Chapter 4

"So, after patrolling are we bronze-bound?" Willow said nervously the next night, holding the stake Buffy had provided her with.

"I dunno Will, after allllll the action I've been getting, I'll be lucky to dodge Giles's mumblings for very much longer." Sarcasm noted only by herself.

"What, but I thought you weren't getting a lot of action, that's the exact opposite of what you've been say…oh…sarcasm… I keep forgetting you and Xander are big on that."

"Yep, darn tottin, but I wasn't kidding either…. no action means a restless Buffy…it's like being addicted to caffeine Will. You don't get any for a while and you can't think of anything else."

"Same thing with sex too."

"Willow!"

"Sorry…felt like not being me, but I know you haven't had much vamp dust bunnies for a while Buff...but isn't that a good? I mean, no vamps are good vamps right?"

"It's not that I haven't gotten much action, OK it is… but fact is I got one last night, but I was sooooo easy Will. I just think that I should go up against a better fighter of a vampire. I know I should be happy with all the easiness of slayer-y, but how am I supposed to get better if I can always beat every one that comes along?"

" But, I thought you asked Spike all these questions a couple of weeks ago, didn't he answer anything for you?"

" Naw, just said that the way you kill a slayer is that you wait around until they want death. Yeah, like I'm ever going to get that bored with my life that I'm ganna want death from him..." Suddenly a vampire wearing a black and white button up shirt jumped out of the brushes next to Buffy. With one swift blow the vampire turned to dust before landing on the ground after his attack.

" Yeah well, at least you'll have more time to do homework." Willow continued without missing a beat, not noticing the vampire dust in the air.

Buffy rolled her eyes. " ugh, again with the homework will…"

"Chin up Buffy… at lea-"

"DUCK!" The slayer pulled her best friend down to the ground as the sharp steel knives flew past their heads. The knives hit the tree behind them, the slayer looking up a moment before back at her redheaded companion. "Stay down." She whispered as she got up carefully, standing to her feet and avoiding the pathway the knives had taken. Her hair swirled around her head as she turned, looking for her opponent.

"Wow!" An excited accented voice came from behind. The slayer turned quickly in a fighting stance, wondering why her vampire sense hadn't picked him up.

"Who're you?" She demanded, flipping her hair away from her face quickly.

The man who had spoken up from under the shadows came out into the lamp light, his black hair shinning with his bangs covering his eyes slightly. "Those daggers were going FAST! Woo!" He shook his head excitedly, his hands in his pockets as he talked, a look of playfulness on his features. He moves steadily closer and stopped a few feet away from her.

" I'll ask again. Who. Are. Yo…"

"Tellmehowyadidit." He interrupted excitedly.

"Wha?"

"Tell me how yew did it…Slayer."

" I bent my legs. Now answer my question…who are you?"

"Does it matter right now?"

" It does if your something I can kill, and since your paler then an English man in the winter…I'm guessing you are."

He smirked at the small joke. "Not only am I offended by the English remark, but I'm also suddenly wondering what it is I look like to you. It's not the jacket is it?" he said not really caring…just teasing her a little. After a long pause, he smirked, tilting his head to the side before staring to walk off. Buffy caught up in a heartbeat, stake raised as she blocked his path.

" Come on," her hand was pressed against his shirt keeping him back from moving any farther. " I've been itching for a good fight."

" It's not my turn…"

" Well, in that case I'll let you cut in front of someone and go to the front of the line."

" No, I'll play by the rules."

"Funny, I don't see a referee."

He smirked, so much this slayer didn't know, and he wasn't allowed to tell, " The bloke before me has two more nights to finish the job; my time will come and then you'll die my sweet." He moved to the side to pass he by but the slayer would have none of that and moved in front of him again, stake aimed.

"Who? Who has two more nights to finish the job?"

He moved again, only this time when he tried, Buffy grabbed a hold of his brown leather jacket, pushing him up against a near by tree.

In the time extent of five seconds, three things happened. Her stake was pushed to the ground, his jaw snapped to one side, and she fell to the ground landing on her side. When she looked back up at the tree she had left him at, the man was gone. She pounded the ground in frustration and stood up and looked around. He was gone, he was more then gone, he had vanished. He was good, but why hadn't he killed her if he was so good. And what had she done wrong?

Willow popped her head out from behind a tombstone and looked around nervously. " Is he gone?" She whispered timidly.

