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*The Sunnydale High-school parking lot*
“This is a piss poor plan. And that’s saying something if it’s coming from me.” Spike ducked his head. “I usually get bored halfway through any decent idea and just charge in for the fun of it.” He gave Buffy a sideways glance. “You’ve actually been a pretty good influence on me with that. If it hadn’t been for you, I never would have become the Master of Sunnydale. Had something to work for, though, didn’t I?”
Buffy’s heart warmed and hurt at the same time. There was so much to say, to show him, so she did what she could. She’d never been one for big words, so she pulled him to her and kissed him for all she was worth.
He ignited a blazing fire inside her. They haven’t ever gotten further than some heavy petting, but each and every time she tasted his lips she felt herself edging closer to taking the next step.
In fact, she drew back enough to look at his face and realized she had no idea what she was waiting for. “Spike, I lo—”
“Miss Summers. I see you are punctual, at least, even though other simple instructions are obviously too complicated for you to follow.” Gwendolyn was headed towards them. Giles and Jenny—tied, blindfolded, and gagged—were being herded forward by a couple of thugs dressed in trench coats.
Spike untangled himself from their embrace and faced the woman. “Don’t play daft. You were trying to take advantage of the Slayer here not having any experience with these sort of things. You never go in alone for a prisoner exchange. It’s the quickest way to end up a prisoner alongside the ones you were trying to buy freedom for.” He smirked. “Just consider me the arbiter.”
A tiny red dot appeared on Buffy’s forehead, moved slowly down to her chest, then jumped over to Gwendolyn’s captives, disappearing from view.
The female watcher smirked evilly. “Then consider the sniper rifle aimed at Mr. Giles’ head to be my arbiter.” She pinned Buffy with a cold stare. “No matter how fast you move, you cannot outrun a bullet. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal.” Buffy’s teeth were clenched together in fury. She could see bruises on her watcher’s face, and could guess by the way he walked he’d spent the better part of his time as a prisoner being tortured. She’d never wanted Spike to rip someone’s throat out as bad as she did Gwendolyn’s.
“No need for this to not be a learning experience.” Gwendolyn was talking as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Tell me, William, did the Slayer’s cohorts inform you that the antidote for the poison making its way through your system is the very blood of the Slayer next to you?” She raised an eyebrow. “What if I told you I’d still release these two in your care, to do with as you please, even if you were to drain Miss Summers dry right here and now?” She made a sweeping gesture. “Nobody would stop you.”
Spike snorted. “First off, you deranged bint, I never thought I’d meet someone more deranged than Dru, but you really take the bloody cake.” He raised his hand in what Buffy recognized as a British rude gesture. “Second of all, the name’s Spike, and you can bugger off with your prattling. Just serves to show how little you and your gits know about either me, or the Slayer.”
Gwendolyn’s deranged smile never faltered. “Fascinating. Your control of the—of Miss Summers and her henchmen is even greater than I imagined. Tell me, did you thrall them?”
Spike took a step forward. “Now listen here you Bedlam escapee, there’s no thralling or controlling going on between the Slayer and me. Now snap that trap shut before I shut it for you and let’s do this thing.”
The woman grinned even wider and motioned for her men to push Giles and Jenny forward. “Miss Summers, despite your current state, I expect you to allow my colleague to restrain you. We don’t want any accidents, now do we?” As she spoke one of the men with her revealed chains with manacles attached from under his trench coat.
Spike lowered his head and whispered low enough for only Buffy to hear. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll come get you right sharpish.”
She looked at him, cursing herself for waiting so long, but unwilling for the first time she told him she loved him to be in front of the devil woman. She kissed him shortly instead, nodded, and made her way to the other side of the parking lot. As she passed the other two prisoners she could see Giles shake his head over and over, his words muffled and distorted by the gag in his mouth.
“I know you don’t approve, but I had to do this. Be safe.” With that she fixed her gaze on her least favorite human on the planet. “I surrender, let them go.”
“Excellent.” Gwendolyn made a signal and the red dot jumped again from the back of Giles’ head to her chest. “A pleasure doing business with you.” As soon as the manacles were carefully applied to Buffy’s arms and legs, the woman approached her like a predatory bird. “There’s so much we still have to do together. So much to learn.” She raised her voice. “Any attempt to follow us, or hinder us in any way will result in Miss Summers’ termination. Are we in understanding?”
