The Hunt (Tag Buffy)

[Rupert Giles]

He moves through the night with silent swiftness, his acute senses aware of every sight and scent around him. He was following the slayer's scent, and that of her friends, trailing her as an animal pursues its prey. He had not caught sight of her yet, but he hoped to before long. He also scented other prey, and chose to stop briefly to feed.

He was on his victim in a matter of seconds, before she could even react. Her blood was warm, her flesh soft and silky in his mouth. It would not compare to the experience of slayer's blood, but he still savored each kill he made. He would not kill her immediately, though. He looked forward to how he would season her, the pain he would inflict on her to make the blood sweeter.

He lifted his head, inhaling deeply as her scent grew stronger. She was, he hoped, getting closer.

(ok, Buffy can tag in.)

[Buffy Summers]

The night air was thick with humidity. Heavy clouds hung low in the sky, covering the mooon and threatening to let loose their contents. The wind blew the pine trees. At first, they swayed romantically, gently, back and fourth. As the storm grew, so did the violence of the wind. Pine needles shook off their host with every nasty thrust of wind.

Buffy Summers could sense a great evil, one that she was chosen to fight. It had been just ahead of her, just out of her reach. The slayer knew that the vampire would turn and face her at some point. She watched as he hid behind a tree.

"Are you serious? Come out here and face me like a ... thing."

A flash of light lit up the dark. The brilliant light blinded her for an instant. That was when the undead evil creature decided to attack. The slayer stumbled back after being punched in the face. She caught her balance quickly, instantly ducking the next assault that came from his opposite fist. She caught his arm in her hands.

"Nuh-uh. Fool me once..." She lifted her leg high into the air, her size 6 shoe making contact with his face. "Shame on you." Buffy directed the momentum of his fall toward the ground. With her stake above her head, she thrust it down toward his heart.

Poof

The slayer rose to her feet, brushing the vamp-dust off her hands. "Not a winner, please try again..."

The scream was almsot covered by the boom of thunder that followed the flash. Buffy turned her head in the direction of the distress. She could sense yet another vampire. "A vamp works from sundown to sun up, but a slayers work... yadda yadda yadda." She ran through the trees, looking for the soon-to-be-dead-again culprut. There he was, leaning over a woman.

"Hey." Her words radiated with her strength. "I've got something you can eat." She looked down in shame the moment the words left her mouth. "I can believe I just said that."

She directed her attention back to the vampire, He'll be dust soon anyway. And a pile of dust can't repeat that phrase...

[Rupert Giles]

He turned to face her, morphing back to human form for a moment. He had easily heard the sounds of death and destruction, but he wasn't going to be that naive, that stupid. He was more intelligent, more cunning, and better able to keep himself alive, or undead, as the case was. He knew that she would not be able to kill him once she saw his face, and he savored the reactions that she would show.

"Buffy.

"I've been looking for you. You talk about killing, but really now, you wouldn't want to kill me. You couldn't bring yourself to simply leave me to the dust. This will be rather interesting, I expect. I'm quite pleased, though. I can finally embrace the darkness that I was born to be a part of. I could fight it, try to bury it under the layers of tweed, but it was still inside of me. That is because "Ripper" is who I really am.

He morphed back, eyes locked on her, waiting for the horror and shock she would express at the sight of his true face.

"A slayer is the most difficult of all creatures to hunt, and I think I will quite enjoy it. I will enjoy the aftermath as well. Don't worry, it won't end in your unfortunate demise. I can't risk activating another slayer, even with Faith out there. You're going to stay alive for a long time, if this is played right."

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy Summers watched as her foe turned to face her. A familiar face, and voice surprised her.

”Buffy”
“Giles, what…” She broke off, as he continued to speak.
"I've been looking for you. You talk about killing, but really now, you wouldn't want to kill me. You couldn't bring yourself to simply leave me to the dust. This will be rather interesting, I expect. I'm quite pleased, though. I can finally embrace the darkness that I was born to be a part of. I could fight it, try to bury it under the layers of tweed, but it was still inside of me. That is because "Ripper" is who I really am.

Confusion filled the slayers face. She shook her head to gain some perspective. “Giles, what are you talking about?” The words sunk in when his face changed. She stood there, unable to utter a single syllable.
"A slayer is the most difficult of all creatures to hunt, and I think I will quite enjoy it. I will enjoy the aftermath as well. Don't worry, it won't end in your unfortunate demise. I can't risk activating another slayer, even with Faith out there. You're going to stay alive for a long time, if this is played right."
She sobbed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. There was no holding them back. “Giles..” His name came out broken. “I am so sorry.” She knew full well that the Giles she had known, had loved like a father, was gone. She knew only the demon remained. She stared at its face. The thing that had killed him taunted her. He was mocking her, as all the vampires she had ever known did.

“I killed Angel, and I loved him more than anything in this world. Give me time, and I’ll kill you too.” Her teeth were clenched in rage, her eyes were beacons of strength, though her tears still lingered in them. He was right. She wouldn’t be able to end him right now, not with the pain in her heart for Giles. He could use that against her. She would mourn his death first, then the monster that he became would suffer for her pain, her loss.