A Fighter's Love by Cheri

Chapter 48

 

Fade in INT: BRONZE

Buffy has taken two out when she is forced back by a blow from the Mohra. She stumbles and ends up back to back with Faith fighting her own vamp. Without words, they fall into familiar territory. They glance quickly and use each other as leverage for perfect roundhouse kicks. When the two attackers fall, they switch.

Now Buffy faces a vamp and Faith is with the Mohra. Faith is doing her damdest but the Mohra matches every move and then retaliates quicker than Faith is prepared for. When she is thrown against a wall she slides down and looks up to see the beast descending upon her.

Lilah:

Hey!

The Mohra turns at the voice and Lilah steps from her corner holding one of her shoes above her head. The heel finds its mark and the Mohra shines bright for the instant it takes to disappear. Faith is shocked as Lilah arches an eyebrow in her direction.

Meanwhile Buffy has dispatched the vamp after only a brief encounter. She hears a grunt and looks to see Connor bent backwards over a broken table. A demon holds him by the throat. Buffy rushes forward hurdling another table and chair to tackle the demon from the side. All three of them tumble to the ground roughly. Connor is the first to roll away as Buffy takes a kick to the midsection. The next kick comes but she catches the foot in her hands and twists. It falls beside her and Connor kneels to slide a dagger across the distance between them. Buffy looks to grab it and swing it over and into the gut of the demon. It sputters only once before dying.

Elsewhere, Anya has been in demon face to draw any extra strength she can muster. She has defended herself admirably against one and Xander has noticed. When he’s blindsided by a vamp, Cordelia punches with ease as Angel taught her. She holds a stake but doesn’t use it.

Xander:

Cordelia! Stake it already!

Cordy:

I don’t think I can! You do it.

She tosses the stake to him and Xander almost drops it. Just as the vamp connects with a hit to Cordy’s jaw, Xander emits a battle cry and drives the stake into its heart. Anya sees it and is thrown aside by her attacker. When she hits the wall and slides down, she stays just watching. Dawn suddenly appears to use their familiar drum sticks to destroy the vamp who is about to finish Anya off.

Linwood and Gavin have slipped to the exits and managed to pry an opening through the broken door.

Gavin:

Shouldn’t we get Lilah?

Linwood:

You do what you wish, I have the senior partners to deal with. We’ve done all we can here except be killed.

Gavin hesitates just for a second to look back at the maylay, but then follows Linwood out.

Surprisingly, Spike and dru have not been singled out for attack. They watch concerned from the side. Spike tries to help but Dru keeps pulling him back.

Buffy:

Giles! Ideas please!

Giles:

(huddled behind the bar trying to study the text he’s been holding)

Working on it!

Wesley:

(using a drink tray to deflect a blow)

Gunn!

Gunn:

(facing off with one Mohra and another demon with fred behind him)

Still here!

He is still backing up when Fred trips behind him and he turns to catch her. She falls anyway and lands on a body. He reaches for her but when she moves her head , he forgets everything and looks down. Fred sees him and glances at the one she’s on top of.

Fred:

Lorne!

His shirt is bloodied and his eyes are closed.

Fred:

(crying)

Oh no Lorne, not Lorne.

Gunn:

(takes a hit on the back of the head)

Aaugh. Fred we have to move!

Fred:

Charles, Lorne…he’s..Lorne’s…

Gunn:

We’ll figure it out, but we gotta move now!

He drags her away still reaching for Lorne and they are knocked down by the ones after them. Gunn rolls over to brace for whats to come but it doesn’t happen. Instead, he sees Willow step between them and the Mohra.

Mohra:

You reak of old magic.

Willow:

And you reak of old shoes...and is that salt? Not a pretty combination.

Mohra:

Your power is gone. You will fall.

Willow:

Bet I wont be the only one.

She smirks and looks past him. The Mohra turns his head to catch the oncoming punch from Connor. It drops heavily and Buffy bends to force the heel of her hand through the jewel. Cue light show.

Fred:

(standing with Gunns help)

Thanks.

Connor:

What is it?

Gunn:

(pointing)

We lost one.

They all look to see Lorne lying motionless on the ground.

Buffy:

We have to get out of here.

Willow:

Not arguing with that plan.

Faith:

Little help!

Buffy looks over to see her struggling with two demons at once. She rushes to her side and they take them one on one. When a third arrives to attack another pair of hands is there to help. Buffy fights on not realizing the new addition and manages to finish hers off in only a minute. Faith is done and gone on to help Wesley when Buffy turns around. She stands in wonder to see Cordelia standing tall and determined against a Mohra. She doesn’t move when he drives a right into her face but somehow he doesn’t connect. She catches his fist centimeters from her nose and holds it in her own hand.

