The thunderous report of more than a half dozen pistols interrupted the late night tranquillity of the deserted streets of a small district area in the South East of England. Bright tracer-like trails ripped through the air, the targets were found and erupted in fireballs of screaming, burning flesh which promptly turned to dust. The six men and women continued their retreat from the large group of monstrosities that were gathering in the area.
"Sierra Unit to Alpha Base. Hostiles are gathering, Bravo unit have been destroyed. Explosive concussions heard. Probability use of Dead man's switches at 100%. We're coming in."
"Roger that Sierra unit. Fall back positions are awaiting your arrival."
"Thank You Alpha Base. See you in a few hours."
"Be careful."
"I Will Thanks Tara."
The six members of Sierra unit took multiple twists and turns killing a few demons that got in the way. Finally making it to fallback positions, there they transferred to the only remaining safe road to Alpha Base.
The six of them did not relax- relaxing got you killed in the field, no matter how safe it seemed the enemy could hit you at any time and anywhere they wanted, the world was rapidly losing safe areas for the remaining human population. Already an entire continent and many small islands were no longer habitable to those who had once called it home, over a billion had already been wiped off the face of the Earth and there looked to be no way of stopping it.
"Commander. Radio message from HQ. you are to report to command for new orders."
"Acknowledge Smitty"
'Aye Sir"
Xander Harris leaned back hand still on the butt of his gun and eyes consistently scanning the horizon, almost ten years of fighting had instilled a second nature in him- one where the slightest moment of inaction could mean the death of him and his people. He closed his eyes and thought back to a time ago where this was the worst his imagination could encompass and not the reality he has to live in.
Xander looked up to see Spike go over the side of the tower and that weird demon 'Doc' coming closer to Dawn, he knew he was too far from the tower to help but he had to try- Buffy was still fighting that Hell Bitch Glory. He saw both Giles and Anya- his fiancée go down and Willow and Tara try to hold back those damn minions and managed to get to the others.
He made the decision to try to get to Dawn before she was killed- then it happened, Buffy had been using the troll God's hammer against Glory and had been winning- but a scream from Dawn as the knife sliced into her distracted Buffy enough for Glory to get a single blow in- sending Buffy out from the tower- hitting the ground below. A final scream came from Dawn and he saw her lifeless Body slump in a way no living body could.
The portal opened and Glory was absorbed by it.
They Had Failed
The World would pay the price for that failure Xander's eyes shot open as he sensed the vehicle slow at the end of it's journey, looking up he saw that they were finally back at Alpha base and for the first time in over a week he relaxed. He didn't let down his guard- but he wasn't sure he could if he wanted to. Climbing out of the vehicle he walked to the debriefing area while Sierra team returned to the barracks, walking he passed the commander of Tango squad- they both stopped and clasped hands.
"Damn Xand, you look like hell."
"We lost a team out there tonight Riley."
The blond command officer nodded his understanding, there were damn few combat trained people left and the loss of even one team would be felt for a while, his unasked question about the deadman switches just got a nod from Xander. The Iowa born commando patted his friend on the shoulder and went off to do his rounds of the perimeter fencing, Xander turned back to the command bunker and walked in.
"Xander!"
He looked up as a blur of blond slammed into him, allowing himself a very rare smile as he held an old friend for the first time in a month. She snuggled into his embrace and just held him, they had both lost a lot and what little they had was just enough to keep them going.
"You Ok Tara"
"I'm glad you made it back Xander, I thought we had lost you." She looked up into his face and traced the scars that went from his hairline down to level with his left eye. He grasped her hand a kissed it's palm gently.
"You know it takes more than a few vamps to get me Tara." He smiled at her and she hugged him again.
Both had long been the only person in the other's life from before the mouth of hell had swallowed the world in it's entirety, with the opening of the dimensional barrier the remaining gang, only minus Dawn and Anya- his Fiancee. Both now long dead, had fled from Sunnydale, none of them stopping for anything from their homes- there just was not time. Once on the outskirts the three cars, Giles, Buffy and Himself had split up each taking one passenger, it was all they could do. He had not heard from any of them in almost three years, there had been no word from the Watcher's council. No slayers and lastly nothing from the United States at all.
Xander and Tara had made it to the Canadian border five days later, by this point almost a full third of the States had been Mauled by the demons and they were getting further out every day. They were not the only ones either, entire town and cities were emptying into Canada it seemed that half the US armed forces were also moving, entire squadrons and transport flotillas flew overhead into the mountains. Full Regiments were moving into position all along the border, creating defensive positions all along, it looked as if the United States was a lost cause and that everyone was locking down to protect the civilians and comrades in arms in the new country.
Every able bodied man and woman were being conscripted to help with fortifications and if capable were being armed, both Xander and Tara had been grabbed that day. Actually originally only Xander had but Tara refused to go without him. No matter the pleading that Xander sent her way, she had leaned much about resolve from Willow and in the end had been conscripted. For the next few days Xander had helped build fortifications, his background in construction had helped his area immensely and they were finished well ahead of schedule, with this in his mind he had gone up and down his section of the border and had found several crews of construction workers, grabbing them and a full battalion of Army engineers he had told them what they would be facing and ideas for defenses, within days miles of construction had taken place and massive defensive positions had taken place, thousands of men even those without any construction experience had worked day and night non-stop to get it done.
