Promises
Chapter Twenty One
Warren landed two strong punches on Buffy before she ducked the third and kicked him. He blocked her swing, landed several more punches. Buffy grabbed his hand and twists around, holding Warren's arm behind him and kicking him in the stomach. She ducked another punch and kicked him. He fell against the overturned armored truck.
Buffy watched as Warren pulled himself upright again.
"Wow. That almost hurt, kitten" he taunted her
Buffy kicked him and punched him several times, with little effect. Warren grabbed her and slammed down on her arm. Warren kicked her backward, grabbed her again.
"Kill her! Kill her!" Andrew shouted
Jonathan stared from the fight to Andrew and back, looking alarmed.
Warren continued beating on Buffy. He got her legs out from under her and she went down.
"You know who I am? Huh, Slayer?" Warren asked
"You're a murderer" Buffy spat getting up
"Well, that too, but more to the point-"
Buffy took a swing at him, he blocked the punch and backhanded her.
"I'm the guy that beat you"
Again she swungs, again he blocked and hit her. Buffy reeled backward, looking shocked.
"And it's not the muscles, baby"
He kicked her backward.
"It's the brains"
"I'll remember that when I knock 'em clean out of your-"
Suddenly Jonathan leapst onto Buffy from behind, grabbing her around the neck. Buffy grunted and stumbled forward, trying to pry him off.
"Whoa! Sparky, I didn't think you had it in you" Warren chuckled
"The orbs! Smash his orbs" Jonathan muttered into Buffy's ear
Buffy threw him off. He landed on the ground and rolled away as Warren attacked again. Buffy blocked a couple of punches, but then Warren landed one that sent her falling against a park bench. The bench broke into pieces. Warren strode over as Buffy was still lying in the wreckage of the bench.
"Say good night, bitch" said Warren
Warren pulled his fist back for a final punch. This pulled his jacket back, revealing the pouch on his belt. Buffy saw it. Before Warren could move, she lunged forward, grabbed the pouch, and slammed it against the ground.
A blue light flashed, suffusing Warren, then leaving him and shooting toward the smashed orbs. Warren looked dazed as Buffy stood up.
"Good night, bitch" said Buffy sternly
She spun around kick that sent Warren flying back and tumbling to the ground near his comrades. He climbed slowly to his feet, looking scared.
Buffy walked towards them "You're nothing but a sad little boy, Warren. But it's time you grow up, and pay for what you've done"
"Get away from me!" Warren yelled pulling off his jacket, revealing an apparatus strapped to his body, including a pair of silvery tanks on his back.
"I swear to god I'm gonna take you down. You piece of..."
Buffy stared in disbelief as Warren pulled a switch and a jet-pack activated, lifting him straight up into the air.
"Oh, come *on*" Buffy rolled her eyes
Andrew stared calmly at Buffy "Well played, Slayer!" He too pulled off his jacket revealing an identical jet-pack
"Why didn't I get one of those?!" Jonathan whimpered
"This round to you. But the game is far from over" said Andrew activating his jet-pack and lifting off as Buffy and Jonathan stare.
Andrew was standing underneath a roof overhang. He hit it with his head, hard, and fell to the ground unconscious.
Jonathan stared apprehensively at Buffy as they heard the sound of police sirens wailing in the distance.
XXXXX
"So what happened?" asked Dawn
As the gang sat around Buffy's living room for a debrief of the previous evenings events.
"Warren went all He-Man woman hater thanks to some orb thingies… I crushed the orbs and he flew away thanks to a handy dandy jet pack" Buffy sighed
"Cool" said Dawn "…I mean damn him"
"Eh, it was pretty cool in a total I'm going to beat him severely when I find him kinda way" said Buffy
"What about the others" asked Willow
"They earned themselves an all expenses paid trip to Sunnydale's jail… their hearing is this afternoon" said Buffy
"But Jonathan helped you right?" asked Dawn
"Yeah he told me about the orbs" said Buffy
"I kinda feel sorry for him" said Dawn
Dawn looked around at the gang who were looking back at her strangely.
"What? It's just he doesn't seem like the schemey type of guy, I think he was just lead astray by Warren" said Dawn
"Maybe but he didn't have to follow him Dawn" said Willow
"No he didn't but he had friends probably for the first time in his life…" Dawn said sadly
The gang sat quietly for a moment.
"So any idea where Warren could be?" asked Xander
"No clue" Buffy shrugged "but I'm sure he'll pop up soon enough"
"He won't be much good without his friends" said Xander flashing Buffy a small smile
"We'll find him" said Willow "There were a few receipts from places they rented, you and Spike could check them out"
Buffy but her lip "Spike's not here"
"Where is he?" asked Dawn
"He left yesterday" Buffy said softly
"He wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye to me" said Dawn
"He'll be back soon, he's just got some things he wants to take care of" said Buffy
"What could he possibly want to take care of?! And why did he go away? Did you two have a fight?" asked Dawn
"No… look, I don't want to talk about it okay?" said Buffy
"If you didn't fight then why did he leave?" asked Dawn
Buffy shifted in her seat uncomfortably "He left to seek a demon out… to get his soul back. Okay Dawn?"
