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Jerrold Irvine Smith stealthily made his way up the stairs of his flat in Sunnydale, trying his hardest to elude Jennifer and Kyle, his downstairs neighbors and temporary guardians until he moved to L.A. with his new family. Jerrold crept upstairs into the dimly lit house, slightly wincing, as he was remained of the fight from earlier that night.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Jerrold gave a little groan before he quickly halted. He glanced around his seemingly empty flat, realizing that there was something wrong about it. Plus, Jerrold could smell something burning elsewhere in his house and the faintest scent of something else as well. But he couldn’t figure out what it was, so Jerrold did the simplest thing he could think of: he vamped out.

Jerrold let go of himself and allowed his face to morph and transformed into his darker vampiric half, Jay.

Now a vampire, Jay’s senses had become more acute and he could easily identify what he had smelled. His first guess was right and what he had smelled smoke and fire. Then, the other scent that he was picking up on was easily detectable as a vampire: blood. The blood was most likely from a corpse, a vamp that had recently fed, or an injured person—and none of these were good choices.

Jay peered around the room, attempted to locate where the fire was, but there didn’t seem to be any sort of fire in his flat. Must be downstairs, he thought to himself. But there seemed to be the heavy, dank, scent of blood still clotting the air. There were definitely several vampires on his level of the flat.

He headed down his hall to his old room, where he had kept several of his wooden poles (with the exception of his dagger-stake, which he chose to remain hidden, these were currently his only weapons) along with boxes and boxes of old clothes, books, and other old junk. But he slowed down, quickly realizing that the heavy scent was beginning to build up as he approached the door. Though there was a possibility that there was a corpse behind the door, it was more likely that there was a vampire behind it.

Jay abruptly turned the knob of the door, and as he had speculated, a vampire stood before him with one of the half-vampire’s poles in his hands. An amused grin spread over Jay’s face as the vampire’s element of surprise was striped from the demon. The creature lashed out at the half-vampire and attempted to jab Jay with the wooden pole, but as it came in reach of him, Jay pivoted, allowing the pole to graze his side. He then grabbed the pole, swiftly pulled it from the vampire’s grasp, disarming the vamp, and snapped the pole upward, nailing the demon in the jaw.

The half-vampire tossed the pole up to his left hand, freeing his right, as he raised it upward and pulled it back, smacking the opposing vampire in the face. He dropped the pole back down to his right hand again, pulling the weapon back like his arm, and struck the demon in the side of its head, stunning the creature and forcing it to fall backwards into the pile of junk behind it. As it tried to get up, Jay stepped forward and kicked it in the face.

He was about to finish it off, when he sensed another vampire coming from behind him. So, the half-vampire pulled the pole upward, pointing one end of the pole down towards the injured vampire, acting as if he had failed to detect the vampire coming from behind. But as the vampire proceeded towards Jay, instead of hitting the injured vampire, he pulled the pole back down, shooting it passed the side of his hip and nailed the vampire in the stomach, forcing it to fall back.

Jay lowered the pole to the ground and stepped on the end of the pole, abruptly snapping the pole, creating a long stake-like weapon to slay the vampires. He raised the pole up and staked the limp unconscious vampire in the doorway of his old room. He swiveled around just in time to see the vamp that had attacked him several seconds before tackle him, and sent him flying into a box of junk in his old room.

A large cloud of dust erupted from the boxes as the half-vampire fell into it, with the vampire on top of him. Upon impact, Jay dropped his pole—his only weapon—and became somewhat helpless as the vampire punched the half-vamp in the face again and again and again, until Jay was beginning to lose consciousness and control over his demonic half.

As the vamp continued to punch the creature, Jay’s eyes suddenly widened and his human subconscious started to fade away and his darker demon side took over. The vampire attempted to punch Jay in the face again, but before the punch could even touch the half-vamp’s face, Jay grabbed its fist and started to crush its fist. The vampire’s howl sounded like a mix between it snarling and screeching, but Jay had managed to stop the blow and followed through his plan. Jay raised up his knee, but instead of kneeing the creature Jay grabbed the creature by the shoulder and did a back roll, tossing the vampire off of him through the window of the tiny room.

The pain and anger that had caused the true vampiric side of Jay to surface started to subside, but Jay knew that there were still many more vampires inside of his home and his neighbor’s. Jay grabbed both the pole and the tip of the pole that he had snapped off—it made a pretty handy stake—and quickly rose up, glancing around the tiny room, checking for vamps. He sighed, realizing that there were vampires crawling all over his house and that he would need to somehow get down to his neighbors and find out what was happening with them. Exiting through the front door and getting into the house through there wouldn’t be the smartest idea since there’d be vampires stationed there. Same with all the windows, vampires would most likely be stationed there in case he tried to enter that way. The only window Jay believed would not be guarded would be his kitchen window since the only way he’d break through it was if he jumped from the roof of another building and entered his neighbor’s house that way.

So, the only entranceway that left was the backdoor, which would be guarded as well but not as heavily as the other entrances. And, of course, there was the obvious problem that Jay was at the front of his house and the only way he could get to the backdoor of his neighbor’s house was to go through his backdoor, go down the stairs, and break down their backdoor. And he’d have to go through his vamp-infested house in the doing.

And Jay could sense the other vampires begin to stir and become aware that something was wrong and that Jay was plotting something. So, whatever the half-vampire did, he would have to act fast. With his two weapons in his hands he took several silent steps forward, preparing himself before he used all of his energy to make his way to the other side of his home.

Unintentionally Jay gave a low animal-like snarl before he let himself go and dashed down the hall of his house. Moving with graceful agility and astonishing speed, Jay silently shot from one end of his house to the other, passing all the rooms in his tiny flat, until he reached his small kitchen where he halted to a stop when two vampires blocked the back exit of his home.

Entering the kitchen, leaving only one room remaining before he escaped through the back of his house, Jay momentarily froze, as did the two vampires guarding the exit of the house. Taking only a moment to acknowledge the half-vampire, the two vampire guards moved in unison towards the half-vamp in order to stop him. Still slightly roused from his encounter with the first two vampires, Jay roared loudly as he lunged towards the two vampires, staking the closest vampire with the tiny stake (what had been the tip of the pole) and dusting the other vamp with the long pole. Just as they had simultaneously stepped forward towards the half-vampire, the two demons cried out together before they crumbled and exploded into dust, leaving no one between Jay and the backdoor.

Jay heard movement and growling from behind him. Obviously his roar had notified the remaining vampires in his house that he was in fact attempting to escape. At full speed, Jay dashed from the middle of his kitchen into the back room, and instead of attempting to open the door or break down the door, Jay took a risk and dived through the window next to the door. Flying through the window, Jay turned in midair so he wouldn’t crash into the patio below him. As he land, he could feel the entire structure shake and for a brief moment feared that it would collapse, taking parts of the building with him, but the wooden patio managed to stay up. Turning back towards the flat, it was the first time Jay had noticed the light flickering from the house below his.

An orange colored light, which he hadn’t noticed upon entering his house not too long ago, seemed to engulf his neighbor’s home, brightly illuminating the bottom half of the house.

Fire, thought Jay in horror. They must have been waiting for me to come home, waiting to strike and now that I’m here…Damn!

Quickly backing up, Jay walked out from under his patio that shadowed over his neighbor’s patio, glancing up. Though none had yet to appear, he could hear the vampires heading towards the backdoor of his year, so the half-vamp knew he’d have to act fast. He swiftly rushed at the door, kicking it, and knocking it down. Jay attempted to rush into the house, but as he did an invisible barrier stopped him from entering his neighbor’s home.

The vampire side of the Doomed Vampire, Jay, had yet to be invited into their home (he’d have to be wearing his vampire face in order for Jay to be invited in), so the usual vampire invitation barrier was stopping him. Jay groaned, as he heard the vampires above him opening the backdoor of his house. He concentrated for a brief moment, reverting back to Jerrold, so he could get into the house. Though his vampire-half side couldn’t step foot into the threshold, his human side could. But if he were to revert to Jay while inside of the house, he’d be forced out of the building.

Now Jerrold, the teen rushed into the house of his neighbors. As he stepped into the back room of the tiny flat, smoke quickly engulfed his lunged and burnt his eyes. He groaned, squinting and wincing in pain as he attempting to progress forward into the building. Entering the kitchen, he could barely see because there seemed to be a fire raging from the overheated oven and the burning dining room table.

He began to rush down the halls, which was filled with smoke coming from the small rooms all around the house. Even though he was currently Jerrold, he could sense vampires were all crawling around the smoke-filled, burning house. But he wasn’t sure why they had yet to attack him. Passing by Kyle and Jennifer’s room, he could see their bed ignited with fire and quickly spreading throughout the room. The fires even seemed to burn through the walls, and as Jerrold progressed forward he quickly realizes that they were making the building unstable. It wouldn’t be too long before the upper level of the building would collapse onto the bottom half of the building, crushing and killing his neighbors.

But as he looked into the burning room, he saw a vampire attempting to hide itself, and when he made eye contact with Jerrold, it rose up and quickly rushed towards the Doomed Vampire. Before it could even make it through the door, Jerrold glared and shot out its pole, staking the vamp before it could even attack.

Still sensing the other vampires in the burning building, he somehow managed to make his way into their living room. Breaking down the and entering the room, Jerrold was surprised to see that the fire had yet to hit this part of the house, luckily, because as he entered the room, his eyes immediately locked onto the unconscious bodies of Jennifer and Kyle.

"No," murmured Jerrold in horror, quickly rushing towards the two of them. He bent down to briefly examine them, and as he did noticed bite marks on Jennifer’s neck and through all the smoke it was impossible to tell if she was in fact breathing. As for Kyle, Jerrold couldn’t see any bite marks, but there was blood trickling from his forehead. As he was about to check Kyle’s pulse, Jerrold vaguely heard movement—a vampire—through the loud crackling of the burning building.

Realizing he couldn’t vamp out in order to hone his senses, Jerrold tried to act as if he didn’t notice the vampire, which didn’t actually help when he couldn’t hear the vampire at all. It was then that Jerrold started to turn his head, when suddenly a large book smacked him in the face.

Jerrold hit the floor of his neighbor’s house, dropping his two weapons, and landing on the drained body of his neighbor Jennifer. He groaned as pain surged through his face, primarily his bruised nose. As he began to rise up, the vampire kick the young teenage in the gut and then struck the half-vampire with the book again.

Though his vampire-half was attempting to boil to the surface, Jerrold attempted to push it down, bury it away, because if he let the demon out for one split second, he’d be hurled from the burning house. So, if he was going to save Jennifer and Kyle—or at the very least Kyle—he would have to keep his vampire-half buried away.

So, the half-vamp quickly attacked the vampire before it could strike him again. Jerrold turned on his side and abruptly shot his leg out, striking the creature in the kneecap, and forcing the creature to drop down to one knee, crying out in pain. Before it could fight back, Jerrold grabbed his fallen pole and jabbed the vampire with the elongated stake through the heart and the creature quickly exploded into dust. But as the vampire faded away, it revealed two other vampires standing behind the fallen demon in its place.

The two vampires quickly rushed to him in order to strike while he was down. As they got in distance of him, Jerrold couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he shot out his leg again, this time nailing one of the vampires in the stomach, forcing it to stumble backwards into the other vampire. This brief blunder allowed Jerrold to pull himself together and get back up, grabbing his pole as well as his stake. The two vampires roared in anger, which also seemed to be signaling the other vampires to proceed.

The two vampires attempted to attack Jerrold again, swinging several punches that the half-human had managed to easily evade, even in his human form. As Jerrold continued to use dodge the punches, he seemed to notice the fire that was in the bedroom connecting to the room Jerrold was filled with fire and was spreading to the room Jerrold was currently in. He knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge their punches for too much longer.

Jerrold’s hand slid down the thin pole, so that his hand was holding it at the broken end of the pole, and was pointing the blunt end of it towards the vampire. He pulled his arm back and smacked the two vampires, catching them by surprise. Dropping the pole, Jerrold then rushed towards the closest vampire, punching it twice before he kicked the undead creature, slamming it into the other vampire.

Now annoyed with Jerrold, the closest vampire roared and shouted again, rushing at Jerrold but before it could tackle him, Jerrold held up his stake and the vampire rushed into the pointed wooden object. As Jerrold stepped back, pulling the stake out of the creature, it cried out, exploding into dust.

The second vampire, who hadn’t thrown too many punches at Jerrold, snarled angrily and rushed towards the vampire. Jerrold’s eyes glanced down to the fallen pole, put his foot under the pole, and tossed it up to his hands. Before the second vampire could stop itself, the pole reached Jerrold’s hands and he swiftly jabbed the vamp through the chest, as it exploded into dust, just like the other one.

Jerrold stepped passed Jennifer and Kyle and headed to the entrance of the living room, peering through the burning building. As he did, all of the vampires that were in the house were beginning to come out of hiding and head towards the living room where Jerrold was. It was a trap.

Jerrold figured he wouldn’t be able to take out all of the vampires, but at the very least he could get Kyle, and possibly Jennifer, out of the house. How he’d get them out was beyond him, but he knew there’d have to be a way. So he started to turn around to begin to drag them out of the house when all of a suddenly—

Jerrold stood face to face with Jennifer, who was know vamped out and her piercing yellow eyes stared into Jerrold’s. Before he could react, Jennifer’s hand shot towards Jerrold’s neck, and lifted him off of the ground. And then, his mind started flooding with many random thoughts, one mainly being that Jennifer couldn’t have just risen tonight. It was more likely that Jennifer had been turned several days ago, and had managed to allude both her husband Kyle and Jerrold.

Jerrold went into a momentary state of shock as Jennifer’s grasp around Jerrold neck started to tighten and tighten, and before Jerrold knew it, he could barely breath, and, in his human form, it was impossible for him to get free from Jennifer’s grasp. And of course if he released his vampiric half, he’d be hurled out of the building, missing his chance to save Kyle. Jerrold was already too tired and worn out by now to do anything, and before Jerrold knew it, his visions were becoming spotty and he realized he was beginning to black out and if he did black out, he would be killed.

There was only one thing for him to do. Jerrold gave in.

Jerrold vamped out, releasing Jay his vampire side again. And the second he vamped out, Jay felt the invitation barrier pressuring around him, and suddenly Jennifer’s grasp was broken and Jay was being thrown hurled through the air by the magickal barrier. Jay was thrown out of the window of the living room, cracking a part of the building as he did, and was hurled into the street outside of the burning flat. Jay hit the concrete street, and groaned in pain as his vision momentarily faded, and he blacked out briefly. He wasn’t unconscious for all to long, since he figured the vampires would’ve attacked him by now.

Jay rose up, from the now dented street, and quickly started back towards the house. He realized that he wouldn’t remain stable for all too long in his human form because he was badly beaten, but he knew that was the only way he could get into the house to rescue Kyle.

But he hadn’t even made his way onto the sidewalk when Jay heard something loud crack or explode—the fire had probably ruined the main structure of the building—and the top half of the building came crashing down onto the bottom half of the flat.

"So, all we need now is for this girl to wake up?" Damien asked Kelly, who was leaning against the wall closest to the entrance of the cave. Damien’s eyes shifted downward towards where the three girls once lay unconscious, and now only the redhead witch was unconscious. Damien’s eyes slowly trailed back towards Kelly.

Kelly nodded. "She wakes up, Crystal uses her magicks, she goes back to the Slayer, and then the plan begins."

Crystal, the powerful civatateo witch-vampire that Kali and Damien had summoned, was still waiting for her final witch to awaken so she could begin her plan to take down the Doomed Vampire, along with the Slayer as well. Crystal and Lohesh had made a deal, and depending on if Crystal’s plan worked or not, the vampire Damien and the psychic vampire Kali might be put under the command of Crystal instead of Lohesh. Lohesh, who had been waiting in the underground cave with Crystal, Kali, and Damien, had gone back to his lair to prepare for the attack on the Doomed Vampire or the Slayer, depending on who came after him.

"Well you’re a powerful civatateo vamp right?" muttered Kali in annoyance. "Why not just use your powerful magicks mojo or whatever and wake her up. We’ve been here for about an hour now!" Kali’s eyes flared in anger, forcing her to vamp out, and she used her psychic abilities to pin Crystal’s lackey, Kelly, against the wall of the cave.

"No." Crystal, who was mediating in the center of the room, slightly opened her eyes only to reveal that they had become extremely dilated—they were pretty much purely black—which was a side effect of using powerful dark magicks. Crystal used her black magicks and severed Kali’s psychic powers, releasing Kelly from being pressed up against the wall, and then closed her eyes again. "I won’t be able to create the illusion with my magicks if I’m using them to wake her up."

"Then why not wake her the old fashion way?" questioned Damien. "You know, a good old shaking to wake her up."

"Her mind is to be at peace," explained Crystal simply. "Rapidly shaking her my shatter my magicks and ruin the plan." Crystal exhaled and concluded, "She’ll rise when she’s ready, they always do."

"And when she does," added Kelly, "the fun will begin…"

* * * *

"Hey Buffy, it’s Xander," said Xander from Giles’s phone. "All of us are really glad that Riley’s back, and we know that you two time some time to be together… uh, in order to—"

"To boink!" shouted Anya from behind Xander.

"—but we need you over here at Giles’s. We have the info on that vampire you ran into acouple nights ago, Jay something, and he has some sort of connection with this Crystal, a witch-vampire, that was summoned tonight. Anyways, we need the Slayer Buffy, and you too Riley. Get over here as soon as you can. It’s only me, Anya, and Giles right now, and Tara and Willow haven’t come back, we think something might’ve happened to them, so we need you guys over ASAP."

Xander hung up the phone and sighed.

"Good job honey," replied Anya sleepily. "In no way yammery—very concise."

Giles sighed from over in his small kitchen, as he was brewing up some tea for himself. "Thank you Anya for your—in no way—insincerity of the situation."

Giles, Anya, and Xander had been waiting back at Giles’s for about an hour while waiting for Willow and Tara to return from the Sunnydale Mall. The five of them had gone out searching Sunnydale in its various shops in order to intersect Jay the Doomed Vampire, who they believed was searching for a herb for a spell. This spell had something to do with the civatateo demon, Crystal, which Giles had mentioned earlier that night. They figured that if they stopped him from getting the herb they’d be able to accomplish something.

But since Buffy was the only one who had actually encountered Jay, it was impossible to actually know what the half-vampire’s intentions. And since Buffy had gone AWOL ever since the return of her boyfriend, Riley, it really left Giles and the other Scoobies at a distinct disadvantage.

Giles, Xander, and Anya had all returned for their brief "patrols" throughout the Sunnydale shops, but Willow and Tara had yet to return, so the three of them were beginning to get worried. Then, Anya noticed that something had happened at the Sunnydale Mall, where Tara and Willow were supposed to have gone. But they realized that if they left Giles’s loft, the two witches were likely to end up showing up there while they were gone.

"So Giles," said Xander, walking away from the phone. "What did your informants say again?"

Giles sighed as he picked up one of his various mugs and walked over towards Anya and Xander. "Well, a majority had known for some time that the Doomed Vampire was here in Sunnydale. Why he only chosen to reveal himself to us now was unbeknownst to them all."

"Anything else?" asked Anya curiously.

"There was some talk of another demon being in town as well," said Giles, sitting down in one of his chair. "It was um… Lohesh, I believe, which isn’t a demon who I’m all too familiar with."

"Oh yeah, didn’t Wesley mention that demon around Graduation Day?" reminded Xander, briefly reminiscing about the day his school was blown to piece. It brought joy and a little smile to Xander’s face.

"I believe so," agreed Giles, nodding slowly. "It was the demon that—"

But Anya cleared her throat, interrupting Giles and his train of thought. "Um, sorry. As I recalled it was actually me who mentioned Lohesh, remember? I knew about the past ascension, told a brief little story—there was a shepherd involved. All Wesley did was spit out some random fact from one of his old musty—"

"Guys!" Xander, Giles, and Anya all froze for a moment as they turned around and glanced towards Giles’s door. Oddly enough it was locked for a change, but on the other side they heard Tara’s voice shouting and screaming and pounding on the door. All three Scoobies exchanged confused and worried looks as they all got up and headed towards the door.

On the other side of the door stood an injured, tattered, Tara, holding a badly injured shoulder. But before Giles, Xander, or Anya could even ask a single word, Tara quickly responded, "It’s Willow…"

* * * *

"Oh, Spike. Hello." The bleached-hair vampire stood outside of the Summers’ house as Joyce Summers, the Slayer’s mum—the only one who even showed any sign of kindness towards Spike—stood on the other side of the door. "Uh, Buffy’s home but uh, she’s a little busy…"

"Ah, with her tin soldier, no doubt," muttered Spike with a little roll of his eyes.

"Ah yes," answered Joyce with a little nod. "Riley. Haven’t actually had a real chance to meet him, since Buffy and he have been… busy with the—"

"Yeah, I’m aware of what they’re doing," explained Spike with a little smirk, attempting to comfort Buffy’s mom, "I recall a certain little frat party." But Joyce obviously hadn’t a bloody clue what Spike was referring too—Looks like Buffy’s still keepin’ some things from her mum—but he was in a hurry and Jay and Isis were waiting on him. "It’s not important, but there was an accidental over at the Sunnydale Mall—some winged creatures snatched acouple of girls—and one of my informants said that the Slayer and I should meet him there, so we snatch ’em back."

"Well she still might be with Riley," explained Joyce, stepping back and opening the door wider, "but if it’s really important, than I’ll go get her."

Spike smiled again. "Thanks a lot Joyce."

Joyce smiled back at the vampire, letting him into the house. "I’ll be just a moment. You can wait on the couch if you—"

"Spike." Before the de-fanged vampire could even get all too far into the Summers’ household, Spike was greeted with his usual unwelcoming welcome. At the top of the stairs right in front of the door was none other than Riley Finn—Captain Cardboard himself, thought Spike. Riley, dressed surprisingly, waltzed down the staircase of the Summers’ home. "You still in town?"

Spike snorted. "Why shouldn’t I be, soldier boy? Is this about that whole Adam bit, because I was just as hoaxed as the lot of you." Spike gave a false smile, and before Riley could even give a response to that, Spike replied, "And how’ve you been?" The vampire squinted at Buffy’s beau as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Spike examined Riley for a moment and replied, "Didn’t put another chip in you now, did they?"

Though Spike wasn’t really sure if Riley noticed, but with his eyes still locked on the stiff, somewhat emotionless, man, Spike could see Joyce slip away from the entrance of the house. Spike felt somewhat sorry for her, but it really wasn’t something he could not, because Riley persisted with his usual inquiry.

"No," replied Riley sternly. "What do you want, Spike?"

"Buffy actually," replied Spike with a chuckle. "Since you two were shaggin’ till the cows came home, the Slayer’s been missin’ some action—patrollin’ and what not—and in the doing, allowed the Sunnydale Mall to get battered and beaten, as well as get three girls captured by some nasty blokes." Spike couldn’t help but excitingly grin at Riley as his stern face softened up, as he realized what he had done. "Yeah mate, it’s cause of you and your ‘urges’ that Sunnydale’s fallen apart in these last couple o’ days. And the only thing you can give me mate, is a good thankin’, since I was one of the few takin’ her place in patrolling."

Still continuing to watch Spike, still not trusting the vampire, Riley’s eyes seemed to momentarily shift to where Joyce had been, and suddenly acknowledged that she was there anymore. But, since she was probably still in the house, Riley grabbed Spike by the arm, and replied, "How about we take this outside, Spike?"

"Some other time Riley." Both Spike and Riley’s attention quickly shifted upward to the top of the stairs, where Buffy was fully dressed, armed with two crossbows and a stake. Buffy tossed a crossbow down to Riley and replied, "I think something’s happened to Willow and Tara."

"Yeah well four demony sorta things just attacked the Sunnydale Mall," announced Spike again. "Though I’m sure the two Wicca are very important, these things fled off with three girls themselves." Spike sighed again, and finished, "Plus, two of my informants are waitin’ for us by my crypt so—"

"Fine," said Buffy, starting down the stairs, "but Xander and the others are waiting for me over at Giles’s, so I have to go." As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to Riley and replied, "Can you go with Spike to stop this demon thing?"

Riley sighed and nodded. It had been just like this in the Initiative: be given an order and simply follow it.

"Good," said Buffy. Not even glancing at Spike, Buffy pushed passed the vampire, heading out the door, calling out out, "Bye mom."

"Bye honey," Joyce called back from the dining room.

Spike chuckled. "Notice, she expects you to go with me…not I go with you." Another pleased spread across the British vampire’s pale face, as Spike stepped out of the Summers’ household. "What’s that all about?"