She could hear Spike spit out ‘Crystal,’ before she was being dragged along, a prisoner of the Watcher’s Council.
~~~***~~~
*Slayer Central*
Sandor felt a magic jolt in his chest and his power started being syphoned out of him. He rubbed his palms together and started chanting the last part of the ritual. As soon as he was done a bright dot of light appeared on the giant map of the city laid out before him.
Everyone in the room leaned in closer to watch the slow movement of the dot representing the Slayer on her way to captivity.
“It worked? Is that her?” Joyce had spoken, clutching tightly the hand of her husband.
“It did. They spoke the words, I finished the spell, so now we will know wherever it is they take her.” Sandor was quite pleased with himself.
“Was there any interference?” Dalton, the smarter of the vampires had posed the question, without taking his eyes off the map.
Sandor smirked. “I felt a pressure, yes. I’m sure whatever it is they used to restrain her was probably enchanted. Luckily, since I was warned beforehand about their use of runes and wards, I was able to tailor-make the spell in order to bypass any method of dampening. As long as the Slayer remains in this realm, we will be able to track her.” He was aware he sounded pedantic, and maybe a bit pompous, but what he had managed in such a short time was truly a wonder.
It was bound to bring him lots of work in the future, both from the vampire Master, as well as from the demon lords present, and maybe even from the White Hats. One could only hope. At the very least, he would be able to actually remain in this Hellmouth town—not a simple feat for a warlock to pull off. Most were driven off by Slayers, demons, other practitioners, or even religious fanatics. The safety and future work was well worth spending most of his power on this spell. He’d recharge from the Mouth of Hell itself in short time.
Of course, it could still all come to naught if the Council won. From what he’d heard of their motives this time another Inquisition was in the making, and Sandor would have to tuck tail and run as fast as possible. There would be no burning at the stake for him.
“Why crystal?” Joyce was looking at him with interest.
Time for the sales pitch. “I chose it on purpose. It’s a common enough word to use, but with enough synonyms and other methods of avoiding it that one can avoid saying it unless needed. Using such a word as a double key ensured we are able to track your daughter despite the presence of any countermeasures. She would have said it first, priming the spell, then the Master would have triggered it by repeating it.”
“Wouldn’t it have been less conspicuous if the two words had been different?” Hank seemed engrossed in watching the tiny bright light, but his voice was even and strong. Quite a feat considering what the man must be going through.
It almost impressed Sandor. “It needed to be the same word. The way I modified the spell was tricky enough without adding secondary triggers to the mix. Any more tampering and the whole thing could have fizzled out without results. Nearly drained me dry as is.” Reminding the onlookers about his sacrifice was yet another way to ensure his continued residence in their town. Nothing like gratitude to ensure they would sometimes look away from his work.
Sandor frowned at the thought. He might have to censure himself in that regard as well. If he’d felt them properly, these people, demons, and vampires could be defined as ‘light grey’ in their tendencies. Meaning any dark magic would surely dissolve any goodwill towards the caster. He shrugged mentally. He could be, well, not good, but close enough to it that he could get by. Another small price to pay for the long term benefits. And he could always take a jaunt to somewhere like LA to perform his darker magic. No need for the goody goodies to know everything, now was there?
~~***~~~
*in the woods surrounding Sunnydale*
“I’m curious if there is some way to break his claim over you.”
Buffy balked. “What?”
Gwendolyn looked at her as if she’d lost her marbles. Considering Buffy’s opinion of the woman, it was sort of funny. “The claim William the Bloody has on you. You didn’t really think we didn’t know about that.”
“Kinda hard for you to know something that doesn’t exist. He didn’t claim me.” She enunciated the last words.
“Now, now. No need to lie to protect him. We know he bit and almost drained you. It only stands to reason your subsequent submission to him is due to a claim.” She was talking in a tone of voice you’d reserve for a stupid child.
“Um, no? I think I would know if he claimed me, and there were no claim-y words spoken. I chose him.”
Gwendolyn’s face darkened. “Oh dear. If that’s indeed true, then it’s much more serious than I suspected. I must admit part of me hoped you were being controlled via a claim.” She straightened up, her insufferable smirk firmly in place. “I guess this will make things a lot easier, then. Even without the claim to worry about, there is so much we could learn by studying you.” She was practically bouncing with energy. “For example we could try to determine if your defection could have been caused by the Hellmouth, or simply by your lack of proper training before the Calling. We could attempt to recreate the consequences of your temporary death, which resulted in the fortuitous Calling of Kendra. Just imagine: your redemption by helping us create a Slayer army!”
