Buffy walked passed a signing pointing the way to the elephants, reptiles and Hyena House, with a banner proclaiming a new great wolf exhibit to open soon in the hyena location. Kyle and his gang, Rhonda, Tor and Heidi, see her coming.
"Oh, look. It's Buffy and all her friends," Kyle taunted.
"That's a witty," Buffy quipped.
"Do you ever wonder why nobody cool wants to hang out with you?" Tor added.
"Just thankful," Buffy mildly retorted.
"Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?" Rhonda contributed, her group laughs, and they continue on their way, leaving Buffy standing there alone. Tor, at the expense of Buffy as they leave, "Careful! She might beat you up!"
A few moments later, Buffy is reading the plaque at the elephant exhibit when Xander and Willow come running up, Xander calling out. "Hey! Buffy!"
Willow, "You missed it!"
"Missed what?"
"We just saw the zebras mating!" Xander says, nodding to Willow, "Thank you, very exciting..."
"It was like the Heimlich, with stripes!" Willow responded, laughing.
Buffy, with mock disappointment, "And I missed it. Yet somehow I'll find the courage to live on."
Willow, following a now-moving Buffy, "So...where were you?"
"Uh, I was looking at the fishes."
"Was it cool?"
"It was fishes."
Xander, "I'm feelin' that you're not in the field trip spirit here."
"Well, it would... It's nothing, I...We do the same zoo trip at my old school every year. Same old, same old."
"Buffy, this isn't just about looking at a bunch of animals. This is about not being in class!"
Buffy, brightening a little, "You know, you're right! Suddenly the animals look shiny and new."
Xander responds with a smirk, "Gotta have perspective."
At the Monkey Exhibit, Lance is sketching several into his notebook as Kyle and his cronies approach him.
"Lance! How's it goin'?" Kyle asks.
Lance looks up from his pad, "Hey, Kyle."
"So, is this like a, uh, family reunion?"
"No."
"I think it's a family reunion. It's so... touching. Doesn't anybody have a camera? Click-Snap!" as he makes a picture-taking motion.
Rhonda, from behind Lance adds, "Hey, does your mom still pick out your lice, or are you old enough to do that yourself now?"
Lance gets loud, as Tor takes his notebook "Quit it, huh? Hey! Guys, c'mon! It's got my notes in there!"
Mr. Flutie, noticing a commotion, approaches the five students, "What's going on here? I've had it up to here with you four! What're you doing?"
Kyle, looking guilty, "Nothing."
Mr. Flutie, to Kyle, "Did I ask you to speak? Okay, I guess I did, but I want the truth. Lance?"
"They weren't doing anything. Really!" he responds with a nervous laugh, "We were just playin' around."
"Alright," Flutie begrudges, starting away, "I'll be watching you."
Pointing to Lance, Kyle asserts, "You! Came through big time."
"Way to go, Lance!" Rhonda adds with a pat to his shoulder.
Tor nods saying, "Flutie's been looking for a reason to come down on us."
Lance, "It's okay."
Kyle, to Lance and the gang, "Come on, we're gonna check out the Great Wolf Exhibit; it's temporarily in the Hyena House."
"But I think it's off-limits," Lance responds.
"And therein, my friend, lies the fun."
Lance laughs, and they all go off toward the Hyena House. It's closed, but they duck underneath the yellow barricade tape. Buffy, Willow and Xander see them go in.
Willow, turning to the others, "What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?"
Xander, "Oh, playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse."
Buffy, "What is it with those guys?"
Willow, "They're obnoxious. Professionally."
Xander, "Well, every school has 'em. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some mean kids."
Buffy, "Yeah, well, I'd better extract Lance before"
"I'll handle it," Xander interrupts, then heads in. "This job doesn't require actual slaying."
Buffy, "You don't think we should follow?"
Willow, "Kyle and those guys are jerks, but they're all talk. Mostly."
Buffy, reconsidering, "Why don't we..."
Willow, "Yeah, why don't we?"
They duck under the tape and start in, but are caught in the act by a zookeeper, "Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because a pack of great wolves are very quick to strike if surprised into thinking you're a threat, and the exhibit isn't entirely prepared for the public yet."
Buffy, "Oh, w-we were just gonna take..."
Zookeeper, "You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."
"No, no one's going in there, Willow responds as she and Buffy come back out.
Buffy: Why is it off-limits?
Zookeeper, lecturing, "Mostly it's a quarantine. These geat wolves just came in from Canada, so keep out. The Inuit tracker-shaman told me that great wolves are capable of strongly sensing human emotions and maybe even speech patterns. Their packs follow many of the same patterns as family and tribal relationships in primitive humans, and look after their own; even the weakest in the pack, omegas, ARE their pack.
Inside the wolf exhibit, Kyle and the others tear through more tape blocking the way in and look around as he and the girls walk up to the enclosure and look in. Lance stays back with Tor standing behind him.
Kyle, "Cool!"
Lance, "I don't see any wolves."
One of the wolves sniffs and growls softly before showing itself from between some rocks.
Lance, "Okay! Now we've seen it."
He tries to leave, but Tor stops him.
Rhonda: Looks cute.
"I think it looks hungry," Kyle says moving towards Lance.
"No!" shouts Lance as Kyle and Tor grab him.
Tor, "C'mon, Spot!"
Lance, "C'mon, stop it!"
"Supper time!" Tor calls, as he and Kyle drag Lance up the steps and lift him up to the bars.
"Guys! Stop! It's not funny!" as they press him into the bars and down on his neck.
"Ow! Stop it! It's not funny!"
From above can be seen, but is unnoticed by the students, the markings of a sacred circle painted on the floor. Xander comes in, pulls their arms off of Lance and helps him away, "Why don't you pick on somebody your own species?"
Kyle tenses and shouts back, "What, are *you* gonna get in my face?"
The wolves growl. Xander, Kyle and the others look at them. The wolves' eyes flash green, and then two of the kids' eyes do. The wolves' eyes flash green again, and two more kids' eyes do.
Lance makes a move to get away, but trips on a chair, falling. His notebook slides across the floor to the far wall. Kyle and the others turn and stare ferally when they see him. Lance gets up, retrieves his notebook and rushes out. Xander turns around now, too, and his eyes flash green, "I AM the Alpha. Any challenges?"
Xander nodded to the Kyle and the others, "tonight, at the Bronze. We'll go from there." The others nodded and headed off, Kyle looking downward and neck to the side when Xander stared him down again.
"So, Xan, what was that all about?" Buffy asks.
Xander, smirking, "Kyle thought he was Alpha Male and learned he's not the head of the pack."
"So, testosterone city and the Xand-man won. Wow," she responds with bemusement.
Willow, briefly seeing possible hurt in Xander's eyes, quickly added, "you're the Alpha Male of our pack, Xander."
"Yeah, Xander, it may be a small pack, but as long as you don't act like them," Buffy adds, gesturing at the departing teens.
Which Pack was his? The Scooby Gang could already be considered a pack, tight-knit and protecting the omegas of Sunnydale. Kyle and the others were new, and resisted before he established control. On the bus, Xander knew something wasn't quite right, but he felt better on the trip back. He seemed to notice little things more. Smells, details within sight, hear whispers across the bus. Inside, he felt pressure, but nothing particularly discernible, but something in him had stirred at the words Buffy and Willow had said to him outside the wolf exhibit. There had been a moment back in the exhibit where he'd felt like he'd lost control of his movements, but it had passed as soon as it started. At home, he'd slept for a few hours, dreaming of forests and tundra, snow, rivers and running in the hunt, his pack behind and beside him, a force within nearly overtaking him until he realized that he was no longer in wolf-form, but himself, his pack as he turned back including Buffy and Willow, then Giles, then Kyle and the others, and surprisingly Amy Madison, other kids he'd saved from bullies over the years, people in khaki and pith helmets, and other historically-dressed individuals who seemed to know him. Turning forward he felt right that another alpha ran beside him, Jesse, his cub-brother, before the latter mouthed, "good luck, bro," and faded as fanged shadow-figures pulled him awaycausing Xander to wake with a start, himself, but full of anger and a surge of strength hard to control. Dressing in black, and grabbing his father's black trench coat and money in the wallet, Xander heads to the Bronze to meet his pack, not sure why he kept thinking entirely in those terms.
Willow and Buffy are coming from the bar. Buffy has a Coke and a croissant. They make their way over to an empty table and sit.
Willow, "I thought Xander would be here by now."
Buffy, "Hmm, that'd make him on time. We couldn't have that!"
"Did he seem upset at all on the bus back from the zoo?"
"About what?"
"I dunno. He was quiet."
"Other than the alpha male talk I didn't notice anything. But then again I'm not as hyperaware of him as, oh, say, for example, you."
"Hyperaware?"
"Well, I'm not constantly monitoring his health, his moods, his blood pressure..."
"130 over 80!" Willow laughs.
"You got it bad, girl!" Buffy jokes.
"He makes my head go tingly. You know what I mean?"
"I dimly recall."
"But it hasn't happened to you lately?"
"Not of late."
"Not even for a dangerous and mysterious older man whose leather jacket you're wearing right now?"
"Goes with the shoes!" Buffy responds with mock-annoyance.
"Come on, Angel pushes your buttons. You know he does."
"I suppose some girls might find him good looking..." She gets a look from Willow. "...if they have eyes, alright, he's a honey, but... it's just he's never around, and when he is, all he wants to do is talk about vampires, and... I, I just can't have a relationship..."
"There he is!"
"Angel?"
"Xander!"
He walks down the stairs from the upper level of the club where he'd been watching the patrons, then Buffy and Willow for half an hour before heading their direction, having gotten better used to separating smells, sounds, detail of sight and more. He checks out a girl on the way, and dressed as he is she stares back at him. He grabs her hand and they finish a quick dance before leaving her interested but with her friends as he comes up to their table.
"Girls!"
Buffy, "Boy!"
Xander: Sorry for the delay, I had some things to deal with... just forgot that we were gonna be here. (sees Buffy's croissant) Hungry! (tears a piece off and eats it)
"Xander, you still want me to help you with geometry tomorrow? We can work after class..." Willow asks as Xander takes a gulp of Buffy's soda.
"Yeah," Xander, giving Willow a side-hug and quick hair-sniff, then leaning over to Buffy, "What's with this?
"Well, it *was* my buttery croissant."
"Man, I need some food! Buff, how do you live on this!?"
Buffy and Willow look at each other, then at Xander. He looks back and forth at them, "What?"
"What's up with you?" Buffy, lightly glaring at Xander, responds.
Willow, looking concerned at Xander, "Is something wrong? Did I do something?"
"What do you mean? I'm just... restless."
"Well, we could go to the ice cream place..."
"But I'm quite happy here." He looks up and scans the area a bit, and then leans toward Buffy and sniffs her hair. She looks at him suspiciously, "Okay, now what?"
"You took a bath."
"Yeah, I-I often do, I'm actually known for it."
"That's okay. That jacket, though, smells like death. Where'd you get that, Buff, there's something not right about it."
Willow and Buffy exchange another look.
Buffy, "And the weird behavior award goes to..."
Xander sees Kyle and the others come in. Buffy sees them, too. Kyle and company come over to them. Xander stares back at them.
Buffy, "Oh, great. It's the winged monkeys."
"Come on, Buff. Where, really"
"Angel. Are you jea"
"Kyle, what does this smell like?"
Kyle, after being stared down, "Someone dead; strong; alpha."
"Angel, huh?" says Xander to Buffy. He turns to Kyle and the pack, "There is room for only one Alpha, and alive is the only way, right Kyle?
"This is mating and control, your problem."
"If it's dead and alpha-strong, it's not pack; it's a threat," asserts Xander, staring down the pack, adding with a feral smile, "Let's go hunting." They head toward the door. Buffy catches up, Willow behind her looking concerned.
Buffy, "You're going after Angel?"
Xander shrugs without concern. "If that is Angel's smell, yes. Crypto-guy has some explaining to do if it's not him that smells dead," he states, shaking off her hand and pulls away with Kyle and the others.
Buffy, to Willow, "go to the Library and tell Giles something's up with Xander. He's acting weird or something, not like himself."
"Where'll you be?"
"I think I know where Angel lives, so I've gotta warn him about Xander as hispack. Will, that's it! He's acted weird since we went in after them at the zoo. Hurry, tell Giles."
Giles is going about his work. Willow hurries in, flinging the doors open and explains the occurrence at thee Bronze.
Giles, "Xander's taken to ganging up on others?"
"Uh-huh."
"And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?"
"Yes."
"And, well, otherwise all his time is spent causing trouble about town with imbeciles."
"It's bad, isn't it."
"It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Course, you'll have to kill him."
"Giles, I'm serious."
"So am I. Except for the part about killing him. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."
"But Xander's only been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the Great Wolf Exhibit that was cordoned off. Oh, God, that teethy smile when he ordered his 'pack' to go after Angel with him."
"You're saying that, uh, Xander's becoming a wolf."
"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just Xander, all of them."
"Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard ofuh..." heading towards his office.
"What're you gonna do?"
"Get my books. Look stuff up."
Xander and his pack follow Buffy until she starts looking lost in front of an apartment building.
Kyle, "She's strong and fast, but not a very smart mate. She leads us where we want to go and doesn't notice."
Xander, "I keep Willow for smarts; two mates. Now go while I deal with her."
Xander comes in and stands behind her. Buffy gets back up and turns around, only to be startled by him. "Xander."
She tries to evade him, but he's quick to match her movement.
Buffy, exhaling, "This is ridiculous. We need to talk."
She fakes him out and jumps on him, knocking him down with her on top holding down his arms.
Xander, smiling wolfishly, "Been waitin' for you to jump my bones." Then he growls and rolls Buffy over onto her back so he's on top now and has her arms pinned down.
"Get off of me, Xander."
"Is that what you really want?" he asks as she struggles. "We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't cha? You like your men dangerous."
"You're in trouble, Xander. You are infected with some wolf thing, it's like a demonic possession!"
"Dangerous and dark, right? Like Angel. Your Mystery Guy. Well, guess who just got dangerous. And I don't smell dead. Do you know how long...I've waited... until you'd stop pretending that we aren't attracted..."
Buffy throws him off of her and quickly gets up to face him. He gets up, too, and begins to approach her as she backs away.
"Look, Xander, I don't wanna hurt you..."
He grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her against the side of a large-finned black convertible, "Xander: Now do you wanna hurt me?"
Buffy struggles, but the 'possessed' Xander is too strong.
"Come on, Slayer. I like it when you're tough. The more I make you sweat, the better you smell. You and Willow both. Our pack. I'm not possessed; I beat whatever it was," he adds, moving in and kissing her roughly on the neck.
She struggles a bit more, with frustration and a little fear. "Xander, please don't"
Buffy suddenly feels his hands let go completely and he steps away, her sliding to the ground as she turns to look at him. Kyle and the others have come down the steps in familiar-looking dusters and carrying swords. Xander, donning one, listens to Kyle murmur about the dead thing with yellow eyes getting away, but badly wounded.
"You want us to track it?"
"Nah, now that it knows it isn't powerful, it will keep for now, or leave town," reaching into pocket for his father's money taken earlier. "Go get some burgers; feed. Meet at dawn at the zoo and we'll get fresh game then. Until then" he gestures at himself then Buffy as his pack leaves, Tor saying, "good luck, bro."
Xander, wide-eyed, recalls the dream and stares horrified at Buffy as he's handing her his father's old coat, "oh my god, Buffy. You and Willow are myI'd never" and races off into the night to calm down or find Giles for help.
Willow is at the table researching. Buffy comes in half-carrying a bloody almost-shirtless Angel, "Giles, we need the first-aid kit!"
Willow, "Buffy what happened?!"
"Xander happened; his wolf pack beat up Angel in his own apartment while he tried to pin me against a car."
"You're alright, Buffy?" Giles questions, opening the first-aid kit next to Angel, "Here, let's get him on the table, it'll be easier."
"Yes, when I finally actually said 'no', he let me go. And then he got this scared look and ran off into the dark."
Willow, "Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy or, or some ducks?"
Buffy, "That's assuming 'possession' is the right word. The others still acted the same as they did at the Bronze, but he seemed in control until he ran off."
Giles looks at Angel's wounds, "They don't seem too deep, considering." He notices the tattoo of a griffin straddling a large "A" below his right shoulder, "Interesting tattoo."
Buffy, exhaling, "Hmmm, yeah, nice tattoo."
"Oh, back on topic. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."
"So how does it work?"
"Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."
"And then they started acting like wolves."
"Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."
"So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"
"If it goes unchecked..."
He hands Buffy a book open to a certain page. She takes one look, slams the book shut and quickly gets up to go.
"I gotta find Xander. He claims to have beat the thing that tried to take him over, but"
Willow picks up the book and opens it to the bookmark. There's a drawing of people with limbs bitten off, heads missing and other massive injuries. After a few minutes, she excuses herself and heads out the doors, leaving Giles and Angel to discuss the behavior of the students and possible corrections to the situation.
Xander comes to the door just after the Slayer and her vampire. Sensing from the hall, he can tell of their resolve and concern, and confusion in Buffy. And somethingsomeone else in the Library, away from the others, somewhere in the back. Hearing Buffy ask about the possession, Xander heads out to the back entrance of the library, opening into the stacks.
Xander listens and smells the someone as he quietly moves closer to the railing. Spotting a book move by itself, he focuses to see if he can detect movement. From scent, it's female and human, slowly coming into focus as he directs all his abilities to draw closer and pay greater attention. Looking up from her vantage point, she notices Xander looking at herseeing her, and in a near-whisper, "You can see me? How?"
Xander eases back just a bit, but still covers any escape, "Using my senses other than just sight, then focusing in on you; you fade a little. Do I know you? I think I should, I'm Xander."
"Marcie Ross. We had four classes together last year," she adds, somewhere between the bitter and the still-curious, "why can you see me now, 'wolf-man?'"
Chuckling softly, Xander responds, "Marcie, if we had classes last year, you know I slept through most of them, and pay attention in none." Then in a bad wolf-man Jack voice, "So Sue Richards the Invisible Girl (she rolls her eyes at the comic reference and loses her building anger) areare you a threat?"
"To yourpack, no. To the popular folks like Harmony and Cordelia" she responds, noticing the arched eyebrow when she used the word pack. "I listen to you all; I sorta live here now at school. Even at home they were never around and never notice anymore."
"Does ANY ONE see you except me? Or"
"Vampires, no. They sense, but seem even angrier than I get, so they can't focus. Only you so far."
"Invisible, that can suck, but a useful skill for a pack"
"Which one? Scoobies or the your new friends."
Xander, gesturing to those below without looking, "These are my pack, Marcie. I'm different from the others. Somehow THEY got possessed it seems; I seem to have absorbed whatever it was. Maybe I'm the closest one to how a wolf thinks or acts. I'm almost a slayer in the short-run, and my senses are way better than before. I woke up with A LOT of energy and adrenaline like I've only seen Buffy have after a fight; I kept it mostly under control but afterI almost did something I regret to one of myI'm now a better version of me. I can sense you Marcie. How about going down stairs with me and seeing if Giles can eventually get you seen again. And don't bother with Cordelia and the Cordettes. They snipe at each other and jockey for position. They stab each other in the back. None of them have real friends who ACTUALLY pay attention. They're all masks and pretend; nothing inside. The fact that this bothers you means you're better than they are already."
Marcie holds up a hand palm-down, "Masks, Xander. I've been Invisible Girl for five months, and have seen more about you than your friends, huh?" Then quieter, "I notice the bruises, and they don't. They see the doofus in the ugly shirtsnice threads by the way."
"The difference is that you see something under the mask because no one watches you look, Marcie. Please come with me, and forget about Queen C and her call-girls; prank 'em, don't kill 'em."
"But they either ignore me or put me down, Xander. They always get everything!"
Scoffing, "Marcie, they're not worth your trouble. Look at Buffy, she WAS Cordelia before coming to Sunnydale. Bang, she's the slayer. She has gifts to make a difference. She bitches about it, but she makes a difference. You now have a possible gift, why waste it on Cordelia? Willow WAS noticed, and she's not on the Cordelia favorite people list. She helps fight the bad things in her own way, research and computer stuff."
"What about you?"
"I have my own issues."
"Yeah, wolf-man."
"More than you know." He ignores her wide-eyed stare of disbelief. "The wolf and the me behind the mask were so much alike it became part of me, and the emotions are stronger, and the denials swept away so I lost control for a while, and a girl I'm in love with hangs out with a vampire doing god only knows what?"
"Willow?!"
"No, Buffy."
"You love them both?!"
"Yeah, no. It's complicated, but yes. They have different strengths and beauties inside; I don't know how I'm going to face either of them. I nearlyhurtBuffy tonight, and it's because I don't have the practice keeping in my feelings of her to myself"
"And Willow?"
"She's all I've had except, Jesse, who I had to stake myself. I can't won'tmess that best friendship up. Then the wolf comes along and I feel there wouldn't be anything really bad to have two Alpha females as mates; while not entirely monogamous, wolves tend to have a hierarchy, but the merger has me equally set on bothand their hair smells so nice, and I can almost feel their auras."
"Why not both? This IS California, remember?"
"Urhmmm"
"So now that you don't seem all "wolfie," now what?"
"Maybe we head down stairsfriend?"
"That's what I'm thinking, eh Willow?" Buffy quietly questions from behind them.
Startled, Xander turns: How much did you two hear?
Buffy, "I came in at 'these are my pack, Marcie' and Willow came in at 'Look at Buffy.'"
Xander looks at Buffy, sighing, "My life isn't complicated. Go, we'll follow, but stay between me and Dead-Boy."
"Dead-Boy?
"Your vampire friend Angel."
Willow, squeaking, "Vampire?!" Looks accusingly at Buffy, while Buffy looks shocked.
Xander, "You didn't know?! And you left him with Giles?"
Buffy runs around, Xander leaping over the rail, "Marcie stay close to Willow."
"Stay where you are Angel," Xander says, turning to Giles, "Can a vampire ever be a good person? Could it happen?"
"A vampire isn't a person at all. (clears his throat) It may have the movements, the, the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over, but i-it's still a demon at the core, there is no halfway."
"So that'd be a no, huh?"
Angel, "I'm right here. You could ask me."
Buffy, arriving to find Angel still sitting at other end of table, "Well, then what were you doing? Why were you good to me? Was it all some part of the Master's plan? It doesn't make sense!"
"I'm here to help you," Angel, begins.
Xander, ignoring him, "I-I know you have feelings for this guy, but it's not like you're in love with him, right?"
Buffy looks uncertain.
"You're in love with a vampire?! What, are you outta your mind?!"
Buffy, staring at Angel, "I don't know what I feelokayHe could've fed on me. He didn't."
Xander, "Question, Giles, what are vampires like?"
"Uh, like all of them. He's a uh, a vicious, violent animal."
Angel, "I am? I'm just an animal, right?"
Buffy, "You're not an animal. Animals I like."
Angel, sighing, "Then let's get it done. I don't care any more."
Angel is in his game face and Buffy has her stake ready to throw at him. Xander moves around to block the door. Angel morphs back into his human form.
Angel, "C'mon! Don't go soft on me now!"
"Why? Why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then... I've killed a lot of vampires. I've never hated one before."
Angel, moving toward Buffy, with Willow behind her, "Feels good, doesn't it? Feels simple."
Xander steps to flank Angel, "I can't let you hurt myfamily."
"Why not? I killed mine. I killed their friends... and their friend's children... For a hundred years I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."
Buffy, "What changed?"
"Fed on a girl about your age... beautiful... dumb as a post...but a favorite among her clan."
"Her clan?"
"Romany. Gypsies. The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul."
"What, they were all out of boils and blinding torment?"
"When you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse... It's an easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done... and to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day."
Xander, "Why is it taking so long to heal, Dead-Boy? Usually you corpses heal up fast?"
"I only drink animal blood from the butcher's; occasionally a blood bank if no animal blood is available. When you don't take it from the source, you don't get the real emotional life power with it, so I still have strength and such, but none of the super stuff unless I guzzle it down. And this looks more like a library than the meat shop."
"You smell dead, but you also smell alive enough to where you might be telling the truth. These people are my pack; stay away from them unless I am around. You will contact us through the Library phone number. If you have a phone, leave the number with Giles. If you don't have a phone, get one. Until ALL of us decide to trust you, Giles is your Watcher as well, vampire. And you will not pull the Mystery-Man crap anymore. A soul doesn't make you good; you let them turn you the first time, so your soul might not be guilty of murder, but negligent homicide, cowardice, yes. If Giles can verify your story OLD MAN WHO STALKS YOUNG GIRLS, we'll just see. A soul let the demon and its evil in; the Nazis had souls and they were evil. So we'll see. Remember, if I catch you near us without warning through Giles or calling at a distance to myself, or unless in a crowded place like the Bronze, I'll dust you. Go."
He just looks at them in silence, nods, and leaves. Xander stares at the door, considering his own wolfishness with a soul, and the near-impossibility of Angel's assertions.
"Not as easy as it looks," Buffy observes, breaking into his thoughts.
"What?"
"Why'd you let him go?"
"I know I can take him if I have to, and I will dust him if he doesn't follow the rules. I dustedJessemy brother, butso far, Dead-Boy hasn't moved against us. Doesn't mean I trust it. Any way, we have two more immediate concerns. Kyle and my other wolfie-friends are out there and going to meet at the zoo at dawn. Also," looking to where other senses had somewhat kept track of her," I want the others to meet Marcie Ross. Marcie, could you pick up a book and sit in the end chair there. Thank you."
Giles, "Good Lord."
Willow, "Uh, um, hi (small wave). Sorry I don't see you yet."
Marcie, "That's okay, only Xander seems to. Just having people aware of me is kind of nice."
Xander, "That's okay Marcie, we'll figure it out. And as you've discovered, we deal with the weird often. Maybe you and Amy Madison should get together; she missed the same amount of school and had the whole mom-problem."
Buffy, to Giles, "So, no one noticed her, and now she's invisible."
Willow, "What, she turned invisible because no one noticed her?"
"Of course!" Giles exclaimed, hitting the table and getting up, "If you hadn't said that, I'd've been investigating the mystical causes of invisibility when I, I should look at the quantum mechanical!" They stare at him, "Physics."
Buffy, "I think I speak for everyone here when I say, huh?"
"It's a rudimentary concept that, that reality is shaped, even, even... created by our perception."
"And with the Hellmouth below us sending out mystical energy..."
"People perceived Marcie as, as, as invisible, and, and, and, and she became so."
Willow, to the invisible girl, "that sucks, I'm so sorry."
"That's okay. Maybe you guys can magic something up, or at least let me join up. I can spy and read and stuff. I can trip the vampires when they're running at you." The Scoobys snicker while Giles looks intrigued, "Th-that's a most positive outlook on the situation, Marcie. Perhaps when we've dealt with Xander's pack-mates we can discuss this further."
"Well, what do we need to do for them, Giles?"
Willow, "Don't you mean YOU and the others, Xan?"
"No. I absorbed or merged with the Wolf-Spirit, and I'm me, Will. Now that I understand emotionally, I'm happy with it. Hey, Giles, how do we get THEM back to normal?
"Uh, we don't know exactly how the ritual works. We know that it involves a, um, um... predatory act and some kind of symbol."
Xander, frowning in concentration, queries, "Predatory act? Like Kyle and the others picking on Lance and my jumping at Kyle about it?" Giles nods. "That makes sense. And there WAS something on the floor, writing maybe? It didn't look like it was there very long."
"Look. I think we may have enough information so that we could pull off a reverse trans-possession."
Buffy, "What do we do?"
"We must get the possessed students over to the exhibit cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."
Xander, "Maybe some rest is in order when we're ready; after all, I already have them meeting me there at dawn. And how are we going to do this?"
"Normally, it would be a matter of simply transferring the Spirit in each to another host, but if we're lucky we can"
"I'll do it. You do the ritual thing with me, and I'll get mad at the pack and you guys get me with a tranquiller dart if I leap at you."
"But how are you going to rid yourself of the Spirit when you've taken them into yourself?"
"Well, if I have control but am under attack inside, I'll leap at the wolves in the cages; as my predatory act, otherwise maybe I won't need to."
Buffy and Willow, "Huh?"
Giles, "I-I think what Xander's saying is that since he's absorbed or merged already, he'll either be immune to possession, or simply be powered further. Either way, with a tranquilizer gun, and Buffy's strength, we should be alright."
Giles, speaking to Willow and Xander: I believe we've covered it all except that when Buffy gives the word Xander will begin the chant and we'll hide. Where's the tranquilizerah, thank you Marcieif I may? (as the floating rifle makes its way over)
Buffy approaching the area next to the circle, "They're right behind me! Let's do this!"
Willow: That's Buffy! Get ready!
Xander starts chanting as the pack draws nearer, and as the wolves are heard stirring.
Xander, shaking a fist and stepping forward: YU BA YA SA NA!
The pack looks up at him, and their eyes all flash green. Then Xander's eyes flash green four times. He turns to the wolves, but they're scrunching down to the ground in submission instead of aggression, refusing the challenge of eye contact.
Xander, "I'mtoo wound up Giles. Tranq meand washthe circle away. I'm" hit by dart. "still mebut" Looking at Willow and Buffy pleadingly" I can't hurt mygirls." The second dart hits, but doesn't quite do the job.
The zookeeper charges in as Marcie and Willow wash part of the ritual markings away, knocking them both down, "No, you kids've ruined everything," as Willow bumps her head and cries out in pain.
The zookeeper gets up and punches Xander, threatening him and the girls, only to be picked up and thrown over into the wolf pen by a still-conscious Xander. The zookeeper works at unlocking the pen from inside, but the wolves pull him away. Kyle and his gang pick themselves up and begin to crawl away on their butts, before bolting altogether. A third dart knocks Xander out.
"Ah, hello. Anybody want to let me out of here? Hello?"
Giles, coming out of office, "Errr, Xander? How do you feel?"
"I know once again I'm not taking up the family tradition of drinking until blacking out. How many of those things did you hit me with anyway?"
"Three, actually. One after the zookeeper went into the pen, just to be sure."
Bell Rings.
Xander, nodding, "Sohow long have I been out? Did anything else happen?"
"That would be the lunch bell. NO, the other students just left after you took on their possessions. To be sure, I cast a spell to bind the power to your soul to make sure you stay in control. Th-though it appears that the other students paid a call on Principal Flutie's home on the way to the zoo."
"Is he alright? What did they do?"
"Apparently they damaged his car and mailbox. When he went down to confront them, they beat him pretty badly, I'm afraid. Only the arrival of the police scared them off before it could go too far. The police are writing it off as a gang attack with dogs. Mr. Flutie is expected to be out for several weeks."
"Wow. I hope he gets better. What do we have to do to get out of here?"
Buffy and Willow enter and approach warily, as Giles unlocks the cage.
"Hey girls, bring me some lunch? I'm starved."
Buffy looks on and smiles. Willow smiles, too.
"Xander, about what you said last night in the stacks" Willow began.
"Will, Buff. You heard it all. I'm glad you heard it, but I understand how awkward it can make things, so until you're both really comfortable with the newly revealed and super-charged Xander, I think we should just pretend I didn't bare the soul. Please, I'm already embarrassed."
Buffy: This is definitely the superior Xander. Accept no substitutes.
"Hey guys, where're you heading?"
"Uh, we're kinda heading to LA," Heidi hedged.
"It wasn't your fault. I'm on my way to tell the police exactly what happened?"
"Are you nuts, Harris?" Kyle reacted, "Who'll believe us?"
Xander, looking hard at them and rolling his eyes back over the shoulder he's leaning on the building corner, "What, that a group of pcp gang members forced you to take a hit, then decided it was a great idea to push you into that whole wolf-pack craziness of his? Come on, if I hadn't smacked you guys around, you'd've ended up either helping those freaks, or ended up dead like the zookeeper. I hear the wolves were stolen as well."
Kyle, catching on, "But, Xander, we all talked about it, and after leaving the Bronze last night, nothing until we woke up in the park. Then, overhearing some freshman talking about the police lookin'"
"Maybe we should listen to Xander," Rhonda, playing along, "I kinda remember him pulling me away from an angry guy with a big knife, and someone shooting at him with a gun."
"Luckily, I'm still here. Come on, let's go see the police, then the hospital to explain things to Pri"
The police officers rounded Xander, "that's quite alright. If you'd please come with us, will settle it at the station."
"Here, I'll take the tickets and get the refund, then meet you at the station, okay officers?"
"Yeah, we'll need your statement, and we heard you talking, so you're still not a suspect. When can we expect you?"
"If you wait, they can cash in their own tickets, otherwise however long it takes for the bus."
The officers decided to keep track of everyone, and at the station gathered statements. The gang's parents are called, while Xander and a detective drive over to the hospital where a recovering Flutie has the situation explained to him. Xander suggests making the students improve their grades by one level for the remainder of the year, do community service after school rather than detention or jail, and the parents to assume equal share of medical and property damages. Flutie comments on Alexander's mature solution, and directs the detective to recommend it to the DA.
Colin is tossing stones into the pool. He takes a few more from the Master's hand. Darla comes into the lair.
Master: Zachary didn't return from the hunt last night.
Darla: The Slayer, or the new hunters in town.
Master: Zachary was strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer takes him... as she has taken so many of my family. (takes a breath) It wears thin. Colin, what would you do about it?
Colin: I'd annihilate her.
Master: (inhales) Out of the mouths of babes...
Darla: (makes her way down) Let me do it, Master. Let me kill her for you.
Master: You have a personal interest in this.
Darla: (disappointed) I don't get to have any fun. Can I go after the new hunters then?
Master: I will send the Three. You, my dear, will take some of the minions and deal with these 'hunters.'
Darla, intrigued, "Thank you, Master, but who are The Three?"
"Alexander, have you finished cleaning out the dog kennel?"
"Yeah, Boss, and topped off the food and water for 'em. Anything else before I go, Ms. Wells."
"No, that's it. Thanks again for your help. You seem to have a way with the dogs, even better than Tucker does when he helps during the summer. I'm really glad Bob Flutie recommended you."
"Well, I just felt the need to volunteer, and maybe pick up some ideas for what I'm going to do after graduation. Any way, gotta run."
"I'm thinking the Three might not be enough if the new hunters in town and the Slayer are working together," Darla broached again. "You've gotta let me take care of the Slayer when they fail."
Master: Oh! You're giving me orders now!
"Okay, then, we'll just do nothing while she takes us out one by one, even if I get the hunters," she sulks, turning away.
"Do I sense a plan, Darla? Share..."
Darla walks back to the Master, "Angel kills her and comes back to the fold."
"Angel! He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him."
"So do I."
"Why would he kill her if he feels for her?
"To keep her from killing him. I'm working a few ideas."
"Hmm," he muses, turning to Colin, "You see how we all work together for the common good? That's how a family is supposed to function!"
Angel from his bedroom hears someone come through the door and senses a presence, "Angel: Who's here?"
"A friend."
He quickly enters the room to face the voice. Darla comes out of the shadows wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform. "Hi. It's been a while," Darla begins.
"A lifetime," Angel replies
"Or two, but who's counting?"
"What's with the Catholic schoolgirl look? Last time I saw you it was kimonos."
"And last time I saw you it wasn't high school girls. Don't cha like? Remember Budapest? Turn of the century? You were such a bad boy during that earthquake."
"You did some damage yourself."
"Is there anything better than a natural disaster? The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like picking fruit off the vine." She sits on the bed, "Nice! You're living above ground, like one of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one of them. But guess what, precious? You're not one of them."
She draws the window blinds open, letting in a stream of sunlight. Angel is blinded, and he stumbles backward to get out of the light.
Darla presses, "Are you?"
"No. But I'm not exactly one of you either," Angel retorts mildly.
She opens the refrigerator and sees the bags and bottles of human blood, "Is that what you tell yourself these days? You're not exactly living off quiche. You and I both know what you hunger for. What you need. Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who we are. It's what makes eternal life worth living." She smiles and touches his cheek, "Mm. You can only suppress your real nature for so long. You can feel it brewing inside of you. I hope I'm around when it explodes."
"Maybe you don't wanna be."
Darla pushes him harder, "I'm not afraid of you. I bet she is, though. (starts to leave) Or maybe I'm underestimating her. Talk to her. Maybe she'll come around. And if she still doesn't trust you, you know where I'll be."
Leaving an angry Angel behind, she exits the apartment, screaming and grabbing at her face as Xander hits her with his super-soaker holy-water-filled gun. Her scream freezes Angel in place and draws her four minions from down the hall where they'd lurked. Xander stabs out, striking deeply in the throat as she writhes in the hall, then as he turns to face the new threat, Darla drops her purse and pushes by and races into the evening.
Holy-water spraying down the surprised vampires, Xander lunges forward to stake the undead in the eyes as Angel breaks out of his trance and draws a stake.
"Grab their wallets and weapons first DB!"
"DB?" Angel questions as he punches two of the downed vampires and complying.
"Yeah, Dead Boy, I overheard your conversation. I'm not too thrilled with you, but if Vamp Girl thinks you're on our side, I won't taunt you too bad for now." He strips off two really nice leather coats and a pair of boots before dusting all four.
"What's with the looting, Xander?"
"Well, since it all goes 'poof' why not ease the burdens of the hunt at the same time? Besides, this looks like a slightly better set of boots and jacket than the ones of yours I'm still wearingand they look your size."
"Urmm, ah, thanks I think."
"Come on, we're going to the Bronze. It might be best for you not to be here in case she brings back the whole bunch, and if she finds me somewhere else, you might use your vampo-super-speed to dust her while I taunt and squirt. I may have the whole strong and fast thing for a humanbut I'm not chancing dealing with a wounded vampiress right now," he says, handing nearly a grand to Angel. "You helped with half the effort; it's your share. If it makes you uncomfortable, donate it somewhere."
"No, I just never expected you to be so"
"Wolfish? I learned salvage and scrap detail at home long ago if I wanted to get by; the wolf just charged me up enough to realize that to do more means applying those lessons to this as well. Maybe by Christmas I can move out into my own place, but I'll need the cash to do it. You ready, good. Let's go."
Three tough guys are lighting up cigarettes. The Three come around a corner at a steady, deliberate pace. The men see them and leave.
A cockroach is being chased along the floor.
Boy: Get it! Go get it, right there!
Girl: I got it!
She holds the roach up to the bartender and drops it into his jar.
Girl: Free drink, please.
The bartender nods his head and goes to get the drink.
"Ah, the fumigation party," Willow notes as they sit at a table.
"Hmm?"
"It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"
"Oh," Buffy responds, not really paying attention.
"It's a lot of fun... What's it like where *you* are?"
"I'm... sorry," she responds, smiling, "I was just... thinking about things..."
"So, we're talking about a guy?"
"Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is that a sentence?"
"You lack a guy."
"I do. Which is fine with me, most of the time, but..."
"What about Angel? I know that Xander kicked him out of the library, but that whole tragedy thing's kinda romantic, er, in a weird sort of way. And it is kinda novel how he'll stay young and handsome forever, although you'll still get wrinkly and die, and... Oh, and what about the children? (Buffy looks at her) I'll be quiet now.
Buffy: No, it's okay. I need to hear this. I need to get over him so I can...move on. And besides, Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're in grave danger. I'll see you next month.' Besides, I haven't really seen him much the last couple of weeks, or Xander for that matter."
"Both haven't been around much, it's true."
"When he is around..." she continues, dreamily, "it's like the lights dim everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys? He's never done anything to hurt me..." She sits more upright, collecting herself. "Okay, no, I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give itanother half an hour and maybe something will happen or sink in. And then I'm going home for some major moping."
"Oh, there they are," looking over at Xander, still wearing the vampire's old duster, approaching the table with Angel, a pair in black)
Xander makes his way through the teens dancing but bumps into Cordelia.
Cordelia: Ouch! Please get your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes!
"I'm sorry, Cordelia, I was just..."
"Being a big klutz?"
"Oh, so you noticed."
"Uh-huh."
"Yeah, thanks for being so understanding."
"Sure."
"Y'know, hey, I don't know what everyone's talking about. That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker!"
He leaves the dance floor and goes over to Buffy and Willow, where Angel is lurking.
Xander: Boy, that Cordelia is a regular breath of vile air. What are you vixens up to?
Willow: Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by. (sees a roach) Oh, look, a cockroach. (stomps it)
Buffy lifts her eyes to see and then turns them back down, "So what are the two of you up to? Together?"
Xander, "We did an early patrol to thin the herd."
"Huh?"
"We ran into each other, and I invited him along."
Awkward silence.
"Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!" Xander mocks.
"Alright, now I'm infecting those nearest and dear to me. I'm gonna call it a night," Buffy sighs, getting up to leave.
Willow: Oh, don't go!
Xander: Uh, yeah! It's early! We could, um, all go on a patrol if you need topatrol.
Buffy: Rain check? Good night.
Xander lets out a breath. Willow holds her shoe up to him.
Willow: Want a free drink?
"No, come on you two, the way she's acting, she's easy prey."
Buffy makes her way out of the Bronze looking bummed. Down the street, Buffy senses something and stops to look behind her. She sees Angel and her friends walking quickly to catch up, otherwise nothing nothing. She continues and walks past an alley. She hears a breath and stops.
Buffy: It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself.
One of the Three roars and drops down to the sidewalk behind her. She reaches into her coat, pulls out a stake and quickly spins around to stake the vampire. Another of the Three grabs her arm as she swings.
Buffy: (surprised) Wuh!
The third member comes up on her other side and grabs her other arm.
Buffy: Ooo! Okay, okay, nice...
They pull her into the alley and up against a fence. The first one approaches her.
Buffy: Okay, okay... Look, I really don't wanna fight all three of you... unless I have to.
She snap kicks him in the crotch, elbows the third, and tries to punch the second. He blocks her swing and thrusts his knee into her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recover and grab her again. The second one slowly approaches her with death in his eyes. Buffy is terrified and struggles to get away. The vampire comes up to Buffy, grabs her head and moves in to bite.
Angel comes up behind him, grabs him by the hair and pulls him off of her, "Good dogs don't... (punches the vampire) ...*bite*!"
At the same time, Xander flies by and tears a vampire off of Buffy, wailing into the undead without restraint, "HeyDead BoyI resemble that remark oh cold one."
Buffy is surprised at her rescue and the banter, but quickly regains her head. Using the surprise of the remaining vampire holding onto her arm, she kicks up with both feet and hits it in the face with a kick to the chin. She quickly kicks it in the crotch before looking for a stake. Angel continues to fight the first, gaining an edge when Willow shoots it in the ear with a holy-water squirt gun before racing to help Buffy. Helped by the timely distraction, Angel and Buffy finish their opponents to find Xander, not only done, but stabbing crosses into the last one, taking something off of it, then dusting.
Buffy: Xander! What was that about?
"Apparently, we just defeated three vampires known as The Three, set by the Master because the Slayer and her friends have corrupted Angelus and have taken a toll of his minions," he responds while going through the wallet and pocketing some of the cash.
"What's that?" she asks he hands them each some bills.
"I was looking for information also, but it had cash, so 4 fighters of the good divide, plus an extra share because I actually had the idea, so $500 each share, and I'm compensating Angel a little extra toward the coat I've made my own."
Angel, "It cost me $800"
"Minus wear, and the boots and coat I dropped off."
"Sure, okay."
"Are you friends, now," Buffy asks, confused, "because this seems a bit of a turn-around."
Both look disturbed and put off by the remark, both replying, "No!" to both girls' amusement
Angel looks at Xander before giving an edited version of Darla's approach, leaving off the conversation and the Xander-looting.
"What were you doing at Angel's any way?" Willow asked.
"Checking up, and thinking about returning the jacket. How about a quick patrol, then we call it a night?"
The Master comforts his favorite as her face finally recovers from the burns and throat stabbing, "I will have to send for Taraka; your taunting of Angelus and the Three failed, and you, my childe, were defeated by a mortal. Their blood will flow if it costs my entire hoard to destroy them."
Giles sets out a sign on the door stating that reads 'Library CLOSED for filing. Please come back tomorrow.' Inside Buffy is checking out the weapons cabinet, "Cool! Crossbow! Huh. Check out these babies. Hmm. Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality. What can I shoot?"
"Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later," Giles responds, taking the crossbow from her and goes to put it back. Buffy is disappointed.
"You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat," Giles continues to a bored-looking Buffy. "And let's begin...with the quarterstaff. Which, incidentally, will, uh, require countless hours of vigorous training. I speak from experience."
"Giles, 20th Century? I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck."
"You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting," he replies, putting on his head pads, "and these traditions have been handed down through the ages. Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."
"I'm not gonna need pads to fight you," she laughs.
"Well, we'll see about that. En garde!"
He makes several thrusts and she parries them all. She takes the offensive, pushes his staff to the floor and punches him in the face. She comes around with the staff into his back, and again to knock his legs out from under him. He falls onto his back. She stands over him.
Giles, stunned, "Good. Let's move on to the crossbow."
"Okay, and we're in the door, sir. I'll just go get your things from the cab, and you're all set."
Principal Flutie moved to the recliner with help from his wife as his surprise helper brought in the suitcase and closed the door. "Thank you, AleXander, you've been a great help since the incident; I never would have expected you of all people to volunteer like you have."
"I just feel glad to help; wish I'd've been there sooner."
"Well, it's appreciated. And I hear from Mrs. Wells you're doing excellent work at the kennel. At this rate, all we'll have to do is find you a sport and improve your grades to get you into a college."
"Well, sir, there'd also be the matter of paying for it."
"We'll worry about that later, but for now, thank you again, Xander. You run along to the kennel. Just don't be tardy."
Inside the kitchen, Joyce is doing her taxes and having coffee. She hears creaking on the porch outside and gets up to investigate. She looks out the door window and sees nothing. She opens the door a bit and still there's nothing. She closes the door and heads to the front. Darla looks in, sporting her game face. Joyce walks slowly through the living room and hears a knocking on the door. She looks out, sees Darla in her human guise and opens the door.
Joyce: Hello?
"Hi! I'm Darla? A friend of Buffy's?"
"Oh!" Joyce exhales, "Nice to meet you."
"She didn't mention anything about me coming over for a study date, did she?"
"No, I thought she was studying with Willow at the library."
"She is. Willow's the Civil War expert, but then I was supposed to help her with the War of Independence. My family kinda goes back to those days."
"Well, I, I know she's supposed to be home soon. Would you like to come in and wait?"
"It's very nice of you to invite me into your home," Darla smiles.
"You're welcome. I've been wrestling with the IRS all night. Would you like something to eat?" Joyce invites, heading to the kitchen.
"Yes, I would!" She looks at Joyce's neck.
"Let's see what we have. Do you feel like something little or something big?"
"Something big!" she responds, vamping out.
Angel and Xander comes walking by the house. Xander picks up something in the air, "Do you smell that? It's familiar and recent."
Angel, beginning to worry, looks up at the Summers house, and lets out in a rasping whisper as he pushes Xander below fence level, "Get downthere are two vampires heading around backand that scent is Darla's."
"What's she doinoh, I'll charge in the front and you go 'roun" Xander replies as Joyce's scream pierces the quiet.
Angel runs toward the back, tackling the two minions as they turn at the sound of his approach. Without much pause he stabs one into dust, and whirls to kick another, his speed blurring as he desperately pushes to his goal. The minion hits once, before being thrown atop the picket fence and oblivion.
Meanwhile Xander, stake and super soaker in hand, bursts through the front door, the scents of Joyce and Darla drawing him into the kitchen. As the sounds of a fight in the backyard can be heard, he sees Darla biting Joyce.
"Let her go!"
"Oh, and what are you going to do about it? I'll finish her off before you can get me."
"If you set her down gently on the floor, I'll be too busy calling for help. We'll sett;e this next time, Old Woman."
"Hmmm, maybe," she replies, backing up to the door, the sounds of a fight still ensuing beyond. At that moment, the door erupts, Angel causing Darla, to turn to face him. Xander lunges forward, spraying holy water, but is slammed hard in the face and across the kitchen table, stunned for the moment.
Darla, picking up Joyce, "I just had a little, there's plenty more. Aren't you hungry for something warm after all this time? Come on, Angel. Just say 'Yes'!"
She shoves Joyce into Angel's arms so he can see the bite and smell the blood. He struggles with himself and looks away from the bite. Darla watches with a big smile. Angel looks up at her again with his game face on.
"Welcome home!" she sneers, pressing around them and leaves the house. Angel continues to struggle with himself. Angel looks up in game face, growling asBuffy comes in from the dining room declaring, "Hey! I'm home. Willow's with me."
She turns toward him and freezes with fear, him holding her mother on the back stoop and Xander getting up slowly from the floor.
"How could you" she stats, eyes tearing up.
"I did" Angel begins.
"Enough, you two, Willow, get a kitchen towel to stop the bleeding; Buffy, Angel was with me when we passed by and discovered Darla and her minions trying to get your mom. Angelcheck around to make sure she's really gone. Buffy, carefully move your mom back in the kitchen and call an ambulance. If they ask, tell them some crazy guy with a barbecue fork ran in, then fled after we showed up. I'm going to sit here a minute until my vision clears."
Angel heads back into the darkness, through bushes and the lawn for the next several minutes. Buffy grabs the phone, dials 911 and goes over to kneel by her mother.
"Mom! Mom, can you hear me?!" The operator answers. "Yes, I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive! My mother was stabbed with a fork by a freaky guy, she lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!" She drops the phone, "Mom!"
Willow lets Buffy hold the compress while they wait.
"Xander, are you okay?" Willow says, hugging her friend fiercely as he gets up from the table.
"Yeah, Wills, I'm fine. Where's DB?"
"I'm here, Xander, it seems clear. I think it was only the four I staked plus Darla. I'm going to track her to make sure she's gone to ground for the night."
"Angel!" Buffy calls out, causing him to turn. "Thank you."
Looking surprised, he smiles a little as he disappears into the night.
Giles rushes down the corridor trying to find Joyce's room.
"Do you remember anything, Mom?" Buffy asks.
Joyce: Just, um, your friend came over... I was gonna make a snack...
"My friend?" she asks as Giles, Xander and Willow come in, the latter two from giving statements.
"I guess I slipped and cut my neck on... The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork. (looks at Buffy) We don't have a barbecue fork. (looks at Giles) Are you another doctor?
Buffy: (looks to see) Oh! Um... No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles, and you remember Xander and Willow. Xander, ah, saved you from a freaky guy with the barbecue fork. Scared him off, so we when we came in we could call for help."
Joyce: Oh, the librarian from your school! (confused) What's he doing here?
Giles: Uh, I-I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery.
"Boy, the teachers really *do* care in this town," Joyce remarks, then starting to yawn, "And Xander, thank you. If you hadn't shown up, Buffy and Willow would have been in danger as well."
Buffy: Get some rest now.
She gives her mom a kiss, and they all go outside the room.
"She's gonna be okay," Buffy exhales. "They, they gave her some iron... Her, uh, blood count was a, a little..."
"...a little low," Giles helps, "It presents itself like mild anemia. Uh, you, you were, uh, lucky you got to her as soon as you did."
"Lucky? It was Xander and Angel," Buffy exasperates.
Xander, managing to ease from a still-attached and concerned Willow, places his hands on both of Buffy's shoulders, looking her in the eyes, "Buff, it's not your fault."
"No? I should have convinced her and told her about the Slaying, or figured some way to at least protect my own home."
Willow, "If you care about somebody you care about them. You can't be there every minute, Buffy."
"But I wouldn't have to if she knew. Maybe when we get her home, we'll tell her the truth."
"We shall discuss this again tomorrow, though I disagree strongly, Buffy," Giles asserted, and as to this Darla, this is no ordinary vampiress. (whispers) If there is such a thing. Now, she knows you, she, she's the one who sired Angelus. And she managed to escape from Angela-and Xander with his enhancements. I think this is gonna take more than a simple stake."
"So do I," she agrees tiredly, starting to move toward the door. Giles heads back into Joyce's room to make sure all is in order.
"Buffy, wait," Xander interjects, placing a hand gently on her forearm, "she's probably back in the Master's lair by now, and Angel would've been back by now if it were different. Right now, Darla has four targets, you as the Slayer, Angel with their 'history,' me as the boy that keeps thwarting her efforts and burning her face each time, and your mother. You should stay here and protect her, since Darla could come back just out of spite."
"She talks about you all the time, Mr. Giles. It's important to have teachers who make an impression.
"She makes quite an impression herself," he allowed.
"I-I know she's having trouble with history. I-is it too difficult for her or is she not applying herself?"
"She lives very much in the 'now', um, and, uh, history, of course, is, is very much about the, uh... the 'then'. B-b-but there's no reason..."
"She's studying with Willow, she's studying with Darla, I-I mean, she is trying."
"Darla? I-I-I don't believe I know, uh..."
"Her friend, the one who came over tonight."
"Darla came to your house tonight? Sh-she's the friend that you mentioned earlier?"
"Poor thing, I must've frightened her half to death when I fainted. Someone should really check and make sure she's alright."
"Yes, someone should, right away. I'll do it," he replies, grabbing his coat and leaving.
"That school is amazing!" Joyce notes to Buffy as she reenters the room and sits.
Angel shows up, "How's Buffy's mother?"
She'll recover," Giles replies, "Any word on Darla?"
"She made it back into the lair; Xander seems to have gotten her again. Hopefully we'll have a few days or weeks with the recent losses to the Master's numbers."
"Y-yes, that will be fine," Giles adds, then turns to Willow and Xander, "I'll drop you two off on the way home."
Buffy and Angel see each other through the doorway, as the others exit, and Joyce soundly sleeps.
Angel: I just wanted to see if you were okay. And your mother.
Buffy: We're both good. You?
Angel: If I can go a little while without getting punched or stabbed I'll be alright. Look, this can't...
Buffy: ...ever be anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, two hundred and twenty-four years older than I am.
Angel: I just gotta... I gotta walk away from this.
Buffy: (nods) I know. Me, too. (whispers) One of us has to go here.
Angel: (whispers) I know.
They look at each other a moment longer and then close in to kiss, tentatively. They stare at each other, not knowing what to do, say or think. Moments pass. They separate.
Buffy: You okay?
Angel: It's just...
Buffy: ...painful. I know. See you around?
Buffy walks back to her mother's room. Angel watches her then goes, his handing reaching down to his chest where her cross has left a deep burn.
Carlo is standing by a window looking into the room at his master.
"Carlo, my dear one," the demon calls.
Carlo comes into the room and over to Moloch, kneeling. Moloch steps over to him and puts his hand on his head.
"Do you love me?" Moloch asks, "I can give you everything. All I want is your love."
"You have my love."
Moloch growls and quickly twists Carlo's head, snapping his neck.
The priest Thelonius is talking to a group of monks bearing torches, "He's out. It is the devil, Moloch. He is out in the world, doing such bad things. We need to form the circle."
The monks gather around him as he opens a large book, the pages of which are blank.
"By the power of the circle of Kayless..." Thelonius begins.
Elsewhere Moloch smiles as he straightens up and lets Carlo's body fall. His expression changes when he realizes something is wrong, and he looks up.
"No!"
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you! Come!" Thelonius continues.
Moloch screams angrily.
"I command you! Come!"
Moloch screams even more loudly, in terror.
"COME!"
Moloch continues to scream. Suddenly he bursts into millions of tiny particles. The particles fall into the book at the church.
"Come, demon! Come!"
As the particles fall into the book an ancient script appears. When the pages are filled, Thelonius closes the book. He steps over to a table and puts the book into a heavy wooden box, "Pray that this accursed book is never again read...lest the Demon Moloch be loosed upon the world."
He puts the lid on the box.
Centuries later the lid is lifted off of the box, and Buffy looks in, sarcastically declaring, "Oh, great! A book!
One week had passed since Joyce had been attacked. The Sunnydale Police of course had not found a suspect in the assault, and wouldn't. The week had been an interesting one in that Xander's relationship with Willow bordered on something of an almost-romantic nature. They both kept things moving slowly with more hugging, walking with arms around each, and occasionally staring into each others' eyes when conversation lapsed, but so far not even a first kiss. Willow vacillated between euphoria and angst because while she was finally getting noticed by Xander, it was overshadowed by the wolf-possession. Xander dropped the goof mask to most people, acting more-serious in mood when around the expanded Scooby Gang. The jokes were fewer, and comparatively mature in some ways because the need to be funny every moment no longer compared to taking care of the pack. Willow did smile at the looks of envy she seemed to be getting from more popular girls as Xander now tended to forego his trademark Hawaiian prints in favor of darker and better-fitting clothes he could also wear on his patrols with Angel at night.
As she scanned books into the system, the redheaded girl wondered how Xander go from hating vampires and Angel in the capacity of near-boyfriend of Buffy, then spend most nights patrolling with the darkly handsome figure. Her and Buffy had talked about the lack of male presence late nights, as Xander seemed determined to push the vampire's limits, making him hunt and kill the undead, not just warn against them. Buffy had expressed hope that whatever came of it was of the good, as she couldn't get her mind off of Angel, though the twin shocks of Angel's vampirism and the deep feelings for her and Willow Xander had revealed to Marcie left the young blonde emotionally unsteady.
While Willow and a few other computer science students are seated at the table undertaking a book-scanning project, Xander is also thinking about the last week, smiling at his almost-girlfriend, reflecting on the recent changes in his life, while half-listening to the talk around the library. He watched Willow, Marcie and Amy scanning the books into the library's computer system, and gazed thoughtfully at Buffy as she pulls an old tome from the box and blow some of the dust off of it.
Giles looks on as his Slayer unpacks the book, flustered as the activity is not completely ordered, "Oh, uh, Buffy, I, uh...haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put it in, uh, in, in that pile.
"Here, I'll get it," Dave volunteers, getting up from his computer.
"Oh, thanks, Dave. Amy pile," she gestures, smiling, as he takes the book from Buffy and goes over to the pile of books next to the daughter of the witch Catherine Madison.
"Uh, when I've examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it," Giles directs, feebly.
"Scan it, Rupert. That's scan it," Ms. Calendar, the twenty-five year old Computer Science teacher corrects, shaking her head.
"Of course," he retorts sarcastically.
"Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!" she responds grinning.
"Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box," he smugly counters.
Ms. Calendar, annoyed, "That's TV. The idiot box is TV. This," she emphasizes, pointing to a computer, "is the *good* box!"
"I still prefer a good book."
Fritz, an intense computer student, interrupts arrogantly, "the printed page is obsolete. Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." The strange young man then grabs his books and leaves the library as the two faculty stare after him.
Ms. Calendar, wide-eyed and slightly exasperated, "Thank you, Fritz, for making us all sound like crazy people. Rupert, Fritz, Fritz comes on a little strong, but he does have a point. You know, for the last two years more e-mail was sent than regular mail.
"Oh..."
"More digitized information went across phone lines than conversation."
"That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror."
"I'll bet it is," she teases Turning to the students, "Alright, guys, let's wrap it up for today."
"I've just got a few more," Willow replies, "I'll hang for a bit."
"Cool! Thanks, Willow," the computer instructor responded.
Xander grabs his bag and pulls it onto his shoulder, Willow calling to him over her shoulder. "Xander, you wanna stay and help me?"
"Can't, Wills, I'm late as it is," giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "bye."
"Yeah, okay, sure," she dazedly replied, hand on cheek. "See you tomorrow!"
"I'm, I'm just gonna stay and clean up a little," Giles tells Ms. Calendar, "I'll, uh, I'll be back in the middle ages."
"Did you ever leave?"
Giles stops and looks back at her. She's smiles to herself, pleased with his reaction to her comment. He continues up the stairs, confused and bemused.
"Ms. Wells? Hello, anyone?" Xander called out as he found the place untended. He headed back into the kennel area to find the cages open, and both the Shelter owner and her son Andrew unconscious inside. Checking their pulses, he carefully smelled and scanned the area before calling for assistance. EMS and the Police showed up only ten minutes later, it being daylight. In the meantime, he had taken damp towels and wiped off the faces of his employer and Andrew. They began stirring as the paramedics arrived. Xander moved through the shelter, finding all of the non-reptiles gone, footprints rushing to the back alley and beyond. He relayed this to the police, and after they were finished, he locked the door behind him and headed over to the Flutie house early.
Willow is almost alone in the library scanning the last book, Amy and Marcie having left a few minutes earlier. Willow closes the last book, puts it in the pile with the others and leaves as Giles is about to do the same. The computer monitor Amy used goes blank and Moloch's words appear, "Where am I?"
Giles walks with Willow out the doors as Angel's coming down the hall with a worried expression.
"We have a problem," Angel begins. "I managed to catch up with Darla and grabbed a minion near the lair before dawn. Apparently, Xander and Buffy will be visited by the Order of Taraka soon," Angel ends with a note close to despair.
"Who are the Order of Taraka," Willow asks Giles as Angel finds a shadier position, "and why does Angel seem so worried?"
"I'm afraid he's not overreacting, Willow," Giles lectures, "the Order of Taraka is a society of deadly assassins dating back to the time of King Solomon. Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary."
"These assassins, why are they after Xander?" Willow worries. "Buffy's the Slayer, scourge of the underworld..."
Angel explains to both, "Darla's been the favorite childe of the Master for the four centuries since her turning, and Xander has not only thwarted her twice, but defaced her badly. Even more dangerous for Xander, I stopped at a source on the way back, and apparently a pair of night-clad hunters have been attritioning independent vampires and a few of the Master's minions over the last two weeks, and I'm guessing Xander and I have been targeted by the Master for that even if he doesn't know we are the hunters. He's sending The Three, vampire assassins of some note, so Xander is a double target now."
"Tarakans and The Three," Giles sighed, looking stunned. "I-It seems Xander's forcing you to take a more active roll h-has stirred up an incredible amount of trouble."
"What are we going to do, Giles?" Willow asked, concern clearly showing.
"I don't know," responds Giles rubbing his glasses, then turning toward Angel. "I don't know. I think the best thing we can do is to find a secure location. Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide on the best course of action. We'll gather in the Library tonight around 9PM, then go from there. Can you make it, Angel? Willow?"
"It's the best we can manage," the vampire replied, "so yes, I'll come in beforehand and bring what I have on Taraka, though it's not much."
Willow agrees to contact the Scoobies when she gets home.
Xander knocks on the door, and receives a friendly greeting from the recovering principal, "Alexander, you're early, come on in and save me from resorting to daytime television. So what brings you by now, it's shelter time isn't it?"
Xander relays the strange goings-on at the shelter, and thought he could come over earlier than usual for tutoring and feedback on his assignments for the coming week. It had surprised him when after a couple of weeks of what had started as guilt over the whole pack incident had surprisingly led to the principal taking an actual interest in the young man's life. Coming at a time when Xander had dropped his usual goofball mask, and with the boredom of convalescence pressing, the educator had begun to ask about homework, and generally engaged in talk about school, homework and teachers. Noting one day that Xander had homework in his pack, Flutie had insisted on giving him a hand with 'the math,' showing him the few shortcuts he'd learned back in the day. That, and the laptop Xander had purchased with vamp money for school purposes, made it easier to compare his drafts with suggestions and past homework assignments, which led Xander to his next question.
"Sir, I've been meaning to ask you, where did you get the homework samples we've been using the last couple of weeks? We never have more than a few small ideas tossed out in class. Don't get me wrong, it seems to be making me able to see what I'm supposed to be striving for, but"
"Well, Xander, I let your teachers know that I would be tutoring you from now on, and that it would help us both to have the materials used previously. I also let them know that you'd been taking on responsibilityand that your homework would be completed before you went home."
"Oh," Xander grimaced at the latter part, then caught himself, "So how am I doing? I think the fact that I finish the tests and don't nap in classes should count."
"Funny, but I'd just read my email, and your teachers have noticed definite progress, and believe that by the end of the year you'll be getting B's instead of D's. I sent back to them, Vice Principal Snyder, and the School Board Review committee, that I'm going to start running you harder through the material and past test material; at the end of the year you will be given make-up exams for the whole year IF you are doing B-level work, and that your final test grade will retroactively replace your recorded grades. So what do you say?"
"Wow, I don't know, sir," he faltered in shock, "I'm not really all that book-smart, an"
"Alexander, listen to me. You remind me a bit of myself at your age. You have the ability. Period. The teachers and I agree it is all attitude that's kept you back. A principal hears things about the home lives of students, and once I got to know you these last weeks I asked some questions. I won't talk about your home situation unless you want to, but you are better than you've been told. So, let's cover your English assignments firstyou're officially my project; it was a tie with the Springer showbut what the heck"
"Oooooh, zinged by the tutor," Xander mused, then quieted. "English it is, sir and thanks."
"Oh god, not again," Xander exhaled angrily, "the Jessica and Tony Hour is in full swingand it's early even for them." He gathered up his patrolling gear, laptop and money on a whim, 'Maybe I can bum the couch off of G-man or Joyce.'
He swings out the window and drops into the backyard, not hearing his father screaming at him to come to the door.
"Hey guys, what's up? There's a meeting?"
"Xander! Are you okay?!" a red blur calls as she hugs him hard.
Xander looks around to see everyone looking uncomfortable, Angel approaching.
"What now, Angel," Xander asks, too tired to use a nickname for the vampire.
"The Master has hired assassins from the Order of Taraka to eliminate you and Buffy for all of the difficulty you've offered."
Xander, exhaling in tired disgust, "Is it too much to ask for an opponent that would settle things with a bowling championship?"
"Some demon bowling leagues are a bit more vicious than you'd expect," Angel rebutted to the shocked amusement of the gathered Scoobies. "What, after a couple centuries a guy can't make a joke?"
"It's just that it was a good one."
"Three weeks patrolling with you, and you're surprised?"
"It's just I'm so damned proud, my little vampire man's all growed up," Xander fake-tears. The Scoobies laughed as Angel looked decidedly uncomfortable all of a sudden.
Giles, very annoyed and taking off his glasses to clean, "That's enough, both of you, this is serious!" He pauses, getting control of himself, "Sorry. It's just not the time for jokes. I need to think."
The vampire and the Xander both look only slightly abashed, somehow worrying Giles
Giles broaching the subject of hiding, "Hiding until we can come up with a way of canceling the contract would be best. The Order will send assassin after assassin until the job is done, otherwise."
"How does one cancel a contract?" Xander questioned, "as we don't have enough money to bribe our way out."
"You'd have to actually kill the individual putting out the contract, or otherwise forcing them to cancel it with the idea it cannot be reissued for a set amount of time," Angel answered.
"So we need a plan to get the Master to agree to cancel it? Wonderful," Xander sardonically exclaimed. "How do we do that without all dying anyway?"
"We'll have to find something he wants that we can afford to give up without freeing him," Giles adds.
"What does a centuries-old vampire need?!" Xander sighs, turning to ensouled vampire, staring at him for about ten seconds before nodding. "You said it yourself, the only thing he cares about is Darla, and she's damn slippery."
"Y-you may have our plan of last resort there, Xander," Giles responds. "Perhaps for his favorite childe's existence, he would cancel the contract. Until then, we need to relocate Buffy and Xander somewhere they can avoid most of their regular patterns. Perhaps, Xander, you could stay with Angel, and Buffy could stay with Willow's family for a few days?"
"My parents are out of town for the week; I could call them and we could have Buffy and her Mom stay over since no vampire-inviting has taken place," Willow contributed.
Buffy, nodded, "But how do we convince my mom to go along with it?"
"How about I report spotting the 'fork guy' near your house, and that he seemed to have a friend?" Xander suggested.
"Very good thinking, Xander," Giles approved. "Willow, why don't you make the call to your parents now, in spite of the late hour as-as it would lend urgency to the matter. Buffy, why don't you head home and make sure your mother is alright, and await contact by police. Angel, please escort Willow to her house. Xander, in about ten minutes you'll need to make your call."
Xander called the number of the detective assigned to the case, and explained he'd followed the 'fork guy' a few blocks, past his own house earlier in the evening, then to Buffy's home and when he seemed to meet up with a blonde teenage girl, nearly to the High School before racing to the library to call him. The officer responded by directing Xander to remain where he was, and that a car would be around to pick him up shortly and bring him to the station. They had need of his assistance.
Twenty minutes passed, and Xander called the Summers house to 'warn' them, then waited. Two plainclothes officers entered the library, showing badges and asking for Alexander Harris. Fairly assured they weren't Tarakans, Xander showed himself, requesting Giles to follow him to the station as he'd need a ride home later.
In the lobby of the police station, they met up with Joyce, the Scoobies and a few grim-looking officers hovering nearby. A police lieutenant approached Xander, and asked him to follow them and make some identifications.
The others sat and waited, eventually two dark-haired, brown-eyed men showed up at the desk as Xander came out from the back, red-eyed and shocked, staring at the two new arrivals, "They're dead; they think 'fork guy' is a member of a pcp gang that butchered Mom and Dad about ten minutes after I left." Surging forth, the girls both hug and cling to him, breaking into tears, Joyce murmuring offers of help to the stricken teen.
"Xander, we'll take you my place and get you settled in there; Don'll retrieve any personal items they let us move from your room when their lab-guys are done," Uncle Rory Harris encourages.
"No. I'm going to stay with friends the next couple of nights; my parentswere not any goodbut the rest of you left mewith themthe screaming (sob)the hitting (sob) and the other stuff," Xander gasped out, then whispered to maintain control. "So tonight I'm not going with anyone with the last name Harris. Maybewhen I have a chanceto get some control I'll be overokay?"
"What are you talking ab"Rory began, to be stopped by Don "Hondo" Harris, who whispered into his brother's ear for a moment, as his brother's eyes widened and a gasp escaped him as he squatted in front of the boy, "Xander, I never noticed. I know I wasn't around much, and all, I'msosorry. Is this friend you want to stay with here?" he added, looking the group over.
"He-he can stay with me for as long as he needs. I'm Rupert Giles, the school librarian, I-I've been helping him with his studies a bit."
"And if Mr. Giles is out of town or called away, Xander can stay at my place. I'm Angel, a friend of most of the people here. I've been helping Xander get into shape after school."
At this point the police lieutenant interrupted. "Would either of you uncles be willing to assume temporary legal custody of Alexander. You could then give him permission to stay over, and such, until things settle down for permanent choices."
"I'll do it," Don offered. "I'm mostly in town, so Xander could live at my place if he decides later, or at least most of the time, and it wouldn't be a financial burden; between my Outfitting business, and my two pensions, he'll be fine," the retired Special Forces Major, retired LAPD SWAT Captain assured everyone.
