Chapter 130: Spiral
Buffy explodes into action. She grabs Dawn and tries to flame out. Something is preventing her power from working. She flings herself and Dawn through Tara's door, back first. The door splinters off its hinges.
Buffy spills out into the hall with Dawn. She scrambles to her feet, yanking Dawn up. "Run!" She takes off with Dawn down the hall.
In Tara's dorm room Glory's face darkens as she takes a step after Buffy. WHOMP!
Piper, Phoebe and Paige are chanting the power of three spell.
Glory's forward momentum is stopped cold before she can enter the room - Willow's also casting a spell. Tara whimpers behind her. "You witches are really starting to piss me off.
"Air becomes FIST!" Willow says as she clenches her hand into a fist. BOOM! An energy blast blows Glory back outside through the destroyed wall.
Paige grabs Piper and Phoebe's hands as they grab Willow and Tara and she tries to orb out. "Something's blocking my power."
"Run." Piper says as they hustle out the door.
In the commons Buffy tears in with Dawn. She jostles students out of the way as she makes for the double doors on the other side. Buffy and Dawn hit the double doors, escaping out of the building. BOOM! The opposite wall across the room explodes.
Glory steps through the hole, snaps her eyes around he room. She becomes a red blur as she switches into speed mode. BOOM! The double doors leading outside are blown off their hinges as she exits.
Buffy runs full tilt, half dragging Dawn.
"Wait... Buffy..." Dawn says, gasping.
"We have to keep moving!" Buffy says. "Till either of us can flame or shimmer out."
"I... I can't ..." Dawn gasps as she stumbles, exhausted. Buffy scoops her up in her arms and continues, leaping over a bench as she goes.
Buffy dashes for a tree-lined park on the other side of the street.
Suddenly Glory is in front of them, blocking Buffy's path. Buffy freezes. Glory pins her with an icy stare. "I really hate it when people touch my things." Buffy puts Dawn down, never taking her eyes off Glory as she advances. "Last words, Slay-runt?"
"Just one." Buffy says. "Truck."
A truck horn suddenly blares. Glory whips her head around - too late. An eighteen wheeler barreling down the road slams into her. The truck tears past, brakes squealing. Buffy grabs Dawn's hand and takes off with her through the park on the other side of the street. Finding an empty spot she flames out with Dawn.
At the Manor the Scooby Gang, Giles, Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Leo are assembled. Buffy stands near the window, her eyes nervously sweeping for any sign of Glory or her Minions.
Dawn, on the other hand, is excitedly relating their latest daring escape. "...and then WHOOSH! All of a sudden Glory's standing right there in front of us all skanky and blond and thinking she's all that just because some bumpy heads kiss her stinky feet - well she does have nice feet - and she's coming right at us but Buffy doesn't Evan blink. She just stands there all "bring it on" and then WHAM!'" She smashes her fist into her hand for effect. "Hellbitch in orbit!"
"Dawn," Piper says. "Language." Her eyes travel to the bassinets.
"Sorry." Dawn says.
"Go, Buff!" Xander says.
"I knew you'd be able best Glory eventually. With all our years of training and –" Giles says.
Buffy shakes her head, "A truck hit her."
"Oh." Giles says.
"Did you throw it?" Anya says.
"Well, no, she more kind of waited for it to hit Glory - but then Buffy ran really fast till she could find a secluded spot and she flamed out!" Dawn said.
"I don't know how we got away. That truck couldn't have slowed her down for more than a second." Buffy says.
"I'd like to know how come you couldn't flame and I couldn't orb." Paige says.
"How isn't important. All that matters is the two of you are safe." Giles says. "Hmm you couldn't orb? And Buffy you couldn't flame? Maybe Glory cast some kind of ward before she made her appearance. Knowing that you could get away that way."
Buffy laughs bitterly as she turns to face the group. She's rattled, and it shows. "Safe? We've barely been able to manage not getting seriously dead every time we cross paths with Glory. Now that she knows about Dawn ..."
"Floaty green shimmers." Tara says staring at Dawn in wonder. She looks to Willow. "Why don't you shimmer?"
Willow looks to the Gang, her face a swirl of fear, pain, and a whole mountain of guilt. "She didn't mean to. You know that, right?"
Piper nods, "We know."
"But it's done, and now we have to deal with it." Buffy says.
Giles nods, "Perhaps there's something in the Book of Tarnis, something we've missed that we can use against Glory."
"Piano!" Anya says.
"Right. Piano. Because that's what we used to kill that big demon that one time. No, wait. That was a rocket launcher. Ahn, what are you talkin'?" Xander says.
"We should drop a piano on her." Anya says. "It always works for that creepy cartoon rabbit when he's running from that nice man with the speech impediment."
"Yes, or perhaps we could paint a convincing fake tunnel on the side of a mountain. Let's keep thinking." Giles says. "We should reassemble at the shop, see what we can –"
"We can't fight her." Buffy says.
"Not yet, but –" Piper says.
"Not ever. She's too strong, Piper. We're not going to win this with spells or stakes or yanking out uranium power cores. She's a god, and she's coming for us. So let's not be here when she starts knocking." Buffy says.
