Rome, Italy

The black limo pulled up to the wrought-iron gate surrounding the palatial estate. The driver's side window side down, revealing the uniformed chauffeur. He leaned in to the intercom. "Your benevolence... Your guest has arrived. "

There was no answer, but the gates parted with a groan. The limousine drove up the winding path to the front entrance.

"His benevolence is very please you could join him tonight, Signorina ," the driver said pleasantly to the woman in the back seat.

"I'm sure he is," she responded flatly. She tightened her hand around the weapon in her lap. "Can you wait here?"

"But Signorina ..." The driver got out of the car, tugging the hem of his jacket. "His benevolence said..." He opened the door to the back, holding out a hand to help his passenger out.

"I doesn't matter what his benevolence said." Stepping out of the limo, Buffy Summers pushed the chauffeur's hand aside and pulled herself to full height. She clutched the red and silver scythe tightly in her hands. She ran a hand over her braided blonde hair. "This isn't going to take long."

****

" Cara mia ," the Immortal cooed gently as Buffy paused in the doorway of his dining room. He opened his arms, sweeping towards her. Buffy took a step back, raising the scythe menacingly. The Immortal dropped his arms, frowning as he eyed her blouse and jeans. "Was the dress I sent not to your liking?"

Buffy narrowed her gaze upon the handsome, dark-haired man. She shook her head slowly, keeping the scythe raised. "It didn't exactly go with my accessory."

Her hands tightened on the handle of the scythe. "Do you wanna tell me why I had to come all the way from England to see you, Immortal?"

The Immortal stepped forward. He put a hand to his heart, feigning wounding. "Why are you so hostile to me, bella ? There was a time when you were quite happy to see me."

Buffy raised her chin defiantly. "There was a time when you hadn't tried to blow us my ex-boyfriends."

"They're vampires, bella... They were not harmed." The Immortal let out a soft chuckle. "It was only a bit of fun."

"They were trying to prevent a demon gang war!" Buffy exclaimed. She shook her head savagely. "You were just trying to keep me from helping them!"

"They did not want your help, bella ." The Immortal reached up to caress Buffy's cheek, but she jerked back. "They wished to earn your affections."

"They already had them," Buffy snapped. "Both of them! You had no right to try and keep me from them."

"Please, bella . It was a moment of weakness." The Immortal pouted. "Immature machismo does not befit me. I should have known better. I apologize."

"What happened to your new little amore ?" Buffy asked. "Last I heard, you'd hooked up with a Delaf Demon."

"She is not you," the Immortal purred. "Please, bella , let me explain..."

Buffy shook her head, not believing his remorse. "How do you explain trying to keep me from Angel and Spike when they took down the Circle? They were taking on one of the worst and oldest evils in this world and you tried to stop me from helping them!"

The Immortal cradled Buffy's cheek. "They were working for Wolfram and Hart, cara mia ." The Immortal slid his hand up her cheek, over her hair. "I thought they were trying to aid the dark side... Not stop it. You believed that at one time yourself."

"What do you want?" Buffy asked firmly. "I have better things to do than hang out all night listening to your pathetic excuses."

"Come, bella ." The Immortal purred, voice like black silk. "At least have a drink with me. Let me explain my position."

"I don't need to know anything else about your positions," Buffy snapped. "You said you had something important. From what I can see, you got nothing." She whirled around. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to get on the first plane to London."

"We are important, are we not, cara mia ?" The Immortal picked up a wine bottle, uncorking it. "Can we please just talk about us?"

"There is no us anymore!" Buffy exclaimed. "Remember? Blowing up? Ex-boyfriends? Apocalypse cult? You've done nothing but get in the way of me doing my job!"

"Why do you turn away from me?" The Immortal asked pitifully. He poured two glasses of rich, red wine.

Buffy turned back around, smiling cruelly. "I could never get serious about a guy whose first name is The."

"Why are you so concerned for your vampires?" The Immortal asked. He picked up the pair of glasses, holding one out to Buffy. "Angelus is with the werewolf, is he not? And William the Bloody has been travelling with the God-King of the Priordium."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You've been stalking my exes?"

The Immortal shook his head. "No, bella . I have been looking out for your best interests. When it comes to Angelus and William the Bloody, your head is not clear."

"Stop looking out for me!" Buffy snapped. She reached out, grabbing the wine glass from the Immortal. "I look out for me."

"Please. Just one toast, cara mia ." The Immortal raised his glass. "To my last chance with the most beautiful woman I have known in all my many years."

