Chapter Thirty-five: Reset, Take Two – Small Soldiers
Saturday, November 1, 1997: East North Central Avenue near Dwight Street, Sunnydale, Night 12:13pm –
Not-quite-yet-a-Princess Cinderella stumbled slightly, and then went away, and Buffy Summers paused, stopped, and turned around and looked at her companion.
"Hey there," Buffy said, smiling, "If you're planning to catch me off guard and kill or drain me, you should have done it while you had the chance. 'Cause now? I just turned back into a pumpkin."
"Ah, hey, you're back," Shelia said, taking a long step back, and then another.
"That won't help," Buffy said.
"I have the sword, and you're unarmed, but that probably won't help either," Shelia said, smiling.
"Nope."
Going by the red tip on the muzzle, Buffy figured the little sub-machinegun had evidently turned back into an air-soft prop, and after a fast glance down, Sheila didn't even bother with it.
"Ah well," Shelia said, and shrugged, "Unlife sucks, and then you're dust."
Buffy cocked her head, studying the vampire and her former schoolmate curiously. "So, why didn't you?" she said.
"Huh?" Shelia blinked. "Oh, huh." She shrugged. "Dunno. Was having too much fun, I guess."
"Oh, yeah, right," Buffy said, "And I am so buying that. Seriously. Or why not drain uh, Dresden and Amy?"
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me, Summers," Shelia said, scowling. "Drain and kill a kid who thinks he's Harry fucking Dresden and can really do wizard magic? That'd be like... uh... draining Elvis or something. Fucking sacrilege. I'm a fan, lady."
Buffy blinked. Oh-kay... "Uh. A fan? Of what?"
"Geeze. You've never read the Dresden Files? Cultural fucking illiterate."
"Hey! I have to take that from my Watcher sometimes," Buffy said, glaring. "I don't have to take it from a vampire!"
"So freaking stake me already," Shelia said, "Barbarian."
"I am so not a barbarian," Buffy said, glowering. "I just, uh, don't read a lot for fun."
"You should try it some times, Barbie," Shelia said, snickering.
"Oh yeah, like I get time between school and hunting you idiots," Buffy said. "And hey, why are we talking and not fighting, anyway?"
"You're waiting for me to drop my guard so you can take the sword away and dust me?"
"Oh, I'd love to be able to say that that was my clever master plan," Buffy said. "Is it working?"
"No so as you would notice, no," Shelia said, grinning. "Sorry."
"Ratz. I'll have to go to plan B. Uh... have any clue what that is?"
"Nope. Without clue, am I," Sheila said. "Did you really have one?"
"Nope. And, gee, you're not making this easy, are you."
"Not my job, Buffy," Shelia said, starting to grin even wider. "We could call a truce."
"Oh yeah, right," Buffy said. "Ok, you can tell me why you haven't tried to attack, with all the chances you've had. Or kill Amy."
"You mean, besides the huge, overly protective male gorilla you had until a little while ago?" Shelia said.
They'd left Dresden with all of the kids at Fondren High School, so he could try to find some of their parents. Amy, and Cinderella's gorilla had elected to stay with him. Truth be told, Buffy was going to kind of miss the gorilla., but she figured her mom wouldn't let her keep it. Seriously major vet bills, for one thing... and probably really hard to housebreak.
Buffy looked around exaggeratedly. "Look, ma. No gorilla."
"Seriously?" Shelia said. "Ok, but I'm telling you, you're not going to believe a word of it."
"Oh, please," Buffy said. "After the night I've had tonight? I'm seriously ready to believe seven impossible things after breakfast."
"Uh, that's before breakfast."
"It is before breakfast," Buffy said. "And, bite me. Only not so much with the biting."
"Oh, screw this," a new female voice said, and both of them turned to look. "Spike can go hunt his own fucking Slayers. I'm killing you and heading to L.A."
The speaker was a female vampire wearing a red leather bustier thing, and barefoot, in full game face. She snarled something incoherent and ran toward Buffy, cocking back a fist.
"Cinderella!"
Buffy glanced up and caught the katana like sword out of the air by the hilt, bringing it around smoothly in the same motion. Head parted from body, and vampire parted with vampire essence and crumbled to dust.
"Hi honey, I'm home," Buffy said. "Oh – or did I forget to mention that?" She looked over at Sheila, and said, "What the heck was that all about?"
