Stuck In The Feedback Loop
by Jamie
Chapter 3
[reviews]
The blaring music and blinding spotlights of the Bronze greeted Buffy and Willow as they stepped through the door and past a burly looking bouncer. There was no cover charge tonight luckily, but that also meant no band, unluckily. The two girls looked around the thriving club, their eyes finally coming to rest on one of the pool tables near the back, where Xander was chalking up a cue. They walked towards the table, threading their way through the crowds like a snake through tall-grass. Buffy moved with the manner of someone who'd done this many times before, but Willow looked slightly uncomfortable in this scene, she'd lost some of that earlier confidence she had when it was just her and Buffy walking the streets. Xander looked up as the pair approached the table.
"Hey," He said, bending down to line up a shot. He struck the cue ball with the cue, and the little white orb went flying into the triangle, scattering red balls everywhere. Buffy picked up a cue from beside the table.
"C'mon Willow, you and me against Xand." She said happily, handing Willow the cue. Willow looked at it with trepidation, and accepted it reluctantly. "Oh come on," Buffy said, noticing her look. "You can't be that bad." After that evening, Buffy vowed to never, ever say anyone 'can't be that bad', ever again.
The trio sat in a booth, on one of what Buffy liked to call 'the curvy sofa things'. Willow and Buffy were cradling Cokes, whilst Xander was knocking back a Sprite.
"All I'm saying is, Garfield was a lot funnier when..." Xander said, but was cut off by Buffy.
"Xander, stop talking about cartoons." Buffy interjected, lifting her drink to her lips and taking a sip.
"So what're you guys doing tomorrow?" Willow asked, bringing both hands up to the table to clasp her drink.
"I dunno, the weather's pretty bad." Xander replied.
"Well my parents are out...again...so, anyone up for a moviefest?" The redhead asked tentatively. Buffy smiled.
"Count us in,"
"Okay, cool. I'm gonna go dance for a while. This is what we came for, right?"
"Sure, I'll join you in a minute." Buffy said, and watched Willow walk off onto the dance floor.
"So tomorrow?" Xander asked, getting Buffy's attention.
"Tomorrow?"
"Movies, popcorn...wakey wakey Buffster!" Xander said, making exaggerated hand movements in front of her face. She batted his hand away playfully.
"I dunno, just bring whatever you wanna watch." Buffy said, before getting up to go to the dance floor. She got a few paces before she stopped and turned around.
"And Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"No porn."
"I know not this word you speak of!" Xander said, falling back in his seat with mock surprise and a big grin on his face. Buffy smiled at her best friend, and set off into the mass. There, in the centre, surrounded by a dancing group of guys and girls, was Willow. The little red head was dancing up a storm, swinging this way one-second and that way the next. Buffy began to let the rhythm of the song course through her, and her arms, hips, and legs responded automatically. She manoeuvred into the centre of the circle and swung around so she was back to back with Willow.
"You look good," she said, just loud enough for Willow to hear.
"You're not so bad yourself. Okay, not really as good as me, but..." Willow replied, smiling. Buffy opened her mouth in mock indignation, but her face creased into a grin. She slipped her hand into Willow's and held it above them, dancing all the while. They continued like that through two, three, four songs, until finally they stumbled off the dance floor and collapsed back onto the curvy sofa thing, panting and exhausted. Xander sat there whilst the two caught their breath, draining all three glasses.
"What're you bringing tomorrow, Xander?" Willow asked after a while, reaching for her glass, then noticing it was empty. She glared at the boy, who kinda shrank into himself.
"I have a choice movie, one you're all gonna love, trust me." Xander replied, his dark eyes flashing with anticipation.
"I'd rather not," Buffy joked, which earned her a playful punch on the arm. She smiled, and lifted her right arm to see her watch.
"Um, whoah!" She said, after looking at the two hands. Xander frowned, at looks at his watch. His eyes widened. Willow did the same, and blinked a few times.
"I'm thinking we'd better call it a night." The red head said. Buffy and Xander nodded and gathered their stuff. Within a minute they were out of the noisy environment of the Bronze and into the near silent environment of the Sunnydale night, the only noise coming from the muffled music still pumping out of the speakers from inside the club. The trio walked and laughed with each other to the end of the street, but came to a stop at the end. There in front of them, framed by shadow and darkness, were at least ten pairs of glittering yellow eyes.
"Guys...get behind me," Willow said quietly, in a voice that commanded authority. A deep voice chuckled, and a massive looking Vampire walked leisurely out of the shadow, playing with a nail on his left hand. He walked for a few paces, then stopped and looked up.
"Slayer," He growled, then laughed. "Howdy."
"Jeez, who dressed you? Mortisha?" Willow retorted, making a big show of looking him up and down. The vampire just laughed again.
"Spunky, aren't ya? Let's see how lippy ya are when I rip yer still beating heart from yer chest."
"Wow," Willow replied. "Scary. I mean, it's just so terrifying every single time I hear it. I'm shaking on the inside, really."
"What's going on?" Xander asked, looking around. If Willow wasn't careful he'd panic.
"Buffy, Xander, go." Willow said again in her Slayer voice.
"No way, I'm not leaving you." Buffy said, taking a step forward.
"Go!" Willow shouted.
"Please," The vampire smiled coldly. "Stay." With that he lunged forward with a vicious punch aimed for Willow's face. She blocked it easily, then let loose with a æ of her own. The vampire didn't even flinch, but swiped at her again. Willow ducked and swept his legs out from underneath him. She was about to plunge her stake through his heart, when she heard Buffy screaming. She raised herself and whipped around in the blink of an eye, just in time to see Xander sprawled out on the floor, with blood trickling from a head cut, and Buffy being carried off around the corner.
