New Game Chapter 7 /16

Sequel to Afterglow and third installment in Dive into Destiny Series

Author: T.Claybourne

Rated PG-13 to NC-17. Sex Violence and language

Pairings involve Spike /Original ( as set up in last story) Angel/ ? Wesley/? Faith /?

Thanks to my Beta, Hawera and my muses, Kurt Cobain, John Lyndon (AKA Johnny Rotten) and Joe Strummer.

Chapter 7 Practice

Buffy and Gunn kicked the door to Faith’s house open. They went in, armed with ax and sword, looking for Mia’s team but found nothing. They signaled to the others to come in and began to investigate. The house was neat, tidy and in perfect order except for an imprint of a body in the plaster of the living room wall and a hole all the way through the wall into the kitchen next to it.

“Here’s a note, taped on the television,” yelled Xander

Buffy came into the living room. “ You’ve got to be kidding. She taped it on the television? I can’t believe even evil Spike would let her do that.”

The others joined them.

Buffy took the envelope, opened it and read it out loud.

‘Your Opposing team

Mia

Spike

Angel

Wesley

Faith

Please don’t call us, Mia’s team, we prefer, ‘The New Scourge”. Scoobies, here are some DVDs to watch while you wait for sundown. Enjoy. See you out there tonight.’

Xander squatted next to the shelf below the television. He started rattling off titles. “Lost Boys, The Hunger, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, Near Dark, The Forsaken, From Dusk to Dawn, Nosferatu, Pale Blood, Night Flier, Fearless Vampire Killers, My Best friend is a….never mind. There’s a bunch more but you get the idea: these are like all the great old classics of the vampire genre.”

Willow asked, “Why would they leave us all these vampire movies?”

“It’s intended as a big joke,” said Gunn.

“No. I believe it’s more than a joke. Mia wouldn’t have expended the energy to collect those for a joke,” supplied Giles.

“Spike would have,” stated Xander.

Fred cleared her throat. “Think me crazy, but maybe we should watch a few and see what they are about.”

Gunn walked over disconnected then unplugged the DVD player and put it under his arm. “Let’s go. It’ll be better than sitting around stewing about what we face tonight.”

Willow and Xander gathered up the DVDs and they all filed out of the house.

Under his breath, Xander asked, “The New Scourge: I wonder who came up with that one?”

Willow turned to him. “I don’t know but it’s accurate, isn’t it?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy and Xander walked along the wall just outside of a cemetery. “So, Giles has a good theory about the movies: Mia was leaving us a clear message with them.”

“And that message would be?” asked Xander.

“Well, he’s still unclear what that actually is.”

Xander chuckled, “So he is still back there watching, and researching?”

“Yep, and here we are out patrolling. All too familiar except that it’s more than twenty five years later.”

They walked by a tree where from its shadow walked a platinum blonde, chiseled cheeked-boned, blue-eyed man in a leather duster.

“Well, isn’t this bleeding perfect.”

Xander, using only instinct, thrust the stake in his hand straight into the man’s chest. The blonde disappeared in a explosion of dust.

“Buffy, did you see that? Please tell me I just staked Spike.”

Buffy frowned. “No, he was too tall. It was just a vamp that…”

From the same shadow stepped Mia’s double. “…..looked like him. Mia picked him out because of the cheek-bones. You must be that Slayer, Buffy, and her friend, Xander. She said you’d have a glass eye and you’d be a tiny blonde. Welcome to Cleveland. If I ever ran into you I was supposed to let you live and tell you…YOUR MOVE. But I really liked Rob, and I don’t care if SHE does come back and rip my jaw off like she promised.” She morphed into her demon appearance and punched Buffy in the nose.

Buffy threw her against the wall of the cemetery but the vamp sprang back.

“Looks don’t always make the woman, what ever your name is. I can tell by your punch, it’s way too lame to be Mia’s.”

The two fought back and forth until Buffy finally staked her. “I wish it would be that easy with Mia.”

Xander shook his head, “As much as we need to see her dead, it was weird and almost just wrong, seeing that thing looking so much like Mia exploding into dust.”

