Reset

By PSUBrat

Revenge

Buffy rolled over on her back and flinched at the pain that shot through her body. She slowly became aware of her surroundings. It was dark and damp. She pulled herself up into a sitting position trying to remember what had brought her to this place. Her eyes adjusted to the dark. She noticed that she was in a small cell that was set into a, what? A cave? That would explain the darkness and the dampness.

"Hello? Anyone there," a voice that Buffy recognized as Willow's asked from somewhere to the left of her.

"Will? Is that you?" It was Xander now. His voice seemed to come from in front of Buffy.

"Yeah it's me Xander! Who else is here," she asked desperately.

"Me," Dawn stated sounding scared, "and I'm stuck in a cage!"

"I'm here too, same situation," said Anya.

"M-m-me too," Tara said stuttering.

"I'm here too. Wherever here is." Buffy said, her voice rising with anger. The last thing she remembered was Warren freezing her.

Before any of them could say another word, they heard approaching footsteps and saw a faint light bouncing off the walls. Someone was coming and Buffy was going to be ready for whoever it was.

The light came closer but Buffy still couldn't make out who the person was that was carrying the torch. There was enough light in the cave now though, that she could see where her friends were. They seemed to be in a semi-circle of individual cells with Buffy's and Dawn's in the middle of the group. Each cell was set into the walls of the cave, almost like a zoo exhibit. She squinted in the dim light and tried to survey the area and to make sure that everyone was in one piece. Everyone looked okay.

Buffy stood as the figure came into full view. "I am so going to kick your ass Warren. Cause if you thought you could get away with this…" but she stopped in mid threat. She had expected the person with the torch to be Warren. She wasn't prepared to see her. Buffy, taken aback for a second, regained her composure and lunged at the girl.

***

"Anyanka? Are you here? We have to talk," Halfrek said as she looked around the Magic Shop. It was empty and dark. No one was there. "Anya," she called out again figuring she would use her friend's human name. Again she was answered with silence.

She walked over to the wall and flipped on the light switch. The lights flickered and came on. The shop was neat as a pin, nothing out of place. She walked over to the table and took a seat. She figured she might as well sit and wait for the rogue demon to return. They really needed to talk. D'Hoffryn had gotten wind of Anyanka's decision to tell Buffy about the vengeance directed at her. That was strictly against the rules and Anyanka knew it. To say that their boss was pissed off was an understatement. Halfrek had pleaded with him to let her go to Anyanka and talk to her. Reason with her. Make her understand that her place was back with them now. So she waited, flipping lazily through a magazine that had been left on the table.

***

Buffy flew against the back of her prison and cried out in pain. She looked down at her hands, which were burned. She glared at the girl who was now standing in front of her cell. "You bitch."

"I would advise you not to touch the bars. They're electrified. You'll heal fine but the others, well, let's just say it wouldn't be too good for them." She walked around the cave and lit the other torches. The room filled with light.

"Amy," Willow said trying to get her attention, "Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because, I can. Because, it'll be fun. Remember fun," she asked looking at Willow, "No, of course you don't. You're still that same scared girl that you were in high school. And you don't have to be! You're a powerful witch Willow, yet you won't use your powers. We could have been a force to be reckoned with, you know. Instead you've chosen to be little miss goody."

"I'm not the same person I was in high school," Willow said calmly, "I've changed. I've grown up. I know first hand how power can corrupt a person."

"It doesn't have to be this way, Willow. You could join us and…"

Willow cut her off, "And do what, Amy? Kill people? Kill my friends? Rule the world?"

Tara had been sitting quietly in her cell watching the exchange. Willow was different lately. She was still Willow but she was more…melancholy? She thought maybe that was because Willow wasn't using her powers and she really wanted to but didn't want to risk losing Tara again. Now Tara was getting the feeling that Willow wasn't using them anymore for a completely different reason.

"Amy, why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you," Dawn demanded.

