Unfortunately for Xander and the Anla'Shok, as well as the people of Sunnydale, the curse activated and something that could be described as a 'hot wind' began to move through the town. And though walls into homes. It began killing.
"Mr. Chase told me a family has been brought into the morgue." Xander announced after calling a meeting of the whole group. "The curse we told you about, that creates a nightmare from my own mind, it seems it may be in effect as of now. We need to figure out what can get passed locked doors and unopened windows and consumes the internal organs of it's victims without leaving a mark on the body."
"That's how they died?" Tor asked, swallowing hard.
"Yes, the entire family, including the children."
"Xander, I don't know of any demon capable of killing that way." Giles told them. "But we'll research, if there's something, we'll find it."
"As Jenny pointed out, it may be not be a demon, it may be something that would simply be considered a nightmare. Something from a movie or a tv show. It would have to be one I've watched, since the image is drawn from my mind. And I've always been a scifi geek, as well as watching horror shows. Which means it could be an alien, for all we know. Just because it might not exist naturally, doesn't mean Magic couldn't make it exist."
"Or it could come from a book, you do like reading." Cordelia pointed out.
"If it comes from any of those source's, I may be able to find something online." Willow said. "If I put what we know into a search engine and have it search through known movies, shows and books for a description of something that can kill like that, than maybe we can at least narrow down the possibilities."
"It's a start." Xander agreed. "Anything on the Magic front?"
"Both Amy and I felt a surge of Magic." Jenny reported. "We're tracing it now, when we know, you'll know."
"Okay, than for now, the rest of us need to focus on being prepared. Whatever it is, it's killing people and our purpose is to protect people. We've never dealt with revenge before, but demons, vampires and humans are all capable of it. Hell, Angel existed because of the Kalderash's attempt to avenge one of their own. And just because this is the first time we're dealing with it, doesn't mean it will be the last. We keep running in to humans that choose to work with demons that prey on humans, usually out of greed and fear, others because they actually worship the demons in question. Any of those reasons could motivate people to strike out against us. It's a crappy deal, but it's the world we live in."
The group scattered and each began their appointed task, Willow working at her computer, Giles and Oz pouring over the books, Jenny and Amy tracking the Magic and the fighters variously mediating or sparring, determined to be ready at a moment's notice to go after whatever it was that was out there killing the people they'd sworn to protect.
After about an hour Jenny spoke. "We think we've traced the origins of the Magic. It looks like Mayor Wilkins' home or very near it, the yard perhaps."
"Alright, let's start there." Xander decided. "Tor, Cordelia, myself and a six man squad will accompany Jenny and Amy while they track the Magic and see if this thing is leaving a trail, the rest of you stay alert. Depending on how big this thing is, we may all end up fighting it."
Once the group arrived at Mayor Wilkins old home, Jenny, following the trail of Magic, led them around the back and found a place where the Magic was concentrated. "There's something here, buried under the ground." She pointed at the spot. Using sticks, two of the guys began digging and a found a stone. Just a stone, smooth, round and gray.
"It's full of Hellmouth energy." Jenny grimaced when she saw it, Amy was looking equally uncomfortable.
"I could have told you that." Xander commented, eyeing it. "Remember, those of us who were born here have a bit of a sensitivity to it. So that's what Wilkins probably used as his catalyst. Any way of tracking whatever it made?"
"Maybe, we've never encountered anything like this, so we're kinda having to make it up as we go along!" Amy said ruefully, just as Xander's phone rang.
"It's Willow." He answered it and than stunned, hung up the phone.
"What is it?" Tor asked.
"Willow found something. On a hunch, given the Thirdspace portal, she decided to start with Babylon 5 and see if there's something in the show or literature that could do this."
"I take it she found something?"
"Yes. A Soldier of Darkness."