Buffy's knees bent as she landed on the floor. She stayed crouched as she listened for any sign of unwanted company. Hearing and sensing nothing, and spotting no sign of life in the moonlit room, she straightened fully. She had opted for a black-all-over look consisting of a plain sleeveless vest, boot-cut cotton trousers, and a pair of flat boots in case she needed to make a speedy getaway. She had stopped just short of a ski-mask, but mostly because she didn't own one.

Getting inside had been straight-forward enough. From a back alleyway she had made it on to the roof thanks to the rimmed pillars which helped support the old building. They offered enough in the way of makeshift footholds for her to pull herself up. From there, forcing open one of the highly placed windows had been easy. As she looked back up at her entrance it was obvious she would need another way out; the window loomed far too high overhead.

First though, she needed to find the shard. Given how small the town was, the size of the museum was really quite impressive. She wondered just how many of the items on show were demonic in origin. Probably all of them, being Sunnydale and all, she pessimistically guessed. She was only there for one thing though, and so the hunt began.

As she carefully snuck through the museum, she wondered when petty theft had become part of the Slayer job description. Though after picturing Giles stuck alone with Wesley, weeping softly into his tea, she decided that skulking around in the dark like Catwoman was definitely the preferable option.

Having already wandered across bones, stone tablets and more, Buffy then found herself in a large room containing a number of jewellery-filled displays. Her eyes roamed over each piece until she caught sight of a palm-sized gemstone. Its appearance was similar to that of a white sapphire. A faint light pulse from the inside, and Buffy felt the back of her neck tingle. She released a small shudder and took an instinctive step back from the crystal. That had to be it, she thought. Something about it was felt powerful and dark, and the thought of even touching it left her uneasy.

A quiet tapping in the distance heightened her senses, and she stood perfectly still as she focused on the noise. Footsteps, she realized, and they were heading her way. Hoping to avoid any run-ins with security, she urgently looked around for a hiding place. An overhanging platform at one side of the room seemed her best option. There was no direct route to it, but she warily climbed on top of a nearby display case, half expecting it to give way beneath her. Pleasantly surprised when it didn't, she leapt up and gripped the edge of the platform. After pulling herself up, she swung herself around to lay facing the museum floor.

As the footsteps grew louder it became obvious that there were more than one set, but she couldn't make out the exact number. They were nearby when they came to a stop, and very slowly she peeked over the edge of the balcony. Five people stood at the southern entrance to the room. She quickly ducked her head when she caught one's face, and she hoped she hadn't been spotted. They weren't people; they were vampires. She laid motionless, listening to her quiet heartbeat as she waited to find out if her reactions had been fast enough.

When nothing pounced on her after a few moments she let out a relieved breath. Her ears focused on the sounds of the vampires moving about below, and she mentally tracked their positions as she began to plan. They had split up, probably to search the room, so she could get the drop on one and dust it quickly. That would leave four – not straight forward, but a number she was sure she could handle. She kept her arm tucked low as her hand slid back to retrieve the stake from her waistband.

"Alright boys, this looks like the last one."

Buffy's arm froze in its tracks. Her pulse accelerated. It was Faith.

She knew the odds had just become stacked against her in a big way. Taking on Faith plus help would not end well, but if she stayed hidden then they were going to walk right out of there with the shard. At that moment she registered the actual content of the words – was the mayor almost three for three? That really did leave her with no other option, and so she composed herself as she took a firm hold of her stake. The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the room. She rose to a low crouch as she positioned herself ready to spring down onto an unsuspecting vampire.

"Excuse me. I don't believe that belongs to you."

Buffy hadn't heard anyone else approach, far too focused on the current problem, and she instantly flattened herself down again. Chancing another look down below, she found not a security guard as she had expected, but instead a smartly dressed man in trousers, a shirt and a stuffy looking suit jacket. He looked middle-aged, and she found the relaxed expression on his face odd given the circumstances. It was obvious he had no idea what he had just walked into.

Faith's lips curled into a smile before she responded. "Funny, cause I'm thinking it pretty much does." There was an amused edge to her otherwise casual voice. "Oh, and you might wanna think about running right about now. I'll even give you a head start."

