The Web of Our Life
By Gaeriel Mallory

NOTE: This is a sequel to my other story, 'The Summers of Our Discontent'. It is recommended that you read that first to understand some of the references, though it is not necessary.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Buffy and related characters are property of Joss Whedon. The X-men and Spider-man are property of Marvel Comics.

Chapter One ~ Chapter Two ~ Chapter Three ~ Chapter Four ~ Chapter Five ~ Chapter Six ~ Epilogue

"The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together." --Shakespeare, Twelfth-Night, IV, iii, 83 

Chapter One:

Sunnydale, California

Willow Rosenberg adjusted the phone so that it was wedged between her ear and her shoulder. "No," she said. "You mix the hemlock in after the lemon juice." Her hands were busy typing on her laptop computer. "Uh huh. Yeah. Then you say the spell. Has to be done in the light of the full moon though." She stopped typing and studied what was in front of her on the screen. "Yeah, that's about all there is. Hey, no problem. If you need more help just give me a call. Ok. Bye!"

She hung the phone back onto the wall of the Summers' kitchen and turned to Buffy. "You know," she said, "Ororo is really getting into this witchcraft stuff. This is the third time she’s called me this week."

Buffy Summers grinned at her friend. "Well you know what they say: magic is like potato chips. You can't have just one."

Willow frowned. "Who said that?"

Buffy shrugged. "Me, I guess. Who'd have thought that magic would have been so addictive? "

Willow shook her head. "I just hope that Ororo knows what she's doing."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. The woman can control the weather; I'm sure that something as simple as magic should be no problem for her." She looked over at her friend. "So, what did you find out?"

Willow turned back to her computer and resumed typing. "Well, according to the prophecy, the Apocalypse is supposed to occur sometime tonight."

Buffy sighed. "Again? This is what? The fourth time this month?"

"Hey, I don’t make them. I just find them."

"Might as well break out the weapons then." Buffy got up and stretched. "Need anything before I go sharpen my axe?"

Willow shook her head. "Nah. I'm good. You go and save the world again."

*          *            *

Buffy climbed out of the sewer, covered in mud and slime. Two people who were walking by stopped and stared as she pulled her axe up after her. "That is the last time I take a shortcut through the sewers," she told them. "It's murder down there." She smiled to herself as they hurried away.

She placed the cover back into place and straightened. She studied her ruined clothing and scowled. "I so need to ask for a raise," she commented to herself. The demons who had tried to open the Hellmouth were so much goo on the walls of the sewer and once again, the end of the world was averted thanks to the might of the Slayer.

Buffy snorted to herself in amusement as she headed back to her house. Right. Yay me. Gonna be late to my ticker tape parade. She unlocked the front door and pushed it open. Gotta admit, this is a pretty thankless job. Kill demons, save world, pull some innocents out of danger…and I still have to pass calculus.

"Dawn? You home?" She called out as she took off her sneakers and dumped them in the kitchen trashcan.

"Yeah. I'm in my room," her sister’s voice called back.

She stripped off her sweatshirt, glad that she had worn a t-shirt underneath it. Examining it, she shook her head and dropped it on top of her shoes. I need to get some new clothes. Slaying is hard on the wardrobe. "Did you finish your homework?" she asked.

"Buffy! It's the weekend! No one does their homework Friday night."

"Just make sure you get it done." Her jeans followed the shirt and shoes and she headed upstairs. "I don't want to have to get another call from one of your teachers."

"Yes, mother."

Buffy smiled as she walked into her bedroom. "Hey, if you don't get good grades, I may have to rethink this trip to New York."

"Aw, Buffy!"

"I mean it, Dawn. I don't want to give Dad an excuse to ship you off again."

There was a pause before Dawn answered. "Fine. I'll do my work," she called out a bit peevishly.

Buffy rummaged through her closet. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, she sat down at her desk and reached for her calculus book. Math, she sighed. Why did it have to be math?

*          *            *

Westchester, New York

Charles Xavier rolled his wheelchair into the large room that housed Cerebro, the machine that enabled him to detect mutant activity throughout the country. He used it periodically to search for new mutants and hopefully recruit them to the Institute, where they would be safe and able to learn to grow into their powers, and hopefully learn that being a mutant does not make one evil.

He sighed as he picked up the headset. There were too many who believed that anyone who was different was someone to be feared. He had been working for years to change that attitude but it was hard to fight against human nature. Briefly, he wondered how humanity would react to the information that there were worse things in the world than a few people who exhibited special powers--things such as vampires, demons, and hell dimensions.

It was still rather hard for him to believe that those things existed. It had been several months since the incident with Glory and he had first learned that there was far more to the world than he had originally thought. As Hank would say, "There are more things in heaven and earth than can be dreamt of in your dreary philosophies. Hamlet." Too true.

He placed the headset over his head and activated Cerebro.

*          *            *

Dr. Jean Summers, nee Grey, stretched out a hand and several bull’s-eyes rose into the air. "Try and hit those," she directed her student, a tall teenage boy with scraggly brown hair.

Remy LeBeau smirked at her and shuffled the stack of playing cards in his hands. "Gambit will d' more than jus' try, chere." His strange red and black eyes studied the targets. "Gambit nev'r miss."

He took several cards in his right hand and fanned them out. They started to glow and he threw them across the distance, his smirk growing as they streaked towards their marks. His grin faltered however when the bull’s-eyes danced out of the way and the cards exploded harmless in the air. "Bu' dat's cheatin'!" he cried out.

Jean tried to hide the smug look on her face. "Expect the unexpected," she told the young Cajun. "Let's try this again." She directed the bull’s-eyes back into their original positions.

*          *            *

Ororo Munroe sat in the library grading exams. She smiled as she reached the last one. A regal looking woman, her dark skin was accentuated with her white hair. She frowned as she came to a particular answer and shook her head. Correcting it, she moved on. Finally finishing, she set the test on the pile with the others and sat back with a sigh. Done. Done for the day and also done for the term.

It seemed that this year had been longer than any of the others before it, but it was finally over. She smiled as she realized that the trip to New York City was in a week. Charles Xavier had decided to mark the end of the school year by organizing a weekend in the city for the entire school, students and teachers alike. She was looking forward to it, not in small part because Scott’s cousins from Sunnydale were flying over and would be joining them. In her last phone call, Buffy had said something about the 'whole gang' coming along. She looked forward to seeing Willow and Tara again, the two young witches she had befriended.

Gathering up her stack of tests, Ororo left the library. Willow had sent her a spell that she was eager to try out and the sooner she got the grades entered into the computer, the sooner she could continue in her magical studies.

*          *            *

Sunnydale, California

Buffy frowned as her suitcase refused to close. "Come on. Just a little more," she begged it as she pulled on the zipper. Pushing down on the top with her Slayer strength, she heard the sound of the suitcase zipping closed. "Yes!" she cried out. "Slayer, one. Suitcase zero. Ha!" She set the luggage on the floor and gave it a little kick.

Dawn bounded into her room, waving a piece of paper. "Look!"

Buffy grabbed the paper and smiled broadly as she saw what was on it. "Guess I don't have to cancel this trip after all. Which is good because it took me forever to get the suitcase shut." She handed the report card back to her sister. "Speaking of which, how goes the packing?"

Dawn beamed. "Done!" she announced. "All packed and ready to go."

"So you say now. Wait until I'm dragging you out of bed at four in the morning to go catch the plane tomorrow."

Dawn shrugged and flopped onto her sister’s bed, ignoring the clothes that were strewn all over it. "I can't believe it. We’re actually going to New York City. Think we'll see Spider-man?"

Buffy laughed. "I think I should be insulted. As if you don't have your very own superhero right here." She tapped her chest.

"Yeah, but you can't climb up walls. Plus you don't have a cool costume."

"No, I only just save the world about once a week." Buffy collapsed onto the bed next to Dawn. "I'm sure we can get Scott to send out the Bat-signal. Or Spider-signal. Or something."

Dawn giggled. "Yeah."

*          *            *

It was still dark out. The only lights were from the streetlamps and the porch lights of the Summers house. Giles and Xander were finishing loading the van while Buffy gave Spike some last-minute instructions.

The vampire scowled as Buffy continued talking. "Make sure to water the plants. And also, if there are any big demons that come into town while I'm gone, you are to give Angel a call. Don't--"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, Slayer. You run off and go have fun."

She frowned. "I'm leaving you in charge, Spike. Don't make me regret this."

He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke in her direction. "Right. As if there was anyone else who could Hellmouth-sit for you."

Her lips twitched but she did not say anything. "You have the number of the Institute and the number of the hotel in New York. If there's any trouble give me a call."

He waved a hand. "You've told me this before. Now don't you think you should be going before you miss your plane?"

"I mean it, Spike. If I come back and this place is in shambles, I'm coming after you."

"I should be so lucky."

She headed towards the van where everyone was waiting. "Ready to go?" she asked them.

Xander nodded. "This is so cool. And I don't get left behind this time! And best of all, no Spike for a week. You gotta love that."

Buffy smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? New York, here we come."

Giles shook his head as he got behind the wheel of the van. The Scoobies were laughing and talking far too loud for such an ungodly hour. Let’s hope that New York will survive us, he thought.

*          *            *

Westchester, New York (Well, not really, but close enough. Nearest town with an airport.)

Scott scanned the people coming off of the plane. "There they are," he cried out. "Buffy!" He waved an arm over his head.

His cousin spotted them and smiled, waving in return. She turned towards her traveling companions and pointed towards where Scott and Jean were standing. They headed over. Scott looked over the group, glad that they had brought two cars. Buffy hugged him. "Hey, stranger," she said. "How are things?"

"All right." He then hugged Dawn. "Let's get your luggage and head back to the mansion for an early lunch."

Xander groaned. "Scott, I love you man. Let me tell you, airplane food?" He shook his head. "It's an oxymoron. It's probably the reason they give you airsick bags."

*          *            *

Anya looked at the mansion with interest. "This place is huge." She turned towards Xander. "Why can't we get a house like this?"

Xander blanched. "Um … Anya, construction worker, remember? I can barely afford our apartment."

"Maybe you can get another job so we can get more money."

"Anya, I love you, but no."

She pouted a bit but dropped the subject. Scott stopped the car and Jean pulled in behind him. As they were unloading the luggage, the front door opened and Charles Xavier came out to greet them.

"Professor, how are you?" Dawn waved to him as she picked up her suitcase.

Xavier smiled. "Just fine, my dear. Welcome back. I know that there are several students who are quite eager to see you again. You might find them in the rec room."

Buffy looked over at her sister. "You go ahead. We can handle it from here."

Dawn grinned and hugged Buffy. "You are the best!" She ran up the stairs and inside.

Xavier watched as the pile of luggage on the ground grew. "Buffy, if I may have a word with you for a moment after you are done here?"

She picked up two suitcases and carried them up to him. "Sure. What do you need?"

"I know that this is your vacation, but would you mind helping the other teachers with the students? Just keep an eye out and make sure they don't get into trouble. As much as I would like otherwise, the world is not the most tolerant place and there are several students who would be marked as different simply because of their appearance."

She nodded. "Sure. It wouldn't be a problem. It's the least I can do since you're paying for this trip. And I can imagine that I would be handy in breaking up fights."

"Thank you, Buffy. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

She nodded and picked up the luggage she had put down earlier.

He smiled. "You and your friends feel free to wander the grounds. I know you didn't get a chance to last time you were here."

Her own smile faltered. "Actually, I was wondering if you would mind if I visited the cemetery."

*          *            *

The gravestone stood among the others in the tiny cemetery on the Institute grounds. Buffy walked slowly towards it. You can do this, she told herself. Sitting down in front of it, she gently traced the name carved into its front.

"Hey, Ben." She drew her legs up against her body, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on her knees. "I'm not really sure what to say; I've never really talked to anybody I killed before." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Dammit, Ben. Why couldn't you have been evil? That would have made everything so much easier.

"I know you told me not to be sorry, but I am. You were just some guy who was working at a hospital, trying to do some good in the world. It wasn't your fault that you had some hell goddess using your body on a timeshare."

She sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. I wish you didn't have to die and I sure as hell wish I wasn't the one to kill you. But you did, and I was, and I'm sorry for that. I hope wherever you are, you're happy." She got up and brushed off the seat of her jeans. "At least Dawn's safe now," she remarked. "I think you would be glad for that. And hey, the world didn't end. That's always a plus."

Buffy laid a hand on the top of the headstone. "Rest in peace," she said softly. She then turned around and started walking back towards the mansion.

*          *            *

Remy studied the three women who had taken over the basketball courts. They were not playing ball, however, but sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed. "Wha' dey doin'?” he asked Bobby. In his hands, he held an orange ball that he bounced a few times. "An' why dey have to choose our court?"

Bobby flashed a grin. "Magic. Those two," he pointed out Willow and Tara, "are witches from California. Ororo is learning magic from them."

"So Stormy livin' up t' her name o' 'weather witch,' eh?"

"I guess so. Didn't you hear about the attack on the Institute right before you got here?"

Remy shook his head. "Bits an' pieces, bu' no one tol' me de full story."

Bobby flung an arm around the Cajun’s shoulders. "Gambit, let me tell you all about it. I was even on the front lines!" He started walking away, pulling Remy along with him.

The Cajun flung a mournful glance over his shoulder towards the occupied basketball court. "An' den can we play some ball?"

*          *            *

Buffy winced as the needle was inserted into her arm. "I cannot believe I'm agreeing to this," she commented.

"Oh, come on, Buffster. All in the name of science, right?" Xander grinned.

"You're not the one that feels like a pincushion." She watched as the vial filled with her blood. "So, how much are you going to need, Hank?" she asked.

"I think this last vial should do it," the blue furred doctor told her. "And then you are free to go."

Buffy sighed. "Vampire Slayer, college student, chaperone to mutant teenagers, and lab rat. What else is next?"

"You could adopt a child. Then you could be a mother." Anya looked up from where she was studying the various instruments.

Buffy glared. "Ooh, bite your tongue. I have my hands full with Dawn as it is. Not to mention the fate of an entire town rests in my hands."

The ex-demon shrugged. "It was just a suggestion. Maybe you can get a job and make some money." She brightened up. "Money is always good."

Xander sighed and rolled his eyes towards Buffy’s direction. "The more things change…" he murmured at her. The Slayer hid a grin.

Hank pulled the needle out of Buffy’s arm and held a cotton pad over the puncture site. "Done!" he announced.

Buffy waited as he put a band-aid and her arm and then jumped off the examining table. "Good. Then we’ll leave you to your microscopes." She pulled Xander and Anya away. "Let’s go find my sister."

*          *            *

They found Dawn in the gym with some other students playing dodge ball. Buffy noticed Logan leaning against the wall watching them. Heading over, she commented, "So, want a rematch, wolf-boy?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "'Wolf-boy'? Listen, kid, I’m old enough to be your father, maybe even your grandfather, so watch who you’re calling 'boy.'"

Buffy grinned. "Sorry, gramps. So, want a rematch or what? You're the only decent challenge I've had who wasn't trying to take my head off."

He grunted. Pointing towards the band-aid on her arm, he said, "So, Beast finally got to you?"

"Beast?"

"Blue-boy. Hank. We were taking bets on how long it would be after you walked in the door till he dragged you off to his lab."

"Really? So who won?"

"When did he get at you?"

"'Bout an hour ago." She leaned against the wall, watching as one girl flew up into the air to avoid being hit by the ball. The other students starting calling foul on her.

Logan glanced as his watch and grunted again. "Looks like Jeanie won. Though if Hank had waited ten more minutes, Chuck would have gotten the money."

Buffy smiled as she watched Dawn pull Xander and Anya into the game. "I notice that you are carefully avoiding answering my question. What's the matter? Afraid?"

He looked over at her and then back at the game. "Trembling," he said sarcastically.

"Good. I have a rep to keep, after all." Buffy grinned as she saw Dawn wave at her. Waving back, she muttered, "Scared to get your ass handed to you by a girl?"

He snorted in amusement. "I just wouldn't want to give Rogue or any of the others any ideas. They're too young to be thinking of serious fighting."

"You just keep telling yourself that, Wolvie." She stood up straight and headed over towards the dodgeball game. "Hey, can I join in?"

*          *            *

"This was fascinating to study," Hank commented. "I am deeply grateful that you gave me permission, Buffy."

