Chapter Four
"Testify'
x
x
AN: Originally this was all part of chapter three but I decided to split it off as content wise its basically completely separate. Ideally the two chapters should be mixed, part for part, but unfortunately its content takes place after the events in chapter three.
x
x
Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackle their minds when they're left on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackled our minds when we're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackled our minds when we're left on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost, lost, lost!
Shackle your minds and you're left on the cross!
When ignorance reigns, life is lost!
Just shackle your minds when you're bent on the cross!
When ignorance reigns, life is lost, lost!
Township Rebellion
Rage Against the Machine, album: Rage Against the Machine
Lyrics by Zach de la Rocha
x
x
A-day minus 251
x
On and on the two Slayers had fought until the giggle returned. While not loud it was enough for both Slayers to stop and take notice.
"Did you hear that?" B. said as she wearily eyed Faith while trying to ascertain what else was out there.
"Yeah, I heard it," Faith panted.
Then the giggling noise was heard again, and this time, because both Slayers had stopped fighting, it sounded even creepier.
"Truce?" Faith suggested. B. gave her another weary eye.
"It still doesn't mean I trust you," B. almost spat at Faith, but the gist was clear. In Sunnydale the creepy had to take precedence over personal vendettas.
Another bout of giggling followed and Faith turned around.
"It came from here," she said, then turned her head towards B. again.
Only this time B. didn't reply as her fellow Slayer was gone. Vanished into thin air. Even the scene had changed as she was no longer amongst the rubble of Sunnydale High but in some underground tunnel system. She stood in a puddle of water as over her head a light bulb flickered. The straight tunnel was man made as electricity cables hung from the concrete ceiling going on in what seemed like forever.
"B.?" Faith called but there came no reply. Except for some more of that infernal giggling. Which by now was really getting to get on Faith's nerves.
"Show yourself," Faith yelled angrily but no one or nothing showed itself. Instead the giggle gained a mocking undertone.
"You're so going to get it now," Faith muttered as she began to run towards where she thought the giggle was coming from.
It took like seemingly forever to traverse the tunnel until she came to a set of doors. The doors itself were ripped out, like a Saiyan had come through and pushed it aside like it was a mere shower curtain. Through the doors she entered a large space, also completely manmade, the inside looked like said Saiyan had used it for his personal stomping ground. Debris and bodies were everywhere, all bathed in red emergency lighting.
"Damn!" Faith exclaimed as she saw the carnage. Another bout of giggling drew her attention back to the matter at hand.
"I'm gonna get you," Faith yelled and made her way through the hall to get to where she thought the annoying laughter was coming from. She stepped through another doorway, the door again brutally shoved aside like it was a mere curtain. More giggling convinced her that she was on the right track. As she passed through this new corridor she went passed door after door all ripped open and with more carnage behind each one of them.
After what seemed like forever passing through a maze of halls and corridors Faith finally had the idea that she was gaining on the mystery joker. The fact that when she came to the end of the corridor there was still a massive intact door also was a dead give away. She paused momentarily to examine the door. It seemed like a security door that seemed to be standard in this place, no window to see through, nor a means to open it. Just a barely visible outline of a number on the door itself.
Faith placed her ear on the door and tried to listen. As she did she could hear the giggling coming from the other side.
"Oh, you're going down, mister," she said as she stepped back. Then she kicked against the door with so much force it buckled, came free from its hinges and crashed into the other side of the room.
"You and me, right now," Faith said angry as she stepped into yet another large hall. The place looked like a hospital, with all sorts of medical carts and implements. But although this time there was no visible exit present there didn't seemed to be anyone present. No mystery giggler.
"You've got to be shitting me," Faith said both surprised and annoyed, "what kind of sick twisted joke is this?"
"It's a fair question," a voice said to her left. Faith nearly jumped into the air. As she turned to her left she saw Giles standing there.
"G.?" Faith almost whispered.
"Have you any idea how much your betrayal cost us?" the Watcher said impassionately, "how many people died because you betrayed us?"
"I, uh, I, um, didn't mean to," Faith stammered but Giles seemed unforgiving.
"Tell that to your victims," he said.
"176 people were killed during the Battle for Sunnydale," Willow said as she stepped out of nowhere and joined Giles' side, "did you mean for that not to happen as well?"
"No, I, uh," Faith babbled as she took an involuntary step backwards. As she did it was Xander who stepped into view.
"176 people, Faith, that's an awful lot I didn't mean to. What does it take for you to take responsibility for what you did?" Xander said as he joined the other two.
And it was an awful lot of I didn't mean too, Faith thought. Jolly Green had never told her how many people had died, just that some had been revived with the Dragonballs. But not everybody could be revived. The Dragonballs were potent. But they couldn't revive a person if there wasn't anything left to revive. And while through sheer luck the battle had mostly been contained to the Sunnydale High campus, there had been 'collateral damage'.
And that was totally ignoring the fact that her former boss had planned to feed on everybody inside Sunnydale after ascending. And that she had helped him plan for that.
"You should never have returned, Faith," the voice of Buffy said as she joined her clique, "I think it would have been best for everybody if you stayed away."
"I, I'm sorry," Faith said downcast.
"Sorry don't bring them back, Faith," Buffy replied coldly.
"Maybe you should have killed yourself," Willow shrugged, "do us as all a favor."
Faith looked down and bit her lip.
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I wish I could do it all over again."
"Can't undo what you did," Xander said shaking his head, "you can never do that."
"Still….," Giles said as he took off his glasses and began to polish them, "'spose there's one thing you could do."
"What?" Faith said hopeful, "I'll do it!"
Buffy put up her arm and pointed behind Faith.
"Take care of Him."
Faith turned around to the other side of the room, where all the medical carts where, all centred around a large table. On the table lay something, covered underneath a white cloth. Like a corpse on a medical examiner's table. Then the corpse or whatever it was sat up straight and began to pull the white cloth off itself. And whatever it was she had a feeling she wasn't going to like what was underneath the cover.
Then she heard something, as it spoke inside her mind.
