Prologue

Steve Ackroyd had been sitting in the dim, musty cell for what had felt like years. There were no windows. The only light came from a solitary 60 watt light bulb hanging out of the ceiling. No one had come to see him since his kidnapping last night. He was cold, tired, hungry, and most of all, confused.

He had lived a rather dull life. He had no enemies to speak of, or at least no one whom he realized was an enemy. Yes, his father was somewhat wealthy, but he had also led a rather unremarkable life. He had no idea why anyone would want to harm him.

The door opened slowly, and in the doorway stood two men in dark blue robes. Both were tall, with light hair and pale complexions. Steve stood up and walked away from the cot. "Please tell me you've come to release me?" he asked meekly.

"The one on the left moved in. Slowly at first, smiling too sweetly. "Indeed we have," he replied softly.

"Follow us," said the one in the doorway, "and you will be free."

Eagerly, Steve followed them out of the cell. The two men led him down a decaying corridor, and then into a room of pitch blackness. "Be careful," warned one of the men. "There is a stairway just ahead of you."

"Walk up it," said the other, "and your troubles will be over."

Steve slowly and cautiously made his way up the stairs. When he reached the top, the lights came on. Steve looked around frenziedly, realizing that he had been conned.

He was standing on an elevated platform in the center of a large chamber. The two men who had led him there where now pushing away the steps that he had climbed. They then took their places with two other figures, each facing either side of the platform a safe distance from it. Below him stood a very thin, very tall man with long, jet black hair. "I thought I was being released?" Steve cried out.

The dark haired man smiled. "But you are," he replied soothingly. "You're about to receive the ultimate form of release. You will no longer have a care in the world. And in the process, you'll bring humanity one step closer to salvation."

The robed figures began to chant. Steve wanted to jump from the platform, but he was frozen to the spot. Huge gusts of wind slapped him brutally in the face. There was something in front of him. He could not see it, but he could feel it with every cell in his body.

"Open!" the dark haired man screamed. "In the name of the Screaming Ones, open!"

Suddenly, the air in front of him ripped in two, and a purple vortex seared his retinas. Tentacles of energy shot forward, wrapping around him, dragging him forward. Within seconds, he was engulfed. The vortex dissipated as Steve Ackroyd faded out of existence.

****

Part One

"I thought you said you knew where we were going?" Jade asked, annoyance creeping into her voice. She and Megabyte had been hunting through hallways for the better part of a half hour, with no success.

"It's a hotel," Megabyte replied defensively. "It's sole function is to provide temporary housing for travelers. You would think that they would make it so that travelers could find their rooms before they had to leave again."

Jade smiled, despite her frustration. "I thought you were from Vermont?" she asked.

"I am," he replied, "and so is Chuck. But he moved a few years ago. We kept in touch, though. This is the first chance we've had to see each other since I came here and he went there."

"And you say he's on a field trip?"

Megabyte nodded. "Two weeks. I figured I'd show him around London."

Jade was noting the numbers on each of the doors as they passed through the hallway. "430," she said quietly, "428... 422 should be right around the next corner."

"Correct you are," an unfamiliar voice said.

Megabyte smiled. He did not even have to see who it was. "Jade Weston, Chuck Holland," he introduced them without even looking.

Jade turned. He was about average height, slightly pudgy, with blonde hair and John Lennon glasses. Jade smiled. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Believe me," Chuck replied, with great sincerity, "the pleasure is all mine."

Jade smiled, nervous but flattered. "Why couldn't you be more like your friend?" she asked with a chuckle.

Megabyte ignored the question as Chuck unlocked his door. Jade walked past them into the room. Megabyte was about to follow when Chuck placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "That's the kid?" he asked, removing his glasses. "And you said *no*?" Chuck was incredulous as he wiped the lenses on his shirt. Holding his glasses out to Megabyte, he added, "I think you need these more than I do."

Megabyte was about to respond when something over Chuck's shoulder caught his attention. Or rather, *someone* grabbed his attention and refused to release it. She was a rather beautiful young woman, probably about sixteen, with long dark blonde hair, dressed in a black leather jacket, matching mini skirt, white top, and almost knee length boots. Megabyte sighed, and tried to regain his composure. "You didn't tell me there was a goddess on your field trip."

Chuck looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, she is kinda cute, isn't she?"

"*Kinda*?"

Maybe he asked that question too loudly, because she instantly looked over towards him. For a moment, she stared at him intently.

"What's going on?" Jade asked, joining them in the doorway. She followed Megabyte's gaze, and watched the girl into her room. Jade looked back at Megabyte, and groaned slightly.

Megabyte smiled. It was going to be a good two weeks.

Adam Newman browsed through the contents of the bookshelf thoroughly, muttering to himself. "'The Biography of Edward R. Murrow'? No. 'Investigative Reporting Made Easy'? No." He shook his head.

Adam was a man on a mission. Lucy Allen's birthday was a week away, and he had not been having a lot of luck in finding that perfect gift. He wanted it to be something that she would like, yet it also had to have a personal touch. Let's check the next shelf, he thought.

As he turned the corner, he was tackled by a stack of books. As he hit the ground, he could tell that the stack of books had been carried by a young girl. She had long red hair, large open eyes, and was kind of cute, in a shy, mousy sort of way. Getting to his feet, Adam walked over to her. "You okay?" the Australian asked.

"I'm..." the girl began, but suddenly stopped when she looked up at him. "Gorgeous," she concluded, almost as a sigh, and then hurriedly began to correct herself. "No, no, I mean You're gorgeous. Er, no, um, I mean... Would it just be easier if I dropped dead now?"

Adam laughed in spite of himself. "No, I think it'd be easier if we just started over." he smiled, very warmly. "I'll even make it easier for you. Hi, I'm Adam Newman. And you are?"

The girl still struggled to speak for a second, and then finally answered, "Willow. Willow Rosenberg."

"Lovely name," Adam said, helping her pick up her books. "So, what brings you to London?" he asked, trying to get her to relax a bit.

"School field trip," she replied succinctly, almost running the words together.

There was a long silence as Willow looked at her books, her shoes, and around the store. Finally, she spoke. "So, have you lived here all your life?"

Adam chuckled. "Actually, I've lived most of my life in Australia."

"Ah," Willow said. "That's a good reason to have an Australian accent." She looked more nervous than Adam had previously thought humanly possible. "I need to... go... now, so... see you later." She began to rush off towards the street. "Thanks for bumping into me," she called back to him.

Adam smiled. "Hope you enjoy London," he said softly.

****

Jessica Turlington pulled back the covers of the queen sized hotel bed. It was relatively early, but flying always gave her jet lag. Having to deal with the oh-so-holier-than-thou Cult of Cordelia Chase on the way to the hotel had not made things any easier. Turning off the bedside light, she collapsed onto the mattress, closing her eyes with great joy.

Unfortunately, she could not close her ears. Both the noise from the heater and the television in the next room kept her awake. Soon, that was joined by a metalic rustling noise. She turned onto her side, aggravated. "Would somebody please rescue me from all this?" she wailed with a touch of both futility and sarcasm.

She got her wish. Her senses were assaulted as a cloth pad was pressed over her nose and mouth. She flailed uselessly for a few seconds before finally succumbing to unconsciousness.