Both Rory and Xander nod, Don then indicating to Giles to go sit with Xander. Meanwhile the detectives approach Joyce, who is holding the two weeping girls tightly.
"Ms. Summers, I believe it mentioned that you've been offered temporary residence at the Rosenberg home?" She nods, so he continues, "For now, that's probably an excellent idea. We'll look into a better solution over the next couple of days. Just try to vary your routes in such a way as to notice any following vehicles."
The girls leave with Joyce, as Xander says good night to his uncles, exchanging contact info, before leaving with Giles and Angel.
"Well guys," the stone-faced teen asserts as they getting moving in Giles car, "It looks like we'll be hunting for Darla tomorrow night."
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Angel, recognizing the predator's look, asks before Giles can use logic to put him off, "We'll need you to be balanced when we go in."
"I'll be fine for now. Evenseeing themit hasn't set in yetI think the sooner we go, the better. And, besides, the other side is going after our loved ones, not just me and Buffy, either. We need to hit them while they'll expect us to be at our worst. Remember, we'll not just need Darla, but a Tarakan. The Master probably doesn't have great cell phone reception that deep in the ground."
"Any ideas, Xander? Giles?" Angel asks, trying to narrow down possibilities.
"None at the moment, I'm afraid, but I'll ask a few of my friends on the Council about possible go-betweens and such," Giles muses.
"Angel, if you get a chance, try using your vampiric senses at my house; maybe there'll be something we can track. Also, we'll ask Willow to check out motels and such tomorrow on the basis of anything you can come up with? Right now, I need to sleep before I start to think about what's happened."
Xander had managed to sleep, however uneasily, until nine the next morning, when he called his Uncle Don to arrange with the detectives for him to pick up personal effects, family paperwork and such from upstairs.
Xander asked his Uncle to clear out the kitchen while he went to the unbloodied upstairs. Xander quickly packed into his duffle bags, his darker clothes, his parents few valuables, the box of family paperwork, his father's never-used handguns from the closet, his comic book collection, caches of personal items and a few pictures. An old flare gun gave him an idea for later. Xander then went out to the backyard and dug up his 'camping fund, as the detectives and his uncle watched, frowning at the teen's caching.
"I needed to be ready to head out if Dad ever came after me again like he used to when I wasyounger. I have everything I want. We'll sell off everything else and bank anything left over if there is anything."
The detective broached the subject as they approached his parent's station wagon, "I checked with the Social Services people, and there are some limited resources in situations like this; some education and support money, stuff like that until you turn eighteen or graduate high school, whichever's later. Here's the information. Good luck."
"Xander, when you're ready to come over to my place, your usual room's ready, and if you find you need anything there or at your friend's house, check by the hardware store first, okay?"
"Thanks, Uncle Donbut what I really needis training."
"What kind are we talking about?"
"Martial arts, knives, that sort of thing. And before you worry about me going after anyone, remember that the police in Sunnydale don't seem the brightest, and the bad guys are after me. I'm not leaving what little I have left because some bastard doesn't like me, and I'm not going to hide at home nights with the lights off wondering if someone's going to break in. So?"
'The kid's got a point,' he thought, 'and at least I could keep an eye on him for a while to make sure he doesn't do something stupid.' "Okay, but it means a lot of running, weights and stuff until you're in shape for the rest, deal?"
"Deal, but no holding back. I'd rather over-train than be put off. And I'll still go out with friends at night."
"Good, I guess I'll see you later? Bye."
Angel awoke and answered the door warily and with less than perfect hair. "Xander," the vampire grimaced, "I didn't expect you this early, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, but before I forget, I have a shopping list that will help us deal with the Darla-grabbing plan. Here's a list of things I'd like you to get, especially the flares and extra guns. Between the fire and water weaponry, and the shotgun blasts, I think we can at least once overwhelm the minions and get Darla if they leave the caves."
"You sure you're up to it?"
"So far, yeah. In a couple nightsmaybe or notwho knows?"
"It'll probably take a few days to get all of this."
"In that case, get it, but we'll have to see how things go. Any luck at my house, I picked up the smell of a man and a woman, and I think it had been at the Animal Shelter earlier, but something's off about them, you?"
"The same, I think they are at least part demon, or wearing something magical to block detection. I suggest you stay in tonight and I'll lurk around this evening to see if I pick up anything. If you feel up to it, why don't you take a daytime stroll up and down the streets to see if you smell or see anything. If you do, I'll start with that tonight."
"Sounds like a plan. How 'bout we meet at Giles around 9? Good?"
Buffy and Willow run to catch up with Amy as she slowly walks along, Buffy calling out, "Amy! Amy, hey, wait up!"
"Oh, Buffy," Amy replies, dazedly, "I didn't notice you. Sorry."
"What was up last night?" Buffy continued, "I tried your line, like, a million times."
"Oh, I was," Amy replied, "I was talking."
Buffy: Talking to...? (no answer) Okay, that's it, you have a secret, and that's not allowed.
Amy: Why not? (opens her locker)
Buffy: 'Cause... there's a rule. And I don't kow if you heard about Xander's folks.
Marcie, out of nowhere, speaks up, "What about them?" startling Buffy, "Sorry."
"It's okay, Marce, butthe thing isXander's folks were killed by somepsycho last night."
"Ohmigod," Marcie gasps, "Is he okay?"
"He's staying at Giles for now, but we haven't heard from him since last night, right Will?"
"Yeah, I'm heading over there now to check on him in a few minute," Willow responded.
Buffy looks at the sad group and tries to lighten things, "So, Amy what's the secret?"
"Well, I sort of met someone," she smiles.
"I knew it!" Buffy exclaims excitedly, "This is so important! When did you meet?"
"Last night after we did the scanning project in the library. " "Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?"
"No, Malcolm, no, and very nice."
"You are a thing of evil for not telling us this right away! Right Willow?"
"Yeah, you're Scooby now, so spilling is a must," the red-headed girl nodded, adding a half-powered 'resolve-face' for good measure.
"Well, I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. But last night, oh! We talked all night, it was amazing. He's so smart, Buffy, and, and he's romantic, and we agree about everything!"
"What's he look like?"
"I don't know!" she says continuing down the hall toward the computer, leaving Buffy and Willow confused.
Marcie clears her throat, "She's been that way all night. Hope it turns out. I have to get home and do the homework. Please let Xander know I'm thinking good thoughts for him, okay?"
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, Xander throwing himself into studying and waiting for a chance for payback. His daily walks had narrowed down the area of town, but no specific location could be determined. Vampire activity decreased as both sides awaited the outcome of the Tarakan efforts. Principal Flutie and the few others in the know had phoned their condolences, actually allowing Xander to grieve a little.
Fritz and Dave are there, typing away on their keyboards.
"Yes, I will. I promise," Dave mutters to the monitor as he types.
Amy and Buffy enter, Buffy engaging Amy in conversation, "So, you've been seeing a guy, and you don't know what he looks like? Okay, this is a puzzle. No, wait, I'm good at these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"
"I met him online," the teen replies.
"On line for what?"
Amy indicates a computer.
"Oh!" Buffy exclaims in embarrassment as Ms. Calendar brushes by quickly into the room wearing dark glasses and holding a mug of coffee in one hand and her books in the other.
"Morning, kids!" the teacher calls out
Buffy turns to look at her. Ms. Calendar notices Buffy as she heads to her desk. She puts her mug down, "Sorry about the bump, Buffyare you supposed to be somewhere?
"No, I have a free."
"Cool! But this is lab time, so let's make it a nice, short visit, okay?"
"Sure."
"You have mail," proclaims Amy's PC.
"It's him!" Amy declares, opening the message.
Message: I'm thinking of you.
Amy: He's so sweet!
"Amy, let's focus here, okay?" the Slayer asks, concerned. "What do you actually know about this guy?"
"Oh, see, I knew you'd react like this."
"Like what?"
"I just wanna make sure you're careful, that's all."
"Buffy..."
"He could be different than you think."
Fritz's computer screen in the lab Buffy's school records appear there. The monitor goes blank and a message appears, "Watch her." Fritz nods.
"His name is Malcolm Black," the excited girl informs Buffy, "he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood, which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me!"
"Short, tall, skinny, fat?"
"Why does everything have to be about looks?"
"Not everything, but some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get really, really intense, and then you find out that he... has... a hairy back?"
"Well, no! Uh, he doesn't talk like somebody who would have a hairy back. And anyways, that stuff doesn't matter when you really care about each other. Maybe I'm not his ideal either."
"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure that he's good enough for you. I think it's great that you met someone."
Ms. Calendar gets up from her desk holding some papers and comes over to Fritz.
"Hey, Fritz... I'm lookin' at the logs. You and Dave are clockin' a pretty scary amount of computer time."
"New project."
"Ooo, will I be excited?"
"You'll die."
Amy's off in her own world and doesn't notice Xander coming from her right. He puts his hand on her shoulder, and she's forced to stop, nearly losing her balance.
"Hey, Aims," Xander greets, "Goin' to the Bronze tonight?"
"Not me," she smiles "I think I'm gonna call it an early night."
"Have you seen the others?"
"Only, Buffy, she'll be along in a minute. Bye!"
After a moment Buffy comes up, "She certainly looks perky."
"This Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged."
"Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like."
"Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I can say I'm a high school student."
"You are."
"Okay, but I can also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?"
"I get your point!" she laughs lightly, then really gets his meaning. "I get your point. Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird, or crazy, or old, or... He could be a circus freak. He's probably a circus freak!"
"Yeah. I mean, we read about it all the time. Y'know, people meet on the 'Net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show, horrible ax murder."
"Amy ax murdered by a circus freak... Okay, okay, what do we do?" she asks, then realizes her paranoia. "What are we doing? Xander, you get me started! We are totally overreacting!"
"But it's fun, isn't it?" he smirks as they head off.
Amy comes barging in.
"Whoa! You're the Late Girl," declares Buffy.
"I overslept."
"Till fifth period? Talkin' to Malcolm last night?"
"Yeah" she smiles, then notices the look she's receiving, "What?!"
"Nothing."
"You're having an expression."
"I'm not. But if I was, it'd be saying, 'This just isn't like you.'
"Not like me to have a boyfriend?"
"He's boyfriendly?"
"I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. I mean, boys don't chase me around all the time. I thought you'd be happy for me."
"I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face. In daylight, in a crowded place with some friends. Y'know, before you become all... obsessive."
"Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off a couple classes."
"I thought you said you overslept."
"Malcolm said you wouldn't understand."
"Malcolm was right."
Computer lab Buffy comes in, sees Dave and goes over to him, "Dave? Hey there, Dave. Anybody home?"
He jumps in his seat when she puts her hand on his shoulder, "Oh, what do you want?"
"I wanted to ask you something if you have a minute."
"What is it?"
"Well, you're a computer geek... genius, and, uh, I sort of have a technical problem. If I wanted to find out something about someone, i-if someone e-mailed me, could I trace the letter?"
"Well, you could pull up somebody's profile based on their user name."
"But they write the profile themselves, right? And so they could say anything they wanted."
"True."
"Wow! I had knowledge! Well, is there a way to find out exactly where a letter, an e-letter came from? I mean, the actual location of the computer?"
"That's a challenge."
"'Cause, you see, Amy's got this boyfriend, Malcolm, and to tell you the truth, I think..."
"Leave Amy alone."
"What do you mean?"
"That's none of your business."
"Dave, are you Malcolm?"
"Of course not."
"Dave, what's going on?"
"Look, I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got work to do."
She gets up and leaves, sighing, "So do I."
Fritz watches her go as she passes him.
Buffy follows Giles down the stairs to the counter, "I'm telling you, something is going on. It's not just Willow. Dave, Fritz, they're all wicked jumpy."
"Those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is."
"Giles, trust me."
"I-I do! I-I-I really don't know how to advise you. Things involved with a computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such I'd be more in my element. Well, I-I suppose you could, um, tail Dave, see if he's up to something."
"Follow Dave? What, in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I can work this out myself."
Dave drives up and gets out. Cut to outside the fence, where Buffy is looking in. She sees Dave go up to a technician and start talking to him. After a moment Dave and the technician go inside as a security camera turns towards Buffy.
The monitor shows the security camera view as it stops on Buffy and pulls in for a close-up.
"She's too close," Fritz remarks, "What do I do?"
"Kill her," orders the demonic visage of Moloch on the monitor.
"Party."
Buffy is sitting on the study table as Giles questions her, "What was the name of this place?"
"It said CRD. But, I couldn't get close enough to see what it was."
"Calax Research and Development," Xander says, looking up from his books. "It's a computer research lab. Third largest employer in Sunnydale till it closed down last year." He pauses as he notes the looks the rest are giving him, "What, I can't have information sometimes?"
"Well, it-it's just somewhat unprecedented," Giles apologized, "even if your recent maturity lessons the shock somewhat."
"Point to the Librarian," Xander remarked, amused. "Well, my uncle used to work there. As a cleaner, I believed he termed it."
"But it closed?" Giles followed up.
"Uh-huh."
"Looked pretty functional from where I stood," Buffy continued. "I don't have a clue what they were doing."
"And what do they need Dave for?"
"Something about computers, right? I mean, he is off-the-chart smart."
"We still don't know an enormous amount," Giles cautioned. "Whatever is going on there may be on the up-and-up."
"No," Xander asserted, packing up the last of his books, "if CRD opened, it would've been on the news."
"Besides," Buffy inserted, "I can just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is tingling."
"Your... spider sense?" Giles questioned.
"Pop culture reference. Sorry."
"Yes, well, ahem, I think we're still at a stand still," Giles concluded. "U-uh, until we determine a course of action. Besides, we still have the assassi"
Ms. Calendar enters the library, causing Giles to continue on a very different tact, "...data into the file so the book will be listed by title as well as by author.
"I just came by to check your new data base," Ms. Calendar remarks, watching Buffy and Xander leave, "make sure your cross reference table isn't glitching. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone anywhere near it."
Giles: Uh, I'm still sorting through the chaos you left behind you.
Amy is chatting online with Malcolm.
"Amy, I've never felt this way about anyone before."
"I know what you mean. I feel like you know me better than anyone."
"I do."
"Do you think we should... meet?"
"I think we should soon."
"I'm nervous."
"I'm not. Isn't that strange?"
"That's what Buffy doesn't understand, how comfortable you can make me feel."
"Buffy just makes trouble. That's why she got kicked out of her old school."
She is puzzled and pauses for a moment, "How did you know that?"
"It's on her permanent record."
"I have to sign off. I'll talk to you later."
"Don't."
"Bye," she types, then turns off the monitor, gets up and leaves.
Ms. Calendar, exasperated at Giles, "You're a snob!"
"I am no such thing."
"Oh, you are a *big* snob. You, you think that knowledge should be kept in these carefully guarded repositories where only a handful of white guys can get at it."
"Nonsense! I simply don't adhere to a, a knee-jerk assumption that because something is new, it's better."
"This isn't a fad, Rupert! We are creating a new society here."
"A society in which human interaction is all but obsolete? In which people can be completely manipulated by technology, well, well... Thank you, I'll pass."
"Well, ahem, I think you'll be very happy here with your musty, old books," she says, opening Moloch's book.
"These musty old books have a great deal more to say than in any of your... fabulous web pages."
"Hmm" she retorts as she pages through the book, "This one doesn't have a whole lot more to say."
Giles stares at the empty book and sees the etching of Moloch on the cover.
"What is it?" Ms. Calendar asks, noting his change of demeanor.
"Uh, nothing, um, a, a diary, yes," he stammers in confusion. "I imagine that's what it is. Well, it's been so nice talking to you."
"We were fighting."
"Must do it again sometime, yes..." he continues, heading toward his office, "Bye, now."
Buffy comes walking out of the school. Dave comes up to her.
"Buffy!" Dave calls out, nearing her.
"Dave! How're you doing?"
"Okay. Uh, look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, y'know?"
"Don't sweat it."
"Willow was looking for you."
"Good, I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?"
"She said she'd be in the, in the girls' locker room."
"Great. Thanks."
Buffy slowly walks down the aisle of the deserted locker room and into a row of lockers, "Will? Willow?"
Fritz is in the shower, turning the water on and leaving as Buffy approaches.
"Will?" she calls out, "You taking a shower?"
She goes to the shower and sees that it's on, but no one's there, "I guess not."
She turns the water off as the run-off creeps towards exposed wires leading down from the light above. Dave rushes in, "Buffy! Get out!"
She turns to him and notices the wires. They begin to spark. She leaps out of the shower. An arc of electricity follows her for an instant. She lands on a changing bench and rolls off onto the floor. Dave runs from the locker room as Buffy sits up and looks over toward the showers, stunned for the moment.
It's dark as Dave comes in and turns on a PC.
"I can't do it!" he types. "I'm not gonna do it."
"But you promised," Moloch responds.
"Buffy isn't a threat to you! Stop with it."
"The project is almost complete. You won't have to do it again."
"I can't!"
"I've shown you a new world, Dave. Knowledge, power... I can give you everything. All I want is your love."
"No. This isn't right. None of it is."
The scratch pad comes up on the monitor and Moloch writes a note:
I'm sorry. I've been a terrible person. I'm a coward, and I can't go on living like this.
Forgive me, Mom and Dad. At least now I'll have some peace. Remember me.
Love, Dave.
He backs away from the computer. Fritz is waiting behind him by the window. Xander enters the room feigning nonchalance as he turns on the lights, "Hey guys, what's up? Getting' kinda late isn't? "
Dave, suddenly aware of Fritz, yelps and dives away from the other computer geek, "Xander, it's not my fault. Help me!" as Fritz escapes out the other door.
Buffy is sitting at the table when Xander barges in with Dave in hand, yelling at the broken student, "I oughta kill you, Dave! Why shouldn't I?"
"He tried to warn me, Xander" Buffy interrupts.
"Warn you that he set you up?" he states, then turns to Giles, "Is she gonna be okay?"
"She was only grounded for a moment. Still, if you'd been anyone but the Slayer..."
"Tell me the truth: how's my hair?"
"It's great!" Xander exclaims with a smile, "It's your best hair ever!"
"Uh, oh, yes."
"I just... I don't understandDave why would you do a thing like that?"
"It was Moloch, he's forcing us," Dave sighs, "Fritz is the one that did it, II couldn't go through with it. I don't know what's going on!"
"I think perhaps I do," Giles responds, going over to get Moloch's book from the cage. He comes back holding it up. "Does this look familiar to either of you?"
"Yeah, sure," Buffy quips as Xander shakes his head, "Looks like a book."
"In the dark ages the 'souls' of demons were sometimes trapped in certain volumes," the Watcher begins. "They remained locked within the book, harmless, unless the pages were read aloud. Unless I'm mistaken, this is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."
"Like Dave's," Xander states, staring at the worried-looking computer geek.
"Dave, and who knows how many others." Giles says, also turning to look at the boy.
"Just me, Fritz, a couple guys at the lab, and two really scary funny-smelling guys with LOTS of guns and knives and such."
Xander presses close to Dave, staring intently at the student, "Did they smell like old pennies and a litter box?"
"Y-y-y-yeah, how'd you know? It's nasty," the boy responds shuddering.
Xander, looking angry at Dave and recalling a smell at his parents house, turns to the others, "Is Moloch still inside that book?"
"Not anymore," Giles replies.
"You released Moloch?"
"Way to go!" Buffy adds sarcastically.
"I didn't read it!" Giles nearly shouts, "That dreadful Calendar woman found it a-and it was already blank."
"Okay," Buffy observes, "so a powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale, and nobody's noticed?"
Xander, shaking his head as he thinks, "I-if he's so big and strong, why bother with Dave? I mean, why didn't he just attack Buffy himself?"
"I don't know," Giles considered. "And I don't know who could've read that book. It wasn't even in English."
"Where was it?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, in a pile with others that were, um, uh, scanned."
They look over at the PC, Xander voicing their joint-suspicion, "And that released the demon?"
Willow, speaking up for the first time, from where she's finishing most of the homework assignments for the rest of the semester, "No, he's not out here." She then points to the PC. "He's in there."
Xander glares at Dave, who nods.
"The scanner read the book," Willow continues, pausing enough that Giles follows her line of thinking. "It brought Moloch out as information to be absorbed."
"Okay," Marcie interrupts, spooking Dave badly, "you guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer?"
"And every computer connected to it by a modem," Buffy replies.
"He's everywhere, then," Giles concludes.
"What are we gonna do?"
"Amy scanned him into her file," Giles noted. "It may be... a futile gesture, but I suggest we, um, uh, delete it."
"I'll try calling her at home," Marcie offers as Buffy walks over to the PC.
"Okay," Buffy exhales as she turns on the monitor. "So which file do you think it is? The 'Amy' file? That's probably it, right? I'll just delete the whole thing." She drags the file icon to the trash bin, and inhales in fright when Moloch's demonic face appears on the monitor, shouting, "Stay away from Amy! It is none of your business!"
The monitor returns to normal and Buffy turns to the others, "So that's what Malcolm looks likeSo much for delete file."
"This is very bad." Giles mutters.
"Are we overreacting?" Xander asks, "He's in a computer! What can he do?"
"You mean besides convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill me?" Buffy responds, "I don't know. How about mess up all the medical equipment in the world?"
"Randomize traffic signals," Giles contributes.
"Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles."
"Destroy the world's economy."
"I think I pretty much capped it with that nuclear missile thing."
"Right, yours was best, Buffy," Giles concedes.
Xander, nodding, "Okay, he's a threat, I'm on board with that now. But what can we do about it?"
Marcie comes over from the phone, "No answer at home."
"Damn it!" Giles curses.
"Well," Marcie continues, "it wasn't busy either, so she's not online."
"I think the first thing we do is find Amy," Buffy asserts. "She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out! Okay," she dictates to Willow and a to-her semi-visible Marcie, "you two and I are gonna go to Marcie and Amy's house. Giles, you need to come up with a way to get Moloch out of the 'Net."
Xander puts his jacket back on, heading toward the door, "I'm going to grab Dead-Boy and go sniff around the CRD, maybe we can get the jump on one of the Tarakans."
"Do you think th-that's a good idea Xander?" Giles replies.
"It might be the only time one of them is off his game enough for us to jump him, oh, and please tie up Dave or put him in the cage," he calls out as he quickly leaves.
"As to Moloch, I, I have records of the ceremonies, but, but that's for a creature of the flesh. Th-this could be something completely different."
"Then get Ms. Calendar," Buffy suggests. "Maybe she can help you."
"Well, even if she could," Giles allows, "how am I gonna convince her that there's a demon on the Internet?"
"Okay, fine, then you can stay here and come up with a better plan, Giles." Turning to Willow and Marcie, she continues, "C'mon."
Amy unlocks the door and goes in, "Marcie? Dad? Hmmm, nobody's home yet."
Reaching her room, Amy dumps her book bag on the bed and looks at her PC. The mail icon is active. She goes over to her desk, logs on, clicks on the icon and opens the new message folder.
'No more waiting. I need you to see me.'
She turns off her monitor and goes back to her bag, planning to read ahead a few chapters like Willow suggested. The monitor comes back on by itself again, the computer asserting, 'You have mail.'
Amy stares at it in disbelief. The doorbell rings, and after another look at her computer she goes to answer it.
"Dad? Marcie?" Amy calls as she reaches the front door, "did you forget your keys again?"
She opens the door, but no one's there. She turns to go back in. As she starts to close the door behind her Fritz reaches around her head with a cloth splashed with chloroform. After a brief struggle Amy loses unconsciousness.
"No more waiting," Fritz intones.
Giles is researching and listening to the radio.
Radio: A spokesman for the archbishop denied the allegations, blaming computer error for the apparent financial discrepancy.
"Binding rituals..." Giles mutters to himself.
Radio: In Washington D.C., the FBI today reported that all of its serial killer profiles have been mysteriously downloaded from its central computer.
Ms. Calendar knocks on the door as she comes in, "Hi. I got your message. What's so urgent?"
Giles, turning off the radio and approachin her, "Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help. But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh... something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um...There's a demon in the Internet.
"I know," she replies, surprising Giles.
Buffy, Willow and Marcie arrive and find the door open, Buffy calling out without response.
"This isn't good," Marcie says, "let's try her room."
"Amy?" Buffy calls again as they walk into the room and see that Amy isn't there.
"Okay," Willow says, "any thoughts?"
Buffy looks around and sees the message on the computer, reads it aloud, "'No more waiting, I need you to see me'? See him how? Where?
"What about CRD?" Willow suggests. "I'm guessing that's Moloch central. Dave seemed to indicate that, and Xander's heading off to go after one of the Tarakans there."
"Guessing that's our best lead," Buffy considered. "Let's just hope Giles can back us up, come on you two."
Giles unfolds his arms and sits on the corner of the table, "You already know? How exactly is that?"
"Come on, there've been portents for days. I mean, power surges, online shutdowns... You should see the bones I've been casting. I *knew* this would happen sooner or later. I mean, it's probably a, a mischief demon, y'know, like Kelkor, or..."
"It's Moloch."
"The Corrupter? Oh, boy. I shoulda remembered, I just don't..."
"Uh... You don't seem exactly surprised by... Who are you?"
"I teach computer science at the local high school."
"A profession that hardly lends itself to the casting of bones."
"Wrong and wrong, snobby. You think the realm of the mystical is limited to ancient texts and relics? That bad old science made the magic go away? Mm. The divine exists in cyberspace same as out here."
"Are you a witch?"
"Mm. I don't have that kinda power. 'Technopagan' is the term."
Giles lets out a chuckle.
"There are more of us than you think."
"Well, uh, you can definitely help me. Um...What's in cyberspace at the moment is less than divine," he asserts as they go out into the main area. "I have the binding rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my idiom."
"Well, I can help! I think... I hope, I mean, well, this is my first real... Do you know how he got in?"
"He was, uh, 'scanned' is the term, I believe."
"And you want him back in the book?"
The phone rings. Giles goes to get it, "Buffy!"
"Yeah."
"Amy?"
"Not at home. It looks like she was taken somewhere."
"Where are you?"
"CRD. Whatever Moloch wants Amy for, it's probably in there."
"Ms. Calendar and I are, uh, working to get Moloch offline."
"Here's a tip: hurry!" she shouts, hanging up.
Amy is lying on a table unconscious. After a moment she awakes and sits up, looking around. She sees Fritz and a technician standing there, and beyond them a computer monitor, attached to a robot body...Moloch
"Welcome, my love," the metal-encased demon greets her, moving closer. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you...with my own two eyes."
Amy screams as a metal hand touches her shoulder
The Tarakan stands guard at the door, awaiting orders from his new master, 'the kids will be given to me, and I'll collect doubly.'
The assassin braces and draws two 45s as a cocky-looking vampire in demonic visage strides toward him with an unconscious human over his shoulder. "The master told me you were looking for this one; I left the blood-bag alive in case the reward was greater. What do you want me to do with it?"
The Tarakan, smelling the same blood on the vampire's lips and the body on his back, relaxes for a moment and points a gun to the floor, "Just put him down he" as Angel drops Xander and attacks.
The Tarakan, caught off guard for only a split second, opens fire, the shot going into the ceiling as a put-out Xander fires two rounds from a revolver into the assassin's left leg and knee. Screaming at the unexpected destruction of his leg the assassin leaves himself open long enough for Angel to use a wall to render the killer unconscious.
Xander picks himself up and moves toward the souled vampire and their prisoner, "You okay, Dead-Boy?"
"Barely winged me, but it hurt more than regular bullets. And could you not call me that?"
"Ummm, nope. I guess I'll be taking his weapons and such; maybe something we can use against the Master, huh?"
"What's with you and body-looting, any way?" the vampire grimaced while heading for the door to the lab.
"Too much D&D, and if they hurt you" came the chuckled reply.
"Come on," Angel sighed, "let's get this over withgeek boy."
"Oooh, now I'm wounded. Leave the humor to me, I'm better at it."
"------"
Fritz and the technician come to get her and take a terrified Amy by the arms. Moloch sends Fritz and the tech to check on the disturbance coming from the other side of the door. Turning back, the demon slowly comes closer, "AmyThis world is so new, so exciting. I can see all of it. Everything flows through me. I know the secrets of your kings. But nothing compares to having form again. To be able to walk, to touch, to kill.
Buffy lands on the other side of the fence. Marcie and Willow scrunch through the hole Xander and Angel had cut earlier, to Buffy's embarrassment.
"Back way?" Willow asks.
"Back way," the slayer agreed.
Moments later they reach the back entry, Buffy kicking the doors open. She walks in determinedly.
"Here they come," Moloch states.
Ms. Calendar is lighting candles, "The first thing we have to do is form the Circle of Kayless. Right?"
"Form a circle?" Giles queries. "But there's only two of us. That's really more of a line."
"You're not getting it, Rupert. We have to form the circle inside. (sits at the PC) I'm putting out a flash. I just hope enough of my group responds."
"Won't Moloch just shut you down?"
"Well, I'm betting he won't figure out what we're doing until it's too late."
"Hoping and betting, that's what we've got."
"You wanna throw in praying? Be my guest."
"I don't understand," Amy states worriedly, "What do you want from me?"
"I want to give you the world," Moloch states.
"Why?" Amy asked, suspiciously.
"You created me," Moloch explained. "I brought these humans together to build me a body. But *you* gave me life. Took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you.
"By lying to me?" Amy questions, exasperated. "By pretending to be a person? Pretending you loved me?
"I do!" the demon asserts.
Buffy and Willow walk up to the guard. He gets up to stop them, but a large sign-in book levitates into his head, knocking him unconscious.
Buffy, "Good work, Marcie."
Willow notices the guard's monitor, "Uh, Buffy! It's her! And look! Xander and Angel are fighting some robot guy and those other two!"
"Don't you see? I can give you everything, Amy!" Moloch states loudly, "I can control the world! Right now a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his mother's life. Good for him!"
Buffy and her team come through the doors into another hallway. They find the door to the lab and Buffy tries to force it open. "I can't bust it. It's heavy steel."
"Then let's find another way in," Marcie proposes. "I'll see if I can get to the security room"
Willow starts toward the next set of doors when an alarm goes off and red lights flash. Willow jumps to the door to try it. Finding it locked, she returns. "What's goin' on?"
Buffy spies a security camera, "Building's security system is computerized."
A gas begins to spray into the hall.
Ms. Calendar, "Almost there."
"Couldn't you just stop Moloch b-by entering some computer virus?" Giles asks.
"You've seen way too many movies. Okay! We're up. You read, I type. Ready?"
"Uh, I am. By the power of the divine, by the essence of the word, I command you..."
"Let me leave?" Amy begs.
"But I love you!"
"Don't say that! That's a joke! You don't love anything!"
"You are mine!"
"I'm not yours! I'm never gonna be yours! Never!"
Moloch lowers his head and considers for a moment while Amy just watches and waits. He raises his head again.
Pity. I'll miss you," he says, reaching up and puts his hand on her head.
Amy screams.
Buffy and the girls reach the door of the lab; Buffy punches the assassin as he groans. They enter to find most of the fight ending, Xander taking out the last of five CRD employees, as Angel, suffering deep claw marks and singed clothes, rips the head off of an unknown type of demon in a black cloak. Fritz, trying to back away from the fight, turns to find the girls glaring at him.
"You hurt my friends, so I hurt you, fair?" Buffy asserts as she thumps him unconscious.
Angel slides down the wall to the floor, almost unconscious. Buffy is still recovering from a whiff of gas as she clears the doorway.
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you..." Giles begins, then looks over Ms. Calendar's shoulder, "Kayless, with a 'K'."
Buffy and a tiring Xander head toward Moloch
"Demon, come!" Giles bellows.
Moloch screams and lifts his arms in pain, letting go of Amy. He begins to writhe in pain as Xander and Buffy pull Amy away.
"I command you!" shouts Giles.
Buffy comes back through the door, Willow and Marcie carrying Amy to safety while Xander kneels next to a wincing Angel. "Dead Boy, brought you the vamp version of first-aid, drink up while I help Buff."
Angel looks to find two of his blood bank bags in his hand; he quickly drinks for the energy and the healing boost, going into 'game face' as he does.
Buffy leaps into a jumping side kick, making a dull thud when she connects with Moloch's chest, but he only staggers a bit, and she just falls to the floor.
"Ow!" Buffy exclaims, wincing, "Guy's made of metal!"
Buffy quickly gets up and looks at Xander coming forward from Angel's side as Moloch continues to writhe in pain.
"No!" Moloch screams, "I won't go back!"
"Demon, COME!" commands Giles, the computer sparking several times. Wind is blowing inside and the computer monitor is flashing.
Moloch falls to his knees, screaming loudly.
The computer monitor stops flashing. Smoke comes out of the back of it.
"He's out of the 'Net. He's bound," determines Ms. Calendar.
Giles goes over to the book, picks it up and opens it to look, "He's not in the book."
"He's not in the book, she considers, "Well, where is he?"
Moloch slowly raises his head as Buffy continues to kick him further back, where Xander is doing something with the hoist.
Moloch, angrily roaring, "I was omnipotent. I was everything! Now I'm trapped in this shell!"
The reaches out to grab Buffy by the head, but she drops, and kicks him back into the hoist hook. "Now, Xander!"
Suddenly, Moloch turns toward Xander, only to find itself dangling in the air, "No! I'll kill you all! This body's all I have left. But it's enough to crush you!"
Buffy looks around for a way to deal with him. She notices a power junction box on the wall. She faces him again and eases her way to the front of the box, ripping the cover off.
"Xander!" Buffy yells, "Over here!"
Moloch rears back for a punch and swings. Buffy ducks away, as Xander swings the demon robot into the box, shorting it out, and Moloch is enveloped by high voltage electricity. Moloch's circuitry overloads, and his body explodes. His head lands right in front of them. Amy and the rest star at it until she kicks it.
"Malcolm, Moloch... whatever he's called. The one boy that's really liked me, and he's a demon robot. What does that say about me?"
"It doesn't say anything about you," Marcie offers.
"I mean, I thought I was really falling..."
"Hey, did you forget? The one boy I've had the 'hots' for since I've moved here turned out to be a vampire."
"My almost-girlfriend's calling is to dust me in a non-housekeeping manner."
"Right, and the teacher I had a crush on? Giant praying mantis? Uncertainty by others over the Wolf-thing?"
"No boy'll be able to *see* the real me."
"And I've sorta ended up with Xander."
"Hey!"
"That's true," Amy agreed, smirking with a commiserating tone.
"Again, Hey!"
"Xander, how long do you expect me to keep him unconscious in my apartment?"
"Just a couple of days, I have the funeral tomorrow, and you said we'd have the rest of the equipment and supplies Monday morning. I'm hoping that wearing the amulet and ring that assassin was wearing will mask me from the other one until then. We'll handle it Monday evening, as soon as you can avoid the sunlight."
"What did you do with the Tarakan weapons and such?"
"I put them in a vent at Giles' place in case I want them later."
Ms. Calendar is standing at her desk and typing on her PC. Giles comes in, clears his throat and knocks on the open door. She turns to see who's there and smiles, "Well, look who's here! Welcome to my world." Then with a bit of an attitude, "You scared?"
"I'm remaining calm, thank you. Uh, I just wanted to, uh, return this." He holds up a small curly earring. "I found it among the new books, and naturally I thought of you."
"Cool. Thanks," she responds, taking it.
"Uh, well, I'll, I'll see you anon."
"Can't get outta here fast enough, can you?"
"Truthfully, I'm even more anxious to be around computers than I used to be."
"Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, not a computer."
Giles is at a loss.
"Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?"
"The smell."
"Computer's don't smell, Rupert."
"I know! Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a, a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences... long forgotten. Books smell. Musty a-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it... it has no, no texture, n-no context. It's, it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um... smelly."
"Well! You really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?"
"Well, I-I don't dangle a corkscrew from my ear."
"That's not where I dangle it." She walks past him and smiles. Giles follows her with his gaze, looking confused and intrigued at the same time.
The funeral for Xander's parents had taken place over the weekend, the reading and execution of most of the will's provisos carried out, with a buyer for the house found fairly quickly considering it was still a hot crime scene by listing it at ten percent under value. About two dozen family members and friends had shown up, Willow's parents telephoning Willow to provide up to one thousand dollars towards the wake and such, but not coming back from their conference. The wake was held at Don Harris' house, and with minimal alcohol offered, it remained a quiet affair.
It was now the Monday after Amy's rescue from Moloch and his followers. Fritz and Dave had apologized profusely, and were told to be available for research and computer-related matters should they be needed. In fact, Xander already had had them accomplish a few tasks.
Xander stayed home from school for one more day, meeting with a lawyer and his uncles regarding emancipation, living arrangements, his own will and testament, opening or transferring of accounts, and other matters. Xander met with Angel late in the afternoon, finding the vampire ready for the coming evening. Xander geared up, ate and slept until the sun began to set.
"You hear from Giles since I napped, DB?"
"He said he'd put them off as long as he could, then meet us back here to keep an eye on our friend, here."
"Oka" he was interrupted by knocking on the door. Drawing a .45 and a soaker, he signaled Angel to open the door.
Giles entered slowly, the girls quickly forcing their way in to find themselves wet and facing the barrel of a gun.
"Xander!" Willow gasped as Buffy froze in shock.
Xander lowered the gun as Buffy backed up, "Buffy, never charge into a room unexpected when assassins and the Master's vamps are running around, hon. You gave me a heart attack. Why are you here?"
"Don't blame Giles, we followed him. What are you two up to?"
Sighing, "We're going after Darla before most of the minions get moving. If we're lucky, by late tomorrow night we'll at least have put off any more Tarakans coming to town."
"They didn't seem all that tough, Xander," Buffy put forth, "Why the big worry?"
Giles intervened, "because now that they would expect real opposition, they might simply blow up your house, or your mother's gallery, o-or some such extreme eventually. They don't care how many it takes, the contract i-is everything."
"So what's the plan, then?" she responded.
"Now that you're here, Giles will be using the tranquilizer gun on Darla as soon as he gets a shot; Angel and I will rush in and grab her; Amy, Willow and Marcie will protect Giles with super soakers. You will stay with Giles until Angel and I rush in; we'll be running out as fast as we can, and might need you to put the hurt on any vamps trying to stop us," Xander suggested.
"Why you and not me?" she pressed. "I'm the Slayer."
"We've already prepared and practiced a little, Buffy, and you're our best fighter for covering our escape," Angel added.
"Also, w-we've arranged for the blood-bank delivery information to leak out, a-and that you'll be taking out a nest of demons in Oxnard. So, even if Darla doesn't show up, we'll nail a bunch of vamps, maybe disabling and questioning a few as to her a-actual whereabouts," Giles finished.
No one having anything to say, the super soakers were handed out and they moved out.
The blood delivery was due in fifteen minutes. Xander and the others quietly out of sight except Marcie, who sat atop Angel's car with two water pistols under her clothes. When she'd suggested it on the way over, Angel, Giles and Xander had looked in awe at her location, Giles and Angel actually managing to notice her outline and a little detail as a result of such focus. As a result, she was to take her best shot if Darla came up next to her, or if she was near when Giles took his shot. Everyone in position, the tension mounted.
As the delivery vehicle pulled up to the hospital, a group of 12 vampires accompanied Darla along the street, while near Marcie, four more came up out of the sewer. Apparently, the Master planned to grab the entire shipment to re-strengthen his hold over Sunnydale's vampires.
Darla drew closer and to the front, asserting her control of the situation. The human guards looked up at the approaching figures and ran to the hospital, leaving their responsibility behind, their fear-scents amusing the vampires. When they got within 10 feet of both the delivery vehicle and Angel's car, one turned to Darla, "Mistress, isn't that Angelus' car that's running?"
Darla faltered in her step, causing Marcie to draw and spray her and the minions closest to her. The screams of pain triggered the rest of the group to strike; Angel bursting out of the trunk lunging for Darla; Giles firing and winging her with a dart; Marcie running around to the driver's seat for escape, and Xander bursting out from the back of the delivery vehicle, firing four flares from as many guns bound to his wrists with cords . These erupted into bunched vamps closing on Darla to help against Angel. Flames exploding, Xander ran directly for the four-hundred-year-old vampiress, dodging eight burning and panicking undead as he went. Drawing out Darla's revolver he'd taken previously, he fired four blessed shots into the faces of four vampires that had gotten close to him, then two into a resistant Darla's head.
Running faster than the vampires could expect, Angel flung himself and Darla into the trunk as Xander lunged after him with a wounded minion. The car peeled out, leaving eight dead and two wounded minions in disarray.
"That's for your failure to protect my childe," the Master lectured after ripping the unbeating heart out of the released minion. "Call Taraka, cancel the contract. I will not give these humans the satisfaction of taking Darla from me."
A number of students are practicing their acts. Among them are Lisa playing her tuba and Marc rehearsing his magic act. Morgan's with his and his dummy, Sid. Morgan rubs his temples a moment and then looks around. Cordelia is singing "The Greatest Love of All" off key.
Giles is suffering in the seats, not wanting to be there, and still hazy from lack of sleep from the previous night's adventures. After a couple more lines Giles interrupts, "Thank you, Cordelia. Tha-that's going to be lovely."
"But I didn't do the part with the sparklers!"
"Um, w-we'll, um... save that for the dress rehearsal. Uh, Lisa! Please!"
"Uhhh!" Cordelia sounds as she puts the microphone back on its stand and leaves the stage as Lisa sets up with her tuba. Buffy, Willow and Amy come down the center aisle.
Buffy, drawing a breath as they go into the seats around Giles, "If it isn't the great producer!"
"Oh. You three," Giles sighs.
"The school talent show," Buffy smirks, "How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?"
"Our new Fhrer, Mr. Snyder."
"I think they call 'em 'acting principals' now," Willow helped.
"Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it."
Buffy, smiling widely, evilly turns to her Watcher, "Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny."
"If you had any shred of decency," Giles winced, "you would have participated, or at least, um, helped."
"Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!" Buffy smirked, very satisfied with events.
"And mock!" Amy added.
"And laugh!" Willow followed up as they all laughed.
"O-kay," Buffy continues, "I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show." The three of them get up and start back up the aisle to find Acting Principal Snyder waiting there for them.
"So," Snyder begins, "We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of." No response from the teens. "And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus early at least once last weekso you need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show."
"W-what? Who?" Buffy stammered back. "Us?"
"No!" Amy moaned, "I'm just"
"Me?" Willow asked, shocked. "But I'm the good one!"
Amy and Buffy look betrayed, but Snyder ignores them.
"I've been watching you three," the troll-like man stated. "Always getting into one scrape or another. At least that Harris kid seems to have gotten his act together."
"Well, we're really, really sorry," Buffy whined, "but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us"
Snyder waved her off, "My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten." Sneering, as he starts past them heading for the stage, "You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time. I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh. At."
Willow can't believe this sits down in a seat as Buffy spaces out and moans. She goes back into Giles' row, sits next to him and looks to him for sympathy. He has none to give, and doesn't even try to hide a smirk. The tuba solo is over. Willow just stands there with a big frown on her face.
"Thank you Lisa!" Giles calls out, and watches as the next act sets up. It's Morgan with his dummy, Sid. An act that is disturbing and to the gathered participants, amusing.
Emily is changing back into her regular clothes. She puts her ballet outfit and shoes into her locker and closes it. She hears a noise.
"Is anybody there?" Emily asks as she walks to the end of the row of lockers and peeks around the corner, "Hello?"
"Hello?" She continues down the row toward the showers. The demon comes up behind her. Emily turns and screams.
The talent show tryouts, Wednesday. Principal Snyder and Giles come in through the doors at the back of the auditorium. The camera slowly pans down to them as they walk down the aisle.
"Kids today need discipline," the Acting Principal sounded off. "That's an unpopular word these days, 'discipline'. I know Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten or attacked by animals."
"I, I think perhaps it was a little more complex than, um..."
"This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion..." he rants, "You can't put up with that. You've gotta keep an eye on the bad elementlike those three." He indicates at Buffy, Willow and Amy practicing some kind of dramatic scene. "Kids. I don't like them. From now on you're gonna see a very different Sunnydale High. Tight ship, clean, orderly, and quiet."
A girl screams loudly when she discovers Emily's body.
Paramedics prepare the body for transport as Giles comes out of the locker room into the hall. He ducks under the yellow police tape and goes over to the team.
"It was Emily from the talent show," Giles informs them.
"Oh, man! I hate this school," Amy went off, "Xander's right. Our high school is hell."
"Uh, it must have happened just after, uh, dress rehearsals," Giles continued, ignoring the girl. "There was a cross-country meet at Melville. Sh-she never showed up for it.
"Vampire?" Buffy asked, frowning.
"Um, I think not. Her heart was removed." Giles added. "There are various demons which, which feed off human hearts, but..."
They watch as the knife is being put into an evidence bag.
"But demons have claws. And teeth," Buffy considered, "And like to use them."
"They have no use for a big old knife," Amy injected, "so does that mean the killer is a regular person.
"No, wait. I-I'm not buying, you guys," Buffy frowned, thinking. "Remember the Hellmouth? Mystical activity is totally rife here. This to me says demon."
"I'd like to think you're right, Buffy," Giles sighed. "A demon is a creature of evil, pure and very simple. A person driven to kill i-is, um, it's more complex."
"The creep factor is also heightened," a disturbed Willow agreed. "It could be anyone. It could be me! It's not, though." They gave her a look.
"Uh, demon or no, we have some investigating to do," Giles asserted. "I suggest we start with your... your talent show compatriots. One of them may have been the last to see her alive. I'll page Xander and have him 'use his nose' on this while Marcie does h-her thing."
Giles is interviewing Marc as he shuffles a deck of cards. Xander walks by, nodding to Giles and making an 'M' sign, to indicate Marcie is with him on his way to the girls locker room. He pauses, then whispers to Marcie between gritted teeth, "Did something smell 'off' to you back there?"
Giles, interviewing the wannabe magician, "Do you remember the last time you saw her?"
"She was talkin' to someone."
"Who was it?" Giles asked.
Willow and Elliot come in, Elliot responding, "That smart guy. The one with the dummy. What's his name?"
"Morgan?"
"Yeah, that's it. He was actin' kinda strange."
"Strange how?" Willow questioned.
Amy is talking to Cordelia, who was laying it on thick, "It's just such a tragedy for me. Emma was, like, my best friend."
"Emily" Amy corrected.
"Well, Morgan's just strange," Lisa told Buffy. "He's always rubbing his head a lot and moaning. Especially the other day."
"He seemed kinda paranoid..." Marc went on, "Lookin' around at everyone..."
"And I think I saw him arguing... with his dummy," Elliot continued, "crazy, huh?"
Cordelia, still going on, "All I can think is, it coulda been me!"
"We can only dream," Amy sighed.
Xander carefully looks around the crime scene, sniffing and eying for clues. After about ten minutes, he leaves when Marcie declares the hall clear.
Willow, Buffy and Amy come in.
Amy, exasperated, shakes her head and declares, "Okay, next time we split up someone else is on Cordelia detail. Five more minutes with her and we woulda had another organ donor."
"I think I had a bit more luck," Willow shared as they went into Giles' office. "Everyone I talked to seemed to point their fingers at the same person."
"Morgan," the group concludes together.
"Well, what do we do?" Amy asked. "We don't slay him, right? We wanna bring him to justice."
"We could set up a complex sting operation where we get him to confess!" Willow exclaimed, looking hopeful. "Uh, I should wear a wire!"
"Whoa, hey, you guys, all we know is that Morgan is a grade A large weirdo," Buffy states. "That doesn't lead directly to murderer."
"Guy talks to his puppet!" Amy asserts.
"And for his puppet," Willow agrees.
"And thinks he can pick up girls with his puppet," Amy concludes.
"Well, yeah, but what about the whole 'it's a demon' theory?" Buffy demurred.
"I'm looking into that, but, uh, my investigation is somewhat... hampered by our life in the theater," Giles grimaced painfully.
"Uh, priority check, Giles?" Buffy questioned, hoping to get out of the school assignment, "Talent show, murder."
Xander and Marcie enter the library, Xander greeting them. "Hey guys, anything on your ends?"
"Maybe Morgan," Willow responds as he sits close and puts an arm around her, "You?"
"Well, there was an odd smell, I think I smelled it on my way to the locker room also," Xander replied, thinking.
"Wha-What did it smell like, Xander?" Giles asked, reaching for his volumes.
"Well, not-human. Didn't you catch a whiff out in the courtyard when Marcie and I walked by?"
"No, I'm afraid I didn't. Which students were around?" Giles pressed.
"The student you were with, Amyand it's not her or Marcie," he answered as he replayed events in his mind. "Cordeliaevil but not demony, and a couple others. I'd have to compare smells somehow, but it was distinctive enough.
"Why don't you take a trip around the boys locker rooms and see if any stick out, then maybe walk by lockers Willow will find the numbers for while you're out?" Giles suggested. "Further,we have this talent show the rest of you need to concern yourselves with; fortunately, it concentrates our avenues of pursuit nicely."
"Giles, the murder is more important than the show," Buffy whined as Amy vigorously nodded agreement.
"Principal Snyder is watching us all very closely. Now, if he chooses, he can make all our lives extremely difficult," Giles answered. "A Slayer cannot afford that! We will find this murderer, but in the meantime... the show must go on. Buffy, you, uh, watch Morgan. Check his locker, see if there's anything there."
Buffy quietly comes through the doors from the stairwell, looking around to see if anyone's there. She goes looks for Morgan's locker and finds it. She starts to work the combination.
"Okay..." Buffy murmured to herself. "Two to the left,three to the right..."
She looks in both directions again, and then slams her palm into the lock. When she takes her hand away there's a clean hole. She reaches in with her fingers and undoes the latch. She looks around in the locker, and is about to take Sid's case out when Principal Snyder grabs her hand from behind, startling her.
"Principal Snyder!" she exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Snyder accused.
"Uh, looking for something," she replied, gathering her breath again.
"School hours are over. You, therefore, should be gone. There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking."
"Well, I don't do any of those things," Buffy responded. "Not... ever."
"There's something going on with you. I'll figure it out sooner or later. Do you need something here?"
"Oh! Yeah! Right! Um, a friend wanted me to get something... out of his case!"
She pulls the case partially out of the locker, opens it and is surprised to find it empty. She quickly closes it and looks at Snyder. "He must've taken it and just forgotten to tell me."
"Mm-hmm."
Morgan and Sid see what's going on from behind the door. Xander walks by quietly and quickly slams the door on them, then enters the room as Snyder and Buffy continue their staring.
"Get along home now. It's late," he says and heads down the hall. Buffy watches him go.
Xander, with Marcie in support, enters to find Buffy and Giles in the Library. They look up to see a dejected Morgan following Xander in as Sid complains.
"Could ya' at least hold me right side up! For crying out loud"
"Be a good puppet and shut up a minute, okay?" Xander replies as Giles and Buffy stare at them warily.
Xander places Sid in a chair on some books, and points to Morgan and the adjacent seat.
"Marcie, if they try to get past you, use the flare gun," Xander directs flatly. Sid and Morgan stare at each other.
"Giles, Buffy, may I present Morgan, who doesn't smell in good health," Xander begins, "and a spirit-cursed puppet, Sid. Neither smell demony, but they seem to know what's going on, and were watching Buffy when she broke into Morgan's locker."
Giles: Oh, uh, I... I may have found a possible demon culprit. The-there's a reference in here to a brotherhood of seven demons who take, uh, the form of young humans. Every seven years these demons need human organs, a-a-a brain and a heart, to maintain their humanity. Otherwise they, they, they revert back to their original form, which is, uh, uh, slightly less appealing.
He hands Xander the book open to a sketch of one of the demons.
Marcie: So Morgan could still be the guy, only demon Morgan instead of crazy Morgan.
Morgan fusses with Sid's shoes, "Uhno"
Giles: It's said that these demons are, are, are preternaturally strong, and, and, and... Morgan is... Well, he seems to be getting weaker every day.
Morgan puts his hand on his head. Buffy observes him.
Sid speaks up, "I've already killed the other six demons,there's just the one left.
Giles and Buffy stare at Sid in wide-eyed and open-mouthed amazement. Marcie and Xander just stare.
"This is what I do. I hunt demons," Sid tells them, gesturing without Morgan. "Yeah, you wouldn't know it to look at me. Let's just say there was me, there was a really mean demon, there was a curse, and the next thing I know I'm not me anymore. I'm sitting on some guy's knee, with his hand up my shirt.
"And ever since then you've been a living dummy?" Xander asked.
"The kid here was right all along," Sid conceded, then gestured at Buffy, "I shoulda picked you to team up with. But I didn't because..."
"Because you thought *I* was the demon." Buffy finished, affronted.
"Who can blame me for thinking? Look at you! You're strong, athletic, limber... nubile..." he continues, drifting off for a moment. "I'm back! In any case, now if this demon's got the heart and brain, he gets to keep the human form he's in for another seven years."
The tea kettle is whistling. Giles gets up to tend to it, talking to Sid, "I must say, it's a welcome change to have someone else explain all these things."
"There were seven of these guys. I've killed six," Sid stated. "If I can get the last one, the curse will be lifted and I'll be free. I'm sure it's someone in that stupid talent show."
"The only things I could tell," Xander offers, "are that the demon is male, isn't Morgan or Giles or Snyder. No wood-smell in the locker room so it's not Sid. That leaves"
"A-a much shorter list. Especially if there is a seven year repeat in ritual," Giles continued. "Xander, Marcie, who on this list would you guess at being our primary suspect?"
Marcie and Xander look at the list, and come to the same conclusion, "Marc."
"So, where do we find this Marcand by the way," Sid says, turning to Buffy, "what's your deal, kid? I don't figure you for a demon hunter."
"I'm a Vampire Slayer."
"You?! You're the Slayer?" Sid exclaims as she nods, "Damn! I knew a Slayer in the 30's. Korean chick. Very hot. We're talking muscle tone. Man, we had some times. Hey, that was pre-dummy, alright? Now, I was a guy!"
"So, you kill the demon and the curse is lifted, right?" she asked.
"That's the drill."
"You don't actually turn into a prince, do you? I-I mean, your body..."
"is dust and bones. When I say free..."
"You mean dead."
"Don't get sniffly on me, sis. I've lived a lot longer than most demon hunters. Or Slayers, for that matter. Of course, if you want to snuggle up and comfort me..."
"So, that horny dummy thing really *isn't* an act, is it?"
"Nope!"
"Yuck!"
"Anyway, Buffy, Sid a-and Morgan should go deal with Marc this evening; we'll have Willow provide an address," Giles decides, "While Marcie, Xander and I will take care of our other business, as we've been contacted and a location arranged."
"Sounds like a plan, G-Man." Xander declares, heading for the door, "Marcie, we ride!"
Buffy and her new demon-fighting companions met in front of the building indicated as Marc's address. It turns out to be an apartment. Knocking on the door, Buffy hears a scrambling for the window. Racing outside, she lunges at the fleeing Marc and tackles him to the floor. She leg sweeps Marc, kicking his legs out from under him as he tries to get up. She stands, waiting for his next move. As Marc tries to get up again, she manages a kick to his face, and floors him again. Marc growls as he starts to get up, and Buffy notices that the skin on his face is beginning to revert into its demon state.
"Ewww!" Buffy exclaims, disgusted at the sight.
Marc takes advantage of her distraction and jumps up and punches her, then follows up with a backhand fist to her face. She spins around and falls to the floor. The rope stretches and snaps, but Morgan runs and pushes the demon into the wall. Buffy gets up, but is punched by the demon and falls again. Morgan throws Sid's case at the demon, allowing enough time for Buffy to get up again, grab Marc and fall backward, to slam him over her and onto his back, hard.
Sid finally shows up, jumps onto the demon and begins stabbing with his knife.
"I found you!" Sid yells, stabbing it in the eye and rendering it unconscious, "And now for the big finish." He moves atop the demon's chest with his knife.
"What are you doing?" Buffy asks.
"It's not enough to simply stab it; He'll come back," Sid sighs. "You have to get the heart. Then all of this'll be over."
"Let me, Sid," she offers, holding out her hand for the knife.
"I got it, cutie," he replies, "Thanks."
"Hey, Sid" Morgan nearly whispers, "Good-bye, huh?"
"Yeah, Morgan. Thanks for your help. See ya soon, kid" Sid quietly bids. The demon hunter turns and pulls back with the knife and plunges it into the demon's heart, then slumps over onto the demon with the knife still in his hands, a lifeless puppet.
Buffy looks at Sid with a sad expression, letting out a deep sigh, "It's over, Sid." Buffy gently lifts Sid from the demon and holds him in her arms.
The four scoobs waited on the arrival of Tarakans and the Master's minions across from the Police Station, two cars idling. Police vehicles came and left until about a half-hour past seven a rental sedan pulled up nearby, followed by eight minions walking down the sidewalk to meet in plain view.
"Where's Darla?" asked a hulking vampire, nearly growling.
"A b-better question" Giles replied, "Where is Taraka? It is with them we are transacting business."
"Taraka is here," announced a voice out of the shadows, four figures entering the light a moment later. "The contract is canceled with the fee paid. Your codicil of one year is also accepted by the Contractor."
"A-And what will Taraka pay for one of its assassins who was subverted by Moloch?" Giles continued. "I believe we mentioned that as well."
"You have been granted a year by Taraka in which no contracts can be taken on anyone in Sunnydale, and the chance to counter any bids in the following year that may arise. Agreed?"
"V-very well," Giles agreed, waving to other face-disguised figures to release the occupants of the trunks. The assembled group waited as the handcuffed Tarakan and a weakened Darla made their way over to their respective colleagues.
"Taraka's business is complete," and with that four figures disappeared with the fifth back into the darkness, and the vampires turned away as they noticed flare guns pointed at them.
As Giles, Angel and Marcie returned to the vehicles, Xander noticed two red laser targeting beams leave off the retreating vampire's backs.
Xander rushed down the aisle as the curtain rose. Dressed in a big cloak and carrying more cloaks under one arm, Xander waved his sparkler-carrying hand forward where Marcy is carrying something shinymaking it look like it's float by itself.
Climbing up the stage stairs as the previously-doomed but now-curious girls moved at his called directions to move to the front facing the audience.
"My lovely assistants," Xander calls out, "Sorry for the delay, but flying plate insisted on visiting its alma mater, the cafeteriaOur show tonight"
Xander and Marcie, having taken pity on the others, and wanting to cheer up Buffy after the death of Sid, the other demon hunter, had quickly concocted a basic routine and raced to prevent the worse-than-demonic experience of Scooby singing.
Xander made the girls dress in the cloaks and walk around, Marcie getting dressed and wandering in at some point. They made Buffy throw knives, and have Marcie fake injury then cast of her cloak to "disappear" and then they made her reappear in the cloak from the disappearing act box
Xander made Buffy and Amy (and secretly, Marcie) have Snyder pick a card, show it to Giles and two students, and have that card revealed by Xander a minute later as Marcie told him which ones had been drawn.
Xander floated plates and a few other tricks before having the girls exchange cloaks in a huddle to gain an assistant.
The show ended as all dropped the cloaks to the floor, Marcie presented to the crowd. To most this was a last disappearing act, but to three students it was an introduction to Marcieas they could see her. Angel and Giles, warned in advance by Xander about this, took note of the students for later referenceAndrew and Tucker Wells, plus a Jonathon Levinson.
"Buffy!" her Joyce Summers called as her daughter and Amy chose to de-stage and leave via the aisle along which she sat. "That was great! Why didn't you want me to see this?"
"Uh, um, I didn't know this would actually be not of the embarrassing," she lamely tried a variation on the truth. "I'll see you after it's over."
Outside the auditorium, two figures followed Xander as he moved to join up with the gang. "Xander" called out one of them, "that was actually quite good."
"Uh, thanks Uncle Jim," Xander replied. "What brings you here?"
"Actually," Don 'Hondo' Harris responded, "we're here to talk to you about last night near the police station. Is there any place quiet we could talk with you and Mr. Angel?"
Buffy moved to intervene, but Angel put his hand on her shoulder and carefully said, "Buffy, why don't you, Amy, and Willow let the rest of us go ahead to the main entrance of the library. We'll handle this there. I'm sure everything's fine."
The girls, realizing Marcie's name had been left out, nodded as the four males walked off.
"So, Uncle Don," Xander loudly asked as they passed into the empty Library, "Did you bring your laser sights with you tonight?"
"No," the retired special forces and police veteran grimaced as Jim 'Street' LaVelle snickered at his discomfort. "But we ARE here to discuss whatever it is you're involved in."
"Excuse me," Angel interrupted, "is this an official investigation, or a family matter?"
"Should it only be a family matter?" Hondo answered. "We've kinda been trusting you to keep Alexander out of trouble with this 'fork guy' running around. If there's a 'fork guy'?"
Sighing, Xander waved his uncles to chairs at the table, and for Angel to do the same. Calling out, "Sue, could you please put on a kettle for tea?" he joined them at the table.
"What do you want to know?" Xander asked.
"How about telling us about last night," Hondo started. "That looked like a hostage trade."
"It was," Angel responded. "A couple of 'PCP' gangs had issues, and brought in some outside muscle. We got lucky, captured the gang leader's girlfriend and made him publicly lay off us for a year. That's all, right Xan?"
"Ur, yeah, actually," the dark-haired youth replied. "I'm surprised we went for the simple truth, though."
"How long have you been involved with gangs, Xander?" Jim asked, "I don't remember anyone mentioning it before. And it looked a bit heavier than street gangs."
"Give me a minute to phrase this the right way," Xander quietly considered, taking his time. "Since you're cops, and Uncle Don's had his special forces experience, I'll answer with questions. What kind of animal attack in the jungle or city stops at a single bite? What does the 'gangs on pcp/drug of choice' euphemism in police reports stand for? If you have the true answer to those questions, you'll have your answer."
"What are you talking about, Xander?" Jim pressured, "And what does it have to do with theattack on your parents?"
"You do the research. Talk quietly to people who are NOT in Sunnydale's police force, and in general see how many deaths in the hospital records involve bites and blood loss?"
Tea kettle whistles, and stops.
"Why can't you just tell us," Jim continues. "We'll believe what you tell us."
"Why don't you ask Uncle Don why his thoughts are elsewhere?" Xander rebutted. "He's almost ready to know, Uncle Jim. Come back in a couple of weeks and I'll explain how things work on La Boca del Infierno."
"Xander," Hondo interrupted, "the situation is too dangerous for us to let go. We'll go looking for the information after you show us something so we *can* ease off. After all, I trusted and backed you up after what happened with your folks. Now I see you in a stand-off situation that might be criminal?"
Xander looked at Angel, who gestured it as Xander's call as Giles entered the Library, alone. To his uncles, "Your words, this will remain between us, and no one else?" They nodded, Hondo qualifying that anything illegal will stop.
"Sue, please bring tea out to our guests" Xander called out. "No need to put your cloak on."
"Okay, 'Mr. Fantastic'" Marcie sassed, entering the room with a large tray of tea and snacks, "where should I put them?"
"Right between'Mr. Wizard' and the 'Archangel',please," the youth smirked, looking at his uncles as they finally noticed the tray moving apparently by itself.
"What the" Jim started, leaning back in his seat as Hondo peered intently forward trying to figure out the trick.
"Gentlemen," Xander intoned, gesturing behind them, "allow me to introduce 'Sue Richards', the Invisible Girl. Sue, Hondo Harris and Street LaVelle"
The two men looked decidedly uncomfortable as they heard a giggle, and turned to see no no one there.
"Uncle Don, it's polite to shake hands with people introduced to you," Xander chided, causing Marcie to laugh. The shocked policeman smiled embarrassedly and held out his hand, actually put at ease as Marcie shook it.
"Please to meet you, Uncle Hondo," Marcie laughed happily at the chance to play her disadvantage. "Xander's said very little about you."
"I'm not surprised, Sue," Hondo replied as Jim shook hands uncertainly, then gestured at his nephew, "after all 'Reed' there never told us about a 'Mrs. Richards,' hmm?" At Xander's happy shock at having his geek references turned on him, Hondo continued, "So, invisible, huh? I guess we should hope after looking at Xander any kids better look like you?"
The tension in the room evaporated as Xander fell back to the floor in his chair, and the world for the first time in over two hundred years heard Angel double up in genuine non-evil laughter at his current nemesis-partner's expense, in turn falling back to the ground in his own chair to disprove the myth of the always-graceful vampire.
Everyone still seat-capable served themselves tea or grabbed a snack, the hidden scoobies coming out of the book shelves as the mood lightened.
"You'll have to forgive them," Giles melodramatically sighed, "they're obviously two of our 'special' students."
A minute later, when everybody had calmed down, Xander stressed that his uncles had given their word, and gestured to Giles, who leaned back with a self-mocking smile, "This world is older than"
Four weeks had passed without any great change in the status quo of school and Sunnydale. The meeting with Giles and the Uncles had gone far smoother than Xander had believed possible. The two officers had asked many questions, and had insisted on regular training of all participants and no one would 'patrol' without at least a black belt in Aikido, and passage of a gun safety course. And no one, including The Slayer, would patrol alone.
Uncle 'Street' had returned to LA, where his SWAT duties resumed, but he had come back at least one night per week to help out. Uncle 'Hondo' had set aside range time and made Xander use nest lootings to pay for Aikido lessons, though the retired cop still had some trouble resolving apparent crime even from demons. Atop homework and everything else, this used up an extra 3 hours per day, but proved a great team building exercise. Night-time sweeps and skirmishes against the Master's minions and Darla's long recovery had kept the Master's numbers down to about thirty, but no real progress against such a foe was possible until they were willing to head underground.
The big difference in the group dynamic occurred when Marcy tried on the medallion that they'd taken from one of the Tarakans. The medallion seemed to cause magic and magical forces to bend around her like light/perception had done before. Though the magic of the Hellmouth pressed hard, the medallion was able to counter it for eight hours daily before recharging. Able to be seen, Marcie came to the notice of the 'crushing' Andrew Wells, who, vaguely aware of goings-on, thought it great that either magicians or a super heroes used their 'secret identities' as students to do even more good.
Xander's routine continued to include being tutored by Flutey and volunteering at the animal shelter. Amy and Marcy sometimes helped out as well, both having developed minor crushes on the young knight and liking the compassionate work he'd assumed. With the help and presence of his uncles and friends, Xander had also managed to shake some of the darkness of the last couple of months. To the surprise of many, he'd started pseudo-dating Willow, Amy Yip and even Amy Madison, taking them out to dinner and then the Bronze for dancing. The change to better clothes, the dropping of the goofball mask, and the courage from already having bared his soul once and not having it crushed, allowed the young man to venture further socially, and his general popularity had risen without being associated with a particular group.
Xander and Angel had just finished their randomized patrol, dusting four 'local' vampires, and eight Angeleno vamps in ones and twos. Phoning in two license plates, registrations, six firearm serial numbers and four identification sets to Fritz and Dave, Xander was about to drop off Angel when he hit the automatic locks on the car doors.
"Hey, AngelI've been thinking," Xander Harris began. "You and I have been at this what? A couple of months without a break?" Angel nodded. "And I know you and Buffy still seem to have 'the eyes' for each other." Xander waved him down from interrupting. "You the soul seem alright, but the body is still a vampire. I'll never be comfortable with that. And there's the age difference. You were 26 when turned, so even ignoring the rest that's significantshe's not moving on, but she hasn't made a move to go around and see you, has she?" Angel shakes his head, a confused look on his face. "What I'm saying is, ask her to the dance. No sex. No stolen moments. A simple date. A tux. Some flowers. Maybe it'll work. I doubt it, but you've proven yourself to me, and to a considerable extent, Giles. Anything beyond that" With that said, Xander unlocked the car and handed him a set of business cards with XLH initialing on the back. "I already have accounts set up; they're expecting you. They'll deliver it to the Library in a couple of days. Later."
Angel stood on the sidewalk for five minutes pondering the implications of Harris' words. 'I never thought I'd pass the Xander Test' the vampire chuckled to himself. 'The wolf cub is full of surprises. Ah, well time to see Rupert about the prophecy.'
A car is parked in the distance with its windows all fogged up. Buffy comes falling into the field of view in slow motion and hits the ground hard on her back and exhales. Inside the car Cordelia breaks off her kiss with Kevin.
"What was that?" Cordelia asks.
"What was what?" the teen asks, not caring.
Outside the car, Buffy props herself up from the hood, facing four vamps as a large vampire approaches her, growling, from the side.
"Someone's out there, Kevin," Cordelia asserts.
"That's silly! Who would be out there?" the youth asks, starting to clear a window to see Buffy roll in a reverse somersault and come up standing, ready to fight. Kevin and Cordelia watch as a car approaches their car and the other four figures without really slowing.
The vampire growls at Buffy as she pulls a stake out from under her jacket behind her back and holds it pointing out from her hips so the vampire can see. He frowns at the sight of it as Buffy puts on an evil smile that enrages the walking corpse. It charges and
The other car screeches in a swinging halt, Cordelia and Kevin bolting from the car as four bodies fly over and onto the theirs
Buffy lunges at her opponent with an out-to-in crescent kick, and then follows up with throwing the stake into its unbeating heart. Looking around at the backlit Xander figure alighting from his sedan to silently pump crippling head shots into three vampires, she notices the last vamp is crawling atop Cordelia as Kevin flees in terror, his torso bleeding from claw marks.
Buffy and Xander race over, the young man kicking the vampire in the face hard enough to lift it off of his school nemesis. Buffy effortlessly stakes the exposed chest, dusting the vampire.
"Cordy," Xander asks, actually concerned, "you okay?"
Buffy helps him check Cordelia for injuries, setting her on the hood of the car. Cordelia responds. "Yeah, I'm okay. Where's Kevin?! And what were those things?!"
"Those were, uh, gang members on pcp, Cordelia," Xander demurred. "As soon the car screeched, they ran offand so did Kevin."
"Don't hand me that load of crap, Xander Harris!" Cordelia Chase replied. "I'm not some sheep to believe anything you say, Loser. What were those things that interrupted *my* date!"
"Okay, fine," Xander said sighing as he helped her to her feet and then looted a vampire. "Those were vampires. They are real. We get rid of them. It's what we do." He staked the vampire, dusting it, "Any questions?"
"Who's going to pay my dry cleaning bill for this?" the girl complained as she tried to remove the last of the dirt.
"No problem with vampires?" Buffy asked.
"Of course I have problems with vampires," Cordelia smarted off. "They've ruined a perfectly good dress."
