FIC: Royalty: Chapter 14 (Beginnings Of The End)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all.

Well it's late, but here it is, now the next part will be around very, very soon... I was going to finish it all, but I just love cliffhangers...

You will see:
1. Viktor/Spike rematch
2. A glimpse of happy Willow (that's for you Pat try and find it)
3. Xander, Spike and Buffy taking a beating.


Royalty
By Stefan Cilia
Chapter 14: Beginnings Of The End

"Spike, Xander." Buffy and Giles exclaimed as the duo burst through the doors.
"You're here good." Spike said, running up the aisle and looking around the church. Crucifix not good. He thought and pulled out a small mobile phone.
"Report." He almost barked.
"We've got the prince, but he's in pretty bad shape sir."
"What to you mean." Spike demanded.
"Blood loss and it's massive."
"Just get him somewhere safe and get him treated William out."
"The wards should hold for five maybe ten minutes." Willow said as she came running up to them and the doors closed behind her.
"Spike what's going on here?" Giles demanded.
"In short, we've got the big bad Warlock about to bust through that door." Spike said and loaded a shell into the shotgun. "The Prince is safe but in critical condition." Another shell. ".and Willow is here to help." He finished with a pump of the gun.
"Talk later okay." Willow said, sounding very much like her old self, to a dumfounded Buffy and started scanning the church.
"So what's the plan?" Buffy asked as she followed her gaze around the church.
"There is no plan. You guys go out the back and I fight him."
Buffy shook her head.
"No deal Willow." She said.
"Buffy please." Willow pleaded and looked back as the doors started to bulge.
"Willow we're not leaving you." Xander said.
"Giles?" Willow asked.
Giles just shook his head.
"Spike?"
"No deal Red."
"Great, just freaking great." Willow cursed..
"Okay Spike what other weapons did you bring."
"One large crossbow, three small ones, a dozen stakes." He stated and lifted the right flap of his coat. "...and these." He said holding out the left flap, revealing a row of solid silver railroad spikes.
"Good, now Giles the sword you wield might hurt him." Willow said turning to Giles.
"Might?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Now Buffy, Giles and Spike, I need you three to distract him long enough for me to banish him. Xander I need you to watch my back." Willow said.
The whole church started to shake.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Spike exclaimed with a devil might care grin and threw the large crossbow to Buffy and two smaller ones to Giles.
"Why do I only get one?" Xander said with mock hurt.
"Do the math stick boy." Spike answered. I swear if I get through this in one piece I'm going to see a shrink. He thought.
"Wait I need an object to trap him in. Buffy you still got the crystal?" Willow asked.
Buffy looked down, drew the crystal from her pocket and handed it to Willow.
"Thank you." Willow said and there was a brief silence as they stared at each other. There was a soft ahem from both Spike and Giles and both women snapped out of their trance.
"Now taking his head of might do the trick, just don't count on it." Willow said calmly as she took up position at the base of the steps.
"Anything else, like shotgun blast." Spike asked as he stepped in front of her.
"Or large nasty arrows?" Buffy added.
"No, but it'll hurt him." Willow was cut off as the doors exploded.
"Get ready people." Spike yelled.
"I'm here to destroy you." A red cloaked figure boomed as it rushed up the aisle, but got shot in the chest.
"Yeah, yeah! Heard it all before." Spike muttered and pumped the gun as the figure fell down and didn't stand up. A empty shell could be heard hitting the floor.
"Something isn't right here." Spike muttered and walked over the body sword poised and the shotgun at his site.
"Spike?" Willow asked. Spike just glanced back and kept on walking.
Standing over the figure, Spike carefully removed the hood.
"Viktor?" He exclaimed
"Surprise!" The undying said with a smile and shot Spike in the chest. There was a blur of motion over were the body had fallen and six shoots could be heard.
"Wait if that's not the Warlock." Buffy began as the windows exploded into the church.


"Say farewell William Blood." Viktor said as he shot Spike again
"Should have known." Spike muttered, gripping onto the shotgun.
Viktor fired again.
"Should have killed."
And for the fourth time a shot was heard
".you while I..."
The fifth time.
".had the chance."
The sixth shot rang out and Spike fell back against the wall, closing his eyes.
Viktor walked calmly over to were Spike was lying, throwing away the empty gun and pulling out a knife as he went.
"I shall give your heart to my sister." He said with a smile.
Spike's eyes open and he smiled back with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"My turn." He said, pointed the shotgun at Viktor's head and pulled the trigger.
"Almost like an exploding melon." He muttered to himself as the body hit the floor.
He then pulled out a silver railroad spike and ramed it into Viktor's chest.
"Better safe then sorry." He said in matter of fact tone and then looked up as the glass began to fall.
"Bloody hell!" He cursed and ran back to his friends.



