Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Trinity

Chapter Seven: Angel

In the Master's lair, Collin tosses stones into the pool. When he runs out, he takes a few more from the Master's hand. A few moments later, Darla walks into the lair.

The Master looks at her. "Zachary didn't return from the hunt last night."

"The Slayer." Darla growls.

"Zachary was strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer takes him...as she has taken so many of my family." He sighs. "It wears thin." He looks to his protégé. "Collin, what would you do about it?"

"I'd annihilate her." The boy says.

The Master takes a deep breath. "Out of the mouths of babes." He says, pleased.

Darla steps closer to them. "Let me do it, Master. Let me kill her for you."

The Master narrows his eyes at her. "You have a personal interest in this."

"I don't get to have any fun." She looks at her feet, pouting.

"I will send the Three."

Darla looks up. "The Three?"

In an alley, three thugs light their cigarettes. The Three come around a corner at a steady, deliberate pace. The men watch them warily before leaving.

At the Bronze, a cockroach is being chased along the floor.

"Get it! Go get it, right there!" A boy points.

The girl slams her foot down on the roach. "I got it!" She holds the roach up to the bartender and drops it into his jar. "Free drink, please." The bartender nods his head and goes to get the drink.

Willow, Trinity, and Buffy watch on from their table. "Ah, the fumigation party."

"Hmm?" Buffy hums, spaced out.

"It's an annual tradition." Willow explains. "The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"

"Oh." She says, still not paying attention.

"It's a lot of fun..." Willow trails off, seeing that Buffy is only half listening. "What's it like where you are?"

Buffy looks up and smiles. "I'm...sorry, I was just...thinking about things..."

"So, we're talking about a guy?" Trinity asks.

"Not exactly a guy." Buffy says. "For us to have a conversation about a guy; there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is that a sentence?"

Willow smiles at her. "You lack a guy."

"I do. Which is fine with me, most of the time, but..."

"What about Angel?"

Buffy raises her eyebrows. "Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're in grave danger. I'll see you next month.'"

"He's not around much, it's true." Willow says. Trinity nods in agreement.

"When he is around...it's like the lights dim everywhere else." She says dreamily. "You know how it's like that with some guys?"

"Oh, yeah!" Willow says before looking over at Xander, who is on the dance floor looking like a fool.

Xander dances up to a girl. "Hey, Annie!" He then notices her boyfriend, who glares at him. "Dino, just leaving!" He backs away and bumps into Cordelia.

"Ouch!" Cordelia glares at Xander. "Please get your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes!"

"I'm sorry, I was just-" He starts but Cordelia interrupts him.