Author's Note and Warning I've been working on this story for a very, very long time. It is still a work in progress. I'm hoping by posting what I have, it will inspire me to finish the rest.(It's the middle I'm stuck on.) I also have three other WIP's sitting on my hard drive that I someday hope to finish. This however, is my big long story that probably should have been pared down to three chapters, but I just can't stand another year of editing. The story timeline is roughly 5 years post BtVS finale and does incorporate parts of the storyline from Angel's last season. Buffy Season 8 (The comic books) has no bearing on this story. I have taken some liberties with geography and landmarks. Please forgive me for any mistakes.
Apokalupsis
By Tinks
Cursing in Italian, Buffy slammed on the brakes to narrowly avoid a white Cadillac that had just turned into her lane. She slowed her vehicle down to what felt like a snail's crawl. "Must be bingo night at the lodge." she muttered. Impatiently honking the horn, she rolled down the window and yelled, "Can't you people tell we're trying to avoid another apocalypse here?!" Seeing an opportunity to pass the Caddy, she sped into the oncoming traffic lane to shoot through the next intersection. She continued to press their rented Hummer to its limits on the Cleveland city streets. "How much farther Kennedy?"
Kennedy looked up from the street map she was studying, "In about a few blocks, things are going to get confusing. You'll take a right then about a block later, left, then another block then left. You might want to slow down." Kennedy looked out the window at the buildings and cars flashing by.
Willow sat next to Kennedy, their hands touching across the back seat. She wasn't comfortable with the way Buffy was driving, but she had confidence in her friend's ability. Willow knew that if it hadn't been for Buffy's most recent ex-boyfriend Mario teaching her to drive, they probably would have been in a wreck a long time ago. She also knew that the reckless driving was necessary, everything they'd ever worked for was riding on this wild trip through the Cleveland city streets.
Inadvertently letting out a small yelp, Buffy swung their vehicle hard to avoid another car making a turn into their lane. It was mid-afternoon on a Friday and traffic was increasing, as commuters left early for the weekend. "What am I looking for again?" Buffy waited a pause and sighed in irritation at his non-response. "GI-ILES" Exaggerating his name loudly Buffy repeated her question. "Hellmouth, looking for, where?"
Giles looked up upon hearing his name. He had barely set down the books he had brought along for research during the whole trip from London. "Uh…" he sputtered for a second, interpreting her question. "Really Buffy, if you'd have paid any attention at all on the flight over you wouldn't have to ask. As the head slayer, I should think that you would have more interest..." Noticing that she wasn't listening to his mini lecture, he resignedly answered her. "I believe we are looking for an American football stadium."
Buffy let out a nervous laugh. "The hellmouth is under the Browns football stadium? Explains a lot." Tires squealed as Buffy jammed hard on the brakes for a red light she obviously couldn't run. Picking up her cell, she speed dialed Faith's number for what felt like the 900th time in the last 24 hours. Throwing the phone down in disgust, she scrunched her nose and repeated the automated answer to her car mates. "Same thing we've gotten for the last 15 hours…the customer you have dialed is not available...blah, blah, blah." Willow and Buffy made brief eye contact in the rearview mirror. Willow could see the flash of worry in her friend's eyes at their inability to contact Xander or Faith. She gripped her girlfriend's hand even tighter.
Not waiting to make sure cross traffic was stopping, Buffy took off the instant the light turned green. As they continued closer to the lake, she could feel the air become cooler. She shivered involuntarily and desperately hoped it was the weather and not a sign of things to come.
Suddenly, Kennedy yelled excitedly from the back, "Turn right here. I think I can see it." Streaks of jagged lightning flashed across the clear blue and the sky split open. Dark looming clouds boiled from the tear and rapidly formed over the stadium. "What's that over ther…." Kennedy's question trailed off as the earth groaned. The car began to rock and the three old friends knew exactly what was happening.
"Buffy, you have to go faster or we aren't going to make it." Willow felt a strange sense of absolute panic. She wanted to will the car to go faster, but knew she had to conserve her majicks for the spell she would have to perform. Long unused prayers were silently whispered by the quartet in the hope that it would help them arrive in time to stop Faith.
Slayer instinct took over and Buffy started driving in the wrong lane and on empty sidewalks to avoid traffic. She pushed the SUV to its absolute maximum. She destroyed a row of newspaper boxes, scraped a corner mailbox and sideswiped a fire hydrant. "Takes a lickin, keeps on tickin" She grimly commented to herself as she slid the slightly battered automobile rather handily onto the sidewalk area in front of a stadium entrance. By the time she had jammed it into park Giles, Willow and Kennedy were already out of the car and racing into the stadium. Grabbing her gear, she ran in behind them.
Stepping into the bleacher area, she could see Faith on the 20 yard line fighting a monster with multiple whiplike tentacles that were the color of an eggplant. Xander, a watcher and three other slayers were all fighting various demons that were helping to open the hellmouth. The quartet started pounding down the concrete steps towards the chaos below, a chorus of "Faith stop!" being shouted.