There is surprise all around. Especially from Piper, Phoebe and Paige.
"Run away?! Finally a sensible plan." Anya says.
"That's not what she meant." Xander says. "Is it?"
"We can't stay here. Glory will kill us off one by one until there's nobody standing between her and Dawn." Buffy says.
"Buffy, we all understand the severity of the situation, but there must be another –" Giles says.
"No! We stay - we die! Show of hands for that option?" Buffy asks. "All right. Nobody goes home, nobody tells anyone we're leaving. We grab whatever supplies we can and that's it - we're gone."
Dawn is rattled, she's trying not to show it though, "Cool. Won't have to study for that geometry test."
"What about wheels? I don't think everybody's gonna fit in the Xan-mobile." Xander says.
"Just get your stuff together. I'll take care of it." Buffy says. "Leo you're going to need to take Celia and Wyatt someplace and keep them safe. They can't come with us. They would be in constant danger."
Leo looks to Piper who sighs and nods, "Alright. I'll be just an orb away if you need me."
Later everyone minus Leo, Buffy and Dawn are on the curb in front of the Manor with their gear.
"Anybody else feel that?" Anya asks.
"What?" Willow asks.
"Cold draft of paralyzing fear." Anya says.
"We just need to stay calm." Giles says.
"Calm. Right." Willow says, scared.
Piper nods, "Giles is right." She looks to Phoebe and Paige unsure if what they are doing is the best course of action. They've never ran from a fight before.
"We gotta be Sergeant Rock!" Xander says. "Cool and collected in the face of overwhelming odds."
"Overwhelming? How much more than whelming would that be exactly?" Anya says.
"Everything's going to be all right. We'll wait here - calmly - and as soon as Buffy arrives we'll –"
A battered Winnebago tears up, screeches to a stop. The front windshield has been mostly blocked out by tin foil from the inside - where they can just make out Spike behind the wheel. He wears dark round goggles to protect himself from getting fried by the sun. Giles' face drops.
"... feel oddly worse." Giles says.
Buffy and Dawn quickly help the Gang pile in. The interior of the Winnie is worse than the outside. This crate has definitely seen better days.
Giles glares at Spike. "What's he doing here?"
"Just out for a jaunt. Thought I'd swing by and say howdy." Spike says, dryly.
"Out." Giles says as he takes a step towards Spike.
Buffy stops him. "He's here because we need him."
"The hell we do." Xander says.
"If Glory finds us, he's the only one besides me that has a chance of physically protecting Dawn." Buffy says.
Piper shakes her head, "Buffy, come on, he –"
Buffy explodes - she so doesn't need this right now. "This isn't a discussion! He stays. Get over it." She disappears into the back bedroom area, sliding the door closed behind her. Extra frazzled. Giles and Xander glare at Spike.
Spike gives Xander and Spike a huge grin. "Buckle up, kids! Daddy's puttin' the hammer down." He grinds gears.
Later it is gloomy with all the shades drawn for Spike, who's in a bit of a pout because Giles has seized control of the driver's seat. The Gang is spread out in the main compartment. Phoebe and Willow are pouring through a spell book. Tara sits besides them, humming distractedly.
"Shouldn't somebody be asking if we're there yet? That's what small irritating children do, don't they?" Anya asks.
"That kinda only works if you know where you're going." Dawn says.
"Oh." Anya says. "Do we know where we're going yet?!"
"Already be somewhere if Captain Slowpoke would give up the wheel." Spike says. "Hey, gramps! Bloody step on it!"
"Step on what? I've driven tricycles with more power." Giles says.
The Winnibago lurches. Xander puts a hand to his stomach, looking a little green. "Anybody else a little queasy?"
"He doesn't travel well. He's like fine shrimp." Anya says.
Spike leans close to Dawn. "Should've nicked that Porsche I had me eye on. Just enough room for me, you, and big sis."
Dawn sighs, "And no room for Piper, Phoebe and Paige. You really think they would let you, me and Buffy go off alone?"
"Probably not." Spike says as Xander gives Spike the evil eye. "What?"
"Just give it a rest or –" Xander says.
"Or what? Gonna toss your cookies on my shoes?" Spike says.
"—or you're going to be Undead Man Walking. See how fast you hitch a ride with a flaming thumb." Xander says.
"Fine..." Spike says. "... shrimp."
Xander shoots him a look, crosses to the front of the Winnibago. He slides into the passenger seat next to Giles. "That guy is bloodsucking the last nerve right out of me."
"Buffy does have a point. In a confrontation, Spike could prove..." Giles says. "... useful."
"I don't know if Buffy's thinking too clear on that one. Or anything else right now. I've never seen her so." Xander says. "And no offense to Piper, Phoebe and Paige. I'm not sure they're thinking too clearly either."
Giles nods, "They've had more than their share to deal with of late. Not just with Glory but their Charmed responsibilities also. Buffy pretty much has been fighting a war on two fronts. Think of this like World War II. Buffy is the U.S. She's been attacked by the Japanese, Glory. Then the U.S., Buffy, helps the Allies to fight the Germans, the Source. They just need a chance to catch their breath. Regroup. We need to get Phoebe time to write that spell. They'll be all right."
