First Knight 4

"It's a Rodent of unusual size, and we aren't in the fire swamp," Xander told Buffy.

"And you aren't Buttercup," Dawn added.

Xander chuckled.

"What do the Powerpuff girls have to do with anything?" Buffy asked.

Dawn and Xander burst out laughing.

"I never made you watch the Princess Bride?" Willow asked.

"We haven't had a movie night in forever," Buffy replied, "and when we did, they kept on getting interrupted."

"Being the blond of the trio, Buffy would be Bubbles." Dawn pointed out. "Blossom was the red-head, like Willow. That leaves you as Buttercup."

Xander stuck his tongue out at Dawn. "Giles just didn't have the legs for the mini-dress."

The loud and unnatural wavering cry of the creature sounded once more, a lot closer than it had been.

"But seriously, where are the weapons?" Buffy asked.

Xander walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the fireplace poker. "It's a rat, don't be so melodramatic."

"Giant, mutated, flesh-eating-" Willow listed out only to be interrupted by a loud snarl as the creature rushed in from the hall.

It had patchy grey fur and hard, leathery skin, but the large red eyes and mouth full of razor sharp teeth were what really drew attention. As it rose up on its hind legs and launched itself at Xander it almost looked bipedal, like a branch of the rodent family tree that was rejected because of rot and decay.

Xander's swing caught it in the chest. The snapping ribs were clearly audible as it was thrown back, the iron hook on the poker tearing into it and sending a glittering spray of crimson into the air. Its growl was wet and filled with the horrid burble of a partially collapsed lung filling with blood, but it didn't slow it in the slightest as it attacked once more. It wasn't a fight, it was butchery, as Xander methodically took the three foot tall, sixty-five pound mass of muscle, tooth and claw apart with the poker, shattering bones and tearing flesh with a bored look on his face and a complete disregard for blood splatter.

"Oh Goddess, I think I'm going to be sick," Willow hyperventilated as Xander wiped blood off his face.

"Do you know how much you look like a serial killer right now?" Kennedy asked.

Xander shrugged and returned the bloodstained poker to its place. "The first time is disturbing, but the fourteenth time is just dull."

"I thought it was supposed to be giant," Buffy said.

A duplicate of Willow appeared wearing clothes, jewelry and makeup that marked her as Solstice. "The average rat is only six to eight inches, three feet is a significant increase."

"I am going to go clean the blood off," Xander announced. "Don't leave the lobby until I get back."

"I'll go with you so you don't leave bloody handprints on everything," Dawn volunteered, walking around the pool of blood surrounding the dead creature.

"It's really not that big a problem," Xander said.

"Don't care," Dawn said heading for the elevator "I'm going to help."

"OK," he agreed, following her to the elevator.

"Violence and terror," Solstice said as the elevator doors closed, "few things are quite as satisfying." She hummed happily and the sound of an orchestra playing joined her as she danced, tracking blood everywhere.

"I'm disturbed, is anyone else disturbed?" Willow babbled.

"At least she's not barefoot," Buffy offered.

"Barefoot?" Solstice questioned.

"Don't give her ideas," Willow groaned.

Solstice kicked off her shoes (a very attractive retro pair of black pumps, Buffy noted), which faded into nothing a foot from her, and stepped barefoot in the blood. "It's squishy."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized to Willow.

"Is it wrong-" Kennedy began then stopped. "Nevermind."

"This is quite nice, very visceral," Solstice said.

*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*

*Ring*Ring*

"Hello?" Dawn answered.

"Did you get a call from an evil clone of you and tell her to tell Xander to kick me out?" Buffy demanded.

"Why, hello Buffy, it's good to hear your voice too. I'm fine, and how are you?" Dawn replied with false cheer.

"Hello, Dawn," Buffy said with a sigh. "I'd love to make small talk, but we have a bit of a situation here."

"Oh no!" Dawn said dramatically, "Is it life or death? Or worse, GASP! … is Xander going to have sex?"

Buffy groaned. "Dawn…do you actually want him to have sex with an evil clone of you?"

"It'll be good practice for him," Dawn replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm doing inventory on the council's records and redoing the inventory for everything from Sunnydale. Someone did a real sloppy job, not even naming them properly."

Buffy winced. "We were rushed at the time."

"Well, I have to redo them all, so I'll talk to you later! Bye!" Dawn hung up the phone. Scratching her back with the Ferrula Gemini, she sighed and got back to work.

*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*

"Wait a second," Buffy said, "Good practice?"

Typing by : Elrod Albino!