All this was to come to a head almost two weeks after Glory's triumph, the civilians had stopped streaming in only two a day ago. It looked as if there was no-one left to come to them, then one day later the first attacks begun, all along the border the fortifications were attacked some were overwhelmed but for the majority the arrayed military forces forced back the rampaging demons. All along the border those with powers, be they part demon, humans with Wicca powers or simply someone who was a little different got involved, fireballs and lighting spells ripped into vampires and larger demons while armour piercing rounds and heavy explosives devastated the rest, for two days they fought, often to the point of exhaustion- then something unlikely happened.
The Sun came out.
Since the barriers had broken there had not been one shard of sunlight, nothing but darkness and cloud. Then the sun had come out, frying many demons where they stood- destroying the vampiric hordes and many of the demons attacking the human defences, all those that had breached were likewise caught by the sun and destroyed. The defenders up and down the country cheered, for the first time in four days many people finally got to rest, those who had been able to rest went about caring for the defenders and in some cases repairing the defences and following down to other areas past their own where defences had not been of sufficient strength.
They knew that they had only a respite but it might be enough to help those who needed it, supplies and reinforcements were coming from overseas but would be some time be free they could be assembled. For now the displaced Americans and Canadian Armed forces were all that stood in the way of global destruction.
"Ahh Commander Harris"
"I'm reporting in Sir"
"Go Ahead"
"Sierra Company were dispatched to contact and assist Bravo company near the river Medway, it was believe Amphibious Type 3s may have been in the area. When we arrived Bravo Company had been wiped out to a man, we recovered their tags and weapons but they were gone sir."
"Dammit" A large fist came down and slammed into the desk. "Four Teams in the last six months, we can't take these losses."
"I understand sir but we are slowly being overwhelmed, we've lost three continents already. The remain population is barely enough to keep the industries going, we have few Soldiers left capable of being trained as Rangers. Fewer still capable of commanding the units we do have, we may have to step down assault sorties until command can regroup and train new units."
"Unfortunately Commander I am forced to agree with you in this, except for essential sorties all teams are on immediate stand down, that includes Sierra team." "Sir?"
"Commander you and your team have been on the go almost constantly since the rangers were formed, you have taken ten days leave in almost eighteen months. You are exhausted and I doubt your team is much better, this is not an order Commander but I will make it one if I have too. Take Miss Maclay and take a retreat into the interior of the country, both of you do a lot for this enclave- you deserve some time off, besides I've been given a communication from Command you are to report there."
The Colonel handed Xander an official communiqué from Allied Defence Headquarters in Berkshire,
To: Cmdr Alexander Harris
From: Allied Defence Command Headquarters
RE: Ranger special forces team.
Commander
It has come to the attention that you and several other members of the defence forces have intimate and useful knowledge of Threat position Alpha One formally Sunnydale California. Therefore command has decided that all Intel required is to be brought to a combined forces briefing. Requests for yourself and Miss Tara Maclay also of Alpha Base command have been issued.
Enclosed are instructions to command headquarters and orders to be produced at time of arrival. Please arrive in all haste.
General Phillips
Chief of Staff
Ranger Corps Command
"With your permission Sir I'll assemble Miss Maclay and Sierra Company…"
"I'm afraid not Commander, this is a need to know operation only you and Miss Maclay are cleared for this. You will both be assigned weapons and supplies for the trip, be ready in eight hours."
"Aye Sir"
'Dismissed." The Colonel ordered, then with a slight hesitance Xander Spoke again.
"Jack?"
"Yeah Xander."
"How bad is it on the front lines."
"Bad Xander, we're not holding it and we've lost contact with Beta Base up the coast, I'm not sure if we can hold this country from the enemy, we may have to abandon and regroup on the continental mainland."
"First the states then South America, Canada, Greenland. Can we stop them?"
"Xander I know your history, you're the best one to answer that. Go get some rest you've got a hell of a week ahead of you, good luck old friend, I'll have Sierra unit still here when you get back."
"Thanks, Night Jack."
"Night Xander." With that Commander Alexander Harris walked out of the commandant's office, the gaze of Colonel Jack O'Neill Following him. "Too much like Kowalski." He said with a chuckle.
Xander had crashed straight out as soon as he had fallen into the bed, not even undressing, that was how the rest of Sierra Company found him twenty minutes later.
"Should we wake him up"
"Nah let him sleep he took the entire watch during the last kip time."
'Where's the fun in letting him."
The shortest of the three came up quietly next to Xander's bed, as he was ready to pounce a Beretta automatic came up from under Xanders pillow to a spot on his forehead.
"Oops"
"You as quiet as a ten ton truck with horns blaring Smitty" Xander said eyes still closed.
"Sorry Bossman" the Younger man gulped
"Never Mind Joe, how'd your debrief go."
"Same as always." Xander nodded at that it was getting harder to do this job, they had lost almost fifty men in the last eight months alone and it was getting harder to work through the losses. It was worse now because of his new assignment.
"Well I've got some news. As of now we are all on leave- six weeks, plus all further ranger scouting missions have been suspended. We're to stay on base once we return from leave."
"What?"
"Julie you know as much as anyone that we've lost too many hunter teams not mention the scout section's losses. We're barely making a dent as it is- we need to regroup and retrain, the defences will hold for as long as we need them. Go Home see your sister and friends. We may not get many more chances. "Joe, Richard same for you too relax some go home if you can see your friends and family. Joe your wife would appreciate at least knowing your still around."
"Aye Sir"
"Ok by me bossman."
The others dropped into bed and soon were all asleep at least as well as they could given the circumstances of their lives.