Yet again, another afternoon of intense researching had proved fruitless, although William insisted the current text he was working with would eventually yield insight. And yet again, Buffy knew there was one way to ease the frustration within her.
A good slay was definitely in order.
“I really do think I should come with you,” William insisted. Angel and Drusilla were packing up their belongings, while Buffy picked out a fun weapon to play with for the evening.
“Really, I’m good,” she insisted, avoiding his gaze, still not quite sure what had happened back in the stacks. “Keep working with your musty smelly books. I can handle myself.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he frowned. “I just think—“
“Spike,” she sighed. “Please. I’ll be home in two hours, okay? Order pizza.”
“Fine,” he relented. “Just for God’s sakes, be careful.”
“Always!” She smiled peppily, and finally chose a small, shining silver axe as her evening’s toy.
She walked out of the school with Drusilla and Angel, making tentative weekend plans before they parted. Buffy continued on her own, humming absentmindedly as she waited for the sun to set. When it did, her posture suddenly shifted, and she moved quicker, senses alert, poised to strike.
Her first encounter was with a weak fledgling who didn’t even get in a single good punch before she staked him.
“Well that was no fun,” she sighed, glancing around the graveyard for any other signs of un-life. Seeing none, she moved on.
After an hour of fruitless patrolling, Buffy found herself in the park, and plopped down on the swing set.
“Stupid Hellmouth,” she mumbled to herself as she kicked her legs forward and set herself swaying. “Never works for me the way I want it to.”
As she swung lazily, deep in thought, she almost missed that telltale tingle of a nearby vampire. But as it grew stronger, she perked up. More than one vamp, definitely. And they were strong.
She spun around, axe in hand, and almost fainted at the sight before her.
Willow, wrapped up in white silk and black leather, smiling wickedly.
Xander, eyes murderous, in black leather pants and a tight t-shirt advertising the metal band Slayer. Buffy would have laughed at the pun if it weren’t for the terror that bubbled on her tongue when she looked at the third figure.
Giles. Or, Ripper, as William had called him. Younger than her Giles, with a full head of jet black hair, he exuded power, and cockiness, and…sex, which was a very disturbing thought Buffy chose not to deal with. He wasn’t using his attire to demonstrate how big and bad he was—in just jeans and a leather jacket, he still radiated more strength than either of the two vampires with him.
But all three of them were clearly very, very strong.
“Hello there, Buffy,” Ripper smiled, his voice low enough that she almost had to strain to hear it. “How’s your evening going?”
His polite tone was more disturbing to her than a threat would have been. Because he sounded exactly like her Watcher. “I’m fine, thanks, and you?” She responded casually, her grip tightening on her weapon.
“Shaping up to be a good night,” he replied, hitching his thumbs in his belt loops and raking his eyes up and down her body. His gaze made her skin crawl.
“Had dinner, now we’re looking to take in a show,” Xander finally spoke, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he too appraised the Slayer in front of him.
“A show, really?” Buffy tried to sound confident. “I could go for some entertainment.”
Willow laughed, that same cruel sound from the night before. “Glad you’re a willing participant. It’s always such fun when you’re fiery.”
Sometimes a little slow on the uptake, Buffy then realized that she was the show, and their entertainment was meant to be her destruction. Or death.
The Chosen One often faced situations where the classic fight or flight instinct kicked in. Usually, she chose fight. She was the Slayer, after all. She could beat most anything that came her way. And she rarely got scared.
But right now, everything inside her was screaming at her to run.
She started to back up slowly, totally aware of her surroundings. She was blocked in on both sides by the walls of the park, but if she could get out into the open street twenty feet behind her, she could run. Lose herself in the backyards of the houses, head home, only three blocks away.
But in the blink of an eye, Willow and Xander moved so they were blocking her escape route.
“Not planning on ditching the party, are you?” Xander smirked.
“Nope,” Buffy said, refusing to admit she’d been attempting to do just that. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She could tell by the intensity of Ripper’s gaze that he could smell her fear. And that he liked it.
“Something’s off about you, Slayer,” Willow mused, beginning to circle her slowly. “Not sure what it is…reveal.” She gestured at Buffy, who felt a sharp tug from her heart. Willow started to laugh again.
“What is it?” Ripper asked, moving closer to his prey.
