An Unlikely Saviour

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While she was trying to figure out why the weapon wasn’t working, the demon had got to her and she was unable to stop it from lashing out, two of its long claws scratching her abdomen. She cried out and threw the weapon aside, throwing herself at the demon in the hopes of throwing it off balance. It used her momentum against her though and she went flying to the floor, her arm jolting painfully on landing. She got to her feet again quickly and faced off against the demon. It roared- even louder than before- and she had to hold her hands over her ears.

The demon used it to his advantage and those sharp claws sliced across her thigh. Grimacing at the pain in her leg, she kicked out with the other one, catching the demon in the middle. It stumbled back but did not fall and she frowned, moving forward again. She just managed to duck a blow and began to punch it as hard as she could but it caught her arm and threw her against the wall so hard her head spun. She groaned and pushed herself to her feet.

“That’s it, Roarey-boy. I’m tired of this.”

She flung herself at the demon and managed to send it flying back into the gate, causing a large dent in the structure. It righted itself and roared again, coming at her and catching her on the arm with its claws, using her moment of weakness to send her flying into the wall again. She scrambled to her feet, her whole body throbbing in pain and squared up against the demon, searching for any weakness.


The neck was usually a good bet and she took a deep breath, launching herself off a wall and onto the demon’s back, her arms locked around its neck. It stumbled back, trying to crush her against her wall and she gasped, sure she would have a few broken ribs. Still, she did not let go though and she finally felt the demon weakening. It roared, trying once more to throw her from its back but she held on and finally it sagged to its knees and collapsed to the floor. She loosened her arms and crawled free, her arm around her damaged ribs. She managed to get herself to the wall and propped herself against it, assessing the damage.

She had a large gash on her stomach and another on her leg, her arm was hurt and bleeding and she might have a few broken ribs. Her eyes rested on the weapon just to her right and she frowned. The Initiative’s technology was supposed to be unbeatable. And it was, she realised with a start- this weapon had failed to work because someone had made it that way. And she had a pretty good idea who. She crawled forward, her eyes fixed on the small blinking light of the weapon’s camera.


“Bad idea, Walsh. I really don’t die that easily. You’re going to regret this.”

Despite her fierce words, the pain in her ribs was increasing with every movement and she still hadn’t figured out how to get out of here.

“Slayer!”

She looked up in surprise, never so glad to see Spike in her life.

“M’gonna get you out, okay?”

He had got some sort of iron pole and he used it to tear the gate from the wall, creating a hole big enough to get through. He rushed to her where she sat and knelt beside her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she got out with a weak smile, “Just a few minor injuries. What are you doing here?”

“Best distress signal you’ll ever have,” he explained with a small smile, tapping his own head.

She smiled and took his hand gratefully as he helped her to her feet. She gasped at the pain in her ribs and held her middle tightly.

“Hurting?” Spike asked, his hand just resting over hers on her middle.

She nodded and his worried gaze met hers.

“Come on, let’s go and get you fixed up.”

He wrapped an arm around her- carefully avoiding her ribs, she noticed- and helped her towards the tunnel.


He took her to his crypt and helped her to sit on the bed. She peeled off her bloody cardigan as he went in search of a first aid kit.

“What happened?” he asked, rifling through a chest of his belongings.

“They set me up.”

He whirled round to face her, surprise in his features.

“Who?”

“The Initiative. Professor Walsh.”

“Bastards.”

She nodded in agreement and hissed when her cardigan caught the wound on her arm.

“I think they wanted me out of the way so I wouldn’t mess with their top agent.”

“Captain Cardboard?”

“Riley,” she answered pointedly.

He smiled and moved to sit beside her, placing the first aid kit beside him. Then he was gently passing his fingers over the cut on her arm and then tracing the small cut on her cheek. His hands then moved to her waist but he paused just before he touched her.

“This okay?”

She nodded and his fingers gently pressed against her ribs and she gasped.

“Might have to bind them.”


She nodded and hesitantly raised her top up as he searched out some bandages. He moved closer again and wound the bandage tightly around her ribs, finally securing it and sitting back. Despite his casual movements, she could feel the anger flowing off him and she caught his hand, drawing his gaze to her.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered, unsure why she felt the need to comfort him.

“S’just wrong. How dare they try to off you!”

“Your job, right?” she teased and his eyes met hers, all seriousness.

“I couldn’t kill you. Wouldn’t want to,” he murmured, his thumb just stroking against her hand and she realised it was still in his and quickly pulled it away, fiddling nervously with the bandage.

“I could kill them,” he continued in a low voice, “For what they tried to do.”

“Except you’d end up in a lot more pain,” she pointed out and he smiled reluctantly, shifting to look at her again.

“What about the cuts?”

“They’ll heal soon enough. Just need cleaning.”

“Want me to?”

She was half-tempted to accept his offer on behalf of her aching muscles but she shook her head instead.

“Think I’m gonna go shower and then wallow for a few hours.”

He smiled and helped her to her feet, handing her her cardigan.

“You take care, Slayer.”

“I’ll try.”