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Knowing and Watching by slaymesoftly
 
Six
 
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Chapter Six

Deep underground, Buffy woke slowly, keeping her groggy head down while she tried to assess her situation. She grimaced when she realized she was chained to a wall of chilly stone. Damp moss covered much of the wall, softening the rock behind her back, but making her skin crawl with its fuzziness. She remained still, her head still hanging as she tried to learn more about where she was and who had her. Not that she really doubted who or what it was.

Her legs were not shackled, a mistake she sincerely hoped she would have a chance to drive home to her captors. However, her outstretched arms seemed to be firmly anchored to the wall on either side of her body. Her shoulders were aching from bearing her weight and she cautiously allowed one foot to take some of that weight and give her shoulders and arms a chance to recover.

“Take a look, men. This is the Slayer,” came a disgusted voice from somewhere to her right.

“She’s just a girl,” someone responded. Buffy could hear the cringe in his voice as he quickly backed down. “But an evil one. I can see that.”

The first voice deepened. “Are you doubting me? Do you think I’m lying about what she wants to do to us?”

There was the sound of uncomfortably shuffled feet and then a tentative,
“She doesn’t look like much to me.”

Buffy tried to peer through her hair without letting on that she was awake. All she could see was the terror on the faces immediately in front of her. A bloodcurdling snarl from close by brought an unconscious tightening of her muscles. The snarl was followed by the sound of breaking bones; and she was soon gazing into the terrified face of a youthful looking vampire now lying, paralyzed on the floor in front of her. He was soon all that she could see as everyone around him quickly moved away.

“Does anyone else want to question my judgment?” the voice said. “If I say she’s dangerous to you, she’s dangerous to you. But not unbeatable. As you can see…” The voice took on a preening tone. “…my magic worked just fine on her.”

Buffy’s head flew up and she met the eyes now studying her with such arrogance.

“What ‘magic’?” she sneered. “You just had your lackeys slip me a mickey. Could have been any one of a dozen drugs in that concoction.”

“Shut up, bitch!” he hissed, moving closer and raising his hand. Now that he was close to her, and angry enough for his eyes to glow amber, Buffy could see that he was a vampire – not one of the half-dead creatures that he’d created, but the real, undead thing. He appeared to have been turned at a fairly young age – mid twenties, perhaps – but was clearly older and stronger than the youngsters he’d turned for minions.

Buffy looked around the room, which, in addition to a small group of semi-human boys and young men, contained a few more young vampires leaning against a wall and doing their best to appear unconcerned about the Slayer’s presence as well as unsympathetic to their former companion. She spotted a distraught looking James in the back of the group of helpers, standing next to a boy that she was fairly sure was the mayor’s younger son. James was frowning and whispering to the boys on either side of him; Buffy hoped he was telling them that she wasn’t planning to kill anybody who hadn’t done anything to deserve it.

Rather than do what her captor had ordered, she raised her voice and repeated her words.

“Anybody can put knock-out drops in a drink,” she said. “Just like anybody can learn how to make blood that can keep a vamp alive for a little while. There’s no ‘magic’ to it; it’s just science. All you need is the formula and any of you could do it.”

She took another look at the angry vampire in front of her and smiled coldly.

“And for the record, helper guys, he’s not one of you,” she said with rising confidence. “He’s just an ordinary, garden-variety vamp that’s created a bunch of minions to make himself feel like a big cheese.”

The fist that crashed into the side of Buffy’s face wasn’t a complete surprise, but she couldn’t prevent her head from impacting the wall behind her. Suddenly the soft moss didn’t feel creepy anymore as she fought for consciousness and was grateful that her skull hadn’t cracked.

Fortunately, mutinous muttering from the young men and boys milling around in the cavern took the would-be master’s attention off the slayer. He fell into his vampire mien and tried to stare down his workers.

“You know I’m what’s keeping you alive,” he snarled. “Why are you listening to her? She’s here to kill you. Just like I warned you. She already killed seven of my best soldiers---”

Buffy’s scoffing laugh and “Those little boys were your best?” brought his attention around to her again.

“I have more,” he said ominously, gesturing towards an opening that she hadn’t noticed before. “You’ve challenged Mordor at your own peril.”

