Outsiders
Chapter 2: Seeing Red
Nobody knew where they were or what was happening. One moment Robert, Alec, and Max were fighting Ames as a red mist was surrounding them and next, after a red flash, they were flying threw this huge tunnel like they were shot out of a cannon.
The tunnel itself was a huge flowing blood red tunnel; in fact the sides look like swirling red liquid.
They couldn't see each other, so each of them thought they were alone. And each of them were afraid and in pain. They didn't know what was happening to them and to add to it, there was this screaming in their heads. And it was not your typical scream; it was like a thousand people screaming in one single voice right inside their heads. This is where the pain was coming from; it felt like their heads were going to explode.
They were only in the tunnel for thirty seconds, which to them it felt like an eternity, before another red flash came and they all hit the ground hard.
All four of them were still in pain as the aftereffects of their unwanted trip lingers. They were having a hard time getting to their feet or even opening their eyes.
As for where they were, all they could tell was they were outside and on grass.
Ames was the first to his feet and opens his eyes, although he had trouble staying up as his legs felt weak and his head was spinning. He looks around and from what he could tell, it was still night, there was a lot of fog in the air, and he was in a graveyard. He concluded that he had somehow gone threw the teleporter and instead of ending up on the exit pad, it somehow teleported him outside.
He then remembers the test subjects and their psychotic episodes. Since it happened to them, it was bound to happen to him. Fear runs threw him and he realizes he needs to get some help.
Ames stumbles away, like a man who had too much to drink, while reaching into his jacket for his cell.
Max, Alec, nor Robert saw Ames go; they didn't even know he was there. Hell, they didn't even know each other was here. They were still having a hard time getting up.
The trip, for some reason, had hit them harder and was having a slightly different effect. Max was the next to get her eyes open and was able to sit up. She looks around at the graveyard she was in and notices something strange about her vision; everything had a red tint to it. This would have concerned her, expect for the fact that she was filled with rage and didn't care.
She looks over to her right and sees Robert getting to his feet, he was breathing heavily and had an extremely pissed off look on his face. The same after effects that was affecting her was affecting him.
"Where the fuck are we?!" Max hears Alec say and she looks to her left to see him getting to his feet
"We're outside" Robert responded sarcastically
"No shit Sherlock!" Alec said back with anger
"Don't you two start!" Max ordered them both
"And what are you going to do?!" Robert said "Whip our asses?!"
Max gets extremely pissed off as she storms over to Robert "If you're not carefully, I just might!"
Robert stares her back down and thinks how he could beat the hell out of her if she tries anything. But then something comes to him, why was he angry with her and why was he filled with so much rage. In fact, why did everything look red? Robert takes a step back and backs down from her. He realizes something is not right with all of them and needs to figurer it out.
"That's what I thought" Max said as Robert backs up
Alec gets a cocky smirk and mutters "Max's little bitch"
Max heard him "What was that?!" she yells as she storms over to him and gets in his face "What did you say?!"
Alec wasn't about to repeat himself at first but then figures, what the hell "I said he's your little bitch, like he always is"
"You know Alec, I've been looking for a reason to knock that fucking little cocky smirk from your face and I think I've just found it"
Max pulls back her fist and is ready to knock his head off. But before she could, Robert yells out "Max stop! There is something seriously wrong with all of us!"
Max stops and looks at Robert. She knew something was wrong with them, but for some reason, she didn't care. She was filled with so much rage, she didn't care. Max finally says "We need Logan" She pulls out her cell and tries to call him, but can't get a signal "Dam it"
"What's wrong?" Robert asked
"My cell's not working"
Robert and Alec both pull out their cells and have the same problem.