"Do not listen to them, Faith," a deep calm voice said, "for they lie."
"Who are you?" Faith asked.
"You will come to know me as…." The voice spoke, only to suddenly get broken off as a long snakelike appendage wrapped itself around her neck and squeezed the life out of her.
"Hello Faith," was the last thing she heard.
Then she gasped for air and woke up.
Crap! Not another one?
x
x
"NOOOOOOO!"
Elsewhere, halfway across the continent, Buffy Summers also woke up from an equally unpleasant dream.
As she sat up straight in her bed, somewhere in the bowels of the massive underground installation of the SGC she contemplated her dream. Despite having strong-armed Belmo into taking her along it still didn't change the outcome of her dream. Belmo was still going to die.
The door to her room opened and Jonesy peeked inside.
"Are you alright?" he asked concerned, "I thought I heard screaming."
"I'm alright," Buffy said, "it was just a bad dream."
"Ah," Jonesy nodded, then he gave her a serious look, "was it a prophetic dream? I've read that many stories regarding the Slayer mention that she has the gift of prophetic dreams. Forewarning her of dangers to come."
Buffy gave him a stern look. This guy wasn't as dumb as he looked, probably why he had replaced Giles Junior. She had to be careful with him.
"And sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," Buffy said as she ruffled her hair. Her remark caused Jonesy to give her a puzzled look.
"It's an expression," she explained, "it means that sometimes something has no deeper meaning?"
Jonesy thought about it for a moment.
"Ah," Jonesy said, then he smiled again, "since you're awake, shall I get you some breakfast? We leave in over an hour."
To illustrate his point the alarm clock beside her bed began to beep. Almost without thinking she reached out and squashed the alarm clock.
"Are you alright?" Jonesy asked concerned. He had a similar clock in his room and he had found them to be quite smash proof. In no small doubt helped by the fact that they were meant to wake up grumpy soldiers.
"I'm fine," Buffy said as she cursed herself for her clumsiness, "I think I could use some breakfast. With lots of coffee. Strong coffee."
x
x
Carrying two large bags of groceries Xander returned home to his place. It had taken him a lot of time to finally see it as his place, in no small doubt because legally it still belonged to Belmovekk. And because he had so few belongings to make it his place.
When he had returned to Sunnydale Xander had found that his parents had thrown away all of his stuff that he had left back home. It was to be expected though so it wasn't like he could get himself worked up over it. And what you leave behind you don't miss anyway. The only things that he really missed were his taped Babylon 5 collection, his Richard Hatch autographed Battlestar Galactica box set and his tapes of the original Star Wars movies. For he didn't care much about Lucas' digital rehash.
All his other stuff had been in the duffel bag he had carried around with him across the country. And of those all he cared about were his pictures. And Mr. Gordo. When Angela had inadvertently flung the both of them into Shimrod's private world it meant his bag had been in her apartment for all the time Xander had been in Tanjecterly.
After the Battle of Sunnydale Xander had believed that her apartment had been foreclosed and its goods (and his) scattered to the four corners of the Earth. Until Angel, who had moved to LA, sent word that her address was still valid. Apparently Angela, Kami be blessed, had worked her ass off before going to Tanjecterly and had enough money on the bank to still pay off the rent.
So he and Buffy had gone to LA and cleaned out her apartment. To her squealing delight Buffy was re-united with her favorite stuffed toy and Xander was more then happy to give Mr. Gordo back to her. For he had his pictures back. And her goodbye note. Which he found he could now finally read without getting tear leakage.
And then he got Angela back.
Sort off.
Say one thing though, the day he brought her to stay at his place was the first time he actually began to think of it as his place.
Managing to juggle two large bags of groceries and a set of keys Xander opened the door and stepped inside the gravity gym building.
"Meow?"
"Hi, Max," Xander said as he now had to juggle two large bags of groceries, a set of keys, a door that needed to be closed and a hungry cat nuzzling up against his legs. Say one thing about Max the cat though, she was the first person to consider him the new man of the house. Although him now regularly bringing in the cat food probably helped in no small part.
"Meow?"
"Relax, Max," Xander said as he barely was able to close the door, "You're not going to get it any faster by making me trip over."
Normally talking to a cat made little sense as they never listened to what you were saying, everything to them being an open invitation for them to get more food, more attention, more furniture to ruin. Of course Max wasn't an ordinary cat. Cause normal cats don't happily endure 75+ G's perched on top of a chi-deflector slash training dummy.
So she stopped pestering Xander and walked to the stairs. There she turned around and waited for Xander to catch up with her.
"Meow?"
"Love you too, Max," Xander muttered. Cats! Why couldn't the Big Guy have kept a gold fish?
As he walked the stairs, the cat always staying a few steps ahead of him, Xander went through his mental 'to do' list. Get groceries, check. Go home, check. Feed cat, in progress. Check on Angela, still to do. Clean up the gym before Faith and Piccolo arrive, still to do. See how far she's gotten and probably get the living shit beaten out of him, still….
"… and then, love, the bugger came right at me. But I was prepared and all the Mexicans…."
BAM!
The sound of two grocery bags hitting the floor.
"YOU!"
The sound of one Xander Harris coming home to find the girl he was caring for sitting on the couch with the one person he never hoped to see again, aside from Angelus of course.
The vampire Spike.
The vampire, without his trademark black leather trench coat, was talking to her and she seemed somewhat bored. Which meant that knowing her she was really interested.
"Hi, Droopy," Spike said cheerful as he saw Xander standing there, "Hope you don't mind me and your bird having a chat. She's a nice bird but (whistling noise as he twirled his fingers to the side of his head), she makes Dru look sane."
"YOU!" Xander said as the shock of seeing Spike in his living room faded away and gave rise to righteous anger.
"Look, you aren't still mad about the last time are you?" Spike said as he got off from the couch, "cause that was a mistake. And Red didn't get harmed or nothing."
"I. Will. Kill. YOU!" Xander yelled angrily and threw himself at the vampire. Gripping the vampire by wrapping his arms around his waist, Xander used his momentum to launch the both of them through the window.