Xander nods, "Yeah, they'll... Yeah."
Silence. They're both worried about Buffy, and it shows.
Dawn sits next to Willow and Phoebe. "Any luck?"
"If you define luck as the absence of success - plenty." Willow says, smiling weakly. She's exhausted and stressed to the max by having to take care of Tara. "There's a couple of barrier spells, but they only work on a fixed locus. Haven't found anything we can use while we're moving."
"Pheebs isn't there a power of four spell that might?" Dawn asks.
Phoebe sighs, "We don't know enough about Glory, Dawn. I thought about the Source vanquishing spell. But I don't think it would work with Glory. While powerful the Source was just a demon. Glory is a god.
Tara peeks around Willow. She stares at Dawn, wide-eyed. "It's so pretty. Can I have one?"
Willow looks at Dawn, mortified.
Dawn musters up a weak smile. Discomfort all around. "Umm... Anybody hungry?"
"Ouhh! Snacks!" Anya says as she roots around in a backpack. "The secret to any successful migration!" She pulls a frying pan and a tin of Spam from the backpack. "Who's up for some tasty fried meat products!?"
Tara pulls open one of the blinds.
The direct sunlight scorches Spike. He dances back, his skin smouldering. "Hey!"
"Tara, no!" Willow says as she quickly closes the blind, scolding Tara. "What did I tell you?!" Tara bursts into tears, sobbing like a little child. Willow instantly regrets snapping at her. She cradles Tara. "No, shhh... I'm sorry. It's okay. shhh... She didn't mean it. She doesn't know what she's doing."
"We know." Dawn says.
Spike awkwardly tries to console Tara. "Yeah, no biggie. Look, skin's already stopped smoking. You go ahead and play peek-a-boo with Mr. Sunshine all you want. Keep the ride from getting boring."
Tara becomes even more agitated. "All the light... gone."
Willow rocks her in her arms, trying to calm her. "No, baby. It's still light outside. Shh ..."
"...dark... all dark ..." Tara says.
In the back Buffy is siting on the bed in the gloom, totally spent.
Dawn pokes her head in. "Hey. I think Anya's gonna try to cook. Wanna come watch the tears and recriminations?"
Buffy smiles weakly, barely listening. "Maybe later."
Dawn turns to go, pauses. "Thank you."
"For what?" Buffy asks.
"You know. Pretty much... everything." Dawn says.
"Yeah. I'm doing a great job." Buffy says.
"You are." Dawn says.
"I'm a Charmed One and the Slayer. Evil Nasties are supposed to flee from me, not the other way around." Buffy says.
"You're not fleeing. You're... moving at a brisk pace." Dawn says.
"Quaintly referred to in some cultures as the Big Scaredy Run Away." Buffy says.
Dawn sits next to her. "It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me."
Buffy sags, on the verge of total collapse. "It just... keeps coming. Glory. Riley. Tara. Prue –"
"I know." Dawn says.
"We all know, Buffy." Piper says from the doorway to the back room. "While I don't agree with this course of action. It surprises me with everything we've gone through before now one of us hasn't cracked."
Buffy looks to Piper and shakes her head, "You know just the right things to say don't you?"
Piper laughs, "No, never. What are we going to do Buffy? What's the plan. We can't keep running forever."
Buffy shrugs, "I don't know. I just don't know."
"Whatever we do." Dawn says. "At least things can't get any crazier, right?"
THUNK! An arrow pierces the back of the Winnebago right next to Buffy's head.
Buffy stares at it. "You know this is your fault for saying that."
They shove the rear window blinds aside to see where the arrow came from.
Outside there are ten knights on horseback thundering after the Winnebago. Several are notching arrows onto their bows.
Buffy can't help but laugh at the absurdity of what she's seeing. Welcome to Crazier, USA.
Buffy, Piper and Dawn rush out into the main compartment.
"Giles!" Buffy says.
Giles has already spotted the Knights in the sideview. "I see them!"
"See who?" Spike asks as THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! More arrows pierce the Winnibago. "Bloody hell!"
"Arrows! They're throwing arrows!" Xander says.
"Dawn! Stay down!" Buffy says.
Dawn hunkers down.
Tara peeks through the blinds, squeals with delight. "Horsies!"
"Tara!" Willow says as she yanks Tara away from the window just as an arrow crashes through.
An arrow pierces the driver's side door, narrowly missing Giles. "Weapons?!"
"Hello! You're driving one!" Spike says.
"Don't hurt the horsies!" Willow says.
"We won't." Buffy says before she whispers to Giles, "Aim for the horsies."
Giles yanks the wheel hard to the left. The Winnibago swerves, but the Knights easily avoid it. These guys are good.
A Knight gallops up. He latches onto the access ladder on the back of the Winnibago, quickly scampers up.
The Gang is jostled hard as the Winnibago careens down the road.
"Did we shake 'em?" Xander asks.
