Buffy was doing her usual rounds, making sure Sunnydale was safe, or at least safer, from the undead
demons that roamed the town. As she passed the cemetery, she shuddered. She couldn't
remembering all the time she had spent hunting there, especially with Angel. Then she smiled grimly.

<You have got to get a normal life, Summers,> she thought to herself. <Who else would be able to
say they spent quality time with their ex-boyfriends in the town cemetery?> This seemed to amuse
her to no end. Ever since Angel had turned, she'd been melancholy. She tried to put it behind her
during the day, and it usually worked. But now, here, at night, when she had spent the most time with
Angel, it wasn't nearly as easy.

She was snapped out of her thoughts abruptly as she felt the tingling sensation that meant a nearby
vampire. She went into hunting mode, whipping out a stake and moving silently, or at least as silently
as a girl wearing heavy heels could, towards the vampire. The fight was over before it had really
started, as the vampire hadn't even noticed her coming. She felt a real grim sort of satisfaction as the
vampire turned to dust. She then headed out of the alleyway.

But she stopped abruptly when she heard clapping. She quickly turned around and pulled out another
stake. A woman was casually leaning against the alley wall, wearing a black cat-suit that showed off
an extremely well-muscled physique, and a weird mask covering her face, which looked like a
leopard.

Buffy took one look at her and said, "Could you HAVE a tackier outfit?"

"Funny, girl," the woman said. "Very funny." She strolled over to where the ashes laid on the ground.
Buffy took a good look at this strange woman, who she sensed was an opponent. She had long
black hair trailed out from behind her mask, and she was tall. Very tall, she realized, as
'Cat-Woman', as Buffy had dubbed her, came to stand before her. Very likely over six-feet. And
there was something about her... Something that Totally gave her the Wiggins. As well, there was this
feeling she kept getting, like Cat-Woman was surrounded by flames, that she was made of fire. And
Buffy kept feeling like she could feel the heat coming off Cat-woman like waves, the heat of an
inferno. It was like a creature of pure flames stood before her, instead of a woman composed of flesh
and bone. And despite her best efforts, she kept wanted to step back, away from the conflagration
that was this woman. Buffy snapped out of her reverie as the woman spoke.

"Good job. Dusted that one in under ten seconds. I must say, your time is improving," Cat-Woman
said, as she stared into Buffy's eyes. Buffy shivered as she saw her black opaque eyes. <It's part of
her mask,> she convinced herself. No way could anything have eyes like that.

"Who are you?" Buffy snapped out, her question tinged with more than a little menace and some fear.
 

"Relax, Buffy, I'm a friend." This remark caused Buffy to stiffen.

"How do you know my name? And who are you? Why are you here?" With each question, Buffy
advanced on the woman, stake in hand, ready to do some major damage if she didn't get answers.

"There is little I don't know, Buffy. And soon, you will know, know to be afraid. I will have much fun
playing with you, before I destroy you. " This said, Cat-woman blew a white powder into Buffy's
face. Buffy immediately started to choke on the powder, which had formed a cloud that she couldn't
see through. When it finally dissipated, the woman was long gone. Buffy shook her head as she
coughed.

"Giles, you have got to hear about this one," she said as she headed for the library.
 
 

Giles was busy shelving books as Buffy came storming into the library. He noticed that her clothes
had an unusual sheen to them, as if coated in moondust. He snorted upon thinking this, chiding himself
for his fanciful notions.

"Alright Giles, we have a new kook in town."

"Hmmm? Oh, of course. A kook, did you say?" Giles looked a little puzzled at this.

"A woman. She totally gave me the wiggins." Buffy frowned. "Anyway, she told me that she was
going to play with me before she destroyed me. I don't need this right now." Buffy stalked back and
forth in front of Giles. "I already have Angel trying to get at me. I don't need this new creature. And I
still have every vamp in Sunnydale after my hide!"

"Buffy, calm down. I'm sure that there is little to worry about. Now, did she mention who she was?"
"No. She didn't say much. Then she blew this powder into my eyes, and I couldn't see. She was
gone by the time I could breathe again."

"Was there anything about, something that could help identify her?"

"Well, she had this really form-fitting black cat-suit on, and really weird metal things on her wrists.
And some kind of metal band on her forehead over this really elaborate mask. It sort of looked like a
cat, but more ferocious. It might have been a leopard. And she had black opaque eyes." Buffy
shivered. "I don't really remember much else."

