"Did you guys hear that?" kid one asked.

The kids had the bright idea of breaking into Sunnyhell High and doing some redecorating. Sunnydale Art Suppliers were having a sale on spray-paint, so it was the perfect opportunity.

"You are such a wuss! No one is here! Get a grip!" kid-two hissed.

"I swear, I heard something like a scraping sound," kid-one protested.

"You didn't hear . . ." the scraping sound interrupted kid-three. "I heard it too!"

"Look, SHS needs a new color scheme. Now, are we gonna do this or are you gonna chicken out?" kid-two asked.

Kids one and three bolted, leaving kid-two behind. The two running kids were caught by two other people. Kid-two turned around into the rotting flesh of an animated corpse. Three screams were heard by no one, and they stopped as suddenly as they started.

The entire school was roped off by yellow 'Crime Scene' tape. Buffy started to tear the tape away, but was stopped by Crenshaw.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Did Bex tell you?" Buffy asked.

"I know all about your evening activities, if that's what you mean," Crenshaw replied.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"Three boys, found with their heads bashed in. Two right infront of the stairs, one about fifteen feet back. They aren't vamps," he replied..

"What are you thinking?" Buffy asked.

"I *would* say serial-killer or random gang violence, but this *is* Sunnydale. I don't know what it is," Crenshaw replied.

"Buffy! Buffy!" Willow said from behind Buffy.

Buffy whirled around to face will. Crenshaw left.

"Hey, Will, what's up?" Buffy asked.

"You were talking to Principal Crenshaw. I guess you know what happened," Willow replied.

". . .heads *bashed* in?!" Giles asked with a sinking feeling.

"Eww! Why can't we have any normal murders in this town?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah, why have vamps you can kill when you could find a nice serial killer or a stalker?!" Xander asked sarcastically.

"Enough! That's all you know, Buffy? They were bludgeoned to death?" Giles asked.

"That's all Crenshaw knew," Buffy replied.

"Perhaps you should . . . watch their graves. [Got a look from Buffy] I suppose you're right. There's bound to be a random killing every once in a while," Giles admitted. "And we don't know much of anything else to either prove or disprove the supernatural. . . ."

The phone rang (which allowed Buffy to escape the terrible ramblings of the tweed-clad librarian).

"Hey, Mom. When are you getting back?" Buffy asked cheerfully.

"I'm coming in earlier than anticipated. I didn't like much of anything I saw, and what I did, I bought this morning. I'll be home tomorrow evening," Joyce replied.

"Okay, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow," Buffy said.

"I thought she said she wasn't coming back until Sunday or Monday," Willow observed.

"Well, she's coming tomorrow. Giles, I think we should find this guy before he kills again," Buffy said.

"What makes you think it's a guy?" Xander asked with mock-indignation.

"Serial killers are generally white males in their twenties," Willow put her two cents in.

"So, we attack all the twenty-year-olds in the town and we'll be through with it," Cordelia said.

"I still vote for nuking Sunnydale," Xander said.

"Sounds good to me except all the vamps and other evil things would probably sent up booths and tents," Buffy said.

"Yeah, like 'Be All You Can Be: Demonology,'" Willow said.

"Oh, and buttons . . . I'm a vampire, ask me how. And you know that they would set up a Red Cross blood-mobile . . ." Xander said.

"I think we have more pressing matters at hand," Giles interrupted.

Buffy walked around the graveyard til almost dawn. Angel made a cameo and was apparently playing secret guardian angel. Buffy turned her head, but he slipped into shadows. She glanced at the sky and down at her watch which read 4:01. She jumped off the headstone and walked home. A rotting-flesh man looked at her warily. ((**I WONDER WHAT HE IS!!! HMM???**))

Someone knocking at her door frantically brought Buffy down the stairs early Saturday morning. She answered the door and faced Cordelia. Her hair was disarrayed, eyes wild, and make-up non-present.

"Oh, M'God! Oh, M'God!" Cordy chanted like a mantra.

"Cordelia, what is it?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, M'God!"

"Cordelia!"

"I went to get the paper this morning. Our butler has this Saturday off. There is this dead guy on *my* lawn! He looks like someone was trying to eat him!" Cordelia said, nearly hyperventilating.

"Like vampires?" Buffy asked.

"Like ripping him apart and *eating* *pieces*! Oh, M'God!" Cordelia said.

"Can I see it?" Buffy asked, less than thrilled.

A sheet was over the corpse, but pieces were all over the lawn. Buffy lifted up the sheet and turned her head in disgust.

"How did the sheet get here?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't know what to do! I pulled the sheet off my car and put it over him! I didn't want to look at it! I'm going to be sick!" Cordy said as she fled the scene.

Buffy was gone when the cops got there. Cordelia gave her statement as they loaded the pieces of the body in the ambulance. Cordelia was barely restraining her tears.

