Chapter 12 The Potential Army
A/N: Things are picking up and they'll just keep getting faster. As by the title of the chapter I'm pretty sure you all got an idea what this one is about. Hope you like it and enjoy.
I am the last man stand survivor
I am the last man home.
I'll be the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I am the last man stand survivor
I am the last man home.
I'll be the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
You're all alone sitting in the corner,
You've got a killer stare.
Who's messing round with you in the corner?
He better say his prayers.
You found yourself a new sensation
But baby it's a jungle out there
The one's you counted on are all but gone
Baby it's a jungle out there.
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I wish you would try and look
a little more excited,
Let me stay, let me cause I'm coming anyway
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
You found yourself a new sensation
But baby it's a jungle out there
The one's you counted on are all but gone
Baby it's a jungle out there.
Last Man Standing by People in Planes
The mansion was in the process of being repaired now. Buffy can have it fixed rather quickly by professionals but she wanted to rebuild it. She built this mansion four years ago all by herself. She laid down the wood floors, cleaned out the grout in between the stone tiles, polished the marble, painted the walls, washed the windows. She made this place into a home for her family. If she could do it by herself after crawling out of Hell then it should be even easier with her family.
The team was doing a round robin with the cleaning and studying at the moment. Right now Angel, Doyle and Xander were sweeping and getting the last of the debris up. Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Cordelia and Anya were reading and Andrew was still tied in the chair. In another or hour so they will switch. Right now they were trying to figure out why the bad guys took Spike. Angel and Buffy knew who these men were and they have a pretty good idea who or rather what was behind all this.
"There's nothing on the First." Anya slammed her book closed.
"Because it predates written history." Buffy reminded Anya as she was reading.
"What should we do with the bodies?" Xander asked as they had pile up the bodies in the corner.
"Take them out back and burn them." Angel answered without looking up while he swept the last bit of glass up.
"How do we know this is the First?" Dawn asked and she looked up seeing Angel and Buffy looking at her and then they looked at each other. They were the only ones that saw it. It tormented Buffy like it was doing to Spike.
"I faced it and it's the same thing. It all makes sense now." Angel then sat down. "Whatever the First is doing it's trying to keep us distracted." Right now if it is the First it has won another point over the A-Team.
"Why does it need Spike?" Cordelia asked and Angel shrugged.
"It nearly had Buffy ready to kill herself, I don't know what it wants from Spike." Angel was worried. Fighting the First is fighting smoke.
Spike began to come around but felt this burning sensation coming from his back. As his vision cleared he realized he was being dragged across the ground. He could see shadows dragging him and part of him hoped that they would kill him. The shadows stopped and Spike looked over seeing the newly risen vampire, the original vampire. But that's not all he saw. Drusilla came out along with a demon and a man.
"Hello Spike," Drusilla greeted him.
"Go on, kill me." Spike sounded winded.
"Oh, I can but that would be too easy." Then Drusilla morphed back into Buffy. "You seem to like this image. But no Spike, you're not going to die, not yet." Then the man grabbed the demon that called itself the Angel of Death and slit it's throat while the old vampire drank the dripping blood. "It's going to need human blood but first, it needs a boost."
Buffy in the form of the First circled Spike as the uber vampire drank the demon. The man just stood there. "Been busy but I need to move faster, get the slayer off my back." The First then looked down to Spike. "I didn't want to hurt you," It then kneeled down to the grown. "I wanted Buffy, I wanted her since the beginning. Her blood alone would have given me everything. So glad I kept her here on earth instead of killing her. Of course Buffy has sworn loyalty to the slayer. But I got lucky, I found another vampire with a soul who happens to be blonde. It's my lucky day."
Spike wanted to hit the First but he had no energy to do so. "Cruciate," The man then stepped forward and Spike's eyes narrowed to the demon that tortured Buffy back in Hell. "When the full moon rises we can open the next seal." The man nodded and then they both looked to Spike. "Get him out." The First walked away as the Bringers dragged Spike away.
There wasn't much more that could be done for the night so everyone was going to go to sleep or at least try. Buffy shot up in bed in a cold sweat looking around the dark room. She jolted Angel out of sleep and he sat up in a blur.