"Kiss the sun, you bleached fucker!" Xander yelled as they hit the sunlit morning sky.
Inside the house Angela seemed unperturbed by what had happened and reached for the TV remote, switching the TV on, flipping through the channels until she came upon a war movie. Then she put the remote down and watched in a bored manner.
The only one who wasn't bored was Max the cat, who looked rather forlorn.
"Meow?"
Where the cat f*** was her dinner?
Then she spotted a growing puddle of white liquid coming from the grocery bags lying on the floor. It may not be dinner, but it would have to do.
x
x
"Kiss the sun, you bleached fucker!" Xander yelled as he and Spike hit the sunlit morning sky. Kami be praised! Flying high into the sky until he was sure there were no clouds the Bleached One was finally going to get it. And it was he who ended the fucker. Buffy was going to be so proud!
But then again, shouldn't something have happened by now? Where was the bursting into flames part?
"Oh, Droopy?" Spike said in a very bored tone. Xander who had his face buried in the vampire's chest looked up. Far from being immolated Spike seemed quite alright.
"Not going to happen," Spike said shaking his head. Then he shoved his arms between Xander's and forced himself free.
Xander let himself fall a few yards before coming to a stop, then he examined the vampire. Spike was indeed not burning up like a human firelighter. Instead he hung there confidently. .
Then Xander noticed that heated air was rising around Spike. Like some invisible fire was happening around him, but just not on him. Then it hit him.
"You're burning off chi to avoid the sunburn?" Xander said incredulously. It was actually quite clever.
"You could call it like that," Spike said, then he folded his arms across his chest, "Now listen up, Droopy, I didn't come…."
Before he could finish his sentence Xander attacked him with punch to his face that sent the bleached vampire flying again.
"Bugger!" Spike muttered as he fell towards the earth while rubbing his chin, "I was afraid this was gonna happen."
"Since you won't burn I'll just have to kill you the old fashioned way," Xander yelled and closed in. Then the fight began in earnest.
x
x
"Seventh chevron encoding," the speaker called over the intercom and the giant sliding thingy made another click. As she watched the giant sliding thingy gyrate and rotate all over the place Buffy was glad she wasn't the poor sap who had to lubricate the damn thing.
Then something really impressive happened as a large light blue geyser of energy exploded into the room and then just as quickly withdrew until all that was left was a watery curtain on the giant sliding thingy.
Putting on his sun glasses Colonel Cassandra started to walk up the ramp towards the giant sliding thingy.
"Let's go, people," he said and walked into the watery curtain.
"Ew," Buffy said disgusted as she saw one person after another vanish into the stuff.
"It is not too late to change your mind, young lady," Belmo's voice called out behind her. She turned around and looked at the Saiyan, all dressed in his new army uniform. Just like she was now. Stupid army and their uniforms! And these boots. Grunge was so yesteryear!
"No, I have to do this," she said and faced the big giant sliding thingy again. Slowly she walked up the ramp, until she stood a foot away from the watery curtain. There she halted. Why did this stuff freak her out so much? This shouldn't be scary, right? She faced vampires, demons, Saiyans big and small, her crazed former lover, seven kinds of hell and survived the Battle of Sunnydale. Some swirling watery curtain shouldn't frighten her, right?
"Preferably today, Miss Summers," the voice of that fat general called through the intercom, "Uncle Sam's paying the energy bills, remember?"
"Me and my stupid dreams," Buffy muttered softly under her breath, then she pushed her hand into the watery curtain.
"Ew!"
x
x
BOOM!
A sonic boom made the windows of his store vibrate. Soon followed by the sound of something crashing into something hard and concrete not very far. Immediately the store owner raced to his own window and looked up with keen interest. The sky seemed clear, not a cloud in sight and….
Suddenly a black dot streaked by, almost too fast for the eye to see. Soon followed by another. And then came another sonic boom.
BOOM!
Wasting no time the store owner called out his assistant. After all, he was a Sunnydale store owner.
"Jenkins! Fetch the boards and protect the windows! They're at it again!"
x
x
What the hell was going on here?
It was Spike he was dealing with. Unless he managed to find the mother of all power ups Spike should have been peanuts to deal with. Last time the Big Guy measured him he clocked over 130.000. Why was it so hard for him to finish off Spike?
"For the last time, Droopy, I'm not here to fight y…," Spike tried to say until he ate some of Xander's fist. That at least shut the vampire up. Because there was one thing Xander hated more then his looks, it was the Bleached One's voice.
As he fought the Bleached One, the Bleached One still kept up with him with every increase in strength and speed. So the Bleached One learned a few tricks. Including how to give himself factor 100 sunblock. There were more ways to skin a cat and nothing would stand between Xander and his righteous revenge.
Disengaging himself from the fight Xander let himself fall backwards and cupped his hands beside him. It was not his favorite technique but speed wise it was preferable to Piccolo's. And he didn't even dare thinking of using his own special technique. So far it was more short bus special then awesome special.
"Ka!" he yelled as he began to gather energy.
"For the last time, I'm not here to fight," Spike yelled back, "I need your help."
"I'll gladly help," Xander yelled back, "by killing your undead ass! Me!"
"For fuck's sake, have you gone completely batshit insane," Spike yelled aghast, "Where's Buffy?"
"Buffy would be cheering me on all the way," Xander replied, "Ha!"
"You're crazy," Spike yelled as he saw the pale blue energy began to form and swirl in Xander's hands.
"On the contrary, I've never been more clear in my entire life," Xander grinned, "Me!"
"That's the very definition of crazy," Spike yelled back as Xander's energy began to crackle with noise.
"I'll give you crazy," Xander said as he felt his attack had reached his maximum, "run piggy, run. For death is on yo…."
Suddenly something large, green and white blurred into vision and came to a sudden stop between Xander and Spike.
"Do you knuckleheads have any idea what you're doing?" Piccolo's voice boomed, "The whole town is panicking, the Air Force base is in high alert and I'm sure there will be seven kinds of hell to pay when this is over."