"Shut up Spike." Though on some level Riley knew that Spike was right. Buffy expected Riley, who was one of the top members of the Initiative, not to be able to do a simple slice and dice kill over in the cemetery. Instead, Riley was forced into following the orders of a lab rat that managed to escape from its cage. It wasn’t Riley’s grandest day.

And Spike knew it.

* * * *

She tried to remember what had happened to her, since her memory was pretty hazy. Willow Rosenberg could recollect what had happened earlier that morning, when she and Tara had gone to the Magic Box, encountered several vicious vampires, including Jay, the Doomed Vampire, who Buffy had encountered several days back. Then, they had managed to escape somehow. Giles informed them about the possible summoning of a demon called Crystal and something about the Crystal Night—even if she wasn’t knocked unconscious, she would still be hazy on these detail. After that, things began to get blurred. She and Tara had gone to the Sunnydale Mall in search of an herb—no, they went in search of Jay, who was getting an herb for…something, she couldn’t remember. And the two witches encountered Jay, and when they did he had a witch with him too, who disabled herself and Tara. The witch was helping Jay, though Willow wasn’t exactly sure why.

The winged things! That’s what had occurred next. The two witches chased after Jay once their vision started to settle, but as they did the two witches discovered the mall being vandalized and destroyed by these winged skeleton-creatures, who were abducting two girls. And then, the creatures came at her, but first tossed Tara out of the way, and then… grabbed her. She couldn’t recall it all, but for some reason she remember Jay, and these skeleton-creatures had something to do with Jay. As Willow tried to focus, she realized that consciousness had begun to fade back to her, and she slowly opened her eyes, being released from the darkness that had engulfed her.

As one eye slowly opened, pain started shooting through her body. Scratches, bruises, and pains everywhere, Willow was now becoming aware of it all, as she came to. Though her vision was still hazy and blurred, she could make out several figures wandering around her surroundings, which she was able to identify as some sort of cave. Of the figures, she recognized two of them right away: one was the female psychic vampire, Kali, who she had encountered in the Magic Box; the other was the Doomed Vampire himself, Jay.

Willow groaned as she felt searing pain from her bruises and injures. She quickly fell silent as Kali and Jay’s attention turned towards the awakening Wicca. Uh oh…

"Finally awake," replied Jay smugly, slowly pacing towards the witch. Willow tried to pull herself up, but before she could get too far, Jay used his vampire speed to quickly move towards the girl, grabbing her by her shirt, and lifting her up into the air. Willow froze in terror and in horror, realizing that being eaten was soon to come after.

"Let the witch go." This was a new voice for Willow, one she had never heard. Strangely enough, the voice seemed so smooth…so lovely almost as if it were beautiful and soothing her thoughts. Jay released her from his grasp and she dropped back on the ground, hitting her head against the side of the wall. Looking up, Willow saw a young, beautiful woman standing in the center of the cave.

"Fine," muttered the half-vampire sourly. He turned to the pale, almost frail woman, replying, "Well then Crystal, what do you purpose to do then?"

Crystal. It took Willow a moment to recall what Giles had warned her and the other Scoobies about: The Crystal Night. Something about summoning a vampire called Crystal, by using powerful magicks. A witch-vampire. That’s what Giles had called it. Willow felt her stomach turn, realizing she probably wouldn’t be escaping alive—or at all.

"Teleportation spell." Crystal stared at the injured Willow, and a cruel, though almost lovely and passionate smile slowly appeared upon the witch-vampire’s face. Slowly she walked towards the injured witch. As Crystal walked closer and closer towards her, Willow felt some sort of force tug at her, pulling up her from on the ground. "Jasmine should be waiting on the other end, continuing the spell."

Spell? Willow’s mind was too hazed and lost to focus on what was going on. Crystal had done something, to her obviously, but Willow didn’t know what it was yet.

"And you know where to teleport her?" asked Kali, leaning against the entrance of the cave. "Don’t wanna teleport her out in the middle of nowhere, babbling about something and the Slayer never hears of it—"

"Magicks." Kelly chuckled, shaking her head at the simplicity of the psychic vampire’s mind. She nodded her head at the dazed witch, replying, "Crystal’s magicks connect her with her victims. She can enter their minds, sort through their memories, know their dreams or whatever. So Crystal’s connection to the witch will be able to tell her where to teleport her."

Crystal nodded, as Kelly explained the situation. As she made her way over to where Willow now stood, and though the witch tried to move and pull away, some kind of force and energy—magicks—radiating from Crystal were preventing her from doing so. When she came close enough to Willow to place her hand of the young Wicca’s short, red hair, the witch-vampire’s eyes began to dilate and she started to chant once again. "Chandra…mighty god of the moon and sacred source of the gods, I call to thee." Energy started to surround Crystal’s hand as she spoke the sacred and ancient words of the spell. Though energy was surrounding from the energy around them all, Willow could feel Crystal drawing forth magick from the young witch. "Draw energy from this sacrifice and grant my wishes…" Now the mystical energy was surrounding all of Crystal and Willow, not just where the vampire-witch’s hand met the young witch’s head. As she continued the spell, the energy that was coursing around the two began to speed up and as it did, she growled the final part of the spell. "Memoriter…recognosco asylum is ea id expetesso!" The energy suddenly stopped flowing and all the magicks fled back to Crystal’s hand, and as it did sent a small pulse of energy through Willow and Crystal. "Remeo!"

The magickal pulse Willow felt release from Crystal’s hand disseminated throughout the witch’s body, and as it did the energy seemed to bond with Willow. And as Crystal spoke the final words of the spell, the energy seemed to disengage and fall apart. And as all this happened, Willow began to fall apart and lose stability and before she knew it she wasn’t together anymore, and as this happened she slowly began to lose consciousness.

But before she knew it, Willow—who was feeling remarkably drained of any energy she had left—felt herself begin to reform and come together again, but as she became whole again she became aware she wasn’t in the cave anymore. Somehow, the magicks that had separated her had teleported her from Crystal’s underground cave to outside of Giles’s loft.

They brought me back to my friends? Willow felt too hazy to concentrate as she felt her mind begin to dissipate as her consciousness slowly faded away into nothingness.

* * * *

"Is it done?" asked Damien, standing behind Crystal who still seemed to be jolting with energy. He shook his head. "How do even know if everything’s working?"

Crystal quickly swiveled around—her eyes still fully black—and propelled a magickal force, similar to Kali, which pinned the questioning vampire against the wall of the cave. Crystal couldn’t control it and the witch-vampire vamped out, allowing her demonic face finally show and she snarled, "I can still sense her, and I know where she went!" Crystal roared in anger quickly levitated Damien upwards and shot him off towards the roof of the cave. "Everything’s going as planned."

"So she thought that Damien was Jay then?" asked Kali, still leaning against the wall of the cave, while she let Damien question the witch and get pummeled. "And Jasmine and Angelique are in place?"

Crystal nodded. "Jasmine is waiting for the redhead to be picked up by the Slayer and her friends while Angelique prepares to intercept the mightily devastated Doomed Vampire. Everything’s going as planned…"

Not too soon after his flat collapsed, the Sunnydale Fire Department arrived (not exactly the most formidable firemen, but good for Sunnydale standards) along with the police and an ambulance for Jerrold. Of course, Jerrold had been through much worth scrapes—though being hurled out of his neighbor’s flat right before his house collapsed on him was a first for the Doomed Vampire—so he didn’t actually need the ambulance, but other people on the block had called them anyways.

Wrapped up in a blanket from the ambulance and being swarmed by police, doctors, and familiar Sunnydale neighbors wanting to know what was going on. Of course for gossip or whatever, thought Jerrold. Since nothing really happens in this little town. Boy, will I be hearing about this from Sabrina on Monday…

The police had asked Jerrold a bunch of questions, even though he was still in pain and hazy, basically if Jerrold was at fault for anything that had happened, but luckily there were reports of the fire starting before he arrived home. Then, Jerrold just explained to them that he heard people in his neighbor’s house but before he could get into the lower flat, someone had attacked him and he ended up hurling them out the window (no one seemed to see the vampire, so Jerrold figured it had run off). He then managed to get into his neighbor’s house only to discover it on fire. Jerrold got to the front of the house, only to discover his neighbor’s dead and then whoever had started the fire had knocked him out of the window.

Luckily for Jerrold, this wasn’t the LAPD—these were Sunnydale cops. Malls cops and Rent-A-Cops from L.A. were probably smarter than Sunnydale’s police force and with all the strange stuff happening in the town, it wasn’t all too surprising that they actually bought all of Jerrold’s story.

I wouldn’t have even bought this story, Jerrold thought to himself as he leaned against a cop car while the police continued to ask him dozen of necessary questions. They wanted him to follow up with them the following day as soon as Jerrold got settled into his temporary home or with whomever he was staying with. Knowing he and Isis weren’t exactly on good terms, and it would be very awkward to stay with Dominique and her family, Jerrold called Frances and Michael Lawrence to see if he could stay there. Much to Jerrold’s surprise, they said that Angelique had stopped by earlier with their car and was heading over to Jerrold’s flat, and would meet him there soon.

Obviously something had happened to Angelique while he was escaping the vampires that had almost killed him within his house. But real the question was if Angelique was really all right—and if Jasmine was with her, how could he have forgotten about her.

None of the vampires could’ve survived the burning house collapsing on them—the impact and/or the fire would’ve killed them—so he had nothing to worry about. Basically, what would happen next was the real thing Jerrold was worried about. He was supposed to meet Spike and Isis by his crypt to investigate the skeleton-creatures, but now he figured he’d just blow it off and get a little R&R—he wasn’t in the best condition.

He heard screeching tires approach and couldn’t help but chuckle as a red convertible came rolling up Jerrold’s street, with Angelique behind the wheels of the car. But his smile quickly faded as he realized that Angelique might not be Angelique anymore; it could be a vampire—a demon that had now taken over Angelique’s body, life, and personality that was behind the wheel. Fear washed over Jerrold, and even as Angelique approach, some part of him didn’t want to find out what had happened to her.

"You Angelique Lawrence?" shouted the cop, as the red car approached the remains of the tattered house. He flashed his flashlight in the direction of the red convertible as it slowed down to a stop not too far away from the police car Jerrold was leaning against.

The red convertible stopped and a very pale Angelique stepped out of the car. Jerrold’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat as Angelique quickly walked towards the Doomed Vampire.

"Yeah, I’m Angelique," answered the young woman, as she made her way to the car. Angelique smiled as she stood several feet away from Jerrold and raised up her hand. She ran her finger across the side of Jerrold’s face, not touching the actual injury but expressing her worry about his cuts. Jerrold couldn’t help but smile as she touched the half-human because as she touched him, he felt warmth come from her.

This meant that Angelique had just fed, or that Angelique was still human.

"Fine. Can I have your number so we can remind Jerrold to stop by the station tomorrow?" asked the police officer sternly, following the usual procedure.

Angelique nodded, and the policeman handed her a pad and a pen, quickly scribbled down the number, and the police officer let them go. Jerrold gave a little sigh, and with one arm around Angelique’s shoulder, she helped him over to her parent’s car.

Jerrold wanted to sit in the back seat, mainly because there was more room back there and he wanted to rest, but he also need to check out the rearview mirror to see if Angelique still had her reflection—to check to see if she was still alive.

As he climbed into the back seat, Jerrold slowly asked, "Hey, Angelique, you don’t mind if I vamp out, do you? I’ll heal faster that way."

"That’s fine." After Jerrold and slipped into the back seat, Angelique pushed the driver’s seat backwards so that she could get into the car. As she got into the driver’s seat, Jerrold’s eyes quickly dashed to the rearview mirror to see if he could see Angelique. A wide smile spread across his face as the witch’s reflection looked back at him in the mirror of her car. Confused by his strange grin, Angelique looked back at him and asked, "You okay?"

Vamping out, Jay chuckled and replied, "Never been better." As Jay could comfortable in the back seat of the convertible, Jay quickly fell into a deep sleep, completely forgotten about Jasmine, Isis, and the other threats at hand.

* * * *

Jasmine Lawrence—a name that really didn’t matter to her any matter—observed the Slayer’s Watcher and her friends as they eased the injured girl that had just wandered in. Crystal had informed her, this was the significant other of the redheaded witch Crystal had captured. And it was all going as planned. Any second now, the red-hair witch was bound to show up and when she did so would the Slayer.

And that’s when Jasmine stepped in.

* * * *

Tara had explained the entire story to Giles, Xander, and Anya, from running into Jay and another women at the herbalist shop to the skeleton-creatures to barely managing to make it to Giles’s loft. They knew that Willow was in grave danger, and the four of them—well, three of them since Tara wouldn’t able to do much—couldn’t take on the creatures. They wouldn’t be able to finish them off, at least not without Buffy, not without the Slayer.

"Is there anything else you could tell us about these skeleton-like creatures that you encountered?" suggested Giles, standing next to the injured Tara sprawled across the couch. And knelt down next to her, replying, "Do you have any clue as to what direction it went?"

Tara shook her head slowly. "I’m sorry. It’s just that—it took Willow…"

"No, Tara, it’s okay," said Xander, attempting to comfort her. Anya stood next to him, silent, which was something new for her. At this point Anya couldn’t think of anything that would help, and she knew that Willow could possibly be dead, and even she and Anya were friends (somewhat), Willow was much closer to Xander, Tara, and Giles. And on some level, she was jealous of her because of that.

Xander’s eyes moved up from Tara and towards Giles. "Should we call Buffy again?"

"Joyce called not too long after left your message," reminded Giles. "If we call, then it’ll only worry Joyce, and it’d be pointless if she’s en route right now."

Anya couldn’t help it anymore. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "Why don’t we go out and find Spike." Both Xander and Giles shot tired glances towards Anya. She was aware that neither two were too fond of the neutered vampire. "I mean, yeah we’ll have Buffy, the Slayer, but let’s face it, even with her here, all four of us won’t be able to take out Crystal. We’ll need more muscle."

"Riley," reminded Giles. "He’s pulled through for us many…" Giles hesitated for a moment then reworded his sentence. "Well, more accurately, he’s pulled through off and on. He should be able to help us take out Jay and Crystal, or at least the witch-vampire."

They just don’t want him here, thought an irritated Anya. "Ah yes. Riley, a has-been government lab rat, would be much more useful than Spike, a hundred-something-year-old vampire who’s taken down two Slayers. Ah yes, much better."

Xander was about to start talking—obviously going against what she was saying—when suddenly Giles’s loft door was knocked down by Buffy, carrying an unconscious Willow is her arms.

"Willow," Xander and Anya managed to whisper in shock, as the Slayer brought in her best friend.

Hearing the name of her lover, Tara slowly drew herself up from the slumped position on the couch. "Willow?" she whispered. Tara managed to get up off of the couch, so that Buffy would have to place to put Willow. Tara watched in horror as Buffy rushed to the idle couch, slowly putting down young girl.

"Buffy, where did you find her?" asked Giles, as he helped Buffy examined the injured Willow.

"Right outside your loft," answered Buffy, not turning to Giles. "She was passed out, I don’t know for how long, but she doesn’t look good."

Obviously confused, Xander shot a glance back towards Tara, asking, "Wait, I thought you said those skeleton-things grabbed her."

"They did," replied Tara slowly, starting to go into shock.

"Here." Xander, for some reason, was accusing Tara, who was obviously confused. So, before Xander could continue with his game of twenty-questions, Anya put her arm around Tara and helped up towards the stairs that led up towards Giles’s bed.

* * * *

Jasmine peered in as the Slayer and her allies surrounded the injured witch, attempting to figure out what was happening. It was time for Jasmine to use her inner powers… powers, which she wasn’t familiar with, which she hadn’t even known of until tonight. But the thought just seemed to pass right through her mind. The only thing that truly mattered was the task at hand.

In order for things to go the way Crystal wanted, and Jasmine knew what she wanted because there was a connection with her and Crystal, the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire would have be pitted against each other. And in order to do that, she would have to make the Slayer believe that Jerrold—Jay—had harmed one of her friends. To guarantee that this worked, Jasmine’s magick abilities would have to be added.

"Goddess Maat, to you I pray," chanted Jasmine quickly, staring in at the Slayer, her Watcher, and her allies inside the house, "hear my call, hear my plea. Daughter of Ra, goddess of truth, my prayers go out to you. Exile truth and focus and sight from these six, and flood this dwelling with lies and deception. Let their conjectures and theories overrun and have the truth be hidden to them." As she continued to stare in on all of them, her pupils dilated from the intense, dark magick that Jasmine (with the help of Crystal) was tapping into. "Let the spell be cast and let them be blinded by their hate. Let it begin…"

Jasmine’s eyes flared with the fiery magicks that were stored inside of her. She held up her hand and lightly blew on her palm, which had some sort of blue-gray powder on it. The energy stored inside of her was released from her mouth as she blew on her hand. The energy and the powder combine and it blew from her hand and seeped towards the slightly cracked window, entering the house of the Slayer and her friends.

Her first job was done. Jasmine rose up and turned away, heading towards her next destination.

* * * *

Isis rapidly tapped her foot, waiting impatiently outside of Spike’s newly established crypt. If the metamorphic demon had worn a watch, she’d be looking at it again and again, except since she wasn’t human and transformed into other demons, she usually didn’t wear too flashy and important things during all this. If she were to turn into a big hairy beasty, her watch would get destroyed when he wrist expanded, so no go on the watch.

Though Isis was very happy to be moving to San Francisco, she would miss several things about Sunnydale. She, of course, would not be missing the Slayer, who, if she’d piss off, would happily slay her, or the bane of Sunnydale Junior High School. And the rigorous "Doomed" Vampire wasn’t all too thrilling either…

Guess I won’t miss all that much about Sunnydale, thought Isis with a chuckle. Except maybe some of the, uh—kinder demons? Guess that’s the right word. Plus I haven’t had to deal with anyone after taking this identity. She had hidden in Sunnydale in order to get away from her past and the creatures that were after her. And what better place to hide than in a backwater town like Sunnydale—which just happened to be the Hellmouth too, so she could naturally just blend in with the demons.

She was suppose to be meeting Spike, Jay, and the Slayer in order to track down the skeleton-like monsters that had taken her friend Jasmine, her older sister, as well as someone else who she didn’t know. Though she wouldn’t particularly fond of the Slayer, mainly because she was the Slayer of vampires and demons all throughout the Hellmouth, and Isis was treading on getting the Slayer’s bad side, it was going to be helpful to have a little more power when taking on these creatures.

Isis gave a little sigh of relief as she saw Spike finally approaching, after appearing from behind a statue. But as Spike came closer, Isis’s focus turned past Spike and towards the tall, brown-hair, well-built, guy who was trailing after the vampire.

"Bit late, aren’t we Spike?" replied Isis, putting up a false smile as the de-fanged vampire approached. Isis’s eyes shot towards the muscular guy replying, "What’s his deal?"

"If I only knew," muttered Spike. The vampire grunted as the guy pushed past Spike and slowly walked towards Isis. "This’d be Riley. The Slayer’s boy."

"Ah." Isis wasn’t all too impressed. He seemed to be just a regular guy, with slightly large muscles, which actually made him pretty handsome. But, just from looking at the guy, something made him seem somewhat… bland. Isis titled her head past Riley, looking at Spike again, asking, "So uh, what? He’s like a vampire or something? Soulful or what not?" She straightened her head and smirked, lightly poking Riley. "Drugged up or anything? Robot?"

"Ex-Initiative lab rat," answered Spike with a little chuckle. "Same guys who put that blasted chip in my head."

Riley, still not muttering a word to Isis, turned around back towards Spike. "Who’s she? A demon friend of yours?"

Spike smirked, and nudged his head back in Isis’s direction. "Look of yourself."

Riley turned back around and Isis had reverted back to her frail, gray, almost weak, demonic form. Without even twitching, Riley rushed at Isis, grabbing her up by the neck, and shoving her against a tree.

"Hey," Isis managed to deliver. Closing off her air passage wouldn’t kill her, but it wasn’t the most comfortable thing. "Hands off. Look, don’t touch."

"You’re a tsudious demon."

"Oh, aren’t we the observant one. Most people would just go, ‘Oh, hey! There goes that metamorphic de—’"

"Shut up," ordered Riley sternly. "You kill and take on the forms of humans."

"And demons," reminded Isis, obviously getting tired of Riley’s little soldier act. "Would you let go, my neck’s getting kinda cramped."

"I’d let go of her if I were you Riley," insisted Spike, calling out from behind the government soldier. "There’s a reason why tsudious demons aren’t too friendly."

"Shut up Spike." Isis figured this was a phrase she’d be hearing a lot that night. Riley, with his eyes still locked on Isis, he sternly and darkly said, slightly slipping into his southern ascent, "As I recall, the only way to permanently kill your kind, is to take—"

"Yeah, take our heads off. But we can also do this." Isis’s gray eyes suddenly reddened, and the energy circulating within her eyes flared and suddenly entranced Riley. Riley froze in the moment, unable to move.

Isis smirked, removing Riley’s hand from her neck. "Yeah, hands off."

"How long he’s gonna be all stone like?" asked Spike.

"Not too long." Isis smiled happily, poking the statue-like Riley—who already seemed statue-like when she first met him—as she got out from between him and the tree. "Why?"

"We might need the wanker." Spike pointed past the tree and towards a mausoleum where four vampires emerged. "Might be where our skeletons fled off too."

"Time for the big fight." Isis closed her eyes as she turned from her natural vicious demonic side, into what appeared to be an innocent girl named Tami, who was actually a vampire. "Let’s go."

* * * *

Damien hated the whole tunnel system and underground of Sunnydale. Though the sun wasn’t all too enjoyable—hence being a vampire—he did like being aboveground during the evening. But it wasn’t his place to complain. He wasn’t even in a position to make decisions. He was, pretty much, one of Lohesh’s many lackeys. Sure he was in charge of most of his vampires, a "general" one might say, but Lohesh obviously favored demons with strength and power, which was why Kali, the psychic vampire, was his second in command.

Sometimes life pretty much sucked, even the undead kind of life.

In order for Crystal’s plan to progress, she would have to move aboveground. And though Damien wanted to accompany her, since Damien and Kali were both apart of the summoning, Crystal chose to bring Kali because of her strength and abilities. Plus she had the asanbosam vampires, which Damien was getting for her.

All Damien had done was choose four vampires to go up to the surface, distract whoever was up there, in order for Crystal, Kali, and that annoying vampire Kelly to get to the surface.

"I’m feeling the male population being excluded," muttered Damien, stepping into the lair of Lohesh, the last of his species of demons. The actual place wasn’t too big. It resembled where Crystal was risen except larger, with a lower level where Lohesh was waiting. Vampires, demons, as well as the asanbosam demons all roamed on the upper level where the entrance was, and they all acknowledged Damien as he entered the cave. "But hey, gotta love being one of Lohesh’s more favored vampires. Brings fear to all the others."

Damien walked over to the four remaining asanbosam vampires that Kali had left. There had been many more when Kali started her employment with Lohesh, but slowly their numbers began to dwindle when they finally reached Sunnydale, only ten remained. And then, there were several run-ins with Spike, Jay, and the Slayer, which ended up killing six of the asanbosam vampires.

Though the tall demons, with sickles for arms, iron teeth, and more beastly, animal-like traits than most vampires, weren’t all too bright, they followed orders and knew who was in charge. Plus, they kicked serious ass in a fight, as long as it wasn’t their asses getting kicked.

"Kali told me to get two of you up to the surface," explained Damien, stopping in front of the four of them. "Wants you to help take out whoever’s out there. It’s probably that damn metamorphic demon." Damien shook his head with disappointment. He wasn’t entirely sure why that demon was allying itself with Jay, but the demon was proving to be a serious problem. "So basically kill, maim, dice, whatever."

Two of the asanbosam growled, obviously showing enjoyment in what Damien was vaguely describing.

"There ya go." He patted both of the asanbosams on the back and gave a little nod. He pointed to the door, replying, "Go on, frolic, kill, be merry."

The asanbosam vampires quickly started towards the door when a suited man, with several gray, gravely, bulky, boulder-like demons appeared at the entrance of Lohesh’s lair. He held papers in one hand and a small, black, leather briefcase in the other. Nicely clothed, with expensive black shoes, the pale man stared at Damien Hunt for a moment, ignoring the approaching asanbosam vampires.

"Stop!" shouted Damien, and the two demons instantly halted. He quickly rushed towards the door, and made his away around the tall sickled-vampires, standing several feet away from the nicely dressed man. "Who are you?"

"Leo McKay," answered the man, not really caring that that Damien was there. "This is Lohesh’s domain, correct?"

Damien slowly nodded. "Why?"