Cordelia:

You will not be here.

Mohra:

You are of no consequence.

Cordelia:

Is that so?

She closes her eyes and the glow begins. The Mohra seems a bit frightened by this and tries to get loose. Cordy opens her eyes as the glow grows brighter. Soon the Mohra’s jewel is getting hot and white before it shatters without ever being touched. When he disappears, Cordelia holds out her hands to look at her powers back in their rightful state. All movement in the room ceases. All eyes are on her.

Cordelia:

(new tone and decisively authoritative)

Those beneath this world will revert.

Xander:

(rhetorically)

Are we supposed to understand that?

Cordelia:

His gift is your end. Your end, our beginning.

Giles:

(stands from bar)

It’s the Auguries.

Wesley:

Cordelia is an augury?

Dawn:

What’s an augury?

Cordelia:

I had to lose. That was the final test.

Faith:

Not to rain on your parade girlfriend, but what’s up with the special effects? And why aren’t we being killed?

Cordelia:

(looking at remaining evil)

Release.

The doors fly open and the sunlight comes in. All vamps burst into flames as Dru and Spike cower farther in the corner. The remaining Mohra face her.

Mohra:

It is not done. More will come. You can’t hold it off forever.

Cordelia:

There is no forever. Only now. And you are done.

She raises a hand and some sort of energy extends from her fingertips, she pulls the jewels from their head and they fly into her palms. The beasts disappear and the jewels evaporate in front of her eyes. All that is left are a few demons staring in wonder at what they’ve seen. They look around briefly before making a run for it out the doors. No one goes after them.

Slowly everyone begins to converge on the center of the dance floor. Buffy steps onto the spot where Angel fell. Her eyes remain on the spot even after she speaks.

Buffy:

Was that it? End of Days averted?

Xander:

That’s all they had? Come on, we’ve had worse than that in a slow week.

Dawn:

I don’t think I like comparing the battles. All of them suck.

Connor:

Suck? Yes, they suck.

Fred smiles at Connor’s naivete on the vocabulary and Gunn throws an arm around her good naturedly.

Buffy:

Giles, where is he?

Wesley:

There’s no way to find the answer to that I’m afraid.

Cordelia:

Maybe not for you.

Willow:

Can you see him?

Cordelia:

No, nothing like that. But I can sure as hell make Them give me the answer.

Lilah:

(stepping up)

You really think so? I mean, you haven’t exactly been racking up the points on the old PTB board.

Cordelia:

What do you know about it? Don’t you have somewhere to be?

Fred:

Lorne.

Wesley:

What?

Fred:

Lorne, he’s over there.

The group looks and Cordy walks to him first. She kneels down to feel his pulse.

Cordy:

He’s…he’s not…no, I can fix this.

She takes a deep breath and lays her hands over the wound.

V.O.:

His is not to be saved.

Cordy:

(looking up)

I thought I was back. Why can’t I help him?

V.O.:

It is the final battle.

Faith:

We heard you the first time. But are you paying attention? Cause it’s pretty much through down here.

V.O.:

Not all battles are evident.

Anya:

What does that mean? (snorts) At least with demons, you get a straight answer.

Spike:

Here here.

Buffy:

Can I get some explanation please? I know I’m no higher being or anything, but I’ve been at this for going on seven years and I’m tired of the need to know policy. Tell your friends or whoever you need to, that I want to know where Angel is!

Giles:

Buffy…

Connor:

Yes. What happened to my father?

Xander:

Still not used to hearing that.

Cordelia:

Buffy, you can’t just make demands on them. You have to go through channels.

Buffy:

And I suppose you’re my channel? I guess you’re going to tell me that you are the only way I’ll get to know anything about Angel.

Cordy:

And if I am?

Anya:

Are you fighting over Angel? I mean cause that would probably mean you don’t want Xander right?

Xander:

Anya can we maybe do the who doesn’t want Xander survey later?

Buffy:

Xander’s not the one you want is it Cordy?

Wesley:

Perhaps this isn’t the best…

Cordelia:

The things I am prepared for now, the things I am responsible for now are greater than any wants I may have.

Buffy:

And this sudden acceptance of your duties, would that have anything to do with the lack of Angel in the room?

Fred:

I thought we were going to get out of here.

Gunn:

Yeah, let’s do this outside of this cramped dive.

Buffy:

I’m not going anywhere until the Powers or their new golden girl here tells me what happened to Angel.

Dru:

I don’t feel him anymore Spike. He’s really gone I’m afraid.

Giles:

There was a reference in the text to a warrior being salvaged from the final battle.