Amy looked at Dawn and smiled. Then she looked at the others one by one. Finally, she walked over to face Buffy and said, "I'm doing this because I'm tired of Buffy's attitude. I'm tired of being looked at as something evil because I like to use my powers." She stopped and looked over at Willow, rage building in her voice, "And because you could have de-ratted me long before you did. It took that other witch leaving you for you to want me around again, so that you had someone to say it was okay that you did magic."

No one spoke.

"Oh. In case you're thinking that's just not enough, I'm also doing it because I have this amazing guy now that really cares about me. He doesn't have any hang-ups with who I am. And, oh yeah, he hates Buffy and pretty much all of you. So I think that's a good enough reason for me."

***

Halfrek had lost track of the time while she paged through the magazine. She'd wait there all night for Anyanka if she had to. As she turned the next page to continue the story she was reading, a man materialized in the shop. He walked quickly to the counter to check the answering machine. She jumped out of her chair, knocking it to the floor with a loud crash.

He whirled around to look at her, pointing a crossbow at her chest. "And you are?"

"I'm…uh…Halfrek. I'm a friend of Anyanka's," she said stumbling over the words, "You can call me Hali." Then she added, "I'm waiting for Anyanka to come back so we can talk."

The man relaxed and put the crossbow down at his side. "Right. I take it then that no one is here?"

Halfrek shook her head, still staring at him.

"Bloody hell," he said and picked up the phone.

Halfrek wasn't sure who he was or why he was there but he seemed agitated and desperate in his attempt to reach whomever on the phone.

He slammed down the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Have you seen Buffy or Xander or anyone from the group?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. No one is here. I'm not exactly friends with them and Xander isn't exactly someone I'd want to hang out with."

"Right. I guess not. Anya e-mailed me and told me what happened," he said removing his glasses to clean them. "I know this is a long shot but do you have any idea where they might have gone? I'm rather concerned. I can't seem to reach anyone."

Again Halfrek shook her head. She was starting to become concerned for her friend. She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Anyanka's pain but couldn't find it. "I can't sense her anywhere. But…" Wait. There was something stronger. Ah yes. The vengeance aimed at Buffy. Not her problem.

"But what," the man asked.

"Oh. Nothing," she said with a light tone to her voice hoping that he didn't catch the lie, "I thought it was something but it wasn't." She smiled at him.

The man eyed her suspiciously but as he was about to say something the phone rang. He rushed to answer it. "Hello? Buffy? Oh. Hello Angel. No. No one is here. I can't find them. Yes I did get here rather fast. How? Uhm…I took the concord," he said lying, hoping that Angel didn't catch it, "Are you quite certain Cordelia's vision was correct? Yes? All right then. Yes, I will call as soon as I find out anything.

He hung up the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Buffy is in dreadful danger and I'm afraid that the others are as well."

She was really concerned for Anyanka now. But first she needed to know who this man was. "I'm sorry," Halfrek said looking at him intently, "I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't give it. I'm Giles. Rupert Giles."

Halfrek knew this name. Anyanka had mentioned him several times, referring to him as the father she never had.

"I'm going to ask one last time," he said coming closer to her and raising his crossbow again. "Do you have any information that may be helpful to finding them?"

***

They were all still sparring with Amy and didn't notice that Warren had entered the cave. He walked over to Amy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled brightly and kissed him long and hard. "Is everyone comfortable?" He asked with a grin after breaking off the kiss.

Xander glared at his captors. "Define comfortable."

"Harris," Warren began sounding bored, "you would think that after my fist met with your face causing messy results, that you wouldn't be so quick to challenge me." He walked over to Xander's cell and looked at him with an evil smile. His eyes flashed red.

"Warren," Buffy said with contempt in her voice, "this fight is between you and me. Let the others go."

"No can do slayer," he said with a laugh, "I can't have them running around town trying to destroy me once you're gone. Although, it would take a lot to bring me down now."

Buffy moved to the front of her cell, carefully avoiding the bars. "You're such an idiot Warren if you think you're some kind of all powerful being. Everyone has a flaw. Even you."

"That might be true. But I'm not going to worry about it right now because now, we're gonna have some fun!"

Continue