Chapter 26 Here We Are
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 potentials remained outside of the study while the rest of the A-Team were inside. The half axe, half stake looking weapon was on the table while the group was gathered around it. It was a strange looking weapon and it was red like it wanted to be noticed.
"Ok…so…it's what?" Xander asked breaking the silence.
"I think it's maybe some kind of scythe. The only thing I know for sure is it made Caleb want it real bad." Angel answered as he reached for the weapon liking the weight of it. It was perfectly balanced in his grip. It's strange that it was balanced so well because half appeared to be steel and the other wood. Just then Willow started to giggle.
"So it's true. Scythe matters." She was still giggling as she nudged Giles. Giles looked away as if he was completely done. But it made everyone smile just a little.
"And, ignoring that," Giles then stepped closer to Angel and the slayer handed the weapon to Giles. The Watcher held it looking at it and liked what he saw. "I'd just like to point out this is really quite ingenious."
"Kills strong bodies three ways." Buffy added looking at the weapon.
"And you say you sense something when you hold it?" Willow asked as Giles handed the weapon back to Angel. He wasn't sure though…maybe because it was something different he liked it.
"Not much," Angel answered and then twirled the weapon to get a good feel. "But it's strong. And I knew it belonged to me. I just knew it." Angel finished as Giles continued to study the weapon while it was in the slayer's hands.
"In addition to being ancient, it's clearly mystical." Giles pointed out, he can always point out the mystical things in the world because either they look weird or it's shiny.
"Yeah, figures since he King Arthured it out of the stone." Buffy added while standing there.
"So maybe it's like some kind of traditional slayer weapon?" Cordelia asked because of the look it plays right into what a slayer would need.
"I can't imagine how something like this could exist without my having heard of it." Giles was implying he's never come across something like this in his studies. He knows so much about slayers that this would have gone unnoticed.
"There's a lot that we haven't heard or read before." Michael added meaning this was a secret even for him.
"Well, the good guys are not traditionally known for their communication skills." Buffy stated meaning it always seemed like they were out of the loop until the very end. It never fails.
"Right," Giles agreed and then sat down at the table. The new thing to do is to figure out what this weapon is for, where a came from and how to use it. "Um... any chance that it might be something other than a tool for killing things?"
"Trimming hedges?" Xander asked and Cordelia pushed him.
"The First's guys clearly wanted it out of that stone." Angel went on to explain. "It's not just a tool, it's important. We need to find out whatever we can. Who made it, when, why? Does it have a name?" The team all agreed.
"I don't know, a credit report?" Buffy added another way to track down information but the look she got from Giles and she shrugged. "Hey, in this day and age."
"Just find out fast." Angel made the goal clear.
"We'll start work immediately." Giles stood up.
"I'll see if I can tap into my resources from the Powers," Michael found his way to help.
"I thought you were kicked out of the Frat House?" Xander asked and Michael looked to him.
"I still have connections." Michael answered.
"We'll find out everything there is to know." Willow insisted and Angel nodded.
"Good, because right now, that thing's all we've got going for us." Angel knew crunch time was just around the corner. The team started to leave the study to but Faith remained there looking at the weapon. Angel then held it out to her and Buffy saw the moment and decided to wait and see what could happen. Faith took the weapon from Angel and held it in her hands and smiled.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Angel asked and she nodded.
"Damn, and damn, that's something." And like Angel, Faith twirled it getting the feel for it.
"I know." Angel agreed because he felt it too.
"It's old." Faith continued to hold it in her hands "It's strong, and it feels like... like it's mine." She then looked to Angel and held it out to him "I guess that means it's yours." She was handing it back to Angel.
"It belongs to the slayer." Angel reminded her as he took it back.
"Slayer in charge, which, I'm guessing, is you." Faith then folded her arms across her chest. Angel then sat on the table letting out a sigh.
"I honestly don't know." He answered meaning is there really a 'slayer in charge?' "Does it matter?" He asked and Faith shrugged.
"It never mattered to me. Somebody has to lead." Faith answered. "You came first here in Sunnydale so, it's you." Faith sounded a little down.