"Buffy?" He was tired as she sat there. "Buffy?" She then looked to him and tried to calm herself down. "What's wrong?" She then looked to Angel and leaned into him. She hasn't done that in a long time and he held her. "It's ok," He assured her and Buffy pulled away.
"It's been a while since I've dreamt about Hell." Buffy summed up what her dream was about, her time in Hell.
"Hey, you're not there, you're here with me." Angel knew when she first came back that's all she dreamt about was her torture. It's been a long time since she had her last nightmare about those days.
"It's not just that," Buffy continued to look at him. "It's the girls I'm seeing." Angel's heart started to race now. "There's more." Angel just pulled her in for a warm and comforting hug.
"I know," Angel more or less whispered.
"Why? Why are you and I seeing this?" Buffy pulled away looking at Angel. "It's all connected right?" Angel wanted to say yes but he wasn't completely sure. "In your dream did this happened? Did I say something?" The dream was somewhat a map for them. Angel dried to think but there was no mention of girls dying. Angel then looked to the time and they had maybe another hour or so before daylight. He wanted to go back to sleep but he couldn't. But the couple laid back down together holding each other wondering what the hell was going to happen next.
Angel started to stir awake as there was a fast knocking at the door. He felt so groggy as he opened his eyes. He heard a very disapproving moan from Buffy as Angel rolled over and nearly rolled onto the floor, not one of his finer slayer moments. That sort of woke him up as he reached for a shirt and some sweats and walked over to the door and opened it and Dawn was standing there.
"Andrew is awake." Dawn greeted him.
Angel came down the stairs followed by Buffy. Xander was awake but he was the only one. Everyone else was still asleep at the moment. Andrew was still tied down as he could not be trusted. He looked up seeing Angel walking up to him.
"Alright douchbag," Angel started as he no time anymore. "You tell me what you know and I won't kill you, hell I might give you a cup of coffee." Angel then got closer to Andrew. "But I kind of hope you say nothing, would love to not save you this time but you know something."
"If I don't say anything?" Andrew wanted to know.
"I've never actually killed a man before, shouldn't be too hard." Angel answered.
Andrew led Angel, Buffy, Dawn and Xander down into the school basement.
"It's right around here, I sort of remember digging it up but it was like a dream or something." Andrew explained as they walked through the basement.
"You were probably possessed." Dawn started but just then they came to the seal and everyone's eyes widen.
"Well, you don't find these in your average school basement." Xander looked at the seal. "How long has it been here?" Angel got closer and squatted down to study this seal further.
"A long time, so what does it open?" Angel looked over to Andrew.
"I don't know." Andrew answered and Angel could tell he was being honest.
"It takes blood though." Buffy spoke up. "This place smells like blood." Dawn then walked over to a round wooden device that looked like something from the Spanish Inquisition. Buffy's seen those before, it's for a bloodletting.
"Either they got the blood they needed or they were making a rock and roll video." Dawn continued to look around the basement. "Got a feeling it was Spike."
"That's new I didn't do it." Andrew made sure everyone was aware of it.
"Good to know that you weren't apart of that besides all the other satanic crap that is going on." Xander didn't sound very assured by all this. "So what the hell now?" Angel stood up looking at the seal knowing it was opened and whatever it opened was coming soon. Spike wasn't here and for all they know Spike was dead.
"Let's get out of here." Angel stated and no one objected to that and they all left.
Back at the mansion the curtains were drawn as Willow set up some candles. The team had one way they could find Spike and it would be a locator spell. If it could not find him then it would confirm that Spike was killed. The team sat around the table as Willow was just about done getting everything ready but her heart was pounding. She hasn't done much magic in a long time.
Angel looked over to Buffy as they waited and it looked like she was about to fall asleep while standing up. Angel then leaned over to her.
"Get some sleep," He suggested to her and she shook her head no. "You're not sleeping."