WHUMP! The blade of a broadsword pierces the roof, narrowly missing Xander. The Gang dives for cover as the Knight on the roof keeps slamming his sword down in different spots.
"Stay low! Watch out for –" Buffy says.
WHUMP! The sword comes down right over Buffy. Spike grabs the blade, stopping it before it rams into her. He hangs on, grunting in pain as the steel slices into his hands. "Now might be a good time for something heroic."
Buffy nods and flames out.
Outside the Knight struggles to free his sword. He finally yanks it free. Spike SCREAMS IN AGONY from inside the Winnibago. Buffy flames in as the Knight sees her shadow behind him. He swings his sword around. Buffy ducks, lays into him. She takes his sword away and whip kicks him hard. He sails off the edge of the roof.
WHUMP! WHUMP! GRAPPLING HOOKS dig into the side of the roof from below. More Knights are climbing up.
Inside Spike's hands are drenched in blood from trying to hold the Knight's sword.
Dawn quickly wraps strips of dish towel around them to stop the bleeding. "Keep the pressure on."
"Always do, sweet bit." Spike says.
CRASH! A chain mail-clad hand slams through the window next to Dawn, latching onto her hair and giving Spike a dose of solar scorch. Dawn screams. Xander tries to pull the Knight off, gets smashed back.
The Knight's face appears behind Dawn. He snarls as his grip tightens. Dawn smiles and shimmers out and back in away from the Knight. The Knight is caught off guard as - KLANG! Anya clocks him in the face with her frying pan. The Knight falls away.
"Not a piano, but hey." Anya says.
Outside Buffy is battling two more Knights. One has an axe, the other a morning star. Buffy dodges and spins. She holds her sword up just as the morning star descends. The chain wraps around her sword. She yanks hard, sending the Knight flying off the roof.
The other Knight nearly takes her head off with his axe. Buffy's sword is knocked out of her hands. She attacks. The Knight sails back, unconscious, his axe flying up. Buffy grabs it midair, spins around, throws it.
KA-CHUNK! The axe slams into the chest of a Knight coming up the rear access ladder. He stiffens, falls. Buffy stands there, breathing hard. That's it. No more Knights.
Inside Giles breathes a sigh of relief, glancing back to the Gang. "Everyone all right?" He turns back to the road - and his eyes go wide. A Knight is galloping straight for them, spear in hand.
The Knight hurls the spear.
The spear slams through the windshield and impales Giles through his side.
The Winnibago swerves off the road. The tires hit the gravel and the Winnibago pitches over on its side, hurling Buffy like a catapult. She lands hard, regaining her senses just in time to see the Winnibago skid to a stop, coming to rest in a cloud of dust. From bad to impossible in record time.
The crippled Winnibago lies on its side. Buffy sees in the distance is an abandoned gas station. She flames inside and starts flaming people to the gas station.
Moments later everyone except Buffy, Xander and Giles are in the gas station. Buffy flames in with Giles and Xander as she and Xander support Giles. They lay him down on a counter. The side of his torso where he was impaled is drenched in blood.
"Willow...?" Buffy says motioning towards Giles.
Willow nods, "I'm on it." She moves over to Giles, keeping Tara close.
Buffy gives Dawn the quick once over. "You all right?"
Dawn nods, "Yeah. But Spike's hurt."
Spike's hands are still wrapped in strips of bloody dish towel. Buffy, preoccupied, grabs them roughly to examine the damage. "Ow! Easy with the delicates!"
"They'll heal." Buffy says as she moves to the window and looks through the slats, eyes flicking nervously across the barren landscape.
"Florence Nightingale to the bloody rescue." Spike says, grumbling.
"We have another plan, right? One that doesn't involve pointy arrows and Winnebagos?" Anya says.
Buffy struggles to get her bearings. She's off balance, reeling. "We'll - we'll rest here for a minute. Then we have to keep moving."
"Where?" Xander asks.
"I don't know! But we can't stay here. It's too close to the wreck, too easy to –" Buffy says, snapping at Xander.
"Buffy!" Piper says.
Buffy looks to Piper and then nods as she takes a deep breath trying to calm herself.
"Buffy?" Willow says.
Buffy walks over to Willow and Giles. "How is he?" Willow tries to respond, can't. It's that bad. "Will?"
"I think I slowed the bleeding, but ..." Willow says.
"Okay. Okay, just... just let me think –" Buffy says.
WHOOSH! A flaming arrow smashes through a boarded up window and THUNKS into the wall. THUNK THUNK THUNK! More flaming arrows. The Gang dives for cover.
Xander peeks out the window. Not good. "We got company - and they brought a Crusade!" He rips the flaming arrows out of the walls and stomps them out.
Buffy and Spike tip a soda machine to block the front door.
Buffy looks at Piper, Phoebe and Paige who shake their heads. Indicating they don't know a spell to protect them from the knights. "Willow!"
"I'm working on it!" Willow says as she frantically pages through her spell book. The sound of breaking glass and splintering wood fills the air. The walls tremble. Tara curls into a ball, wailing in terror.
The blade of an axe pierces the wall near Dawn.
"Dawn –" Buffy says.
