Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.
Scotland
Giles was on the phone and he seemed disturbed as he nodded before hanging up, while Willow, Xander, Faith and Spike eyed him before he hung up and looked disturbed. "That was one of my contacts in law enforcement in Chicago."
"There was some social media chatter about superwomen in that area." Xander said.
"Apparently, one of those women matched Buffy's description, they said she was fighting a Fyarl demon in an arena." Giles said with a bit of venom in his tone, bitter from the thought of a Fyarl for obvious reasons.
"B. in a fight club? Talk about processing grief." Faith said.
"It's no ordinary fight club. From what I understand, these places are supposedly be trials for great warriors for them to be granted what they seek, even if their answers aren't exactly what they expect at the first glance." Giles said.
"I've heard of those." Spike said as they tuned to him. "There are trials by higher forces, which supposedly give whoever decides to undertake them their desires, what they seek, it's difficult to find those and even harder to win them. It's how I got my soul back."
They saw the haunted look in his eyes, as Willow and Faith looked at him in sympathy and Xander and Giles could see for themselves how much had Spike changed, making them reconsider their treatment of Spike. He clearly wasn't the monster they had despised anymore and he had proved himself to be a valuable ally with his soul time and time again and the fact how much he cared about Buffy and everyone else showed them he had come a long way, even though Xander had reconciled with Angel and Spike and shed his bigotry, but Giles was lucky Angel and Spike were even civil towards him after he had refused to save Fred and stop Illyria.
"You think Buffy went there to find a lead on Simone?" Xander asked.
"I know it's what I would've done in her place." Spike confirmed.
"Chicago." Xander said.
"I think I can get to her." Willow said.
Chicago
Buffy was packing her things, when she felt a breeze in the air and turned around to see Willow.
"Willow?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"Hey, Buffy." Willow said, looking at her with a pleading and understanding look. "Please, just come home. We miss you. All of us."
Buffy looked at Willow sadly. "I can't, Will."
"Buffy, what happened with Dawn is not your fault—"
"Then who else is at blame? I activated the Slayers all over the world. I created monsters like Simone. This is on me." Buffy snapped as she turned to reach for her bag.
"Buffy, you don't have to do this alone." Willow pleaded.
"I can't ask you to follow me where I'm going. I'm sorry, Willow." Buffy said.
"Buffy—" Willow began, when Buffy pulled out some kind of an amulet with a green gem and muttered something and next thing Willow knew, she was knocked back.
Scotland
Willow staggered back and almost fell down, if not for Faith catching her. "You OK, Red?"
"She won't listen. I tried to reach her but…" Willow sighed, now knowing how Buffy must have felt, when she was trying to reach Willow, when she had absorbed the dark magic after Tara's death.
"So we're back at square one?" Xander asked.
Willow sighed and they all soon became more and more worried about Buffy.
Los Angeles
In a slaughterhouse which was turned into a rave club the lights flickered and people were dancing to techno music as one of the guests walked around, wiping his face in frustration. "I need a drink."
He stretched his hand as drops of some red liquid fell on the palm of his hand as he tasted it. Then he realized with a startle it was blood as he looked around, wondering where was the blood coming from before he looked up and the sprinklers began spraying blood around, exciting the guests. The man panicked as he looked around in fear before one of the women neared him.
"What's wrong, baby?" The woman asked before showing her fangs and the man screamed in fear, trying to run as he saw more guests with fangs and tried to run away from the vampires but soon enough he ended up crawling in the floor, with the vampires kicking him and beating him up before the man ended up at the feet of a blonde woman in black jacket and blue jeans with some axe on her back as the music stopped.
Realizing things were about to get ugly, the man ran off as the vampires eyed Buffy.
"Is that her?"
"Jesus, it's her…"
"The Slayer!"
Some of the vampires backed off in fear, while Buffy pulled out the Scythe. "Who wants to tell me where Simone Doffler is? I know she was buying weapons from you."
"Kill her!" One of the vampires yelled as they rushed at her but Buffy cut the head off one vampire before stabbing another in the heart with the tip of the handle of the Scythe as they turned into dust instantly.
Some of the vampires began running before one of them tried to attack Buffy with a pair of meat hookers but Buffy blocked with the Scythe before she sliced the vampire in two as she turned into dust. Buffy then stabbed another vampire behind her in the heart and dodged as two vampires came after her before she cut them down.