"I suggest you get him," replied Leo, putting up a false smile as he did. The suited man, with a nice, short buzzcut, and wearing a heavy, thick cologne, which Damien wasn’t enjoying.

Putting up a false smile as well, Damien nodded, turned around, and shoved passed Kali’s asanbosam vampires. Getting closer to the entrance that lead downward to where Lohesh was resting, Damien shouted, "Hey Lohesh! Some guy’s here to see you ’bout somethin’!" Damien swiveled around and smiled at this guy Leo, slowly stepping aside. "Don’t be surprised if he’s slightly agitated, pissed off even, and well…" Damien shrugged as he finished, "Well, if he kills ya."

As Damien continued to backup, and Lohesh started to rise from his lower levels, he shouted, "Good luck." He walked over towards several other vampires, watching the upcoming confrontation.

Lohesh appeared from the entrance of his underground cave, annoyed that Damien had loudly shouted just to awaken him. Just like anybody would, he had just woken up and obviously wanted to return to his slumber. He angrily marched towards the suited man, pulling out his sword, when he suddenly recognized the man. "Oh… it’s you."

"So you remember then?" asked Leo.

"You’re from that L.A. office, right?" Lohesh nodded, remembering his previous engagement with them. "Helped me pull the Drokken beast out of that dimension, correct? That one which is now dead… twice."

"Exactly."

"And now you’re hear to call in a favor, right?" Lohesh knew how humans thought, and knew that whatever small tiny act that you would do for them would have to be repaid somehow. "What do you want?"

"Absolutely nothing." The false smile appeared on Leo’s face again. "My colleagues have become aware of your interest in the Doomed Vampire."

"Yeah? So what?" replied Lohesh, putting his sword back in its buckle.

Leo held up the papers that were in one of his hands and extended his arm out towards Lohesh, continuing to hold his false smile. "We have recently obtain some information about the living condition of Jerrold Irvine Smith, and his future in Los Angeles."

"His future?" repeated Lohesh.

Leo sighed, and he finally released his false smile, obviously in a hurry or a rush of some sort—or possibly getting a little anxious being in a cave full of vampires—and dropped the lawyer talk. "Okay, hear me out. This guy you’re after, the Doomed Vampire or Jerrold Irvine Smith or whatever his name is, he’s moving to L.A. after he finishes school over here in Sunnydale. My colleagues just figured that you would be interested in this information."

"Yes thank you." Without even looking up at Leo, Lohesh snatched the papers from Leo’s grasp. He examined the papers, which explained his new living accommodations, his new school, and background on the family he would be staying with. "We weren’t aware of Jerrold moving." Lohesh’s gaze rose up, meeting Leo’s eyes, and replied, "You should leave now."

Leo snorted and shook his head. "That wasn’t all I came down here for." He stepped forward towards Lohesh, until the two were only several inches away from each other. A true, cruel, intriguing smile appeared on Leo’s face this time as his eyes locked onto the red, blood-shot eyes of Lohesh. He shook his head again and stepped back. "Gotta love Sunnydale, ya know? Got your monsters, your demons, your witches, and of course your lovable vigilantes like the Slayer, or the soulful vampire, or hey, even a Doomed Vampire or two." Leo held up his briefcase, and dangled it in front of Lohesh. "And every single hero that works for the power of good—or The Powers that Be, as they call them—has a purpose. Usually a purpose for good that’ll end all evil or whatever, but usually there’s a task they have that could end the world too. For the Doomed Vampire, he’ll be the key figure that opens the Gatew—"

"We’re aware of his purpose," replied Damien, who had been watching Lohesh and Leo’s bickering. "That’s why we’re trying to kill him."

Leo snorted and studied Damien for a moment, and another smile appeared. "Shut up, vampire. Just killing him won’t open it. It’s not like we’re dealing with a simple Hellmouth or something—God forbid when we have to deal with that again." Leo’s attention turned back towards Lohesh and tossed the briefcase at Lohesh and he caught it. "Wolfram and Hart figured you should at least open the Gateway correctly, and not fuck up your only chance to do it."

"…Thank you," replied Lohesh hesitantly.

"Yeah, it has information on the ritual, the process, yada, yada," replied Leo, glancing down at his watch. "Listen, I have a date to go on, hopefully she’s still alive—who knows if she even is since she’s living in this crappy-ass little town—and I don’t have time to explain all this to you. Pretty much, you all don’t know what you’re doing, you’re just all ‘kill-kill-kill’ when it’s more like capture, manipulate, carry, and then kill. It’s all in the book in the briefcase." He waved good-bye to Lohesh, and glanced at Damien giving him a little smile. "Gotta run. Don’t screw up, and hey, maybe I’ll see you all in L.A."

Jasmine…

The Doomed Vampire groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him, and he pulled himself up from Angelique’s back seat of her convertible. He was aware that he was still wearing his vampire face, and because of that several of his injuries had begun to heal up, so he was feeling better. Of course, Jennifer and Kyle were both dead, so he wasn’t all too happy about that—and all of his stuff went poof when his house collapsed, which wasn’t very convenient. And Jasmine, how could he have possibly forgotten about her in all this. She was taken just like Angelique was, and now Angelique was fine but why wasn’t her younger sister with her. Something wasn’t adding up.

"Finally awake." Jay’s attention turned towards the window of the convertible, and saw Angelique waiting outside of her car. Still hazy, Jay pushed the driver’s seat forward and climbed out of the red car, entering the cool Sunnydale night.

"Yeah, well being hurled out of a burning building that’s about to collapse does that to a guy," murmured Jay, rubbing the back of his head and gazing around their location. At first he didn’t recognize it, and figured that was because he was really out of it and he just couldn’t remember Angelique’s neighborhood. Several seconds later, he realized that it was several blocks away from the cemetery were Spike’s crypt was located, nowhere near Angelique’s house. Something was wrong.

But Jay didn’t want to give in just yet, so he asked, "Hey Angelique, what happened to you?"

Angelique stared at Jay for several seconds before asking, "What do you mean?"

"You know, the guys that captured yet," reminded the half-vampire. It wasn’t registering for some reason, so he slowly continued, "The skeletony guys the got you at the mall…"

"Oh, yeah, right." Angelique chuckled. "Sorry, I’m just—"

"Kinda out of it," replied Jay slowly, not buying what the older sister was saying. "So out of it that you can’t remember anything that happened to Jasmine? You know, you’re younger, friendly, only sister, who sometimes pisses you off."

Angelique gave a warm, friendly smile and put her hand on Jay’s shoulder. "It’s not important Jerrold. Jasmine’s just fine. It’s nothing for you to be concerned about."

Jay’s dark red eyes were locked on Angelique’s and some essence—some energy and power—that seemed to be surrounding her, and influencing Jay somehow. Some sort of magick, Jay assumed, making his mind unfocused, especially when it came to issues like Jasmine, making it seem as if everything was wrong. But now that he was figuring everything out, her powers were losing effect.

Angelique couldn’t help but smile and shake her head. "I told her this wouldn’t last for too long."

"Her?" repeated Jay curiously.

Angelique’s cool smile covered her beautiful face, and for some reason Jay couldn’t help but be slightly drawn and entranced by her. It was possibly the magicks taking affect, but it wasn’t sure. Sadly, that feeling didn’t stay with him within the next few seconds.

He could see something twinkling in Angelique’s eyes as it did. Slowly, her features hardened, as Angelique’s forehead seemed to thicken, becoming more animalistic. Her beautiful, light brown eyes turned to bright, piercing, yellowing eyes that seemed to cut right through the half-vampire. Her teeth lengthened and sharpened, as the full-vampire slowly walked towards the half-vampire. As the girl vamped out, she seemed to shed some sort of energy that had been cloaking her—making it seem like she was still human while she was wearing her false face.

"They killed you," whispered Jay. "To distract me from getting to them."

Angelique, still smiling, shrugged. "Not a big deal, I mean I’m stronger this way, more closer to my magickal abilities." The girl chuckled, with her eyes locked on Jay, as he slowly began to back up. "And I’m not here to distract you Jerrold." Suddenly her brilliant, demonic, yellow eyes darkened to purely magick-induced black eyes. "I’m just a messenger." Without even whispering a single phrase, Angelique shot out her hand and electricity streamed from the vampire’s fingertips, shooting straight towards the half-vampire.

Managing to use his vampiric abilities, the Doomed Vampire sidestepped the small bolt of lightning produced from Angelique. But before he could even begin to turn around, Angelique rushed at him with incredible speed—faster than any normal vampire—and punched him in the chest and sent him flying upward and landing in the middle of the vacant street. And, for the second time that night, the half-vampire landing and slightly cracking the street.

"This night is really beginning to suck," muttered Jay, pulling himself from off of the ground. But as he did, Angelique was inches away from him. Still wearing her vampire face, she gave a cool, false, smile and gently Jay’s shoulder, just as she had done at the (remains of) his house, when she had appeared from out of her car. Only this time, as she touched his shoulder, she gripped his shoulder, digging her nails into his skin and released electricity from her fingertips again and surged through the half-vampire’s body.

He cried out in pain, before Angelique released her grasp on him, and an entertained smile spread across her demonic face. She was truly enjoying this. Too stunned to move, Angelique grabbed Jay by the shirt and tossed him several feet away from the she-vamp.

Slowly walking towards the dazed half-vampire, Angelique continued talking before she cast another spell. "I’m better this way, as a vampire. She sired me."

"She?" murmured Jay, as feeling began to flood back into her body.

"Crystal." Angelique’s simple answer wasn’t registering in Jay’s memory at first. This Crystal was probably some powerful vampire that Damien or Kali had hired in order to take him out. Continuing to watch towards him, she continued, "She sired me, mixing our blood together, making me stronger more powerful!"

"Crystal’s a witch-vamp then," replied Jay, with his strength beginning to resurface again.

"Her blood courses with magick and energies you couldn’t even possibly imagine," replied Angelique, as her dark eyes returned to her natural yellow state. Snarling at the half-vampire and baring her teeth, Angelique replied, "You’re just a simple vampire to me. A measly little misquote—really a pathetic excuse for a bloodsucker." Angelique stopped several feet away from Jay, putting her hands on her hips, and shook off her vampire face. "Go ahead, I’m giving you head start." She held up her hand, snapped her finger, and as she did, a small spark appeared, and a vile expression crossed her human face. Quietly she whispered, "Run."

The half-vampire scampered up off the ground, and broke into a run. His vampiric abilities and the Slayer-based strength passed down from his mother kicked in and he managed to pick up some serious speed, as he flew down the block. Unfortunately, even though he had managed to gain a lot of distance between himself and the vampire, he could hear Angelique’s maniacal laughter quickly catching up to him.

As he continued to run, he shot his head back to see how close Angelique was. As he saw the female vampire catching up to him, he watched her mouth and saw her whispering some sort of incantation or spell or something and before he knew it, everything around him seemed to freeze or slow down. He wasn’t completely catatonic, he was just moving really, really, really slowly—but Angelique wasn’t. The witch-vampire seemed to be the only thing that wasn’t moving really slowly. She stopped running with a pleased expression on her face, as she glanced around at her slow moving surroundings.

Jay tried to focus and turn his head back forward, but it was taking a really long time. As he started to face forward again, Angelique smiled at him and waved, idly walking at a normal tempo, easily surpassing the half-vamp, and standing acouple feet ahead of him. Angelique vamped out, and walked forward. Before Jay could even start to react, Angelique pulled her fist back and punched Jay in the face.

As the punch connected with Jay’s jaw, the spell was instantly broken and Jay went speeding through the air and ending up soaring across several cars. The half-vamp flew over several vehicles before he colliding into the sidewalk again, but instead of squirming around in pain, Jay rose up and broke into a run again.

A Slayer would sure be nice right now, muttered Jay to himself as turned a corner and sped down a street block. And slowly, everything started to return to him. He was suppose to meet Spike, Isis, and Buffy in order to rescue Angelique, Jasmine, and the third girl the skeleton-creatures snatched over by Spike’s crypt. If he could make it through the cemetery without Angelique killing him first, he might be able to get Spike or Buffy—possibly Isis, if she cared enough—to help him.

Hopefully, Angelique wouldn’t use the same magick trick she used last because if she did, then Jay wouldn’t last too long against her. But the half-vampire figured that Angelique was testing out her new abilities as a vampire and was going to use the same trick twice, or so he hoped.

At least let Spike, Isis, and Buffy be all right.

* * * *

"Really gotta love vampires," muttered Isis, who had reverted to her demonic form, leaning against a tree, completely breathless. Spike was dusting off his long black coat, while Riley insisted on scouting the rest of the area, checking to see if there was anymore vampires running about. Isis wasn’t enjoying her night of patrolling.

"Hey," agreed the de-fanged vampire, continuing to dust himself off, "those buggers really did a number on my arm." Spike sighed, pulling out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, "Plus they really scoffed up my jacket." The bleached-vampire began searching around his lighter. "And I think me lighter slipped out during the bout."

"I really hope San Francisco doesn’t have this many vampires," muttered Isis, not listening to Spike, as he began looking around the cemetery for his lighter, which he had dropped. "Well, maybe one or two…just for fun when it’s late and I’m done feeding off of some of the humans there…" She groaned as she rubbed her shoulder, which was still healing up from when the skeleton-creatures had grabbed her. Her gaze locked on to the wandering Spike, asking, "Are we going after those skeletons or not?"

"You do realize they’re probably dead anyhow, right?" asked Spike, picking up his fallen lighter from the ground, amused he had found it. "I mean, we wandered about, waited around, fought off some vamps—after all this time, they’re probably not tickin’ anymore."

Isis shrugged and nodded. "True, but Jay’ll kill me—literally—if I left Angelique and Jasmine to get killed." Her gaze shifted to the incoming Riley, who appeared stiff and somewhat emotionless, as usual. "Find anything?"

Riley shook his head. "Nothing of demonic interest."

Isis gaze them shot past both Riley and Spike, and towards a mausoleum, and noticed a young, female vampire, who for some reason seemed shockingly familiar, who poked her head into the metamorphic demon’s direction. "Well Rile, I guess you missed a vamp." The thin, gray, demon pointed towards the vampire, and her eyes widened in horror and quickly shot back behind the small, cryptic, building. Isis smiled. "Well, I guess now we know where to start looking for where those guys took Jasmine."

Not even getting to light his cigarette, Spike tossed it to the ground and turn around and faced Riley and Isis. Now wearing his vampire face, the de-fanged creature shouted, "Just a simple vamp. I’ll take care of it." Swiveling around, Spike rushed towards the lone mausoleum.

* * * *

"I’ll take care of it." Kelly rolled her eyes, as she turned around towards Crystal and Kali, as well as two of her asanbosam vampires that had accompanied them after Damien had gone to fetch them. Spike, who was once a feared, known, and almost legendary creature, was now simply another annoying little nuisance that plagued Sunnydale. Just like Buffy and her band of friends, or the second Slayer that had roamed there for several of months—even Angelus, the vampire with a soul had protected the streets of Sunnydale. He was all talk, even when he tried to take the Slayer on. The only thing that had ended up happening to him was that a church collapsed on him. His "strength" and "glory"—oh, whoa, he killed two Vampire Slayers, big deal—couldn’t compare to the might and power of Crystal.

"You’re turn guys," whispered Kali to her two asanbosam-vampires.

The two beastly creatures snarled pleasingly as they darted from out of the small building, and out into the cool Sunnydale night. Before the second asanbosam could even get out of the mausoleum, Spike had appeared in front of the building, expecting to see Kelly cowering inside the building somewhere. He hadn’t expected her to be in the building with two powerful, animalistic vampires, a psychic vampire, and a witch-vamp.

So she couldn’t help but smile and feel a little warm, fuzzy feeling surface within her as she saw Spike’s horrified expression as the first asanbosam vampire emerged from the cement structure. As the second creature was about to step out of the building, Kali used her powers and abruptly stopped the creature in its path. She quickly moved in towards her tall, lanky, lackey, and whispered in its ear, "Kill the rest of them if you’d like, but bring the bleached one back."

The asanbosam vampire gave an agreeing little snarl and eagerly followed after the other asanbosam vampire.

Kali turned around towards Crystal and Kelly and shrugged. "And it’s done. Course, even with my asanbosams distracting them, there is a good chance that Spike or whoever else is out there might notice us."

But even before she finished speaking, the psychic vampire say that Crystal’s piercing yellow eyes had now completely black, as she began to murmur some magickal incantation. Eventually, Kali and Kelly could hear what Crystal was murmuring under her breath. "Let us go unnoticed, let us be unseen, let those around disregard us as we flee. Occulo!" As she finished her spell, Crystal’s eyes flickered with magickal energy and all three female vampires felt energy surge through them as Crystal’s spell started to take effect.

"How long will this last?" asked Kali curiously, examining her hand, realizing that she wasn’t invisible. "And how is it that I go unseen, yet I can still see me? Is it like I can see myself because I’m invisible or—"

"We’re just unnoticed," explained Kelly, rolling her eyes at the ignorant psychic vampire. "That means we can be seen, but Spike and the rest of them won’t care enough to go after us." Kelly turned to Crystal and nodded. "Are Jasmine and Angelique playing their parts?"

Crystal nodded. "Yes, as is the witch. And by capturing Spike, they’ll be down one less creature." She turned to them and smiled, allowing her vampiric features to show. "Let us depart."

* * * *

Jasmine and Angelique better be alive when we go down there, Isis thought bitterly to herself. I have school on Monday and still have to pass those damn tests before I can leave this damned town… Isis rose up off of the ground and was about to ask the stiff soldier guy about Buffy, when Isis heard Spike holler—which seemed like something he wouldn’t often do—and curse, rushing away from the mausoleum. At first, she was unsure as to what was going on, until one of those asanbosam vampires that Isis had fought several nights earlier, appeared from the building.

"Great," muttered Isis numbly, transforming into a young Asian girl that she had abducted twenty years back, who had ended up being a werewolf that had terrorized a small town. Isis had faced these asanbosam vampires before, and realized that she would need all the muscle she could use, even though she had Spike and Riley. She turned to Riley, who still had several arrows left in his crossbow, and replied, "Suit up, we’ve got trouble on the way."

Riley squinted at Spike, as he came rushing away from the two asanbosam vampires that were quickly chasing after him. "What are those?"

"Asanbosam vamps," answered Isis simply. "Kali, one of the vampire lackeys of Lohesh—this big bad demon in town—has several pet asanbosams lying about that she used against Jay, Spike, Buffy, and I awhile back. Got sickles for arms and iron teeth in their mouth, so my best recommendation is to avoid the mouth." As Isis finished her brief debriefing on the demons they were fighting, she had begun her transformation into a werewolf.

"Hey! A little help here!" shouted Spike angrily, as the asanbosam quickly began to gain on him.

Isis, now a full werewolf, rushed towards Spike and the asanbosam vamp, quickly followed by the approaching Riley. At full speed, Isis shot passed the bleached vampire and tried to tackle the asanbosam vampire, who managed to sidestep her attack. Skidding only acouple of feet passed the vampire, Isis managed to turn and continue to rush towards the asanbosam while its focus was locked on Spike. Isis rammed into the demon from behind, knocking it flat on the ground.

The counterfeit werewolf snarled and viciously clawed at the unbeknownst asanbosam vampire, before the sickle of the second asanbosam vampire sliced right through the back of the transformed tsudious demon. The asanbosam demon screeched with delight, lifting up its huge scythe-like claw with the now limp werewolf on the other end of it. It shot its arm away from the other asanbosam, sliding the werewolf off of its sickle and tossed it towards a tree. The twisted vampire howled joyously as it scurried over towards the injured tsudious demon, while the other asanbosam vamp rose up and continued its pursuit on Spike.

Riley rushed at the asanbosam demon that was moving towards Spike, who had finally stopped running, and aimed his crossbow at the vampire and fired a bolt, which landed in the demon’s arm. The vamp hissed and slashed its scythe at Riley, who ducked down, managing to evade the blade.

With its attention turned away from Spike, the de-fanged vampire shouted as he rushed up and punched the asanbosam vampire in the side of the head. Spike cried out again as he felt his fingers crack against the asanbosam’s cheek, which concealed its thick, iron, teeth. The asanbosam turned back towards Spike again just in time for Riley to kick the demon in the chest, forcing it to stumble backwards. The twisted vampire hissed at Riley again and began swiping its claws at the ex-Initiative soldier, before its black, beady eyes locked onto the cursing Spike, holding his injured fist.

Taking a final swipe at Riley, the asanbosam vamp swiftly rushed at Spike. Riley managed to jump the asanbosam, wrapping his arms around the tall, lanky, demon’s neck, attempting to throw it off balance.

Elsewhere, the other asanbosam vampire quickly crept towards the fallen Isis, who was focusing on reverting back to her natural demon form, going from werewolf to human then from human to tsudious demon. Immediately she began to shiver, as she became aware that she was no longer clothed (they it didn’t matter since there weren’t any features on her frail, plain, gray tsudious body) since her werewolf transformation ruined her clothes. But her focus went back to the asanbosam vampire as it rushed towards her. Isis’s eyes locked on the asanbosam’s as her dull, gray eyes flared a brilliant red, stopping the distorted demon in its tracks.

A pleased smile spread across the tsudious demon’s face, revealing several rows of its sharp, jagged teeth, just before Isis lunged at the catatonic vampire. Isis jumped towards the creature, wrapping her legs around its thin waist and her arms around its neck, knocking the demon to the ground. With her eyes still locked on the now helpless creature, Isis watched it for a moment just before she opened her mouth, revealing several rows of sharp, sparkling, shark-like teeth. With a low demonic growl, Isis sunk her many jagged teeth into the asanbosam vampire’s neck.

As Isis drained the asanbosam, Riley continued his efforts to try to wrestle the demon, but he wasn’t holding it back.

The asanbosam vampire merely stopped and began rapidly shaking itself off, to get Riley to loosen up. Though Riley had a strong grip around the asanbosam vampire’s neck at first, Riley couldn’t hold on for too long be the demon flung off Riley, slamming him into a tree before he fell onto the ground, leaving the injured Spike in the open.

Though he couldn’t describe the pain he felt shooting through his fist, Spike pushed it away as the asanbosam came rushing towards him. Spike took one step back, pivoting, as the asanbosam came into range. As soon as it did, Spike shot a deadly kick at the demon, which the creature could see coming. The asanbosam’s sickles worked together to hook the vampire’s foot between its took, long, crescent-shaped blades. With a look of annoyance in Spike’s eyes, he groaned as the asanbosam pushed its claws upward, flipping Spike in midair, and causing the vampire to land face first on the ground.

As Spike began to get up, the asanbosam kicked the bleached vampire in the face, knocking him unconscious. The distorted demon bent down and picked Spike up, cradling him with its long scythes, and began to quickly flee the scene. With Isis to busy with the other asanbosam and Riley still recovering from the blow, there was no one there who could stop the demon as it rushed off with Spike.

* * * *

Watching from a distance, Kali smiled at her asanbosam as he rushed off with Spike in its arms. Kali turned towards Crystal and nodded. "The metamorphic demon will want to go after him, you know that right?"

"The boy won’t let her," replied Crystal. "He’ll want the Slayer with him if they go after Spike."

Kelly chuckled with amusement. "That’s where we come in, right?"

"Yes," replied Crystal, turning towards Kali. "It’ll be necessary for you to encounter the Doomed Vampire at some point. Throw him off track before he can reach Isis or the boy."

Kali nodded without a word.

"Jasmine’s on her way to the Slayer’s dwelling as we speak," continued Crystal, revealing a pleased nod. "The Slayer will soon depart to go after the Doomed Vampire, which is where Kelly and I will play are part…"

"So, you are positive that this vampire you saw in the cave was in fact Jay, the Doomed Vampire?" Giles asked the young Wicca, who lay wrapped up in blankets on the couch. Though Buffy had instantly insisted on going after Jay, Giles thought it would be a good idea to make sure that it was in fact Jay that they should be going after, since Buffy at first claimed he was on their side.

Willow nodded and weakly replied, "Yes. It was the same vampire that Tara and I saw in the Magic Box and the mall."

Buffy’s glance turned from Willow to Giles, and she quickly replied, "See, it’s the same guy, Giles. Now can I go after him before he does something else tonight?"

"Well Buffy it’s not just the Doomed Vampire who you’ll be going after," replied Giles, getting slightly agitated with Buffy’s impatient. "There is also the matter of Crystal and the Crystal Night, which may be of more important than the Doomed Vampire."

"Yeah, especially if it was Jay who helped conjure the civatateo vampire up," replied Anya agreeingly from Giles’s steps. Xander was upstairs in Giles’s bedroom watching after the resting Tara, while Buffy and Giles talked to Willow. Anya off and on added little bits when necessary. "If they’re in leagues together, then there’s a good chance that stopping Crystal first would be a good idea."