Buffy had a saccharine smile on her face as she clinked her glass against the Immortal's. "To the end of your last chance." She tipped back the glass, draining it quickly. She shoved the glass into his hand. " Ciao , Immortal."

Buffy turned and began to stride down the long hallway. She hesitated as a troop of uniformed guards stepped in her path.

" Bella , please..." The Immortal said softly. "Just reconsider."

With a swing of her scythe, Buffy got into attack position. "This really isn't a good way to win me over."

The guards fanned out. As they stepped into the light, Buffy could see the grotesque and twisted demonic faces. "Vampires..." Buffy smiled. "This is new. But something I can deal with it."

Buffy kicked her foot, connecting with a Ming vase standing on a pedestal next to the doorway. The vase flew across the room and hit one of the vampires, the fragile china shattering against its head. While it was dazed, Buffy used the pedestal as a springboard, launching herself towards the vampires. She swung the scythe, the red blade slicing clean through the dazed vampire's throat. The demon turned to dust, which settled over the other vampires.

Buffy kicked another of the vampire guards. She raised the scythe, stake side up, to strike, but faltered. She blinked, staggering backwards. "Huh?"

She shook her head, trying to regain her focus. The hallways began to grow blurry. Buffy reached up, touching her forehead. "You..."

"They won't kill you, bella ," the Immortal purred. He stepped into the hallway. He remained perfectly calm as he stood behind her. "They've been instructed not to."

"What..." Buffy gasped. "What did you..."

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell. The Immortal was cold as he caught her limp form in his arms. "You had you chance, Buffy. Now you must face the consequences of your choice."

****

Sarah Michelle Gellar

David Boreanaz

Vincent Kartheiser

Alyson Hannigan

James Marsters

Eliza Dushku

Amy Acker

and
Stephanie Romanov

*****

"I'm so glad you could all attend today." The beautiful brunette stood before the large assembly of well-dressed individuals. She was garbed in a finely tailored blue suit. She paced before a covered board. "I would like to introduce myself, though many of us have had dealings in the past. My name is Lilah Morgan. Those of you who do know me know that I am the head of Special Projects for the Los Angeles offices of Wolfram and Hart." She gingerly touched the scarf around her throat. "At least... I was, prior to my death and their destruction."

There was a nervous twitter of conversation among the audience. Lilah leaned against the desk before the covered board, crossing her shapely legs. "But that is behind us. I'm supposed to introduce you to this special get-together we've set up for you."

Lilah folded her hands. "Now, what exactly is this special event that you've all been teased with for the last year? Things have been very difficult as of late. A lot of blows to the home team. The sudden influx of champions has made you, our loyal clients, very nervous."

Lilah uncrossed her legs and got back up, walking to the board. "The Seniors Partners are very interested in the morale of our clientele. We wanted to come up with something that would reaffirm your faith in the firm. Now..." Lilah smiled broadly. "You all have a common interest. Well..." She laughed softly. "I'm sure you have more than one, but this is very specific. You've all been known to have a love for wagers. So, I have a question for you: What is better than a Champion in peril?"

Lilah gripped the sheet covering the board, pulling it off. She revealed a screen on which pictures of seven people, in various stages of combat, appeared one after the other. As each picture appeared on the screen, they were followed by a list of statistics. "Seven champions in peril."

She turned back the group of clients. "Now I'd like to hand the floor over to my assistant. He will explain to you in greater detail what this game will entail."

The slender, nebbish boy stepped forward. He clutched a file in his hands. "Hi." He waved meekly. "I'm Tucker Wells."

Lilah smiled tightly at Tucker. "Tucker? They don't care. Just get to it."

Tucker nodded quickly. "Right. Anyway, as you can see, we have selected seven Champions, favoured by the Powers that Be. Each of them has, in the past, crossed one of our warriors. They are considered to be the big players on the light side in the apocalypse."

He looked down, shuffling through his papers. "Currently, we are in the midst of taking these Champions into custody. Following that, they will be brought to the arena."

Lilah held out a remote, clicking a button. The images on the screen now showed a dense jungle. "Our arena." Tucker gestured vaguely, reading off the papers in his hand. His voice shook slightly. "Is a specially selected Wolfram and Hart holding dimension. It has being specifically tailored to maximize the danger the Champions will be put in.... Lots of canyons, a dense jungle, an active volcano. Many surprises have been placed on the island itself."

"We don't just have a nice location," Lilah said, striding forward. "Mr Wells has spent the last few months putting some of the most dangerous creatures in this world... And several others... In our little battlefield."