"All the more reason to let me end this," Xander said, straining to keep his attack under control.
"Think again," the Namek boomed, then folded his arms across his chest, "What the hell are you doing? I thought you were the smart one?"
"I must kill him," Xander said nodding towards Spike, "He's the Bleached One. He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him!"
"Are you quoting Wrath of Kahn now?" Spike huffed, feeling a little more secure now that there was somebody between him and the crazy teen, "You know how it ended for old Kahn, don't ya, Droopy?"
"Shut up, you overbite," Xander yelled angry but Spike seemed unimpressed. He even pulled forth a cigarette and lit it.
"Oh yeah?" he said defiantly after inhaling deeply, "Bite me!"
"Oh, I will," Xander said and charged his attack again.
"Stop it!" Piccolo said annoyed to Xander, then he turned to Spike, "You're a vampire?"
"Well, technically we're now probably called Undead Americans," Spike mused.
Piccolo looked at Spike, then at Xander, then at Spike again.
"Why aren't you burning up?"
"I got me this cool trick," Spike said and used his right hand to gesture around his energy shield that kept the sun at bay by slowly burning itself.
"A vampire with chi that can keep the sun at bay," Piccolo said as he understood what was happening, "Wrong answer!"
Then Piccolo began to grin as he raised his left hand at the vampire and began to charge a massive attack himself. As soon as that happened Spike let his cigarette drop in shock.
"Wait!" Spike said desperately as he held up both of his arms, "For the last time, I'm not here to fight you. I'm here because I need your help."
"You were in my home!" Xander yelled angrily, "I saw you with Angela."
"How was I supposed to know it's your home?" Spike countered and pointed to the location of the gym below, "Last time I was here you lived in a basement and that used to be the Big Scary's place. I was hoping to find him. Or barring that the Slayer. She did practice there, you know."
Looking from Xander to Spike Piccolo decided to hold of his attack and press for more information.
"Neither is here," he said calmly, "but they left me in charge. Whatever you were going to say, you have to say it to me."
"You're not going to listen to him, are you?" Xander said surprised, "He lies! He's always lying, he's a vamp, for Kami's sake."
Piccolo looked at Xander for a moment, then he stopped energizing his own attack.
"Funny you should mention the old coot," the Namek grinned, "me and him go back a long way and he ain't exactly on my favorite person list. So for that I think I'll let him speak."
"Great," Xander muttered as the pale blue energy in his hands disappeared and was re-absorbed into his body, "Bastard does it again."
Seeing that Xander had lost the argument Spike held up his right index and middle finger and gave Xander the two fingered English salute.
"Time to start speaking and convince me or I'll let Captain Hothead here finish the job," Piccolo said as he turned towards Spike again.
"Can we get indoors or something," Spike said as he looked up towards the sun and put his arm in front of his face, "I may not burn up but it kinda hurts being this out in the open."
"Not until I get the gist," Piccolo said and pointed over his shoulder towards Xander, "or he gets to finish the job."
"You want the gist, your Greenness?" Spike said as he reached for another cigarette and lit it, "Fine, here's the gist. I was minding my own business a few months ago when suddenly a bunch of army goons comes by and takes me prisoner. They experiment on me, anal probe me, turn me in the six million dollar vamp you see now. And then I managed to escape in time before they wipe my mind, turning me into a nice obedient toy soldier."
"Still doesn't tell me why you came here for help or why you were fighting Xander," Piccolo asked.
"I didn't fight Droopy at all, I just defended myself against Captain Irrational here because he keeps attacking me," Spike protested as he pointed both hands towards Xander, "as for coming here, well, I don't know much of what they were after but I do know this. They wanted me to kill you guys. And I'm not talking about you, your greenness, but Droopy here and his friends. Yeah, don't give me that look, I said it. Somebody wants you, the Big Scary, Buffy and your other friends dead. Now will you help me?"
x
x
"Cleveland?"
"That's what he said," Piccolo shrugged.
"That's what I said," Spike said.
"Cleveland," Giles said again as he mulled it over.
The group had gathered at his place, minus Buffy's mother and her kids. After Piccolo had diffused the situation in the skies over Sunnydale he had to go and diffuse the situation on the ground. Namely the Air Force base. Where Riley had been ready to go Defcon 1 and sent out every chi trained man into the field. It was only because Piccolo had sent Faith to restrain Riley that the SGC's finest hadn't taken to the skies already.
But in exchange for smoothing feathers with his superiors Riley and his deputy, the stalwart Sergeant-Major Burns, had demanded to be included in the subsequent meetings.
"I don't get it," Burns said looking from side to side, "what's so special about Cleveland? Other then it being Rustbelt Central?"
Giles sighed, took off his glasses and pulled forth his polishing cloth.
"That's bad, is it not?" Burns asked Xander who sat next to him.
"End of the world bad," Xander said bored.
"Then how come you're not….?" the sergeant-major asked surprised.
"I'm used to it now," Xander shrugged, "Don't worry, we'll pull through. We'll always do."
"Why do I not feel comforted?" Burns muttered.
"You must understand," Giles began to explain as he pulled forth an old atlas and brought up a map of the world, "there are many dimensional gateways between the various universes. The ones we know as demonic, we call Hellmouths. As you know by now there is one right in this town. As far as we know it's the main one, the most active.
But there are others, spread across the world. Most lie dormant, others have varying degrees of activity. And in thi…."
"Just say there's another Hellmouth in Cleveland," Piccolo said.
"And ruin a perfectly good story?" Giles said sending the Namek a moderately dirty look.
"So let me get this straight," Burns said as he thumped the map on the location of Cleveland, "There are more Hellmouths? And there's one in Cleveland? And bad shit is happening there as well?"
"Kinda makes sense," Riley said musing as he looked at the map, "Now that the Sunnydale Hellmouth is under tight control the other ones probably become more attractive alternatives."
"We should go there," Willow said eagerly, "I've never been there before."
"Wait a sec, Will," Xander protested, "we can't all go. Someone has to hold the fort. I should go."
