Act 6
Resume:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Mouth agape, eyes still skyward, her unloosed tears shimmering in the soft glow from a nearby streetlight, Buffy remained motionless as the battle continued to wage around her.
Cut To:
Int.
Office Building – Slayer Spell Area – Same Time
The two Rosenberg-Allister kids looked like they were watching a tennis match as their heads moved side to side in unison between Faith and Kennedy standing above them. Just beyond the outside of the building, the sounds of the battle were at their doorstep.
“There’s no more time!” Faith told her. “Emma literally jumped out the window.”
“I’m not killing you!” Kennedy replied.
“I’ll do it myself!” Faith said, reaching for the dagger in Kennedy’s hand.
“Like hell you will,” Kennedy countered, pulling it out of reach.
A tremendously powerful thud shook the building with such force that the two women fell to the ground as the kids tried to lay flat and covered the backs of their heads with their hands. Pieces of the drop ceiling began to come down thanks to the nearby rumbling. Faith and Kennedy both scrambled toward the kids. Faith put her body over Jake, while Kennedy protected Sophie from the falling debris. Once everything stopped, Faith shot to her feet.
“It’s the only way!” she demanded. “You’ll have your powers and can get the kids outta here safely.”
“No!” Kennedy shouted at her. “For the last time Faith, I’m not– Argggg!”
Kennedy stopped mid-sentence and fell to her knees. Her body went rigid and her head hung back so far that her chin was practically skyward.
“Ken!” all three of them yelled.
Light shot from Kennedy in every direction, pouring from her eyes, her nose, her mouth and even her fingertips. Then, just as quickly as the spasm came, it passed, and the light dissipated. Kennedy lowered her head.
“Are you okay?” Faith asked.
Kennedy didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached over for the steel rebar sitting next to the spell circle in the abandoned office. She picked it up and bent it as easily as a pipe cleaner. A smile began to grow on her face.
“Fourth time’s a charm,” she crowed happily. She tossed the piece of steel to Faith, who then straightened it out with minimal effort.
“Nifty,” Sophie said with a smile. “We made slayers.”
Jake nodded enthusiastically, wearing his own smile. “Heck yeah, we did!”
Faith smiled, too, and then ran toward the broken window and looked out. Below them, slayers and demons battled back and forth in the street, the smoking corpse of the giant monster just beyond. It looked slightly less chaotic than it had, but still rather dangerous.
“Maybe we wait here awhile,” she suggested as she looked outside.
Then Kennedy saw the smile on Faith’s face fade. “What is it?” she asked.
“I told you,” Faith said quietly. “Goddamnit, I knew it…”
“Faith!” Kennedy growled in warning. “Please, just tell me.”
Faith looked back out the window for a moment then finally said. “A sacrifice.” She turned back to the group. “Emma jumped. She took out that big ass lizard with the electrical wire. But enough electricity to take out a huge thing like that…”
“But she’s a slayer,” Sophie said quietly. “Slayers are strong, right?”
Jake nodded optimistically. “Maybe she’s fighting monsters down there.”
Several seconds of silence followed. Over by the door to the office, Charlotte shrunk down against a wall, head in her hands, in quiet shock.
“Yeah, maybe…” Kennedy said, sparing a glance to Faith as a silent request to play along. Faith just nodded, and Kennedy said, “Listen, we have a long way to go here. I know it’s hard, but we have to–”
Without warning, all of the windows on the other side of the floor burst inward at the same time, and three winged creatures with sharp-toothed jaws flew in. Immediately, Kennedy picked up a sword as the creatures flew through the office on leathery wings. They sped through the room while Sophie and Jake screamed and covered their heads with their arms again. Meanwhile, Kennedy readied herself for the first advance.
Just as she was about to swing, three gunshots rang out, and all three creatures flopped to the floor with a crash. The kids covered their ears to escape the noise. Kennedy jumped out of the way of the largest as its momentum sent it skidding across the floor, destroying the spell circle and obliterating several chairs in its path before it came to a stop just mere inches from the feet of a stunned Charlotte. She kicked it in the head, and when it gave no response, she gave the room a thumbs up. Kennedy turned to see Faith still holding a smoking Glock. Without a word of explanation, Faith put the weapon back into the back of her pants.