"Angel, the First tortured me," She looked over to Angel as they were whispering. "It made me see my father, it almost had me kill myself. If this is what we're facing and what's brining the end to us I can't sleep." Buffy gave her reasoning. Angel too has encountered the First but it hit Buffy the hardest. Just then a huge light appeared with a high wind coming from the dining room, coming from the map Willow was about to use.
The light was nearly blinding and everyone took a step back. Angel saw the light going into Willow and her eyes blacken again and she screamed in a low deep voice. Willow looked to Angel as the winds were still going on in the mansion. Angel was about to run to Willow when she held out her hand and Angel flew back.
"You only make me stronger! You will not win this!" The First spoke through Willow. Buffy ran to Willow and flipped the table over breaking the spell and then she caught Willow as she fell to the ground. Angel rolled over as Doyle helped him up. Willow was sobbing in fear as Buffy sat her up.
"Get it out, get it out of me!" She begged.
"It's ok, it's gone." Buffy assured her.
"I don't want to hurt anyone, I don't want to be that." Willow sobbed.
"You won't it's ok." Buffy tried to calm her down as Angel came over to an upset Willow. She looked to Angel with tears in her eyes. Angel just reached out and hugged her as she sobbed in his arms. She was shaken with fear. Buffy let out a sigh and then to the table she flipped, it wasn't damaged too bad just whatever was glass was broken and thank god for solid cherry oak.
"Don't make me fight this with magic Angel please," Willow begged and he nodded.
"We won't, we won't until we know what it is." Angel reassured her and pulled away looking her. "You're still Willow." And she nodded and hugged Angel again for more comfort.
The team sat in the living room after the frightening slight possession. The First hacked into Willow for a moment and that made everyone feel violated.
"Angel, how will you find this thing?" Doyle asked. "It's powerful enough that it took over Willow, I haven't gotten any visions from the PTB in a while. It's controlling everything."
"Well anything is better than just sitting around doing nothing." Angel stood his ground.
"He's right Angel," A voice stated and everyone looked up seeing father Michael there. Angel quickly stood up ready to defend his friends.
"Why are you here?" Angel demanded because he still doesn't trust the man.
"Our worst fears have been confirmed." Michael started looking to the group. "It's Cruciate, he's breaking the seven seals."
"What seals?" Cordelia asked.
"The seven seals of the apocalypse." Buffy answered looking to Cordelia and then she looked to Michael. "How?"
"We don't know." Michael answered.
"Who's we?" Xander asked but Michael didn't answer.
"Doyle, you haven't been receiving visions because you are half demon, the PTB are drawing lines right now, they feel you can switch sides." Michael explained. "The First wanted you Buffy for the Seal of Danzalther."
"Is it one of the seven?" Angel asked and Michael shook his head no.
"It does raise something evil. Right now Cruciate has opened one of the seven seals, we aren't sure if he has opened the second one yet." Michael explained.
"Well, how do we know?" Anya asked.
"Pestilence," Buffy said and looked around. "Sickness," Michael nodded.
"Zombies," Angel remembered what the high sorcerer from the Circle of the Black Thorn said to him. The dead is the beginning. "There's a sickness that will spread and create zombies." Michael nodded. The Circle of the Black Thorn wanted to bypass this and just start. But The Circle will protect the First at all cost to ensure the end.
"Then war, war is the second horsemen," Buffy continued. "The second seal is war."
"Then what?" Willow asked.
"Famine, then the pale rider…death." Buffy finished.
"That's four seals, three more." Xander counted but before they could continued there was a knock and Angel headed to the front door. He had no idea who was here but when he opened the door his eyes widen.
"Giles?" Angel asked and the Watcher smiled a little.
"Angel," Giles greeted the slayer but before anything else could be said three girls started to walk in.
"This place is big." One girl said as the team started to gather around the front of the door.
"A little messy." The second girl stated both having a British accent.
"This is the first male slayer?" The third girl stood before Angel and she smiled a little. "Hmm," And she continued to walk in. Buffy felt a little jealousy hit her over the brunette girl. Angel then looked to Giles wanting to know what this was about.
"Sorry to barge in, I'm afraid we have a slight…apocalypse." Giles answered and Angel couldn't agree with him more.