“I know,” Buffy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m glad it wasn’t one that looked like Angel. Let’s go tell the others.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy and the others sat around in a two-bed motel room. The television had been playing DVDs all day but now it just showed a local station while on mute.

Gunn stood up and paced. “So, what do we do now? Maybe they are here and just hiding somewhere, watching and laughing their asses off.”

Fred picked up the remote and turned up the television. “I don’t think so.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the television set as the volume came up. There on the screen was a reporter in front of the Pentagon. The words on the screen said, ‘12 dead of mysterious animal attack.’ It showed body bags coming out and being driven away.

Xander looked at Buffy. “Any chance something like the Initiative is set up under there and one of their experiments just got away?”

Buffy swallowed, “There is a…. chance.”

Suddenly the picture shifted to the Capitol building. The announcer was speaking, “The D.C. Police, when asked to comment, said that the animal attack-like deaths of several senators, names not yet released, were not related to those at the Pentagon. The zoo reports no missing predators. The D.C. police have issued a city-wide curfew at this time. More on this later.”

Xander stood up. “ Ok, this is ridiculous and practically impossible. They just waltzed into the Pentagon, fed on the top guys in the military, then tripped on over to the Senate and ate a few of them?”

Giles looked grim. “It appears so. Mia’s power of enthrallment must be stronger than we thought.”

Buffy stood up. “Giles, normal vampires don’t do this. They stay in the shadows, pick off the weak.”

“That is exactly what the movies were about. Mia was telling us that they aren’t normal vampires. They are an entirely different breed than we’ve dealt with before.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t matter. We have Will and the scythe. If Mia had done her home work she would know that even when the Turok Han, a different, stronger breed of vampire almost killed me, I still ended up taking it out, and all by myself.”

Willow looked up at Buffy. “ Hate to interrupt the empowerment speech, but we… know that she did her home work remember all those watchers journals she read and in this instance it was obviously Giles’; and since she did, she’ll know that was also about you getting Spike back from the First. She made sure you have no one to get back now.”

Buffy stared at Willow a minute before speaking. “We still have you, Will.”

Gunn spoke up, “ At this rate I wonder how much longer she’ll let us keep her.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Angel sat behind the wheel of the SUV. “Where to now?”

Mia sat in the passenger seat next to him, beaming. “Williamsburg.”

“Williamsburg? What’s there?” asked Faith.

“Site of the capital when this was still a British colony. It started in Jamestown around 1600 but…” started Wesley.

“Moved to Williamsburg in 1699. There is that, but I was thinking of Busch Gardens,” finished Mia.

“An amusement park. That’s bleeding fab, love. Take in some rides, eat a few of the riders, a corn dog or two.”

“And the entire security team,” added Mia with a grin.

Angel laughed and glanced her way. “You were right. We are The New Scourge.” Angel turned his head to catch Spike’s eye. “We would have done it back then, same way if we could have. Well, at least with the same flair.”

“You four didn’t have national news coverage then. The only people that reported on you were the Watchers. We are stars now. Fame is the way to go,” announced Faith.

Mia looked out of the front window. “The only ones that know what all that was really about on the news casts will be the Watchers, and a few others. Famous, no: I’d say you should look for infamy. You, Wes and I probably won’t get much mention in the Watcher reports at all. Most of these first attacks will go down to those who already have a reputation for infamy.”

“Mia is probably correct, Faith. Although a small handful of people involved with the Council know who all the team members are, they will soon be dead and these early sprees will be attributed to the two whose reputation precedes them.”

“Bollocks!”

“Hate to do it, but I agree with Spike. When Rupert called Buffy and told her about Willow and the Slayer attacks in London he referred to you two as Mia and Spike not the other around,” stated Angel.

With a laugh Mia said, “None of this matters. I’m not doing it to get written about in some history book.” She stopped, cocked her head, and smiled. “Although I used to love history, as you boys know.”

“Why are you doing this, Mia?” asked Wes.