****

Xander Harris regarded the gloomy London morning sky and the rain soaked streets with disdain. "Sunnydale's got nothing on this tropical paradise," he mumbled sarcastically.

Buffy Summers gave a slight wry smile. "Suddenly, the personality of our friendly neighborhood librarian is much easier to understand."

She, Xander, and Willow were gaining their first experience with English cuisine at a street side cafe. At least, she and Xander were gaining their first experiences. Willow had barely touched her plate. Buffy tracked Willow's eyes as they continuously moved from the plate to the bookstore across the street, and then back again. "Willow?" Buffy asked, causing her to jump slightly. "I can get you something from across the street, but I think what's in front of you might be more edible."

"That makes one of us," Xander scoffed, chewing on a sausage with difficulty.

"You've been kinda spaced since last night," Buffy said with concern. "What happened last night at the bookstore?"

Willow sighed, her eyes looking in no discernible direction. "I just found a god," she said distantly. Immediately, she became aware of what had just come out of her mouth. "No, um, a good book!" she corrected herself hastily.

Buffy suppressed a laugh as Xander placed an arm around Willow's shoulder. "Way to go, Willow!" he said with admiration. "One night in London and you've already bagged one. Mothers of London, lock up your sons!"

Willow blushed as Buffy leaning across the table. "Okay, Will," she said conspiratorially, "it's time for some quality girl talk. I want names, places, vital stats, and general hubba factor."

Before Willow could answer, Buffy noticed a tall man with light brown hair standing behind her, dressed in a gray suit, tie, and wire framed glasses. "Glad you could join us," Buffy said brightly. "Now go away. Willow's got some dirt to dish."

Rupert Giles ignored her, and joined them at the table. "Good morning, Miss Summers," he said softly and calmly. "I would have been here sooner, but I just left the police station."

Buffy frowned. "Police station?" she asked. "Is there anything about your decision to relocate to America that you'd like to share with us?"

"A girl from our field trip was kidnapped last night."

"What?" Willow asked in shock, her senses now fully returned to the here and now.

"Please say it was Cordelia," Xander prayed aloud, and then noticed that his three friends were staring at him disapprovingly. "What?"

"The girl's name was Jessica Turlington," Giles elaborated. "She was last seen around 8:30 last night entering her room, and she was discovered missing by the maids this morning."

"That's a fairly large window of opportunity," said Willow.

The wheels were turning in Buffy's mind. "Did you say 8:30?" she asked Giles.

"About 8:30," he replied. "Why?"

"About that time, I got a bad case of the wig from this boy going into Chuck's room."

"You think you know who did it?" Xander asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. He wasn't giving off normal vibes. He's not a vampire, but I'm sure he's not exactly the All-American kid."

"That's very likely," Willow said, "considering we're in England."

Giles considered for a moment. "You might have something there, Buffy," he said evenly. "The slayer is by nature a rather intuitive creature, but there are no hallmarks of anything supernatural."

"So it could just be a standard kidnapping?" asked Willow.

Giles nodded.

Xander stood up. "Well, there's one thing I know," he said. the others looked at him intently. "Supernatural or not, if this girl isn't found, Principal Snyder is going to make the rest of this school year a living hell."

Buffy shuddered. "Agreed. Let's go."

****

As she regained consciousness, Jessica Turlington wished that someone would make the room stop spinning. She paused, and then tried to get up. The resulting nausea caused her to collapse back onto the cot. "Well, it worked the last time," she said to herself.

She could hear the cell door opening. Looking up, she saw a raven-haired man. Unfortunately, the aftereffects of being drugged were still playing havoc with her senses, and she could not make out any other details. "Who are you?" she asked.

His laugh sent chills down her spine. "I am the tool by which this planet shall be saved," he said, calmly but pompously.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Oh, great," she muttered. "I've been kidnapped by a nutcase who thinks he's the Second Coming." Despite her circumstances, she allowed herself to smile. "It's nice to know your kind isn't isolated to America."

His reaction confused her. She had just insulted him, and he laughed again. Out of amusement. "They're always skeptical," he mused. "But you'll learn." his voice lacked menace. It was surprisingly peaceful. "I'm sorry that you'll have to die," he continued, still sincere, "but it is necessary for the Screaming Ones to return and purify this world."

With that, he left the cell. Jessica was surprised. Despite the lunacy of his story, she found that she believed every word.

****

Buffy, Willow, and Xander returned to the hotel, intent on discovering answers. "I want to have a little talk with Chuck," Buffy said, heading towards the elevator.

Xander nodded. "I guess we'll handle the front desk."

Willow watched Buffy depart. "Do you think the desk clerk will tell us anything?"

Xander shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just say you weren't the only one who noticed anything exceptional last night."

Willow looked away from him, embarrassed.

When they reached the front desk, they found the clerk with his back to them, returning keys to their proper places. Xander tapped the bell lightly. The clerk turned, and smiled warmly. "Can I help you?'

Willow nodded. "Did you notice anything odd last night?'

"Right," Xander tacked on, "like maybe someone walking out of here with a teenage girl slung over his shoulder?"

The clerk frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than I told the police earlier. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary last night."

Willow suddenly heard a slightly familiar voice in the background. "I'll catch up with you in a moment, Megabyte," it said. "There's someone I want to say hi to first."

Willow looked over her shoulder, and saw Adam parting company with an orange haired teenage boy. She turned away and looked at her companion. "Xander," she said softly and with restraint, "if you've ever loved me, you will hide me in a place that only you and Buffy will ever find right now."

Xander looked worried. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It's him!" she whispered urgently.

"Who?"

"He who turned my body to jell-o just by looking at me last night. Hide me! *Help*!"

"Hi, Willow!"

Too late. She and Xander turned around to greet him. She was very grateful for Xander's presence. First, he provided a bit of a comfort zone. Xander was something familiar in this foreign country. Second, she might need him to carry her back to her room, considering the effect Adam had on her last night. "Oh, um, hi, Adam," she said with slightly more confidence than the night before.

Adam offered his hand to Xander. "And you are?" he asked him.

Willow cut in before Xander could answer. "Oh, he's no one!" she blurted out, causing both Adam and Xander to look at her in surprise. "Well," she continued, trying to amend things, "obviously he's someone, or else he wouldn't be standing here."

Well, that was a good save, she thought.

"But he's not a boyfriend or anything!" she hastily added.

Willow began to mentally kick herself. that wasn't the most transparent thing ever said, was it? What was worse was that she could not read Xander's thoughts from his facial expressions. He seemed more hurt and confused than she would have expected. What was he thinking?

"So, this is where you're staying?" Adam asked, trying to change the subject.

"Room 416," she replied.

Not yes, not correct, but the room number. Wonderful!

Adam smiled. "I'll remember that," he said. "I've got a friend who has a friend on this trip, so I might be here a lot."

Willow could not have been happier due to those words. Xander could have.

****

"So, Chuck," Buffy said when he answered the door, "who's your friend?"

Chuck was taken aback slightly, but still invited her in. "You mean Megabyte?"

"Is he the one with the orange hair?"

Chuck nodded.

"Then I mean Megabyte," she said. Mentally, she could not resist adding, if that is his real name. "How long have you known him?'

Chuck ran a hand through his hair. "Since we were in diapers, basically."

Buffy turned away slightly. "Okay, that is a mental image I'm not sure I needed."

