Fic: Missing Red4 /?

["frank_8281" <frank_8281@xxxxxxxxx>]

Okay, Here's part 4. Thanks for your comments and encourgement. Part5 
will be out as soon as I can get it done




Author: Bob Head  
Disclaimer: None of the characters below (Except for the Slayer's 
Shadow) belong to me. All the BtVS people belong to Joss Whedon, 
Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox. I'm just trying to have fun.
Rating: PG-13 for now
Feedback: Well, Yeah! frank_8281@xxxxxxxxx   






            Missing Red: Part 4



Shadow's POV

I think she's finally figured it out. I also think that a herd of 
Vamps could waltz through here whistling the Star Spangled Banner and 
she wouldn't notice.

"Slayer?" She looks up with a blank expression on her face.

"Huh?" she says.

"You still in there?"

"Uh huh."

Great, I think her brain's slipped into neutral. Time for the
hard 
press. "Giles?"

"I believe she may be in shock Mr. Shadow." He states.

"Maybe you should take her and get out of town." I growl.

Giles looks at me, confused, "I'm sorry?"

"That way after Willow's dead and Buffy isn't the Slayer
anymore she 
won't be a sitting duck for any blood rat with a grudge."

Her head snaps up at that and I'm suddenly happy that reducing
Demons 
to ash with a glance isn't one of her powers.

"Willow. Is. Not. Going. To. Die." She forces out through
clenched 
teeth.

"She's not going to die because we are going to save her. If
I have 
to kill every Demon and dust every Vampire on the face of the Earth 
to do it!" 

With that she spun on her heel and strode towards the door of the 
Bronze.


Buffy's POV

"Let's go, Giles." I stop and turn at the door, looking
back at 
Shadow. "I could use an extra pair of hands, you any good at this 
sort of thing or do you just like to watch?"

"I'm tougher than I look."

Cryptic, again! Perfect. Giles looks at Shadow and gives him one of 
his patented `I'm- angry-with-you-but-too-
British-to-yell-at-you' 
glares. I don't know what's going on between those two and I
so don't 
care but it better not get in the way of getting my Willow back.

The Master's lair, never thought I'd be back in this dump
again. 
Shadow and I are hiding in an alcove facing the altar of the ruined 
chapel. Giles, Xander and Oz are topside monitoring the three 
entrances to this part of the tunnels. That was a feat of superhuman 
proportions all by itself, getting Xander to stay up top. I thought I 
was going to lose the argument at first then I got some help from an 
unexpected quarter, Cordelia.

"Xander," she said quietly, "You're not going."

"Cordy, I have to! It's Willow!"

"That's why you're not going. If you get killed down
there it will 
hurt Willow more than anything I can imagine. Except maybe for Buffy 
getting killed." My head snaps up at that comment. 

"Don't you think she'll have enough to deal with when
this is over?" 
She asks, putting her hand on his cheek.

"But it's Willow."

"I know, and Buffy and the scary guy will get her back. And
we'll 
help," she said, silencing him with her finger, "But
you're not going 
down there."

Behind his back, she made a `thumbs up' sign at me and
mouthed my 
name and Willow's with a big grin. I just shook my head, did
everyone 
know except me? The next argument came when Giles and Shadow told me 
we couldn't hit them until after A'rar&A'ran&
Shit! The head Demon 
started the incantation for the ritual.

"That puts Will actually on the altar ready to be sacrificed
Giles!"

"I am aware of that Buffy, but the texts provided by Mr. Shadow
are 
very specific on this point. The timing of this ritual is crucial, 
once A'racmos begins the incantation he must continue on to the
point 
of sacrifice. Otherwise the Dark Forces he has marshaled for the 
ritual will destroy him." I start to say something but he
continues,

"More importantly, once he has begun he cannot harm Willow before
the 
appointed time or the same thing will happen to him. But if you 
attack prematurely, he may kill Willow just to spite you."

I run my hands through my hair and say "Okay, we'll do it
your way."


