LTVS: Vengeance

*Do not read beyond **this point** if you want to avoid being **spoiled!***

***Layla the Vampire Slayer* episode**

RandomTuesday

Bentham

**Vengeance** is the thirteenth episode of Layla the Vampire Slayer.

## Synopsis

The rain is starting to fall and Robert runs into the night with his arsenal and follows Layla and Barnaby. On the way he finds a phone and calls the police. He informs the dispatcher of the shooting and agrees to call them at a later date. He then runs off and rips a few components off of a phonebox to craft something. He comes up with an explosive device and heads off chasing them.

Imogen Parker floats along and finds the golem. She notes that her form is slowly cracking and she’s feeling pain from being in the magic powered form for so long and elects to draw lifeforce from a tree. She moves on to the golem and tries to use telekinesis to rip it open. Violet looks on in approval from the distance as she slams a magical force down into the golem and it cracks open after a few minutes to try and extract the heart. She sees a clear gemstone in the chest cavity and clears out the fillings and whispy mists coiling around it. She lifts the gemstone out of the chest and asks Violet for her help with a ritual. She’s hesitant for a bit but Imogen explains she is going to give Mr. Miller his soul and she agrees to do it. Using Miller’s logbook to make the link she begins the ritual preparations and Violet chants out the words.

Layla and Barnaby are charging after Miller and quickly have to track him in the muddy streets. She comes around to a warehouse outside the town proper and looks at the side door. Layla decides that Miller has likely made an ambush in it if he’s inside. They decide to jump onto the roof and ready themselves to attack Miller. Layla drops down through the skylight and sees lights turn on and vampires waiting to attack. Miller taunts Layla that she can’t win and Barnaby slams through the ceiling next to her. Enter Initiative.

Layla leaps up and runs across several of the beams supporting the beams to try and get to Miller. A vampire confronts her and they face off in combat. Layla strikes the vampire in the arm while dodging his metal pipe and sliding between his legs. Miller loads a crossbow. Two vampires run to engage Barnaby and two fight Layla. One swings his pipe at Layla and misses. The other slaps her shoulder with a piece of wood. A vampire facing Barnaby swings his baseball bat and smacks Barnaby for a strong blow. Barnaby recovers and tries to ram into the vampire with his shoulder and but fails. Another vampire attacks Barnaby and punches him. Barnaby smashes the ground in rage and knocks six vampires to the ground and threatens Miller after smelling the gunpowder on him. He runs up and charges Miller. Layla runs up and tries to stab him and drives the stake through his arm and into his chest. The other vampire runs through and grabs Layla and bites her.

The vampires chase Barnaby up the gantry and he charges them head on. They topple over like dominoes as he charges at them and he pins one to the wall with his shoulder spikes. Miller fires the crossbow at Layla and it impacts a stake in her blazer. Layla regains her sense and tries to wrench free of the vampire. She tries to crotch punch the vampire but misses. Barnaby looks at Layla and sees she is in trouble. He tries to use pyrokinesis on the enemy attacking Layla and the stomps down with crushing force and surging fire under his feet.  Miller reloads the crossbow and aims it at Barnaby. The vampire latches onto Layla again. One vampire punches at Barnaby and Miller fires the crossbow at him. Barnaby in a rage slams the ground again and knocks his enemies down sending fire surging out in a shockwave that sets the vampires on fire. Layla grabs a stake from her belt and stabs the vampire in the bloodbags (Layla’s Nut-Shot Counter: 23). Several vampires stand up and attack Barnaby and he smashes down on the floor again and charges at Miller. Miller holsters his crossbow and draws his sword ready to fight Barnaby.

Robert joins the fight and surveys the situation. Layla looks at the poor vampire and smashes a stake into his chest then jumps over the gantry and lands behind Miller. Miller brings his silver blade to slice at her but she manages to pull herself up and avoid it. Robert stands in the door and tosses his explosive device in the pile of vampires. They look at the device in some confusion and scramble to avoid it before Robert detonates it and incinerates three of them. The other three get blown back and blasted with shrapnel. The three look at each other in fear and make a break for it. Miller looks around and sees his allies are fled or dead. Exit initiative.

Back in the forest Imogen and Violet continue the ritual. The book from miller, the taunting message he left in the hands of the students, and the Golem heart shatter and burn and summon a spirit that shoots off into the night.