"Well, I'll get to work on it. " Giles grabbed a book from the table and began to leaf through it. He
looked up and stared at her. "There's no point in making a big deal of this until we know more. It is
more than likely that this is just a prank that Angel set up."

"Yeah, Angel," Buffy said discouragedly. "He would do something like that. Maybe." Buffy frowned,
trying to think why this bothered her so much.

"Did you see any sign of..." Giles voice trailed off delicately. Buffy had had a habit of snapping lately
when the subject of Angel came up.

"No," she said shortly. "I didn't see hide nor hair of him, so to speak. Yet. But I will. Soon. I can feel
it." She hadn't met up with him again since the incident at the shopping mall, but she had no doubt that
she would. He wouldn't give up. Especially if this incident was part of his work.

"Well, be careful. I don't want to see you hurt."

"A little too late for that," Buffy mumbled. She looked up at Giles. "I will. Promise." Buffy walked out
of the library, and headed for home. Giles turned back to his books, and he continued to search for
something to return Angel to his former self. He so hoped he would be able to find something. For
Buffy's sake.
 

He flopped down onto the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. <Damn soul,> he thought. <Won't give
up.> It had annoyed him to no end that his soul had remained stuck inside him when the curse had
ended. It had stubbornly hung around, instead of heading to who knows where, like it had the first
time he was turned. It had been thrashing inside him, fighting for control, ever since. He chuckled.
<What do you think I should do to Buffy next?> he asked his soul. <I was thinking maybe I should
beat Xander into a bloody pulp. Maybe even kill him.> He felt the agony his soul was feeling at this,
and laughed. However, he was glad his soul couldn't talk back. That would have made him as crazy
as Drucilla. He laughed as he thought of his extremely mad child. Getting back on track, he knew that
his soul still loved Buffy with every iota of it's 'being', but he was annoyed that it was coloring his
thoughts. So, he got back at it by taunting it. <However,> he continued, <I don't want to do this too
fast. Buffy will hurt more if I take it slow. Maybe after I pound on Xander, I can snack on delicious
little Willow. I bet that she'd be a tender little...> His thoughts trailed off as a knock sounded on the
door. <We'll continue this conversation later,> he told his soul, chuckling the whole time.

He went over and opened the door, to find Dru there, holding a doll in her arms. He smiled
indulgently when he saw her. She had always been his favorite, probably because he had broken her
in so well.

"What is it, baby?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Edith wanted to say hello. She couldn't talk the last time. And I wanted to see you. I missed you,
Daddy." She had a pout on her face, and her eyes had a far off look to them, as if she had just
awoken. She was dressed in a long old-fashioned black dress, probably the same one she had worn
during the restoration ceremony. <Hmmm,> thought Angel. <That ceremony had HURT. Wonder if I
can return the favor one day?>

"I missed you too, Dru. And hello to you, Edith," he said obligingly. "So, what's Spike up to?"

"He's busy trying find a good snack. There's so little good food these days."

"Soon, we'll be feasting, Dru." He has a wide smile on his face as he pulled Dru into his room, and
closed the door. He then went and sat down in a plush easy chair, and beckoned to Dru. She came
over and sat on his knee. He petted her hair as if she were a kitten. She purred, and snuggled against
him.

"Are you going to hurt the Slayer, My Angel?" she asked, a wicked smile on her face. "Like you hurt
me?" He nodded. "Can I help? I so want to hurt her for what she did to me and Spike."

"No. I'm going to do this alone." Dru looked at him with a pout and disappointment on her face.

"But..."

"No buts, Dru," he warned. "You're going to stay out of this. The Slayer is Mine!" he said the last
softly, but with determination. "I know her best," he continued, seemingly barely aware that Dru was
still there. "And when I'm done with her, she'll be begging for mercy." <No! I won't let you,> a small
voice said inside him. He ignored it as a cruel grin cross his face. He then look down at Dru, and,
feeling a need for some fun, a wicked though went through his mind. "You know, I still owe you for
that little incident with the holy water a few weeks ago."

