashed into a wall grunting in pain. His enemy coming on strong, "Spidey powers don't fail me now." He muttered and shot a ball of webbing in to its face. A deranged roar issued from the beast who tore at the webbing. Its face clear the creature came closer circling looking for a opening to strike.


Buffy circled, the sudden rally of her dark foe was unexpected but it just wet the appetite for the kill. She darted forward slashing as she came. A series of raking slashes that drove her foe backwards.


Spidey back-flipped away. "That's it big boy come to poppa "


Buffy came on strong and fast her senses were hyper-aware something was not right. This leading retreat was not in character.


"C'mon, nice and tasty treat right over here." Xander thought "Come on you big stupid jerk. I need you to attack me."


Buffy felt the wrong ness of the strike even when she made it. Her foe slashed at a set of pipes running down the wall. Super hot steam jetted out into Buffy's face.

"Your mine now Muffy " Venessa Bruer sneered and readied a stabbing strike.

Her staff swirled through the air and lodged in …a wall Buffy had vanished. Venessa felt movement a split second before Bufffy's fist slammed into her repeatedly. Venessa sank to her knees " that was for Faith but mostly for Angel." Buffy snapped and readied another blow when her senses picked up the sound of a gun being cocked. She looked up, a policeman , young attractive probably would be her type save for the stench of fear coming off of him in waves "let the woman go, back away and raise your hands above your head."

Buffy released the blind assassin and backed off, this was going to take some explanation. Something her new feral instincts and abilities had not really prepared her for.


The Creature launched itself at Spider-man who ducked letting it pass overtop him grabbing on its long tail as it passed. Bracing himself he spun in place and grunted when the Lizard beast smashed into a cooling unit that was actively venting. The Lizard's body smashed the thing and it cried out in pain before dropping into the vent shaft and out of sight. Spider-man darted after it trying to catch it with a web line but nothing doing. "Danm it" he snarled. He spun to see Beck tossing his leg over the retaining wall of the roof Spider-man fired a web-line catching the fleeing crook in mid fall. "Oh no you don't Beck, I try to lose track of only one fleeing super criminal a day."


The Nervous cop was edging closer to the girl he had caught fighting when the vent next to him exploded open blowing steam out into the hall. The sound of a body falling distracted him and when he looked again, he was alone in the hallway save for a softly murmuring unconscious woman.


Willow woke-up to find Buffy pacing her jail-cell. A police officer was opening the door. Giles shook her and smiled saying loudly "Willow so nice to see you awake again I was hit from behind by someone, I guess THEY GOT YOU TOO." Giles' leading comment let Willow know he had already decided not to implicate Buffy. Still the young witch wondered what had Buffy been doing whilst they were out of it and where was Xander?

"Yeah" Willow shot an annoyed look at Buffy before replying. "Never got a glimpse of them, couldn't ID them even if I really, really wanted to. "

The policeman snorted "Well we saw Spider-man up on the roof I'd say lets ask him some questions but of course, lights go on and he's nowhere to be found. "

"What about Beck?"

"Screaming for his lawyer; wants to sue us for not protecting him from harassment by that wall crawling glory hound. Just our luck, he was blowing off the high priced attorney just the other day. One Spider-screw-up later and bang, instant clamshell and LA just called saying that the Law Lady is on her way back here."


Spider-man landed on a roof near his place looking down to see if the coast was clear he spotted a man stalking in the shadows.

"Come out freak I saw you change, saw you assume your human shape In the name of Humanity and justice this town will be cleansed of your filthy kind."

Suddenly a man darted from the alleyway, the shadowy figure gave chase firing a gun as he ran. Spiderman dropped silently on a thread until he was close then landed on the gunman's head. The half-naked man fell sobbing to the alleyway ground. It was Curt Conners.

"Hey Doc what's with you trying to get dressed in the middle of gunfight at the OK Corral?"

"Oh God, the last person I wanted to run into "

"Really why? "

"Listen to me you have to get out of town. You have to leave "

"Any particular reason you are telling me this "

"Just trust me I have my reasons Spider-man you have to get out of Sunnydale if they catch you do what they are doing "

"Whose they Conners what's going on?"

"Listen you have to promise... you never saw me like…like this…" He looked around fearfully "if they knew ... what I know now?"

"What are you talking about "

"The Scourge. He found me he was hunting me I …I don't know why?"

"Really well why don't we wake him up and ask I'll just web you up here and

"NO please don't "

"What did he see you change into "

"The accident that sheered off my arm also uncovered evidence of some ancient civilization. While I was wondering around lost and in pain I set something off…cursed myself somehow… ever since I periodically transform into this …thing a lizard like creature. When I found out about Sunnydale I hardly believed that such a place might exist but now I think I can find a cure for my condition. Anyway, this …person saw me as I was changing back and started chasing me."

"You came to Sunnydale looking for a cure to a mystic curse." Spidey asked disbelieving

"There are beings here that can control such transformations, if I could find a way to do the same thing …"

"Well someone has got know."

"No, please no," the doctor pleaded. "If anyone finds out they will…They're trying to capture anyone and every … thing… that they can."

"Who?" Spider-man asked expectantly

"The Initiative, their government, highly financed…yes that's it. I'll tell you things... help you find out the truth. Get you information, anything you want to know just please keep this just between me and you."