"It's hardly noticeable, Cordy," Xander promised, looting a second vampire and handing Cordelia thirty dollars. "Here's for your dry cleaning. Do you need a ride home or an escort to the Bronze? Kevin seems to have run off with his keys."
"Bronze," she replied. "I can call a cab from there."
"Okay, I just need another minute," Xander replied, looting and finishing the last vampire.
"That's disgusting, you know," Cordelia remarked.
"You want to give the money back? It disappears when they dust?" Xander smirked. "Also, part of everything retrieved from these evil bastards, I donate to the various victim assistance missions and churches throughout the county."
"Wow, no," Cordelia replied without an insult or scathing word. She'd definitely not expected the response he'd given, "So do you two do this every night?"
"Almost every night," Buffy explained. "But nearlyoh, Xan three in one blowwith a car. Giles would be so proud."
"The librarian's in on this?" Cordelia exclaimed. "Who else knows about this? Why doesn't everybody?"
"Well," Buffy began. "We do it because somebody has to. And people really don't want to know about this stuff. And there are only a few who fight."
"And we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell any one what we do," Xander said. "Vampires have a way of finding out information, and keeping quiet about who we are gives us an advantage to match their strength and speed. And besides, if you tell, people will think you're crazy."
They reached the Bronze and went inside, Cordelia turning to them, "Thank you for helping me tonight. If you two hadn't been there, they'd have eaten me and Kevinand I'm not used to thanking people so that's it." With that said, she headed over to her herd, complaining about the robbery attempt and that Harris and that Summers of all people had bailed her out.
Angel had learned through sources that the Master was planning a big attack the night of his prophesied rising, hiring nearly one hundred vampires and four 'masters' from Los Angeles and the coastal communities, paying them with treasure hoarded away and not given to Taraka.
"A-A hundred vampires," Giles stuttered. "A-are you sure, Angel?"
"I'm afraid so," the vampire replied. "And that doesn't count the ones attracted just to jump on the bandwagon should the Master open the Hellmouth. My guess is another hundred are lurking about, and a few other demon types as well. But none of them are likely to join in until they know the Master is free. The two demon bars are packed, the to-go orders forblood have nearly drained the reserves of the town. And half the blood stocks of the hospital were stolen early this morning."
"I-I haven't finished translating the Codex passages yet, probably tomorrow. Tea?" Giles asks, getting up to make some.
"Sure," Angel replies, going over the translations on the desk. They sit down at Giles' desk and the librarian reads the next part of the Codex, "Ho korias phanaytie toutay... tay nuktee. 'The Master shall rise...' Yes, yes, this is it! 'The Master shall rise, and the Slayer...' My God!"
They consider what Giles has just read for a moment and then reaches for his tea. The cups begin to jiggle, and they look at them curiously. A few seconds later the whole building begins to shake, and they realize it's an earthquake.
Xander walks up to Buffy, Amy Madison and Willow with drinks; Marcy is at home studying.
"Hey, how about the four of us dance?" Xander suggests, then adds with a particularly bad Zorro accent, "I've a-managed to a-vanquish 5 vamps tonight and feelmanly."
Amy and Willow smile and start to get up, but Buffy waves at her somewhat dusty appearance. Amy and Willow each grab her by the hand, Amy joking, "Don't hurt the alpha-wolf's feelings, Buff. We don't want to bring out the puppy-dog eyes."
"And besides, Buff," Xander added. "I wanted to dance with the *three* loveliest gals ever to grace the floor of the Bronze..." the girls 'aaaahed' then he added when they were half-way to the floor, "but Cordelia and the Cordettes were busyOW! Ow! And Ow?!"
They'd been dancing for two fast songs, Xander far less-spastic than usual and the Cordelia herd was passing by when all of a sudden Xander stopped and yelled, "Earthquake coming! Everybody to safety!"
Xander quickly grabbed Cordelia and Willow, heading for under the stairs, shouting at the others to join them as the world shook. People panic. Xander They get under the stairs, and both Willow and Cordelia grab onto a step from underneath to steady themselves. Seeing the idiot Cordettes out on the dance floor milling around in panic like sheep as their athlete boyfriends abandon them to race for the doors, Xander pulls them toward the staircase as a skylight drops to the dance floor. Seven pairs of eyes gawk at the be-muscled Xander Harris as he rips up his shirt to bandage their small hurts.
Giles comes out of his office and sees several bookshelves fall over as the walls and the floor sustain severe damage. Angel is taking cover in the main doorway.
Giles comes out of his office and walks over to the cage. Buffy comes in and greets him, "Good morning!"
She looks around at all the damage. Giles looks at her like he's just seen a ghost, a dazed look in his eyes.
"Wow. The damage looks fairly structural," she remarks. "Are we safe in here?"
"No! Uh, and, and yes, we're, we're safe," Giles responds, coming out of his haze. "Uh, but probably best not to go up there."
"How're you doin' there, Giles?" she continued. "Get much sleep last night?"
"Um... I-I-I've been working."
"I went hunting last night, and it is awfully sweet of you to ask. It's getting hairy out there, Giles. I killed three vampires last night, and one of them was practically on school grounds. Xander got three with his car," she dead-panned.
"Their numbers are increasing," he replied distractedly, then, "with his c-car?"
"Yep, it was different," she replied, chuckling. "I guess vamps really can fly!" With that she headed to class.
Cut outside the school at night. Cut to the girls' locker room. Buffy shuts her gym locker. Two girls walk by chatting. Buffy plays with a stake as she heads to the sinks and puts it down on one. She looks at herself in the mirror and absently turns on the water. After looking in the mirror another moment she looks down and sees that blood is pouring from the faucet.
Buffy enters the library, mumbling about the faucet when she hears Giles talking and looks into his office, "It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!"
Angel moves into the light to read the Codex, and Buffy sees him. She quietly moves to listen.
"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong," the souled vampire declares, pained.
"I've checked it against all my other volumes, Angel" Giles replies, "It's very real."
"Well, there's gotta be some way around it," Angel dismisses, "especially when we have so many of the master's mercenary vampires coming in to help him.
"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."
"Then you're reading it wrong," Angel asserts. "Maybe we should read it to Xander? He seems to interpret things like a child or a wolf. Maybe we're missing some simple loophole?"
"I wish to God I were unsure! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." Buffy, stunned.remains quiet.
"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asks as Buffy begins to laugh. Angel and Giles see her and exchange a look as she slowly starts to walk away from the office door. Angel comes out of the office after her. She stops by the table and faces them. Giles stands in his office doorway.
"So that's it, huh?" she starts with a whisper, gaining in volume. "I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is. Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I..."
"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" Tears are flowing freely from her eyes. Angel tries to hug her, but she puts up her hands and quickly steps away.
"Don't touch me!" she yells, then to Giles, "Were you even gonna tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to," he replied quietly. "That there was... some way around it. I..."
"I've got a way around it." She decided, "I quit!"
"It's not that simple." Angel sighs.
"I'm making it that simple! I quit!" she asserts loudly. "I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!
"I'm not sure that anyone else can," Giles began, "All the... the signs indicate..."
"The signs?" she disbelieves, throwing a book at him. "READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!"
"No, I don't suppose I am," Giles conceded.
"I know this is hard" Angel attempted.
"What do you know about this Angel?" she glared, "You're never gonna die!"
"You think I want anything to happen to you?" Angel choked. "Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way..."
"I already did. I quit, remember?" she replied, angry. "Pay attention!"
"Buffy, if the Master rises..." Giles started.
"I don't care!" she yells, yanking her cross from her neck. "I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."
Giles is at a loss as Buffy throws her cross down. Angel doesn't know what to say as she backs away. She turns around to walk out of the library when Xander, standing in the doorway, stops her with his left hand to her right shoulder.
"You're not going to die, Buff," the young man said, looking her directly in the eyes. "I intend for you to stick around to be the first slayer to become a grandma."
"B-but" the girl began, then burst into sobbing. "H-how can you (sob) p-promise that?"
"I'll make some calls," Xander demurred, then glared at the older males, "we'll look at it *simplistically* than kill every vampire that threatens you. Come on, I'll drive you home why the geezers keep looking.
Cordelia and Willow are coming down the stairs, Cordelia going on about every little thing, "Oh, Kevin said that he'd bring everything to the Bronze last night. He promised! We'll never get everything ready in time."
"He probably forgot. We can get it done," Willow assured her, "It's not *that* big a deal."
"Uh, you don't understand. I'm not mad! He totally flaked on me. On me! And I don't even care. God help me, I think it's cute! Oh..."
Willow smiles as they reach the Audio-Visual room to see Kevin and his friends through the windows.
"There they are! They're watching cartoons. That's so cu..." Cordelia begins, then catches herself, "That's not cute. That's annoying. I'm annoyed."
"Right," Willow agrees. "I'm furious."
"Men. I don't know why we put up with them."
"I hear ya."
"Obviously, Kevin has underestimated the power of my icy stare," Cordelia asserts as she opens the door. Kevin's body falls out into the hall with a vampire bite on his neck. He and all his friends are dead.
"Oh, my God! Kevin!" Cordelia screams, kneeling next to his body. "No!"
Willow looks up and slowly goes into the room. She sees the death and devastation, a bloody handprint on the TV screen.
She's wearing her new white prom gown, and is looking at herself in the mirror. Her mom comes rushing in, "Buffy?! There's something on the news. Willow."
"I've seen so much," Willow cried, on her bed hugging her knees, "too much. I thought I could take anything. But, Buffy, this... this was different."
"It'll be alright," Buffy assured her friend.
"I'm trying to think how to say it..." Willow continued, "to explain it so you understand."
"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay."
"I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there today, it... it wasn't our world anymore. Thosethingsmade it theirs. And they had fun. What are we gonna do?"
"What we have to," Buffy assures her, quietly exhaling. "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?" Willow nods. Buffy starts to go.
"Buffy?" Willow calls out, causing Buffy to stop and turns back, "I like your dress." Buffy looks down at it and smiles weakly, then looks back up.
"Take care, Willow," Buffy smiles sadly and leaves as Willow looks down sadly and stays on her bed.
The Master tests his confines as Collin watches, heading off to retrieve Buffy for his Master.
"Soon," the large evil vampire lord asserts, "Soon."
Giles is getting weapons out of the cage and prepares them as Ms. Calendar discusses the situation with him.
"Okay, so this Master guy tried to open the Hellmouth," she reiterates. "But he got stuck in it, and now all the signs are reading that he's gonna get out, which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world."
"Yes," he nods, "That about sums it up, yes."
"The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. She's so little."
"You know how to get in touch with this, uh, brother Luca chap?"
"Hmm. As far as I can tell, no one can. He's disappeared. Did send out one last global though. A short one."
"What did it say?"
"Isaiah 11:6, which I dutifully looked up."
"'The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and the little child to lead them.'"
"That's kinda warm and fuzzy for a message of doom."
"Well, that depends where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of the Anointed One, 'The Slayer will not know him, and he will lead her into Hell.'"
"So Luca thinks the Anointed is a kid."
"If the vampire that Buffy killed was in fact not the Anointed, then it may well be."
"Well, then we need to warn her."
"I don't intend involving her at all."
"What do you mean?"
"Buffy's not gonna face the Master. I am."
"No, you're *not.*" Buffy interrupts with emphasis. They turn to look over and see her approaching.
"So, I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?"
"Buffy, I'm not gonna send you out there to die. Now, you were right. I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've forgotten what the real world is like. I-it's time I found out. A-And besides, Xander is rounding up some firepower. He figured you'd go without him, and is 'planning to clear a way so wide the high school would fit in it.'"
"You're still not going up against the Master, Giles."
"I've made up my mind. I c-can't let you throw your life away."
"That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer."
"I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am going. There's nothing you can say will change my mind."
"I know," she pretends to turn to go, but then throws a hard punch to his face, knocking him out. He falls backward to the floor. Ms. Calendar scrambles to his aid. Buffy sees her cross on the table and puts it back on. Ms. Calendar lifts Giles' head in her hands and gets under it with her knees, looking up at Buffy.
"When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him I said it."
"You fight the Master, and you'll die, Buffy," Ms. Calendar said. "At least wait for Xander, see what's up that underhanded sleeve of his."
"No, I won't let him die, too," Buffy replied sadly, picking up a crossbow. "Maybe I'll take the Master down with me." She leaves the library. Ms. Calendar turns her attention to Giles.
Buffy walks a short distance, looking all around, when she comes upon Collin. She lowers the crossbow and walks over to him.
"It's okay," She tells he small vampire. "I know who you are."
Collin holds out his hand. She takes it, and he starts to lead her away to the Master.
The door of Angel's apartment is kicked open; the ensouled vampire who'd reverted to moping looked up in shock as Alexander Harris in full fighting regalia entered the room. Walking over to a now-standing Angel, Xander looks the vampire straight in the eye, "You know about Buffy going to fight the Master? Even knowing there's going to be a hundred vampires charging around the streets?"
"He'll kill her" Angel responded, starting to put on his duster and arm up.
"Rumor has it. Only we're not gonna let it happen."
"Well, what do you propose we do about it?"
"Look, I know you can find this Master guy. He's underground, right? *WE* kill everything that moves between us and himDarla, the vampires, whatever. Buffy lives."
"You're way outta your league, Xander. The Master'll kill you before you can even breathe. If you're lucky."
"How can I say this clearly? We're going. I still don't know if I even like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're a vampire. But Buffy's got this big old yen for you. She thinks you're a real person. And right now I need you to prove her right.
"You're in love with her."
"The real question isaren't you?"
Angel finished gearing up, even grabbing the extra firearms and ammunition Xander kept stored. Reaching the street, Angel in a big cloak as the sun was just beginning to set, a large black step van pulled up, two familiar Xander relatives visible. Opening the rear panels, four more SWAT-armored black-clothed figures helped them to the front.
"Where to, Xan?" Hondo asked his nephew. "We got your 'Brando Signal' and called in some back up. They're taking our word for it, so you better have a few vamps for us to dust."
"Brando Signal?" Amy asked from under her SWAT-outfitting.
"Apocalypse Now," Angel chuckled, regaining his equilibrium for the fight. Then, seriously, "about a hundred vampires, some of them might be armed like street gangs. Xander's thinking we kill everything that's not a short blonde cheerleader."
"We're going in as a single force from the entry point in the most direct line between the Master and the most numerous victims," Xander announced. "The plan is to blast through to the lair, obliterate the Master and as many minions as possible, then exit the second-most direct way. If Buffy is en route either way, we'll get her out of there. Neither her nor Giles listened to my suggestion of not going in the first place and ignoring the prophecy. Once we exit, we'll split into two teams, one to the Bronze and the other to the library. Using radios we'll keep in contact. Any questions?"
"Why are we taking orders from a kid?" Sanchez asked, looking over at Street and Hondo.
"You're not," Hondo answered. "He's giving you the mission briefing, and hunts these things which are 4-5 times stronger and twice as fast as humans. We'll split into two teams one behind the other. They tell us our route, we handle the getting there. Any other questions?" None were asked. Angel gave directions and ten minutes later they debarked.
Collin guides Buffy in. She has the crossbow up and ready. He leads her down some stairs and into a round side tunnel.
Giles comes out of the stacks with an armful of books, "The Master is as old as any vampire on record. There's no telling how powerful he'll be if he reaches the surface."
"Okay," Ms. Calendar poses, "here's my question: the Hellmouth opens Where? If he's underground, and it's right where he is, where's it gonna open?"
"Good point. Uh, well, look, you have a look through the Black Chronicles..." he says, handing her a book, then turns to Willow. "Uh, Willow? Willow?"
"Huh?" she says, coming out of her own world.
"Could you look through the local histories, please," the librarian directed. "Check for any common denominators, uh, locations of incidences and such."
"Right, okay."
Collin stops, and Buffy looks at him. He points down below, inviting her to enter, and leaves the way they came. Buffy watches him go. Then she turns and makes her way down to the floor below. She looks around. There are hundreds of candles burning everywhere.
"Welcome," The Master's voice seems to be coming from all directions.
"Thanks for having me," she retorts as The Master steps into the light to look at her. "Y'know, you really oughtta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage."
"Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the..."
Buffy spins around and launches a bolt in the direction of his voice. With his lightning reflexes the Master catches it in mid-flight right in front of him at chest level. Buffy quickly reloads the bow.
"Nice shot," the Master retorts.
Xander and Angel reach an intersection and stop, Angel looks in both directions, trying to remember the way. He remembers and walks past Xander, gunfire and vampire poofing the sounds in the background.
"You're not going to kill me with that thing," the Master 'assures' her confidently.
"Don't be so sure," she replies to the darkness.
"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You are not the hunter. You are the lamb."
Giles and Ms. Calendar are at the table studying their volumes, Willow at the computer. "Well, let's think about this, then," Giles considers aloud. "The vampires have been gathering, they know he's coming, they will be his army."
"Do you think they'll gather at the Hellmouth?" Ms. Calendar asks.
"Well," Willow recollected, "the last time the Master tried to rise was the Harvest. He sent a bunch of vampires to get him fresh blood."
"Well, where did that go down?" the computer teacher asked.
"T-That club, The Bronze" Giles replied.
"The Prom!" Willow exclaimed. "We have to warn them."
"We'll go, Willow," the teacher asserted. "Rupert, you have to concentrate on demon killing. My car's in the lot." Willow and Ms. Calendar start out of the library.
"Stay close together," Giles calls after them with concern, "and for goodness' sake, be careful!"
"We will," they both call back over their shoulders.
Buffy is slowly walking around, searching for the Master, still hearing the reports and echoes of gunfire getting closer. She comes upon a dead and rotted body. She continues her search, hoping that her unplanned backup shows up soon.
"You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide," she complains to the unseen vampire lord.
"I'm waiting for you," the undead creature responded facetiously. "I want this moment to last." The intermittent gunfire and shouts grew slowly closer.
She searches for a few moments longer, then the Master suddenly comes to stand right behind her, "I understand."
The Master knocks the crossbow out of her hands as she tries to turn around. He grabs her by the neck.
Ms. Calendar digs in her bag for her keys as she and Willow head for her car, Willow beginning to worry aloud. "What if they get to the Bronze before we do?" the red headed teen asked, looking behind them.
"Don't need to worry about that!" the teacher exclaimed as she looked up.
"Why not?" the teen asked, confused.
"'Cause they're not goin' to the Bronze." She said as they look out onto the field and see a hoard of vampires approaching. They look across the parking lot and see more of them. They turn to go back and see even more of them blocking their way. They're surrounded by dozens, though most don't look in their direction.
He has his hand around Buffy's throat. She swings up with her arm, knocks his hand away and starts to run. He holds his hand out toward her and she freezes, caught by his hypnotic powers. She looks back at him and can't move. He approaches her, making slow twisting motions with his hand. He comes up behind her, gently takes off her leather jacket and lets it fall to the ground. Buffy is panting hard with fear. The gunfire and screams are getting closer.
"You tried. It was noble of you," the Master consoled the Slayer. "You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything." He leans close to whisper during a lull in the noise of nearby combat, "You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"
Buffy is frozen with fear, realizing her 'quitting' and Xander's telling her not to come here were the right decisionsand she'd failed. The Master waits a moment longer and then bends down and bites her at the base of her neck, only drinking a few sips and lets her go, anxious to depart his prison.
"Oh, God! The power!" he shouts, letting her drop to her knees. "And by the way...I like your dress." She falls face down into the pool of water.
He steps over to the edge of his confines and pushes against the field. He forces his hand through, and his confines break down in a burst of light and energy. He starts up and out of his lair. Just outside he hears a great deal of gunfire, and exits in a different direction.
Angel and Xander see the light coming out of an adjoining tunnel.
"What was that?" Xander presses Angel, hoping his expectations wouldn't be met.
"It's too late, Buffy was here," Angel sighs. "He's gone up."
They break into a run for the Master's lair, Angel gets there first, and scrambles down to the floor and rushes to her as Xander reaches the lair's entrance. Xander stops and stares at Buffy in the pool. Angel reaches her and quickly pulls her out of the water. He holds her and tries to listen for breathing. Nothing. He looks up at Xander as he approaches, "She's dead!"
"No, she's not dead yet," Xander looks down at them and swallows hard. "If she drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR!"
"You have to do it. I have no breath," Angel stated.
Xander kneels down by her and puts his mouth on hers and blows into her lungs. He lets go and begins to pump her chest. "Okay, do you remember the chest pumping I showed you and the others?"
"Yeah," Angel nodded, taking over that part. "I'm sure."
For three minutes the two keep up the CPR, as finally the other team members finish securing the nearest chambers. After another moment Xander stops pumping. Angel believes her lost. A second later Buffy opens her eyes wide and draws a breath as she lies recovering. Turning to cough out a bunch of water, she notices Xander and Angel looking at each other smiling. Xander puts his hand on Buffy's forehead and strokes it gently. She looks up at him, surprised to see him.
"Buffy," Xander says as Hondo comes over.
"Xander?" she replies stunned, hugging him.
"Welcome back," he replies, smelling her hair before passing her off to Angel. As the two made eyes at each other and kissed, Xander noticed the body of a child on the far side of the lair, and the rage built as he heard the tally only reach forty-five known dustings.
"It hurt the Pack," Xander began, eyes and face expressionless with cold berserker rage, but eyes shining green-gold. "It ends tonight!" With that and two Eagles drawn, Xander raced out of the chamber, hot on the scent of the Master and his gathering hoard.
"Angel! Buffy!" Hondo shouted as the team readied to race after. "Xander's gone berserk on us, like he can bloodhound this guy!"
"He can," Angel replied, checking his weapons to suddenly see Buffy determinedly rush by. "Let's hurry."
"How do you know which way he's heading?" Street asked.
"Listen to the gunfire and just keep up with me," Angel called over his shoulder as they raced after him mostly in formation.
Ms. Calendar and Willow rush to get in Cordelia's car and away from the vampires.
"I was on my way to find you guys when all of a sudden these things are coming at me!" Cordelia exclaimed, all three then screaming as a vampire jumps on top of the car.
"What do we do now?" Ms. Calendar asks.
"We've gotta get to the library!"
"Library! Great!" shouts Cordelia, "But first I'm pulling a Harris on these*THINGS*!" She burns rubber and swerves back and forth at high speed to crash into and run over as many vampires as possible. As she makes a fast U-turn, throwing the vampire off of the roof of her car, she heads toward the school building having gained them a few seconds of leeway. The car's engine roars as Cordelia guns it toward the doors.
"Of course, we generally walk there." Willow added weakly, as they raced through the halls and toward the library.
Vampires are running into the hall as the girls reach the library screaming, and just manage to push the doors closed just as two dozen vampires get there. They lean against the door gasping as Giles comes out of his office.
"What's happening?!" he asks above the noise of vampires in the halls.
"Guess!" Ms. Calendar retorts as a vampire punches through the small round window in one of the doors and grabs at them, "Vampires and lots of them!"
Giles grabs a bookcase and begins to carry it over to the door when they hear activity from the stacks. Willow grabs a sign and starts hitting the vampire's arm with it. Giles hands Cordelia a super-soaker and then calls to the others, "Why are they coming here?! Everybody except Cordelia, help me move the tables near the French doors. It'll delay the other vampires from getting in!"
In the back of the library, a green tentacle is worming its way up through the cracks in the floor.
The Master opens the roof access door and walks out. He looks at the view around him of the town at night and smiles. He walks to the edge of the roof and holds his arms out as he surveys the scene, "My world! Oh, my beautiful world!"
Buffy, with an ammo and soaker-depleted Xander close on her heels, hurls herself into a mob of milling vampires blocking her access to the roof. Staking, punching and kicking, she forces her way through the press of dead flesh, Xander using a mop stick with broken ends to stab left and right in her wake as she breaks 'em and he dusts 'em while they're stunned. Ten of twenty vampires dust in half a minute, the others leaping away in fear at the surprise that any mortls would attack such a large grouping. Blood and scent in the air, and seeing another bunch of 'fresh' vamps racing up, Xander's eyes glow green-gold, "Buffy! I got your back, you get melt-face!"
Nodding, she races upward as Xander pulls out his shotgun and loses the last of his control, opening up as seventeen undead briefly pause, then leap forward. Holding the trigger down, shot after shot punch into the corpses, screams of pain and outrage filling the halls as Xander Harris rolls low and to the right, never stopping his shooting, but managing to have the charging undead continue to attack the spot he'd been defending. Eight shots face-high, eight eruptions of silvered and wood pellets at point-blank range, sixteen seconds and it came down to a clawed and bruised Xander staring at the back of a lone and seemingly unaware vampire reaching through a window.
The French doors are giving way under the wait of twenty vampires, a vengeful scar-faced Darla urging them on. "Get in there!" the vampires shrieks. "They must all die now!"
"Retreat to the weapons cage, hurry!" Giles calls out over the noise as the vampires begin to break in, "Miss Chase! Hurry now!"
Cordelia alone at the main doors, makes to comply as another vampire punches through the other library door window and grabs Cordelia's arm. "Somebody help!" Cordelia screams as she hits the vampire's hand and then bites it. The vampire screams and lets go.
"See how *you* like it!" she yells watching the arm turn to dust, and backs away from the main doors a minute later as they're wrenched aside.
The last of the eighteen vampires die as Xander's munitions and holy water run out. Adrenalized and fighting for his pack, he wasted no time quickly using a broken mop handle to dust the vampire bodies he'd grounded. A minute later he pushes into the library, eyes flashing a dark green and gold as he sees his pack assaulted by animate corpsesand Darla
"DARLA!" the teen bellows as he charges, police baton and mop stick in hand.
"HARRIS!" the vampire shrieks and races with vampiric speed directly at him, claws and fury her weapons as she loses all sentience with the need to kill. Her score of vampires pause briefly at shock of an old one unleashing so completely on a mere mortal, and awed at the speed and insanity. As the two blurs meet, the mortal hurls the baton at the face, for a fraction of a second distracting the vampires as with both hands he lances her full-force into her body.
Giles and the girls fired crossbows and used the last of their holy water in a futile attempt to keep their opponents off guard as they retreated into the cage and locked it. Of the ten vampires attacking they'd killed two and enraged four more, all of whom were ripping at the metal encasement.
Six vampires race against Hondo, Street and Sanchez, the three tired and bleeding fighters, opening up with their last few rounds. Two vampires dust instantly, and three more are taken down with head shots. The last vampire in bloodlust rages forward to have its body pierced with three sharpened and bloodied police batonsturning to dust in confusion as Sanchez is knocked to the ground.
Angel and the other five members of his group reach the library back door, finding it forced aside and vampires pushing inward. Two turn and attack Angel, while four go after the visible members. Marcy's invisibility lets her stake one, then another vamp as Amy rolls free and uses the last of her holy water. Angel dusts one, and knocks another back into the library. The souled vampire turns and stakes a vampire in the back, narrowly missing the heart, but allowing a cop to finish the job. Angel shouts over, "You help the rest! I'm heading in to help the people inside!"
The incredible shriek of agony as the wood forces itself from her front right collarbone down through her insides until it pierces out her left kidney silences the fight in the library as all watch in awe as Xander and Darla fight all-out, Human/Nature-Spirit versus Vampire so-enraged that the black demonic energy radiates from the energized corpse. Angel now in the room goes wide-eyed at the sight and Darla's shriek, the smell of the very blood magic that turns a vampire radiating hotly and hitting himself and the other vampires with a wave of nausea from the intensity, and the power in the shocked voice of the Master as he looks down on his Childe's plight distracting all as the huge, green, multi-headed and tentacled demon bursts through the floor, grabbing two injured minions.
"The Hellmouth!" Giles gasps loudly as the caged group of humans can't believe their eyes. The creature has three heads and reaches all the way to the ceiling.
The Master looks in through the skylight and claps his hands in anticipation as the demon's presence might avenge his favorite childe should she fall, "Yes. Come forth, my child. Come into my world."
"I don't think it's yours just yet," Buffy interrupts, dusting the last of his four guards. The Master turns his head and stares at her in surprise.
"You're dead!" the evil vampire shouts in angered disbelief.
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty," she retorts, staking a minion trying to sneak up on her. "Which is more than I can say for you."
"You were destined to die! It was written!"
"What can I say? I flunked the written," she quipped, positioning herself for an attack. "And I have friends who brought me back for the make-up exam."
The Master growls and reaches his arm out to try his hypnosis on her Again, "Come here!"
The remaining cops and Scoobys block the exits with their tired bodies as they stop in stunned silence as the Hellmouth creature tries to drag away two more vampires. Three remaining vampires notice Angel and lunge forward intent on his demise. "Angelus! Die!"
Angel braces for the sudden impact, when two stakes flash out in front of him and stab forward, dusting two vampires as the third and the currently-invisible Marcie Ross tumble into a heap atop him, the vampire confused and the girl screaming.
"GIIILES!" Ms. Calendar screams. "We have to help Marcie!" Giles grabs an ax from the table and rushes out of the cage to the aid of Marcie and Angel as Amy and the police find themselves fending off the advances of the hell-beast.
"Mr. Giles," shouts Marcy as he gets up close, "I'm clear!" He swings it into the soulless vampire's head, and the creature roars in agony as it turns to dust.
The last of the rounds empty and the hell-beast smacks away the cops and the Scoobys as they try to stab it with whatever is on hand. Xander and Darla face off, again, her swipes ineffectual with a mop stick through her body and pressing the spine. Xander reclaims his baton and proceeds to wail on her head repeatedly, letting out all the pain he's ever felt as one of the heads of the hell-beast lowers close to revel in the waves of pain and anger the two radiate. Darla flings herself toward a Xander fallen to his back, only to have him curl his legs under her and push her off into the open maw of the demon. He leaps to his feet and pulls at the mop-stick, lancing the beast in the main eye as it dusts the wrecked and shrieking vampiress. The demon writhes in pain, tentacle lifting him up but allowing the others to take unblocked swipes that caused the tentacles to loosen again. Xander stands below the skylight atop an overturned table, spear upright and ready.
Buffy slowly approaches the Master, apparently hypnotized. He grabs her by the throat again, scornfully addressing her, "Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn't below?"
She skips the banter, hearing the battle below, taking advantage as they hear Darla's shrieking suddenly ends. As the Master screams in loss, Buffy swings a wide hard punch to his mouth, and he falls down, then follows up with kick that connects squarely with his face.
Buffy launches herself into a front tuck over his head and lands between him and the skylight. She kicks him in the side with a side snap kick, but he quickly turns around and grabs her by the neck again, "Where are your jibes now?"
She looks behind her and sees the upended tables and Xander with his bloodied 'spear' pointing up toward the skylight, and lets out a chuckle.
"You laugh when my Hell is on Earth?"
"You're that amped about Hell..." she says, flipping him over herself and through the skylight. "Go there!" He falls down and is impaled
on Xander's mop handle, knocking the exhausted youth to the floor. The Master slowly turns to ash until only his skeleton is left. Buffy watches from above, as the others brace themselves for more pain when the Hellmouth creature quickly disappears back into the floor. The vampires are all gone.
Xander gets out from under the nasty remains of the undead lord, shucking himself of nearly every item into the cage as the others check themselves over. Xander reaches the cage, hangs his coat over the front of it and his other clothes, strips down to his boxers and upends, rubs some cleaner on himself, particularly his face and hair, as Buffy makes her way into the Library. Angel glances to see the youth up-end a five gallon container of drinking water over his head and head into the covered cage, waving him over. Angel gives Buffy a quick side-hug and disappears.
"The vampires?" Giles asks after a minute.
"Gone," Hondo responds. "The ones we didn't kill here or in the tunnels have had enough now that the leader's gone."
"The Master?" Sanchez asked, entering the conversation.
"Dead. The Hellmouth is closed," the librarian said, Ms. Calendar leaning against him comfortably, "Buffy...Buffy?"
"Oh, sorry. It's just been a really weird day," she replies with a smile. "I didn't really expect to be here, with the dying and all."
"I should have known that a prophecy wouldn't stop you," Giles responded affectionately.
Buffy smiles up at him again, "It did, but friends started me up again."
"Well, what do we do now?" Ms. Calendar asks as they all gather.
"I don't know about the rest of you," Giles sighed. "but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore."
"Hey! I hear there's a dance at the Bronze tonight," Xander calls out and heads turn. Angel, also attired in formal wear adds, "Could be fun." The others look at the two clean-looking fighters, and in spite of exhaustion smile.
"Yeah!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Xander, you're with me."
"Me, too!" Willow and Amy exclaim, Willow realizing she's suitably attired, and Amy running into the office. "Five minutes, my dress is in here!"
Marcie calls out, "Not me, I'm too tired. Cocoa, a book and a trashy romance for me."
"We'll handle scene clean-up," Street says, "If you kids still have energy, go have fun. We'll talk tomorrow at Hondo's place since he has this custom twelve-person hot tob and I think us 'old people' will be soaking in it."
"Buffy?" Angel asks, elbow out.
"Sure! We saved the world. I say we party!" she declares, then looks at her smudged dress. "I mean, I got all pretty."
Cordelia interrupts, handing her some large wipes, "Here, these'll get everything but rust and blood out, then use the dry ones to wick up the moisture so it doesn't sow the wet mark."
"And what about him?" Ms. Calendar asks, indicating the Master as they all file out, Amy dressed and touching up make up with the expected never-ending advice of Cordelia.
"He's not going anywhere," Buffy stated, "Jerk."
The two weeks of school following the Master's defeat saw the wholesale evacuation of Sunnydale by vampires and most other demons, rumors of the Slayer and her Death-Wraith allies wiping out the Master and two hundred undead in a night raced ahead and throughout the coastal towns to LA. The Hellmouth wasn't a welcoming place this summer.
The reality had been different, but the results were pretty amazing. Between the tunnel firefights and the battle for the high school, Hondo estimated around a hundred vampires had been dusted, 30 wallets, 12 paid off and 15 stolen vehicles reclaimed, 12 motel room keys leading to gear and assets, 10 cold case closures (the 8 vamps were suspects and 4 were victims), 15 handguns, 25 knives and enough cash to cover the paperwork were yielded. Also, sadly, 15 runaway cases were put to rest from identification and clothes.
They hadn't lost anyone, miraculously enough, but the next day after paying his hospital expenses, Xander'd handed Hondo all but thousand dollars to cover the armor, ammunition and other attrition experienced in the fighting and training of the last month. Additionally, the entire SWAT team, hurting from bruises, stressed joints and ribs, aching backs and a lot of scrapes, had had to insist on light duty "after discovering a major and previously unknown criminal conclave operating along the coast, but based in Sunnydale suspected of being responsible for over three dozen serious crimes throughout Southern California." The paperwork alone kept them busy, and the favorable publicity always needed by their superiors had kept LAPD from looking too closely into matters, except a request placed quietly of the desk of the Police Academy Superintendent.
Xander had caught all sorts of female hell the next day when the girls found out that after the dance and dropping them off, he'd driven to the hospital and kept overnight for observation. Fourteen heavily stressed but not fractured ribs, four large head ruises just under the hair, two partial bites in the left calf and right bicep, and six sprained muscles had finally overcome his canine ability to persist, and the berserk adrenaline efforts had actually dehydrated him and fatigued his system by the time. Bare-chested in bed, it had been an interesting shock when the first visitors had been not the scoobies, but Cordelia and the Cordettes, bringing flowers, a new black silk shirt and slacks, godivas and espresso. While being cooed over for saving them the other night was nice, he felt he'd been in a dream or nightmare to suddenly be treated as one of their own. And even he'd noticed his musculature was appreciated by the cheerleaders before they left.
School had been fine, Principal Flutie returning to end the year and force Xander into the tests they'd discussed. Grades for the quarter were A's and B's, with a B average for the year including makeup exams and GED scores were used to justify replacement grades. Extracurricular nighttime activity evaporating, Xander's social life picked up, and he began mingling freely amongst all the popular groups and introduced his friends into some of them before year's end.
Xander had not really planned out his summer activities beyond improving his skills, when the last day arrived and he found his uncles and the scoobies waiting for him outside of school, minus Angel.
"What's up guys?" Xander Harris asked suspiciously. "Why're all of you here?"
"W-Well Xander, we decided you needed some time off," Giles answered. "And as Buffy is heading to LA this summer, and others are vacationing, you should as well. Your uncles decided to surprise you, and while we don't know where you're going, we're here to send you off, yes."
Looking at the packed convertible, Xander smiled in amazement. "I'm actually getting out of Sunnydale for a while? Wow."
The near-dozen girls hugging him good bye, even Harmony (?!) overwhelmed him a bit, causing a happy sheen in his eyes. Cordelia gave him a brief hug, chiding him, "Go on, Harris. Don't forget how to dress over the summer, and don't become a loser again."
"Gee, Cordelia," Xander smirked without malice, "I didn't know you cared."
"I just don't want to see our good deed go to waste," she retorted without bite, Harmony adding as the Cordettes headed away, "and don't lose the muscley chest." Xander half-shuddered and blushed as the scoobies laughed, though Amy and Willow both side embraced him possessively as they escorted him to the car.
As they left the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign behind them, 'Street' handed back to Xander a large manila envelope of paperwork. Opening it, Xander looked through the papers, brochures and even glanced through the manuals for about twenty minutes before broaching the subject.
"Why do I have acceptance kits for the LA County Law Enforcement Academy Intensive six week training program and six weeks of nighttime SWAT exercises when I'm not even eighteen?" The two men snickered, and Hondo sighed as Street explained.
"Sanchez and Deke'd accidentally left their mini-cams on when we headed into the tunnels, and if you remember they backed up you and Angel. When filing our reports, one of the review specialists happened to come across it and passed it on to his old friend the Commandant of Cadets, who he knew to have a nasty set of bite marks on his neck from an 'animal attack.' When he called us in, he showed us the neck, handed us the tapes and asked that they be more careful, and asked us about you. We explained without names, and he handed us your packets with only the personal information left blank."
"B-but why?" Xander asked, amazed. "I just did what had to be done; it's not like I really thought about it."
"That's not true, Xander," Hondo said taking over from Street. "He wants to make sure you don't become as bad as what you're fighting, and the fact that an 18th century vampire was taking direction from a teenager. So, based on your current term in high school, Bob successfully cramming for your perfect-score GED this week, you'll be in the July-August intensive sessions rather than the year-long. You'll be correspondenced the remaining academics during your next year of high school for anything you don't complete."
"I still don't understand this suddenwindfall," Xander sighed, "but something's telling me I should agree. Um, but what about whenIlost it and went after Darla and the Master. I don't want to hurt anyone accidentally."
"That's exactly why, and why we're all insisting," Hondo interrupted. "You have the right instincts and skills to be a good cop, especially SWAT. Maybe not detective work, but who knows? The important thing is that you learn the control so that a man in blue never has to bring you in, understand?" The young man nodded, the responsibility mounting. "And to lower your profile, you'll be registered under your grandfather's name, John Alexander Clayton, while you're here and go by 'Alex.' Most of your training will be field-oriented, not investigation oriented, though when possible, we'll get you through as much of that as the team can."
"And who knows?" Street added. "Maybe we can even get you through the bookwork to get certified."
"Um, cool, I guessthe team?" Xander asked. "Do you mean your guys Uncle Street?"
"Yeah," Street nodded. "After your performance in Sunnydale, all six of us decided to make you our project, fifteen hours per day, after your next couple of weeks. During the next two weeks, you'll be taught meditation and that kind of thing by a shaman we found working with the father of a friend in the 101st precinct."
"A shaman, why?" Xander asked. "And, boy did you guys get into this hard and fast."
"Well, *Alex,*" Street admitted, "Once Sanchez saw you take out that Darla vampire, she remembered some of her mother's stories and managed to explain you to her. To make a long story not too much longer, Nana Sanchez explained that until this last generation, the name Boca Del Inferno was sufficient to keep Hispanics out of your town, and that's why there are so few in that area. Amongst tales of Depression-area crime-fighting wrestlers thwarting El Robotico Del Diablo, Nana pointed out a few remaining *real* bruja that might help us out with your gifts. So, Alex, we found you an ex-Special Forces shaman named Sherman Blackstone that'll be taking you away for the first weeks, and then maybe weekends to maximize your inner wolf 'without losing your humanity.' The quotes are his. He and the other guy'll have you for 10 hours a day, then we're going to get you're book learning going for 5-6 hours a day. Whew, that was a mouthful."
"Wow, those are long hoursI'll give it a try," Alex allowed, curious and adrift in a good way."
"Good," Hondo approved, Street nodding. "Because the way you've thrown yourself into fighting these things and managing to turn your grades around has been phenomenal, Alex." The young man blushed and looked away briefly, but Street caught it. "Hey," the cop remonstrated, "no back-sliding in confidence. Accept the credit and the blame due, but no moreand think of it this way, your schedule's only going to be 2-3 hours longer per day then now, and when the monsters come back in the autumn, you'll be prepared to keep your teampackwhateveralive."
The next two weeks were weirder than discovering the truth about Slayers and Vampires. The shaman turned out to be a 'Wolfen' a wolf shape-shifter of a small clan just north of Sunnydale in the mountains of Wolf Lake. Sherman hadn't gone into any details, revealing none of the secrets of his pack, so Xander kept questions to generalities. And the detective's fatherhooo-boythat was unexpected
"And Alex, this is Master Kane," Sherman Blackstone gestured politely at an older mostly-oriental man, "he will be focusing on the meditation and the deeper issues of the Spirit itself, while I'll advise you on the particulars of the wolf."
"Pleased, to meet you Master Kane," Xander responded, bowing slightly then offering his hand to shake. The older man took it.
"Alex," Master Kane greeted, maintaining the grasp as he stared searchingly into Xander's eyes. "Youfight the things that avoid the day. This is commendable. Isense in you the capability to truly tap your inner abilities. With Sherman's permissionI will add Kung Fu as part of your focusing meditation after you master the basics."
"Um, thank you, Master Kane," Xander replied, unsure of the situation. "Any help is welcome."
"WellAlex," the Shaolin priest, began, "you seem to have achieved our goal for tapping the power of your greater self while remaining true to who you are. Sherman and I are very pleased." Kane walks across the room to get something.
"Yes we are, Alex," the Native American shaman continued, but now is the time for us to head into the wilderness and let your wolf-self range, within limits you set. You already notice how dogs and such are attuned to you when you go out. They sense the Spirit."
"And Alex," Kane addresses him, returning. The Shaolin hands him a small pouch on a necklace. "This contains wolf clippings, a drop of werewolf's blood, a drop of great wolf blood, and a drop of Sherman's blood both as human and wolf in form. The Ancient One, and a most honored Alchemist of the Xing Ron Clan have brought this together and needs only a drop of your blood during Sherman's ritual tonight to focus your control"
"Excuse me, Master," Xander asked quietly. "Who are the Xing Ron, if I may ask?"
"They are a clan committed to the destruction of vampires, after a slayer of their lineage was killed brutally by a master vampire ninety-four years ago. They added a drop of reconstituted blood of their daughter-slayer for empowerment. When approached for assistance, and when they found out you fought alongside a slayer, they insisted on this pouch specifically for your spirit quest."
Xander and Sherman had driven up from LA to Wolf Lake, only twenty-minutes north along the highway from Sunnydale. As they'd started out, Sherman remembered he'd left something at his apartment, and needed to retrieve it for their trip. When they arrived, the shaman asked Xander to stay with the car as he himself went into his home to retrieve materials they'd need. Legs tired, Xander stepped out of the vehicle and leaned against it.
Two men walked down the street from a parked car, and as they passed to approach Sherman's home, they and Xander seemed to focus on each other, sensing like presences. The leader of the two stopped, sending his protégé onward.
"Who are you?" the older man demanded. "And what are you doing with Sherman Bridgestone?"
Xander stared at the man who was in posture attempting to establish control over the situation over him. This was not to be tolerated. "I suggest you introduce yourself, explain why it is your concernand back off before I have to do something you'll regret me doing to you," Xander replied, calling up the full Wolf Spirit, eyes flashing slightly behind his sunglasses.
The other, Willard Cates, backed away in astonishment, the power and pheromones given off by this youth compelling him to take a less-threatening stance before he caught himself. Xander took a slow step toward him, removing the shades and a gesture resembling a halfway offering a hand to shake.
"I'm not a threat to your pack," Xander very quietly and deliberately assured the man. "But Sherman is assisting me with matters important to mine. So call off yourchihuahuaand settle your internal matters after I leave town. Fair enough?"
"I suppose it will have to do," Cates responded, realizing that the concerns he had with Bridgestone were small compared to starting a conflict with an unknown clan. He gestured to the other man, who was about to attack Sherman, to withdrawal. "Until later, it can wait."
"Good," Xander nodded. "Sherman was explaining things regarding your people, saying you were not threat, but capable for your small numbers. My clan is not in the mood for petty street fighting."
The shaman was quiet until they pulled up on the far side of a cemetery in Wolf Lake. Xander had been either sleeping or studying ahead for the police training. Both were sure they'd not been followed by Cates or his people.
"Alex, what was that about?" Sherman asked, still a bit off-balance. "How did you make him back down like that?"
"I let him feel me power up when he played Alpha," Xander replied stone-faced. "I let him feel what a True Alpha is like, then told him to postpone his business with you until after I'm done with mine. Let him know *my* clan wasn't necessarily interested in his small clan."
"Oh, great," the Wolfen shaman complained. "I'll get to deal with it later."
"Better then unless you wanted me to drop them on the front walk? Andyou could always change clans," Xander said, looking him in the eye. "You know what we fight"
They both quietly headed into the oldest point of the cemetery, dating back nearly a hundred years, but strangely filled with a large number of teenaged occupants from the last couple decades.
Xander kept watched as the older man redrew a ritual circle atop one previously there, his methods combining what he'd expected, with some things he'd expect to see Giles or Kane undertake. As everything seemed to be ready, Sherman caught his look.
"While the ceremony is ours, I'm relying on other traditions to ward off intrusion, and to reinforce whatever happens inside. That is what you saw me redo. The extra fetishes and figurines at the points were given to me by Kane and the Xing Ron for extra focus. Please step into the circle and sit across from me where the lines intersect."
Xander did as instructed, feeling calmer as he sat down. Sherman had him place the pouch in front of him, and to meditate and to focus on the wolf spirit but not power up while the ceremony proceeded. When the time for him to do something was necessary, he'd be asked.
The shaman calls on the Spirits of his ancestors, at Wolf Lake in a ceremony used to determine clan and placement, a totem to be offered and the appropriate respondent in range to visit the dream fireside. Xander is visited by dozens of animals, including apes and elephants, lions and horses in addition to the Wolf Lake contenders for clan leadership. Cates, the current leader, looks especially confused, remembering a similar ceremony from decades ago, but as it's not his dream, he can do nothing but watch. Sherman, who walked on the edge of the dream but could not interfere, looked on in amazement, never had he seen or heard of more than a single animal. Alex was being visited by animals not native to the area. And the other thing, Alex wasn't morphing into a wolf, or any other as expected. Rather, he is building in muscle, dense and sinewy, lean from experience, strong from the demands placed on it by natural environments.
Even as this continues for a while, Sherman reaches over in dream and reality, opens up the pouch and hands a knife to Alex, indicating a pricked thumb for a drop of blood into the pouch contents. This done, the shaman chants over the pouch, disturbed that he can hear other chanting nearby. Dumping the contents of the pouch into the fire to seal the ceremony at its end, Xander lets out a slow deep whimper of pain as he starts to wake up fully. Hurling a bowie knife with great effort a scream splits the darkness as Xander clutches his chest, then his head before falling to his back unconscious
Sherman hears the whimper, then the scream of pain outside of the circle, "my eye!" He raced over to Alex's side as he heard the shattering of pottery and the loud noise of a wounded man stumbling away in the darkness.
Xander wakes to the feel of fur against his legs and back, and the voice of Sherman talking to either an animal or small child. Opening his eyes, the young man finds himself in the center of the missing pack of great wolves from the Sunnydale Zoo. They've apparently moved in to share the campsite, and he can smell that the pack has brought a freshly-killed dear to be eaten, and that some of it is being roasted for breakfast. Shifting slightly, the wolves let him break free to take a seat on a large rock.
"I'm feeling particularly crappy," the beefed up Xander declared quietly. "I'm also getting the feeling that something didn't go according to plan."
"You could say that again," the Graham Greene look-alike said, "but please don't." He smirked as he thwarted one of Alex's standard responses. Continuing seriously, the shaman reported his observations during the ceremony, and that they'd not been alone.
"Someone was out in the bushes, and I found candles shielded form our view and a shattered statue of some kind. Whoever it was, used magic I've not encountered before." Pausing to let that sink in, the shaman continued, "You wounded him pretty good, apparently in the eye from the screaming he'd let out before running away. Whatever it was seemed to be changing you. Normally, in the dream, you'd take on the aspects of the animal, but instead this seemed to taking the strength within and bringing out. You have long-healed scars barely noticeable you didn't before. Do you remember anything at all I would not have seen?"
Xander looked around at the wolves comfortably resting next to a mausoleum wall. Staring at them, he could sense and feel them, telling them apart. He recognized the beta, concentrated, and gestured from the wolf to the remaining carcass.
:Go ahead and eat. I will eat the cooked meat the shaman has prepared: The great wolf bowed slightly and lead the others to eat.
"Well," he said. "I seem to be able to think at wolves, and they seem to understand. I don't know how much"
"Some of the oldest shamen can do that with years of experience," Sherman replied, nodding, "Anything else?"
"Africa, where jungle meets savannah," the youth struggled to remember, "I remember reading and learning from old and worn books, and I remember animals of the types in my dream being there, naturally, wild. The scents, the soundsand then I remember being in khaki, with sword and rifle and service revolver. I was providing back up for a girl who moved like the cheetahand we were in a deep cave system, hunting somethingand that's when it ended."
"You do realize that last part was spoken like those British guys in Star Wars, right?"
""Really?" Alex pondered. "Maybe I wasa Watcherand the girl a slayerit feels right, Sherman. I was older, but feel like I do now, energized and attuned to my surroundings. If I remember more, I'll discuss it with Giles when I get back to Sunnydale. And maybe by then we'll have figured out who the stranger was."
"I bagged the statue, we can drop it off and have him reassemble it at some point, give us an idea of what he was trying to do."
Xander, Sherman and the wolves moved to a deep remote location off the game trails by nightfall, and spent the next week intensively meditating, working out, hunting singly and as a pack. The shaman adapted Xander's nascent aikido and kung fu skills as the center of the Special Forces techniques he'd chosen as the fighting focus for the Wolf-Man: Brutal Defense, and even included wrist claws and boot-spikes for emphasis. Constantly Alex found himself wearing forty to fifty pounds extra on his body to keep up the muscle tone and strength as he undertook mastery of his new skills and abilities.
Pushing into the rage zones and beyond while maintaining control became the core focus of any activity, whether it was climbing trees or rock faces without equipment, or using the focus techniques for tremendous displays of strength and stamina in the midst of hunting, Xander and his 'hunting group' bonded and began to adapt to the characteristics of the others. It was with some regret, they packed up and headed back to Los Angeles, wolves and all.
Classes at the Academy were a breeze, especially the physical skills and endurance. While generally friendly, Alex's SWAT training and tutored studying kept him busy in the eveningsand away form social distractions. His grades were in the top ten percent in classroom and tops in the non-classroom. Sanchez and the others were amazed at how fast he seemed to master Spanish, and his weekends with Kane and the Xing Ron (who had decided not to return to the Orient until Alex headed back to Sunnydale) honed the bladed and unarmed modes of combat they'd worked on as the best and fastest to master against the demonically strong.
Sherman explained the occurrences in Wolf Lake to them, leading to a great deal of research. They'd determined some form of dis-balancing magic had been invoked, and that the pottery likeness was of Mediterranean origin. They believed that considering the spiritual nature of the ceremony, perhaps Alexander was undergoing either a past-life experience, or due to the slayer's blood in the pouch, that of a watcher of great personal similarity to Alex himself. As it had taken hold at the transformation portion of the ceremony, it had unforeseen result. The real questions were who, why and did the stranger seek to transfer the power to himself? And did Alex's 'predatory act' mean that the stranger was an evil shaman?
Xander preferred not to consider it too closely if the 'experts' didn't know where to begin. August came and with it the winding down of his training and his schooling in police work. Even the vampires of Sunnydale seemed attractive compared to another week of incessant summer learning. He didn't really gain any greater perspective on whose memories he'd experienced, but over time he discovered he had nearly perfect recollection of the two hundred or so books 'he' had read, most being in Romance languages, Latin or Greek, and covered much of late 19th century knowledge of Africa, and the best of its literature and that of the classical period. Rousseau in 18th century French, Darwin, Marx in High German and English, Disraeli's autobiography, Boetius in post-Fall Latin, Homer in Classical Greek, and more. It was fascinating, though he found himself using Giles-like sentences when not paying too great attention.
Those in the know had all cautioned Alex to keep things as quiet and secret as possible, but as graduation day approached, he'd insisted that a few adults be informed of the goings-on. So the Friday evening before school started saw a diverse and notable crowd of people in attendance for him, a pair of old and berobed Shaolin priests, a half-dozen very dignified and richly suited Taiwanese businessmen, four legendary nanas reputed as peacekeepers and brujas in the Latino community, an Indian shaman, *the* kick-ass SWAT team in California, a detective out of the 101st precinct known for handing weird cases successfully, three faculty members from Sunnydale and a guy dressed all in black.
The ceremony was painless, and the Sunnydale residents had been shocked and amazed at the event to which they'd been driven. Principal Flutie walked up with only the tiniest residual limp, and actually (but in a manly manner) hugged the graduate as the others came up behind him.
"Alexander," the Sunnydale school administrator beamed. "I'm so proud of you I could burst! I told you all you needed was focus, some athletic effort and commitment. Look at you! I'm changing your schedule to all AP and College Prep courses when I get back, if you're still attending. We might just get you most of a degree by graduation." Xander groaned, while the adults laughed.
"I certainly hope that's the case, Bob," a friendly male voice agreed from Xander's right side. "Mayor Wilkins!" Bob Flutie acknowledged with surprise. "Please meet Alexander. This is the student that Mr. Giles, Ms. Calendar a-and Mr. Angel tutored last Spring after the...er troubles." An older 1950's-looking gentleman came forward with a few others.
"Why, hello, Alexander," Richard Wilkins beamed, offering a firm handshake. "We had another student of Sunnydale origin graduate, and I was delighted to see a few more familiar faces. Top of the class, I see. Oh, how rude of me, let me present Mr. Holland (a smile and nod), Ms. Morgan (an appreciative glance and nod) and Mr. McDonald (a polite nod), from Wolfram & Hart here in Los Angeles Anyway, have Bob give you my number, we're always looking for good solid young people to liaise between police and their peers. And since you're a legal adult, maybe a part-time job after school."
"Gee, sir," Xander responded, shocked. "Thank you."
"No, Alexander," the Mayor of Sunnydale responded. "I know this will benefit my plans for Sunnydale in the years to come. Thank you." And shaking hands again for a picture taken by Detective Stein, the Mayor and his entourage then left.
"Wow," Xander responded, "Who saw that comin'?"
The non-Sunnydalers approached, congratulating the young graduate, before heading out, leaving Hondo, Street, Flutie, Jenny, Giles and Angel, before the Principal headed out with the Mayor, who'd offered him a ride back while they discuss the new school year at Sunnydale High.
"X-Xander, my boy," Giles addressed, beaming, "I can't convey how terribly proud I am of you right now. Even with intensive tutoring, your achievement is your own." They shared an awkward one-arm side-hug. Ms. Calendar, less reserved, enthusiastically hugged the young man, who blushed slightly.
"Oooo, nice build, Alexander," the gypsy beauty smiled teasingly. "I'm sure the girls will be after you when you get back." Then, more serious, she added, "Congratulations."
"Thank you both," Xander responded. "It means a lot that you were able to share this. Now, I'd like to talk to Angel for a minute before heading out." With that, the young man was left with the souled vampire, who'd actually added a tie, black of course, to his usual ensemble.
"Okay, Xander," Angel began, "I know we're not exactly friends"
"And that can change, DAngel," the young man interrupted as they very slowly followed after the others. "When I underwent the shamanistic ritual to better understand the Wolf Spirit I'd blended with, it allowed me to appreciatesomewhatthe demon inside of you. Mine is rage, not a separate entity, though it's easier to explain it that way, but the rage I'd let power up in the Master's lair gave me a little insight. The dead thing, it still bothers me. But maybe we can find a way to get along anyway. Just---no mouth kissing of Buffy when I'm around, it's not a jealous thing, it's the deadness thing. So, as I said back before my Summer o' Learnin' if you two move slow, I won't have to stake you" And with that Alexander Harris offered a genuine handshake to Angel, who after the initial shock wore off, returned it.
Xander, Willow and Giles stepped out the back door to find Buffy spreading cloths over picnic tables in the backyard, Ms. Calendar already arrived and helping to set up.
"Hi, guys!" Buffy smiled, "Miss me?"
"Buffy!" Willow called out, beaming at her friend and hugging her.
"Hey!" Xander calls out, and also shares a hug with the slayer. "When'd you get back?"
"Uh, half hour ago," she replied, "Dad drove me down. So, how did you guys fare? Did you have any fun without me?"
"Just got back myself, Buff," Xander replied, "Wills?"
"Kinda yawn-worthy," the red-head replied. "Our biggest excitement was burying the Master. Giles buried the bones and we poured holy water and we got to wear robes." They all quieted a bit while remembering the fighting against the Master.
"How was your summer, Jenny?" Giles segued from unhappy recollections.
"Extreme. I did Burning Man in Black Rock, ohhh, such a great festival, you should've been there, Rupert," she smirked. "They had drum rituals, mobile sculptures, raves, naked mud dances, you would've just... hated it with a fiery passion!"
"Naked?" Xander interrupted. "As in, without clothes"
"It only counts as naked without clothes," Jenny laughed as Giles' eyes glazed over briefly, "Hi, kids."
"Hi!" Willow and Xander both responded.
"How are you?" Giles asked Buffy as she approached the gathered SHS folks.
"Live and kicking," the blonde teen replied, placing food on a table, then started back to the house..
"Oh, uh, Buffy!" he calls out, causing her to turn back. "Uh, I realize you've only just returned, but when you're ready I-I think we should start your training again."
"I'm ready," she replied. "I'll see you after school."
"Well, I-I-I understand if you want a few days to..."
"I'm ready, Giles," she reiterated, "Really."
"Hey, Buff," Xander inserted, "I'll join a little while each session, let Giles only take half the beating this semester. I've been practicing and working out, but only humans as opponents."
"I don't know, Xan" she replied furrowing her brow in thought.
"One word, Buff," Xander replied. "Darla."
"Hmm, you're right," she agreed slowly, "but wear pads anyway. You still don't have the slayer healing."
"Okey-dokey," Xander smirked in victory. "Enough shop talk anyway, here come your folks" He stood up as Hank and Joyce stepped down into the yard through the back door, carrying food dishes. The group mobilized to help finish getting things set up, and the fire going. Hank Summers, having been introduced to the group, then bowed out, facing a two-hour drive back to Los Angeles.
"So, Xander," Joyce greeted, as he one-arm carried the fifty pound cooler 'effortlessly' from the kitchen. "How was your summer? Do anything different?" They reached the backyard ramada where the others lounged in the shade.
"It was very educational," he demurred, putting his mind on a non-vampiric perspective. "I took up meditation and self-defense courses when I first got to LA, then my uncles convinced the admittance boards to let me enroll at the Police Academy. I enjoyed it a lot." The young man in a barely-acceptable Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned it the rest of the way to facilitate the meat-grilling chores to which he'd been assigned.
"Oh, wow," Joyce enthused, "How far did you get?"
"Well," he sighed, his back to the group. Turning around, he smiled, "I graduated, including SWAT certification."
"What? Really? How?" came the surprised responses from not only Willow, Buffy, and Joyce, but also Marcie, Amy, Andrew Wells, Jonathan Levinson who came around the side of the house carrying food and beverage contributions, and to the high school crowd's shock, Cordelia Chase followed behind carrying a large plant centerpiece, which she gifted to Joyce, earning a nice thank you.
"So you're a cop, Xander?" Amy asked with a surprised look still on her face.
"No, most departments and agencies won't hire me until I'm eighteen," he replied factually, "Though the Mayor offered me a possible job of some kind."
"When did he do that?" Joyce asked. "Didn't you just get back this weekend?"
"Yeah, he was at the graduation ceremony with some lawyer friends of his," Xander deadpanned, placing meat on the readied grill. "He was there for a Sunnydale expatriate."
"Why wasn't anyone invited, mister," Willow chided, amazed that she'd been left out of something. "Or any of us, for that matter."
"Well, for one thing, I tried to keep quiet my being under age eighteen, and while my real paperwork had my real information, I was going under my grandfather's name." Sighing, and slightly bracing, he noticed burgers needing flipping and turned back to his grilling duties. The rest of the evening was spent catching up on things, and relaxing.
Buffy and Xander are directed through a series of tumbling and kicking exercises that take them all around the library. Xander taps his 'inner wolf' to keep up with her, surprising her and Giles. They continue training, Buffy and Giles with the quarterstaff, and Xander with twin police batons to learn blocking techniques. Buffy swings it at Giles' hand pads. He retreats as she hits. He ducks a swing but she continues around with the quarterstaff and knocks him back into the chairs by the table. Xander steps back up to keep the momentum going, as Buffy switches to unarmed moves. Buffy suddenly flashbacks to the Master in his lair, and begins to go crazy with speed and strength, flinging fists and kicks against Xander, pressing him to draw on both this training and his spirit at maximum levels, blocking her continuous rapid punches, leaping away from kicks and using martial arts training to throw her across the room twice in the process.
"Buffy, that's enough," Giles calls out, watching in concern and amazement as she seems to border on the berserk and Xander is still able to keep up somehow. Jenny and the other Slayerettes had wandered in at his point to watch as Xander barely manages to drop down to the floor to avoid a slayer blow and kicks her feet out from under her in the process. His eyes tinged green as he drew to the extent of his reserves. Giles shouts as he approaches, quickly but warily, "Buffy!" She stops, regaining control of herself as she gets up from the floor.
"Uh, safe to say you've both stayed in shape," Giles noted, still watching both of his charges, "Though I'm unsure as to that display of excessive aggression. Is there anything the two of you would like to share?"
"Just keeping up with Buffy," Xander responded, "But at the end there I was really pushing the wolf a bit hard."
"Err, Uh, I just wanted to see how far Xander could push it," Buffy hedged, "Maybe a little much at the end. I'm ready. Whatever they've got coming next, I'm ready. Xan?"
"As ready as can be," Xander replied, grabbing his duffle bag and towel. Then nodding in amusement at the appreciative looks the girls were giving him, "Ladies, I have to change clothes and head out. Any of you interested in buying me dinner and going dancing?"
"That'd be me, lunk head," Cordelia Chase answered as she came through the doors of the Library. "But you're paying."
"I-I think he was talking to those of us in the room," Willow retorted, with a slight glare, "Which would mean that I-I'll be going out with Xander." 'Go Willow' the other girls in the room thought loudly.
Xander guided both girls toward the doors, and nodding good-bye to the rest of the group, directed his comments those vying for his culinary-related company, "Well, I guess that means the three of us will be dining out. Cordelia, I'll be by at seven, Willow, about ten after. Oh, I'm not quite as spastic at the dancing as I was before, so no need to wear the steel-toed work boots with your semi-formal attire."
Xander stepped aside, the first of the three vampires zooming by on the left as the young demon hunter fired his .45 into its head, taking it out of the fight.
The other two vampires, seeing their companion downed so quickly, were stunned into inaction at the unexpected turn of events, allowing Xander the opportunity to fire into both of them. Both vampires screamed in pain and rage, shot in collarbones and left shoulders as the power of the rounds knocked one down and the other back two steps. Xander leapt forward, firing twice into each vampire's head, dusting the standing vampire as its neck and spine exploded, the other rendered unconscious. Xander turned to the sound of two more vamires dusting about ten feet behind him.
"Hey, Angel," Xander greeted the souled vampire. "Thanks for the assist. Thought you'd be catching up with Buffy?"
The darkly dressed fighter finished sweeping dust off his clothes as he approached the young looter of the undead. "She seemed a bitout of sorts when I saw her," Angel said, frowning slightly. "I don't know why"
"Well, I'm sure it's nothing," Xander replied, sending the second vampire to a final death. "She seemed okay enough yesterday, and only a little off at training this afternoon."
"What do you mean?"
"Well" the dark-haired teen considered, pocketing cash and bagging the other items for police investigation, "she seemed to lose control when we were sparring today, like she was somewhere elsefighting a vamp. I managed to throw her after five minutes or so, and Giles snapped her out of it."
"What do you think it is?" Angel asked, looking intently. "Is it the slaying or"
"Don't know, man," Xander considered, checking addresses on vampire identification, and handing Angel's share of the cash, minus ammo replacement. "Maybe she's just trying too hard to rush getting back into things. You want in on the apartment looting?"
"I have nothing better to do," Angel admitted, matching Xander's direction and pace. "I hear you went out with Cordelia and Willow?"
"Yeah, why?" the younger man smiled, expecting a 'razzing.'
"Oh, nothing," the vampire smirked. "I'm just surprised that your patrol wasn't delayed by a third world war."
"It went surprisingly well," Xander chuckled. "Once Cordelia's away from her girl gang, she lets herself beherself. And is fairly smart. Besides, they tend to have the same pet peeves and such when it comes to me"
"So the enemy of her enemy?" Angel chuckled.
"Exactly," Xander laughed, rolling his eyes.
Buffy and Willow chatted as the blonde swapped books in her locker.
"Angel stopped by?" Willow pressed, hoping for gossip, "Wow. Was there... Well, I mean, was it having to do with kissing?"
"Willow, grow up," Buffy replied, rolling her eyes, "Not everything is about kissing."
"Yeah, Willow," Xander snorted, coming up to his friends. "Some stuff's about groping. It wasn't about groping?"
"It was pure shop talk," Buffy asserted, rolling her eyes, "So no more kissing or groping than you two and Cordelia had on your date last night."
"Wow, that much!" Xander explained feigning shock, "Go Deadboy!"
"Xander!" Willow blushed and choked in shock as her friends laughed.
"Oh, hey, did you guys hear that Cibo Matto's gonna be at the Bronze tonight?" Xander asked, "Amy and the Junior Slayerettes are planning on going. How 'bout the three of us link up with them?"
"Cibo Matto?" Willow asked. "They're playing?"
"No, Willow," Xander deadpanned, "they're gonna be clog dancing."
"Cibo Matto can clog dance?" Willow replied, then blushed at a look from Xander and Buffy, "Oh, sarcasm, right."
"We should attend, no?" Xander asks again as Cordelia comes out of class and engages them in the hall.
"Oh, count me there, Musketeers," Cordelia smiled, suspiciously without any apparent malice or ulterior meaning. They look at each other, not sure what to make of that.
"Well, okay, Cordelia," Xander said, "Musketeers?"
"Yeah, the Three Musketeers" Cordelia replied, pointing at them. "You know, Alexander Dumas, fighting the bad guys"
"Well, there're three of us," Willow conceded. "Does that mean you want to be our D'Artagnan?"
"Dress like a man? Have a fat little servant run around unable to keep up? In colors that do nothing for me?" Cordelia scoffed, but with mirth, as she headed off, "Hardly."
People are gathering and going in, the band Cibo Matto is on stage playing "Spoon". Willow and Xander are sitting out this dance at a table with Amy and Marcie.
"I just think something's up is all," Willow replied
"Willow," Xander returned, "It's probably nothing."
"Buffy's never acted like this before, Xander," Willow responded, Amy nodding in agreement, "Ever since she got back she's... different."
"Buffy's always been different," Xander remarked, "but I have noticed she's a bit off."
"She's never been mean, though," Marcie contributed, sipping a diet soda. The band starts their next number, "Sugar Water." Amy and Marcie grab Xander and drag him out onto the dance floor.
A moment later, Buffy walks into the Bronze. Angel sees her come in and goes over to her.
"Hi," she greets neutrally.
"Hi," he replies, smiling slightly.
"So, is there danger at the Bronze?" she smarts off, "Should I beware?"
"I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry, Buffy," Angel sighs, looking at her. "And that bothers me more than I'd like."
"I'm not angry, Angel," she says, "I don't know where that comes from."
"Is there something wrong?" he asks, both concerned and a little put off, "What are you afraid of? Me? Us?"
"Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second?" she retorted, "There's no 'us'. Look, Angel, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the summer mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved onto the living."
Buffy heads over to where Xander, Amy and Marcie are dancing. As Cordelia watches her go by, and wonders about her attitude toward Angel and now the others."
"Hey!" she greets the girls with Xander, the stares into his eyes, pulling on his shirt. "Let's dance."
"Ooo-kay," he replies, looking apologetically toward Amy and Marcie. A slow dance starts up, Buffy's movements becoming very sensual. Xander picks up conflicting pheromones from her, and the wolf spirit enforced attributes and tendencies accentuate the confusion, a mix of the sexual and baiting a foe. He looks up at Angel and Willow as Buffy begins to turn around and spoon in against Xander. He indicates confusion to his friends as she pulls his arms around her waist. She grinds her hips and shoulders against him as he starts to feel his blood pressure and adrenaline increase. She reaches up with her hand and strokes his face. Angel looks on jealously. Willow and the others, including Cordettes, watch in disbelief as Buffy continues her grinding. Buffy turns to Xander and tilts her head up to his, close enough to kiss.
"Xander?" she asks in a sultry voice, "Did I ever thank you... for saving my life?"
"You don't have to, Buffy" Xander choked out in a whisper.
Buffy slowly slithers around him, making sure not to lose contact with his body, leaning in close, "Don't you wish I would?"
She breaks off, leaving him standing there. Xander isn't sure what to make of it all, but he knows he doesn't like it. Buffy retrieves her jacket on the way off the dance floor as Xander begins to rage behind her, the emotions and pheromones felt by those around him, causing the other dance floor occupants to move away as he heads straight for the door. He catches Angel's eye, and the vampire picks up Xander's duffle and the crowd, sensing them either consciously or otherwise, parts quickly. Xander and Angel both barrel out the door, Angel surprised that the young man's mood radiates much as it did before he'd killed Darla months before.
"Cover my backpartner," Xander managed to choke out as he drew, checked and re-holstered his weapons. "I don't know what the HELL that was in there, but I need to kill things *badly*"
Angel nodded and followed the young man, also welcoming a chance to let go before figuring out the blonde slayer.
