𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑠 𝐺𝑜 𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝐴𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 || 𝑩𝑻𝑽𝑺 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Just The Beginning

3rd Person's POV

Xander takes a step back as Jesse rises and faces him.

"Jesse, I know there's still a part of you in there."

Jesse lets out an exasperated sigh, "Okay, let's deal with this. Jesse was an excruciating loser who couldn't get a date with anyone in the sighted community! Look at me now! I'm a new man!"

He grabs Xander and hurls him against the wall. Xander falls in a heap to the cowering Cordelia.

"See, the old Jesse would have reasoned with you."

Jesse picks him up again, fury etching his demon face.

"I'm sick of you getting in the way, you know? If I can't have Laney, I might as well have Cordelia. And guess what... she's gonna live forever. But you... you're not."

Xander holds the stake up to Jesse's chest, determined but scared.

"Oh, right! Put me out of my misery! You don't
have the guts."

"Hey Jesse..."

A tap on his shoulder makes him turn around. He sees Laney standing now in front of him. He frowns confused.

"Shut up."

She lifts up a leg and kicks him, driving him onto the stake. He turns around and drags himself on a stunned Xander, dying. And then he's dust.

Laney helps Cordelia up and the three of them hurry to Buffy.

"You forget. Metal can't hurt me." Luke says with a smirk.

"There's something you forgot about, too."

He hesitates, doubt clouding his face.

"Sunrise."

And she takes the stand and hurls it right through the plate glass window at the back of the stage-- shattering the entire thing. As the warm light streams in on him, he screams raises his hands then and stops looking puzzled.

Buffy drives the stake in through his back. He arches forward, in real agony this time.

"It's in about nine hours, moron."

And at that moment Luke realizes the light from the window is merely a streetlight, shining in the darkness. But it's too late as he turns to dust.

Giles and Willow come slowly out, meet Buffy, Cordelia, Laney, and Xander in the middle of the dance floor.

"I take it it's over."

"Did we win?" Willow smiles as she looks over at Giles.

A moment passes as they look about at the carnage that surrounds them. Most of the patrons have fled, though some remain, stunned and silent.

Buffy grimaces, "Well, we averted the apocalypse. You gotta give us points for that."

Xander frowns, "One thing's for sure. Nothing is ever gonna be the same."

The next day at school everything is exactly the same. There are kids milling about, talking, and laughing in the bright sunshine. Cordelia and Laney and their friends walk by a bench where Xander, Willow, and Buffy we're sitting.

"Well, I heard it was rival gangs. Anyway, Buffy
totally knew these guys which is too weird. I can't remember anything too well, but I'm telling you, it was a freak show."

"Oh, I wish I'd been there." One girl looks at Cordelia in awe.

Laney frowns looking at her in question, "Um no you don't."

"Hey Cordelia, Hey Laney."

The two girls look at Xander with a frown then look at each other and laugh. Xander has a look of disbelief on his face as they disappear from view.

Buffy shakes her head, "Well, what exactly were you expecting?"

"I don't know! Something."

"You know what I don't understand... how we're still in school. The dead rose! We should've at least had an assembly at least." Willow says shaking her head.

"People have a tendency to rationalize what they
can, and forget what they can't."

Buffy nods agreeing with Giles, "Believe me, I've seen it happen."

"Well, I'll never forget it. None of it."

"Good. Next time you'll be prepared."

Xander looks at Giles with bewilderment on his face, "Next time?"

"Next time is why?" Willow asks as she pouts looking at her books."

"We stopped the master from freeing himself and
opening the mouth of Hell. Doesn't mean he'll stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning."

"More vampires?"

Giles shakes his head at Willow, "Not just vampires. The next creature we face may be something quite different."

"I can hardly wait." Buffy replies sarcastically.

"We're at a center of mystical convergence here. We may in fact stand between the earth and total destruction."

"Buffy, this isn't good." Xander whines ignoring Giles.

"Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school."

Buffy smiles at Giles and starts walking off, the other two keeping up with her.

"Hey, that's a plan. 'Cause a lot of schools  aren't on Hellmouths." Xander smiles.

"Maybe you could blow something up. They're really
strict about that."

Buffy shrugs looking at Willow, "I was aiming for a subtle approach, like excessive not studying."

Giles watches them go, an uneasy smile plastered on his lips, "The earth is doomed."