Kennedy shrugged. “Hmm. Maybe we should bring the car ’round front?”
“Good idea,” Faith commended.
Kennedy moved for the door, but then stopped and looked at Faith. “Hey, how come when we got our powers back, I had to feel like I was possessed, but you just kind of stood here?”
“How should I know?” Faith replied, slightly testily. “I’ve never done this before. Everybody reacts differently when they get their powers the first time. Or maybe it’s ’cause I’m one of the original actually chosen two?”
Kennedy shook her head. “Whatever. Hey, next time you bring a gun to a spell, maybe give me a heads up first?”
“You’re not the boss of me,” Faith argued.
“Yes, I am!” Kennedy shot back. “I am literally your boss right now. You’re the one who came back to the Council.”
“Yeah, well maybe I’m–”
“Hey!” shouted Jake. Both women looked at him, stunned. “Fight later, escape now before more crazy flying things show up.” He shrunk back slightly. “I’m just saying.”
Kennedy and Faith looked at each other, then each nodded once.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Willow crawled along the road, coughing, as the sound of the rubble she pushed aside still echoed on the empty street. Staggering out of the building across the street, Zorgy wiped herself down and then fixed her hair.
“Cheap shot, Raiden!” Zorgy yelled in the direction Gwen ran moments before she turned to Willow again. “…and seriously, she didn’t make with more of the assist? What kinda player is she, huh? Not John Stockton, I’ll tell ya that for free. Sports reference.” Zorgy ran forward and flung out her hands, blasting Willow with a burst of magic that made the witch cringe in pain.
“Here’s the thing,” Zorgy said casually as she circled the witch.
She hit her with another blast that made Willow go rigid for a moment.
“I have a dilemma.” Another blast.
“Do I beat you to death now?” Another blast.
“Or do I wait until the fam gets here?” Another blast.
“It’s a tough choice.” Another blast.
“I wish Krog was here.” Another blast.
“He’s a great sounding board.” Another blast.
“Decisions, decisions.” Another blast.
Willow took a deep breath and said, “Goddess, don’t you get tired of your own voice?”
Zorgy paused and then broke into laughter.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Command Center – Same Time
Rowena was still watching the fight from her screens in the Command Center. She looked absolutely horrified.
“Where’s the support, Jackson?!” she demanded over her radio.
“Support…held up…fairies. ETA five minutes, but…” he told her.
“She doesn’t have five minutes!”
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Zorgy continued to pace around the prone Willow as she spoke.
“Now, here’s an idea. Just hear me out. I keep you barely alive, and I make you watch as I pull out your wife’s intestines. I won’t kill her immediately because, really, where’s the fun in that? Amirite?” Another blast. “Hell, I might do it more than once. You know, heal her and then do it all over again, and again, and again, and, well, you see where I’m goin’ with this?”
Willow groaned and tried to stand, but fell back to the pavement at her first attempt.
“No,” Zorgy told her. “Don’t you move a muscle. I’ll help.”
With a flick of two fingers, Zorgy raised Willow in the air about two stories, then released her, dropping her hard on the ground. She shot over to the fallen witch and raised her hand to strike.
Willow readied herself for the blow, but it never came. A blur came toward them, and the next thing she saw was Zorgy flying through the air before crashing into the building behind them, leaving a small, demon-shaped imprint in the brickwork.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Night
Mi’ke’s smoking corpse lay sprawled across the street while the battle raged on around it. And just beyond one of his arms lay another, much smaller body, absolutely still. Emma’s now-wild hair covered her face.
Buffy, at a desperate run, skidded to a stop to kneel next to her slayer, dropping the sword she carried on the ground with a clang. She grabbed her around the shoulders, turning her over and pulling her into her arms.
“Emma! Em!” she screamed. “Stay with me, okay?” She pulled the girl’s hair out of her eyes. They were open, but had no sight in them. Emma’s cheeks and forehead bore black charring. Buffy turned her head and screamed. “Medic! I need medical here!” She looked back at Emma in her arms. “You can’t go, you have to stay, okay? No no no no, you have to stay, okay?” Buffy blinked her eyes several times, blinded by tears. “You can’t go.” She turned and screamed again. “I need medical! Please!”