"Oh my god" Willow whispered
Dawn sat in her chair dumbfounded.
"Lloyd?" Anya asked
"You know him?" asked Tara
"I met him at a cocktail party four hundred years ago" Anya shrugged
"You've just lived every life possible haven't you Anya" said Tara
Anya nodded in agreement
"Why would he do that?" Dawn finally spoke
Buffy fought back tears "Because… he doesn't believe he's good enough for me, for us without it… wonder what gave him that idea"
Buffy shot Xander a look and stormed out of the room.
"I'll go" said Willow getting up from her seat
"No… let me" said Xander following Buffy out of the back door
Buffy stood out in the sun, Xander came up behind her, looking awkward.
"Buffy…" he started
"Please don't" she said turning to face him
"Buffy, How did we get here?" He asked
"Scenic route. Long drive" Buffy replied
"The past few weeks..."
"I know" she said cutting him off
"It hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike" he said softly
"I'm sorry. I should have told you" she shrugged
"Maybe you would have, if I hadn't given you so many reasons to think I'd be an ass about it… and I have been an ass about it haven't I?"
"Maybe just a little" Buffy smiled
"So… he's gone to get a soul?" Xander asked
"That's what Tara said… he just told me it was business" Buffy shrugged "I guess he didn't want me to know"
"Maybe he thought you might talk him out of it" said Xander
"I would have. When Angel came back from that demon dimension… he was so cut up remembering what he did to people. Spike is more… sensitive than Angel. Remembering what he's done with a conscience, it will destroy him" said Buffy
"But he's doing this for you Buffy" said Xander
"He's not doing this for me Xander, I love him… even without the soul. And I know that's not what you wanna hear but I do. He's doing this for you guys, to prove that he loves me and that he wouldn't hurt you" Buffy said sadly
"Oh…" Xander replied "I can't say I'm doing backflips about you two being together, mostly because I can't do backflips anyways but… I respect your decision"
"You couldn't have said that two days ago? Spike's currently in Africa dealing with god knows what and now you give your blessing?" said Buffy
"You're really worried about him?" asked Xander
"Duh!" sighed Buffy
"He'll be okay Buff, he'll be back here in a week all souled up and then I'll apologise"
"Apologise?" she repeated
"Yeah… I was kind of an ass remember"
Buffy hugged him tightly
"I don't know what I'd do ... without you and Will" said Xander
"Let's not find out" she said softly
XXXXX
Spike walked through a desert village made up of grass huts on sand. Some African women were sitting around a fire talking.
Spike continued walking, his face determined. Another villager tried to stop him, saying something in an African language.
"Toyenza coyengara. Erio mtuwana" the villager warned
"Not asking for permission, mate" said Spike as he carried on walking
The man yells after him but doesn't follow.
"Ymirira! Odja kufa! Ymirira!" the villager repeated
Spike entered a dark cave. He slowed down as he entered, the cave was almost completely black. Spike fished his lighter out of his jeans pocket and flicked it open and lit it, revealing paintings on the cave walls. Images of people's faces in pain, bodies with blood pouring out of them, skulls. Spike studied at them, he was a little nervous.
As he continued deeper into the cave, there were more paintings. One of them depicted a black figure holding out an arm toward another figure, which was red and dripping blood.
A breeze seemingly from nowhere blew out the lighter. Spike looked at it, slowly flicked it closed and continues into the cave.
"You seek me, vampire?" A deep gravelly voice asked
Spike covered his nervousness "You do the finger paintings? Nice work" Spike complimented
Spike turned to see the demon, all he could see was an indistinct shape and a pair of glowing green eyes.
"Answer me" the demon bellowed
"Yeah. I seek you" said Spike
"Something about a woman. The slayer" said the demon
"That's right" said Spike
"And you want to return to your former self" the demon asked
"Yeah" Spike answered
Lloyd began to laugh evilly
"What?" Spike asked
"Look what she's reduced you to" Lloyd sneered
"She's not reduced me to anything" said Spike
"You were a legendary dark warrior, and you let yourself be castrated. And you have the audacity to crawl in here and demand restoration?"
"I'm still a warrior" Spike argued
"You're a pathetic excuse for a demon"
"Yeah? I'll show you pathetic. Give me your best shot" Spike said angrily
"You'd never endure the trials required to grant your request" said Lloyd
"Do your worst. But when I win ... I want what I came here for" said Spike
The demon watched him, breathed loudly but said nothing.
"She's is gonna see a change" Spike whispered