At the warehouse a small white wisp hits Miller and staggers him making him drop his sword. He falls to his knees in shock. Layla starts punching Miller in a rage and tries to dent the chestplate in. Robert goes up to join her and Barnaby and approaches with a rifle to his head. Barnaby comes up behind and orders Layla to move while igniting his fists. Layla willingly stops and steps away as Barnaby raises his fists up….

Imogen calms down and demands Violet’s blazer so she can stop being bare-chested. Violet wonders about the other spell Imogen meant to cast and she figures that she might be able to modify the spell. Imogen then asks Violet about how she kept up being a vengeance demon for so long and comes to grips with what is really bothering her and what she wants. She talks herself out of using the spell to summon vengeful spirits by remembering that protecting her friends is more important than personal greed. The magical well in the core of her being fades and she falls to the ground lightly bleeding from her cracked skin in the rain. She lies there on the ground and cries as Violet looks on. She kneels on the ground and takes Imogen’s hand.

Barnaby raises his fists over Miller and Layla gets between them and stops his fists. She insists that she should kill Miller if only to spare Barnaby the guilt of having blood on his hands. She pulls a stake out with his name carved into the wood and drives it into Miller’s heart. He nods slightly and evaporates into dust. Robert struggles over to Layla and Barnaby and collapses on the ground as Layla runs over to help him. Barnaby shrinks back to his human form and collapses to the floor.

The time passes and the police investigate James’ death. Robert sits in the hospital recovering from her wounds and lamenting that he is mundane among his friends. Barnaby takes some time to draw and mourn James. Janet brings Rob homework from school. He tries to bring her into the group and explain what is happening but she refuses to help. She doesn’t want to be in danger and although she wants to thank him for helping them she doesn’t feel like dying.

Violet also visits them in the hospital and has a tense visit with Imogen and Robert. He asks why she granted his wish when she didn’t care about James. She mentions that she cared less about who made the wish and more about the reason it was made. Robert asks what the point of her vengeance is if she really doesn't care.  She chalks it up to the difference of being mortal and immortal. Violet leaves robert with a warning that Miller was a young vampire and there are likely stronger ones that could come. Robert only responds that he will be ready and it impresses her. She leaves a bunny idol on his bedside and leaves.

Layla goes to see Imogen and hugs her to catch back up with events. She learns about James death and Barnaby’s anger. Imogen is injured by her body being a magic conduit and Layla feels responsible for it. She says that she doesn’t want them to be a part of her life and they are worried for each other. Layla kisses Imogen as she protests and awkwardly Layla tries to justify herself before dashing out of the room’

Layla goes to Robert’s room and gives him the same spiel. Robert confirms that they need to stick together and fight the monsters one by one, because if they don’t then who will? They did everything the way they did and now have to focus on what’s next without lingering on the past. She isn’t happy with the idea but decides to resolve to go on.

She slips into the art studio to talk to Barnaby as he paints. He seems to be recovering, at least superficially, and they agree to spend some time together. He tries to help her paint and she doesn’t do very well. Barnaby doesn’t critique her too harshly and asks about patrolling. She doesn’t want to put him in trouble but he insists he’s fine. She finally relents and they go on patrol.

At the funeral of James Barnaby talks to an old woman about the incident. The official story is that it was an accidental discharge from a student shooting a rifle. He can only look on as James is lowered into the grave….

### Next time on Layla The Vampire Slayer

*Barnaby and Imogen speak at the wake in hushed tones as Robert and Layla look on. A promise between friends is made between them. Robert and Layla look on with concern in their eyes. Robert walks into Penemue’s library and steals away his books. Layla looks into Violet’s room and into a book on her floor. A giant endless library with spiders made with clockwork, leather, quills for legs, jewels for eyes, and pens for fangs surrounds her and Imogen. Layla and Imogen sitting together in the common room. Violet sitting on Robert’s bed. An image of Violet, Layla, and Penemue drawn in a book....*

## Notes

Due to slight confusing over the players' intentions, Barnaby's death scene was replayed. In the initial version due to confusion Barnaby was the one to kill Mr. Miller as Layla had ran off to take Robert to the hospital; the scene was retconned to the version above.