Chapter 105
Although Buffy had never met Tina her death hit Buffy harder than expected. She was suppossed to slay that monster Claw, she failed. She was walking Thursday morning, completely lost track of time. By the time she remembered about school she was over an hour late. Unable to explain her absence Buffy got detention for Saturday. This did not deter Buffy from going hunting for Claw on Thursday night. According to Giles vampires often hunted in the park, so that was where Buffy went. The vampire leaders were all gone, hopefully dead. In times of chaos like this they were scatterred. Lots of people in parks, easier to pick them off at night. Also Tina's body was found here, little reason to think Claw would stray too far. Giles' research said there had been a strong vampire who'd displeased his master and cut off his own hand in penance. Giles said that Claw's master was long dead, although that might have been wishful thinking on the Watchers part. As Buffy sought out Claw she found Charles Gunn. They knew each other a little from school, Willow said he'd had a debate with her over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This was awkward, slightly less so when they each realized the other was carrying a wooden stake.
Buffy: Are you hunting vampires?
Gunn: One. The vampire who murdered my friend.
Buffy: You shouldn't be here.
Gunn: And you should?
Buffy: I'm a slayer, or at least a potential slayer.
Gunn: The slayer? Wow. I thought that was a myth.
Buffy: No, I'm real.
Gunn: How long you been hunting?
Buffy: A few weeks.
Gunn: I've been doing this for years. I did it to keep my neighborhood in LA safe. I actually thought Sunnydale was safe.
Claw: You were wrong.
Buffy and Gunn turne around and saw him, Claw. A frightening vampire with a sharp weapon where a hand should be. He attaced them both. Neither Buffy nor Gunn liked the other one being involved, but there was no way to avoid this now. During the fight Claw tried to mock them. He said killing a potential slayer and another hunter would be his absolution. He said nothing more. Gunn was able to drive his stake into Claw's heart and watch hi explode into dust. Buffy hoped that Claw had been merely an old remenant of a long dead vampire leader. Because Claw had been the strongest vampire either Buffy or Gunn had faced so far. They both feared the vampire who could turn Claw into a minion.