“Besides that it’ll be a hell of a good time? Well, to start with, because the Scoobies are a mountain no one has been able to climb yet. The oldest unnamable evil in the world went off a cliff on the way to the summit. But our group of seemingly ordinary vampires and I stress seemingly is going to make it up that mountain and stand on the snow capped top, look down and then decide what else we can do to the world. Life, or in our case unlife, is all that you make it. The minute that Lurker in Africa pulled his hand away I decided that humans all over this world had it way too easy. They had forgotten to be afraid at night, of the dark and of death. Death stalks them day and night, but they just go on like it doesn’t matter, like it can’t touch them.” Mia twisted around in her chair and looked at Wes. “When we are done, Wes, every human is going to remember that death stalks them and they will not look forward to going into that fabled light for fear of the pain preceding it.”

Spike gave a deep chesty growl. “ Best stop now, pet.”

“I’m with him, you’re making me damp back here. I say we stop before Williamsburg.”

Chuckling, Angel said, “Why didn’t you just tell me that from the start? I know exactly what we need to do. Mia, you name the place, I’ll lead the attack, and before we meet up with the Scoobies some of those humans will already be afraid of the dark.”

“Angel, I told you it would never happen between us, not even if Spike met his dusty demise, so just quit trying.”

The back seat erupted with laughter, Angel even joining in.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy stood at the sliding glass door in her dining room. She looked at the ocean; the sun was setting. Just weeks ago she had walked along this beach talking with Angel, Mia and Spike about Willa and Alex possibly going to train in London. Spike had said that he wished the kids could have stayed small. She’d been thankful then that hers felt no pull to battle evil. Now she wondered if she’d survive even to see her children again. Willa and Alex were already in training, intent on the need to fight. Buffy rubbed her arms. It gave her goosebumps thinking that this had all started to protect them. That was why Mia and Spike had gone to Africa. Mot was back and….

Buffy turned around. “Guys!” she yelled.

Willow and Giles suddenly appeared.

“With everything that has happened, we forgot why they went to Africa in the first place.”

Willow looked right at her. .” I didn’t, I just thought Mot’s one or two girls every few months could be dealt with after Mia, Spike and the others.”

Giles nodded, “Willow and I discussed it and we agreed.”

“Oh, I just was remembering things.”

Willow went and put her arm around her shoulders. “I know it’s emotionally harder for you here, but you agreed it was better than sitting around in a motel room on the Hellmouth, watching the news reports come in.”

“True, I couldn’t take it after Busch Gardens, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Orlando. That was the worst, Willow, those poor kids at Disney; Mickey Mouse will never be the same. What will happen with Mot after this is all done, Will?”

“The Coven is working on a permanent dimensional transfer spell.”

“Why didn’t we think of that before they went to Africa?”

“Because I….I screwed up.”

Buffy hugged Willow. “No, don’t think that.”

“If I had thought of it, well, they would be right over there.” Willow pointed in the direction of Spike and Mia’s house.

“Well, actually they’d be walking up the beach to meet us for our nightly stroll about now. How about you and me get Xander and go for one? I think I’d like that.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faith walked out in front of the other four and spun around a couple of times, throwing her arms in the air.

“New Orleans! The French Quarter! Legendary as a vampire’s paradise.”

Mia laughed and then said dramatically, “Yes, but Faith, there is a tale, a tale of a soulful vampire that hunts the night, killing our kind here.”

Spike grabbed Mia around the waist pulling her to him, and added. “And it is said even Slayers should fear this vampire,” He nuzzled her neck.

Wes looked at her intently, one eye just slightly more open than the other and spoke in his most serious Watchers voice. “It is said that not one vampire or demon was left in the city after this vampire last visited New Orleans.”

“Holy Shit,” said Faith. “You think it could take all of us?”

Spike looked contemplative, then answered. “It is fabled for its strength. If it lets that demon out, who knows what could happen.”

Angel put his arm around Mia and Spike. “No need to worry, Faith. I have it on good authority, that vampire only did it all because she was sexually frustrated.”

Mia reached up and smacked him in the head.

Angel laughed. “Say it isn’t partly true, Mia, and I’ll take it back.”