Willow:

What does it mean? We’re kind of overloaded with warriors at the moment.

Faith:

Angel said he would go first. That a demon might be able to change something.

Wesley:

The day.

Dawn:

Why do you keep saying that? What day?

Wesley:

Giles, can I speak with you?

The two men huddle away from the others.

Faith:

Shouldn’t you be running after your boys Lilah?

Lilah:

I will see them soon enough. I find it very interesting how off track this entire thing has become. Angel early threw a king size crimp in hundreds of years of prophecy and planning by getting dropped into the abyss.

Buffy:

So you know what was supposed to happen here?

Lilah:

Not exactly. My team back in LA had been researching this event for decades. When Angel moved to LA it speeded up the timeline. We didn’t have a chance to get all the answers.

Cordy:

And what timeline were you counting on?

Lilah:

World wars, plagues, apocalyptic battles yada, yada. A demon brought back to humanity by the Powers. See, the Powers were to have made a big no-no when They allowed Angel to shanshu. And whatever Maker you believe in or don’t believe in, he was going to make himself known to both sides when it happened. I’m talking the biblical floods would have been a summer shower when he got finished punishing both sides for allowing the lines to be blurred so massively.

Willow:

End of Days.

Lilah:

Pretty much. But then came Angel all heart broken and love sick to town. Looking to even the score in a major way and with unbridled focus. And now instead of getting the Powers the metaphoric slap on the hand that They had coming, he went and finished without help from either side. I don’t know where that hole took him, but trust me when I say its better than what he would have brought on earth if he stayed. And imagine what biting some people for a couple hundred years left on his soul. Try reckoning with the knowledge that your final reward for all your work brought about the complete destruction of everything you’d fought to protect. Talk about irony.

Buffy:

And now?

Lilah:

That would be the question of the hour. And one I’m sure the senior partners are spending millions on researching right now. Which is why…(straightens and brushes off skirt) I should be heading out. I thought staying might supply information, but thanks to scorned demon girl, I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut. So I’ll leave you all to your…selves.

They watch her leave silently.

Anya:

So Angel’s dead then…I mean he was already dead so I guess now he’s…re-dead?

Xander:

Anya don’t.

Connor:

I escaped from Quortoth. If there is a way out, he will find it. I know he will.

Dawn:

I’m sure you’re right.

Buffy:

Cordelia?

Cordy:

What? Listen, I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know any more than you. But I do have ways to find out. But I’m missing something. They won’t let me go back until I figure out what it is I’m missing.

Giles:

Perhaps we could be of some help in this area.

Wesley and Giles face the group.

Xander:

Well? Do we have to guess?

Giles:

Buffy, what Angel said about the Mohra. Before, when he was here.

Buffy:

I didn’t understand any of it.

Cordelia:

Wesley no.

Wesley:

Cordeia, I must. When I was outside I felt something and then when Angel spoke, it all made sense.

Faith:

What made sense?

Giles:

Angel had fought the Mohra once before.

Buffy:

I was there.

Wesley:

Exactly!

Xander:

Oh God. This isn’t right to do now Not when he’s gone.

Buffy:

Xander knows? Who else knows?

Slowly several hands raise in the room. Buffy looks around in shock.

Buffy:

Angel said they gave him a day.

Wesley:

Angel was given a human life for one day a long time ago. But it was taken away from him with 24 hours, at his request.

Buffy:

Wait. Angel was human ad he chose to go back? Why would he do that?

Spike:

Let me guess.

Cordelia:

For you.

Spike:

Brilliant!

Buffy:

You. You knew, you were there?

Cordelia:

Not really. But I knew. And I watched him suffer for weeks afterwards. It wasn’t fair.

Before Cordelia can finish she is suddenly back in the white place. She looks around confused.

Cordelia:

Hey! What are you doing? Why am I here now? I didn’t do anything yet! I have to go back and help my friends!

She doesn’t get an answer and sits down on a white bench.

Cordy:

(to herself)

Why do you keep doing this? Just when I might get answers you pull me away. You take my powers when I need them most and make me stand by helpless while he dies. (starts to cry) You are so damn stubborn and show offy and pig headed, gotta save the world all on my own guy!

Angel:

Now that’s the Cordelia we know and love.

Cordy stands up and spins to see Angel smirking at her. Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth to speak but instead passes out. Angel rushes to her side on the ground.

V.O.:

One chance.

Cut to Bronze

Buffy:

What just happened?

Gunn:

Cordy jetted. It’s not unusual at this point.

Fred:

But it has been a while. I wasn’t expecting it just then.