"Mine neither" Alec said
"Ditto" Robert added
"This is just fucking great!" Max said as she crushes her cell and throws it to the ground
"So we just hike it, no big deal, Max" Alec said
"You're really pushing it, Alec" Max responded
"Wait, guys, do you hear that" Robert said "It sounds like fighting" Robert points "Coming from that direction"
"I hear it also" Max said
"Then lets go check it out" Alec said "I could use a good fight right now"
Ames had made it out of the cemetery and was now in the woods. He didn't know where he was going. Right now he was just stumbling around, trying desperately to get his head straight. He failed at first to get a signal on his cell and decides to try again.
"It's not going to work" A female's voice said from behind him
Ames jumps as he turns around, he sees a short blonde woman behind him. She was wearing a pink sweater and blue jeans "Who the hell are you?!"
The blonde woman laughs "Hell…what an interesting word to use right now…well, let's just say I'm the only friend you have right now"
"I don't think so. You need to get away from me right now, there's no tell what I'm capable of at the moment" Ames tries his cell again
"Oh don't worry, your not as bad off as your, and I use the term loosely, friends" The blonde woman said "your little trip didn't hit you as hard. Probably has to do with your high tolerances for pain"
Ames stops trying to get a signal on his cell and looks at her strangely.
The blonde woman continues "And unless you get a new plan, your cell isn't going to work at all"
"And why is that?" Ames asked carefully
"Well, the simplest way to put it, you're not in the right time…not even in the right reality…think of it as an alternate past"
Ames eyes widen in shock "That's impossible, you're crazy"
"Really, I'm crazy?…so, Ames, how have you been sleeping lately? Nightmares keeping you up?"
Along with the shock, Ames was now feeling a little fear inside him "How do you know about that? I didn't tell anyone"
"Because I'm the one who cause them, along with those little voices in the back of your head"
Ames was now completely afraid. He would have grabbed his gun, but he lost it in the fight earlier, so he takes a fighting stance.
The blonde woman smiles "Oh Ames, would you really hit a woman…of course you would, you've got further, you've killed women before" The blonde woman suddenly morphs into Robert "like my girlfriend"
Ames suddenly freaks and takes several swings at him, but they all go threw him like he wasn't even there. The Robert figure was now laughing and Ames stumbles back, trips, and falls on his back.
"What the fuck are you?" Ames asked with fear
"What I am, well that could take some time to explain, but I can tell you what I'm called. I've gone by many names, but the most common one and my favorite is 'The First'"
Ames didn't say anything back, he couldn't think of anything. He figured out that this 'First' wasn't Robert. It was either a hallucination or some sort of paranormal activity. Either way, he was freaking out.
The First kneels down in front of him "Oh, what's the matter Ames, you don't like this form. Well, to tell you the truth, it's not my favorite" It morphs back to the blonde woman "This is my favorite, her name is Buffy. Cutie little fake blonde with a firm butt"
"This isn't happening" Ames said as he was getting up "You stay away from me" He then takes off further into the woods
The First sighs "They always freak at first, but then later, they come around"
Max, Alec, and Robert found where the fight was going on. They hid behind some bushes, but with all the fog in the air, they didn't need much cover.
They could tell that there were at least four people fighting at the moment. Two men fighting each other and a man fighting a woman.
Max uses her genetically enhanced vision to voom in on the fights. She couldn't get much on the two men that were fighting, other then one was dressed up like a grease monkey with his blue jeans, white shirt, leather jacket and grease back hair. And he was getting his ass kicked by the other who had obvious fake blonde hair and a leather duster.
The other fight, she did get a good look at. A short blonde woman with a black sweater, black jacket and black jeans was beating the hell out of a man that was dressed up in a brown suite and had ridges on his forehead.
Usually Max wouldn't jump to conclusions but her mind wasn't thinking clearly, she immediately assumes that the man with the ridges was a transgenic and the woman beating him up was one of Ames's agents considering she was giving him some hard hits and didn't have a bar code on the back of her neck.
"That bitch is beating on one of our own!" Max said as she ran out towards the fight.
Alec and Robert used there enhanced vision also to get a good look at what was going on, but both of them had a better idea of what was happening.