"Are you going to hurt me?" Dru looked a little alarmed at this, but she had sort of expected it.
Angelus did like to hurt people, and especially vampires. And they had played this game many times
before, even if it had been over a century since the last time, she still remembered those times with
fondness. She looked up at 'Daddy' with innocence in her eyes, looking like a little girl, but not quite.
There was an anticipatory undertone there, barely noticeable except to those who knew her well, like
Angelus.

"Oh, yes," he said with a smirk on his face. "You were a bad girl, and bad girls have to be punished."
Oh, I'm going to have fun, he thought.

He then punished her, making her cry out in agony as he treated her to the same little tortures she had
given to him. The holy water quickly turned her delicate skin a bright shade of red. And her throat
and wrists quickly became victims to Angelus's sharp fangs, as he took small tastes of his child's
blood.

And, as Spike heard her cries, he clenched his fists in hatred, knowing that there was nothing he
could do to stop Angelus, not when he was in this damn chair, and even if he hadn't been weak, his
sire would still be able squash him at the least sign of opposition. Angelus seemed to have grown
stronger than was possible, even with the drain they had performed to rejuvenate Dru. He hated to
admit it, but things were going back to the way they had been before. Angelus had ruled the two of
them, and they, had had to follow Angelus's orders blindly, or had suffered terrible consequences. He
hoped that wouldn't happen again. He would die first.

<Maybe I can get rid of him,> Spike thought. <Tear out his heart, maybe. Stick in that cage where I
destroyed the Annoying one and roast him in the sunlight. Poke him with little wooden sticks.> He
then wheeled off to get himself some food, his mind awhirl with ideas on what he would do to
Angelus if he was ever in his power. <Cut him into little pieces with a machete.>
 

Buffy shoved the library doors open violently, and stalked into the library, inwardly seething.

"Giles!" she yelled.

"Yes, Buffy?" Giles said as he emerged from his office. "What can I do for you?"

"That woman. Did you find out anything?" Buffy paced restlessly, then hopped up to sit on the table.
Giles went and got a book, which he opened and placed before her.

"Are these the gauntlets she was wearing?"

"Yeah. And the mask and headband. Way weird dress sense," Buffy remarked, her nose scrunching
as she thought about. "She looked like a comic book character," she muttered derogatively.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

"What? Things are never good when you say that, Giles."

"This is most unfortunate." Giles appeared very disturbed at this news. "I expected that the gauntlets
were correct, but the mask and tiara, this is most distressing."

"What? What does it mean?"

"The gauntlets are those worn by the Eternals, a race of distinct vampires that appeared a few
decades ago. They might be from a group of genetically engineered vampires created in about that
time, however, no one is certain, as said vampires massacred all of the scientists a few months after
they were created." Giles shuddered as he thought about it.

"Giles? Back on topic, please."

"Hmmm? Oh, yes. Of course," Giles said. "Not that much is known about them, except that they
appear normal, even when they feed, and that they are extremely good at blending in. But, most
Eternals are of a rather meek sort, as they aren't that strong."

"So, this is good. Right?" Buffy didn't like the worried look on Giles's face. "What now?"

"The tiara represents a sect within the Eternals, a sect of warriors and assassins. They, unlike their
counterparts, are very strong, sometimes even stronger than a traditional vampire, although, luckily,
that's very rare. But they are very skilled in a variety of very deadly fighting techniques."

"This is bad. And the mask?" Buffy asked, hoping against hope that it was used by weakest of the
sect.

"The mask is worn by the strongest and most skilled of each of the sects. I fear that this woman is not
to be trifled with. As well, the leopard is supposed to mean something specific, however, I have yet
to find the books that contain that information."

<So much for that hope.> "So, what do I do? I assume she isn't just going to go away?"

"No. If someone has indeed hired her to go against you, she won't stop until she either completes her
mission, or dies."

"Great. Just like those Turaka guys." Buffy shuddered as she thought of the assassins that had caused
hell in her life.

"Yes, rather like. In fact, I think that the sect modeled themselves after the order. But, back to the
topic at hand, you must be very careful when you face her. Never go for direct combat, not until I
can learn more. I have several books on her sect. I should go study them." Giles looked at Buffy with
concern in his eyes. "We can beat this, Buffy. Now, why don't you head off to class."

Buffy looked discouraged, but headed off. <Chemistry,> she thought. <The bane of my existence.>
The doors clattered loudly as she headed out, and Giles quickly absorbed himself in his books about
the sect, hoping that he could find something to use against this newest threat.
 

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