The Slayer waved her hand to the side. "No prob. So, what's the verdict?"

The two stood in the middle of Hank's laboratory along with Professor Xavier and Giles.

Hank pressed a button on one of his machines and a projection of a DNA strand appeared in the air. "This is a normal strand of DNA." He pushed another button and a second strand appeared. "This is a strand of DNA that contains the X-factor, which causes one to become a mutant." He pointed towards a highlighted sequence of amino acids.

"Ok. So what does this have to do with me? I'm not a mutant." Buffy paused and frowned. "Am I?"

Hank shook his head. "No, you are not a mutant. However, your DNA is not what one could consider normal either." A third strand appeared next to the other two. "This is you. You have an anomaly in your genome which is different from that of the X-factor. There are similarities between the two, however. Both seem to have a dormancy period in which they are inactive. But whereas the X-factor becomes active around puberty during a time of heightened emotion, yours--which I suppose we can call the 'Slayer-factor'--is activated by some outside force. I cannot figure out what that is though."

"Most likely something magical. The death of one Slayer always calls on the next." Giles looked intrigued. "So it appears that the Slayer potential is actually genetically based."

"It does not look like it can be inherited or passed on. It seems to just be a random anomaly that shows up in Buffy's genome." Hank turned towards the Watcher. "How have you found Slayers in the past?"

Giles looked slightly embarrassed. "Um, well, I'm afraid that I cannot tell you that. It is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Council."

"Which you are no longer part of," Buffy pointed out. "So why don't you spill?"

Giles shook his head. "There are still my oaths to the Council. I cannot in good conscience or with good reason break them. Imagine what could happen if someone got their hands on that information. They could kill any potential Slayer before she is Called."

"Ouch." Buffy thought over that. "Yeah, I can see how that might put a dent in everything."

"To put it mildly."

Hank studied the three strands of DNA. "Well, that's about all. I’ll let you all go to get ready for your trip to New York."

Xavier rolled slightly forward. "I wish you could come, Hank."

The scientist shook his head. "It is fine, Charles. I am perfectly content to house-sit. It will give my time to catch up on my reading." He picked up a copy of War and Peace that was resting on a nearby table.

*          *            *

The next morning saw two buses pulling out of the gates of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. Buffy sat in her seat and studied the packet that the Professor had given her. Tour guide of the city, street map, brochures to museums, art galleries, and an observatory… Guide to Broadway? Huh. I guess we’re going to see a show. Buffy had known that Xavier was wealthy, but she was just starting to get a picture of how wealthy he was.

She looked over the itinerary for the four days they were going to be in the city. Yup. There’s the show. Phantom of the Opera, Sunday afternoon matinee. She was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. I'm not officially a chaperone, but I'm supposed to watch out for them. Who in their right minds would give me that responsibility--there are almost fifty kids! Ok, I take care of Dawn, but she's only one kid. I couldn't even keep my hamster alive when I was seven!

Calm down, Buffy. Jean’s voice came into her head. You’ll do fine. The woman looked back to where Buffy was sitting and winked. She gave a weak smile in return and turned to the next page in the folder. After a few more minutes, she shut her folder and stuffed it into her backpack. She reclined her seat--thank God for coach buses--and shut her eyes.

It was a two-hour drive to the city and she had to get up at five that morning. Might as well make the most of the trip, she rationalized right before she drifted off to sleep.

*          *            *

New York, New York

"Ok, everybody stay together," Scott called out. The Xavier Institute stormed the doors to one of the many museums in New York. Well, maybe "stormed" was not the right word, but it sure seemed like it. Everywhere Buffy looked, there was someone from the school. The student body of the Institute was not very large but when they were all put together into one place, it was a little overwhelming even without the boy with the blue hair and the girl with the green skin.

The students were broken up into groups and headed off into different directions. Buffy decided to wander around on her own. Picking a route at random, she found herself in a long hall lined with glass cases. As she walked down it, she saw that the cases were filled with jewelry. "Wow," she breathed as she came to a particularly stunning necklace covered in blue sapphires. The small plaque on the case announced that it had once belonged to a French duchess.

"That's something, all right. Probably would cost more than a year's salary, but it's sure nice to look at."

Buffy jumped a bit in surprise. How did he sneak up on me? She studied the man before her with suspicion. Brown hair and brown eyes, average height and the way his shirt fit hinted at a musculature that belied his studious air. A few years older than her, he seemed nice enough though Buffy had known too many people who had turned out to be homicidal robots or man-eating preying mantises to trust first impressions.

He smiled at her and stuck out his hand. "Peter Parker. I'm a photographer for the Daily Bugle."

She took his hand, noticing for the first time the expensive looking camera around his neck and the press badge pinned to his shirt pocket. "Buffy Summers," she introduced herself, still a bit warily.

He held up his camera. "Mind if I take your picture with the necklace? It would make a good addition to the sidebar."

She chewed on her lower lip, her mind working furiously. As if sensing her indecision, he smiled. "I swear, I'm legit. This is a new exhibit--just opened today--and my editor sent me down to take some pictures of the jewelry. If you don't trust me, go out and buy a copy of the paper. You'll see my name in the credits."

She relaxed somewhat and nodded slowly. "Sure, I guess."

"Great." He smiled blindingly at her. Whoa, down girl, she told herself. You didn't come here to pick up guys, no matter how cute they are. She noticed the gold band on his left hand. Especially married guys. He posed her next to the case and quickly snapped a few shots. "Thanks," he told her. "Pick up the paper tomorrow. You might see yourself in it." He walked off down the hall, taking pictures of the cases as he went.

Buffy smiled slightly and turned back to admiring the necklace. It really was very nice. Too bad she was a jobless college student who had student loans to pay off--not to mention the mortgage.

*          *            *

"And there was this huge dinosaur skeleton. It looked look a larger version of that thing that you killed last month in the park. You know, the thing that was carrying off babies and eating them?" Dawn's voice carried through the crowded museum cafeteria and several people gave the two sisters strange looks and edged farther away.

Buffy spotted Giles waving at them and nudged Dawn, cutting off the chatter. "There they are. Let's go." The two threaded their way through the crowd, finally reaching the table the Scooby Gang had claimed for lunch. "You don't have to sit with us," Buffy told her sister. "You can go sit with your friends." She nodded at the nearby table at which a frazzled looking Logan was trying to control a small group of teenagers.

Dawn smiled. "I'll eat with you guys. When I'm done, I'll go sit with them to talk."

The two girls set their trays down on the table and sat down. "So, Buffy, what did you think of the museum?" Xander asked before he took a bite of his hamburger.

"It was pretty neat. I got my picture taken by some photographer from the Daily Bugle in the jewelry exhibit."

Anya sighed. "That was wonderful. There was a pair of emerald earrings that I absolutely loved." She glanced sideways at Xander but he shook his head. "Nope. I'm not buying you a pair of earrings, Anya. I can't afford them."

She pouted.

Buffy turned her attention away from the developing argument towards Giles. "So, how does this place compare to the London Museum?" She poured ketchup on her French fries.

He looked disapprovingly at her lunch. "Well, we had better food." He eyed his own tuna sandwich with distrust.

Willow chuckled. "Giles, you live in America. Learn to eat like an American!"

"Or at least dress like one." Dawn studied him. "Aren't you hot in all that tweed?"

They all laughed as he blushed.

*          *            *

Buffy was sitting on her bed flipping through the channels on the television when there was a knock on her door. She answered it, smiling when she saw Jean and Scott. "Well, all the kids are back safely in their rooms. They're not allowed out until the morning." Scott smiled. "So, want to check out the New York night life with us?"

"You mean go clubbing?"

Jean shrugged. "Sure. We're young, we're trendy, it's Friday night. Why not?" She mimed a few dance steps.

Buffy laughed. "What about the others?"

"Anya and Xander are holed up in their room. I'm not even going to try and bother them, what with the vibes that are coming from that place. Willow and Tara are talking with Ororo. And Giles is playing chess down in the lobby with Charles." Jean grinned. "So, what do you say?"

Buffy laughed. "Let me grab my jacket."

"Jacket? It's summer!"

Buffy shrugged. "Where else am I going to put my stake?"

*          *            *

The three of them walked back towards the hotel, laughing. "I haven't had that much fun in a while. Thanks." Buffy grinned happily. Sunnydale had only one club to speak of, the Bronze, but she and her friends had not gone there in a while. It had been their regular hangout during high school but once college started, their visits tapered off and eventually stopped altogether. She had forgotten how much fun it could be, dancing on the floor with the band playing or even just sitting down at a table with some friends.

Scott had his arm around Jean's waist and the two of them starting singing one of the songs the band had been playing. They were a bit off key but Buffy laughed and joined in.

She stopped suddenly when her gut twinged. The other two kept singing for a few seconds before noticing that she had stopped. "What's wrong?" Jean looked at the younger girl worriedly.

Buffy took out her wooden stake. "Vampires." She scanned the surrounding area, concentrating on the feeling of wrongness that that undead gave her. "There," she declared, pointing out a nearby alley. Pulling her stake from her jacket, she sprinted over.

There were four of them. They had cornered a young couple, not much older than Buffy herself. She took a stance in front of the alley. "You really don't want to do that," she told the vamps.

They looked at her in surprise, yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Another snack," one grinned, revealing fangs.

"I'd rethink that." She took a running jump, slamming into his chest with her feet. Landing, she dusted him with a quick thrust of her stake. "Who's next?"

"Damn bitch. Who does she think she is?" one vamp muttered to the other two.

"Maybe you haven't heard of me, seeing as how you're in New York and all. I'm the Slayer." She kicked the one who had talked in the head, causing him to back up into the wall. "That means that it's my job to take care of you and your buddies," stake through the heart, "and the other things that go bump in the night." She turned towards the two remaining vampires as their companion turned to dust. She spread her arms, stake held loosely in one arm. "Bring it on."

The two vamps charged her, not expecting her to leap up and kick them both in the faces, somersaulting backwards. The two landed on the ground. Only one got up. Buffy did not wait to watch the dust settle to the ground before attack the last survivor. He swung a fist at her head which she easily blocked. She then punched him once in the stomach and then again in the face before bringing her other hand around and plunging the stake into him.

Buffy brushed her hair out of her face and turned towards the couple she just saved. "You two all right?" she asked.

They nodded, unable to speak.

"Good." She jerked her head towards the opening of the alley. "Get out of here and go home."

The two did not hesitate. Buffy watched them run out onto the sidewalk and around the corner. She sighed and put her stake back into her pocket.

"Bravo," a voice above her said.

She looked up to see a figure in blue and red perched on the wall. "Spider-man, I presume?"

The figure flipped onto the ground. "In the flesh."

Jean and Scott appeared at the mouth of the alley. "Buffy? Are you all right? We saw the people run out but you didn't--oh." Jean stopped talking at the sight of New York's most well-known--and sometimes hated--figure. "Spider-man."

The webcrawler nodded before turning his attention back towards Buffy. "Who are you?"

She cocked her head to the side, studying the man in the skintight costume. "Name's Buffy. I'm the Slayer."

"Slayer. And just what is that?"

"I kill vampires. It's my job."

She heard his sigh from where she stood. "Vampires," he said softly. "I had thought that I was done with that."

"You know about them?" She was surprised. With few exceptions, vampires tended to remain unobtrusive. Only those in the trade, such as herself, knew of their existence. Both parties preferred it that way.

"Someone I knew once became one, though a bit unconventionally." There was sadness in his voice. "And I knew someone else who was part vampire. They both hunt vampires themselves, now."

She nodded slightly. She knew what it was to have a friend be turned. It had happened to many people she had known in high school. Laying a hand on a spandex-covered arm, she said softly, "I'm sorry."

That shook him free from whatever he was thinking about. He shrugged. "It's been a while. I've gotten used to it. Anyway, I just wanted to say good job with the vamps. We don't usually get vampire trouble but in a city this big, sometimes it's unavoidable."

Buffy smiled a bit before turning back towards the street. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

"Take care. Maybe I'll see you at the superheroes union meeting." He waved jauntily before shooting a webline and slinging off.

*          *            *

Still in his Spider-man suit, Peter Parker followed the three from a safe distance. He remembered meeting Buffy Summers from earlier that day at the museum; had even gotten her picture. He was curious about her. Her accent was not that of a native New Yorker's but she seemed to have the street smarts for one.

He was also a bit worried. It was his experience that in the superhero trade, trouble followed no matter how hard you tried to avoid it. It had been true every time he had attempted a vacation. Even his marriage to Mary Jane had not gone smoothly.

He did not know if vampires would follow where the Slayer went, but he would keep an eye out.

I know you're there. You can stop following us.

Peter paused a bit at hearing the voice in his head. Who are you? he asked mentally.

One of the people you are following. He did not know how, but he instinctively knew that the owner of the voice was female. That left out the man with the red glasses. He had a feeling also that whatever powers the Slayer may have possessed, telepathy was not one of them. That meant that--

You got it. Now why are you following us? He felt a probe on his mind and tried to quickly block it.

I see. Do not worry; your secret is safe with me. However, I can assure you that our intentions are purely peaceful. We do not mean to bring danger to your city.

You may not mean to, but that does not mean it won't come, lady. New York is large. Even I can't be everywhere.

We have our own ways of dealing with trouble. Do not worry about us. He felt the connection close.

"It's not you I'm worried about," he muttered under his breath as he changed course for home. "It's the innocent bystanders."

*          *            *

Deep beneath the city, in the intricate sewer system, a large green egg lay in a nest made of old newspaper, string, and cardboard. A robed body knelt in front of the egg. "It is near time, and the Rising will begin."

Two figures approached, and man and woman. As they walked into the light, their faces were revealed to be human but if anyone had cared to check, it would have been discovered that they had no pulse. They knelt quickly in front of the egg before turning to the robed man.

"What news?" he asked.

"The Slayer is in the city. We saw her saving a couple from a bunch of vampires earlier." The woman frowned in annoyance.

"That could be a problem. The Rising is coming and having her here will not be good." The robed one turned towards the egg and studied it. "Any word on the witches?"

The man nodded. "Two are in the Slayer's company. There are others scattered throughout the city, but none were nearly as powerful as those two."

The robed figure sighed. "No, we need the strongest we can find. We'll just have to find a way to get to them without engaging the Slayer."

*          *            *

Dawn perched on the edge of Buffy's bed, watching her sister get ready for sleep. "So you really saw him? Costume and everything?"

Buffy yawned and nodded. "Yup. He said how he had dealt with vampires before. Didn't seem too surprised that the vamps I fought turned to dust."

"Was he walking up a wall?" Dawn's eyes glowed with excitement.

Buffy shook her head as she brushed her hair. "Nope. But he was kinda sitting on it before he jumped down to where I was." She turned and gently swatted her sister on the back. "Off my bed. You have your own."

Dawn obligingly got into the other bed in the room. "Do you think I'll see him sometime, before we leave?"

Buffy turned off the light and the room was bathed gently in the glow from the city that never sleeps. Crawling under her covers, she yawned again. "I don't know, Dawn. Maybe. Now get to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow." Her head hit the pillow and she was asleep without knowing if her sister ever answered.

------------------------------

Chapter Two:

New York, New York 

It was late at night. The two forms beneath the covers were still. Willow Rosenberg dreamed. She was standing in a dark sewer. Hello? she called out. Is anyone here? Mist swirled around her ankles.

She took a step and the mist turned solid, becoming a white snake that curled around her legs. She screamed and tried to get away but she backed into the wall. The snake crept farther up her body, pinning her arms at her sides. Just as the snake bared its fangs and was about to bite her neck, the wall behind her dissolved and she fell through. The snake disappeared.

She looked around the room she was in. She was still in the sewers, but the cavern was reasonably clean. There was an altar on the other side on which lay a large green egg. Even as she watched, the egg began to shake and a hairline crack appeared down its side. The Rising is coming, a voice whispered against her skin. The Rising...

The egg split open.

Willow sat up straight in her bed, trembling and covered in sweat. Beside her, Tara opened her eyes and looked at her. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked sleepily.

Willow took a deep breath. "Something bad is coming. Something very bad."

*          *          *

At breakfast, the Scooby gang (minus Dawn) sat together at a table in the dining room. Dawn had joined Rogue and Jubilee at their table instead. Willow took a sip of her coffee. "Why me?" she asked plaintively. "I've never had prophetic dreams before. That's always been Buffy."