"Faith," Angel knew what Faith had done in the past still haunts her. "It wasn't your fault." And the second slayer looked to Angel.
"I killed people, I went evil and part of me feels like I'm still there, like I can fall off the wagon." She was being honest and sighed. "I'm really not looking for forgiveness, not today at least."
"You're not?" Angel asked.
"What do you want me to say?" Faith asked and she paced a little. "I blew it."
"You didn't blow it." Angel was trying and Faith shook her head.
"Tell that to…Finch…the girl at the hospital…" Faith trailed off. "We had a chance Angel, two slayers fighting the fight." Angel could see her eyes wanting to turn glassy. "I screwed that up over something stupid." She let out another big sigh. "People died because of me."
"People die." Angel stated as Buffy continued to stand in the corner watching the moment knowing this was needed. "I've lost people. You lead them into battle, they're gonna die. Jenny, Buffy, Tara, Oz, Wes, Gunn, Lorne, Victoria, Doyle." Angel paused thinking about those he's lost in battle. He didn't name his mother because she did not die in battle but from sickness. "It doesn't matter how ready you are or how smart you are. War is about death, needless, stupid death. It feels like the good ones go first."
"So, here's the laugh riot. My whole life I've been a loner." Faith went on. "No ties, no buddies, no relationships that lasted longer than..." She went silent. Buffy could relate to Faith on this note. She too was a loner because if you form attachments it hurts even more than being alone. "Me, by myself all the time. I'm looking at you, everything you have, and, I don't know, jealous. You have it all." Faith finished.
"Maybe," Angel continued to sit there. "I love my friends, they're my family and all I have. I'm very grateful for them. But that's the price. Being a slayer. I will lose them and I have lost some. And the pain only gets worse because I remain. But I still fight." Angel finished and Faith nodded and walked over to the table and sat next to Angel.
"There's only supposed to be one of us." She went on. "Actually just one girl come to think of it. Maybe that's why you and I can never get along. We're not supposed to exist together." She added and Angel agreed.
"Also, you went evil and were killing people." Angel added and Faith nodded owing up to that.
"Good point, also a factor." She had a little smile.
"But you're right. I mean... I guess everyone's alone. But being a slayer? There's a burden we can't share." Angel went on.
"And no one else can feel it." Now they were sharing common ground and it was a rather peaceful moment between them. This should have happened years ago but at least it was happening. "Thank God I'm a hot chick with superpowers." Sweet moments can only last so long though. Angel nodded to that.
"Takes the edge off?" He asked and Faith nodded.
"Comforting." Faith answered and Angel nodded.
"Let's get to work." Angel stated and they both got off the table.
"Right." And the two slayers began to leave the study.
Angel was outside working on his car. Evil had bashed the windshield so there was a nice spider web crack in it. Plus they keyed it. Angel did think about that for a moment though, the First and it's minions are great and powerful and to show it they keyed his car. It made Angel smile a little but he knew there was no point in trying to fix it. He knew deep down the car wasn't going to make it out. Another solider was going to go. Angel just stood there looking at the car as Xander came outside.
"So…she gonna to live?" Xander asked as he stood next to Angel.
"For now," Angel answered.
"Why the car? What did the car ever do?" Xander asked.
"Pure evil." Angel answered and they continued to stand there. This wasn't about the car though.
"We're not going to make it are we?" Xander asked and Angel wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't want to say yes and give any false hope. But then again if he said no then he was admitting to defeat. "You have changed the future at least according to the dream. You were dead in the dream so it all fell apart. L.A. is gone so in theory the Beast isn't going to rise, Cruciate is in hell, which by the way wish you could have seen it. It's all changed."
"The Beast can still rise." Angel stated. "What happened in the dream can still happen just in a different way." Xander nodded knowing what he meant.
"I just want to be there with you in the end." Xander declared. "I started this with you and even if we go to Hell, I want to be there." Angel looked to Xander's one eye knowing what he wanted. They've made it this far and it was going to end with them trying to save the world one last time.
"Just don't break one of the good lamps when you pick up a sword and only see half the room." Angel added as he started to head back to the mansion.
"Hey," Xander scoffed.
"Yeah, we're going to die." Angel put in as they walked together and Xander shrugged.