Buffy walks by her friends, and exits the building, Cordelia close at hand, and Amy following.
"Buffy," Cordelia calls out, "You're really campaigning for bitch-of-the-year, aren't you? Why did you do that to Xander?"
"Do what to Xander?" Buffy replied, "I was making *Angel* jealous."
"I'm gonna give you some advice," Cordelia angrily replied, "You don't do *that* to some one willing to die for you and get over it."
"Excuse me?" Buffy huffed. "What are you talking about?"
'Whatever is causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it," the May Queen asserted, "Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever, but get over it. 'Cause pretty soon you're not even gonna have the friends you've got now."
"I think it's about time you start minding your own business," she replied, then looked into Amy's questioning eyes. "And on that happy note"
Amy and Cordelia watch in amazement as Buffy walks away and around the corner. Suddenly both girls are grabbed by two vampires coming out of the shadows and dragged into an adjacent building.
The doors of the bar fly off their hinges as Xander plunges feet-first into the midst of the demonic clientele. Early on a slow night, only five vampires and four demons of different species occupied seats. Xander turns to the vamps, twin .45s in hand, firing into their legs and lower torsos. Turning to the other demons as they prepare to fight, the balaclava-and-dark-clothed hunter shouts out.
"I'm only here for the vampires," Xander rasps out as Angel enters the premises, weapons drawn and also 'disguised.' The demons sit back down, quietly and slowly.
Xander proceeds to shoot into shoulder joints as he approaches the downed vampires, removing wallets and such. In five minutes, with holy water liberally used, Xander finds out where three lairs of 'independents' base, and the general area of the real trouble makers. He dusts them quickly, and places three bills on the bar. "For your doors and inconvenience," Xander spits, "and a round to your customers for the noise." With that, he storms out of the building.
"Why did you let the others live?" Angel asks, "they could be trouble in the future."
"Or," Xander replies forcefully, "we'll concentrate on them and their lairs later." They quietly proceeded to where they'd obtained information that eight vampires were occupying the basement of an older abandoned apartment building in the warehouse district. They checked it out for half an hour, determining also that another half-dozen vampires had established themselves on the third and highest floor.
Xander's uncle came up the alley they'd chosen to prepare in after recon.
"What're you here for, Unc?" Xander asked, surprised and suspicious at the same time.
"Angel called me on the cell, and told me what you're up to and why," the older man chided. "But he also said you're still in control, if barely, so I'm providing extra back up."
Xander stared at both companions, then nodded, explaining they'd start in the basement, then work up the single stairwell to the top floor.
Ten minutes later, Xander repeated his door-damaging experience, flying into the room, gun and super soaker drawn. Spraying four figures to his left, three screamed and vamped out, dropping a sobbing female teen to the ground.
Angel hurled himself stakes first into the identified vampires, dusting one as he tackled the other. Hondo, taking a quick look to ensure their, six, moved in and carefully placed a three-shot into each of the heads of the two vampires grabbing their faces.
Xander pushed by the floored blonde girl, letting his firearm and soaker pour into four other vampires pouring into the room from the rear of the basement apartment. Seven rounds and screams of rage and pain filled the hallway, Xander shouting to minimize pain on his eardrums as he moved up the hall. Dropping the 45, he grabbed a stake as a very large vampire charged him. Xander rolled with the impact, nearly losing his breath, but managing to put the stake where it needed to be. Pushing the vampiric weightlifter a little up and over his floored head, Xander staked the demon, its dust covering Hondo who was moving up to help.
"Gahh, kid," Hondo complained, firing into two recovering vamps, "watch the dust."
"Hondo," Xander called out as he rolled over and finishes off two downed blood-suckers, "Check the girl, and get her to safety. We'll finish off here and maybe the top floor."
"Got it out of your system?" Angel asked Xander, picking up the girl and handing her to Hondo.
"Pretty much," Xander relied, "But I'm still worked up over it. I'm still pissed." The vampire nodded in agreement. They gave the place a quick toss, placed what they wanted in the duffle bags they'd brought, then headed up the stairs.
Slowly they made their way up the stairs, Angel first. Checking out the floors on the way up, but finding nothing,
Buffy finishes up an early patrol, only two for the night, and not impressive. Ending in the cemetery where Willow, Giles, Amy and Marcie had buried the Master, Buffy decided to check out the vampire's grave. When she gets there she finds it dug open and his bones exhumed. She quickly steps back and away, turning to look to the edge of her vision, but no one's there. Spooked, and still unhappy about the dance with Xander now that it'd been pointed out to her that she'd hurt both male friends not just one, she headed home.
Hondo pulled up to the front of the building with his camper-shelled truck and car trailer behind it. Angel, unsuccessfully holding back laughter, was following a slimed and loudly annoyed Xander Harris down the stairs.
"What the hell were those things?!" the young man swore as he threw his duffles into the vehicle and tossed keys and wallet to his uncle. "Yuuuuuck."
"Mating Fyarl demons," the belly-laughing vampire gasped, leaning on the truck. "And youjust charged in andblew 'em up at their happy moment." He reached in the back and threw Xander a towel and replacement mask. They watched as Hondo drove two cars into the trailer before they left, Angel calling in the pertinent info to Dave and Fritz .
Giles obtains a soda from the vending machine as Willow goes on about things.
"She's possessed!" Willow proclaims
"Possessed?" Giles asks, bemused.
"That's the only explanation that makes any sense, Giles." Willow asserted, "I mean, you should've seen her last night. That wasn't Buffy. I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?
"Willow, I think we're all a little too old to be spelling things out," the librarian responded as they watched Principal Flutie and Vice Principal Skinner walk down the halls. "I suggest that, uh, the explanation for her behavior may be something more, more mundane."
"She may simply have what you Americans refer to as issues. Uh, her experience with the Master must have been extremely traumatic. Well, she was, for at least a few minutes, technically dead. I-I don't think she's dealt with that on a conscious level. She's convinced herself that she's invulnerable... for the very reason that she feels..."
"That's a very interesting point about trout, you just brought up now," Xander covers, as Buffy walks up to them, then addresses the slayer in a semi-formal manner, "Hello, Buffy."
"Uh, Hello," Buffy replied, "Master's gone."
"Pardon?" Giles asks.
"The Master," Buffy stressed. "I went by his grave last night, and they have a vacancy."
"What would somebody want with Master bones?" Willow asked, shuddering.
"A trophy, a horrible conversation piece?" Xander darkly joked. "After all, that's why I keep his skull in a box on my mantle with Darla's ashes. Makes me happy when skies are gray."
"You kept" Giles choked. "I'd wondered what'd happened to it after getting back from that Spring Dance to box up and clean up."
"They're gonna bring him back," Buffy asserted. "They're gonna bring the Master back to life, and I seem to recall you telling me he was history."
"Buffy, I-I-I've never heard of a-a revivification ritual being successful," Giles assured her. "A-And Xander has the most important part in a separate location."
"But you've heard of them?" Buffy queried with rising anger, "Thanks for the warning."
"Well, Buffy, Giles did bury him and..."
"Look, this is Slayer stuff, okay?" Buffy snapped. "Could we have just a little less from the civilians, please?"
"Okay, that's just about enough, lap dancer!" Xander raged at the slayer. Buffy shoots Xander a look both angry and hurt. "You're the Slayer. Big deal. You had to be drafted and empowered, but we chose. You lost princess status and shopping in Beverly Hills. I lost a brother and my family, but I STILL CHOOSE. Whatever your problem is, get over it. We're gonna keep fighting, and you have no say in the matter. Giles, Willow, I'll happily see you after classes; I need to get to AP Chemistry."
"Y-yes, well, I'll, uh, I'll see you all, uh, in the library later when everyone is in a better mood," Giles recovered. "We'll, we'll continue this discussion then."
"Alright, alright, I-I-I've got something," Giles announced. "It's Latin, so bear with me. Uh, to revive the vampire they need his bones, uh... w-which they have, and, um, the blood... this is very unclear, of the closest person... uh, someone connected to the vampire."
"That'd be me," Buffy stated
"Perhaps," Giles demurred. "But I'll want to go through the translation again to make sure."
"We were close," Buffy grimaced. "We killed each other. It really promotes togetherness." A rock comes crashing through a window, Buffy catching the rock in her hands. It has a note wrapped around it and kept in place with a bracelet, and a scarf.
"This is Cordelia's," Buffy states recognizing the bracelet, and the scarf is Amy's, "'Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal.'"
"What do we do?" Willow asks, taking the bracelet from Buffy's hand.
"I go to the Bronze and save the day," Buffy exhales heavily.
"I don't like this," Xander ponders, "there's something not right about this."
"I concur!" Giles remarked strongly.
"Yeah?" Buffy smarted off, "Well, you guys aren't going."
"What do youreallymean?" Willow asks
"I can't do it anymore," Buffy hotly declared, "I can't look after the three of you guys while I'm fighting." Xander clears his throat loudly.
"Okay, two of you," she corrects, "But Xander should stay here to keep you safe while you research."
"Well, what about the rest of the note?" Willow asked, slightly derisively to everyone's surprise.
"What rest of the note?" Buffy asked, warily.
"The part that says, 'P.S. This is a trap'?" Willow replied reasonably.
"You'll be playing straight into their hands," Giles said, "P-Perhaps Xander should go with you as back up?"
"I can handle this," Buffy asserted.
"Tell ya what Buff," Xander says, reaching for his cell phone. "I'll call Angel on the phone, and have him drive over and pick you up because either he or I will provide back up. And since *I* was the actual holder of the wood that dusted himand the owner of the tacky trophy, it'd be a good bet that all of us are targets if Cordelia was."
"Xander, I" she began, only to have Giles interrupt as Xander hit speed dial.
"Actually, Buffy," the librarian counseled, "Alex-ander has a very good idea. If Angel drives, you'll get there at least as quickly, and if Miss Chase is in need of medical attention, his car would be ideal for getting her to the hospital."
"Yeah, okay, bye," Xander was heard by the others terminating a phone call. "He's already on his way overOh, and before I forget, here are cell phones with an earpiece and a lapel microphone; this way even if you're in a fight you can keep talking. Not the best idea in a fight, but at least we can all call for help and keep in contact while running around town at night."
"W-Why, Xander, this is a most intelligent idea," the Watcher declared, as Buffy took her *pink* phone, briefly distracted. "What made you think of this?"
"Well, first of all," the more-confident young man revealed his thinking, "first thing I learned about a group, *pack,* family or fighting team is that communication is vitaland the cheapest way with at least some securitythe phones. A second idea was that I could get each phone to look different so if one of us drops it, on purpose as a bread crumb, or otherwisewe'll know." Angel walked in, and as Buffy got up to leave, Xander added, "and after talking to Angel, if you look at the back side of your phones, I thought Buffy and Willow would like them. Angel, show yours too."
They all turned them over, Giles' had an owl with professor's hat and glasses, the hacker had a computer and a Barbie, the vampire had a bat, Xander's had a wolf, and Buffy's was pink with an ice-skater. q
"Oh, Xander," the girls laughed, then hugged the youth, and at his gesture, Angel as well. He stiffened slightly as he motioned to the vampire, but remembered Uncle Street's words about credit and blame as they'd driven out of Sunnydale months before.
"Okay, you two, shoo," he directed, waving them to the door, "it was important to cover this, but we don't want Cordelia killed." Buffy turned as she left pausing in the door.
"This is my fight" She emphasized. "But I guess it's yours too." Willow just watches her go. Xander shakes his head. Giles puts his glasses back on.
"Giles, there really should be a handbook for thisstuff," Xander sighed, shaking his head as he reached for his phone again.
"T-there is, actually," the Watcher replied, looking slightly embarrassed. Then, at the looks he received from the two youths, added, "once I met Buffy, I-I realized her proclivities did not involve research or study"
"We understand, Giles," Xander replied, all three nodding, "but I want a copy to look over. It may be outdated, but if we tweak it a bit for modern advances" He looked at Willow.
"and asked Buffy's opinions about what should go in one," the redhead enthused, "then we could probably have her test out the whole thing!"
"Excellent thinking, the two of you!" Giles beamed at *his* two students. "We'll make Watchers of you yet!"
"I reserve the right to wear formal attire that isn't tweed," Xander jibed in a very good British accent, "though if it snowsand no one will recognize me, I'll reconsider."
Buffy comes in the front door and looks around as she slowly walks through an empty Bronze as Angel makes his way from the back. The Slayer comes upon a girl crying in a corner as Angel closes on her right.
"That's not Cordelia," Buffy states, as a the girl, a female vampire, laughs and turns around.
"Cordelia couldn't make it," the vamp laughs.
"Where is she?" Buffy demands.
"I'm not supposed to tell," the vampire retorts, attacking. Buffy flips the animated corpse on its back and pins it with her foot. "I don't like this," Angel considers, "There's the bait. Where's the hook?"
"You're right," Buffy agrees. "Why would they send just one?"
Giles and Willow continue researching, calling up Amy and Marcie to help. Xander is in the back changing into his night gear, calling his Uncle Hondo for support after he gets off work..
"I still think we should've gone with her," Willow says, concerned.
"She has Angel as back up," the librarian assures her. "And they have the, er, phones if the situation calls for it." He turns back to his research, a couple minutes pass as they hear Amy, Marcie and Jonathan walk in."
"Ah! Ah, ah, ah! Uh, uh, the Latin is, is translated from the Sumerian, a-a-and rather badly," Giles grimaces as he relays the information. "Closest to the Master actually translates as 'nearest'. Physically. The, the, the person or persons who were with him... when he...It is a trap." Twenty vampires appear on the mezzanine level above, ready for action. "It just isn't for her."
Buffy and Angel finish tossing the bound vampire into the trunk of his car. They head back toward the high school, planning to interrogate the female vampire in a more secure location.
Buffy and Angel come rushing in to find a place in shambles and as Xander finishes dusting two vampires on the ground. The main table is overturned, and chairs broken, bullet holes in the check out counter sideboards.
"Xander!" Buffy exclaims, rushing over to help him, but he shakes her off, "What happened? Where are the others?"
"I don't know for sure," the angry youth replied, his tone and eyes cold. "I don't know what your problem is, what your issues are. But as of now, I officially don't care. You need to get your head into this or just stay out of the way. I just 'questioned' these two, and narrowed down the directions, and Willow's purse is here so I have something to scent from. Twenty bloodsuckers attacked, and managed to get the others away. We dusted six of them. Now with Angel's car maybe we can cut them off, then rescue Cordelia."
"Why did they take them and not you?" Buffy asked. "Or me?"
"They tried, and left four to 'grab the kid.'" Xander replied as they headed out of the library toward the car. "Giles said the ritual was, um... They needed people who were close to the Master. Physically close when he died."
Hondo pulled up to the curb speeding, screeching to a halt, windows down, he shouted out.
"Some one grabbed the skull out of your apartment, Alex!" the SWAT veteran declared. "I was heading in to pick up extra gear when I found the door kicked open. What's the sitrep?"
Xander gave Angel directions, then rode along with Hondo to fill him in on the way. Meanwhile, in Angel's car, Buffy was considering ways to speed up the process.
"We need to find out where," she stated.
"How?" Angel replied.
"When we get to the area," she mused, "and if Xander can't sniff it out immediately, we'll question the vamp in the trunk."
Buffy is interrogating the female vampire in a shaded alley while the others prepare. The screams stop after about ten minutes. Buffy gives them the sewer route the vampires are taking back to the warehouse a block down the street.
After another ten minutes, Angel figures it'll be close as to whether they'll beat the kidnapping vampires into the warehouse. Hondo speaks up, balaclava pulled down over his face much as their own are.
"Buffy and I'll do the warehouse attack," the veteran suggested, "Xander and Angel both have the smell and sight thing working for them, so they should take sewer duty. Remember, when in doubt, rescue is the priority. Otherwise kill everything already dead. Sound right?"
"I'm beginning to like your plans," Buffy declared. "Simply slaying."
Xander drops down next to Angel, eyes flashing green-gold as they adjust. Adjusting for the truly unpleasant smell, they conclude the vamps and hostages passed just minutes before. Angel charges first, soaker and sharpened stake in his hands, Xander with soaker and .45 ready for a fight.
Two minutes later, they come upon the warehouse sewer access, lid left off the haste to move hostages to their Anointed One. Angel and Xander quietly climb the access ladder, listening for a trap, or any sign of activity in the room above.
Collin, the Anointed One, carries a black case past the Master's skeleton, which has been laid out on a table. Absalom places the reclaimed skull and takes the black case.
"Begin, the boy will be brought to us any minute," the vampire named Absalom orders two of his thirty remaining minions, most survivors of the Master's defeat, brought back together and rallied with a few recruits in Los Angeles and along the coast.
Two vampires started pulling on chains, moving Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Amy and Jenny are moved along an overhead conveyor to hang upside down and unconscious above the Master's bones.
"Behold, these mortals" Absalom intones, gesturing grandly. Buffy and Hondo enter into the warehouse through a side door. Hondo takes up position to blast into the minions without hitting the intended sacrifices.
"Slayer," he whispers, "I can tear up the minions a bit, but there's lots of them. When I stop firing, how about you head for the two real bad guys, then veer toward the gang to get them out. I'll follow you in, shooting up any that get close. If Bat and Wolf jump in, I'll switch to dusting the wounded on floors to make sure we can get back out."
"Sounds good," Buffy nodded, noticing Amy coming to, "I'll distract 'em by killing them after you even the numbers."
"Witnesses to our Master's wretched demise," Absalom began, Collin at this side. "They will breathe their last this night. The blood that pours from their throats will bring--" The rest cut off as a floating stake ended his unlife, and a second barely missed its mark in the child-looking vampire. The vampires look in shock, spinning around in search of attackers. They spot Hondo and Buffy, charging en masse as Hondo opens up at thigh level to disable as many as possible. Fifty rounds go off from a P90 in no time at all, cutting a swathe in the middle and right, farthest from the sacrifices, accounting briefly for half the vamires. Buffy charges forward as Angel and Xander fly out of the shadows on the far side, Xander blasting the heads off of three vampires near Willow and the others.
At the podium, two curious vampires next to each other dust as a stake appears from nowhere to end them.
"Good work, Marcie," Xander calls out to the invisible girl as he drops a 45 to draw out another. "Try to release the others!"
Firing into the backs of the vampires charging Buffy and Hondo, Xander dusts three more as he and Angel reach soaker range.
Buffy, meanwhile as raced into the midst of the vampires, leaping up to fly-kick the front-most and largest vampire in its face with both feet, the slayer back-flipping off the dead-weight to stop her momentum and begin attacking. Landing gracefully on her feet, Buffy whirls to the right, then the left, rolling under and through the dust to avoid being grabbed or hit from behind. She hears the crack of sidearms, and Xander shouting, both good signs as she faces off six recovering enemies.
Angel, near-mirroring his girlfriend from the rear of the same clump of vampires, whirls, kicks, spins and rolls, lashing out to dust four, before momentum leaves him fighting three vampires, with the backs of three facing Buffy within reach.
Hondo, watching Buffy take out the front vampires like bowling pins, reloads his P90 once, empties it, and barely draws out his 45 to keep firing when two remaining of ten vampires tackle him, but they overcompensate by continuing to roll as he simply goes limp to keep his hand near a stake.
Xander charges through the wounded vampires, soakering them and staking four downed others with his sharpened kendo sword on his way to intercept the horde attacking his uncle. Reaching Hondo's falling spot, Xander stabs one of the two remaining vampires as it leaps to get up from the floor. The vampire partially atop the retired officer hears the 'poofing' sound, and turns its head to receive a kick to the face from the balaclavaed teen.
Buffy and Angel, shouting to each, whirl and kill by surprise, luck and skill, two of the three vampiric ex-football players that had stood between them. Soaker empty, Angel drew a second stake as back to back the two would-be paramours lashed out with stakes, kicks and punches at their enemies.
Marcie, meanwhile, dusts a lone vampire skulking away and getting too close to the position of the now-conscious hostages.
"Go Marcie!" screams Cordelia Chase with a joyous smile, "Go girl! Hey! I can see you!" Marcie beams with fulfillment of a forgotten need for attention.
Buffy and Angel slowly force the fight closer to the platform upon which their friends await rescue. Two vampires break away from fighting the slayer and race for a door in the rear, their path taking them dangerously close to Marcie and Cordelia in particular when a tall figure leaping flies into the larger of the two and tackles the first undead monster, and a short dark-haired figure stabs out from behind the gang with the broken handle end of a large sledgehammer..
"Leave Marcie alone, monster!" the youth cries out, driving the pointy end into the vampires chest as it tries to stop, abruptly tripping.
"Jonathan!" Marcie screams, running over as the floor-braced sledgehammer handle ends the unlife and showers the dust over the knocked-down youth. "Oh, Jon, are you okay?! I told you to wait outside int the getaway car!" the visible-to-him girl with pretty eyes fusses over her short hero.
The other vampire met a similar but more spectacular end, Xander managing to roll up onto his feet and draw a stake just as the stunned minion struggles to escape by hiding behind the hostages, closing on Cordelia, Willow and Amy.
"Arsum!" Amy shouts, kinda pointing her finger at the vampire's back, but only manages to scorch him a little.
Surprised and fearful of fire, the vampire whirls, giving Xander time to grab Jonathan's sledge and crush the vamp's head, dusting it in a spectacular manner as he yells out, "NOBODY TOUCHES MY GIRLS!" Dusting himself off, he adds, "or stuffy British mentor-figure." This earns him relieved chuckles as within seconds, the sounds of fighting end, only the occasional scream or poofing sound from the main floor carry over from where his uncle is looting and dusting the few bads left. Maybe seven had escaped, none without harm.
Buffy and Angel walk over, simply dusting a few lingering vamps on the way to their friends. They help everyone down as Xander piles up the Master's bones. Xander turns to find Buffy starting to tear a bit as she stares at the remains of the enemy that killed her. Taking the sledgehammer, Xander grabs a few toe bones and renders them in a single stroke into dust. Then, removing the three pounds of gold coins he'd hidden in the skull previously, he steps over to his family.
"Those bones were for each of the people you've been mean to since coming back," Xander explained, then lifting Buffy's hand, places the sledgehammer into it. "However, the other two hundred bones are there go get 'im Buffster."
Buffy slowly walks over to the Master's skeleton and looks at it a moment. Then she swings the hammer back behind her and arcs it directly into the Master's skull, shattering it to pieces. She keeps whaling on the Master's skeleton as everyone follows to watch and give support. Angel and Xander remain next to her as she continues until there's nothing left but dust and very tiny fragments. She stops and bursts into tears, dropping the sledgehammer to the floor.
"It's okay, Buffy," Angel says comfortingly as Xander empties a quart refill of his soaker onto the fragments to eliminate them further, "It's okay."
Buffy turns around and leans into him, crying into his shoulder. Angel gently holds on to her as she cries. Xander comes up to them after a moment, and takes Buffy aside with a nod from Angel. Faintly whispering so not even Angel hears, Buffy smiles at whatever it is Xander is telling her.
Jenny and Cordelia walk across the quad, as Giles and Buffy follow behind.
"What an ordeal," Cordelia gripes, "And you know what the worst part is?"
"What?" Jenny Calendar asks.
"That Harmony Kendall was attacked by vampires the same night I was, and is getting all the attention of being saved from a 'street gang' by Xander Harris and his uncle, and I can't say anything about our ordeal."
Giles and Buffy catch up with them to hear the details of Harmony's embellished account, which ends as Xander and Willow meet up with them.
"Hey, Buffy," Willow greets, wearing 'concern-face.'
"Little Sis," Xander greets with a smirk and smiling eyes. "Ready for some real activity tonight?"
"Hey, all," the blonde teen replied with a wary smile, "What do you have in mind'bro'"
"I'm thinking the whole Last Night crowd get together for dinner tonight, and talk about anything except the slaying."
"Sounds good to me," Buffy smiled, her new relationship with Xander somehow feeling right, "Everybody?" They all nod
"A-an excellent idea, Xander," Giles remarked. "A-and it will offset any lingering discomfort from last night."
"Hey," Cordelia inserted, "What's with the sis and bro talk?"
"Oh," Buffy blushed, "After the last couple of days, Xander explained his real feelings for me now, andwe're trying a morefamily relationship." She reached for his hand, and put her head against his shoulder. "He's my big brother until I get over this whole dying thing."
"Wow," Willow and Cordelia both exclaimed before Willow continued, "that's a quick change."
"Not really, Wills," Xander explained, "She's dating a beta male in the pack acceptable to my alpha-wolfy thinking, I love her but haven't had the other crush or stronger feelings in a long time, and I was *very* confused about the vibes and pheromones given off during a certain dance." Buffy blushes deep red and turns her forehead into Xander's shoulder in embarrassment. "And, most importantly, when Buffy's mom asked me at the labor day barbecue which girl I was dating when it was clear it wasn't Buffy, she asked me to watch after her so things don't get as bad as Hemery. Soshe's my little sis. Oh, and invite your mom, Buff. I might invite Principal Flutey and his wife."
"A-As usual, Alexander," the librarian mused, "your path of pseudo-emotional logic eludes me, but ends up in the right place." The bell rang and they all headed off to their destinations.
"Hi, Xander!" Harmony called out as the other Cordettes waved as they walked by on their way to class. He waved back, still confused and amazed at the changes in his life since the wolf, and noticed the sign-ups for the science fair had gone up. He wasn't going to tell Willow that not only had he entered, but completed an entry with Dave and Fritz. Nothing that would win, but enough to make Principal Flutie and the teachers that had started taking an interest in his educational improvement happy. With all of the needs of property disposal, turnover, and other logistical factors in the demon-hunting, they'd come up with an automation system for estate appraisal and conversions, auction conversions, property time/effort conversion rates and appraisals, tax liens and investments and other factors tied together, with online auction, and other attributes ideal for investor and disposer alike. Xander during his cop training pointed out areas of legality, as well as aspects of consideration, then Dave and Fritz has gone wild with the efficient coding. They'd gotten the copyright confirmation on Saturday, and the two computer geeks were now *happy* team members in the fight as stake-holders. As of the sign-up ten minutes ago, the three had submitted it as a project in lieu of advanced placement computer science credit and business education credit as they'd pieced a business plan together that involved licensing for this particular product.
Xander wandered in quietly as Willow was writing in her entry. Eric passes Xander and gets close to Willow, pointing a camera at her.
"Smile!" he says, taking her picture. Xander notices a familiar but not everyday smell wafting from Eric.
"Hey!" Willow exclaims, not certain about whether to be annoyed or not. Eric turns away, and takes a picture of another girl.
"Oh, look at those legs!" Eric states loudly, being generally obnoxious.
"No, thank you," Willow replies, finishing her entry paperwork as Chris comes up behind her. Xander wrinkles his nose again at the same very faint odor coming off of the other student.
"Eric, will you knock it off?" Chris tells the photographer, who in turn looks upset at having his fun interrupted.
"Hey, Chris!" Willow greets the newcomer with a smile, "How are you?"
"Hey, just fine," Chris replies, picking up a sign-up sheet. Willow watches what he's writing, then glances up as he notices.
"Oh, I- I was just wondering what you were gonna do this year," Willow blushed, "Since every year you win and I place second, so I just thought I'd see what I'm up against."
"You know what the key is?" Chris said, smiling. "If Dr. Clark doesn't understand your experiment he gives you higher marks so it looks like he understands your experiment." Chris reads Willow's entry, 'The Effects of Sub-Violet Light Spectrum Deprivation on the Development of Fruit Flies' "That should do the trick," he declares as Cordelia shows up complaining.
"Okay, I'm doing this under protest," the head cheerleader sighs. "It is not fair that they're making participation in this year's science fair mandatory. I don't think anyone should have to do anything educational in school if they don't want to."
"'The Tomato: Fruit or Vegetable'?" Willow reads with amused disapproval.
"I wanted to do something I could finish in a weekend, alright?" the girl admits, then stares pointedly at Xander. "Unlike somebody, it's not like *my* minions are smart enough to carry to carry out a project for me." Eric flashes a picture of Cordelia, interrupting her tirade.
"Stop it! What are you doing?" Cordelia demands, We're under fluorescent light, for God's sake."
"The camera loves you!" Eric declares smugly.
"I didn't think yearbook nerds came out of hibernation 'til spring," she noted. Buffy comes up and accidentally bumps into Eric hard enough to knock the camera to the floor. Eric yelps and is distracted. Cordelia takes the opportunity to leave.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, Willow, but it's the Bat Signal," Buffy declared, then turned Xander, "Come on, let's go."
The two girls head off, Xander linking up with Dave and Fritz long enough to assign them a task.
"Chris and Eric smell 'science-y' but neither has a biology class this year," Xander mused, "could you guys wander by them, and then look to see if they or school inventories show anything funny?"
"Sure Boss," Dave said, Fritz adding, "Especially since we can always say we're just double-checking our science project."
Willow is sitting down in front of the computer when Cordelia walks in on Xander's arm, clearly trying to finagle something out of him.
"Fine, I'll pick you up at your place around six, we'll cover it, and then see about including you in the public relation and voice over portions of things. *If* Dave and Fritz agree, you're in for the science project, and sign a waiver. So take the preliminary brochure and practice sounding like a *good* infomercial."
"Thank you Xander!" Cordelia nearly gushed, leaving the library, "I won't let you down!"
Giles, Willow and Buffy all looked at Xander questioningly as he sat down.
"Business dinner," Xander explained, "She wants to cover her requirement for science project participation, so I'm interviewing her tonight."
"Xander!" Willow gasped, "With her?" Her best male friend stared at her a moment, then chuckled.
"Didn't you look under my science project listing, DFX?" Xander smiled, "and Cordelia wants to be the publicity and narrative voice for our demo as DFX do not have he best possible demographic appeals or experience."
"DFX?" Willow considered, "I thought that was Dave and Fritz doing a computer thing?"
"Close, Will, but it's Dave, Fritz, Xander," the young man explained, "and includes our copyrighted software applications for asset investments." He then explained the background of said development.
"So you're making money on the programs you use to fence goods from vamp nests?" Jenny Calendar asked, stepping in behind them. "I just finished reading your company-project information booklet and brochure, Alex, and I'm impressed."
"Thanks, Jenny," Xander replied with only a slight blush, "it just made senseSo what do we have on the bat signal?"
"Body stolen from grave," Buffy grimaced, "Wills?"
"I found it!" Willow declared as Amy and Marcy, Jonathan in tow, entered the library. "Meredith Todd died in a car accident last week from a broken neck. It says that Meredith and two other girls in the car were killed instantly. They were all on the Fondren High Pep Squad, on the way to a game."
"Okay, so we got a body snatcher," Amy asked, "What does that mean?"
"Uh, h-here's what I've come up with," Giles proceeded, "Demons who eat the flesh of the dead to absorb their souls. Or, i-i-it could obviously be a, a voodoo practitioner."
"You mean making a zombie?" Willow asked.
"Uh, zombies, more likely," Giles clarified. "For most traditional purposes a voodoo priest would require more than one."
"So, we should see if the other girls from the accident are AWOL, too," Buffy recommended, "Maybe we can figure out what this creep has in mind if we know whether or not he's dealing in volume."
"So, we dig up some graves tonight?" Jonathan asked, frowning.
"Oh, boy! A field trip!" Willow enthused as Dave and Fritz enter the library, "Hi, guys."
"So, we're set then," Xander remarked. "Say, nineish? BYO shovel?"
"And I'll pack some food. Who else likes those little powdered doughnuts?"
"Sounds good," Xander responded, noticing Dave seemed wanting to speak, "I haven't eaten junk food in a week. Dave, Fritz?"
"We checked on the you-know-what," Dave demurred, "And there is a considerable inventory shortage in the last three weeks in formaldehyde and surgical-related equipment."
"Any connection to the two?" Xander asked, holding out his hand to belay Slayerette questions.
"No, nothing yet," Fritz responded, "We don't have your sense of smell and didn't want to be seen looking into lockers." Fritz handed a paper with not only the two, but three more names on it from school, plus twenty from local clinics as a back up. Security codes, combinations and other pertinents were on the sheet.
"Marcie, can you, Jonathan and Amy look into the lockers after school?" Xander asked. "It's hopefully just an embezzlement issuebut meet us around ten to compare notes."
Giles and Xander are digging while Jenny, Buffy and Willow relax and watch. The digging is nearly complete.
"I think we're there," Giles declares, drawing Buffy and Willow to get up and go over to the grave.
"By the way, are we hoping to find a body, or no body?" Willow asked.
"Call me an optimist, but I'm hoping to find a fortune in gold doubloons," Xander expressed, straining to open it. "Well, here goes."
Xander can be heard outside in the hall as the grave patrol nears the doors.
"So, both coffins are empty," Xander states, That makes three girls signed up for the army of zombies." They come in through the doors.
"Is it an army if you just have three?" Willow asks as Angel gets up from the table and faces them. Cordelia, clinging to his arm gets up, too, but detaches when she sees Xander.
"You're back," Angel states, making sure everyone had returned.
"Angel!" Buffy greeted, giving him a peck on the cheek, "How did patrol go? Miss me?"
"Three young ones," Angel replied, "And of course."
"Um, as long as you're here," Giles took control of the conversation lest it turn away from business, "perhaps you could be of some help. Somebody's been digging up the bodies of dead girls."
"I know," Angel replied, "Cordelia and I found some of them."
"You mean, like, two of the three?" Buffy asked.
"I mean, like, some of them," Angel grimaced, "Like parts."
"It was horrible. Angel saved me from an arm," Cordelia responded, a little pale from the recollection, "God, there were so many parts, they were everywhere. Why are these terrible things always happening to me?"
"So much for all our theories," Giles remarks, "But why dispose of the remains five miles from the cemetery at a school, of all places? And why just cut up th-three girls here just to throw them away?"
"Most of bodies, Giles," Angel remarked, "Different parts were gone."
"Ewww," Buffy replied, "Maybe because whoever did it had some business in the neighborhood. Like, say, classes?"
"And this was no hatchet job," Angel added. "Whoever made those incisions really knew what they were doing."
"Yes, really," Giles asked with a tone of disbelief creeping in, "What student here is gonna be that well versed in physiology?"
"Well, I can think of five or six guys in the science club," Willows assured him. Buffy interrupted further Willow-speculation.
"Willow, why don't you get these guys' locker numbers so we can do some checking?" Buffy asked, Xander placing a hand on her shoulder in order to say something.
"Guys, this might be tied into the inventory matter after all" Xander asserted, as Marcie waved to be recognized, "Uh, Marcie?"
"Oh!" the girl responded, "We found in Chris' locker 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Mortician's Desk Reference', 'Robicheaux's Guide to Muscles and Tendons' and a newspaper folded open to a picture of the three cheerleaders. The title above the picture reads 'Tragic Accident Kills Three' and in Eric's a collage of a woman made from parts of various pictures."
"Uh, Eric's sick enough to do something like this, but what about Chris?" Buffy asks, "He seems like a human person."
"I dunno. That thing with his brother was really hard on him," Willow considered, Amy agreeing, "And he talked about death a lot. Maybe he just wanted to get one-up on it."
"But it's not doable," Buffy presses, "I mean, making someone from scraps, actually making them live."
"If it is, my science project's definitely coming in second this year," Willow joked weakly." Xander cleared his throat having had a quick whispered conversation with Giles and Angel.
"Okay, we have a tentative plan," Xander offered, "Angel and I will head over to Chris' house, then if necessary, Eric's house. Buffy, you provide protection here while everybody goes over the premises for possible mad scientist labs. After all, the parts were cast off here. We'll hopefully be back in an hour or so."
"Any reason in particular you two are going?" Cordelia asked, "And how about I drive? That way if police drive by I'm less likely to get pulled over, in case luck runs out."
Thanks, Cordelia, sure," Xander responded, then tapped his nose, "And our senses of smell make us the best choices."
Fifteen minutes later, Xander and Angel walk up to the front door of the Epp house, late as it is, in time to have Eric stumble into them, smelling of formaldehyde and an undertone of blood.
"Hey, Eric, Chris," Xander greeted falsely, "Cut up any girls lately? Oh wait, you have!" Eric bolts, and Angel thumps him in the head, unconscious. Xander continues talking to Chris as Angel tosses Eric into the bushes. Chris looks ashamed and doesn't move.
"Okay, Chris, time to come clean," Xander asked, turning cold. "Making a person out of dead parts is wrong. What girl would want to come back from the dead like that? So far, we don't see that you've killed anybody, but we're already going through the school premises to see if anything is there. Inventory shortages in certain areas are enough to get you sent away." Angel tapped him on the shoulder, Xander pausing.
"I smell formaldehyde and blood through a small crack in the basement window," the vampire remarked. The door behind Chris flew open, a frankensteinesque form hurling itself at Angel, the nearest target. Angel, surprised, took a glancing blow, but his vampiric reflexes kicked in, and game-face, he senses the unlife of Daryl Epps and fights back.
Xander holds back as Chris starts moving to intercede. Daryl sees Angel's vampiric visage and cries out in fear, stepping back, then running down the walk heedless of where he's going. An armored car is driving by on its way out of town on its nightly-varied route as the undead football player runs out into the street, too quick to even be noticed by the driver. Ka-thump, crunch, and the body of Daryl Epps is destroyed, and spirit released again.
Cordelia gets out of her car as Chris collapses to his knees, sobbing at losing his brother again. The ex-girlfriend of the twice-lost young man knees down to help his brother grieve anew.
"That's great Jonathan, keep it up!" de facto assistant martial arts and gymnastics coach Xander Harris encouraged, "Harmony, Cordelia, a little more roll, doin' great!"
"Not bad, Alexander," Principal Flutie complimented, "Coach here says you've probably saved us from cutting back the teams from lack of interest. In don't know about how well most of them will do in the teams instead of the clubs you and Buffy set up this last week, but Harmony Kendall's father made a sufficiently large donation that your two athletic clubs and that"
"SCA chapter and Mythology Club?" Xander helped.
"Yes, that, thank you," the principal responded with a smile, "are funded for the year, with your uncle and your physical trainer Mr. Angel making up the difference. It's caught the Mayor's attention again, Alex, and he'll probably swing by on Parent-Teacher Night to talk to you about how things are going."
"Thanks sir, now I have to worry what to say," Xander rolled his eyes, then turning back to the students, "That's great Cordy! You and Harmony got it! Please show Aura and Marcie, thanks!" He beamed them a particularly big Xander smile, Amy having given him pointers on what works.
"Okay, great going cheerleader group!" Buffy called out as Xander walked up to her, "Hit the showers, and rememberquick cheer practice on Monday morning at 7, just the cheers, Cordelia'll let you know the what. And next Tuesday's class? Xander and I'll demonstrate simple ways of warding off most really pushy guys? Go!"
"Well, Buff, I know Club Co-President and Student Coach isn't the same as cheerleader," Xander smiled slightly, "But what do you think?"
"I think you hung around Wills enough to pick up some serious smarts, Xan," she replied, eyes slightly glistening, bittersweet. "And I think my 'big brother' has an invite from mom for dinner tomorrow night at six."
"Really? Cool," Xander smiled, "that'll keep me from figuring out which establishment would get my business, and now I'll be dining at Chez Summersoh, wait, I think Uncle Hondo was going to come over."
"Bring him along," Buffy suggested, "Mom'll be thrilled to have another adult to converse with." She slowly walked toward the shower room.
"So you're dealing?" Xander pressed, waving over to Jonathan and the other to hit the showers after straightening the gym back into shape.
"Better than dealing," Buffy considered. "I get to be part of the normal things in a support way, and it counts toward training with Giles."
"And the fact that Snyder can't be too mean?" Xander asked, smirking.
"Doesn't hurt at all," Buffy met his smirk and raised him a smile. "The non-criminal offenders get sent to me for detention, and learn not to give me lip in school."
The expanded Scoobies and Slayerettes gathered at the table for Giles to begin, Marcie and Jonathan, Amy, Willow, Angel (having used the old blanket trip to get from the car), Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Dave, Fritz, Chris Epps, Jenny Calendar, 'Hondo' Harris, and Andrew Wells (freshman brother of Tucker Wells from the Animal Shelter, who with Jonathan noticed Marcie at the Talent Show and had some idea of demonology).
Gils, with Buffy to the right and Xander to the left of him stood, smiling widely but shaking his head as he set his glasses on the table before him.
"When Xander and Willow insisted on participating in the fight against the darkness, I was against it, but great good came of it. We couldn't and can't save everyone, but we shall try. This group for whatever reason, but usually out of misfortune, has come together much as I imagine the early Watcher's Council must have. And we've become close out of adversity, and I hope our new members will prove as important to our purpose as all of you 'veterans' have been. That said, I officially open the first meeting of the Sunnydale High Society for Creative Anachronism and Mythology Club, SCAM as Xander has nicknamed it but don't let outsiders hear it lest we be closed down, our legitimizing cover organization as thought out by all, and in particular Xander, Buffy, and Willow, our Old Guard if you will, who are our Co-Presidents and Secretary respectively. Thank you." The group smile and applauded as Buffy and Xander each placed a hand over Giles, and they struck the gavel. Xander gestured to Buffy to take the floor.
"Wow," Buffy responded with rolled eyes, eliciting chuckles, "I'd like to thank everybody for everything. I know I'm not good at it, but thanks. I *really* wouldn't be here without you, but" she paused, tearing happily, "if you're with me I know I'll be the first of my calling to reach age one hundred. Xander and I agreed that while we are officially the students in charge, we're going to do something no teen would *ever* consider doingwe're entrusting Giles with operational control of the club, gavel and all, since he'snot only Watcher guy, and not only Library guy, butthe single person in our group who's been with us since day one, and he has our trust. Xander?"
"Thank you, Buffy," Xander said, accepting the gavel, "before us colonials hand absolute power back to the Crown, I'd like to report that the SHS Gymnastic and Self-Defense Clubs are going strong, and all students here are members except Andrew, Chris to start next week when his school restitution schedule firms up. We have every cheerleader, the gymnastic and martial arts team members that are not football players or seniors, and a few victims of those pesky gangs on pcp that recognize us since last Spring semester. Maybe thirty in all, meeting three hours each twice a week, then alternate sessions the other days. And as silly as it might seem to those over a hundred, I'd like to set the goal for each team as making the state championships, and cheerleaders as qualifying for nationals by the end the 98-99 school year. We'll increase the potential of each member, and make them less likely to be victimized, as we've started stressing larger and mixed groupsand no, Cordelia, we're not calling it the 'adopt a geek' program. So, Giles, on a note of having covered ninety percent of our security exposure with legitimized respectabilityyour gavel, good sir."
The SCAM Club clapped and got down to the Scooby business, even its 'adult' sponsors caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment.
The early hunt and clear against some new vampires had gone off without a hitch, no victims present and just enough cash and valuables to cover recent donations to the school clubs. Xander left the gathering at the Bronze as it was winding down, dropping off Willow at her house. 'Boy, that wasangsty' he smiled.
Since last April, he'd casually pseudo-dated several of 'his girls' and had managed to avoid going beyond the quick peck or hug stage of things, but he sensed Willow's affections for him had grown back over the summer, but might actually be real. Pulling up in front of her house, she looked expectantly at him, a nervous smile on her face. He still felt very strongly about her since the wolf possession, but he had to admit that he still felt that some one else was also meant to be with him, but would that be fair to Willow? Sighing deeply, he decided the time for talkingand hopefully morehad arrived.
"Willow, can we talk?" he asked nervously, but taking her hand after turning the car off. She gulped slightly but noticeably, and nodded, still trying to maintain a smile. "Well, I know you used to have feelings for me, and you *know* from my 'great declaration' to Marcie in the Library regarding you and Buffynow, the thing with Buffy is over and settled, and I'm in the situation, I still feel some one's supposed tofill the spot I thought Buffy was filling in my heart and thoughts" Willow started to look glum. "But that doesn't change the first half of my feelings," Xander said as Willow now looked hopeful. "If you can live knowing that 'Wolf-Man Xan' might find somebody *also* not else, I guesswellI'm thinking and hoping you and I?"
Willow had actually heard and listened to Xander at all levels, including the odd Willow-Xander channel, and was hearing *her* Xander repeat his declaration. 'Would it be so bad? Maybe he'll never find the other person? Maybe I'll like her? At least I'll have the dream even if I have to share it?' "I won't have toyou know," she waffled, "share you at the same time?" Xander smiled in relief as his glazed over on purpose, earning him a mock-glare.
"No, Wills, whatever happens," Xander said, "and I don't know what might, anything like that has to be worked out be you. It's just a strong instinct, but I really want more than friendship but think about it for a week or so, okay?" Willow nodded, and Xander quickly walked around the car and held the door for her. They walked to the front door, and Xander took Willow's right hand in his left. Xander kissed it, then her cheek, leaving her to blush thoughtfully as he stepped back, winked and walked to his car. 'Oy, that was angsty,' Willow thought as she locked the door behind her.
Xander was letting the moment with Willow spin around in his mind as he noticed four way out of style troublemakers racing afoot at high speed to catch up with a teenage girl and her older blond-haired boyfriend. Xander pulled down a balaclava, then slowed slightly to take better stock of the situation, as two of the 'hoodlums' pushed the man down to the ground and easily tossed him into the side of a dumpster ten feet away. Xander, still moving at thirty miles per hour, veered his car into those two vampires, breaking their insides and surprising the two pushing the girl around. Xander opened up two-handed with his 45 Eagle through the open passenger window, putting four rounds into the groin and guts of the largest and closest enemy, grounding it. The other stepped back with the girl as a shield as Xander stepped out of the car and then around it, using a second 45 to throat-shoot the two car-grill specials into dust. Confronting the dark-clad Hunter, the vampire backed toward an alley corner.
"Stay back, or the girl dies, human," the vampire in game-face spits out, the girl in his hands finally ceasing her struggles as she decided to scream once instead before settling into shock.
"Well, fangy," Xander began, "Tell ya what, you let the girl go without harm, and my having to check on her boyfriend will slow me down enough for you to get away."
"How do I know you'll do that?" the vampire questioned, as Xander placed one of the 45s back into a holster.
"Because you'll toss the girl at me to block my shot, and I'll catch her front on," Xander replied, "And because she's not dead and I'm the good guy, I'll have to take the time to catch her while you run away at vampire speed, right? And if you kill her, I'll simply duck and come after you." The vampire threw the girl at him as directed, and after a long day, Xander settled for doing as he'd suggested.
"Are you okay, miss?" he asked, setting her carefully on the hood of his car. "Can you wait while I call 911 and check on your friend?" She nodded, but didn't lift her face up. He made the call and checked to find the other guy dead from head and neck injuries. Taking the mask off and hiding the guns in the car, he drew out his paintball and squirt gun look-alikes he kept for times like this, and removed his gloves.
"I-Is he?" the girl asked, lifting her face to look down the alley. It was Sheila Johnson, tough girl extraordinaire, looking a little human around he edges, not yet able to raise her shields back into place.
"His injuries were too great," Xander informed her gently but truthfully, "Sorryit was a good thing I was able to scare off those four 'pcp gang members with my paintball and squirt guns, uh?" She looked at him, catching the meaning of his words as a police car pulled up. "Wouldn't want to end up in a white room unless it had at least basic cable," he added with a sad smile. She mirrored it as she turned to the approaching officers and conveyed the cover story version of the truth.
Xander Harris had finished clearing out a small nest of seven vampires with his uncle and Angel, and had sent the vampire to patrol with Buffy for newbies. Walking near the Shelter Club, he noticed two really drunk vampires heading into a park and decided to practice his pack skills a little. Pumping up his adrenaline levels, he let out a whistle beyond the hearing of normal humans, a little tune to call his canine pack of his clan to the hunt. For the first time in three months, he'd felt them earlier near the school, where the series of small parks and large cemeteries created a 'peninsula of wilderness to the mountains, tough at its greatest width only a half-mile wide. Five minutes later, silenced double eagles in hand, he met up with the six great wolves, and to his surprise, Kyle, Tor, Rhonda and Heidi.
"Uh, hi, guys," Xander greeted the humans and then with a 'happy growl' the great wolves. "What brings you here?" He holstered the guns as they watched.
"Uh, you apparently," Kyle replied, somewhat subdued. "We were just leaving the Shelter, when Rhonda was the first one to notice the whistle, then Tor the directionso we're here. You call?"
"I was summoning the wolf pack of my clan," Xander mused, "as the Wolf Spirit and I merged. It never left. Does this mean you all still are feeling the after effects, or what?"
"We had to work probation last summer, remember?" Kyle asked, "Well it was mostly taking over your job at the shelter when you left, and putting in some time with animal control and the zoo. Each of us seems to have beenchanged a little, and really don't like to be separated for more than a day or two."
"Like what, Kyle?" Xander asked, opening his senses and feeling them, and some of their differences.
"Well, Rhonda had far-sight and far-hearing, and near-sensing; Heidi and Tor have really good smell and sharper senses but nothing farther than normal, and maybe a little faster," Kyle listed, his stance purposefully and almost sub-consciously non-threatening but not submissive.
"What about you?" Xander asked, already sensing the answer.
"I have the speed, and can feel and send emotions if they're within twenty feet of me," Kyle added. "But as to why we're here now? Beats me?"
"You came because I summoned to the hunt," Xander explained, "and as you still have a bit of the wolf leftover, you're still tied to me and our wolf cousins, here." He gestured at a particular wolf, which came forward to Xander. "Kneel down with me where you are, all of you," Xander commanded softly and they felt the Alpha strength around them, "Kyle, beta. Magnus, beta." He placed a hand firmly but gently on Kyle's shoulder, than that of the Wolf, using all of his empathy as the two stared into the eyes. Between words, growls, whistles and whimpers, Xander emoted enough to both packs that they were same Clan, that Magnus and Kyle were Alphas in their respective packs only, and betas in the Clan. Ten minutes later, Xander sent Pack Kyle home, to meet at school within the next week or so to begin training in self-defense or to fight the darkness, as they'll be permitted Choice of role within the Clan.
"You can come out now, Sheila," Xander called, causing the girl to misstep in surprise, Xander catching her as she fell out of the brush in which she'd hidden. "What brings you here?"
"I saw you and your guns going after those guys," the tough girl admitted, reaching for a cigarette. "Thought I'd see what the new Bruce Wayne was doing playing the Batman." He cocked an eyebrow at her as she paused to light up. "Not exactly what I was expectingSo, do you talk to them?" she asked, waving at the wolves.
"Sorta" Xander replied, "More like empathy and pack instinct."
Sheila moved closer, unconsciously feeling the power and inhaling the pheromones heavy in the air. Xander could feel the charges come off the hard young teen. She'd lived the trailer existence, but instead of trash became more of a human canine, a coyote. In her case bitch wasn't a derogatory term, it was as close to a power description as you could come up with unless 'pack.' She did pretty much what she wanted, and didn't have any guidance or limitation, like the coyote rather than others. But as she hadn't *any* canine in her, it didn't fix her behavior. Xander stepped back and waved the wolves at the cooling trail the vampires had left.
"Where're you gonna go, Harris," Sheila asked, actual breathiness surprising her more than him, causing her to halt.
"To hunt," Xander put it simply. "You're tough, Sheila, but you don't want to get involved in this. You have to follow orders or get killed. I'd make you go to class, get good grades and benefit the pack and clan. That simple." The girl stared at him as he blended into the night and disappeared. She followed a couple of minutes later, hard-pressed to keep up.
Twenty minutes later Xander Harris and his wolves had tracked the two vampires to their base of operations, one he'd had no prior intel regarding. He made his way around to a rear alley entrance and carefully checked his coated arsenal. He extended is hearing outward, determined most likely eight vampires, most semi-quiessent, and four small heart beats. He used his cell phone to text message Angel and Buffy the address and 811-08-04 (about to go in, 8 hostiles and 4 humans) when a crash from the front and a young woman's scream as a vampire brought Sheila into the lair, stirring up some of the vamps. Fearing the worst, Xander hit redial, then911 and charged in with eagle and a soaker.
The door was unlocked as no one would normally survive attacking vampires, and so he and his wolves were a quarter of the way across the room before he started firing. He double-shot the throats out of four prone vampires before the shock wore off the alerted and scattering undead. Spraying the nearest vampires with holy water as he fired his remaining rounds into them, he quickly dropped his soaker and eagle for Sheila's arm and a second eagle. The four remaining vampires found themselves bowled over by the great wolves, but another four undead coming in his planned exit dampered much of his hope for an easy run. He emptied his firearm quickly and efficiently, but these vampires were older and stronger, like drill instructors on inspection duty.
He managed to hurt three and dust one before being tackled with stake in hand. Remembering his success against the linebacker-built vampire from the nest in which Harmony was saved, he let himself go limo, letting his legs work under the mass just enough to slide the stake into the vampire's heart as they hit the ground hard. Dust everywhere, Sheila took out a switchblade and managed to take out an eye form a vamp trying to bite her, delaying what seemed the inevitable, until four teens with stick rushed into the fray, coming as close to growling as humans could get.
Xander rolled to the left and onto his feet, stabbing at the back of the vampire still after Sheila but bitten by two wolves. Sheila collapsed, tired, as Xander gave her a quick wink and tackled the vampire on Kyle, rolling it so the packmate could ram a small tree branch into the bloodsucker.
"Help Tor and Heidi!" yelled Xander, "and remember vampires aren't human any more!"
Standing over Sheila and Rhonda, Xander watched as four more vampires raced in to face four humans and four great wolves. A stand-off ensued for all of six seconds, until the rearmost two turned to dust, and a blonde girl with her dark-haired beau presented themselves to the group at large. Angel was the first to voice anything.
"Honey, I believe this is the party we're invited to," the souled vampire declared domestically, "Do you have our invites?"
"Oh, they're right here," she cooperatively quipped, throwing stakes from each hand into the two remaining undead. Xander, low but not deep growling, helped Sheila and Rhonda to their feet. Wolves and humans coming up to flank him, the former started to growl at Angel and the humans picking up on it took defensive stances.
"He's with us," Xander declared, cues at all levels soothing the two packs, "Buffy, Angel, slowly walk forward and kneel with me, Kyle and Magnus, here. Let me introduce you so everybody's feeling safe with one another."
In a shorter repeat, Buffy was introduced as litter-sister despite different smells, as well as her pack's beta. Angel as her consort and pack member.
Angel, though Irish an not Scottish understood family and clan in place of pack and clan, and the vampire understood that in this structure he was in a position similar to that Angelus held as a favorite of the Master as well as through Darla. The beast of the vampire resonated.
They freed the children and took them to the hospital, leaving an abbreviated account with the appropriate euphemisms. Parents arrived, not actually murdered in a happy state of events, and Xander left four thousand of the five thousand looted, to cover medical expenses and add to the 'tab' he'd unofficially run in the ER.
Sheila Johnson walked across the lunchroom in normal jeans and tucked in white blouse, carrying her books and seeming slightly lost as she approached Xander and the gang at their tables. Principal Flutie headed of a tirade of Snyder's by pointing him to an incipient food fight as he walked over to where the uncharacteristic Sheila was just reaching the table.
"Well, Miss Johnson," Flutie greeted, "I've been informed you were on time for every class today, and attempted to pay attention. Good showing on your part, or I'd be listening to the Vice Principal for an hour about you. But to what do we owe your change of attitude?"
"I talked to Harris, I mean Xander, and I'm hoping to get him to tutor me," she said, fire in her eye when addressing the Principal changing to hopefulness when turning her gaze to Xander, "He kinda saved my a-hide last night and told me what I'd need to do to achieve certain things. So" Principal Flutie looked over to Xander, who had a small amused smile on his face.
"The group at this table seems to watch out for others," Principal Flutie confessed, plcing hands on the shoulders of Xander *and*Buffy, "So I'm sure things will probably work out."
"Trial basis, I have a lot on my plate right now," Xander sighed, nodding, "And if she's willing to accept direction andguidance from the others, things might work. Deal?" Principal and student nodded to different subtexts. The Principal departed.
"So" Buffy began, wondering what had been agreed to.
"Sheila indicated she wanted to participate in my/our extra-curricular activities after her two exposures, one in which she lost her boyfriend," Xander replied, placing a friendly hand on Sheila's shoulder, "and the one at the warehouse you know about. I explained my side, that there are no lone coyotes, only pack members, and that they follow orders, go to class, get good grades and benefit the pack and clan. The implications being she'll benefit from pack and clan, filling the loneliness felt by the coyote with the fullness of the human and wolf together."
"You start to scare me sometimes with that wolfy talk, Xan," Buffy responded, "But okay. Welcome Sheila toPack Scooby." The tough girl sat down with the group and quietly got a feel for the dynamic like she had in previous gangs, watching Xander in particular.
"Don't worry, sis, just stuff I picked up from my shaman guide back in June before heading to school," Xander reassured her and the others, "Sometimes when you come from a gang-exposed, unfortunate family, or in-clique situation, it's easier to use pack-like terms and let others from similar backgrounds feel their way into real friendships and such later."
"A lot of educators tell students, 'Think of school administration as your pal,'" Snyder lectures Buffy and Sheila, "I say, 'Think of me as your judge, jury, and executioner.' Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?" Sheila is expressionless, but Buffy looks a bit apprehensive.
"Well, it is quite a match between you two," the Vice Principal continued, "On the one hand, Buffy hasn't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel"
"I didn't stab anyone with a trowel," Sheila pointed out, still tough if interested in something, or someone better. "They were pruning shears."
"On the other hand," Snyder said, ignoring the correction, "Sheila has never burned down a school building." Buffy grimaced with a slight blush.
"W-well, that was never proven," Buffy replied, slight panic creeping into her voice. "The Fire Marshall said i-it coulda been mice."
"Mice," the troll-like man dead-panned, waving down further response, The two of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight-starting events. You really are neck and neck here. It's quite exciting." Sheila bit down a remark. Thursday is Parent-Teacher night. Your parents, assuming you have any, will meet your teachers, assuming you have any left. I've decided to put the two of you in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my good will. And may affect what I and the Principal tell your parents when we meet them. Are we clear?
"We're very clear," Buffy responds, Sheila remaining quiet.
"Good. Because you mess up this time," he smirked, "and your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers.
"So what's the deal with these clubs you and Harris are running?" Sheila asked as they're generally walking in the direction of the gymnasium. "You already have some moves, why the extra school?"
"Well, you have to train to really be able to survive doing the whole night shift thing like we do," Buffy began somewhat uncertain as to where this was leading, "And enough people have become involved, usually being attacked like you were, that we need to be able to cover the training and other stuff we need to do. And if that means having members that work just as hard without knowing what it's really for, it might mean they survive when we're not there to help them. It also keeps us in contact with the people who benefit from our efforts, grounds us I guessSo, the Parent thingit shouldn't be that hard. We can work on the banners at lunch tomorrow and figure out refreshments then?"
"Yeah, sure," Sheila replied, "Can I join these clubs or are you full up?" Xander and Willow meet up with Buffy and Sheila, hearing the last bit.
"Snyder's got you guys making party favors, huh?" Xander asked, "And yes Sheila, since you know about the vampires, all three clubs are open to you. Though in the last one, we might not have a lot for you to join in until we see where you are in the fitness stuff, 'kay?" Sheila sighed, and nodded. This good-guy gang stuff wasweird. But if she could get Harris alone?
"That's right, Dave, we need four of the long Teacher-Parent banners, maybe a hundred feet of colored lights of some kind," Xander listed off over the cell phone, "five of those large party platter, three and one containers of coffee from Espresso Pump, maybe a couple of five gallon containers of punch or lemonade, a couple of big party bowls for it with fruitand anything you can think of. I'm going to let Buffy do her thing, and we'll show up at five to save the day. And don't tell Buffy."
"Don't tell Buffy what?" Buffy asked coming out of the shower room.
"Nothing, it's a surprise," Xander smiled, "oh, and in our raid on the warehouse with the kids we found wood and metal lathing equipment, and good-sized stockpiles of materials."
"Um, so what does that mean?" Buffy asked as Sheila, Willow and Amy exited the locker room.
"We can make our own equipment if we have to," Amy answered, "And since Xander and his uncle just picked it up for taxes and forfeiture, no moving. A simple revocation spell to make it vampire-unfriendly, and we're good to go."
"Hey, Xan, you wanna grab dinner somewhere?" Willow asked, trying to sound not too eager.
"Sounds good, Will," Xander responded, then gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he headed toward the hall, "Just let me check in with Principal Flutie regarding Chris Epps' volunteer service and stuff."
Willow waved to the others, walking with her maybe soon to be more than best friend into the hall, "So how did *you* become peer counselor guy?"
"It just sorta happened, you know?" Xander considered aloud, "I think the fact that I seemed to have such a turnaround with Flutie and studying last year, and he knows what my home lie was like, I guess th police graduation ting didn't hurt either, and then we all seem to be in the middle of rescuing people with our night patrolling, but mainly Harmony going on and on about me and Uncle Hondo."
"What about Chris? He was like, zombie-creating guy last week, and I know you're not helping Eric," Willow noted as they reached the door to the school office.
"Well, Chris had emotional issues and didn't want to hurt anybody," Xander replied, "So when he went ahead and confessed, it meant he was willing to give up his bad stuff for the good. Eric *liked* what they were doing, and that's why he's being handled by Snyder and others."
Buffy, Willow and Sheila are making Parent-Teacher stuff when Marcie came in crying, being comforted by Xander. He didn't have any expression at all on his face, causing Willow to immediately stop her activity and head over to them.
"Xander, what's wrong?" Willow asked, worried.
"Morgan finally died this afternoon, Wills," the young man managed to force out, "His suffering is over."
Buffy with her Slayer hearing heard him from across the room, faltered, and started to cry. The Scoobies had tried to swing by and see Morgan weekly if possible, and had emailed everyday from class. His passing marked another friend lost, this one in a way none of them knew how to fight. Buffy made a decision.
"We're going to the Bronze tonight," the blonde teen asserted. "We're already ahead on the Parent-Teacher night stuff, and I can manage to study later and make my mother proud as long as I don't have to fight vampires these next two nights." Giles and Jenny come walking in.
"There is nothing in the chronicles about a-an extraneous lunar cycle," the Watcher chides Jenny.
"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian Calendar. Rupert, you have *got* to read something that was published after 1066."
"What's the news, faculty people?" Xander asks.
"W-um, Ms. Calendar has been researching, well, uh, surfing on her computer," Giles explained, "a-and she's... Well, according to her calculations, this Saturday is the night of St. Vigeous." Xander gulped audibly, causing Giles to look at him while Buffy remarked.
"Let me guess: he didn't make balloon animals," the already saddened girl quipped. Giles continued to look at Xander, who was rubbing the brdge of his nose.
"Xander are you all right?" the librarian asked, "You seemed to react a moment ago."
"Well, come on, Giles," Xander only slightly smirked, "Vampires celebrating a crusade of vampires through Seljuk Syria? Not exactly something to inspire the troops?"
"How did you know that, Alex?" Jenny Calendar asked, "and do you need any aspirin?"
"No, thanks," Xander replied, the pressure in his head lessening, "And I don't know. Ever since my 'spirit vigil' with Sherman, I've been remembering things that happened way before I was born, though some of it has made my classes and the gymnastics stuff a breeze."
"W-was this the matter we discussed at your graduation, but haven't had time to discuss?" Giles asked, mollified as Xander nodded.
"Hey, wait, Giles went to your graduation?" Willow gasped, "Why didn't we go?"
"Wills," Xander sighed, "It was a last minute thing, and Giles, Jenny, the Fluties my uncles and Street's SWAT team were there, and Sherman. My teachers." Giles intervened and got back on topic.
"Well, we need to prepare," Giles asserted, "and concentrate on that."
"Well, if I survive Parent-Teacher night tomorrow," Buffy exhaled, " I'll see what I can do about Saturday."
"You're being a tad flip, don't you think?" Giles replied, "You know what happens when you, you let your life interfere with your slaying."
"That essence of angry Slayer Spirit causes her to lash out irrationally and nearly get us all killed?" Xander interjected, causing a pause in the building of tension.
"Okay, well, if my slaying doesn't get me expelled, then I promise my banner making won't get me killed, okay?" Buffy sighed, "Just please let me get through this week."
"This Saturday's going to need a great deal of preparation," Giles asserted.
"Really, Giles?" Xander asked, surprised, then continuing as we half-inventoried their resources. "What do you think we need? We have guns, super soakers for people behind the lines, many of whom have learned basic duck and run if things look bad, Angel and myself to provide close-up support for our favorite slayer, SWAT guy to provide close protection for you ranged-weapon folks, and we can have an ex-Special Forces shaman and possible SWAT team experience as possible reinforcements. Compared to a slayer with a pointy stick"
"A-an excellent point," Giles conceded, "But coming up with some sort of a plan would increase our chances of survival and success."
"How 'bout hittin' them first, Mr. Giles?" Sheila asked simply enough, "If you knew where they were a night or two in advance you could burn down the buildings they're in at sunrise and you'd have fewer vampires Saturday night."
"I like her," Buffy stated, "So all we need to do is find where they might be hanging out."
"A-and not get caught burning buildings down," Giles remarked sourly, as Snyder comes over.
"It's good to see I'm not the only one aware of her misbehaving background, Snyder sneered as he just came within hearing, "You kids wouldn't be helping Buffy, would you?
"No, we were just talking to Mr. Giles," Xander replied, feigning innocence. "Willow and I were just leaving to go have dinner and then study. Would you like us to offer to help?" He watched as Principal Flutie came out of his office and approached the group.
"Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday," Snyder responded sourly as Giles and Jenny made good their escape, before leaving himself. Flutie engaged Snyder in conversation, then left.
"No problem," Buffy replied to unoccupied air, then turned to Xander, "Please find out the detailsfor Morgan's funeral, Xan. Even though he only was able to help out that time with Sid, he's one of us."
"Sure, Sis, but you know, how about instead of the Bronze we just go for burgers and shakes, they were Morgan's favorites," Xander said, giving her a small smile, as the group nodded, "Come on Wills, Marcie."
"Did you really burn down a school building one time?" Sheila asked Buffy.
"Well, not actually one time," Buffy replied.
"Cool, let's clean up and go meet the others," Sheila responded.
The Scooby team has just finished checking all of the Library-based assets for Saturday's fight, and are slowly being directed out of the room by Marcie, leaving Buffy, Sheila, Xander and Giles. Xander mentions the time a few minutes later, spurring Buffy to greater activity.
"Ooo! Parents start arriving any minute," She exclaims, finishing her last party tray. "Okay, so, um, banners are in place, the lounge is comfy... What am I forgetting?"
"To go to the lounge and make sure everything is the way you want it?" Xander replied, smirking as the four of them head out of the Library. A few minutes later, Buffy and Sheila arrive to find more banners, food, beverages and decorations, some placed outside to draw attention to the room. The girls are speechless.
"With the Mayor possibly coming," Xander softly joked, "We made sure Snyder couldn't ruin it for you." Buffy leaned in for a hug, an Sheila mimicked her, not pressing to hard lest she scare Xander off.
"Hi, Mrs. Summers," Willow greeted, "Welcome to Parent-Teacher Night.
"Hi, Willow. Hi, honey," Joyce greeted, amazed at the decorations, "Did you, uh, do all this?" Xander handed her a cup of coffee.
"She sure did Mrs. Summers, her and Sheila both," Xander interjected, and the raised donations for the rest."
"I have to stay here and hostess, Mom," Buffy remarked, why don't you and Willow do a tour of the school?"
"Hey, sure!" Willow agreed, "Bring your coffee and we'll go." Willow leads Joyce away as Snyder comes up to Buffy.
"Was that your mother?" Snyder asks, then heads after another student.
"Well, Alexander, Allen and I just had to stop by and see how things were going for ourselves," Mayor Richard Wilkins enthused, "We hear many good things about what you're doing, and hope to talk to you within the next week or so about a very good opportunity for you, young man." He shook hands with Xander, then Buffy, before being led away by Principal Flutie on a tour of the facility.
Cordelia wanders over from where a few of the 'high-end' parents are just leaving. She stares at Buffy's face. Sherman Blackstone walks in and, seeing Giles, begins talking to the librarian.
"What?" Buffy asks, "Is there something on my face?"
"You're starting to look a little slagged," the May Queen notes, "What, are you just skipping foundation entirely now?"
"Cordelia, I have at least three lives to contend with, none of which really mesh," Buffy sighs, "It's kind of like oil and water and a... third unmeshable thing."
"Yeah, and I can see the oil," she comments, then sees Joyce and Willow, "There's your mom, Now that is a woman that knows how to moisturize. Did it, like, skip a generation?"
"Well, I believe that I have seen every classroom on campus," Joyce remarked with a slightly amused look, "and just as I get there all your teachers miraculously have stepped out." Willow smiles over Joyce's shoulder, proud of herself.
The Fluties come up, as do Jenny and Giles, making a moment of small talk before expecting to leave. Larry walks by on his way out.
"Hey Harris? Where's your family?" the bully asks nastily, not seeing Principal Flutie. Xander turns and gestures at the gathered group.
"Right here, Larry," Xander replies normally, "Right here." At that the adults smile in approval of his restraint and at the very high compliment they've all received. Some of the Slayerettes start leaving, the Fluties right behind them. Buffy sees Snyder come back into the room, and over to the group. Joyce offers her hand to him, which he ignores.
"Hi. I'm Joyce Summers.," the woman greets, "I'm Buffy's mother."
"I'm Vice Principal Snyder," he states, "I'm afraid we need to talk. My office is down here." Joyce follows Snyder to his office.
Fifteen minutes, as people start leaving, Snyder comes back in with Joyce in tow. The Slayer's mother comes up to her daughter. Giles and other adults are in the hallways, generally heading toward the Library or parking lot.
"In the car, now," Joyce sternly orders her daughter. Snyder starts to turn off light switches when two vampires suddenly come crashing through the window. Buffy looks back into the room, and sees several more vampires storming into the room, Spike following after. She guesses he's the new bad guy in town.
Spike attacks but Buffy grabs a chair and throws it at him, tripping him up. She runs back out of the room and grabs her mother's hand. She turns down the hall to the right, but more vampires come in that way, so she goes the other way. In the lounge Spike grabs hold of a man, about to kill him.
"Nobody gets out!" Spike rages, "Especially the girl!" The vampires pour into the hall as a figure with a crossbow fires at Spike's side, achieving only a flesh wound, but Xander is able to drag the stunned Sherman Blackstone out of the room and away form Spike.
The vampires seem to be covering the exits, Buffy trying to lead everybody away without confronting the undead.