"Again, I am without clue," Sheila looked at the drifting dust. "Another fucking moron of a minion, I guess. Freaking vampires."
"Sigh. Here," Buffy said. Sheila caught the sword out of the air, and looked down at it, blinking. "Start talking."
"Ok," Shelia said, agreeably. "Hey – you hungry?"
"Oh, gods. Freaking starved."
"I saw an all night In 'N Out a ways back," Shelia said.
"You buying?" Buffy said, smirking at the vampire girl.
"Oh, what the hell," Shelia said, rolling her eyes. "Why not. C'mon. What, Princesses don't carry a fucking purse?"
"What part of 'you wouldn't believe the night I've had' did you happen to miss?"
"Sheesh," Shelia rolled her eyes, laying the sword back flat against her right shoulder. "I'm treating a freaking Vampire Slayer to dinner. I'm never gonna live this down."
"What part of 'you're not alive' did you happen to miss?'
"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, bitch. I didn't ask fucking Spike to grab me as a snack for that crazy Drusilla freak."
Saturday, November 1, 1997: 2113 Guava Drive, Sunnydale, Night 12:13am –
Willow came to herself with a rush, as though falling back into her body from a great height and slamming back into it with a dizzying impact.
"Ow... " she shook her head carefully, once she was certain it wasn't going to fall off if she did. "Hoo boy. What a night!" After a few moments, she sat up, realizing she was between a hedge and a short wall of aluminum siding. "Oh, no! Xander! And, oh my god! Jesse?"
A brief time later, she'd managed to scramble her way out through a gap in the hedge and was standing in old lady Carpenter's front yard, picking prickly leaves from her hair. "Ow! She would have a freaking thorny leaf bush, whatever it is. Should have climbed up the darned porch and over the rail, but nooo... "
After a long minute, she started grinning to herself, and then started laughing. "Well," Willow said, "Buffy did say Halloween was all about being not yourself. And boy, was I ever! Wonder how she's getting along with the huge monkey?"
Shaking her head and giggling, Willow made her way down and out through the gate onto Guava Drive, wondering what to do next. She really wanted to just go home, ignore the broken windows in the den, and soak in a hot tub and go to bed. But she also really wanted to see Jesse again, and find out about Buffy. And Xander. And hey, even Cordelia – she might not like Cordy, but she didn't want to see her in jail and hunted down by a Terminator, jeeze.
She could just make her way directly back to the school from here, but then again... Willow was getting downright allergic to side streets after earlier tonight. Bad things happened on side streets. Like ninjas. And pirates. And Sabretooth.
"Oh my god! Kendra! And Aura... " now she remembered Rand and Angel saying that Kendra was in the hospital after Creed attacked her?
Her mind made up, she hit Sheffield, and made her way up to North Twelfth Street. Could take it up to Ocean, and then almost straight to SHS. And no back streets. Cool.
After she'd been walking for awhile, smiling to herself and skipping every once in awhile, she saw a zebra striped van driving along up the other side of the street slowing down. When it finally came to a crawl even with her, the driver's window rolled down, and a kid about her age with bright, almost fluorescent yellow hair looked at her with a pair of serious green eyes and said, "Hey."
"Hey," Willow said back, smiling slightly. She gave him a small wave and kept walking.
"So, I'm like seeing you, and almost bumping into you at school and dances all the time," the kid said.
"Yeah? And?"
"So I was wondering over and over again, who is that girl?" he said, smiling slightly.
"Well, you could have just asked," Willow said.
"Yes. But that would have ruined the existential angst of not knowing," he said.
"Ah. Well, yeah, kind of," Willow said, nodding. "O-or it could be like a Zen koan kind of thing: am I a boy wondering who a girl is? Or am I a thought wondering if I'm a boy?"
"I'll think on that while I'm maintaining my motorcycle."
Willow looked at him her eyebrows going up. "You have a motorcycle?"
"No. But that has never stopped me from maintaining one," he said.
"Ah." Willow said, nodding seriously. "Makes perfect sense. I'm Willow."
"Ah, see? Now you've ruined the whole mystique," he said.
"Well, yeah," Willow said. "But now, you can move on to- to the important things, like should I ask her for her phone number? Do I have a zit on the end of my nose?"
"True." He crossed his eyes comically, looking down. "Apparently zitless am I. So, may I have your phone number?"
"Depends," Willow said, starting to grin now. "Who are you?"
"Oz."