"Well, if you die I'll just bring you back to life." Xander added as they walked together.
Inside the mansion Willow and Giles were researching the newfound weapon. Willow had her laptop open while Giles had the books open. Willow decided to look up the factory since that's where it was found. Angel said there was a church before he went underground. It was much like the high school where there was a church under the school over the Hell Mouth.
"Ok," Willow spoke up. "So it's not the whole piece of the puzzle but it makes sense sort of. The church Angel found was built as a monastery but it was never put in business…just built and then no record." Giles looked up. "There's a vague mention of two monasteries built here in Sunnydale, the other probably being under the school. So two places just buried."
"It's believed that something holy like a church placed over something evil could contain it. By burying it, it ensures no one will open the evil." Giles finished. "Does it say what the monastery was built over at the factory?" They knew why the one at the school was built. Willow shrugged. "It's older than that. It's pre-Christian." Giles added. "Meaning something else was there and the Christian world believed it needed to be buried."
Willow nodded and started to read further. It was going to be hard to find information most likely because there was never any true records.
"Ok, I found reference to stories the monks used to tell about something older. Uh, like, some kind of pagan temple." Willow wasn't sure and Giles looked up to her. He was trying to think what was in these parts prior to Britain coming here.
"Native American?" He asked and Willow shook her head.
"No. I don't know." Willow was getting very frustrated now and she let out a cleansing breath. "Ok, maybe we're just going about this the wrong way." She was refocusing and started to type in something. She decided to look up the topic of axes themselves and a site popped up titled 'History of the Axe.'
"Maybe we should research the weapon itself." Willow announced as that was a good start. "Like...look." She pointed to the screen and Giles came over to see. "Maybe it's the Axe of Dekeron, said to have been forged in Hell itself. Lost since the Children's Crusade, where it was said to have killed…" She trailed off "Oh, children. I hope that's not it."
"Well, I have reference to the Sword of Moskva, the, uh...Reaper of the Tigris—how are we supposed to narrow this down?" He was just as tired and frustrated too. "The illustrations are never clear enough." Giles then went to sit back down at the table, took off his glasses and lightly tossed them on the table while rubbing his tired eyes. "Oh, damn, we're running out of time. We really haven't got anything useful."
Willow looked to the weapon as it sat on the table. She got up and took it into her hands and held it. "Do you sense any of the power that Angel spoke about?" Willow then closed her eyes trying to find something. She then opened her eyes and shook her head no.
"Must be a slayer thing." She answered and placed the weapon back down.
"Tapping into magics might help with that." Giles suggested and Willow glared at him.
"Maybe," Willow looked to the weapon "But, if Caleb wants this thing, it must be pretty dangerous. And tapping into that... "
"Willow, you could do it without endangering yourself." Giles believed in her but after last year she has become very insecure about her magic.
"If I tried something big, I'd change. And then it's all black hair and veins and lightning bolts. I can hardly do a locator spell without getting dark roots." She still feels the darkness in her these days.
"And if it was necessary?" Giles asked and she knew he would drop that question.
"Honestly?" Willow was asking herself not Giles. "I don't know." She then went back to the computer and Giles continued to sit there and sighed.
"Do what you can. That's all any of us can do." Knowing using magic might be out of the loop on this one. Willow nodded as she continued to look. She let out yet another frustrating sigh as she continued to scroll down the screen.
"None of these sound right. I mean, look. Here's one that's just "m" question mark. What the heck is that?" She asked but Giles' attention was grabbed as he sat up.
"Let me see." He walked over to the computer and looked at the symbol. "It's not a question mark. It's the international phonetics alphabet symbol for glottal stop." He explained and Willow nodded but she was confused.
"A what?" She asked as Giles pulled up a chair and sat next to her. At least they found something interesting.
"It's sort of a gulping noise." He answered somewhat absent mindedly as he continued to look at the screen. "I'm...remembering something here. Um... Ah, hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs stand for sets of consonants, as you know."
"Sure, yes, absolutely." Willow agreed although she didn't actually know. Giles sat there thinking as he rubbed his forehead.