The three girls that came with Giles were standing there while Dawn looked to them. Angel then looked to Giles as he sat in the recliner while the Watcher stood there.
"They're slayers?" Angel asked his Watcher.
"Potential slayers," Giles added. "Waiting to be called." Giles began to pace. Angel sat there thinking and would glance at Buffy as she looked just as concerned. "There's well there were more like them but the numbers are getting smaller." Giles then looked to the three girls.
"They were murdered." Angel started to put more pieces together. "I saw them get murdered." Angel's dreams were showing his sisters get murdered.
"Me too." Dawn spoke up. "But why me?"
"You're half of Angel, you share the exact same blood, you would be able to see the potentials." Giles assured her. Just then Buffy raised her hand slowly.
"I'm a vampire, how come I'm having the same dreams?" She asked and Giles looked stumped. "I'll never stop surprising you right?" Giles wasn't going to argue that.
"I'm sure we'll find out why but the potentials have been killed along with their Watchers." Giles went on. "We've always feared this day would come when there was an attack not just on the slayer but the line itself." Angel sat there thinking and was confused.
"That's not how it goes." Angel looked up and everyone looked confused well everyone except Buffy and Michael. Angel looked around the room to his people and they knew he knew something.
"What do you mean?" Giles asked wanting to know. Angel then looked to Michael as he sat there.
"A dream," Angel looked around. "I was in the future must have been a vision from the PTB. It was the end of the world and you guys were there. The seven seals were broken but…no…no killing of potential slayers." Angel sounded lost.
"An alternate reality?" Giles asked and Angel nodded.
"One that I did not come back from the dead." And once more Angel started to piece more of the puzzle together and looked to Michael and now he was catching on. "I never came back in that world and it ended by the First. But this is different."
"Angel," Xander started. "You're talking like a crazy person. What the hell do you mean?"
"If I never came back the First wouldn't be killing the potentials, I've changed things, we've changed things, changing it the way it goes." Angel went on.
"It fears you Angel," Michael spoke up. "When you died it had nothing to fear."
"So why kill potential slayers, they have no power." Cordelia added in which was true.
"An army," Giles stated. "Angel has returned from the dead, the First fears him, fears Buffy too because it tried to have her killed as well. The First will try to keep the potential slayers from uniting under Angel."
"Kill all the potential slayers, until it's just Faith and me. The line ends." Angel stated the First's plan.
"Without the slayer we're sitting ducks." Xander added in. "The four horsemen are coming, it's all happening right now."
"But there's nothing about the First just what Buffy and Angel have seen." Willow joined in.
"It predates everything and it rarely shows it's true face." Giles went on. "The only record I know is in the Council library."
"And the Council?" Michael asked. "What are they going to do?"
"They're gone." Giles answered and Angel stood up with eyes wide looking to Giles. "They're dead, it's gone." Angel continued to stand there in shock.
"The First," Angel stated who did it. "It is back and it's gotten a little bit more ambitious." Angel was getting angry. The thing was killing the slayer line and it took out a huge resource. "With the Council gone what about the records?"
"Amber," Giles looked to one of the girls and she opened up her backpack and took out some books and some paperwork. "That's all that's left. I managed to find some stuff on the First but not much." Amber placed the last records of the Council on the coffee table. Angel sat down and looked to what was saved. Hundreds of years of history was reduced to this.
"What do we know about the First?" Angel asked.
"It can change form." Giles answered meaning there wasn't much as the Watcher began to pace again. "The First isn't anything like we've encountered before. It comes in the guise of someone who has passed away." Buffy then went back fours years. "My little girl." Henry walked in and Buffy closed her eyes trying to block that out." Buffy opened her eyes again and saw Angel looking at her. He looked so concerned and she tried to give a smile meaning she was ok but Angel knows her too well. "It can't touch only influence. It can possess and have biddings done through it's followers and the Bringers."
"Cruciate," Buffy spoke up and looked around. "He said he was here for a bigger purpose, that something else was coming." Everything was making sense they just hoped it wasn't too late. "The First wanted me, I declined, now it has Cruciate."
