The Male Slayer - A Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fanfiction

VII. The First Evil (Chapter 2)

A few hours later...

Buffy had gathered what forces she was preparing to bring to the Vineyard, consisting of Faith, Spike, Xander, Kennedy and a few other potentials along with James. James looked around into the deep darkness of the night, the only light coming from inside the Vineyard. 

"Okay, set up a perimeter," Buffy began, "Guard the door. I don't want anything getting in behind us. My team goes in first, we check the place out. You guys are our safety-net. If this place is a trap, we give the signal, and you guys come in guns a-blazing." 

James had been placed in the safety-net team, much to his annoyance. He would have much preferred to be in their fighting from the get-go. 

"So, what's the signal?" Xander asked. 

"I'm thinking lots and lots of yelling." Buffy replied plainly. 

"Got it." 

"Shall we?" Buffy offered to her small team, opening the door to the Vineyard. Xander, Faith and James turned back to head over to where their team was hiding from the Bringers. 

"I've got a bad feeling about this." James mumbled to the other two.

"You can say that again. Buffy's acting too headstrong for her own good." Faith replied. 

"Let's wait and see what happens." Xander added, seemingly annoyed with how much people were doubting Buffy.

They sat outside for a good few minutes before the sound of yelling and a general ruckus was heard, and the team began their siege. They entered through the back entrance in order to take the Bringers by surprise, which they did. As soon as they were in the wine cellar, Xander spotted a Bringer approaching one of the Potentials. He shot an arrow from his crossbow and it landed in the Bringer's arm, catching it's attention. 

"Oh, good." Caleb said, announcing his presence, "There's more of you." 

Faith wasted no time and charged at Caleb, while Xander fought the Bringer he had shot. James looked around the war-torn basement, someone dying literally everywhere he looked. "This was a bad call." 

Caleb launched Faith across the room, landing in a stack of wine barrels. A potential attempted to hit Caleb with her sword, but Caleb was quick to grab her by the neck. James bolted at Caleb, but he wasn't quick enough and the Potential was killed, her neck snapped. 

"No!" one of the other Potentials screamed at the sight of Caleb's act.

"Yes." Caleb replied smugly. Just then, James collided with Caleb and knocked him slightly. "Oh, if it isn't my guider. You know, if it hadn't been for you, I would have been stuck in that building. Funny how the good Lord works, isn't it?"

"Shut up." James replied, attempting to leg sweep Caleb, but it doesn't work and Caleb grabs James' leg, hanging him upside-down. 

"I would have thought a man would have been able to take me, unfortunately that doesn't seem like the case." Caleb taunted. He brought his hand down hard on the leg of James' that he was holding, almost breaking it. James screamed in pain and Caleb dropped him, spotting another Potential. 

James was on the ground, unable to feel his right leg. Attempting to pick himself up, he failed and his head hit the floor again. "Come on." he struggled, bringing himself to his feet. He looked around to find Caleb desperately, and spotted Xander in immediate danger. "Xan-!" he started before being attacked by another Bringer. By the time James had shaken them off, he watched as Caleb dug his thumb into Xander's eye, gouging it out.  Xander stumbled back and fell to the ground. 

James began waddling over but fell to the ground again, incapable of walking. "Maybe my leg actually is broken?"  he thought to himself, as the agony grew. He spotted Buffy and Spike lifting Xander out, unaware that James was still lying there. James attempted to say something but nothing came out due to his lack of breath. Buffy and Spike left with Xander and James began to feel a tear streak down his face due to both the pain and sense of betrayal he felt.