A man and a woman in Council jackets ran around the corner of Mi’ke’s huge bulk, one carrying a large medical kit. Buffy carefully placed Emma back on the ground as they arrived.
“What happened? I didn’t see,” one asked. As he did so, his partner checked Emma’s neck for her pulse. She shook her head very slightly.
“S-she jumped, she had that wire, I…” Buffy ran a hand under her nose with a sniff, trying to get herself under control. “I think she electrocuted it. Oh God, she took enough electricity to take down that thing, and she…”
Buffy took a couple of stumbled steps back and braced herself against the nearby building. As she did so, one medic pulled a defibrillator from her kit while the other cut open Emma’s shirt with a pair of scissors. In the background, the sounds of the battle still raged.
They placed the contacts on her chest, then the woman said, “Clear,” and pressed the button. Emma’s body twitched, once, then stilled again.
“Again,” said the man. Again, they hit Emma with a jolt from the defibrillator, with no result. They tried twice more, while Buffy watched, eyes completely empty. Then the female medic turned to look at her, swallowed once, and shook her head.
“She’s gone,” the woman said quietly.
Buffy blinked several times, the tears returning. Then she stood up and let loose a wordless scream at the top of her lungs. She grabbed a piece of concrete debris she had been sitting on, picking it up as if it weighed nothing, and slammed it back down. It shattered into dozens of pieces on impact.
Buffy stayed in that spot for several seconds, breathing hard, tears heavy in her eyes, staring at the stone shards now littered around her feet. Then, very quietly, she whispered, “A sacrifice…You did it, Em.”
She spun and took several steps back over toward the two medics and Emma’s body. She easily snatched up the sword that still lay next to them.
At that moment, a group of about twenty demons, in the armor of Zorgy’s army, rounded the nearest of Mi’ke’s limbs. Buffy tightened her grip on the sword and licked her lips in concentration.
Then she threw the sword and it sailed through the air to become embedded in the face of the lead demon with a “shunk.” It toppled to the ground. The other demons skidded to a halt, staring at it. Without hesitating, Buffy ran forward, pushed off her feet, and flipped through the air, such that she landed head first in the right spot to grab the sword. She pulled it out of the demon’s head as she flipped again, and this time as she landed she brought two more demons down with a single slash. She landed on her feet, the bloody blade of her sword at the ready, and raised a single eyebrow at them.
Half a second later, the rest of the group of demons turned and fled.
Once they were gone, Buffy spun back toward the medics, who were still staring at her from the ground. “Go. There’ll be other slayers who need your help.” She turned away and stalked toward the sounds of battle. “A lot more,” she finished quietly.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Command Center – Same Time
“Ha! I told you guys!” Trina crowed. She turned around to look at the entire room. She was standing at one of the few screens that was actually working. Several of the others now showed static. “Dam ha-naki! I told you!”
Robin came over to her. “Trina,” he said, his voice sounding tired. “What are you talking about?”
Trina pointed at her screen. Emma’s small, broken body lay in the rubble next to Mi’ke’s massive, smoking corpse. The medical team was in the process of packing away their gear.
Robin realized what was happening on the screen. “Oh. Oh no.”
Trina looked back at the scene for a second, then turned back to Robin. “Yeah, I mean, that’s really bad. But look!”
She expansively gestured to the rest of the screens in the room. Robin looked, and his eyes got wider at what he saw. All over the battlefield, deactivated slayers were realizing that they were now activated again. On one screen, Mia took a flying leap off a burning car, sword in hand, and sliced a head off of a demon. On another, Shannon had leaped back into action, kicking out at the chest of the fairy attacking her, sending him stumbling, then flipping back to her feet in one smooth motion. She held her hands in a fighting stance, her eyes fierce.
“Oh, thank God,” he said. In another part of the room, Rowena and Grace gave each other an excited hug, not yet realizing the bad part of the news. Robin looked back at Trina. “So you were wrong. They got the spell to work after all.”
“No, I’m right,” Trina insisted. “Dam ha-naki. Innocent blood. Emma did it. She sacrificed herself to take out the giant Godzilla thing, and she didn’t do it out of self-interest or to make the spell work. Emma was the sacrifice.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Robin pointed out.