Buffy’s incredulous Mordor? went unacknowledged, although she thought she caught a snicker from somewhere in the back of the large room. All eyes turned towards the tunnel entrance at which the would-be master had gestured so theatrically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike brought the car to a shuddering halt on the street outside the deserted-looking building. He cocked an eyebrow at Johnny who responded with a nod.

“This is the place that the light went to,” he said. “All we need to do is find the way in.”

Without responding, Spike jumped out of the car and moved towards the front door. With the boy trailing behind, looking anxiously over his shoulder at the gathering darkness, Spike walked right up to the door, studied the chain and padlock across it briefly, then kicked it completely off its hinges. Still without speaking, he strode into the dark building, pausing when he heard Johnny stumble behind him.

With a sigh, he turned around and muttered a few words, holding out his hand and the ball of light that had appeared there.

“Here,” he muttered, handing it to the awestruck boy. “Just keep your hand flat and don’t let it go out.”

“How…how do I do that…?”

Spike shrugged. “Beats soddin hell out of me. Just think happy thoughts or something. Come on,” he added, clearly not willing to take the time to provide any more instruction or information.

Following the soft light in his palm, and the swishing of Spike’s coat as he jogged towards the marked stairwell, Johnny basked in the trust being placed in him. With the soft light showing the way, he was easily able to follow Spike down the stairs to the lowest levels of the basement. He was so enthralled with his portable light that he bumped right into Spike’s back without noticing that he’d stopped. The soft growl sent him cringing away until he realized that it wasn’t intended for him. In front of them, blocking the entrance to a ragged hole in the cement-block wall, were three of the young vampires that had attacked Johnny in the hotel.

He glared at them from the safety of his position behind Spike, wanting nothing so much as to turn around and follow his light back out into the relative safety outside.

Spike had allowed himself to fade back into his human face when he’d handed Johnny the light, so to the boys facing them, he appeared to be another human, if one slightly more confident than the young man cowering behind him.

“Spike, I don’t think I can…”

“You don’t have to,” he said curtly. “Just watch my back.”

Without further conversation, he walked up to the eager boys, jostling each other to be first at the two humans stupid enough to enter their lair. He had broken one vamp’s neck before the boy even realized he was in trouble. The other two jumped Spike together, which did them no good at all, although it did extend the fight just slightly. While Spike was disposing of the guards in a silent, deadly fashion that Johnny found more chilling than the snarls coming from the younger vampires, a fourth guard emerged from the tunnel entrance. Sizing up the situation, he picked up a piece of broken steel from the debris in front of the man-made cave entrance and approached silently from behind Spike.

Taking a deep breath, Johnny pulled the water pistol from his pocket and fired it straight into the vampire’s face, praying that none of the painful droplets would land on Spike. As the newly arrived vampire snarled curses and pawed at his face, Johnny grabbed the bar he’d dropped and swung it at the distracted vamp’s head, sending him to his knees. Unsure of what to do with his stake, Johnny continued to pound on the vampire’s bloody head and shoulders until Spike closed his hand over the re-bar, putting an end to the assault.

“I think you got him, John-boy,” he said with grudging admiration.

“I watched your back.”

“That you did, lad. It was a good job and I’m grateful for it.” As Spike spoke, he twisted the unconscious vampire’s head until it popped off and joined the dust of the ones Spike had already disposed of.

Holding up a finger for silence, Spike led the way into the inky darkness, allowing John to hold on to his coat in lieu of providing another light for him. They moved quickly but quietly down the length of the sloping corridor, reaching the end of the tunnel just as the two remaining guards stepped out into the cavern in response to their master’s voice.

“I have more,” said the voice from within the well-lit cavern. As Spike and Johnny carefully peered around the corner, the consternation on the master’s face was clear when only two of his guards stepped into the room.

“Wha--?” He glared fiercely. “Where are the rest of you?”

“We thought we heard something, so they went back to--”

“Go find them!” Mordor cut him off and pointed imperiously.

Nodding obediently, one of the young vampires leaned back and peered into the tunnel behind them, only to disappear from sight without a sound. Buffy’s grin was not visible to Mordor as he frowned at the remaining minion. However, the helpers milling around in front of her saw it and began muttering questions to each other. Only James, and the boy beside him, understood the grin for what it was.

With a tug on Jason’s arm, James began inching his way along the wall, getting them as far away from the tunnel as he could. Mordor was glaring at the remaining guard. Even as he gestured for the other vampires that had been lounging against the wall to come forward, he snapped at the boy in front of the tunnel.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go see what’s keeping him!”

