Chapter 15
Buffy felt a little guilty as she got ready for the party. She’d lied to Giles and hadn’t talked to Lillian since Spike crashed Back to School Night.
Though really, why should there be guilt?
Giles wasn’t her dad or her Watcher, her mother wasn’t even home, and Lillian hadn’t called, so there must not be something from the future Buffy was about to screw up, yet. She’d been doing her best by Kendra, so why shouldn’t she have a fun night out?
A car honked outside. She gave a last glance to the mirror and rushed outside before Cordelia ditched her.
Cordy drove like a lunatic. Even trying to park, she went in too fast and bumped the car in front of them.
“Ohh! Why do they park so darn close to you? Are you ready for this?” She checked her hair in the rearview mirror.
“I dunno. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Me, too. Let’s go!” She got out of the car and closed the door. “C’mon!”
Big place. They walked into the house.
“You know what’s so cool about college? The diversity. You’ve got all the rich people, and all the other people. Richard!”
“Welcome, ladies.” He handed them drinks.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, is there alcohol in this?”
“Just a smidge.”
“C’mon, Buffy, it’s just a smidge.”
“I’ll just…” She set the drink down.
“I understand. When I was your age I wasn’t into grown-up things, either. Have you seen our multi-media room?”
“Oh, the one with the cherry walnut paneling and the two forty-eight-inch televisions on satellite feed? No. Wanna show me?” Cordelia smiled at him.
“What about…”
“Oh, her? She’s happiest by herself.”
They left Buffy standing alone.
****
Xander poked his head in a window, looked around, and climbed in. Wolves by Shawn Clement and Sean Murray played on the stereo.
Her name is Alexandra
She walks into the room
Xander lost his balance and fell through the window.
All the eyes, eyes, are upon her
He bounced back up and took a drink from a tray being passed around by a half-naked pledge. “Cheers!”
Well the girl
I think she’s got hungry eyes on you
Xander walked into the room and looked around.
Yeah, on you, you
He admired a girl. Continued through the room.
She says she runs with wolves
He walked into the next room and missed Buffy. She was facing the other way and didn’t see him, either. He admired another girl, then spotted a tray of hors-d’oeuvres carried by another pledge in drag. He followed the tray.
She thinks she runs with the wolves
Love is in the air
Buffy was bored, lonely, and fidgeting with her hands. She picked up her drink, stirred it, and put it down again. Everybody in the room was dancing. A new song started, She by Louie Says.
Bend and I’ll break you
The dance crowd separated a moment and a handsome guy on the other side of the room made eye contact. He raised his drink to her.
Leave and I’ll take you back again
Buffy raised her glass in return. She took a small sip. So did he.
A drunk guy staggered toward her. “New girl!” He grabbed the hot guy for balance.
“Easy, man!”
“Dance!”
So bend and I’ll break you
Buffy stared at him in wide-eyed surprise when she saw him coming for her.
“C’mon, sweetheart, ha, ha, yeah!”
Leave and I’ll take you back again
Tom appeared in the nick of time and took her arm. “Can I have this dance?”
“C’mon!”
Tom pulled her away just as the drunk was about to crash into her.
If she bends, then she breaks
“Thanks.”
She loves you, but then she takes it away
“No. We’re not all a bunch of drunken louts. Some of us are sober louts.”
She bends and she bows
“I’m really glad you decided to come.”
She’s cold, but she melts like snow
Buffy looked away.
“And you’re not.”
“No, it’s…I shouldn’t be here.”
Bend and I’ll break you
“Because you’re seeing someone.”
“No.”
“You’re not seeing someone?”
Sleep and I’ll wake you tonight
“Nope.”
“So, why shouldn’t you be here?”
Hey, don’t you want to understand
Understand that
“Because I have obligations. People that I’m responsible for, or to, or…” She laughed. “…with, or… It’s complicated.”
If she bends, then she breaks
“You’re big on responsibility. I like that. But there’s such a thing as being too mature. You should relax. Enjoy yourself once in a while.”
She loves you, but then she takes it away
She bends and she bows
“You think I’m too mature?”