Buffy turned to Anya and asked, "Why? Wouldn’t going after the source of it all be the best idea?"

"Well, Crystal’s powers aren’t at their peak until the night is over," explained Anya, recalling these things from her demon days. "So, if you were to kill Crystal at any time, killing her during the Crystal Night would work out fine—unless you want to dealing with monstrous demons, hallucinations, deadly spells, and powerful magicks for like a month at best. And let’s face, if you’re not dead by the end of it all, you’ll at least by a little off your kilter…y’know, Slayer-wise."

"Thank you, Anya, that last bit was most helpful," muttered Giles under his breath, turning Buffy’s attention back towards him. "Although Buffy, Anya might be right."

"Might be?" repeated Anya, astonished and insulted.

Buffy sighed, obviously disappointed. "Fine, I’ll focus my energy on stopping Crystal tonight." Buffy glanced back towards Willow, who had already fallen back to sleep at this point. "But if anything happens to Willow, or if he does anything like this again…"

"Where should we look for him?" asked Xander, stepped down the stairs from Giles’s bedroom, passing by Anya exchanging a comforting smile. "I mean, Spike and Riley are doing… something, what did you say again?"

"He, Riley, and two of his informants were suppose to meet him outside of his crypt to hunt down the skeleton-creatures, which took Willow," explained Buffy, still too distracted with what had happened to Willow.

And think a thought struck Giles. "Buffy, didn’t Spike say that he and Jay were old friends…"

"You think that Jay was one of Spike’s ‘informants’ then?" suggested Anya.

"Ah," said Xander, as everything fell into place for him. "So, Spike and Jay take down Riley, while Buffy goes after them later only to fall into some sort of trap." Xander sighed and shook his head. "You know after Adam, I figured Spike would just get…I dunno, bored with trying to kill us all."

"Fine," said Buffy, walking over to Giles’s chest of weapons that was off towards his television in a lonely little corner. She picked up her crossbow from on top of the chest and tossed it towards Giles, and he caught it in midair. She glanced at Xander and asking, "Coming?"

"Shouldn’t someone stay here?" asked Anya anxiously. "You know…in case Jay comes to the house or something? I think he can enter if he’s human. And besides, there’s a likely chance Crystal will, well, kill you all."

"Don’t worry Anya, I think Buffy was talking to me," replied Xander, smirking at his girlfriend, walking towards down towards Buffy.

"Uh, Xander," interrupted Anya abruptly, quickly rising up from the stairs and rushing in front of her boyfriend. She rapidly shook her head, replying, "Xander, you can’t go after this thing. It’ll kill you. Let Buffy try to fight and get killed…not you."

"Thanks for the support Anya," muttered Buffy, grabbing a broadsword that leaned against Giles’s bookshelf, "but we’ll need everyone on board for this one, but it’s fine if you want to stay behind and watch after Willow and Tara—"

"Xander," continued Anya, interrupting Buffy who gave a little sigh and began searching for stakes, "why would go after Crystal and get killed, when you could just stay here with me?"

Xander couldn’t help but smile, as he leaned in closer towards Anya and kissed her on the forehead. "Buffy’s fought off a giant Mayor-snake, the Master, hell-beasts, Faith, Angel, poltergasm, she’s fought it all. One more vamp isn’t going to be a big deal."

Anya began to realize that there wasn’t any way she could turn Xander away from going after Crystal. Though she was still huffy and puffy, Anya sat back down and muttered, "Fine, go if you want."

"Xander." Buffy tossed Xander a cross, and he rushed over to the Slayer to gather holy water and stakes. They were going to go all out tonight to take down the civatateo vampire…

…And maybe even a half-vampire.

* * * *

The cemetery shouldn’t be too far off, thought Jay, rushing down the silent, barren, Sunnydale street. If I can get there, maybe there’s a chance that I’ll make it—

"Where’re ya off ta, Jay!" shouted Angelique at the top of the street, a pleasant smile across her twisted, demonic features. As the half-vampire briefly shot a glance back towards Angelique, he saw her release and loud, monstrous roar the echoed throughout the still night of the southern Californian town. Angelique had already begun to chant another spell as Jay’s focus turned back to escaping the newly made witch-vampire.

Using all his strength and agility, Jay thought he’d made it down the street when he suddenly felt the ground begin to shake and tremor, throwing the half-vampire off balance, setting off all the car alarms around the area. Jay dropped to the ground as he lost balance and the world around him began to shake, and saw Angelique kneeing down on the street, with her palms on the ground. The shaking was beginning to subside as the half-vampire noticed the witch-vampire was continuing another spell under her breath.

Suddenly, Angelique’s hands were surrounding by bright, orange, magickal energy and they released twin streams of fire from her fingertips and ran straight towards the half-vampire at an incredibly speed. Momentarily stunned by the tremor and the speed of Angelique’s spell, Jay jumped out of the way as the two streams of fire intersected and caused a small explosion that sent Jay slamming into the ground.

Jay groaned as he rose up, turning towards where Angelique had cast her two previous spells only to discover her to be gone. Now was his chance, and as he started to turn around and start to flee, when Jay slammed into Angelique who stood in front of him. She flashed a grin just as she grabbed the half-vampire by the throat, lifting him up, and tossed him to the ground again.

"You know Jerrold, this is really beginning to get old," grumbled Angelique, quickly kicking the younger vampire before he could even get to his feet. The witch-vampire sighed, putting her hands on her hips, and shaking her head. "And I only have so many more spells to use before you just end up a pile of dust…or a broken corpse."

"Sorry I’m boring you," muttered Jay, chuckling at the irony of his apology.

Angelique rolled her eyes at the injured boy, slowly raising up her hand, and holding up a single finger. All the witch-vampire did was lightly twirl her finger, and all of a sudden Jay started to be lifted off of the ground by some invisible force, rising higher and higher up into the air. Angelique sighed and snapped her fingers and whatever was suspending Jay up in the air was released and the half-vampire plummeted to the ground.

Angelique yawned and started to tap her feet, as pain surged through the half-vamp. "Oh come on. At least try to get up Jerrold. I mean, it’s not fun if you don’t even try a little bit."

It hurt to move, but Jay realized he’d have to or else it was likely that Angelique would end up killing him. So, the half-vampire slowly rose up and stood eye to eye with Angelique, who was now wearing her human face. Angelique titled her head and smiled at Jay and shrugged. "Go on, run if you want."

But as Jay continued to stare back into her eyes, all his thoughts were there be it was impossible for him to move a single muscle, similar to what happened when Isis looked at people. He was trapped. And though his facial expressions hadn’t change, Angelique could probably smell the fear beginning to rise off of Jay, or the horror that was stirring in his eyes.

She smiled, stroking the side of Jay’s face, slowly vamping out again. "As fun as it’d be to continue on like this Jerrold, it just wouldn’t be right." Jay wasn’t sure what she was going to do next—cast another spell, stake him perhaps, maybe even try to behead him—but whatever it was she was planning, it luckily didn’t come to pass.

Jay could feel something surge through Angelique, feeling the same energy briefly coursed through him before his magickal connection between him and Angelique were broken. Angelique cried out in pain, her face changing back to her almost innocent human face, as she began to shake and in a split second she began to disintegrate and exploded into a cloud of dust. But unlike other vampires, as she exploded into dust, magickal energies were released with her and instead of falling to the ground or being caught by the wind, the dust and energy seemed to flow straight towards a women who stood far away from where Angelique once was.

The flow of energy fled back to a tall, pale, young-looking women—accompanied by a familiar female vampire. The women was only holding out her hand and she seemed to be able to absorbed the energy as it touched her hand, and as it did the women, presumably a vampire, held her head up as she radiated with the newfound energy.

Jay, now in a state of shock, watched as she absorbed the remains and energies of the girl that had once been his dear friend, Angelique.

"Well, she’s served her purpose," replied the female vampire, who he remembered as one of Damien and Kali’s lackeys. She glanced at Jay and waved, obviously remembering him as well, with a wide grin covering her face.

"Agreed," murmured the pale women, most likely a vampire as well, and from what she had done to Angelique, this women was obviously as witch as well. "Distracting the Doomed Vampire was trouble enough—creating a catalyst in order for the witch to rise, shrouding her in the cloak, and supplying her with the proper energy was draining. But, at least I got a little boost in return."

This woman was "her"—the one that Angelique had referred to earlier that night—the vampire that had turned the girl that had once been his friend. And the half-vampire could sense energy and strong magicks radiating from her, meaning that she was a witch-vampire as well.

Jay’s mind began racing with thoughts, almost as if he was breaking down. She must be a kind of witch-vampire species to have that kind of power. Possibly strix vampire or even loogaroo vampire or maybe a civatateo vampire, it could be anything.

"You know Crystal, would could simply kill ’im, get the job done, and head back to your cave," replied the normal vampire, eyeing the horrified half-vampire. "Lohesh’s vampires would be all yours."

Crystal, thought Jay for a moment, attempting to match up her name with the various species of witch-vampires. I’ve heard that name before…

The witch-vampire, Crystal, briefly glanced over at other female vampire and slowly shook her head. "Yes, we could simply put this creature out of his misery—"

Then it dawned to him. It was the Crystal! As in civatateo of the Crystal Night, which was briefly mentioned by one of Damien’s lackeys—the same one that stood before him—back at the Magic Box.

"—but then, where’d the fun in that be?" Crystal turned away from the other vampire and to the half-vampire, and he shuttered when he saw that the witch-vampire’s eyes here now completely black. And that was the last thing Jay remember before everything went dark…

* * * *

Crystal stared into the Doomed Vampire’s eyes and slowly held up a finger and waved it back and forth, and the creature didn’t react at all, didn’t even flinch. Crystal smiled, pleased that her spell had worked. It was a stronger version of the spell that the younger witch-vampire, Angelique, had cast upon Jay. Now the half-vampire was completely catatonic and unconscious.

"What fun? Letting him squirm and kill him later?" muttered Kelly doubtfully. "It’d just be simpler to kill him now."

"No." Crystal swiveled around, now wearing her vampire face, grabbed Kelly by the shoulder, and pulled the demon closer towards her. "You may be my only faithful associate left right now, but you should never question me." She gave a low roar as she pushed the vampire away, reverting to her human face. "Besides, the plan is the toy with him and the Slayer, pit them against each other, and let the Slayer kill him."

Kelly didn’t even need to agree with Crystal, she knew that wouldn’t make things better for her. So she just asked what to do next. "Shall we head to the Watcher’s dwelling?"

"We shall."

* * * *

In a split second Jay had regained consciousness and glanced around the area. Crystal the civatateo vampire and the other female vampire were nowhere in sight now. The two had seemed to be there a second ago, but suddenly just vanished. Crystal was a powerful demon, so she could’ve teleported or stopped time and left or made him black out or one of many other possibilities.

But the point was she was gone and there was nothing—hopefully nothing—standing his way to get to the cemetery to meet up with Spike, Isis, and Buffy. So the only thing he could do was run and hope that they were still there.

Even though he should go off and find Crystal, he needed backup first. But as he raced towards the cemetery he couldn’t help but worry what she was planning to do. Or what she had done to Jasmine…

* * * *

The witch slowly walked up Revello Drive, gazing from house to house attempting to find the building that Crystal had placed into the witch’s mind. Jasmine had been her name, but it truly didn’t matter anymore and the girl’s mind and memory belonged to the demon known as Crystal. Jasmine glanced at a house towards her right, which had 1600 labeled on the side of the building. She drew her head up and nodded. There were only fifteen more houses left before she reached 1630 Revello, where the Slayer dwelled.

Within several minutes, Jasmine stood next to a small mailbox with the name "Summers" on the side of it. Buffy Summers. This was the Slayer’s home. The young witch slowly walked towards the dimly lit house. As she approached the building, she could sense the woman inside of it—fear seemed to be encompassing the older woman that was inside.

It was the Slayer’s mother.

If the Slayer only had doubts that the Doomed Vampire might be fighting along side her and the enemy, then the attack on her mother would definitely shatter any doubts the Slayer had.

Jasmine started up the steps of the Summers’ home, when the witch saw movement by the window of the house. Jasmine took a step back, and briefly saw the mother scurrying away from the window. The witch turned away from the window and proceeded towards the door. The witch lightly tapped on the door and within several seconds the door opened to reveal a blond, older woman, who seemed really anxious and frightened.

The young girl flashed a smile and said, "Hey, this is Buffy’s house, right?"

"Who are you?" the older women asked coldly, almost sensing something was wrong. "And what do you want with Buffy?"

"Gee, defensive much?" Jasmine tilted her head again and grinned again. "I’m one of her friends and I was just wondering if she was home. She was suppose to help me with some uh, ‘spell’ stuff." Jasmine gave a little nod before she quietly whispered, "Magick stuff."

"You know Willow?" asked the Slayer’s mother slowly.

"Yes," lied Jasmine, continuing to smile. "We’re close." She crossed her fingers, and held them up. "Like this." Lowering her fingers, she took another step forward, standing close to the women and continuing to show her teeth. "So uh, you know," murmured Jasmine, allowing a cruel smile to creep over her face, "are you going to, uh…invite me in?" And with those last words, the mother quickly stepped back and slammed the door in Jasmine’s face.

"Rude, rude, rude," muttered Jasmine in disgust, stepping back away from the door and walked down the steps of the house. Jasmine rolled her eyes, as she turned back towards the house, seeing the light quickly being turned out throughout the lower half of the house. Now, a truly pleased smile spread across Jasmine’s face, as her beautiful brown eyes quickly darkened to become purely black. "Time for the fun to begin."

* * * *

The asanbosam vampire had gone limp long before Isis had finished draining it of its blood. When any tsudious demon selected a target to acquire and drain they always took their time and channeled all their energy and focus into draining that target. And that’s what Isis had done. Though she wasn’t very fond of the taste of vampires—they had a kind of dusty aftertaste—acquiring an ancient vampire like an asanbosam was quite rare and she was taking all the time to acquire it.

A sudden sadness shrouded her as very little blood remained in the unconscious creature and then the demon simply shuttered and exploded into dust. Isis shrugged as she rose up off the ground, only to find Riley pulling himself up from the ground, and Spike and the remaining asanbosam nowhere in sight.

Riley finished getting up from the ground and Isis lunged at the ex-Initiative soldier, slamming him back to the floor. "Where’s Spike?"

"One of the asanbosam demons took him," answered Riley, not seeming harmed by the tsudious demon or too disappointed about Spike’s capture. "The creature fled down into the mausoleums that it surfaced from."

"Why didn’t you go after him?" growled Isis, turning away from the Slayer’s beau and heading towards the demon’s escape route.

"Tsudious," ordered Riley sternly, getting back up from off of the ground. "Tsudious!" Riley sighed, as Isis continued towards the building without listening to him. "Isis."

The demon groaned, stopped running, and turned back towards Riley. She bared several rows of her demonic teeth, growling, "What?"

"As much as I’d like to rescue Spike," muttered Riley, in no way being tact about his sarcasm, "the two of us won’t be able to take out a demon like that inside such a tight enclosed area like that."

"Fine." Isis put her hands on her hips, and she sneered, "What do you propose? Go runnin’ back to your girl and her friends and cry for help, Ri?"

Riley sighed, obviously hurt by Isis’s words—which gave the tsudious demon a little tingle of amusement—and continued. "We’ll need reinforcements in order to take out a demon such as an asanbosam vampire. And if the demon went underground, there’s no telling how many other vampires are down there. So, if you want to retrieve Spike safely, we’ll need backup."

Isis rolled her eyes and started towards the soldier. "Fine. But if Spike’s dead…" Isis simply snorted as she passed by the tall, muscular, man, transforming into her human persona, which was rather bare at the moment. She stopped walking and shot a glance towards Riley. "Gonna lend me a coat here?"

Riley took off his long jacket and handed it to the younger girl, who quickly wrapped the coat around her, and it snugly covered enough of her so that it didn’t appear inappropriate. "Thanks. Lead the way soldier."

* * * *

Bloody hell.

The last memory Spike had before blacking out was of one of the asanbosams viciously attacking him. The remaining demon had kicked Spike in the face, and then his conscious just seemed to flood away. And that was all in the cemetery, now he was underground somewhere he didn’t recognize, being dragged on the ground by one of those blasted demons.

Spike didn’t even want to think about how his hair looked after being dragged on the ground for that long.

The bleached vampire figured it would be best to remain still, acting as if he were unconscious, until he figured out exactly where the asanbosam has dragged him off to.

* * * *

"So, what exactly did the lawyer give ya?" Damien peered downward into Lohesh’s lair, below the upper level of the demon’s domain. The vampire could simply come down there, but often when his master was agitated or concentrating he didn’t like to be disturbed. And now that some out-of-town lawyer suddenly appeared and disproved Lohesh’s agenda, the demon would most likely be pissed off.

But to Damien’s surprise, Lohesh answered the vampire’s call. "He’s right." Damien flinched, jumped back as Lohesh abruptly appeared from the entrance to the lower levels of his lair. Lohesh fluttered up into the air and landed on the other side of Damien, holding the papers Leo had given him. "Apparently simply killing Jay will not activate the correct energies in order to open the Gateway. There’s a process, a ritual to be exact, that we must undergo before he’s killed in a specific location."

"And where might that be?" wondered Damien. "Here at the Hellmouth, in L.A., or elsewhere?"

Lohesh hesitated for a moment, before he answered, "Part of the ritual takes place in L.A., but there are several components that seem to be missing…" The demon cleared his throat, and replied, "But that’s not what’s important right now."

"Lemme take a guess," murmured Damien. "Keeping that psychotic civatateo from destroying the Doomed Vampire?"

Lohesh nodded.

"But even if Crystal or her witches kill Jay now, we’ll have another chance to stop him once he’s revived into a new body, right?" asked Damien.

The demon snorted, turning away from Damien when he sensed one of the asanbosam vampires entering the underground cave. "The spell will only work while Jay is in the body of the half-vampire, this makes him special and unique. If he’s in any other body, it won’t work. If he matures and becomes a pure vampire, it won’t either. It will only happen while Jay is like this."

"So this is really a ‘one shot’ sorta deal, huh?" Frustration swept over Damien when Lohesh ignored him, and continued towards the approaching asanbosam. He trotted along behind Lohesh. "So, what does happen if Crystal and co. end up killing the Doomed Vampire?"

"It won’t happen, if we intervene." Lohesh shoved the asanbosam aside, and the twisted vampire dropped its unconscious victim onto the cold ground. The demon’s wings folded back as the creature bent down and examined the bleached creature that lay before the master demon. "The Slayer is suppose to come after this vampire, down here where she won’t be able to take down all of us. But if Spike is waiting for them on the surface, then Crystal’s ‘master plan’ will start to unravel."

Damien gave Lohesh his usual skeptical look and replied, "But how exactly will Spike change anything? Won’t he just run off?" But even as Lohesh turned around, the answer quickly hit the vampire. "Course not. Because I’ll be there with him, won’t I?"

Oh screw all this, I’m getting outta here.

Spike’s eyes instantly snapped open, simultaneously getting up off the dusty ground and seeing a vaguely familiar demon standing in front of him, as well as the menacing vampire, Damien, Spike had encountered not too long ago. And then, of course, there was the asanbosam vampire standing behind them. The de-fanged vampire roared like a unruly animal, and before Damien or the other two demons could reach him, Spike swiftly spun around, punching and kicking the large, winged demon several times before the creature swatted Spike aside, ramming the vampire’s face into the hard stone wall of the cave.

"Ow," moaned Spike, getting back up just in time to see Damien’s fist heading towards his face. Oh, balls. The punch connected with Spike’s face and slammed the vampire back against the hard wall, hitting his head against a jagged piece of rock, and he fell to the ground.

Spike pulled forth all his strength to push himself off from the floor, but before he could start swinging any more punches, the large demon that had swatted him aside grabbed the vampire by the shoulder. "Stop."

"Oh yeah," mumbled Spike, "why don’t ya make me, mate."

"If you took a second to listen," replied Damien, stepping from behind the large, looming, demon, "then you’d know we weren’t looking to kill you."

"Well what then?" muttered Spike, trying to pull away from the winged demon’s grasp. "Use me as bait? Torture me a bit? Beat me to a bleeding pulp and leave me out dry?"

Damien rolled his eyes, and slowly turned towards the demon. "You sure we can’t kill him?"

"If we allow this vampire to be destroyed, it may play in the civatateo’s favor," explained the large demon, continuing to hold its grip on Spike’s shoulder. "And we don’t want that, for that would kill the Doomed Vampire."

"Civatateo?" repeated Spike. "A witch-vamp?"

"Fine." The demon released Spike from his grasp and the tall, muscular, dark-skinned vampire walked towards Spike and patted the fellow vampire on the back. "You may be bait Spike, but at least you won’t be dusted bait."

"Go to the surfaced," instructed the demon to Damien, "and wait for the Slayer or the Doomed Vampire to retrieve Spike, then return to the underground."

"…So you’re not gonna stake me then?" asked Spike slowly.

"No," repeated the two demons in unison.

"Well okay then mate, let’s go," said Spike, pushing off of the wall of the cavern and heading towards the entrance of the cave.

"Wait," ordered Damien sternly, making Spike stop is his tracks. While the chipped vamp waiting for the vampire, Damien turned towards the larger demon and asked, "What should I do if Crystal or Kali turn up? And things aren’t going our way?"

"Kill Crystal if you must," replied the demon. "Nothing will be lost. Kill Kelly as well, but return Kali back safely. A psychic vampire is a powerful asset to my mission."

"Fine," Damien said bitterly.

* * * *

Fighting vampires for a living—for your destiny—wasn’t really something Tara would necessarily want to do. She was of course a Wicca and realized that she would have to go up against the forces of darkness at some point or another. But one thing Tara definitely wouldn’t mind having was her healing powers. If Buffy had the same injures as Tara, she would be up and running by now, whereas Tara had just managed to pull herself out of the bed she was lying in.

Giles’s bed, the young witch noted to herself. Under a much different—and a stranger more inappropriate and unlikely—situation, Tara would have felt very strangely about waking up in Giles’s bed. But she did vaguely recall Xander leading her up here, which could have been an equally strange and corky situation, similar to her awakening.

Tara rose up off of the Watcher’s small bed and slowly walked down the stairs of the tiny loft. She made her way down to the lower level of the tiny building. Glancing around, she saw Anya sleeping in a chair next to the couch where Willow was soundly sleeping. But, as she continued down the stairs, some thick haze of energy quickly washed over the witch. It seemed like some sort of spell had been cast throughout the house, which didn’t seem to have effected her upstairs.

Tara moaned as the thick haze went straight to her head and she became dizzy and light-headed.

"How much longer Xander," murmured Anya, turning in her sleep, "a girl can only wait so long…"

Tara’s dizziness quickly became overwhelming and she dropped to the ground, falling down the stairs. As Tara collapsed, it quickly awoke both Anya and Willow, who both had risen up from their resting places, and in unison cried, "Tara."

The young witch grasped her head and tried to focus, as Anya helped her up. Tara figured that Willow was vastly injured when Buffy brought her in, so she doubted that the more experienced witch had enough strength to cast any sort of spell as powerful as the one currently residing in the loft. "What’s happening?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Anya dryly. "Buffy just grabbed Xander on some suicide mission in order to take down Crystal and that idiot Jay." The ex-demon led Tara over to the couch that Willow, who was now sitting up with curiosity. "Oh and she took Giles with them, leaving me alone with two notably weak and injured witches that won’t be able to protect me if any demons come to attack Giles’s dinky little loft."

"Thanks for the support Anya," muttered Willow bitterly. "You’re just of a bra filled of supportingness, Anya…"

"A dazed witch at that fact," murmured Anya to herself with a disappointed little sigh. Before Anya could continue with her ranting, she was halted by the telephone, which rang abruptly and rudely—similar to Anya. Anya picked up the phone and answered, "What is it?"

Anya and Willow both waited quietly as Anya’s face quickly fell and she quickly replied, "Okay Joyce, I’ll try to get over there as soon as possible." She paused and the finished, "Uh, yeah, Buffy’ll be there. Don’t worry. I’m hanging up now."

"What’s going on?" asked Tara.

"It was Joyce," answered Anya. "Apparently there’s a vampire or a witch or something outside of Buffy’s house, threatening to come in after her mom." Anya groaned as she headed towards Giles’s weapon chest. "I swear, if it’s not going to be Xander that gets killed tonight, then it’s going to be—" Even before Anya was interrupted, Tara could feel strange energies coursing through the air around her, and she couldn’t tell if Anya could sense it be she knew that Willow could.

And then the tremor started.