Alec knew that the man the woman was fighting was a vampire. He originally learned about them back at Manitcore and had a few encounters since. However, he didn't care what those people were, he just wants fight; so as Max goes after the blonde woman, he goes after the other two and decides to fight the blonde man in the leather jacket first.
Due to his memory loss, Robert couldn't remember when he learned about vampires, although he assumed he learned it in Manitcore, he just suddenly knew they were vampires. Except for the blonde woman, he didn't know what she was, but he could see she wasn't normal by the power of her hits.
While the other two when to fight, Robert wasn't sure what to do, the rage inside him right now begged him to join the fight, but the common sense in him urge him not to and try to figure out what was causing this rage inside all of them.
Tonight, it had been one headache after another for Buffy, first she got into an argument with her sister, Dawn. So, she decided to blow off some steam by going on patrol and finding some blood suckers to slay. That's when Spike showed up and not that Buffy had a problem with him, it's just she wanted to be alone and after giving him several hints, he didn't get a clue. Then, shortly after, they saw red flashes of light in the distance sky and decided to check it out. However, on the way, they ran into two vampires who were also drawn to the red flash, that's when the fight ensured. Which wasn't all too bad, in fact her and Spike were kicking ass and Buffy had now just knocked her vampire down, pulled out her stake and was about to finish him off. She couldn't think off a witty remark so she decides to just stake him. But before she could, Buffy senses danger and turns around just in time to see a dark hair dark dressed looking woman tackle her to the ground. At this point, the vampire she was fighting decides not to press his luck so he gets up and runs for it.
Buffy was on her back with Max on top of her, Max tries to smash Buffy's face in with her fist, but Buffy moves her head in time and all Max gets is dirt. Buffy then flips Max off of her and Max lands on her back. Both jump back to their feet at the same time.
"I'm going to send you back to Ames in a body bag!" Max yells at Buffy and then attacks her.
Buffy was confused as she takes up a defensive stance. Who or what is Ames!? Max attacks Buffy with amazing speed, but Buffy is able to put up a defense against her.
Spike knocks out the grease monkey looking vampire and is about to pull out a stake, but then realizes he doesn't have any. Spike feels pretty stupid and is about to ask Buffy for one when he sees some woman fighting Buffy. Since the Vampire Spike was fighting was knocked out, he decides that it would be a good idea to lend Buffy a hand.
Spike is about to head over and help Buffy, when he senses someone coming up on his side. Spike steps back in time to dodge a front jump kick.
After the missed attack, Alec stares at Spike with an evil grin and says "You don't need to worry about her; you need to worry about yourself"
As Max was fighting the blonde woman and Alec was fighting the blonde guy, Robert still stood in the distance, trying to make sense of what was happening to them while at the same time, fighting the urge to join the fight.
Buffy was having a hard time fighting this unknown woman because she moved so quickly, all she could do at the moment was put up a defense. Buffy could tell that this woman wasn't a vampire because vampires don't move this fast, but at the same time she wasn't normal. She also had some power behind her blows but luckily it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Spike was having an even harder time then Buffy, Alec was coming at him at all angles; Spike could barely defend himself. Every time Spike tries to fight back, he just left himself open for an attack.
Buffy was still on defense, but she knew she had to take action soon, so as she blocks a punch, Buffy tries to counter with a swing of her own, but Max blocks and grabs her arm. However this didn't stop Buffy as she now had her in one spot and Buffy grabs her shirt with the same arm; pulls her forward and knees her in the stomach. As Max bends over from the blow, Buffy uppercuts her and knocks her on her back. Even though she was on her back, Max wasn't out yet, but before she could get back up, Buffy jumps on her and decks her cross the side of her face. Buffy would have continued, but to her surprise, the attack had done it and Max was now knocked out.
Spike was knock to the ground by Alec and Alec was about to finish him off. Buffy was about to run over and help him, but out of nowhere someone beat her to the fight. A man with light brown hair grabs the man fighting Spike from behind.