Giles, Xander, Buffy and Willow where standing back to back in a protective circle.
"Where the hell is this guy." Buffy asked as she scanned the church.
"I guess that's him!" Xander said and pointed at the outlines moving flickering through the church.
"Great invisibility. Which also means he's almost invulnerable." Willow muttered as Buffy let an arrow fly, but it went straight through.
"Glad you could join us." Buffy nodded as Spike joined them. Ripping open his shirt, revealing six bullets lodged in his armor.
"Red how do we fight this thing?" Spike asked, checked his gun and fired, but hit nothing but air.
"First we've got to uncloak him and Spike I think silver sticks in him." Willow said with a wicked grin and looked at Spike.
Spike's eyes brightened as he vamped out and sniffed the air.
He drew out another spike, focused his eyes, threw it and then it seemingly came to a halt in midair.
The figure howled out in pain.
"Well that's one way of seeing him." Xander commented as Spike let another one fly.
The group scattered as a magical bolt came flying towards them.
"Hey look we can see him." Xander yelled as a red cloaked figure appeared in the middle of the church..
"Xander no!" Willow yelled as Xander ran off and impaled it.
The Warlock looked down at Xander and simply pulled out the staff, dark liquid dripping from the blade.
"Guys some help here." Xander squeaked as he got thrown back towards the doors.
"Do I have to do everything around here." Willow exclaimed as she blasted the warlock back.
Spike threw another spike, but the figure held up its hand and the spike dropped to the ground.
Buffy quietly circled around, as Giles shot at it with the smaller crossbows, and lined up for a shot. The Warlock turned around and lightning bolt tore into Buffy's midsection.
"Buffy!" Both Giles and Willow yelled. Buffy flew back and hit the floor with a thud.
"Giles no!" Willow screamed and waved her hand. Giles who had thrown away the smaller crossbows and drawn his sword, now found himself glued to the floor.
Things where turning out just like she'd seen them. She poised herself in front of the altar.
"Warlock your fight is with me and me alone!" Willow thundered and watched as Spike ran to Buffy. The Warlock turned and red eyes glowed underneath the hood.
"If that is what you wish." He said in a monotone voice devoid of all emotion.
Willow's answer was a green ball of energy. The Warlock held up his hand and stopped it midair. Then sent it back to the source. Willow countered with a shield of blue energy. The battle was on.

Spike laid the shotgun on the floor and looked Buffy over. The blast her thrown her backwards almost towards the blasted doors, her suit was scorched and he smelled something burning. Still alive. He thought as he heard a steady heartbeat and started ripping her blouse open to check for injuries. Wait a minute. He thought.
"Smart girl." He muttered with a smile.
"William." Luna exclaimed as she rushed through the broken doors.
"Luna?" Spike stated a sounding a little confused.
"There are uprisings all over the city." She explained as she looked over Buffy's prone form. "The clans are doing what they can but."
"Spike we've got incoming." Xander yelled as he stumbled to his feet and looked out onto the street.
"Like flies to a corpse." Spike cursed.
There was an explosion as the battle raged inside the church. Giles came loose and rushed over to Buffy. Completely ignoring, Willow, the Warlock and his own personal safety his only thoughts on the girl he love like his she were his own daughter.

" Luna, take care of her. Her armor took most of the blast, but she's unconscious. Get her somewhere safe and keep your head down. I'll be right back." Spike said, as Giles knelt by Buffy's site. Spike then kissed Luna's cheek, grabbed the crossbow that Buffy had been using and rushed to the door.
"Giles get over here now." He ordered. Giles glared at him with fire in his eyes so intense that it made Spike want to turn away.
"Luna?" Spike asked with a look that spoke for him. Luna nodded and turned to Giles.
"Go she'll be safe I promise." Luna said in soft voice. Giles looked at Luna then down at Buffy. He then bent down, kissed Buffy's forehead, calmly stood up and walked towards to the doors.
"They're drawn to the Warlocks power." He stated as he looked out over the masses of vampires and several minor demons that were marching towards the church.
"Any bright ideas?" Xander asked.
"We fight. Plain and simple." Spike said and let an arrow fly, twenty meters away a vampire turned to dust.
"And wait for backup right." Xander asked as they took a stance on the front steps and Giles pulled the cork out of a small vial of holy water a poured it in circle around them. Muttering prayers.
"Right?" Xander asked again.
Great something tells me I'll need more then a first-aid kit when this is over. He thought to himself.
Behind them a battle raged, as Luna carefully dragged the unconscious Slayer to relative safety, but they all knew that right now no place was safe.