Willow stumbled and both slayers stopped to catch her. Giles sprinted down the steps toward Faith and the demon she was fighting, leaving them behind. "FAITH! DON'T! You can't kill this beast!" Xander started to push his way toward Giles, trying to make out what he was saying. He was almost there, when he stopped suddenly, his features turned ashen. He stumbled and a sad face turned up into the stands where Willow and Buffy were now running down the stairs behind Kennedy. Seeing the blood dribble from the corners of his mouth, Willow stopped cold and let out a strangled cry as she reached her arms forward like she could catch him before he fell to the turf. Stunned, Buffy stared open-mouthed as Xander fell to the field, a large knife protruding from his back. Bulging tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, as she realized her makeshift family was no longer whole or invulnerable.
His path to Faith now blocked, a determined Giles was forced to fight the demon that felled the young man. Another large scaly demon was heading towards the new arrivals. Taking a fighting stance from the Slayer Handbook, Kennedy moved to intercept the behemoth. Recognizing the danger they were all still in, Buffy recovered from her shock to help Kennedy clear a path to the field. Willow, still reeling from her oldest friend's death, leaned heavily on the seat next to her and waited for the two girls to finish the demon. Lost in her grief, she didn't notice the vampire lurking around in the shade behind her. He leapt out from behind a column and attempted to slip his fangs in her throat. Hearing Willow's muffled cry, Buffy whipped around and ran back up the stairs to help the witch. The banishing spell wouldn't be possible without her help.
Buffy easily dispatched the lone vampire and helped a shocked Willow continue their journey down the bleachers. The trio of girls were almost to the field when Faith slid her sword through the beast's middle, slicing it almost in half. She turned around smiling triumphantly, covered in blood and gore. Willow leaned heavily into Kennedy sobbing "No" over and over. Kennedy wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend, blinking the tears away.
Buffy stopped short and stared at the scene, Faith in a her bloody glory, poor Xander face down on the field and Giles, who was never truly at a loss for words, finally having absolutely nothing to say. Buffy had no idea what she should do next, they didn't plan for this to happen. Giles frowned, as everything turned deathly quiet. Immediately, he turned and shouted at his girls. "RUN NOW!" Seeing the hesitation on Buffy's face, he took a step forward, waved his arms and yelled at them again. "Buffy! Willow! GO! There is nothing you can do here, now." Faith confused, just stared at Giles, until she spotted Xander on the field. She rushed past Giles and knelt by his body, trying futilely to revive him.
A terrible rumbling started from below the stadium and the seats all began to shake. The concrete beneath their feet seemed to buckle and Buffy had to grab hold of the nearest railing to keep her balance. Lightning crackled around them. Giles grabbed Faith in an attempt to run for it. He had just hauled her to her feet when demons started pouring from the hellmouth.
Giles was struck down first. Screaming "NO!" Buffy tried to run to help him, but Kennedy grabbed her arm and spun the older slayer around. She forced out the words that she knew she had to say, "You know I don't like you. At the end of the day, I think you are nothing but a huge bitch. But, I'm not stupid. You are THE Slayer. The one they write stuff about...God, I sound like Andrew." Shaking her head and narrowing her eyes in determination, she continued "Giles said that once it starts, we can't stop it...but maybe he's wrong..." Kennedy paused, knowing what she had to say next. "Take Willow and run. Get out of the city and take care of my girl and my family, even if you have to conk my dad over the head. You are the only hope they have now." Holding back a sob, she turned to Willow and cupped her face. "I love you baby. Remember I'll always love you" And kissed her gently. "Now go." she pushed the two girls up the stairs. "Run!" she screamed as the demon horde started making their way toward the exits. Buffy flew up the stairs, half dragging a shrieking Willow.
At the top, she risked a glance at the scene below her. Faith had become a killing machine in her grief over Xander. Two of the other slayers were still fighting a losing battle on the field, their watchers were nowhere to be seen. Kennedy was tangling with the first wave that had come her way, giving them time to escape. "Bye Faith, Kennedy." She turned away knowing she would never see them again and felt sorrow in her heart for the not yet fallen warriors. She whispered a little prayer as she pulled a moaning Willow out of the stadium.
She raced to the driver's side, firmly ordering Willow to get in and strap up. Like a zombie, she followed Buffy's command. Buffy stabbed the key in and turned the engine over. A demon raced in front of their car, trying to stop them. Buffy put it in drive and stomped on the gas. Fear ran through her veins for the brief seconds the tires spun, squealing on the cement, before gaining traction. The Hummer jumped forward slamming the demon to the ground and Buffy ran over it without a second thought. "Thank God for small favors!" The Hummer had been the only car left on the lot to fit the four of them comfortably. She silently thanked Giles again for arguing with the clerk, when he tried to give them a compact.
Rolling her window down, she did the only thing that she could think of to warn people to get out of the area. Honking the horn, she yelled "BOMB!" every few seconds. Once they were clear of downtown, Buffy started to feel apprehensive. She was exhausted and emotionally drained. She had never truly run from a fight before today. "Willow?" Buffy paused, waiting for Willow to snap out of her semi-catatonic state. "Willow honey, I need you to come back to me. Help me figure out where are we going, what we are going to do."
"West. Head west." She whispered in response, then settled down into her seat and closed her eyes.