“She doesn’t remember us. Doesn’t remember anything. Don’t know why, but our little Slayer is all lost and alone and afraid. It’s intoxicating.”
“Poor little Buffy,” Xander taunted, circling the other way around her and adding to Buffy’s feeling like a caged animal. “So you don’t recognize us at all? You don’t remember all those wonderful nights we hung out when I had that pesky soul?”
Buffy was silent, her eyes following all three of the threats around her.
“I think she remembers,” Willow smiled. “I just don’t think we’re who she wants us to be. She doesn’t belong here.”
The vampire’s magic was clearly strong, if she could sense all that through one simple spell.
“What’s going on?” Ripper asked, still in that same relaxed, conversational tone. “I’d love to know.”
Buffy figured stalling, at this point, was her best choice. If she refused to talk, they’d attack her that much quicker. And as confident as she was in her Slayer skills, she didn’t know if she could take on three clearly very powerful vampires.
It would have been like fighting Spike, Dru, and Angelus all at once.
“Well, it’s a funny story, actually. I’m kind of not from this reality.”
“Makes sense,” Willow mused, reaching out and sending a spark towards Buffy. It hit her in the back, and she swayed and almost collapsed. “Curiouser and curiouser.” The witch closed her eyes.
“So she’s just an entirely different person?” Xander asked as Willow began to sway.
“Not exactly,” Willow responded, eyes still closed. “Oh, very funny.” She giggled and looked at Buffy. “Quite a different place. One itty bitty mistake and my counterpart changed everything.”
“Yeah,” the blonde responded, feeling the affects of the spell fading. “So, you guys hate other Buffy. Not me. So you could maybe let me go?” Her voice was hopeful.
Willow leapt forward quickly and wrapped one arm around Buffy’s throat. “You are the same Buffy,” she hissed in her ear. “Just with a different perception. So welcome to our cruel world, girl. And soon? Menithea will make it even more wicked.”
Buffy grabbed the vampire’s arm and flipped her over her shoulder. Willow landed on her feet and spun around easily, but came close to being struck by the Slayer’s swinging axe. They battled one on one for a few minutes, Xander and Ripper providing casual commentary.
Curious as to why Willow wasn’t using magic, but knowing better than to ask why, Buffy was still fighting a formidable opponent. But she could beat her, she knew. She could triumph, and she would. Well, if the vampire never used magic, and if they weren’t currently being watched by two other master vampires who’d jump in to save her.
Buffy was winning, at the moment, but the vampire managed to knock her axe away with a swift kick. As she reached for the stake in her back pocket, she suffered a kick to her mouth that split her lip. Now pissed, Buffy fought back with even more intensity. When the Slayer sunk a dead on punch into the middle of Willow’s face, breaking her nose and eliciting a high pitched yowl, Xander snapped into action. He delivered two brutal punches to Buffy’s kidneys before she could even react, and Willow recovered from her injury and swept the girl’s legs out from under her.
She managed to scramble to her feet, but was off balance, and couldn’t protect herself from the dual onslaught of punches from the two vampires. Every inch of her was brutally beaten.
“Stop,” Ripper commanded, and both instantly froze, Xander’s fist just an inch from Buffy’s stomach. They backed off, and Buffy moved into her fighting stance as the older vampire approached her, trying to shake off the pain in every part of her body.
“You really are impressive,” he smiled. “Quite a fighter.”
“Thanks, I work out,” Buffy breathed heavily.
He attacked. Ripper was a blur of fists and fury, and while Buffy landed the occasional punch she knew she was out-matched. Her face, her ribs, her legs, all parts of her were assaulted with vicious, powerful kicks and punches.
“Kind of reminds me of the Slayer I killed in ’62,” Ripper commented as he allowed her a moment to recuperate. “Tiny little Russian thing. Looked like she’d break if you breathed on her too hard, but she was tough.”
He leapt at her again, wrenching her stake from her wrist. She heard a snap and let loose a cry of pain.
He drawled, “Well that was fun.”
Ripper pushed her to the ground, and suddenly all three vampires were looming over Buffy. And she could feel their hunger.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I am on a roll with this fic, currently, so yay for that! Thanks so, so much for reading and reviewing, and keep on letting me know what you think! Chapter title from an amazing song by Ben Harper.