“Yes we do!” Trina argued, sounding a little whiny. “I want…I want the credit.”
Robin regarded her balefully. “Miss Cunningham, people are dying.”
Trina opened her mouth to say something more, but then closed it and sighed. “Fine. But if we live through this, I want a promotion.”
“You haven’t even graduated yet,” Robin said.
Trina gestured again at the scenes of battle around them. “I feel like this counts.”
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Alley – Same Time
The contingent of slayers from The Stake and Crossbow gathered around an open door to one of the buildings surrounding the alleyway where they had gathered. SlayBae walked out with Slaygirl, who closed the door behind them.
“All set?” Crystal asked.
Slaygirl nodded solemnly. “Whoever survives, make sure they’re properly laid to rest, okay?” It was more of a statement or command than a question.
Maddie pointed to the closed door. “Are they gonna be all right in here?”
“I hope so, but I don’t know,” Slaygirl answered honestly. “What I do know is I want round two with that bastard. Who’s gonna help me make him pay?” All the slayers began to look at one another. Sensing no one wanted to speak, she continued, “No one else has to go. I’ll do this alone if I have to, but I’m not going to let Shelby or Lexi or any of the Slayvengers die for nothing. So, if you’ve got something or someone in this world you want to save, come with me. If not, maybe you can buy me a drink at the Stake and Crossbow tomorrow when this is all over.”
Slaygirl didn’t say anything more. She didn’t wait. She turned her back to the slayers and began to walk toward the main street.
Maddie dug into her pocket and grabbed her phone. She pulled up her messages, which read “Alex” at the top. She started to type ‘I love you,’ but then deleted it. In its place, she wrote. “Dinner at Stake Crossbow tomorrow?” and hit send. With that, she did a light jog to catch up to Slaygirl. Anisha, Crystal and SlayBae all shared a look together and followed. The remaining slayers walked in the opposite direction.
Just shy of the main street, Slaygirl stopped.
“What now?” Maddie asked.
“Over there,” Slaygirl said as she pointed, “The demon told the big guy to go that way. I say we go find out what was so important that they left us alone.”
“Suggestion?” Anisha cut in, holding one finger up. “We don’t try to engage demons right now. We avoid them and keep moving in that direction as quickly as possible.”
“I’m not arguing with the biggest brain here,” SlayBae said.
“I second that,” Crystal added. “If you fall, yell ‘lancer down‘. I’ll help pick you up.”
“Me too,” Maddie said.
“Me three,” said SlayBae. “And make sure to yell out if you die, too.”
This was met by a couple seconds of silence. Then Maddie said, “I mean…”
“Yeah, I hear it now,” SlayBae cut in. “Sorry.”
Slaygirl sighed and nodded. “Okay…For Lexi then, Slayvengers…assemble!”
The five of them took off into a run with Slaygirl in the lead, ducking and dodging any demons that came their way.
Cut To:
Ext.
City Street – Same Time
Willow looked up at her savior. The witch’s grin began to grow into a smile.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual.
In the distance, several yards away, Zorgy was starting to stir but still not rising from her place stuck in the wall of the nearby building.
A black canvas gloved hand reached down to Willow, which she took. When she came to her feet, she was face to face with Illyria.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Command Center – Same Time
Rowena slowly grinned at her monitor as she saw Willow stand back up again with Illyria by her side.
Cut To:
Ext.
City Street – Same Time
“She seemed to be bothering you,” Illyria replied in her usual detached tone. “Angel requested that I intercede if it appeared you required aid. It suited me to agree. It has been some time since I engaged in combat.”
Willow seemed dumbstruck as to what to say at first. She watched as Zorgy tried to sit up, but failed at her first attempt.
Illyria continued, “I can finish this task if you would like–”
“No,” Willow said immediately, cutting her off. “Sorry. I-I appreciate the help. I do, but this…”
Illyria cocked her head slightly. “This is violence you need to inflict yourself, isn’t it?”
“Somethin’ like that,” Willow replied, dusting herself down as she watched Zorgy continue to struggle with getting upright.
Illyria nodded. “Understood…and admirable.”
