FIC: Der Weidedämon (2/?)

["Shadowlander" <Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Der Weidedämon (2/?)
Author: Shadowlander
Email: Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx - or - Tankesly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated 
with Buffy the Vampire Slayer; they are used without permission. No 
copyright infringement is intended.
Pairing: W/S/F - just to see if you guys are paying attention. 
Archive: The usual places; all others ask first.
Note: Its official English is no longer the only language I am capable of 
butchering. I goofed when I translated the title, it should read "Der 
Weidedämon", thanks to Karina for spotting my grammar error. 
Apparently the grammar gods don't like me in either language. <sigh>

Der Weidedämon (2/?)

Faith and Spike had just finished pumping Willy for information when 
the black convertible came roaring past them in a 35-MPH zone, going 
about 90, only to make a hairpin turn and coming back up the street 
to stop beside the two.

"Where is she?" Cordelia demanded climbing out of the car with a 
determined look on her face. Trying to keep the growing fear for 
Willow's safety at bay, 'rescue Wills first then have the nervous 
breakdown,' she told herself firmly.

"Slutty is at the Watcher's" Spike replied in annoyance. 'Just what I 
need the great poof and the cheerleader in town.' He thought in 
disgust wanting to get rid of the two and go get Red back. 

"Not Buffy," Angel growled his game face slipping on. "Willow! Where 
is Willow?" He demanded climbing across the front seat to join 
Cordelia in the sidewalk with Spike and Faith.

"Fuck me, you had a vision." Faith said, slapping her forehead in 
understanding, remembering Willow mentioning it in one of her emails. 

"Yes, now where is Willow?" Angel demanded again rapidly losing his 
patience.

"The old Master's lair," Faith replied with a jerk of her thumb toward 
the graveyard they had been about to enter when the others had 
arrived. 

"Okay. Cordelia, you and Wes..."

"As if, deadboy I'm going with you guys. Wesley can deliver the 
messages to the others." The ex-cheerleader cut him off; poking him 
in the chest for effect before pushing past a somewhat stunned Spike 
and entering the graveyard on her own. 

"Well don't just stand there, lets go get Red!" Faith said after a 
moment, briefly wondering when the cheerleader had gotten so 
protective of Red. 

Exchanging a quick nod with the silent Watcher who had spent most of 
the trip praying for his survival as Angel tried to set a new land speed 
record, the dark vampire and his favoured childe disappeared into the 
graveyard after the two determined women.

 

The Ruins of the Master's Lair

Ethan Rayne delivered one last punch to the half-unconscious girl tied 
to the makeshift altar, before turning his attention to his hired helpers. 
"All right Lads, as soon as I'm done here all of you can bag yourselves 
a Slayer!" he announced gleefully. 'Stupid vampires, as soon as I'm 
done here all of you are going to be fed to my new demon army,' he 
thought smugly, an evil light entering his eyes. 

Entering the corridor leading to the main hall, Spike merrily staked the 
hapless minion on guard duty, almost bouncing off the walls in his 
excitement. At first he thought he wouldn't be getting any action 
because of the chip in his head, after all according to Willy it was a 
human that had his Red. Thankfully the human had a few minions 
working for him, so Spike could take his irritation out on them all he 
wanted to, kind of as a makeup for missing out on his dinner thanks to 
that stupid human. He only hoped the Slayer and peaches let him 
watch as they beat the hell out of the human once they got Red back. 

Behind him Cordelia moved into the corridor her eyes searching for 
any more minions to stake. Thankfully she had gotten her vision while 
she had been in the gym, and for once she was actually wearing 
sensible shoes to go sneaking around tunnels in. She had also gotten a 
bit stake happy since moving to LA or it could have been her concern 
for Willow's safety, the after images of her vision still running through 
her mind. Unlike Faith, who had gotten pretty much the same images 
in her dreams, Cordelia recognized all the players and understood just 
how dangerous Ethan could be. 

Bring up the rear; Angel put a restraining hand on Spike before he 
could go charging down the corridor. "All right, this is the plan," he 
said in a low voice. "Spike and I will handle the minions, Cordy your 
job is to protect Willow. Faith cover her until she gets into position."

"What about that mortal git?" Spike hissed, his yellow/gold eyes 
shining with hate. He didn't want to talk, he wanted to kill something. 

"Don't worry Blondie, he ain't leaving here alive." Faith swore, 
tightening her grasp on one of the stakes Cordelia had handed to her 
earlier. Once again wondering just how in the hell the cheerleader had 
gotten; fire stakes, a large water gun - filled with holy water - and two 
heavy crosses all in her purse without ever once drawing any attention 
to herself back in LA from the police. She was fairly certain that the 
stakes would be considered concealed weapons. 