"Hey! I'm gonna rip your fucking head off!" One of the vampire women yelled before Buffy spin-kicked her in the face and cut down two more vampires before she stabbed the vampire woman in the heart with the sharp edge of the handle of the Scythe as they turned into dust.
Some of the vampires pulled out guns but Buffy ran and jumped over the railing and took cover behind a pillar before she pulled out wooden stakes and threw them as they hit the vampires in the heart and they turned into dust.
"That's her!"
Buffy peeked out to see more vampires emerge.
"The Slayer! Get her! Fuck her up!"
Buffy glared as she emerged from her cover, running the Scythe down the ground.
"We're gonna jack you up. Make her hurt bad. Whoo!"
One of the vampires rushed at Buffy but she cut him in two before she spun around, cutting down another as they turned into dust. Buffy jumped towards an empty pool as she used the Scythe to block as the vampires attacked her with the meat hookers, kicking one back before stabbing another in the heart with the handle and cutting another down, dusting them before more came at her but Buffy dispatched of them just as quickly. The last vampire rushed at Buffy but she stabbed him in the shoulder and pinned him to the wall.
"You missed." The vampire taunted.
"Wasn't aiming for the heart." Buffy sneered before she twisted. "A Slayer with pink punk hair and a blonde witch and a group of Slayers with guns. Ring any bells?"
"Go to Hell." The vampire growled.
"I've been to Hell and back already." Buffy sneered before she ripped one of its fang off. "A Slayer with pink punk hair and a blonde witch and a group of Slayers with guns! Talk!"
"Alright! Alright! I heard rumors! They have been stealing or buying guns in these parts recently! I heard that they bought some magical supplies from a Chaos warlock." The vampire groaned.
"What's his name?" Buffy demanded.
"I don't know, alright! I swear!" The vampire yelled.
"Then of what use are you?" Buffy snarled before she stabbed him in the chest as he turned into dust.
Chaos warlock. There was one Chaos warlock Buffy could think of, who would profit from the havoc Simone was wreaking. For confirmation she began dialing Riley's number.
"Riley. I need you to follow up on a lead. Ethan Rayne. Is he still in custody? Just check and see if you can get his last known location. No, I haven't told Willow yet. I need to be sure first. Don't tell them. Please." Buffy pleaded.
Xander and Gunn were driving down Los Angeles.
"This is the approximate location Willow could get with her locator spell." Xander said.
"Tell me something." Gunn said, thinking. "If you were Buffy and you were angry and grieving, where would you go?"
Xander considered. "Not sure. I'd run… dance in a nightclub, if I was Faith… if I was pissed…"
"I'd take my anger out on something." Gunn said. "And one of the places to vent your anger out is a fight club, if you are a demon or a super-strong Slayer."
"Great. How many of those are in L.A.?" Xander said sarcastically.
Buffy placed both hands against the wall of the shower stall and leaned forward for the warm water spraying down on her naked form, the heat from the water soaking into her skin and relaxing her muscles before she poured some shampoo on the palm of her hand, rubbing it across her wet skin and brushing her hair with her fingers to clean the filth and sweat, that poured in drops down her arms and chest and then legs to pour into the drain. Buffy took her time as she explored and cleaned every nook and cranny of her body and washed her hair and once she was satisfied with her shower, Buffy leaned towards the stall under the torrent of water again as the shampoo washed down her hair and skin with the filth down the drain before Buffy turned off the water and grabbed the towel from a handle, cleaning her hair and drying herself off before she looked at her bare back in the mirror at the newly accumulated scars and bruises she had received recently and it was then, when her phone rang in the locker and she picked it up and answered the call.
"Hello? Yes. You have a lead? Are you sure? Where? Good. I'll be there. No. I want to do this alone. By myself, no one else. Stay back." Buffy said before she hung up and picked her clothes, about to get dressed.
In an underground ring where people were placing bets on fights happening between men and demons alike, an Afro-American man with black jacket and a dark-haired man in a beige jacket and wearing an eyepatch approached a bartender as the dark-haired man showed a photo of Buffy.
"Excuse me, we're looking for someone. Have you seen this woman?" Xander asked and the bartender was silent.
"She's been gone for a while. We just need to talk to her. A couple a guys from around saw her come here often. Some people who care about her are worried, since she hasn't been talking to them for a while." Gunn said.
Buffy was putting on her jacket and putting the Scythe into her bag, when she heard the door knock.