"Willow!" She screamed. The red head began to run, but a hand shot out from the floor and clamped on her ankle with an iron grip. Willow fell forward, and her head slammed into the pavement. She cried out involuntarily, and could taste blood in her mouth. She rolled over and kicked herself up, but she already knew that the vampire would be gone. Sure enough, she could see him retreating, along with the rest of his gang. She stared after him for a second, then ran to Xander. She brought his head up onto her lap and brushed a lock of his hair out of the cut. It wasn't going to require stitches, but she'd need to get him to Giles.
"Unnngh," he groaned, and Willow made a shushing sound.
"Buffy?" He asked, opening his eyes and looking around for her, disorientated. Willow looked away.
"They have her." She said quietly. She saw his face literally crumble at the news, and he closed his eyes.
"We're getting her back." He said quietly, using the same tone as Willow had earlier.
"Yes we are, but we need supplies. Can you walk?" The red head replied, helping the boy to his feet and letting him lean on her for support.
"I think so." Xander replied, testing out his theory with a few steps.
"Good, lets go." The two walked off into the night, to the library. Willow cursed herself over and over again for not paying attention, for not...for not protecting them properly. God, she thought, one day in my world, and I've already lost her.
Giles stared at the text in front of him, periodically lifting a cup of lukewarm tea to his lips and taking a sip. His eyes began to drift shut, but he suddenly snapped them open when he heard a crashing sound coming from the darkened hallway. Setting down the cup on its saucer, he retrieved a shortsword from its hiding place on the side of his desk. The librarian quietly and cautiously moved out of his office and into the main library.
*Clunk*
There! There it was again! Giles moved slowly towards the door, raising the sword up to ribcage height.
*Clunk*
*Crash!* He started at the second sound, then stopped dead still as he heard voices from the other side of the large wooden door. Looking through the small circular windows, he could only see the wall faintly illuminated by the light from the library. All of a sudden, the door flew open and Giles stumbled back. He raised the sword high, ready to strike, but stopped when he looked up and saw Willow, supporting Xander on her shoulders, shuffling in.
"Are you alright?" He asked, immediately setting down the sword on the nearest flat surface and hurrying over to the pair.
"I'm fine, Xander hit his head...or got scratched..." Willow said, looking around desperately.
"Weren't you with Miss Summers?" Giles asked, opening the same first aid box that was on the table last night. He hadn't bothered to move it yet, so luckily it was within arms reach. Willow began to move frantically around, Giles handed Xander the box and strode over to her. He grabbed her by the arm and stared into her eyes.
"Willow. Calm. Down." He said calmly, punctuating every word. She stopped moving, but was still shaking.
"We were attacked outside the Bronze. I tried to fight...but there were so many of them..." Willow broke down and leaned forward into Giles, burying her face in his shoulder and crying. "So many..." The Watcher stroked the back of Willow's head soothingly.
"There wasn't anything you could've done Willow," Xander spoke up. Giles turned his head to the boy, who was holding a small roll of gauze to the cut on his head.
"No," Willow said, sniffing back the tears and taking a step back from her Watcher. "But there is something I can do now."
"Willow, if you're going to rescue Buffy, I need you to tell me a few things first." Giles ordered quietly. Inside, he was mourning for Willow. If Buffy had indeed been kidnapped by vampires, she was probably already dead. Damnit, it's not fair, he thought and cursed whatever cruel and uncaring God happened to be listening. She was only a girl! He hurried into his office and pricked up the book carefully from his desk, making sure not to tear the page. Walking back into the main section of the library, he showed it to Willow. The red haired Slayer looked at the picture, and immediately said,
"That's him," Giles sighed and knotted his brow, the way he always did when he found out some new piece of information that worked against them.
"His name is Kharkov. He is, of course, a vampire of around 250 years of age. Back in his native homeland of Germany he was known as Metzger von Unschuld — Butcher of Innocence. He is an old, and extremely powerful vampire, Willow. Not all of his strength lies in his formidable physical prowess - he possesses a remarkable, almost psychic ability to make people see what he wants to see. Every Slayer who has come up against him so far has failed." Giles finished dramatically.
"They all died?" Xander asked, moving up next to Willow.
"Some did. Most went insane, trapped in their own personal worst nightmare for the rest of their life." Giles replied simply. He looked back at Willow, and saw no fear in her eyes. She looked cold, determined.
"Okay, so he's big with the mojo. How can I kill him?"
"I..um...standard methods should be adequate, but..." Giles trailed off as his Slayer turned and hurried over to the weapons cabinet. She practically threw it open and retrieved a crossbow, as well as a couple of stakes which she slipped into her jacket.
"Hey, weapon for me?" Xander asked weakly, offering a smile.
"You're not going, Xander." Willow replied bluntly. The boy looked taken aback.
"Hey, my best friend is in there with that...that vampire? Doing God knows what to her! So don't you tell me I can't go!" Xander quietly told her. Willow looked at him for a moment before turning back to the weapons cabinet and retrieving an extra stake. She turned back around and gave it to him.
"Giles, does it say anything about his nesting preferences?"
"No, but I'd suppose he'd be in the choice location. Even if someone was there before, he'd have kicked them out or killed them." Giles replied, picking up his short sword and catching a stake Willow tossed to him.
"Xander, you've lived here the longest. Where would he go?" Willow asked, already leading them out of the library.
"If I was a murderer, where would I be?" Xander asked himself. He thought about it for a moment, then his eyes flashed with the eureka moment. Willow could almost see the light bulb switch on above his head. "The old Cineplex!" He said, a little too enthusiastically.
"Okay, I have no idea where that is, you'll have to direct Giles."
"Hey, we got a ride? Cool!" Xander said, again a little too enthusiastically. Willow didn't want to quash his good mood, but it had to be done.
"You haven't seen Giles' car."
"Oi!"
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