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Universal Vampire by Mabel Marsters
 
Find The Slayer
 
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Betad by Carol and dawnofme


Banner by dawnofme


Disclaimer: the characters do not belong to me - they are used purely for fun and not fiancial gain



Chapter Thirty-Two


Find The Slayer



As he ran along the labyrinth of corridors within three fourteen, Spike kept concentrating on one thing and kept clinging to it. So far things hadn’t gone the same way as in his dreams. He glanced down at the khaki pants that he’d taken from the night watchman, and as long as he kept them on, he figured that he wouldn’t see the horrific sight of Buffy’s blank face, and the shaved patch where the chip had been inserted. That was his theory and he hoped, to whatever God might be listening, that it was right.


The chip had never included plans for this part of The Initiative. The only parts that he was familiar with were the operating room where Giles was still tied up, the training room where he’d fought Adam and the row of cells opposite the entrance.


He paused as he came to a junction in the corridor - should he go left or right? He sniffed the air but then sneezed in disgust as the stench of the place blocked out any chance of detecting an individual scent. He strained his hearing, tilting his head. Nothing - no wait, what was that? He concentrated harder; yes, there was definitely something to the left. He ran as swiftly and as silently as he could. His bare feet hardly made a sound as he ran on the balls of his feet. The corridor ended at a heavy door. That was what he must have heard - the door closing.


Spike paused, afraid. Not for himself, but for Buffy. His fear was that one wrong move might cost her her life. He took several deep, unnecessary breaths and slowly, so slowly, pushed open the door. He peered inside and found another corridor. He felt his body relax a little as he stepped through the door.


“OK, what now?” he thought, as he walked slowly along.


The corridor was narrow and quite dark. Spike vamped up his features to take full advantage of his enhanced sight. Another identical door was at the end of it.


“Here we go again.”


Once more, he paused in front of the door. Just as his hand touched the door, a scream rent the air. He didn’t need his enhanced senses for that - it was Buffy. He flung the door open and burst into the room.


“Ah, Spike, there you are. I wondered how long it would be before you made an appearance. You are so predictable,” sneered Maggie as he entered the room.


He whirled in the direction of her voice and then froze. Maggie had hold of Buffy by her throat. In her other hand she was holding the device that implanted the Lorac Bug into humans.


“No need for the chip with humans, Spike. As Rupert has demonstrated so well, a human cannot resist the Lorac.”


Spike walked slowly towards her. “But Maggie, have you not done your homework? A Slayer’s not totally human, surely you’d know that. How old are you? Mere fledge of ten years?”
Spike said quietly, his eyes glancing every now and then to Buffy’s face but staying mainly on Maggie.


He saw Buffy’s eyes widen as she realised that Maggie was a vampire. He wanted to know how old she was, as vampires generally get more powerful with age.


“Surely you’re not going to be one of those who insists that they were at the Crucifixion?” he sneered


“I’m two hundred and seventy six years old,” replied Maggie.


“Bugger.”


Spike had no reason to doubt that she was telling the truth. It explained a lot he supposed. When you’ve lived that long, you’re bound to start getting bored and look for things to do, and being a vampire, they’d never be of the good.


“So that makes you the fledge,” she continued. “A fledge who couldn’t save his pet Slayer.”


She brought her arm up and thrust the blade into Buffy’s neck. Buffy gave a shriek as the blade sank in then a scream as the bug burrowed its way into position. Maggie threw her to the floor.


“No!” roared Spike, leaping at Maggie.


He hit her just as she let go of Buffy, his momentum taking them both to the floor. The pair struggled frantically, each trying to get a secure grip on the other. Behind them Buffy stood up, wincing, holding her neck and shaking her head.


“Kill him!” shouted Maggie.


Nothing happened. Buffy didn’t move and Spike was still struggling to pin Maggie down.


“She’s got a bit of demon in her; she’ll be able to fight it.”


The words were barely out of his mouth when he was grabbed by his shoulders and pulled off Maggie, and was then thrown against the wall.


“You were saying?” taunted Maggie. She looked at Buffy. “Tear him to shreds.”


“Oh shit,” muttered Spike as Buffy turned and started to walk towards him. He knew that with his powers at full strength, he’d be able to take her, but was scared of how much he’d have to hurt her to prevent her from killing him.


“Come on, love,” said Spike. “Fight it, don’t give in, help old Spike out and don’t listen to her.”


Buffy paused.


“Kill him!” screamed Maggie. “I command you to kill him!”


Buffy started to approach once more.


“Buffy, concentrate, you know you don’t want to kill me,” said Spike. “Well, not lately anyway,” he added with a rather nervous chuckle.


Still she approached. Spike kept backing up, looking around to see if he could get any ideas of how to handle this. He really didn’t think he could bring himself to hurt Buffy, but he certainly didn’t like the way she was looking at him. Maggie kept repeating ‘kill him’ like a mantra.