With a cocky wave, the boy turned and entered the darkness. There was a muffled thud and his unconscious body sailed back into the cavern, landing in the open area where the injured minion was moaning quietly. All eyes were now on the only entrance and exit from the big underground room. The few additional young minions that had not started forward so quickly now retreated behind their master, hoping not to be picked next.

Buffy’s grin had become a laugh, cut off when the outraged vampire wrapped his hand around her throat. He snarled his threat to kill her, as Spike, now leaning casually against the tunnel entrance and seemingly unperturbed by Buffy’s apparent danger, finally made his presence known. A quick glance had shown Spike that Buffy’s legs were free and that she didn’t appear worried, so, with an effort, he smothered the urge to fly across the room and rip the head off the vampire that dared to touch his mate.

Buffy stared into the amber eyes, waiting until Mordor loosened his grip on her throat and lowered his head to bite before bringing her bare legs up and burying her feet in his mid-section. He flew across the room, landing at Spike’s feet with a loud “oof!”

Spike’s feral grin as he gradually let his true face emerge, sent the remaining youthful minions skittering back to the far end of the cavern. Even to these brand new vampires and their not-quite-vamped-yet comrades, the difference between their so-called “Master’s” features and those of the century older true master he was facing was more than obvious. Unimpressed by the snarls from the demon now climbing to his feet, Spike grabbed Mordor by the throat and belt, holding him over his head effortlessly.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Spike said in a conversational tone. “The question is, will it be quick – or am I going to take my time and show you what it means to have been a student of Angelus? What do you think, pet? Fast or slow?”

He glanced over at Buffy to see that James and Jason had crept past the few remaining guards and were fumbling with the manacles around her wrists. One of the would-be guards approached, taking care to remain out of range of Buffy’s feet, and handed them an old iron key. They quickly opened the bands around her wrists and stepped away. Buffy flashed them a grateful smile, then turned back to Spike.

“I think we need to find out what he was giving these guys, and what’s going to happen to them if they don’t get it anymore,” she said, meeting Spike’s disappointed glare with her own determined face.

Dragging the struggling demon to the center of the room, Spike shook him.

“Well? You heard the lady. What’s the bloody story?”

From his place beside Buffy, James began to move towards an alcove hidden by a curtain. He yanked the curtain aside to expose a make-shift sink, a large tank and various hoses and pipes, as well as a long table filled with beakers and vials, probably brought down from the abandoned college labs above. He pulled open a drawer in a cabinet and began searching through files and papers, mumbling to himself as he did so. Jason had opened another part of the cabinet and exposed shelves of bottles, some marked, some not.

The snarls from Mordor increased as James began to study an open folder, nodding and talking to himself. When he was satisfied, he looked up and said, “I’ve got the formula, and I think we can duplicate it pretty easily. The only tricky thing is that it requires a little bit of vampire blood.”

“I think we’ve got a volunteer right here,” Spike grinned. “Should be enough in this wanker to keep you alive for years.”

While Buffy frowned, not completely sure if Spike was seriously considering keeping Mordor around as a blood bank, the vampire began to struggle in earnest, calling on his few remaining minions to come to his assistance. Spike ignored them, concentrating on forcing Mordor to the floor and
placing a foot on his neck. He held on to one arm, holding it at an angle which ensured that the more the vampire struggled, the more pain he inflicted upon himself.

Buffy stepped confidently between the uncertain minions and their creator.

“It’s up to you, boys,” she said gently. “You can try to rescue the creep who made you like this, or you can agree to stop harassing tourists and go back to your families.”

“She can’t take all of you!” Mordor managed to growl out as Spike continued to twist his arm. “She’s not even armed, you cowards. Get her!”

Buffy shrugged, seemingly unperturbed that she was facing several vampires wearing only her bikini and a sweatshirt. She bounced on her the balls of her feel and cocked her head at them.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked. “Who wants to find out first?”

With a cocky shrug, one of the boys stepped forward. Seemingly newly turned and still wearing his high school letter jacket, he grinned with the confidence of the star athlete he’d been until very recently.