Dawn:

Just once I’d like to be able to tell my friend sbaout some of the stuff I see.

Willow:

Wesley, Giles, what is it?

Wesley:

I’m afraid there’s a bit more to discuss. But perhaps we shoud take our leave of this place first.

Buffy:

I’m not leaving without him.

Giles:

He’s not here Buffy.

Dru:

Daddy’s gone away again. This time not even in my mind so much.

Anya:

Xandr I want to talk to you.

Xander:

Um..okay, maybe after we discuss the end of the world possibilities?

Giles:

She has a point.

Spike:

She does?

Giles:

Connor, can you come with Wesley and I? I believe that Drusilla will need an eye kept on her.

Buffy:

Where are you going?

Giles:

Buffy, something is going to happen and soon. Angel and Cordelia bought us time with their respective actions. But it is quickly running out. The Mohra will return and so will the rest. The prophecy will be fulfilled. It has to be. The very fabric of this world rests on the continuem of ancient prophecies being true and correct in their telling.

Buffy:

But if the End of Days was averted, then the only other prophecy is…(looks at Spike) Oh no.

Spike:

What?

Dru:

I know your thining Slayer. You want to make my Spike your secret fortune telling ictim. Not right it isn’t.

Spike:

Wait, you mean shanshu? Angel missed out, so I have to step in to let it be fulfilled?

Wesley:

Unfortunately it seems the best way.

Buffy:

Hold up! Angel spends a hundred years suffering with a soul and Spike gets to become human after just this long? No, I’m sorry Spike, but it’s not right. You know its not right.

Giles:

It may not be right or just Buffy, but it must be done. If there is no vampire with a soul to shanshu, then I’m not sure what it will do to our world.

Xander:

But how do we get it to happen for Spike? And why would the Powers dudes ever go for him getting the reward? Wasn’t it a special deal just for Angel? Because he earned it? What has Spike earned?

Spike:

Excuse me, but you weren’t there for the little creepy crawlies in my body parts now were you? I’m feeling pretty deserved right now.

Connor:

My fathe culd have been human, and he chose to die.

Wesley:

No Connor. He chose for us to live. Wherever he is, this is what he wanted. You musn’t turn your back on that.

Buffy:

So what do we do?

Wesley:

We wait. Cordelia is probably learning valuable information as we speak. In the meantime, Xander, Anya can you take Dawn to the house?

Xander:

Sure, but Anya? She doesn’t have to go.

Dawn:

If I’m getting stuck I that house again, I want her there. I want both of you there.

Anya smiles and Dawn winks at her.

Xander:

Alright. But can she at least go back to the face that I fell in love with?

Anya transforms and her eyes glisten at the words.

Gunn:

I’m not leaving my man here.

Fred:

He’s right. Lorne is our friend. We wont just leave him here like some common…demon.

Connor takes Dru’s hand and walks her to Lorne’s body. He ties their hands together and looks at Gunn.

Connor:

You stay here with them. I will go with the others to assist in their mission. You will stay here and guard them. If she moves kill her. He puts a stake in Gunn’s hand and walks out with Giles and Wesley.

Spike:

I’ll stay with her until they get back.

Buffy:

No. You come with me.

Spike:

Beg your pardon?

Buffy:

I’ve had enough begging from you for one lifetime. Let’s go. We have to talk.

Spike:

And what if I don’t want to?

Buffy stops to look at him and he gives in mumbling something under his breath.

Willow:

So, I guess that leaves me. (looks around to the others) So seen any good magic lately?

Faith:

Willow, how about you and me go take a walk?

Willow:

A walk?

Faith:

(nodding towards Gunn and Fred)

You know, just a walk. Connor you want to hang?

Connor:

I should stay with Drusilla.

Gunn:

I got her man. Get a break while you can.

Connor:

Ok, just for a minute. Perhaps I should check the perimeter anyway.

Faith:

There you go. You and I will check the perimeter and Willow can just hang.

They leave the room and Dru starts sniffing.

Dru:

Smells quite yummy I’d say and fresh. Too bad it’s demon then. I’m so parched.

Gunn pulls Fred a few feet away.

Gunn:

I realy don’t like that girl.

Cut to Exterior

Linwood:

And you’re sure?

Lilah:

They think its over. Look at them, all going their separate ways. Even if they had doubts, they’ve made the ultimate mistake.

Gavin:

The senior partners will be very pleased with this outcome.

Linwood:

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Lilah only planted the seed. They have to do the rest on their own.

Lilah:

Don’t worry. The nobility in that group is suffocating. We’ll be lucky if they don’t all pull the punch. (smiles and looks down from the roof) Duck and Cover Gentlemen….duck and cover.