Title: A Very Bad Night
Author: Nodakskip
Email: by: Theo
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine; they all belong to their respective owners.
Setting: AU initially set during BtVS season 3.
Summary: A quick glimpse of one of my possible future fics.
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Kendo's Gun Shop, Sunnydale, California
Saturday, September 12th 1998
10:47 pm
The garbage can smashed through the glass window of the store, causing the only noise in the burning city. Well, almost the only noise.
"Are you insane!?" Cilia Chase yelled as she ducked to avoid any flying glass, even though she was far enough away and the glass fell inside the store.
Xander didn't answer her, he just took his suit jacket off and wrapped his hand in it. He quickly removed the jagged glass from the edge of the frame and climbed inside. Soon, he had unlocked the door for the others.
"You want us to go in there?" Harmony Kendall demanded, aghast.
"I always knew you were a troublemaker Harris, but this is beyond-"
Xander came out when Cordelia was the only one to follow him in the store. "I'm only gonna say this once. Shut the hell up, Snyder!" he roared at the balding school principal. "Didn't you see what's going on around here? The entire town is tearing itself apart, and for Sunnydale that's really saying something!"
Snyder shook his head like a spoiled child not getting what he wanted. "I'm sure the Mayor will soon take care of all this…"
"The Mayor?" Harris asked, surprised. "What the hell makes you think Mayor Wilkins can do anything against an army of flesh-eating zombies?"
"Those…people," Charles Chase said firmly. "Are just criminals in masks, that's all. Because things like zombies don't exist."
Xander ignored him, he couldn't deal with Sunnydale denial syndrome right now. But Cordelia charged back out to her father at once. "That's it. You need to grow a damn brain, Dad!" she yelled, shocking her father. "Because we just saw a family being EATEN inside their SUV! Did you even see what was left of that little boy's body? 'Cause I sure as hell did!"
"Cordelia," Charles said, stunned at her anger. "All that couldn't have…it, it had to be fake…"
Xander grabbed his girlfriend's arm. "Cordy. They've been repressing about this place for decades. And we don't have time for this." He looked at Mr. Chase "If they don't get it now, then sad fact is they just won't last. Cliff Notes version, real fast."
Cordelia glared at her father some more before turning to the small group with them. "This town is built on a Hellmouth. As in a real-life mouth of Hell." Only Xander saw Snyder look a little too surprised. "Demons, vampires, witches, and those goddamn zombies, they're all real. Hell, I was almost sacrificed to a giant lizard thing last year!" the cheerleader finished up.
Harmony and Aura looked at her like she was nuts. "Cordelia…" Her blond so-called best friend started to say hesitantly. "You can't be serious."
"I am deadly serious, you idiot. Does it look to you like I'm in the mood to make jokes?" Ms. Chase roared at her as she turned and went back into the store with Xander.
Mr. Chase quickly followed his daughter and the others followed after him. "Cordelia, no matter what may be going on out there right now, this is still breaking and entering! There will be consequences to this-"
"Rule number one," Xander asked as he went behind the gun counter.
Cordelia didn't miss a beat. "Find whatever you can to stay alive."
Mr. Chase and his wife watched in amazement as Xander handed her a sawed-off shotgun from the wall shelves. Cordy also easily grabbed an offered box of shells, and started loading the weapon. "Cordelia?" her mother asked. "Where did you…how did you learn how to do that?"
The girl kept working on loading the guns as her boyfriend took them down. "Xander was possessed by an army soldier during last Halloween. He kept the memories and skills."
Xander set several Glock pistols on the counter, he didn't have time to look at his girlfriend's parents. "Cordy wanted to be able to defend herself better, and this town being like it is I took her out target practicing."
"I do not believe this!" Harmony said as she threw her hands up in the air.
Harris ignored her as he put a shoulder holster on. "Cor, after this we should hit the strip mall down the block. 'Cause as much as I love the sight of your cleavage, that dress you've got on right now…simply isn't gonna cut it."