Do it, Buffy mentally prompted the man, but he looked in no hurry to leave – perhaps too scared, or ignorant, to move. Faith gave a nearby vampire – the only other female in the group – a brief look, and it slowly stalked toward who Buffy had mentally pegged as a curator. Knowing the man was about to become dinner, Buffy inched along the wooden boards as fast as she could manage without giving herself away pre-emptively. By the time the vampire had reached him, she had positioned herself within pouncing distance.

The man's arms shot up before she could make a move, and his hands wrapped around the throat of the vampire. Before it had time to get over its shock, the hands twisted, and Buffy winced at the sound of cracking bones. The vampire slumped, turning to dust as it hit the floor. Buffy looked over to Faith, whose eyebrows had shot up above widened eyes. Buffy suspected her own face wore a similarly surprised expression.

Turning back to the man, Buffy watched as his body began to bulge. His clothes were forced apart, tearing at the seams as his limbs grew in size. His skin seemed to melt away as it stretched, revealing a tough-looking maroon exterior covered in near-black veins. The once human face contorted and re-shaped, a broad forehead and equally wide chin producing a square looking form. A large snout, resemblant of that of a cow, took up the majority of the unappealing face, leaving barely enough space for two black, slit eyes and a thin but wide mouth. Short, sharp-looking claws poked out of beefy fingers on its large hands. Buffy was willing to bet that it was one of the Keepers, not quite as extinct as she had been led to believe. She was also quite sure the thing had never been on a date.

With the transformation complete, the beast gave a loud snort. Faith and the remaining three vampires hadn't moved, seemingly too engrossed in the display to think about doing anything. The noise from the demon brought one of the vampires to life though. A bulky looking twenty-something year old – formerly, at least – bared its fangs as it charged forward. Fingers first, the Keeper's hand plunged straight into the vampire's chest, easily sinking through both tissue and bone. A brief howl of agony was quickly replaced by a second pile of dust.

The remaining two vampires exchanged frightened looks, and together, without so much as a word, they turned in unison to the other exit and ran. Faith looked over her shoulder, watching their retreat, before returning her attention to the demon. Rather then flee herself, she reached behind her back and produced a large knife. The handle curled intimately around her hand. The blade itself must have been ten inches long, and it gleamed as it caught the moonlight that shone down through the windows. Faith's eyes gave no sign of fear or intimidation as she stared across the room at the Keeper.

"Well let's get this party started," she said, and with an arrogant confidence she strode toward it.

Again the demon waited until it was approached before striking, this time attacking with a sideways slash aimed at Faith's head. She was not as rash as the vampire had been though, and she leaned backward just enough to avoid the swipe. In retaliation she thrust her blade toward its neck. Its other arm shot up, deflecting the blow before the knife could make contact. Faith kicked one leg out, catching it in the stomach. Following up quickly, she jumped as she brought her other foot around toward the demon's head. The demon sidestepped to its left with impressive speed given its size, and Faith was left kicking thin air. She landed awkwardly to the side of the demon, and received a strike to her right kidney from a big, balled fist. Buffy saw her flinch, but Faith kept moving. She dived into a forward roll in time to leave the demon's other fist flying narrowly past her back.

Buffy observed the battle from above, watching every move intently. She had seen how reckless Faith could be in a fight, and had taken issue with the girl's gung ho attitude in the past. There though, Faith seemed to display more caution. Perhaps the way the Keeper had easily dispatched of the two vampires had put her in a more defensive mood, Buffy thought.

Her gaze moved over to the broken display case. The earlier interruption had left the shard still in place, and its soft, almost mesmerising glow was visible even from afar. Buffy contemplated a new approach: if she waited until the right moment she could drop down, grab the shard, and get out of there without being noticed. For the moment though, her eyes were drawn back to the fight as Faith rushed at the Keeper.

The demon lashed out once more, but Faith went low, sliding across the ground and planting the base of her foot right into the demon's knee. The force was enough to bring an angry roar from its gaping mouth. It stumbled back, and Faith pressed further, bouncing up quickly to deliver a spinning side kick to its sternum. Its arms shot out as it tried to steady itself, leaving itself exposed. Faith arced her knife around and down, the blade cutting deep across the side of the demon's face. A dark liquid ran from the laceration as it reeled farther away. Unable to keep its balance, it toppled down on to its back.