“How often did you say you were dropped on your head as a kid?”
With each word the woman said Buffy felt like scratching her eardrums out. She was the prisoner of a crazed fanatic that wanted to experiment on her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She’d tried the strength of the restraints as soon as they’d stepped out of the sniper’s line of sight, but to no use. The enchantments they had on them, coupled with her failing strength due to the drugs they’d given her meant she was basically helpless. And even though she’d started feeling better earlier, especially after she’d managed to bend a knife with her bare hands back at her house, she just knew they were going to be pumping her full of the poison as soon as they got to their hideout.
The hideout they were taking her to without a blindfold. She knew from that her captors were confident she would escape.
She could only hope the tracking ritual worked, and Spike’s people were on their way.
“I meant to ask. Is the Gem of Amara responsible for your vampire’s continued existence? I was sure he’d be dust by now.” Gwendolyn’s voice was almost conversational.
Buffy did her best not to stumble in shock.
“I see. You thought I didn’t know? You forget I used to be one of the top researchers employed at the Watcher’s Council, before being assigned to the newly activated Slayer. There is little about arcane artifacts that I am not aware of.”
“So if you know so much, why ask me? Better yet, why don’t you go to Spike and ask him? I’m sure he’d be ever so helpful.”
Gwendolyn scoffed. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing can stop the poison once it starts acting. As for the Gem, I’ll just search his ashes for it and perform my own examination.”
The certainty in the woman’s voice brought a cold chill up Buffy’s back. All she could do was pray their plan would work.
*
It wasn’t long until they reached a cave, and Buffy fought not to get sick all over her shoes at what was going on there. Members of various species of demon, some more human looking than others, were hanging from the walls. The things they must have endured spoke of evil greater than Buffy ever thought she could comprehend, even after visiting the warehouse the hunters had left behind weeks before.
She managed to keep her dinner from making a return appearance, but by the time she’d gotten herself under control she was manacled to the wall. She looked around the mostly barren cavern, noting the four sets of chains and the one chair.
Gwendolyn was right in front of her. “As soon as my other team returns, we’ll begin our testing. In the meantime—”
Screams interrupted whatever it was she was going to say. Short bursts of machinegun fire, sounds of fighting, and grunts could be heard coming through the opening to the outer chamber.
“Go out there and investigate.” At their boss’ order the two grunts that had been keeping guard scrambled to the exit. They never made it.
Spike and Brian burst through, ripping the hunters’ throats out as they went.
Gwendolyn made to grab Buffy but Brian was faster.
He jumped through the air and landed on top of the Watcher. His teeth found their mark and the vampire drained Gwendolyn dry, smacking his lips once he was done. “God, that was good. One of the best meals I’ve had in months.” He looked up and met Buffy’s eyes. “Not that I’d go back to happy meals on legs and fuck up the pact or anything. It was just her and the hunter yesterday. And I only turned him because we were running out of options.”
Buffy’s gaze had drifted to Gwendolyn’s horror-filled face. She shuddered once and looked back at Brian. “I know, don’t worry about it. They more than deserved what they got.” She rattled her chains. ”Could you cut me down now?”
“My pleasure, pet.” Spike was next to her with some giant red pliers and made short work of her bindings.
~~~***~~~
*Outside the Summers house*
Kendra took a steeling breath. For all her convictions, and for everything she’d done since arriving in Sunnydale what was coming still didn’t sit well with her. Coupled with the strange feeling the Council operatives were giving her, it made her very uneasy. She used a mental technique taught to her by her late watcher and cleared her mind. The short pang she felt at his memory served to steel her even further. She had her orders and she would carry them out regardless of any feelings.
It was Buffy’s sentiment that had led her to become tainted. She’d allowed the demons in her heart and in her bed, and for that she, and all who stood with her, were a threat to the world.
It was up to Kendra to do her duty and be the Slayer, so she gave the signal for attack.
They had the element of complete surprise on their side. The two demon guards they’d found patrolling the area were already dead, so no warning had been given to the people whose shapes they could see through the curtains.
Smoke and flashbang grenades were thrown through the windows. The simultaneous entry points were the front and back doors, as well as her own jump through a window. Once inside she quickly assessed the greatest threats and attacked the biggest one. The whole thing would be over in a matter of minutes.





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