"Ahum," Faith coughed, "in your dreams. I'm the one who should go."
"Uh uh," Willow protested, "Xander and I should go, cause we're, um, the next best thing after Buffy."
"Cleveland's my part of the world," Faith said as she pointed to the Northeast on the map, "You've never been there. I should go."
"Puhlease," Xander snorted, "It so happens to be that I spent quite some time in Cleveland. It's where I met Angela. I'm connected there. I should go."
"With me," Willow quickly added.
"You guys are crazy," Spike said shaking his head in disbelief, "I'm not going back there. I barely made it out there the last time. I just came for a place to hide."
"Why would we hide you?" Piccolo asked, "You're a vampire. You feed on other people."
"I like this new management style," Xander smiled towards Willow, "It's more direct."
"Yeah, but….," Spike tried to say, then it hit him what Piccolo had said, "wait a minute, whatever happened to live and let live as long as I play nice?"
"You're Spike, you have a reputation for not playing nice." Xander said, then his face turned ugly, "you broke into my home, remember? You threatened Angela."
"Puhlease," Spike snorted, "that crazy broad not only invited me in, she could whoop your ass and mine combined."
"I, um, must say, Spike, you're not helping your case here," Giles said.
Spike rolled his eyes, then he shook his head.
"You wanna see why I would play nice?" he said. Then he attacked Giles.
Before anyone could react Spike feel to the ground and clutched his face.
"BUGGER!" he yelled in pain, "Bloody hell it hurts!"
Piccolo knelt next to the vampire and examined him.
"He seems alright," he said, "he doesn't have any injuries."
"Then why is he in pain?" Faith asked.
"I tell you why," Spike said holding his head, "bastards put something directly into my brain. Any time I try to hurt somebody it gives me searing pain."
"I see," Piccolo nodded, "that means…."
"Whenever I try to feed off someone it makes getting kicked in the 'nads a bloody picnic," Spike finished off the sentence, "Bloody hell, it still hurts. Now you see why I have to play suck up and be nice to you wankers?"
Xander leaned over to examine Spike.
"I don't buy it," he said suspiciously, "If you get a splitting headache when you attack somebody, why were you able to fight with me?"
"I didn't," Spike bit back, "I only defended myself, I didn't throw a single punch your way because there's no way in hell I'm going to incapacitate myself while you can still tear my head off."
Xander wanted to say something, then he changed his mind and looked at Piccolo.
"He's right, he didn't throw a single attack my way," he said in a tone that suggested it pained him to even admit it.
"I'm next to useless now," Spike said sullen, "Who knows what other crap they did to me. All I know is, I try and attack someone I get the S & M treatment."
"Maybe we should find out," Giles said and turned to Piccolo, "Maybe we should ask Bulma to come and give him an examination?"
"Good idea," the Namek nodded.
"I still don't understand why you came here?" Xander mused, "Certainly you knew you're not on our favorite persons list. Or favorite undead persons list."
Spike began to look from person to person.
"That's..., um, rather..., um," Spike stuttered, then he gestured around him, "you're like the strongest people I know. If you can't help me, who can?"
"So you're desperate," Piccolo said`, "that would explain it."
"Not with Spike," Xander said shaking his head, "He always has something else on his sleeve."
"I agree," Giles echoed, "There is something else here, something I'm unable to put my finger on. And I think it might have something to do with the way he escaped. It rings a little too easy for comfort."
"I told you," Spike said rolling his eyes, "They fucked up on the happy pills and I awoke early. Then I escaped. What more is there to say?"
"It's too convenient," Giles said, "You were one of a few vampires to have received chi training. And yet these shady operatives were able to capture you? That makes them either very good or you very stupid."
"Could be either way," Xander said, "It's Spike after all."
"And yet they make such a stupid mistake just before they wipe your mind?" Giles continued, "Something's not right."
"Do you think it's a trap?" Piccolo asked.
"I say let's kill him to be sure," Xander eagerly volunteered, "it's the only way."
"Don't you dare, Droopy," Spike said pointing towards Xander.
"Then tell us how you escaped," Piccolo said, "and no skimping on the details this time."
Spike looked from face to face with a look of desperation.
"I can't," he said.
Giles took a step forward and examined the vampire's face more closely.
"Can't tell because you do not know precisely or because there is something that prevents you from telling us the real truth," he asked.
Spike tried to speak, then he looked away.
"Can't because I would look like a tosser," he said hesitantly.
"We already think you're a tosser," Xander sniggered, "and trust me, there's little that can make you look even worse. You're already at rock bottom as far as I'm concerned."
"Fine," Spike said as he looked away and scratched his bleached hair, "it was the voice that did it and told me to come here. Said you lot spoke to him too."
He almost whispered the whole sentence.
"Voices?" Burns said as he looked at Riley, "a voice helped him escape?"
"I know how it sounds," Spike said angry, then he put on a sarcastic tone of voice, "Oh, here I am, the voice sent me here for help and helped me escape. Waking me on the damn trolley. Bugger! If you told me that I wouldn't believe you either."
"Was it a voice that speaks dryly in your mind?" Giles asked tentatively.
Spike thought it over and then nodded yes.
"I think so," he said, "claimed that he was the guy who had sent the Big Scary this way."
"We may have a bigger problem then we thought," Giles said as he walked to his study desk and began to rummage for something.
"You're not believing this nonsense, are you?" Riley said incredulously, "voices that speak in his mind?"
"They have spoken to me," Willow said looking around, "a year ago when the others were fighting the Hellmouth. They were the ones that alerted us that those three androids were spying on us."
"They also arranged for that accursed Halloween costume party," Xander said dejected.
"Belmovekk was sent here for a reason by his master, the God Aldur," Giles said as he continued to rummage through the papers on top of his desk.
"You mean the one who was inside you?" Burns said pointing towards Willow.
"That was a really weird experience," Willow nodded, "At the one hand it was really weird as I wasn't in control of my body, at the other hand it was like being surrounded by infinite kindness."