"Everybody, this way!" she yells out, "C'mon! C'mon!"
Snyder and several others run past her as she shoves a cleaning cart into the two vampires chasing them. Willow and Cordelia come running down the hall and manage to get into the Library with Jenny and Giles, Xander with Bridgestone getting inside in time to block the door against four strong-looking vampires. Barring the door and pushing the table as further mass, they pause.
"What the hell...?!" Giles begins, then gathers himself together. Xander hurries to gear himself up, and ordering Willow to call everybody.
Buffy meanwhile, has opened the door to the science classroom across the hall from the Library.
"In here!" she orders, "Now!"
The people all run into the room, Buffy following them in last and closes the door as the two vampires come running into the hall and begin banging on the door. Snyder and another man maneuver a storage cabinet in front of the door. Buffy runs over to the other door and closes and locks it before the power goes out.
Giles, Jenny and Willow look up from barricading the doors as the lights go off and the emergency lights come on. Xander's eyes glow green, and he starts to whistle. Finishing, he moves closer to the others.
"Xander, uhm," Willow begins, "Your eyes are glowing."
"Yeah, it's a"
"Stop," Sherman intervenes, "Please don't try any more of your I am pack, you are members lines. I had enough of that listening to you to try picking up Wolfen girls last summer." Willow giggled, and explained his in-clique and such comment. Sherman groaned.
"That stuff only works on hippy chicks and drunk anthropology majors, Xander," the shaman-wolfen bemoaned, "I told you not to poach any more of my lines until you had a chance to work on them."
"What about the oppressing the poor Native American lines" Xander almost whined, "I'm almost as dark as you, now, and much better looking."
"Not until you've gotten the basics, cub," Sherman insisted.
"W-While I'm sure this is vastly more important than survival," Giles frowned in disapproval, "We have the lives of others to save if we can."
"Who are those people," a parent asks, "and what do they want?"
"I didn't get much of a look," Joyce began, "but is there something wrong with their faces? I..."
"Yes! PCP! It's a gang on PCP!" Snyder declared, "We've gotta get out of here." He grabs a desk, sets it in front of a window and starts climbing.
"You can't go outside!" Buffy exclaimed, "They'll kill you!"
"You don't tell me!" the angry little vice principal yells, "I tell you!"
She looks up and walks across the room, trying to find a way into the ceiling. Joyce grabs her by the shoulders.
"Buffy, are you crazy?" Joyce asked her daughter, no longer mad but concerned. "Look, I know you've been accused of fighting and other things, but those guys are serious. You can't go out there."
"I know," Buffy assured her, "That's why I'm going"
Spike is looking for Buffy, calling out obnoxiously.
"Slaaayer! Here, kitty, kittyyy," the master vampire laughs, "I find one of your friends first, I'm gonna suck 'em dry. And use their bones to bash your head in."
"Okay, everybody got a stake and super soaker?" Xander asked, then continued as everybody nod. We're going to open up the door, and while I charge in, Giles and Sherman right behind, I want streams of holy water in support, okay?" They nodded again. "Giles? Anything else?"
"No, I think that's it," he responds, "Are you on the phone with the others now?" I have Jon and the others, Angel and Hondo on the front door, ready to charge down towards us. Angel is just calling Buffy to give her a count down."
Buffy stops what she's saying, and answers the phone, nodding.
"There are three right outside the science classroom door here," Buffy explained, then, "Uh huhUh HuhCount ten and charge? Got it, bye."
"Spike!" a vampire calls out, interrupting the hunt, "There's a group of hunters gathering at the front with Angelus, what should we do?"
"How the hell many of them are there?" Spike sighed.
"About seven?" the vampire guesses, "and we're hearing a group in the Library starting to unbar the doors. It could be more."
At that minute, Front doors, Science classroom and Library doors fly open the SCAM Club and sponsors racing into the hallways to engage Spike and his minions. Xander and Angel each dust one, and Buffy two, as the others supersoak the rest of Spike's group into retreat.
"Get out!" Spike shouts to his follows, and makes good his escape. "Blondie and her friends get this one." Spike races down the hall, feeling three stings as something pierces his jacket and flesh. He keeps running.
The man starts to pull himself back through the opening he and Snyder created for escape. Snyder helps, but turns to face the opened door as Buffy heads out to fight. Two minutes later, dust settling, Joyce catches up to her daughter and hugs her.
"Buffy!" she asks worriedly, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, mom," Buffy smiles as the SCAM Club rendezvous successfully, "the Sunnydale Gymnastics and Self-Defense Club seems to have scared the bad guys awayagain." They embrace.
The police are everywhere. The Police Chief walks over to his car, Snyder coming up to him.
"Hello, Bob," Snyder greets, 'Looks like those PCP gang members got away." They look at each other for a minute before the Police Chief nods and drives away. Giles and Jenny coming out of the building a slight distance away.
"Well, another wonderful fun-filled evening," Jenny sighs with a smile.
"Uh, yes, you know, um," he stammers, "I will understand if you decide to start avoiding me." Jenny takes Giles' arm, and they walk off together.
"So Dave, have you and Fritz tracked the gps tags yet on Spike?" Xander asked, Hondo and Angel waiting for a response.
"No, it looks like he yanked 'em out, but we know he's in the warehouse district, not a cave, if that helps," the young whiz sighed, "Sorry."
"Not your fault," Angel assures the young teen, "Spike's luck is as great as his evil. We'll get him."
"Damn straight," Xander promised, petting a great wolf who happily received the attention. "We'll get him."
Alexander Harris entered the Principal's Office unsure of what to expect. He'd been given a note in his second period class to report to the office immediately. Reaching the door, he found Giles, Jenny and Uncle Hondo standing next to the receptionist's desk. No time for conversation, they were ushered in to find Principal Flutie, Vice Principal Snyder, Deputy Mayor Finch, the Chief of Police, a detective and Mayor Richard Wilkins.
"Alexander, gentlemen, please come in," the Mayor greeted with a smile. "We've a situation and an opportunity we'd like to discuss with you." He gestured at chairs drawn into the room for them.
"Alexander, you are the key to what we'll be discussing," the Mayor emphasized. "First, we seem to have had an upsurge in the last few years in gang activity, youth mortality rates, and other statistical anomalies centered mainly around those of high school and early college years. It has come to our attention that you and your uncle, with support or mentorship of others, have been taking a proactive role in this area of concern. Secondly, we have been informed that your emphasis on turning over quite a sizable inventory of items and identifications over the last six months is quite astounding, especially without complaints, so we'd like you both to work for the City of Sunnydale, Alexander as a Consultant with the Mayor's Office, and Mr. Harris as a Consultant with the Police Department. You, Mr. Harris, with be empowered and compensated at the Senior Detective level, and Alexander at the patrolman level. We do not expect arrests, interventions or other overt activity from you, Alexander. You will simply pass on the information through your uncle or Detective Stein. You are empowered as police officers. We want you to continue your after-school efforts, but let the police know of any criminally-related concerns, acting as a first-line of information in these matters. Also, we hope you will continue your extra-curricular activities within the law and with our full backing. Detective Stein, here, will be your primary contact with the department, and in emergencies our Police Chief. Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar will be the only other school personnel in the know. We also understand a Mr. Angel assists you, but try to let others know except as a last resort. Especially not students. Any questions so far?" The Mayor smiled widely as the adults were still absorbing it all, but Xander had been wondering about a possible future in law enforcement and how it might benefit the slaying.
"I need at least one female student, perhaps two, as my contacts within that side of things is second or third hand at best. And I'll need expense money for information sources, an id showing I'm twenty-one, a firearms permit eventually. I can keep any police-issue weapons in the Principal's Office and a lock-up in Mr. Giles office, in case of a serious situation like last night. Something big and scary looking so that intimidation, not firepower remains our goal. Perhaps a pair of tasers in the same places, and I'll carry another at night. Expenses shouldn't be too much, maybe a hundred dollars a week? A couple lunches here, a few sodas or coffees there, help out the struggling athlete here, take out the gossiping nerd or cheerleader there."
"Excellent thinking, son," the police chief chimed in, looking to the Mayor for approval, "whodaya have in mind." Snyder was trying not to go ballistic as he realized Xander's choice.
"Buffy Summers," Xander stated flatly, "As Vice Principal Snyder has proclaimed to the world as well as her mother, Buffy is a school-burning, fight-starting troublemaker that ties the to-be-expelled list with a recent acquaintance Sheila Johnson. Buffy is not a criminal element, but one of my helpers in what we've been doing on our own. She needs structure and purpose, coupled with responsibility and feedback. That's why the clubs we've started as youth diversion measures have become a success. I don't know Sheila well enough to trust her, but I trust Buffy. But I suggest any recompense beyond expenses be in the form of tuition toward UC Sunnydale after her graduation with at least a 'B' average from this point on."
"My, my, Alexander," the Mayor nearly cooed, "It seems you have been considering my offer at your police graduation last month. Half-pay, into her tuition fund, and you dole out her expenses for which you are responsible, the combined being $20,000 for the year. Anything else? Do we have a deal? Principal Flutie and I really want to get this teen crime wave under control."
"I'll need access to the local, state and national databases, a t-1 from city infrastructure into the library and hide a maxed out computer system and laptop, military grade, high-end scanner in Giles office. I can say I'm helping our resident 'technophobe' with automating his file system. That should do itoh, maybe a college id, a Frondren id, and the rumor in the police force that I'm bait in a teen-harassment sting due to complaints from a few parents. Don't start that one until I've been on the job a while and people on the force might start to wonder."
"Deal!" the Mayor decided, offering his hand, which Xander and then all present also took in support of the agreement. "Alexander, your uncle will pick up your and Miss Summers' documentation and extraneous items this afternoon, and you can sign them over the weekend and have her mother, Joyce I believe, sign on behalf of her daughter. As of now, you're on the payroll. Congratulations."
Four days had passed, and after some assurances and stressing the college tuition part of Buffy's gainful employment, Joyce had agreed to a three month trial period. She wasn't sure about the informant part, but as it was very much being paid for practicing the set of ethics Joyce had sought to inculcate in her daughter, she found it difficult to say no, especially as it was a slight expansion on all the great things that 'brother' of hers had directed her into. Such a good young man, why her daughter had let him 'get away' she'd never understand.
The whole SCAM club is walking past the rose gardens toward the building. Xander is up ahead talking to Principal Flutie about possible school outings in the future while Buffy is talking to Willow.
"This is so unfair," Buffy complains, "A complete stranger in my house for two weeks. I'm gonna be insane! A danger to myself and others within three days, I swear." They climb the steps to the building entrance and the cultural exchange exhibit. They stop at the end of a row of display cases, and Buffy notices Rodney scraping a mask.
"What's he doing?" Buffy asks Willow, sighing, "I better stop him before he gets in trouble."
"I got it," Willow assures her, "The non-violent approach is probably better here."
"I wasn't gonna use violence," Buffy declares, "I don't always use violence."
"Don't look at me," Sheila says, blase, "I hang around you guys for the chance at violence that won't get me in jail." Rodney's still scraping the mask as Willow comes up to him.
"What're you..." Rodney snipes, then looks up, "Oh. Willow, hi."
"That's probably not something you're supposed to be doing," Willow tells him, "You could get in trouble."
"Oh, no," Rodney gasps in mock horror, "And they might kick me outta school?"
"Are we still on for our chem tutorial tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I think I got almost all fourteen natural elements memorized."
"There're a hundred and three." Rodney suddenly looks worried.
The rest of the museum tour passes as expected, stories of Incan princesses turned into mummies and other educational facts of the Andean cultures tuned out by most of the students.
"So, Buffy, when's exchange-o boy making his appearance?" Xander asked, "Do you need me to give you a ride to the airport?"
"His name's Ampata," she replied, "Gonna be at the bus station tomorrow night."
"Ooo. The Sunnydale bus depot," Xander grimaced, "Classy! What a better way to introduce someone to our country than with the stench of urine." They all walk past the coffin and follow the guide to the next destination on the tour, except of course the vandalizing Rodney.
Later, in the deserted museum, Rodney makes his way back up to the mummy. He looks into the stone coffin and sees the plate with the seal.
"Aha, Cool," he he smirks, reaching in and yanks at the plate hard to get it out. It comes loose, and he pulls it up too fast, breaking it against the side of the coffin.
"Oh! Damn!" he complains, his treasure destroyed after all that effort. He reaches in to collect the pieces when the mummy's arms reach up and grab him by the neck. Its eyelids open to reveal empty sockets as it pulls him in closer.
Buffy and Xander are training in some new moves, with the possibility of including them in the self-defense classes next semester.
"So, can I go?" Buffy asks.
"I think not," Giles replies, "Xander, watch your right side"
"How come?" Buffy asks, putting more emphasis on Xander's right, "It's only for a few hours."
"Your secret identity is gonna be difficult enough to maintain while this exchange student is living with you," Giles points out, "Both of youwatch your footworkit's a bit sloppy."
"So! I think going to the dance like a normal person would be the best way to keep that secret. Giles, come on, budge! No one likes a non-budger."
"How about if Angel, Hondo, Buffy and I move up the raid on that nest from next Monday to just after the dance, Giles?" Xander offered, "We'll be out in stronger force as all the teens are running wild?"
"Fine, go," Giles says, "But make sure you kill lots afterwards."
"Thanks, Giles," Buffy smiles, heading for the table, "I'll remember this!" Xander and Giles exchange a conspiratorial smile behind her back.
"So, Buffy, I guess we're dance-bound," Xander says as they disengage form sparring, "Cool. I think I can get my mom's car, so I'm wheel man."
"I thought you were taking Willow," Buffy voiced.
"Yeah, but since she hasn't gotten back to me on the whole weird Xander situation, yet, we're in a nice neutral place that does not preclude my giving you a ride to the dance, and presumably your exchange student beau." Buffy sees Willow coming into the library, but Xander's back is to the door so he doesn't see her, and the air-conditioning is venting toward the door so he doesn't yet catch her scent. Buffy pretends not to notice her.
"Oh, come on," Buffy presses him, "I'm sure she'll give you an answer soon, but I still don't understand this whole other mate thing, bro."
"It's just something I feel," Xander explained, showing slight frustration with himself alone, "especially since my Spirit trek with Sherman, my feelingsdestiny, seem to include Willow and one other kinda like the memories I've been integrating. I *love* Willow, Buffy" Willow smiles widely. "But if I didn't tell her this in advance, I'd hurt her, and I'd rather die."
"And you don't think that this other person will hurt her?" Buffy pressed, confused but interested, "I mean"
"I know, Buff," Xander assured her, "But honesty is more important. I'd rather have my heart ache as Willow's best friend, then break her heart by not being truthful" He moved his head, and sniffed, smiling. He turned around and gave Willow a big smile, "Hey, Willow." He stands up and gives her a peck on the cheek, making her smile.
"Well, I gotta go," Xander replies, looking at his watch, "Duty calls. Oh, hey, I'm going to be coming back from checking a few things out in the downtown area, Buff, after dropping Sheila off at the bus station to go visit her cousin in San Diego. You want I pick up Ampata on the way back?"
"Um, that'd be great Xan, thanks" Buff replied, "I'll let you know if I can do it instead."
Ampata is standing there alone waiting and looking around for his ride. He hears a whisper, his name.
"Ampata..." the mummy called, drawing him in the direction of the voice, passing several parked busses. He hears the voice again, louder this time,"Ampata..." He walks between two busses, looking around for whoever it is.
"Hello?" he calls out. He sees a very pretty girl, who seems to be of Peruvian stock. He is surprised when the girl, the mummy, reaches out and kisses him. Ampata begins to shrivel and dry up as the mummy draws his life force from him. A moment later his body falls next to that of Sheila, both reduced to five hundred year old dead mummies.
A little while later Xander shows up just a little late, still shaking the dust of three newbies with bad New Jersey accents. Getting out, he finds the door to the station building locked.
"Ampata?" Xander calls out, "Ampata Gutierrez?"
"Here!" the mummy, now a very-well charged young teenage girl responds, walking out from between two busses, "Hello, I am Ampata"
Xander is instantly taken with her beauty, and hopes that the very slight lingering odor of death on his clothes is not noticeable to her.
Xander brings Ampata to the Summers house, and introduces her to Willow and Buffy, and tries to play the part of gracious gentleman. Buffy offers Ampata a juice, which she accepts.
"So, Ampata," Willow says, "Have you ever been to America before?"
"Uh, I, I have toured," she demurs.
"Really, where did you go?" he asks. She pauses and he asks in Castillian Spanish to the amazement of Willow and Buffy.
"I was taken to Atlanta, Boston, New York," Ampata answers, "and eventually her."
"New York! That's exciting," Willow replied, "What was that like?"
"I did not see so much."
"Your English is very good," Xander noted conversationally. Willow and Buffy notice he's very attracted to Ampata.
"I listened much," she admits.
"Well, that works out well," Xander admits, "because I talk much." Ampata and Xander laugh happily.
Willow and Xander walking, discussing costumes for the cultural exchange dance.
"I worked really hard on my costume," Willow smiled, "It's pretty cool. How about you?"
"It's a bit of a secret, but I found it and a bunch of picture albums and old paperback novels that belonged to Grandfather Clayton, who I never met, and maybe his grandfather. The coat of some English guy."
"Your first day of school," Buffy commiserated, "Nervous?"
"It is just more people than I have seen in a long time," the girl admitted.
"Ah, don't worry. You will have no problems making friends," Buffy assured her, "As a matter of fact, I know someone who's dying to meet you."
Giles gets right to it, worried that with a mummy and a violent male on the lose in Sunnydale, they had little time to lose. He shakes the girl's hand, smiling.
"How do you do?" Giles greeted her.
"Hi," the five hundred year old girl returned with a slight but becoming smile.
"I was, I was wondering if you could, um, translate this?" Giles asked, gesturing at the seal plate pieces from the museum, "I-I believe you're from the same region this artifact originates." Ampata shows surprise, but then realizes they don't now she's the mummy.
"It is broken," she notices, "Where are the other pieces?"
"That's all we found," Buffy replied, "We thought it would be great for our mythology club if we could translate this."
"Hmm. It is very old and valuable," Ampata remarked, "You should hide it!"
"Is, is, uh, anything you recognize here?" Giles asked opefully, "Um, um, t-this chap here with the knife, for instance?"
"Well, I-I do not know exactly," Ampata responded, "But... I-I-I think this represents, I believe the word is... 'bodyguard'? Legend has it that he guards the mummy against those who would disturb her."
"Well, uh, yes, well, that's, um, that's a very good starting point for our, um... club," he replies, then looks at Buffy, and to Xander, just arriving.
"Oh, and, uh, a-as club president, I have, um, lots to do," Buffy sighs, "Lots of... stuff. Dull stuff. Uh, oh, Willow, maybe you could..."
"Stay with Ampata for the day, and practice my Spanish," Xander interrupts, "I'd love to."
"Yes!" Ampata agrees, "That will be fun." Xander gestures for Ampata to go ahead of him. As she walks out he turns to Buffy and Willow, lets out a breath, and follows her. Willow watches them go.
"Right, I'll, uh, continue with the translation," Giles rates, "Buffy, you research this, uh, bodyguard thing, and, uh, Willow...Willow?"
"Boy," Willow sighs heavily, "They really like each other."
Later, Xander and Ampata are sitting about two-thirds of the way up the football field bleachers. He reaches into a satchel.
"And this is called a snack food," Xander informed her, "Specifically, a Twinkie."
"Twinkie?" Ampata replies.
"Yeah. It's a delicious, spongy, golden cake stuffed with a delightful creamy, white substance of goodness. And here's how you eat it." He stuffs the whole thing into his mouth. Ampata laughs at the sight.
"Mm-hm," Xander smiles, feeling more like his old pre-wolf self than he had for some time.
"Oh, but now I cannot try it," Ampata mock-pouts.
"That's why you bring two," Xander relied with a full mouth, producing another one from his bag and hands it to her. She studies it for all of two seconds.
"Oh!" she exclaims happily, "Here goes!" She pulls her windswept hair back from her face and proceeds to stuff most of the Twinkie into her mouth, laughing with delight.
"Good, huh?" he replies, "And the exciting part is that they have no ingredients that a human can pronounce. So it doesn't leave you with that heavy... food feeling in your stomach." She squeals with laughter.
"You are strange," she replies with a full mouth.
"Girls always tell me that," Xander responds, "Right before they run away."
"I like it!" Ampata assures him.
"I like you like it!" She can't help but laugh more at that, and gives him a quick normal kiss. For different reasons their eyes glazed over.
Buffy is inspecting the seal under a magnifying lamp, and thinks she's matched the parts correctly.
"Ha! Or possible ha," Buffy says, Do you think this matches?"
"Good Lord!" Giles remarks "Good work! This is most illuminating. It seems Rodney's killer might be the mummy."
"Where does it say that?"
"Well, here. It implies that the mummy is capable of... feeding on the life force of a person, effectively freeze-drying them, you might say. Extraordinary.
"So, then we just have to stop the mummy," Willow considers, "But how?"
"Well, the answer to that is somewhere still in here," Giles answers her, "Or in the rest of the seal."
Xander realizes something is a little off, and that it comes from Ampata, very similar but much fainter than that of the departed Daryl Epps or Angel. Suddenly, Xander senses some one approaching, the 'bodyguard,' who attacks Xander with a large knife. Ampata screams as she and Xander quickly move apart and the knife hits the seat between them. Xander reaches over and grabs the man by the shoulder, rolling him in a somersault down the bleachers, knocking the wind out of him. Xander approaches him, and he looks up seeing Ampata.
"It is you!" the bodyguard cries as Xander hits him again, rendering the man unconscious. They walk down and Xander throws the man over his shoulders, his eyes flashing very slightly. Ampata sees this, and is unsure of anything.
"Ampata, listen to me," Xander comforted her, "Nobody's gonna hurt you. I won't let them." He stared into her eyes, putting most of the pieces together.
"This is all so dangerous," Ampata sighed, tearing up, "I do not want that. Just normal life!" They walk with the man to the back way into the Library.
"I don't get it," Buffy said, "Why would the bodyguard have such a jones for a broken piece of rock?"
"You can ask him yourself," Xander answers, entering the Library with the man still over his shoulder. Ampata follows uneasily. "Ampata," Xander whispers, "Let's go up into the stacks, we have to talk." She nods as the bell ending lunch rings.
"Okay, I have two things to tell you," Xander quietly tells her, "I like you. A lot."
"I like you, too," she quietly replies. "What is the second thing?"
"I'll help you figure out some way of staying alive," Xander promised her, looking her in the eyes."
"Really?" Ampata responded, shocked and afraid, "You know what I become?"
"I figured it out just now, really" Xander admitted. "So what do you have to do to stayalive? I hear your heart beat, and you really are breathing"
"I kiss or otherwise 'breathe in' life force unless the seal is placed on me," she told him, "then I'm trapped as a mummy until it is removed, but awake the whole time."
"So, Rodney andAmpata?" Xander asked, knowing, "Are they dead now?"
"When one comes out of the 'sealing' there is no conscious thinking, just a need for life again. Until just before you arrived at the station, I wasn't able to control myself. The two you mentioned, and another girl our age, are gone now," Ampata answered, tearing up, and touching her head, "I have their knowledge, memories, normal skills. Their souls are released to the skies."
"Can you use animal or demon life forces, or only human?" Giles asked, crossbow at hand as he comes up through the stacks, looking concerned. Though startled, Ampata answers.
"I don't know?" she replies, tears actually starting to form. "Can you help me?" Xander draws her close, and turns to Giles.
"We'll try" he starts, then changes tact slightly as he places himself so Giles cannot fire, "What is your real name?"
"Ampa Topa," she replies, amazed that anyone cared.
"Giles, put down the crossbow," Xander tells him, "We'll try a few things, and if they don't work, we'll *temporarily* seal 'Am until he *do* find something. After all, if we don't dust Angel, we're not going to harm 'Am."
"V-very well, Xander," Giles agreed, "But you should know that Sheila was the third person she was telling you about." Xander sighed, nodding.
"Giles, you can keep the weapon at ready," Xander said quietly, "I'm going to kiss 'Am and she's going to take just a little while I'm at full wolf. Hopefully that'll keep her until we have a better source. Oh, and Giles, shoot her in the butt, don't kill her, if she loses control." He moved to kiss her, Ampa nodding understanding as she saw his eyes flash and felt the increased life energy radiate off him. Not yet needing replenishment, she broke off after ten seconds, fully charged. Her skin was flushed, and everything felt great.
"D-Did that work, and are you both okay?" Giles asked. Xander looked a little pale then recovered.
"I could probably do that about once a day, but no more," Xander admitted, "Ampa?" The girl shook her head clear of stray thoughts.
"That is about half of what I think I need in two days," she admitted, hopeful that they'd find an answer. "Thank you, Alexander."
"W-We still need to find other sources of energy," the Watcher reminded, lowering the bow and indicating they should head back down into main area of the Library, "And we'll still need to determine what to do with the gentleman I have locked unconscious in the weapons cage."
Xander walked Ampa Topa to her class, stopping to have Fluties sign on a couple of passes. He assured her it would work out, and that they needed to talk about things later.
Xander called Hondo and Angel, bringing them up to date and suggesting a few trial sources of energy for Ampa Topa. Then he and Giles research life energies and such while waiting for their 'guest' to wake up.
After school, the gang came into the Library, to find a slightly singed Angel being damped out by Hondo. Xander ushered Willow and Ampa Topa upstairs where they discussed today's revelations as well as the whole Xander thing with relationships. Get the weird out of the way.
"So Giles," Buffy asked as the rest of the group sat down, "What've we found out about this mummy person?"
"Well it seems that Ampata is really Ampa Topa, and you'll do nothing until we resolve this," Giles firmly established, "as she's the mummy." Giles then quickly explained this afternoon's occurrences to the group, along with possible solutions.
"So, you'd like to see how I'm affected if she tries it briefly on me?" Angel asks. He pauses, nodding, "Will she draw off the chi as well as the demonic energy?"
"I-I really don't know," Giles conceded, "But Xander seemed to supercharge her in ten seconds, to where her requirements are halved for two days. Unfortunately, that's his limit before he'd start to be affected." Buffy was about to say something, when Angel agreed.
"I'll do it," the ensouled vampire declared, as Willow, Xander, and Ampa Topa came back, "Sounds like something in between a vampire and a zombie, with the soul still intact." He reached over and placed Buffy's hands between his, "Besides, if we were keeping count, I'd still owe him for not me brood instead of helping him bring Buffy back to us in the Master's Lair." Buffy blushed, and lowered her head, remembering how she'd 'thanked' Xander.
"Er, uh, quite," Giles agreed, nodding at the realization. "Uh, shall we then?" Angel and Ampa Topa drew close together, Angel warning her.
"Just so you don't get scared, I'm going to show you my vampire face," Angel told her, and at her nod, proceeded. Raising her eyebrows, she reached up and touched his forehead ridges.
"Does this hurt when you change?" she asked, curious rather than afraid. He shook his head, blushing as much as a vampire could. They drew close, and after about ten seconds, Angel pressed them apart, Ampa looking a bit dazed to find Angel in normal face again and tired.
"How old are you, Liam?" she asked, shaking her head. "The dead, I can see them, too, you poor man." Xander and Willow helped her sit as Buffy did the same for Angel.
"Wow, that took a lot out of me, but I don't feel the demon as strongly," Angel near-whispered in amazement, "Ampa, did it work?"
"Can we just try it with those new vampires next time?" Ampa Topa replied, "I feel too full, like I've eaten a hundred of those yellow snack foods Xander eats." Willow actually snickered, 'She can't be too bad if she's making fun of puppy-boy.'
"S-So, er, Ampa," Giles said, "Does demonic energy fulfill your requirements?"
"Yes, sir," Ampa Topa replied, "and I don't feelevil? I think that a new vampire every night or every other night might be enough."
"So, now what?" Buffy asks, unsure of where everything stands, "Everything's okay?"
"No! It is not okay?" the man in the weapons cage declares, "She must be returned to the box at once!" Xander wandered over to cage and stared in.
"Why?" Xander asked the man, "The Incas no longer exist as such, you are mostly mestizos of very strong Indian heritage, and your president is Japanese. Her purpose of protection is better fulfilled by fighting the darkness, and the fact that she'll need to do it in order to survive clinches the deal don't you think." The man staired back, then actually considered Xander's words.
"How can we be sure you arenot evil?" the man asked.
"Hey, we're human, you big jerk," Willow said, jumping in as Ampa looked like she going to cry or faint from the tension, "And if your people know what 'Boca Del Inferno' is, we are the guardians that keep the evil out of this world? Right guys?" The SCAM Club nodded in support.
"It is here?" the man gasped, looking around with concern, "Where?"
"About right over there and a few hundred feet down actually," Xander smirked, "Some bastard built a high school on it, and having the teenaged Incan princess enrolled would strengthen ourguardianship."
"May I borrow a telefono?" the man sighed. Xander handed him the cell phone through the fencing. The man spoke on the phone for about fifteen minutes, as he explained the situation and was passed up a chain of command until he looked at Xander and nodded.
"Those for whom I work have consulted their seer, and from what they can tell, you are correct," the man informed them. "Ampa Topa, your service is commended into guardianship against the dark things. Your paperwork is being created, and will be sent to me air express, along with applications for visas and such with the American government as Ampa Topa Gutierrez. You may live without our retribution, and have our best wishes." Looking to Giles and Hondo, Xander let the man out, and handed him his bound dagger back, as Ampa Topa hugged Willow tightly and thanked her. Willow blushed, then, rolling her eyes hugged her back lightly.
Xander arrives with Ampa and Buffy in tow, all costumed in something reflecting their cultural heritage. Looking over to Giles, he smiles and Giles smirks backGiles is wearing his *best* tweed while Jenny is a gypsy princess. Ampata looks around and sees Willow in her Eskimo outfit as Xander leads her over to the assembled group. 'I think I should've worn something sexy,' the girl mentally sighs.
"Wow," Willow exclaimed, looking at an Edwardian Lord and Incan Princess, "You guys look great." Even Giles is impressed at the way the clothes seem tailored for just a barely-larger Xander, and smirks at 'Irish Angel.'
"I-I love your costume," Ampa tells Willow, giving her a hug, "It's, it's very authentic."
"Thanks," Willow replied, "And I'm betting yours is the real thing?"
"Yes, but I'll probably have to sell it to afford things here," the Incan girl replied. "Is that outfit comfortable? It looks snugly cute."
"And kinda sexy, Wills," Xander added in a very low voice. Ampa smiled, she didn't thnk she'd ever be 'into' girls, but seeing her two rescuers from a bad life filled her with hope.
"So, Xander," Giles asked, "If what you say is true and that outfit is a family heirloom, who was your ancestor?"
"Oh, he was some explorer guy, I think, and let's see," Xander said, starting to remember a lot more of whomever he was in his Spirit trek, but continued in his Xander way, a bad British accent coming into play, "I'm John Clayton III, Duke of Greystoke, at your service, sir." And with that he passed out as the memories overwhelmed him in the first person.
"So, Xander," Giles asked, "If what you say is true and that outfit is a family heirloom, who was your ancestor?"
"Oh, he was some explorer guy, I think, and let's see," Xander said, starting to remember a lot more of whomever he was in his Spirit trek, but continued in his Xander way, a bad British accent coming into play, "I'm John Clayton III, Duke of Greystoke, at your service, sir." And with that he passed out as the memories overwhelmed him in the first person.
"Xander?!" a half-dozen young women exclaimed in concern, Willow and Ampa Topa catching the young man as he slumped down. Giles and Angel appropriated a couch and placed the young man on it as Jenny brought over a glass of water. Cordelia, meanwhile, disengages herself form her group long enough to check on Xander. Opening his eyes, he sees her, and seems confused for a moment.
"Alice," Xander addresses Cordelia with certainty in a slight but rough-edged upper class British accent, "How did we make it out of the cavern system? And why am a awakening at a costume ball?" He slowly but energetically sat up, then closing his eyes for a moment shook his head to clear it while the others looked at each other in confusion.
"Alice? I'm Cordelia, Xander," the girl asked, confused. "Are you okay?"
"I'm as alright as anyone can be when their previous incarnation reasserts itself with one's new incarnation," the Xander Harris now tightly filling in his costume sighed, "And the reason I called you Alice, is that I was thementor, for Alice Chase back in '47 and '48. Identical in appearance and attitude, Cordelia. Beautiful with a biting wit. My grandson wished to pursue yo-her, but I guess that demon managed to send us forward in time like it threatened, so nothing could come of it." He noticed he'd been caressing her shoulder in a 'paternal' manner and that most of the party had returned to other matters.
"S-so, Xander?" Giles asked, "How did this happen? I mean if I recall my studies of previous Watcher's diaries and biographies, then you, or rather John Clayton were lost with his Slayer in the caverns that led to the fabled lands of Opar."
"Well, from what I recall, we were cast forward in time, leave mortality until born again, cursed to not know who we are until we state it ourselves as ourselves," Xander lectured, "So I'll hazard that my dressing in the clothes of my 'ancestor,' and saying I am he, fits the bill. Least that explains my languages and physical skills and abilities.
"Y-yes, I suppose it would," Giles affirmed, noting Xander's expanded physique near-bursting the seams of his attire. "Also, you might wish to consider a change of shirt, or be careful with your movements as you seem to have regained your previous physical attainments as well."
"I suppose you're right, Rupert," the young man sighed, standing to remove coat and shirt as he spoke. The female population in the room went silent as he did so, and even after he put the coat itself back on. "I must admit that since I'm Xander, that I'm not quite ready to disrobe to 'field attire' just quite yet." Giles, Angel and Xander chuckled, the women not catching the references to Clayton's 'alias.' Jenny cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.
"For the first twenty ears of my life I went around in far less than this after my parents dies. It's become part of life to emphasize a different of abilities and skills to be taken seriously," Xander replied, still not coming out with anything concrete. "Let's say the only thing smaller would be a speedo swimsuit." Ampa Topa and Willow looked at each other, than each embraced a Xander arm, and were about to press for information when Sherman headed towards the group, dressed the same as always, but with a few wolf and eagle fetishes on his clothes. Giles looked as tough he were the cat that happily ate the canary but wasn't confeesing.
"Okay, Rupert, spill," Jenny pressured as the others drew around, "What was that evil smile I just saw you flash when they mentioned the zoo?"
"Jenny, I thought you or Willow would have picked up on Xander's clues by now," Giles 'innocently' replied.
Sherman greeted the group quietly, and stared into Xander's eyes when he caught sight of the young man. Getting close to each other, the shaman looked carefully, and picked up the scents from the air before speaking.
"It looks like your trek is over, Alex," the wolfen remarked, "your aura is singular now, and the power you radiate is amazing. So, you complete now?"
"You knew who I was?" Xander asked, unhappy, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What do you mean, who you are?" Sherman responded, "I just meant what I said, you've become you, not parts of youNot a jigsaw puzzle but the picture before it's broken into a puzzle." They nodded, though Buffy was still curious.
"I thought you said you used to be John Clayton, Xander?" Buffy asked, trying a pale version of the famous Willow 'resolve face.'
"No shit!" the shaman exclaimed, then looked abashed that he was the one to lose his fa�de of cool, "You were Tarzan?!" Buffy's jaw dropped to the ground in amazement. Willow sized Xander up again with her eyes and meeting Ampa's eyes, nodded a silent agreement.
"Xander?" the red-headed girl whispered softly, catching his attention. He nodded to continue. "The answer for Ampaand myself is 'yes.'" His eyes went big and a big 'hug a trois' ensued. Buffy and Macie gasped, then rushed over to congratulate the three>
"What's with them?" Sherman asked the other males. "They act like somebody's getting married." Angel looked a cross between envious and uncomfortable.
"That's pretty much what just happened between the three of them," the 2 century individual replied, then filled the out of loopers on the whole Xander and relationship thing since the wolf spirit merger. The girls were sarting to look at their own men-folk as applicable, when Xander handed over two identical wolf head rings, the eyes as tiny emeralds that matched Willow's, and miniscule black diamond pieces on each where Ampata's beauty mark was located, then tiny ruby and obsidian stones channeling around the ring bands in the shades of their hair. The womenfolk dove back in for another round of ooh and ah noises, in which somehow Xander managed to extricate himself and make his way over to his fellow males.
"So, two wives, huh?' Sherman asked, "Better get into a good career or into even better investments."
"Why's that, Mr. Blackstone?" Rupert asked, 'Though I admit it's a bit unorthodox."
"If he still has the alpha-wolf thing going on, he'll need to provide," the shaman said, then smirked, "Cause with two beauties like that, his clan'll be welcoming a lot of cubs in the decade to come" Xander actually raised both eyebrows as the men chuckled. Hondo and Giles then both gave him the same 'about to lecture you' look, but Xander beat them to it.
"That'll just have to wait," Xander said, "They need to figure out things for themselves, and we'll go from there once they humanly turn eighteen. No cubs until then." The men backed off, getting the response they'd hoped to elicit.
Ampa and Marcie come down the stairs and head down the hall with Marcie and Willow.
"You dreamed about Angel again?" Willow asked.
"Third night in a row," Buffy sighed lightly with a small smile.
"What did he do in the dream?"
"Stuff."
"Oh! Stuff!" Willow exclaimed as Buffy smiled, "Was it one of those vivid dreams where you could feel his lips and smell his hair?"
"It had surround sound. I'm just thinking about him so much lately."
"You two are so right for each other," Willow assured her, "Except for the, uh..."
"Vampire thing," the young pseudo-blonde bemoaned.
"That doesn't make him a bad person, Buffy," Ampa interrupted, Willow patting the Incan princess on the shoulder, "Necessarily. Maybe something will be figured out toI don't know"
"I'm brainsick," Buffy asserted, "I can't have a relationship with him."
"Not during the day, but you could ask him for coffee some night," Willow suggested as the other girls nodded along. "It's the non-relationship drink of choice. It's not a date, it's a caffeinated beverage. Okay, sure, it's hot and bitter like a relationship that way, but..."
"Nothing I have," Buffy grimaced lightly, then semi-hopefully, "Coffee?"
The girls met up again after school, planning a quick run to the store to pick up an order of martial arts and gymnastics clothing and accoutrements from one of the two dojos in Sunnydale. Xander is expected to arrive any minute. Cordelia comes walking by and bumps into Willow as a black BMW pulls up to the curb, windows darkly tinted.
"Sorry," Cordelia calls over her shoulder as she heads over to the car. She pushes her sunglasses on top of her head as the driver's window lowers. The friends watch as Cordelia interacts with the two rich guys, Xander pulling up in a camper-shelled dual king cab truck. The friends get in just before Cordelia can grab a hold of Buffy.
"Buffy, come on over a minute," Cordelia asks, "Richard and his fraternity brother wanna meet you."
"Well, I don't really wanna meet any fraternity boys," Buffy told her, "And we have to go pick up stuff for the clubs before they start in twenty-five minutes."
As they finish showering and changing clothes, the lingering members of the martial arts and gymnastics clubs watch in wonder as Xander swings back and forth between the dozen ropes hanging from the gym ceiling, hands and feet used to grab and release, slaloming around other ropes. For fifteen more minutes he moves from inches from the ceiling to inches above the floor, sweat shimmering as he ends his exercises from fifteen feet up to land with an in-air backwards somersault in front of them.
"Wow, Xander," Jonathan remarked, "I guess the whole jungle thing is coming back to you, huh?"
"Wheeeew" Xander replied, letting out a large exhale, "I guess so. It felt good though. I feel really limbered up."
"Hey 'Lord of the Jungle,'" Marcie called out, "You may be pretty, but if we're going to drive the vehicles to be services, you need to do a 'Lord of the Shower' routine first or you'll be walking back."
Buffy strolls through, keeping a careful watch. She spots a bracelet on the ground and bends down to pick it up when Angel suddenly appears behind her.
"There's blood on it," the vampire states simply, "I can smell it."
"Oh," she replies, looking at the bracelet, "It's pretty thin. It probably belonged to a girl."
"Probably," Angel said, nodding quietly, "About a day ago."
"I-I was... just thinking, wouldn't it be funny some time to see each other when it wasn't a blood thing," Buffy mused, smiling, "Not funny ha, ha."
"What are you sayin'," Angel replies, hopeful but not showing it, "You wanna have a date?"
"I don't know," Buffy remarks
"Right. You just wanna have coffee or somethin'."
"Coffee?" she says hopefully
"I knew this was gonna happen," Angel grimaced, "You're sixteen years old. I'm two hundred and forty-one."
"I've done the math."
"You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you want..."
"Oh. No, I, I think I do," she counters, starting to walk away, "I want out of this conversation."
"Listen, if we date you and I both know one thing's gonna lead to another," he calls after her, "I'm just tryin' to protect you. This could get outta control." She pauses.
"Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?" she asks as he catches up to her and looks her in the eyes.
"This isn't some fairy tale, Buffy," he tells her, "No matter how much we want it, when I kiss you, you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after."
"No," Buffy retorts, "When you kiss me I wanna die." She pulls herself free and runs off.
Class is over and while the students are leaving for lunch, Cordelia comes up to the girl-scoobies.
"Okay," Cordelia begins, "I need your help, the Delta Zeta Kappas have to have a certain balance at their party, and Richard explained it all to me, but I was so busy really listening that I didn't hear much. Anyway, the deal is they need three of you to go. And if you don't go, I can't. And I'm talking about Richard Anderson, okay? As in Anderson Farms, Anderson Aeronautics (becomes emotional) and Anderson Cosmetics." Cordelia sobs. "Well, you see why I *have* to go. Buffy, these men are rich. And I am *not* being shallow. Think of all the poor people I could help with all my money!"
"Er, uh, Amy and I can't help you tonight, Cordelia," Willow responds, "We've started taking Wicca meditation lessons with Ms. Calendar on Friday nights as the boys are off doing some Xander thing." Amy nods, glad that they didn't have to lie to avoid a Cordelia social situation.
"I'll go," Marcie said, "But don't expect me to stay for more than two hours, that's all I'll have left before becoming inviso-girl." Ampa remained quiet, unsure of the situation.
"I'll go for a while," Buffy agreed, "I've nothing better to do."
"You'll go?" Cordelia responds with a huge smile, "Great! I'll drive Oh, we need one more! Ampa, how 'bout you come with us?"
"I'm committed to Alexander, Cordelia," the girl replied in confusion, "I don't think it would be right to go without letting him know."
"Just stick with Marcie the whole time and have him pick you up later on, that'll be plenty of time." Cordelia replied, and gesturing to the other girls, "And just tell him you're going to a party with us."
That night, while the girls are attending a college fraternity party and feeling a bit out of place, sipping sodas instead of beer, the guys (Giles, Jonathan, Andrew, Angel, Hondo, Sherman, Dave, Fritz and the surprisingly off-duty and in-town SWAT unit) are listening to Xander tell his tales as Tarzan in the first person, while Dave and Fritz are running simultaneous automated full background searches on individual 'Greek' houses, the university and university police databases, the area law enforcement databases and hospital records to develop patterns of human and/or supernatural negative behavior.
Hondo and the 'Swatters' had brought in finally-fitted combat armor for the Sunnydale group, including leg and arm pieces, and they'd begun making it look SCA-like as Xander told the tale of his childhood and teen years..
Willow, Amy and Jenny, having finished lessons, were now trying to figure out what the word on the bracelet might be. Willow types the words as they think of them. Bent. Cent. Gent. Sent. Rent. Lent. Dent. Went. Kent.
"Kent!" Willow exclaimed, "That's it!"
"Her boyfriend's name was Kent?" Jenny asks.
"No! Kent Preparatory School. Just outside of town. That's where I've seen these bracelets." She begins to call up their internet browser interface.
"W-what are you doing?" Amy asks, putting away the last of their Wicca stuff.
"Pulling up their school newsletter for the past few months," Willow informs the other two, "See if there's anything about a missing girl." The most recent issue of the newsletter has a picture of Callie on the front page. The title of the article reads 'Callie Our Hearts & Prayers Are With You'.
Buffy makes her way over to the stairs, feeling a little woozy, even though she'd only had one beer with Tom and Richard a few minutes ago. She knocks over a glass but her reactions are way too slow to catch it. She looks up at the commotion in the next room, but can't see Tom and Richard helping a swaying Ampa to a back room. Through hazy eyes slowly starts to make her way up the stairs to find a place to rest. Upstairs she pushes open a door, and collapses on a bed, not seeing the unconscious Cordelia.
Meanwhile, Marcie has come out of the upstairs bathroom and is looking around for her friends, her visibility amulet out of charge for the day
Marcie is coming down the hall quietly as she listens in on a conversation between Richard and Tom.
"Get away from her!" Tom orders Richard, "She's not here for your fun, you pervert. She's here for the pleasure of the one we serve."
"In his name," Richard intones, ashamed, and looks toward Cordelia.
"And that goes for the other ones, too," Tom rebukes, as Marcie sees Cordelia and Buffy on the bed. Marcie carefully heads away to find a private spot to make a phone call before looking for Ampa
The phone rings, Jenny picking it up. She listens with concern for a few moments, then hangs up hitting speed dial on her 'scooby' cell phone. The girls listen in as she talks to Giles.
"That's right, the Delta Zeta Kappas"
"Marcie said they were unconscious"
"No, Something about the one they serve"
"Okay, we'll meet you there"
Elsewhere, Xander has given Hondo the hand signal to saddle up, possible police and Scooby action. As the young man finishes talking to Jenny on the phone, the others are in basic gear and are putting on their partially-geeked armor for a foray. Xander turns to Dave, Fritz and Andrew.
"I need you guys to stay here and find what we have on these frat guys," Xander tells them, "and if this is some kind of weird ritual, maybe they've done it before. Look up all their guys and compare backgrounds and such, criminal records and patterns if any, especially in Sunnydale, money, personal lives, the works. I want evidence we can turn over to the police that isn't supernatural. Andrew, you seem to be into the computer stuff, consider yourself the padawan to their knights, got it?" The three nodded and got to work as the others headed out.
Richard takes a sword and walks behind a kneeling Tom, who has a series of symbols carved onto his chest. Richard begins to carve another one on Tom's back. Nearby, Cordelia, Ampa, Buffy and Callie, the girl from Kent preparatory school, are shackled to the wall, but coming to.
"Buffy?" Ampa asks, concerned that even with her mummy strength, she can't affect the chains binding her, "Where are we?"
"In the basement, far as I can tell," Buffy remarked, noticing the door quietly and quickly open and close. Marcie comes down, finger to lips, then at amulet in pocket instead of around neck to show 'inviso-mode.'
"What's happening?" Cordelia asks, "What did they do to us?"
"They drugged us," Ampa suggests as Buffy becomes distracted at Marcie's progress.
"I want out of here, Buffy," Cordelia whines, "Do something."
"No one's going home, ever," Callie interrupts, "Look, one of them's different than the others. Nicer." They watch as Richard is finished carving Tom's new symbol. He gets up and turns to the girls. Two brothers help him on with his robe as Marcie lifts a set of keys behind them, and starts to slnk around.
"He's the one to watch out for," Callie continues. Buffy shakes her chain a bit and looks up where it's anchored. Tom looks at her.
"She's last," Tom says, walking over to a well to pick up a bag. Tom lets four stones drop out of the bag and into his hand.
"Four stones," Buffy says as Marcie gets close to them. She starts unlocking Ampa first as she's furthest from the frat guys, "Four of us." Tom pours water over the stones. Ampa's shackles come undone as Tom finishes his stone-cleansing ritual and faces the girls. He stares at Buffy, but resumes participation in the ritual before noticing Ampa's chains falling off. She starts on Callie, as Buffy whispers to her to remain calm and in place until they're all loose.
Four vehicles pull up in front of the fraternity house, fourteen shadows moving out and dispersing around the building, as Kyle's quad and the great wolves arrive.
"Kyle, Magnus," Xander greets with the high-whistle, pair off between groups and secure our perimeter while we go in." Both nod and begin taking up their tasks. "Street, your team pair off with Giles, Jonathan, Angel and Sherman, myself with you and Hondo. You call the shots once things start, I'm betting a rear room or basement if it's evil, and upstairs if they're just human bastards. Girls, I need you to prep some first aid and arm up for vamps in case we have the hellmouth's luck if we don't prepare. Soakers and Fire spells." They nod. "Three minutes, people, and those who aren't SWAT are there to mimic and learn. Do *only* what your team leader tells you or someone will die." More nods, though Jonathan starts to look really antsy because of Marcie being inside.
The ritual is continuing, Tom is standing on the basement stairs holding the sword as Buffy and Cordelia's legs but not arms are freed.
"Machida," Tom invokes, starting down the stairs ceremonially.
"In his name," the Brothers respond.
"We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow," Tom continues, " call upon you in this holy hour." Cordelia is fre except one arm, the undone shackles barely staying on.
Five groups pour through doors and windows upstairs, a large fraternity brother in the kitchen stunned into immobility
"In this holy hour," the Brothers respond. Tom turns to walk toward Richard, holding the sword horizontally in both hands.
"We have no wealth, no possession... except that which you give us," Tom continues.
The fraternity brother upstairs is clothes-lined by Sanchez as Jonathan uses a police baton lower than the belt buckle.
"Except that which you give us," the Brothers continue. Tom places the sword on Richard's arms. Buffy and Cordelia need one hand each to be free.
"We have no power, no place in the world... except that which you give us," Tom continues.
The first floor is secure, as two teams head and three teams check for secret rooms and basement stairs.
"Except that which you give us," the Brothers continue. Richard hugs the sword to his chest, crossing his hands over his heart. Marcie drops the key, causing Cordelia to panic.
"Marcie hurry!" Cordelia cries out, just a little too loud, "They're almost done!" Four brothers look up and start moving over to check on the disturbance.
"It's been a year since our last offering," Tom declares, Richard lowering the sword to rest the tip on the floor. "A year in which our bounty overflowed. We come before you with fresh offerings."
Upstairs, access ways and possible escape ways are secure as teams start heading down hallways, kicking in doors to find the place strangely empty.
"Accept our offering, Dark Lord," Tom proclaims, "And bless us with your power. Machida!"
"Machida!" the Brothers cry as Tom tosses the stones into the well at the center of the basement one at a time.
Marcie frees Cordelia, who simply races for the door, the four Brthers racing after the now-screaming girl. As they pass, Buffy, she kicks two of them, as Marcie pushes another right into Ampa.
"Kiss him a little, Ampa!" Marcie cries, Cordelia tackled by a Brother.
"Come forth, and let your terrible countenance look upon your servants," Tom finishes, "and their humble offering. We call you, Machida."
"In his name. Machida."
All but *this* basement have been cleared and secured from upstairs.
Tom looks up, awaiting Machida's arrival while the Brothers attempt to get the girls under control, Callie slapping and kicking the ones that a mostly-unrestrained Buffy kicks her way. Cordelia thumps her attacker into a wall, only to see 'Machida' head their way.
Buffy yanks hard, the chain in the ceiling finally coming loose with a chunk of concrete.
"Cool!" Buffy smirks, looking at Tom and Machida, "A really big mace-thingy." She jumps over toward Richard, who trips over a fallen and invisible Marcie. Ampa kisses another boy until he goes unconscious.
Buffy uses the chain to knock down four brothers and slam the end to strike the reptile demon in the chest. She then grabs the sword as the basement door bursts in, knocking Cordelia directly atop three Brothers. As Buffy slices hard to sever her chains, then jumps up onto the edge of the well, the former captives are pounding on the Brothers until Ampa gives them 'sleep kisses.'
The 'rescuers' reach the bottom of the steps as Buffy wields back the sword and slashes it into Machida and knicks Tom. Both monster and master scream in pain. Xander leaps over the crowd to knock out two surprised frat boys, as Angel leaps beside him to pound on two sneaking up on Buffy.
Buffy ends Machida as Angel and Xander subdue a weeping Tom.
"Who are you people?" Tom cries out, "How?" Buffy looks smug, and gets close to him, making the college student worry."
"Just my boyfriend and brother," Buffy quipped as she turned away, "And I don't think they like you much."
Xander is reading the Sunnydale Press with the others, humming a happy tune as he reads the latest Delta Zeta Kappa news.
"Says here that they've already pled to charges that will result in consecutive life sentences," the happy young police consultant summarized. Stein and the other investigators have found the bones of missing girls in a huge cavern beneath the frat house. And older bones dating back fifty years."
The girls all exchange grossed-out looks as Xander continues.
"A surprising number of corporations whose chairmen and founders are former Delta Zeta Kappas are suffering from falling profits, IRS raids... Ooo, and suicides in the boardroom. Hmm. Starve a snake, lose a fortune. Boy, I guess the rich really are different, huh?" Dave, Fritz and Andrew walk over from their computers.
"So guys, how'd we do?" Xander asked the computer specialists. Fritz answers.
"There's noting like legal insider information and careful revelation of association to make an astounding profit," the arrogant-in-the-service-of-good young cyber-apostle crowed. "The portfolios are now three hundred thousand above your quarterly fixed expenses."
"Y-You made money off the raid, Xander?" Giles asked, somewhat incredulous.
"Sure," the young man turned to his mentor, "Once we knew the extent of the rot, and knowing it *was* going to fall no matter what, we jumped in through the third-party markets, and Fritz isn't telling you how Dave already pre-paid the three hundred thousand on an *appraised* thirty million value in not-yet-paid taxes on very nice and very lucrative hotels and rentals throughout the Coast just before the local governments froze *all* assets.
"What does that mean exactly, Xander?" Jenny asked, "It's sounds bad for you."
"Oh no," Fritz chimed in, "Because the property and values are now in question, Harris will now file claims of potential loss equal to the current value of the property, and ask for a 120-day serving of notice to seize as the tax-lien holder, the holder of first presence. Either the creditors pay him off, or they'll lose everything owed to them. Also, by filing a transfer of custody claim, he can keep operating and renting out the properties until things are settled."
"And that means?" Jenny pressed again for a real answer.
"Harris'll probably turn that three hundred thousand into millions in a year or so," Dave piped up. "We've already been contacted by several creditors offering major buy-outs, and to make offers as 'friends of the court' explaining why it is imperative to free up title before hundreds are left homeless or unemployed."
"So," Ampa realized, "Willow and I will be receiving very nice presents from our Xander soon?" Willow returned her beaming smile as Xander rolled his eyes and the other teens laughed at him.
"Somehow even though I'm now 'Lord of the Hellmouth,'" Xander sighed melodramatically, "a guy just can't get respect."
"No, just you, Xan," Amy snickered, setting off another round of chuckles.
"It is time, gather the Brothers, it is time to establish her in this reality with That Which We Protect in her," the Abbot directed, "It seems there are many who chose to fight the Darkness, and the auguries show this as our best venue for decades to come without allowing Glorificus knowledge of her whereabouts. God save us All."
"So," Ampa realized, "Willow and I will be receiving very nice presents from our Xander soon?" Willow returned her beaming smile as Xander rolled his eyes and the other teens laughed at him.
"Somehow even though I'm now 'Lord of the Hellmouth,'" Xander sighed melodramatically, "a guy just can't get respect."
"No, just you, Xan," Amy snickered, setting off another round of chuckles.
"It's okay, Xander," the fifteen-year-old sister of the slayer added, "As long as *I* get presents, I'll respect you." Everybody resumed comfortable seating.
"Thanks Dawn-Patrol," Xander said, bestowing on his other 'little sister' his patented lopsided grin, "I knew I could count on your mercenary attitude to never change."
"I learned form the master," she quipped. As he waved a pack of Twinkies just outside of her grasp, she lunged forward, "Gimme." Ampa and Willow looked mock-outraged to be denied equal giftage.
"Hey," Willow began, only to see two twin-packs head toward her and Ampa, "That's more like it Mister." Principal Flutie walked in just before the bell was do to ring.
"Alex, my favorite student," Flutie began, smirking at Xander's suspicion, "I was asked by the Mayor to provide guides for the grade school students on Halloween, and Vice Principal Snyder suggested you and your various clubs and mentors, something about, 'if they really are reforming, this'll help demonstrate it.' Now, I need to have you find about two dozen trustworthy people to lead around four hundred and forty or so kids. The rendezvous and departure will be four-thirty in the afternoon and return by six o'clock. Costumes required, a connecting theme if you can come up with one. Good guys preferably." The bell rang. "Good luck." He left.
"Let's see," Xander mused, "A theme that will let us keep up our guard after dark, just in case Highlander!"
"Cool!" Andrew, Jonathan and Amy enthused.
"Ramirez," Ampa smiled, and Willow blushed for unspoken reasons as she looked at Xander.
"What?" Xander responded.
"When you're really tired, you have the accent now," Ampa explained with a smile.
"What?" Buffy asked, "Are you already corrupting Ampa with your television habits, Xan?"
"Only the ones Willow likes for now," Xander smiled, rolling his eyes, "And I get to choose who goes as which Immortal, and I think you'll approve. That means you, too, Giles."
"M-Me?" the librarian asked, "I-I really don't think I need to be a part of this."
"You'll be partnered up with Jenny, and I think you'll approve of her attire, on that trust me." Giles raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Okay, great work everybody," Xander called out, "Cheerleaders, thank you to those who could sign up as Halloween guides."
"That went well," Buffy said, smirking, "I think you got six more than you expected from the Cordettes, man who didn't wear a shirt today."
"I learned everything about distraction from the female of the species," Xander joked, "Though I'm still not letting Giles and the other 'mentors' off the hook. And Angel will be safely here manning Candy Central. Hey, Buff, can you ride with Willow to drop off the list and swords at the costume place?"
"No prob, Xan," the slayer remarked.
"So, Mr. Rayne," Willow said, with lists and measurements, and a few Polaroid pictures for perspective, "I know we talked on the phone, but I just want to make sure I'll be able to pick these up the evening before Halloween." He dropped the pictures, and Ethan Rayne noticed that of Rupert Giles. Ethan grew a very large feral smile as Buffy placed the last box on the counter.
"The pleasure is all mine, trust me young lady," the proprietor replied, "And of course they'll be ready."
"*I* have to dress up as a *Scotsman* on Halloween?" Angel grimaced, "It's bad enough it's sohokey"
"I'm dressed as your wife," Buffy glared.
"Why didn't you say so?" Angel retracted, "I knew there had to be something wonderful about this idea."
A/N: Short, I know, but I wanted to get this snippet introduced before I write another couple of additions to other stories. Thanks for reading.
"Hmmm, good enough recovery," Buffy responded, "In that case you may buy me a latte."
Xander and Buffy walk by Jack O'Toole and his group as the latter smoked something clearly not tobacco while speaking in hushed tones about deals. Out of range, Xander pulled out a cell phone and called Principal Flutie and Hondo, telling them about the situation, and that it should be an easy practice run against obvious troublemakers.
After a few minutes, instead of heading to class, the two thugs Xander knew to have drugs left campus in an old sedan, while the girls with whom they'd dealt nonchalantly made their way behind the football bleachers. Buffy quietly shadowed the girls.
Xander shadowed the two teens by car until they neared Fondren High. He could see Hondo further up the street, and decided to blend into the general populace of Fondren as he pursued and shadowed an apparent distributor through the school hallways. Hondo took up the shadowing of Jack's minions as they slowly drove away.
As the Fondren contact headed into the bathroom with four other unsavory youths, Xander stepped through, headed into a stall, then left again. He heard them talking about O'Toole, business in general and scooted to a security guy just sending two shouting students in two different directions. Xander called Stein, and asked him to redirect a couple of patrolmen onto campus, where the security guy, who listened in as Xander flashed his credentials, would be credited with the bust.
The security guy, coached in his wording, told the students that they needed to accompany him to the Principal's Office for excessive ditching. The youths complained about being singled out, but clearly knew they'd be able to get away with anything because they'd intimidated the administration.
Ten minutes later, four policemen met Detective Stein at the entrance to the Administration Offices. The detective had in his hand the voice activated tape recorder Xander had 'accidentally' left behind in the stall. On it, all five youths clearly convicted themselves of drug dealing, drug consumption, intimidation of the school staff, assault on two mentioned instances, and implicated Jack' guys as the providers by name. Xander Harris whistled as the youths were cuffed, searched and taken away.
Meanwhile, Buffy, following the two girls to the athletic field, called Principal Flutie and Vice Principal Snyder, both of whom showed up within fifteen minutes as a patrol car pulled up to take the drug users to jail, more in hopes of them turning on other offenders, than for simple possession at this time.
Hondo parked across the street from a seedy bar called The Fish Tank. Pulling out a listening cone device, he was able to pick up some of the conversation, involving the purchase of alcohol for sale at an upcoming fraternity party. The two youths eventually sauntered into the joint, a gathering place for the bikers, gang members and low-lives that bikers and such considered too unsavory. When Xander called from the Fondren parking lot ten minutes later, Hondo directed him over to the bar. They met just out of sight of the establishment.
"Hey, Unc," Xander greeted, "I just got off the phone with the Buffmeister and she got the two girls nabbed and in custody without being seen. What's our status here." Hondo looked at his nephew, the blend of old and new was almost too much to comprehend, but he was always nearly floored at the fact that Xander still kept the sense of humor that only Tony Harris had lacked in their family. A veneer of pleasantness over a serious young man blessed and cursed with experience.
"The two perps have been in there about ten or so minutes," Hondo replied, "And I'm thinking you head in and try to be seen with them. Maybe figure out who they're in with. Come back quick." Xander nodded, and taking a micro-camera in on his person, he entered the bar, the smell already a little strong form cigarettes and urine outside the main door. 'Sheesh, I'd hate to be here when it's dirty.'
Xander greets and snaps pictures of the two members of Jack's gang as they're about to leave, overhearing, "We'll be out back tomorrow around seven to pick it up." After faking an attempted phone call, Xander brushes up against Bob, causing the youth to notice him.
"Harris?!" Bob asked, surprised to see the recent 'golden boy' at the 'Tank during school hours. He'd never hung out with the former goofball, but after seeing him take out a couple of really scary dudes back in May, didn't consider him someone to mess with. "What brings you by?"
"Stopped to phone in my 'book' for the weekend, you?" the youth lied.
"Refreshment duty," Bob offered, "Hey, you remember Dickie, right?"
"Yeah, hey," Xander greeted with a raised chin, "You guys know any parties I can take my girls this weekend? Not too loud? Maybe a little upscale?"
"IF they can pass, try the college area," Dickie suggested, "Nice seein' ya, we gotta motor." Xander watched them go, then shaking his head at how the Sunnydale denial tendency seemed to shadow perceptions of even 'normal' people regarding other 'normal' people. Xander walked through the bar snapping shots on his way to the bathroom and back. 'Run these through the databases, and see who all of you are'
O'Toole shows up looking for his guys as Xander was beginning to head out. He listened near the door as Jack tore into his guys as not doing what he wanted, and that they should head over to the 'Tank for a couple of beers.
Xander decided that rather than follow Jack and his gang, he'd drive fast and get there first. He'd already put on a wire and mini-camera, and decided to just go in and sit next to the only able large enough to hold the O'Toole crowd. Using id he'd gotten through Stein, he ordered a rum and a coke separately, and about five minutes later Jack and his bunch showed up.
"What're you doin' here Harris?" Jack sneered, expecting Xander to back down, "Didn't think this was your kind of place."
"Sheila Johnson was a friend of mine, Jack," Xander responded, summoning a cold look to give truth to the lie. "She just started trning her life around when she was killed. Every so often I guess I'll continue her one-man wake until I *feel* like leaving." He turned back to his apparent brooding and crowd watching. O'Toole nodded and let him be.
Fifteen minutes later, Xander had managed to pick up most of their intended activity for the next several days, so Xander decide it was time to stop looking conspicuously alone by leaving. Unfortunately, Jack picked the same to get out of his chair without looking, and collided with Xander. Two drinks under his belt just while he was here and he had murder in his eyes.
"I think I've had enough of you, Harris," the juvenile offender shouted, causing his section of the bar to go silent. He took a swing, but Xander moved out of the way, and kicked Jack's feet out from under him. Jack's head hit the table and knocked him out cold. Checking to make sure he was alive, Jack's friend's and the bouncer started toward him when he drew out his 45 and pointed it in their direction.
"He's alive, be glad," Xander sneered to cover his concern, "Just go back to what you're doing and it'll be fine." Xander took out a twenty from Jack's wallet, threw down on waitress tray, "This oughta cover the inconvenience. It's too quiet here, think I'll head over to the Alibi Room, so don't give me any crap." The bouncer and waitress' eyes went a little wide at the casual mention of the Alibi Room and since the fighting was over the place went back to normal as Xander left to turn in his report and tape.
"Harris!" Jack frothed, as he crossed the cafeteria, "I've had it with you!"
"Really?" Xander asked, loosening up as he stood to face the O'Toole gang, "About what? The fact that you get drunk and fail to hit me in a public place last night? Or the fact that I took you down in ten seconds?" Xander hit the cell buttons to tell Hondo to wander in after a moment.
Jack and his friends attempt assault in front of witnesses. Dickie and Bob, with near-apologetic looks on their faces approach Xander from one side, while another youth begins sneaking up on him. Jack lunges forward, only to have Xander step aside to the left but leave his left foot out to trip the angry youth. Xander quickly backhands Dickie in the nose with a closed fist, sending the kid into the sneaky thug. Bob jumps forward to tackle Xander, but Xander instead lunges back, fists pounding directly into Bob's face without regard to defense, taking all steam from the young criminal's effort. Xander then kicks backward into the approaching Dickie's groin, slowly taking the fight out of the youth, as he then piston punches Bob twice to knock him out. Jack gets up and draws his bowie knife, screaming that he's going to kill Xander as Hondo walks into the cafeteria with a brown bag, slowly making his way toward the two fighters as Xander kicks the blade out of the boy's hand, then kicks his opponent in the chest, just under the diaphragm to wind him successfully. The boy goes down hard as Hondo shows up to set the bag down before easily restraining the remaining attacker. All are then handcuffed as they await the police.
"Well, I was bringing you your lunch," Hondo remarked, "But I guess I'll skip out with these to the police station. Hmmm, assault and attempted murder, and you took them down without hurting them too much. Good job, Alex."
"Thank, Unc," Xander smiled back, taking the cover lunch, "Let's take this bunch to see Snyder. Hey, what's this," he added, publicly uncovering drugs, paraphernalia, and a few knives he knew would be there, "Looks like they're gonna be seein' Bubba in jail."
"Hey, I'm Harris," Xander stated, "I'm here to pick up an order, Bob and Dickie got pulled over for joyriding." Having not shaved since Thursday morning, Xander was beginning to look just scruffy enough to be associated with Jack's group, especially since he'd been seen twice in the last two days with them.
"Fine, whatever," the bouncer responded, "Don't know what's in it, but it's over there." He pointed it out and headed back into the bar.
"Hey," Xander called out, causing the beefy man to turn, "Sorry about the gun last night, hangin' with Jack, ya know" The man begrudgingly nodded.
"I see worse every night," the bouncer said, "But if he lasts long enough Jack's psycho enough to be really scary someday. Watch out kid." He went in.
Xander pulled up behind the frat house and knocked on the back door. He was handed cash, and the full kegs and bottles exchanged with empties. As Xander was turning to leave one of the older frats stopped him.
"Hey, you have the rest of it?" the young man asked.
"Yeah, in here somewhere, but Dickie and Bob weren't too free with the lists," Xander responded, "What and how much of it? I have a full stock tonight." The youth, already drinking tonight, shrugged and looked at a piece of paper. Xander held out his hand and read it off. He then carefully took out the roll of cash he'd been handed, and started to count the amount as though checking to make sure.
"I have the money for it here," the frat assured him, seemingly caught scamming without paying, "Two grand." Xander handed him the list back and walked to the trunk.
"Two grand, huh?" Xander repeated with the trunk opening, "Read off the list of what you're buyin'" The youth read off the list as his friends disappeared inside with the beer kegs. Xander held out an empty wrapped package, and received money in return.
"This your usual amount?" Xander asked, "Seems quite a bit for a party"
"Just the weekly amount, guys go through it and the girls fast enough as it is." the drunk frat responded, starting to realize he was saying too much. Xander walked up to him, spun him around and against the car, Hondo climbing out of the open trunk to help toss the frat boy into the trunk and drive away.
"Good luck, Xan," Hondo told him, "You're really doing a great job as well as being lucky, too. Be careful. Oh, Buffy and Ampa should be out front in a few minutes." The car drove off, and Xander changed clothes in the shadows.
Xander, with Ampa and Buffy done up to pass at least at freshmen level, had managed to slide into the party with others they vaguely recognized from the Delta party a week before. Wearing wires, making rounds and generally blending in, they eventually maneuvered over toward a couple of the more suspicious characters from 'Machida' night that also seem to have records of questionable interactions involving girls and controlled substances resulting in 'hearsay' accusations. Each of the Scooby party-goers had a computer geek in contact, lapel pin microphones, camera collar buttons, and earring receivers, they were trying out their newly acquired electronics in a police rather than supernatural situation, picking up gossip, sending back photos for database scanning, and generally trying to focus in on possible wrong-doers.
Nearly two hours of partying later, the trio had a fair number of lesser leads on minor campus criminal activity, including sufficient evidence to arrest the core frat offenders on fifteen counts of under-aged drinking, four counts of distributing controlled substances, two counts of attempting to slip date rape drug to three party attendees already supplied alcohol, two actual narcotics sales in small amounts, and four obvious fire code violations. Information catalogued and sent to Stein and his available units, Hondo and the police showed up at eleven-thirty to make the appropriate arrests as the undercover trio help four marginal sorority sisters that'd been hinting at another party, to escape.
The undercover trio suffered through part of a very boring party at one of the 'brainier' sororities, then decided to follow four different drunk girls to make sure they would return safely to their residences, when two male vampires reached out of the bushes and grabbed two. Xander quickly followed Buffy into the situation, and with Ampa's help managed to break and subdue his opponent quickly while Buffy dusted hers and scooted the girls on their way before returning a few minutes later.
"What'd you get out of that one before you dusted it?" Buffy asked her two patrol partners for the evening, "Anything interesting?"
"Nah, just a nest that seems to have been around for a while," Xander replied, "I think I'll have the 'Adults' join us for this one, a quick in and out against about a half-dozen, but I figure better safe than surprised, eh Buff?"
"Did you have them bring a thermos of latte this time?" she chided him, "And Ampa's bitter mocha?" The Incan 'chosen one' smiled in gratitude.