"There's evil then there's thing that created it, the source." Giles then sat down on the arm of the couch.
"So what's next?" Doyle asked. "I get no visions thanks to the PTB, hate flying blind."
"Angel," Michael looked to the slayer. "It falls to you, you're the guardian of the Hell Mouth and one of the few that can protect what's left of the line."
"And the Powers?" Angel asked. "What, they aren't going to help?" He asked.
"They'll do what they can but," Angel stood up not wanting to hear it as Giles looked to Michael wondering who this man really was.
"How can one man protect us?" The burette came over. "If this is the source of all evil and we're on the Hell Mouth shouldn't we be running away?"
"Kennedy," Amber snapped.
"She's right," Angel looked to Michael and Giles. "We need more help."
"Like how?" Anya asked.
"Find Spike is one," Angel needed the muscle that's if Spike was even alive. "Call Wes in LA, get a second front going and remember the hunters? Call them." Angel stated, it was all they got at this point.
Giles was standing outside on the porch as the sun was setting. The day was cold too. Every since the school year started it cooler and getting colder than the normal California weather they were use to this time of year. It was just after Halloween and it was a normal Halloween for all, trick o' treating and candy. Thanksgiving was coming, the end of the year was coming. But why was it colder than normal?
As Giles stood there listening to wind chimes and enjoying the quietness Buffy stepped outside and stood next to him.
"Welcome home." Buffy said and Giles smiled a little.
"It's good to be back just wish it was under better circumstances." Giles was honest and Buffy nodded.
"It's the life." Buffy reminded him. "So, going up against the root of all evil."
"Yeah and…I don't think we can fight this." Giles sounded like they've lost especially after Angel told everyone his dream he had a while ago. Buffy shrugged and looked to Giles.
"There's a lot of things we fought and we shouldn't even be here by half of them." Buffy reminded Giles and he looked to her. "We've fought a lot of nightmares and stopped the world ending and Angel…" She paused a little and smiled. Giles already knew that they were back together, it didn't take a genus to figure that one out. "Angel has gotten a lot further than I ever thought he could. A lot further than any slayer has and ever will. I know he'll lead us to end."
Giles smiled a little knowing Angel will lead them again to whatever end was coming. Giles then reached out and Buffy went to his arms and they hugged. Giles was happy to be home regardless the reason why.
Inside the mansion Angel and Michael were alone out at the front of the mansion. Angel wasn't thrilled he was here and while he is tied to the PBT he doesn't trust him. Maybe if the man told him a long time ago he was a warrior from the PTB Angel would be fine. But there was more Michael was hiding.
"So, what you showed me was a lie." Angel was quick to accuse.
"No," Michael protested. "It was a possible future one that happened without you." The priest went on. "I wanted you to see an outcome if you lose regardless if you were alive. It's because you are alive you have the chance to stop it more than Buffy ever did."
"You saying Buffy couldn't do it?" Angel asked with some anger in his tone. Buffy is a leader and a fighter.
"No," Once again Michael protested. "Think about it Angel, the First has already tried to get rid of Buffy," It was time to think about the events of four years ago. "Buffy has sworn all loyalty to you and your people. The First wanted Elizabeth from the start. But when you sent Buffy to Hell it had her. It had Buffy and you were alone, easy to pick off."
"Buffy came back." Angel stated and Michael nodded.
"You and Buffy together is something the First fears that's why in the future you saw the world was gone. You two need each other to have a chance. The First cannot touch Buffy, her soul and will are too strong not to mention the gem. It can however try and convert Spike and in the future you saw Spike did switch sides." Michael continued on.
"Is he worth saving?" Angel asked.
"Aren't we all?" Michael answered and Angel knew what that meant. "You need an army Angel, having two vampires with souls is a good start. That's why the First has always wanted you and Buffy separated…it's what you two have done, what you can do that can win." Michael then looked around and then back to Angel. "I must go,"
"Wait," Angel stopped Michael from leaving. "I need Doyle to have his visions back if we're going to get through this."
"The Powers fear he could switch sides," Michael was about to go on but Angel cut him off.