“I’m not afraid of some half-naked bitch,” he said around his fangs. “I can take her…”

His leap towards the slayer ended in embarrassment as she slipped to one side and allowed his momentum to carry him past her. As he flew by, Buffy kicked one bare foot into his stomach, both halting his forward progress and doubling him over in pain. With no stakes hidden in her sweatshirt, she seemed nonplussed for a second, until Spike’s soft “here you go, luv” alerted her to the stake he was tossing her way. She snatched it out of the air, and grinned at the angry demon snarling at her and clutching his stomach.

“Come on,” she encouraged him. “One half-naked bitch still standing here.”

When he charged her again, staying low and carrying her to the ground under his burly body, there was a collective gasp from the onlookers; a gasp that turned into a cheer when Buffy rose to her feet, coughing and brushing the vamp dust away from her face. She looked at the two incapacitated minions lying on the floor and walked over to them.

“Sorry, boys,” she said with genuine regret. The businesslike way she calmly drove her stake into first one vampire, then the other had a chilling effect on the few remaining minions. When she cocked her head at them in query, they held up their hands and backed away, assuring her that they would be returning home immediately and remaining there for the foreseeable future.

“Now then, wanker,” Spike said, pulling Mordor up and shaking him. “Tell these boys what needs to be mixed with what to keep them from turnin’ into garbage like you.”

Mordor did his best to appear intimidating and in charge, despite his being held almost carelessly by the much older and stronger vampire.

“It’s magic,” he blustered. “Without me, you’ll all die.”

“Bullshit,” Johnny said quietly from behind Spike. “I know enough about magic to know it doesn’t come in beakers.” He beamed as Spike thumped him on the back in agreement.

James spoke up, holding the folder in his hands as he neared them. He waved it at Mordor, saying, “You stole this from me, didn’t you? This is the formula I was working on when I was…” He paused, understanding filling his face. “When you sent your minions out to turn me,” he gasped. “You did it on purpose so I wouldn’t realize it was gone. You son of a bitch!”

Shoving the folder into his brother’s hands, James threw an inexpert punch at the demon face grinning at him. When it became obvious that he wasn’t likely to connect with any force without a little help, Spike obligingly moved Mordor into the path of James’ fist, which connected with a satisfying crack.

James immediately stopped, rubbing his sore knuckles and glaring at object of his ire.

“You used my own work against me! That formula was supposed to help vampires to live more normal lives. Not turn them into half-vampire/half-human servants for you.”

“You were wasting it,” Mordor huffed. “Too wrapped up in your precious ‘research’ to see the possibilities. With that formula and a few minions, I could control the city.”

“Wait!” Buffy interrupted. “Did you already know what he was before you got bitten?”

James shook his head. “We were at the same university. He was a grad student there. In the same department, but I didn’t know him. He disappeared one day….and when he came back he would only work at night. I should have figured it out – but he wasn’t my TA, so…” He glared again. “I was tearing the place apart, looking for my notes and experiment results – and he had them all this time.” He looked like he wanted to take another swing at Mordor, but Jason stopped him.

“You’ll just hurt yourself,” he said with all the pride of youth. “This is my thing. Let me.”

He stepped forward, fist clenched and arm cocked, only to find Spike had pulled Mordor out of his reach.

“Sorry, lad,” he said with seemingly honest regret. “You’ve got a right to some vengeance. But this wanker just tried to bite my mate. I’m thinking he needs to learn more than he ever wanted to about what constitutes a real vampire.”

Spike muttered a few words, and tossed another ball of light to Johnny. “Here you go, John. Why don’t you lead everybody out of here? I’ll be right along.”

Buffy walked up to him and met his steady gaze for several long seconds.

“Do I want to know what you’re going to do with him?” she asked, a small frown creasing her brow.

“Prob’ly not,” he said quietly. “But I’m gonna do it, so you just run along with John-Boy and the almost-vamps.”

For the first time since those early days when Spike was struggling to control his behavior so as not to upset her, and she was struggling with the idea that her new best friend was a soulless, formerly-evil demon, she felt a chill go up her back when she gazed into his amber eyes. She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again when Spike said, “This is between demons, Slayer. Get out. John can take you back to the hotel. I’ll be there when I can.”

Sending a sympathetic look toward Mordor – which immediately terrified him into struggling against the iron grip Spike had maintained – she turned and began to trot after the light she could see leading the way out. She hesitated once, but a quiet “Keep going, love” set her legs in motion again.

 
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