"You were anything but kind to that demon, miss," Burns said, "That was the biggest case of kickass curbstomp I've ever seen."
"People," Spike said incredulously, "You mean this actually makes sense to you lot?"
"At the beginning of time the universe had a purpose," Giles said as he stopped rummaging and turned to the group again, "Then a cosmic accident happened when it shouldn't and that purpose was split. Ever since then there have been two dueling Necessities who have fought a war through proxy as to which destiny should take precedence."
"You mean all this bad crap that happens here is the result of that split?" Burns asked but Giles shook his head.
"No, all this 'bad crap' as you call it is the result because for untold billions of years the universe is basically on hold."
"Gridlock," Riley nodded, "Like Congress."
"Sort of," Giles said as he put a small stack of papers on the table, "And like with any form of gridlock in the world, there comes the point that eventually the continuation of that gridlock becomes favorable to some. There are powers out there that transcend man, demons, the many aliens out there. And they seek to have their destiny become the one that prevails. They want to put the two Necessities on infinite hold and supplant their version of a future by creating their own new cosmic accident."
"Doesn't sound so bad," Burns said.
"Even if the Earth is the place designated for that cosmic accident?" Giles countered, "Hic locus est. This is the place. The Earth is a nexus of various interconnected dimensions. Blowing it up would create a serious cosmic accident."
"So if somebody's playing a cosmic game of chess, why do they talk to me?" Spike asked, "And, no offense because this helps my case, it still sounds like the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard."
"I don't know why they spoke to you or what your role is," Giles said as he put his hand on the stack of paper on the table, "But I intend to find out. I suggest we all find out what goes on in Cleveland because it seems important enough for them to take a personal interest in Spike."
"If they did this to Spike, who knows what else they've done?" Willow said as she fired up her laptop, "we should find out."
"Especially since they want to kill us," Xander agreed, "better make some flight reservations for us, Will."
"You're still not seriously thinking of going back there, are ya?" Spike said horrified.
"Oh, I will," Xander said and thumped the vampire, "and you're coming with me."
"No I'm not," Spike said vehemently.
"Who says you're going?" Faith countered and pointed to Spike, "You couldn't even beat him in a fair fight. What good are you going to do in Cleveland when there could be more of him?"
"I didn't even got started," Xander huffed, "I would have beaten him if Pickles here hadn't stopped me."
"Like you could," Spike snorted.
"Wanna step out and find out?" Xander asked.
"He can't beat Robospike," Faith said to Piccolo, "so obviously we should go."
"No," Willow said looking up from her computer, "Because… this…Spike came to us, not you. This is our job."
"Well, to be fair, love, I came for the Big Scary or Buffy," Spike said, "but just when you need them they're in bloody outer space. And with all due respect, when you're looking for the Fonz you don't settle for Ralph Malph and Potsie. If I have to go with someone, then I want him now."
Spike pointed towards Piccolo.
"Me?" Piccolo said surprised.
"Why not?" Spike said, "Like I said, why settle for Ralph Malph when you can have the Fonz. You're the strongest here anyway. It's obvious."
"Because he's so large in stature?" Xander said disparagingly.
"No, can't you see," Spike said as he began to gesture with his arms as he tried to convey something that was so obvious yet so damn hard to explain, "He's like…., the power …., it's like….. Oh bugger this!"
Spike turned away in disgust, then he faced the group again and pointed first to Giles, then Willow, then Xander, then Faith and finally Piccolo.
"You're nothing, she's tiny, you are big, she's bigger and he's huge."
"You mean you can sense energy?" Giles said, having a sudden sinking feeling.
"There's no sensing," Spike replied as he gave Giles a puzzled look, "I just know.
"I think it's even worse," Piccolo said, "We now need Bulma more then ever. Whoever did a job on him must have come up with its own version of a scouter."
x
x
A day minus 250
x
"AUW!"
"You're such a baby."
"Well, you try getting prodded for months on end and see if you like it."
"Are you getting anywhere?" Piccolo asked after Bulma had arrived with her tools and begun her examination of Spike in Giles' living room.
"I would if he stops being so squeamish," Bulma said annoyed.
"Uh, Bulma," I think I've found something," Willow said as she looked over her shoulder towards the scientist. She had been assisting Bulma by examining the scans Bulma had made on Bulma's computer.
"What?" Bulma asked without looking away from what she was doing.
"I think it looks like some sort of port connector," Willow said. That caught Bulma's interest and she joined Willow's side.
"Here," Willow said and pointed to a small node on the left side of Spike's head on the computer screen.
"You could be on to something, girl," Bulma said impressed, then she smiled at Willow, "Most people would have missed that. But you're not most people, are you?"
Unsure how to cope with the sudden praise Willow smiled uncomfortably.
Now that Bulma knew where to look she picked a small torch like device from her pocket and used it shine a small blue light on the left side of Spike's head. As she neared a spot just right behind his left ear a small rectangular something became visible.
"Found ya," she said victoriously, then she moved her head so she could look Spike in the eyes, "Is it true that vampires can heal quickly again?"
"Yeah," Spike sighed bored, damn, this examination was taking forever. He could really use a fag right now.
Having gotten what she needed to hear Bulma turned to Piccolo.
"Could you hold him, Piccolo?" she asked as she rummaged in her pocket again.
"With pleasure," the Namek grinned.
"Hey, wait a sec," Spike protested, then two strong green arms took him in an iron grip.
"This won't hurt," Bulma smiled as she pulled out a small knife, "much."
Then she proceeded to make a small incision right behind his left ear.
"Bloody hell, you crazy bi…aaahhhh," Spike protested but was cut off as Piccolo applied some extra painful pressure.
"You don't address the lady that way," he said calmly as Spike twisted in vain in his arms.
"You've become such a gentleman, Piccolo," Bulma smiled as she cut some more into Spike, "clearly hanging out here instead of with Goku is rubbing off favorably on you."
"Suck up!" Spike muttered helplessly.
"There, all finished, Bulma said as she put down her knife. She had laid bare a part of Spike's skull behind his left ear and had revealed a small rectangular hatch. She touched it and it popped open.