Giles pushed his glasses up onto the bride of his nose. "I do not know. Perhaps your dabbling in magic has made you that much more susceptible to these dreams. Or it could be that this Rising you referred to will deal with you directly. I cannot say for sure." He sighed and stirred his tea. "I do wish I had my books with me. You said that you do not know what was in the egg?"

Willow shook her head. "I woke up just when it hatched. But I know it was evil." She put her arms around herself and shuddered. "It was bad. Really bad." She looked over at Buffy. "End of the world bad."

The Slayer groaned slightly. "This is supposed to be my vacation. For one stinking week, can't I get a break from demons and apocalypses and vampires? Is that so much to ask?"

"You're the Slayer; it is your duty. You cannot escape it. I had thought you learned that once already when you first came to Sunnydale." Giles looked at his charge sternly.

She rolled her eyes. "I was being sarcastic, Giles. Sheesh. I have like the worst job in the entire world. I'm allowed to gripe and complain."

Xander grinned. "You really need to talk to someone about getting you a dental plan. Maybe some vacations and sick days."

Buffy snorted. "Forget benefits. How about just getting paid? Hell, I'd settle even for a simple 'thank you' every once in a while. Instead, what do I get? Expelled from school--twice!--and almost burned at the stake."

"And by your own mother, no less."

"Not helping, Xander." She glared at him.

Willow cleared her throat. "Hey, um, back to the dream. What are we going to do about it?"

Giles buttered some toast. "I'll give some old colleagues of mine a call. Hopefully, they'll overlook the fact that I'm no longer a Watcher given that there's a chance that this could be the apocalypse."

Tara smiled a bit at that before turning to her girlfriend. "Hey, didn't you tell me that you used to be pretty good with computers?"

Willow nodded. "I did bring my laptop. I haven't been using it as much but I think I still know the basics."

Xander reached over and clapped her on the back. "There's the little hacker that we all know and love." He leaned over towards Anya. "She could break into the city morgue's system in under twenty seconds. It was pretty cool. Kinda creepy and sick, but still cool."

The conversation turned towards more mundane things as they continued eating breakfast. Scott wandered over just as they were finishing. "We're leaving for the art gallery in about fifteen minutes. Just thought I'd give you guys a heads up."

Buffy shook her head. "Sorry, coz, but we can't go. We have to go save the world again."

Willow spoke up. "Hey, just cause I have to be sitting in front of the computer all day doesn't mean you guys can't go and have fun. You go ahead. If I find anything, I'll call you guys on the cell phone."

"You sure, Will? I wouldn't want to leave you all alone."

She shook her head and grinned. "Nah, I'll have Giles to keep me company. He has to call all his old contacts, remember?"

"Hey, that's right." Xander looked over at the Watcher. "Why don't you give ol' Spike a call and have him go through your books for you?"

Giles glared at him and sniffed.

*          *          *

As they were heading out for the buses, Buffy caught sight of a newsstand. She ran over and grabbed a copy of the Daily Bugle and hurriedly paid for it. Dawn looked over at her. "What's up with the paper?"

"I just want to check something, that's all." As she took her seat on the bus, she flipped through the paper until she came to the Arts section. Scanning the articles, she finally found on the one about the jewels exhibit at the museum. Her smiling face stared up at her. Huh, what do you know. Guess you really were legit, she read the credit under the picture, Mr. Peter Parker. She carefully folded up the paper and slipped it into her bag.

Buffy then turned her attention to the conversation between her sister and the boy known as Remy. As the Cajun flirted with Dawn, Buffy glared daggers into the back of his head. He'd better watch it or he will have both Scott and me coming after him.

*          *          *

As they were getting off the buses at the art gallery, Scott cornered Buffy. "What's this about saving the world?"

Buffy shrugged. "Ah, same old same old. Willow has some prophetic dream that the world is going to end. She and Giles do their research thing. When they find out what is going to happen, I go in and kill stuff and stop it. No biggie."

"I really think you should let us help."

"Scott, thanks. Really. The end of the world may be something unusual to you guys but it's just another day of the week to me. There was one month where there was an apocalypse prophecy twice a week. Trust me, I can handle it."

"If you say so. But promise me if you need help or even if you think you need help--"

"Yeah yeah." Buffy rolled her eyes. "When did you turn into my mother? If I need help, I'll ask for it."

"Promise?" He stared at her through his glasses.

"Yes, I promise. Sheesh. Overprotective, much?"

He grinned a bit sheepishly. "I can't help it. You're the only family I have. Gotta watch out for you and all."

She smiled a bit. "Well, little Buffy is all grown up and can whoop your ass blindfolded."

He laughed at that. "Be careful." He headed off towards the group of students he was chaperoning. Buffy shook her head ruefully after him. So that's what it's like having a big brother. Huh.

*          *          *

Peter was web-slinging from building to building, enjoying the feel of the sun on his back. He neatly performed a somersault onto a gargoyle and rested there for a moment, surveying the city.

"Hello, Spider."

He looked up in surprise to see a masked woman dressed in a skintight black jumpsuit crouched on a windowsill above him. "Black Cat! When did you get back to New York?"

She stretched. "Just this morning. Thought I'd come by and pay a visit to an old friend." She smiled lazily at him.

"What brings you back here? Are Blade and Morbius with you?"

"Vampire trouble. What else? And yes, they're with me. Michael is sleeping and Blade is 'meditating', which means he's sleeping as well."

Spider-man sat in thought. He remembered the encounter in the alley last night and the appearance of the blond girl, Buffy. Black Cat had joined with two others to fight vampires, traveling all over the world to find them. Surely she would know more about vampire lore than he did. "Tell me, Cat, have you ever heard of someone called the Slayer?"

She seemed surprise at the question. "Here and there. She's supposedly some bogeyman for vampires. Never seen any proof that she's real though. She's probably some legend."

"She's no legend. She's here in the city. I saw her last night; talked to her even."

"Hmm." She stared out over the city. "I wonder if that is why..." Her voice trailed off.

"Why what?" Spider-man looked over at his friend. "Cat, tell me."

"The vampires are gathering here in New York. That's why we're here. We didn't know why but if the Slayer is here..." She shot a jumpline from her wrist. "I have to go, Spider. Catch you later!" She swung from the building.

"Wait! Cat!" Spider-man was about to shoot a stream of webbing but even as he watched, she swung around a building and was gone from his sight. He sighed and crouched back down on the gargoyle.

*          *          *

Giles paced around his hotel room, phone to his ear. "Good God, man! Can't you put aside your petty differences for just one bloody minute? While you diddle away, the entire world could end!"

He paused, listening to the person on the other line. "What do you mean the Council will come after you if you do? Well, I'm sure they'll understanding considering the survival of the world hangs in the balance."

His face contorted into anger. "What do you mean, I'm personae non grata to the Council? In case they forgot, I'm the only Watcher with a Slayer under my charge. The other one is in prison for murder! It's not like there's anyone else!"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, hell. Just forget about it. But when the whole world comes to an end, don't come crawling to me!" He slammed the receiver back onto the base and leaned against the dresser, breathing heavily. Taking a moment to compose himself, he sighed before picking up the phone again and dialing another number.

"Hello? May I speak to Marsha Pullman? Tell her this is Rupert Giles."

*          *          *

"Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me if there was a Buffy Summers staying in your hotel?" Peter chewed on his pencil as he stared at the list of hotels in front of him. "Buffy. B-U-F-F-Y. No? Thanks, anyway." He hung up the phone and drew a line through one of the names on the paper and sat back with a sigh.

Who knew there were so many hotels in New York City? He had worked his way through about half of them, asking for the Slayer. "I should have put a tracer on her when I had the chance," he grumbled to himself.

He glanced over at the window of the Daily Bugle pressroom, looking longingly at the blue sky. Uh-uh, Parker, he told himself. Work and then play. He picked up the phone again and dialed the next number on the list.

"Hi, could you tell me if you have a Buffy Summers staying at your hotel? You do? Really? That's great. Could I leave a message? Tell her that Peter Parker is looking for her and that's it important. It has to deal with her night job." He gave the concierge his work and home numbers and then hung up. Success! Now hopefully she'll actually get the message and call him. Or...

He did know what hotel she was staying at. And who knows what time she'll get back. He grabbed his jacket and his notebook and headed out the door. "Hey, Robbie!" he called out to the assistant editor. "Tell Jameson that I'm taking the rest of the day for myself. I got something to do."

*          *          *

Willow stuck her pencil in her mouth and continued typing on the keyboard. The demonic search engine that she had used in high school no longer existed, as was the Encyclopedia Prophetica. She chewed on the pencil and ran a hand through her hair. Sighing, she resumed her search.

Huh, this looks promising. She clicked on the link 'Current Apocalyptic Prophecies--Updated Monthly' and came to a page that listed prophecies by date. Scrolling down, she scanned those for the week and the upcoming week. Yes! Gotcha.

She clicked on 'The Rising of the One', scheduled for Sunday night. The pencil dropped from her mouth as she read the description. "Oh," she whispered. "That's why."

*          *          *

Peter knocked again on the door of the hotel room before giving up. He searched his pockets for a piece of paper and something to write with, planning to slip a note under the door. He found the little notebook that he had written the list of hotels in but no pen. Not even a stub of a pencil. Well, I could always prick my finger and write in blood. Might actually make sense in this case.

The door behind him opened and a man with graying hair and glasses stepped out. "Oh, excuse me," he said when he saw Peter. "May I help you?"

"Depends. Do you know Buffy Summers?"

The man pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at Peter suspiciously. "Who wants to know?"

"I'm Peter Parker. I work for the Bugle as a photographer. I'm also a friend of Spider-man's. He asked me to give a message to Buffy; he said it had to do with her night job."

"Night job." The man leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. He looked sternly at Peter. "And just what might you mean when you say that?"

Inwardly, Peter groaned. "I mean her night job." He nibbled his lower lip, debating how much to reveal. If this guy doesn't know anything about what she does... "Girl has a nasty right hook. Once to the face and again through the chest."

Behind his glasses, Giles's eyes narrowed. "I see. You said you had a message from Spider-man, did you? And just how do you know him?"

"I take his picture sometimes. He lets me."

"And how does, ahem, Spider-man know of Buffy?"

"He ran into her last night while out patrolling. He has some information for her."

"That he asked you to deliver." The man’s voice was carefully neutral.

Peter felt like screaming in frustration. "Yes. I said that already."

Without warning, the man stood up straight and pushed his glasses up onto his face. "Rupert Giles," he said, holding out his hand.

Peter glanced down at it briefly, hesitating before clasping it. "Peter Parker." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "So, did I pass?"

The older man smiled slightly in return. "More or less. Mind you, I’ll be watching you, but you’ve convinced me that you do know something. What that is or how much is yet to be determined."

"In other words, I’m on probation."

There was a genuine smile this time. "Yes, you could put it that way." Giles held open the door to his hotel room and waited. Peter glanced at him curiously before walking through.

"So I take it that you know Buffy?" he asked idly as he took a seat at the small table in the room. He studied the room briefly, unconsciously scanning for traps and potential weapons.

"I suppose you could call me her mentor." Giles walked to the window and opened the curtains, letting warm sunshine into the room. Peter squinted a bit at the sudden brightness, noticing that the Brit was watching him closely.

"I’m not going to burst into flames," he remarked dryly. "I can assure you that I am one hundred percent alive."

"You understand, I had to be sure. One can never be too careful, especially in my line of work." After cracking open the window and taking a deep breath of the (relatively) fresh air, Giles took the seat opposite of Peter and leaned back into it. "Now, if you would like to relay your message, I will make sure that Buffy will receive it."

Peter studied the other man before speaking. Something told him to Rupert Giles was a man that could be trusted. And his Spider-sense had not gone off, alerting him of potential danger. He relaxed slightly. "Spidey has a friend who’s a vampire hunter. She’s in town and told him that the vampires are gathering in the city."

Giles cleared his throat. "You’ll forgive me for being skeptical, but in a city this size, a large amount of vampire activity would be normal. How would anyone know that the population has increased?"

"Look, yeah, we have vampires. They’re everywhere, like roaches. But they keep quiet usually, trying not to be noticed. Every once in a while, one of the resident superheroes will have to take out an entire nest, but for the most part, bloodsucking goings-on are pretty low. Spider-man told me that he’s noticed an increase in the people found drained of blood and I trust him. And he trusts his friend which is good enough for me."

"I’ll tell Buffy." Giles stood up and gestured towards the door. "I do appreciate you coming to tell me this and I’m sure she will as well."

Peter gritted his teeth, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. Fine, you want to play that way old man? Let’s see if you can get rid of Spider-man this easily. He was about to leave when a young red-haired woman burst through the door.

"Giles! I found it! I know what the Rising is..." Her voice trailed off when she noticed Peter standing in the room. "Oh. I didn’t know you had company."

"He was just leaving." Giles nodded at Peter. "It was very nice meeting you, Mr. Parker."

"Sure. You too." Peter waved nonchalantly as he walked out the door. Less than a minute later, a blue and red figure landed on the side of the hotel and crawled across the wall to the open window of Giles’s hotel room.

Spider-man leaned closer to the window, blocking out the usual city noise to concentrate on the conversation going on within.

"…finally found it. The Rising is this big massive ritual thing that pulls vampires from all over the world to it. They come to see this creature that’s supposed to bring about the end of humanity be born or something."

"Interesting." Giles’s voice floated through the window to where Spider-man was listening. "That would explain Mr. Parker’s message about the vampires gathering."

"But get this: apparently, the creature needs to feed as soon as it’s born. It has to eat three witches, the more powerful the better, within ten minutes of being born or it will die."

"That would explain your dream. If you were one of the witches being targeted…"

"What? No way. Uh uh, Giles. I am not becoming some entrée for some apocalyptic demon. I’ve been there before, and I can tell you that it is not fun. I refuse. I absolutely--"

"Of course, Willow. I have no intention of letting you be taken. I am just commenting on the nature of your prophetic dream."

"I still don’t like it."

"Perfectly understandable. Do you know when this Rising is supposed to take place?"

"Sometime Sunday night. Probably at sunset or moonrise or something. That part of the prophecy was pretty vague."

Giles sighed. "Figures. Well, at least that buys us some time to try and stop it before it happens. I really dislike preventing these things at the eleventh hour. It’s bad for my heart."

"You do realize that today is Friday, right? That means Sunday is only two days away."

"Compared to some of things we’ve averted with only seconds to spare, I would think that two days would be child’s play."

In his mind, Spider-man imagined the exasperated glare that the girl--Willow?--was giving Giles. "I can do some more research. Maybe try and find a more exact time or how to kill this creature or something."

"You go do that. Meanwhile, I’ll continue calling those weak-livered fools that I used to call my colleagues."

The conversation turned towards more mundane matters and Spider-man moved a few feet away from the window before shooting out a webline. The Rising, huh? Why do I get the feeling that they’re not talking about bread? He sighed as he headed back towards the Daily Bugle. Well, that’s New York City for you. Never a dull moment. Just another day in the life of the friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

He reached the rooftop of the building and found the clothes that he had stashed there. Changing back into Peter Parker, photographer and science nerd, he made a mental note to contact Black Cat as soon as possible.

In the meantime, he had to face J. Jonah Jameson for taking off for two hours without permission. He sighed as he walked down the stairs to the newsroom. Squaring his shoulders, he pushed opened the door and let the hub of activity engulf him. A gruff voice bellowed from a corner of the room. "Parker! Where in tarnation were you? There’s a hostage situation at the art gallery on Twenty-second. I want you there half and hour ago!"

Peter waved his hand and grabbed his camera. "I’m on it, Mr. Jameson." Never a dull moment. Right.

------------------------------

Chapter Three:

Buffy had managed to slip off to the bathroom when the men with guns burst into the art gallery. She heard several gunshots and screams as she carefully balanced onto the toilet seat, reaching over her head to push aside one of the ceiling tiles. She pulled herself into the ductwork and had barely replaced the tile when the bathroom door opened and one of the gunmen entered to search for stragglers.

Great. If it's not vampires or apocalyptic prophecies, it's regular humans with very large guns trying to compensate for something. I swear somebody up there wants to ruin my vacation. She carefully crawled over the flimsy tiles, distributing her weight so that she would not go crashing through them. Every so often, she'd push one aside and peer through the crack to see where in the gallery she was.