"But that's an outlet mall!" Cordelia cried in outrage and despair.
Xander shrugged. "Sorry, sweetheart. But the Sunnydale Mall is way over on the other side of town. And our best bet is to get out of here while we still can." He loaded up with more weapons. "I've got me a bad feeling that the old home town might not last much longer."
"Buffy just had to run away all those months ago," Cordelia growled, wondering for a moment just where the blonde guardian of the Hellmouth was. "Xander, if those off the rack clothes give me hives, you are so going to pay for it!"
"As long as you're still alive, Cor, that's fine by me," Xander told her sincerely. "Now everyone else, grab a weapon and load up. Only take what you can carry while running."
"Now see here..." Mr. Chase couldn't help it, he tried to assert what he thought was his natural parental authority.
"I'm warning you, Harris..." Snyder started to say at the same time.
Xander pumped the sawed-off shotgun, cutting off their protests with a resounding 'ka-chunk' noise. When the other members of the group still didn't move, he added, "Look, I don't know the full story at the moment. But I know enough about Sunnydale to know when things are going way worse than normal, and Hell's about to set up shop in this world. Our first goal is to stay alive, and with zombies now eating people in plain sight…we need to be armed. And we need to MOVE!" he shouted that last word.
The group looked at each other for a few moments before Snyder rushed forward and grabbed a loaded gun. "This doesn't mean I'm taking orders from you, Harris."
Xander went over and grabbed the older man's arm. "We need to talk." As he dragged the head of the high school to the back door, Xander said to Cordelia, "Get them loaded up and moving, honey."
Very quickly the male teen dragged the shorter man out the back door into the alley behind the store. "What are you doing, Harris? Get your hands off me or…" Snyder began to rant.
"Or what? You'll give me detention?" Xander asked sarcastically. "Wake up, Snyder. That really doesn't bother me at the moment. Now I want to know why you thought the Mayor could do something here, and why you tried to look so surprised that Cordy knew this place was a Hellmouth."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Harris," Snyder told him a bit too quickly.
"Oh, I think you do," Xander said, forcing him against the wall. "See, Giles once said that you told him that Willow, Buffy and I were troublemakers before you ever even met us. And come to think of it, you've constantly been picking on us more than any other group in school. Coincidence? I don't think so."
Snyder tried to push him back a little. "You think you can scare me, you little punk? The things I've seen…"
"Are the things I've probably risked my life to kill," Xander said coldly. He raised the shotgun. "So, what were you thinking, you'd pull that 'gangs high on PCP' crap again? Try it on someone who lives in denial around here."
"Hey!"
Both men looked up, startled to find an attractive brunette woman wearing a blue tube top and a black miniskirt. Guns were holstered on both sides of her thighs, along with an extra in a leg holster. She climbed down from the fire escape on the other side of the alley. "Whatever you two are fighting over, save it for later." She looked them over, noticing the guns they had. "Are either of you bit?"
"Bit?" Snyder asked, unsure.
"The virus is spread via bites, mostly," the woman informed them.
Xander shook his head. "No, not bit, but we did have to escape a few zombies. Haven't seen any vamps yet, but odds are they're fighting each other at the moment."
The woman didn't show any surprise at the mention of vampires. "This town has everything, from what I hear. That's why they set up shop under it."
"Who's 'they'?" Harris asked.
"The Umbrella Corporation," the young woman replied. "And I'm guessing you're Xander Harris?"
"Should I be concerned that you know that?" Xander asked, ready for anything.
"No," she told him. "From what I've read, kid, you're one of the good guys. But I believe you have someone in your group that I'm looking for."
"And that would be…?"
"Charles Chase," she said. "The CEO of Redtech, it's a front for Umbrella."
Xander shook his head. "Wait, he knows about this stuff?"
"No," she said again. "That guy's just middle management. But he does know all about the Hive. He helped hide its construction."
"Hive?" Xander started but stopped. "Look, who are you? What's your name?"
The woman quickly introduced herself. "Valentine," she said. "Jill Valentine."
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