Buffy nodded, walked over and held out and hand for her friend to take hold grab of. She did and the redhead stood up quickly, brushing the dirt and grass from her jeans. " Was that guy a vampire Buffy?" The slayer nodded. " Man, you meet all the cute guys." She said in a mild joking sense.

Buffy grinned slightly at her friends joke anyhow. "Sorry Will, that guy wasn't really interested in dating me, more like killing me." Although, she had to admit the vampire was on the good-looking side. Such a waste. "But to answer your question about 'who was that,' I'm going to have to say, I dun no."

" Well, maybe Giles can help, did you catch a name?"

Buffy looked over her shoulder and shook her head. " No…"


Chapter 5

Tom sat on a branch just above Buffy's head, his feet dangling but unseen from the leaves around him; he looked down at her from his little hiding place.

Before, once she had taken a hold of his jacket, he didn't care about the fact that he wasn't supposed to be fighting her yet. He punched her chin hard enough to knock over a large horse and then had jumped into the tree not making a sound as she regained her equilibrium back on the ground. Good thing she hadn't seen him jump; neither did her red headed companion. He listened to them gab a second or two before they headed off into the night and to the main gates just beyond to where the height of the tree would allow him to see.

He had met the slayer, excellent! 'The slayer, if he killed this one it would be he's second. She seemed easy enough, but if she was this easy of a target, where had Spike gone too and why hadn't he killed her? This made no sense, Spike was a smart lad, and he wasn't stupid enough to just disobey direct orders if it meant he'd be dusted for it later. The Malus had told Tom specifically that Spike had been sighted in Sunnydale. But this couldn't have been right; in Toms mind maybe Spike was waiting. Yeah, that had to be it; Spike was waiting for his five years to be up so that he could meet up with Tom. But why would Spike want to see Tom? That would be strange because after all…Spike had hated him. But then again maybe Spike was dead already. Oh well, after all this was a dangerous occupation.

The dark haired vampire sighed unnecessarily and jumped down from his perch from the tree. He landed on the ground, standing up and immediately brushing his clothes off, straightening his collar and cracking his neck.

This town did have its possibilities, a little kerosene here and little fire there; it might be a fun town to stay in for a while until he burnt it down to the ground. He smirked at the thought, but suddenly he was forced to chock as a hand clamped around his neck and pulled him back into a headlock, a very tight headlock at that. From the years of training in the Malus, Tom quickly assessed the problem and grabbed the person's arm, arching his back forward and making his attacker roll onto his back and land to the ground in front of him. The Brit looked down, flipping his bangs to one side. His eyes flashed annoyance and also an amount of playfulness as he saw who had managed to sneak up behind him so easily. "Spike?"

The blond vampire had landed on his back and now looked up at his old buddy, his lips in a cocky grin as he lay on the dark cemetery grass. " Sorry mate, didn't figure you for a fellow who would show up unannounced, bothering my slayer too." He put both hand by his head on the ground and flipped himself up with a forward kick. He turned around to face Tom. " Your two nights early." Spike rushed forward and grabbed Tony's neck without warning, pushing his back up against a tree near by, nearly mimicking the slayers move in every right.

The other vampire chuckled as he gripped Spikes wrist in one of his hands, twisting it around fluently and tossed him back into the tree he was just pushed up against. " Well, you never call you never write…" He said, talking casually as he moved up. " Five sodd'in years go by and the slayers still ALIVE!!! By the by, how ya been?"

Spike horse kicked back into Tom's stomach and turned around, standing in a proper manner. " You wouldn't bloody well believe me if I told you."

The other vampire recovered and stood only feet from his opponent. He stepped forward and faked a punch, sending his right fist towards Spikes face.

Spike caught his fist inches before his face and upper crossed with his left hand sending him back once again.

Spike hadn't seen Tom in…what was it now, twenty years? That sounded about right, and every time they met this was always the outcome, they'd fight. It wasn't like they were mortal enemies, don't get him wrong Spike loved a good fight, but in truth he hated Tom a lot.

Punch. Roundhouse.

Really, It was all just a silly little game to them; they were just fooling around as they bantered back and forth. Probably both of them were thinking this was a normal thing, but really they were finding out each other's weaknesses and strengths, maybe in some subconscious level they were just fighting because they knew one day they'd have to fight the real battle and only one of them would survive it then.

Tom, Spike was sad to admit, was a better fighter then him. After all, Tom had been alive (Or undead) longer then Spike had been and had learned a few new tricks along the way.

Spin kick. Land. Forward right punch.