All I would ask for is just one week--one week!--where I could delude myself into thinking I was normal. No enhanced strength, no demons to kill, no nothing. The most challenging part of my life would be passing chemistry. But noooooo. Buffy mentally flicked off the Powers that Be, who had decided to concentrate into her being the power to defend the world against evil.

The gunmen had gathered everybody in the hall of statues--incidentally, the hall with the highest ceiling. From her vantage point high above, Buffy spied the people from Xavier's huddled together by a bust of King Louis XVI. She snickered a bit when she saw the glare Logan was directing at the leader. Better get this over with before Mr. Claws decides to go medieval on their asses. It would be kinda hard to explain away those marks to the police.

She moved so that she was directly over the lead gunman. She cleared the tile above him completely out of the way, giving her a clear path. Mentally mapping out where the other gunmen were, she leapt, dropping down nearly three stories. After squashing the leader to the ground, she somersaulted back into the air, landing in front of another gunman and kicking him in the head.

She ran towards a third and managed to dispatch him before the bullets started flying. She dodged and jumped, mapping out in her mind where the innocent bystanders were in relation to the gunmen, trying to keep the bullets away from them. Behind her, she heard a familiar growl over the chaos and grinned. Gotta love these enhanced senses. She heard the sound of flesh hitting metal--or metal encased in flesh--and turned back to her own fight.

*          *            *

Spider-man had just entered through a skylight when the sounds of fighting met his ears. "Someone started the party without me," he muttered as he swung towards the brawl. Visions of civilians trying to overpower their captors and getting mowed down by bullets floated through his brain as the noise got louder.

"Whoa." He somersaulted and landed on the wall near the ceiling, not believing his eyes. He absentmindedly stuck a camera to the wall, capturing the scene on film. A group of five or six taking on the gunmen and winning. A man with red glasses punched a gun-toting man in the stomach while next to him, a brown-haired woman swung her purse and hit the same gunman in the head. Another man whose fighting style screamed bar-brawler was taking on three men by himself, and seemed to be enjoying himself. And in the corner-- "Why am I not surprised?" Spider-man shook his head ruefully before launching a webline and swinging towards a familiar blonde figure.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said as he landed next to Buffy.

"Small world," she answered as she kicked a gun out of someone's hands and following through with a kick to the side of the head.

"As much as I love physical violence..." Spider-man quickly shot out webbing and yanked guns out of hands and then webbed their owners to the wall. "Much more efficient." He turned towards the people huddled in groups in corners. "Everybody all right?" he called out.

And then the police stormed into the hall, riot gear on and rifles loaded. Buffy smirked at their slack-jawed expressions. "Better late then never, huh?"

Spider-man shot out a webline. "And that's my cue to leave before they get the bright idea to turn me into Swiss cheese. See ya around, Slayer. I have a feeling we'll meet again." He grabbed his camera and swung over the heads of the police, down the hall, and through a window before they could react with more than a few surprised shouts.

An unconscious gunmen groaned and stirred slightly. Buffy lifted her foot and slammed it into the base of his neck. "Back to beddytime for you."

One by one, the police lowered their guns. One of them, with the word 'Captain' emblazoned on his bulletproof vest, tilted up his helmet and scratched his head. "What the hell happened here?"

Wolverine walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Wonderful timing there, bub."

Buffy squashed down the impulse to laugh hysterically.

*          *            *

"So that was Spider-man." Dawn smirked. "He looked pretty darn nice in tights."

Beside her, Remy sniffed. "No self-respectin' man woul' dress 'imself up in tighs. Is a sign dat he not quite all right."

Rogue giggled. "If you say so. But I think that it's a sign that he's sure of his masculinity."

Buffy tuned out the rest of the teenager's conversation as she sat back in her bus seat and sighed. She mentally reviewed her life from age fifteen, the same age as Dawn and her friends, and the age when she was Called. She compared it to her old life of cheerleading and parties and hours gossiping on the phone.

She felt a momentary pang of envy for Rouge and the others with their normal lives. Then she paused, remembering that for all that they acted like regular teenagers, they were anything but. Mutants, the Key, and Slayers. Are we so different after all?

I wonder how Spider-man handled growing up. Buffy stared out the window at the passing buildings and wondered.

*          *            *

The bus dropped them back off at the hotel. The students got off, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Buffy hung back, feeling decidedly out of place. Dawn disappeared into the building with her friends; Xander and Anya walked in holding hands; Tara was talking animatedly with Ororo. Where did Buffy fit in?

A hand lightly touched her shoulder and she turned around to see Jean. "Would you like to talk about it?" the woman asked gently.

Buffy nodded mutely and let herself be led inside.

*          *            *

Jean closed the door behind her and studied the young woman sitting on the bed and staring at the wall. "Buffy?"

Buffy turned and smiled slightly at her. "I'm fine, really. I guess I feel..."

"Out of place? Unwanted? Different? Tell me if I'm getting close." Jean turned the chair at the desk so that it faced Buffy and sat down. She smiled. "Buffy, it's perfectly normal to feel those things. It's called growing up. All teenagers feel that way. And I'm sure that it doesn't help that you're the Vampire Slayer, huh?"

Buffy sighed. "I dunno. I had gone through all this already in my life and I thought I was over and done with it. When Merrick first came to show me my destiny, I was in total denial. I refused to believe him. And then he died and I thought it was over. I could be normal again. But that didn't happen. I tried so hard to ignore it, to pretend to be normal, but in the end it didn't work."

Jean nodded and made encouraging noises.

"I finally accepted who and what I was. And then the world threw me another curve ball. There was another Slayer. You have no idea how tempted I was to just give it all up. Just hand it over to Kendra and say, 'Here you go. It's all yours now. Have a nice life.' But I couldn't. It wouldn't let me."

"And I'm guessing that a part of you didn't want to let it go, either."

Buffy blew out a burst of air and flung herself backward onto the bed. "I know who I am. I'm the Slayer. I can't escape it; I know that. Believe me, I tried. But I always get sucked back in."

There was a tapping and a blue and red head poked itself in the open window. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I couldn't help overhearing..."

Buffy had to grin. "Right. We're thirty stories up. I suppose you were just passing by."

"Well, actually, I was coming to see you anyway." He swung his head towards Jean. "Um, I don't suppose I can come in? I feel a little silly out here, with only my head inside."

Jean waved a hand towards the other chair in the room.

Spider-man entered the room and sat down. "If I may be so bold, I'd like to share something that my uncle once told me. 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Take from it what you will."

"That must have been a pretty big influence in your life to have stuck with you," Jean observed.

"Let's just say that during the first few years as Spider-man, I was reminded many times of that. I was either trying to use my powers for my own gain or I was like you," he nodded towards Buffy, "wanting a normal life. I even gave up the suit for a while. But it didn't last. Being the wall crawler was a part of me and looking back now, I wouldn't give it up without a pretty big fight."

"But don't you still want to be normal?" Buffy asked.

He shrugged. "Hey, what's normal? In my life, I've seen people that can fly, control electricity, lizard men, guys with metal arms... Compared to those people, I'm almost boring! I'm just a regular normal guy that just happens to be able to walk up walls."

Even with the mask on, Buffy could hear the smile in his voice.

"Seriously though, yeah, I have my moments when I would give anything to have never gotten my powers. But then I come to my senses and realize that I would never want to give up the feeling of soaring over the city or have never met some of the people I have as Spider-man. The police may hate me and J. Jonah Jameson may personally be gunning for my hide, but for every person I save from being robbed or killed, that's one more person who knows that I'm not inherently evil. And that's something."

Buffy had a thoughtful look on her face. "I'll think about what you said. Just give it a moment to sink in."

"I'm not saying that my life is perfect, either. Not by a long shot. This is a pretty thankless job. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the city thinks I'm the antichrist but that last point one percent makes up for the rest."

Jean snorted and Spidey looked over at her.

"Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. It's only ninety-nine point eight percent that hates my guts."

Buffy laughed.

"So, crisis of faith over with?" His voice had gone from joking to gently serious.

Buffy smiled slightly at him. "Yeah. Though you have to admit that it's odd to be getting a pep talk from a guy in a red and blue cat suit."

He laughed. "Lady, I like your spunk."

Jean smirked at the two of them. "You said you were looking for Buffy?" she asked him.

"Oh, yeah. A friend of mine was supposed to deliver a message to you but since you were at the gallery and not the hotel, I don't suppose you got it." He quickly relayed everything that the Black Cat had told him. "Does that make any sense to you at all?"

Buffy nodded slowly. "I'll need to talk to Giles and Willow to compare notes, but I definitely think that this ties in to something else that we're working on."

"Anything I can help you with?"

Buffy's gaze sharpened on him. "You said that your friends are professional vampire hunters? And that you have dealt with vampires in the past?"

He nodded.

"Can you get in touch with your friends for me? I want to see what they know."

"That might take some time since I don't know where they're holed up. But I'll try. Meet you up at the roof of this hotel tonight at ten?"

Buffy nodded. "In the meantime, I need to talk to the others." She stood up and started heading for the door. "See you tonight."

Then he was alone in the room with Jean. "She's all business, isn't she?" he remarked

"Only when it deals with her night job, Mr. Parker." Jean smiled and winked at him. "I think you had better leave. My husband is coming and he tends to be the jealous type."

*          *            *

Buffy was a bit surprised to hear that Spider-man's friend had been Peter Parker, the same photographer who had taken her picture yesterday. That coincidence was quickly pushed out of her mind when Willow told her of what she had found. "Sunday night, huh? That doesn't give us a lot of time. And me without my weapons chest." She sighed and frowned.

Giles cleared his throat. "Well, we are almost positive that they will try and grab Willow to feed to the creature."

"Maybe Tara, too. If I were the vamps, I'd grab her only because she's right there. Save some time." Buffy chewed her lip. "Do you think we should send the two of you somewhere safe?"

Willow's look turned defiant. "If you think that we're going to run away, then you thought wrong. I've never run away before from danger, well, except for maybe that time with Angel killing my fish, but that was a long time ago and I've changed. I've gotten braver and I am not running away."

Buffy smiled. "That's the Willow that I know and love."

"And I didn't run that far, anyway. Only to your house."

"So, you're in?"

Willow nodded. "Ready and willing." She faltered for a moment. "But what do you want me to do?"

"Do what you do best, Will. We're going to need a lot more information if we have any hope of stopping this Rising. And whatever we can't find online or through Giles's contacts, we'll have to find using magic."

*          *            *

Spider-man's first stop was the old horror movie theater where he had first met Blade. He landed on the wall and crawled through the open window to the side room. A familiar figure stood up from his seat to greet him. "Spider-man. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm looking for Blade and Cat. Have you seen them?"

The man walked towards the wall crawler, leaning a bit on his cane. "Blade? No. I receive letters from him every so often from places all around the world, but I have not gotten any for a few weeks now. And as far as I know, the Black Cat is still traveling with him, as well as Morbius."

Spider-man sighed. "Thanks, Whistler. They're in the city, I know that. Cat contacted me this morning. But I need to find them. If you see them, could you tell them to meet on the roof of the Ramada off of Times Square at ten tonight?"

Whistler nodded. "Is there anything else I could do for you?"

"Not really. There's something big brewing, but I don't know what it is. I just know that if it doesn't get stopped in time, the entire world's in trouble."

"Vampires?" When Spider-man nodded, the man who had trained Blade walked across the room and opened a cabinet. He took out a duffel bag and began stuffing items into it. "If it's vampires, these will help you." He handed the bag to Spider-man. "I wish you luck, for all our sakes. I'll keep a look out for Blade and pass on your message if I see him."

Spider-man nodded and left the same way he came in, through the window. Peeking into the bag, he saw an assortment of weapons that he recognized as being specially designed to fight vampires. He slung the bag onto his shoulder and headed off again.

*          *            *

Willow typed furiously at her computer, bookmarking any sites that could be relevant and moving on. She scrolled down almost faster than she could read, her eyes scanning the screen so quickly that it made Xander dizzy just looking at her.

"Will ya slow down a bit? Not all of us can read at the speed of light here."

"Sorry, Xander," she murmured absentmindedly and slowed down slightly before finding something that interested her and speeding up again.

Xander sighed and exasperation and walked off. "Hey, G-man, got anything I could help with?"

Giles looked up from the pages of notes he was scribbling down. Putting a hand over the receiver of the phone, he looked over at the dark haired young man. "I'm fine but I suppose you can go see if the Professor needs your help." He turned back to his noted and wrote down another two lines. "Yes, of course, I see that," he said into the phone. "But could you check again for me in the Merdel text?"

Xander shook his head. Obviously Giles was so immersed in his prophecy-finding mission that he did not realize that Professor Xavier had left almost an hour ago with the rest of the school to visit the Statue of Liberty. "And once again, Xander Harris is regulated to the important and life-altering job of donut boy." He grabbed his wallet and headed out the door.

As he passed Buffy and Dawn's room, he knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "Hey, I'm making a snack run. Want anything?"

Buffy paused in mid-kick to look over at her friend. "Sure, grab me some of those twisty donuts and a hot dog." She finished her kick and her target grunted.

"Thanks for asking if I wanted anything," Anya called out as she winced away from Buffy's punches, holding two pillows out in front of her as protection and targets.

"Cream-filled?" Xander asked.

"With chocolate icing." The former vengeance demon let out a small shriek and ducked when Buffy's foot came a bit too close to her head. "Hey, watch it! I don't have to be your punching bag, you know."

Xander let the door swing shut and continued off in search of donuts. 

*          *            *

A red-haired woman walked from the bedroom of her apartment into the living area. Dressed in a business suit, she hunted under the couch for her shoes. "Of course, Tiger," she spoke into the phone. "I understand. Promise me you'll be careful, all right?"

She paused, listening to the voice on the other line. A smile graced her lips. "Yeah, I love you to."

Mary Jane Parker, nee Watson, hit the off button on the portable phone and threw it on the coffee table. She then sat down on the couch and sighed, staring out the window. She had a casting call to go to in an hour, but for now, she thought back over the phone call from her husband. Vampires, end of the world, Slayers... As if it isn't bad enough that he has to deal with supervillians and petty crime. Now he has to fight things that belong in a horror movie.

Ever since the first day the two of them had met, Spider-man had been there. At first, it was like a love triangle with Peter trying to have a relationship while still keeping his superhero duties. At least he had finally come to his senses and told her. And for all his constant running off, she had still stuck by him, giving him chance after chance. If it had been any other guy, she would have told him to take a hike long before. Of course, if it had been any other guy, she would not have married him either.

Being married to Spider-man was full of worries. Will he come home tonight? Will he be hurt? Will a police officer try to shoot him? And now, she had to worry about vampires on top of everything else.

She sighed and shook her head. Please, Peter, be safe. Come back to me.

*          *            *

"Okay," Willow announced. "From what I found, the Rising will have to take place below ground, hence the sewer setting in my dream. It also has to have easy access to the surface because after the demon creature thing eats the witches, it will have to start terrorizing the rest of humanity. And then there was something about having access to water or something too, but that could be taken care of in the sewer thing."

"That doesn't narrow things down much, does it?" Giles referred to his notes. "From what I've gathered, the cult that follows the demon is a fairly large percentage of the vampire population around the world. They have been around for centuries, but are still relatively new in relation to other demon sects or followings. Therefore, there isn't a lot of information out on them. What I have found corresponds with what Willow has already said. However, I would like to add that I believe they would be found near a park. I found several references to 'worshipping the green'."

"Great. So now we have vampire eco-freaks. What else is next? Pro-life hell demons?" Buffy bit into her donut and chewed furiously.

"That does help, though," Willow commented. She turned back to her computer and pulled up a map of the city. "The biggest park is Central Park and that does seem like the most likely place. But there are also smaller ones which we might have to check out. She grabbed a pad of paper and took the pen that she had stuck behind her ear to scribble furiously. "Here's a list of all the parks. We'll have to go through them one by one."

"That's still a lot better than before when it was the entire city." Buffy looked over Willow's shoulder to study the map. "We can start on those tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a meeting with the friendly neighborhood Spider-man."

*          *            *

The Black Cat swung high on her jump line, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness that she achieved at the apex of the swing, right before gravity reasserted itself and pulled her downward. She timed it carefully and released the line right before she would have swung back and landed on the roof of the Ramada, crouching to absorb the force of the impact.