Chuck smirked. "If I may ask, why are you so interested in my friend?"

Buffy chose her next words carefully. "He just seemed somewhat... unusual."

Chuck nodded. "He *is* an unusual guy, to say the least."

"Who's an unusual guy?" Megabyte asked from the doorway.

Buffy looked at him and smiled sweetly. "Just the person I wanted to see," she said. "Can I steal you from Chuck for a moment?"

"Sure!" Megabyte said eagerly. As she walked past him, he mouthed two words at Chuck:

Thank you.

****

Johann Jaeger was not pleased by what he had learned. He made his way to the inner sanctum, where a dark haired figure was reading quietly. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Horace," he said politely, "but some disturbing news has come to light."

Horace Carmichael looked up from his book, unalarmed. "Yes?"

"We've received a report from Mr. Brunson that our activities are being investigated by amateurs as well as the police."

Horace put the book down. "Such a pity," he said sadly. "The police we can count on to be incompetent. I'm afraid these investigators should be neutralized."

****

Megabyte and Buffy were walking very slowly down the hall. After a moment, Buffy decided on the direct approach. "Do you know anything about what happened last night?"

Megabyte was confused. "Um, I saw you, you saw me, then went into your room?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I mean about the kidnapping."

Megabyte seemed none the wiser. "What kidnapping?"

Buffy frowned. He was not behaving like a guilty man. Something still did not feel right about him, though. "The one involving a girl on this trip."

Megabyte stopped in his tracks. "Wait a second," he said. "You don't think..."

He cut himself short when ha noticed four masked figures dressed in dark blue enter the hallway. "Your efforts threaten the Screaming Ones," one of them announced calmly. "You have therefore forefitted your lives."

The masked figures now had Megabyte and Buffy completely surrounded. Even if he telepathically called for help, there was no guarantee that the calvary would arrive in time. There were no other options. He started to place a hand on Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy shrugged it off. "It's okay," she whispered. "I can handle this." She stepped forward, smiling a deceptively sweet smile. "Let's see, I've beaten vampires, witches, a giant preying mantis, hyena possessed humans, demons, and an invisible girl. Something tells me that an overglorified pack of Smurfs shouldn't be a problem."

The figures charged Buffy, and Megabyte took the opportunity to duck into a corner. He was no use to her in a fight, and he realized it. He decided that if things got too bad, he would do his best to get her out of there.

To his surprise, she was doing a number on her attackers. Still, four against one were not good odds. [Hey, buddy.] Megabyte thought to Adam. [There's a party up here on the fourth floor. Wanna come?]

****

Willow noticed Adam's face cloud with concern. Uneasily, he started to back away from her. "Look," he said, somewhat distantly, "my friend's waiting for me. I'll see you later."

Willow smiled. "Bye!" she called out as he turned a corner, hoping that she had not scared him away forever.

"Well, that was fun," Xander said, clearly unamused. "I guess I'll just go up to my non-existent room, and lie down on my non-existent bed like the nobody that I am."

Willow followed him to the elevator, not saying a word, not being able to think of any words to say. She realized that she had probably hurt him very badly by the way she behaved. She felt bad, but at the same time, she knew that she really had no reason to. For three years, she had been the one with the crush, waiting for him to notice her. Four months ago, when Buffy arrived, she had been devastated by his developing feelings for her. Now, for the second time since then, she had met someone who made her realize that life would continue, even if Xander never made a move towards her. She could not pass up every opportunity in the hopes that tomorrow Xander would realize he loved her to.

Adam Newman watched them from behind a potted tree as they entered the elevator, before he vanished...

****

...and rematerialized a short distance away from what must have been the party Megabyte had alluded to.

Two men in blue were lying on the ground, slowly getting to their feet. Another man in blue had a teenage girl trapped in a bear hug. The only other figure standing had just received a violent kick to the stomach for his troubles. "Feel free to join in whenever the spirit hits you," she shouted in Megabyte's direction.

Adam figured surprise might be their best weapon at this point. "Hey!" he called out, startling the attackers.

At that moment, Willow and Xander stepped out of the elevator. The odds had changed, and Buffy's attackers did not like it one bit. The darted past the confused Willow and Xander, in hopes of making their escape.

Buffy was about to follow them, but then she wheeled around towards Adam, confused. "You, too?" she asked, herself more than him. "I'm getting the same vibes from you as I got from your friend." She was completely baffled now. "Okay, you've convinced me you're not involved," she told them, "but just what are you?"

****

Within minutes, everyone was gathered in Giles' room. Jade had joined her friends, and they were attempting to explain their nature.

"We're what you might call the next stage of human evolution," Adam told them. "We're basically just like you, except we have a few abilities that you don't."

"Like what?" Willow asked, completely enthralled.

Adam shrugged. "Teleportation, limited telepathy, a few others."

"What number am I thinking of?" Xander asked confrontationally. Unless Adam was mistaken, there was a twinge of jealousy in his voice.

Adam shook his head. "It only works with our own kind."

Xander laughed. "Yeah, that's what the last two dozen said." He looked at his friends, the picture of skepticism. "I'm sorry, but I'm not buying."

Jade smiled with amusement, and then promptly disappeared right in front of him. Xander looked around, in shock. He felt a disturbance behind him as the girl rematerialized. "You were saying?" she asked.

Megabyte could not help but laugh as Xander backtracked. "Okay, okay, I'm buying. And yes, I'll have the fries."

Giles had been listening with great interest. "Of course! I've read accounts of youths developing abilities like yours dating back to ancient Egypt, continuing through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and even up to twenty years ago with 'The Jameson Files'. It's quite fascinating."

Buffy frowned. "Unfortunately, it doesn't bring us any closer to what's going on at this hotel."

****

Horace Carmichael smiled as his subjects returned to the fold. The smile faded, though, as he noticed the dejected looks on their faces. "You didn't succeed," he said with icy calm.

Johann shook his head. "The girl was supernaturally strong," he said matter-of-factly, not attempting to make excuses. "And there were more of them than we were told."

Horace turned away from them. "Supernaturally strong, you say? Female?" A thought occurred to him, and he turned back. "A teenager, by any chance?"

Johann nodded. "How did you know?"

Horace's eyes displayed the fear that his voice disguised. "My friends, we've crossed paths with a slayer."

Johann mirrored his leader's concern and concealment. "A slayer?"

Horace nodded. "We must be very careful," he said. "The return of the Screaming Ones is almost upon us. Nothing must be allowed to endanger it."

****

Willow was used to having an audience when conducting her hacking, but never one this large. Giles had left, to perform some of his duties as a field trip chapperone, but the others were all gathered behind her. She was beginning to feel a little bit claustrophobic. "I've pulled everything on Jessica that's accessible by computer," she said.

"Anything?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head. "Varsity cheerleader, homeroom rep, perfect attendance in fourth grade, but that's it."

Xander punched the air, mocking a standard mannerism of Buffy's librarian watcher. "Of course! Someone's taking that SGA election personally."

Buffy looked at him reproachfully, glaring at him for the rest of the group. Xander walked away from the computer in a huff.

"Here's something of interest," Giles said as he entered the room. The group gravitated towards him, except for Xander, who remained off in a corner. Willow watched him, feeling sorrier for him with each passing second.

"Some information about Jessica?" Adam asked.