"Yeah, yeah, DB's already on the way with it and Giles," Xander replied with a roll of the eyes, "And Hondo's swinging by after filling out the summary report on the frat arrest."
The raid was as uneventful as it was productive. Xander, Buffy, Angel and Ampa charged into the long-condemned building with Giles, Jenny and Hondo right behind. A 'master vampiress' named Sunday and her band of five not very bright minions were dust within thirty seconds.
"That wasnot fulfilling," Buffy commented, as they began sifting through the Psi Theta House, discovering fifteen years of student belongings, music collections, knick-knacks, and occasionally something valuable. An hour later, as they finish up, they set aside nearly two hundred and fifty ids and five thousand dollars in cash. All was looking good until they reached the basement. Xander and Giles guided the others back and asked them to all wait outside and listen as Xander, Giles and Hondo called this in.
"Mr. Mayor?" Xander spoke in the phone, slightly nervous. "I-I know it's late and your butler wasn't happy. My uncle has called Detective Stein and is calling the campus police, but I thought you should know that at the Psi Theta House" and he explained in gruesome detail what seemed to be a pair of serial killers' fifteen years of victims. Xander explained how with minor support, he and Buffy had followed leads of illicit substance sales, and then chased after a pair that had tried to grab drunk students. Unfortunately, the resultant car chase after a struggle had gone unnoticed, and they'd lacked phones. They'd pursued the criminals to Kingman's Bluff, where after a brief stand-off, they'd spooked the two into running blindly over the cliff and to their deaths. Unsure of what they feared being revealed, they returned to the Psi Theta House, picked up their phones and after discovering the truth ten minutes later, made the calls.
"Thank you, Alexander," the Mayor quietly replied, "The damage to our reputation will be somewhat made up for by the fact that you risked your lives to bring them to justice. Do you think we need to reveal the whole truth, or now that the...perpetrators, I believe you police call them, are gone if we can simply handle this on a case by case basis until the facts are in?"
"Uhm, it's up to you, sir," Xander responded, confused that he was being asked by the Mayor for advice on this matter. "Though you'll have to talk to both police departments about it. I just think Buffy and I are gonna take the next week or so off, it wasn't a pleasant sight."
"Of course, Alexander," the Mayor reassured him, 'After you're relieved on the scene by Detective Stein, please feel free to take whatever time you need, and keep in mind we do have counselors available."
"Thank you, sir," Xander replied, "It means a lot to all of us that you care the way you do."
"Hey, Xander," Buffy greeted, "How'd the karate tournament go over at Fondren?"
"We actually won," Xander replied with a tone of surprise, "I guess all the gymnastics and extra club stuff really worked out for the team, especially the newbies."
"What'd everybody think when Cordelia and the Cordettes showed up to show support?" Buffy said, smiling. Jenny and Amy joined up ready for the raid.
"I think the sudden interest actually boosted our side's morale," Xander replied, then broke out with a small chuckle, "And the distraction to the other side sure didn't hurt in the early rounds."
They spotted Hondo and Giles on the other side of the building, and Willow slowly driving up in a van with side doors way down the street. They listened as Hondo keyed in his mike.
"Okay, folks," the police veteran addressed them, "We just came up and Team Hades (Angel, Ampa, Marcie and Jon) are ready to up from the sewers in two minutes. I want us to hit a couple of seconds before that. Speed Queen are you there?"
"Yes, I mean check," the red-headed van driver responded, "And the guys (Dawn, Dave, Fritz and Andrew) are ready with the new thingies." She grimaced as she said the latter.
"Okay, Speed Queen," Hondo responded, "Be ready. Team 'Alpha' are you ready?"
"Affirmative, Strike Leader," Buffy replied instead of Xander, smiling at her new radio 'competency.' Time counted down, Willow started down the street quickly at the signal, Xander and Buffy angled in toward the front door to force an entry for 'Team Speed', 'Team Strike' kicked in the rear entrance to provide a very brief distraction, and 'Team Hades' readied itself under the tested entrance from the sewer.
0300, Buffy and Xander destroy the front doors using a police ram, then charge inside. Willow's van clears the curb and screeches to a halt with only a foot's width between the van side-door and the now-gaping front entry. Team Hades pauses, while Team Strike forces the rear entry a little quieter than Team Alpha.
0300, the ten vampires that are asleep are startled into consciousness, while the twelve that are getting ready for some action later that night when Spike shows up, are stunned at the suddenness of the attack.
0301, Buffy and Xander each angle away from their entry into the warehouse, each kneeling and firing 45s into grouped undead. Dave and Andrew open the door and activate the truck equipment as Fritz, in full coveralls, night goggles and cap, leaps into the building holding the trigger down as the hot pressurized *holy* water sets off screaming and writhing by the demonic denizens.
Jenny and Amy duck into the building and behind Xander and Buffy respectively. Shouting "Arsum!" once each to dust the biggest vampires they see, they then prepare to follow Team Speed into the fray.
0302, Giles and Hondo have secured the rear entry and have reached the rear office section of the warehouse, as Team Hades pours up into the other side of the offices, creating a second silent barrier to vampire retreat.
0302, Buffy and Xander have managed to seriously wound fifteen vampires and reholster weapons as they flank attack into the group of twenty-two, as Fritz presses forward with the lower-stream water cannon, actually killing two vampires directly while keeping the wounded in wet agony. Dave and Andrew head in to his right flank with crossbows, as Willow and Dawn move in through the doors and halt with super-soakers and hand-held crossbows to secure the main exit. Amy and Jenny follow their point-fighters closely, firing a couple of blessed silver rounds into the vampires to become more familiar with guns in general, as they attempt to flank around towards Giles and Hondo's expected doorway.
0303, Giles and Hondo, shooting over in the main area, kick in the office conference room to find two tied up and partially-drained humans tied in ropes as four vampires are scrambling to get dressed and awake. Team Hades kicks in the other door, the humans covering both directions as Angel uses his 45 to take out a particularly huge vampire by shooting until it sustained enough damage to dust. Hondo and Giles carefully opened up on the other three undead denizens, quickly rendering them neutralized as Ampa and Marcie rush in, check that the captives were *alive* and prepare them for quick exits as Jono begins firing in the direction of the sewer entry.
0303, Buffy and Xander have each managed through flexibility and the momentum of success to dust an unwounded vampire each, relying on foot-first chest kicks to ground their opponents, then a quick stab with a readied stake, practice of two weeks getting it down to the most efficient use of moves possible. Jenny shouts "Arsum!" as Amy does the same, both dusting two of four vampires coming in from a back area before firing well-enough into the cramped space.
0304, Fritz ceases his water attack, and readies himself to resume as Dave, Andrew and Buffy rush forward with javelins to stab downward into their floored targets without bending or dangerously opening themselves up to attacks. Twelve vampires turn to mud in this case as Xander holds off four more.
"A little water here Fritz!" the young man shouted out, rolling out of the way of an attack. Three of the vampires continue to press in on Xander as one rushes toward Willow and Dawn.
0305, The group in the back room have secured the captives and retreated to Giles and Hondo's door as five vampires reeking of a less-clean section of sewer enter through the other side. Hondo and Angel, reloaded, empty clips into the vampires and head back in as the others in the group concentrate on reaching sunshine. Guns empty, Jenny and Amy make a successful entry into the back areas and begin to help with the rescued captives.
0305, Fritz reopens the pressurized water, knocking down in body-erosive agony two of the three vampires attacking Xander as Buffy finishes off the floored bodies and heads over to help
0306, Buffy flies into the midst of the three vampires starting to overcome a Xander starting to slip and take hard blows as they work around to where Fritz can't hit them. Buffy, coming down from a mid-air somersault, manages a low right crescent kick, flooring one vampire as the others turn at the sudden evening of numbers. Xander steps out of reach to regain his footing and his breath as the Slayer's just getting started. She smiled widely, winked at Xander and proceeded to double piston-punch one vampire as she stepped to keep it between her and her companion. Dave ran over and staked the first downed vampire, as Andrew shouted to Willow and Dawn to shoot.
The two girls guarding the entrance fired their super-soakers as the panicked and berserking linebacker of a vampire screamed from water burns and continued charging. Almost upon them, the girls fired their crossbows and ducked each to a different side of the undead juggernaut. The vampire was slow in response as the bolts actually punctured throat and groin, both missing the heart by definite margins as the vampire headed into the opened van and beams of sunlight.
0307, the vampire in the vampire, pulling back from the light and throwing himself back into the building, was heedless of anything but brutal pain at the hands of mortals attacking a nest of vampires in daylight! Dawn and Willow charged him, amazed at themselves as Willow glared and forced the super-soaker into the stumbling figure's mouth, Dawn yanking the groin-imbedded bolt while forcing a stake twice into the undead's chest before it turned to dust.
"Remind me *never* to piss you two off," Andrew observed from behind them as Buffy and Xander came up to help. The group let out hysteria-induced laughter as they stumbled toward the rear of the room where Dave and Fritz were disappearing into a room where gunfire had ceased, hose length exceeded and left on the ground.
0308, Hondo and Angel, side to side had managed to dust one each and were closing in on the slow-to-recover bullet-holed three when Dave and Fritz barreled into the room, a super-soaker and stake in hand, not stopping but heading directly between the briefly-separated fighters. Tackling on together, they soaked and stabbed at it several times before achieving a first if joint dusting. Hondo and Angel, used to dumb luck of any type, quickly struck out against their opponents, Hondo with a sharpened police baton, Angel with fists and kicks. *Swiiishpoof* a crossbow bolt from Giles struck home, dusting Hondo's opponent efficiently.
0309, all is quiet as Angel break the remaining vampire enough to allow safe interrogation. Jenny and the support members render first-aid to the captives and fetch the other van from a block away.
Twelve minutes later, the vampire turns to dust the little new information it gave involved a couple of vamp-occupied apartments, Spike was building up forces by turning gang members and criminal organizations all along the coast for a return to Sunnydale in overwhelming force, and that Spike was waiting for word back at his warehouse before coming over and recruiting this group fully. And that he has maybe another two dozen vampires with him at any time now.
"What do you guys think?" Xander asked as they finished looting the easily convertibles into the vans, "Should we burn down the place, bomb it, conduct a ram, raid and retreat to put him of balance?"
"If Spike's expecting these guys back, it'd probably be in about thirty minutes at least," Angel replied, "So maybe a combination might work best."
"W-What do you have in mind Angel?" Giles asked, himself unsure of a plan at such short notice, "That warehouse has a bit more to it than this one if I recall."
"Why don't we reverse our usual Xander strategy this time?" Angel asked. It surprised even him when Buffy caught on first.
"You mean take all their cars away, then destroy the place, then attack?" she asked with a smile.
"Exactly," Angel replied, "If we take Spike's way out of there from him, and burn the place down, even if he gets away, it won't be much."
"Arson in that place might be a problem," Hondo remarked, "But I have enough explosives to where blowing up parts of it, and the sewer underneath it might do the trick without it spreading. Though if we do a ram and raid first, it might serve the purpose of getting him to leave his secure spot. In daytime, we're more likely to have uniformed officers on the scene in no time."
"If we ram into the main warehouse, one vehicle after another, the last being the pick up" Buffy considered, "The guys in the last one could throw a bunch of fiery explosive bombs all around on the way out. And we'll have run over a bunch. A-And Willow's van could shoot water out the side as the second car in, to keep the vampires away." The others looked impressed at her attempt to improvise with what they had.
"I-I think we have a good enough plan," Giles smiled, patting his slayer on the shoulder, "Good idea, Buffy. Shall we say five o'clock so we cannot be followed."
"Yeah," Xander agreed, "But Buffy and I'll go with Angel and we'll also blow up the sewers underneath the place. Make it difficult for his bunch to move around during the day." At that, the somewhat tired group scurried to prepare.
Spike and his vampires were waiting for the contact group to get back from the group of independents off of Docks Street, when suddenly the main doors crashed in, two vampires crushed underneath as a very large step van proceeded inward and swerved in a counter clockwise semi-circle. Minions scurried out of the way, only to discover a van with a door open followed the other vehicle closely, hot pressurized holy water shooting out and preventing the undead from rallying to attack. Fifteen vampires were briefly scaled, bumped, crushed or otherwise kept out of the action, the step van plunging through the thin east wall at the boarded window, and headed into the sunny day, the van swerving and following it. A large Dodge Ram pick up soared into the warehouse and determinedly making directly for vampiric forms, crushing three into dust and rendering four more useless for at least several days, as a final truck entered and three teenagers and a police veteran proceeded to throw Molotov cocktails and home-made anti-vampire grenades all around the main area of the warehouse and in the direction of the office to hurt a few more, dusting two by fire, and generally creating more venues for sunshine to enter the building. Spike looked on in stunned amazement as within five minutes his base had been breached and his forces scattered. He walked into the office to collect his thoughts and plot a possible counter when the two gas lines and two sewer access into the building blew up spectacularly, shaking loose most of the boards and other coverings from windows, and starting fires in the least-open areas. Spike shouted out orders and set his forehead on the desk in tired disgust.
Spike and four vampires managed to get out of Sunnydale in a stolen car four hours later, avoiding emergency crews at the scene as well as the slayer and her friends. He'd nearly gotten into an accident with a rental sedan driven by a large frowning tweed-wearing man with a teenaged passenger.
Spike vowed. He'd be back.
Spike's Warehouse, Half-Hour Before the End of the Last Episode "I don't think we got him," Angel remarked tiredly, looking at the smoldering warehouse.
"What make you think that Angel?" Xander replied, feeling the same thing, however.
"He's a lucky bastard," the souled vampire sighed, "One of us'll have to actually dust the bastard before I'll believe he's gone."
"Hmmmm," Xander replied with a non-response, "Let's head back to the house so I can change, then I'm supposed to meet Willow and Ampa at the Library before heading over to Dominick's on the Coast for a late dinner on the patio."
"Romantic evening?" Angel asked as they got into the car and drove away.
"Not this time," Xander replied, "You want to call Buffy and join us? We're just going to relax. I usually drop a couple hundred just to grab the patio so we can talk freely or just hang out."
"Tempting, but I'll pass," Angel smiled gratefully, "But I'll keep it in mind. Buffy's actually going to be studying at the Library for her French exam this coming week, and I told her I'd help."
"Cool, or shall I say, 'Bon'," Xander replied with a chuckle, "Hey, if you wait for a few minutes while I get ready, I'll drive you over and you'll have a good excuse to walk Buffy home."
Dark jacket draped over his shoulder, white dress shirt, black dress slacks, but no tie, Xander Harris walked into the Library just a little to the front and left of Angel, a sixth sense warning him to push the vampire back. A stake bounced off the door through the space Angel's heart would have been in. Noticing a blur in their direction as Angel recovered, Xander powered up and tossed his jacket to vampire and met the attack in his stead.
Dodging the double-foot-forward lunge by stepping to the right, he reached out and grabbed the ankles of the assailant, redirecting her momentum like a baseball bat. The girl found herself being sent through the air, Angel forced to jump back to avoid being hit. She ended up hitting the door head-first on her way into the hall.
A motion from her point of origin, and Xander's derringer was pointing ten feet away to where a large tweed-suited black gentleman was advancing on him, affixing a bolt into a crossbow.
"Stop, or die," Xander directed, pointing his gun at the man's face, and drawing out of a shoulder holster his *real* sidearm, leveling it at the door. Giles quickly moved forward to restrain the man, as Angel went into a defensive stance with the thrown stake and a 45 of his won. The dark-complected teenager charged back into the room to find her face targeted by two separate firearms, and her Watcher facing another while Mr. Giles was restraining him. A moment of silence, broken by Xander's full 'Lord of the Jungle' presence demanding explanation.
"Rupert, who are your guests, and won't you restrain them before I'm forced to shorten the census by two names?" Alexander Harris questioned coldly, "Liam and I don't take kindly to amateurs challenging us without their having a great many more years of training and experience behind them."
"Er, uh, Mr. ZabutoKendra" Giles interceded, "If you'll please stand down, these are two of our most valued allies."
"But dis one is a vam-pyre, suh," Kendra stated, gesturing at Angel slightly.
"B-Be that as it may, he is ensouled, and helped us defeat the Master this last Spring," Giles stressed, taking the crossbow from Zabuto, who sighed and nodded. "Kendra, if you'll slowly and carefully take a seat next to Mr. Zabuto, I'll conduct introductions in just a moment." She complied, and as her Watcher sat, so did she. Xander holstered his weapons, and, recovering his jacket from Angel with a nod of thanks exchanged, he turned to Giles.
"Rupert," he asked in the British accent into which he lapsed when tired, "I would actually like some tea this time, if I could trouble you?" The Watcher reached over to the tale and poured a cup. Xander took a sip while still standing, and nodded his thanks. Xander set the cup down and indicated that he would begin.
"My associate is Liam Angel, an ensouled vampire here to assist the slayer, Buffy Summers, in the fight against the darkness," he began, Angel nodding at his introduction. "I am more than I appear, and what is, none of your damn business. However, I *am* a police officer and you both attempted to assault, if not murder me. How embarrassing for the both of you, and your Council. Rupert, this is a much better blend than usual, could you order some for me the next time?" He left four other occupants of the room silent, as much from his abrupt change of conversation topic, as the threats implied with his statement of employment.
"Rupert," Xander asked Giles, seriously, "Do you trust me?"
"Absolutely, with anything I'm not sworn to keep confidential," the Watcher replied seriously and without stammer or stutter, "With my life."
"Well, Mr. Zabuto," Xander loudly used his 'law enforcement' voice, "I'm waiting forsomething." The man looked uncomfortable.
"Ibegrudginglyapologize for our precipitous attack on *your*person," Zabuto responded, "But it is our mission to eliminate the vampires. We will not move against *this * vampire while we're here as long as Mr. Giles is present and vouches for it."
"Him, the others are its," Xander corrected, and Zabuto nodded. "And your honest begrudging apology and declaration marks you an honest man, Mr. Zabuto." He held out his hand to the Watcher with a genuine smile. They clasped hands in a shake. "I am Alexander Harris. It's *now* a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Zabuto, and I offer whatever cooperation you need in Sunnydale as long as it meets with Rupert's approval." The man looked confused at this turn of events. Rupert took pity as Ampa, Buffy and Willow came through the door.
"Alexander, why don't you take Kendra along with you while I discuss matters with Mr. Zabuto?" Giles asked, "You can show her our Sunnydale methods and such, and maybe a short sweep of the cemeteries later."
"Any in particular? If she's here Tuesday night, I think we're planning a small nest clearing." Xander looked at Zabuto, who nodded slowly. "First things first, however" and he made the introductions, including Kendra's and Buffy's similar nighttime employment, "and now, dinner at Dominick's." The young girl looked panicked. Willow came to her aid.
"Xander pays for everything," Willow assured her, guiding the girl out the door, behind the rest of the group, "It's a rule."
Dinner went fine and after a couple of hours spent de-shocking a Buffy reminded of her death and at the same time loosening up Kendra a little bit, they surprised the new slayer by pulling into a parking garage, quickly changing into black hunting clothes, body armor and balaclavas, handing her an extra set.
"Secret identity to those outside the group," Buffy explained, helping the junior slayer suit up and arm up. They then unobtrusively made heir way down a sewer entrance, Angel first, and headed about two blocks over before surfacing. En route, they surprised two individual vampires and after removing id and valuables dusted the two efficiently.
Once on the surface, they were met by Ceta team (Marcie, Jonathan, Jenny and Amy), similarly outfitted except a Greek letter and a number. Talking to them for a few moments, Xander returned.
"They're tired, but think that as these two wallets are where the small nest scheduled for Tuesday is," Xander indicated, "and with a second slayer, they want to try raiding it tonight and just have Alpha Team patrol this week. Buff, Angel?"
"Sure, just general sweeps for the week?" the blonde slayer enthused, "Cool." Angel nodded agreement. The group plugged in earpieces and listened as they slowly made their way
"It looks like the vamps are in a duplex a block away over near the Alibi Room," Xander whispered into his throat microphone, "Maybe four vampires in each, plans show they used to be connected, but who knows if the vamps reopened it. Rear single patio with two-foot fence separating the yards. I want Ceta team to simply cover the back doors. Fire, water, wood any that try to get out, and watch your backs. Willow, I want you to back up Buffy and Angel, I'll take Ampa and Kendra with me. We go through the doors together. Kendra, you kick in the door, I go straight through the house, killing any bads until I get to the back door. You, then go in after me and follow the right-hand rule until you catch up to me, got it?" She nodded, "Good, then Ampa, cover our six and only engage as necessary. If the door-between is sealed, pound on it a few times to let the other team know we're there, then turn back to secure the entry again."
Twenty minutes later, a two-minute operation was over and Kendra was being instructed by Willow and Ampa on how to properly handle asset 'reclamation.' Gathering of valuables, evidence for the SDPD, intel on other vampires or activity. The count of vampires dusted was seven, and the practiced manner of it amazed Kendra. The use of silenced large-caliber firearms to slow or even kill vampires before a melee, concentrated numbers and strength to overwhelm the usually too-strong, and the efficient disposal of assets to fund further improvements and operations stunned her. And when she was handed fifty dollars for her participation, she didn't know how to react.
"I know how you feel," Buffy confided, "But if we dusted the vampire, where would the money go? This way, we make the fight easier for our side, take the occasional night off to ensure our fighting is at top levels, and the wear and tear on clothing should be paid for by the things that damage it. Use it to buy a back up set of clothes or something, take your Watcher out to dinner."
"But I never handle de money," the vampire slayer replied, "Mr. Zabuto handles it."
And how many extra sets of clothes do you have?" Buffy asked.
"Just de one I am wearing," Kendra admitted, "Plus an extra set of boots.
"And how many does your Watcher have," Buffy asked, getting a bit tweaked at how things were looking.
"He has two complete sets, plus two each shirts and pants," she responded, "But he has been a Watcher for a while."
"Xan, we need to take Kendra shopping this weekend for the basics," Buffy keyed into her microphone as Dave, Fritz and Andrew drove up in the retrieved vehicles. Hondo arrived right behind them. "Her Watcher's cheap."
"Okay, Buff, will five bills cover it?" Xander asked, as they all sprang into action to load the vehicles and get out fast.
"Yeah, that should do it," Buffy confidently predicted.
"Cool," Xander remarked as they started getting into the vehicles and leaving, "But she has to stay and join us for Halloween patrol and party."
"Done, bro," Buffy smiled into her microphone, "And let's get going, I still have a French test this week, and I promised Dawn we'd go get our nails done tomorrow. She's spending *way* too much time with Cordelia and I need to compensate."
"Well, Sahjhan," Ethan pleasantly asked with a feral grin on his face, "I've managed to assemble the clothing, accoutrements and weapons from the studio lockers, as well as stock photos labeled by character. Is that focus enough for you to complete our spell on Friday night?"
"Yes, if you also have either blood or better, any bodies to put into the clothes, you'll increase your chances for the service you seek of me," the necromancer responded, "But with as many as you want, tied to Sahjhan's portal, they'll likely to be scattered throughout Sunnydale."
"As will the relocated targets if they exist," Sahjhan informed them.
"So even more chaos within chaos?" Ethan enthused, "I see no problem with that, and with a few 'leaks' to certain groups, it'll add to the revelry, don't you think?"
"All I care about is Angelus dead in the process," Sahjhan asserted, not revealing who else he'd 'invited to the party earlier than he'd planned.
The necromancer nodded and broke the magical 'video' connection to Ethan's Shoppe, turning to a fellow member of the Order.
"Well, Holland, do you think your vampire incarnations are necessary?" the wielder of dark magics asked, "It will cost you dearly to be so fancy." William Holland beamed him a reassuring smile that betrayed nothing behind it.
"We lucked out when that Vampiress Seer provided my people with enough to get started on. We're determined to speed things up before they would have unfolded. As a matter of fact, we're expecting you as agreed to raise the first one in our labs in just a few hours, as contracted, while the others can wait until Friday at the Hell Mouth. And besides, we're sending our three best mercenary teams just in case."
"I'm tellin' ya, Dru luv," Spike asserted, "We'll soon have the troublesome slayer out of the way, and you'll be Queen of the Hell Mouth." They looked out over the warehouse where Spike's turned gang leaders were preparing for Thursday night's drive to Sunnydale. 'Thirty minions with *their* gang-banger minions,' William the Bloody thought, 'More than enough to take out that slayer and her gang.'
"Travers, here!" Quentin Travers officiously answered his phone, "This better be important."
"Uh-huh"
"John Clayton? Are you sure?"
"She looks like her? Well, is it?"
"Well, I'll send a team to escort them home"
"Three teams?! Why?"
"They'll arrive by late Friday, on a slow night like All Hallow's they'll not expect it. Have your slayer there just in case."
"No, don't tell her anything, perhaps you should go along as well."
"Richard, William Holland here," the Wolfram and Hart executive announced into the telephone, "Fine thank you, sir. Say, our people seem to think an unknown Event is happening in your area this weekend, and we're wondering if you'd like any preventive help regarding whatever it might be."
"Standard rate, from your account, very good."
"Uh-huh, yes, so how many? Fifty and ten?"
"I'll send Lilah and Lindsay up on Friday morning to coordinate."
"Thanks for asking, the family's fine. Okay then, bye."
"You two will be in Sunnydale this weekend," Holland told his two waiting subordinates. "Don't let us down. The Senior Partners will be watching."
"Hey, Street!" Sanchez called her team leader on the phone, "Nana says the brujas have heard big things are going to happen in Sunnydale this weekend."
"They say what?" he asked, concerned for his family.
"Just a lot of talk amongst some of the gangs," she replied, "And the usual dark forces and such kind of talk. Except that she also made the point to say that none of the gang-bangers are seen near a church any more, and most of the family killings this last month are light on the day-time funeral attendance."
"Whoa, that sounds ominous," Street considered, "I'll see if the Commandant can get us detached to Sunnydale, then give Alex and Hondo a head's up. How many we talkin' about?"
"Probably ten or fifteen to a gang, and maybe two gangs, so we should be enough to help out against that many, especially if we take the van," she responded, hoping she wasn't overreacting.
"Grandmaster, there are indications that evil is gathering at the Hell Mouth starting on All Hallows Eve," the Master of Intelligence and Research reported.
"To Sunnydale we must mobilize, and quickly," the leader responded, "So soon after our spies revealed the release of the Key by the monks, this must be connected. Send thirty knights to immediately check it out, and let the other chapters know whatever you've discovered."
"Yes, Grandmaster."
"So, Sahjhan, you say Angelus is on the Hell Mouth?" Penn asked the time/space demon, "And that he still has that soul?"
"Your chance to strike will seldom be better," the demon replied, "But another hunter of the past is being brought forward by others to beat you to it. Besides, while his lover the slayer fights the others, you'll easily eliminate the disappointment."
"Sleeping with a slayer?" the vampire grimaced, "Has he no standards at all?"
"Her name is Buffy."
"He should thank me when I kill him then."
"Good morning, Darla," William Holland beamed at the young blonde struggling to consciousness, "Welcome Back."
The three vampires hunted the young man as he left the dormitory, calling out to his friends that he'd be late getting back. He didn't know that he might not be coming back. The minions grabbed the man and dragged him behind a building as the vampiress followed.
"So you're the one Miss Edith tells me will cause the death of the slayer, she does," Drusilla cooed as the young man looked at her in terror. Drusilla placed her hands on the man's face, and collapsed in shock as energy arced and the man transformed.
The hot-in-an-evil-sort-of-way-young-woman knocked back the undead minions and reached for the recovering Drusilla, clamping her hand on the now-conscious vampiress' head. The demonic energy was never as satisfying as the human, and in this case drove the goddess further from sanity. As Drusilla's minions lunged upon the blonde goddess, the vampiress fled at great speed into the night. She had to get to Sunnydale and warn them of the trouble. The Wolf and the Angel would help her, only them.
She as she ran she heard the voice of the awakened Glorificus in the night, "Minions! Attend!"
"Alex, it's me, Hondo," the retired and rehired police veteran said into the phone, "I really need you and Angel, only, to come over to my house right away. I have visitors who have information regarding that Spike we've been concerned about. Half-hour? Great."
He turned to the two people on his front porch who were covered by his shotgun, looking at them again. The man seemed unsure of what was going on, and he'd said as much. The woman, on the other hand, seemed ill at ease in what looked to be another set of the man's clothes and was barefoot. Her eyes looked like the world had ended, and Hondo could tell there was something very unusual about the vampiress. He'd killed enough of them since Alex had introduced him to the shadow world.
They waited about ten minutes before Alex and Angel pulled up in one of the SUVs. Angel waited until Alex had cleared the front end before starting up the walk way. As the two reached the front steps, Hondo could tell they'd both detected the visitors. He called out to them before they could take action.
"Hold up guys," Hondo cautioned, "Right now I have them both covered and I'd like to hear what this is about before you spring into action." The man stepped forward, hands in front of him, clearly unarmed.
"Hi, uh, I just gave her a change of clothes and a ride up her," he said, "And even though she's a vampire, a Mr. Whistler called me on the pay phone where she met me, and told me to mention his name to Mr. Angel, whichever of you is he? That's all, really."
"You're not entirely human, are you?" Angel responded.
"Half-Brachen," the man sighed, "We're peaceful in general though." Angel nodded at his, and indicated that Hondo should cover him on the side of the porch opposite the woman. He cocked an eyebrow at Xander, who gestured him forward with a small smirk.
"So," Angel said, walking carefully to within six feet of the visitor, "what do you have to tell us, Miss"
"Edith, Angel," the woman sighed sadly, "You'd think the man who turned me crazy" She looked up "so that I was so broken that I never left my body before the demon moved in, would recognize his own handiwork."
"Dru?" Angel gasped in genuine surprise, her voice, clothes and clarity clashing with his memories of the very face in front of him, taking a step back, "How?"
"Edith, Angelus," she emphasized, frustrated and starting to sob tears of water and blood, as she explained how the goddess Glorificus leached out the consciousness of the body-controlling intelligence, leaving the demonically-unhindered soul, Miss Edith the human soul of the body, temporarily in control. "I don't want the demon back. You have your soul. I *don't* want to watch her *anymore.*" He reached for her, causing her to pull back, "Please don't touch me" as she broke down in tears and sobs. The three demon fighters looked at each other and reached the same conclusion.
"Giles."
Xander had carried 'Edith' out to the car, asking to restrain her until they could get to the weapons cage. She nodded, and thanked him. Angel called Giles and Jenny both, asking for them to meet at the Library with any literature they had on curses, souls and the blood ritual involved in turning.
Giles, bringing Kendra and Zabuto along, found Xander just clearing out the cage and escorting a woman into it, helping her to sit at a table with tea and a pitcher of water. He closed the cage to find Kendra in particular looking confused as Angel brought them up to date, introducing the 'driver.'
"Oh, and this is Mr. Doyle," Angel added, "He's half-brachen, who are peaceful, and seems a mutual contact asked him to driveEdithup here."
"Are you a-collectin' de vam-pires , Xander?" the slayer asked with a slight mock to her match her raised eyebrow, "Or just be wantin' a matched set?" The youth's face seemed to lighten by years to his true age as he was zinged by usually reticent girl.
"Ow, Kendra," Xander returned, "You know Angel belongs to Buffy, I just thought I'd get her a Barbie as an early birthday present to match her Ken-doll."
"The slayer shot *would* ricochet and hit me," Angel sighed in mental pain, "but can we get back on track, please?"
"Y-yes, let's," Giles remarked. "So, apparently, 'Edith' claims to be the soul in the vampiress known as Drusilla, and Edith had just taken holy orders when yoAngelus broke her sanity and then turned her. And she claims that a goddess sapped the demon's consciousness and this has allowed her at least temporary control?"
"Rather unbelievable," Mr. Zabuto offered, but seemed to be considering the situation.
"She was also a seer, that was why Angelus wanted her so badly," Angel added. "Maybe the connection to higher powers confused something?"
"I don't mean to get in the way of the whys," Alex interrupted, "But going on the theory of truth, can we anchor her soul like Angel's?"
"I-I don't know," Giles admitted, then turned to Jenny, who briefly looked caught in the headlights, "Could you get on th-that infernal machine a-and perhaps look up gypsy soul curses or something?" She nodded in relief that her secret was still safe, and got onto the Internet as the others, Alex with his background as John Clayton included, began research. Alex pushed a table up against the cage, and passed through books for Edith to double-check as they completed, as a back up to their sleep-deprived efforts and to keep her company as she didn't trust Angel near her.
"So none of you could find my Dru, that's what you're telling me?" Spike quietly bit out, "Does any one know anything?"
"All we know is that the blonde woman who killed eight of us," a vampire gang leader said, "was screaming about 'that crazy woman knows where to find my key' so I'm guessing Drusilla got awayand we tracked her to where she got into a car"
"Well, we postpone everything until Friday night, then," Spike ordered, "We'll look for Dru tonight, gather and be ready to head out as soon as the sun goes down tomorrow."
Xander woke from his cot after a three-hour nap. They'd not found anything in particular, tough Jenny had sent off e-mails to her coven and some people in Romania. He looked into the cage where Edith was resting, Angel having provided her with 'food' the night before. Her revulsion, and crying afterward, seemed to have swayed Zabuto, and therefore Kendra, both of whom would return soon to take up protective watch.
"Alexander," Edith called softly to him as he moved away, causing him to turn back, "Thank you for trying." He gave her a small smile and nod, and she continued more seriously as Giles walked in, "But we forgot to talk about Spike last night. He's been turning a lot of young brigands in Los Angeles, and plans to come back to Sunnydale on All Hallow's."
"Do you know how many, or what he's planning?" Giles asked softly. "It would be a great help."
"I only saw thirty, but I really tried not to pay too close attention to what Drusilla did," Edith replied, "Her insanity was even greater than my own, and I really only made any kind of sense when I had a vision."
"Thirty vampires, huh?" Alex said, thoughtful, "I guess we really do need to be out escorting kids Friday night."
"And that is where he'll be, Captain," Sahjhan told the time-preserved man, "Now eat more and get ready, you'll need your strength Friday night. There will be others of is kind about, so be prepared."
"Well, Darla, feeling better?" William Holland greeted the raised human with the vampire's memories intact, "We're thinking of sending you home tomorrow night."
"Home?" the confused young woman asked, "Where would that be?"
"Sunnydale, of course," the lawyer beamed, looking for a response.
"Angelus," Darla softly whispered, showing both fear and hope at the same time.
"Ah, yes, I believe he was mentioned in the paperwork," Holland responded, "But you'll be enrolled as a junior in high school and be fostered by"
"High School?!" the young blonde interrupted incredulously, "But I was a little too old even when I was alive the first time."
"Now, don't worry, the man who's agreed to foster you, Mayor Richard Wilkins," Holland replied with a reassuring note, "has been aware of your *general* situation, and that you're legally sixteen, and he'll have tutoring provided to get you up to speed."
"But what about my, ah"
"We almost missed theaffliction," Holland responded, half-embarrassed, "But the Mayor is a bit of agerm-sensitive individual, so we made sure we brought you back whole and with a clean bill of health when we did"
"But why?" the former vampiress responded.
"Angelus annoyed a few people, and some non-people," Holland smiled, "So they figured they'd get back at him by having you show up alive and taken care of, leading a human lifewhat he pines after and whines about. The Mayor owed a few minor debts that were canceled when he agreed to help out."
"Uhm, when do I start this new life?" Darla asked reticently.
"You'll drive up this afternoon, and start school tomorrow morning."
The entire group gathered to discuss the Halloween situation and preparations, and were surprised at being introduced to Edith, then told of Spike's plan. They'd covered the shadow side of things when Cordelia brought in the gymnastics and cheerleader contingent, including Harmony, Aura, Dawn (not Summers), Joy, Amber, Lisa and Lishanne.
"Okay, everybody, Buffy, Cordelia and I are very glad you're here today," Xander said, "As you know, Vice Principal Snyder had the *wonderful* idea that all of us would escort kids trick-or-treating. Now, Principal Snyder wanted to pick our costumes for us" Silence struck the crowd. "But Principal Flutie decided to settle for a theme, and one linkable to the others. Since we have so many of us, it means we were able to be flexible about many of the choices, but not too far." He gestured to Cordelia,.
"We insisted that if we had to do this, we'd look *goooooood,* right girls," she stressed, nodding at her Cordettes, who started bringing out costumes in groups. "That's why we got your actual measurements, and the shop owner promises that not only will the costumes be real, you'll *be* the costume. And he's giving *us* better than Party Town quality at clearance prices. Buffy"
"Okay, from a really big checklist, you all rated the type of costume and such you'd be *happy enough* with, and you'll be traveling in teams of six or seven to a street. We've all lived here, and you know that for the most part, that the candy hall for the kids is about the same on all the streets. Also, the police have donated radios for each street group, so if somebody gets hurt or runs into trouble, emergency services can show up and help without ruining it for the kids. Xan"
"Thanks, girls," Xander smiled, "The Mayor and Council have gone all-out this year. He's even gotten Fondren High and a bunch of the Greek Houses at Sunny U to put in appearances. I know, most of it is political guys showing 'they care' but what it means is that pretty much every kid in the area will be probably be escorted, that's like two or three thousand kids out there. At both schools and the University, there will be bag lunches with extra candy and fruit in the cafeterias for afterwards. We're hoping to get all the kids back here by six or six-fifteen, just before dark at six-thirty anyway. Then, I don't now about you, but there's a circuit of party's being given by those who didn't get nailed by kid-duty. Mr. Giles, with Dave and Fritz, has tried to provide any excuses for variance in costumes, and it boils down to thisour school will do what's necessary to beat Fondren *and* the college kids at this. Mr. Giles, anything else?"
"Well, yes, actually," the librarian spoke as he stepped forward, "The Mayor, Chief of Police and Principal Flutie have all written letters of commendation for those participating, so those of you going on to college will have that little extra, especially if you decide to attend the local university."
"Hey, Xander!" Harmony called out, "People want to know about the swords, wooden stakes and little squirt guns."
"Oh yeah," Xander replied, "That's just our little secret. The swords are so that we're all 'Immortals' like that Adrian Paul show Highlander. Is Snyder here?" They looked and called out 'no' "And one of the ways to kill a *troll* is a wooden stake and holy water." Laughs. "Our little joke when he rags on us tomorrow night. And if your darling angels get out of hand, consider the squirt gun a bonus."
"Well, so you're Darla," Mayor Wilkins smiled, shaking her hand and guiding her into the parlor, "I certainly hope you enjoy it here, young lady." He indicated for her to sit, as Lilah handed over a folder of various documents, records, identifications to the man.
"Yes, yes, Ms. Morgan, the paperwork I presume is all in order?" the man asked, and at her nod continued with a beaming smile, "Wonderful, then I guess, it's time Darla and I get to know one another. Good day, Ms. Morgan, I hope that both you and your associate Mr. Lindsay will join me for breakfast after I personally get our little lady here started at her new high school." The young lawyer nodded and left, amused by the fullness of the Mayor's act.
"Are the gangs ready?" Spike asked his gathered minion leaders, "I want us in Sunnydale at sunset." His second reported.
"We've grabbed enough vans and busses," the Minion reported, "And our still-human members will be ready to leave no later than four…with rush hour, we should be there by sunset."
"Good," Spike nodded, "By this time tomorrow, even without Dru, I want Sunnydale to burn and bleed." The assembled vampires growled with anticipation.
"Summarize this for me," His Evilness stated without emotion to his Intelligence Minion, "I haven't time to read it."
"It appears that there will be an attempt by an Aurelius vampire, Spike, to seize control of the Hell Mouth tonight with a sizable force of half-breeds," the demon briefed his master, "Wolfram and Hart are sending assistance to fellow Order member Wilkins to avert a possible Opening, but are also sending their *own* 'teams' with vampiric support as well. It seems that they haven't told Wilkins about these 'additional helpers.'"
"Anything else?" His Evil Grace questioned harshly, "I see none of this as a particular threat."
"The various predictors in our service have glimpsed many possible variables becoming important but cannot see resolution your stated status quo policy would support," the minion grimaced, "Nest rises again to open the Hell Mouth, Angelus ends the Black Thorn, Glorificus seizing the Key within a short time and bringing twenty-four hell dimensions and four human dimensions into War, and other variables."
"So they don't know?" the Arch Demon pressed.
"It will be a night of chaos, and the outcome is unsure," the minion conceded. "It will depend on the actions of all players. But the Necromancer and another, unidentified, Order member were glimpsed within the chaos."
"So the Order is turning to the individual interests?" the Archduke stated, finally letting anger start to seep out around the edges. "Quietly mobilize *all* of our minions. When I give the word, we will carry out The Purge as we planned years ago. But inform those who would've raided the richer neighborhoods, that they'll be my cohort to the Hell Mouth. They will leave in time to get to Wilkins' little town sometime after sundown. Let's make sure the vampires and others are all at the Hell Mouth when my minions wipe them out."
"What of Wilkins?" the minion asked, seeking clarification.
"Nothing direct," the Duke of Demons directed, "But anything found trying to control or open the Hell Mouth needs to be destroyed. We're comfortable here, why go back to the endless war of the Hell Planes? If any of the Order survives the night, we'll worry about the niceties tomorrow."
Joseph, Field Commander of the Knights of Byzantium in North America, looked up from his computer, one of the few used by members of the Order. He'd been gathering the various auxiliary assets of the Order together for a mission to Africa sans the horses and armor. A 'coven' of reality-altering demons were attempting to convert demonic energy into soul/life energy as a means of taking over the bodies of humans as though they were their own. Forty-eight soldiers, including eight as medics/comm personnel. Now, he receives this order to drop everything and take the thirty full knights, hidebound traditionalists who disdained modern weaponry against demons and search for Glorificus and the Key while keeping an eye on the happenings on the Hell Mouth on All Hallow's Eve.
"Maurice," he sighed to his chief aide, "Have you read this?"
"Yes, My Lord," the adjutant emotionlessly replied, "Your orders?"
"Since it doesn't specifically proscribe me from taking *all* assets to Sunnydale, and all fifty knights with support, that's what we'll do," the Commander directed, nodding, "We'll bring up the twenty Knights over from the Eastern Chapter for sparring. Spread the word: Trucks and Trailers; Full Kits. With it being Halloween, we can send teams of five horsemen forward on each of the major streets as a decorative recon, with their squirage following behind with a real team each." His aide wrote down the orders, and readied to depart.
"I guess we'll never know how we'd have fared against the six demons in that African cave, huh?" he said as the adjutant saluted and hurried to issue the orders. "Hopefully we'll get to this town a little after dark."
"General Breckinridge, Sir, your costume is here," the young lieutenant, Riley Finn, reported to the base commander, "And the tailoring seems quite good." The general looked it over.
"What about the men and the costumes for the ladies?" the general quizzed his newest aide, "Are theirs up to snuff?"
"Yes Sir," Finn replied, "Mr. Rayne was able to come up with about a fifty-fifty split on the costumes, and the ladies should fit just fine."
"Well, I hope so," the older man sighed, "With the Mayor holding a First Annual Halloween Ball and inviting the crews of that Coast Guard boat and those naval trainees working with them, I want us to look our best."
Principal Flutie was welcoming the Mayor's daughter to the school, and Snyder chaffed at having another 'untouchable' student outside his reach. And to find out he had to attend the First Annual Halloween Ball as soon as the kiddie groups returned was too much.
The Vice Principal winced at the thought of dressing up for the Mayor' party; after that big 'serial killing' thing had swept through the news, the public relations effort had gotten into gear; everybody from the military base officers, to police, to civil servants were being wrangled as part of the whole thing to put a friendly face on the region. Good thing Halloween was a quiet night' with all the brass of the area gathering at the Civic Center nearer the docks, base and airport, it should be alright. 'And the only costume left was something called a Ferengi…whatever that is.'
"And this, Miss Wilkins, is the School Library," Principal Flutie pointed out, "And we'll get your textbooks her." He looked for Rupert. "Ah, Mr. Giles, this is our new student, the Mayor's daughter. Darla, this is Mr. Giles our librarian." The demure blonde girl looked up and looked for recognition in the man's eyes, but didn't really see any.
"G-Good morning, Miss Wilkins," Giles replied, 'Darla? It can't be, she's the Mayor's daughter and it's day time, Rupert,' he chided himself while remaining British-looking, "I was given a list of your books, so I've taken the liberty of readying them for you." He gestured with his hand to the materials.
"Thank you, Mister Giles," the girl somewhat reticently replied, sighing, "One less thing to keep track of while I figure out where I'm supposed to be." She smiled wanly as he nodded understanding.
Oh, and Rupert please let Alexander know that the Mayor would like his daughter to participate in tonight's Halloween escort as away to familiarize herself with Sunnydale High and make friends," Flutie continued, smiling, "Now, I have a few things to take care of before I leave for the airport this afternoon, so Darla, let's introduce you to the school counselor, and next period…you have computer class."
Giles noted the girl's deeply sad look as the school administrator turned away.
Xander sat in between the cool kids and the hero kids in Ms. Calendar's class, and had just parried, countered, and riposted a Cordelia quip successfully when Principal Flutie brought a new student into the room. As the humor died down and computers fired up, the world narrowed for Xander Harris and Darla Wilkins.
Flutie made introductions, made a harmless witticism, and left as the two 'teens' locked gazes. Buffy, Ampa, Cordelia and a few others turned toward Xander with widening eyes as he began to sub-vocalize a growl that soon rose to be heard by those within a few feet. Buffy noticed his eyes taking on the hue he only sowed when he was extremely angered, his posture tensing as though to spring. Ampa and Willow were softly but franticly whispering to him in an attempt to calm down as Buffy started to recognize Angel's sire. Sitting up front, in the sunshine, cross around her neck, looking worriedly over her shoulder at Xander. Jenny Calendar then distracted the rest of the class by beginning lab assignments and getting Darla set up on a computer.
"What is it?!" whispered Cordelia to Buffy, "Who's the new girl?"
"Remember Darla from the Library last May?" Buffy whispered back while using slayer strength to keep her male friend from precipitous action. Cordelia nodded, "That's her up front and seemingly human?" Xander waved back his friends and girlfriends.
Darla whispered something to the dark-haired teacher, and received a pass and directions to the bathroom. She left, tearing slightly as she exited.
"Ms. Calendar?" Xander addressed his teacher aloud, "I just remembered an errand I needed to take care of for tonight, in the Library? May I be excused for a while? My assignments are up-to-date." Jenny nodded as she continued to help other students. Xander almost bolted from the room.
A minute later, concerned, Ms. Calendar sent Buffy to help Darla in case she got lost.
Giles watched from the upper stacks as Miss Wilkins raced through the doors of the library, crying and looking like she was fleeing something. Taking a deep breath, she just seemed to stare at the table and then to a spot on the floor, when Xander barged into the library, stopped, and slowly began to stalk her. Giles called out to them from up top.
"C-can I help you two?" the Watcher asked as he deliberately made his way toward what seemed to be a rather one-sided conflict. Darla backed slowly away from the spot that had held her fixated, moving toward the weapons cage. Buffy entered the library slowly but didn't stop as she saw her friend steadily moving on his prey.
"Xander, I think she's human," Buffy said softly, hoping to get through to the person who in two months had helped her through most of the issues she'd had building over the last couple of years.
"So was Jesse, Buff," Xander replied, "So was Jesse." Darla was a step away from the cage exterior when she finally spoke.
"I'm sorry," she very softly whispered, "Please don't hurt me…" Giles was flanking Xander, quietly asking him not to do anything until they knew more, like why she's resurrected. She backed into the cage, and cried out in surprise as two hands softly but irresistibly held her in place.
"So Grand-Mommy's come to her Dru," the still sane Edith spoke, "But Dru's not in control right now." The vampiress looked to the three for guidance. Darla slumped and sobbed.
"Make them go away," Darla whispered, "I-I can't stand it, Drusilla. End me." Giles and Buffy stopped in shock as Xander crouched within striking distance and used all of his senses to determine Darla's humanity.
"I'm Edith," the soul within the vampiress body informed her, "the demon Drusilla is no longer in control." Darla turned and looked into the female's eyes.
"How?" she asked, "How do you stand it?" Xander looked to Edith, who looked somewhere between angry and sad, for answers.
"She's talkin' 'bout the voices, Alexander," Edith responded, grimacing, "Of those victimized by the demon that is no longer in her. She feels all of the guilt and pain for what happened while her soul was elsewhere. Like Angelus."
"He's Angel, now," Buffy automatically and half-embarrassedly as she realized she'd done so.
"Do you hear them?" Xander asked, curious, a small smile for Buffy but never taking his eyes off the watching and tearing Darla.
"No, Alexander," she sighed, "Because I watched and screamed and tried to divert her the whole time. I lived it with them, was one of them. I played ea party and read children's books with her to try to slow the killing. I think I know all the good ones written in the last two centuries," she added sadly. "So I do know what she's going through, but she's four hundred years old and *remembering* all at once. They're not really there, or I'd be seeing 'em, I would. And remember, however they brought her back, she's the human with the *memories* of the vampire. But the demon isn't here any more. When vampires 'die' the demonic energy disperses into oblivion. Even if she were turned, it would be a *different* with all of the memories." She let go of the human girl, "I'm sleepy, so good morning to you all." She went back to her cot and pulled the blankets over herself.
"I-I don't know about this having you around," Xander said, taking a glass of holy water Giles had poured, "But if you survive drinking this…we'll see." She sipped it expecting pain, but then drank the whole thing without harm. "I guess you're not a monster now," he continued, "Buffy please take her back to class, I…have things I need to think about."
"Yes, that is correct, Mr. Harris," the Assistant District Attorney told 'Hondo' Harris, "Jack O'Toole and his associates somehow made bail, and will be processed and released around two-thirty. Yes, sir, I know, but that's how the bail system works."
Warren Meers was talking to some of his friends, four other disgruntled geeks, about how the Harris bunch had managed to become popular and could somehow get away with some of the geekiness without being ridiculed.
"Yeah, Warren, we know but who cares?" one of them dismissed, "And what's in the boxes." He gestured at the five boxes brought in by the jumpy technogeek.
"These my friends, are our own set of cool," Warren pontificated as he started handing them out, "I overheard some of the Harris Herd talking about costumes, so I decided to counter some Star Wars basics on their part with even better Imperial ones on our part. Gentlemen, I will be a Sith Grand Admiral of four Dark Jedi Star Destroyer Captains. I found a bunch of accessories over at that new place while I spent the extra money for the expensive Party Town stuff since he bought these at a convention. At least tonight, *we'll* be the cool ones."
"But Warren, there weren't any in the books or movies," Dave Metz replied.
"Hey, it's great, but come on, it's not real," Warren said shaking his head, and gesturing widely with an arm. It knocked Harmony's diet soda directly toward Cordelia's costume as she was showing it to a teacher who'd asked.
"Oh!" Cordelia exclaimed, entering the Library with a frustrated look on her face. Sam Zabuto was explaining to Xander and Giles about some clothes he'd received from the Council when Cordelia interrupted, "That idiot Warren went and spilled soda on my costume! How am I supposed to get it out in time for tonight?!" She showed them the tight pants and blouse that had soda stains on them, not too noticeable, but she *is* Cordelia Chase.
"Cordelia, please calm down," Giles directed the young woman, "A-and we'll see if we have anything to replace it." He gestured toward Mr. Zabuto's box, "Samuel, would there be anything in the Alice Chase clothing that could substitute?" Sam Zabuto nodded and went through some of the effects. Corelia caught the name and looked over to Xander.
"Apparently, Giles mentioned the Cultural Party goings on," Xander replied, "And the fact that I used to be John Clayton. A little research turned up a few objects that the Council shipped over to us." He looked fondly at the girl, and added softly, "And since you look exactly like her, I think they're hoping you'll 'activate' the memories like I did."
"Whoa, stop right there, Wolf-Boy," Cordelia responded, large-eyed, "There's no way I'm going to become a Slayer, I'm going to have a life." She looked at the expensive pants and blouse from five decades ago appreciatively nonetheless.
"I wasn't suggesting it, and since a slayer *was* called after Alice, you probably won't have to worry about that," Xander replied quietly, "As for the memories, just don't declare yourself as Alice Chase while wearing the clothes and you'll probably be fine, Cordy. But the clothes and a little jewelry are yours, regardless."
"Jewelry?" she responded, with interest, "Well, I guess I could look through things and see what's there." She grabbed the jewelry box, blouse and pants, "I guess I'll go see if these fit." They watched her leave.
"Do you think she'll decide to recover the memories?" Sam Zabuto asked, "It would be interesting to see how much she'd recover."
"She looks exactly like my Alice," Xander who'd once been the Lord of the Jungle and a Watcher in his final years said, "But who knows? She might not be a reincarnation like me."
"A third slayer would be an invaluable asset, I can see where the Council would be interested," Giles mused, "And any area which suddenly found itself with three of them would soon be cleared."
"I just hope the Council remembers that *Cordelia* Chase is an American citizen with rich parents," Xander replied, recalling the trend he'd as John Clayton been concerned with, "Because it would get very ugly."
"But Alexander," Samuel Zabuto interjected, "Isn't your loyalty to the Council?"
"Not at all Samuel," the reincarnated jungle lord corrected, "I was loyal to fighting the Darkness, and was fulfilling my familial and personal obligations at the time. But with a Travers heading the Council? I'll remain a 'allied independent' for now." The Watchers nodded quietly as they sipped their tea and started on their lunch again.
The Archduke looked over the scale map of Southern California from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara. His lieutenants had placed markers indicating targets, gang strengths, police and military strengths and or important information on the forty foot by thirty foot map. Several tokens included the two thousand minions gathering for an assault on Wolfram and Hart, though the target had not been let out of this room, sealed by many extremely old and powerful magics. The force of four hundred he'd decided as sufficient to send to the Hell Mouth could be seen amassing in their warehouses.
Sam Zabuto watched as the Council's 727 aircraft landed on the runway. After this afternoon's lunch with Alexander and Mr. Giles, Sam wasn't exactly sure how well things would go if the young people refused to comply with the Council directives. Ten minutes passed, and he waited for the first of them to step onto the tarmac before exiting the chartered flights terminal.
He recognized several of the Watcher personnel from years past, by direct contact or through others: Gwendolyn Post; the disturbing Reginald Wyndham-Price; his cipher of a son Wesley, fresh out of school at age nineteen and about to enter a final year of actual Watcher training; his classmate and equally useless Justin Travers; Sir David Philip Chase, great-great-uncle of Cordelia Chase who'd been Alice Chase's uncle as well as a friend of John Clayton; and to his particular surprise, the seventy-five-year-old John Paul Clayton, current Duke of Greystoke, who came up to him and spoke first as four 'teams' of six began moving equipment to the rental vehicles.
"Mr. Zabuto, I presume?" His Grace addressed him, "I'm told my grandfather has returned to us?" The old man looked hopeful, though appropriately British at the same time.
"Yes, Lordship, he has, and I've spoken with him several times," Samuel replied, "I have no doubts as to his identity, and I provided some of Slayer Chase's clothes and jewelry to the young woman."
"You don't seem too sure about her?" John Paul Clayton replied, "Trouble?"
"No, but since your…grandfather isn't one hundred percent sure, and she clearly has expressed disinclination to try activating herself…" Samuel responded, letting his train of thought trail off, "I cannot guarantee her status."
"Do you foresee any problems?" Reginald interrupted, "This should be a simple extraction."
"Alexander, as he calls himself now," Zabuto stressed, "Mentioned that he'd support whatever decision she'd make in the matter, and that he'd no intention whatsoever of compelling or allowing her to be compelled in the matter."
"So it's a good thing Quentin sent four teams, I see," Reginald emphasized, as Clayton grimaced, which the obnoxious man noticed, "And why *I'm* the one heading up this mission. We'll grab them at sunset, and be back in London by tomorrow morning." Clayton met Zabuto's eyes and they both shook their heads slightly, and with resignation.
Lilah and Lindsey had just briefed all nine of the six-mercenary, twelve-vampire teams Wolfram and Hart had sent to assure interests were in WH favor at the Hell Mouth. Such a large force had not been fielded in one place by the firm in quiet a few decades, and the two felt the eyes of the Senior Partners on them. Six houses, the School Library, and the nightclub favored by the slayer group were the targets, to ensure easy capture or at least maximum damage to their support structure. And a ninth team provided security around the Mayor's Ball with the local 'night shift.' As the Party began at the early time of six-thirty, the teams would be moving on their targets. Hopefully by seven o'clock, as chaos swept through Sunnydale, Wolfram and Hart would be out of the mess on its way back to LA.
"Okay, everybody, listen up," Xander called out to the crowd of kiddy escorts, "Go get your costumes on, and be back here by four. You'll have until six-fifteen to bring 'em back, but let's try no later than six, okay? That way we'll be done, and the kids'll be home before it gets dark." He looked over to Buffy.
"Okay, Xan," Buffy picked up from where he'd left off, "You have your street assignments, stick together and have a good time. With all of us doing this, we'll give the kids a good trick-or-treat and still get out to the parties before it means social death." Popular enough kids laugh. "Remember, Mr. Angel, Mr. Doyle and Miss Edith" Angel winced at that reference "will be here with radios in case something comes up. That's it!"
"Wow, that's some pair of costumes," Cordelia complimented her parents, as they tried on the costumes they'd wear later that evening, "King Midas and Helen of Troy. I guess you're off to the Mayor's Ball tonight?"
"Oh yes," her mother told her, "And don't expect us until late, your father'll no doubt be using this opportunity to drum up more business."
"Have a good time," Cordelia called as she exchanged car keys for the five-seater convertible and headed for the door, "See you tomorrow."
"Okay, guys, we kick ass in these, huh?" Chronos AKA Larry said as he looked over at his eleven 'jaffa primes' otherwise known as the 'jocks.' John had heard that a few of the Harris types might go as SG-1 types, and the jocks had gotten together and decided to outdo them. Especially as some of the Fondren High teams seemed to be sowing up at the Bronze later dressed as either klingons or pirates.
"Hey!" someone called out, "Where's Marcus? I mean, Apophis and the basketball team…er, Jaffa?"
"He's getting a few more of the staff things from the costume shops," Larry shouted back, "He called on his cell and said he was running behind. A bunch of the Frat and ROTC types at the college are going as Cylons, or Babylon 5 types, or something. The Mayor's party has brought out everybody."
"I do hope, young man, your night will be interesting," Ethan wished the young thug and his gang of delinquents, 'The Emperor and the varius Sith Lords. If they don't kill each other right away, it could prove most interesting.'
"Okay, everybody, we have *one thousand* kids to escort, and they're in groups of twenties," Xander called out as he saw most everybody including the grouping kids were arrived and ready, "So let's get started and it'll go faster. Nice thing, we have use of the school buses to scoot everybody to the far ends of the streets you're assigned, so you'll just work your way back. 'kay?"
"We should be in initial positions in less than an hour, My Lord Commander," the aide reported as they passed through the mountain town.
The general grouping of Devon, Cordelia, Harmony, Aura, Dawn (not Summers but the one who was getting *friendly* with exchange student Sven in the mummy episode), and Lisa, arrived back with their ten-dozen kids and proceeded to turn them over to waiting parents. Devon had complained a bit about the battery in his light saber not working, but Cordelia had not fallen for any of his lines about fixing it. The group had had a good-enough time, with the buses and a plan, there'd been no real mishaps, though Cordelia/Mara Jade had verbally torn 'Admiral Warren' a new one when she'd run into him, and had gotten a few laughs whe she'd whacked him with *her* fake light saber right across his fleeing rear.
"Hey, Xander?!" Devon called out to the group now arriving, bags of candy brimming full, "This light saber doesn't really seem to be working, can you take a look at it?"
"Sadly, that's best offer I've received so far tonight," Xander joked, "But I'll take a look at it in a manly way."
"I've heard that Devon is manly," Daniel Osbourne commented as the group he was in (AmberPrincess Leia, AndyLuke Skywalker, Joy/Jedi, LishanneJedi smuggler and AphrodesiaJedi spy) began the process of turning over unmasked children to their folks, "Though a faulty light saber should be looked at by a doctor." His deadpanned voice exacted general chuckling from the nearby escorts. Devon, hoping to score tonight, took off his Darth Vader mask to properly glare at his band-mate.
"I need to go find the 'Jedi's room,' Devon sighed, "Be back in a moment."
"Alexander," Samuel Zabuto in the attire of SG-1's Teal'c called out, "If you would be so kind as to take this large staff, I think I have a stone in my boot."
"How'd it go, Uncle Street?" Xander asked the 'Colonel O'Neill' of the group of otherwise-SWAT members, "Smooth?"
"Oh, yeah," Street responded, "It was nice doing something normal. Though the team thought it funny we're loaded up with 'silver bullets' blessed by a priest."
"Tell me about it," the young man joked as another group came up.
"Hey, Dooncan," Xander called out as Jonathan's group, (AndrewRitchie Ryan, MarcieReagan Cole, Dave/Simmons, FritzFitzcairn, and ShermanHayoka-Coltec) arrived with successful loads of sugary goodness, "Everything go alright?"
"Yeah, 'Ramirez,'" Jonathan replied, "No problems at all, and once we get the kids going, we'll drop off radios and such at the Police Station and meet you at the Bronze?"
"Sounds good, Jon," Xander replied, as Dawn came up with the rest of their party of Immortals.
"Okay, Captains, get the kids to their folks," Warren roughshod his compatriots, "I need to find the head on this death star."
Xander watched as Brenda "Buffy" MacLeod, Tucker Otavio Ocone" Wells, Hondo "Darius" Harris, Rupert "Robert Valincourt" Giles, Jenny "Gina Valincourt" Calendar, and Joyce "Grace Chandel" Summers walked up and promptly started turning over their charges to the appropriate adults.
Larry walked up to the group and turned in his group's radio as the others ook care of kid-ridding duty. Xander noted his arrogance matched that of his costume quite well.
"Hey, Harris," the bully sneered as he threw something glittery, "*You* hold on to this, real men don't where bracelet things."
Xander caught the imitation hand device, and not having enough pockets, put it in his left hand and held the staff with it, then commented as Larry's group started gathering and that of the Apophis group as well.
"A guy whose costume has a skirt, I mean kilt, should have no problem with jewelry, Larry," Xander called out. He watched Larry huff and march through his 'jaffa' just like his costume would have. 'Always thought he was a snake,' the teen snickered to himself. 'Apophis' handed him the radio with a smile at Xander's remark at Larry's expense then left for the parking lot.
'Hmmm,' Devon thought, noticing a light saber sitting on the sink before exiting to the hallway, 'I thought I'd handed that to Harris, guess I forgot.'
"Okay, you two head over to the Bronze to see if Harris is there," Jack O'Toole ordered his two friends/gang members dressed as Lord Sidious and Darth Maul, "Call me on the cell if you see him. If not, you'll find us at the school…the loser usually hangs out at the library." In his Emperor Palpatine costume he turned to Count Dooku and Darth Vader, "We'll head out in a minute and deal with the bastard." The anger radiated from the crazed young man.
"Well, I brought the children, safe and sound," Darla declared to the three occupants of the room, "Now what?" Angel/Connor MacLeod, EdithAmanda Devereux, DoyleDarius turned and looked at her.
"That's good," Doyle responded, the others uncomfortable with each other and not just her, "So how's your first *real* day as a human again?"
"Stressful, and in this 'costume' uncomfortable and almost silly," she sighed deeply, with a grimace, "Why did everyone (referring to good guys and bad) think it fitting that I dress as a Slayer?"
"Pettiness, a way for you to *feel* absolution for wanting the Master to turn you," Angel offered.
"Hurt over their losses the demon exacted," Edith added, looking almost sympathetic, "And to make you realize *you're* human now." Darla found the Chase clothes and effects on the table, and picked up a hat and a dagger.
"But a Slayer?" she sighed again, "It just feels weird."
"Everybody get ready," Penn ordered, "We'll grab a quick bite at the bus station across the street, then get down to business. And remember, we don't have time for you to play with your food."
The Necromancer and the Memory Changer enter the final part of the ritual, their score of guard demons alert for trespassers. Two dozen Aurelius vampires at once, including six master vampires, was a task worthy of their combined talents, and would further their standing within the Black Thorn.
Seventeen criminals and large vampires took out the envelopes handed to them by the Mages when they'd received their costumes for tonight's work. They only needed to await the signal to open them.
"Captain Holz," one of the ten burly bikers and criminals recruited from The Fish Tank the night before called out, "What weapons do you want ready first?" The hunter of Angelus and Darla was about to verbally savage the man dressed as one of his own but the question was sensible.
"Have your silver and wood shot flintlocks primed, and your silvered swords at hand," the vengeful mortal directed without turning back as they walked toward their destination.
"Okay, radio the blokes on the other buses and tell them to go their assigned exits. In ten minutes, between sundown and shadows, they can just bloddy begin as planned," William the Bloody ordered, his first real attempt at wielding power, and smirked, 'Angelus always went on 'bout ths command thing, 'snot 'ard at all, actually, the big poof.'
WH Team One raced from their vehicles and charged through the front door of Rupert Giles' apartment. People always laughed at the old movies where a bucket of water was placed in a fashion as to cover the door entrant below. Ironically, it was Xander Harris who'd quietly rigged the 'mega-wet vamp-repeller' system of several buckets up top along the roof edge as well as the one inside the door. Holy water buckets were pulled down through tiny holes allowing piano wire proper access. Six vampires outside and three forcing the door suffered nasty burns and created a great deal of noise, throwing off the timing of the remaining mercs and undead. Five uneasy minutes later, finding no one at home, the team set a timer for ten minutes and drove away, the sun setting at last. The body of the landlord was left at the curb, drained.
WH Team Two split into front and rear raiding forces, stormed Hondo Harris' House, the vampires spreading out along both porches and securing the perimeter of the veteran's home while three-men stormed through doors kicked in by the vampires. The vampires on the porches picked up furniture and tossed it through windows and doors, the overall destruction starting up the irrigation, lawn sprinkler and porch misting systems of the household, all rigged with a few hundred gallons of holy water and a few sprinklers with a fair amount of petrol. A timer started counting down. The three-man teams met little immediate resistance, and it seemed no one was home. The teams heard the screams of the vampires as the undead were drenched in the burning water. Stumbling out, pushing each other aside, the twelve vampires fought through to the porch steps, rear or front, and began an attempt to run through the walkway sprinklers when two things happened: Canisters dropped in every room of the house, leaking a foggy gas, and off the porch roofs small flaming bottles rolled off and ignited the petrol spraying and floating atop the water.
WH Team Three strikes into Angel's apartment from the hallway and windows.. Four crossbows at chest level shoot toward the front door as a holy water misting line sprays in the hallway and interior ten feet of room for a minute before shutting off. Three vampires dust, surprisingly, and a bolt renders another out of the fight as the holy water burns it. Small trip netting on the windows sends two crossbow bolts toward each of the openings, piercing the body armor of two mercenaries and killing them within a minute from clear-through upper abdomen hits. The vampires race exit the building and its holy water as the four mercenaries charge in and spread out in expectation of finding their comrades, not noticing the digital clock above the door counting down fast until two of them come back out of the back of the apartment.
WH Team Four surrounds and the humans charge into the Summers House. As Joyce Summers would not have agreed to the changes, only the irrigation and sprinkler systems outside spray from the tank of holy water, causing pain and disruption to the vampiric element of the force. The unit carefully recons the place, finds nothing of discernible value except two diaries, and the order is given to rig the place with timed explosives at one hour and with door triggers, before the WH team leaves for the High School secondary objective.
WH Team Five crashes into the Rosenberg home and similarly experiences holy water sprinklers before placing charges and leaving. Except that a passing police car notes license plates for later reference.
WH Team Six enters The Bronze, beginning a careful survey of the premises for any of their primary targets. Reporting back a negative, they start walking to their vehicles as a wave of magic sweeps through the establishment. The twelve vampires screamed in agony and dust at that moment.
WH Team Seven undertakes the raid on Alexander Harris' house in the same manner as the elder Harris place. Sprinklers and misters turn on, as do the other defenses, but the entryways slam down including a second steel door, trapping the humans in front and rear foyers as pepper and sleeping gas floods the chambers. Vamps go crazy on the porches, and tear each other up trying to escape, but the flames ignite them from the lit petrol and by the time they escape fluid attack, they've turned to dust. The drivers report back to Team Nine, but the response is broken up and gunfire can be heard.
WH Team Eight approached the high school premises from the relatively quiet football bleachers side, avoiding the general chaos of trick-or-treaters, parents, student escorts and other possible problems, has managed to approach within fifty feet of the back entrance into the library as they spot another Ops team preparing to enter when their vampires scream and turn to dust.
"Withdraw," the team leader hisses, "Now!"
Spike' teams greeted the city at each of its ten highway exits with the dropping off of gangs of ten former gang members and telling them to 'have a good time and burn everything you want between here and the high school, but be there by nine.'
The intersections see vampires assaulting stopped drivers for their cars, some occupants killed as others are allowed to flee into the night as gas the vehicles are set to block ramps and be set to block any outside assistance. At three exits, the captured buses of vampires drive through gas pumps rapidly and continue on their way as those left behind begin their mayhem. Spike chortles with glee, and over the radios exhorts them on to the next targets.
Penn and his 10 vampires cross the street in shadows to the bus station as ten other vampires jump off a bus and start wrecking and killing. Penn smiles and waves his new minions forward to join in.
Ethan dabs the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again and smears a cross onto his forehead, "Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son." The magic sweeps across Sunnydale, triggering and awakening other magics.
Necromancer Hainsley and the Alterer Vail complete their work. They are holding the single work of magic ready for the chaos to be unleashed by Ethan Rayne, and on this point are not immediately disappointed.
The dust of the Aurelians on and in the bodies of twenty-six drained but not turned corpses dressed in old clothing stolen from Angleus and found in the caves, spasm and writhe throughout the chamber as Ethan's magic triggers and fuels their own. But magic is fickle, and in their moment of success the two Black Mages look at each other and their guards in concern. The demonic 'life' essence from each of the guards is drawn out and along with chaos, the Hell Mouth and their own magic, swirls into the Aurelian recreations as elsewhere…
…Sahjhan briefly opens and closes a series of dimensional portals in the boiler room of the High School, making possible if not causing what follows…
…the seventeen criminals and bikers costumed as the evil Immortals suddenly transform into them with their full quickenings.
…the whole section of coast shakes with a richter scale 6.0 earthquake that interrupts essential services in many areas.
…seventeen evil immortals are physically drawn from other realities and scattered throughout Sunnydale.
