Gods And Monsters

Chapter Thirty-six:

The cemetery was dimly illuminated by pale moonlight, as Hel and Xander meandered between graves. The night was silent as death itself. The air was perfectly still, undisturbed by any breeze, and the nocturnal orchestra was unusually absent. The headstones threw elongated, inky shadows across the damp grass. 

Xander swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. "Is it too late to back out now?"

Walking ahead of him, Hel rolled her eyes at his cowardice. "You volunteered."

"I wasn't exactly given much of a choice," came his swift rebuttal from close behind her.

Hel came to a halt beside the TARDIS, while Xander joined Buffy. The Doctor stood just inside the TARDIS, one hand gripping the edge of the open door, and the orange-tinted light within poured out into the gloomy graveyard.

"Ready?" Buffy asked Xander.

"As I'll ever be, I guess." He replied with very little confidence.

Hel plunged her hand into the pocket of her black trench coat, withdrawing her claymore by the golden hilt. "Just to be safe."

The Doctor did an incredulous trouble take. "How did you...?"

She smirked. "Bigger on the inside."

Buffy stared at the Doctor expectantly, arms crossed over her chest. "You still haven't told us what it is we're fighting."

"They're called the Weeping Angels." The Doctor began, managing to tear his puzzled gaze away from Hel. "They're parasitic creatures, who have adapted a very specific survival skill: the ability to turn to stone the second they are seen. But don't be fooled— as soon as you turn your back, or look away, or blink, they are lethal. Their merciful execution of choice is to send their victims back in time with only a touch, and feed on the resulting energy."

"How do we kill them?" She demanded.

"You can't, it's impossible." He answered grimly. "A stone can't be killed. They can, however, be neutralised."

"How?"

"You'll see." He said vaguely, spinning on his heel and disappearing inside his blue box.

He shut the door behind him, right in her face. Wheezing, the TARDIS faded from sight. Irritated by his lack of communication, she poised her fist within an inch of the wood panel and was about to protest, when Hel interrupted.

"It isn't worth it, believe me." She advised.

Reluctantly, Buffy lowered her clenched hand to her side.

"Good luck." Hel directed her remark at Xander, turning away. "You'll need it."

She strode off without another word, heading for the woodland that bordered the cemetery. Buffy soon followed suit and Xander was left alone.

Only a few moments passed before Xander caught sight of one. A winged angel statue, at the graveyard's edge. Its hands were cupped in front of its face, fingers shielding its eyes, and it wore a simple gown carved from stone.

Inhaling deeply, he gathered what little courage he possessed and did precisely what the Doctor instructed: he blinked.

His eyes were only closed for a split second, but when they reopened, the distance between the angel and himself had been halved. Its hands had dropped away to reveal a disconcerting smile on its curled lips. He turned his head slightly, discovering a second statue not far from the first one.