Mia grabbed Spike’s crotch and raised a brow. “Can’t. Damn fucking soul confused the hell out of everything for me.”

“Some of us have been there and have that same sodding t-shirt, pet.”

Faith looked at Mia, “It was you?”

Mia nodded, “Soul-sodden me. It was the I’m-lost-and-trying-to-find-myself phase. How embarrassing is that?”

Angel turned and walked backward, facing Mia and Spike for a moment. “At the mention of that, I’m hunting alone tonight.” He disappeared at the first side street.

Faith grabbed Wes’s arm. “Come on. I read they have Vampire Bars here. There are all kind of wannabes we can tease with the possibility of immortality, and then we can fang it away from them.”

Spike stopped Mia. “We are going back to the house.”

“We just got here. I wanted to eat Creole tonight. Drink a hurricane or two.”

“We’ll sodding get someone Creole, take it with us and I’ll show you a hurricane.”

Mia laughed and yanked him into a very narrow cobble-stoned alley. She un-zipped his pants, and started to kneel, he wrenched her up to kiss him. Spike un-buttoned her pants, and yanked them down he turned her and slammed her face first against the wall. He entered her without waiting. Mia moaned. With each thrust Mia moved up and down the wall. Her face changed and she growled. Spike joined her scraping his fangs against her neck, drawing a line of blood then licking it. He let out a deep throaty growl as he released into her, and Mia gave a little holler as she reached her release as well.

Mia pulled away, turned and stared at him. His brow arched. Mia leaned in to kiss him, placing both hands on his chest. Just before his lips touched hers she shoved him up against the wall on the other side of the alley. His head hit the brick building with a crunch.

Spike laughed. “You’ re just mad I got my way first.”

“Mad isn’t what I am.”

“Then what?” Spike put his tongue to his top two teeth and ran them back and forth.

“I’m considering killing some of my kind. I’m a little sexually frustrated.”

“Oh, you want another go.”

Mia grinned and placed a knee on either side of his hips on the wall, then lifted herself onto him using only her muscles until Spike grasped her by the buttocks. Once they finished Spike put Mia back on her feet. He pulled her pants up and buttoned them and then did the same with his. She was still grinning at him.

“Pleased with yourself aren’t you, pet?”

Mia shook her head. “No, with you, baby.”

Spike growled and caught her around the waist. “I told you we should just go back to the house.”

Mia grabbed his hand. “Come on; let’s eat, then I’ll let you buy me a beignet and coffee at Café Du Monde. Then we’ll go back to the house.”

They walked through the quarter. A group of people passed them. “And here is the house from the scene of the movie that Lestat…”

“Bloody hell, what is that?” Spike motioned to the people.

Mia laughed. “Vampire tour. I didn’t know they still did that. That movie is so old.”

“Wait here, love.”

“I’m not waiting on my own.”

Mia followed him and grabbed his hand.

They came to the back of the group just as the tour guide said. “And sometimes it is said you will see one walking these street and not even know it.”

Spike looked at Mia and squeezed her hand. He spoke up. “And sometimes you will.”

All the people turned to look at Spike.

Spike flashed his fangs for the group and stayed in demon guise. “Doesn’t seem fair to me, love, that these people pay good money for a vampire tour and don’t get to see one.”

Laughing, Mia suddenly morphed into her demon and pinned the group with her eyes.

“That’s because we usually make them pay much, much more than just money to see us.” Both of them went back to their human faces and smiled.

Mia turned, Spike followed and they went off into the night, coats flapping behind them.

~ ~

A short time later the two vampires were sitting at a table in the Café Du Monde when a couple from the tour came in.

“Lookie here, pet.”

The couple spied Mia and Spike, and began backing out.

Mia grinned at Spike, her brow lifting slightly. “I think that couple might not have paid enough for their tour. I think we need to collect the higher fee from them.”

Spike’s laugh came from deep in his throat. “I’m starting to be glad that we stayed out tonight.”