…Captain Holz' recruits transform *completely* into his ten best men from back in his own time.
…Angelus and Joseph Nest leap up and kill Hainsley and Vail at incredible speeds. Two Black Thorns are gone, and it is felt by others.
"Two of the Black Thorn are dead in Sunnydale," Archduke Sebassis stated, almost shuddering as he uses his dormant abilities, "Necromancer Magnus Hainsley and Alterer Cyvus Vail are both dead. This is the sign of Holland Manners' perfidy."
"What of his bastard-brother, William Holland, who heads up their special projects and Circle matters?" his lieutenant replied.
"Both of them are the same problem," Sebassis continued, "Are our forces in position?"
The Hell Mouth forces will arrive around seven-thirty, My Lord," the lieutenant replied, "Some buses caused several blockages on the highway that had to be cleared first. We suspect Aurelian William the Bloody to be responsible."
"Attack in twenty minutes, everywhere, everything," Sebassis directed, heading for dinner.
The Three Horsemen show up between the football field and the main parking lot. They feel look at each other and nod that they all sense a great number of Immortals on school property, including three in the parking lot.
"We'll head away for now," Kronos orders, "Until we have a better idea of what we're doing here." They head away, but feel the pull of what just might be The Gathering.
The Costumed Kuyler, Kassim and O'Rourke come out of the transformation, letters in hand. Drawing swords, they back away until Kassim suggests they open the letters, which many across Sunnydale were doing.
Dear Immortal,
You have been transported to the beginning of what you know as the Gathering, and there are about four dozen of you throughout this town. Those with you are the ones most likely to be temporary allies. Who I am does not concern you, but know that we want to see the MacLeods and their group wiped out. That is why you were brought together, as are others. The 'good guy' mustn't win.
Have a Good Night
Kassim turns to the other pair, noticing similar calculation, and began to sheath his weapon, "Gentlemen, a truce until we've eliminated the others?" They nodded and cast the letters to the ground as they examined their position.
Larry and the Jocks were heading over to where they'd parked their vehicles for easy over the curb access down the access road to the Bronze, when the wave of magic struck them, hair falling off the heads of the former athletes. Chronos looked around, his young Jaffa Primes gathered in the service of their god looking to him for direction in this disturbing and unexpected translocation.
"Jaffa Kree!" Chronos called out, eyes lighting up as assessed the openness of position and felt beings of strength nearby. Pointing to one, "You for now are First Prime. Take two others and scout ahead. We will follow you to that large building over there." Moving off into the relative darkness, Chronos was disturbed to not find his ribbon device, only a healing device. 'The Tok'Ra no doubt, it stinks as one of their tricks. I will destroy this planet.'
Han drew out his blaster as the Jedi and Leia all cringed and fell to the ground from whatever was wrenching the Force and quaking the ground. Looking at the group next to him, we was confused at the olive-dressed local militia ignored them entirely and went chasing after a guy in really archaic looking armor that was sneaking around a building.
"Jaffa at one o'clock," Major Carter cried out, the mixed SGC personnel springing into action, "And I think I saw another one duck behind the building just before he did."
A man with Colonel's rank waved them forward expertly, reminding her of O'Neill.
The twelve basketball players had just parked their vehicles and commented on some of the new arrivals that were standing in line to get into the club or like themselves just getting out of their vehicles when the magic swept over and transformed them. Twelve vampires of the WH team suddenly became the goa'uld essences within Apophis and his eleven Jaffa Primes. He looked very annoyed as he'd just been about to visit his consort when this happened.
Warren was swearing about one of his light sabers being lost as the change hit. Grand Admiral Nerraw Sreem looked in contempt at his surroundings, noting his four Captains nearby steadying themselves as a massive distortion in and of the Force took place, and suddenly it passed even as the planet itself quaked and subsided.
"Captains, draw weapons," Sreem ordered, "I feel our Master and many others about this evening." And that's when they bumped into a tense situation.
"Alexander Harris, please come with us?" the Watcher team's leader ordered as his men surrounded the group, "We'd prefer no one came to harm." The man's tone actually inflected that he could care less."
"You do realize the penalty for kidnapping," the young policeman asked as the magic swept over the city.
The Earth heaved and settled, the Immortals instinctively reacting to the pointed weapons by attacking with hands and feet before drawing steel. Four assault rifles belched, several rounds causing grievous injury to the ladies and missing several uniformed men beyond.
Juan Ramirez d' Villalobos would not let these rude gendarme murder or otherwise depredate his girls. Confused that a goa'uld staff weapon and ribbon device were in one hand, we was astonished to find what might be a light saber on his hip. Slapping the staff into his other hand he concentrated a portion of his quickening into the serpent jewelry and fired a blast at two men approaching him, sending them and their weapons reeling into a brick wall ten feet behind them with sickening crunches.
The two women who felt like Ceirdwyn and Rebecca were downed from gunfire, but they and Cassandra apparently had fired off spells against the other opponents, only to draw the attention of Dark-Side Jedi. 'I guess this means the Sith and Goa'uld have somehow reopened the Chappa'ai. Damn,' he thought as he drew his light saber out and prepared to use his very rusty padawan skills of millennia past.
The mixed magics swept over and through Buffy's group as they walked across the quad toward the library. Brenda MacLeod felt five Immortals next to her as she recovered, three of them familiar…Darius and the Valincourts. Carefully she stood, calling out their names as she rose.
"Here, Brenda," Gina called out, "Though I don't think I'm…me… anymore." Others similarly stood in confusion, uncertain as to draw steel or flee.
"I'm Darius, Brenda," a monk-dressed man admitted, "Though this body seems in better overall shape than my own has been. Also, I agree, these are the Valincourts, I also know them through Duncan MacLeod."
"I'm Grace Chandel, and I also know Duncan," a blonde Immortal looking in her late thirties introduced, "And I'm hoping that makes us not enemies?" They all nodded, including a youthful man standing in a swarthy manner.
"And I, senors y senoritas, am Otavio Ocone," he introduced also, "At your service. But from the gunfire and general shouting, I believe we should find cover."
The group as one looked around and headed away form where a bunch of girls had just wiped out a squad of soldiers, only to find themselves spectators of a three-way fight between guys with light sabers, really old Immortals and yet another squad of soldiers.
"That feels like Ramirez, but I thought the Kurgan had gotten him," Darius said, causing Brenda to flinch at remembrance of the beast, "I think we should help."
Lord Sidious and Darth Maul stood at the edge of a wooded area that felt of death as the wave of Force distortion and earth quaking settled. The two reached out with their sense and were troubled by some of what they found, such as the weird pack of dark-side parasited humans in archaic reproduction armor and energy staff weapons further along the roadway, or the dozen reptilian cyborgs encased in chrome and black armor pouring a staggered suppressing fire against some blaster-armed human warriors in suede jackets. A black-clad human with a glowy-headed reptile cyborg chortled at the display.
The Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader found themselves in extremely undesirable surroundings. Palpatine stood and from his extended hands threw purplish force-lightning across the establishment as Vader shoved aside the few human refuse that continued to inadvertently block the path to the door, "This way, My Master."
Captain Holz bumped into two men with swords that had appeared out of nowhere. They glared at him and both drew steel as the magic swept over the ten men with him. He began to draw his as they seemed more interested in each other and began to attack in earnest over who was really some one named Kalas. Stepping back to check on his men, he found that they *were* indeed his men as promised by the time demon and the chaos magician. A cold smile creased his face.
"I'm back, Angelus, and you will die at last by my hand."
Watcher Team Two, having infiltrated around the cafeteria building, notices the Chase target with a boy and a few teenage girls. The team leader watches as the boy removes his Darth Vader helmet and also notes there are currently no adults in the immediate vicinity. The team leader walks over to the group as the ground quakes, and as many are picking themselves up, he notices the target group has taken up very professional defensive positions around Chase and the boy, taking orders from her.
"Cordelia Chase," the team leader calls out as his men aim their weapons and move forward, "Your presence is ordered by the Watcher's Council for determination of if you are a Slayer. You will come with us."
"I do not know this Cordelia Chase," the girl denied flatly, "And you will step aside for us to pass immediately." She gives a secret sign to the others dressed similarly, in Court Dress/At-Ready. Blaster fire erupts from the kid in the Vader costume, wounding one of the jumpier team members and disarming him in the process. The Emperor's Hands spring into action, killing the entire Watcher's Team as submachine gun fire sprays through some of their own members before it makes it into Chase's apparent defenders. Two Hands (Dawn-Not-Summers and Lisa) lay bleeding to death on the ground, but not a Watcher team member remains. The Hands retreat to the Library door with a seemingly confused Lord Vader, some of the primitive slug-weapons in hand.
Watcher Team Three, having secured the parking lot, spots the WH Team moving in on the Library and intercepts on Wyndham-Price's orders, coming into range just as the enemy begins a charge at the back library entrance. Gunfire flashes as people scatter or find themselves a part of the expanding chaos.
Watcher Team One moves into the Library through the back entrance, careful not to alert anyone to their presence. In the main area they find two dead humans and a confused human in monk's attire checking them for pulses, and point their assault rifles at the man.
"What's going on my son?" the monk addresses the team leader in French-accented English, "I don't understand."
"Where's Harris and Chase, Father," the leader demands softly, "They're the only ones we're here for."
"I'm Brother Darius," the figure of Doyle corrected, "And I'm not sure of whom you speak as I've just regained my bearings after the Earth shook, only to find two apparently uninjured but dead humans next to me." The team member checking the bodies touched both with crosses without effect.
The team leader was about to say more when a blonde flash came up and over the library counter, grabbing him and throwing his weapon into the forehead of the nearest team member to render him unconscious.
"Padre, get behind the counter," the girl said, radiating strength, "I don't know who these men are, but they don't belong here." The man scurried to comply, reaching to make sure his gladius was still with him. "I'm Buffy by the way."
Gunfire outside the main and rear entrances surprises both sides
The Costumed Quince and Xavier find themselves drinking beer at the bar, opened envelopes in front of them, as the magic sweeps over them. Glancing quickly at each other, they carefully pick up the letters addressed to them. Quince turns to St. Cloud.
"If this is true, how about we wait here an hour or so, let the others tire themselves out, then kill everyone on sight," the Immortal suggests, "I'm not much for playing by the rules and whims of others."
"We kill all the others, and only turn on each other toward the end?" Xavier St. Cloud considered, and held up his glass in agreement, "I concur."
Jonathan's group was approaching the Police station on foot to drop some stuff before heading to the Bronze for Halloween Party, when the magic made them other than they'd been.
"Hey Mac," a somewhat familiar voice intoned wearily, "The next time you invite Fitz over, let's not drink as much, huh? My head feels like there's dozens of Immortals around, dancing on my head."
"Not my fault, lad," Fritz/Fitzcairn replied, getting up, "Hey, you *feel* like Ritchie, but who are you?" Fitz started to drew his sword, when he heard Mac's accented voice tell him to stop, "Hold, Fitz, I think we're not in the bodies we're supposed to be in, but I can feel you all from your quickenings. How 'bout you?" The other Immortals nodded warily, and introduced themselves, six of the good ones.
"I remember some of you being lost in the Game, but here we are," Duncan said, "Maybe we're all being given a second chance at life by whoever won, though I canna prove it." The others nodded, and Hayoka contributed.
"This place is permeated with evil," the shaman stated, "So it is more likely either a test by a Higher Power or we exist at the sufferance of an evil Immortal who won the Prize and has brought us back out of boredom."
"If so, let's agree not to fight each other," Reagan Cole asserted as she dew close to the much-shorter Duncan, "We can at least deny that pleasure." They all nodded, but a commotion from the building, including gunfire, drew their attention, as did a large cross-country bus that drove through two police cars and crashed up and into the main entrance of the police station.
Jacob Kell and his gang of four found themselves in the vehicle and vehicle impound yard of what seemed to be a municipal police station in America. Shouts and pointed weapons caused him to hold up his hands as two of his minions snuck around and slit their throats. On the very edge of his senses he was picking up a familiar quickening… that of the younger MacLeod.
Disarming the two policemen, they are forced back away from the exit by a bus ramming through the gate and into the yard. Thirty humans with deformed faces, yellow eyes and fangs pour out, ten heading towards the Immortals and twenty into the rear of the station. Soon screams, shots and more of the same are heard from inside the station as the doors are ripped off with crowbars. The Immortals draw swords and sidearms, charging into the midst of the attackers.
The Costumed Jacob Kell and his Gang show up next to City Hall, and can feel a strong Immortal essence in the vicinity. The evil leader turns to his minions, "Find this one; we'll get our information from him."
The Kurgan, meanwhile, landed in the midst of twenty vampires loyal to the Mayor who were inventorying a major cache of illicit materials, assets and valuables. The Kurgan draws and arcs his sword threw several necks before the undead creatures have gotten over their shock. One vampire picked up a cell phone and shouted for help as the others dropped what they were doing, grabbed whatever was on hand, and began to charge their surprise entertainment for the night.
The Kurgan sensed something wrong in these *things* he killed by decapitation and only wounded otherwise. He pressed toward a staircase, wiping out eight with many small wounds to himself as he felt the approach of five strong quickenings. Objects were thrown at him as he made his way halfway up the stairs toward the door, which opens with the arrival of Immortals.
The Costumed Kurgan possessed the luck of the 'real' one as he also found himself in the midst of ten vampires, a bus of them having rammed him through the opening door of a fire station. This Kurgan, enraged at their attack, pulls out a 45 and starts shooting vampires as they exit the bus after killing the human driver through the windshield.
"General Chamberlain!" the Mayor greeted the ranking officer in the area, "And Mrs. Chamberlain, you look stunning, tonight. I'm very gad you could make it. I see your officers are with you?"
"Indeed, Mr. Mayor," the General agreed, waving at his men and the ladies they escorted, "May I present our double score of Blue and Gray…"
"Marvelous, General," the Mayor enthused as the magic swept through the town…
Midas looked over at the beautiful woman hanging on his arm, a stunning creature if ever there existed one. He reached over and grabbed a rose for her, watching with keen interest as she delighted in its turning to gold.
"What else can you turn to gold?" she asked, admiring the rose, "This is so beautiful." Her smile melted his heart, something that hadn't happened since his wife had passed on and his daughter married.
"Anything you'd like, my dear," the King replied, but noticed the sudden outbreak of fighting and general discord amongst other guests, "Anything you'd like. But things seem very unfriendly now," he gold-fingered a big vampire about to grab her, "So perhaps we should take a" touched a large demon "walk, hmm?" and touched a waiter about to spill a tray on them.
The Chases left a party with the warmest feelings of mutual appreciation they'd felt in many years.
Many 'Immortals' read letters explaining The Gathering, and most began slowly heading in the direction of the High School…
"This is CNN…
"We have reports of a massive earthquake striking Southern California, from Hearst Castle to San Clemente along all fault-lines at a possible 6.0 scale reading…"
"This is KTLA…
"The earthquake that struck moments ago has affected most of the electrical power and essential services. As possible, power will be re-routed to traffic lighting first. Residents are encouraged to remain indoors wherever they are and wait for resumption of power or at least daylight…"
"This is the BBC…
"Other quakes, registering 4.0-4.5 are being reported in Cleveland, the Oldavai Valley, Teheran, Pyongyang, Baghdad, Surrey and Tunguska. We'll have more as reports come in…"
WH Team One determined that a communications breakdown existed, and fell back on plan protocols: head for the high school, secure the Hell Mouth until all teams have had a chance to rendezvous, then swing by the Mayor's Ball on the way out of Sunnydale. They turned their vehicles and began to force their way slowly through lessening traffic, but an amazing amount of demonic foot traffic.
The Rupert Giles apartment blew up at exactly 6:45:01 PM, starting a sizable fire threatening the area.
WH Team Two vampires ceased to exist, the mercenaries now asleep inside the Harris home. A last message warned off the drivers to this effect, calling for extraction. Unfortunately, emergency protocols due to communications failure with Team Nine clearly dictated termination of the operation. The drivers grabbed several satchels and made their way to different points of the property. Seeing one of their number unconscious near the window, the lead driver detonated a small charge around the window, hoping to rescue at least one man before the place went up in fifteen minutes.
WH Team Three: Angel's apartment exploded with surprising force, charges shaped so that the vast percentage of the explosive force shoots out into the street. Originally each room would have experienced minor destruction channeled outward and upward, but the ordnance on the mercenary team members assured that the real force was *many* times greater than planned, only four vampires made it back to the vehicles as residents began fleeing the smoke-filling and wall-teetering structure.
"I think they were expecting someone…" one of the four burnt vampires surviving the experience muttered as they drove away.
WH Team Four approached to within two blocks of the High School, swerving not fast enough as a large bus forces them and the other vehicles off the road as it sped pass them heading the other way.
"WH4 converging, will arrive in about ten minutes…"
WH Team Five about four blocks from High School, found the way blocked by an overturned and burning city bus surrounded by vampires.
WH Team Six raced to their vehicles, noting how different groups of costumes have suddenly *become* the very aggressive representations. Climbing into their vehicles, a group of archaically-dressed bodyguards are directed by a skirted individual in their direction.
"Crap!" one of the drivers complained as large ornate bazookas pointed in their direction, "I think somebody wants a lift."
WH Team Seven drivers make contact with Team Two and concur regarding the protocol. Alighting from the vehicles with heavy satchels, they spread out around the house, placing charges on the sealed doors in hopes of getting some of their teammates to safety.
WH Team Eight pauses momentarily before attempting a turnaround. Unfortunately, the Watchers had a different plan.
The vehicles of the station raced out into the street in response to a call when suddenly a large passenger bus rammed into the side of the main engine, moving ten feet and at least stunning the occupants if not worse. The other units quickly turned around to help their comrades when they noticed ten face-deformed humans exiting the bus and leaping to attack the injured on the ground.
As unit two slowed to avoid hitting its own, the paramedic unit driver floored his vehicle and aimed his truck at the door of the bus and the vampires nearby.
"Hey Moon!" one of the vampires called out as they crashed through the back gate in the bus of fifteen undead, "Does this mean the boss will be changing phone plans?"
The bus dropped off ten of its thirty occupants at the main terminal entrance. The airport, which served the entire section of coast, was viewed by Spike as a possible escape route for the Slayer, and he'd ordered that planes and fuel tanks be set afire and any humans found be killed to prevent an escape from happening.
Having dropped off ten vampires at an exit and another ten at the bus station, the bus crashed through the gates of their final target before joining Spike at the Hell Mouth.
"Why are we here again, Raul?" one of the gangbanger vamps asked as he loaded his cheap piece. "What's up with the water thing?"
"No water, no puttin' out fires, man," Raul replied, "No water workers, no fixing the water when we turn it off."
"Okay, blokes, looks like the lights are on," Spike smirked, "maybe the Slayer's at 'ome. You ten go 'round back and you ten head up front and knock on the door. If nobody answers, just throw furniture and whatever in through the windows to catch their attention."
Spike had four others start torches to burn the place down, and was leading them up to the front door as the place was trashed from outside.
"You two grab that couch and chuck it through the front door," Spike ordered, "As for you two, start burning the place. NO one gets away from here alive."
As the couch hit Spike felt himself being lifted up and thrown threw the air as the Summers House suddenly wasn't the easy target he'd planned.
The remaining fifteen vampires watched as the driver drove over an through the guard shack at the plant. Ten others had been left to block an exit and another ten left to destroy a liquor store that charged Spike too much for a carton of smokes the last time he'd been in town.
Ten vampires braced as their crazy driver ran the bus into and through the control shack. Most of the area's communications passed through or were greatly boosted by the facility. Spike's orders were clear, no broadcasts. 'Easy enough,' the gang leader thought as he snapped the driver's neck in growing frustration at not being in on the real killing, "Everybody out. Kill anybody you find, and turn off anything you find, and burn everything you can. I want to be out of here in fifteen minutes."
He sighed as one of his minions tripped, fell on a cut power line and fried itself, "Fourteen minutes!"
Ten vampires continued to wreck the interior of the store, thwarted that the cashier's cage prevented them from killing the clerk. Bottles shattered and some drunk from, the leader of the group laughed as he lit two bottles and soaked rags, hurling one all the way across the store, narrowly missing his minions, then waited as they backed out of the store. Throwing it at the cage, they walked away, this part of their mission over.
Two buses with fifty vampires crashed through the gates into the closed dock area of the port, on a mission of seizing and possibly scuttling any freighters or other large craft. Knowing that the coast guard and others sometimes provided security for some of the shipments, supplies to the Armory and other important facilities, the large number of vampires was expected to overwhelm any regular opposition and perhaps turn a few officers in the bargain. Alarms sounded at the Police Station and the Coast Guard station across the inlet, but all were too busy at the moment to fully respond.
Penn and his ten minions finished their early dinner, looking out as the bus station, now gutted, has bodies haphazardly strewn throughout. The other vampires, sated, had turned to destruction, and were breaking windows on buses managing to escape the insanity. The leader of the vampire gangbangers approached Penn, feeling the age of the older undead.
"We gotta go," she smirked, "But feel free to make yourselves at home." Penn looked at him in disgust.
'No style,' he thought, "Why are you so brazen in your depredations?"
"Huh?" the gang-vamp replied in confusion, causing Penn to sigh.
"Why are you attacking openly?" the old vampire asked.
"Oh, Spike's taking over the Hell Mouth tonight," the vampire replied, puffing itself up, "And we've been ordered to 'wreak havoc' on our way there."
"Ah, William," Penn grimaced, nodding, "And what word have you of Angelus?"
"The Great Poof?" the young vampire responded, "At the High School with the Slayer and the Hunters…until we kill them all"
"There're only ten of you here," Penn pointed out, wondering if Spike had lost hold of reality like Drusilla.
"Spike's raised an army of over three hundred of us," the gangbanger declared with self-importance, "And the town will bleed."
'After I kill Angelus, I'd better get the hell out of the States… these idiots are trying to bring us out into the open.'
The bodies of Hainsley and Vail lay drained on the floor of the chamber, the other Aurelians settling for the blood of the demonic guards to calm them down. Nest turns to Angelus and slams him into a wall, causing great pain. Nest towers over the troublesome vampire, shaking his head, strength and power restored, but body that of a spry human-looking three-hundred-year-old.
"This time, you will accept position as my right hand," The Master stated simply, "Or I will spend a century ending your unlife." Turning to the others, he waves Luke and Colin up to him.
"I've missed my boys," the evil being smiled, "Give Daddy a hug." They obeyed, and the old one nipped a sip from both of them in affection. "Now, Colin shall serve as Herald, and Luke shall stand at my left hand. It's good to have a family reunion…so let's head out to dinner."
Sahjhan, portals in to the store, dressed as a corporeal version of himself so that he could enjoy the night properly. Sitting down next to Ethan in a room in which three walls were covered with different magical viewings throughout Sunnydale, he places a box on the table between his recliner and Ethan's.
"I brought snacks…" he says and they both laugh.
The Costumed Kuyler, Kassim and O'Rourke determine that they are within the confines of a large banking institution. Kassim turns to his temporary allies and waits for suggestions.
"If you're a little low on cash, I could blow the vault while the two of you go find the security system and remove all traces of us?" O'Rourke suggested, "I 'appen to 'ave more than sufficient explosive for this." Kuyler looked over to Kassim.
"We need to cover up our unexpected presence, anyway," the Immortal conceded, "So letting him blow something up won't change things much."
Chronos' scouts gathered back on the other side of the Cafeteria, reporting a number of small and unrelated combats taking place, the nearest being on a couple hundred feet away.
"Any sign of those responsible for inconveniencing me?" the false god demanded, to which he received head shakes, "Force open this building and we will start looking for information here."
"You heard our Lord, Chronos," the designated First Prime shouted, "Blast open this door."
Han continued to cover his group, noting that they'd either changed or been replaced with like-dressers. Looking at his own much younger and less-scarred hands, he felt the difference in his face.
"Any of you retired Jedi wanna tell me why we don't seem to be us any more?" Han/Oz sighed as the others began to recover, "And how we're in the midst of some backwater town instead of on the Falcon? And where's Chewie?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Han" Leia/Amber assured her now-shorter husband, as she heard sounds of fighting nearby, "As to rest, we'll find out soon enough, I imagine."
The SGC personnel slowly circled around the Jaffa force as it closed on the school building. Careful to avoid other hostile groups, they drew within ten feet when they heard the name of the goa'uld. Teal'c grimaced and raised his weapon, firing at the Jaffa in hopes of forcing his way through to his father's murderer. The Tau'ri had no idea of how dangerous this one System Lord could be if allowed to go unchecked for any length of time.
Jaffa blowing open the door turned and exchanged staff fire for bullets, the ricocheting off parts of armor mixing with outcries of pain on both sides as Chronos was thrown through the door by his First Prime.
Ferretti, Kowolsky and Daniel died as four Jaffa were eliminated and four wounded. Teal'c barged through the door after three other Jaffa and Chronos, about to fire again when a staff weapon blew off his hand along with the weapon itself. Teal'c/Zabuto's scream of rage and pain shattered the night.
Apophis ordered four of his Jaffa forward toward the primitive human militia retreating from the fight across the street. "Stop them for questioning, I need to know which enemy is behind this affront." To the other seven, gesturing at the Cylons, "Destroy that machine monstrosity and bring me the human."
They nodded and charged across the street, staff weapons readied. Baltar and Lucifer were quite surprised when they found themselves under fire from non-Colonial humans.
"Centurion!" Baltar/Parker called out as Lucifer's sparkling headpiece blew up, "Defend me!" The chrome fighters shifted from the beginnings of an assault into the human gathering spot in favor of direct conflict with the new human threat.
Juan Ramirez d' Villalobos quickly calculated the situation. Two of his three apparent remaining 'companions' had swords drawn, the youngest with twin hand guns ready to fire. 'Light saber and ribbon device against light sabers and blasters are not good odds, even for Immortals.'
"Can I help you gentlemen?" he asked the newcomers, "We're in the midst of a disagreement."
The Grand Admiral stayed the hands of his captains with a gesture, arrogantly approaching the scene as a half-dozen others cautiously came up toward *swordswomen* and a pretender of little skill in the light saber.
"You will tell us where we are, peasants," the Dark Lord commanded, "Or face immediate death."
"I believe the unconscious men in black are the ones with the answers," Ramirez replied carefully, "Since I'm as uncertain as yourself in this matter but they seemed determined to apprehend us." The group of six Immortals, a couple of whom felt very familiar, came up, swords drawn but kept downward as not to actively provoke.
"You will presume nothing in regards to me," the evil officer stated simply, and reached up with a hand toward Ramirez, "And I believe that is mine." The light saber deactivated and flew abruptly and unexpectedly toward its master.
Lara Croft/Dawn Summers interpreted the action as an attack and opened up with both guns into the Dark Jedi, not aiming beyond the general vicinity. Ramirez surprised, reached out with his ribbon deviced- hand and as shots were fired used the ribbon device at full force against the leader.
Blasters fired as the Sith was thrown back into a wall next to members of the Watcher's team. One of the captains was felled by gunfire and Neferteri's sword to his head even as his blaster fired at point-blank range into her chest. Three blasters fired toward Lara, lancing her with painful and if human eventually mortal wounds, then melee ensued as seven swords attempted to make a difference against three light sabers. Within a minute, six swords were destroyed, and only Ramirez' ribbon device managed to hold back vengeance by the slightly wounded Imperials.
"Take your wounded leader and leave," Ramirez/Xander called to their opponents, "I'm keeping my light saber, but your master will live to reengage us later if it's his will." Both sides stood staring for a moment before two of the captains lifted Lord Sreem and shifted into the shadows of night.
"Well, that was an unfortunate encounter," Ramirez commented as he checked on Lara and Neferteri, "Brenda, Darius, is it really the two of you?"
"Yes it is, but how?" Darius asked, "I thought the Kurgan got you in Scotland?" Brenda and Ramirez both looked at Darius in confusion.
"That didn't happen, Darius," Brenda said, "He pushed the Kurgan into the river when he and Heather decided to grab some peat. And he was Connor's best man when you married me and Connor?"
"Different realities, then?" Lara muttered as the Witch-Immortals helped her and Neferteri to their feet. She looked at her damaged clothes, "And I'm Lara Croft by the way." This led to a round of introductions as the group made its way toward a building labeled 'Cafeteria' after retrieving weapons and dragging the Watcher team with them for questioning.
"These can wait until later," Lord Sidious told Darth Maul, "I feel another of comparable power we must eliminate before securing this world." They walked into the cemetery, the undead sensing them and giving them a wide clearance.
"Palaptine?" the Dark Lord whispered, "You've grown strong…"
The Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader walked past a small battle in which the local human constabulary was being assaulted by alien riff-raff. Palapatine spared nary a glance, but with raised hand shot out a burst of force lightning into the mass of yellow eyes.
"Rebel scum," he said to Vader, "We'll deal with them later."
Captain Holz and his men noted the fighting, especially near the Library, to which he pointed.
"That's where we'll find the beast," he told them, "but we'll wait a few minutes for these others to kill each other off before we make our move."
Watcher Team Three opens fire on the suddenly-reduced hostile force, making its own effort to reach the Library to facilitate extractions of targets. Three enemy go down, but the reactions of the others suffices to kill the Watcher Team One man holding the door, as well as grievously wound two of the nearest Team Three members. Grenades fly from both sides, restraint lost as men moved to avoid death but inflict it on others.
"My Lord Vader, I am Mara Jade," Cordelia/Mara Jade informed her apparent superior. "These others seem also to be Hands, what are your orders?"
"Secure this building, and we'll determine a course of action then," replied Devon/Anakin Skywalker, surprised at his apparent health and youthfulness, 'The Emperor's Hands, I do not wish to draw on the Force so soon after I've regained myself. I will see this through before I take action.'
Watcher Team One was reduced to one active team member and its captured leader in the hands of Buffy Summers/Darla. Darius had cautiously moved behind the counter and temporary safety as the doors came crashing down and he watched as three young women and a boy forced their way into the room. The commando in the room turned and fired, the boy in black raising his hand and deflecting the entire stream of projectiles as two of the girls raised blasters and ended him.
'Buffy' thumped the team leader unconscious and raised pulled Darius/Doyle after her as they fled up into the stacks and hopefully escape.
Mara Jade directed her Hands to check the floored people, and bar the Library door. She quickly checked the immediate vicinity as Anakin removed unnecessary parts of equipment and set them aside.
"Orders, My Lord," Mara asked, seeing that the Hands were competently securing the site.
"Determine our location, then the location of the nearest star port," Anakin replied, as though to an equal, "From there we'll send a message and call for an escort to wherever we need go." Jade checked her surprise at his relaxed attitude as Vader was famed for wielding fear rather than assurance to achieve maximal results.
'You need not fear me for now, Hand," the Sith Lord replied to her shock, "Fear is a tool, and you and the other Hands are competent beyond my normal minions. Your flexibility in capability allows you some flexibility in achieving my objectives."
"Yes, My Lord," Jade intoned, redirecting her attention to the apparently alive civilians on the floor.
'Buffy' led the monk to the rear exit of the Library only to find two groups of commandos fighting it out for control of the doorway itself. Pressing a finger to her lips, she pointed further into the book stacks. Darius grabbed the weapons and ammo from the dead gunman, and 'the Slayer' took knives and his night goggles before leading him into hiding.
"Well, Reginald," Clayton intoned, "Your simple forced extraction seems to have turned into a battle. I especially like the assault weapons fire and screaming."
"I'm in charge, Your Grace," Wyndham-Price snap, "You will kindly remember that and remain silent until we have more information."
The power flickered off, then the generator kicked-in. The two Immortals found better seating against a wall and continued to wait.
Vampires, numbering maybe twenty or thirty, seemed to pour off the bus, some with modern weaponry. Shots and screams of mortals, Duncan turned to his comrades, Fitz, Simmons and Ritchie drawing steel with him, and the women right after. He noticed they all had wooden stakes.
'Monsters, vampires, these seem to be," Duncan stated, "But as we know, removing a head *always* kills. So if you can't stake 'em, do what we know. Let's go friends."
They all nodded, and behind him charged forward, swords and stakes in hand, Grace stopping to check on the injured police as the others launched themselves into the unsuspecting vampires.
Jacob Kell and his gang of four open up with firearms, dusting four and wounding eight before the enraged vampires leap on the Immortals from all directions. Slash and hack, stab and parry, slash and decapitate, only the latter having real effect beyond the moment, in twelve minutes of fighting these master swordsmen engage fifteen of the apparent vampires and only now begin to exact a murderous toll for all the damage they themselves have suffered, no time by either side to attempt the use of firearms in the crowded space.
Eleven more vampires, forcing open the building, run in and the undead packing guns begin firing them as they charge madly at the police personnel. A dozen die before security measures start to slow the attack from the rear of the building only to hear that the front is also under attack.
The Costumed Jacob Kell and his Gang press through the door, 'Faith' firing into the chest of the Kurgan and then into the other combatants, quickly followed by the others as Kell draws his sword. Immortals leap over and into the beasts as their master severs the head of the Kurgan. The lightning forms, shocks the building. The confined nature of the area ensures very little loss as Kell is slammed up into the ceiling as the light show vaporizes the vampires and hurls the other Immortals into the walls.
The Costumed Kurgan listened as the screams died down. Standing in a pool of blood not his own, the last vampire dusted, his wounds began to slowly heal as the real Xavier St. Cloud entered the station, sword drawn. Four firemen knowing they were better off *not* knowing, loaded four of their dead and six badly wounded as they started up all three vehicles and raced for the hospital.
The doors of the station open in response to a few emergency calls reaching them, when a bus plows into the fronts of the two main vehicles, slamming back both massive units and the humans aboard. Stunned, a few of the remaining station personnel and the paramedics start to move as around ten vampires force their way through the doors.
Man's best friend turns out to be loyal as a dalmatian leaps forward and tears the throat out of the vamp leader, just enough to dust it before another vamp fires a revolver into it repeatedly. The firemen snap out of their shock and pick up axes as one of their number activates the water hose as artillery.
"General Chamberlain!" the Mayor called out just before something rendered him unconscious.
The gathered Union and Confederate officers looked around in confusion, drawing sidearms as much against each other as against the strange goings-on. The named leader turned to a young man, a Negro and Captain by his rank and possibly his aide, and gestured to the front door.
"Captain, take five men and secure the door. Lieutenant, take five men and secure those stairs and the immediate rear to the building," he ordered. Noting a Confederate Colonel, he gestured at the man. "Colonel, have five of your men watch over the ladies protection and direct the rest to assist my…eight in establishing control over this mayhem."
The Colonel/Riley Finn, realizing that as the war was over and the ladies needed protection, as a true gentleman could do naught but comply, "You heard the General, let's get to it."
Watcher Team Nine successfully turned back the attack by pirates of all things, killing ten of the fifty, but losing six of his vampires in the process while two of his men were savaged by a pair of Callistos chased by a pair of Xenas. Ordering his men to tend to them, he was about to contact the field leaders when a throat cleared.
"Sir, you will please order your men to stand down," a Confederate Captain directed him, six men with revolvers adding force to his statement.
"I'll need to call them and let them know…" he said carefully radio microphone in hand. Receiving a nod, he continued, keying it, "Delta Nine stand down," giving the code to rendezvous, central unit captured and that situation needs to be changed.
"Sir, are you ready to be driven home?" a concerned servant near a strange rumbling carriage without animals tied to it asked as Midas and his prospective companion approached from the craziness ensuing inside.
"Yes, I am," Midas replied, only briefly wondering why he understood the strange language the servant spoke, "Things are a bit difficult inside."
"My Lord, the attack has begun…"
"Sirs," an administrative assistant called out as she interrupted the meeting, "The building seems to be under attack by hundreds of demons; the lobby's been overrun." Holland Manners turned back to his client.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Miss Glorificus," the lawyer smiled at her, "You may drain her a little on the way out if you'd like. Leave something, good help is hard to get when a nuisance attack is underway. Now, you were saying something about The Key?"
Kyle Richards Ramirez of Wolves House gasped as though returning from a death as he looked over at his fellow pack of Immortals. Tor, Heidi and Rhonda were similarly recovering. Their mentorfatherpack leader was nowhere to be seen, but they could all feel Magnus and the others nearby.
"Kyle, What -" Rhonda began, cut off as some kind of disturbance broke out at the entrance to the club. A bunch of…Battlestar Galactica Colonial Warriors were backing into the club, firing *blasters* at unknown opponents outside. They looked like the bunch they were expecting from UC Sunnydale or Fondren High but…
"Tor, Heidi, check the back exit for possible escape route," Kyle ordered, "I *think* that's where I'm picking up Magnus and his pack from. We'll start getting the rest of the kids toward you if things get bad. Break it down if you hafta."
Rhonda followed Kyle's example of drawing a revolver and steel as they headed for a large white-haired man dressed in black who seemed to be directing the 'Colonial Warriors.'
"Sir!" Kyle addressed the man as they came up to him. The collection of fifteen brown jackets and two black-clothed personnel seemed to have temporarily barricaded the entrance in only a few minutes. The man turned, took note of the primitively-armed nature of the two young people approaching him. As Tye and Athena were successfully handling the surprise combat, Adama addressed the newcomers.
"I'm Commander Adama, can you tell me where we are?" the older man asked in heavily accented and oddly inflected English, gesturing around. Kyle raised an eyebrow, but noticed the man seemed quite serious.
"You are in an establishment for teenagers, Sunnydale, California…" Kyle indicated, then went for broke, "Planet Earth." 'Adama's' eyes looked hopeful at this last part.
"Earth?" Adama responded as two of his subordinates showed up, "The Thirteenth Colony?"
"Well, I don't know about that, but why do you guys speak English?" Kyle replied as Tor called out from the back, Magnus and the wolves entering with him.
"About a month ago we started picking up audio and audio-video signals and have been learning this 'English' as fast as we can," Adama explained. He frowned, "But we do not know how or why we are suddenly here. We were in-between systems and suddenly find ourselves fighting Cylons."
"I'm sure whatever it is that caused this will sort itself," Kyle responded, "And we are of Wolves House…I'm Kyle and these are Tor and Rhonda. The great wolf is Magnus. How many enemies do you have outside?" Adama looked over to Tye and Apollo, raising an eyebrow.
"About fifteen, Commander," the older of the two replied, "And it looks like a Cylon Commander is here with *Baltar.*" Apollo cursed and Adama winced with a sigh, "But for now we have denied access to this place."
Kyle looked at Magnus and the wolves, all of whom seemed calmer than at first.
"Well, I guess unless these Cylons are likely to go after the general populace, we should probably secure the building and wait for help to arrive," Kyle offered as a suggestion, "Rhonda, take a few of these… friends…with you and have them help you with barricading the back door, then see if you can get 'Father' on the phone."
"My Lord Commander, the teams have cleared the first eight ramps into Sunnydale and are ready to move in toward the High School," his aide reported, "They are coming into contact with vampires or are helping pull survivors out of some damaged businesses."
"For now, minimize rescue operations," the Knight Commander directed, unhappy at such a necessity, "The forces are still in the Sixes allocation we'd previously decided (6 Team personnel, 6 Knights and 6 mounted squires, 2 drivers and 4 groomsmen/mounted infantry in the trucks and horse trailers assigned)?" At his aide's nod he continued, "Have them slowly work their way to catch up with and destroy the demonic afflictors, then as possible make haste at that point to the High School which our intel shows seems to be at or near the center of the Hell Mouth."
"Yessir!" the aide saluted and radioed orders. 'Definitely a night to remember…'
WH Team One received the Omega Nine Stand Down Call and made contact with the other comm-active teams. Team One continued pressing its way toward the High School.
WH Team Two dragged his team leader out of the building with two minutes to spare before the house blew up. Responding to the Omega call, the drivers recklessly drove in the direction of the school, hoping for radio confirmation regarding the success or failure of other teams.
WH Team Three, consisting of the drivers and four vampires, responded to Team Eight's call for support as it was on the way toward the school. The drive through the crowded chaos and gunfire by teenage-soldiers proved difficult, but they managed to get within a block before the windshield of the lead vehicle caused a swerve and crash into a light post, causing the others to secure the site and attempt to gauge the vehicle's usability versus bunching up in the others.
WH Team Four forced its way into the parking lot of the school, parking very close to the now-emptied Watcher vehicles. Six mercs and twelve vampires leap out and scramble into formation, intending to take the ambushing Watcher team from behind and hopefully fulfill this part of the mission. They notice some suited individuals talking to the surviving Watcher's team, and that it is responding to a fight they cannot see. Team Five moving alongside, both units move toward the fighting. 'Where Watchers are, there must be the Slayer,' the senior officer considered, 'And the Hell Mouth at that point is ours until we can regroup and get out.'
WH Team Six raced away from the teen club in their remaining two vehicles, the others burning as the chrome guys and the knights with bazookas started to engage each other. Down two vampires from staff weapon hits, team six rallied though out of its element.
WH Team Seven drivers using carefully placed smaller charges, rushing into the house, manage to grab four mercs overcome by gas. Reaching the cars, the drivers remotely detonated the explosives, sending Xander Harris' home into oblivion.
The paramedic vehicle came to a stop after crushing into dust four vampires and injuring three more. Unfortunately, vampires are strong, and even as four firemen grabbed axes and moved in, the three standing vampires concentrated on reaching into the cab of the paramedic vehicle to kill both driver and passenger by ripping out their throats.
""Get 'em!" the firemen cried, charging at the vampires, axes swinging hard, "Make 'em sorry!"
"Hell with that, make 'em dead!" another called out, removing a limb and burying the axe deep into the right side of the beast. The other two firemen charged in and swung from opposite sides at the same time as the vampire turned form killing the paramedic in the passenger seat…scratch one vampire in a very messy way. Unfortunately, the three injured vampires started to recover. The humans hesitated until on reached into the sideboard of the paramedic vehicle and grabbed two flares, lighting them and handing them to his compatriots while reaching for another.
"Run vamps, it's burnin' time," one of the firemen sneered and charged. The vampires, eyesight a bit stunned from the sudden bright light, stepped back awkwardly, just long enough for three firemen to lunge with flares to enemy faces.
*Whoosh-thunk-thunk-poof-poof* a sword sliced through the air and decapitated two vampires from behind, causing the two remaining vampires and their human driver to race away on foot. The firemen greeted the newcomer with wary nods.
"Hi, I'm Adam Pierson," the dark-haired man with an inadequate haircut introduced himself, "And I hope someone can tell me what's going on."
Having jumped the curb and rammed the bus into the main entrance of the phone company, vampires piled out of the bus, the poor security guard drawing his service revolver and opening up into the chest of the first 'man' charging him, getting very lucky and destroying heart, throat and spinal column in the neck, dusty the aggressive minion as its 'master' followed behind and ended his life quickly.
Pouring through the building of this regional hub for the coast that duplicated as the central office for all of Sunnydale, the vampires quickly sought to kill any late workers and set fire to every office they passed.
Twelve minutes later, the vampires had finally ignited the whole office building, only to find the actual switching equipment was in the other building. Annoyed, the vampires charged across the common yard and forced their way through the doors, but only after four water cooler bottles and three very large spools had been pushed out of a large window two stories up. Three vampires dusted as their heads were completely destroyed, and two more injured for the moment as the hourly workers exacted a toll.
The vampires lost another when one of the undead started chasing a fleeing human, only to find several gallons of water on the floor and electric cables dropped to electrically shock the vampire, which fell to the floor and writhed until the cables shorted and it was stabbed through with a mop handle. Breaking into the last corridor, the vampires saw a human duck into a narrow equipment corridor and shuffle sideways toward the other end where all the remaining personnel seemed to be hiding out. Eight vampires shuffled down the corridor, firing their Saturday night specials to keep the humans from trying anything else tricky. It worked well until one round shot into a large capacitor next to which two of his fellow vamps were passing. Between pain and surprise, the vampires turned and bumped into two vampires next to them, knocking them into the exposed electrical on the side of the corridor they'd managed to avoid so far. *ka-zap, pop pop pop-ka-zap* and four vampires burst into flames and dust. By seven-twenty, the four vampires watched as the remaining humans escaped in a plethora of vehicles, leaving none of their people behind alive. One of the vampires turned and threw a large shutdown switch, and landline communications ceased.
People in the main terminal died. Security reacted slowly but with effort, guns tearing into the vampires, some of whom fired back as many human civilians made for the exits successfully in the critical first minutes. Within the half-hour three of ten vampires had gone to final death as human efforts at most slowed the inevitable destruction of property. Two cooks in a chain hamburger concession managed to throw two buckets of boiling grease at charging vampires, causing the undead to writhe in agony. Two mop handles later, and the minimum wage workers were safely running into the parking lot with two scared families they'd coaxed along on the way out.
Ten minutes later, and the building shook as fuel tanks started to blow up from sabotage, spreading fire and toxic chemicals everywhere. Vampires rushed planes and ignored the service complex as unimportant, causing general mayhem.
By seven twenty-five, four planes of passenger size, including the Watcher's, after a fight that eliminated five vampires, were burning and blowing up. The air traffic control tower radioed for help, claiming terrorist activity, then sealed up their building.
The vampires entered the near-automated facility pretty much empty. The security guard, alerted by the gate alarm, had noticed the large bus full of people heading toward the front of the building. Seeing from his windows the deformed faces of the trespassers, he'd sounded an evacuation, and over the intercom warned the three others on duty to evacuate out the back door. Seven minutes later, only vampires occupied the premises, and stared dumbly at most of what they found, settling for office fires and general vandalism until one of them found the central console, hit the emergency shut-off, then shot up the console to keep it off. Half an hour and already it was boring.
Four vampires of the twenty-four survived the WH-rigged detonation of charges that obliterated the Summers House. Spike picked himself up off the asphalt in front of his bus, and swore many a vile word before regaining control. Half his vampires with him were dust, and his anger pure.
"Let's go that club, The Bronze," he ordered, "And destroy that and kill us a slayer somewhere. One of you get on the radio and tell the gang heading toward it to just get there now."
The fifteen vampires looked on in dismay as four security guards behind the massive steel-grilled doors waved over eight vampires to show themselves as the LA minions looked on. Calculating the odds, the LA team scouted out options for a few minutes, then turned the bus around.
Only two minions had managed to electrocute themselves into fire and dust before the four technicians were drained, the power shut off and controls destroyed. The vampires looked around at each other, shrugged, and got in the bus to head back into the town.
The minion in charge of the dock attack was disappointed that very few humans were around to eat or torture. He'd sent two of his boys up the street toward what looked like a country club a few blocks from the gate to the docklands. Fifteen minutes passed before they reported back.
"Some type of costume party, and it's a mess," one of the minions informed him, "Lot's of fine women though."
"It's quiet enough here. Send the Compton Cowboys over to set some fires, especially the fuel tanks. We'll invite ourselves over to this party, and have a bite. And we might as well burn our way there."
Penn and his minions had expediently made off with a bus and forced their way through traffic in not too great a time when they crashed through the parking lot, up over the curb and on towards the rear of the library. It came as a surprise when in the headlights, a mixed group of humans and vampires turned and fired at the bus as it mowed through them.
The Knight Team Three scooted out of the back of the trucks, having finally encountered real evidence of hostile activity, the Captain sent pairs to the left and right of the building, looking for either survivors to be assisted, or lingering enemy presence. The trucks and trailers semi-circled out in the street as pair three knocked in the front door, falling back before the heat and smoke of the growing inferno. Three minutes later, as the Horsemen secured the next intersection and began searching for serious threats, pair on brought a man back from the right-rear of the building.
"Who or what did this?" asked the Captain directly, gesturing at the building.
"I, uh, gang members did this," the clerk replied, "Really strong gang bangers." The Captain gritted his teeth, then sighed as he stared at the man.
"Did these gang members wear yellow contact lenses?" he further queried. The man nodded slowly, leading to the next question, "And did they head further down the street?" At the man's nod, the Captain pulled out his map with notes on it and began looking at what might be targets along the way until he'd be expected to rein in toward the Hell Mouth. 'Let's see, this liquor store, a chapel, the post office, a cemetery, a small synagogue, a bar, a fire station. Hmm, then if I turn on Mabel, we'll pass Sunnydale Acres cemetery, and a bunch of houses before the Double-Meat Palace
Knight Four made its way along the street, as possible moving people to safety and treating wounds before pressing forward. So far, they were about ten or so minutes and the gap was opening as they lent comfort to the civilians.
Knight Five, like Knight Four, moved as quickly as practicable until they converged with Knight Six at Postal Square…
Knight Six, with Knight Four, paused before deploying, as they watched a large white dog-eared demon dressed in US Postal Service attire, leading a repulse by a mixed US Postal force of five humans and six demons against thirtyy-five vampires trying to get at the place with torches and guns.
The Knight Lieutenant of Six, senior in rank, ordered his force in on the side of the mail workers, not believing his ears as they reached melee range, the charge spooking and smashing the vampire cohesiveness. A human turned toward the dog-eared demon and made cracks about it being Clem's last day on the job.
"Hey, knock it off," the friendly but currently vamp-killing demon complained, "Four more hours and I'm retired, Bruce."
"Oh, yeah, for kitten poker," the dog-loving cat-hating oxymoron of a postal deliverer jibed as he kneecapped a newbie vampire, "And, Star Trek conventions…"
"Hey!" Clem complained, "I can go out in public and everybody is equal. And besides," he added, beheading three vampires at once with a sword dropped by a knight, "Show a little respect for the forty-year man."
Knight Seven, moving swiftly beyond the bloodied bus station, raced forward down the avenue until they noted a group of vampires and demons, maybe twenty in number, moving toward the reported Postal battle. The Knight in charge, ordered the team and support to follow closely the large group as he and his fellow knights trotted down a side street for the possibility of a flank charge trough and back.
Knight Eight sounded the charge, knights bearing down hard and fast into the drinking and fornicating vampires and demons outside Willy's Alibi Room, crashing through the most pathetic of Spike's vampires. The noise drew the attention of nearby bar patrons, who like most demons, quickly ran away to avoid trouble. Five minutes later, the Knights had suffered a single fatality to over twenty vampires and their new demon friends being eliminated.
Knight Team Two charged into middle of the street, hacking and shooting the vampires who'd begun attacking a traffic jam of families returning home from parties and such. The vampires went down quickly under the sudden coordinate barrage, but managed to seriously wound two knights and a squire with knives and poorly kept firearms.
Knight Team One finally caught up with a large group of about ten vampires that'd had an easy time of setting fire to a few cars and broken in the windows of some really boring store fronts, just as they two forces arrived in the vicinity of the Police Station.
The Costumed Kuyler, Kassim and O'Rourke cleared out most of the easy lootables, sufficient duffle bags available to carry out without too much notice. A parked car outside the entrance proved an easy wire for the men, and they were getting in when they felt on odd pulling sensation, a calling. They stared at each other.
"We will investigate this," Kassim suggested, "If it's the Gathering, we wil spread out and engage others first, and only after that meet as foes. Fair enough?" The others nodded, driving slowly toward the school.
Han and his Jedi had moved away in the opposite direction as the militia, making a careful circuit of the complex, as possible quickly striking to prevent death and violence. Half an hour had passed, short vicious animal pre-sentient groups being compelled to retreat after easier targets. Han managed to angle the rescued into what appeared to be primitive classrooms for their safety. Now, they closed in on what seemed to be projectile weapons fire, and the screams made it imperative that they intervene soon. Suddenly the Force types grimaced and wavered a moment, himself slightly swaying from a feeling of great evil he'd not felt since…
"Vader…" Han said, looking to his wife, who with wide eyes nodded.
"If the dark force that was in our father has been matched by another," Luke considered, "We have to do whatever it takes to end it."
Lord Sreem regain consciousness in a foul mood, but quickly felt a surge of Dark Force in the immediate vicinity, and to his surprise a few Jedi as well. Gaining his feet again, he turned to his followers. We'll move on the source of that Power. Kill anything that gets in our way."
O'Neill and Carter were stunned as much by Teal'c's uncharacteristic breaking of cover as by the sudden and brutal firefight that overtook the small groups. Teal'c's scream of rage and pain at the loss of his left hand marked the immediate end of the fight as Carter called out that she'd check the fallen even as Jack mad his way to the cafeteria building doorway. Inside, Chronos and his three remaining Jaffa made their way toward a similar set of doors across the large chamber, tipping over tables and chairs to block eemy advance should such occur, only to see more Tau'ri pour in from that same point.
Apophis watched as his Jaffa downed six of the shiny attackers at the cost of only two wounded downed. Sensing an inability to achieve hs objectives, the false god called out to his Jaffa to retreat away.
Two vehicles disabled, the WH Team used the opportunity to double-up, back up, and race away up the street to take a slightly longer way to the school.
"Centurion!" Baltar/Parker called out as he watched the 'knights' get away, "After them!" The chrome fighters shifted from the firing positions, and began heading in slow but steady pursuit.
"By your command…"
Juan Sanchez Villa Lobos Ramirez and his recovery band made their way to the cafeteria. His cell phone rang as they reached it, and he gestured Darius to proceed while he took the call.
"Ramirez…"
"What?! Cylons?!"
"Let Magnus and Kyle know we'll try to get to this 'Bronze' when we can."
"I don't know, but Darius said something about alternate realities, but it might just be partial amnesia, I woke from banging my head on the ground when this started."
Gunfire and energy weapons exchanges seemed to come out of the 'cafeteria' along with a couple of arrogant shouts in a deep voice.
"I seem to be at a high school library. Uh-huh, Uh-huh, yes we'll try to get their soon. Call me in fifteen minutes or so if you don't here from me. Bye."
Ramirez pocketed his phone and peeked into the building to find three figures retreating into what seemed to be an institutional kitchen, while three Immortals and a hostile were on the floor. A man in uniform with an assault rifle seemed to be covering the far door and tending to a screaming black man's damaged hand.
Ramirez called out to Darius to secure the area and check on the fallen enemy as he himself carefully made his way to the other side of the building. He stopped about twenty feet from the two men as a blonde woman in fatigues came up behind them.
'Halloo, there," Ramirez called to them, "I'm thinking we're not enemies…Colonel. Have you any idea what's going on?" Colonel O'Neill looked over at the three people who were suddenly gasping back to life across the room, then back to Ramirez. "They're not what you think."
Colonel O'Neill eased his head back toward Carter without taking his eyes or weapon off of the possible hostile.
"Carter? Whadaya think?" he asked his 2IC.
"Well, Sir," the Captain began quietly, "I don't really know. Usually the…you know whats jump hosts, and *can't* heal that fast. And it's just the two of us with Teal'c and four prisoners."
"Colonel," Ramirez called out, "I should point out that we can simply agree to stay on our own sides of the building for now? We ran in here thinking we'd be safe from the chaos outside, and will be leaving in a few minutes to meet our friends. And there's probably a service entrance through which the… Goa'uld will make their escape into the general population. And since you are unable to take care of your wounded man, prisoners *and* pursue our mutual enemy…I propose to handle this last task for you." He backed away slowly, still facing the two Air Force officers.
"How do you know them if you aren't," Carter asked as O'Neill replied, "Why would you do that?"
"Because I was there the last time a Goa'uld named Set tried to unbury the damn thing," Ramirez grimaced and left.
Five minutes later, O'Neill heard the sounds of multiple blasts, shouts and side arms being fired. Then some swearing and another five minutes, a singed group of 'people' came out with the remaining Jaffa and the body of Chronos.
"Well, Colonel," Ramirez said as he and his companions dropped the bodies on the floor, "Here are your pets, remember to clean up after their messes." He then handed over two coffee cans duct-taped to face each other, "And we managed to coax the evil little rascal into these. He didn't care for my suggestion that I start stabbing into the neck very well, and this was his only chance at possible life or escape…so we'll be seeing you."
Across the large room they watched as a young black woman who'd taken a staff blast to her side suddenly gasped and woke up.
"Who are you guys?" Carter asked quickly, only Ramirez turning around, "What did you mean you were here the last time?"
"We're friends, Captain," the Immortal answered with a twinkle in his eye, "And I've called this world home for a couple…years. Good night."
"Do you feel that, Apprentice?" the Sith Lord addressed his protégé, "That surge of Power, that is our destination and possibly the way to our own world." The other Sith nodded deeply his compliance.
The Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader walked through the forested area along a path leading eventually to the Master's destination. Twice the yellow-eyes had approached, and each time a simple raised hand shot out a burst of force lightning into their midst, taking the fight out of them as a few dusted each time.
"I am becoming annoyed, Vader," he said to Vader, "We'll exterminate the yellow-eyes when we get a chance."
Holz watched as two dozens vampires, including Angelus approaching the school. With only ten men, his position might be tenuous at best, but if he removed Angelus to Hell it wouldn't matter. As the gunfight near the Library had died down, it seemed best to retreat therein and restrict he vampires to a few at a time.
Nest and his minions swaggered toward the location of his recent demise, aware that the town was for some reason in chaos. Smiling at his followers, he smiled sickeningly sweet, "Let's dine on the Hell Mouth, shall we?"
A couple of minutes later, Holz having realized his mistake, pulled his men around a corner until the beasts were at the door. The magicians had mentioned a Hell Mouth, and likely it was around here somewhere if so many vampires moved so swiftly toward a goal. Gesturing, his men moved out and formed a kneeling and standing file, seconds later opening fire into the moving corpses only twenty feet away and clustered together. Parts of the undead flew, screams erupted, the modern weapons serving a purpose before Holz charged forward, men following their captain, stakes and bladed weapons in hand.
"Reginald, look there, I believe that's Angelus and that seems to be… The Master," Clayton declared, "But in his more human form as our older texts illustrate."
"So what's your point, Your Grace," Wyndham-Price snap, "Vampires are vampires."
"But this one has wanted to open the Hell Mouth, and is marching to take control of it right now," the Duke asserted, reaching for a wooden sword and crossbow, "Arm yourself, Reginald, it's time for you to lead us into the fray."
"To what purpose," the Watcher-In-Charge sputtered.
"To save the World, Reginald," the Duke smiled sadly, "If you survive, you'll probably succeed Travers." Reginald noted his son's expectant look.
"Let's go, then," Wyndham-Pryce grimaced as the six prepared to meet their possible deaths.
Watcher Team Three note gunshots from further around the corner of the building. Team Leader Michaels sighs as the entire Watcher party, armed with antiques, moves up and takes charge.
"We need to kill the vampires attacking the front of this structure," Reginald asserted, "Now, we're right behind you."
'Of course you are,' the modern fighter mentally sighed as he gestured his men forward. As the gunfire ceased and screams and fighting heard around the corner, the English moved around and began carefully pouring fire into fringe undead before engaging directly hand-to-hand.
'Buffy' and Darius remained as quiet as they could, peeking out into the library as her possessed friends and classmates found themselves engaged in combat against the Master, an apparently evil Angel, Luke and the Anointed One. Darius pointed to where the bodies of Angel and Edith suddenly seemed to revive, gasping for breath. The Slayer and Immortal exchanged a look, and with the monk firing what ammo they had, raced to enjoin in combat their undead enemies.
A dozen vampires left at the door as another dozen engage Anakin and the four Hands. The Hands inflict killing blows, but not against vampires, and it comes as a surprise to find a level playing field for the moment. Nest with Angelus and Colin with him reach the Hell Mouth, Angelus suddenly smiling as guns are fired and a blonde leaps in front of him. Nest chants and intones as Angelus begins to banter, and a monk heads in to help the Hands hold off the undead.
"Hello, Lover," Angelus greets Buffy that is in Darla's body, "Too late to stop us." He is surprised when with tears in her eyes, lunges forward and barely misses his heart. Angelus staggers back in shock, "You're of sterner stuff if lousy aim, now, Slayer."
The body of Angel gets off the floor and draws a sword, the woman next to him doing the same. The woman says, "I don't know who you are, but we don't have to fight."
"Aye, then lass," Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod replied, "It would be best I'm thinkin' that we cut the heads off some vampires." She smiles back at him, nods and charges in.
Captain Holz and five men survive the battle at the door, seven vampires dusted by he and his, and six by modern fighters. He steps forward and offers his hand, "Captain Holz, in pursuit of Angelus."
"Michaels, Watcher's Council…" the other fighter begins, to be interrupted by another Englishman.
"Wyndham-Price, I'm in charge," the officious man broke in, "Shall we finish this inside the Library after the vampires have been dealt with?"
The Immortals caught the vampires by surprise, cutting deeply and forcing the undead deep to within the building. Twice, they'd nearly lost their impetus when a few Immortals had died swiftly, but reviving moments later, it was the vampires who'd been surprised with decapitations from their rear.
Inside the building, it was difficult to determine if any cohesiveness to the police force remained, though gunfire, the sounds of equipment damage and screams let the Immortals know in which directions to press their relief. Police officers wounded and held the demons, but never for long as too few of them really knew how to deal with the night shift activities.
They made excellent progress, when a tugging sensation seemed to pull at the Immortals, slowing their success.
"Do you feel that?" Richie asked Hayoka, "What is that?"
"It could be the Gathering," the shaman responded, "But let's link up with the others. We should not challenge each other or let ourselves be drawn into fighting each other until we know the real situation… this feels…evil."
Jacob Kell and his gang recovered the initiative and with it swiftly cleared the yard of their foes. Then they felt the presence of a half-dozen Immortals within the building as suddenly, something dark began pulling at each of them.
"It may be the Gathering," Kell informed his minions, "We will wade in and kill all the others before turning on ourselves." They bowed to their liege and marched out the gates.
The Costumed Jacob Kell and his Gang finished their investigation as to location and situation, turning up a few thousand American dollars, but unable to contact by phone any of their normal contractors. Kell gave up, when all of a sudden a strong dark force tugged at his very being, and noted that his minions seemed equally affected.
"We will investigate this sensation," the leader declared, "And will ieliminate whatever gets in our way." The others nodded.
The Costumed Kurgan left the station, sword in hand and within a few minutes, near an overturned bus surrounded by vampires, came face to face with Devin Marck. Oth knowing what was to be, they simply charged and began swinging as ten vampires began to gather around and bet on the outcome. Slash-parry, feint-stab, and many minor wounds being inflicted, the Kurgan after his fight at the fire station having tired him from using his full strength. Back and forth they went, occasionally stabbing or decapitating vampires that got in too close, four dusted within twenty minutes as finally the Kurgan's greater ferocity overcame his opponent as the vampires finally tired of waiting.
The quickening was impressive enough, and to a lone Immortal that despised the Kurgan who approached, it provided amusement. Lightning bug-zapped each of the remaining six vampires in succession, eliminating *one* small threat to the town.
Fire Station One wouldn't really be able to respond much to any calls, as only two of twelve were battered but alive, and two badly hurt but stabilized as the last three vampires fled into the night after suffering many painful wounds from the fire axes. The firemen hoped that not too much would happen near the docks tonight.
"General Chamberlain!" the Colonel/Riley Finn called out, "We have finally repelled the demons at last, Sir. What are your orders, our scouts show those pirates heading for the docks of this strange town, and another group of arsonists in dark clothing, possibly moving on us or the pirates."
"Very well," General Joshua Chamberlain considered, "You have the weapons appropriated from the strange soldiers in black and have determined how to use them?" The Colonel nodded. "Good. Leave Four each of Blue and Gray here to maintain order. Then with Lieutenant Miller as your second, please rein in mischief in the waterfront. If too outnumbered, retreat."
"Yes sir, General," Finn replied, 'And after this I think I'll take up my father-in-law's offer of a farm stake in Iowa. This is just too much.'
The six remaining vampires of Watcher Team Nine watched as the blue and gray soldiers thinned their numbers to pursue the pirates.
"My Lord, the attack has been quite successful. Twenty-five thousands are obeying your orders. From what we can gather, at some cost you have eliminated all criminal competition in Southern California, though the killing part is still going on, and the human *reporters* are giving rioting as the cause of the damage and deaths."
"What of the Hell Mouth and the Lawyers?"
"Your minions will reach Sunnydale within half an hour to an hour, and the Wolf, Ram, Hart building is half-taken. So much for their Halloween Party; the disloyal elements in the pay of your rivals are no doubt already dead with virtually every other member of the Circle of the Black Thorn. The charges have been set throughout the garage and lobby levels for detonation within the hour. And that little surprise should be arriving any moment now."
An angry metallic fluttering was heard outside the window shutters, and as Sebassis directed their opening, watched as four black helicopters fire missiles at him and his Mansion.
"How unfortunate…a tie."
Holland Manners was finishing up his meeting with Glorificus when his intercom buzzed. This time it was his Head of Security.
"Sir, the protocoled response is reported successful, but the Party itself is about to come under attack," the human informed him over the comm unit, "What are your directions?" The executive was about to answer when a small plane of all things flew through the window and killed him, splattering him all over Glorificus and her minions.
"My dress!" the Hell Goddess shrieked. She picked up the lawyer's head and threw it out the window, "Look what you did…everybody dies!"
"Sir? Mr. Manners?" the intercom transmitted again, a fist then smashing it hard.
Spike and his bus of stunned minions pressed through traffic, miraculously avoiding the worst of it, and as they neared the club, the lure of the Hell Mouth proved to much of a lure, as well as a threat to Spike's world-view of 'no world, I'm not gonna be around much longer…' and he ordered the driver to turn down a street that would take them to the high school, barely missing a bunch of weird-looking pikesmen firing bazookas at chrome-plated guys.
"This place is just too bloody crazy," Spike murmured after giving the order to radio all the others to hurry up and meet them at the school library, "After tonight, maybe I'll just find Dru and go home to London."
Kyle Richards Ramirez of Wolves House and Adama of the Colonial Fleet could determine no further threat to the integrity of the building; apparently the Cylons and the other oddly-armored group had engaged each other and were too busy to force entry.
The Pack, wolves and human, grew anxious from the wait, and after a quick recon out the alley door, determined it safe enough to go further.
"Kyle, it's all clear," Tor reported back, "We should attempt to reach the School; we haven't been able to call his cell again."
"I'm sure he can take care of himself, but you're right," the designated leader agreed, receiving a similar feel from Magnus, "Gather the others." He turned to 'Adama' and remarked, "We need to reach our other family, so staying here just in case to make sure no one harms the civilians wouldn't be too bad an idea."
"No, if the Cylons are out there, they ust be stopped before others are killed," the young-looking man replied, waving others over, "But unless we determine they've taken another route, we'll accompany you and lend assistance."
"Thank you…Commander," Kyle replied, "I guess if you gather your people, we'll head out now.
Apophis and his Jaffa continued to avoid the chrome machines and their presumably-human leader, staff weapons just sufficient to keep pursuit to a steady, but slow, pace. A large Tauri transport swerved and narrowly missed both sides in the engagement, but this was sufficient to allow the Goa'uld to order his forces into an alley paralleling their current path.
Baltar and his force continued forward, faster, the human recklessly ordering his Cylons ahead as he attempted to catch up. Two sets of arms grabbed him, preventing him from crying out as they turned the Traitor Baltar to face the leader of the enemy he'd pursued.
Silver eyes flashed close to his own, and Baltar was filed with dread at his possible fate. He smiled in almost a leer, and began to speak only to fil his enemy's hand grasp him by the throat and lift him up.
"Your body is week, but I have need of your soldiers until I can establish my rule over this pathetic world," Apophis told Baltar, "So you have the honor of providing a host vessel to your god!" Baltar choked, but as the silver flashed in the eyes of his confronter he felt something press into his mouth and into the back of his neck.
The hand dropped away as the body dropped.
Apophis' eyes flashed as he took control of the new host, just as the Cylons came around the corner. Racing trough the thoughts of the new host, Apophis turned, "Halt, these are Jaffa and owe allegiance. They obey and will follow us to establish order over the humans. I take the name Apophis to establish this control, so address me as Lord Commander Apophis."
"By your command."
Captain Starbuck, watching with his binocs from across the road, swore and relayed the information to the others. Kyle nodded to Adama.
"How about firing into that bunch, then running to join up with our people at the school to find help?"
"It's the only plan," Adama agreed, turning to this Colonials, "Aim and Fire."
"Hi, I'm Adam Pierson," the dark-haired man with an inadequate haircut introduced himself, "And I hope someone can tell me what's going on."
"Vampire, lots of 'em," one of the firefighting crew said, "Oh, and I'm Rory Harris, just playing cards with these when these bastards showed up. You seem pretty handy with that thing, thanks for the help."
"Your welcome," Adam replied, "Any reason why these…vampires would suddenly attack a fire station?" Rory was about to respond when one of his fire-fighting friends called over to everyone.
"Hey, the whole town's hit!" the man yelled, "Police, fire and other places are also under attack, and the power outage is wide-spread."
"Any idea where the worst of it is so we can stay away from there?" Adam asked, feeling a real pull to the west.
"Yeah, over toward the high school and that way seems the worst," the man replied, pointing west, "Anybody think we should get in the trucks and head that way?"
"Do the phones work?" Rory called back, "You guys need to check on your wives and families. If we have to, we'll do a run in your trucks and get you guys home, alright?"
"You treat your men well, Mr. Harris," Adam commented, trying to avoid the draw of what might be the Gathering, "But I fear my presence needs to be at the middle of all this."
"Oh, I'm not a firefighter, Adam," Rory replied, "I was just visiting my friends when this went into the fan…but as the Captain isn't here, I'm just helping out. And if that's what you're going to do, I grab and axe and some flares. I've been ignoring the vampires for too long, and drinking too much. I have a nephew that hangs around he school a lot, so let's go. I'll get my old Buick out back, and we'll head over."
"Why not simply walk?" Adam asked, "You don't seem to give off a vibe that it'll be far."
"It's not, but there are three things," Rory Harris replied, "The first is that as an American I'm overwhelmed with the need to not leave my car where more of these vampire things can wreck it worse than it is. Second, I have a bottle of forty-years old Scotch I've been saving up since I left employment with CRD last year, a bonus from their rival company for a little 'intel' you might say. And most important, Don't you think that a big heavy car is a better weapon for killing demons?"
Adam smiled.
"My Lord Commander, the teams have cleared the first eight ramps into Sunnydale and are ready to move in toward the High School," his aide reported, "They are coming into contact with vampires or are helping pull survivors out of some damaged businesses."
"For now, minimize rescue operations," the Knight Commander directed, unhappy at such a necessity, "The forces are still in the Sixes allocation we'd previously decided (6 Team personnel, 6 Knights and 6 mounted squires, 2 drivers and 4 groomsmen/mounted infantry in the trucks and horse trailers assigned)?" At his aide's nod he continued, "Have them slowly work their way to catch up with and destroy the demonic afflictors, then as possible make haste at that point to the High School which our intel shows seems to be at or near the center of the Hell Mouth."