A white-skinned man with blue hair and a disfigured face soared through the air and came to a rest behind her. He set down the dark-skinned man he was carrying and looked around. "Are you sure this is the correct place?"

"This was where Whistler said to meet," Cat replied.

"So what now?" the second man pulled his leather jacket away from his body, keeping his hands near the weapons he had concealed on his person.

"We wait." Cat prowled around, searching for possible traps. A few minutes later, a familiar figure landed on the roof. She turned around and smiled in greeting. "Spider."

"I see you got my message. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a hold of you three? Forget about a needle in a haystack." Spider-man nodded towards the two men. "Morbius, Blade."

The mutagenic vampire nodded in return. "It is good to see you again, Spider-man."

Blade grimaced. "Forget the pleasantries. What's with the meeting?"

"There was someone I wanted you to meet. She should be here soon." Spider-man glanced over at the roof access door and willed it to open and a blonde figure walk out. Blade was not one to be patient.

Cat looked thoughtful. "The Slayer?" she asked.

He nodded buy Blade interrupted before he could say anything. "A myth. There is no such person."

"I've met her and talked to her. She's real all right," Spidey asserted.

"I don't know who you talked to, but there is no such thing as the Slayer. She doesn't exist. I should know."

"Well, I seem pretty solid to not exist," a voice called out. Spider-man sighed with relief as Buffy let the door swing shut behind her.

*          *            *

Black Cat studied the woman--no, girl--in front of her. She looked like any other normal teenager. If she had past her on the street, she would not have given the girl a second thought. The Slayer (if she really was the Slayer) was small, delicate looking, and appeared harmless. Glancing over at Blade, she interpreted his look to mean that he felt the same way.

"Who are you trying to play here, girl?" he growled.

Her gaze hardened. "I think I should be asking that question, vampire." She looked over at Spider-man. "I thought you said that your friends hunted vamps, not were them."

The wall crawler shrugged. "It's only two of them. And the guy with the bad attitude there is only half one, anyway."

She looked confused before shaking her head. "I don't wanna know. It sounds like it's a long story and we don't have time."

Morbius walked up to the girl. "Michael Morbius," he introduced himself, bowing over her hand. She looked shocked and a bit repulsed but managed to reply a bit awkwardly, "Buffy Summers."

"Oh, yeah." Spider-man shook his head. "Buffy, that's Blade and the Black Cat. They hunt vampires. Cat, Blade, that's Buffy. The Slayer."

Blade snorted. "Listen, girl. We don't need your help, Slayer or no. We've done fine by ourselves up till now and we'll keep doing it."

Buffy bristled. "Who the hell asked you, anyway? Maybe it's me who doesn't need your help."

Cat sighed and stepped forward, holding her hands out. "Can we please stop arguing? It's getting us nowhere. Now, I'm sure that Spider-man has a very good reason for arranging this little meeting." She looked over at him expectantly.

"Um, right." He cleared his throat. "Just information exchange, really. I don't do vampires. That's more your guys' thing so I'll leave it to you."

Morbius nodded. "That does make sense. We may leave the bickering till the end."

Cat grinned slightly and looked over at the mutagenic vampire fondly. She took a seat on the edge of the roof and looked at Buffy expectantly. "Why don't you start?"

*          *            *

"…so that's about all we know so far." Buffy looked at the other three vampire hunters. "What about you guys?"

Cat shook her head. "That is impressive that you have found so much. All that we knew were that the vampires were gathering in the city. We did not know why."

"Well now we know and we can go in and kill the whole cult." Blade sneered a bit.

Buffy looked over at him. "What's his deal?"

"His mother's a vampire. He's a bit bitter," Cat confided.

Buffy's mouth formed an "o"-shape. "But I thought that vampires couldn't-- Never mind. I said I didn't want to know and I mean it."

"Wait. You still don't know where the vamps are hiding though," Spider-man pointed out.

"Yet. We're working on that. Give Willow a computer and she can find anything. Same with Giles and his books." Her gaze swept over the three hunters. "And when we do find out, leave it to me. I can handle it myself."

Blade growled under his breath. "I don't think so girlie. If you think that you can handle that many by yourself--"

"I think that I've been doing this since I was fifteen."

"Which was what? A year or two ago?" Blade snorted. "You would not last five minutes--" He was cut off as Buffy leapt forward without warning and slammed her feet into his chest. He tumbled backwards and looked up to see her holding a wooden stake above his heart.

"Don't tell me how to do my job. Okay, fang-face?" Buffy straightened and walked away, turning her back to Blade who was still on the ground. "Don't worry about me. I've lasted this long. I'll last a little longer." She headed for the door but was stopped when Cat placed a hand on her arm.

"Let us help you. I don't care how good you are. Walking into a nest of vampires alone is just stupid. Especially with the numbers that will be there--you might as well be committing suicide."

"If I die, I die. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Whoa." Behind his maks, Spider-man's eyes widened. "You were dead?"

She grinned humorlessly at him. "Yup. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." She turned back to Cat. "I know the danger. I'm not walking in blindfolded. This is my job." She shrugged off Cat's hand and opened the door to the stairs. "I don't need any help." She left.

Cat looked over at Spider-man and quirked an eyebrow. "Nice friend you have there."

Blade got up and groaned, rubbing his chest. "'Nice' isn't the word I'd use to describe her."

Morbius grinned slightly. "You should not have antagonized her."

Blade scowled but did not answer.

"She can be pretty stubborn, huh?" Spider-man commented.

"Understatement of the year, Spider." Cat looked thoughtful. "Right now, we know as much as she does. We can find the nest ourselves and destroy that egg." She glanced over at the wall crawler. "Are you in, Spider?"

He shrugged. "Vamps aren't my thing. I don't really see how I can be much help. I wasn't last time. But I'll do what I can."

Cat nodded and turned towards her partners. "Why don't you two go back to Whistler's without me? I'll be along in a minute."

"You're going to talk to her, aren't you?" Morbius asked.

She nodded. "I won't be long."

Blade was about to say something when Michael grabbed his arm. "Let's go, Blade." The black man sneered but did not argue, letting himself be pulled off the roof and into the air.

When the two had disappeared into the night, Cat turned back to Spider-man. "Alone at last."

He shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "Um..."

She walked closer to him and ran one finger down his chest. "What's the matter, Spider? Shy?" She came closer to him and purred under her breath.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back. "Cat, this isn't a good idea."

"Why not? We used to have so much fun." She smiled teasingly at him.

He shook his head. "It's too late for this Cat. Really too late." He sighed and released her. "Why don't you go try and talk some sense to Buffy? I have to finish my patrol."

Cat watched as he swung off and sighed. Why do I keep pushing it with him? It's obvious that he's moved on, even if he doesn't want to tell me. She wondered briefly what woman had stolen her Spider's heart. She herself loved him from the first time they'd met. Even as socialite Felicia Hardy, she had loved him. When she became the Black Cat, it was exhilarating. She was finally his equal and she had a chance with him.

But then Morbius came back into her life. But not the Michael that she had known before, but a changed Michael with bleached pale skin and blue hair. A Michael that craved plasma and needed it to survive. A vampire.

When she had first seen him in his new form, she was frightened. But then she remembered the man he used to be and she revealed herself to him, taking off her mask and willing her body to take on the form of Felicia Hardy.

And in the end, she had to choose between the two and had picked Michael. Looking in the direction that Spider-man had swung off, she sighed. Oh, my fickle heart. Why can't I be content with what I have?

*          *            *

Buffy was telling Giles about the meeting on the rooftop in his hotel room.

"His mother was a vampire? That's very interesting." He sat back in his chair.

"I thought vamps couldn't have children," Buffy pointed out.

"There was one...He's known as the Daywalker because sunlight does not kill him." Giles looked thoughtful. "That may be this Blade you met tonight."

She blew her hair out of her eyes. "Great. A vamp that can go out in the day."

"Half-vampire. And I don't think you have to worry about him, Buffy. From what I've heard, he's supposedly on the side of good."

"And Spike helps little old ladies across the street. I'll believe it when I see it."

"Yes, well." Giles cleared his throat. "I know that the story is a bit unbelievable but you must have figured out by now that there is a grain of truth to everything. Is the notion of a half-vampire that absurd?"

"Almost burned at the stake by Hansel and Gretal," Buffy muttered to herself.

"Exactly." Giles nodded.

There was a tapping sound at the window and the two of them looked up. White hair stood out against the dark outside. "My word," Giles murmured.

Buffy sighed and got up from her seat to open the window. "Don't you people use the door?"

The Black Cat grinned. "Windows are more fun."

Buffy rolled her eyes and leaned back against the dresser. "Let me guess. You're here to convince me that I need your help to stop the Rising. Let me save you some time. Like I told you guys before, I can handle it."

"You can never have too much help in our line of business. You'll never know when you'll need it and you're always glad it's there."

"Ever hear of too many cooks, lady?"

"Buffy," Giles interrupted. "Care to tell me what is going on?"

"Huh?" She looked over at her Watcher and shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Giles, Cat. Cat, Giles."

"You hunt vampires?" he asked.

"With Blade and Michael. We've been all over Europe and parts of Asia."

His eyes narrowed and he leaned back in thought. "I believe I heard something about you three. Something about taking out a castle full of vampires in Greece?"

The Cat nodded. "That was us." She shot Buffy a triumphant look. "We're not rank amateurs here. We will help you."

"I work alone," the Slayer insisted.

Cat raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked at Giles.

"He doesn't count. He's my Watcher. He's book guy. When it comes to the fighting, it's me and me only."

Giles cleared his throat and Buffy glared at him. "They don't count, either!"

"All right," Cat began. "It's obvious that you don't work totally alone. You have him for one. And then there were the others you mentioned earlier. So what exactly is the problem?"

Buffy looked her in the eye. "Slaying is my gig. I don't need people coming in and trying to do my job. I've patrolled with someone before, but I work best by myself."

"Maybe you should rethink that, at least for now. From the looks of it, this Rising is going to be big. A lot more than any one person can handle alone, no matter how strong or fast you are."

"You don't tell me how to do my job. I won't tell you how to do yours. If I tell you that I can handle it, then I can handle it." Buffy glared at the other woman. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see what Willow's found out." She turned around and left.

Giles sighed and stood up. "You'll have to excuse her. She can be a bit stubborn at times."

Cat snorted. "Really? I didn't notice."

"Granted, it is a good trait to have in a Slayer but an awful one when you're trying to reason with her."

"What does she have against me?" Cat asked.

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, if you ask me, she doesn't trust you. Traditionally, the Slayer cuts herself off from emotional ties, focusing all her energy into her work. But Buffy...is unique. She has friends. She has family. She guards these ties ferociously but does not easily forge new ones. She has a very hard time trusting outsiders. In the past, she has been betrayed horribly by some who she had considered her friends. I wouldn't take it personally. I really don't think she even realizes that she does that."

Cat shook her head. "So young…"

"She was Called at fifteen. And she's the oldest surviving Slayer in almost a century. Buffy is a lot of things, but she is by no means young."

"It seems a hard life."

"Oh, no doubt about that. But she does have it easier than previous Slayers. The cheese does not stand alone." He smiled to himself as if sharing a private joke.

She shook her head and headed towards the window. "We're still going to try to help," she told Giles. "No mistake about that." Her features softened. "But at least now I understand a bit where she's coming from."

Giles nodded and slipped his glasses back on. "Then I wish you the best of luck. It was nice meeting you."

Cat smiled in return. "And the same to you." She shot out a jumpline and was swallowed up by the city.

*          *            *

They're coming for you, the voice whispered. Ware. Ware.

The egg rested on the raised platform and Willow approached it. The Rising… the voice whispered. Grarrum must feed. Ware…

She gently touched the egg with her fingers and jerked her hand back. "It's warm," she whispered.

A gentle hissing sound reached her ears. She watched mesmerized as a large white snake appeared from behind the raised platform, slithering across it. It raised itself up so that it was eye level with her and hissed again, baring fangs. It danced closer and closer until it dipped its head towards her neck.

The egg began to shake and it cracked down the center.

The snake bit her neck.

*          *            *

Willow gasped and opened her eyes to darkness. She clasped a hand to her neck and sighed with relief. Only a dream. Beside her, Tara stirred a bit before falling back into a deeper sleep.

Willow lay there, trying to slow her breathing. She could still hear the strange voice from her dream. The Rising is coming. Ware.

------------------------------

Chapter Four:

Willow took a sip of her coffee and tried to still the trembling in her hands. The voice from the dream echoed in her brain. The Rising is coming. Ware.

She mentally snorted to herself. No duh, Sherlock. I could have done without the extra creepy dreams that only give me the wiggins.

A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up to see the Professor. "Willow, are you feeling all right?"

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and gave him a weak smile. "Rough night."

Xavier locked his wheelchair into place. "Bad dreams?" he inquired.

"You could say that." She stared into her coffee.

He held out his hands and looked at Willow. "May I?"

She stared at him for a moment before it clicked in her mind. "Oh, sure, I guess." She put down her mug and bit her lip. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just relax." He gently touched her temples with her fingers and closed his eyes. Willow felt another presence in her mind that oddly soothed her. She sighed and felt the tension leak out of her.

Finally, the Professor opened his eyes. He leaned back and studied the redheaded girl. "Better?" When she nodded he smiled. "I can see why those dreams were bothering you. I noticed that neither you nor Mr. Giles were with us yesterday at the art gallery. Would that possibly have something to do with your dreams?"

"Yeah. We had to do the research thing." Willow picked up her coffee again and took a sip. "Big bad evil is coming and we need to stop it."

Xavier frowned. "When you say 'big bad', you mean--"

"End of the world."

"Yes. I see how that might qualify." He looked thoughtful.

Willow tried to smile reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. We've done this hundreds of times."

"Still, if you need any help, just ask for it."

She nodded. "I will. Though Buffy can be a bit stubborn with letting others help in the slaying."

"We assisted with the Glory incident," Xavier pointed out.

"That was different," a voice pointed out. The two looked up to see Buffy standing there.  "First, Glory was a god. These guys are vamps. I've dusted thousands of them already. No biggie. And second, they were after Dawn." Buffy glared slightly. "They come after me? Fine. But they try and hurt someone close to me, then they really piss me off. I was ready to do whatever needed to be done to protect my sister."

"Admirable," Xavier said. "But as a inhabitant of this world, I would like to be able to have some say in whether the world will end or not."

"Fine. But today, all we're doing is hunting through parks. Giles found something about the vamps 'worshipping the green' so we go to the green."

"Wouldn't it be easier to look telepathically?" Xavier looked thoughtful. "If only I had Cerebro here…" he muttered.

"You can do that?" Willow asked. "I would have thought that since the vamps were dead that you couldn't read their minds."

"To be honest, I've never tried. I had other things on my mind when I met Spike that first time. And I've never had the pleasure of seeing another vampire."

"Even if that doesn't work, that does give me an idea." Willow nibbled her bottom lip as she thought. "I'll need to get some supplies but that shouldn't be too big a problem."

"What are you up to, Will?" Buffy asked.

The witch looked up at her friend. "I'm going to scry for the egg."

*          *            *

A map of the city was found very easily. Willow just took the one out of the folder that Buffy had. Jean donated a crystal pendant of hers and Xander sweet-talked one of the kitchen staff to let him have a bowl. As for the herbs, Tara and Ororo visited one of the many occult shops in the city.

"She doesn't seem to be doing anything," Buffy whispered to Giles.

"Right now, it's all mental," he told her softly. "After the spell's set up, the only thing Willow can do is keep picturing the egg in her mind until the crystal picks it up."

"Well, how long does that take?"

"It depends on how clear the picture is, the scryer's concentration, and the purity of the crystal. I've heard of scryings that have lasted days."

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Great. We don't have days, Giles. End of the world tomorrow night, remember?"

Giles quickly shushed her. The crystal hanging in Willow's hand was slowly tugging in a direction. The witch's brow furrowed slightly as she concentrated. Buffy held her breath as Willow moved the crystal over the map. So slow! she wailed mentally. Com'on, Will. You can do it.

Finally, the crystal stopped.

Willow opened her eyes and looked down. "That can't be right," she exclaimed. "This is a warehouse district. Not a tree anywhere!"

Giles bent over and drew and 'X' on the spot where the crystal rested. "Well, that's where the spell led us too. And it is somewhat near the water." He pointed to the blue just two blocks away.

