3rd Person's POV

As fast as she can, stumbling a bit and breathing hard from the beating she took, Buffy books through the graveyard. As she reaches the trees on the edge of it, she looks back at the Mausoleum.

Nobody's coming.

She hears a scream.

"No! Nooo! Get-- off-"

Buffy runs to the sound of the voice and comes to find Willow on the ground, struggling with a vampire. The vampire has Willow pinned, is going in for her neck then he looks up, hearing something.

Buffy's foot whips into his face, sending him flying way back. He lands hard on his back and scrambles away, holding his nose. Buffy is all business now, looking around her in quiet fury. Her senses alert.

She hears a crack, some scuffing on the ground. She takes off, leaving Willow wide-eyed and freaked. After a moment, Willow rises and follows. Xander is unconscious, being dragged away by one vampire. The other fights Laney who has her heels and vest off. Her crop top has a small rip in it that makes her even angrier.

"You... ripped... my... favorite... top!!"

She sits on the vampires waist and punches him in the face. The vampire is shocked that a tiny human girl even got him on the ground.

The vampire that has dragged Xander hears something behind him so he turns slowly around. It's Willow, stumbling out from behind a tree. She looks extremely unthreatening.

He turns back and Buffy is right in front of him. She takes him out with one punch. He flies back, then scramble to his feet. Buffy grabs a branch, snaps it off the tree. She comes at him with this makeshift stake and nails him in the chest.

Willow runs up to Xander, cradles his head. He is just coming to.

"Xander, are you okay?"

"Man... something hit me..."

Buffy runs over to Laney but then freezes as she watches her fight the vamp.

"You wanna ruin my shoes too?! Here ruin it jackass. Eat it!"

Laney shoves her heel in the vampires mouth. The vampire groans and finally pushes her off of him with all his strength. She flies off him and falls into the grass. She sits up to see him trying to run away. Before he can Laney takes a twig and leaps onto the vamps back. She brings down the twig just like she saw Buffy do earlier and the vamp turns into ash.

Standing up, she dusts off herself and picks up her heels with a smile. She turns around to see Buffy staring at her in shock.

"How in the world did you do that?"

"Oh that? I took kickboxing and taekwondo for years."

Buffy frowns as Laney passes her. She then notices something and starts looking around, unsatisfied.

"Where's Jesse?"

"I don't know... They surrounded us-- he was really weak..." Willow says sadly as she helps Xander up.

"That girl grabbed him. Took off." Xander replies as he holds his head.

"Which way?"

"I don't know."

Buffy looks into the night. She whispers quietly with a frown, "Jesse..."

"As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world-"

"He loves doing this part." Buffy says as she smirks while crossing her arms.

Giles frowns, "All right: They hunt vampires, one Slayer dies, the next is called, Buffy is the Slayer, don't tell anyone. I think that's all the vampire information you need."

Xander holds up a finger, "Except for one thing. How do you kill them?"

Buffy shakes her head, "You don't. I do."

"Well, Jesse-"

"Jesse's my responsibility. I let him get taken."

"That's not true."

"If you hadn't showed up, they would have... taken us too... Does anybody mind if I pass out." Willow holds her chest trying to catch her breath.

"Breathe..." Laney says as she holds Willow hand.

"Breathe." Willow repeats.

"Breathe," Buffy looks over at Giles, "This big guy, Luke, he talked about an offering to the Master. I don't know who or what, but if they weren't just feeding, Jesse may still be alive. I'm gonna find him."

"This is probably the dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police?" Willow asks as she plays with her sweater.

Everyone looks at her making her grimace.

Giles shakes his head, "Do you think they'd believe us?"

"We don't have to say vampires. We could say there was... a bad man."

"They couldn't handle it if they did come. They'd only show up with guns." Buffy crosses

"You've no idea where they took Jesse?"

"I looked around, but... soon as they got clear of the woods they could have just- whoom."

"They can fly?" Xander looks at Buffy in awe.

Laney turns to Xander, frowns and slaps the back of his head, "No dummy. They can drive."

"Oh," He says as he rubs his head, "and ow!"

Willow holds her chin thinking, "I don't remember hearing a car..."

"Well, let's take an enormous intuitive leap and say they went underground." Giles replies as he moves over to the computer.

"Vampires really jam on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in town without catching any rays. I didn't see any access around there, though." Buffy shrugs.

"Well, there's electrical tunnels. They run under the whole town."

"If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system, it might indicate a meeting place. I suppose we could go to the building commission--"

"We so don't have time." Buffy replies looking at Xander.

"Uh, guys? There may be another way." Laney sits at the computer, everyone else gathered around her.

"This runs under the graveyard."

"I don't see any access." Xander squints his eyes trying to look at the screen.

"So all the city plans are just open to the public?" Giles frowns looking at the computer.

"Oh no. I decrypted the city council's security system."

"Someone's been naughty..." Xander jokes as he looks at Laney.

After a second, he frowns looking at the screen then back at her, "Wait you're smart?"

Laney looks at him glaring, "Screw you Xander."

"I wish." Xander mumbles to himself hoping no one hears him.

Willow glances at him with a sad look but he doesn't notice.

"There's nothing here. This is useless!"

"I think you should ease up on yourself." Giles says to Buffy who is pouting.

"You're the one who told me I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement. I thought I was on top of it, and then that Monster Luke came out of
nowhere-"

She stops and pauses for a moment as she thinks back to last night.

"He didn't come out of nowhere. He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance. He came from behind me and he didn't follow me out."

"So the access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum?" Laney asks.

"Are you sure?"

Buffy nods at Giles, "The girl must have doubled back with Jesse after I got out. God, I'm so mentally challenged!"

"You said it... not us."

Buffy glares at Laney as she gets up from the computer.

Xander rubs his hands together in excitement, "So, what's the plan? We saddle up, right?"

"There's no 'we'. Okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're
not."

"I knew you were gonna throw that in my face."

"Xander, this is deeply dangerous."

"I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man."

"Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place full of monsters, but I do want to help. I need to." Willow holds her hands together as if pleading to Buffy.

"Then help me." Giles replies as he cleans his glasses, "I've been researching this Harvest affair. Seems to be some sort of pre-ordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on earth... Quite charmless. I am fuzzy on the details, however, and it may be that you can wrest some information
from that dread machine."

Everyone stares at him with uncomprehending looks.

"That was a bit British, wasn't it?"

"Welcome to the new world." Laney smiles.

Giles dumbs down his wish, "I want you to go on the Net."

Willow smiles widely, "Oh! Yeah. Sure. I can do that."

"Then I'm out of here. If Jesse's alive, I'll bring him back."

"Do I have to tell you to be careful?" Giles asks with a worried look on his face.

Buffy looks at him a moment. Then she's out.

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JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit and Shoes