She sauntered before the audience. "But that's not all we have in store. We have many other surprises. Ones which I'm sure will be most pleasing to you."

Seven robed figured entered the room. Two of them could barely fit into their robes. Heavy footsteps thumped against the floor.

Each of the seven reached up, pulling off their hoods. The crowd gasped as they were revealed. They then broke out in applause.

Lilah smiled broadly. "The good and plenties have their Champions. But we have ours. Those who survive will be showered in eternal glory. Those who die... Well, they won't be able to stop what's coming." Lilah's dark brown eyes sparkled. "The games will start in approximately twenty-four hours. Place your bets now."

****

Los Angeles, California

Connor Angel sighed deeply, putting his head on his desk. His hair was sticking up in the back and his red tie sat on his shoulders, undone. The keys of his keyboard clicked under the pressure of his forehead.

"Connor?"

Connor jerked up, looking around frantically and trying to redo his tie. "Yes? I'm awake." His eyes widened when he noticed the short, stocky man dressed in a plaid shirt. "Mr. Nabbit!" He tried vainly to smooth his hair down.

"Are you all right, Connor?" David Nabbit asked, frowning slightly.

"What makes you think anything's wrong?" Connor asked, smiling nervously as he slid his keyboard back in front of him, trying to look busy.

David pointed to Connor's face. "You've got key marks on your forehead."

Connor brushed his bangs back down. "I've been really busy lately. Lots of work to do."

"Hope I'm not working you too hard," David said, smiling.

Connor noticed his backpack was open, a stake poking out. He discreetly kicked it under his desk. "I've been putting in some extra hours at night," Connor said apologetically. "I'll be sure to get more sleep, Mr. Nabbit."

"Maybe you should take a break," David suggested hesitantly. "You know, I've got a D and D game... It can be really intense. But it's fun."

Connor smiled, nodding. "I'll think about it, Mr. Nabbit." He paused. "They're fictional dragons, right?"

David frowned. "Well... Yes... Of course. And you can call me David."

Connor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Nabbit. I will... Er... David."

David gave Connor a wide smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Connor, you know I'm lucky to have an intern like you... But you've got to relax. I mean really."

"I'll keep that in mind," Connor mumbled under his breath. He heard David's footsteps as he walked away. He reached beside his computer and picked up the framed photo. He gently ran his fingers over the glass. "You've been telling me that too." He touched the image of the purple-haired girl. In the picture, she was squeezed between Connor and Andrew. Connor had his arm wrapped around her waist.

He sighed as he looked over the rest of the image. Jamie, Oni and Wesley were beside him. They were all in front of Lamia House-- it had been a few days after Oni and Salome had moved in. Back when they thought the world was ending. Back when he wasn't alone.

"Can't believe I'm nostalgic for the Apocalypse." Connor shook his head. "This is beyond sadness."

He carefully set the photo back down at his desk. He scrubbed his face with his hands. "All right, Connor..." He sighed and went back to his keyboard. "Get a grip. They actually give you some responsibility that doesn't include getting coffee and you slack off."

He began to type, still blinking blearily.

The sound of pumps against the floor brought Connor to alert. He turned, looking over his shoulder. "Connor Riley?"

Connor raked his gaze over the beautiful young woman standing before him. He pulled his chair out slightly, turning. "Who wants to know?" He asked carefully.

"I'm from records," the woman said, smiling. "I'm having a problem with my computer and I was told you were the person to come to."

Connor cocked his head, furrowing his brow. "The company does nothing but deal with computers and you need my help?"

The girl shrugged. "Most people here are just pencil pushers and wouldn't know a mouse from a disc drive." Her lower lip jutted out. "Please? I would really appreciate it."

With a sigh, Connor got to his feet. He shyly smiled at the woman. "You've appealed to my sense of chivalry."

"Knew you wouldn't let me down." The girl turned on her heels, bouncing down the hallway.

Connor shrugged and followed after the girl. He ran a hand through his long hair as he admired the girl's ass as she walked away. "Dammit. It's been too long."

There was a noise behind him as the girl led him down the hall. Connor whirled around, but saw nothing. He shook his head. "Getting paranoid, man."

Just as he started walking again, two men descended onto him, grabbing his arms. Connor struggled to get away, catching a look at their vampiric faces. The girl turned, smiling sweetly. "Well, this was easy."

"Not that easy." Connor smirked ferally as he jumped up, kicking the two demons and sending them flying." He reached into his plaid shirt, pulling out a stake. "Who sent you?"

The girl remained calm as her cellphone began to ring. "Eve," she answered. She smiled. "Yes. The Destroyer will be in the arena in approximately..."