"Alec, stop this now!" Robert says as he grabs Alec's arm "There is something seriously wrong with us!"
Alec didn't like the fact that Robert stopped him and he felt like he was a traitor. Alec responses to him by swing around and trying to hit Robert with a back handed punch. Robert ducks it and counters with a deck to Alec's jaw that connects. Alec stumbles back some and then looks at Robert with a pissed off look and looks as if he was going to attack Robert again, but then suddenly Alec gets dizzy and then collapses to ground and is out.
Robert is confused, Alec, like Max and him, were genetically build soldiers that could take a hold lot more damage then that.
Robert looks at Buffy and then at Spike, before going to check on Alec. Both looks as if they were ready to fight, but weren't coming at him, they were just keeping their guard up just in case he came at them.
As Robert kneels down next to Alec to check on him, he says to Buffy and Spike "Please excuse my friends, something happened to us that affected our heads"
"Like what?" Buffy asked with a stern voice
Robert laughs as he says "It's kind of hard to explain and I don't think you'll believe me" Seeing that Alec is okay, Robert decides to check on Max, but as he stands up he suddenly starts to get dizzy.
"Why don't you try and explain it" Buffy says back, but then notices that he is having trouble standing "Hey, are you alright?"
Robert stood there trying to fight the dizziness. He could feel himself about to pass out and that was the last thing he wanted right now. He didn't know these two people and even though it was Max and Alec that attack them first and they were defending themselves, it doesn't mean their good people. "I'm…fine"
"Well, you don't look it, mate" Spike said
Even though his mind was getting cloudy, Robert realizes why Max and Alec were taken out so easily, whatever sent them into a rage causes them to pass out as it wore off. Max and Alec's passing out was brought on early and quick do to the fighting, but Robert didn't fight so it was wearing off slowly.
"Seriously, you don't look so well" Buffy said, she want to go and help him, but all she knew about him was that his friends attacked Spike and her, and then he stop one of his friends, or at least she thinks their his friends. This could just be an act on his part, so she kept her distances.
As much as he fought it, Robert knew he was going to pass out soon. He looks at Buffy and is barely able to say "Need to call…need to…"
"Call who?" Buffy asked
"Call…Logan" Robert suddenly realizes something and looks at Spike "You're a…vampire" he then passes out and falls face first on to the ground.
"Figure that out a moment to late" Spike said, he then sees Buffy walking over to him "Hold on, love, that might not be the safes idea"
"I don't think we had anything to worry about when he was awake" Buffy says as she kneels down next to him, right before she rolls him over, Buffy notices a bar code tattoo on the back of his neck
"So what do you think this was all about" Spike asked
"I don't know" Buffy says as she was checking Robert's pulse "But I wonder if it has to do with all those red lights in the sky earlier" After Robert's pulse checks out okay, Buffy looks over at Alec and then at Max. While staring at Max, Buffy stands up and says "We're taking them back to my place"
Spike didn't like that idea "Huh, I don't think that's the best decision"
"We're still doing it" Buffy responses
"Well, how do you plan to get them there…I'm not carrying them all the way to your house…and then there Dawn, what if they wake up and go all berserk again and Dawn gets caught in the middle"
Buffy cuts him off "First off, I just need your help getting them to the street corner; I'm going to call Willow and tell her to meet us there with the SUV. As far as Dawn goes, she can go spend the night at Xander's or Anya's and if they wake up and go berserk again, well we'll just have to tie them up so that doesn't happen"
Spike sighs "Whatever" then realizes that he still has a knocked out vampire to deal with "Hey, do you have an extra stake…I forgot to…bring one" Buffy pulls out a stake from her jacket and toss it to Spike, after he caught it, Spike stakes the vampire.
As Buffy pulls out her cell phone, she looks down at Robert and thinks 'He's cute' but then shakes the thought out of her head. She defiantly doesn't need to be thinking that way about a possible threat.
TBC
Next Chapter: 'We're not in Settle any more'