But Tom didn't have 'the fire' like Spike did, and although Tom would never admit to it, he knew that that was something a fighter needed to be successful. Tom had learned that the hard way a long time ago, it was a memory that he didn't want to remember. But, 'the fire' as he called it was a thing that no one could just teach you. If that were true, Tom would have been the best a long time ago. No, 'the fire' was something that was just in you, which would always be in you. It was a spark, a bolt of electricity that kept you going and held you stronger then your opponent. Sometimes, when Tom was fighting with an enemy, he could almost feel it coming again; but the problem was he had lost it with his soul. But, that didn't explain why Spike still had it, why could Spike just gather up emotions like that and use them to his advantage? How could he just push all of that anger, jealously, rage and passion and put them where they belonged, into his fists. For that, Tom admired Spike…but he still thought he was the better.

Block.Grab.Wrap around and trip.

Tom held Spikes hand behind his back and tripped him to the ground. "Give?"

" What do you mean, I never give aaaah!"

"No, you don't give…but you shoulder could…maybe all that time with the slayer made you soft."

How'd he know that? Spike raised and eyebrow and squirmed under Toms painful hold. "Fine fine…serious mate. Your not supposed to do me in for two more nights, 'member?"

Tom shrugged and let go of his former partner, backing up as he turned around.

Now, why was Tom asking about the slayer, what did he know? " Let's get down to business Tommy, you're here because your here to take my place, not to play around with the girl."

" Oh, so now you're keeping an eye on her? What, you watching me when I threw those knives?"

" No, but I was watching as you threw her to the ground. Tommy, you know better then to get in the way of my kill…stay away from her until it's your bleeding turn."

" Oh come Spike, I was just having some fun."

" What would happen to you if I called up the order…tell 'em what your doing…not playing by the rules? Your fun is supposed to be my fun."

" Hey, no need to get the 'Order' in this mate. Just knowing your enemy is all; besides, you think you can kill her in two nights? You've had five years."

" I got side tracked."

" Oh, side tracked did you? Word was…you've been hanging around this town for a tiff. Quite an act you got going if you're able to avoid the little chit for this long without her seeing you."

"That's none of your business how I work…keep out of it until I'm finished."

"So you're finally going to kill her then? Good thing or I'd have to kill you…what are yew laughing at?"

"Yew, yew think you can kill me?"

"The order certainly thinks I can, lets face it Spike, you've never really beaten me."

"Beat you in a what, Thriller look alike contests?"

"You know what I mean…word is you've gone soft; it's been spreading like wild fire. Your nothing anymore mate, you used to be a legend but now look at you. It's taken you five years to kill a slayer…not to mention what happened with Dru…"

"Fuck off!"

"Oh, hit a nerve there... that's right, Dru and you split up. Wow, the 'Order ' certainly does keep good tabs on its blokes. They even told me what she dumped you for. Man, she must have been very unsatisfied if she needed a slime-chaos demon to make 'er happy."

Spike face morphed and he charged ahead, wrapping his finger tightly around the other vampire's neck and pushing him to the ground. Tom didn't even see it coming and was quite surprised he was able to do it that fast. Tom looked up into the eyes of the younger vampire; that fire was in those eyes and it burned. " You don't know what happened! So pisser off until it's your turn. Stay away and let me get the bloody job done! GOT IT!?"

Tom half nodded under Spike grip and he let go.

Tome lifted his elbows up to the grass and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He laughed lightly. " I see you haven't changed after all Spike, despite the rumors, just remember what I told you and consider it carefully. Your either dead by the slayers hand…or mine." He rubbed his neck carefully and stood, turning the other way and walking off.

Chapter 6
London 1901: (One year after the Boxer Rebellion had begun in China.)

The halls were dark and very musty; fire lit the way as torches hung from stonewalls creating a castle type atmosphere to the dreary place. In actuality he, and the small figure of a woman beside him, were underground in a system of hallways and rooms that had been specially built and hidden by the cover of the normal looking townhouse above.

By all accounts the building on the street looked very ordinary, but inside it was a very different story. If you had actually gotten in the front doors you'd go past the front hallway and down the lavish red and dark wooded colors of the modern day household. Although by this point if you weren't a vampire you would have been drained dry; two guards stood by the entrances to each room you passed. Next you'd find yourself descending down a trapdoor and in the floor lead by a servant holding candles, lucky for you got this far. This, in turn, would lead you to the real heart of the operations. Down the spiral staircase and into the stone hallways you would go, the candle your only light as you made you way to the main chamber. Good thing you're not a human or else you wouldn't be able to see very well in the darkness.