"Yessir!" the aide saluted and radioed orders. 'Definitely a night to remember…'
The Knights and the vampires engaged in heated and ever-consuming battle in and around the Post Office, where two of Sunnydale's main city streets intersected. Vampires with hand guns and the occasional assault rifle, knives and their own evil strength and speed met Knights sworn to destroy them, armed and trained in modern 'team' tactics, or mounted on horseback engaging with sword or charging with lances.
For fifteen minutes the groups called for help and converged into the fight, the occasional chaos-transformed human lending fire support or direct close combat against the vampires, who'd simply charge in with buses and then get out to attacks. Blood, dust and body parts filled the air, even as the newly-arriving vampires seemed more intent on busting through than staying to fight.
The Knight Commander himself found himself after entering the fray, fighting alongside the jovial Post Office demon that twice saved his life.
"Hey, Clem, How much longer on your other job?" another night-shift postal worker called out as they started passing Clem big steel mailboxes to hurl into the vamps.
"What? My bailiff job?" Clem responded, throwing one and then another heavy projectile rolling atop and through an advancing half-dozen vamps, "Tomorrow's the last day, I usually work nights but Harry needed me to cover for Bull since he had to go visit his Jovian friends."
"You get all the fun, Clem," another worker joked as they rolled up the last drop-box, "But we're glad you didn't short-time us tonight, right guys?!" The Knight Commander shook his head as the night-shift started chanting Clem's name.
The fighting about that time transformed into a running engagement as the demons shifted toward outright running toward the Hell Mouth, the remaining humans, Clem and a werewolf transforming back to human letting them go for the moment as they tended to the dead and wounded. The postal workers, including Clem and the were, began retrieving the mail boxes and other assets used to defeat the vampires, the amount of dust fairly impressive.
"Your orders Commander?" one of the Knights asked, nodding toward Clem, "Shall we?"
"Don't be absurd, Abelard," the Commander rebuked, "Even if he hadn't just proved he was non-Evil by defending his human co-workers and fulfilling his oath of government service, do you *really* want piss off the Post Office and its international equivalents by killing one of them while on duty, and especially when we've gotten the idiots back in Europe to finally use the posts instead of messenger convoys?"
"Sorry, Milord, I just wanted to clarify our position for the men."
"You have, now please see to our own so that we can pursue, this is still a battle, and it is still the Hell Mouth"
The WH Teams continued to press into the library and the side opposite the door skirmish. Several as they showed, were able to mop up stray wounded from the Watchers and others, ensuring no more surprises when they finished the rendezvous and headed to relieve Team Nine at the Mayoral Event.
The Wolfram and Hart teams moved in to close on the Library, and the Watcher personnel forcing entry. The night had so far proven the greatest cluster experienced by the experienced mercenary humans and vampires, a series of grab and runs, maybe some fighting to ensure the security of the objectives. Circumstance and Chaos had turned the inhabitants into monsters, superheroes, soldiers, pirates and what-all, interfering with rapid response in this small city of less than a hundred thousand.
"If the dark force that was in our father has been matched by another," Luke considered, "We have to do whatever it takes to end it."
"I couldn't agree more," Juan Ramirez greeted the young Jedi, "And we'll back you up in this." The Jedi group turned to find several sword wielders approaching, weapons out but not threatening. The amount of Power coming off the dark-haired speaker unsettled Luke, but very little of it was of the Dark Side, and it was as if the man were a giant, walking mid-chlorian. The man also carried a light saber, unactivated, in his left hand, "I'm Juan Ramirez, Master Jedi, what is your plan?"
"I'm Luke, and I think in order to minimize a bad situation, we'll just have to charge around the corner, blasters firing and put an end to the Sith and the dead things as quickly as possible. Are you Force-trained?"
"A bit simple, but a workable plan," Ramirez smiled back, "And my group will flank yours just after you make your move. And a long time ago I'd advanced as a Padawan."
"Well, the Order is rebuilding, Juan Ramirez, if we survive we'll speak of you possibly joining us again." With that, Luke signaled his group to the attack.
Penn and his minions plowed through the vampires and men next to the library, crashing into the building at high speed because of Penn's threats. The rear of the library, and a fair section of wall gave way under the sheer mass of the vehicle, allowing the stunned and bloodied vampires a brief moment to exit and spread out, four of them left to heal on the bus from head and other injuries.
Connor and Amanda charged into the minions, quickly surprising and wreaking a hideous toll from the undead menaces, 'Luke' surprised as yet again 'mere mortals' defeated him, ending his unlife. The Master continued to chant, drawing on the radiant power of the Hell Mouth to fuel his opening of same. He reveled and smiled broadly as the Earth shook again, causing those nearby to pay as much attention maintaining footing as fighting. Anakin and the Hands forced back the minions toward the doors, Skywalker using force lightning to blast a half-dozen away without harming one of his current allies. Seeing the Master revel in his evil magic, he drew on the Force and surprised all by suddenly running up and along the wall, light saber striking minions as he rushed by at incredible speed toward the source of the increasing Dark Force.
Captain Holz and the Watchers move directly into the library as from around one side four figures with what appeared to be red light sabers advanced on them, another group with swords and blasters from the other, almost immediately backed up by Jedi types wielding light sabers a variety of non-red colors.
Palpatine and Vader closed the gap behind Grand Admiral Sreem and his Dark Jedi Captains as they encountered Jedi and others in the way to accessing the Dark Force of a possible dimensional rift.
"Admiral," Palpatine hissed loudly, receiving a deep bow in turn.
"My Lord Emperor," Sreem intoned, "Your orders, my master?"
"After Vader and I enter the library, kill all the Jedi and their rabble," the dark-cloaked figure hissed as it passed through after his tall Apprentice. Vader deflected blaster shots away as the two opposing forces met, the Dark Lord using Force-lightning to explode the doors into the library and through the combined forces of Holz and the Watchers. His Master followed leisurely behind.
Darius and Buffy combined to attack Angelus and the Master, breaking the concentration of the powerful demon before he could cast the final spells to undo the Seal and begin releasing the thousand turok-han vampires into the world, with the energy of an almost-open Hell Mouth to ensure his own place as ruler. Contrary to the Watchers and others of his own Aurelians, the Master sought Power, not world domination by True Demons that would eliminate his position by eating him.
The Hell Beast guarding the Seal cast about widely with its tentacles, seeking out the one who dared violate its territory.
Angelus was grabbed and wrenched toward the maw of the Beast before 'Buffy' could stab him in the chest, setting her off-balance, but giving the Master a chance to throw a minion into the path of Darius' sword.
Holz and Michaels stood clear of the doors, taking in the chaotic engagement before them as their men went directly into the killing of vampires. Spotting *two* Angeluses caused Holz to pauseand carefully note that an apparent slayer attacked one, as the other was dusting vampires. For now, he would move toward the Hell Beast and ensure the end of *that* Angelus.
The door exploded inward, barely missing the Captain as he and two of his men charged off to the left to get around the worst of the fight. The Watchers had managed to reload before entering the library, eliminating a few vapires before the doors pasted them down into the ground with much bloodshed and damage, only the old gentleman and a near-boy of the group avoiding wounds.
Michaels and his team had pressed to the right, not waiting for the desk-jockeys to get with the program. Seeing as three very-capable 'birds' were holding off a large number of vampires, the black ops leader ordered his men to try and link up with them, pincering those undead between them. The door explosion came as a surprise, unfortunately taking out Michaels' newest man, but allowing the fight to continue. 'Damn, how do face another threat on our rear flank, hope it's one of our other teams.'
Lord Sidious and Count Dooku approached the school parking lot feeling the presence of strong Sith and Dark Jedi, as well as that of several Jedi.
"Master," Dooku addressed the Sith Lord, "What are your orders in this?"
"We are approaching the structure in which…Palpatine…and others are drawing on a large concentration of the Dark Side. Kill that which is in our way and I shall bring my apprentice into our fold…or kill him."
"Yes, Master," Dooku intoned, activating his light saber and charging forward into an existing melee so as to clear a path for his master.
The Jedi surged forward, unable to end Vader or his revived Master, but pressing strongly against the Dark Jedi, pressing them quickly back toward the library. The swordsmen charged around and for a moment it looked like the blaster wounds would end the intrusion, but the Immortals kept coming, a large enough group as to make a difference. Neferteri fell to the ground in pain the blaster killing her as her sword went into a Dark Captain, both falling to the ground out of the fight. Lady Croft, tiring from an evening of rescuing children from monsters, suddenly felt overcome with extra energy even as her new friend fell.
"I'll avenge you, Neferteri, just keep your head until I return," Lara swore as she then screamed and threw herself in front of a blaster, but skewered her opponent's chest, ending another and buying her brethren time to end whatever madness was going on inside the building. 'I hate ruining another blouse,' she griped to herself as she fell to the ground, the briefest flash of green in her eyes as the blackest took her.
Sreem abandoned his Captains to follow his Emperor into the library, seeking a path to survival
Dooku, the vampires and the remaining personnel from different teams did battle for three minutes until Lord Sidious gained unimpeded passage into the building's rear entry, a large gaping hole. Dooku had deflected bullets, slashed at the vampires and exacted a great toll in body parts before dusting the undead, Penn engaging the teams with abandon.
Sidious and his Apprentice left behind bullets, knives and all-out bloody murder as the surge of dark power began to ebb, the sounds of battle inside a choir to the ears of Sidious.
The vampires of Penn and the teams went berserk from the proximity to the ark power and the smell of blood, soon they were all fighting on an individual against everyone basis as small clusters of sword-wielders started to approach and sometimes engage each other, some guns firing beforehand.
Holz and Michaels were cast aside with the hand-flicks of Vader and Palpatine as they stalked into the room, the fight behind them of no consequence.
The Master looked up, feeling the Power radiating off of the two, and equal Power coming up from the rear of the library as the Slayer dusted Angelus and began hacking her way free of the Hell Beast.
Sneering at the blonde, he spoke.
"So much like my Darla, but I must need leave rather than die," the resurrected vampire mock-grieved, "Good-bye, Slayer." And with that he used his strength and a spell to launch himself upward and through the windows and into the night. 'I wonder what Kakistos is doing these days?'
Most of the vampires met with dusting within the moment, Connor and Amanda moving to Buffy's side, swords out to attack the Hell Beast that even now was retreating back into the closing fissure.
Sidious and Dooku looked across to find Palpatine and Vader an equal match as they slowly and cautiously made their way towards each other even as the Jedi and Ramirez' Immortals raced through the door.
Blasters fired, Force-lightning flared first from one, then from others taking advantage of the situation to attack rivals. Books burned and furniture with it, Anakin activating a fallen light saber and flinging it into Dooku's face, enough of a distraction for the evil-detecting slayer to hurl a stake directly into a human heart.
Sidious turned toward the Immortals covering her, sending Force-lightning to cast them back into the walls, Immortal bones breaking but unfortunately for Sidious, allowing Vader to leap and slash, removing the Dark Lord's left arm.
The vampire Penn raced in at full speed, out of control and bowling over both Sith, tumbling them to the ground.
Anakin force-enhanced a cartwheel that dropped him behind Penn, grasping the demon's head and using Force-lightning point-blank to dust the being.
Ramirez was first in, dropping to the ground and somersaulting over to the feet of the Emperor, slicing at the stomach of the evil man. Palpatine used more Force-lightining at the other Immortals as they spread out, and felt the seriousness of the wound. He reached down and pressed his hand hard to Ramirez's, into the floor. Ramirez wavered as he felt the essence of Palpatine pushed inside, memories flashing as he struggled to keep out the dark-soul of the Sith Lord from passing inward. Reaching inside, Ramirez tapped his inner reserves, and used a knife to stab himself in the heart and out again.
Palpatine screamed as he struggled back toward his own body, the flare of the Force-enhanced quickening vaporizing the dark energies inside both bodies. Palpatine died within was beheaded by a Jedi. The dark robes and the body within writhed as they fell, burning to nothing.
Vader meanwhile turned and deflected four blaster shots into Anakin and back into Otavio, one of the shots blowing his neck open and leaving him on the floor.
Surveying the situation, as the library fight diminished and the Immortals and Jedi lunged for him, he used Force-lightning on the dying Anakin to propel him towards the rear of the building and possible escape.
The Immortals fighting the vampires had relieved ten on-duty officers under attack by vampires, and finally the tide turned against the undead. Several officers noted the experienced manner the mostly-young group handled itself, and to see an obviously trained woman tending to the wounded. 'Teenagers!?' was the thought that ran through the minds of the tired and aching police staff as vampires were destroyed left and right. As the police officers themselves started to exact a toll, a short young man called out to his companions, calling a withdrawal now that this situation was under control.
"Who are you people?" one of the sergeants asked, binding up a fellow officer's arm.
"The new neighborhood watch," the short Duncan Macleod quipped as his group left, tired but intact.
Stepping out into the streets, Duncan's group of six found themselves looking at a truly chaotic situation, three groups of Immortals shooting and then sword-fighting each other and about forty vampires that seemed to be moving in the direction of the school.
"*All of them* are evil, my friends," Hayoka informed them, "And those two groups *feel* like they have matching quickenings if you haven't figured that out for yourselves."
"What do we want to do Duncan," Fitzcairn asked his now-shorter friend, "The vampires don't count against the challenge, but we would."
"For now, why don't we kill the vampires that make it past the challenges, and make our way back to the school. We can rest there."
"What of the Gathering?" Simmons ventured.
"We hold off as long as we can before the urge overcomes us, friends," Duncan decided, "We'll go after the ones that mustn't be allowed to win, so that one of us might make it." The others nodded in agreement, then lunged to the vampires, hacking and slashing to dust a few as the Immortals sought passage to the school, when two quickenings, and then two more lit up the night, the power devastating the ranks of the undead as they sought to go by, the lightning turning bodies into dust.
A bus driven by a vampire surged through the crowd, interrupting fights by the simple manner of crashing into and over the individuals, vampires crunching and two surprised Jacob Kells finding their heads crushed under the tires, heads no longer attached to spines releasing two massive quickenings that overpowered those standing nearby, unfortunately that being Fitzcairn and Simmons.
Several of the Kell gangs went crazy from pain, hacking at the downed and each other, releasing the quickenings of Simmons and Fitz before their friends could react to save them. Suddenly there wasn't a challenge, but an all-out frenzy, a mini-Gathering without rules as only the Immortals, good and bad, attacked.
Ten minutes of fighting saw Richie, Reagan and Hayoka downed but still with their heads, Duncan barely managing to hold on as the police fired into his opposition as he swung and ended the last three with two strokes, then collapsed to the ground as the quickenings built and lashed out at he nearest.
Battle for Port Sunnydale, 7:20-8:00PM
The pirate remnants had turned and veered directly into the ambush points selected by the vampires to make easy work of the Civil War soldiers. The pirates screamed as they were beaten, hacking as they could nearly a dozen of the enemy in desperation.
General Chamberlain, with Finn on the left and Miller to the right, was able to spot the vampires in time to actually get of nearly two full volleys before the fight became hand-to-hand. The large rounds had torn through the demons, rendering fifteen dusted and another twelve torn apart and left on the street. Eleven unscathed and two recovering vampires against only a score of humans fought bitterly, the Watcher team breaking free and intervening to end Spike's minions. Between the surprise of their showing up on the flank, and their unarmed and close-in knife-wielding skills proved a balancing force after blowing the heads off another six as they entered the fray because their leader had a personal grudge against the nearest vampire leader from Los Angeles.
More human bones were broken, the vampires due to numbers and the occasional pistol shot being unable to regain the initiative. In full game-face, though, the Watcher vampires soon found themselves being attacked by both sides after the initial attack. The melee went on, the humans surprisingly able to wreak a toll equal to that by the vampires. After forty long minutes of contact and engagement, four crippled vampires fled into the night, leaving only eight dead humans, but including pirates only another eight that did not suffer multiple broken bones or gunshot wounds.
"Finn," Chamberlain ordered, suffering a serious but not life-threatening head injury, "Tend to the wounded, and as possible withdraw them ack to the mansion. I believe we'll be unable to do more tonight."
"Yes, Sir, General," the young officer replied, and began giving orders to his mobile survivors.
Glorificus walked out onto the roof of the burning building, having drained and/or killed every being encountered on her ascent through the stairwells. Fires had lapped away her clothing and all over she was covered in a hint of soot as she ripped open the door of a helicopter about to depart, a pair of junior executives fleeing the conflagration. Draining both of them, she turned to the pilot.
"Sunnydale, Now," and nothing else was said.
The girl woke with a start, having drifted off from a quick nap in the alley behind the shelter. Big teeth and yellow eyes, dark robes and light sabers, swords and pain had awoken her, sweat forming on her brow. Strangely, she felt energized and maybe just a little more confident as she stood and headed out to see what was going down in the city tonight.
Sahjhan swore as he watched Angelus dust and 'Angel' as Connor Macleod remain intact.
"He's *human* now, old boy," Ethan chided his entertainment companion, "He'd have to be turned again and then find a vampiress to bring your enemy into this world and against you. Have you considered that it was an Angelus issue? And you've just seen the demon ended."
"You're right, Ethan, my apologies," the demon replied, "But after tonight let's keep in touch, not only in case I need your assistance again, but just for a possible repeat."
"What? Like an annual tradition?" the Mage mused, "Count me in."
"Can you pass the munchies? I haven't been solid in ages."
"I've just mad contact with Lubus, the Lieutenant of Pain," the lead demon told his followers in the vehicle, and by radio, "Our Lord Sebassis is dead, with the Lawyers also. We head back and establish ourselves in his place."
"It's the only plan," Adama agreed, turning to this Colonials, "Aim and Fire."
The Colonials fired into the Cylons, moving away as the Jaffa returned fire. Apophis ordered his combined force to pursue, anticipating victory and a free hand against this pathetic world.
"Kill them now! Advance!" the false god demanded, exhorting his minions forward across the street and through the brush and into an alley way of some merchant shops.
Five minutes passed and the rate of fire nearly ceased as animals lunged into the midst of the Jaffa, tearing tendons and forcing an end to their pursuit as four teens with swords pressed through to neutralize the leader.
The false god backed away toward a doorway, turning his ribbon device first towards them, then the door to assure his escape. Tor and Ronda went crashing into the wall, bones breaking but their quickenings already began responding as Kyle lunged after Apophis with Magnus behind him.
Adam looked in wonder as Rory Harris stopped the car in the school parking lot as many vehicles were burning and more vampires were engaged in fighting commandos of some sort. Adam alighted from the vehicle and feeling the blood-call of the Gathering raced into the midst of the carnage, sensing an easy dozen whirling without regard to challenge on the other side, most of them familiar to him from Watchers archives. Swords flying the disreputable if not downright evil Immortals hurled themselves at a frenzy, hacking and even beheading in the next few minutes. The vampires exploded from the lightning and the mercenary survivors. Humans died, Immortals fell and suddenly with only a few left in range, the berserk compulsion stopped and as the power flooded into Methos, he fell to the ground in exhaustion and pain. Spike from the vantage point of his bus, looked at this minions, and then to the driver.
"Bugger this, call everyone, we're headin' back to LA, I don't rightly feel like being zapped like a bug if I kill one of *these* blokes."
The knights rested and regrouped, checked in and took stock of their situation when a dizzying wave of nausea passed through them and they watched as many young soldiers who'd joined up with them in the heat of battle transformed into confused and worried young teens, uncertain.
"Hold up, Abelard, I believe the threat may be ebbing, be on your guard, but we'll give it a few extra minutes before proceeding."
Sreem and the remaining Dark Forcers took the pause in the fight, yelling to Jade to break out the rear and support 'Our Emperor Vader' as he himself lunged at the faltering Ramirez and Connor Macleod, taking them by surprise.
Ramirez with sword and light saber barely held off the blows of the attacking admiral, Connor taking a painful Force-enhanced kick in the arm the broke it as it then threw him into a wall atop the wounded appendage. Ramirez and Sreem circled as the other Jedi and Immortals began pressing the Hands, avoiding contact as the two main protagonists displayed great agility and acrobatic grace. Books on the second level burned from glancing blows, then on the first floor others dodged as the two ran along the walls perpendicular tto the floor, a deep growl inside of Ramirez beginning to worry Sreem as they landed atop the just-closing Hell Mouth, light sabers clashing with the extra use of Force behind it and as each instinctively in the lingering presence of dead Jedi powered Force Lightning for killing blows as the chaos magic swept throughout the town.
The fighters within the library regained themselves, faltering then staggering back from the enormity of the night, but Alexander and Warren flung lightning at each other canceling it out as the slight wavering in the Force caused them to choose acrobatic retreats then lunged back...lighter sabers still active as they continued their fight, jumping up to the shelves for vantage and for nearly five more minutes managing to keep up the momentum as the new reality set it, Ramirez using the ribbon device captured from Chronos to stun Warren enough to pause the fight as they landed atop a shattered desk and chair.
"Warren, stop fighting me, we're not them!" Xander called out to the other young man, "Stand down!"
"What's going on Harris?! And why should I stop, this power is real now!"
"Yes, and you know the Sith bodies rot from use of the Dark Side, and we don't know how long it will keep up."
"Okay, Harris, a truce for now..."
The police were quick to switch to tending of the wounded and dying instead of asking questions as the remaining Immortals recovered and realized the loss of their friends, and the need to get out of the street. Gathering and supporting each other, they began to make their way down the sidewalk in the direct of the Gathering...
The rear door of the shop blew open, a costumed figure running in, a sneer on his face as he interrupted Ethan and Sahjhan's entertainment. The demon stood, taking a ribbon blast to the chest. Ethan realized that his life depended on quick action, so he pushed Sahjhan into the bust of Janus, both exploding from the mixture of Chaos and Temporal magics.
"Not exactly how I'd planned to end my evenin..." the troublemaker commented as the darkly-dressed teen raced through the shop and out into the street beyond, door slamming behind him.
Somewhere over Ventura "I don't feel my Key! Ahh!"
Adam fell to the ground dead but not with finality. Rory Harris grabbed the bottle and the Benelli he kept loaded in the trunk, and headed for the school library he remembered Xander as spending time at to void the folks. 'The boy sure has done wonders with his life, I hope he's made it through tonight's craziness.'
Street and Sanchez gasped as the magic left them back I control of themselves, injured but unlike their team likely to survive. Their 'possessors' have done a fair job at tending of wounds, they reclaimed gear from their comrades and inched to the library.
The ruination that used to be the Sunnydale High School Library was a place of quiet contemplation as Xander Harris took tentative charge and directed them in clean up, first aid, and moving the bodies outside in a respectful manner.
Andy Hoelich called over to a Xander Harris whom he could still feel, even as he died, that Xander was actively used Palpatine's skills to draw in the Force-Essence still permeating the area, of living and dead force-wielders, Dark and Light alike.
"Harris," the young gymnast called out, "put my hands on your head and yours on mind." Xander looked shocked, begin to understand what was intended, "I'm dying Harris...Xander, and I feel all the power but sense no real Jedi training in you. You need my memories of Luke, all of them...until he dies at a...very old age, to prevent the rise...of the Dark Side. And if you remember me as well, that's good too."
Xander gulped and did as he was bade, and soon he had the memories of the Refounder of the Jedi Order with those of the others.
"I swear to you, Andy...and Luke, that the Dark Side will not prevail while I live," Xander stated quietly, turning and facing a confused and saddened Cordelia, "Cordelia, I'm sorry for your...loss," referring to her having dressed as Mara Jade and because of the spell Mara Jade Skywalker.
Most, even the cheerleaders, didn't have many qualms at this point, the fatigue taking the edge off of squeamishness. Cordelia wept openly as they moved Harmony, fellow-cheerleader Dawn, Devon, and the others away from the middle of the room. Darla helped for a few minutes, then just wandered off, feeling strong but not caring as she headed for the Mayor's house through the chaos-blooded streets of Sunnydale. Warren seemed too annoyed and fatigued to notice the growing strength of Alexander Harris, standing on the Hell Mouth.
Several of the Immortals that had been badly injured, had luckily come back to life before the spell ended and in good-enough shape as to not need transport to the hospital immediately, and helped to set things better than they'd been. Oz comforted Amber, who wouldn't let him go, crying that she didn't care if he wasn't Han, she was scared.
Edith and Angel cried out with joy and hugged each other before turning to Xander, and telling him they now seemed to be human, their temporary quickenings healing the dead bodies even as the demons had left their bodies.
Rory wandered in and set his new friend Adam on the counter, hoping that like some of the others he'd seen, he'd wake up again. Xander saw him and tiredly walked over. The two Harrises embraced, glad to see the other alive as Adam gasped and sat up.
"Where am I?" the really old guy asked, reaching for Rory's bottle, "And you feel like Ramirez, but older, how?"
"This weird Halloween where those of us who dressed up, suddenly became our costumes," Xander sighed, "Which means most of the popular adventure shows of the last decade or so have put in an appearance, but the real question, is how did you come to be in this world?"
"I was drinking a beer and talking with Macleod and the others about how we'd be able to survive Jacob Kell, when all of a sudden, the floor cracks open, but when I crawl out, I'm in your quaint little American town fighting vampires and participating in what seemed to be the Gathering?"
Close, but since we're all here, I guess that'll wait for now," he sighed again as the Police Station veterans entered the library.
"Buffy! I'm human now!" Angel called out and ran over to embrace his sorta girlfriend, who smiled but was too tired to react much more."
"That's wonderful!" she responded, then sat down, "Wow!"
Street and Sanchez followed behind, helped by the former Jedi of both types to find a sitting position to rest. Cordelia came over to the core group and had Doyle lift her up to sit on the counter before speaking.
"I don't know what happened, but that's the worst so far..."
"Miss Chase?" an English voice asked before she could go on, "I'm Wesley Wyndham-Price of the Watchers Council, it's a pleasure to meet you. And this is your great-great uncle Sir David Chase, Alice's uncle..."
"Hey, didn't you try to kidnap me?!"
"Not exactly, Miss Chase, Alice..."
"Hey, You think I'm that Slayer Alice Chase!" Cordelia went off on a rant, turning to the group, "I'm as much Alice Chase as Xander is..." she looked in horror at her blouse and then at the others in realization as the pain of memories overwhelmed her, "Ahhhhh!"
"Damn it!" Cordelia cried, picking up heavy books and hurling them with Slayer strength at the young Brit, "Look what you did! Now I'm stuck like Buffy, but I'm *so* not having anything to do with you kidnapping bastards!"
An older British man of some bearing came forward, approached Xander, and just stared at him for a moment, "Well, father, you turned out well."
"John Paul? Jacky?!" Xander smiled in realization that the elderly man was indeed his son, stepping forward and calling over to his fiancées, "Wills, Ampa, it's my son Johnny with us!"
The crowd showed some actual pleasure, most being just possessed by Immortals who'd fostered mortal children, being those most congratulatory.
"This is amazing!" Xander said reverting to a British accent as his enthusiasm drew on his previous incarnation, "So are you also a Watcher, lad?"
"Not any more, father, though in theory I'm supposed to encourage you to come home to England with your slayer for a while," he smiled sadly, "But I think there have come to light many more important priorities this night, hmm?"
"So, Xander," Buffy began, "Does this make you a Duke or something?"
"Gods no! Never again," the young-seeming man assured her, "Though I expect to maybe find an invitation to Christmas in the posts." All could see the deep joy and love between the two age-estranged men, the current Duke to his colleagues seeming much younger and energetic than before the trip.
"Well, son, let's get things here taken care of first, then we'll talk some more. I'm sorry about the casualties to your people, but they had no right or precedent for being in Sunnydale."
Forty minutes later, the Library and surrounding grounds had been secured and bodies respectfully covered and identified as possible, the students secreting the weapons in the cage for the time being, and as Hondo, Street and Sanchez as real cops, were able to lend authority to Xander's 'suggestions.' They came up with truthful accounts to the meetings between everybody and altered things as to the deceased, and Willow and others were able to type in the reports and sign them, 'As to the best of ability to explain the strange goings-on...'
Kyle and the packs showed up, as did the remaining surviving members of the greater group. Captain Holz, wounded, pulled himself off the floor and carefully watched as the human version of Angelus interacted with the others while Holz himself assisted the remaining Watcher personnel toward medical stabilization, earning the respect and thanks of Michaels and a couple of others. Holz found himself amazed as the young man in charge seemed able to direct a pack of wolves in helping out
He also watched as the dark-clad officer finally approached Harris and moved as if to challenge, but backed down and left after seeming to sense something Holz could not but which had wolves backing away.
Xander grouped everyone together, collected the signed statements, then suggested that as inconvenient as it might be for many of them, considering what Sunnydale seemed to have gone through, that perhaps digging out any emergency materials would be a better idea, both for those in the Library, and others at the school who might be in need.
Traumatized, most nodded and allowed themselves to be lead by a few coherent individuals, including Jenny Calendar, Street, Sanchez, Wesley Wyndham-Price, Justin Travers, Michaels and Captain Holz. Xander made sure to walk over and thank the Watcher-associating adults personally and made suggestions as to where materials might be cached. Turning to Rory and a revived Methos, he suggested Edith and Marcie accompany them to get the cafeteria fired up and running, maybe soup and a lot of it.
"Joyce, do you have any of Grace Chandel's surgical skills still?" he asked the still somewhat shocked woman, who nodded, "We'll go over everything that's happened later, but please take Kendra, Dawn and Doyle with you as medics to check outside, Jonathan and Andrew, provide assistance as well. Thank you." He sighed and continued, "Sherman, I need a human to go with Magnus and his wolves to let the Police know we're trying to set up the school as a safe spot and are firing up the kitchen but need somebody to get a call out for blankets and such like if this were an earthquake. Kyle, with your four, take holy water and just do patrols and quick-checks of school grounds, don't split up; get radios from Flutie's office and as you come across our groups, hand one out so we can know what's happening. Thanks guys, everybody...go."
Willow, Ampa, Marcie, Cordelia, Giles, Buffy, Angel and Amy remained unassigned in the library with Xander, ostensibly as a reserve force, as did the two old Watchers.
"So, congrats on the humanity, Live Boy," Xander began, "Any body else have anything we need to know about?"
"I-I think I'm visible again, for real," Marcie smiled, receiving encouraging noises from the group, "And I remember how to use a sword and stuff that the Reagan Cole character did."
"I think I'm completely human again, too," Ampa quietly suggested, receiving hugs from her two betrotheds, "So I'm free of...you know." She exchanged smiles with Angel, who from hugging Buffy held her hand and squeezed encouragingly.
The others admitted to memories and possibly skills from their experienced possessors, and before getting to himself, he turned to his son and David Chase, who'd remained quiet.
"Gentlemen, I must tell you that I am taking control of the Watcher's Council activity on the Hell Mouth, not the least of which is by reason that I am a member of law enforcement and do not recognize the 'secular' authority of the Council on American soil and know enough about the Council to set it back if not outright cripple it with the expedient of revelation. That said, I'm limiting myself to the United States, and specifically California. I'm even willing to accept those two young trainees in a support and liaison capacity. I have to let you know, however, that in addition to Kendra, Buffy and now Cordelia, as my charges I also seem to have the other Summers daughter and if I can get through to her, the Mayor's daughter as probable Slayers; it seems to be my destiny at this point to somehow create an army of Slayers. So gentlemen, as the Watchers have committed acts of terror on American soil, do you rectify the situation by acquiessence in my strong recommendations?"
"Five Slayers, dad?" the duke sighed in amazement, "How *do* you manage these situations?"
"I don't know, Jacky," Xander said, "And that doesn't include the other Slayer called?"
"What?!" Giles interrupted, "Another?"
"Yes, Rupert, I overheard that when Kendra died as an Immortal, Dawn felt the Slayer presence, then when she ran herself similarly up a sword, someone else was called, Darla dressed as Buffy but that was before any deaths, Cordelia an hour or so after Dawn, so likely there should be another Slayer out there somewhere...and as the Council is used to only one, I'll repeat my assertion of primacy over the others."
"You should have a trained Watcher for each of them, Your Grace," Sir David Chase asserted, using Xander's title from the previous incarnation, "And I offer my services in this matter as Cordelia is my family, as was Alice, and the two of us were of at least passing acquaintance then. Also, if Ms. Post recovers from her injuries, she seems to have some magical knowledge and such, and perhaps a female presence might reassure the Slayers somewhat."
"Acceptable, and while I understand you'll be reporting to the Council, I'll expect copies as well," Xander responded, holding out his hand, "And no Cruciamentum."
"Agreed," the Council Members past and present determined, each quietly spiting Quentin Travers and his ilk.
Xander woke at around six in the morning, having dosed off after Jedi meditation that removed most fatigue. The school coalesced as the main recovery center in Sunnydale, the generators lasting until three, when Rory and Adam showed up with a tanker truck of fuel that they used to keep things going, minimal light, but the cafeteria kept operational. All the bodies and pieces were gathered, mainly by SWAT, and placed into a milk delivery truck that was soon appropriated and its contents taken to the kitchen while the deceased filled the vacancy in the refrigerated truck.
Xander and Adam looked up at the approach of two buzzes, looking at the other in curiosity as the doors opened.
"Adam!" the Scotsman exclaimed, "What's going on and why are we here?" followed in by a petite woman in high heels and small dress.
"Macleod, Amanda, do come in, I have quite the tale for you," Adam/Methos responded, "Involving this being a world where before last night Immortals don't seem to have existed, and so no Game. We're a television show at best."
"You're kiddin' me, right?"
"No I'm not, and unless we want to return to our world and the Game, we're normal folks without money here," he said shaking his head, then proceeded to fill them in.
"Hey guys!" Buffy called into the library after her and Angel came back from a daybreak patrol, "Our houses were all destroyed last night!"
"Crap!" Xander remarked, "I *so* didn't want to stay in sweats all day. Anything survive?"
"No," Angel remarked, "the damage is total, those other commandos seemed to have either tripped things, or blown up the places to ensure our elimination, so it isn't the Watchers."
"I should say not," Xander's son asserted, looking dignified even in custodian's coveralls, "We were here to bring you back into the fold..."
"Anybody's..."
"Jenny Calendar's seemed to be intact from the address we were given, though the buildings next door had had minor fires, even Hondo's was hit," Angel said, "So we're looking at rebuilding from the ground up."
"I'll have Andrew look at the accounts if he's able, he lost two friends and a brother last night, and we'll head out in a few minutes to check on that Crawford Street property we managed to get transferred over yesterday afternoon," Xander sighed, finance not being part of his experience, "and if all else fails we'll clear out space at one of the hotel properties, I think there's one in Santa Barbara and another in Ventura."
"Anybody get a chance to get a television up and running?" Hondo asked, "The emergency channels seem overloaded in our area, and the phones are still out."
"In the teacher's lounge," Xander said, "I sent Uncle Jim and Giles to check on it. Everybody else is either asleep or rotating into kitchen duty."
"Xander, it looks like most of Sunnydale's houses are okay where we looked, but there was smoke from the business district and the highway," Buffy remarked, "And some buildings look like hey simply fell in from the earthquakes. I don't know what we can do now that the sun's up..."
"Take a nap or get some food, Buff, we still have a bunch o' refugees to take care of, and we want to make sure we have Wills put all of their names on the school web site as soon as she can. We don't want anybody wandering around tonight if we can reunite them during the daylight."
"Got it," she said, then stopped, "Hey Xan?"
"Yeah, little sis?"
"I don't know when you ended up in control...but I think it's a good thing."
"Thanks, Buff, that means a lot coming from you."
"Hey, it's what sisters are for..."
Noon, November 1st, 1997
Sunnydale High School was far more crowded than it normally was during the week. Mayor Wilkins and a small group of military officers entered the School Library to find Xander Harris shaking hands with one of the local parish priests who seemed to e leaving with the last of the emergency supplies.
"Well, Alexander, I must say, you were a far better choice than I knew when we commissioned you to the Police Department," Richard Wilkins III beamed as he led the others over. A few students looked on in surprise at the free revelation of what had been rumored, "Alexander Harris, I'd like you to meet General Chamberlain of the Sunnydale Armory, and his aide, Lt. Riley Finn. Gentlemen, this is the rising young star of our law enforcement efforts, who uncovered that nasty cult business, and the very sad serial killing goings-on last month. Though I must admit, while I didn't expect his leadership skills to involve disaster relief management, Sunnydale's grateful to have one of its own contribute so much." Xander blushed at the unexpected praise, but his recent memories, as well as his Force-sensitivity, made him uneasy in the presence of the Mayor.
Sitting atop the Hell Mouth, he discounted it for now, and shook the men's proffered hands.
"Thanks, sir," Xander responded, "It was lucky we'd just gotten back when everything went wild, so the kids are pretty much safe, if getting over a scary night and overcrowded sparse conditions. It was just a matter of getting the club presidents and team captains together so they could pass on instructions to their members and those standing within hearing distance."
"You're too modest, Alexander, I've heard from parents how you and your friends thwarted a bunch of gang-bangers from causing mischief like they did at the utility companies," the Mayor sniffed, "Though why those LA types insist on driving up the coast to cause trouble I don't know."
'Um, sir, "Xander demurred, and included the military men in his question, "Does your presence here mean we can turn over the work to the military and catch up on some sleep?"
"'fraid not, son," the general interjected, "But as one of two quiet centers in Sunnydale all night, I wanted to see the people that made it so. I overheard a few of the kids you have working for you say all you had left were four hours fuel and enough food to get through breakfast tomorrow?"
"I believe so," Xander replied, getting nods from Cordelia and Jenny, "But I'm hoping to be able to let people start heading home once we get word that the water's up and running in town, and not just rely on our pumps here.:
"Well, in about an hour, we should have the utility substations operational, and will be getting the line men out to restore what they can," Wilkins responded, then turned to the general, "And in two hours? I believe the general said he'll have enough personnel volunteering traffic duty during the daylight hours so that folks will be able to drive home and stay there until tomorrow."
"Cool, I know that will help a lot of the families feel better," Xander said, "Any chance of getting any loan of water containers so people can fill up and go home without having to worry too much about coming back and forth at night when it won't be safe?"
"Sirs, If I may?" interrupted Lt. Finn, receiving a nod "We were originally going to disperse between various churches, but finding that half of our needs are being addressed here, we have three trucks with supplies, including disposable five-gallon containers, on the way now, maybe two thousand of them, plus dry foods. We could ask Officer Harris and his people to prepare the refugees, and if they do not have confirmed home loss, the steady outflow from this site would serve us in preventing traffic congestion, and allow primary dispersal of aid?"
"Good thinking, Finn," the general nodded, "Mayor? Sounds like a good plan, and as we impose curfew at dusk, most of my men can base out of here and the University, assure those that are still compelled to remain here, that they aren't forgotten."
"Excellent, then," the Mayor smiled, turning to Xander, "Alexander, I'm officially naming you and your uncle as co-liaisons with the general's people for the next few days, and are specifically charged with the school and law enforcement here." The mayor noticed Xander about to protest, as did the others, "Now, I want you to understand that between your uncle's police and soldiering experience, and your apparent management skills, I have confidence that we'll get through this. Let your uncle deal with the troublemakers; you deal with results. Understood?" Xander nodded, looking pained, "Excellent."
"Lt. Finn," General Chamberlain directed, "You will remain here until the primary dispersal is through, then begin setting up a security perimeter for tonight. As of dusk, the curfew will be in effect and until an hour after dawn tomorrow, you'll assume control of things here." He turned to Xander, "And it'll let some of these folks catch some shut eye before they get back to work tomorrow."
"Ah, that reminds me, Alexander," the Mayor spoke up, "Please designate ten official helpers, as they'll receive some small recompense for helping out." He turned with the general to leave, reaching out with his hand to shake, "You're doing an excellent job, thank you again."
The Chase mansion was an interesting place as the couple awoke and removed themselves from each other's embrace. The stared deeply into the other's eyes, and smiled idiotically, the woman giggling and lunging back to kiss a man she really hadn't cared for in almost ten years. Two minutes later, gasping for air, the man laughed.
"Hey sugar lips, let a guy get some air," the man smiled, his eyes holding a fondness not there in a long time as he drew her head to his chest and held her close, "I'm not sure what happened last night, but I sure wouldn't mind a repeat performance. He smiled to her laugh against his chest. A few minutes later, nature called, and Cordelia's mother got up and made sure to add a little extra sway as she left the room. Mr. Chase smiled contentedly to himself, hands behind his head. For the first time, he looked around the room, and again, and realized that maybe not everything last night was started with 'spiked punch,' especially when his wife called him into the bathroom.
Gold, pretty much everything but he floor and a few linens in the huge master bedroom were gold, and he remembered how they'd gotten that way. They looked at each other, her now in a towel, and him drawing one around himself, and they started retracing their steps in reverse. Their bedroom, in which the furniture and the damaged floor (from where the golden door had fallen as he'd chased her into the room), a few hall furniture pieces and the door to Cordelia's room, Cordelia's bed and window frame, the ladder up to the roof from the back terrace.
"Oh my, Reginald," his wife blushed and purred with a catlike smile, "How many times last night?"
"Let's head downstairs," he smiled with a little embarrassment and no little male pride.
They found the front doors, and much of the entry, including supports as gold, the side tables, the couch in the parlor, the door frame into the dining room, the large table in the kitchen, the door frame leading to the family entertainment room, the coffee table, the large fake bearskin rug on the floor, the doors and frame outside, the Jacuzzi but not the water inside (though it seemed that gold that might have been water was in little gold dust flakes all over the bottom of the pool as well), the door frame to the pool house, the sauna, all six fake man-sized statues of Greek and Roman gods surrounding the pool, the counter of the bar, much of the sauna, several secluding bushes and a large beach blanket they found back there, and a few other items such as empty champagne and wine bottles, goblets and glasses, bowls of fruit, the two lions gracing the front portico, much of their limo interior and the railing and supports of the stairs themselves now that they looked up.
"Why didn't I turn to gold too?" Mrs. Chase asked.
"Probably because I was holding your hand as whatever that was changed us," the millionaire mused.
"I think we should pay those taxes if this really is gold, since we can afford it?" she told him, "Why tempt the fates after...last night?"
"Well," the man considered, at first thinking of refusing, but her last comment made too much sense, and if they could repeat the non-gold moments from last night, with a wife able to do the things they'd done, "it might be time to promote that Hank Summers fellow in the LA office, and head into semi-retirement." His wife blushed as she noticed him look at her and watched as his eyes glazed over.
"Mm, no arguments there," she smiled, then considered, "Reggie, where did the girls say they were staying last night? I don't see them here, or the staff."
"Well, we gave the staff the night off, though why they're not here's a very good question. Regan was going to a party with her other college friends, LA maybe, Cordelia was going to escort a bunch of kids or something, wasn't she?" He couldn't quite remember what his second-youngest was going to do, her being the most mature of his brood of daughters.
"Something about escorting kids, I think, but what about Alicia?" she replied, concerned about their middle daughter, who while independent, was not really sharp when it came to anything outside of catching a rich husband.
"I think she was tagging along with Regan's group, then maybe was going to stay with Clarisse or Deirdre in LA for the rest of the weekend."
"Oh, they should be safe then," his wife sighed, her emotions alive and all over the place in the wake of last night's 'reawakening.'
"Call them on their cell phones and check on them?"
"That ought to scare them," she laughed, then looked sad. Her husband, feeling the same way after years of monetary pursuit at the expense of all else, knew exactly what she meant.
"Well, call anyway, and who knows? Maybe we can still be there as parents for Cordelia."
"What if she thinks we're trying something?"
"Buy her a better car first? Give her a gold statue? I don't know, we raised heiresses, debutantes and young women of wealth, not ones that'll necessarily want or need feelings or support," he replied as they entered the kitchen, "But we can give it a try?"
"Yeah, alright..."
Cordelia's cell phone rang, a surprise since service had been either to busy or out of service before. She answered it.
"This is Cordelia."
"Yes, I'm alright, mother," she answered with a surprised and confused look, "Last night *was* rather strange. Uh-huh? Well, uh, yeah I did, how did you know? How about you and daddy? What?! Wow.
Yeah, I'm helping out with the emergency services at the school. You don't know? Is the generator working? It is? Turn on the television channels, a lot happened all over southern California, and Sunnydale was hit hard, too. Yeah, it probably tied in somehow. When am I coming home? Mm, later, I'm kinda in charge of logistics, somehow.
What was daddy saying? I don't know how you could help. Maybe that, let me check with Xander. Yeah, him, he's in charge. *The Mayor* put him and his uncle in charge. Well he saved *my* life...Huh? That's good enough, are you two drinking? Sorry? Um, okay, I forgive you too. Let me check?" She turned in confusion to where Riley and Xander were talking.
"Xander!" she called out, catching his attention, "My parents want to know if you need a check or anything to pay for groceries from the stores for the kitchen here before they go bad? The groceries I mean. He talked it over with Riley, who nodded.
"That'd be great, Cor, there's the warehouse place over near Ventura, and the supermarket near the university. Riley says his trucks and others that stay with them can be authorized to lift whatever necessities they're willing to pay for, and give them a receipt for it all." She passed this on.
"They said start at the grocery store, that way you can use the bulk stuff and cold bin items here, and anybody who shows up on their way home can pick up *one* cart of food and drinks they don't need power for cooking or cooling."
"Cool, thank them for us, and if they could meet Lt. Finn at the store in twenty minutes, that would be great. And if you go, make Jenny stay here to handle it when it shows up."
"Right," she called back, and passed on what her parents couldn't hear. And apparently they were in semi-shock in watching the news as they'd waited. Then she was in for a big surprise, and nearly dropped the phone before turning back to Xander, "They also said that with what they have on hand, they can take in you and maybe nineteen others, Xander, for up to a week without overwhelming the house."
"That's great, Cor, you decide who to include, 'kay?"
"Got it," she replied, then looked at her English relative after hanging up, "So, you want to meet my folks?"
"I'd be delighted, Cordelia," the older Englishman smiled at her, "I haven't seen little Reggie since he was maybe six or seven."
The grocery store was surrounded by forty or fifty families as the military and thirty family vehicles pulled in front of the store that was closed off by the store manager, his late shift and four policemen. The Chases pulled up at the same time, using an old MG to navigate the chaos of traffic.
"Cordelia!" her parents cried out, surprising the girl by embracing her emotionally, then still being the Chases, got down to business.
"Daddy, this is Lt. Finn, he's in charge of the supply convoy and relief efforts this side of Sunnydale," Cordelia introduced the men, who shook hands, "And this is your Great Uncle David, we'll talk about why he's here later. Riley, this is my dad, Reginald, the guy with the checkbook, and my mother Margaret."
"Thank you, sir," the young soldier greeted loudly, "Is there a limit to what you're willing to help out with?"
"Food and stuff only, no booze, tobacco or non-essentials, a cart per family," the former Midas replied directly, "They pay for anything beyond that." He repeated this loudly to those outside, and made sure they agreed. When it was revealed that registers but not outside lines for ATMS worked, Chase assured everyone that that meant that he could cover them, and it would be up to the store to honor checks or plastic beyond that. They watched as people started heading in an orderly manner, a few people coming up and thanking the Chases as they greeted their long-lost relative.
"Daddy? Mother?" Cordelia asked, "Are you two alright?"
"Better than before last night, Princess," her father addressed her by a name he'd called her back when he played with her when she was little, "We seemed to have regained our priorities, which includes you." Cordelia began to tear up, causing her mother and father to hug their emoting daughter, reassuring her they did care and would try to be a family, though her father joked, "though we *are* still the Chases, not the Kendalls."
"Heaven forbid," her mother agreed, "I don't really feel like sleeping with every man along the coast that makes more than a...oops." She blushed as she caught her usual catty remarks, and looked apologetically at her new in-law. "Sorry Uncle David, old habit."
"Hey mom," Cordelia interrupted, then smirked a Cordelia smirk, "Apologize because you said it where anyone can hear it, not because it isn't true."
The rest of the day saw nearly two thousand Sunnydale families strip the store in an orderly manner of nearly a hundred and fifty dollars each on the Chase tab, and maybe half their regular shopping at the same time. Even the Mayor and his daughter showed up for a few hours to help keep things going, Cordelia (unsure of the Darla background) getting on famously as they quipped and catted about some of the people clearly not in need but taking advantage of the largesse.
The cabin cruiser pulled up to the open dock, the two men aboard with three women and two young couples on deck looking uneasy at the armed soldiers patrolling the docks and waiting for them to tie up.
"Please identify yourself, and your purpose here," a young corporal called out as one man stepped forward from the group.
"My name's Hank Summers, my family lives in Sunnydale, as does one of the partners of the company that employs me, and one of his daughter's is with me, one of her friends, and a local couple, the Kendalls," the man replied, "So when we found ourselves choosing between LA and Sunnydale...we chose to come here thinking it's safer." The young soldier spoke into a radio and called back to the EMS center at the high school for verification and direction. It was granted a few moments later.
"Remain here, a vehicle will be here shortly to take you to the EMS center at the high school, with some of your personal baggage," the soldier informed them, which made the new arrivals ease of their tension. Hank thanked the young man and climbed back aboard the large boat.
"Looks like we'll just have to wait a while," Hank told the others, then he addressed one of the teenagers, "Charles? Could you please grab our survival packs, Alonna, everybody? Let's just get the bare basics in case we can't travel back to the boat." He turned back to the soldiers on the pier. "Any idea how we might gain safe passage to and from our boat during the day?"
"No, sir, but you might ask Lt. Finn at the high school, he might be able to help you."
"Thanks, I appreciate the help, do you think a back pack and a carry-on each will be too much for the vehicle being sent?"
"Don't know, sir, I don't know what they're sending."
About an hour passed, and it was a large truck that pulled up, a soldier and teenager got out. The teenage girl looked at a photo as she came up, and nodded to the soldier.
"He's Hank Summers, don't know who the others are," the girl said, then turned to Hank, "I'm Marcie Ross, I'm a friend of Buffy's, Mister Summers."
"Oh, hi," Hank greeted the visible girl, shaking her hand, "Are my daughters okay? Joyce?"
"They're fine, Mr. Summers..."
"Call me Hank," he told the girl, his charisma that brought him far in business coming to bear, "What's the plan? Do we have to stay on the boat, or can we see our loved ones?"
"There should be room for all of you and what you seem to have, so please move yourselves and your belongings aboard the truck," she told him, and he noticed how she looked at the Kendalls after they moved away. She noticed him, and reassured him softly, "Yours are fine, Mr. Summers, but a lot of people died here last night."
He guiltily let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd held.
The truck pulled up to the front of the high school and after they were quickly shooed out, it sped off on another errand. Marcie led them into the quad, where a military chaplain and Ms. Barton took the Kendalls aside as they others moved toward the library. They heard the news being broken as they entered the library.
Hank Summers followed Marcie in, Charles Gunn and his sister Alonna right behind, Regan Page Chase and her boyfriend David Kendall Waves holding her hand while somehow managing two back packs, Alicia Deirdre Chase and her friend Lillian Morgan, a fellow beginning law student at UCLA, bringing up the rear. The new arrivals noted the tables with maps, lists and one adult wearing a badge over a monk's habit, and a sergeant, talking with Xander Harris as an equal, their conversation ending and the two older men heading off with serious looks. A certain short blonde girl was talking to a twenty-something and laughing a little too comfortably in Hank Summers' opinion.
"Daddy? Daddy!" Buffy cried out, charging in a blur at him as a second blur of darker hair color came from the library office, clipboard in hand, to join in the big hug.
"It's alright," Hank let out, "Everything's okay," he told them as the others looked at the happy reunion. Regan and the others setting their bags to the side as a young Englishman walked up to them.
"My name is Wesley, can I help you?" he asked, not as pompous as he might have once upon a time, and certainly not after a day of helping out.
"Yeah," Gunn responded, shaking the offered hand, "My sister and I are with Hank, here, and I guess we need to see what's going on with him. This is Alonna. Then, that's Alicia Chase, Regan Chase, Lillian Morgan and David Waves. They're all locals, so they need your help first."
"My, any relation to Cordelia Chase?" the man asked.
"Our sister, why?" Regan asked.
"She's been of extremely helpful assistance in all this," Wesley told her, not noticing as Alicia started sizing him up, "She's with your parents at the supermarket, helping with supplying your fellow Sunnydalers that due to communications issues, are unable to access their funds."
"Bet he's making a buck at it," David murmured with a smirk, only to be corrected by Wesley.
"Not at all, the contrary is the truth of the matter, the Chases are not loaning money, they're covering the first shopping cart of essentials for each family that comes through."
"What?!" Regan asked, suddenly feeling even after the disaster of the last day, that she'd entered the twilight zone, "*My* parents are altruistic?!"
"Indeed, and have offered lodging to many of Ms. Chase's companions."
"Wow, the world *is* different today from yesterday," David nodded as his girlfriend of the last few months sat heavily in a chair and began to show signs of stress and maybe shock.
Joyce Summers walked in, clipboard in one hand, wearing a white coat, hair tied back, looking tired but years younger and healthier. She noticed her ex and daughters together and shook her head in surprise even though they'd warned her of his arrival.
"Hello Hank," she greeted as the three-way hug parted, looking around for his secretary, "I'm glad to see you're well."
"Thanks Joyce," he smiled sadly, "And Sharon's not here...she died in the riots." Joyce reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, the daughters who'd equally resented the woman at a loss as to what to say.
"Anyway," he continued, gesturing at the Gunn siblings, "These two here saved me from some...strange people...and since we were cut off from everywhere else, I got us to the company boat at Santa Monica, ran into the Kendalls and Chases who'd been at some shindig, and here we are."
"Wow, you know the Chases and Kendalls?" Buffy asked
"I work for Mr. Reginald Chase, so I've run into his family on rare occasions, except for his youngest, and John Kendall works for an affiliated company. Also in finance, I believe."
"Wow, small world, you work for Cordelia's dad," Buffy sighed, "That's just made the day perfect."
"Oh?" the Summers parents questioned.
"She's bordering on being a thorn, hopefully she won't be a thorn bush," Buffy sighed.
"I'm sure it's fine," Joyce told her.
"And you've saved her life enough times maybe Dad can get a raise and shower us with presents," Dawn added with a toothy smile that made them all laugh, then got serious, "Mom, we're waiting for the second round of trucks to get back with the pharmacy stuff, until then all we have are the few first aid kits we have left."
"Oh," Joyce sighed, watching as Buffy dragged Hank away so the 'medics' could get back to work on the few that hadn't been moved to the hospital.
Buffy guided her Dad over to where a young man was directing two pale individuals in some basic tasks that needed doing, the activity important but clearly foisted on them because of the looks in their eyes, desperate to *do* something.
"I need you two to take a casual walk around, and see where we'll need to watch after dark falls, the soldiers don't really know how to handle things, and you two are our most experienced."
"Alright," Liam Angel told the young man, and starting to guide the former vampiress with him when Buffy showed up.
"Angel, Xander, Edith, this is my dad, Hank Summers," Buffy said, gesturing as she introduced them to each other. Pleasantries were exchanged, "Angel is my boyfriend, Dad."
The two men looked at each other.
"I...see," Hank responded quietly, sizing up the other man, then turned to face Buffy, "And your mother has given her stamp of approval?"
"Um, not yet, but we haven't really discussed it yet with what's going on," she replied suddenly uncomfortably, "Why?"
"Well..." he began, looking between them, "Mr. Angel seems to be in his mid-twenties, and has a very slight accent...so a father's curiosity has to be aroused a least a little bit. What is your occupation, Mr. Angel?"
"He works for me, actually, Mr. Summers, and is not at liberty to tell even his much younger girlfriend what he does," Xander told him, "But if he hurts her, or does anything untoward before she turns eighteen they won't find the body, fair enough?" The group, including the two other Summers females approaching with Hondo and Giles nearing them, pause in shock but all three older men smile in agreement.
"And if he's too slow, we'll make sure of it, right Rupert?" Hondo asked the librarian.
"Got that right, guv," Ripper let out, bringing a smile to all the males that weren't Angel.
"I thought you guys like Angel!" Buffy exclaimed in surprise.
"We do, Buff," Xander told her, "But that doesn't change the fact he's a bit old for ya, and that you have two honorary uncles and an honorary brother to make sure it all stays on the up and up."
"Hmm, in that case, I have no *other* objections," Hank added with surprising and uncharacteristic interest in his daughter's well-being, though most of it was his own recognition of failings and a need to compensate, "and what is *your* occupation, Xander?"
"He works for me," Hondo deadpanned without giving anything away.
"And what do you do?" Hank asked, hoping the run-around would cease.
"I'm in the hardware and security businesses."
"And what does Xander do?"
"He's assistant director of the security division."
"So that makes Angel, here, a security guard?" Hank grimaced, looking askance at Joyce.
"Don't give me that look, Hank Summers!" she scolded him, "I haven't said anything, one way or the other yet, but she *will not* be seeing him unchaperoned until I do decide." She gave the patented mother-glare at all concerned.
Xander had managed to get in three more hours of work before Riley showed up and warned him there was only an hour before curfew.
"Thanks Riley, I appreciate it," he said as the last of the day's work was actually over, "And if you remember some of the stranger thins last night, we've come up with a few more suggestions for your security tonight."
"Really?" the young officer considered, "What in particular?"
"Well, if you simply keep the lights on in these areas, and Giles has gone over my guesstimates, so we have the power, all of the approaches are covered for quite a distance, which should keep away most of the possible troublemakers, and give you a good feel of fire if 'rioters' on pcp appear."
"O-o-okay," Riley drew out, "And what else?"
"We've the outdoor and indoor sprinkler systems adjusted to include a mild cleansing solution, won't bother us, but for some reason guys on pcp seem to suffer great...eye irritation...when it gets 'em, so you might try these controls Willow and the computer club have rigged up and tested for you."
"Okay, thanks, you sleeping here or heading over to the Chase place with the others?"
"I'm going, but Hondo's asleep up in the stacks with Doyle and Street if you need any 'native guides.' Angel's going with me and Sherman"
"Thanks, Alex," the young officer said shaking his hand, "I appreciate all the help you and your friends have put in."
"Hey, it was a group effort, Riley, a group effort, and tell your guys thanks from us, too," Xander said, walking out the door, and whistling for the pack.
The jog to the Chase estate had only taken forty minutes, the great wolves keeping the three men company, and easing Xander's mind with their straight-forward primitive thinking. As the sun began to set, they noticed a group of six vampires rising out of a manhole near the zoo, newly turned from the look of them.
Sherman watched as his young friend smiled and whistled almost out of human hearing range with a distant look in his eyes as the moonlight sowed down.
"What was that Xander?" Angel asked, wincing.
"Calling for a little help," Xander replied, "We'll see if the old abilities came back to me with the old skills." They waited about five minutes, when a fluttering brought their eyes to rest upon a pair of owls landing near by, and as another great wolf slowly approached the clearing near the rear entrance. Sherman and Angel watched as Xander moved slowly toward the owls, and slowly explained to the birds how he wanted them to fly over the zoo and get very good looks at the ones stirring up noise. They flew off.
"Xander," Angel asked, "how do you do that thing with your voice? I can *feel* you in my head when you do that, and that high pitched edge on your voice is kinda painful." Everyone including Xander raised eyebrows at this, even as four more great wolves trotted up and greeted them.
:How about this Dead-Boy?: Xander focused mentally, then when Angel just stared at him, he tried it again with the whistle as low as possible but the pitch the same as when talking to the owls.
"I heard that!" Angel said, then tried :I heard that:
"I guess I can send but not receive," Xander says, "Coolness, still."
"Did you guys just talk mentally?" Sherman asked as he finished handing off equipment and such to the others.
"Yeah," Angel remarked, "and that ultrasonic-edge seems to act as an attention getter and carrier wave."
"Okay, we ready," Xander asked, his two human and five great wolf companions indicating they were. Quickly they raced forward, the vampires surprised to see such a group charging, but too hungry to care.
Xander and Sherman pulled down shot guns, halted briefly, and fired twice each into the group, causing pain and outrage as the wolves charged forward and Angel angled back in from the flank with a drawn wooden sword. Each of the wolves leapt into the air and knocked over hunger-blinded opponents, humans charging in with wooden swords to stab and dust the newbies. A minute later, and all was quiet again.
"Crap," Xander whispered as he and Sherman topped off their shot guns, "I hope this doesn't mean a whole bunch of newbies running around tonight."
"I don't know," Angel considered, "It seemed they were in it mostly for the killing last night."
"Well, with our slayers needing their sleep," Xander sighed, "and us too, let's just recon the zoo and keep heading to Cordelia's place." The two men agreed with nods as first one, then another, of the great owls landed and seemed to communicate with the young Lord of the Jungle.
"Okay, seems a couple a vamps thought they'd eat themselves a horse, or a zebra in this case, but took a shortcut through the lion enclosure. So let's keep going."
"How do you...do that?" Angel asked.
"I seem to get memory pictures of what they saw, plus some of the... feelings, too, I guess."
The sun had set as they closed the gate behind them and made their way up the drive, adjusting their sleeping bags and weapons as they went. Xander was about to toss toward the bushes a dozen steaks he'd requisitioned for his canine family earlier in the day, when he could smell the grilling of meet from the back areas.
"Well Magnus, front or back?" he asked his wolf-beta/lieutenant, "Your call." The great wolf looked carefully, then trotted up regally to the front door, hopped up and rang the bell. As Xander and the others of the pack arrived, Cordelia and Willow answered the door.
"Xander!" Willow exclaimed happily, placing a solid kiss on his lips and molding herself briefly to the young Alpha, "You're finally here." Cordelia looked at the wolves, Magnus obviously presenting his head for a petting, which she tolerantly bestowed on him.
"You gonna behave if I let you through the house?" Cordelia joked at the great wolf, who seemed to like her a lot, "Come on..."
The three men, one with a redhead attached to his side, headed in and through the house, noting the gold features.
"Cordelia..."
"Daddy went as Midas last night, mother as Helen of Troy, nothing more said, understand?" Cordelia directed without turning back, then the men looked at some of the positions of the items.
"Oh..." the three intoned, and left it at that except for silly male grins.
The unusual group was escorted out to what appeared to be a large pool party underway, with the Chases 'letting their hair down' for the first time since their college years. Reggie was talking to Hank, Sir David, and Rupert, while Joyce, Buffy and Dawn were discussing various things with the Chase women, Cordelia breaking off to join her mother and sisters. Charles and his sister were in lawn chairs sipping sodas and joking with Jenny, Regan's boyfriend, Kendra and Ampa, cheering up the Jamaican slayer who had lost her Watcher the previous night. Ampa looked a little lost, and somewhat confused, though she really seemed to try helping Kendra.
Xander looked over at Ampa, and wondered what was missing, but couldn't quite place it, so he leaned over and asked Willow.
"Wills? Is there something different about Ampa?" They watched as she got up and came over, matching the kiss Willow had given him a few moments earlier, "Ampa, you okay?"
"Yes, I think," she said, "And, and I think I'm different somehow."
Yeah, you're completely human, "Willow assured her, giving a side hug, "But now that you mention it, something seems different." They noticed as Magnus came up and started smelling her. Xander looked at the canine and whistled, then inhaled deeply around both Willow and Ampa, then whistled again at Magnus. The large wolf headed over to where Sherman was giving out to the wolves the steaks Xander'd gotten earlier.
"You don't have the strong phermones anymore," Xander considered, then with wider eyes, "The pheromones that had us ready to form our own pack sometimes." He looked back and considered what that meant, slowly trying to remember any time when Ampa had seemed to exude more, or try something clearly wrong, and with the scent in mind, remembered how strong it was from the first meeting until Ampa first started to draw energy without draining a host.
"What Xander?" Willow asked, looking concerned.
"Let's head over toward the pool," he told them, indicating a few empty chairs away from the others, and when they sat down continued, "First, no one's to blame, okay, but Willow, right after the whole Sheila thing, why weren't we less forgiving, since Sheila was becoming one of our friends?"
"I don't know," she responded, and Ampa looked concerned but confused, also shaking her head.
"I think that part of the mummy's power of persuasion was pheromonal," he said, "And now that Magnus seems to have pointed out, hundred percent human Ampa isn't putting out anywhere near that amount as when we first met her, or much at all since she stopped draining people."
Ampa started to cry, breaking down in horror, then got up and started to run away when first Xander and then Willow got up and stopped her.
"You didn't know, did you Ampa?" he asked. She shook her head strongly, still crying.
"Are we a lie?" she sobbed out, looking stricken as she met their eyes.
"No," Willow told her softly, "If you didn't know, and we didn't know, we're fine. And what we feel isn't just lust, is it?" She looked at Xander and Ampa.
"No," both of them told the redhead, feeling very awkward about their start, but better about where they were now, since Ampa was without any doubt human.
"Then we're just fine," the pretty brainiac told them. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Mr. Chase and Mr. Summers both exclaimed.
"My daughter's a what?!"
"You two go have fun," Xander smiled a tired smile, "It looks like I have 'one more mile to go before I sleep.'"
Xander Harris woke in a strange place; it took him a moment to realize how he'd come to be in the pool house of the Chase estate, surrounded by his pack as the sun started to break over the hills to the east. Sounds outside let him know he wasn't the first up, and after a quick cleanup, he cast off most of his remaining costume, grabbing a pair of swim trunks and a towel with the hope of a morning swim. He noticed as he walked out, pack around him, that he was in even better shape than before, denser toning, his Ramirez memories approving of his previous capabilities molded to that of a master swordsman. Exiting the pool house and setting his belongings, including weapons aside, he kept the sword and decided on sword routines before a swim. He looked over to Angel, who was talking to Giles, and whistled low.
:Apprentice, have you kept up your swordsmanship?: Xander with Ramirez's 'voice' slightly taunting the previous host of Connor Macleod. He continued without looking, to a large open place on the green, and began to move into 'his' routine.
A couple minutes later, Angel joined him, slowly matching the graceful movements, and this attracted the attention of the others who'd been slowly preparing breakfast and wondering what the Sunday would hold. After about ten more minutes the two faced off and began to slowly circle and test each other, increasing in speed as they sparred, both forgetting for just a moment they weren't Immortal.
Blades struck and both men put a little more into it, but only from Xander's side did it work, some blue sparking working along the blade and giving Angel a little shock. The former Immortals looked on in amazement and the others in confused surprise as the two continued to spar, but Cordelia decided to even things out a bit, getting a nod from Duke Greystoke, who tossed her his own sword.
The former Mara Jade now Slayer smiled as she moved in and tried drawing on the Force to boost her capabilities, and after a moment felt it start to flow into her. Xander looked up in surprise, then smiled as Angel took advantage and pressed an attack. Cordelia, who at the end of the night, drew on the memories of Mara's entire life, especially of the training Luke had given her, as well as her Slayer memories, still unsettled from her Calling, reaching deep for the primal speed and strength.
Buffy and Dawn felt...something...as did the pack as Cordelia and Xander met blade to blade, and that feeling echoed among the former Immortals...a feeling of Power. As Xander used a trick of the blade to deflect Cordelia, he used the Force to push Angel out of the fray.
:Let's see where this goes, Live-Boy: he communicated to the former vampire, :This could be important:
Cordelia drew on both sources, and Xander redirected as much as possible to her styles rather than that merely of steel blade, blending as she did as he drew on his Primal forces, the Force and his apparent Quickening, to meet her Force, Force-reinforced Assassin and Primal Slayer capabilities, Kendra awakening and leaping down to the ground from her assigned bedroom to take in the match.
Xander and Cordelia knew exactly where almost everything larger than a blade of grass was situated in the area, Xander countering the increasingly complex and unfortunately deadly moves the new slayer attempted, and he began talking to her a little as they moved faster, ran over and around furniture, statues, and walls, raced over the pool water and more before ending up back on the lawn, Buffy and Dawn, followed by Kendra, locating weapons and beginning to slowly build up three-way speed as they sought to mimic Cordelia's sudden energy.
Cordelia finally found a plateau within herself, and lost the borderline need for the kill, instead reveling in the match itself, the fight, an amazing gray area of strength as her and Xander swept around and between the three slayers, dodging their strikes and giving them short scares as they moved beyond, Primal and Force burring their moves almost to the invisible.
Five minutes later, the three slayers had continued to build, then as Xander and Cordelia seemed to move from attacking each other toward achieving minor nicks on the three, the slayers really kicked in and met the increase in emergency, their essences tapping that of the Primal Slayer even without the Force, striving against hope to hold off the two Force-wielders until, as suddenly as they'd begun, the two leapt and landed feet first in front of the pool, paused, then bowed to each other, and to Angel next to them.
"Thank you for the match, Liam, Cordelia," Xander nodded to each, "That was quite the work out." He looked to Cordelia, in swim attire, the wrap having fallen off, "Ready for a swim, maybe a little Force-boosting, Slayer Jedi Chase?"
"Thank you, yes," Cordelia smiled, acknowledging the joy she'd felt as he'd allowed her to go almost all-out against him without really striking back, and that she looked forward to learning from each of his backgrounds, Jedi, Sith, millenia-old Immortal, Watcher and Lord of the Jungle, "Master Juan Greystoke."
Xander winked and blew his girlfriends a kiss as he dove in the pool at the same time as Cordelia, and began cooling down over the next ten minutes of swimming, starting fast, and slowing until they stepped out and into the gold hot tub for a few minutes of most agreeable soaking. The Chases came over and crouched near their daughter.
"Honey, are you alright?" her mother asked, father nearby looking reassuring, "That was amazing but looked like it took a lot out of you."
"It did, mom," Cordelia agreed, "But I don't think my training will require that much effort." They looked over at Xander, who didn't even open his eyes.
"Not with weapons," he said just loud enough to be heard, "But we'll be working on maximizing the physical capabilities of all you slayers as slayers, then swordswomen, then in modern weapons, the Force and magic depending on ability. And since many here were briefly Immortals, we'll see about maintaining the languages and weapons skills, maybe have you all go for doctorates in history, linguistics or such as covers. And since we have Midas and Helen with us, they can start writing down everything they remember of those time periods, where the cities were, who was around. It wouldn't hurt the Chase prestige if in a few years Reginald and Margaret Chase pinned down a couple of PhDs to go with their money."
"Well, it seems your...trainer has a solid idea of how to proceed," Mr. Chase conceded, still amazed it was Xander Harris that was the clearly capable person in this matter, "And it wouldn't hurt for us to add to our vitae, I guess, what do you think Margaret?"
"Let's think about it," she told her husband, then got up to pay attention to her other daughters.