"How do I know this is legit Doc "

"They are hunting for you, they have come close already. That incident at the construction site. Several other things, That's them trying to capture you. You have to be careful you and that other do-gooder."

"What other do-gooder " Spider-man asked as the cold feeling crept up his spine.

"The one they call the Slayer, The Initiative is most interested in the both of you."

"Why?"

"Because they know about Sunnydale, they know what's here, what it means and what they can do with it. Most of all they want control. It's why they brought me here and I fear, why they got me to do what I've done."

"You mean other then helping to round up demons for some government ops program?"

"Not that," Conners confessed miserably "I have a friend a theoretical Physicist named Dr Otto Octavius he has been doing experiments in Trans-Dimensional Harmonics. He has created a machine that he says can open doorways to other realms. I …I was persuaded to get him to test it here."


Spike looked down at Sunnydale. He had sworn that this town had not seen the last of him. The Big Bad was back, first he would get a gang together, then he would deal with the sodding Slayer and the creepy Spider-man then…oh yes, then he would spring his latest surprise on the World. After that everyone would bow down to … the soft thud of the dart interrupted his ranting. He spun and looked at the masked figure that was coming toward him.

"HST secured, will be ready for pick-up and delivery in just a few."

"Bugger" said Spike as he passed out, which was a shame really because the plan he had conceived was quite ambitious by his standards the Scoobies might have enjoyed trying to stop him from pulling it off.


Willie slid another drink in front of the masked babe. Her golden mask sat beside her she tool the straw in the drink and sipped. "So tell me about this Slayer."

"What's to tell, one girl in all the world except there is like two of them now and don't get me started on how that happened. "

"Is she human, natural? "

Willie snorted, "not a chance, Slayers are champions mystically powered and chosen. Super strength, speed and resilience. Mostly they kill vampires but she can get around. "

"Then she is touched by magic." The woman said grimly

"Who isn't these days." Willie shrugged, he ignored the wincing shudder that visibly ran through the woman in front of him.

"What about this Spider-man?"

"Oh he's getting to be a thorn in every one's side. Even mortal crooks hate him."

"But his powers, is he human, demon, mutant…."

"Nobody knows for sure, Well some mortal named Beck tried to prove his powers were fake but that blew up in his face …literally."

"So he is magic as well."

"Just between you and me I've heard that some bad ass assassin has been floating around. Her order kills demon avatars and she was in here once asking about Spider-man, so maybe she has been trying to do him. Frankly, with the reputation that her order has I'm surprised that she hasn't managed to kill him yet I guess he is tougher then he looks."

"So this Slayer and this Spider-man are the only protection the mortals in this town have against the darkness."

"Only?…trust me lady, those two are all trouble, all the time." Willie pointed to a group of demons around a table. "Bounty hunters like those guys over there come here looking for The Slayer but lately some of them have come looking for Spider-man."

"Bounty Hunters?"

"You piss off the kinds of people The Slayer and the Spider do, eventually someone with deep pockets will bankroll a serious contract on your head."

The girl rose from the bar and donned her mask. She drew closer listening to their talk. The gang of thugs argued among themselves. "How corny can you get, first it's The Terrible Trio then The Frightful Four would you get off of the names already."

The demon he was speaking to shrugged. "Names give a sense of power you know, or"

"Or nothing, we're all here for the bounty when the Spider and the Slayer have been iced we can share it out. At the rate you are screwing around you'll be calling the group the Sinister Six or something equally geeky."

"What if some mortal gets caught in the crossfire." The masked woman asked quietly "While you are trying to get these so-called do-gooders. Some mortal could get hurt."

"And? Like that really matters with the kind of money that we are being offered I'd happily off the entire town."

"Not if you die first." The Woman snarled. She raised a weapon and opened fire. The demons headed for cover. She pulled a rifled weapon from the depths of her cloak and fired brightly colour shots into the corners of the room setting those demons still in the bar alight. When the bar was silent the woman looked at her handy work two dozen beings of various types lay dead or dying " Humanity and Justice are served. " she hissed

A whimper from behind the bar made her think that someone had escaped her rampage and she discarded both weapons pulling a third from concealment to stalk the maker of the sound , Willie scrambled toward the door but the woman tossed a chair in his path tripping him up.

She stalked the fallen barkeep placing a boot on his back. You make money by serving these…things in some ways you're a traitor to your race. "

"I told everything "

"Not everything, I still don't know who Spider-man is who is he where he is "

"Follow the sirens or you could cause trouble … eventually he'll try and stop you "

"What about this Slayer, who is she and where can I find her."

"Summers, I hear she attends UC Sunnydale "

"The Slayer, you know her identity "

"Its not like she hides her face or name. Everything mystic and demonic know who the Slayer is and once they do they don't mess with her or her crew. The smart ones anyway-- the rest are dead."

"Well I'm asking now, who is she?"

"Her name is Buffy Summers "

"Tell me everything about this …Buffy Summers "

"How much is everything "

The Masked woman jammed the muzzle of the gun against Willie's skull "Just keep talking till I don't feel like killing your treacherous hide. Everything, where she goes, who her friends are, Absolutely everything you know." Willie knew a lot and after four years of Buffy leaning on him for information, it felt good to rat HER out for a change. Then there was the whole gun to the head thing to consider.