"He's fought by my side for four years, he's not switching sides." Angel stated.
"You see so much shades of grey, how?" Michael asked and Angel shrugged.
"Because not all monsters a evil." Angel answered and Michael nodded and waved his hand.
"I have given his gift of site back, by doing so I am going against the Powers." Michael warned the slayer.
"Feels good to be a rebel." Angel added and Michael continued to walk away not amused by that statement.
The sun had set as Angel and Giles pulled up and parked the Mustang. They both got out of the car and started to walk together. The ride into town was a quiet one and it was still quiet as they walked side by side.
"So," Giles decided to break up the silence. "Things seem to be ok for what's going on."
"Still can be better," Angel decided to talk.
"I am sorry for leaving." Giles brought back up the past a bit.
"I know, and I'm glad you did." Angel wasn't mad not anymore. "I'm alright Giles really. I'm more worried about what's coming but I'm also glad you're home."
"If it's not too awkward…who is father Michael?" Giles asked even though he has worked with Michael on a few occasions.
"I don't know, he says he works for the Powers That Be, a direct line but the more I think about it the more it seems the Powers are letting all this happen rather than help it." Angel explained. "I'm not sure if he's one of us." Giles nodded and accepted Angel's judgment on this.
"Well, where are we heading?" Giles asked as Angel didn't say anything when they left the mansion.
"I saw the First four years ago at a Christmas tree lot." Angel answered and that wasn't an answer Giles expected.
"A Christmas tree lot?" Giles asked just to be sure.
"Well, under it. The Bringers were there doing a spell. It's when Buffy was seeing things. My guess now she was seeing all the people she killed and it was First doing it. I confronted the First and saw it's true form." Angel continued to explain as they walked to the lot. "It's ugly too."
"There's more you're not telling me." Giles wanted to know what Angel knew.
"It's stuff happening in LA, the Eye of Fire and the Beast." Angel was just going to be honest and then Giles stopped walking. "You know about the Beast?"
"Very little but I do know he comes with the end." Giles answered and Angel nodded.
"The Beast was in my dreams Giles, it was here." Angel was getting more and more concerned with the coming days. "How bad is this? All this, what's happening, how bad?" Angel wanted to know.
"I can only imagine." Giles was once more honest to Angel. Angel looked around to the night the very chilly night.
"The holidays are coming," Angel started. "You picked a good time to come back." Giles smiled a little and then placed a hand on Angel's shoulder.
"I'm glad I'm back, wouldn't want to fight the end with anyone else but you." Giles would always go down fighting with Angel even if they can't win.
At the mansion the potential slayers were going to room together upstairs in one of the many spare rooms. Right now though Buffy was trying to get some food ready for everyone. Angel and Giles said they should be back soon. Buffy decided a quick meal of macaroni and cheese. As she was cooking she looked up and saw Kennedy standing there.
"You and Angel are together?" She asked and Buffy looked to her.
"Yeah," Buffy answered as she dumped another box of macaroni into the boiling water. Kennedy nodded and walked away and Buffy thought that was weird.
"Hey!" It was Andrew calling out and Xander went to see what he wanted. "I'm hungry," Andrew stated.
"We all are but you can't rush mac and cheese." Xander added.
"Am I going to stay tied up?" Andrew asked and Xander shrugged and walked away meaning yes. "Will someone feed me? Please?" Xander came into the kitchen while Doyle and Cordelia were setting the table.
"Is he joining us for dinner?" Xander asked and Buffy shrugged.
"He is a guest." Buffy answered meaning yes. "We can untie one hand so he can eat." That last part made Dawn and Cordelia giggle. The group can always have a sense of calmness in the mist of chaos.
Angel and Giles made it to the empty lot. There were no trees here just yet, in another week the place will have trees. It meant Buffy will be decorating the mansion with lights and they should think about getting a tree. Just because the world was ending didn't mean they could have a Christmas like a family.
"So the entrance to the cave is above ground." Giles looked around.
"Somewhere around here." Angel added as they continued to look around.