* * * *

"Great," grumbled Jerrold, bitterly making his way through the cemetery. He had waited at Spike’s crypt for several minutes, scouted the area, and then headed back. Spike, Buffy, and Isis were nowhere in sight. He had missed his chance, and now they were gone, either to find him or to get the missing girls—who weren’t even missing anymore because he had bumped into Angelique. And again, something clicked in Jerrold’s mind: Jasmine.

Once again, he had forgotten about his friend, which kept on happening for some reason. Maybe it was a spell, but he had finally become aware that if Crystal had killed and sired Angelique, then it was more than possible he had done the same thing with Jasmine.

Jerrold honestly didn’t know what to do.

"Well, I have two options," Jerrold muttered to himself, as he paced around outside Spike’s crypt. "I could stay here, check around the cemetery, and find Damien and Kali myself, or I could check back at Isis’s place or Jasmine’s place to see if their parents have seen them tonight.

"Course, if I am going to go after anything tonight I’m gonna need some sort of weapon," murmured Jerrold, feeling several of his pant pockets and his jacket pocket. He didn’t have any holy water, any stakes, no knifes, not a single weapon. Well, with the exception of his dagger-stake, but what good would that do him against a powerful civatateo? He pushed himself from off of the side of Spike’s crypt and headed into the vampire’s lair. Hopefully Spike kept weapons lying around somewhere, and hopefully the vampire wouldn’t mind the younger half-vamp taking a few of them.

Before Jerrold could even start to open the vampire’s crypt, his head jerked up when he heard the familiar voice of Damien Hunt, one of Lohesh’s vampires. Jerrold knew he’d draw attention towards himself if he were to open the doors to Spike’s crypt, as rusty as they were, so he knew hiding would be a better idea. An ambush, at that fact. Jerrold quickly moved away from the door, and pressed himself against one side of Spike’s crypt. Jerrold’s face twisted into his darker, demonic side, allowing Jay to resurface, in order to focus and hear the approaching vampire so the Doomed Vampire could time his attack perfectly.

But as he focused, it was then that Jerrold heard a second voice along with Damien’s. It was Spike’s voice. Why would Spike be with Damien?

He couldn’t hear the conversation, but he heard the two demons’ voices getting louder, heading towards the entrance of Spike’s crypt. Jay silently crept around to the backside of the building, waiting for the two voices to stop at the entrance of Spike’s crypt. The Doomed Vampire silently made his way around the other side of the crypt as Spike opened the door into his domain and Damien started after him. But before Damien could take a step down into the doorway of Spike’s home, Jay quickly grabbed the vampire in a headlock and pulled him away from the crypt. The Doomed Vampire tossed the demon to the ground and jerked his head back towards Spike and hissed viciously.

"What the bleeding hell?" Spike cursed, in utter confusion appeared from out of his crypt.

"Whoa, my first good deed in a good long while in this is how I’m repay," muttered Damien, remaining on the ground in front of Jay. "The things you hero-types put us vampires through. The abuse we have to deal with daily…"

"Didn’t you capture and torture me awhile back," reminded Jay bitterly.

"…Eh, true, I’ll give you that much," replied Damien with a little shrug. "But at least I didn’t attack you when you were trying help me—" Damien hesitated for a moment as he tried to remember that moment. "—at least, I don’t think you were trying to help me."

"Shut up Damien." Jay turned away from the vampire and towards Spike, as Jerrold pushed Jay back down beneath the surface, allowing his human features to show. "What’s going on here Spike? Little change of sides? They say they’ll get out the chip, because trust me, Damien and his boss could never do anything like that."

"Let me go, they did," answered Spike, turning away from Jerrold and walking down his stairs. "And for the record, I never changed sides. Just kill demons to keep the dulling years a bit more intriguing." As he closed the door, the vampire shouted, "What is wrong with you bloody people! Get it straight!"

Jerrold couldn’t help but feel bad about what he had said. He hadn’t meant to upset the emotional vampire, but he could understand with the brutality of Buffy and her allies. But before he could contemplate it any further when he felt Damien’s cold vampire’s fingers wrap around his neck and lift the boy off of the ground.

"See, abuse." Damien released Jerrold from his grasp, dropping him to the ground. But before Damien could continue, Jerrold quickly rose up and punched the vampire in the face. "Ow, do you even stop to listen?"

"Well when you’re trying to kill me, I don’t exactly care to listen to you," said Jerrold, flashing a cruel smile—attempting to hold back his urges to unleash Jay. Plus his human instincts were telling Jerrold that Damien was telling the truth, or at least partially telling the truth.

"Well how about you listen just this once and explain why I let out Spike and why I’m going to be helping you tonight." Jerrold couldn’t sense Damien lying at all, and there seemed to be something in Damien’s voice that told him it’d be all right. Jerrold relaxed and stepped back away from Damien, just in case he wanted to pull something. "Shall we listen then?"

"What is it?"

"Got a little message from a friend. Apparently, Lohesh needs you alive—well, at least alive for a little bit longer than we anticipated. Can’t just kill you on the spot like we had planned."

"Gee, thanks," muttered Jerrold. "At least I know your plan isn’t just to kill me. My death activates something, I assume."

Damien smiled and tilted his head to the side. "That’s nothing a little vampire like you needs to know," he replied, speaking to Jerrold like he was naïve, patting the Doomed Vampire on the head. As Jerrold jerked his head back, he morphed, revealing his vampiric face and hissed at the taunting Damien. "So we can’t have mean little Crystal, Kali, and their demons kill you tonight, which is why we released Spike, in order to disrupt the mean witch-vampire’s plan."

"I’m not stupid," growled Jay, "nor am I a simple child."

"And the ironic part is that you were playing right into Crystal’s hand." Damien shrugged. "For all I know, you’d be dead before sunrise—not killed by us, but a pissed off Slayer. I mean, Crystal’s making the Slayer think you killed mother, hurt her friends, and are trying to be the big bad in town." Damien held up two fingers and replied, "And now that Spike’s been freed and you know about the plan, enough will be changed so that the civatateo’s plan will fail."

"So you and your boss can kill me later?" replied Jay dryly. "I think not."

Even before Damien could crack a little smile, both vampires sensed the incoming arrow and both demons stepped out of the way as a small bolt shot by the two of them. The arrow seemed like it was trying to hit Damien, and as he stepped back the half-vampire had been caught in the crossfire. Simultaneously, both creatures’ turned towards the origin of arrow, and there stood the Slayer.

Damien shot a glance at Jay. "Don’t move. I can handle this." As Damien turned away from the Doomed Vampire, he didn’t even wait for him to say a word as Lohesh’s lackey nailed Jay in the face, knocking the young vampire to the ground.

* * * *

An earthquake in Sunnydale, or anywhere in California, wasn’t anything new for any one of the Scoobies. Everyone from Buffy to Giles to Tara had experienced at least one deadly tremor this year as well, which apparently had something to do with several demons attempting to reopen the Hellmouth below the ruins of the Sunnydale High School. But this earthquake was different. As the floors and walls of the ex-Watcher’s loft began to rapidly shake and vibrate—books falling off shelves, glasses shattering, little trinkets falling from their neatly placed locations—Tara could sense that it was some sort of unnatural force causing the deadly quake.

As the shaking slowly began to subside, Tara could still fell the essence and energies from the spell in the air. Whoever was doing the spells was doing a sloppy job of covering up—either that or the caster believed they wouldn’t need to cover their tracks. Meaning she’s quite confident or none of the Scoobies had a good chance of surviving the night.

"There’s something strange," Willow managed to mumble, as Anya and Tara pulled off of the couch. "There’s something in the air…"

"Ah yes, oppose to the moving ground beneath us," muttered Anya bitterly. She turned to Tara and quickly asked, "This is something magick right? I mean, if the earthquake struck the entire city, or at least a little further than this house, then we’d hear car alarms, frightened people, chaos, commotion, nothing new for the Hellmouth, right?

"But there’s only silence."

Maybe that’s because of you all being the target. All three women froze, peering around the room, attempting to locate the voice that they had all heard in their minds. Though it sounded like another woman and she sounded nearby, silence continued to engulf the air, but Tara was sure that Willow and Anya had both heard the voice, so she must have heard someone.

"Okay, that’s not good," murmured Anya, continued to glance around the room. Her gaze stopped abruptly, staring outside the window at three figures that were standing outside of Giles’s loft. "Does Giles still have that musty book on Crystal and civatateo demons?"

"Why?" asked Tara slowly. "Are you trying to ID the demon?" She peered out the window to reveal three women, two of which were vampires she’d seen early at the Magic Box and the third that resembled the vampire woman Giles book at shown them.

"Oh, no, that’s definitely Crystal," said Anya, as dryly as ever, "but that book was pretty big, and since Buffy took all the good and fancy weapons, throwing the book at them wouldn’t be a bad idea right now."

"It’s a figure of speech Anya," Willow managed to mumble, "most of the time."

I know you can hear me, the voice said, echoing throughout the three young women’s minds. Even the simplest minds can easily interpret telepathy. So, the minds of two powerful Wicca and an ex-vengeance demon could easily hear my voice. Oh, what the hell, this is just going to take too long.

"Hey!" the vampire that stood in front of the youngest female vampire and the psychic vampire called out. "Understand now?"

"What do you want?" whispered Willow quietly. The ex-demon gave the injured Willow a skeptical look, but she whispered softly, "She can probably read our thoughts, so would it matter how loudly I talked?"

Well it’s not you we’re looking to piss off, answered the voice, who presumably Crystal the civatateo vampire. Your deaths will trigger anger within the Slayer. So you can either come out here and we’ll kill you later or you can stay in your confined, little, apartment until I released another shockwave and bring the entire structure down. So…what’s your pick, because let’s face it, not getting out any other way.

"Perfect," murmured Anya, "the Slayer’s off on some mission to stop a deadly and all mighty civatateo vampire, while we’re stuck here with the civatateo trying to kill all of us."

"Thanks for commentary, Anya," muttered Willow.

Tara knew that whatever they were saying, Crystal could obvious hear what they were saying with her telepathy, eavesdropping on their conversation, but she needed to talk to Willow and Anya. "There’s something wrong in the house. There’s some sort of spell."
"The earthquake?" asked Anya lowly, as if that would stop Crystal from hearing them. "’Cause I think we all know about that."

"It was something else before the earthquake started," explained Tara, "like a spell had been cast before, maybe while we were sleeping or something." She glanced around the house, and shrugged. "Everything s-seems normal—minus the earthquakes—but I don’t know."

"Should we try to dispel whatever’s in the house?" Willow managed to ask.

"How?" Anya replied. "The civatateo vampire’s outside, we’re trapped in here, you two are injured, and I don’t have any powers to fight these things. Dying could be the best thing that could come out of all this."

"Buffy and the others could be effected by the spell as well," continued Willow, ignoring Anya’s banter. "If Crystal’s going to kill us, then we might as well help before while we go out."

"Go out?" Anya shot her head towards Willow. "There can’t be any going out. There’s nothing you can do?"

"Okay, you just said that the best thing that could happen was—"

"I was panicking! People are supposed to say shocking and panicky things at random, inappropriate intervals, am I wrong—"

"Guys!" Willow and Anya’s meager argument was quickly halted by Tara, getting quite frustrated with the two girls. "If we’re going to do anything, it’ll have to be before Giles’s house collapses on us. Th-those vampires might not be able to come in, but their magicks c-could easily kill us. We need a plan."

* * * *

"Hey! Slayer!" Though it was Damien approaching the Vampire Slayer and her two allies, the vampire knew that Crystal’s spell had enabled them all to see him as the Doomed Vampire. Though he knew that Lohesh didn’t want Buffy to kill Jerrold, it wouldn’t be wrong to toy with her a bit.

"Jerrold," replied Buffy sternly, holding up a deadly broadsword.

"Nice sword by the way," replied Damien, slowly approaching the Slayer, an older looking man holding up a crossbow, and a not-too muscular guy with a cross and stake. Damien looked passed the Slayer and towards the older man, replying, "Nice shot."
But the stern looking man’s expression didn’t change, and he continued to hold the crossbow pointed straight at Damien’s heart. "I wouldn’t proceed any further if I were you."
"Or what?" snorted Damien. "I’m just gonna take a guess and say you’re the Watcher, right?" When the man didn’t reply, Damien’s focus went back to Buffy, and he asked, "Am I right, right?"

"As extraordinary interesting as this conversation is," muttered Buffy, moving in, closer and closer towards the vampire, "you took my friend and tricked my boyfriend."

Damien instantly began to chuckle as he asked, "Spike?"

"Riley," corrected the boy, standing beside the Slayer’s Watcher, holding up a cross, "the commando guy that went through here with Spike. They were meeting Spike’s ‘sources,’ and just going out on one of those crazy limbs, that oh so reliable source of Spike would be you."

"Quite clever. Wrong of course," replied Damien, slowly moving forward, "but clever none the less—"

Before Damien could continue, the Watcher fired the trigger of the crossbow and a small wooden arrow zipped through the air straight towards the vampire. Though his demonic reflexes kicked in, and he sidestepped the attack. The vampire rolled his eyes, as he replied, "It’s interesting how many people try to kill me when I try to help them."

"Great, a lying demon," muttered the Slayer, "what else is new." Even though she was saying that Damien was lying—and to some extent, he was—the vampire could sense something surge through the Slayer, like a momentary thought of doubt. And as she did, Crystal’s spell kicked in, her face briefly went blank as the civatateo’s spell dissipated her doubt.

"Fine, don’t believe me…" Damien sighed, held up a finger, and started to step back towards Spike’s crypt. He didn’t know why, but Buffy allowed him to go, and though he had an urge to break into a run, in fear the Slayer might attack while his back was turned, but he made his way back to Jay, who was regaining consciousness. Damien grabbed the back of his collar and slid the Doomed Vampire forward.

"Now that’s new," murmured the Watcher, moving his crossbow down towards Jay. "There appears to be two of them."

"Oh dear god," muttered the boy, with a slight hint of sarcasm, "it’s like a clone or something…maybe a robot."

"What’s going on?" demanded the Slayer.

"I’m Damien Hunt," he explained, holding his hand up towards his chest, "I believe I’ve run into you before. Couple nights back when Tami lead you and your pet vampire to our lair, you bumped into a black vampire—that was me."

"Is any of this banter making sense, Buffy?" asked the Watcher.

"Unfortunately, yes," answered the Slayer, keeping her eyes locked on Damien instead of the Doomed Vampire. "Then why do you look like—"

"The Doomed Vampire? It’s a glamour." Damien flashed a smile and started to pull up Jay by the collar, when the half-vampire spun around, kicking Damien in the back of the knee and forcing the vampire to drop to the ground. On the cold, dank, cemetery ground, the vampire finished, "That’s the real one."

"What’s going on?" demanded Jay immediately, changing back to his human face. He spun around and turned to see the Slayer and her two allies, pointing weapons towards Jay. "What?"

Damien couldn’t help but begin laughing, as the Slayer began to realize what was going on, and though he wasn’t positive if he could completely break Crystal’s spell, there wasn’t much Buffy could now do, knowing what was going on. Damien was about to finish with a smart-ass remark, but Spike burst through the door of his crypt, and angrily erupted, "What the hell does it take for a block to get a lil bit o’ sleep ’round here!" Spike glanced at Damien and then at Jerrold, before he glanced at the Slayer, her Watcher, and her friend. "Oh, you all." Spike started to turn around.

"Wait! Spike!"

"What!" Spike stopped and glanced at Buffy, who was pointing towards Damien. "Who is that? Which one is the Doomed Vampire?"

Spike briefly glanced at the two vampires for a moment and then glanced at Buffy, and stared hard at her for a moment. He tilted his head and said, "Those are two different vamps, Slayer. One of ‘em is Lohesh’s lackey while the other is Jay the Doomed Vamp. Just because they’re both dark skinned doesn’t mean they’re the same vamp—"

Buffy sighed, and turned to her Watcher, ordering him to lower his crossbow and turned towards the boy, ordering him to drop his weapons. The Slayer put her sword on the ground, but kept the stake firming in her grasp as she quickly approached Damien, Jerrold, and Spike. She glanced down at Jerrold and sternly said, "Are you Jay and is he Damien?"

"Since when I have I not been?" replied the Doomed Vampire slowly. "And it’s Jerrold, by the way." Jerrold shot a glance down towards Damien, and replied, "And yes, that’s Damien, one of the vampires working under Lohesh’s orders."

"Move." Jerrold took a step back, as the Slayer extended an arm towards Damien, who was still lying on the ground. Damien graciously accepted it, as the Slayer pulled him up, but as she did she released him and her hand shot towards the vampire’s neck, lifting him up from off of the ground, and pointing the stake up towards his heart. "What do you know?"

"Crystal—your local civatateo vampire—is targeting the Doomed Vampire and is deciding to use the Slayer to kill him," explained Damien, not too worried about passing out from the lack-of-oxygen that he didn’t need to survive. "But the boss has a change of plan and doesn’t want the Doomed Vampire dead."

"Fine." A cruel smile curled over Buffy’s face, and Damien’s eyes widened as he realized she was about to stake him.

"Wait! Wait! If you stake me, you won’t know what’s going on elsewhere with Crystal’s plan!" cried Damien suddenly.

"Elsewhere?" wondered Jerrold, now standing next to Buffy. "You mean with Jasmine."

"Who’s Jasmine?" asked the Watcher, continuing to hold his crossbow towards Jerrold, obviously still not relieved of Crystal’s spell. "And why would she be a threat?"

"Jasmine was taken by Crystal and used as her power source, because she had some sort of ‘inner power’ yet to be released or something," explained Damien, rolling his eyes. "I dunno…anyways, so Crystal is able to control her and draw energy from her. And while Crystal is off with Kali, going after the Watcher’s house—" A little surge of joy filled Damien’s body, as he saw the Watcher’s eyes widen in horror. "—Jasmine tormenting the Slayer’s mother at her house. And Spike was suppose to be held captive and killed, while you went down to rescue you him and be ambushed."

"Why would we go save Spike?" wondered the boy aloud.

"Hey!" growled Spike, obviously hurt. "I may hate you all, but a bloke still has his feelings." Spike turned away and headed back down into his crypt, complaining and cursing something about Buffy as he left.

Buffy spun around and threw Damien into a large, cement cross, cracking it as he hit the holy object. "What did you do to my mother?"

Pulling himself up from the gravel of the cross, Damien slowly answered, "She should be safe until Crystal pulls the trigger and lets the witch go all out and kills her, but that shouldn’t be until your friends at the Watcher’s house are killed."

"We have to get back there," said the boy immediately, as the sweet scent of fear started to rise off of him. "Anya and Willow…"

"I know," murmured the Slayer, slightly irritated by her friend, "but there’s also my mother, as well as the issue of Riley."

Damien shrugged. "Dunno him."

"Spike should," replied Buffy darkly. She turned to her Watcher and her friend, replying, "Okay, you two head back to Giles’s house. Hopefully you can stop Crystal before she does anything drastic, while I head back to my house to stop this witch."

"But if Crystal’s there, shouldn’t you be the one to fight her off?" suggested the boy. "I mean, no offense, but Giles and I aren’t exactly the greatest tag team—slayage-wise."

"Then take Spike," said Buffy. "I need to keep my mother save. And if that witch even touches my mother—"

"No." Jerrold grabbed the Slayer’s shoulder, but as he touched her the Vampire Slayer’s reflexes kicked in and swiftly turned around and grabbed Jerrold’s hand. "You can’t kill Jasmine—she’s being controlled by Crystal. Plus, I know for a fact that if Jasmine has any powers she was unbeknownst to her, up until now!"

"Actually, if you kill Jasmine," said Damien, "that’ll kill Crystal’s power source and greatly weaken her." Damien grinned, realizing that the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire were now relying on her for information, even though know he was just pulling things from out of his ass.

"If she lays a finger on my mother, I will kill her," argued the Slayer, turning away from Jerrold and head towards Spikes crypt. But before she could get far, Jay appeared in front of her, bearing his vampiric teeth and he snarled angrily.

"And if you do, you’ll meet your own demise."

Damien chuckled again, completely amused by the fact that the Slayer was still so closed-minded about Jay to still be under the effects of Crystal’s spell. But the amusement quickly stopped, and the Doomed Vampire appeared in front of him and kicked the vampire in the stomach, cracking one of his ribs. "Ah, good ol’ Jay…"

"Don’t get too comfortable down there, Damien," replied Jay. "You’re coming along with me and the Slayer…"

Damien nodded. "Fine by me. Wouldn’t miss it. Besides, I have my own score to settle with a certain vampire-bitch."

* * * *

Crystal’s plan was working perfectly. She knew that Lohesh would comply with her orders and now Spike should be held captive—or, hopefully, dead. Jasmine was taking care of things at the Slayer’s house, tormenting and torturing her until Crystal gave the word. The metamorphic demon and one of the Slayer’s beaus was en route to either the loft or to the Slayer’s home, but either way it was impossible for them to truly interfere. And the Slayer was off to the cemetery to kill the Doomed Vampire, and if he somehow got away and she began to doubt what would happen, whatever was left of her friends and her mother would send her off towards the Doomed Vampire. And the Watcher’s loft wouldn’t hold for too much longer—though there seemed to be a strange disturbance that was blocking Crystal’s telepathic abilities. Whatever they were plotting wouldn’t get passed a vampire, a psychic vampire, and a legendary civatateo vampire. But she was convinced that her spell cast upon the entire group was still holding together, so she truly didn’t have any doubts. If one of them were to escape, they would go after him.

Now Crystal could sense one of the humans slowly approaching the door of the house, and suddenly a short, thin, blond woman opened the door, making sure not to step outside of the threshold. She had her hands grasped together, and she blinked for a couple of moments, taking in what was going on with the three female vampires.

"Uh, hi," said the woman, hesitantly, "you’re the ones trying to kill us, right?"

"Step outside of the house," demanded Crystal instantly. "If you don’t, then you will be forced out." Crystal glanced towards Kali, and she smiled and nodded at the psychic vampire.

"You’re the psychic vampire, right?" asked the woman. She smiled and waved, "You’re not welcome in here by the way, so you’re powers—pretty much useless." Her smile widened as she finished, "Several years a demonhood will let you in on a little inside information."

"You’re a demon?" asked Crystal slowly.

"Ex," corrected the woman, "but I still have the knowledge, memories, and truthfulness—much to Xander’s dismay."

Crystal continued to watch the woman, waiting for her to make her move if she was going to make one. But as she continued to stare and wait for the woman to do something, Kelly slowly walked towards her and whispered, "She’s stalling for the two witches."

Crystal nodded and stepped forward. "What’s your name?"

"Anya."

"I sense a great power coming from you Anya," lied Crystal, as she made her way towards the entrance of the threshold, keeping her eyes locked on the ex-demon. "An essence older than most ex-demons."

"I was a vengeance demon," answered Anya, continuing to hold her ground, "for over a thousand years."

"So you must know much about the ways of dark magicks then," replied Crystal, standing inches away from Anya.

"I only needed the Power of the Wish to guide me," insisted Anya, turning her head away from Crystal, "except for Olaf, but that was way before my time as a demon."

"Then you are unaware that my dark magicks could restore your old demon self," lied Crystal, as her eyes searched and studied the ex-demon’s facial expressions. And it was then that it hit Crystal—she couldn’t simply read the girl. Crystal could sense her, but she couldn’t detect her thoughts, even inches away from her. The other witches were sure enough doing something. Was she playing Crystal?

"This is your last chance, Anya," replied Crystal, taking several steps back, away from the home. "Take a step outside and allow us restore your inner demon or—" Crystal’s eyes briefly flashed red as they darkened into a deep, thick, blackness "—prepared to be buried."

The ex-vengeance demon sighed and shook her head.

And then, suddenly, Crystal’s eyes started to focus on Anya’s hands, it was then that the civatateo demon realized that there was something wrong with them. If not because she had been grasping them together since she had opened the door, then because Crystal’s telepathic senses were beginning to kick in again.

But on this side of the threshold, Crystal, Kali, and Kelly couldn’t do anything but watch as the ex-demon’s hands opened up and a brilliant flash of light was released, blinding Kali and Kelly, and seriously doing damage to Crystal, who’s eyes were seriously dilated from the dark magick.

And as Anya’s spell ended, it was then that Crystal could sense the spell of the two witches beginning to effect as Jasmine’s doubt spell was dispelled and as well as another powerful barrier surrounded the house. Even blinded, and with searing pain shooting through her, Crystal pulled herself together and attempting to create another tremor. But as the spell began, she quickly realized that the barrier was counteracting the spell.

It was then that Crystal first began to doubt her plan.