Connor groaned as another vampire came up on him from behind. He pulled a syringe from his pocket, plunging it deep into Connor's neck. As the drugs pumped into Connor's bloodstream, he fell to the ground.

"...Now." Eve finished. She closed up her phone, sliding it back into her jacket. She looked down at Connor's fallen body. She gently toed his side. "Don't worry, kid." She laughed softly. "From what I hear about you, you'll really enjoy this."

****

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Willow Rosenberg took a deep breath, sitting cross-legged on the grass. "Take in a deep, cleansing breath," she said calmly, evenly. "Take in the power of the world around you. Feel it flow through you, penetrate your soul."

Head bowed and purple hair in front of her face, Salome Simpson groaned softly.

Willow opened an eye a crack. She frowned slightly. "That doesn't sound like taking deep, cleansing breaths."

Salome brought her head back, pushing her hair out of her face, revealing her light purple skin. "Sorry, boss." There was a slightly mocking tone. "I know, I know. Just having a bit of trouble getting into it."

"You don't 'get into' it," Willow sighed, now opening both her eyes. Her shoulders slumped. "It's meditation. You just... Do it." She sat up straight again, closing her eyes.

"All right." Salome nodded, rolling her eyes. "I'll just do it." She closed her eyes tightly. She took in a deep breath. She then stiffened, her nose wrinkling. "Ahh... Ahhh..." She winced as she sneezed and suddenly disappeared from the spot she had been sitting in.

Willow's eyes snapped back open. She looked to where Salome had been sitting. "Salome?" She looked around, crawling across the ground. "Salome?" She looked up. "Where are you?"

Salome suddenly appeared, hanging upside down from a tree branch about fifteen feet away. She swung gently, her hair swaying as it hung down. "I'm fine." She shrugged awkwardly. "Just got something in my nose. I told you, I'm really not good at this meditation thing."

Willow pulled herself to her feet, walking towards the tree. "It's not a thing, Salome. It's not something you're good or bad at. It's something inborn."

"It's not inborn in me." Salome grabbed the tree branch and flipped down. "Anyway, how is meditating going to help me stop teleporting when I sneeze?"

Willow sighed, shaking her head. "Salome, you inherited a lot of power from Cyvus Vail. You need to learn how to harness it. To do that, you have to understand it. Meditation will help you learn the changes to your body."

Salome leaned casually against the tree, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe if you weren't making stuff up as you went along." She sighed before rubbing her temple. "All right, Red. We seem to have a difference of opinion."

Willow paused, frowning. "Well, maybe if you would put some effort into the lessons..."

"No, that's not the difference." Salome walked towards Willow, transforming into human form mid-step. She stopped before Willow, putting her hands on her hips. "The difference is you don't think you're unbearably annoying."

Willow was taken aback. She fumed a little, before spitting out. "Well... You don't think you're a loud mouth, hot shot... Pain in the patootie!"

"Don't I?" Salome smirked. "I take pride in it." She turned and began to walk back to the house.

"Hey!" Willow followed behind her. "Your mood just keeps on getting worse and worse every day. What the heck is going on?"

Salome groaned, rubbing her temples. "Willow, I'm bored . For the last two months, I've read more books than I did my entire sophomore year of college. I've meditated, which just tends to give me a headache... And I've listen to you wax poetically about the wonders of magic, which gives me an ever bigger headache. I'm a fighter. I like to kick ass. But the closest thing to an evil demon around these parts is your bitchy ex-girlfriend."

"Hey!" Willow caught up to Salome, grabbing her by the shoulder and jerking her around. "Do you mind not insulting Kennedy?"

"She doesn't mind insulting me," Salome replied testily.

Willow shrugged apologetically. "She doesn't like demons."

Salome rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't like Slayers. She bugs me."

"Well, if you would get over her bugging you, I'm sure Kennedy would be willing to train with you. Maybe help you get your aggression out."

"Sparring is like masturbation." Salome shook her head. "It's never going to be as good as the real thing." She then sighed deeply. "Which is another thing I'm really getting anxious about."

"That's it?" Willow arched a brow. "You're being a complete pain just because you haven't seen Connor in two months?"

Salome sighed. "Well, if you'd ever slept with him, you'd know why I was jonesing so bad." Salome turned again, heading inside. "I need to make a call. We can get back to your Gaia-Earth Mother-Energy stuff later."

Willow groaned as Salome went into the house. She shook her head. "Just what am I supposed to do with--"

Willow let out a muffled gasp as a hand clasped over her mouth.

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