Giles adjusted his glasses. "Not exactly about her, no. But we now know that she's not the only one."

He placed a copy of the morning edition of "The Reporter" on the table. A headline on the front page had been underlined:

"American Tourist Found Missing"

Buffy picked up the paper and began to read. "It says here that she's the fifth disappearance in the last week, all teenagers. No bodies have been found, no ransom demands made."

Megabyte frowned. "So we're dealing with some sort of serial kidnapper?"

"There's a problem with that," Adam replied, running a hand through his hair. "Serial criminals tend to be singular, loners. We were attacked by a group."

"Agreed," said Giles. "No, judging by the similarity of their attire, and what they said to you, it seems more likely that we're dealing with some sort of cult."

Willow frowned. "But what would they want with a teenage girl like Jessica?"

Buffy gave a preemptive stare in Xander's direction, and he remained silent.

"The same thing that most cults would want with young abductees," Giles replied, trying not to vocalize his suspicions.

Xander could no longer resist. "You mean, dinner and a movie, followed by a nightcap?"

Again, the assembled were not amused. "No," Giles replied, "I mean human sacrifice."

Jade grimaced, repulsed. "Does that still happen?"

Giles frowned. "Only in very rare instances. An inconspicuous humans sacrifice has become very difficult in the twentieth century. Either our cultists are completely mad, and have no concern for the consequences of their actions, or the roots of this cult are very old. In the case of the latter, then it's very likely that the basis of this cult has some substance."

****

Jessica was putting up quite a struggle as she was being taken to her sacrifice. She had forced her two light-haired escorts to essentially drag her down the corridor. Still, they were being surprisingly gentle.

She struggled even more as she was carried up the stairway. "I'm sorry, but this is necessary," one of them said, and then pushed her down onto the platform.

By the time she got back to her feet, the steps were being removed. She was trapped.

She looked around frantically, fighting to retain her balance as severe winds buffeted her. Her eyes widened as a purple rift opened before her, and swallowed her whole.

Horace smiled, soaking in the energy produced by the sacrifice. "One more," he whispered.

****

"So we know it's a cult," Adam said as he began to pace around Giles' room. "Is that it?"

"I'm afraid so," Giles replied. "Without a better knowledge of the cult, their motives could be anything."

Jade was sitting next to Willow, still disturbed by the possible involvement of human sacrifice. "All we know is that they want teenagers..." Her voice trailed off, and she jumped to her feet excitedly. "Teenagers!" she repeated.

"Congratulations," Xander remarked sarcastically. "You've obviously added a new word to your vocabulary."

Willow was now rapidly *losing* sympathy for her friend. Being hurt was one thing. Lashing out at her or Adam could be understood, even if unjustified. But Jade had done nothing to him. She was not even a factor in his concerns. Willow shot him a meaningful look. Catching her expression, he walked away again, looking truly regretful for the insult.

"No, she's on to something," Buffy said, realizing Jade's meaning. "The smurfs on acid want teenagers, right? Well, what is this hotel currently loaded with? Particularly on the fourth floor?"

"A freshly imported batch of American offerings," Megabyte answered her, starting for the door. "And one of them's my friend."

Adam cut him off. "Hold on, Megabyte. We need some sort of plan first."

Megabyte did not want to stay put. "Adam, one of my closest friends is in jeopardy. Do you think I want to stay here talking strategy?"

"Adam's right," Willow said, walking towards him. "We've all got friends on this trip. Some of them are us."

Buffy nodded. "If we're going to be of any use to them, we need to have an idea of what we're doing."

Xander joined in on the conversation. "Well, here's my suggestion. Some of us cover the front door, some the hall, and to satisfy pumpkin head, some Chuck's room. But of course, that's what I think, so no one's going to listen." Try though he might, he was unable to keep the resentment he was feeling towards the new kids out of his voice.

The reaction his suggestion got was not at all what he expected. Instead of ignoring him, Buffy smiled. "You heard the man," she said to others. "Let's jet."

****

The hotel desk clerk was watching the front door with interest. It was not often that two attractive teenage girls stationed themselves as lookouts. Something weird was going on.

"Hey, Dan," a jovial voice said, causing him to turn around. His replacement had arrived, not a moment too soon. "Change-over time. Get some sleep, mate."

Smiling knowingly, Daniel Brunson left the front desk.

****

Jade and Buffy had drawn the assignment of guarding the front door. Buffy was there for her instinctiveness, while Jade was there to keep her as much out of trouble as possible.

Jade examined her partner closely, looking for answers. They were about the same height and build. Buffy may have been slimmer, but only marginally if at all. Their hair color was about the same. Why, then, was Megabyte attracted to one of them and not the other?

[Anything, Jade?] she heard Adam's voice ask her in her mind. He and Willow were up on the fourth floor, keeping watch over the hallway for signs of anything suspicious.

[Apart from Pom Pom Slayer Girl?] she asked.

[Be nice, Jade.] Adam replied, mildly reproachful, but also sympathetic. [She's someone who's highly attractive that he's just met. Give him time, and it'll wear off.] Jade knew he was right. She'd been quite nice and friendly, really, and did not seem either to be aware of Megabyte's crush or to reciprocate it.

Adam slipped out of parent mode. [Anything weird happening down there?]

Jade frowned. [Not a thing.]

****

Megabyte looked at Xander in annoyance. Considering the mood the boy from Sunnydale was in, no one else wanted to be paired with him. But on top of everything else, Megabyte was learning that Xander had one more annoying quality.

Xander snored. Very loudly. He could overlook Chuck's snoring, since they had been life-long friends. But when it came to someone who had spent the entire day behaving in a manner that made Megabyte want to strangle him, loud snoring did not help.

Xander's snoring also prevented Megabyte from noticing the door open slowly. He did not notice the silent footsteps as two figures approached him. He did, however, feel something quite heavy smash into his skull. He collapsed, knocked cold.

****

"Agh!"

Willow looked at Adam with worry as he clutched his head in pain. "Are you okay?" she asked, startled by his sudden injury.

Adam nodded with difficulty. "Wait here," he told her, starting off down the corridor in a rush. "I'm going to go check Chuck's room."

He had not even taken two steps before he sensed Jade's summons. [Adam, did you...]

[Yeah, I'm on my way to check on Megabyte now.] he replied. [Stay put, though. They may have gotten Megabyte. They don't need to get you, too.]

****

Buffy looked at jade quizzically. "Was that you just having a little mental pow-wow with your friends?" she asked with interest.

Jade nodded. "I think Megabyte's in trouble."

Buffy's interest was replaced by her concern. "What does Adam say?"

Jade rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What he always says: stay put!"

"And do you always listen to him?" Buffy asked hesitantly, not knowing Jade well enough to anticipate the answer.

Jade grinned impishly. "Hardly ever, actually."

Buffy returned the grin. "Cool, 'cause I didn't plan to, either. Come on!"

****

When Adam turned the corner, he saw two men carrying an unconscious Chuck Holland out of his room. To his surprise, Adam instantly recognized one of the men as the desk clerk. The other, an overweight man with long blonde hair and a blotchy completion, was completely unfamiliar.

When they saw Adam, they turned around. Their retreat was cut off, however, when Buffy and Jade entered the hall from the other direction. Despite his instructions to the contrary, Adam was pleased that they had chosen to join him on the fourth floor. Their arrival decreased the chances of the kidnappers making a successful getaway.