"We'll just," But then there was a cracking sound and Giles turned around and saw Angel was gone but there was a hole in the ground.
"Found it!" Angel called up as Giles got down to all fours and looked in.
"You ok?" Giles asked and Angel looked up.
"Just great, never knew my knees could bend backwards." Angel was in a little bit of pain as he started to stand up. "Toss me the flashlight." Giles took out a flashlight and dropped it down and Angel caught it and turned it on looking around.
"You be careful" Giles called out and Angel looked back up to Giles and he missed those warnings. Angel started to look around in the cave and so far it was empty. But then there was a strong smell like a rotting meat. Giles got closer and shined a light and his eyes widen. There was a pile of bodies. Angel took a step back and ran to where he fell. He wanted to get out and now.
Angel explained that he didn't find anything in the cave to everyone but there was something down there. Right now there wasn't much for anyone to do right now except wait. Giles decided to read what notes the team has come up with so far. Everyone was hanging around the mansion and Angel was in the weapons room. He was going through the weapons making sure they were in working order.
Angel was too focus on the weapons to notice that the three potential slayers were watching him.
"That's like amazing arm porn." Amber stated as she watched Angel loading the crossbow seeing his bare arms and the muscles flexing.
"To the max." Kennedy added. Angel was just in jeans and a t-shirt at the moment.
"He's so hot." Molly put her two cents in. As they were spying on the slayer Dawn was walking in and heard the comments. She's tried of hearing the comments about her brother. To her it's kind of gross, it's her brother. The three potentials saw Dawn and she saw all three faces turn red. Dawn just bypassed them and walked into the training room. Angel tossed Dawn a broadsword in it's holder and she went to remount it.
"Patrol tonight?" Dawn asked.
"Just me, Buffy, Giles and Doyle." Angel answered and he knew he was about to get a lecture. But before Dawn could say anything Angel had his counter defense. "I need you to stay here and protect the potentials." Dawn didn't say anything as she stood there.
"Fine," Dawn wasn't going to argue right now. "You know you do have an audience." She added. Angel knew he chose to ignore it. Angel took a thigh blade holster and strapped it to his leg and stuck a rather big blade in it. He then put on smaller holsters on his wrist that would stakes. "You're gearing up tonight." Dawn noticed Angel was loading up.
"Something's out there." Angel answered as he grabbed his leather jacket and put it on. "Not sure what it is but I don't like it." Dawn hasn't seen Angel have this many weapons on him. Angel grabbed his crossbow that Buffy had costume made for him and then grabbed the old one he used to us for Buffy. "Grab those swords please?" Dawn grabbed two swards that would be for Doyle and Giles. Dawn followed the slayer out and the three potentials stepped back but were smiling.
The patrol went normal as far as patrols go. There was however a slight high number of vampires than the normal but not enough to make Angel worry. The patrol was over as the four left just talking. But as they talked Buffy stopped dead in her tracks. The three men stopped and looked to her.
"Buffy?" Angel asked and she looked behind her.
"We're being followed." She then looked to Angel and he had his finger on the trigger of the crossbow. Buffy caught up with the small group as Angel stayed behind with the crossbow up. Just then something rushed passed them in the bushes. It was fast too but Angel has learned to save your ammo.
"What is that?" Doyle asked but the four of them kept moving not wanting to know at the moment. It was following them and they picked up their pace. The Mustang was just around the corner as they found the trusty black sports car. They didn't even bother to pack the weapons away properly they just got in. Angel handed his crossbow to Buffy and she shoved them into the back where Doyle and Giles were.
These four have fought some nasty things in the past but why was something they haven't even seen made them rush out as if they were new to all this. Buffy was the one felt the most agitated by it, it made her nervous and inferior.
"What was that all about?" Doyle asked because he felt something too.
"I don't know." Giles answered as Angel started to drive away.
"Maybe that." Buffy pointed out to a figure walking the street as Angel slammed on his breaks but the car hit it. The thing was on the ground as Giles leaned forward along with Angel, Buffy and Doyle.
"The hell is that?" Angel asked as it moved getting up and Buffy shook her head meaning she didn't know but she didn't like it, the feeling it gave her. It stood up fully and Giles' eyes widen.