Scott studied the map. "I can take a small team to check it out. That way you guys can stay here and do some more research in case this doesn't pan out."

Buffy frowned. "Scott, I said before, I don't need your help."

"Buffy," Giles interrupted. "Perhaps you should rethink this. It is a prudent plan. There are several inconsistencies in this prophecy that I would like to get to the bottom to. And there is the question of who to kill this One."

"I was thinking of brute force." Buffy finally sighed and nodded. "Fine. But I'm coming with you guys. If anything goes wrong, I want to be there. Just in case."

*          *            *

From the outside, the warehouse looked deserted. Scott noted several of the windows were broken and that the lights over the doorways were dark.

"Doesn't seem like anyone's home," Logan observed. "You sure this is the place, Cyke?"

Scott nodded. "This was the address that Giles gave us." He held up one hand and motioned towards the building. "Logan, I want you and Buffy to come in from ground level. Storm and I will approach from the roof."

The group split up.

*          *            *

Scott landed gently on the roof of the warehouse and crouched to absorb most of the impact. "See anything interesting up there, Ororo?" he asked his teammate.

"Afraid not, Scott." The weather witch stayed in the air and looked around her. "It seems to be all quiet."

"Buffy and Logan?" He scanned the roof for potential hiding places.

"Approaching the doorway unhindered." She floated down and landed next to Scott. "I suggest we head inside."

"Agreed." Scott adjusted his visor and led the way to the rooftop access doorway.

*          *            *

Buffy watched as Storm lifted up both she and Scott with her powers before following Logan towards the building. He sniffed. "Something don't smell right about this place," he muttered.

"What?"

"Too clean." He sniffed the air again. "I don't smell much rotting wood or rats. Someone's keeping the building in good condition."

"The question is why." Buffy paused about ten feet away from the door. She tensed and automatically started scanning the surrounding area.

"What's the matter?" Logan asked her.

"We've got company." She crouched into a defensive stance, trying to pinpoint the exact source of her 'Slayer-sense.'

He tested the air. "I don't smell anything."

"They're here. Vamps, about ten of them."

"You sure about that, girlie? Cause my nose—" He froze. "Wait."

"They're here!" Buffy called out as she took a running leap into the shadows. Logan quickly turned around and slashed his claws through the neck of another vampire.

For the duration, the two of them were focused on the incoming vampires and staying alive.

*          *            *

Scott heard Ororo utter a soft cry. He turned around. "Storm? What's—"

She held a gloved hand against her neck and her face registered shock. "Scott," she murmured before her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell to the floor.

He knelt down beside her carefully, staying alert for possible attacks. He pulled out a small dart from her throat and held it up to study. His lips tightened and he started to straighten when he felt a pinprick on the back of his neck.

Scott was able to turn around to see a man appear from the shadows. He lowered a wooden tube from his mouth to reveal pointed teeth.

That was the last thing he saw before he pitched face forward into the ground.

*          *            *

"Is that all of them?" Logan asked.

Buffy scanned the surrounding area. "I think so."

"Good." He sheathed his claws and continued towards the building. "Come on."

"Whoa, slow down there. Just where do you think you're going?" Buffy grabbed his shoulder.

"Get your hands off me, girlie. I'm going to see is Cyke and Stormy are all right. This was obviously a trap. But we didn't get caught."

Enlightenment dawned on the Slayer. She nodded and started running towards the building.

They found Scott lying face down on one of the catwalks. Logan growled and studied the surrounding area while Buffy ran to her cousin. "They're gone," he announced.

Buffy pulled something from Scott's neck and held it up. Her lines were pressed into a thin line. "The bastards drugged him." She pulled out a tissue and wrapped up the dart. She shoved the bundle into her pocket before picking up Scott in a fireman's hold. "Where's Ororo?"

Logan growled and his lips curled. He sniffed the air and caught the scent of not quite rotting flesh and old blood that was unique to vampires. Mingled with it was the more familiar scent of the mutant called Storm. "Gone. With the vamps. When I get my hands on them..."

Buffy adjusted Scott's weight on her shoulders. "Any clue where they went?"

Logan shook his head. "Too many scents. It's confusing." He frowned. "It shouldn't be confusing. I should be about to pick her out." He sighed in frustration.

"Well, nothing we can do about it now. I say we head back to the hotel and come back later. And then we'll kick their undead asses."

*          *            *

Giles examined the dart and finally set it down. "Near as I can tell, it's just a simple tranquilizer. Nothing to lead us to the things that did this." He turned towards Scott. "You sure they were vampires?"

The other man nodded and then grimaced at the pain. "Oh, yeah. Fangs and everything." Jean walked up to him and handed him some aspirin. "I should have realized it was a trap," he stated.

"Not your fault," Buffy replied. "Don't go beating yourself up over it. We'll get her back."

"Though why did they want her?" Jean asked. "I don't understand."

Giles sighed and turned towards Willow and Tara. "You were teaching her in magics?"

The two girls nodded. "She's not too advanced, but she's learning quickly," Tara added.

"That's why," Giles explained to Jean. "She's going to be one of the sacrifices to this creature."

"Grarrum," Willow interjected. "That's the thing's name. Grarrum."

The group looked over at the redheaded witch. "How do you know this, Willow?" Giles asked.

"Uh, I had another dream last night."

"Thank you ever so much for telling us, Willow." Giles glared at the girl in exasperation. "If you had told us sooner, we might have found out more about this creature. I can't believe you--"

Xavier reached out and grabbed Giles' arm. "I am afraid that I am to blame for this, Rupert. I helped her to lessen the effects of the dreams this morning. This also caused the memory of it to get a bit hazy."

The Watcher looked slightly mollified. He sniffed and turned back to the map spread over the table. "Yes, well, nothing to be done for it now. We need to think about getting Ororo out."

"Well, find out where the Rising is supposed to take place and we find Stormy," Buffy pointed out. "So we head back to the warehouse?"

"If I were them, I wouldn't have stuck around," Scott pointed out. "Once the location became compromised, I would have moved as soon as possible."

"He has a point." Giles looked thoughtful. "Willow, are you up for another scrying?"

The witch sighed. "I dunno. I mean, I'm willing to try but I don't know if I can do it. The last one wiped me out."

"Tara?"

The blond witch looked thoughtful. "I-I can try. I never really did much scrying, though."

Xander leaned towards Buffy and whispered, "Do you have the urge to quote Yoda, too?"

She jabbed him in the stomach lightly.

"Ooof."

*          *            *

Ororo woke to blackness. Her arms were chained above her head and she was slumped against what felt like brick. When she had opened her eyes, she had to immediately close them again and take deep breaths to avoid a panic attack.

Ororo Munroe, the mutant Storm, arguably the most powerful of the X-men, was claustrophobic. She was brought back to her childhood and the wall collapsing in around her. She had been trapped there in the cramped darkness for what seemed like hours to a young girl.

It was a moment that had defined her innermost fear.

She finally regained control of herself and willed herself to reach out mentally, searching. Professor? she sent. Jean? Can anyone hear me?

*          *            *

Professor Xavier was waiting for Tara to finish her scrying. She had been at it for several hours now. Suddenly, he sat up in his wheelchair. "Wait," he told the assembled group. "I think I just heard Ororo contact me."

Jean nodded in conformation. "I felt it too."

Xavier closed his eyes to concentrate. Ororo. Are you all right?

Fine, Professor, she sent back. I appear to be unharmed ... physically.

He noticed her slight hesitation. Storm?

They--they have me in complete darkness, Charles.

He nodded to himself. His friend's phobia was no secret to him. Try to stay strong. We're going to get you out of there. He pinpointed her exact location and opened his eyes. "I know where she is," he announced.

*          *            *

Ororo felt a pinprick in her neck and gasped. As she drifted back into unconsciousness, she heard faint voices.

"Think she contacted them?"

"I'm certain of it. And they'll bring the rest right to us."

She tried to send a warning to Charles, but could not gather her thoughts before the darkness claimed her once again.

*          *            *

"Another warehouse?" Buffy asked in disgust. The group--composed of Buffy, Willow, Logan, and Scott stood outside the building. "You'd think that bad guys could come up with less clichéd hideouts. It's always an abandoned warehouse. Except for the odd castles and mansions."

"And law firms," Willow chipped in. "Don't forget all those troubles Angel had with that one."

"I don't care where they are so long as they're there for me to tear to shreds." Logan sniffed the air and grinned. His claws popped out of his knuckles. "Tearin' time."

*          *            *

"The warehouse should be over here," Blade pointed in a direction and revved his bike. "At least that's what the vampire said before I killed him."

Morbius landed on the ground next to the motorcycle. "Ah, my dear friend. Such powers of persuasion you have."

Blade glared before kicking his bike into gear and heading up the deserted road.

*          *            *

Wolverine glared at the empty warehouse. "Where are they?" he growled under his breath.

Buffy gripped her crossbow and swept the room with it. She cursed her unpredictable ability to sense vampires. It had worked fine the other night but now, it appeared to have abandoned her.

"Can you smell them?" Scott asked Logan.

The clawed mutant sniffed the air and grunted. "Yeah. Their stink is all over the place."

"So where are they?" Willow whispered.

That was when the trap was sprung. Smoke filled the room, obscuring everyone's vision. Logan stood at the defensive, ready for an attack. He realized his mistake in assuming there would be a direct assault when he saw his companions falling to the ground around him. And then he felt his eyelids closing against his will. He did not feel the impact with the floor.

*          *            *

Blade revved his motorcycle and crashed through the front door of the warehouse, surprising the two vampires who had unconscious figures slung over their shoulders. They turned towards the Daywalker and snarled before turning around again and running towards the back of the warehouse.

Blade chased after the two of them, easily catching up. He took out his katana and reached out and beheaded one of them, turning it to dust. His burden dropped to the floor, still unconscious.

The second vampire was dropped to the ground, wound in a bolo thrown by the Black Cat. He struggled to escape from the cables but they had been specially designed to hold against a vampire's enhanced strength. She dusted him quickly with a stake to the heart before turning her attention to the woman the vampire had been carrying. "Buffy!" she gasped as she saw her face.

Blade looked over and noted that it was indeed the Slayer lying on the ground. The second woman was a redhead that he did not recognize. He grunted. "Didn't need our help, huh?"

Morbius, after ensuring that the two men were still alive, was inspecting the warehouse. "I found something," he called to his companions.

"What is it?" Cat asked as she walked over.

In a shadowed corner of the building, Morbius pointed at a gaping hole in the wall that exposed a set of stairs heading downward. "A tunnel," he replied.

----------------------------------------

Chapter Five:

Spider-man let go of his webline and landed on the side of the hotel. It was towards the end of his patrol and he was looking forward to sitting down to dinner with MJ. But before settling in for a night of domestic bliss, he wanted to check in on the Slayer.

Inside, he saw Giles pacing around the room, phone in hand looking extremely agitated. Spider-man knocked on the window and waved at the Brit when he looked up, a bit startled.

Giles sighed and walked over, unlocking the window and opening it without letting up on his conversation. "Look in the Mayler text. The big leather bound one. The other big leather bound one. No, not the Jendling, the Mayler. Oh, for God's sake, Spike! It's the one that says 'Mayler' on the side in Greek!" He waved Spider-man towards the chair as he groaned. "Oh, of course," he said sarcastically. "And while we're waiting for the Council to get back to me, the world's going to end!" Taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he sighed. "Never mind, Spike. Thank you. Call me when you've found something." He hung the phone back onto the hook and turned to the webcrawler. "Spider-man. I didn't expect to see you again."

Spider-man shrugged. "I came by to see how the world-saving was going."

Giles plopped down in the other chair in the room and stared at the hero. "I won't lie to you. It's going abysmally. We're missing one person already and the team that was going to rescue her is late checking in."

"Anything I can help you with?"

Giles pursed his lips. "Possibly. Right now, every one of the X-men is missing except for Jean. Don't suppose you're willing to go with her to give her some backup?"

Under his mask, Peter chewed his lip. He had promised Mary Jane that he would be home for dinner that night. He sighed. It would not be the first time that he had reneged on a promise in order to fight some madmen--and it would not be the last, either. "I have some stuff to pick up first but I'll be back her in about an hour," he told the Watcher.

Giles nodded. "That should be fine. If you can get back here sooner, though..."

"I'll try." He swung out the window again, heading for Frank, the gargoyle that he regularly used as a perch to survey the city. He had stashed the vampire fighting tools that Whistler had given him there.

He swung the duffel bag over his shoulder and looked over at the stone statue. "Well, wish me luck, old buddy. I'm going to need it."

The gargoyle, as usual, stayed silent and Spider-man swung out over the city, keeping an eye out for a pay phone so that he could call Mary Jane and tell her that he would not be home for dinner.

*          *            *

Jean finished pulling on her uniform, adjusting her gloves. There was a knock on the door and she called out, "Come in."

"You know, you really shouldn't do that."

Jean turned around, putting her hair back in a ponytail. "Do what, Dawn?"

"Just invite people in. If I were a vampire, you would have basically given me free run of your room."

Jean smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." She tucked a last few strands of hair back behind her ears. "So what can I do for you?"

"You're going to find Buffy, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I want to come," Dawn blurted out. "She's my sister, and they're my friends, and I should have a chance to go find her."

Jean sighed and sat down on the bed so that she was facing the girl. "Dawn, I understand where you're coming from this, but what can you do to help?"

"I can do plenty! I can do magic--"

"And these people are looking for witches, remember? If they get their hands on you, we'll be worse off than before."

"I can fight some. Buffy's been teaching me." Dawn raised her chin and looked at Jean resolutely.

"Dawn..." Jean let her voice trail off and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Dawn. I can't let anything happen to you. Your sister would kill me." She looked Dawn in the eye. "And I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, either. You're Scott's family, which makes you my family."

Dawn's lower lip quivered and she sighed. Jean pulled her into a hug. "Just," Dawn whispered, "just bring her back, okay?"

"You got it, kiddo."

*          *            *

Spider-man swung with Jean in one arm. Every so often, Jean would tell him to readjust the direction he was heading, but for the most part, the two stayed quiet.

The two landed on the roof of the warehouse next to the one they were targeting. "What now?" he asked her.

Jean closed her eyes and concentrated. "I feel them there, they're unconscious. But there are also others there: one human, one vampire, and one...one that's not quite either." Her face wrinkled up in puzzlement.

Despite himself, he felt himself smiling. "Don't worry. They're friends of mine."

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. "Logan! He's awake, and he sees your friends as the enemy. We have to get over there before anything happens."

*          *            *

Logan woke to voices talking. His head hurt and he realized that he was lying on a cold cement floor. He stifled a groan when he heard unfamiliar voices talking. Sniffing the air, he bared his teeth. He smelled vampires.

He opened his eyes slowly and saw three unfamiliar figures standing in a corner talking softly amongst themselves. Buffy and Willow lay unconscious (or dead, a part of his mind nagged him) near the three.

Stifling a growl, he lunged to his feet and released his claws before throwing himself at the largest of the three, a black man dressed in a leather jacket.

*          *            *

Standing in front of him, Cat's eyes widened. "Blade, look out!" she cried out.

He turned around and managed to catch the wrists of the man hurtling towards him, just managing to keep the metal claws coming from his hands from impaling him. Blade grunted and kicked the stranger in the stomach so that he was thrown back several feet.

Faster than Blade had though possible, the man regained his balance and took a fighter's stance, his claws at the ready.

"We're on your side!" Morbius yelled at the man.

The man's lips lifted in a sneer. "Like I'd believe that, vampire." He charged and ducked under Blade's arm and swiped his claws.

The Daywalker managed to avoid being cut himself, but the side of his jacket was shredded. He growled and pulled out his laser gun out of its holster. As he was about to shoot, he felt arms grab him.

"No, Blade!" Morbius shouted as he wrestled the gun away from his partner.

Cat moved towards the strange man, her hands out in front of her. "Look, I know how this must look to you, but we really are on your side. We came in just as the vampires were about to pull the Slayer and her friend down there." She gestured towards the tunnel.

"How do you know that she's the Slayer?" he asked, his claws still pointed towards the trio.

"We're friends of Spider-man's. He introduced us. We're vampire hunters ourselves."

"Vampires hunting vampires?" He snarled. "Pull the other one." He was about to leap at them again when a voice stopped him.

"Logan!" Jean appeared through the doorway. "Stop!"