Dan's companion nodded to him. Dropping the boy, he charged at Adam. Dan turned to face the two girls standing in his way.

Buffy scowled in mock contemplation. "Let's see. There's two of us, and one of you." She examined him with a slight look of disdain. "And let's face it, you are hardly prime starting halfback material. Why don't you just make it easier on yourself and come quietly?"

Dan shook his head. He was not going to surrender and fail in his duty. Buffy pouted slightly, adopting a fighting posture. "You can't say I didn't offer."

"What's going on out here?" a groggy Xander asked, walking out of Chuck's room directly in between Dan and Buffy. Taking advantage of the situation, Dan violently shoved the drowsy teenager into Buffy and Jade, and the trio tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Dan smiled, slinging Chuck over his shoulder as he spoke. "I do have great blocking, though, don't I?"

By the time Buffy was able to extricate herself and get to her feet, Dan was in the elevator, home free. Cursing, she turned to look for Adam.

Buffy was surprised to see that Adam was not making an offensive, and seemed merely content to dodge and block the man's punches. One finally got through, and Adam stumbled backward. The man was about to press his advantage, but was surprised by the finger that tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me," a charming, youthful voice said. He turned.

He never saw what hit him.

****

Horace Carmichael had spent most of the evening examining the sacred text with great interest. The youth that would be sacrificed tomorrow would complete the mission that he and his followers had undertaken. He had to ensure that no mistakes would be made.

The door to the study opened, and Daniel Brunson entered, still carrying Chuck Holland over his shoulder. "Congratulations, Daniel," Horace said, before becoming aware that something was wrong. "Where is Mr. Jaeger?"

Dan looked down, and with deep sorrow, replied, "Johann sacrificed his freedom so that I could secure the final offering."

Horace smiled, clearly moved. "What a noble gesture," he said with genuine sincerity. "Now, it is up to us to make sure that it is not wasted."

****

When Johann Jaeger regained consciousness, he was blinded by sunlight. It was now morning, and he had no idea of where he was. He soon became aware, though, that wherever he was, he was tied to a chair, surrounded by seven people who did not seem pleased to see him. The adult of the group was the first to speak. "I think our guest is awake now."

The boy that he had knocked unconscious looked at him with anger. "Great, because I want answers."

Johann smiled disturbingly. "I'm not going to tell you anything," he said calmly, "nor can you make me. I noticed last night that your friend there," he indicated Adam, "could only defend himself."

It was times like this when Megabyte hated his powers. Sitting before him, boldly defiant, was the man who had placed the life of one of his oldest friends in danger, and all he could do was glare at him. Deep down, Megabyte knew that even if he could lash out like he wanted to, it would not help matters one bit. Still, that did not make the situation any less frustrating.

The blonde American girl circled his chair. "Maybe he can't, but I can," she said coldly, leaning over the back of the chair. "Now look," she whispered into his ear, "I don't want this to get messy, but I've got a very nice collection of wooden stakes that I'm quite proud of, and unless you want the chance to become intimately familiar with them, I suggest you talk."

"Do what you want with me," he said confidently. "It will not affect the return of the Screaming Ones."

Giles backed away from the chair, clearly disturbed. "My word," he gasped, almost inaudibly.

Buffy was suddenly scared. "Okay," she said to herself, "we're confronting something that definitely sounds supernatural, and Giles isn't jumping up and down screaming 'Yippee!' That doesn't sound too good."

"It's not," said Jade.

Her peers looked at her in bewilderment. Giles, however, seemed genuinely impressed with the young girl's understanding of the situation. "Oh great," Buffy muttered under her breath, "someone *else* sent away for the Time-Life series."

Xander approached her, trying his best to sound official. "Okay, you clearly seem to possess some knowledge about what's going on here. I must therefore warn you that you are dangerously close to being in breech of contract with the Union of Watchers. Explanations are Giles' domain."

Giles lifted his eyes upward, before imparting his wisdom to his companions. "The Screaming Ones were the objects of worship for a tribal culture that predated the Celts on this island by several centuries. The ancient texts tell of hideous monsters the emerged from tears in the very air itself. Once here, they entered the minds of all those they came into contact with, feeding on the sheer terror that they caused."

"I seem to have this weird sense of deja vu," Buffy sighed, remembering all too clearly the chaos caused in her life when Billy Palmer crossed over from the astral world into the corporeal, forcing everyone to live out there worst nightmares.

Giles continued. "Legend speaks of a time when the Screaming Ones shall return to reclaim this earth, after being offered the lifeforces of six youths."

"Why youths?" Adam asked.

"Once hitting puberty, the younger a person is, the stronger their lifeforce and psionic potential," Giles replied.

Suddenly, Willow's mind latched on to something Giles had said. "Oh my God! Six youths? Jessica was the fifth..."

Adam turned towards Johann in alarm, finishing her sentence for her. "So Chuck is the last one."

Xander was not happy. "You know, I thought this was going to be a chance to relax, kick back, and enjoy a vacation away from home sweet hellmouth." He looked at Giles. "Do these things follow you or something?"

Giles ignored him, and turned back to Johann. "Where is the ceremony to take place?"

Johann remained silent.

Buffy looked over at the computer. "This sounds like a job for Super Willow."

****

Chuck Holland regained consciousness in a dingy, cramped room. It was certainly not an improvement on the comfy, three-star hotel room in which he had lost consciousness. He looked around the room. "It can't be good," he told himself, "when they downgrade your accommodations in the middle of the night."

"On the contrary," a friendly voice replied from outside the door, "it is a wonderful thing that you are about to do."

Chuck shook his head. "I'm not sure I agree with you there," he said. "The last room at least had television and air conditioning."

Horace laughed. "This inconvenience won't last much longer." His voice took on a regretful tone. "I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but you have an hour left to live."

Chuck swallowed nervously. "Oh, that's okay," he said. "I don't watch that much TV anyway."

****

"Got it!" Willow exclaimed.

The local council's computer system had been surprisingly easy to decrypt. With hardly any difficulty, Willow had managed to call up a map of London from the mainframe of the local planning commission. "Now what am I looking for?"

Adam was looking closely over her shoulder, which Willow did not mind at all. "Our best bet is someplace large, relatively isolated, and disused."

Willow nodded, and entered the locations of the abductions into the computer. Her colleagues studied the map closely. "There!" Buffy almost shouted. "That warehouse. It's within the search radius and it's condemned. Prime target."

Giles hastily slipped on his jacket. "Let's go, everyone. We haven't a moment to lose."

As the kids from Sunnydale hurriedly prepared to leave, Jade spoke up behind them. "Um, guys?"

Buffy and her friends turned, and noticed that she, Adam, and Megabyte had not moved. Jade looked at them in amusement. "No need to rush."

****

When Buffy Summers rematerialized, she staggered slightly. Having every molecule in her body dispersed, and the immediately gathered back together again miles away from her previous location was, to say the least, a unique experience. Her legs felt a bit wobbly at first, and her stomach as if she had just stepped off a rollercoaster. Slowly, she began to feel her old self. I guess you get used to it, she thought.

Megabyte peered around the corner, and saw his friend standing paralyzed in the center of the platform, and the beginnings of a purple vortex forming in front of him. He turned back towards his friends. "Guys, I'm going for it," he said, and then vanished.

