December 29, 1990
Giles had called the group together, dispite the holiday. He knew what a sacrifice each of them would have to make, but he also knew that the need was great. The Council had called him for the first time in well over a year, warning him of the coming evil. "The Gathering Storm" they had called it.
As he look at the four young men and women who remained in the circle, he felt a twinge of fear. He realized yet again that they all might die, that they faced a foe that almost tore them apart before. And this time he was stronger. Giles shuddered at the thought.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, breaking the Watcher from his self-imposed hypnosis.
"It's Angel," he said, knowing that he had to get to the point, and fast. The sunlight was fast fading.
"What!" Buffy exclaimed, almost jumping out of her chair. "Let's go! We need to help him!"
"Sit down," Giles said, using a tone of voice that he had never used before. Buffy stopped dead in her tracks, stunned.
"What's happening?" Oz asked, his voice calm. Only he could smell the fear in the room.
"A coven of witches, known as the Coven of Darkness, has cast a powerful spell on Angel. His soul was torn from his body, and the demon inside strengthened. The Council put all of it's resources into reversing the spell, but all it resulted in was burning seven white witches to ash."
"Ohmygod..." Buffy let out in a rush. It seemed as if all the muscles in her body went lax at the same time. Her face went pale and her breathing became shallow.
"What can we do?" Xander asked in rare concern for Angel. Or was it concern for Buffy?
"We have to prepare for his atta..." Giles began before being interrupted by the library doors being kicked open.
"Too late, Watcher," Angelus said as he walked into the library. He wore is vampiric features as if to taunt the Slayer and her friends. Behind him stood Spike and Dru, also wearing their game faces. They approached to within fifteen feet of the mortals before Giles exploded into action.
"Get out of here!" he yelled as he grabbed the cross and stake he had lying on the table. Even as he did so, Angelus lashed at him with his fist, connecting with a solid blow. To his credit, the Watcher held onto his weapons even as he was knocked into the railing behind him. Unfortunately, he was knocked out when his head struck the floor.
Xander found himself face-to-face with Spike. "Aw, shit." he said as Spike lifted him and threw him into the cage to the left of the table. He crashed into it and fell limply to the ground. Laughing, Spike moved to join Dru.
Dru grabbed Willow's throat and pulled her close. "Such a pretty doll," she murmured. "So pretty, yet so dead." Spike joined her as the bit into Willow's throat.
"NO!" Oz shouted as he charged the two vampires. Even as he did so, he began to change. Not into the mindless beast that he became on the full moon, but into some sort of hybrid. Part man and part wolf, he threw the two vampires from his love's throat. Spike heard his shout and pushed away from Willow in time to avoid the werewolf’s charge, but Dru wasn’t as attentive and was sent sprawling as Oz collided with her. Her supernatural reflexes allowed her to get her feet under her far faster than any mortal would have. Still, she was barely on her feet before Oz was attacking her again, swiping his claws at her in a blind rage.
Buffy finally snapped out of her daze and leapt to attack Angel. His face twisted in some horrid mockery of a smile as the joined combat. They moved, almost to fast to follow, exchanging blows as they moved about the library. Their fight was charge by raw emotion and, in Angelus’s case, deep bloodlust.
"I thought you wouldn't hurt your boyfriend?" Angelus taunted as he ducked a vicious kick aimed at his head.
"We already cleared this up," Buffy retorted, blocking his counter kick. "You're not my boyfriend."
Angelus laughed as they continued the deadly dance. "I guess not."
With Oz now occupied by Dru, Spike went after Xander, who hadn't moved from were he had landed. Spike chuckled and shook his head as he knelt beside Xander.
"Sorry mate,” Spike said as rose to his feet, lifting Xander by his shirt. "This is were you shove off."
Xander's head snapped up, looking Spike straight in the eye. "Sorry, but I've got other plans." The surprise was evident in Spikes eyes as Xander drove the stake he had into Spikes heart.
Dru emitted a screech when she saw Spike turn to dust. Ignoring Oz, she charged Xander, her claws bared. It was evident that her rage was clouding her already questionable judgement when she ignored the stake Xander held. As she leaped at him, Xander merely thrust the stake out before him. The force of Dru’s landing nearly bowled him over, but in an instant the weight was gone as Dru’s vampiric body joined Spike’s in a dust pile on the ground.
Oz lifted Willow's limp form and headed towards the emergency exit in the stacks. "Get Giles!" he shouted to Xander. "We have to get out of here!" Xander glanced at Buffy and Angelus, who still fought with amazing speed and ferocity, before he nodded and lifted the unconscience Watcher with a strength he didn't know he had. He was almost to the stacks when he turned to look at the fight one more time.
“You still fight like a girl,” Angelus taunted, his eyes glinting with an evil fire.
Buffy replied by attacking him more fiercly. Angelus continued to laugh as he easily blocked or avoided each of the Slayer’s attacks. A roundhouse kick from Buffy forced Angelus back, giving her room to manuver.
“You’re losing your touch,” she said, her voice cold.
Angelus bared his fangs and launched a flurry of blows, catching the Slayer first in the ribs, followed by a jab to her throat and a forearm to her head. Buffy staggered for a moment, shaking her head to clear it.
“You can’t be tired already,” Angelus whined. His pout, twisted by his vapiric features, was truely horrifying. He laughed as he closed the gap between them.
Buffy threw a punch at Angelus's face, which the vampire easily caught. He used her momentum to spin her. With his free hand he yanked her head back.
“Too bad Giles didn’t finish earlier,” he said, holding the struggling Slayer easily. “I’m far more powerful than I was before. Too bad for you.” With that he sunk his fangs deeply into her throat.
Buffy tried to scream, tried to tell Xander to leave, but she couldn’t. With her life’s blood drenching the sweater she wore, she was powerless to do anything.
Xander bit back a cry when he saw Angelus begin to drain Buffy. He quelled the urge to leap to her rescue. He knew it would end in his own death. Vowing to himself to avenge Buffy’s death, he quickly dragged the limp body of the Watcher from the library.
“And for my final insult,” Angelus said when he stoped feasting on the Slayer. He brought her slowly to the ground and checked her pulse. Satisfied that he still had time, he slowly drew a single sharp nail over his left wrist. Placing it to her mouth, he condemed Buffy to eternal torment by forcing her to drink his blood.
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