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Buffy and her three companions armed themselves quickly for the final fight, then made their way into the basement of the school and then the tunnels. They all kept alert as they made their way to the cavern Ethan had requested, each one geared for action.
They entered the cave in this order: with Giles leading, Buffy and Angel side-by-side, and Cordelia bringing up the rear. And as they walked in, Giles and Angel were surprised to find another campfire lit here, like the one Ethan had constructed above ground. The flames brought an eerie flickering light to the room, putting all four slightly on edge.
Buffy gave the chamber a quick once-over, counting a least two dozen assembled vampires, with Ethan right in the center. Her arch-enemy stood at the sight of her, taking a step closer. "So, glad you could make it, Slayer," Ethan said. "I was beginning to worry that you might not show at all."
Buffy took a step forward as well, wearing a barely-amused smirk. "Remember how I once said I'd tell you when we were even? Well, we're about at that point now," she replied sardonically.
Ethan gave a secretive nod. "Yes, I'd say we are... Ready whenever you are, Slayer."
During this little exchange, Buffy had given Angel and Cordelia the signal to fan out and take the vamps to the left and right. Giles, on the meanhand, would handle any of those that slipped through. "Let's get it done then," she said, raising her crossbow to fire.
That action put the battle into motion. To Buffy's left, Angel swung the sword in his hands around in a wide arc, decapitating the two vamps rushing him with ease. To the right, Cordelia caught another bloodsucker in the side with a spin kick, effectively displaying the martial arts Buffy had been teaching her for the past year.
All seemed to be going perfectly, until Buffy heard Cordelia suddenly scream off to her side. The Slayer glanced at her friend briefly, noting that one vamp had come after Cordy with a knife and given her a partially-deep, diagonal slash from the collarbone to her lower chest. The brunette vampiress quickly remedied the situation by throwing a hard punch at her attacker. Buffy, on the other hand, was distracted long enough that she didn't notice the female vampire moving in behind her.
Giles, however, did. He lunged forward, intercepting the offending vamp and moving to stake her in the chest. But, she retaliated quicker than he thought possible, knocking the weapon from his grip, then launching a full fledged attack against him. Giles sank to the floor under her assault, until one punch had him falling into unconciousness.
Buffy recovered in time to see what was happening to her Watcher, but not in time to defend him. She staked the girl vampire a second too late; Giles was already down for the count. Buffy turned, immediately killing another vamp that was hovering over her. Then, standing, she called for Angel, at the same time that Cordelia hobbled over, losing blood by the minute.
Angel destroyed yet another adversary, then threw an anxious glance at his wife. "Get them out of here," Buffy told him, meaning Giles and Cordelia. Angel nodded, tossing her the sword and moving to do her bidding.
But Cordelia surprised Buffy by putting up a fight. "Someone should stay here with you," she argued.
Buffy did a quick head-count of her opponents, pleased to see that their numbers had dropped considerably. "I can hold my own, and you're not going to heal fast enough to help," she said quickly, never taking her eyes off her adversaries. "Now go! Get out... I'll be right behind you soon."
Angel hoisted Giles up, supporting him on one arm. With the other, he reached out to grip Cordelia, half pulling her towards the exit. "Come on," Angel said to his reluctant-to-leave friend. "She can finish this without us now." Cordelia hesitated a moment longer, then nodded, meekly following him out.
Ethan waited half a minute until he was sure the Slayer's friends were gone. Then, he abruptly clapped his hands together, providing the signal to his minions that they were to fall back. Buffy took the sudden change with a startled look, waiting a second more before dropping her fighting stance. Taking a step closer, the sword and crossbow still clutched firmly in her hands, she said, "I knew my death couldn't be enough for you. If that was all you wanted, I'd be dead by now."
Ethan smirked. "You're half right," he replied. "Still, I said as much to Ripper, and it's a promise I've no intention of breaking."
"So, what then?" Buffy asked. "You're just gonna take me on yourself... Cause if that's your plan, you'll be dead in five seconds."
Ethan gave a brief laugh that chilled her slightly. "What you forget, Slayer, is that I'm a magician, not a warrior. Why use force, when I have sorcery on my side?"
Buffy's eyes widened as she partially realized his intent. She started forward, prepared to strike, when Ethan raised his hand towards her, saying loudly a few words in Latin. Buffy literally froze in midstep, her body suddenly immobilized by whatever spell Ethan had cast on her. She could only watch in horror, tears escaping her eyes, as he approached, taking both weapons from her forcibly.
A moment later, Ethan was face to face with her. "This is the reason I win when all others have failed... In moments, Buffy, you'll be but a memory in your friends' minds." Motioning two of his minions over, he added one last remark that Buffy would never forget. "Welcome to your own personal hell..."
Angel had just cleared the school at the time that Ethan had cast his immobilizing spell. He hurried a few more paces to the lawn across the street, where he lay Giles down to rest. Then, he turned to Cordelia, who answered his question before he voiced it.
"I can watch him until you return," Cordelia said, nodding towards the school. "She needs you, no matter how much she says otherwise." Angel conveyed his thanks with his eyes, and Cordelia watched him take a step or two towards the dormant building.
The explosion came so suddenly that neither vampire was prepared for it. The shockwave knocked both Angel and Cordelia off their feet. A split-second later, both were up, staring in shock at the school that was now engulfed in flames. It wavered for a bit, then began to collapse inward, the middle section sagging into the basement and the cavern below it.
Angel shook his head, whispering Buffy's name as if expecting her to emerge from the flames. Cordelia sensed what his intent was when he repeated his wife's name once, then twice, each statement growing in volume. So, when Angel got up and started for the ruins, Cordelia moved to intercept him.
"Angel, no!" she screamed, using all of her strength to hold him back. "No! If you go in there, you'll be killed!"
Angel growled at her, completely vamped out and taking a swipe at her with his claws. "Let me go!" he snarled. "There's still time to save her!"
Cordelia dodged his attack, clinging to him with all her might and prepared to do whatever it took to bring him to his senses. "There's no way Buffy could have survived that!" she screamed. "And you're not going to do yourself or her any good if you go back in there! She's gone, Angel!"
"No!" he howled, fighting to break from Cordelia's grasp. "She's not gone! She wouldn't leave me or Ivory that easily!"
Despite herself, Cordelia gleaned a small amount of hope from his words. "If by some chance she's alive, then she'll regroup with us!" she shouted, praying she got through to him. "Think about it, Angel! And stop this kick you've got to rescue her. You'll bound to get yourself killed if you do!"
Angel struggled for a bit more until her words were given enough time to sink in. Upon seeing that he wouldn't put up any more of a fight, Cordelia released him, drawing in a breath. She threw one more glance towards the ruined school, wishing immensely that she could have some insight as to what had gone on in the cave, what exactly had caused the explosion. Then, she heard Giles groan behind her, and her reverie was instantly lost.
Moving to join Angel by the Watcher's side, Cordelia whispered, in a voice too soft for either to hear, "Please don't let us be wrong, Buffy. Come and show us you made it out alive..."