""M" plus glottal stop is represented by a picture that's commonly thought to symbolize a sickle or a scythe. It's in thousands of carvings in Egypt, throughout the ancient world." Giles then let a small smile take over. It wasn't the answer but it was something.
"Carvings like you'd have on a pagan temple?" Willow asked and now they were getting somewhere.
"Go back." He started. "See what else we can find out about this buried temple." Willow nodded and he got up walking to the table and picked up the weapon. "The scythe is a symbol of death. Let's see where these pagans buried their dead."
Caleb was pacing back and forth while the First in Angel's form stood there watching him.
"You might be able to dig yourself into Hell if you keep pacing like that." The First commented and Caleb stopped pacing and glared at his master.
"He has the weapon." Caleb stated in some fear.
"Calm down." The First demanded as he was calm.
"I'm calm. You should see me when I get angry." Caleb stated and continued to pace again.
"He's powerful right now. And you're weak." The First went on and Caleb wasn't liking what he was hearing at all.
"You know, all of a sudden, I'm getting less calm." And he continued to pace.
"Face it." The First demanded and Caleb stopped pacing and faced his master.
"Ok, let's do it." And Caleb seemed to brace himself but the First continued to stand there.
"Are you sure you want this?" The First asked.
"I'm your true vessel, we merge and I can take onto the plains of the earth." Caleb explained.
"Once I give you the power not only will become a God, you can no longer be yourself." The First seemed to be giving him a chance to back away.
"Make me a God." Caleb answered and the First nodded and walked closer to Caleb. The preacher held his hands out, closing his eyes and was ready. The First then changed his form to its true demonic apparition of huge beast with two horns, glowing red eyes and long nails on its hands. It growled as it lunged to Caleb. "I am thy humble servant." He felt something hit him and he stopped breathing. Caleb fell to the ground and was out cold. He wasn't breathing as he laid there. Just then he took in a deep breath and sat up.
But he looked a little different. His eyes were black and he felt stronger. "And I am ready serve thee." His voice was deeper with a more ragged tone. Caleb stood up and was ready.
Angel sat alone for a moment on the back porch of the mansion. The sun was about to set and everything was calm. This was the calm before the storm before everything went boom. As he sat in the rocking chair with the scythe next to him he was trying not to think. He wanted to go into this calmly. He just wanted to enjoy the little bit of peace as the final hints of the sun disappeared. Angel stood up and grabbed the scythe and headed around to the side of the mansion. He didn't tell anyone where he was going because his team was the second front if this failed.
Angel made back to the factory and knew he was going to go head to head with Caleb. He's done it before. Angel made it to the church looking around as the place was more lit this time. Something or someone was waiting for him. Just then he heard what sounded like a whisper and turned around. He walked towards it and found an old wooden door. He had the scythe ready as he opened the door and took a step back when someone came out. But it wasn't Caleb, it was an old woman, white hair, white dress.
"Angel," The woman greeted him. "I'd forgotten how young you would be." She stated as Angel stood there. "They're all so young." The woman then looked down at herself and then back up to Angel still smiling. "Comes from the waiting." She meant why she was so old. "I see you've found our weapon."
"Who are you?" Angel asked and the woman nodded.
"One of many. Well...time was. Now I'm alone in the world." She answered him. Angel nodded knowing it meant she was old. "I'm as real as you are. Just...well... let me put it this way…I look good for my age. I've been waiting." She then held out her hands and Angel gave her the scythe. He wasn't sure why he did but he felt like he could trust her. "You pulled it out of the rock. I was one of those who put it in there." She started to admire the scythe as she continued to hold it. "It's a weapon, a scythe, forged in secrecy for one like you." She explained. "We forged it in secrecy and kept it hidden from the Shadow Men," Angel nodded knowing who she was talking about. The Shadow Men were those who made the slayer. "They became the Watchers. And the Watchers watched the slayers. But we were watching them."
"You're a guardian? Like one of the Powers that Be?" Angel asked.
"They guard the plains of existence we guard the plains on which we stand." The woman answered. "We forged this so long ago. It was placed here to kill the last pure demon that walked upon the Earth. The rest were already driven under. And then there were men here, and then there were monks. And then there was a town, and now there was you. And the scythe remained hidden."