CRASH! The office door behind Buffy smashes open. Buffy spins around - WHAM! Knight #1 clocks her with his mace. Buffy staggers back.
"Buffy!" Dawn says as she shimmers out and in next to Buffy. She powers up a low level energy ball.
"Dawn, no." Buffy says as she recovers from the Knight's attack. "He's still human."
Dawn nods and extenquishes the energy ball, "It was low level though. It wouldn't have killed them."
WHAM! Spike smashes the Knight in the face - then screams in agony as his chip activates. He collapses to the floor, clutching his head. The Knight raises his mace to smash Spike's head off.
WHAM! Buffy lays into the Knight. Fists fly, the Knight goes down.
Xander drags the Knight through the office door.
General Gregor bursts in from the garage. He spots Dawn. "The Key!" He raises his broadsword.
Buffy powers up a fireball, taking careful aim and throws it hitting Gregor's sword, knocking it out of Gregor's hand. He whirls around - Buffy's now right behind him, murder in her eyes.
WHAM! Buffy punches Gregor in the face. He hits the floor at Dawn's feet, out cold.
CRASH! Chain mail hands burst through windows and smash through rotted wood. It's like a Medieval Night of the Living Dead. There's just too many of them.
"Enemies, fly and fall...circling arms, raise a wall!" Willow says as an energy flash explodes out from around Willow like the shock wave of a magical nuclear blast.
Tense silence. That was way too close.
"How long will it hold?" Piper asks.
"Half a day, maybe." Willow says as she eyes the Clerics outside. They're standing side by side, heads bowed. Cleric #1 chants. "Or until Heckle and Jeckle punch a hole in it."
Buffy tries to process the situation. How did things go downhill so fast?
Spike massages his temple. He stares down at the unconscious Gregor in disgust. "What's the story on these roleplaying rejects?"
Buffy eyes Gregor, her face turning hard. "Let's find out. Piper."
Moments later Gregor has been tied to one of the pneumatic lifts used to raise cars in the garage. Piper has her hands poised ready to freeze him at a moments notice. Gregor glares at Buffy, his jaw set. Xander, Spike and Dawn watch the confrontation.
"You sure Scarface here can habla the English?" Spike asks.
Buffy nods, "He understands me. Don't you?"
"You were warned we would return, Slayer." Gregor says. "You and the Charmed Ones."
"Took you long enough." Piper says.
Buffy eyes Gregor's tattoo, "You supposed to be some kind of chief?"
Gregor locks eyes with Buffy, trying to intimidate. "General."
"In charge of what? Getting captured?" Buffy says, staring him down.
"You do not frighten me, child." Gregor says as he turns to Dawn, pinning her with a withering stare. Dawn squirms. "The instrument of chaos will be destroyed –"
Buffy loses her cool. She latches onto his face, roughly snapping his head back to look at her as she powers up a fireball. "Look at her that way again, and you'll be seeing this…" She shows him the fireball. "Going up your ass."
"As I was told. You protect the Key of the Beast." Gregor says.
Buffy backs off, barely regaining her composure.
"It's not that simple." Piper says.
Gregor's face softens a bit. He takes Dawn in with the compassionate eyes of a father. "Yes. The Key has been transformed. Given breath. Life." He looks sadly to Buffy and Piper. "Yet this makes no difference. The Key is the link. The link must be severed. Such is the will of God."
"She doesn't remember anything about being this Key everyone's looking for! All she remembers is growing up with a sister, a mother and cousins that love her. What kind of god would demand her life for something she has no control over?" Buffy says. Silence. Gregor ventures no response. "We're not your enemy. Tell your men to stand down."
"No." Gregor says.
"It's not her fault! She's human now!" Buffy says, losing it.
"The Key is too dangerous to be allowed to exist - no matter what form it has been pressed into." Gregor says.
"I'm not going to let anyone –" Buffy says, she is about to make good on her threat.
Tara shrieks from the Customer Area.
"Buffy!" Anya calls out.
Buffy rushes in, with Piper, Dawn, Spike, and Xander close behind. Tara is pitching a serious fit, screaming and flailing. Willow is trying to get her under control.
"Tara... Tara, please ..." Willow says.
"What happened?" Buffy asks.
"I don't know! She just went nuts!" Anya says. "Oh! I mean, uh –"
Paige and Phoebe shake their heads indicating their not sure what's wrong with Tara either.
"Time! Time! Time!" Tara screams as she breaks away from Willow and runs for the door. She claws at it, sinking to her knees, sobbing.
Willow cradles her on the floor. She turns to Buffy, searching desperately for comfort. "We have to do something. She can't stay like this. Buffy?"
Buffy's pained face says it all. She's not even close to having any answers.
"Time... time..." Tara cries softly.
Moments later Buffy is gripping Giles' hand like a lifeline, trying not to completely fall apart. Giles is barely conscious. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Giles asks.
"We should have stayed. If we had, none of this –" Buffy says.
"Don't." Giles says. "You did... what was necessary. What I've always admired."
"Running away?" Buffy asks.
