At the break of dawn, Buffy looked around her. All was silent in the cemetery; dew glistened on the grass and the headstones towered against the sunrise. She nodded to herself, and stowed her stake back in the inside pocket of her jacket.

As she made her way to the cemetery gates, she tucked the long crucifix chain that she wore around her neck under her shirt, flicking her long blonde hair out behind her. She sighed, checking her watch. Time to head home for a few short hours, before heading out to make some money for the boss. Working days for the boss and nights to protect Detroit from the hellmouth below could take it out for a girl, but Buffy could take care of herself. Perks of being a Slayer, she guessed.

Death was on Buffy's mind as she walked home, yawning just slightly. One day, death came for everyone. Whether it was to a bullet fired by a supposed friend or a bitter foe, a potshot from TylerDurden reaching it's mark, a young thug holding a gun to their head after deciding this life is not for them or just old age, too much whiskey and too many cigars making a respected guy or girl decide their time on these shores is done. Death came for all.

But, did the manner of ones death matter, despite this? That thought particularly played on Buffy's mind, and when she spotted a crowd of familiar looks mafiosi walking down the street going about their daily business, she simply couldn't stop herself - she had to speak her mind.

"My time in this world has been brief, but I have seen some strange things. And when a girl who spends her evenings hanging out in a crypt looking for signs of the undead awakening says that they've seen some strange things... well... it's probably true. It's barely a couple of days since we saw a Godfather Chairman choose to leave this world by his own hand. According to the newspaper archives in the public library, it's only a couple of short weeks since another crewleader chose the same exit.

But it's not only the retirements that have gotten me thinking. This world has seen a LOT of death lately. I know, because I've seen the graves, staked a lot of the vampires. We've seen alliances fall apart, cities turn their backs on one another, seen Godfathers shot on a wing and a prayer in the dead of the night, we've seen Godfathers on the hit list, and even as I speak, another city leader has a bounty on his head. Most of us who call this way of life our own have lost a family member recently; I think I can say that all of us have been to some funeral or another and mourned dearly loved deceased. Death comes to every man and woman, the strong and the weak, the mightly and the meek.

But, what I ask, is does it matter how that death finds us? Does the manner of our passing matter, does it count for anything? Is there more honour in some deaths than others? If death must come, what is our ideal for finding it?

Is it to die in a blaze of glory fighting, is it to fall in your sleep to a shot in the night, is it to choose the day and the time yourself or is it with the notoriety of falling to a hit from the mysterious TylerDurden, funded in blood money? Or is death indeed the great equalizer - does it's very nature mean that no death is better than any other?

Please, tell me what you think. It may at least give us something to discuss, should I ever find you crawling out of a crypt in the dead of night."

After hearing Buffy speak and hearing thinking about her questions regarding one's death, Al couldn't help but offer his thoughts on something he has often thought about.

'Buffy, I don't have a long line of ancestors, but they have died in various ways, at the hands of a rogue, on the first wave of a war which took their entire family, and defending his family in the face of certain death.  I can't help but smile when I think of the later.  There is no greater sense of pride than that.  Standing proud in a hail of bullets and doing everything in your power to bring honor to your family by turning the tables on those who have declared war on you.  We are all warriors in one respect or another, and as such, the thought of someone sneaking into my home while I sleep and ending my life, taking all that I have worked so hard for an taking away the last opportunity I have to thank my family for all they have done, that thought haunts me."

Before stepping away, Al turns back to Buffy with one last thought....

"One of my childhood heroes had a saying he applied to his sport and his life, it's something I have taken as a war cry, Never Die Easy!!.  There is no pride to be found in laying down to those who have chosen to declare war on those you love."

John Doe passes Big_Al and nods respectufully then watches with a slight unease as NocturnalParalysis departs with the music blasting from his automobile. "Odd Character him....kinda creepy me thinks!" he chuckles to himself while checking  Buffy out. 

"Death is the game we all have chosen to play.  Sometimes we do get to go down fighting, sometimes we are assassinated quietly in our sleep, sometimes we may even avoid death because death doesn't think we are worth the effort or on occation we are sometimes lucky enough to triumph over adversary through our fraternal bonds and good wits, but sooner or later Death WILL come knocking and the circle of life starts all over again." 

John Does smiles at Buffy "Vampire's Eh?!?" and then has a glance around "Think Ill be going now. Good Luck Buffy!"

The ganster danders off lighting up a smoke with his petrol lighter.