Another loud roar filled the room, and as the sound died away a bright flash caught Buffy's eye. Turning her head to the source, she watched as the shard pulsed brighter now, emitting swirling wisps of light into the air. It spread from the source like a gas, filling out and rising at the same time. Particles clumped together at the far side of the room, thickening quickly as a shape began to form. The swirls became smaller and smaller, causing the outline to become more rigid and defined. Even before they suddenly dispersed, fading as they were pushed outward, Buffy could make out the form that it had both taken and left behind. It was another Keeper. Its frame was smaller in size, but the lingering scars that covered its body suggested a past filled with many hard-fought victories.

Faith seemed completely unaware of the event, her focus remaining committed to the original Keeper. Back on its feet and poised to attack, its mouth formed an eerie smirk. Obviously unconcerned, Faith moved in with a flurry of kicks. The demon had learnt quickly, and it took a more defensive approach, batting away each attack as it stood its ground. Faith must have sensed something, because she suddenly stopped her attack and spun around. It was too late though; an uppercut from the new arrival was a direct hit to her jaw, and she staggered back. From behind, the larger demon took advantage, slashing its claws across her back. She gave a small cry as her back and shoulders visibly tensed, and she scrambled sideways to prevent another attack.

Still undetected, Buffy noticed both demons had their back to the shard as they moved in on Faith, and she realized she could easily go for the grab and dash. No sooner had that thought finished, she felt her face flush. What the hell was she thinking, she scolded herself. If she just left then she could easily be reading about the discovery of Faith's mutilated body in the paper the next morning. She watched as the demons positioned themselves to corner Faith, and without further hesitation she pushed herself to her feet.

Only after stepping to the edge ready to jump did she feel the presence behind her. Turning, she found herself face to face with another Keeper. Its fist flashed forward and, even as she raised her arms in defence, she took an instinctive step back to lessen the contact. She realized the mistake instantly, but it was too late to recover. Her foot found only air, and she began to fall. Unable to adjust herself mid-air, her back slammed hard into the floor, and she let out a pained groan.

The thin rug beneath her felt like little consolation as she lay there in shock. Pain racked her spine, and she arched her back from the ground, taking some relief that she was still able to move it. The demon glared down at her from above.

"Oh right," she muttered, as Giles' tale from the previous day surfaced in her mind. "Trio."

The distraction hadn't gone quite as planned, but none the less the two Keepers closing in on Faith had stopped dead, their eyes now focused on Buffy. Faith's look, a combination of raised eyebrows and an amused smirk, indicated that she must have seen the somewhat undignified entrance. Faith's attention didn't last long, and Buffy watched her make good use of the opening. Racing forward, Faith plunged her dagger straight into the back of the smaller demon, eliciting a nauseating roar of pain from the creature. A sharp twist of the wrist and the roar faded fast.

Seeing that Faith was now back in control, Buffy's attention returned to her own problem. Looking up, she saw the Keeper leap, and she barely rolled out the way as it came down beside her. She spun her leg around, kicking its feet from under it and sending it to the ground. Gingerly she got to her feet, wincing as another sharp jolt of pain rose through her back. The discomfort had slowed her down, and before she could capitalize the demon was also back up and on the attack.

She ducked a swing aimed at her face and retaliated with a punch of her own, catching the demon square in the head. It growled and surged forward; the sudden burst of speed took her by surprise. Its shoulder barged into her chest, the momentum driving her straight through a tall display case and into the solid stone wall behind it. She felt needle-like pricks across her back as shards of smashed glass dug into her skin. The demon's hand grasped her throat as it loomed over her, and the strong hold cut off her air supply.

Buffy reached for her stake, but came up empty handed. She must have lost it during her fall, she realized. Instead she pushed her palm into the demon's face as she tried to shove it away. When it refused to budge she dug her nails deep into its skin, clawing chunks of rigid flesh from its cheek. That seemed to do little more than anger the demon, and the grip around her neck squeezed tighter still.

She began to panic as her lungs begged for air. Clutching the demon's wrist with both hands, she tried to pry it away. From her awkward position she couldn't gain enough leverage to break the grip, and her worries intensified as her vision began to blur.

She was running out of time.