"What. Just 'Oz'?" Willow frowned at him.
"It's a thing. Like Prince, only Oz."
"Really? That's so cool!"
"Well, it would be, except for the part where it's not," he said. "It's really Daniel Osbourne, but I've been Oz since I was four."
"Oh! I have a friend like that. He's been a Xander since he was five because I couldn't pronounce Alexander," Willow said, nodding. "Except that Cordy wanted him to be an Alex. They used to argue about it all the time."
"Ah. See? Your existential confusion right there," Oz said, smiling slightly.
"Yup. A Xander told that he's an Alex? Or an Alex wondering if he's a Xander?" Willow said, starting to laugh.
Oz smiled a bit wider, and said, "I'd offer you a ride, but I'm probably the kind of guy your mom warned you about."
"That's ok. My mom never really warned me about things like guys. I had to figure it out on my own," Willow said. "Actually, that's why I have a Xander."
"Ah. Good plan," Oz said. "I hope you've done some good figuring."
"So, why are you that kind of guy?"
"I'm in a band," Oz said.
"Ooohhh that kind," Willow said. "I've heard about guys like you. Hey – wait. You're the guy I almost ran over while I was rushing to sign up!"
"Guilty."
"So. I'm really only going to Sunnydale High School," Willow said. "It's not that far."
"Aren't they closed now?"
"Not to me, sadly," Willow said. "I'm in a select and very secret club."
"Cool."
"It really is, kinda," Willow said, nodding, "Except for the parts that are icky."
"Ok. Hop in," Oz said. "If you want. It's not precisely out of my way."
"Gee, I dunno... " Willow eyed him carefully, still smiling. "Are you going to try anything?"
"Haven't decided yet," Oz said, also smiling.
"Cool. I've been wanting to learn how to live dangerously," Willow said. She nodded, and started heading around to the passenger door after he came to a stop.
She paused by the driver's window, and added, "Just so long as you don't shove me off of Kingman's Bluff, buster."
"Darn. And I was so looking forward to that part."
Saturday, November 1, 1997: 1123 Gadsden Drive, Sunnydale, Night 12:13am –
Warren Mears came to himself abruptly, disoriented and feeling like he was going to throw up. His head swam dizzily as two warring personalities swirled around in it, wrestling for head space. His won, finally, and the other retreated somewhere to the back of his mind, muttering darkly.
Or at least that's what it felt like, jeeze.
Huh. He recognized his surroundings, vaguely. Gadsden Drive, umm, like, around four blocks from his own street. Ok, kewl. Less far to walk.
"Are you all right, Doctor? You seem to be somewhat impaired," a sultry, kind of pouting sounding female voice said.
"Glah!" Warren jumped about a foot and a half and spun around to face the speaker. Oh, thank gods. It was only Kimberly, uh, whoever. Last name unknown. Or at least unremembered.
Kimberly scowled at him, her eyes narrowing. "You definitely do not seem to be all right. I would take you to sickbay, however, we seem to have misplaced Voyager. Come. We will go to one of this planet's emergency medical facilities."
"No, hey, Kimberly, I'm OK, really," Warren said. "Thanks. Just got a bit disoriented for a minute. And, hey, nice job, but you can drop out of character now."
Kimberly cocked her head, eying him curiously and a bit warily. "I am not certain to whom you are referring, Dr. Soong, but as you are staring at me, I will assume that I am the intended person. I am not this Kimberly. I am Seven of Nine, formerly Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One, currently of the USS Voyager."
Warren laughed a bit shakily. He gazed at his fellow math geek with appreciation and a bit of awe. Wow. That was serious, die hard role playing. His eyes automatically took his gaze on a down and back up tour, stopping somewhere a bit below eye level. Warren swallowed hard.
Wow. That was serious figure there, too. Major curvage.
"Come. I will take you to this planet's emergency medical facility." Kimberly took him by the arm, and began to tow him down the street with surprising strength.
"Wow, hey, no, stop!" Warren said. "Kimberly – it's ok. I really am all right!"
She stopped towing him, but she didn't release his arm. Man, what a grip!
Turning to face him again, she frowned and said, "You are obviously mistaken. You continue to refer to me as this 'Kimberly' person, when I have distinctly informed you of my identity. You are obviously suffering from some memory impairment or delusional state." Pausing, she added almost gently, "You require treatment."