“There is something,” Willow said hopefully.
“Yes?”
“I need to heal, fast. I can do it, but I need power. If you wouldn’t mind that is.”
“Will it leave me defenseless?”
“No,” Willow said. “It’s just a little jolt, a tickle. I just need your hands.” Willow spared a glance to Zorgy to see her now sitting but swaying just slightly.
Illyria, seeing the same thing, held her hands to the witch. She nodded twice, and Willow took her hands as a surge of power flowed between them. The areas of Willow’s body that appeared bruised and battered healed immediately.
Willow released her hands and shuddered, “Now that’s some juice.”
Illyria blinked at least five times, “So that is what a tickle feels like?” Willow nodded. “That was…enjoyable.” They looked over to see Zorgy was leaning against the building, eyes closed. “I will leave you to your task,” she told the witch as she began to walk away. “There was an ogre raiding a falafel establishment I wished to fell anyway.”
“Thank you,” Willow told her, making her stop briefly.
As Illyria left as quickly as she arrived, Willow turned and continued to stare at the struggling Zorgy. Wordless, she began to make her way to the demon. That’s when she saw Dawn and Skye running up the street with the sword.
“We’re here!” Dawn shouted. As they got closer, they saw Zorgy’s wall imprint. “What’s going on?” Dawn asked.
“I need your help with a fairy problem,” Willow said. “And only you can do it.”
The trio walked over to where Zorgy was doing her best to stay upright, but failing.
“The fairies don’t have their usual weaknesses because they’re tied to magic she’s using,” Willow explained. “Tidor’s Spell will destroy that tie.”
“No human can survive Tidor’s,” Dawn replied.
Willow nodded. “Few demons either,” she said, with a nod toward Skye.
“And that’s why I’m here,” Dawn replied with a growing grin.
Willow nodded. “Yep.”
“Why am I here then?” Skye asked. Willow didn’t reply, and she watched as a look of realization came to the vampire. “Someone needs to carry crispy Dawn to whatever qualifies as safety. Got it.”
“Whatta ya say magic gal? Give it a go?” Willow asked Dawn. Then she made a sweeping gesture to Zorgy as they stopped in front of the demon. “A-and maybe let your hair down? You know, just in case of evil hair-tie?”
Dawn grinned. “My time to shine. Literally.”
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Angel and the vampire platoon continued to work their way deeper into the city against Zorgy’s demon horde. Spike delivered a right hook to an approaching demon that slammed him into the wall of the nearby building. When he hit the ground, he heard a mournful scream in the distance, even amid the chaos of the battle. Immediately, his line of sight moved in that direction, his head bobbing left and right looking for the sound.
Angel had a demon raised above his head, which he then threw at three oncoming assailants, sending them all to the ground. He turned to Spike and watched as the blonde vampire’s eyes widened before he broke into a run.
“Spike! Where are you–” Angel called out, just before he was tackled by a demon that took him to the ground.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Zorgy opened her eyes wide, as if trying to focus them. Slowly, Dawn coalesced into view in front of her, holding a shining fairy sword with one hand on the blade tip and the other on the hilt. Rather than running her through, she pressed the sword against Zorgy and held it in place, chanting under her breath. Zorgy tried to grab the sword and push away, but found herself held in place by whatever spell Dawn was in the midst of casting. Slowly, a light began to encompass them both.
Willow and Skye exchanged a concerned look and, at the same time, both of them began backing up as the light around Zorgy and Dawn grew wider and brighter.
Oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the air around them. The sword caught fire, but Dawn grit her teeth and pushed harder into Zorgy. The demon let out a scream of pain, but Dawn continued as the flames began to envelop her arms up to her elbows, while Zorgy’s chest got redder from the flames.
Zorgy’s eyes went wide as Dawn let out a large scream as the flames engulfed her.
Suddenly there was a large boom, the likes of which made Willow and Skye both lose their footing and tumble to the ground. At the same time, Dawn flew through the air from the recoil, while Zorgy’s head hit the wall behind her and she slumped down, unconscious again.
Skye scrambled to her feet and went over to check on Dawn, who smoldered, unmoving.
Cut To:
Ext.