He chuckled. “I talk too much. Have you picked up on that, yet?”
She’s cold, but she melts like snow
“Anyway, the, uh, the Hulk is gone, so you don’t have to dance with me.”
She bends, she breaks
“He might come back.”
She hates you, but then she makes a mistake
She continued dancing with Tom.
****
Xander chatted with two girls. Another tray passed by. He grabbed another snack.
Confused and a lot to take
And where to fall out and when
“Godzilla’s attacking downtown Tokyo! Argh! Argh!”
Richard watched. Two guys joined him, one of them the drunk that went after Buffy.
Hey, yes
“Who’s this dork?”
She won’t be good to you
“Never seen him before in my life.”
And I hate the way that I am
“We got us a crasher!” They approached Xander.
I hate the way I am
“So, have either of you seen a pair of girls here? One’s about so high…” Xander noticed the frat boys. “Hey, guys!”
“New pledge.”
“New pledge!”
The drunk grabbed Xander. “New pledge!”
“New pledge! New pledge! New pledge! New pledge! New pledge!”
****
Buffy walked out of the house alone. She rubbed her bare arms and crossed them. Stepped on a piece of glass and looked down. There were several small pieces. She crouched to pick one up. Above her, there was a window boarded up.
“You okay?” Tom asked.
She dropped the piece of glass. “Yeah. I was…just thinking.”
Richard came out and handed them drinks. “To my Argentinean junk bonds that just matured into double digits!”
“Uh, to maturity.”
“What the hell. I’m tired of being mature.” Buffy gulped the drink down.
****
Xander was being hazed. A big guy grabbed his cheeks to pucker his lips and smeared red lipstick on them. Everyone was laughing. Bring Me On by Act of Faith played on the sound system.
Say what you say when you say what you've gotta say
Do you fear what you hear are you gonna fear
Do you know what you know when you gotta know
No, No, No
They put a skirt and a huge bra on him. He danced awkwardly while they cheered him on.
“Keep it movin’! C’mon! Shake it, don’t break it! Wrap it up and I’ll take it!”
“Okay, big fun, guys. Uhh, who’s next?”
They put a blonde wig on Xander’s head. “You are, doll face! Keep on dancin’! Ah, alright! Oh! Keep it up! Yes! C’mon! Keep it goin’. Ah, ha!”
****
Buffy felt woozy. She steadied herself against a wall, then made her way upstairs. She knocked down a drink and couldn’t react fast enough to catch it. There was commotion in the next room.
“Tom?”
Through hazy eyes and a wobbly head, she saw a guy in drag dancing with his back to her. She started slowly up the stairs to lie down.
She pushed open the door to a bedroom. Bumped into a sculpture.
“Ooo! Ooo, sorry…” She steadied herself and went to the bed. “Okay. Nice bed. Just need to stop spinning for at least…” She lay down and passed out.
Richard showed up. He rolled Buffy on her back and brushed his hand along her neck.
“Get away from her!”
“I wasn’t doing anything!”
“I saw what you were doing.”
“I was just having a little fun.”
“Well, she’s not here for your fun, you pervert. She’s here for the pleasure of the One we serve.”
“In his Name.”
“And that goes for the other one, too.”
Cordelia was passed out on the floor.
****
The party was over. The drunk guy shoved Xander out of the house. The big one threw his clothes at him.
“Party’s over, jerkwater.”
“Wait, a friend of mine was here.”
“Y’know, in that light, with that wig on and all…you’re still butt-ugly!”
They laughed and shut the door in his face. He dropped his clothes, pulled the wig off, and threw it down. Undid the bra and threw it down, too.
****
Buffy, Cordelia, and another girl were in the basement. Richard took a sword and walked behind a kneeling Tom. Tom’s chest was carved with weird symbols. Richard began carving another on Tom’s back.
“Buffy? Where are we?” Cordelia asked
“In the basement, far as I can tell.”
“What’s happening? What did they do to us?”
“They drugged us.”
“Why? What are they gonna do it us?”
“I don’t know.”