Buffy noticed Adam tense, preparing to go after him. Forgetting who she was dealing with, she grabbed his hand in an attempt to stop him. For the second time in as many minutes, she disappeared.

Megabyte materialized on the platform moments before Adam and Buffy. Chuck's look of surprise at his friend's arrival was replaced by panic as he fell from the platform, which was not large enough to hold the four of them.

In the wake of the confusion on the platform, Adam and Megabyte both were distracted for a fraction of a second. It was enough. Three snake-like strands of energy wrapped around the teenagers, and pulled them out of existence.

Horace laughed. "This is even better than I expected," he shouted ecstatically. "Now, the Screaming Ones shall return more powerful than ever!"

****

Xander Harris could not believe what he had just seen. Ripped out of existence before his very eyes had been an American teenage boy, one of his best friends, and someone who in a very short time had grown to be very important to the closest human being to him alive. Something inside his mind snapped, and he bolted from his cover, tackling the apparent leader of the cult.

With an ungodly screech, the vortex began to close in on itself. The cultists looked on in disbelief as the portal slowly imploded.

Breaking away from Xander's grasp, Horace raced out of the chamber. As Giles and Willow ran after him, Jade darted over to Chuck Holland, who was lying motionless on the ground next to the platform. Kneeling beside him, she lifted his head onto her lap. That was what she had always seen on television and in the movies. Slowly, he opened his eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He smiled weakly, and with a distant voice replied, "What could be wrong, now that an angel has come for me?"

"You're okay," Jade chuckled, getting back to her feet. She looked around the room, and saw that the robed figures were scurrying for any available exits. She walked over to Xander. "Where'd your friends go?" she asked.

"I think they went after Papa Smurf."

****

When Giles and Willow reached the makeshift study, they saw Horace Carmichael standing next to the incinerator that served as a fireplace, smiling triumphantly. "The Holy Book is now ash," he said. "Now, thanks to your friends, the Screaming Ones have enough strength to open the portals on their own." He was beginning to laugh. "Your friends are gone, and you have lost. Very soon, this world will be pure again."

Xander and Jade entered the room. "What are we going to do with him?" Xander asked, glaring at Horace with contempt.

Giles turned away from Horace, looking totally lost. "Hand him over to the authorities, I suppose. That's all we can do."

Willow looked up at Giles sympathetically. In all the time she had known him, he had never seemed this disspirited. "Do you think Buffy and Adam will be all right?"

"And Megabyte?" Jade tacked on.

Giles was avoiding direct eye contact with any of them. "Well, the trip through the portal itself wouldn't have killed them," he replied. "It's what's waiting for them on the other side that worries me."

****

Megabyte hoped that someone had gotten the licence plate of the cruise ship that had to have slammed into him as he opened his eyes. At first, the only thing that seemed unusual was that he was in a cave. It appeared to be illuminated in a strange form, but that simply could have been due to the time of day. When Megabyte reached the mouth of the cave, though, that explanation ceased to be satisfactory.

The sky was not supposed to be lavender in the middle of the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, and seemed slightly smaller than the one he was used to, and also had an entirely out of place blue tint to it. He pinched his arm, and winced. This was real.

"Welcome to the new world," and unfamiliar feminine voice said.

Megabyte turned, and was confronted by a human shape. She was slightly tall, and average build. Her dark hair was medium length, her eyes a deep brown, and her nose slightly upturned. He turned back towards the cave opening, and surveyed the desolate landscape. "I prefer the earlier model," he muttered.

The girl laughed, offering her hand. "I'll drink to that! I'm Jessica, and you must be the newest sacrificial offering."

"Megabyte has a better ring to it, though," he replied, and then realized what she had said. "Jessica Turlington? You're the girl we've been trying to rescue!"

She smiled. "And I ended up doing the rescuing. How ironic."

Megabyte looked around the cave. "Where are Adam and Buffy?"

Jessica shook her head. "I didn't have time to get them clear before one of those things came by."

"How did you escape?"

She shrugged. "Blind luck? I just woke up before one of them got me."

"Do you know where they were taken?"

Jessica stared at him, hoping he was not suggesting what she was afraid he might be. "Don't tell me you want to raid the place."

Megabyte indicated the landscape outside. "Look closely," he said. "If the Screaming Ones feed on Adam and Buffy, that's what *our* world is going to look like."

****

Giles looked over Jade's shoulder proudly as she scanned through his books of the occult. He had been quite impressed with the girl's open mind and knowledge of things supernatural. Oh, for a slayer with such traits, he thought.

Willow's tapping at her keyboard grew increasingly louder as she continuously met with no results. She was beginning to understand Xander's perpetual sense of futility. Normally when she was in this situation, the stakes were not this high. And when her computer skills had been required to save a life, it had always been someone faceless. Yes, she cared whether they lived or died, but not as much as she did in this instance.

Xander opened the door slowly, mumbling in frustration, "Become a slayer's sidekick, nurse the sick and injured."

Jade looked up from her research. "How's Chuck?"

"Oh, marvelous," he replied. "Should be running marathons again tomorrow."

Giles sighed deeply, walking over to the telephone. "As much as I hate to do this, there seems only one option left open to us." Picking up the receiver, he was silent for a moment.

"Operator," he said finally, "I want to place a trans-atlantic call..."

****

Normally, when in the middle of a hot, relaxing bath, Jenny Calender would have just let the phone ring. Her instincts, though, told her this was serious. Grabbing her robe, she made her way to the phone.

If she had not been able to recognize the distinctive voice on the other end, the unmistakable sound of Xander's sniggering gave it away. "Rupert, how are things back in your domain? The serfs aren't getting you down, I trust?"

His voice was more agitated than usual. "Much as I enjoy our usual banter, this isn't the time. Buffy's life is in danger, and in order to have any chance at saving it, I need to know the ritual for summoning the Screaming Ones." His tone took on a grave insistence. "You are my last hope, and hers."

She knew very well that Giles did not overstate matters. "I'll see what I can do."

****

Hearing was the first sense to return to Adam as he lay unconscious. He could hear familiar voices whispering in concerned tones. As his sense of smell came back to him, he noticed the aroma of caffeine and heard a very welcome voice. "Okay, who wants coffee?"

Opening his eyes, he realized that he was in a hospital room. Examining the area for answers, his gaze locked on the young, dark haired girl that was handing plastic cups to Megabyte and Jade, both of whom seemed exhausted. "Lucy?" Adam asked, almost a gasp.

Jade nearly dropped her cup in shock. Turning, she smiled brightly. "Adam, you're awake!"

Megabyte placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, sipping his coffee. "We weren't sure you were going to make it, buddy."

The dark haired girl smiled. "You know, you could have just *asked* me to come back to England," Lucy Allen said.

Speaking was difficult for Adam, but he tried anyway. "How..."

"Don't worry about it," Jade cut him off soothingly, in between sips. "Buffy and her friends are safely back in the states. You're the one that got the worst of it."

Megabyte started to speak, but suddenly clutched his throat, gagging. Jade began to help him, but then doubled over herself. They both fell to the ground in agony. Lucy impassively drank her coffee.

Adam tried to get up, but found that he was still too weak. He looked at them, horrified by their predicament as well as his helplessness. "Do something!" he pleaded with Lucy.