Spike sighed to himself as he looked around these hallways once before taking a look sees on how Drusilla was fairing as they walked. His hand was wrapped gently around her tight waist. She looked very distort and didn't seem to be noticing where she was going. Her head was pointed to the ground as she walked, looking at her feet as if she was a lonely little child going to her room for punishment. Spike had figured she would act like this, after all, it wasn't everyday that her sire practically abandoned her.

After that night in China, Dru and Spike had woken up to find that Angelus and Darla had left with no trace. Drusilla had been devastated and cried for days about what had happened to them. From what Spike could piece together; Angelus had run off while Darla had gone back to the Master, leaving them in the process, as it were. Not that Spike cared, he hated Angelus and Darla got on his nerves, but it was doing terrible things to his poor love. Dru was so fragile and she hadn't even felt up to killing anyone that night. Poor ducks, she needed to be comforted and needed to be taken care of. That's what Spike was there for and he vowed that he wouldn't leave her like Angelus did.

So now it had been more then a year and she was still morning. It was about time to get her over this little hump-in-the-road-of her-unlife and start killing once again. Start living the good unlife and start making something of herself, that's why they were back in London.

But two nights before in a small hotel in Dunkirk, Spike had been sitting in a freshly furnished chair, his chin resting on his elbow as he ideally watched a man beg for his life. A telegram was sent and was slipped under the doorframe as the vampire watched, the pleas of the man going unanswered. With a stand and a brutal snap of the mans neck, he stomped over to the door and picked up the small piece of yellow paper and started to read:

Sir. Stop. It has come to our attention that you have been a very busy gentleman. Stop. That China girl must have been a hand full for you, we'd love for you too tell us about it. Stop. It will be to your advantage to come back home to London to the address above in the evening of the twenty-sixth of this month. Stop. We'll be waiting S.William. Stop.

He looked at the small letter back to front, the return address was at the top, his hotel address was on the back, and there was nothing more after the initial letter. It puzzled him for a moment…and then it had disturbed him. These pissers knew a lot about him. 'Come home?' 'That China girl?' 'S.William?' Gentleman! They called him a gentleman? Not only were they making him royally brassed, but they were insulting him as well. They must have known he was a vampire or else they wouldn't have said it to make him so mad.

At first he had wondered whether to just burn the letter or actually go. It was a tough decision; after all, Drusilla was very much enjoying herself in France with seeing all the mimes. She said they, 'Spoke nothing but held so many words and only made a sound when they screamed for help.' He had to admit it sounded like fun, but to travel back to London? He shrugged; it had been twenty-one years since he had been back home. But then again maybe it was time to go back, face his past and maybe kill a few old relatives. He nodded reassuringly and convinced Dru and headed back off to his home, back to the Mother Country. Back to London.

And that's where he was now; deep in the underbelly of a place he didn't know. It smelt of other vampires and blood from kills they had eaten. But the place seemed solid enough, not too filthy but just radiating enough sense of foreboding and danger to make even the most proud vampire a little intimidated, he liked it.

The servant holding the candles lead them to a large wooden door and gestured for Spike to go in. He held out a hand to stop Drusilla but Spike ignored him; he led Dru into the room with him, the doors closing as they stepped inside.

The room was much brighter then the outside because of all the torches around the walls, a fireplace to the right, and a huge table at the end. Three other vampires sat at this table, a plaque of some kind on the wall behind them. They all watched Spike carefully as he came farther into the room, his hand still tightly woven into the curves of Drusilla's body.

"Spike." One of the vampires said, he was sitting in the middle.

" Yeah, that's my name…also a noun."

" Do you know why you're here?"

The natural blond vampire nodded and stepped forward leaving Dru standing as lifeless as a statue in the middle of the room by herself. Her eyes stared to the ground as she stood there, seeing the things no one else could see and hearing a tune of a song no one else but her could hear. Maybe the three bosses knew this because they all eyed her once before returning there attention back to Spike, his hair hanging down to cover his eyes with his bangs every so slightly. " Yeah, I'm 'ere because yew sent me a letter." He scoffed. " And damned if I 'ad anything else better to do."

