Disclaimer: All characters/objects here presented belong to others with copyrights, not to me.

There I was, sittin' in the shadows, watching that bloody swathe of sunlight get smaller and smaller. How long did it take for the sun to go down? I've got this instinct for predicting the sunrise – hello, vampire? – but when it comes to sunsets, well let's just say it's been a while since I saw one. That was all gonna change, once I got my ring back.

But no. That stupid git Angel had to go and bollocks it all up for me. He and those infernal White Hat friends of his. And now they were gone, and so was my ring, and, oh yeah, so was my backstabbing flunky.

So I just sat there, waiting for the sun to set and trying to decide which one of 'em I hated more: the Poof or my stupid flunky. Couldn't make up my mind, though. I figured one of them would kill the other. Hoped Angel got the doc first – if anyone took out Nancy boy, it was going to be me.

By the time the sun finally went down, I had about fifty different ways planned out of how I was gonna do it. I kicked down half a wall to get out of that ruddy warehouse and headed off to find the Poof, revenge the only thing on my mind. Okay, so maybe I was thinking about booze and girls, too, but hey! I'd been stuck in that blasted old building all day. My flask went dry, and I hadn't had a snack – or a shag – for hours. Still, revenge was my number one priority. First I'd kill Angel and get my ring back. Then I'd get loaded.

I was in the alleyway behind his crappy office building when I saw it, lying in the dust. A thin circle of gold glinting in the light from the lone street lamp. I bent over and picked it up. So Angel had just dropped it there? He was even dumber than I had thought.

For a moment I just stood there, drinking in the sight of it. Something was a bit off. Had it always been that shiny? But it was still beautiful. The Ring of Amara. My Ring. I turned it over in my hand a few times, then slipped it onto my finger.

I'd expected to feel invincible, all-powerful – something like that. I hadn't expected the world to go all grey and misty. The edges of buildings and the drunk guy down the street flickered like icy grey flames. And then the world seemed to zoom in or something, and I saw this giant red ugly fireball.

I see you.

Bugger.

Fin.

A/N: Review?