Slayer Memorial Grounds – Same Time
Shannon reared back her arm and swung at the closest fairy, leaving a gaping wound as the sword connected with their arm. The fairy let out a shocked moan and looked at the blood flowing from the wound. The surprise that showed on the fairy’s face mimicked Shannon’s. Slowly, the fairy backed up with an unfamiliar look on their face: deep concern and fear.
Shannon smiled.
“Dawn’s spell worked! We can hurt them! Attack!” she screamed, then she charged ahead.
Kadin heard the yelling and turned toward the sound. She watched as Shannon began to swing for all her worth. Only this time, when she made a connection a trail of blue fairy blood could be seen on her combatant. Realization took hold and Kadin started to grin as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a pair of iron gauntlets that slipped neatly over her already re-growing claws.
Kadin jumped on the top of an overturned transport vehicle, her eyes immediately beginning to scan the air. She stopped when she saw the Queen several yards away, engaging with some slayers.
For a brief moment, the Queen’s eyes meet Kadin’s. She watched as Kadin’s skin grew even a darker shade of blue and motioned both hands in a ‘come here’ gesture.
“Van Helsing,” she grumbled.
She immediately lifted lightly from her feet and flew to the vehicle, leaving the two slayers she’d been battling to wonder about her departure. Soon they found two more fairies who demanded their attention.
At the vehicle, the Queen stood at one end twirling her sword as Kadin stood opposite her, claws extended and laser focused on the fairy’s next move.
The fairy cleared her throat. “This battle is futile and your species–”
“Is about to rip your damn wings off,” Kadin interrupted.
She didn’t wait for a response. She charged ahead, clawing at the Queen, who immediately went on the defensive.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
As Spike continued to run, he pushed demons out of his way, not engaging with them. He continued to sprint down to the next block. When he arrived, he stopped and inhaled deeply, still looking left to right. One of Zorgy’s demons ran toward him, but Spike ignored them. Seconds before impact, he stomped on a fallen sword, causing the hilt to fly to his hand. Without skipping a beat, he slashed toward the attacker, decapitating them without so much as looking in their direction. He inhaled deeply again and quickly turned his head to one side before running in that direction.
At the other end of the block, Angel noticed the blond vampire running in the distance. He gave a whistle to his vampire comrades and yelled, “Follow me! Don’t stop!” As he began to run after Spike, the other vampires in the platoon followed suit.
Spike turned the corner, and that was when he saw it.
Further in the distance lay the dead demon lizard, where people in Council clothing were taking away a prone person on the ground. Just short of that, Buffy was fending off approximately two dozen demons. He watched for two seconds in both admiration and concern as she violently went from one demon to the next, her sword swinging and an excruciating battle cry coming from deep inside of her. His eyebrows knit for a moment in concern before he raced towards her.
As he arrived, she swung back around at him, but he deflected her sword with his. She stopped her movements for a moment when she saw it was him, breath coming in gasps as the two looked at each for a long beat. Then they nodded to each other at the same time, and then they each turned to take on the approaching demons, her taking those to the left and him those to the right.
At the other end of the block, Angel had arrived with the rest of the vampire company. As fast as their legs would carry them, the vampires charged forward and began to chop down the remaining demons. As the battle continued around her, Buffy stumbled out of the chaos until she reached the wall of the nearest building, leaning her back onto it. She slid down until she came to rest on the sidewalk, her sword clattering beside her as she dropped it.
Seeing her from the corner of his eye, Spike tossed the demon he was fighting toward Angel to finish and quickly made his way over to Buffy. He found her crying and shaking, sitting on the sidewalk with her back against the building. He knelt down beside her. Tentatively, he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. Buffy immediately pulled him to her. Spike took the invitation and held onto her tightly.
“You’re okay,” Spike told her. “We’re here.”
Buffy shook her head and simply said, “Emma’s gone.” Spike looked shaken by the news at first, and then his eyes widened in realization. Without invitation, he tightened his embrace and she accepted.
As Buffy began to pull away, Spike said, “Let’s try to find someplace safe for you, luv.”
She quickly shook her head. “She gave me this gift again,” she told him. “Her sacrifice can’t… it can’t be pointless. It can’t, Spike. It just can’t.”