Now that the cutting was done Piccolo let go of Spike and the vampire reached behind his ear to cautiously touch the small open hatch.
"What the hell is this?" Spike said with growing fear and disgust at yet another bodily invasion of his body.
"That's an USB port," Willow said.
"A what?" Spike asked.
Willow ran over to her own laptop and brought it for the vampire to see, pointing to some small rectangular slots on the back.
"See," she said, "they're called USB ports. Universal Serial Bus, a standard by which you can hook up computery stuff to your computer. Like printers or scanners, or…"
"Or Robospikes," Xander smirked, earning him a deathglare from Spike.
"I'm not some computery thing, Droopy," Spike said annoyed.
"Sure you are," Xander smirked back, "but that's a good thing. Think of all the porn you can now download directly into your brain."
Spike wanted to say something nasty, then he stopped.
"That's actually not a bad idea," he said.
"We should hook him up and see what happens," Willow said excited to Bulma.
"Way ahead of you, girl," Bulma smiled as she held up an USB cable. Starting up her own diagnostic laptop she plugged in the cable into her laptop and waited for it to start.
"Aren't you worried it might install something bad on your computer?" Willow asked
"Don't worry," the girl-genius said confidently, "I run an operating system within an operating system. The whole thing is firewalled off and in case something does breach the firewall the main OS immediately terminates the virtual OS. So, let's see what happens."
Once her laptop was up and running she plugged the other end of the USB cable into the opening in Spike's skull.
"Careful, love," Spike said as she had to push the last part of the connector in.
"And we're in," Bulma said as her laptop announced it had found new hardware.
"Hey, Spike, you're new hardware," Xander jeered, "the Initiative H17-X to be precise."
"Oh, go fuck yourself," Spike said annoyed, then he leaned over so he could have a look at Bulma's computer as well.
"No, I don't have any software to install," Bulma said annoyed as some window on the screen asked her for software, then she smiled viciously, "I do have this though."
She started a new program.
"This is a program a computer intern came up with. It's utterly brilliant. Naturally she now works for us. If you don't have the software for a connected piece of hardware it checks it out and then writes the program for you."
"Seems like mumbo-jumbo to m…." Spike said, then his eyes turned glassy and he froze in place.
"As you can see the program is busy learning what Spike's all about," Bulma said pointing to the limp vampire, "until it's finished it has put him basically in stand-by mode."
"Awesome!" Xander said, then he took the vampire's right hand, folded every finger into a fist except the middle finger and carefully maneuvered said middle finger into one of Spike's nostrils.
"There," Xander said contently, "a living piece of art."
Xander took a step backwards and held up a thumb as he looked at Spike.
"It needs more," he finally said and proceeded to do the same with Spike's left hand.
While Xander was having fun with Spike's limp but twistable body, Bulma stared at her computer as the program did its work and wrote a new program.
"That's a lot of program," Willow said as she watched the program's slow progress.
"Tea, anyone?" Giles said as he emerged from his kitchen with a trey.
x
x
In the end it took Bulma's program two hours to crack Spike and the vampire came back to life.
"…e," he said before noticing that something was wrong with him, "Bloody hell! Why are my fingers up my nose?"
"I wouldn't know anything about it," Xander smiled with thinly veiled amusement, earning him a suspicious look from Spike.
"Oh my god!' Bulma exclaimed as her eyes nearly popped out their sockets looking at the computer screen.
"That's a bad ohmigod, isn't it?" Willow asked worried.
"You've got Gero type implants in you," Bulma said.
"Gero what?" Spike asked.
"How can that be," Piccolo asked, "Has Gero sent out another android?"
"I don't think so," Bulma said as she scrolled through the newly created program, "for the name Initiative keeps popping a lot instead. If I were to guess, somebody's gotten their hands on either a Gero type android or on the data we collected from them. But I think the former. Some of that stuff is pretty cutting edge and retro-engineering always goes faster if you have the actual example to tinker with."
"I'll make some calls," Riley said and pulled forth his cell phone, "see what I can dig up."
"So that's what gotten you spooked," Piccolo said as he looked at the data Bulma was looking through. It meant absolutely nothing to him but he was sure that if it gotten her spooked it most be bad.
"It's not just the fact that somebody managed to understand and figure out this technology," Bulma said pointing to the data, "but that they also managed to improve it so much. If this Initiative and Gero ever managed to hook up together I'd shudder to think what kind of android they would build."
"So what's the verdict," Spike asked, what can I do?"
Bulma brought up some more data.
"You've got the same energy reactor as androids #14 and #15, and probably like #13 had as well. This means that unlike normal fighters you've got enough energy to keep powering a medium size city . Which should give you the ability to keep on fighting as your opponents get tired. I think your power has been increased tenfold over that of the original design, and with the right kind of software upgrade even more is possible. On the other hand, you'll get no benefits from training, other then learning some new stuff."
"Hmmm," Spike said as he looked at Xander, "the wheel turns, doesn't it, Droopy?"
Xander didn't reply, he just barely concealed a big goofy grin.
"What's so funny?" Spike asked wearily.
"Nothing," Xander grinned.
As Spike cast a weary eye on Xander Giles held up a piece of paper.
"I've found something," he said triumphantly.
"What?" the big Namek asked.
"This is a report a vengeance demon gave me two months ago," Giles said, "It tells us what they are up to in the area. But what's of interest is this little memo that was tacked on the back."
"What does it say?"
"It's a memo from D'Hoffryn telling his demons to avoid the greater Cleveland area stating that bad things are happening there to demons."
"That's not much," Piccolo said unimpressed.
"It is if you realize that the last time he issued a directive like this was when Belmovekk confronted him," Giles countered, "They usually operate with near impunity."
"Oh my God!" Bulma suddenly said.
"That don't sound good," Spike said worried.
"You've got a tracking device in you," she said and began to type on her laptop.
"That's bad, right?" Willow said, "That means they could come in here any moment."
"Quite," Bulma said still typing.