"Jeannie?" The man, Logan turned around and sheathed his claws back into his hands. Blade stared. Did that hurt?

"They're the good guys." A second figure appeared behind Jean: New York's resident wall-crawler.

*          *            *

Jean gently woke up the others with a mental nudge. Buffy was the first to wake. She groaned and levered herself up on her arms. "Anyone get the plate of that truck?" she asked.

Cat helped her to stand. "You all right?"

Buffy nodded as she regained her balance. "Yeah. Thanks." She looked around the empty warehouse in puzzlement. "What happened?"

"It was a trap," Logan said. "The vamps had the place gassed. You and Willow would have been hauled off and sacrificed."

Buffy frowned. "Wait. Why me? They needed three witches, not the blood of the Slayer or something like that."

"Maybe they thought you were Tara," Willow said groggily from her spot on the floor. "I mean, you both have blonde hair. There information might not have been fully accurate."

"Do you really want to bet on that, Red?" Logan asked. He turned towards the others. "You know, ever since this thing started, it's felt all wrong. Everything we've done, they've still always been one step ahead of us. We did a scrying to find this egg, it was a trap to nab Ororo. She then contacted us, we came to rescue her, and it was a trap to get Buffy and Willow."

"So the question is, just how are they getting their information?" Scott murmured.

"Got it in one." Logan looked around at the group. "So is one of us a traitor, or are they getting their info some other way?"

Buffy glared at Logan. "None of my friends would ever betray me."

"Not saying they are." Logan looked suspiciously at the three newcomers.

Cat bristled under his glare. "Now just wait a minute here--"

Scott cut her off. "This is getting us nowhere. Now for the moment, let's just assume that no one here is a traitor, so that means they're finding out what we're going to do either magically or technologically."

"Let's start from the beginning," Buffy said. "Will, just what did that prophecy say?"

Willow scrunched up her eyes in thought. "Um, something about worshipping and feeding the green the three of power." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. That's as close as I can remember."

Scott held up a hand for silence. "I'm talking to the Professor now. He's getting Giles to find it again... Okay. This is a translation. 'On the light of a full moon, two hundred and fifty years from the fall of the Peling, The Rising will come..."

*          *            *

"...and the mighty will fall," Giles read. "The green shall be worshipped with adulation and fed the blood of the triad of magic. And then He shall rise and bring destruction with Him, gorging on the souls of humanity."

He looked up from the book at Charles, his eyes wide. "Good lord. I just realized... Tell them to get out of there. All of them."

Charles briefly touched the other man's mind and images and thoughts passed into his. His breath caught and he gripped the armrests of his wheelchair.

*          *            *

Scott froze for a second before pointing towards the door. "Everyone out, now! There's no time to explain, just get out!"

Any who would have objected were pulled along by the X-men, who had learned to follow Scott's orders, especially when he had just been in contact with Xavier.

A figure dropped down in front of the doorway. "Is our hospitality not good enough for you?" he inquired. He tossed back the hood of his robe to reveal the demonic visage of a vampire.

*          *            *

Giles grabbed his jacket, berating himself as he gathered weapons. "How could I have been so stupid? It all makes sense now. "Triad of magic. Not three individuals," he told Xavier, "but three groups, all touched by magic."

Xavier steepled his fingers. "Buffy and her friends, my X-men, and the three vampire hunters?" He frowned. But how are the last two magic?"

"Not necessarily magic, but just touched by it enough that it rubbed off onto them. Fighting Glory took care of that for the X-men, and fighting vampires was more than enough for Spider-man's friends."

"So what can we do?"

"I'm going after them. Hopefully, I can get there in time. If not..." Giles's eyes grew hard. I'll kill that monster with my own two hands if I have to."

The phone rang and Giles picked it up. "Yes?" he answered quickly. "Wesley, you got my message?"

Xavier eavesdropped shamelessly.

"Fire to kill Grarrum? Well, that shouldn't be too hard. Oh. That much, huh?" Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, we'll figure something out. No, there's no reason for you to come out here. You wouldn't be able to get here in time anyway."

As Giles finished his conversation, Xavier sent a mental query to some of his students. When Giles had hung up the phone, he was startled to find Tara standing next to Xavier and three students -- he recognized them as Jubilee, Remy, and John. "Shouldn't you still be in bed?" he asked the blonde witch sternly. After the aborted scrying session, Tara had collapsed under the strain of the magics.

Tara smiled shyly at Giles. "I'm fine. A little tired, but fine. And besides, an adult will have to look after these children."

"Yes, as to that..." Giles turned towards the students. And what do you think you're doing?"

It was Jubilee that answered. "We promised Dawn we'd get her sister back. And the Prof told us that you need fire? Well, we three can give you all the fire and explosions you need."

The red-haired boy nodded and created a fireball in the palm of his hand. Tara looked over sharply. "John, not in the hotel."

"Sorry." He closed his hand and the flames disappeared.

Giles looked at the four earnest faces before him and turned to the other man. "You planned this," he accused.

Xavier's eyes twinkled. "Of course," he replied. "How else am I going to ensure that you bring my team back?"

Giles sighed and picked up his pack. "Well, come on then," he told the four.

*          *            *

Buffy glared at the vampire. "All right, I want answers," she demanded. "Who are you and how you do you trapping us?"

The vampire smiled nastily. "That would be telling. Too bad you had to figure it out so soon. I would have rathered you be like lambs to the slaughter." He chuckled and motioned with his hands. Lights illuminated the warehouse and the group instinctively backed together when they found themselves encircled by vampires.

Lots and lots of vampires.

The lead vampire held up his hand. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. A pity." He let his hand fall and the army of vampires surged forward.

*          *            *

Giles exited the taxi, carrying his weapons bag with him. The driver looked at him in askance. "You sure you want to be left here, mac? It's not a safe place to be at night, especially for the kiddies." He looked at the three mutants that were getting out of the back seat with Tara. The four had managed to squeeze themselves into a space normally reserved for three.

"I'm quite sure, thank you." Giles handed the man a bill. "Keep the change," he told him. The driver drove off without another word.

The five surveyed the tow rows of warehouses that lined either side of the street. "Well," John asked. "Which one is it?"

Tara closed her eyes and pointed. "That one," she said.

Giles nodded and unzipped his bag. He pulled out an axe and handed it to Tara. "Think you can handle this?" he asked her.

The witch fingered the handle of the weapon nervously. "Are-are you sure? I mean, I'm better at magic than fighting."

"You'll be spell casting, yes, but with the number of vampires that I'm expecting, you'll also have to defend yourself." Giles pulled a larger axe for himself and placed several stakes on his person. He handed a stake to each of the students as well as a wooden cross. "Pierce them through the heart to kill them. Use the cross to repel them," he instructed.

The five set off towards the warehouse that Tara had pointed out.

*          *            *

"Okay, this isn't good," Willow whimpered.

"Understatement of the year, girlie," Blade muttered. He unsheathed his katana and beheaded the nearest vampire. Without even waiting for it to turn to dust, he turned towards another one.

Cat reached for a metal sphere from her belt and pressed a button. "Shield your eyes," she commanded as she threw it into the sea of vampires. A burst of light appeared and the vampires cried out in pain. Those nearest to the blast of synthetic sunlight turned to dust.

"Nice trick," Buffy commented. "Have any more of those?"

"Not very many," Cat replied.

"Well save them." Buffy pulled out a stake and dusted a vamp that tried to grab her. "We'll use them when we have to."

Around them, the battle waged. Over a hundred vampires against the ragtag group.

*          *            *

Jubilee settled her sunglasses on her nose. "Well, here goes nothing." She held out her hands and liquid plasma shot out, blowing the doors away, flattening the vampires closet to the doors.

Giles advanced and swiftly beheaded the vamps that were trapped under the doors. His eyes were cold as they surveyed the room, marking out the visible members of his side. He nodded towards the vampires that were charging at them. "Remy, if you would be so kind?"

Gambit grinned and fanned out a hand of playing cards, charging them with kinetic energy. He threw them into the fray and they exploded. "How dat?"

Giles nodded. "All right. Spread out and just do the best you can. Remember, fire is the quickest way to take out a large number of vampires at a time. You're all well equipped in that area." He gestured towards the blond witch. "Tara, you're with me."

They dispersed into the warzone.

*          *            *

Buffy dusted another vampire and realized that she was standing in the middle of a clear area. She took the chance for a breather. Looking over the warehouse, all she saw were vampires. "Where are they all coming from?" she wondered. For every one that she killed, it seemed like another two were there to take its place. She spotted Spider-man swinging in the air above and waved towards him.

The wallcrawler landed next to her.

"How you doing?" she asked him just before a vampire rushed her. She sidestepped him neatly and plunged the stake into his chest.

"Feeling a bit useless," the webslinger admitted. "I have this pack of vampire weapons but they don't work well in close quarters."

Buffy staked another vampire before tossing her stake to Spider-man. "Here, take this." She pulled another one from her backside. "You know how to use it?"

He nodded and dusted a vampire to demonstrate. "Thanks."

She flashed a quick smile. "Good luck," she called out before the crush of the vampires discouraged conversation.

*          *            *

Logan had lost count of how many he had beheaded. He had somehow teamed up with Scott and the two of them were fighting back to back. Scott let loose another beam, cutting a swath in the vampiric army.

"You doing okay, Cyke?" he grunted.

"Hanging in there." Scott blasted another wave of vampires to dust. Between the two of them, they had managed to keep the area around them relatively clear save for piles of dust.

Logan hoped the others were doing as well.

*          *            *

John concentrated and called down fireball upon fireball. The vampires near him screamed as they turned to dust.

John, he heard in his head. Can you expand the area? Make it so that the entire warehouse is bombarded?

He recognized the 'voice' of one of his professors. I can try, but won't I hit the others, too?

Jean answered, You create the fire and I'll manage the rest. Ready?

John nodded and closed his eyes. He imagined a wave of fire sweeping across the length of the building as he raised his hands and let the flames loose.

*          *            *

Jean was in a corner with Morbius and Cat protecting her. "Incoming," she warned them just before she stiffened and clutched at the wall. Her face was clenched in concentration. She carefully pinpointed the mind of everyone on her team and directed the fire away from them using her telekinesis.

The effort was brutal. She tried to block out the death screams of vampires as she focused on keeping her friends safe.

Suddenly, as quickly as it began, it was over. Jean opened her eyes to see a thick layer of dust on the floor. The X-men, Scoobies, and the three vampire hunters were all standing. She made sure of that before letting her knees give out under her. She was vaguely aware that Cat and Morbius had caught her before blackness claimed her.

------------------------------

Chapter Six:

Buffy lowered her arms from her face. Jean had warned her a split second before the firestorm engulfed them all. She put her stake back into the sheath in her boot and when she straightened up, she scanned the room. Over in one corner, Jean had passed out in Morbius's arms. The red-haired student -- John? -- lay slumped against the floor on the other side of the warehouse. Giles was bent over the boy.

Wait. When did those two get here? She spotted Tara helping Willow to stand as well as Remy and Jubilee. Slowly, the entire group reconvened at where Buffy was standing.

"What now?" Spider-man asked.

"We get the wounded out of here," Buffy said, "and then we go after Ororo and stop the Rising. Just because the vamps are gone doesn't mean that this Grarrum won't still be born."

Spider-man took John from Scott and Jean from Morbius. "I'll see them back to the hotel," he said quietly. "I don't think I'll be much use to you guys against Grarrum."

"Can you handle both of them?" the Slayer asked.

"I'll manage. Don't worry." He set off into the night.

After he had left, Logan pointed at the tunnel. "There's something down there. I can smell it."

"Okay." Buffy reached into the weapons bag that Giles at brought and took out a broadsword. "Down the tunnel it is."

*          *            *

The stairs were dark and narrow. Remy led the way, a playing card half charged with kinetic energy lighting the way. The group had to walk single file down the steps. "I don't like this," Willow whispered. "What if this is another trap?"

"Then we'll fight our way out of it," Cat replied.

In hushed tones, Giles explained to Buffy that fire was needed to kill Grarrum. The Slayer frowned. "But we don't have John any more. He would have been our ace in the hole."

Giles nodded. "We're hopping that Jubilee and Gambit will make up for that. And Willow and Tara have that spell for fire."

"What if it's not enough? Then what do we do?"

Giles stared grimly at their sole source of light in Remy's hand. "We do what we always do, Buffy. Our best."

*          *            *

Any passerbys would have been greeted with the odd sight of Spider-man talking into a payphone with two unconscious bodies leaning against the pole. It would have been ample reason for a police officer to try and arrest the wallcrawler. Luckily, the street was deserted.

Peter had been unsure as to whom to call for a ride. The obvious choice was Mary Jane, but neither she nor Peter had a car. He ran through the short list of people he knew that could be trusted before finally taking a deep breath and dialing a number.

The phone rang in his ear and he waited for someone to pick up. "Is Dr. Connors there?"

Dr. Curt Connors was someone Peter knew in both of his identities. The scientist was someone who knew the importance of secrets, having one himself. After a neogenics experiment to regrow his missing arm he had become The Lizard and Spider-man had been forced to capture his friend and mentor.

So Connors had reason to do Spider-man a favor. And best of all, he had a car. Peter explained the situation briefly to the scientist and waited impatiently for him to arrive. After a short eternity, a pair of headlights cut through the darkness and a station wagon pulled up. Curt Connors got out of the passenger side and stepped up to the superhero. "Spider-man?"

"It's me, Doc." Spider-man lifted up John in his arms. "Thanks for coming out here. I know it's late."

"After all that you've done for us, it was the least we could do." Martha Connors exited from the driver's side and went to kneel by Jean's side.

"Can you see them to the Ramada? Ask for either a Charles Xavier or a Rupert Giles at the front desk." Spider-man straightened up after putting John in the car. He reached for Jean when the redhead stirred. She moaned softly and peered up at him.

"What happened?" she whispered. "Did we get everyone out?"

"They're still back at the warehouse. I have some friends of mine taking you and John back to the hotel."

Jean closed her eyes again and leaned back against the post of the pay phone. "What about you?"

"I'm going back there. What else am I going to do?"

Green eyes looked at him. "There's nothing you can do there that they can't do. Just...go home and spend some time with..." She let her words trail off as she peered cautiously at the Connors.

Spider-man knelt down in front of her. "What is it? Is there something you know that I don't?"

She misses you, Jean whispered in his mind. If you don't stop being Spider-man and spend more time being her husband, I'm telling you that she'll walk out of your life. She smiled faintly. "With great power comes great responsibility," she quoted softly, "but you have to accept all of your responsibility, not just the responsibility of being a superhero."

He nodded and scooped her up in his arms. "I'll be sure to remember that," he told her before setting her into the back seat next to John. "You rest now."

Spider-man turned back to the Connors. "Thanks again for everything." He swung out a webline. "Say hi to Billy for me." He then headed home and to Mary Jane. He sent a brief prayer skywards for his friends and allies still in the warehouse.

*          *            *

The stairs led down into the sewers. Buffy squinted in the darkness. "Can you get more light out of that thing?" she asked Remy.

The teenager shook his head. "Not without it explodin', cherie."

Buffy sighed and turned towards the group. "Which way then?"

Logan sniffed the air and pointed towards the right. "That way. It doesn't smell...right."

"It's the sewers. Nothing smells right," Jubilee muttered, but followed the rest as they started walking through the muck. "Ugh."

Remy led the way again, the sole source of light. The glow cast eerie shadows onto the walls and the ground as he walked. They all kept their eyes focused on the playing card, trying to ignore what they were walking in and what they were walking to.

The sewer tunnel emerged into a large room that was free of the usual muck found in underground. A set of stairs led up to a platform that was as large as the warehouse floor had been. On an altar on the far side was a nest made of cloth; in the nest was--

"The egg," Willow whispered. "From my dream."

As they watched, a white snake uncurled itself from the blankets were it had been hidden. Its forked tongue tasted the air. "Sssomeone'ssss here," it hissed audibly. "Welcome." It slithered down the altar and across the floor, approaching the group.

Each one of them was mesmerized by the snake's eyes, glowing a sickly green. Buffy knew that she should attack the snake but she could not move. All she could do was stand there, watching as the large snake came closer and closer.

*          *            *

Willow tried to scream but she could not. It was her dream again, the snake wrapping itself around her body so that she could not move. The snake's body bound her arms to her sides and its head appeared over her shoulder and moved so that it was face to face with the witch. "Yessssss. Welcome." Willow closed her eyes and shuddered internally as its tongue caressed her cheek.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" she stammered out.