Spike quickly nodded and helped her back to her feet. “Then we won’t let it be,” he said, trying to sound confident, but his voice still cracked slightly. He reached down and handed her back her sword. “For Emma,” he said softly.
She took the sword tight in her hand.
“For Emma.”
Cut To:
Int.
Street Outside Slayer Spell Office Building – Same Time
Nearby, Charlotte held an axe in each hand. A huge, lumbering beast with a slavering mouth full of razor teeth headed straight for her. Its hooded rider shouted, pounding a whip into its side.
Just as the beast reached her, Charlotte stepped to the side and buried an axe in its side. It bellowed in pain. She held on and was pulled through the Council lines alongside with the beast. The rider slashed down at her arm, but she avoided the blow by swinging herself back and onto the back of the mount. She swung her other hand and slashed at the rider in front of her, sending him off the mount and rolling along the ground.
She pulled her axe from the creature’s side and spun both blades in her hands. She slammed them down into the monster’s shoulders, one on each side, keeping a hand on each. Then she pulled up on the right blade, like a rein on a horse, and the creature turned to its right, reversing itself in a wide arc.
Charlotte let out a very scary war whoop as she headed straight back toward the attacking demons. The beast grabbed the first demon in its jaws and bit down with a crunch. She threw one of her axes, hitting a second demon, as the beast began to stumble. Feeling the giant beast starting to fall, Charlotte spring boarded and then summersaulted toward the office building entrance. Upon landing, she turned toward the building doors and motioned her hand toward herself while her head continued to swivel left to right and back again looking for any immediate threats.
Five slayers emerged. Directly behind them were Kennedy, holding Jake’s hand, and Faith, holding Sophie’s. Right behind the spellcasters was another set of slayer guards.
“This way,” one of the slayers said with a wave. The spellcasters followed her lead toward a Council van when another beast with a hooded rider came barreling toward them. As one, ten slayer guards threw their axes, bringing the creature down just after it had smashed into the waiting vehicle.
“Well…shit,” Faith sighed. “There goes the taxi.”
The sound of thunderous footsteps came toward the spellcasters and their slayer guards. Seconds later, they saw a swarm of particularly large and hulking demons approaching them. The slayers quickly got in formation before impact. Kennedy took both kids by the hand and ran them back toward the broken entrance of the building.
“Stay here,” she ordered. “No matter what happens, the slayers will get you guys out, okay?”
“You and Faith promised to do it,” Sophie told her.
Kennedy gave her a small grin and kissed the top of her head and did the same to Jake.
“When I said slayers, I was including us,” Kennedy told her. “That’s thanks to you guys. But for now, you two stay put.”
They nodded. She ran back to Faith, but not before picking up a fallen sword. Faith already had her gun pulled and examined the clip.
“Think that’ll work?” Kennedy asked.
Faith shrugged. “I got fifteen chances,” she said as she pushed the clip back into place.
Charlotte stepped up next to her holding a M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. Faith did a double take. She looked at her pistol and then back to Charlotte, who just shrugged. To her other side, Kennedy stood with a magical ball of light resting in her palm. She looked at her pistol again.
“Boy, do I feel under-armed,” Faith said with a sigh.
When the horde was yards away, Kennedy reared her arm back. But rather than throwing the ball directly at them, she rolled it. The light got larger and larger as it moved along the street until it hit the group right down the middle, scattering the demons to two sides.
“Seven-ten split!” Kennedy yelled. “Get it done!”
Charlotte opened fire, and the first line of demons fell. Likewise, Faith took aim and, one by one, the demons each fell from a shot to the head until she was out of bullets. Charlotte tried to fire again, but her weapon was jammed. She tossed it aside and hit a button on a box strapped to her hip. It blared out the word, “Attack!”
As the slayers charged forward, Kennedy tried to create another ball in her hand, but she only managed to generate a few sparks.
“Old fashioned way it is, then,” she said as she raised her sword. “Think you remember how to do this?”
She smirked at Faith, who was now also holding a sword.
“Just like ridin’ a biker.”
Both slayers charged into the fray with speed and agility that got the attention of some nearby slayers. They turned and slashed, moving in time with each other. One of the slayers noticed their movement and watched for a moment with a growing smile. After taking down the demon in front of her, she nodded toward them and told a nearby slayer, “Check ’em out!”