Anya had played her part perfectly and had allowed Willow and Tara to cast their separate spells. Tara’s disruption spell managed to sever Crystal’s psychic connection to the three of them worked like a charm, but she was aware it wouldn’t hold together for all too long, so Willow had created a tiny ball of light for Anya to use against the vampires. Along with Tara’s disruption spell, Anya’s ball of light would be causing enough disruption for Tara and Willow to cast spells in order to disable Crystal’s magick. Willow was casting an anti-magick barrier around the house while Tara was dispelling the thick cloud of energy that was engulfing Giles’s loft.

Anya stepped forward, opening up her hands, and releasing the brilliant, beaming, and blinding ball of life, while the two witches completed their spells. Anya pulled out a stake and quickly lashed out towards the vampire. She knew not to go near the civatateo vampire or the psychic vampire—in fear of one of them being able to sense her trying to attack—so Anya quickly rushed towards the third blinded vampire, quickly plunging the stake into her heart. The vampire cried out as it exploded into dust.

"Pin her!" ordered Crystal instantly.

Suddenly, an invisible force shoved Anya up against the side of Giles’s loft, pinning her against the wall. When Anya tried to push up off against the wall, the psychic vampire’s telekinesis kicked in and held her in place.

"Help!" cried out Anya, attempting to move and be freed from the psychic vampire’s grasp. "Willow! Tara!"

Rising up from the circle she had created around herself, Tara rushed towards the door but quickly halted when Willow shouted for her to stop.

"If you step out of the threshold…" reminded Willow, still exhausted from her spell and from the attack.

Tara nodded. "Right. But Anya’s spell won’t last for too long."

"Do you think I care? Get me down! This confinement shows no signs of comfort and enjoyment—just like when Xander decided to try that thing with chains—that didn’t work out…" Anya continued to rattle off about one of her and Xander’s exploits, while Tara turned back to Willow, to see what she could do.

Willow tried to concentrate in order to figure out what to do. With her eyes still locked onto Tara, she tried to think of a workable plan, but nothing came to blind. So, drawing her gaze away from Willow, Tara bolted towards Giles’s weapons chest. Tara grabbed an idle cross and stake and headed back towards the door. Holding up the cross, Tara slowly stepped over the threshold, preparing to save Anya.

Though the remaining two vampires’ eyes were still blurred, the two demonic creatures could sense the presence of the holy object in front of them. Both vampires hissed vicious, and the psychic vampire attempting to use her powers to try to toss Tara up against the house, but the cross phased out the vampire’s telekinesis.

Making her way towards the still chattering Anya, Tara stepped in front of the ex-vengeance demon, holding the cross up in front of her and Anya, and nullifying the psychic vampire’s telekinetic connection that was holding Anya up against the wall.

"Anya, try to get back in," whispered Tara quickly.

Anya nodded and quickly rushed towards the door, but as she did the door to Giles’s loft slammed shut. She swiveled around and noticed that the psychic vampire’s eyes were now locked on her. Anya’s spell had worn off too soon. Anya pounded on the door and called for Willow to open it, but as she tried to open the door a powerful psychic force would shut it, keeping her locked outside with Tara and the two other vampires.

Tara quickly began to rush towards Anya, in order to nullify the psychic vampire’s attack, but the civatateo vampire whispered a brief spell and suddenly Tara’s cross ignited on fire. The witch gasped in horror, dropping the cross to the ground and before she knew it the cross burnt up, only leaving a pile of charred ashes. Tara slowly stepped back next to Anya, eyes widened with fear and horror, as she realized that their plan had failed. Anya and Tara would be killed, leaving only an injured Willow all alone in the house.

* * * *

Crystal and Kali snarled with delight as they approached the two helpless girls. After setting the witch’s cross on fire, they had easily trapped the ex-demon and the witch outside of their safe-hold, making it impossible for them to hide or escape. They were sitting ducks now.

The two female vampires slowly made their way towards the two girls, savoring the moment, with nothing—not the Slayer, not the Doomed Vampire, not a cross, nothing—standing between them and their pray. But before they could even lay a finger on their prey, they both heard the arrow slicing through the air and rushing towards Crystal’s back. The civatateo spun around just in time to catch the arrow before it could pierce through the vampire’s chest.

The two moved their gaze towards a large, muscular man, pointing his crossbow right at Crystal. He had, what appeared to be a tamed, Palgorean demon at his feet. The vampire killing demon snarled viciously and leaped down the stairs and quickly rushed towards Kali, while the muscular point shot another bolt at Crystal. As the Palgorean approached Kali, she seemed swatted the huge animal-like demon away with her psychic abilities while Crystal repeated her spell and before the arrow could hit her it burnt up into dust.

Releasing her control over Tara and Anya gave the witch a chance to strike back. With the stake in her hand, the witch quickly rushed towards Crystal and attempted to stake the vampire, but the civatateo demon hissed shot out a kick, knocking the witch to the ground. Crystal’s eyes quickly began to drown in blackness as she chanted a spell. Tara quickly stopped—motionless, almost as if the pause button had been hit and she was trapped there, frozen in time and space.

"Riley!" Anya cried from the other side of Crystal, Kali, and the Palgorean demon awaiting her rescue from the large man. "Hurry up!"

The Palgorean demon scampered towards Kali again and leaped at the psychic vampire. While in midair, Kali used her powers to rise the demon up above her, sending the demon sailing over her head, and crashing into the floor next to Anya. It was then the Palgorean demon reverted back to its original form—a metamorphic demon.

Kali happily grinned, realizing that this was Isis, the demon that had been aiding the Doomed Vampire and the Slayer in the previous battles. If she were to kill the metamorphic demon, and aid Crystal in destroying the Doomed Vampire, things would be looking up for her, no matter which boss she would end up having to deal with. But her smile faded as she sensed another arrow, aimed at her this time, hurling towards her. Kali managed to move out of the way, allowing the arrow to pin her in the shoulder instead of the chest, so she wouldn’t be staked. Unfortunately, that left Kali opened for a surprise attack.

Kali roared at the large, commando-like man, Riley was what Anya had called him, as she pulled out the arrow from her shoulder. But as she did, Kali’s eyes widened as the man hurled a small, glass bottle at her with a small cross labeled on the front of it. It was holy water.

The bottle cracked against the psychic demon, badly bruising the vampire from the impact, and burning the vampire as the water touched and ran down her skin. But the pain wasn’t what Kali was concentrating on. It was the fact that the holy water was temporarily nullifying all of her psychic abilities.

"Get back in the house!" ordered Riley to Anya. "Get whoever else is left!"

Anya nodded eagerly, quickly reopening the door to the Watcher’s loft and rushing in to save the other witch. Riley reached for another bottle and hurled it at Kali again, but this time it exploded before it hit the injured psychic vampire. Crystal had aided her.

Crystal grinned at Riley, when she sensed a huge creature hurtling itself straight towards the civatateo. The witch-vampire held out her hand and halted the demon in its path, when the civatateo’s eyes widened to discover that one of Kali’s asanbosam vampires were standing right in front of her. It had to be the metamorphic demon. But it was two against one—Crystal against the metamorphic demon and the commando…

…And, of course, there was the witch.

Crystal’s power source was too far away for her to depend on Jasmine for her energies. Now, Crystal could only rely on her power alone, and with only her power, Crystal couldn’t hold all of her spells at once. As she focused her energy on stopping the counterfeit-asanbosam vampire, she released her grasp on the witch, and the instant she did, Tara struck back.

Though the witch was drained, Tara held up her hand and whispered something under her breath, and a flame ignited in front Crystal, which didn’t harm her, but it startled her enough to release her hold on the metamorphic demon. The counterfeit-asanbosam swiftly slashed its long sickle at Crystal, attempting to decapitate the civatateo. But Crystal was too quick, and every hit the asanbosam tried to land missed—she was far too agile.

While Crystal continued to dodge the powerful scythes, the witch-vamp was forced to swivel around to block an incoming bolt fired from the commando. Crystal held up her palm, and repelled the arrow from getting anywhere close to her, but as she did, the metamorphic demon quickly swiped its claw at the witch-vamp. Crystal crouched down, and as she did the witch-vamp struck the asanbosam-counterfeit with a powerful kick, sending it soaring in the air.

Before Crystal could even rise up off the ground, a holy water bottle smashed against the side of Crystal’s face, and the consecrated water quickly began to boil and eat away at the vampire’s skin. Though the water was draining away some of Crystal’s power, the pain and agony was more overpowering. Crystal roared in pain, just in time to see the flame set her clothing on fire.

It was too much. The commando and the metamorphic demon were both quickly approaching the civatateo to take her out, and the witch was performing another spell from the corner. She needed to get away and get reinforcements—other than the sad excuse for a lackey she was given and the injured psychic vampire that was no longer useful. Crystal needed to get back to her power source.

The commando fired another arrow, which hit the civatateo in the shoulder, and it was that which set Crystal off. The witch-vampire’s pure black eyes briefly flared an angry red, when an invisible shockwave was released off of the civatateo vampire, slamming the witch, the demon, and the commando up against the wall. Crystal did a brushing motion towards her burning clothes, using her magicks to put out the burning fire.

With the arrow still lodged in her shoulder, the civatateo demon used her powers to pull Kali forward, in order to get the psychic vampire in range of her grasp. Crystal dug her hand into Kali’s shoulder, and prepared to teleport away. The witch-vamp shot a quick glance toward the commando, giving one last final growl before she teleported herself and the psychic vampire away from the scene.

* * * *

Too weaken to teleport all the way to the Slayer’s domain, Crystal reappeared several blocks away from the Watcher’s home. With her hand still on the boiling Kali, Crystal closed her eyes, lifting her head up and trying to concentrate. She focused her energy at the holy water eating away at her skin, and the boiling suddenly stopped. With her magicks, her boiled and bloody skin quickly regenerated itself. She then focused her magickal energy to heal Kali, so the psychic vampire could regain her strength.

"Where are we?" asked Kali, slowly rising off from the ground.

"Not too far away from the Watcher’s house," murmured Crystal, opening her eyes and scanning the area. "Be wary, they may not be too far away."

"Who? The Slayer and her friends," muttered Kali.

"Quiet," ordered the witch-vampire, closing her eyes. "I need you to watch the area, and make sure no one surprises us." Crystal tried to focus, even though the holy water had managed to deplete some of her energy. She called out to her power source, the thing that had once been a girl that was now simply apart of the civatateo vampire. Jasmine…

Immediately, the girl answer. Yes?

The time is now. Do not taunt the Slayer’s mother or hold back any longer. Unleash. The time is now…

Yes, I understand.

And hurry. If everything is going as planned, the Slayer should be rapidly approaching. She should be no match compared to you.

Crystal grinned, reopening her eyes as they darkness started to fade away, to reveal her rich, brown eyes. She turned to Kali and nodded. "We have to head to the Slayer’s house before the Slayer gets there."

* * * *

Anya, supporting Willow, bustled out of Giles’s loft, ready to flee.

"Anya, wait," ordered Riley, gazing around the area, waiting for the two vampires to reappear. "They might still be in the area."

"It’s a teleportation spell," explained Tara, getting off from the ground and slowly turning towards Riley. "She could be anywhere from the top of the steps to the Bronze. But wherever Crystal is, she would have reappeared by now." Tara turned back towards Willow and nodded. "We’ll be safer back inside of the house, if the anti-magick barrier is still up."

"What about the civatateo vampire?" asked Riley. "We can’t just let a demon roam around town with the power to take out all of Sunnydale, while we sit safely inside an anti-magick field."

"Well, we could always let that other demon we let roam around tell us something or other." Both Riley and Tara turned around to see Xander, Giles, and Spike walking down the steps towards Giles’s loft. "’Course, he’d probably lead us into a trap…maybe even a hole."

"I’m right here lack brain," muttered Spike agitatedly.

"How unfortunate." Giles moved passed Spike to examine his house and to check on Riley and Tara. Lowering his crossbow, he asked, "Are you all right? Nothing wrong with the house?"

"Xander!" Nearly dropping the weakened Willow onto the ground—being caught by Tara before she reached the ground—Anya quickly rushed towards Xander, shoving Giles out of the way, and wrapping her arms tightly around Xander. "Xander, I was so lost and worried about you—until I was in danger—but then my mind went right back to you!" Anya glanced around. "I see Buffy’s not here. Does that mean the Doomed Vampire went after her instead of you?"

"Who would go stiff old Jerrold to go after the Slayer?" asked Isis, now back in her tsudious demon form. "I thought they were tight. You know, thought they were buddy-buddy and whatever." She glanced at Riley and then back towards Tara, slightly confused by it all. "Did I miss something?"

"It was all a ploy," confirmed Giles. "Apparently Crystal was toying with us—making us believe that the Doomed Vampire was against us…it’s the power of suggestion, one might say." Giles shrugged and chuckled. "I’m not quite sure why, but it wasn’t till now that I honestly believed it myself."

Tara nodded. "T-there must have been some kind of spell placed upon us while we were in the house—"

"It’s great to get the backstory to all the wonky things happening here," muttered Spike, "but the Slayer’s forcing me to follow after you Scoobs, and I’d much rather be in the comfort of my own crypt. So, can we just go kill Crystal and let me rest." Spike turned to Xander. "Why exactly am I here?"

"Exactly in what sense do you mean?" replied Xander, not even turning his head. "But Spike’s right, we have to go help Buffy and her mom, before Crystal gets to them."

* * * *

The strange girl—who Joyce could only guess was a vampire of some sort—continued to cause powerful tremors, hurl objects through the windows of the house, and call and taunt the Slayer’s mother from outside of the house. Joyce knew that the only way for a vampire to get into the house was if she invited the demon in, but even without the invitation, this vampire was causing too much trouble from the other side of the threshold. It was using magic, similar to how Willow used magic but on a much more powerful scale.

Joyce had already called Giles’s loft, where Buffy said she would be, but after reaching Anya she hadn’t heard back from them. Joyce even tried calling Giles’s again and again, but for some reason the operator kept on saying that the line had been disconnected. Something was targeting Buffy, again, and now Joyce was caught in the crossfire.

Joyce was heading up the stairs, to the upper levels of the house, to check to see if there were any weapons in Buffy’s room to stop some sort of magical spell. But she stopped halfway up the stairs, when silence filled the house. Joyce froze, glancing around, waiting for the vampire to do something, but there was no response. Buffy’s mother instantly jumped, when she heard the girl’s voice from the other side of the door.

"You know, I would never slam the door on a hurt, worn out girl," shouted the girl, from down below. "Where has hospitality gone this days, ya know?"

"Get out!" cried Joyce, quickly retreating to the top of the stairs. "You will not get my daughter!"

"Who? The Slayer?" The girl went into a hysterical fit of laughter, slamming her fist on the other side of the door. "You know, you’d think that this was all about the Slayer, huh? And, even though in a way it is, this is more about Jerrold—the ‘Doomed Vampire,’ which might I add, is a lame attempt at some sort of cryptic nickname."

Joyce was about to continue to retreat into Buffy’s room, when the front door began to shake. At first Joyce thought it was another tremor, but it was only the door that was shaking. And, it quickly began to shake and rattle faster and faster until the door exploded into bits and pieces, revealing the girl on the other side of the threshold, continuing to grin. It was then that she stepped through the door.

"Besides, me, not a vampire." The witch formed a ball of dark energy in her hand and she hurled it up the staircase, up towards Joyce, but the Slayer’s mother quickly dived out of the way. Quickly, Joyce rushed down the tiny hallway into Buffy’s room. The mother slammed the door shut to her daughter’s room, and quickly rushed over to Buffy’s bedside. She searched through Buffy’s drawers in search of weapons or some sort of defense, but most of the weapons had been moved into the living room when Joyce had learned about Buffy’s slaying. All Joyce could find was a tiny cross and stake.

The door to Buffy’s room was kicked down, and on the other side of it stood the girl, continuing to grin and hold up a tiny sphere of dark magical energy. Joyce instantly held up the cross, hoping that it would frighten the girl away. But even as she held it up, the words the girl had spoken quickly rushed back to her.

"Not a vampire," the girl reminded. She threw the ball of energy at Joyce, who managed to sidestep the girl’s first attempt at hitting her. "Ah, aren’t we the agile parent." She shrugged, and with incredible speed, the witch rushed at Joyce, shoving her against the wall of Buffy’s room. She quickly gripped Joyce’s throat, tightening her grasp, and continuing to laugh hysterically. "My master wants you dead—didn’t say it till now, so I guess play time’s over."

"Got that right." Suddenly, an even tighter grip tightened around the girl’s neck, and she ripped her off of her mother, throwing Jasmine across the room. There stood the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire.

"Slayer! Hey! Didn’t think you’d stop so soon. Me and your mom were just doing a little roughhousing—nothing wrong." Jasmine chuckled, as she pulled herself from off of the ground, dusting herself off. A pleased smile spread across her face when she noticed the Doomed Vampire, and she gave a shy little wave. "Hey Jerrold." She gave a little wink. "How’s Dominique doing? Them skeletons give her a little scare, huh?"

"Stay back," the Slayer whispered to her mother, standing her ground next to the Doomed Vampire, "and wait until I give the word."

"You guys are no fun." Jasmine rolled her eyes, lifting up her hand and creating another ball of dark magickal energy. The witch grinned, observing the ball while keeping an eye on the two warriors, protecting the innocent. She slowly stepped closer towards Buffy and Jerrold, watching as their eyes locked on Jasmine’s right hand, containing the ball of energy. Jasmine grinned, holding her left hand behind her back and creating a long, sharp, pointed spike out of cool, smooth piece of ice. "Why so bitter Slayer?"

"That tends to happen when monsters go after my friends and family," replied Buffy darkly, "course disposing of those creatures really helps relieve some of that bitterness."

"Oh, petty threats," mocked the witch, closing her hand and extinguishing the small ball of magick, "scary." Then, faster than any normal human or vampire could move, Jasmine pulled her arm out from behind her back and swiftly launched the icy spike towards Buffy’s mother.

Revealing his demonic guise, the Doomed Vampire promptly tackled Ms. Summers, slamming the Slayer’s mother onto the bed, and smashing the icy missile through a picture frame on the wall. Jay jerked his head back towards Jasmine, as the black-eyed witch gave a little wave towards the half-vampire, with electricity cackling between her fingers. "Buffy!" shouted Jay.

But the Slayer proceeded. Buffy sidestepped Jasmine’s attack, as she unleashed a jolt of electricity from her fingertips, attempting to fry Buffy. The Slayer moved Jasmine’s magicks and rushed Jasmine, shoving against the wall of her room. "Jerrold…"

Jay lifted himself off of Buffy’s mother, who had a mortified look masking over her beautiful face as she stared into the half-vampire’s dark red eyes. "Now, get out of the house while Buffy’s holding her off." But something about Jay—about everything that must have happened to her—had scared her mute and for some reason she wouldn’t respond. "Go…now!" The Doomed Vampire released a vicious roar that rattled Joyce enough to get her to move. Speedily, the Slayer’s mother fled from the room.

"So, you think your pathetic little powers are strong enough to stop the Crystal Night," muttered Jasmine, quite amused by the situation as Buffy contained to hold the witch up against the wall. "Aren’t we just the little soldiers?" Jasmine’s eyes went black again and a dark energy began surrounding and engulfing Jasmine, shocking the Slayer and forcing her to release her grasp. Buffy backed up towards Jay, as they prepared to double-team her. "The Doomed Vampire and the Slayer—teaming up together at last. ’Course the plan was for you both to kill each other…but what the hell, show me what you two—"

Jay rushed at Jasmine this time, before she could even finish her well thought out monologue. The Doomed Vampire didn’t even land a finger on her before he was abruptly frozen in place, feeling an invisible grip warp around his neck and lifting him off the floor. Jasmine giggled with amusement, suspending the half-vamp up in the air. In a small gesture, Jasmine flicked her hand and slammed Jay into Buffy’s closet. When Jasmine’s attention turned back towards Buffy, she could only caught a glimpse of the Slayer before she landed a punch right in the center of Buffy’s chest.

* * * *

Joyce hurried out of Buffy’s roomed, still completely sure what was going on and what was happening—Why was a vampire helping Buffy? Aren’t Angel and Spike the only ones that are suppose to help her?—but she knew that she had to get out of the house. Descending down the stairs, Joyce darted towards the door, quickly rushing out, just in time for a firm, cold hand to grip her shoulder.

On both sides of Joyce stood two, pale, deadly female vampires, baring their deadly fangs and piercing yellow eyes ripping right through her.

"Give a human a simple, and they can’t even terminate that," murmured the vampire that wasn’t holding her. As the demon grinned, revealing her fangs, she replied, "And such a feeble woman too." Peering passed Joyce, the vampire stare locked on to the other vampire. "Guess you didn’t choose the best source, eh?"

"I’d be careful around Kali, never know what a civatateo’s gonna do." Wandering out from behind the tree in the Summers’ front lawn, another dark skinned vampire—older than the one that had aided Joyce inside the house—appeared, holding up a crossbow with one hand, and wearing his vicious, demonic face. "Got a little message from the boss. Looks like things have changed."

"What?" growled the third vampire, tightening her grip on Joyce.

"There’s been a little change of plans Crystal." The dark vampire continued towards the two vampires and the quivering Joyce, keeping his eyes locked on the vampire holding her. "We don’t need Jay dead—not yet anyways. So, I have orders to terminate you."

Crystal rolled her eyes, showing no signs of amusement. "Yes, because a pathetic, meager, little vampire like you could really take me on, as well as a psychic vampire."

"Well, maybe not," agreed the vampire. "Course, the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire could easily do a little tag team and seriously kick your ass—or wait until the Slayer’s little band of reinforcements get here so then they can help kill you." Shifting his gaze away from Crystal, he turned towards the other vampire. "And, an order’s an order Kali. Who’s side are ya gonna take?"

Kali glared at the vampire for a long moment and simply snorted. Stepping back towards Crystal, she replied, "The Slayer’s playing you, isn’t she Damien?"

Damien shrugged. "Maybe a little, but that’s not the point. Kill Jay now, and all is lost—and Lohesh will come after you."

Kali then glanced at Joyce and then back at Damien. "So, what would happen in the grand scheme of everything if we killed this woman…"

"Well, nothing, but it’d get a very brassed off Slayer off our backs."

"Not convincing enough," replied Crystal, grabbing Joyce by the back of her neck now. "Sure, she could betray me, but that’d only get her killed. She’s staying with me."

"Pity." Damien quickly launched a series of bolts right at the psychic vampire, but before they were even in reach of Kali, the wooden arrows were suspended in midair. It was then that Crystal and Kali now saw his other hand, holding an open jar of holy water. He used his strength and speed to quickly tossed the jar straight at Kali.

Murmuring something under her breath, Crystal caught the jar before it got passed the arrows. The witch-vampire’s powers caused the jar to shatter and explode, creating a mist of holy water, creating a thick blanket in front of the witch-vampire and the psychic vampire. Neither vampire was prepared as Damien shot through the cloud of mist—beginning to sizzle and burn as he did—rushing Crystal, and slamming her into the invisible barrier, warding off the vampires. Joyce was released from Crystal’s grasp, and fell on the ground of the other side of the threshold.

"Run!" roared Damien to Joyce, as she scampered away towards the basement.

* * * *

"Ow," murmured Jay, lifting himself from out of Buffy’s now wrecked closet.

On the floor in front of Jasmine, the Slayer was grabbing her stomach, reeling from the pain of the witch’s powers blow. Slowly Jasmine raised her hand, lifting Buffy up with her magicks, and whispering a spell as she did.

"No!" Jay jumped from the closet and slammed Jasmine to the floor, dropping Buffy back to the ground.

Jasmine jerked her head, with her pure, black, eyes digging deep into Jay’s. "Push." The witch’s powerful magicks shoved the half-vampire off of her, forcing him to stumble towards the Slayer. The witch giggled again, and murmured, "Push."

Grasping the Slayer by the shoulder, the witch’s spell grabbed both Jay and Buffy as an invisible force slammed into the two warriors, sending them soaring through Buffy’s bedroom window. Plummeting to the ground, the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire hit the ground of Buffy’s wet lawn. Pain surged through Buffy and Jay—pain reawakened from the fights from earlier.

Poking her head from the shattered window, Jasmine watched the girl and the vampire get up from the ground. Carefully sliding out from the window, making sure not to get slashed by the broken glass, Jasmine levitated herself down to the ground. Behind the witch, Kali and Damien were locked in a deadly brawl, as Crystal was preparing for a spell.

Kali landed several punches across Damien’s face, forcing him to the ground. The vampire landed right next to Jay, and he briefly tilted his head. "Jerrold? Aren’t you suppose to be upstairs?" Then, Kali used her powers, raising the demon up into the air and slammed him back to the ground next to the Doomed Vampire.