Back in the main hall, Ethan had begun the ancient chant that would 
resurrect a race of demons, long thought extinct, unleashing then onto 
the hellmouth. Soon he would have his revenge against that annoying 
little bitch Slayer by stripping away her sacred powers. He could 
almost taste his impending victory, already dismissing the bruised and 
battered young redhead tied to the alter. He had hoped that she would 
survive long enough to watch her precious best friend fall from grace, 
but needed her energy to complete the spell. No bother, the little witch 
would serve as the catalyst to destroying the Slayer's power, he could 
gloat about it later as he killed the bitch. 

A quarter of the way through his chant, Ethan was interrupted by a 
loud ruckus that filled the hall as a very ticked off Spike made his 
displeasure known to the entire room. Taking the time to growl at the 
human before turning his full rage against the minions stupid enough 
to rush him, Spike started to make a path toward the human bastard 
standing over his Red. Behind him, he could feel Angel and the dark 
Slayer making their own paths through the small gathering of minions, 
all of who were too young to recognize the two master vampires. If 
they had they would have had enough sense to duck out the nearest 
exit and kept on running, at least until they met the second rescue 
team just entering the old lair, led by the other Slayer. 

Cordelia made it to Willow's side in moments, only having to spray a 
few of the vamps to get them to move into either Faith or Angel's way 
for staking, in her trek. With single-minded determination she took up 
a position in front of the alter, water gun in one hand a cross in the 
other, ready to fend off any stray vampire that got too close to her or 
the unconscious Willow. 

With Spike and Angel busy fighting minions, and Cordelia guarding 
Willow, Faith heading straight for Ethan, who had stepped up his 
chanting in hopes of completing the spell mispronouncing a few words 
in his haste. Stopping in front of him, Faith smiles sweetly before 
kicking him right in the groan effectively bringing him to his knees. 
Taking a moment to enjoy his strangled cry of pain, she wings out a 
booted foot kicking him in the head and into unconsciousness. 

"Faith!" Cordelia called out, getting the Slayer's attention. Turning 
away from the sprawled out body before her, she moves over to the 
alter and the cheerleader frantically pulling at the ropes binding the 
still redhead they had come to rescue. 

"Son of a." Faith growled once she got a look at the battered face of 
one of her closest friends. Willow had been beaten repeatedly, her face 
covered in bruises with a cut just above her right eye and a split lip. 
Faith could make out dried blood on her arms and wrists, Ethan having 
tied the ropes a bit too tight. "Fang, get the other side," she grunted 
to Angel who had finished off the last of his attackers and had turned 
his attention to the women. 

Spike had finally grown bored with beating the hell out of his last 
opinion and just staked the minion, when the second rescue party 
came barreling into the chamber, Buffy leading the pack with Giles 
close behind her. "You're late," Spike said smugly enjoying the look of 
irritation that crossed the blonde Slayer's face at his words. 

Choosing to ignore the two, Giles made his way to the alter and the 
three people who seemed very interested in it. "Dear god," he said in a 
low voice once he got a good look at what was on it. 

"She's alive," Angel said absently, freeing the ropes on his side of the 
alter with a quick pull. He could feel his demon trashing about inside of 
him at Willow's battered appearance, quietly entertaining thoughts of 
slowly torturing Rayne to death. Which surprised him a bit, his demon 
was very angry over Willow's abduction. Having been screaming of the 
heads of her kidnappers almost from the moment he had learned of 
her disappearance. Then is occurred to him that his demon had formed 
a respect of sorts for Willow, since she was the one that had re-cursed 
him. The demon wanted to be the one that would kill the little 
redhead, not some useless mortal. 

Spike forcibly shoved Angel out of the way as he slide to a stop beside 
the alter, his own demon firmly in control and very upset at what he 
saw. It almost didn't look like his Red he raged, the chip sending pain 
throughout his skull at the violent thoughts he was having concerning 
one mortal and several spikes. Pushing aside such thoughts for 
another time, he carefully runs his hands down the side of her ribcage, 
almost sighing with relief at the solid feel to most of her ribs, just as 
the action was being mirrored on the other side by Faith, although she 
was frowning a bit over one area.

"I think she's got one or two ribs cracked over here," Faith reported 
turning wide eyes to Giles, silently begging him to make her better. 

Giles opened his month to reply when a low groan interrupted him. 
Turning sharply Faith and Spike found themselves being stared at by 
one green eye. "Wills?" Cordelia questioned, breaking the silence that 
had descended on the room after the groan, her eyes hopeful as she 
leaned over the alter to get a better look. Angel also leaning forward 
from the head of the alter one hand carefully brushing tangled blood 
matted hair away from her face. Another lower groan signals Willow 
slip back into unconsciousness, even as the rest of the Scooby Gang 
gathered around the alter trying to get a look at Willow.

End Part Two.