"Then let's cut it out!" Spike said vehemently, "Cause I'm not going back there."
"Relax," Bulma said as she let out a big sigh, "I've turned your signal off."
"Yeah, but it's still in me," Spike protested.
"So? Have you any idea how much stuff's inside you? The only way I could remove it is by killing you," Bulma replied as she looked at Spike, then her face turned quizzical, "Why do you have all those markings on your face?"
"What markings?" Spike asked, then he looked at Xander who was rolling on the floor laughing.
"Why you…." he exclaimed, then he picked up Bulma's small digital camera, aimed it at himself and took a picture. Reversing it he looked at the picture he had just taken of himself.
Beside a crudely drawn goatee and a mono brow between his eye brows he could now see that Xander had colored the tip of his nose black and drawn three whisker hairs on each side of his nose. And two smiley faces on his cheeks.
"DROOPY!"
"I think it looks cute," Faith said with a big grin. Meanwhile Xander quickly disposed of his magic marker.
"I hate you," Spike said towards Xander.
"Bite me, overbite," Xander grinned back, "Oh, that's true, you can't."
Spike tried to make a swing towards Xander, only to clutch his head in pain again.
"Aw, bugger!" he cringed, then he turned towards Bulma, "I'll give you a fortune if you can turn off whatever it is that prevents me from kicking Droopy's arse."
"I can't," Bulma said pointing towards her computer, "whatever it is that keeps you from harming others, it's not connected to all of this."
"Maybe it's this," Willow said as she pointed to the scans Bulma had made earlier and pointed to a black dot inside Spike's head, "It's not connected to any of the other things, but it does sit right in his brain."
"You're right," Bulma said as she studied the scans, then she looked at Spike again, "it's either a fail safe, in case your other controls fail, or it was the first thing they put into you, like some sort of control collar."
"Poor Spike," Xander taunted, "not only neutered, but on a leash as well."
"You have no idea how much I hate you right now," Spike sighed as he closed his eyes.
"The feeling's mutual," Xander countered, "Fangless!"
Some more shouting followed until Riley entered the room again as he pocketed his cell phone.
"Well, the good news is that the SGC says the bodies of the other two androids are still in storage," he said, "they even had a guy make a visual check."
"And what's the bad news?" Piccolo asked.
"Something's most definitely going on in Cleveland and it has to be government related," the major said dejected, "I called a buddy at the Pentagon to look into something called the Initiative and within minutes he received a call telling him to, and I quote: 'If you know what's good for you, back off and never look into this again'."
"So the men in black are out to get us," Xander said as he shook his head, then he looked around, "So, when do Will and I go to Cleveland with Robospike here?"
"Sod off," Spike said angry, "I'm not going. And certainly not with you."
"Why don't you all just call Goku?" Bulma suggested, "I mean, if someone is using Gero's technology to create super soldiers, shouldn't he know?"
"I think not," Piccolo said shaking his head.
"God, not more of this macho 'let's do it ourselves' bullshit?" Bulma said dejected, "I thought you were smarter then that, Piccolo."
Piccolo, didn't immediately reply, then he looked at Faith and the others as a grin began to grow on his face.
"This might be a good case for them," he grinned, "they're never going to learn if Belmovekk or Goku always has to come to their rescue."
"What, all of us?" Xander said pointing towards Faith.
"Think of it as a bonding exercise," the large Namek smirked.
"There's no way I'm going back to Cleveland with him and the Slayerette," Spike protested, "even if she's technically stronger then Droopy."
"That's another thing you must look into," Piccolo said towards Bulma, "It would seem that he has some form of scouter built into him, like the ones Saiyans used to carry around with him."
"I'll look into it," Bulma said but then Spike yanked the USB cable from his head.
"Look, your Greenness," he said, "I'm not going back to Cleveland, and certainly not with Droopy he…."
Before he could finish Piccolo picked the vampire up by the neck and he slammed him against a wall.
"Look, you undead piece of garbage," Piccolo growled, "so far I've suffered your existence because you're a source of information to us. Do NOT mistake my largesse for any liking of your undead carcass. Now get this into your lobotomized skull. You only live as long as you are useful to us! So..., be useful to us! You'll go with them to Cleveland, or so help you Kami, I will rip out every piece of hardware into your body and stuff it down your throat."
"Now, will you play nice and go to Cleveland with these kids? Blink twice for yes."
Spike quickly blinked his eyes twice.
"Good," Piccolo said, "now the only thing I want to hear about you once they return is that you were a good little vampire and did as you were told. Do we understand each other. You may blink twice again for yes."
Spike blinked again twice and Piccolo let him go, causing Spike to fall to the ground, clutching his neck.
"We should really get one of those digital cameras as well," Xander said regretfully to Willow after he couldn't immediately find Bulma's, "we always seem to miss these awesome scenes."
"You were right there, Xander," Willow countered, "You didn't miss anything."
"Yeah, but how am I going to show this Buffy?" Xander said mournfully.
"I miss Buffy," Willow said sadly, "this just doesn't feel right without her."
"All the more reason to get a digital camera ourselves," Xander said, "Imagine all the fun things we can show her that she missed."
Meanwhile Faith approached Piccolo after the Namek had left the living room to go outside and get a breath of fresh air.
"Are you serious, Jolly Green?" she asked him, "Sending me away with them?"
"Bird's gotta leave the nest at some point," Piccolo shrugged, "This is as good a time as it gets."
"But surely you're coming along?" Faith asked with a growing sinking feeling.
"The vampire will behave, I'm sure of it," the Namek replied confidently.
"That's not what I had in mind," Faith countered.
Piccolo looked at her and narrowed one eye.
"I know what you had in mind, and the answer's the same. I meant what I said against Bulma. Unless you guys stop relying on a Goku, a Belmovekk, or even me, you will never come into your own right. And I won't have you, or those there inside turn into another one of Goku's merry band, whose only idea seems to think about what Goku would do."
Then the Namek smiled.
"Besides, I promised Belmovekk I would keep an eye on things. Can't do that for him all the way from Cleveland."