Giles shakes his head, "Being able to place your heart above all else. I'm so proud of you. How far you've come. You're everything a Watcher - everything I could have hoped for ..." He drifts back off into unconsciousness.
Buffy stands there, desperately clutching his hand, trying to figure out what to do.
Piper steps up next to Buffy and places a hand on her cousin… her sisters shoulder. "He's right, Buffy. You have always put your heart above all else. You know once upon a time I was the middle sister. Then you and Dawn came into our lives. You both made me not only a middle sister, but a big sister. You may not have always been a Charmed One. But in my heart you have always been my sister."
Buffy looks to Piper and nods, "Thanks." She comes to a decision. "Willow. Open a door."
Outside the chanting Clerics stumble back as a door-sized rift opens in the barrier. Buffy steps outside. Xander and Piper are close behind, backing her up. The rift closes behind them.
The Knights raise their weapons, but Dante raises a hand to halt their attack. "Speak."
"One of my friends was hurt when you attacked us –" Buffy says.
"And ten of mine are dead. Honorable men. Shall we balance the scale?" Dante says as he draws his sword.
Xander's heart is about to thump out of his chest. Buffy grits her teeth, barely containing her mounting rage. Piper raises her hands.
"Will you let someone come and help him or not?" Buffy asks.
"Give quarter to an agent of the Beast? What madness would move me to such action?" Dante says.
"You do know I could bring someone here and you could do nothing to stop me. I am being generous in asking." Buffy says as she takes a step towards Dante, ready to bring on the hurt. "But, I'm done asking."
The Knights behind him tense. Xander steps in, trying to defuse the situation. "Whoa, hey, uh... this is war, isn't it? And if there's one thing I've learned from Sergeant Rock, in war there are rules. Or at least there should be... if you're as "honorable" as you think you are. Plus we do have your General Forehead Guy."
Dante glares, his face impenetrable.
Moments later back inside Willow is casting an electrical spell at the pay phone. "... discharge and bring life!"
A light flickers to life in the phone booth. Buffy picks up the phone, gets a dial tone, nods. She punches in a number.
"Handier than a Swiss knife. You know the door to my crypt's got this nasty squeak. Maybe you could –" Spike says.
Someone picks up on the other end of the line.
"Hey, it's Buffy. I need to ask you a really big favor ..." Buffy says.
Later a car pulls up, screeches to a halt as the driver spots the Knights. It's Ben - he's the one Buffy called. His eyes flash with fear as the Knights surround his car. He is allowed to enter and Buffy takes him over to Giles.
The Gang watches tensely as Ben examines Giles, his doctor's bag close at hand. "You, uh, forgot to mention the costume party outside."
"Sorry. I - I didn't know who else to call." Buffy says.
"No, it's okay. I mean, yeah, not exactly the way I pictured seeing you again, but–" Ben says and he laughs. "I'll take what I can get."
"Thanks for coming." Buffy says.
"My pleasure." Ben says as he smiles warmly, his eyes shifting to Dawn across the room...
Buffy hovers as Ben finishes applying a fresh dressing to the wound.
"I think I got him stabilized, but there's a lot of damage. We need to get him out of here." Ben says.
"The guys with the pointy swords kinda have other ideas." Buffy says.
"Don't they always?" Ben says, facetiously.
Buffy sighs, "I know this must seem extra outer limits –"
"This? Nah. I've seen things you wouldn't believe. You know, emergency room, full moon on a Saturday night ..." Ben says.
"If things get too weird, just let me know. I'll understand." Buffy says.
Ben smiles warmly, "Don t worry about me. I won't leave till I've worn out my welcome."
Later in the garage Gregor is still tied to the pneumatic lift. Spike sits perched on a work bench, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He's trying to fire up his lighter, but can't manage it with his sliced up hands. Xander takes the lighter, fires it up.
"Thanks." Spike says as he lights his cigarette.
"You know those things'll kill you." Xander says.
Spike stares. "Hello, already dead."
"Oh. Right." Xander says. An awkward silence. Xander's trying to make nice, but not sure how to go about it. "I mention today how much I don't like you?"
"Might have slipped it in once or twice." Spike says.
Xander allows himself a half smile. Is that the sound of ice breaking? "How are the feelers?"
"Nothing compared to the little bits we're all going to get chopped into when the Renaissance Fair kicks the door in. And here we bloody sit." Spike says, grimacing with pain.
"Not like we have much of a choice." Xander says.
"Could make a run for it. Use General Armor-All as a shield, get to the doc's car and –" Spike says.
"Great plan. And while all the hacking and slashing's going on, what are you going to be doing? Throwing migraines at 'em?" Xander says.
The ice has definitely frozen back over.
"Look, we stay here, we all die. At least this way some of us might –" Spike says.
"No." Buffy says from the door. She tries to be confident, but her voice is tinged with denial and fear. "We're all going to make it. I'm not losing anyone."
Piper comes in behind Buffy and lays a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "No we're not."
Spike backs down.
"Check the supplies. See if anyone's hungry." Buffy says.
Spike and Xander exit back into the other room.
Gregor laughs, amused. "Dissension in the ranks. Seldom the harbinger of glad tidings."