"I mean eaten! Ripped out sockets and arms. This was not a vamp-job. Someone ripped this guy . . . person to shreds," Buffy said.

"What do you mean *person*?" Willow asked, slightly nauseated.

"I couldn't tell if it was male or female," Buffy replied.

"Once again we're back to *flesh-eating zombies*. [Gets a look from everyone] Oh, sorry," Xander said.

"I should check my books. Xander is, I hate to say, probably right," Giles said.

"Hey, sweetie," Buffy's mom said as Buffy came through the door.

Buffy's Saturday had been a totally unprogressive day of looking at zombie rituals and lack of phophesies.

"Hi, Mom, how are you?"

"I'm good. You look tired," Joyce commented.

"We think there's been zombies on the loose. Three kids were found in the school yesterday and one on Cordy's front lawn," Buffy commented nonchalantly.

About that moment, Angel bursted through the door holding his shoulder. His head was slightly bloodied. He took what could have been mistaken as a breath and looked out the window.

"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Our serial killer happens to be a flesh-eating zombie," Angel remarked, though he really was quite uncomfortable.

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

"One of them tried to rip my arm out of my socket." He chuckled. "I guess she didn't like the way I looked."

"Did you say *one* of them?" Buffy asked.

"We're looking at an army of flesh-eating zombies. This is not going to be fun," Angel said as he dropped his eyes in . . . shame(?)

"What?" Buffy asked.

"It was . . . Jenny," Angel said.

"Jenny? Our Jenny? Jenny Calendar, Jenny?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah . . . uh . . . yeah." He noticed Joyce standing aghast. "Oh, hey."

"Uh, yeah," she replied.

"How do we kill them?" Buffy asked.

"You remember the Judge? [Paused] One of those things might help. But . . . have you ever heard of Resident Evil?" Angel asked. "This is *not* going to be easy."

Buffy dialed Giles's number . . . .

"Zombies? Are you sure?" Giles asked.

"One of them tried to eat Angel," Buffy said.

"Is he okay?" Giles asked.

"Yeah. Uh, Giles, the zombie that tried to eat Angel was . . ." Buffy trailed off.

"What?"

Buffy took a deep breath, " . . . was Jenny."

Giles hung up the phone without responding. The line went dead and Buffy hung up. Buffy glanced over at Angel, who was looking down at the floor, trying his best to be invisible.

"Angel, are you gonna be okay?" Buffy asked, nodding at his shoulder, but meaning something entirely different.

"I think it's dislocated. I'll live . . . uh . . . sorta," Angel responded, trying to smirk.

Buffy walked over and felt Angel's shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded.

"It's dislocated. I'm gonna pop it back in, okay?" Buffy asked.

"Go ahead," Angel said, nodding.

Buffy pushed, a pop was heard, and Angel winced. She dropped her hands and looked at her parents who were looking expectantly at her. Angel tilted his head back and sniffed the air.

"Blood," Angel stated flatly.

"What?!"

"I smell it. Buffy, we'd better get gone. These things aren't gonna just disappear. I'll get Xander on the phone . . . [gets a look from Buffy] You should get some Slayer-worthy clothes on," Angel said, noticing that her light-blue dress was new.

Buffy dashed upstairs, but stayed to watch Angel. Angel dialed the number.

"Now, Buffy, I'll do my best to be civil, Angel said without turning his head.

Buffy went up the rest of the way. Angel listened to the phone ring.

"Xander, it's me, Angel," Angel said.

"What?" Xander asked, annoyed to say the least.

Angel moved his shoulder, and it popped again.

"Can you still get antitank missiles and a launcher?" Angel asked, cutting to the chase.

"Maybe, why?" Xander asked, a little speechless.

"This thing tried to rip my arm off. They aren't going to die unless we find something big to stop them," Angel answered.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Where do you wanna meet?" Xander asked.

"I'm at Buffy's house. Get Cordelia and Willow. I don't know anything about zombies, but . . . Just get here soon," Angel replied.

Angel hung up the phone as Buffy came down the stairs in black pants, a black shirt, and her [once Angel's] leather jacket.

"They're coming?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. You're wearing black. Good choice. This is going to be very, very bloody," Angel replied.

"Are you going to be able to help?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Xander's going to bring some equipment, Willow, and Cordelia. I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be able to kill Jenny? I won't and I don't think anyone else will," Angel replied honestly, glancing at her mother.

"I can do that. I stabbed you with a sword and sent you to Hell. I can blow up evil Jenny with a rocket launcher," Buffy replied.

Giles knocked on the door, so Buffy went to answer it. Giles looked ghastly. He noticed Joyce and stirred uneasily.