They both stood up and followed the couple out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was just coming up. Wes, Faith, Angel and Spike sat around the kitchen table of a garden-district house. They had killed the owners the night they arrived, and the bodies occupied the chest freezer in the utility room. Mia wore only her underwear and one of Spike’s t-shirts when she came padding in to join them.

She threw the morning paper on the table and laughed a deep chesty laugh. “The FBI has just upgraded us to a serial killer.”

Wes smiled, “A…, as in one?”

“Yes.”

Faith grabbed the paper and read the article. “You’ll have to dye your hair, Spike.”

“Bloody hell, they’ve given my description?”

Faith laughed, “No, I just wondered if you’d do it.”

Angel scowled, “Is there a description?”

Mia cocked her head. “I’ll protect you from the big, bad policemen, Angel.”

“Shut up, Mia.”

“No, they aren’t even sure what type of weapon is being used. They are speculating that it’s a garden tool.”

“Like a yard rake?” laughed Faith.

Chuckling, Wes said, “The papers will be calling us the Lawn Care Killer.”

Angel sat scowling.

Mia looked at him. “You’re right, Angel; it’s gotten too high profile. We need to find a way to stop the manhunt. I realize that getting the group, or one like it, that sent you to the submarine…. was that the Initiative? Well, getting them involved would be a big pain in the butt. Spike had black hair then? Oh honey, never, never, do that again!”

“Oh mate, don’t you just hate when she goes into your head like that?”

Angel looked down at Spike. “Well,at least she finds something in mine.”

Mia snorted. “He’s been practicing, Spike.”

Spike looked back at Angel. “At least I never have to worry about having someone in my bed.”

Mia lifted a brow and looked at Spike. “Yet.”

Faith and Wes watched this interaction all the time. Sometimes it would be between all three, sometimes it was just between Mia and Angel, Angel and Spike or Mia and Spike but it always ended up with Mia having the last word. They just sat back and watched, knowing it wasn’t over yet.

“And whose bed might you be filling tonight, pet?”

“Faith’s. She’s the only one that hasn’t plotted to get me there.”

Faith smiled and slammed her hand on the table, “That’s right. You come right on into it, Mia girl.”

Spike stared at Mia and smiled, “‘S’alright then, it’ll give me a bit of rest.”

“Oh, so that’s what was wrong last time. You should have said, we could have taken a break. Poor little Spike.”

Spike was silent for a moment as he looked around the table, then he raised his eyebrow and smirked, “Does any one want to know who Mia mentioned might join us in a threesome?”

Slowly each person at the table raised a hand.

Mia stood up, grabbed Spike by his belt and waistband and dragged him from the room.

Angel looked to Wes, smiling. “I just got a sick feeling in my stomach, Wes. Something unnatural just happened. Please explain it to me.”

Faith laughed. “Seems like maybe Spike has been practicing too. He just left Mia without a comeback. But that doesn’t bother me as much as not knowing who she wanted for the threesome.”

“I think that bothers me as well, Faith. We are just left here, not only knowing we are topping the FBI’s list and are thought of as ‘the Lawn Care Killer’, but also that one of us could one day have to join them in bed. It’s almost too much to take in,” grinned Wes.

Angel slouched in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “You two are only acting like this because you know it might actually be one of you.”

Faith patted his shoulder. “You bet ya, big guy. You do know she only treats you so shitty ‘cause she loves you.”

Angel gave her a sideways glance.

Wes nodded. “Faith’s observation is probably correct. You and Mia shared quite a lot when you had your souls, and then again as humans. This is most likely her way of keeping you at arm’s length. You know too much about her and her motivations. She’s read all about Angelus and well, you can proceed with the line of thought from there.”

“She’s smart enough to know I’ll use it to my advantage.”

“Yes.”

Faith stood up and walked to the kitchen door. Pausing, she looked from Wes to Angel. “You two are crazy idiots, Wes for putting that shit in Angel’s head and Angel for starting to think it.”

Angel smiled. Wes was right: he’d forgotten that he had a wealth of knowledge about Mia, almost more than Spike. In fact, he was sure there were things he knew that she had never told Spike. Well now, didn’t that shed on interesting light on the whole thing.