"I already did," she replied. "Who do you think put the strychnine in their cups?" She laughed at Adam's bewilderment. "Don't worry, they'll be out of their misery... eventually."

Adam was at a complete loss to understand what was going on. Lucy leaned over him, enjoying his torment. "You do realize that this is your fault?" she asked. "You corrupt all that you touch. You turned my life upside down. Do you think I enjoyed being drugged and interrogated? Having my neighbors threatened and menaced? Having my sister's flat invaded? She won't even talk to me now!"

Adam screwed his eyes shut, but her voice remained. "First, it was your family you destroyed. But you weren't content with that. You had to bring heartache into the lives of your friends. And it's all because of you."

****

Buffy awoke with as start. Despite being in the safety of her own bed, something did not feel right about her situation. She looked at her alarm clock.

11:57 a.m.

Buffy frowned, confused. It was unlike her mother to allow her the luxury of oversleeping, particularly on a school day. Getting dressed, she made her way to her mother's room.

When she touched the doorknob, she froze. It was covered in something sticky that Buffy had felt too often before: blood. "Mom?" she called out softly, cautiously opening the door.

Joyce Summers was on the floor, dead, with two puncture wounds to her neck. Buffy ran from the house as fast as she could, knowing that she had to reach Giles. There was a vampire unbeknownst to them all, who had apparently been invited inside.

****

"Hi, Buff!" Xander said warmly as she nearly barreled him over. Looking at Willow, he added quietly, "Bye, Buff!"

Willow nodded at him, and they ran after her. "What's wrong?" Willow asked.

Buffy was holding in her pain as best she could. "Can't stop. Mom's dead. Got to talk to Giles."

"What?" Willow asked incredulously, and then looked again at Xander. Speeding up, they followed her into the library.

Buffy stopped the moment she entered, nearly causing Willow and Xander to knock her over. For the second time that morning, she was confronted by the dead body of someone she cared for. "Giles is dead, too?" she whispered, her voice cracking in anguish.

"But quite tasty."

Buffy shook her head. That voice sounded suspiciously like Willow's. She looked over her shoulder, and saw that her beloved hacker was now a demonic vampire. "Xander!" she shouted, trying to warn him.

Right in front of her, Xander's facial features distorted into the hideous image of a vampire. Buffy backed away, confused and unable to bring herself to attack her friends. "How? When?"

A new voice called out from the library's upper level. "It's like I said when we met: I didn't say I was your friend."

Buffy's legs gave out from under her as those words hit home. "No!" she cried, finally losing control. It was impossible. She could believe this from any other vampire, but not him.

Angel crouched beside her. "I really expected a greater challenge in gaining the trust of a slayer." He laughed, which used to make her spine tingle. Now, it sent chills down her spine. "But you're just a pathetic, hormone driven adolescent. You really thought I was helping you out of love?"

Buffy was shaking uncontrollably. Her world was crashing around her. Angel smiled. "Answer me this, slayer: what better way could the vampire community eliminate the slayer than to have one of them infiltrate her circle? And you, the dewy-eyed teeny bopper that you are, were only too happy to oblige and fall for it. Stupidity like that *deserves* death!"

Buffy had to agree, and she wished that that death would come now.

****

Megabyte and Jessica had been surprised that they had not encountered anything as they ventured across the wilderness, and then down into a series of caverns. Soon, though, they could hear a faint, almost electric hum.

Peeking around the corner, they saw Adam and Buffy, each secured by their wrists from the ceiling, their feet barely touching the floor.

Megabyte also saw what was the most grotesque sight he had ever witnessed. Both of the creatures that stood in front of his friends were short and bulky, with slimy orange skin. Their arms hung from their shoulders all the way to the ground, and two tentacles extended from each creature, embedding themselves into the foreheads of Adam and Buffy. "We may not have much time," Megabyte whispered to Jessica, clearly troubled.

His words were prophetic. At that moment, with a horrific scream, Adam Newman's body went limp

****

Megabyte turned to Jessica, his despiration evident on his face. "You're a cheerleader, right?"

Jessica did not understand what he was getting at. "What do you want me to do? Shout 'Rah rah' as your friends are killed?"

Megabyte grabbed her by the shoulders, almost in a panic. "No, I mean you're pretty athletic, right?"

"Yeah?"

He motioned towards the Screaming Ones. "Well, those things don't look too agile. Do you think you can draw them away from Adam and Buffy?"

Jessica shrugged. "Maybe. But how are you going to get them free and out of here? Those two can't be the only ones."

Megabyte smiled. "Trust me. I'll meet you back at the cave."

And with that, the boy vanished. Under different circumstances, she would have doubted what she had just seen. But she was on an alien planet surrounded by monsters. What was one vanishing boy compared to that?

She emerged from hiding, but the beasts did not see her. She wanted to say something witty, but nothing came to her. Then it hit her: there things don't understand English. Anything clever would be wasted on them. Instead, she opted for the unusual. "Megabyte, Megabyte, he's our man," she chanted. "If he can't do it, no one can."

The monsters turned to face heer, howling in the most blood-curdling way. Breaking into a sprint, Jessica led them out of the chamber.

Megabyte stepped out of the shadows almost directly behind Adam and Buffy. "As long as she continues to use her cheering powers for good, and not evil" he muttered, feeling at the substance that binded his friend's wrists to the ceiling. It was going to the touch, but so strong that he was unable to pull any of it away. He wrapped an arm around each of his friends, and hoped he was doing the right thing.

The three of them disappeared.

****

"It's coming through now," Willow called to her friends, monitoring the computer screen. Despite her alliegance to Giles, she did find it amusing that he was forced to rely on Miss Calender's wonderful world of digital information to save humanity.

Giles read the monitor, sighing slightly in relief. "There is a chance," he announced. "The ceremony requires four people; there are four of us. Among that four is the conduit..."

Xander frowned. "What, we need an electician?"

"Not that kind of conduit," Giles reproached him. "Someone who channels the energy created by the ceremony into forming the portal. Preferably young and full of belief."

All eyes turned towards Jade. "Something tells me I'm volunteering," she said.

Xander raised his hand. "Can I ask something? And I acknowledge that I may not want to know this in advance. But if we're too late, what's to stop the Screaming Ones from coming through nd wiping out this world before we can say, 'Whoops!'?"

"Absolutely nothing," Giles replied, less than comfortingly. "But it's the only chance we have to save our friends."

He started towards the door. "You're leaving," Willow said. "Why are you leaving?"

He looked back at them. "It's an interdimensional portal, which means that it opened on the Screaming Ones' planet in a location directly related to it's location here on Earth. We need to go back, and I don't think Jade can teleport all four of us there."

To Megabyte's relief, Buffy and Adam still had their hands when they rematerialized in the cave. He checked their pulses carefully. Buffy's seemed all right, but Adam's was almost nonexistent. Megabyte softly tapped Buffy on the cheek in hopes of reviving her. Feebly, she opened her eyes.

"Megabyte?" she asked hoarsly. "Where am I?"

"Not in Kansas anymore," he replied. "We got transported to the Screaming Ones' homeworld."

"Then Mom?" she asked hopefully. "Giles? Angel?"

"All safe," Megabyte said softly. There was something about the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes when she said that last name that disheartened him. He did not need to be able to read her mind to know that people do not look or sound like that when mentioning mere friends or pets. Still, this was not the time. "Which is more than I can say for Adam."