"Witch. Spell. Outta the window," summed of Jay.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes." Together, the two vampires pushed themselves up from the ground along with the Slayer, and the three of them momentarily regrouped as Jasmine and Kali prepared to attack. "How are we takin’ them out again?"

"We have to wait for my friends," instructed Buffy. "Then, together, we’ll be able to take down Crystal."

"Or we could just kill the power source…" Damien instantly fell silent as Jay turned his head towards the vampire, releasing an angry roar. "Course, that would be wrong on so many levels. With the immoraliness, the unjust of it all, and of course the badness, blah, blah, blah…"

"Kill ’em," ordered Crystal.

Jay, Damien, and Buffy all began to move towards the witch and the vampire, but as they did Kali struck out her hand and silent of pulse of psychic energy towards the two vampires and the Slayer, pushing them back to the ground. Jasmine had already began to chant another spell, stepping back closer towards the witch-vampire.

Jay and Damien each dived away from the Slayer, attempting to close in and surround the psychic vampire. The three rushed at Kali again, but the vampire again sent a pulse of energy and threw the three back down to the grassy ground. Buffy’s eyes locked on Jay’s and then onto Damien’s, giving a slight nod as she rose up and rushed towards Kali.

The psychic vampire hissed at Buffy approached her, and the Slayer leaped up into the air shot a kick out at the vampire’s face. Kali caught Buffy’s foot before it could connect with her face and threw the Slayer off to the side. Buffy slammed into the ground and skidded towards the stairs of her house, several inches away from Jasmine and Crystal.

Kali focused her powers and started to levitate the Slayer up into the air, when the psychic vampire sensed Damien from behind her. Dropping Buffy instantly, Kali swiveled around and caught Damien’s incoming punch. Both demons snarled at each other as Kali’s hand crushed Damien’s fist—but it wasn’t in time to catch the Doomed Vampire. Coming from what seemed to be out of nowhere, Jay rammed into Kali, pushing her to the ground. Kali pushed the half-vampire off of her, just as the Slayer’s arm wrapped around the vampire’s neck, and she bent back, lifting the undead monster from the ground.

Pulling out his recreated dagger-like stake, the legendary Doomed Vampire quickly rushed towards the psychic vampire, who was struggling to be freed from the Slayer, completely unprepared for the incoming attack. Before she could even shriek, Jay’s legendary dagger sunk into the vampire’s chest. The yellow-eyed creature stared right into Jay’s eyes, as she began to fall apart and exploded into dust.

"Return!" shouted Jasmine, as her black eyes momentarily flared red, and energy crackled from her fingertips. The red energy shot from Jasmine straight towards the Slayer, where a small cyclone of dust cycled in front of Buffy, Jay, and Damien, quickly rebuilding the psychic vampire.

Dusting herself off, Kali smiled and waved at the Slayer and the vampire, giving a little sigh as she did. "Gee, not so easy, huh?" Kali’s face morphed once again, and the demon growled, waiting for the three to approach her again. "Well, I’m waiting."

"Fine." Slicing through the air, an arrow quickly sunk into Kali’s chest, missing her heart but not without inflicting a little pain in the doing. The vampire screeched as she turned around in time to deflect the second air, sending it flying into a nearby tree. There, in the middle of Revello Drive, stood Riley, Xander, Spike, Tara, and Giles, who was holding up a crossbow towards Kali.

"Now that’s not fair," muttered Kali, glancing back towards Jasmine and Crystal. "A little help here witches."

"Do it," commanded Crystal immediately.

The young witch nodded, and struck out her hand, releasing a small eruption of flames towards the newly arrived Scoobies.

"Look out!" Spike quickly shoved Xander out of the way, throwing him to the ground—and causing Spike to break down in pain, as his chip quickly kicked in—while Riley grabbed Tara and moved her away from the flames. Jasmine’s spell hit the ground near Spike, dissipating as it hit the concrete.

Buffy, Jay, and Damien tried rushing at Kali again, but before they could catch her attention, Jasmine threw another ball of fire in their direction. Although it missed, the magick spell nearly set the Slayer’s lawn on fire.

Spike and Riley started towards Kali as well, while the psychic vampire attempted to hold down the Slayer and the two vampires. But before they set foot upon Buffy’s lawn, Jasmine shouted another spell and swatted the two away from the psychic vampire, bringing them down to the ground next to Xander.

Jasmine began chanting again, and red energy began flowing towards the witch’s hands. Tara quickly took note of this and started to focus. Dropping to the ground, the experienced Wicca crossed her legs and placed her hands at her knees. She quickly started whispering something as Jasmine continued her spell.

"Riley! Spike! Xander!" shouted Buffy, giving another nod.

The three quickly gave agreeing nods, rising back up onto their feet. On the other side of Kali, the Slayer and the vampires started to get up once again. All together, the six of them rushed the psychic vampire, who merely crossed her arms and turned towards the witch.

"Dominor vexatio!" shouted Jasmine, beginning to release her dark magicks.

But as she did, Tara’s head shot upward towards the sky, and a white glow surrounded the Wicca. "Resolvo!" The white light surrounding Tara extended towards Jasmine, and as a massive surge of electricity left the dark witch. Tara’s light swiftly dissipated Jasmine’s energy, countering her spell.

"Damn." Kali roared as she released another pulse of psychic energy, pushing the six away from her. It was then the psychic vampire realizing that she couldn’t hold this up forever and that these charges of energy were swiftly weakening her.

As the six hit the ground, all sprawled out on Buffy’s front lawn—Spike slamming and destroying Buffy’s mailbox, Xander and Riley landing near the sidewalk, and Buffy, Jay, and Damien all landing near the driveway. But as Xander fell, his cross and stake slipped from his pocket, falling to the ground below.

The Slayer’s eyes widened as he saw the piece of wood near her longtime bestfriend. "Xander! Your cross!"

Xander briefly glanced down at his cross, but before he could grab it Riley grasped it and hurled it into the air, sending it soaring above Kali and heading towards the Slayer.

"Burn it," ordered Crystal.

Jasmine held her hand out towards the soaring cross, and heat began to collect and radiate from the witch’s hand. But before she could ignite the cross on fire, Tara intervened.

"Marmor!" Jasmine screamed in pain as Tara’s anti-magick kicked in. The witch’s arm quickly stiffened and started to thicken as it turned to stone, making it impossible for her to cast another spell, and allowing the cross land in the Slayer’s hand.

"No!" hiss Kali, attempting to push the Slayer away with her powers, but as Buffy approached the vampire, holding Xander’s cross towards the psychic vampire, it was impossible for her to attack.

But Crystal’s monstrous roar stopped the Slayer in her tracks. "Useless!" Stepping down the Summers’ steps, Crystal stood behind Jasmine, slowly slipping her hands onto the witch’s shoulder. "I wasn’t going to do this for acouple days—you know, see how strong she would get first. But now, this pathetic witch has just proven how meager you all are…pathetic mortals." Crystal sunk her nails into Jasmine’s shoulders, drawing blood and suddenly energy began to transfer from the girl and into the civatateo vampire, charging the witch-vampire up to her full potential.

"Jasmine!" shouted Jay, briefly returning to Jerrold.

Jasmine tried to cry out, but she was too weakened from being drained. Powerless, the drained witch simply dropped to the ground, and there stood the fully charged, civatateo demon; the legendary Crystal.

"I was going to wait to kill all your friends the Crystal Night," murmured the demon to the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire, "but hell, why now."

Crystal gazed upon the opponents that the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire had presented her with. She wasn’t impressed.

"So, you two believe you can stop me—a witch-vampire—with two pathetic vampires, an injured novice witch that can’t even dabble the dark magicks, a Watcher none the less—how very insulting by the way—and of course two typical civilians," murmured Crystal. She shoved the now limp Jasmine off to the side. "Amusing. In the end utterly futile, yet still, amusing."

"You’ll regret that," Giles warned, aiming the crossbow up at Crystal.

The vampire shrugged her shoulders and took a step forward, putting her hand against her lifeless chest. "Just try, Watcher. Amuse me."

And as she spoke those words, Giles quickly pulled the trigger and the arrow swiftly plunged into the heart of the civatateo vampire. The demon continued to smile even as she crumbled to dust—and continued to smile as a dust cloud reappeared on the cement pathway of the Summers’ home, quickly materializing back into Crystal.

Kali, standing opposite of the Slayer who was still holding up the cross, chuckled as a distraught look quickly appeared on the face of the Slayer, as well as the Doomed Vampire standing behind her. "Well, if it counts for anything, I was amused."

"Slayer!" Grabbing a piece of the fallen mailbox, Spike hurled a sharp, jagged stake towards Buffy. Nearly nailing Kali through the chest, Buffy jabbed the stake at the vampire, who evaded the stake by using her vampiric speed and agility. Dodging the Slayer’s attack, Kali launched a kick, managing to knock the stake right out of her hands. She attempted to land another kick, but the Slayer was prepared this time, catching Kali’s foot in the air before it connected. Dropping the cross, Buffy freed her hand, punching Kali in the face, and then swiftly pulled her hand back, grabbing Kali’s hair, pulling her head back and them slamming it to the ground.

Crystal gave another roar, pointing her hand towards Buffy, released a stream of black electricity straight at the Slayer. Jumping back out of the way, Buffy dodged the attack, landing back near Jay and Damien.

Kali slowly rose back up, hissing at the Slayer as she did.

"Spike, Damien! Kali, now!" ordered Buffy instantly. Buffy’s sight turned towards Riley and Xander. Momentarily hesitant on which one to choose, Buffy quickly shouted, "Xander!"

The two vampires nodded, both glancing briefly at Xander—who didn’t seem to pleased to work with Spike, let alone Damien who was just another vampire, no soul, no chip, nothing. Damien was the first to strike, as he rushed at his superior. She merely threw a punch, knocking away the vampire just as Spike jumped her, wrapping his legs around her waist and his arm around her neck, nearly snapping it.

Kali quickly threw herself backward, crushing Spike against the ground in the doing, as she dodged another one of Damien’s punches and kicks. Kali rolled onto her back—crushing Spike again in the doing—and pulling herself back together. Xander quickly moved passed the two vampires, driving Kali away from the battle, which allowed him to retrieve his fallen cross. But as he did, he glanced up to see Crystal’s blazing black eyes staring right at the boy.

"Uh oh," cried Xander softly, slowly reaching for his cross.

But as his hands wrapped around the cross, Crystal tilted her head upwards and a powerful, unseen, force collided into Xander, tossing him backward. He managed to pull himself up and scurry away towards Spike and Damien, before Crystal performed her next spell.

"Goddess Hel, to you I beseech," chanted Crystal, walking towards the Slayer, now accompanied by the Doomed Vampire, her Watcher, and her beau, "empower me with your darkest magicks, and bring hell before me…" Crystal’s human face quickly became twisted and disfigured, as she vamped out. A reddish energy from her dark magicks began to surround and engulf the witch-vampire. "Flames of Hel!"

The reddish energy strengthened and increase and as the spell ended, the energy around Crystal sparked and transformed into fire, quickly spreading across the lawn of the Summers’ home, lighting the grass and trees on fire. Riley and Giles barely managed to get off the lawn, before Crystal’s spell touched and burned them. Buffy and Jay remained on the cement pathway up to Buffy’s home, standing opposite the powerful civatateo demon.

"Like I said, amusing."

* * * *

Willow cringed as she felt a shockwave of dark energy move passed her. And she knew exactly what it was: a powerful spell from the civatateo vampire, Crystal, who was facing off against Buffy, the Doomed Vampire, and the rest of her friends.

And Tara.

"Tara," whispered Willow, as she rested on Giles’s couch. Anya leaned against the doorway of the loft with the tsudious demon, in a werewolf form, guarding the outside of the house. Willow groaned as she rose up, wrapping herself in the blanket. "I…have to go help…Tara."

"Um, no." Anya grabbed Willow by the shoulder and began directing Willow back towards Giles’s couch. "You’re too weak and tired and pale to do anything right now—except maybe a little glamour or what not to hide that thing on your face, but still, nothing helpful."

"Shut up Anya," mumbled Willow, pushing the ex-vengeance demon off of her. "Unless you want to help, go away."

Anya fell silent, as she let Willow pass her by and wobble towards the doorway of Giles’s house. Finally the ex-vengeance demon turned around and replied, "Xander’s out there too, and I wouldn’t want him to be vitally harmed because of something I could of helped stop, especially if certain parts of him were harmed, because if that were to happen—"

"Okay, I get it," interrupted Willow.

"What are you trying to do, exactly?" asked Anya.

Willow shrugged helpless. "We wouldn’t be able to get to Buffy’s house fast enough…but I suppose we could channel our energies to help Tara dispel Crystal’s spell." The Wicca tilted her head out the doorway. "We’ll have to do it outside of the house, with the anti-magick barrier still up."

"Will that work?"

"Hey, it’s better than sitting around waiting for the world to end or the city to be set afire or some dimensional portal to open up and suck us into hell, no?"

* * * *

Buffy and Jay stood opposite the mighty civatateo demon, surrounded by the "Flames of Hel" that the witch-vampire had conjured up. While the two warriors attempted to think of some sort of plan and strategy to take out Crystal, the vampire simply stared with the look of "amusement."

Stepping towards the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire, Crystal calmly said, "Even though it’s going to be an honor to take out the Hellmouth’s very own Slayer, my target this evening is you, Jerrold." Crystal glanced around at the burning fires surrounding her and simply shrugged. With the snap of a finger, the fires distinguished. "It’s all showy magicks and what all. The simplest witch-vampire could use it to stay alive. It could kill you in an instant, but where would the fun in that be?"

Buffy glanced back passed Jay, to where Riley and Giles stood with Tara, waiting for Buffy’s signal to attack. But she knew that Crystal could raise the fires again, and instantly incinerate her former Watcher and her beau.

"Buffy!" shouted Riley.

The Slayer didn’t even see the witch-vampire’s fist connect to Buffy’s face, sending her off the cement pathway and into the charred remains of Buffy’s lawn, leaving Crystal to face off with the Doomed Vampire.

"All I really wanted was you," replied Crystal, as she readied herself for the half-vampire’s first move. "Only you."

"Touched, really," muttered Jay, putting his dagger-like stake back into its sheathe. "And you’ll pay for what you did to Jasmine."

Crystal smirked. "For doing what exactly?" Her gazed moved back towards the fallen girl as she continued. "For releasing the power that she had stored inside of her…or are you talking about what happened to her sister—"

An image of Angelique’s shocked, innocent face flashed through Jay’s mind as blind rage provoked the half-vampire to hit Crystal as she start to turn back around. "Shut up."

Crystal began cackling again, fully turning around to reveal a small nick on the witch-vampire’s lip. Jay wasn’t completely sure, but it seemed like Crystal was almost surprised by the vampire’s outburst—she hadn’t expected to begin to bleed. The civatateo’s eyes momentarily flared red, and the injury that the half-vampire had inflicted faded away. "Only you vampire, only you."

* * * *

"You know, I always knew you were jealous, Damien," muttered Kali, as Damien continued to strike at the psychic vampire, moving their battle away from the Slayer’s home. Although the boy’s cross had managed to drain a significant amount of Kali’s powers, the vampiress could still manage to hold her own and block most of Damien’s attacks. "Always bickering and complaining to Lohesh—trying to get me fired or killed or demoted or what not."

None of Damien’s blows were landing any hits on Kali—she was far more advanced than any vampire he had ever encountered. She was a powerful psychic vampire yes, but even as a regular vampire she was still extremely powerful. Her experience far surpassed his own. But with the help of Spike and the Slayer’s friends…

"It’s nothing personal Kali," replied Damien, jabbing his elbow at the vampire’s face. She caught it before it could connect with her nose and threw Damien back, colliding into the incoming Spike and Xander.

"Just doing the boss’s orders?" said Kali skeptically. "This may be a bit of a shock you Damien, but Lohesh isn’t the big noise around these parts anymore. Not with Crystal around anyways. She’s more powerful than you can even conceive."

"Like you?" muttered Xander, holding up his cross causing all three vampires to hiss at him. Xander rose up off of the ground, slowly moving towards the civatateo vampire. "Because, all I see is just another crusty, old, pale vampire, going up against the Slayer and her friends, just waiting to get an itty bitty piece of wood shot through her, only to make you go poof."

Kali hissed at Xander, watching as Xander pulled out another stake. "Listen boy, you are way over your head."

"Really? Because my stake and cross says otherwise."

"Oh please." In one swift motion Kali knocked away the cross and stake from Xander’s hand, and managed to get Xander in a headlock—exposing the boy’s bare neck. "You may be the Slayer’s friend, but you’re nothing more than a boy." With her idle hand, Kali pulled Xander by his hair to better expose his neck and she quickly started down towards the boy’s neck.

But to Xander’s surprise something happened: Spike. He rammed into Xander and Kali, grabbing Xander as he did and causing the two to fall to the ground—and on impact Spike howled out in pain as his chip activated from harming Xander. Before everything could register, Damien stood in front of the psychic-vampire and finally landed a blow in the center of her chest. He then rushed after her, grabbing her by the back of her head and connecting it with his knee.

Too dazed to react fast enough, Kali could only stagger backwards as the vampire continued to pummel her. Damien hit her with a punch, a kick, and then forced her to the ground, but she simply wouldn’t fight back.

"The big noise, eh?" muttered Damien skeptically, punching Kali several more times, and then attempting to finish her off with a knee in the chest. "I’d dust you now, but I’m short a stake."

"Meaningless demon," murmured the psychic vampire, as she attempted to push away the searing pain. Damien stepped back, reverting to his human face, and allowed Kali to wobble upwards, back into a standing stance. "Do…you really believe…that you will win?"

"I’m the one standing firm, am I not?" Damien glanced back towards Spike and Xander, who were both still on the ground. He looked at them and shrugged. "Am I wrong?" Damien reached down and grabbed Xander’s stake and turned back around…only to see the vampiress standing inches away from Damien. Her grip instantly wrapped around Damien and she hissed with anger.

"I am beyond you."

* * * *

Giles and Riley could only watch as Buffy lay helplessly on the ground, while Jay attempted to beat down the civatateo demon. But, as Giles had demonstrated, killing Crystal would not do anything—because her powers could just as easily bring her back. The Slayer and the Doomed Vampire would need the help of Tara’s magicks in orderly to fully slay the civatateo.

But the ex-Watcher knew that Riley would want to protect Buffy. He was ready to strike—stake in his hand, a bottle of holy water stashed away—when Buffy finally gave the signal, but Giles knew she was far too invested in this to take note of Riley. She would probably believe that if Riley were fighting with her, she’d be more worried about his well being than slaying the creature.

"Uh, um…Mr. Giles, sir." Giles quickly pulled his attention away from Jay and Crystal’s fighting and downward towards Tara. "You d-do realize that if Jay or Buffy wants to k-kill her, we’ll need to cast some sort of spell."

Giles nodded. "Some sort of anti-magick spell perhaps—drain the energy from her?"

Tara shook her head. "That’s too advanced. B-besides, if it doesn’t work, then she’ll try to attack us." She closed her eyes and started to focus, and as she did Giles could sense a strong presence and energy surrounding her. It was Willow. "Willow, Anya, and that demon, Isis, are beginning to channel their energy into me t-to stop Crystal. We have to act now."

"Killing her seems to be the only problem," deducted Giles. "She can simply come back together when she turns to dust…that’s when a spell becomes activated. If our spell were to prevent her from reforming—"

"I can perform binding spells pretty easily, this should be kinda the same…except m-maybe backwards, an unbinding spell, maybe," said Tara, stumbling over her words, "I hope."

* * * *

Jay had spared with many friends and demons in his time—from when he was first created from his demon days when he wasn’t a vampire, even up until now—but "sparing" was falling short. Absolutely none of his attacks were even harming Crystal. Any hit that actually managed to harm Crystal seemed to instantly fade away. The civatateo demon was far too powerful.

And she had yet to use her magicks.

"To be honest vampire, I expected more," admitted Crystal, as Jay tried to land acouple more kicks and punches, absolutely none of them phasing her. "I mean, I’d heard so much about you—giving the big bad trouble and all that." She shrugged and stepped back, dodging an incoming kick from the vampire. "But, what can you really expect from a myth like you."

Crystal hissed as she sensed something else coming at her. She swiveled around and caught Buffy’s incoming stake, and incinerated it with her magicks. "And you, the big deadly Slayer…well, words can not describe how pathetic you are. I mean, killer of the Master should mean something, but you are simply less than a Slayer." Turning her eyes towards Giles, Riley, and Tara and then onto Spike, Damien, and Xander, and back to the Doomed Vampire and the Slayer. "You need others to fight your battles. What does that say about you?"

"That you’re doubting me, just like every other misery vampire that pops up in the Hellmouth thinks," replied Buffy. She glanced around and shrugged. "Although I have to admit, you’ve done a pretty good job on this one: you got me and my new ally facing off against you while your lackeys try to take out my friends. All in all, a pretty…um, ‘unique’ plan?"

Crystal stared at Buffy for a moment, only shaking her head. The Doomed Vampire tried to creep up on the civatateo vampire, but before he could even throw any punches Crystal turned around and rushed at him. Crystal used her powers to move at an incredible speed, pinning the half-vampire to the ground. Then, as the Slayer approached to fend her off, Crystal shot out her foot and nailed the Slayer in the stomach, sending her flying backwards.

Grabbing Jay by the collar, Crystal rose up and simultaneously dragged Jay off of the ground, and in a swift and fluid motion hurled the younger vampire overhead, sending him soaring at the Slayer. Jay collided upside-down into the Slayer, as she started towards her again. Crystal was moving too fast for either one to slow her down with their basic maneuvers.

Buffy shoved the half-vampire off of her and started towards Crystal again. Jay nodded and followed after her. Together, the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire tried to rush at the vampire again. Taking in a deep breath, the witch-vampire released a powerful blast of gushing wind, which sent both warriors falling flat onto their backs.

"Buffy!" The almost bothersome sound of Buffy’s beau made Jay cringe, as he saw Riley rush off from the sidewalk, over the charred grass, straight at Crystal. Holding out a stake, he seemed furious and angered by the fact that this witch was harming Buffy—but it was this fury and rage that would get him killed.

"Riley, no!" cried Buffy, starting to get up off of the ground again.

But she couldn’t stop Crystal. Even though she stood too far out of range to actually touch Buffy’s boyfriend, Crystal slashed at the air—leaving red streaks as she did—that some how slashed Riley across the chest. Crystal growled and tackled Riley, too stunned by the witch-vampire’s attack. She pinned him to the ground, sinking her claws into Riley’s side and preparing to sink her teeth into Riley’s neck.

* * * *

Kali held Damien in her firm grasp, as she summoned forth her energy in order to drain the vampire. By draining Damien’s energy, he would not only be weakened in order for her to stake him, but Kali’s full strength, as well as her powers, would return to her.

"Sorry Damien, but your usefulness has come to an end," murmured Kali, holding Damien up in front of Xander and Spike. "Farewell D, it’s been fun." Kali hesitated for a moment, and finished, "Well no, not really." Kali began to radiate with light as her remaining energy to attempt to drain Damien.

Just as she had done with the Slayer, Kali’s powers lifted Damien up into the air and her powers to engulf Damien and attempt to drain all the psychic energy from him. The pressure pressed against the cold skin of the vampire, trying to squeeze out all of Damien’s energy…

…But it didn’t work.

As Kali tried to drain Damien, the energy that was absorbed into the psychic vampire created a violent reaction and caused Kali to sever her connection with the vampire, as well as creating a small psychic explosion. The blast sent Kali falling to the ground and Damien falling back towards Xander and Spike.

"What the hell?" cursed Kali angrily, getting off from the ground, staring back at Damien. "That’s…that’s impossible! I can drain vampires as easily as a human—’course with the exception that humans would get crushed from the pressure. But that energy…you’re different." Kali hissed at him, replying, "Unless that’s because—"

But she cut herself off as Damien roared and tried to tackle her. Using whatever strength she had left, and shoved the vampire aside with her powers. "Pathetic." But Kali cringed in pain, as Xander reappeared in front of her, holding up his cross again.

"Really? Pathetic are we?" replied Xander, keeping his distance this time. "Because, from what I’m told, this cross is draining any little inkling of strength that you have left." Xander grinned. "Wonder what that’s like?"

Kali hissed, but before Xander could continue, she darted straight at Xander. Even though he held up his cross, burning it against her chest, Kali grabbed Xander and pressed him up against her, titled his head, and preparing to drink him. Quickly sinking her set of fangs into Xander Harris’s neck, she was about to drain him, but with the cross and the lack of energy, she didn’t notice Damien rushing after her.