"Buffy, are you sure it's safe to have your mother here? It seems bad things are . . . well . . . drawn to the Slayer," Giles said.

"No, but we can't really go anywhere else until Xander, Cordy, and Will get here.

"One vampire? Vampires like zombies less than humans. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be eaten alive? You'll be fighting *with* probably every vamp in Sunnydale," Angel said disgustedly.

"Oh, good! How many zombies are we thinking?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, I saw maybe a hundred or more. I'm thinking about all the living dead in the cemetery that aren't bones and dust," Angel replied.

"Zombies?! In Sunnydale?!" Joyce cried.

"Yeah, zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!" Buffy quoted Giles. ["Welcome to the Hellmouth"]

"You were listening to me?" Giles asked, suprised.

"On occasion," Buffy answered.

"Speaking of werewolves, what of our resident werewolf? It is the day before the full moon. Isn't he *locked* up in his basement?" Angel asked.

"Locked in his basement . . . God!" Buffy said in near whisper.

"If we don't get over there, someone's going to have a feast. Or they'll free him, and we'll have a werewolf to deal with too," Angel said.

"Werewolf?!" Joyce shrieked to herself.

About that moment, a hand bursted through the window and grabbed Joyce. Joyce screamed shrilly and tried to pull away, but the hand pulled her into the door. Buffy pulled a stake out of her pocket and stabbed the arm. It moaned, and Joyce pulled free.

"Run out the backdoor!" Buffy yelled.

A crahs came from the kitchen. Joyce hesitated. Angel grabbed her by her arm, and they ran upstairs to Buffy's room. Buffy looked out the window?

Angel grabs both of them, and they run upstairs to Buffy's room with Giles infront of the Slayer. Cut to Buffy's room. Buffy looks out the window.

"What are we going to do now?" Joyce asked.

Buffy slammed her door shut and pulled her dresser in front of it.

"We really should get outta here!" Angel said.

"How do we stop them, Giles?" Buffy asked breathlessly.

"Well, uh, there is . . . you have to find the person that is causing them to rise from the dead and remove the spell," Giles said.

"In the time it's gonna take to do that, we're going to be lunch meat," Buffy said.

A car pulled into the driveway. About that moment, Buffy's door was jarred. Angel and Buffy looked at each other. Buffy glanced over to the window. Cordelia's car was carrying a large box and several smaller ones. Xander pried open one of the boxes and started assembling a weapon. Buffy started to climb out the window.

"Where are you going?!" her mother asked fearfully.

"To get ammunition. Angel, can you hold them off til I get back?" Buffy asked.

"I can handle it. Go!" Angel said.

Buffy climbed out the window. Joyce looked over at Angel.

"So you're a vampire?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah," he said, giving her a *Look*.

Angel sat up on the dresser.

The windows and walls were lit up by the fire from outside. Due to vampiratic hearing, Angel heard footsteps on the stairs. Someone frantically knocked on the door.

"It's me, Cordelia," she said as another explosion lit up the room.

Angel moved the dresser and threw open the door. Cordelia was pale with fright.

"Are you alright?" Joyce asked.

"Maybe after years of therapy! Angel, you'd better get down there. Buffy's gonna need some help," she replied.

Angel jumped out the window and to the ground. A third explosion shook the house.

"Cordelia, Oz is locked is his basement. There's some tranquilizers in my house. You and Xander should sedate him and take him someplace safe," Giles said.

"Willow's already done that. It's the first thing she did. We should really stop stealing weapons from the armory," Cordy answered.

Xander came up the stairs behind Cordelia.

"I think we should just pay them rent. I'd say twice in . . . Oh, hey, Misses Summers," Xander said, stirring nervously.

Buffy and Angel came up the stairs armed with automatic weapons. Buffy tossed one to Xander.

"Nice," Buffy said.

"I figured they'd be easier to carry than an antitank missile launcher," Xander said sarcastically.

"They work," Angel said.

"What do we do now?" Cordy asked.

"My suggestion would be to regroup at the library," Buffy said.

Angel was right when he said the vampires would be fighting against the zombies. Vampires were battling it out with the other species of the undead. They weren't really helping all that much, but it was enough to keep the streets clear. The Sunnydale Police force was nowhere to be seen.

"And no one notices this sort of stuff?" Joyce asked.

"Like Giles has said, people tend to see what they want to see. No one wants to believe that there's zombies and vampires fighting each other, and so there isn't," Buffy said.

"This sort of thing has been going on all this time?" Joyce asked.

"It's been going on for thousands of years, Misses Summers. I didn't believe it till I saw it either," Angel said.

"Well, you were sorta turned into one," Joyce said.

"Yeah, sorta," Angel muttered.

Buffy's Slayer-hearing picked up his comment, but decided to ask about it later. No need in bringing up the past while zombies and vampires are on the loose.

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