Buffy the Vampire Slayer

In Between

Chapter Three: In Pieces

“No, you’re doing it wrong,” Buffy replied tired. She stepped down to the platform as both girls moved away from each other. “Watch,” she told the girl with the dark brown hair. Buffy turned to other one, a slim girl with long blonde hair. Buffy held up her hands and nodded at the girl to attack. She nodded, doing as she was told, and went with a left hook, which Buffy easily evaded. The girl dropped to her palms and swung her legs around. Buffy jumped up, the cart wheeled around her as the girl stood up. Now behind her, Buffy wrapped her arms around the girl, and paused, looking at the brown haired girl. “See, there’s one way. All I have to do is both apply pressure and choke her out into a coma, or just moved my arms, either right or left, and snap her neck, killing her.” The brown headed nodded and Buffy released the other one. Frustrated with being beaten, the blonde one turned around with a roundhouse kick but Buffy blocked it and several attempted punches then grabbed the girl’s neck and stared at her with steeled hazel eyes. “The number one mistake that you all make is impatience and anger. Your frustration will get the better of you in a battle.” She released her and the girl grabbed her throat and coughed. “You need to practice more,” Buffy said as she walked away.

Willow and Giles watched as Buffy walked away and back into the house. “Is she okay?” Willow asked.

Giles sighed and took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“It’s just, she seems so much different.”

“I agree, however, I do not know why.”

Willow’s eyes widened. “Do you think it’s because of Spike?”

Giles’s eyes widened slightly as he placed his glasses back on his face. “Why would you say that?”

Willow shrugged and frowned. “Just a thought.”

“No, I think whatever Buffy is dealing with, it possibly natural.”

Willow nodded. “Or supernatural and she’s just not telling us.”

---

Buffy walked into the room and closed the door, locking it. She walked slowly over to the desk and sat down. Pulling out a key that was on her necklace, she entered the key into the lock and unlocked it. Opening the drawer, she pulled out a large, old, book and set it in front of her. Opening it, she peered down at the image and text beside it. She sighed and read the text. It was in Latin, which is obviously didn’t understand, so she pulled out another book. A translator. Pulling out her pad and pen, she opened to where she had already translated half of it. Studying it carefully, she continued to work.

---

As Kennedy ran down the steps, she heard the phone ring. Walked over to it, she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

As Giles stood, watching the girls train with their new powers, the sliding glass window opened and Kennedy popped her head in, holding out the phone. “Giles.” He turned around. “Phone for you.”

He smiled at her and took the phone. “Hello?” Listening to the man, he frowned slightly then said, “Good heavens.”

Buffy stood, looking down at the ancient book, as if it were to attack or come alive. But if wasn’t; she knew that. But, it was the message. What it told her.

‘’The Slayer becomes absentis; in it’s place, evil, dissolutus. The Champion shall come forth, fitting to facio himself for the sake of others. In the brave act, the Slayer must abeo, from this life and others, to be cleansed. If the act is not granted, then the mundus plunges into eternal darkness. Evil rules, semper.’

Buffy frowned. What the hell is all of that suppose to mean? It didn’t make any sense to her. She’d have to bring it to Giles, but she didn’t want him to know about it. They were out of danger here. She didn’t want anyone believe she was looking for it. The only thing she did understand was that the champion of the Slayer was alive.Her eyes widened:

---

“Bloody hell!”

Gunn laughed as Spike turned to him, his eyes wide and angry. “Maybe next time you should leave the video games to the pros.”

“Bollocks,” Spike replied, throwing the controller down. “I’ll figure these things out one day, I promise you that mate.”

Gunn only shook his head and laughed as Angel walked in the room. Spike could smell his fear and raised his eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”

Angel held the phone in his hand. “I just got off the phone with an informant,” he explained. He looked at both men, making sure he had their attention. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Spike asked.

“End of the world kind.”

Spike chuckled. “Ooh, just the kind I love. Alright, well let’s go. What kind of beastie is it, huh?”

Angel shook his head. “It’s not that simple, Spike.”

He frowned. “Well, why the hell not?”

He looked at Spike sadly, knowing he’d react the same way that Angel had. “Because it involves Buffy.”

---

Dawn walked down the street, humming to herself, with a bag full of groceries in her hand. As she crossed down the street, heading back to the house where Willow and the others were, she heard something behind her. Stopping, she looked behind her, but didn’t see anyone. Shrugging it off, she continued to walk until she heard it again. And this time she was sure it was growling. She looked on both sides of her, but didn’t stop. Instead, she picked up her pace. Then, suddenly, a demon jumped out in front of her. She shrieked, dropping the bags, and turned around, only to realize that more were behind her, surrounding her. The growled at her and the one in front leapt at her. Dawn step sided and kicked the next one that tried to attack her. She threw a punch and knocked another down. The third one swung a sword at her and it nicked her in the arm. Crying out in pain, Dawn kicked him hard and the sword dropped. She picked it up and stabbed the first demon, then swung it at other, cutting his leg. But then she felt one of them hit her hard on the back of her neck. Her vision blurred and Dawn fell to her knees, then was kicked and thrown to the floor. “No,” she said weakly. One of the demons picked up the sword and raised it about him, and brought it down. Dawn closed her eyes, knowing the ending was coming. But the blade never came. Opening one eye, she saw someone kick the demon off of her. She heard grunting and more growling and she sat up only to see a complete blur of white, fighting the demons. She coughed as she fought to stand up. She heard the sword slashing and making contact, and then she heard nothing but silence. She heard clicking of heels or high shoes as Dawn struggled to breath. “Are you okay?” she head. She knew that voice. Dawn closed her eyes, holding her stomach, and then opened them, to see her sister looking at her, deeply concerned, dressed in a nice white top with a white coat over it.

“Buffy?”

She didn’t smile, only nodded. “Yeah, honey, it’s me.” She grabbed her arm and helped her up, throwing her arm over her shoulder telling her silently to let her support her weight. Dawn did so as Buffy said, “We need to get you back.”

---

Giles’s eyes widened in deep concern as the door was thrown open and Buffy dragged a half conscious Dawn into the foyer. “Dear Lord, what happened?” he asked as they all rushed to help her.

Buffy let go as Xander took Dawn and carried her to the couch, where Willow got ice. Buffy looked up at her watcher, her eyes filled with fear and anger. “Demons,” she said simply.

Giles bit his lip and looked at Dawn, who stirred painfully. “I thought we were past this,” he said quietly.

“We should’ve known better,” Buffy said angrily.

“What’s that?” he asked, referring to the sword in her hand.

“I got this off one of the demons,” she explained, handing it to him. “I was hoping you could tell what the symbol means.”

He looked closely at the symbol marked at the butt of the sword. “Oh my.”

Buffy looked at him. “What?”

“It’s the Immortal’s.”

“The who?”

“Immortal. His clan,” Giles said. “The Immortal is a being who cannot be killed, or at least, it’s told cannot be killed. Except by the purest energy, which at this point, is still unknown. He has a clan, which worships him and does his bidding so he can stay in hiding.”

“Must be a real man to stay in hiding like that,” Buffy sneered.

“Yes well, he and his clan are not to be crossed,” he explained. “They’re very powerful. The Immoral himself. His powers are limitless.”

“If he can be killed, then his powers aren’t limitless,” Buffy countered, walking away from Giles.

He watched her and nodded slightly. “Yes, indeed.”