"No, no! Wait... lemme think for a minute or so, please," Warren said, holding up his free hand. His mind started to race, furiously.
Ok... he had been at the Bronze, and he'd run into Kimberly Whateverherlastnamewas, like he'd hoped. And had gone up and kind of stammered to her.
She'd not only recognized him and smiled, she'd recognized his costume too. Wow. A girl who not only knew who Seven and Voyager was, but also recognized Dr. Soong! Pearl beyond price. They'd gotten something to drink and grabbed a table way back by the doors, and started talking Trek and geekish...
Then there'd been that weird thing where the air conditioning there had evidently overloaded and the temperature dropped down to, like, freezing briefly. And the fans went on high...
He remembered continuing to talk to Seven, only it was like he'd dropped way, way deep into character himself. Almost like...
Oh, crap. And then that huge robot guy Larry Blaisdell had dressed as came in and started shooting Cordettes. For real, with a real gun. And suddenly Harris and Levinson were shooting back at him, and Harris was rescuing Cordelia and dragging her out of there...
Heh. Warren had figured there was way too much UST there for that bickering thing to be real.
Oh, crap. Larry had been a real Terminator. That meant that Jonathan had been a real WWII soldier, with a real Thompson. That meant that Harris had been... Kyle Reese, with a real shotgun... and that meant that...
Fuck.
"You're Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One, currently a crewman on the USS Voyager," Warren Mears said, "Really. You didn't revert."
"Yes. As I told you," Seven said, sounding a bit poutier than usual. Man, he loved that voice. Oh, to have her give him phone sex... "I am not certain what you mean by revert, however. I have not returned to being one of the Collective, no."
"No no... not what I... " Warren shook his head. This time, when his eyes went wandering, he did it deliberately. Ok... nope. Not padding. Real tits. He'd bet on it: he'd stared at enough of them since puberty. "Uh, turn around, would you? Please?"
Kimberly, or Seven, whatever, scowled at him, but complied, ending up facing him again at the end of a slow three sixty. He almost thought she was starting to smile slightly, but he couldn't tell from the corner of his eye, and his gaze hadn't made it up high enough...
Nice ass. Nicer than Kimberly's had been. And there were subtle differences in the catsuit, the boots, and the communicator insignia...
"Ok. This is gonna sound weird, but here's what I'm thinking happened... "
"I am listening," Kimberly said. She crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them up a bit, and stood hipshot facing him with an impatient expression.
Quickly, using concise language and detailed sentences, Warren explained to her his theory.
"So, I remember everything about being Dr. Soong. Thoughts, skills, expertise, dreams, robotics and cybernetics skills and degrees... " Warren concluded.
"And it is your hypothesis that I was once this Kimberly person who's patronymic you cannot remember, and did not revert, remaining my costumed personae, Seven of Nine," Seven said, scowling a bit deeper.
"Yeah. Only thing that makes sense." Warren didn't add that he was certain she was Kimberly when she started out. He'd certainly spent enough time staring at her in trig with a major hard-on to have memorized every inch of his fellow math geek.
"Hrmm." Seven nodded finally, and seemingly reluctantly. "While I do not recall any previous existence or persona, in the light of behavior I observed at the night club before we escaped that killer, your theory does have merit. So, you are Warren Mears, not Dr. Soong? In reality?"
"Yeah," Warren nodded. "But I remember everything about Soong. Boy, do I! I think I can even duplicate a lot of his designs, if I get the materials and equipment... "
"Hrmm." Seven nodded. "I have been noticing that you seem to spend a great deal of time examining my breasts, legs, lips, crotch, and gluteous maxima. And your breathing and heart rate have increased, as has your perspiration output since you began. As well, you have become increasingly flushed, and are now glancing nervously away."
"Uh, sorry... " Warren muttered, embarrassed. He'd forgotten how direct Seven could be. "It's just, that skintight outfit and – "
"Should I take it that you wish to copulate with me?"
"Huh?" Warren blinked, jerking his gaze to her eyes. Crap. She looked serious! "Oh, hell yes. Please God, I can die happy afterward."
He was Warren Mears, geek and terminally horny teenager. Not Harry Idiot Boy Kim... fuck yes he wanted to copulate with her.
"Very well," Seven said, nodding firmly. "But we shall need to find somewhere more suitable."
"Uhh... oh, crap, my house is just a few blocks over. C'mon," Warren blurted. Taking her by the hand this time, Warren began to tow her firmly and quickly down the street.