Buffy snaps. She whacks Gregor hard across the face. "Shut up!"
Gregor spits blood, eyes Buffy sadly. "Poor, frightened girl. You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into."
"Then why don't you fill us in?" Piper asks.
"Would it make a difference?" Gregor asks in return. Desperation swirls across Buffy's face. Gregor gauges Buffy carefully. Perhaps he can reach her, make her understand. "What do you know of the Beast?"
"Strong. Fast. Hellgod." Buffy says.
"From a dimension of unspeakable torment." Gregor says.
"A demon dimension, we know. There were two other Hellgods that ruled with her, weren't there?" Piper says.
Gregor nods, "Along with the Beast, they were a triumvirate of suffering and despair, ruling with equal vengeance. But the power of the Beast grew beyond even what they could conceive - as did her lust for pain and misery. They looked upon her, what she had become... and trembled."
"A god afraid?" Buffy asks.
"Such was her power. They feared she would attempt to seize the dimension for herself, and decided to strike first. A great battle erupted. The very bowels of Hell trembled as the war of the gods spanned a thousand years. In the end, they stood victorious over the Beast –" Gregor says. "— barely. She was cast out, banished to this "lower" plane of existence, forced to live and ultimately die trapped within the body of a mortal, a newborn male, created as her prison. Her own living Hell."
"Wait – male?" Buffy says.
Gregor nods, "That was her punishment. To finish an ageless existence buried deep inside the flesh tomb of a normal average human man. A man that would grow, age, and eventually die, like all the rest of us. That is the Beast's only weakness."
Piper nods, "Kill the man, and the god dies."
Gregor nods, "Unfortunately the identity of the human vessel has never been discovered."
Piper shakes her head, "We've seen Glory though she's decidedly not male."
"You have seen a glimpse of the true Beast. Her power was too great to be completely contained. She's found a way to escape her mortal prison for brief periods before her energies are exhausted and she's forced back into her living cell of meat and bone." Gregor says.
"What about me?" Dawn asks from the door. "What about the Key?"
"Dawn –" Piper and Buffy says.
"I want to know." Dawn says.
Piper sighs and looks to Buffy nodding. "She has a right to know."
Buffy gives in, turns back to Gregor.
"The Key is almost as old as the Beast itself. Where it came from, how it was created - the deepest of mysteries. All that is certain is that its power is absolute. Countless generations of my people have sacrificed their lives in search of it, to destroy it before its wrath could be unleashed." Gregor says.
"But the monks found it first." Dawn says.
"Yes. And hid it with their magicks." Gregory says, bitterly.
"Why didn't they destroy it? If the Key's as dangerous as you –" Buffy says.
"Because they were fools! They thought they could harness its power for the forces of light. They failed – and paid with their blood." Gregor says.
"What do I do? What was I created for?" Dawn asks.
"You were created to open the gates that separate dimensions. The Beast will use your power to return home and seize control of the Hell she was banished from." Gregor says.
Buffy laughs. "That's it? That's Glory's master plan? Go home?"
"You misunderstand. When the Key is activated, it won't just open a gate to the Beast's dimension - it's going to open all the gates. The walls separating realities will crumble." Gregor says. "Dimensions will bleed into one another. Order will be overthrown and the universe will tumble into chaos. All dark. Forever." He looks to Dawn. "That is what you were created for."
Dawn is devastated - and so is Piper and Buffy. Dawn turns and walks back into the other room. She moves over to one of the boarded up windows and absently peers out through a gap at the Knights. Buffy and Piper appears in the doorway.
"Dawn..." Buffy says.
Piper looks to Phoebe and Paige and motions for them to join her and Buffy.
"You think it's true? What he said?" Dawn asks.
Buffy struggles for the right answer. Can't find one. "I don't know."
Phoebe and Paige join Buffy, Dawn and Piper.
"Destroyer of the universe. Guess cutting school doesn't seem so bad now, huh?" Dawn says, trying not to cry.
"It's not you. You know that." Piper says.
"But it's in me, isn't it? It's inside me." Dawn says. "What are we going to do?"
Buffy moves next to her, trying to mask her own worry and uncertainty.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Dawn." Buffy says.
"Neither will we," Phoebe says.
Piper moves to the otherside of Dawn as Phoebe and Paige move up behind Dawn.
Piper and Buffy slips their hands into Dawn's. Phoebe and Paige rest a hand on Dawn's shoulders. Each of them trying to comfort their sister.
"We promise." Piper says. "Right guys."
"Right." Phoebe, Paige and Buffy says.
They stand there sharing in a silent family moment.
Later Willow is sitting in the corner with Tara, trying to feed her from a can of fruit cocktail.
"Wriggling." Tara says as she pushes the spoon away, sending fruit flying.
"Tara, come on. You have to eat." Willow says, exhausted.
"Want me to try?" Anya asks.
Willow looks up, sees Anya there, sighs. "Don't know. Kinda getting used to picking fruit out of my hair."
Gregor is watching them from across the room. He shifts his attention to Ben. He's rinsing off his medical instruments with alcohol in a sink near Gregor. "You." Ben freezes. Has Gregor figured out his secret? "You are not a part of this, are you?"