Willow's POV

  They're moving me somewhere. I don't know where, they put
a 
blindfold on me before they took me out of the cell. I know they put 
me in a van. But I don't know if it's the same one they
kidnapped me 
in&. stop! No more babble mode. I have to keep focused,
concentrate; because 
something else besides Vampires is in here with me. Whatever it is, 
it's BIG `cause when it climbed in the back I thought the
front 
wheels were going to come off the ground! It smells bad too. Kind of 
wet and moldy. I decide to take a chance.

"Uh, excuse me."

"Yes, child?" My breathing gets ragged as I recognize the
croaky 
voice from the caves.

"W-where are we going?"

"To the place of the sacrifice."

Okay, oxygen is starting to become an issue now. I struggle to 
control my breathing as I ask, "S-s-sacrifice?"

"At the appointed time I will sacrifice the Slayer's
Heart-mate and 
she will be the Slayer no more."

Huh? "But Angel's gone. How are you&"?

"Foolish child, you are her Heart-mate."

But Buffy doesn't feel that way about me, does she? Then it sinks
in, 
what he said.

"Oh Goddess, you're gonna try to use me to hurt Buffy!"

"Yesssss." He rumbles.


Shadow's POV

I must be out of my immortal mind! Never, have I revealed myself to a 
Slayer, much less stood beside her in battle! But she asked, and I 
knew how much it cost her to admit that she needed help to save 
Willow. I look at the tiny blond next to me and wonder, not for the 
first time, how such narrow shoulders manage to carry the weight of 
the world.


Buffy's POV

My cell vibrates and I answer, "Yes?"

"It's Giles. They've just entered the eastern tunnel."

"Could you"&. I can't quite get the rest of the sentence
out past 
that lump in my throat, Giles answers anyway.

"Yes, Buffy she appears to be all right," I let out the
breath that I 
didn't realize I was holding, and Giles continues. "I also
saw 
A'racmos and his entourage. He has at least twelve Vampires and
two 
robed individuals. I couldn't make out if they were Vampires or
not."

"Call the others, get back to the library and barricade
yourselves 
in. Then start your mojo Giles. We don't have much time." I
turn off 
the phone and look at Shadow. 

"They're coming. Positions."

We move to opposite sides of the chamber. Giles is going to cast a 
spell that's supposed to hide our presence from Vamps and Demons,
to 
lessen the chance of discovery. After a couple of minutes a blur 
moves across my vision and I can't see Shadow anymore. But I can
see 
the two Vamps move out of the tunnel across from me and sweep the 
lair. One passes close enough to me I could have staked him and he 
didn't even blink when he looked at my corner. He goes back to
the 
main chapel area and sends the other one back down the tunnel.


Willow's POV


I'm really getting tired of being blindfolded now. We've been
just 
standing here for a while. From the smell we must be in the Sunnydale 
sewer system and from the way the van moved when he got in it would 
have to be one of the bigger ones because there's no way Mr.
Croaky-
voice could fit in the smaller tunnels. That helps narrow down our 
location some because even though Sunnydale has like fourteen million 
square miles of sewers not very many of them are that big. In fact 
from what I remember of the research I've done for Buffy
there's only 
about three or four and they all lead to pretty much the same place. 
The Master's lair, right near the Hellmouth. I hear someone
coming.

"Is all secure?" asks Mr. Croaky.
   
"Yes, Master. All is ready."

"Then let us hurry, the time draws near."

Buffy's POV


I watch as they move through the tunnel entrance to the main chapel 
area, one part of my mind confirms Giles' head count while
another 
has eyes only for Willow. Even with the blindfold over her eyes I can 
see how scared she is. I can also see the head Demon (I've given
up 
trying to pronounce his name,) and I'm glad Wills is blindfolded;
her 
frog phobia would be in high gear! He looks like an overly scaly 
eight-foot tall frog with teeth and claws! Wait, he's saying 
something.

"Prepare her, and secure her to the altar." Even his voice
sounds 
froggy.

            It takes every ounce of self-control I can muster to 
just stand there as they cut Willow's clothes off and chain her down. 
Hang on Willow, just a little while longer and nothing is 
going to stop me from saving you.


TBC&   



 



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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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