They moved over to him. "It's all in his head," she said. "You're telepathic. Can't you go in there and do something about it?"

Megabyte was unsure. "There's always a mind-merge, but I'm not sure if I can do that while he's unconscious."

"There's nothing to lose at this stage."

After a moment of inner debate, Megabyte nodded. "Hold his hands up for me."

Megabyte pressed his palms and fingertips to Adam's, and closed his eyes. Buffy almost let go when Megabyte stiffened in shock, and began to convulse. Had her suggestion led to his downfall as well?

Megabyte fell forward onto Adam, his eyes open wide. Buffy rolled the American off of Adam, and looked Megabyte over closely. "What happened?" she asked. "Nothing went wrong?"

Megabyte blinked, but was still staring ahead. "You don't know what he went through."

Their attention was grabbed by the flinching of Adam's arm. "Megabyte?" Adam croaked.

Both Megabyte and Buffy looked at him eagerly.

"Thank you," Adam said.

Buffy got to her feet. "Well, we're all safe. What now?"

"Jessica," Megabyte replied simply. "She's alive and well, and she's suppose to meet back up with us here."

"Good thinking, carrot top," Buffy said sincerely. "If I know my watcher, he's trying to re-establish that portal." An idea occured to her. "Wait a moment. Why can't you two just teleport us back?"

"Our powers have limits," Adam replied. "I've had a bit of experience with different dimensions and such. We're not *that* strong."

****

"The police must be done here," Giles said as they arrived at the warehouse, noticing the lack of guard over the crime scene.

They made their way to the sacrificial chamber, and after taking time to connect the portable stairs to the platform, they took up positions. Jade stood directly in front of the platform, Xander and Willow to either side, with Giles directly behind her. Giles looked at each of the others in turn. "Shall we?"

****

Adam could see an almost lightning-like flickering coming from the mouth of the cave. "Guys, look."

The three of them walked to the opening, and saw that a portal was trying to establish itself.

****

Giles looked up at the platform, and saw that the much wanted opening was tantilizingly close to coming into existence. "Focus!"

****

Finally, to the relief of the stranded teenagers, the vortex stabilized. Megabyte looked at the others. "Jessica's not back yet. What do we do?"

"*You're going through and telling the others that we're waiting for her," Adam replied.

"I'm not leaving you two here."

"We'll be all right," Adam said. "Now go."

Knowing that he was not going to win this one, Megabyte shook his head and jumped into the vortex.

****

He almost fell off of the platform upon his return. "Where are the others?" Jade called up to him, beaming in relief.

Megabyte descended the staircase. "Waiting for Jessica."

"Focus!" Giles shouted again, forcefully.

****

"After you," Adam said to Buffy with a smile, pointing at the portal.

"Oh no, Parent Boy," she replied, cocking her foot to one side. "I can be just stubborn as you are."

Adam had to resist the urge to chuckle at the prospect of finally meeting his match, but was then distracted by a figure in the distance. Adam saw whom he assumed must have been Jessica staggering onward. One of the creatures must have given up, but the other was still behind her, and was gaining.

Jessica was almost to them when the beast grabbed her. Adam and Buffy glanced at each other. They were on the same page. Adam disappeared.

Solidifying behind the Screaming One, he shouted at it. Releasing Jessica, it swung one of its massive arms at him, but Adam was just out of reach.

Still attempting to recover its balance from the attack, the creature was unable to defend itself against Buffy's spinning kick to the back of its head. The monster fell forward in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Buffy grabbed Jessica and ran for the vortex, Adam right behind them. They dove through.

****

"Stop the chanting!" Buffy screamed as they returned to the chamber.

The others complied without hesitation. Willow looked up at them. "Are you all okay?"

Buffy nodded, wiping sweat off of her forehead. "It's a horrible place to visit," she said, "but impossible to live there."

****

"Come on, Will," Buffy said to her companion, ushering her into the cafe. "You know you want to."

Willow spun on her heel at the sight of Adam sitting at the table with his friends. "No! No, I don't!"

"You don't want to?" Buffy asked skeptically.

"No, I don't *know* that I want to. Or, at least that's what I've been telling myself. It makes things easier."

Buffy placed her hands on Willow's shoulders comfortingly. "It's your last night in London," she said. "If you don't go for it, you're going to regret it. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And for the rest of your life. You're going to always ask yourself, 'What if?'"

Willow smiled nervously. "It's not so bad, really. Believe me, I know."

"And it's not like you'll never be able to see him again if he says yes. Not with that teleporting thing he can do."

Willow nodded. "That's true. Not I can get stood up from halfway across the globe."

Buffy put an arm around her shoulder. "Willow, you've faced unspeakable evils without flinching. How, then, can you be frightened by," she looked at Adam, and her voice started to fade, "a gorgeous... sensitive... funny... charming... did I say gorgeous?"

Willow gave her a look that said, "You are so not helping." Buffy shook her head. "Okay, Plan B. If a demon, who as a species are not known for their good taste, can see what a good catch you are, what are the odds of one of the next stage of human evolution not realizing it?"

It was a question that Willow found impossible to argue with. Summoning all her courage, she entered the cafe and approached his table. "Hi, Adam."

"Hey, Willow," he replied warmly, causing her to wonder whether the cleaning staff would mind having to mop her up off of the floor. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you, in private?"

"Sure."

They walked over to a relatively empty corner of the cafe and took a seat. "So, what's on your mind?"

Willow's courage desserted her. "Never mind," she said hastily, starting to get up.

Adam gently eased her back into her chair. "It's okay," he said. "Ask me anything."

Willow blushed. "Oh, don't ask me to ask you that."

Adam smiled. "Well then, ask me what you're thinking."

Willow swallowed with difficulty. "Er, I'm going back home tomorrow, but before I go..."

Adam nodded encouragingly.

"Would you go out with me?" she asked, surprising herself.

Adam looked down at the table. "Oh dear."

Willow started to leave again. "Bad idea. Forget I said it. Forget we met. Who are you again?"

Adam laughed, and once again eased her back into her chair. "No, it's not you, Willow. I mean, you're amazingly bright, hilariously funny, highly attractive. You're not the problem. It's me." He looked away. "I'm kinda already seeing someone."

Her heart sank. "Someone important?"

He nodded. "It took what happened on with the Screaming Ones to make me realize just how important." Suddenly looking her in the eyes, he smiled. "Tell you what, though. If anything changes, my first stop will be Sunnydale."

Willow lit up in disbelief. "Really?"

Adam smiled warmly again. "That is, if you'll still be available. I doubt I'd be that lucky."

Positively glowing, Willow nearly floated out of the cafe.

"How did it go?" Buffy asked when Willow reached the door.

"He rejected me," she said lightly as she left.

Buffy looked down the sidewalk at Willow, and then back at Adam. She was completely lost. "What did you say to her?"

Adam shrugged. "Just the truth."

Buffy shook her head, smiling. "Every town needs its own Adam."

As she started out the door, Megabyte called after her. "Bye, Buffy!"

Waving fondly, she walked out of their lives.

Jade looked up at Adam. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?"

Megabyte sighed. "We can dream."

Adam had to laugh. Those kids had really made an impact on their lives. He could not imagine that their paths would never cross again.

****
end