"I'm the Keeper," the snake whispered in her ear. "Namelesss sssave for that title. And you...I claim you..."

Willow felt the snake's fangs sink into her neck, pumping something into her that caused her knees to weaken and black spots to appear in front of her eyes. "Claim me for what?" she managed to ask.

"For Grarrum," the snake whispered as she fell to the ground.

*          *            *

Logan hated feeling helpless but whatever spell the snake had put over them had made him just that. Vampires appeared from tunnels off of the platform and had physically picked each one up one by one and shackled them to the wall by their wrists. Their weapons were taken from their frozen hands and taken into a tunnel off to the side of the open area.

He watched as the snake directed two vampires to place the unconscious Willow at the floor in front of the altar. The snake then curled up around the egg again, wary eyes keeping track of its prisoners.

*          *            *

Black Cat felt the spell dissolve around them and she was able to move again. She groaned as she slumped back against the wall, her head pounding. "Good move," she muttered, "walking into another trap."

"How were we to know?" Buffy asked her. The two women had been chained next to each other. The Slayer tested her bounds but they held.

"We should have known. Everything else up to now has been one." Scott looked over at her. "We were stupid."

Across the way, Willow stirred and her eyes sprang open. "Grarrum," she whispered. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around her. "Buffy?" She approached her friend. "What happened?"

The Slayer looked up at her friend with tired eyes. "You guess is as good as mine, Wills."

The witch reached for one of the shackles that was around Buffy's wrist. When her fingers touched the metal, she gasped and lightning danced over her body. There was an explosion and Willow's body flew across the open space until she landed in front of the altar.

From one of the shadowed doorways behind the altar, a hooded figure emerged. He had the Keeper wound around on arm. The snake hissed at Willow who shrank away from it. "Foolisssh ccchild," it admonished her. "You cannot sssave your friendsss now. They are marked for Grarrum. As are you."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

The snake glided onto the floor and approached Willow. "You have sssuch fassscinating dreamsss, don't you?" The Keeper raised its head so that it was level with hers. "Dreamsss, they sssay, are a doorway to the sssoul...and the eyesss are the window. And what wondersss I sssaw through your windowsss." The snake turned around and made its way up the altar and wrapped itself around the egg. "Yesss, sssuch wonderful dreamsss."

*          *            *

Ororo Munroe winced at the sudden light as the door opened with a clank. Two vampires entered and walked towards her. "Wakey, wakey," the male taunted her. "Your friends are here to join the party."

She glared at the two vampires as they released her from her chains. "Oh, what's the matter," the female asked with a smirk. "Scared of the dark?"

Ororo's only response was to try and attack the vampires but he legs, unused for several days, failed her and she pitched forward onto her face. She snarled as she heard the two laughing at her. She did not resist when they pulled her back onto her feet and shoved her out of the little dark room.

"Ro!" a familiar voice called out.

She lifted her head and peered through the white strands of her hair. Logan? They were all there, chained to the wall as she had been. As she will be again, seeing as the two vampires were dragging her to an empty spot next to Scott. She struggled briefly before the male growled and brought his fist up to her cheek hard. While she was dazed, they quickly locked the shackles around her wrists and left. "Wh-what happened?" she asked. She saw a figure curled up into a ball on the other end of the platform. "Willow?"

The redhead raised her head and looked at the group. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's all my fault."

*          *            *

All her fault... Willow tried to get up but the Keeper hissed at her warningly. "Ssstay," it ordered her. "Or I have you chhhained like your friendsss."

Willow sank obediently back to the ground and looked at her friends. "Buffy?" she asked meekly.

"Don't worry, Wills. This isn't your fault. And we'll get out of this. We always do."

The snake started to laugh an odd hissing laugh. Willow glared at it. "What's your problem?" she demanded.

The snake just continued to laugh.

*          *            *

Scott tested his bonds again. So long as that snake was there watching them, it would be hard to try something. However, he still had his visor so could feasibly blast the albino snake if he aimed well enough. He focused and let loose--nothing. Scott frowned and tried again. Still nothing.

He felt something teasing his mind. Something missing, Cyclops? Laughter flooded into his brain and he winced in pain.

"What do you want?" he whispered under his breath.

Simple. The end of humanity. Grarrum will see to that. Across the room, the white snake stared intently at the mutant. Your days are numbered, Scott Summers, he was warned before the psychic connection was cut with such abruptness that Scott reeled at the pain.

"Hey, Cyke? You all right?" Logan asked him.

Scott gritted his teeth as he fought from passing out. "Just peachy," he managed to ground out. "The snake took our powers somehow."

"Izzat so?" Logan glared at the snake who had curled back around the egg. "Well, there's something it can't take away from me." He grinned fiercely at Scott. "So what do you think?"

Scott studied the room. "You'd have to run pretty fast to kill it," he observed.

"I know."

"If the thing has a chance to summon the vampires, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"I know."

Scott turned back to his friend and teammate. "It's going to hurt like hell," he said mildly.

Wolverine grinned even wider. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

*          *            *

Willow had shrunk inside herself. Every time she tried to move or reach for her magic, the snake somehow knew and hissed a warning. She had not yet gathered up the courage to actually see what the snake would do if she did not listen but something told her she did not want to know.

In her mind, a litany of blame ran through her head. All my fault. My fault. I should have realized -- Buffy's the one who always get the dreams, not me! Stupid stupid Willow. All my fault...

Thus, she did not notice what Logan was attempting until the snake's severed head landed in her lap, the green eyes staring accusingly up at her. She screamed and jumped up, only to knock into Logan who was bleeding profusely from where the adamantium blades had ripped through the skin on the back of his hands. His face was contorted with pain and anger. As she watched with a grotesque fascination, the flesh regrew and mended until the blood had stopped dripping on the ground and fresh unmarked skin surrounded the claws.

Logan sighed with relief and cut the shackles off his wrists. Willow saw that he had severed through the chains to free himself from the wall. They dropped to the ground with a clank. "You okay?" he asked her gently.

Willow nodded, unable to speak. Logan then went and freed the others from their bonds. Tara immediately ran to her lover and hugged her. "Are you all right?" she whispered in Willow's ear. "Tell me you're okay." Tara looked at the other witch with worry when Willow did not respond. "Willow?"

Willow blinked, focusing her eyes on Tara and then the decapitated snake still coiled around the green egg. "Yeah," she answered slowly. "I think I'm okay."

"Good."

*          *            *

Buffy was the first to notice the egg rocking back and forth on the altar. "Um, guys?" she said. "Guys?" she asked again, louder, when no one noticed. "We have a problem."

Giles bent down to observe the hairline cracks that appeared on the green surface. "Good lord," he muttered. "It's a full day early. The death of the Keeper must have triggered this."

Buffy yanked her Watcher away. "Analyze later, Giles. What do we do now?"

The egg split down the center and Grarrum appeared. Black eyes blinked away slime and studied the crowd gathered in front of it. A forked tongue tasted the air as Grarrum raised one of its legs and wiggled its toes experimentally.

"That's Grarrum?" Jubilee asked. "It doesn't look so scary. Like a large hooded gecko thing."

The lizard yawned, displaying pointed teeth. As they watched, the teeth descended upon the dead body of the Keeper and tore a huge bite from it. Grarrum swallowed and took another mouthful. With each successive bite, the lizard grew in size. By the third swallow, it had covered the entire altartop.

"Um, Giles?" Buffy asked as she backed up. "I don't suppose you have something pointy hiding in all that tweed?"

"No," he answered. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh."

Remy reached inside his trench coat and removed a deck of playing cards. He shuffled them nervously in his hands. "Fire, you say?" he asked Giles. "How much you gonna need?"

The Brit studied the ever growing demon. "As much as you can give me."

Grarrum swallowed the last of the snake that was the Keeper and stretched before tasting the air with its tongue again. Its head turned towards Willow and it leapt, teeth bared.

Remy let lose with the cards, which exploded against the thing's skin. It howled in pain and snarled in anger. It lunged towards the red haired witch again but was hit in the side by Jubilee's fireworks. Scott raised a hand to his visor and added his own burst of 'fire.' He waved towards the others. "We've got this covered. Go after the rest of the vampires."

Buffy and Blade had retrieved their weapons from the side room and they were quickly handed out to their respective owners. The Slayer led her band of Scoobies into the tunnel behind the altar.

*          *            *

Blade, Morbius, and Cat studied the situation. The three mutants were herding Grarrum into a corner but aside from that, their powers were not doing much. "There's not enough fire. Too bad that boy passed out in the warehouse," Cat observed.

"Do you think we can do anything here?" Morbius asked her.

"Well I don't know about you two, but I'm sure as hell going to try." Blade grasped his katana in both hands and leapt on top of the giant lizard. With all his strength, he plunged the blade into its neck, only to have the sword bounce back off the lizard's hide. Grarrum bucked its back, sending the Daywalker off the platform and into the sewer proper.

*          *            *

Willow was holding onto Tara's hand tightly. "Do you think we should have just left them back there? I mean, that was a pretty big lizard."

Giles stepped carefully along the tunnel, scanning for any sign of vampires. "There's not much we could have done. The creature could only be destroyed by fire. I only hope that between Scott, Remy, and Jubilee, there'd be enough."

Willow exchanged looks with Tara. "Um, maybe the two of us should go back. I mean, we do have that fire spell."

Giles stopped in his tracks, causing Buffy to almost walk into him. "Good Lord, you're right. Why didn't I think of that? Yes, go back and help."

The two witches returned the way they had come. Buffy looked at her Watcher. "Was that a good idea? I mean, this Grarrum thing has it out for Willow and you just sent her back there?"

Giles sighed. "What else would you have me do? Willow and Tara are the best hope to kill the demon now that John's not here."

It was then that the vampires decided to attack so there were no further chance for conversation.

*            *

Logan tried to slash at the demon with his claws but only succeeded in making the lizard angrier. He followed Blade into the sewer with a splash.

Ororo and Cat had helped the two out as Morbius flew overhead and landed on the thing's shoulders. He wrapped a length of chain around its neck and squeezed, causing the mouth to open. "Quick!" he shouted. "Aim for the mouth!"

Scott blasted red beams down Grarrum's throat. The lizard's eyes rolled with pain and it finally collapsed to the ground. It's body twitched but other than that, it made no other move. "Is it dead?" Jubilee asked.

"I sure hope so," Scott answered.

*          *            *

The creature known as Grarrum bided his time. The three with the fire had hurt him, but not enough to kill him. He sensed the presence of the one chosen for him. She was coming closer. He wanted that power.

*          *            *

Willow stopped at the mouth of the tunnel and stared. "Good God," she whispered. The giant lizard lay stretched out on the floor, easily twice her size in length. She walked forward into the open area. "Guess you didn't need our help after all."

Suddenly, the thing's eyes snapped open and it lunged, mouth wide open, towards Willow. She did not have time to scream as Grarrum picked her up with his tongue and pulled her into its mouth. The teeth closed around her.

*          *            *

"Willow!" Tara cried out. She readied the fire spell and let it loose on Grarrum. She could still feel the link between the two of them. It was not yet severed. Yet. That means that there was still a chance to get her lover out of this alive.

She barely noticed when Scott and Jubilee started attacking the monster. Small explosions told her that Remy had joined the fight.

It's all right, Willow's voice whispered in her head. I'm still in once piece. It's dark and pretty icky but I think I can burn this guy from the inside out.

Grarrum roared in pain again and tried to add Scott to its collection in its stomach but the X-man leaped out of the way. Suddenly, the lizard froze, it's eyes turning red and rolling faster and faster.

The explosion was a surprise. The smell of burnt flesh reached Tara's nose and she grimaced. Grarrum slowly tipped over onto its side and landed on the ground with a thud. The entire right half of the lizard was gone. A hand emerged from the wreckage that was the dead demon. Tara overcame her paralysis and ran over to help Willow from the carcass.

The red-haired witch surveyed her handiwork. "Well, that went better than I thought it would."

*          *            *

Buffy and Giles emerged from the tunnel, shaking dust from their clothing. The tired, battered, and gore covered group that met them gave them pause for a moment.

Willow and Tara were sitting on the ground and the two witches looked at the Slayer. "Buffy," Tara said. "Let's go home."

------------------------------

Epilogue:

Buffy was woken up by a knock on the door. She stumbled out of the bed and opened the door. Professor Xavier grinned up at her. "You caused quite a stir last night. The concierge called me and asked that my guests be more presentable when they enter the hotel."

The Slayer leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah, well, let's see how well he looks after walking into a trap and fighting for you life in the sewers." She yawned and stretched. "What's with the early morning wake-up knock?"

"I wanted to know if you would be joining us at today or not. I understand if you want to rest, however."

Buffy ran a hand through her tousled hair. "Hey, today's the last day we're going to be in New York City. Might as well make the most of it." She mentally ran through the itinerary. "And I want to be able to tell people that I actually saw a show on Broadway."

Xavier smiled. "Well then, I'll see you at breakfast."

*            *            *

Buffy walked into her room, humming one of the songs from Phantom of the Opera. She smiled at the group that met her. "I guess the use of a door is lost on you people."

Black Cat waved hello. "Morbius is resting at the moment but we wanted to come here and say goodbye to you."

"Goodbye?"

"We're leaving tonight. Heading back to Europe to clean out a nest in Romania."

Buffy grinned. "Word of advice. Watch out for gypsies." She hugged Cat and was about to hug Blade as well if he had not stopped her with a gesture. She stepped back and regarded the half-vampire. "Right. I guess you aren't the hugging kind."

Blade looked at the Slayer and held out a hand. "I wish you the best of luck," he told her. "It was an honor to fight by your side."

Buffy blinked in surprise. With a bit of hesitation, she grasped his hand. "You too."

Dawn entered the room to find her sister standing by the window, waving. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, just saying goodbye to some friends." Buffy turned towards Dawn. "You all packed?" she asked. "We leave first thing tomorrow."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother." A pillow hit her in the face and she glared at Buffy. "Hey!"

When Scott found the two of them later, he walked right into the middle of the pillow fight and the two sisters immediately ganged up on their cousin.

*            *            *

Buffy lugged her suitcase to the bus and set it down with the others. Jean walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "There's something I think you'd be interested in over there?" Jean pointed towards a nearby alleyway.

Buffy looked at the older woman in confusion.

"Trust me on this." Jean walked away with a wink.

Buffy shrugged and walked into the alleyway. "Thought you could leave without saying goodbye, did you?" Spider-man asked her.

She grinned at the wallcrawler. "Nah. I knew you'd find me somehow."

"Sorry I wasn't more help with everything. But it looks like you did okay on your own."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. We did all right." She walked over to Spider-man and hugged him. "You take care, okay?"

"You too." He shot a webline to the top of the adjacent building. "Hey, if you're ever in town again, look me up."

"You got it. We superheroes gotta stick together. And if you ever find yourself in a little town called Sunnydale in California..."

Spider-man laughed and waved. "Sure."

Buffy watched as he swung off before walking back to the bus.

*            *            *

Los Angeles, California

Anya was chattering nonstop as they collected their baggage. Buffy walked up to Willow. "Hey," she said.

The witch looked up and smiled. "Hey, Buffy."

Buffy flung an arm around Willow's shoulders. "You okay? I noticed that you're not being your usual babbly self."

Willow shrugged. "I'm just, I dunno."

"It wasn't your fault. You know that so stop beating yourself up over it."

Willow looked at her friend. "But I can't stop thinking that it is. I mean, I should have realized that someone was using me to spy on my friends."

"Hey. Stop that." Buffy grabbed her suitcase as it passed by on the conveyor. "All of us have done things that we knew were stupid. And we've all moved past that. This time, it wasn't anybody's fault except for that creepy snake thing."

"But I almost got everybody killed."

"So?" Buffy shrugged. "Remember how I acted after I got back from LA? I was total bitch and you guys nearly got sacrificed. But hey, we all survived. And that's the case here." She turned towards Willow and looked her in the eye. "We're all still here. That's all that matters."

Willow grinned at her friend and hugged her. "Thanks, Buffy. I needed that little pep talk."

"Hey, anytime." Buffy grinned. "So, let's go home and see how much Spike trashed the house."

The two laughed as they rejoined the others.

--fin--

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