"Buffy?"
Buffy tensed as she recognized the voice and turned to the door and growled. She didn't have time to deal with this again.
"It's me. Xander. I just want to talk to you. Please, Buff. Everyone's worried about you. Don't run from us again." Xander pleaded.
Gunn reached for the doorknob and opened the door but they felt breeze and saw the window open as they realized Buffy had climbed out and they sighed.
"Not again…" Gunn muttered as he turned to Xander. "Can't your friends put a tracker spell on her or something?"
"We've tried it before, she must've gotten some protection spell from someone to prevent us from using it to track her again." Xander said before his phone rang as he pulled it out of his jacket and answered the call. "Yeah. No, we lost her again, Giles. She won't talk to anyone of us. Any idea where he is?" He sighed. "Yeah. I will." He hung up and turned to Gunn. "We should get back to Hyperion."
"You've got any suggestions?" Gunn inquired and Xander sighed. "Pain and grief and anger goes a long way." He said, remembering Holtz and Angel's and Spike's relationship.
Buffy was outside an estate as she put on a hoodie and ran up the fence and jumped over and looked around as she hid in the shadows. There were guards stationed everywhere and surveillance cameras. She had to sneak in undetected. Then she saw some maids walk out with the laundry and Buffy got an idea, observing where were the maids going.
A man in his late 50s with grey hair was in his suite as he sat down, drinking wine, when he heard the door knock.
"Mr. Rayne?"
Ethan Rayne looked at the door as he heard a female voice behind the door.
"Do you need the bedsheets changed?"
"Yes, please. One moment, let me unlock the door." Ethan said as he got up from the chair, set down the glass on the desk and approached the door, unlocking it but as he opened the door, his eyes widened. "You?"
"Me." Buffy smirked before she struck Ethan in the chin, knocking him down.
Ethan spat out blood as he scrambled back. "Look, Summers, if this is about the Fyarl—"
"That's not why I'm here." Buffy cut him off as she stepped on his leg as he grunted. "I know you've been selling magical supplies to various scumbags recently. There's one customer of yours I'm looking for. Amy Madison. Where is she?"
"Consumer confidence. I'm afraid I cannot—"
Ethan screamed in pain again as Buffy stomped on his leg once more, breaking it.
"Amy and her friend took away from me someone I care about. And I'm going to make them pay. You've done nothing in years that'd make me go after you, but if you don't tell me how to find her, I'll gladly settle for crushing you instead." Buffy snarled.
"I don't know." Ethan said.
Buffy grabbed Ethan and threw him, sending him sliding down the floor as he hit the drawer and the vases and glasses fell down, shattering as some of them hit Ethan.
"Talk! Before I break every bone in your body." Buffy said.
Next thing she knew though, the windows shattered as a group of operatives in black military outfit rappelled down, aiming guns at Buffy and Ethan, with one of them taking off his mask.
"Let him go, Buffy." Riley said.
"Stay out of it." Buffy growled.
"Look, I want to find them as much as you do, but not like this." Riley said softly, trying to calm her down. "I understand—"
"Don't pretend to understand how I feel!" Buffy exploded.
"There's already an arrest warrant on you for attempted murder, battery and assault, Miss Summers."
Buffy turned to see a blonde woman with a police badge hanging on a necklace around her neck enter.
"You're making this harder for you than it has to be. If you go alone by yourself as some dark avenger, you'll lose yourself." Kate said.
"Buffy. You're not the only one who has lost someone. And I get it. But this isn't the way." Riley pleaded.
"I tried it the right way already, but we know where did that get me." Buffy snarled, keeping her voice even, even though her eyes were full of pain, guilt and grief.
Riley and Kate looked at Buffy sadly and in sympathy. They knew she was angry and grieving and she needed help, even if she refused it.
"Buffy… you don't have to do this alone. If you push everyone away and let yourself get consumed by revenge, you'll only lose yourself." Kate said in sympathy. "Trust me, I've been there. I've seen it."
"Just come with us." Riley said.
After a moment, Buffy gave in as she put her hands behind her head and fell on her knees, while Kate pulled out cuffs, restraining her.
After talking with Riley about what had happened, the truck stopped as Riley opened the door for Buffy and let her out.
"I'm not going to stop you, if you decide to run again. But running away from the people you love isn't the answer, Buffy." Riley said.
"I can't drag them into it." Buffy said and Riley sighed.