“I wanna go home,” Cordelia whined.
“No one’s going home. Ever. Look, one of them’s different than the others. Nicer,” the girl said.
“Tom,” Buffy whispered.
Richard finished carving the symbol. Tom got up and turned to the girls. Two brothers helped him with his robe.
“He’s the one to watch out for.”
Buffy shook her chain a bit and looked up to where it was anchored. If only she still had her super strength. Tom looked at her.
“She’s last.”
“Last? For what?” Cordelia asked.
Tom walked to the well and picked up a bag.
“Who’s first? Answer me! Who’s first?”
Tom dropped three stones into his hand.
“Three stones. Three of us.”
“Buffy…”
“Stay calm. We’ll get outta this.”
Tom poured water over the stones.
“Why’d I ever let you talk me into coming here?”
Buffy stared at Cordelia. Nut job. Every time something didn’t go Cordy’s way…
Tom was done with his ritual. He stared at Buffy.
****
Xander walked past a few cars, still carrying his clothes. “One day, I’ll have money. Prestige. Power. And on that day they’ll still have more.”
He walked past a familiar car. The license plate read QUEEN C. Cordelia’s car, alright. He made his way back to the house.
****
Tom held the sword. “Machida.”
“In his name.”
“We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow, call upon you in this holy hour.”
“In this holy hour.”
He walked to Richard, holding the sword across his hands. “We have no wealth, no possession…except that which you give us.”
“Except that which you give us.”
He placed the sword on Richard’s arms. “We have no power, no place in the world…except that which you give us.”
“Except that which you give us.”
Richard hugged the sword to his chest.
“What are they, some kind of cult or something?” Cordelia asked.
“Yeah, a psycho cult.”
“You’ve gotta do something.”
“It’s been a year since our last offering,” Tom said. Richard lowered the sword and rested the tip on the floor. “A year in which our bounty overflowed. We come before you with fresh offerings.”
“Offerings? He’s talking about us?”
“Do you see anyone else chained up in here?” the girl asked.
“Accept our offering, Dark Lord, and bless us with your power. Machida!”
“Machida!”
Tom tossed the stones into the well one at a time.
“What’s down there?” Cordelia asked
“Come forth, and let your terrible countenance look upon your servants, and their humble offering. We call you, Machida.”
“In his name. Machida.”
“There’s something down there and he’s gonna throw us down there with it.”
“I don’t think so,” Buffy said.
“No? Well, that’s good! That, that’s…”
“I don’t think we go to it. I think it comes to us.”
Cordelia let out a terrified whine. “No!”
Tom looked up, awaiting Machida’s arrival. It suddenly rose out of the well.
“Oh, my God!” Cordelia screamed.
Half-humanoid, half-snake, green and scaly, it growled as it looked at the girls. Cordelia kept screaming. Buffy stared at it in horror. She tried yanking her chains out of the ceiling.
“C’mon, Buffy! Oh, my God! Oh, c’mon! Oh!”
Machida spread its arms.
“For he shall rise from the depths, and we shall tremble before him. He who is the source of all we inherit and all we possess. Machida.”
“Machida.”
“And if he is pleased with our offerings, then our fortune shall increase.”
“Machida. Let our fortunes increase.”
“And on the tenth day of the tenth months he shall be en-hungered. And we shall feed him.”
Machida looked at the girls.
“Feed him?” Machida moved toward Cordelia. “Feed him?”
Buffy pulled harder on the chains.
“Oh, no!”
****
Outside, Angel, Willow, and Giles were on the lawn.
“Looks like everyone’s gone.”
Foliage crackled and Angel spun to confront the sound. “Hey!”
“Hey!” Xander lifted the hood of a robe off his face. “What are you guys doing here?”
“A bunch of girls are missing, and the Zeta Kappas may be involved, and Buffy. Are you wearing make-up?”
Xander rubbed the lipstick off. “No. I think Buffy’s still inside somewhere with Cordelia. Her car’s still here.”
“Why are you wearing that?”
“Oh, I found it in their trash. I saw them through the window. They were wearing robes and went down to the basement. I was gonna use it to sneak in.”