Buffy’s head was full of Maggie’s orders. A tiny part of her tried to resist, but it was overruled. She launched herself at Spike, viciously kicking him. He grunted as the blow landed on his torso, making him stagger backwards but he kept to his feet. She followed it by flipping head over heels intending to kick him again, but before her hands had left the floor, Spike, moving incredibly fast, grabbed hold of her at the waist. He held her over his shoulder, using all his strength to keep her from getting free.

Buffy screamed and kicked, punched and even tried to bite him, which Spike had time to think was pretty ironic. He ran with her to a cell that he’d spotted in the corner of the room, pushing the button to release the door. Buffy took advantage of him letting go of her with one hand and wriggled free. She kicked out, aiming at that most sensitive of areas. Luckily, he saw it coming and managed to bring his left leg up to block it. The kick still brought tears to his eyes, but it didn’t put him on the floor like it would have done if it had landed on target.


“Sodding hell, woman!” he cried, lashing out at her without thinking, and just stopping himself in time from using full force. It connected on the side of her face and she reeled from the blow, falling down.


“Yes!” yelled Spike as he pushed the button and the cell door shut, trapping Buffy inside.


He stepped backwards as she hurled herself at the glass.


“Christ!” he said just before he was hit hard from behind.


His head cracked against the door. He literally saw stars - all that were missing were the little tweeting birds. He shook his head. Maggie - he’d forgotten about her.


“Right, you bleeding cow!” he said as he snapped his head back, hitting Maggie’s nose with a very satisfying crunch.


Spike turned round. Maggie wasn’t looking quite so confident. His punch connected perfectly to her already broken nose and she fell to the floor. He kicked her in the ribs, smiling as he heard a couple break, knowing from experience how much they hurt.


“You’re about to find out exactly why I am referred to as the legendary William the Bloody. What was that you were saying about me being a fledge?” he said.


She said something he couldn’t hear.


“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that, say it again.” He bent down closer to her.


She flipped over and struck out with her right arm. In her hand was the blade that she’d used to implant the Lorac.


“Oh, no you don’t,” said Spike, grabbing her wrist with unbelievable speed, totally in control of the situation.


He twisted her wrist; it broke; she squealed.


“Not so good at taking it as you are at dishing it out then, pet?” said Spike.


He kept hold of the wrist, grinding the broken bones together. Maggie writhed on the floor.


“So why did you do all this?” he asked, waving his free hand in the air.


“Because vampires and demons are so stupid,” spat Maggie. “We run and hide from humans and one Slayer when we should be the ones in control.”


“Can I ask you something?” said Spike conversationally. “Were you always such a crazy bitch or did it happen over a period of time?”


“You’re the one who is crazy,” she screamed at him. “These humans will turn on you in the end. They always do.”


“I think I’d rather take my chances with them than with you,” he replied, the bones in her wrist almost reduced to powder by his hand.


He looked Maggie in the eyes. There was nothing behind them at all, and with a jolt, he wondered if that’s what Buffy saw when she looked into his eyes, that terrible emptiness.


“No, it can’t be, I’m nothing like Maggie,” he thought. “But you are the same - soulless demons.” A little voice nagged at the back of his mind.


He became aware that Maggie had resumed her mantra of ‘kill him, kill Spike’. Buffy, in the cell behind him, was pounding the glass in an effort to get out and get to him. He glanced at Buffy, before looking back at Maggie.


“Don’t waste your breath. When you’re dead, your hold over her will be gone,” he said, changing from holding her wrist to holding her neck in one fluid move. “Your time has come, Professor. You’re history.”


“Not for twenty four hours --” said Maggie, just as Spike ripped her head from her shoulders with such speed that it bounced on the floor twice before it turned to dust with the rest of her body.


Spike stood over the pile of dust for a moment, tears threatening to fall. The relief he felt that his tormentor was dead was immeasurable. He shook his head, took several deep breaths and pulled himself together.


Behind him, the pounding on the door had slowed, and Spike turned to look at Buffy. She was still hitting at the door, but now it looked more like she was just trying to get him to let her out, rather than trying to get through the glass to get to him. He walked to her cell.


“Buffy, love, are you OK?” he asked gently, hand hovering over the button to open the door.


She looked up at him, conflict plain to see in her eyes. She put her hands to her head, still looking at him.


“Spike,” she whispered.


“I’m here, Buffy, you’re OK.” He pressed the button and the door slid back.


“You killed Maggie!” she screamed, hurling herself at him.


“Bleeding hell,” said Spike, trying to hold her off as Buffy went for him like a wildcat. “That’s what Maggie meant, with that sodding Bug still in place, it’s like she’s still controlling them for another twenty four hours.” “I’m really sorry, pet, but I don’t have the time for this.”


He avoided another blow from Buffy. He swung his fist and this time, didn’t hold back since a Slayer with her blood up was tough. He connected soundly with her chin and she was instantly knocked out. He caught her before she hit the floor, scooping her up into his arms, and he walked out of the room to take her to safety.


To be continued…

 
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