"So you're going to do it all alone?"
Buffy turned to see Angel enter.
"Angel…" Buffy trailed off as Riley walked off, leaving them alone. "What are you doing here?"
"Did you really think it would be just your friends and Spike looking for you? Everyone's worried about you." Angel said and Buffy sighed. She felt guilty about pushing them away but… if they died, that would be on her again. Simone was her responsibility.
Buffy was about to leave, when Angel spoke up again.
"Where are you going to go? Back out into that darkness?" Angel challenged.
"I can't go back." Buffy said guiltily. "It's my fault Dawn died. It's my fault Simone even got her powers in the first place."
"Buffy, you can't give up right now." Angel pleaded.
"I'm not giving up!" Buffy snapped as she turned on him. "I wanna stop Simone, but what's the point? I take her down, more people like her will rise up because of me! Nothing I do matters anymore, since people like her will always be around and good people like Dawn will pay the price for it because of me! And I don't want anyone else on my conscience. It's my responsibility to stop them."
"But you feel like nothing you do means anything as long as someone like Simone is still out there, is that right?" Angel challenged and Buffy was silent. "You look for a bigger meaning in all of it but maybe there isn't one. It doesn't mean anything. In the greater scheme or the big picture, nothing we do matters. There's no grand plan, no big win. There is no great glorious end to all this. If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do, because that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long… For redemption, for a reward…finally just to beat the other guy, but… I never got it, not all of it. All I wanna do is help. I wanna help because I don't think people should suffer, as they do. Because if there is no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."
Buffy considered for a moment, thinking about what Angel had said.
"Buffy, you think that activating all the Slayers in the world only made things worse in the end and you tried to fix it but failed and now you think it doesn't matter anymore and you think that killing Simone is the only solution, but look around you." Angel pointed out as he gestured outside. "Look how many people followed you and how many people try to fight for the same cause as you. For every bad Slayer as Simone there are dozens of Slayers like you. You think you don't deserve the people you love in your life because they will suffer for your actions but like it or not, you'll always have them in your life and they won't let you push them away no matter how hard you'll try, you're all in this together with the full package and if you can't accept that, your past will always hold you back."
Buffy took his words into consideration.
"No matter what, Dawn wouldn't let you push her away and she stood by you. Don't let her death be for nothing, Buffy. Because the people that love you still need you." Angel said and Buffy took his words into consideration as her eyes began getting wet.
"But what if I can't protect them?" Buffy sniffed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "What if I lose them like Dawn?"
Angel sighed. "I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers, Buffy, but one thing I've learned, pushing the people who love you away to protect them is never the answer. You all stand the strongest when you are together."
Buffy took his words into consideration before he held his hand on her shoulder and she hugged him, appreciating that he was there for her. Even if they were not together anymore, they would always be a part of each other's lives and be there for each other, when needed.
Scotland
Faith and Willow were in bed, when Faith heard her phone ring. She turned her head and picked up the phone and answered the call. "Yeah? Seriously?" She sighed in relief. "Thank God. Yeah. Got it. Thank you."
She then began shaking Willow, who stirred and moaned softly.
"What?" Willow asked.
"It's Angel. He found Buffy. They're coming back." Faith said.
Immediately, Willow shot up from the bed as they began picking up their clothes.
Now, I'll be plain, I dislike Buffy/Angel, since the real draw to it was the forbidden love angle and the chemistry between Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, but to cut a long rant short, the romance was rushed, shallow and with very few hidden depths and one of the main issues is Angel often babying Buffy and deciding what is best for them both without discussing this with her, not to mention that Angel started off as a creepy stalker pursuing her, helping her out and then disappearing into the night, which continued even after he left to L.A., before Buffy had Riley and then Spike and Angel had Cordelia and whenever they are with each other, they just regress to the lovesick puppies they had been before, if it was handled differently, I'd be fine with it, but as things stand, no, even though it's good for Buffy and Angel to have more positive and cordial interactions without regressing to the lovesick puppies and given that Angel had gone off the grid and been pushed over the edge once, he would be able to reach her to an extent, though at the end of the day, it's Buffy/Spike and Angel/Cordelia for me, but stupid Whedon had to do Cordy so dirty and drag out the Angel/Buffy/Spike love triangle.
Plus I thought it'd be fun to add the reference to Blade and Angel 2x16.
So, what do you guys think?
Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this so far.