The two women worked in tandem, as if it had been only two days apart, rather than almost two decades.
“Down!” Kennedy yelled. Like clockwork, Faith ducked and Kennedy swung, taking down a demon who tried to blindside them.
Five tall demons closed in on them, and Faith yelled, “Alley Oop!”
Kennedy smiled as Faith got a running start. The younger slayer bent at the waist. Faith jumped to Kennedy’s back and, while she was still in motion, Kenedy began to stand. This action put Faith about a story higher in the air. She swung her sword in a semi-circle, slicing the throats of the advancing demons.
From their hiding place, Jake and Sophie looked at each other with a grin.
When Faith landed, she stumbled slightly, but Kennedy was quick to steady her. The two smiled, but then quickly looked around to find the kids, who were still in their spot.
“That’s cool!” a nearby slayer exclaimed. “Do it again!”
Faith and Kennedy grinned at each other, but ran toward the Rosenberg kids instead.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
Willow and Skye stood over the smoking Dawn, lying unconscious on the pavement, sword still held in her grasp. Willow took the sword as Skye picked up Dawn. Once the immortal was secure in Skye’s arms, Willow placed the sword across Dawn so that Skye could carry them both.
“Get her to safety while her wounds heal,” Willow instructed, while she ran a hand affectionately across Dawn’s cheek.
Skye nodded her agreement and began to briskly walk away with Dawn still tight in her arms. Willow paused for a moment and watched them both with a slight smile of admiration. When she turned back to Zorgy, though, her expression was anything but friendly.
Zorgy was breathing hard as she moved to her feet. She loudly cracked her neck, then locked eyes with Willow, who was casually walking toward her. The demon clenched her fists as she watched the witch approach.
“So the fairies aren’t protected? Who cares? Saves me from killing them in some power struggle later. Unlike you, I don’t need someone to save me,” Zorgy mocked her. “The Council may be nepo baby central, but I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps, after I made my own bootstraps out of the flayed skin of my enemies.”
“Says the demon with no magical ability of her own?” Willow countered. “All you have is borrowed magic and borrowed time.”
“Obviously, you’re not enough to get the job done, you basic bitch.”
Willow snorted in response. “Well, I’m not…that. My ego is not above accepting help when I need it.”
Zorgy still didn’t move from her spot. Willow continued to close the distance between them.
“You think I’m egotistical?”
“And a psychopath and a narcissist and a wholllle psychology textbook full of conditions. But here’s the thing, I’m giving you one last chance to leave and never come back.”
Zorgy began to laugh deeply. “Are you kidding me right now? I was on the verge of killing you, until your friends got involved.”
It was Willow’s turn to chuckle. “So that’s what you think, huh?”
Cut To:
Ext.
Slayer Memorial Grounds – Same Time
With iron weapons in hand, Shannon and her slayers continued to cut a path through the fairies. Some stood and fought, others began to make their way to the nearby trees. But given the fact that the spring foliage hadn’t budded completely, seeing them wasn’t too difficult.
“Archers!” Shannon yelled and pointed to the trees. “Iron tips ready!”
Not needing to be told twice, the slayers understood the assignment. With crossbows raised, they began to fire on the tree. Seconds later, fairies began to fall to the ground, clutching arrows stuck throughout their bodies.
Cut To:
Ext.
Cleveland Street – Same Time
“Look around,” Zorgy taunted Willow. “You are deeply, deeply fucked. Your dimension is overrun. You don’t have enough slayers to win this fight. And that Hellmouth is about to burst wide open any second, where the rest of my army awaits my command. That’s right, I said ‘the rest.’ Do you have any idea how small a portion of my forces it has taken to completely overwhelm yours? You’ve thrown everything you can think of at me, and I have so much left…Funniest thing of all is, you still don’t get it.”
“Then break it down for me, oh wise one,” Willow countered.
Zorgy’s eyes hardened even more.
“All is lost for you and your species,” she spat.
Willow simply stared at Zorgy, her face expressionless.
“Then do your worst,” Willow told her calmly.
Black Out
End of Act Six