Challenges

Chapter 4

Buffy sighed. "I got one last night, but I was sooooo easy Will.  I know I should be happy with all the easiness of slayer-y, but how am I supposed to get better if I can always beat every one that comes along? How am I supposed to learn anything... live longer then the other slayers before me?”

“But, I thought you asked Spike all these questions a couple of weeks ago, didn’t he answer anything for you?”

“Naw, just said that the way you kill a slayer is that you wait around until they want death. Yeah, like I’m ever going to get that bored with my life that I’m ganna WANT death from him...” Suddenly a vampire wearing a black and white button up shirt jumped out of the brushes next to Buffy. With one swift blow the vampire turned to dust before landing on the ground after his attack.

“Yeah well, at least you’ll have more time to do homework.”  Willow continued without missing a beat, not noticing the vampire dust in the air.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Ugh, again with the homework will…”

“Chin up Buffy… at lea-”

“DUCK!” The slayer pulled her best friend down to the ground as the three sharp steel knives flew past their heads. The knives hit the tree behind them, the slayer looking up a moment before back at her redheaded companion.  “Stay down.” She whispered as she got up carefully, standing to her feet and avoiding the pathway the knives had taken. Her hair swirled around her head as she turned, looking for her opponent.

“Wow!” An excited accented voice came from behind. The slayer turned quickly in a fighting stance, wondering why she had not heard him. The man who had spoken up from under the shadows came out into the lamp light, his black hair shinning with his bangs covering his eyes slightly. “Those daggers were going FAST! Woo!” He shook his head excitedly, his hands in his pockets as he talked, a look of playfulness on his features. He moved steadily closer and stopped a few feet away from her. “Tellmehowyadidit.” He said excitedly.

“Wha?”

“Tell me how yew did it.”

“I bent my legs. What's are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“ It does if your something I can kill, and since your whiter then a snowman covered in sour cream and sporting a jacket not poular since my mom went to school-.”

He smirked at the small joke. “Not only am I offended by the white remark, I’m also suddenly wondering what it is I look like to you. It’s not the jacket is it? Be honest, I haven't looked in a mirror for a while.” he said not really caring…just teasing her a little. After a long pause, he smirked, tilting his head to the side before starting to walk off, leaving.

Buffy caught up in a heartbeat, stake raised as she blocked his path.

“Come on,” her hand was pressed against his shirt keeping him back from moving any farther. “ I’ve been itching for a good fight.”

“ It’s not my turn…”

“Well, in that case I’ll let you cut in front of someone and go to the front of the line.”

“No, I’ll play by the rules.”

“Funny, I don’t see a referee.”

He smirked. There was so much this slayer didn’t know, and he wasn’t allowed to tell, “ The bloke before me has two more nights to finish the job; my time will come and THEN you’ll die.” He moved to the side to pass he by but the slayer would have none of that and moved in front of him again, stake aimed.

“Who? Who has two more nights to finish?”

He moved again, only this time when he tried, Buffy grabbed a hold of his leather jacket, pushing him up against a near by tree.

Three things happened then after that. One, her stake was pushed to the ground from her hand. Two, her jaw was snapped to one side. Three, she fell to the ground landing on her side. When she looked back up at the tree she had left him at, the man was gone. She pounded the ground in frustration and stood up and looked around. He was gone, he was more then gone, he had vanished. He was fast. Faster then any vampire she had ever seen besides Angel... but why hadn’t he killed her?

Willow popped her head out from behind a tombstone and looked around nervously. “Is he gone?” She whispered timidly.

Buffy nodded, walked over, and held out and hand for her friend to take hold grab of. The redhead stood up quickly, brushing the dirt and grass from her jeans. “Was that guy a vampire Buffy?” The slayer nodded 

 “Yeah Will, really interested in killing me.”

“Well, maybe Giles can help, did he say a name?”

Buffy looked over her shoulder and shook her head. “ No…”