10:00 P.M., 4/21/98

< Sunnydale, nice enough place, > Marcus thought as he walked through the night.

As he passed the Bronze, he sensed it. Reflexively he reached under his trenchcoat for the broad sword he carried with him at all times. < Another immortal, great, and here of all places. > he thought. < Oh well it has been almost thirty years since I faced another, I guess you can't hide forever. >

He spotted a young group of teens leaving the Bronze. < It's one of them. But whoever it is, isn't part of the game, not yet.> There was three girls and two guys. Both guys had dark hair and one girl was blond, one brunette, and one was a redhead. He wasn't able to make out any more details in the dark.

< It appears I may be staying here a little longer then I planned, > he thought as he walked away from the Bronze, towards his hotel. < I can watch over the young one for awhile. First I have to get the book that I came here for. Tomorrow I'll go see that librarian who says he has it. I believe Rupert Giles was his name.>

"Did anyone else notice the tall guy in the trench coat back at the Bronze? It may just be me but I was pretty sure he was watching us," Xander asked. "He didn't appear to be your ordinary guy."

"I think your right Xand. I am not sure if he was watching us but he seriously wigged me out," Buffy replied.

"A vampire?" Willow asked nervously as she glanced over her shoulder.

"No it wasn't a vampire," Buffy said. "It was something else, some other weird creature courtesy of the hellmouth, we'll ask Giles about it tomorrow."

* * * * *

8:00 P.M., 4/22/98

"So, dear old Angelus," Spike said glancing up from his wheelchair at his sire. "Just out of curiosity, when were you planning on finishing off the slayer. It's not like every night she kills a few more of our kind, hunting us down like animals. Oh wait a minute, that's exactly what she does." Spike had constantly been pestering Angelus about his failed attempts at killing Buffy.

"Enough," Angelus yelled. He was angry at Spike, angry at himself for not finishing Buffy when he had the chance, angry at the whole god damned planet.

"You shouldn't have played games with her Angelus," Spike yelled back, pleased at how angry his mentor had become. "You were able to walk right into her bedroom, how much easier could it have been, but you couldn't just kill her, you had to go and try and drive her insane. I think you still have some feelings for her."

"Fine have it your way. No more games. We'll try the direct method. Tonight the slayer dies," Angelus angrily replied as he headed for the door.

"Don't tell me you actually plan on beating her in a fight," Spike called out.

"Yes," Angelus said calmly. "But don't worry about me, I fully intend to cheat," Angelus said as he left the room. Stopping only to grab a revolver from the wall.

< This is definitely a win win situation for me. Either the Slayer or Angelus will die tonight, either way it solves one of my problems, > Spike thought with a smile.