“They may be involved in some kind of ritual.”
“With the missing girls.”
Angel vamped out. “With Buffy!”
“Okay, that is the guy you wanna party with.”
****
Machida closed in on a screaming Cordelia.
“Hey, reptile boy!” Buffy yelled.
“No woman speaks to him!”
“You don’t want her. Look at her. She’s all skin and bones. Half an hour later, you’ll be hungry.”
“I told you to shut up!” Tom backhanded Buffy and held up his sword. “You speak again and I’ll cut your throat.”
****
Xander knocked on the door. The drunk answered it.
“Got locked out dumping the trash. Let me in. I don’t wanna miss the, uh…”
He waved him in. “Come on.”
“You know what…” Xander threw back his hood. “Where are they?” He punched the drunk in the face and knocked him down.
Angel came in and punched the big dude. Willow and Giles brought up the rear.
****
Two brothers unchained Cordelia and held her.
“Something’s going on upstairs. Go. Go!” Tom ordered.
Several of them rushed upstairs. Buffy looked at her chains, then Machida. She could only hope the cavalry got down there in time.
“Feed, Dark Lord!”
Machida moved in to take Cordelia. She screamed and struggled.
Angel was first to the basement door. He punched Machida in the face. It pulled back. Angel started fighting the brothers. Tom took a swing with his sword.
Angel dodged the attack, caught the boy around the neck, and wrenched the sword from his hands. He shoved Tom over a table.
Machida grabbed Cordelia and started dragging her away. Angel jumped onto the edge of the well and hacked into Machida. It dropped Cordelia and reared back, screaming in pain.
Another slash and it dropped to the floor, dead.
Buffy made a face at the grossness of it. Willow came down to free her and the girl. Buffy looked at what was left of Machida. Giles helped Cordelia up.
“You did it! You saved us!” Cordelia hugged Angel. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my whole…” She let go. “You guys. I just…hate you guys! The weirdest things always happen when you’re around!” Angel nabbed Tom. Cordelia grabbed him by the shirt. “And you! You’re going to jail for fifteen thousand years!” She let go of him and started up the stairs.
Angel shoved Tom up the stairs ahead of him. Giles gave Buffy a stern glare. She looked down in shame.
“I told one lie, I had one drink.”
“Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words ‘let that be a lesson’ are a tad redundant at this juncture.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
Buffy smiled at him and started up the stairs. Giles took her arm and went with her.
****
The Bronze the next day. A short boy was at the bar anxiously waiting.
“C’mon, hurry!”
“Here you go.” She handed him a large cup and saucer.
He took the cappuccino and a muffin on a plate to Cordelia.
“Thank you, Jonathon. Did we forget something?”
“Um…cinnamon, chocolate, half-caf, nonfat.” She just looked at him. “Extra foam!”
She grabbed the muffin and waved the cappuccino away. “Young men are the only way to go,” she said to Xander, Willow, and Buffy.
Xander read the Sunnydale Press. “Says here they've all been sentenced to consecutive life sentences. Investigators found the bones of missing girls in a huge cavern beneath the frat house. And older bones dating back fifty years.”
Buffy and Willow exchanged a grossed-out look.
“A surprising number of corporations whose chairmen and founders are former Delta Zeta Kappas are suffering from falling profits, IRS raids... Ooo, and suicides in the boardroom. Hmm. Starve a snake, lose a fortune. Boy, I guess the rich really are different, huh?”
“Have you heard from Angel? When he got so mad about you being in danger, and changed into a grr, it was the most amazing thing I ever saw. I mean, how many guys can...”
“Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have, have to come around to that freak?” Xander noticed Angel standing behind him. “Hey, man, how you doin’?”
“Buffy.”
“Angel.”
“Xander!”
“I hear this place, uh, serves coffee. I thought maybe you and I should get some. Sometime. If you want.”
“Yeah. Sometime. I’ll let you know.”
Angel’s brow furrowed in the middle. Buffy got up and left with a smile on her face.
She’d teach him decent manners yet.
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