Xander started to cry out in pain, but Kali’s head jerked up in shock. She dropped him to the ground and turned towards Damien, who was holding up the stake that he had just plunged through Kali’s heart. The psychic vampire hissed with disgust—not only angry that she would soon be gone, but because it had been Damien that had killed—and tried to tackle the vampire one last time. But before she could make contact with the vampire, she cried out one last time as she exploded into dust.

As she went poof, a pulse of psychic energy was released and slammed Xander, Spike, and Damien to the ground. With a little chuckle, Xander murmured, "Funny. And, in the end, she even got the last word. Those crazy vampires." He turned to Spike and then to Damien. "Uh, no offense…well, maybe just a little."

Damien got up, dusting Kali’s remains off his clothes. Standing over Xander, he held out his hand. "Oh, you know, none taken. I’ve heard worse."

Stupidly, Xander accepted Damien’s hand, and as he touched the vampire’s cold hands he instantly remembered that he was a vampire. But it was too late, and Damien had pulled Xander up close to Damien’s fangs, hovering above the wound newly opened by Kali. "Sorry boy."

"Sod off." From behind Xander, Spike’s fist connected with Damien’s face, chipping one of his fangs, and forcing the vampire to the ground. Xander quickly grabbed his cross from the ground, holding it towards the injured Damien. The chipped vampire hissed at the darker vampire, replying, "Get out."

The vampire shrugged, rising up from the ground. "Fine, suit yourselves." And Damien rushed off, back towards his master.

Standing with Spike hovering over his shoulder, Xander glanced around at the pale, blonde vampire. He blinked at him several times, registering everything that had just happened, and gave an acknowledging nod, followed by a punch at Spike’s face. "I don’t even want to know why you did that…and I saw you eyeing my neck wound!"

* * * *

"So, we’re doing what exactly?" asked the tsudious demon skeptically, now back to her demonic form, holding hands with Anya and Willow in the courtyard outside of the Watcher’s flat. "I’m suppose to be protecting you all, no? No exactly good to be sitting around outside. Plus, to be truthful, this whole touchy-feely magick stuff, really isn’t for me."

"Quiet," instructed Willow, sitting on one of Giles’s couch cushions. Anya and Isis held Willow’s hands, create somewhat of a sacred circle. "If we’re going to do this, we’re going to have to channel our energies into Tara, who will perform a spell to help Jay and Buffy."

"Not exactly caring," muttered Isis. "Especially if there are any kind of freaky side-effects…you know, like losing control of my transforming or an extra part of some kinda…maybe some sorta weird growth…"

"Well, think of it this way," suggested Anya, "if we don’t channel our energy to Tara, to help Buffy and your friend kill this all-powerful, destructive, most likely can’t be killed civatateo demon—which is iffy enough as it is—then our world will be ruined and destroyed by her powerful magicks, destroying not only the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire, but all the humans and the demons on this planet, most likely starting with the dwellers of the Hellmouth, which includes you and me."

"Sums it up," murmured Willow, still preparing the spell.

With a shake of her head, Anya finished, "To simplify it: not good."

Isis slowly nodded, somewhat speechless. "Yeah, kinda caught on to that one."

"Yeah, so quiet, while Willow tries to do another one of her spells," instructed Anya, "or else it could backfire, end up helping Crystal somehow, and killing us all."

"Quiet!" screeched Willow, breaking her concentration. "If you both aren’t quiet, then I won’t be able to try help Tara, or accidentally help Crystal, as you so tactfully pointed out Anya." She closed her eyes again, and instructed, "Now close your eyes, and focus all your energies towards me."

* * * *

"Riley!"

But she was too far off. Buffy tried to stop Crystal, but as she ran over towards Crystal, she saw the witch-vampire’s big black eyes flare an enraging red, she stopped herself as a wall of fire blocked her path. Buffy cursed as she tried to find away around the wall, but she knew that by the time she got on the other side that Riley would be dead.

Jay stood by her side, and they both knew they would have to try to jump through the fire in order to get to the other side. But how would they?

Crystal had already bitten into Riley, beginning to drain Riley as everything began to happen. Crystal felt some sort of energy pass by her, when she instantly realized what it was: Kali. She was gone. Somehow, the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire’s allies had succeeded in killing her. But how?

But it was her own pain now that she was focusing on. From within the Slayer’s home, an open jar of holy water splashed the civatateo vampire and she howled in pain as the blessed water burned the witch’s skin. But it wasn’t just that: similar to Kali, her energy was being drained by the holy water, causing the wall of fire to dissipate.

Leaning out the window overlooking the front lawn was Joyce Summers, holding an empty bottle of holy water, along with two unopened bottles as well. But, instead of opening them, the older woman merely chucked one at the witch-vampire and tossed the other one at Buffy.

Watching the situation, Buffy saw her mom cringe. "Oh Buffy, not the lawn…"

Crystal snarled with anticipation, as she held out her hand, chanting a spell. Her hand, pointing at Joyce, began to shimmer with dark energy as she continued the spell.

While Riley scurried back towards Giles, who instantly gripped Riley’s arm, Buffy ran at full speed, as fast as she possibly could, and tackled Crystal. Crystal released dark energy from her hand, aimed at Joyce, but as the Slayer pinned her to the ground, they shot upward into the air, quickly dissipating.

Joyce moved away from the window, knowing that she had helped her daughter, but also knowing that there was truly nothing else she could do now.

* * * *

Riley tried to escape Giles’s grasp, but he wouldn’t let go.

"Listen here," instructed Giles sternly. "If Buffy and this Jay are to defeat Crystal, then your presence is necessary for the spell that Tara is to perform. And the only way it will work is if the two of us channel our energies to help Tara encase Crystal’s magicks."

Riley started to settle down, and tore away from Giles’s arm. "And this will help Buffy?"

"Right now, it seems to be the only thing that can," reassured Giles. "But if you go out there again, it will get not only you killed, but Buffy as well."

Tara, who had been silent up until this point, cleared her throat and quietly said, "Um, I n-need you both to sit down to form a circle into to invoke Willow’s energy. That way we can perform the spell."

As both Buffy and Jay rushed at the witch-vampire and continued fighting, and as punches and grunts were being thrown, both Giles and Riley blocked the battle out and sat down next to Tara. Clasping their hands together, Tara closed her eyes and gripped their hands.

"Okay," whispered Tara, "now I need you both to close your eyes and focus your energy…Willow, Anya, and Isis are already preparing to send us their energies, and when they do, I will use your energies to perform the spell to unbind Crystal’s powers." She cleared her throat, as she quietly noted under her breath, "I h-hope."

* * * *

Crystal growled in anger, as Buffy pinned her against the Summers’ scored lawn. It didn’t take too long, for Crystal to overpower Buffy’s grasp, flipping the Slayer onto the ground, pinning Buffy helplessly. Crystal threw a series of punches before Jay roared in anger and tackled the witch-vampire off of Buffy.

Regaining their balance, both Jay and Crystal repositioned their stances before Jay launched a series of attacks at Crystal, which she managed to block. Even though she was still smoking from the holy water, the witch-vampire hadn’t lost her strength and accuracy, blocking all of Jay’s incoming attacks.

But the water had managed to damage Crystal’s focus, enough so that Buffy could sneak up on Crystal. Although stakeless, Buffy managed to do some harm to Crystal, fending the witch-vamp from Jay. Buffy hit Crystal with a devastating kick that struck the vamp right down the spine, slamming her into the Doomed Vampire. Grabbing Crystal as they stumbled backwards, Jay hit the ground, and threw the witch-vampire over him and towards the large tree.

The Doomed Vampire revealed his dagger-like stake, hissing at Crystal as he did, and started towards her again. Pulling herself from up against the tree, Crystal just chuckled and smiled as Jay prepared to stake the witch-vampire.

"Referio!" barked Crystal. Jay’s stake didn’t even touch the witch-vampire. Some invisible force surrounding the vampire hit Jay’s stake, and as it struck, a pulse of energy reflected back at Jay and pushed the half-vampire back in the direction of the Slayer, simultaneously dropping his stake.

Buffy and Jay stood side-by-side as Crystal’s eyes plunged into blackness, momentarily flashing a raging red. "Flames of Hel!"

The Slayer and Doomed Vampire were about rush off of the lawn, but they stopped when they discovered the spell didn’t seem to activate. Crystal still could cast several spells, but Joyce’s holy water had significantly drained the witch-vampire.

"Thanks Mom," murmured Buffy to herself. "Sorry Crystal, tonight must not be your night."

Together Jay and Buffy moved towards Crystal, attacking at full force, but still the civatateo demon managed to block their moves. Now they were relying on Tara’s spell to kick in and kick in fast, or else Crystal would regain her strength.

* * * *

Although they were physically separate, Willow, Tara, Anya, Giles, Riley, and Isis were all connected on a higher plain, thanks to Willow and Tara. Together, their energies and powers, their essences and skills of magicks were all being funneled into Tara in order for her to perform a spell to counteract Crystal’s magick.

It was solely the demon’s magicks that were holding together the witch-vampire. Without her magicks, she wouldn’t be stable enough.

Inside Giles’s loft, the energy of the demon Isis and the ex-demon Anya flowed into Willow, and with the young Wicca’s strength, she funneled all their powers into her girlfriend.

Standing outside of the Summers’ home, forming a circle, the combined energy engulfed Tara’s body, as both Riley and Giles’s energy moved into Tara. All five of their spirits and energies charged Tara as she whispered and chanted an unbinding spell, that would hopefully aid Buffy and Jay.

* * * *

Crystal snarled darkly, defending herself against the Slayer and the Doomed Vampire, blocking the punches and countering the kicks. Before long, she wouldn’t waste her time on petty tricks and she would take them both out.

The Slayer shot right at her and Crystal grabbed Buffy by the arm, slamming the Slayer into the tree as she had done to Crystal, only Buffy’s head slammed into the tree, causing Buffy to lost consciousness. This left the civatateo vampire and the half-vampire to face off against each other.

Jay eyed down Crystal, but as he did, he saw the Slayer’s allies forming some sort of magickal circle, and a brilliant white light radiating from one of them. They must have been performing some sort of spell to help him fight against Crystal, but whatever it was hadn’t kicked in. He would have to make sure that Crystal didn’t get to them.

The Doomed Vampire turned back towards Crystal, his eyes locked locked onto hers. Hissing, she started towards the Slayer’s friends.

Without Buffy, Jay knew he didn’t have as good of a chance, but a chance none the less. He had to do something.

But he didn’t know what.

Continuing with his basic plan, Jay headed in Crystal’s direction, but the witch-vampire saw him coming and launched a kick at the half-vampire that sent him sprawling towards the ground. Although he wasn’t achieving much, Crystal drawing Crystal’s attention away from Riley and the others in order to slay Jay.

Crystal grabbed Jay’s arms, as she pinned him to the ground straddling him, making sure he wouldn’t break free. The civatateo hissed, as she buried her claws into Jay’s arms. The witch-vampire’s eyes flashed red as she whispered some ancient magick phrase and the half-vampire felt a power surge move through him. It was the inverse of the spell the Slayer’s friend had performed on the Doomed Vampire earlier that night, and Crystal’s magicks forced him to turn back to Jerrold.

"It’s more fun like this anyhow," murmured Crystal, letting her hot breath spew all over the struggling Jerrold. "No enjoyment without a solid kill."

But she never got her taste.

Holy water spilled all over the powerful and legendary civatateo vampire, sizzling and boiling the ancient demon’s skin, forcing her to howl in pain.

Acting on his last whim, Jerrold headbutted Crystal and managed to shove the witch off of him. Quickly rolling onto his back, standing back onto his feet, and getting back into his fighting stance, Jerrold stared straight into the eyes of the enraged Crystal and then locked onto the girl that had thrown the holy water. At first, he thought it had been Buffy who had harmed Crystal…

…but it was Jasmine who had saved him and now stood behind Crystal.

"You took something of mine," growled Jasmine darkly, holding up the bottle of holy water she had swiped from Buffy and Jay’s dagger-cross in her other hand, "and I’ll never get her back."

Jerrold morphed back into Jay, regaining his darker powers, and launched a series of attacks at the injured witch-vampire before she could attack. Viciously punching the civatateo, Jay finished things off by delivering a powerful blow to Crystal’s stomach, then grabbing the witch-vampire by the back of the head and smashing it into Jay’s knee.

And it was at that moment—as the searing pain surrounding the witch-vampire started to settle—that Crystal knew that she wouldn’t have long.

* * * *

"And with this, my final blessing, I cry out to you," chanted Tara, "for the darkness before myself to be undone." The energies and powers from Willow, Anya, Isis, Giles, and Riley were all flowing into Tara now, and the powerful Wicca was engulfed in a magickal, white glow. Managing to pull herself from the powerful magicks and energies surrounding her, Tara stood up, facing towards the battle between the civatateo vampire, Crystal, and the Doomed Vampire, Jay.

"Let the powers of myself and those around me be heightened as I pray to thee," murmured Tara, "to let my magicks be released and stop this vicious foe." The energy focused in the center of Tara’s palms, as she finished her spell. "Let these words find my spell’s release: unbind…unbind…unbind!"

* * * *

An extraordinary burst of light shined from the Slayer’s allies, as one stood before them and a current of energy was released at dazed and injured Crystal, standing between vampire and the witch. The energy hit Crystal, and as it did the current of energy surged through the witch-vampire and the magick seemed to be undoing the magickal binding that kept the civatateo demon together all this time. All those years she had spent on earth and all those years in the hell-dimension, it had been Crystal’s powers that had kept her together.

But without them, she could barely move.

While Tara’s spell continued to take effect, Crystal’s beautiful features that would be considered wondrous, if she wasn’t a vicious and savage demon, started to fade away. She quickly became weak beginning to shrink down into a horrid, foul, decrepit creature, that now resembled an extremely elderly old woman. Definitely not a creature that was once called a legend.

"This is for what you’ve done to me," whispered Jasmine, as she raised up Jay’s stake. The young witch shouted in anger as she plunged the dagger-stake through the civatateo’s chest. There was not enough magick left that could possibly fight off Tara’s magicks and hold together the witch-vampire at the same time. "And for Angelique."

And in the end, it was neither the Slayer nor the Doomed Vampire that had slain the demon. It was the one seeking vengeance over her fallen sibling.

Crystal screamed in horror as her skin and blood and muscles all began quivering and disintegrating, because she exploded into dust…

* * * *

The humans wouldn’t be able to feel it, but every vampire surrounding the mighty demon, Lohesh, could sense the death of Crystal. Powers beyond believe flowed through the air now, as the once all-powerful civatateo demon was now amongst the many legendary vampires slain in Sunnydale: The Master, Kakistos, the Anointed One, and a long list of other vampires.

But Lohesh couldn’t care any less.

The demon watched as Crystal’s remaining skeleton-creatures momentarily quivered in pain by the deaths of their master, and in an instant exploded into dust—for the magicks that were holding them together were no longer activate.

Damien had successfully completed his mission. Crystal and the Crystal Night were no more, and now nothing stood between the Doomed Vampire and Lohesh. This half-demon would be his. And nothing would stop Lohesh now, especially with the newly acquired information given to him.

As well as a future alliance that would escalate with Lohesh and this Leo…

"Now I know why you’re always complaining about being knocked out," noted Buffy, as Giles applied some ice to her injured head. "I’ve never really understood your pain up until now."

"The unfavorable role of being the ruggish Watcher that gets constantly smacked about the forehead?"

The Slayer shrugged, as her mom brought in some food, drinks, bandages, and cookies for Buffy, Xander, Riley, Tara, and Giles, as they comfortably recuperated after the night’s attack. Dawn was on the horizon.

"Actually," said Buffy, taking a bite of one of her mom’s homemade cookies, "I was talking about missing all the action and the death—" Buffy turned to Riley, who had his arm tightly wrapped around his girlfriend, as she finished "—really takes the joy out of getting your face kicked in."

"So I’ve heard," agreed Xander.

"Unconsciousness will do that to ya," murmured Tara.

Joyce handed the drinks to Xander, who had started to drink both his own lemonade as well as Giles’s (until the ex-Watcher hit Xander on the back of his head), while she gave the bandages to Tara. "So is everything okay—you know, other than my lawn and our mailbox? Are those children alright?"

"Jerrold and Jasmine?" said Buffy slowly. She sighed. "From what Jay said, Jasmine’s older sister was turned tonight and it was Jerrold who ended up killing him." The Slayer sighed and shook her head. "Both of them have been through so much tonight."

"Uh, hello, does anyone remember Tara and Willow being captured and used and tooled tonight," replied Xander doubtfully. "I mean, we’ve all had to deal with our fare share of problems tonight."

Riley nodded with agreement, as he turned to Tara and asked, "Are you feeling alright? I mean, after that spell and all?"

"Been better," summarized Tara. "Arm still kinda hurts, but it’ll be okay. When I get back to Willow and my bed, I’ll feel better." It was then, for the first time tonight, that Tara brightly smiled and blushed, as she stammered to say, "Uh, n-not in that sorta way, of course…"

"Will they all be alright?" asked Joyce with concern.

Buffy nodded. "Jay, Jasmine, and Spike headed back to Giles’s, in order to check in on the others and pick up Isis. From their, Jay said Isis would bring Spike back to his crypt and she’d go home, while Jay went with Jasmine, since his house apparently was burnt down—which, to be frank, happens way too often in Sunnydale, even if I was the caused of one or two incidences." The Slayer sighed. "It’s going to be rough for them."

"But still, I will have to protest to that fact Xander," replied Giles, and as he said that, Xander gave Buff that gee-what-else-is-new,-Watcher’s-pet look. "The Doomed Vampire has had to deal with more than any of us this night…" Sipping the cup of tea that Joyce had prepared for him, Giles said, "And I have a feeling, that Jerrold, Jasmine, and our demon friend Isis will all have issues of their own to deal with, even before sunrise."

The fragmented Scooby Gang all fell silent in the Summers’ living room. And together, they watched dawn slowly rise into their home.

* * * *

"You know, I help the pathetic wanker—fend of the vamp trying to kill the lot of them, and then punch out the bloke trying to bite Xander—and all I get, in the end, is a nice lil nick, curiosity of Buffy’s pals." The bleached-hair vampire snarled in anger, as he threw his light to the ground, and in a sudden outburst roared, "And where the hell did my sodding ciggs go!"

"There, there," murmured Isis, as she helped the angered vampire towards his crypt. Although he had aided the Slayer in her nightly activities, somehow the vampire had managed to get beaten in the doing, which left the tsudious demon on crutch-duty.

Spike continued to fume and fume, on and on, about how Buffy and Xander never showed him any respect, even though he save their lives countless times—well, maybe just around four or five times. And then he rambled on about how Giles and Riley just used him for information, and settled the deal with a proper beating afterwards, and that Anya and Joyce were truly the only ones of the lot of them that understood him—but they never conversed anymore, thanks to a boyfriend or a daughter.

Isis, on the other hand, merely cared that sunrise was in several hours and she didn’t want the dusty remains of Spike to ruin her clothes—the little clothing she was wearing at this point (she had to borrow some of the Watcher’s clothes).

As Spike started on about the Slayer again, Isis stopped walking and shook her head. "Spike, I dunno if I speak for everyone, but do you even know what the real problem behind this all is?"

The bleached-vampire hesitated for a moment, taking a second to actually think about the question. "It’s not the accent is it?"

"…No," said Isis slowly. She shrugged. "It’s this simple fact: you’re single. And, as I know, after awhile, singlehood can really stress a person out and make you do crazy thinks—like Slayer alliances. Doesn’t do well with the demon life."

"No kidding," agreed Spike. "But, Drusilla isn’t in town anymore and my last bint before that was that horrid Harmony so…" The British vampire hesitated as he studied the tsudious demon’s human face. "What are you stirring up lil bit?"

"Well, there’s just this vampire that I thought you’d hit it off with," answered Isis with a little shrug. "Cheryce. A vamp new to the Hellmouth, just came in to town acouple weeks back." Isis grinned. "She’s heard of ya, and I think she may be just the thing for you…plus, I think she has some sort of connection to some scientists that worked for the Initiative—"

"Where is she?"

* * * *

Jerrold Irvine Smith laid down in the guest room within the home of the Lawrences’. Jasmine hadn’t told her parents exactly what had happened—with the magick and the vampires—but she did inform them about Jerrold’s house burning down as well as news of Angelique’s disappearance. If Jasmine had told her parents her older sister was dead, without the body, then it would seem suspicious—but from the way Jasmine described the situation, it seemed as if Angelique wasn’t coming back.

And it had been Jay who had killed her…

It was Crystal had been summoned by Lohesh to abduct and kill him. If he hadn’t been here in Sunnydale, Lohesh wouldn’t be within the depths of the Hellmouth, and the young girl once known as Angelique would still be alive. It was truly has fault, and he feared that Jasmine may never forgive him, and even if she did, he would forever know what he had done to her sister.

And, staring out the window of the Lawrence guest room, the young half-vampire watched as the morning sun started to rise.

* * * *

Gone.

Her sister would never be back. But, she decided it would be best not to tell her parents about the magick and the vampires within Sunnydale. Especially since Jerrold was some sort of good half-vampire or something to the extent. He promised he’d explain everything to her later, but he was so exhausted and he knew Jasmine was too.

But even as the sun started to rise, Jasmine found she couldn’t possibly sleep, even after her ever so restless night.

Jasmine stepped into Angelique’s room, her heart beating faster and faster. Jasmine knew that something was different about her, even from her sister. The witch-vampire had chosen Jasmine over Angelique, and as Jerrold spoke of his sister’s abilities it seemed as if she was a rather powerful witch. And, after Crystal had used her as a power source, the civatateo had unlocked some untold power she never knew she had.

Something was definitely up.

And she knew her parents may not know or may not decide to tell her the truth. Meaning that Angelique would be the only one with the answers.

And staring down at Angelique’s journals (filled with incantations, spells, diary entries, maybe a secret or two about a boy), Jasmine knew she’d find the answers she sought.

* * * *

"And one of the Slayer’s allies managed to kill her?"

Damien nodded gravely as he lied to Lohesh. He stood before the great demon, who sat idly in the lower sections of his lair. "Yeah. It was quite a shame. She was yammering on and on about how Crystal would be the new big bad in the Hellmouth, and how you were old news." He shrugged. "Couldn’t be helped. The Slayer has this thing about her territory."

The legendary and mysterious demon nodded, staring into the eyes of the soulless demon. The dark vampire couldn’t help but wonder if Lohesh truly did know that he was lying, but it didn’t really matter anymore. Kali was gone; Damien was still alive…well, more or less anyways.

"So, was this lawyer’s new information valid enough?" Damien wondered curiously, attempting to move on from the subject of Kali. "It have the rituals and everything we need to open up the Gateway?"

"It’s interesting that you bring that up," murmured Lohesh, stepping forward towards the lower demon. "From the information the Wolfram and Heart lawyer gave us, it seems that there are numerous fragments that are missing." The demon hissed lowly in annoyance. "I have a feeling he’ll be back." The demon’s empty eyes shifted towards Damien as he replied, "But, in the meantime, the spot of my second in command remains idle—" Lohesh pointed his sword towards the vampire "—and you are to replace Kali. Capturing the Doomed Vampire will remain your mission, but you will be forced to stand alone without Kali at your side."

Damien nodded, accepting what was to come.

"Oh, and Damien," finished Lohesh, "if things comes down to capturing the Doomed Vampire or the survival of your life…well, your life is simply meaningless in comparison to his—just as Kali’s was."

Isis: You know, I've been trapped as this lame-ass school for about a year now! I mean sure, I've feed off of a small population of our junior high, but what demonic creature wouldn't? Course, when a psychotic vampire shows up and casts a spell to trap all us kids in school, you know that someone's gonna get an ass kicking…let's just hope it's not me.

With the destruction of Crystal and Kali behind him, the Doomed Vampire faces his next task before heading off to L.A.: Junior High School. His finals are finally coming up, which means he will be finally free of the torment of education for several months. But when Lohesh’s flunkies start to show up, Jerrold, Isis, and Jasmine begin to speculation something might be wrong. And when their school gets trapped in a magickal lock-down with a herd of vampires, they realize they might not get out. The Trap. (Events take place during Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte’s Unseen trilogy.)

The Doomed Vampire has lived many long and vigorous lives. It had been when he was first created that things had truly been difficult for him, especially with the death of his mother. Deciding right from wrong, choosing sides and allies, everything a young child shouldn’t have to face alone, but he did. And he made mistakes—especially before his final demise in his first life…

…which will return in his current life, to alter the course of his destiny and those around him, as the boy known as Jerrold Irvine Smith will forever be changed, in the first DSV three-part special event. Depression… (Events take place during Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte’s Unseen trilogy.)