The one on the left scowled and then spook up. " You're here because you killed a slayer." He shuffled through the papers in front of him and began to read. " A young slayer by he name of Lu, no last name, she had been trained in the martial arts for nearly six years and had been fighting against the Rebellion of 1900, apposed to her family who favored the change in British law. She was highly accomplished in the sword and had been giving us trouble for nearly eight years. Our intelligence claims that she was found the next morning on the night of the upheaval in a temple, dead. We've been searching for the vampire who killed her and after a year… we finally got a bead on who was registered in taverns around that area…and we found you. Now, the question is… are you the vampire who killed this slayer."

Spike smirked knowingly. " Yeah..."

The boss on the right spook up. " Care to enlighten us, tell us how you did it?"

He loved to brag. " I came in and she was preying, she was kneeling down before the statue of ole Buddha when I came up. At first I didn't think anything of the little bint until she stood up and took out her little knife and kicked me back. She came 'round and slashed the sword into me head." He gestured to his scar.

The boss in the middle interrupted the story. " Yes…your going to have that scar… perpetually." He sounded almost happy at the notion, but how he'd know was beyond Spikes comprehension.

Spike shrugged lazily continuing with the story at hand. " Well, she was a stern little git, went straight to business and didn't bother with the talk 'in. She wanted to take me on quick and get it over with, that I could tell. Something was making her angry…and sloppy. It was only a matter of time before I got the upper hand and knocked her sword away. We fought. I won in the end. Not much more to tell except that she said something before she went under…didn't catch it though. But, I wonder, even if I had really killed this bird, what makes you think I would be telling you the truth?"

The vampire in the middle looked to Spike. " You don't become old and not expand a few tricks along the way. I know your tell'in the truth Spike… or should we call you by Will..."

" I'd prefer you'd not."

" Very good. Then in that case, I believe it is the decision of this broad to accept you into a membership." All Spike could do in raise an eyebrow suspiciously, not at all great full, just curious. "You will be trained in the arts of combat and learn about various demons, learn languages, and hunting skills in which case you can use to pick out certain victims and not cause to much of a commotion. My personal favorite skill in this course if I do say so myself. Also, you'll be getting a partner…"

" Wow mate, first of all, I came because of curiosity, nothing more. I didn't expect to be nominated to join your little club and I certainly didn't think you'd accept me. Granted I've heard a little about you blokes by now, but it's not the sort of scene I like to be apart of. I'm leaving, if anything thank for the chance to brag." He turned quickly to leave only to be blocked by another vampire, this ones arms folder across one another as he stood perfectly still. Spike chuckled lightly and stepped to one side to pass him. The vampire only moved with him, continuing to block his escape.

Dru stood up and twinkled her eyes watching this. She smirked and whispered to herself words. " My Williams got a new friend…but he won't play nice."

Spike looked to the vampire standing in front of him, getting rather annoyed very quickly. " Move…" He said.

The vampire just stood and shook his head no, his black hair long and tied back, the bangs hanging down around his eyes shifting when he moved.

The blond vampire sighed, quickly vamping and punching out to the blokes face.

The vampire caught his fist quickly without another thought and twisted it around Spikes back, then pushing him forward and kicking his feet out from under him.

With a low growl Spike fell to his hands, his chin scoffing up against the ground as he hit the floor. A light laugh could be heard as this vampire stood behind him, arms folded once again. This one was fast. Spike turned quickly and stood himself up by pushing himself off the ground with his hands. How had that bloke done that? He stepped forward, ready to fight again. The vampire didn't waver; he only stood, cocking his head to one side as Spike approached.

" Spike…" Dru called him softly, it only made him stop and turn his head to her. She calmly walked over, her dress shifting lightly by her feet. " Spike, its like a fairy tail, a dreadful fairy tail about two nights fighting for the trophy. One is the apprentice and the other… you should learn from them."

" Dru…" He turned to her now, completely ignoring the council and this new vampire. " I didn't plan on staying in London for so long luv, not to mention there are other things I'd rather be doing at the moment."

The head vampire of the main council spook up at this now, his voice calm. " Want to know where the next slayer is located?"

The blond turned his head, staring at this boss.

" Want to find another challenge, something harder then before perhaps? We know where they are and we'll give you the tools to be able to defeat them. Granted, street brawling is one thing, but your skill is only yet begun to be develop. If you leave and fight the next slayer, you most certainly will falter and fail…but… if you stay for, let's say, 5 years, only training, only fighting, then you've got a chance. All we ask in return is your loyalty to hunt down a slayer whenever the occasion arises. You win all around, don't be a fool."

Spike rose an eyebrow, only to smile menacingly and nod.