Quick, before she changed her freaking mind.
Saturday, November 1, 1997: South Palisade Drive and Marian Drive, Sunnydale, Night 12:25am –
"So, let me get this straight," Captain Miss America, aka Stephanie Rogers said, "All of you were not really your costumed persona, you were really all, err, normals for lack of a better word, like yourself, Carlos, Dawn, and Misty? And now all of you have reverted as this effect seems to have been broken?"
"In a nutshell, Cap," Benjy said. "'Cepting apparently you, Pook, 'Kat, Chessie, Devila, Wicked, and Saavik here."
'Kat and Chessie exchanged looks, and shrugged. "Not need to revert, Chief," 'Kat said, "'Kat already perfectly Kitty Kat."
"Of course you are, Private Fuzzy Butt," Benjy said. She reached up and gave 'Kat an ear rub and soon had her wriggling and purring in moments.
"Awww," Dawn said.
"Oh, shut up."
"And also, apparently," Cap said, smiling at the purring 'Kat, "I am, or was, this Sophie Carleton? Just as 'Kat and the others were also ten to eleven year old fourth and fifth graders?"
"Yup. Got it in one."
"All right," Cap said, shrugging. "What's next, First Sergeant?"
Benjy blinked at her, and Carlos said, "You're certainly taking this well, Sophie."
"Stephanie, please," Cap said. "And, oh, please. This is nothing compared to some of the things I've seen with the Avengers. We'll either figure it out and find a way to fix it if it needs to be fixed, or else we won't. And First Sergeant Benjy will cope admirably."
"Wow. That's an awful lot of confidence in my coping skills there, Cap," Benjy said.
Cap shrugged again. "I haven't seen anything so far to suggest otherwise, soldier. Suggest you have an existential crisis later – we still have a mission to complete. So – next?"
"Uh... " Benjy stared at her. Finally, she shrugged. "Gimme a bit. I need to think."
So far, after they'd taken inventory, all of the weapons she'd examined so far – she hadn't gotten to all of them – had turned back into toys, replicas, or air soft guns with the exception of Misty's rifle, Carlos two-thirds scale Sharps, and Cagney's two-thirds scale tommy gun. And all of the gear except for Spengler's proton pack. But not the ghost trap – that seemed to have reverted. Bucky's shield had reverted to plastic.
Cap's was still whatever weird alloy it was made of. Vibronium or something?
The spyglass she'd taken as spoils of war from Peter Prick hadn't reverted. She figured that meant that either it had been real to begin with, or else he hadn't reverted, either.
Benjy was gonna bet on the latter. The Universe just wasn't gonna let her off that easy in the other direction.
All of the outfits except for Cap's, Sav's, Wicked's, and the three scouts had gone back from seriously authentic uniforms and period clothing back to your basic Halloween costumes of various levels of quality and expense. All a bit worse for wear by this point. Also with the exception of Beverly's, Carlos', Dawn's, and Misty's, whose clothing had never changed.
And an awful lot of the kids, including all of the soldier types and Private Ranger, had kept memories and knowledge of their skills...
"Ok, boys and gurls," Benjy said, "I'm gonna do a once in a lifetime thing and ask all of you for advice like this is actually a democracy or something. Opinions? Gripes? Ideas? Get 'em out here."
Most of them grinned or laughed at the democracy comment.
"Ma'am?" Private Erin Spengler, whom Benjy had learned was really named Gabrielle Blaylock, said, "I vote we continue on. We have a base to achieve still."
A number of people muttered yeah, or similar sentiments.
Benjy stared at her, and said, "By my calculations, you're hurt kinda bad, Gabrielle, and we got the medical center right over thataway a short way."
"But base is that way," Gabrielle said, pointing. "And I didn't get hoodwinked into this outfit just to lay down and quit when I got a bit bunged up, hey?"
Private Hood nodded from her reclining position next to Spengler, and a number of people said, "Yeah! What she said!"
Dawn, Carlos, and Misty were staring at the others in amazement, like all of them had lost their freaking minds.
"Ma'am?" Private Sergeant Cookie stood up. "I'm with them."
"Me too," Private Maxie said.
"Whatta ya say, Irregulars?" Private Sergeant Hotstuff said, "Is this freaking mission over?"
There were a number of "Heck no!"'s. Not all, but quite a few...
"You people are nuts," