[Reviews - 19]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1753 times

- Text Size +




Chapter Two - We Band of Buggered

Two things became apparent fairly early in the battle; first, that Buffy was going to remain very busy taking care of Glory and second, since their opponents were of the human variety Spike wasn’t going to be very effective on the ground.

Once Dawn’s screams could be heard it was easy to decide their next step. Willow would create an opportunity for Spike to climb the tower to protect Dawn. Panic doubled his pace the moment he realized Dawn was not alone on the platform. It wouldn’t do to have made a life altering promise to Buffy only to fail a couple of hours later.

The relief in Dawn’s eyes was plain when she saw him clear the platform. The demon’s annoyingly familiar. “Doesn't a fellow stay dead when you kill 'im?”

Doc made an inane response and Spike lunged, confident he could easily overcome the tiny, elderly demon. The song and dance began. Spike knew the words and the steps. He was a consummate performer. The last thing that occurred to him was that his unassuming opponent would turn out to be a veritable Broadway star.

The knife dug deep into his ribs and he was in a headlock before he even realized the last note had played. Horrified he looked at Dawn. He failed. It should be a familiar feeling but this time it broke his heart.

The last thing that went through his mind before Doc threw him off the tower was that he’d broken a promise to the two people he loves most in the world and that it would be his fault if things are never be the same again.

Then he hit a pile of bricks and broke every bone in his body.

~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~

When Buffy reached the platform she didn’t even acknowledge the knife wielding demon. He’s grabbed and thrown over the side as an afterthought in her desperate attempt to reach her sister.

Dawn was already bleeding when Buffy arrived at her side. The blood ran down her leg and off her foot into the air before Buffy could reach out to stop it. The sisters sensed a powerful force opening up beneath them Buffy smiled reassuringly at Dawn and reached into her jeans pocket.

“It’s gonna be okay, Dawnie. You know that, right?”

Dawn cried impotently. “How can it be? The portal is open!”

“It’s gonna be okay because we know how to close it. Right?” Buffy smiled wider as she pulled out a handkerchief and a small tube. She bent down and wiped the dripping blood off of Dawn’s legs. When she was satisfied with the results she reached up and pressed the sides of the first wound closed. The tube came up and Dawn realized it’s Superglue. Buffy systematically squirted lines of glue over each cut sealing the edges shut, stopping the blood flow.

“The portal will close when the blood flows no more. Presto. We saved the world with Superglue.”

“I can’t believe you glued me closed! Do you have any idea how gross that is?”

“Oh pooh! It’s not that bad. Did you know Superglue was invented as a battlefront emergency suture? I just used as it was originally intended.”

“Well, if you have any bright ideas about gluing me to a girder you can just forget it! I wanna go home!”

“In this case I can comfortably say, your wish is my command,” Buffy smiled in relief. Unfortunately neither of them noticed the swirling ball of unformed energy beneath them. It zigged back and forth before seemingly finding a direction and lashed up into Dawn’s retreating form knocking her off her feet.

“Dawn!” Buffy screamed. Dropping to her knees to keep her sisters head from slamming into the steel platform.

Dawn giggled from underneath hair that sparked and stood on end like a frightened cat. “Wow! That hurt. A lot!”

“Dawn are you okay?”

Buffy watched, trepidation in her eyes, as her little sister struggled to regain her feet.

“That felt really weird and I kinda feel drunk, or at least I feel like I think drunk feels, but I’m pretty sure I’m okay, Buffy.” Dawn swayed on her feet but remained standing.

“Oh God, let’s get you home.”

The sisters descended the stairs and greeted the rest of the gang.

~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~

Unable to even roll over, Spike listened to the sounds of battle around him with the preternatural hearing for which his kind was renowned. He heard Giles’ conversation with the doomed Ben and heard Ben’s dying gasps. He heard something strike Anya Xander’s voice, anxiety barely hidden, reassuring her that she’d be alright. He heard the Witches take care of the last of the crazies before their touching heart melting reunion and he heard every word and action taken on top of the tower.

He couldn’t believe how easily Buffy eliminated the threat of Doc. He felt woefully inadequate when he heard Doc’s body land several feet from his own. He desperately wished he could turn his head and see Doc’s finally dead body, but his neck had been the first to break when he’d landed.

Finally he heard the joyful reunion as the sisters reached the foot of the tower and joined the rest of the Scoobies. He waited patiently for someone to come check up on him. He wasn’t a large vamp so he figured between the boy and the Watcher they’d be able to pour him into a car and get him out of the threat of the rising sun.

When he heard it his first reaction was disbelief. He had to check again and still he’d had a hard time believing his ears. The cheerful voices were moving away from him. They were walking away. Leaving him to the sun. He tried to call for them but a punctured lung prevented him from operating his voice box.

Here he’d thought that Buffy inviting him back into her home had been a sign of forgiveness. Now it looked like she’d never intended him to survive the night. Why not invite the neutered vamp in if you were going to make sure he died before a new day dawned - or because a new day dawned

Despair swamped him and tears fell from impotent eyes as he heard the voices fade into the distance. They’d left him like a piece of trash. The last thing he heard before pain swamped him driving him into blissful unconsciousness was mocking laughter.

~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~’~,~

Doc stared at the lifeless body of the insignificant host of his glorious goddess and felt his rage grow to unfathomable proportions. He’d have revenge for her. He’d make every member of the Slayer’s team beg for the release of death before he was finished with them. He’d start with the arrogant vampire they so carelessly left behind.

He trod nimbly over the rubble towards the unconscious body of the broken vamp. He wouldn’t get much satisfaction torturing this one, it was so damaged already, but it would make an adequate appetizer for the destruction he intended to wreak on the rest of the presumptuous gang.

He grabbed the vampire’s foot and dragged him out of the construction site. Hearing a multitude of broken bones grind together, he hoped the vamp’s body would stay intact during the short trip to his home. It would be annoying if the vamp dusted before he got to torture it.





You must login (register) to review.