"Can't be," Giles said.
"Can't be what?' Doyle asked as it stood up.
"Angel get us out of here." Giles demanded and Angel nodded and went to shift the gear but nothing happened. The thing paced back and forth like it was mocking them smiling just a little. Angel tried to move the gearshift while having his foot on the clutch and the car made a noise but nothing happened.
"Uh why aren't we going anywhere?" Buffy asked as the thing started to walk to them.
"It's stuck in neutral," Angel said as he tried to shift it in reverse. The Mustang is an old one and even though Angel takes extremely good care of her she has seen a lot of action. Slamming on the breaks and hitting something probably startled the car a bit. Angel knew if he forced the shifter it would break and then they were completely shit out of luck.
"Get it out of neutral now." Buffy demanded as the thing was just a few feet away and getting closer. Angel pushed the shifter down and finally it shifted and Angel put it into reverse and slammed on the gas and the Mustang went flying backwards as the thing chased them. Angel turned the wheel hard and shifted the car into first and they were off. Giles looked behind them and the thing was getting smaller. Angel looked in the rearview mirror but saw nothing. When he actually looked behind him he saw it but it was further away.
"This can't be good." Angel muttered and looked over to Buffy and her eyes widen. Those bodies he found in the carven were probably killed by it and whatever came out of the seal, they probably just got a good look at it.
Well, we all know what has arrived, the Turok Han. Also we got the potential slayers. Are we excited yet? Hope so. I'll have a sneak peek here and of course in the forum. Also I'll finally have a chapter review for this one. In the mean time don't forget about the poll. The title of Elizabeth's backstory is in your guys' hands. I'm currently working on chapter 16 with my Beta because it's a huge chapter. Not size wise but more so what's happening in the chapter and it's big. But I can't say anything because it's hush, hush until you read it. Anyways enjoy the sneak peek and the review and keep sending those votes in. If you have voted and you want to secure your vote but the poll won't let you, you may send me a message telling me and I'll count that as a vote too. The poll will stay open until the end of March but the reveal won't happen until closer to posting time of the story. I'll talk about that in the review.
Until next time, thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing and following. You readers are awesome.
Chapter 13 Freewill
The group that was in the woods heard the loud roar.
"It ain't coyotes." Doyle made that much clear and Angel realized what they might come up against and turned to half of his team.
"Get back to the mansion." The slayer ordered and they all looked lost. "Now,"
"Angel?" Buffy wasn't about to let him take on something like this alone.
"I said now." Angel ordered and they started to retreat as Angel held up his crossbow and went on a small hunting trip. Angel went deeper into the woods alone trying to tap into his slayer abilities and sense everything around him as it was dark out. He can see rather well in the dark but it's how things hide. Just then he saw something shiny in the under brush and reached for it and pulled out a rather thin chain with a cross on it. It had blood on it too and the slayer looked around for Molly but he didn't have to walk much further seeing a body on the ground.
Angel knelt down to Molly seeing her neck was twisted all the way around as she was on her stomach and her face was looking up to Angel. Just as the slayer went to get up something threw him and he hit a tree. Angel felt the sharp pain in his back and he looked up seeing the vampire walking to him. The vampire reached for the slayer but Angel kicked him back.
The slayer got up and took another swing but the vampire grabbed his fist and then slammed Angel against another tree and then swung at his face before Angel had a chance to get up.
Buffy stopped running and looked back to the woods and felt something was wrong. She couldn't leave Angel alone in there so she ran back in. Doyle, Dawn and Willow stopped running as well seeing Buffy was running back to the woods and followed her.
Angel flew to another tree and breathed heavily in pain as his head was starting to fog up. He more or less waved his hands around trying to knock the vampire's arms away but it was useless and the Turok-Han reached for the slayer and grabbed his neck lifting him up. The last time Angel was bested like this was against Glory and back then he thought he couldn't move. Those were simpler days compared to now. The Turok-Han brought Angel closer to him as the slayer was on the verge of blacking out but not without one good solid comeback.