"I don't understand. How is it possible that we didn't know any of this?" Angel asked.
"We hid too. We had to until now. We're the last surprise." She answered.
"Does this mean I can win?" Angel asked.
"That is really up to you. This is a powerful weapon." She then handed the scythe back to Angel. "Use it wisely and perhaps you can beat back the rising dark. One way or another, it can only mean an end is truly near." Just then the woman's head cocked violently and it crack. Angel took a step back as the woman's body fell and Caleb was standing there.
"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that last part on account of her neck snapping and all. Did she say the end is near... or here?" He asked as Angel continued to step backwards. But then he stopped and stood there and Caleb chuckled but his voice was different, Angel picked up on it. Something was different.
"So, here we are," Angel declared and Caleb opened up his arms and Angel nodded.
"This fight will go down to the-last-man-standing." Caleb growled and Angel twirled the scythe.
"Standing right here." The slayer wasn't going to run and Caleb charged at him.
Angel swung the scythe at Caleb's head, but he ducked and threw him against the wall. He kicked Angel into the air and punched him in the stomach before he fell to the ground again. Angel realized the First was now in Caleb, the vessel was here. Caleb or now the First kicked Angel in the head and grabbed the scythe, but Angel kicked it out of First's hands and into the air. Angel grabbed the scythe and kicked the First to the floor. He went to stab him with the stake-end of the scythe, but the First stops Angel from plunging it into his chest. The First laughs and pushes Angel away, taking the scythe away from him and throwing it to the ground as he walked toward Angel. He then punched Angel repeatedly until he falls to the floor.
"Feels good to walk and it's going to feel better when I ram this into your chest." The First boasted. Angel charged toward the First, but he deflected Angel and throws him to the ground. Angel kicked the First but he picked Angel up and swings his body into the stone wall so hard that wall cracks open. Angel fell to the ground and the First picked up the scythe. "I'm about to beat the slayer." The First sounded proud.
"But you haven't fought me." A voice rang out and the First turned around and Buffy punched him. The First lost control of his footing and the scythe. Buffy reached for the scythe and picked it up.
"Only a slayer can wield it." The First stated and Buffy nodded.
"I have potential." She added and the First charged at her. Buffy and the First began to fight. The First threw a punch and Buffy ducked and went to use the scythe as shield. The First grabbed the scythe and managed to take it away from Buffy and punched her, sending her stumbling across the room. The First then pointed the stake-end of the scythe at Buffy and charged toward her, with her back against the wall, but he missed, lodging the scythe in the stonewall. Buffy pulls the scythe out of the wall and kicks the First away from her.
Buffy swings the scythe at the First and he backs away only he backed right into Angel and Angel threw him to the ground. The First stood up with his eyes black and growling.
"You ready to finish this!" The First asked and Buffy tossed the scythe to Angel and he twirled it.
"Born ready." Angel muttered and held the scythe up. The First charged to Angel. The slayer spun to avoid the dodge but used the scythe and the axe part was embedded into the First's stomach. Angel then ripped the scythe out as the First tumbled to the ground. Angel stood over the First with the scythe propped on his shoulder. "I told you before to remember this face." The First growled as Buffy looked down at the body as the vessel was bleeding out. The body will die but not the First.
"I should have killed you along time ago." The First hissed and Angel nodded.
"Yeah, you should have." Angel then gripped the scythe. "But you didn't." He then slammed down the scythe and the blade split the head wide opened. The vessel was gone and Angel pulled the scythe back up to him. Buffy continued to look at the body and then looked up to Angel.
"That was kind of hot." She added.
"Thanks." He accepted the comment. "Were you following me?" He asked.
"No, just a nice night for a walk." Buffy answered but yes she followed him. "We should probably go," Buffy looked around the place. "The air just got cooler." Angel nodded and the two began to leave as Angel took one more look back to the body. The vessel was gone but this wasn't over yet.
Two more chapters to go. No sneak peeks though because it's fun to make you all wait for the end. But I'll give you the title of the next chapter. Thanks for reading, commenting and sticking this out. The end is almost here. You readers are awesome.
Chapter 27 Two Minutes to Midnight