Ben relaxes. Still safe. "Just a friend of the family."
"And would you die for them?" Gregor asks as Ben turns, faces Gregor. Gregor smiles mirthlessly. "Because that is what your future holds if you align yourself with the Slayer, the Charmed Ones and their misguided people."
"It's my life. I'll do what I please with it." Ben says.
"It's not just your life. Unimaginable legions will perish, including everyone here." Gregor says. "You can stop this. You can save all their lives... by ending one. The little girl. The Key. Destroy it, and the will of the Beast will be broken. She will fade, a distant memory... and this madness will end."
Ben considers the General's words, carefully weighing his options. This may be his only chance to stop Glory - and continue his life.
In the other room Dawn stands over Giles, her face etched with concern. He's still unconscious but in obvious discomfort. Ben appears next to her. Dawn jumps, startled.
"Sorry." Ben says.
Giles groans. Ben moves in, takes his pulse.
Dawn watches nervously. "Is he... is he going to be okay?"
"He was hurt pretty bad, Dawn." Ben says as he watches Xander move into the garage. He's now alone with Dawn.
"It's because of me. It's all my fault." Dawn says.
"No, it isn't." Ben says as he moves to his doctor's bag behind Dawn.
"You don't know what's happening." Dawn says.
"I don't have to." Ben says. Dawn's eyes are locked on Giles. She doesn't see Ben take a hypo out of his bag and begin to prepare it. "I just know that sometimes terrible things happen to good people. It shouldn't, but it does. And it's nobody's fault." He turns to Dawn, the hypo in his hand. He advances on her, his face unreadable. "That's just the way life is." He reaches Dawn, hypo poised... and passes right by her. He goes to Giles, slips the needle in. Giles sighs, his face relaxing.
"Is that going to help?" Dawn asks. Ben doesn't reply. He stands frozen, his back to her. "Ben?"
The hypo crashes to the floor. Ben's eyes go wide in terror. He goes tearing into the garage, Dawn close behind. "You have to let me out!"
"Ben –" Dawn says.
"You don't understand! I got to get out! Open a door! NOW!" Ben says.
Buffy, Piper and Spike rush in from the office.
"What happened?" Buffy asks.
Dawn shakes her head, "I don't know! He just freaked out!"
"LET ME OUT!" Ben screams.
"Will, open a –" Buffy says.
Ben screams in agony. "NO!" He morphs into Glory. Everyone freezes in shock.
Glory takes in the scene, grins with delight. "Well what do you know! Little Ben finally did something right."
"The Beast." Gregor says, terrified.
"Hey! It's Gregor!" Glory says as she grabs an old rusted hubcap off the workbench and flings it. WHAM! It buries itself halfway into Gregor's chest. Extra dead. "Now it's not."
BOOM! All hell breaks loose as the Gang attacks. It's extra short confrontation - Glory's way done fooling around. Spike goes flying into Xander and Anya.
Buffy powers up a fireball and starts throwing them left and right. Glory just seems to shrug them off as she walks over to Buffy and tosses her into Willow who was preparing a spell. Piper is using her exploding power relentlessly against Glory. Paige and Phoebe come running out of the office and Glory throws them into Piper knocking her to the ground.
Glory latches onto Dawn.
"Buffy!" Dawn says.
Glory slams through the door and outside. WHAM! She hits Willow's barrier. She sneers in contempt. "Yeah, right." She rears her fist back and bellows as she slams it into the barrier. BOOM! She blows a jagged hole in it. It CRACKLES, already beginning to close up.
"Dawn!" Buffy says.
Glory yanks Dawn through the hole. Buffy dives after them, but doesn't make it before the hole closes. WHAM! She crashes into the restored barrier.
Buffy tries to flame to the other side of the shield but gets knocked back to the ground inside the shield. She gets up and runs back inside the building. "Willow! Get it down! Now!"
Willow's dazed. She tries to focus on the spell. "Hear... hear my plea... circling arms protecting me..."
Willow's barrier crackles, dissipates. Buffy rushes out - and freezes in horror. The ground is littered with the broken bodies of the Knights and the Clerics.
Dante exhales his last blood-soaked breath. "The Beast ..." And he dies.
There is no sign of Glory - or Dawn. The rest of the Gang spills out, equally horrified by the carnage.
"We... we have to ..." Willow says.
Spike nods, "The car! Check for the keys!"
Paige holds up her hand, "I got a faster way. Will take two or three at a time. This way we can get back to town a lot quicker…"
Spike nods.
Buffy trembles, tears filling her eyes. She collapses to her knees, totally shutting down. Her promises meant nothing. She's failed, totally and completely.
"Buffy...?" Willow says. "Buffy, we... we have to look for Dawn. We can't let Glory... Buffy?"
Buffy isn't responding. Willow's concern quickly gives way to fear over what's happening to her friend.
"You have to get up. We need you. Buffy, please... Buffy? Buffy?.." Willow says.
Losing Dawn has sent Buffy tumbling over the precarious edge she's been balancing on ever since Prue died.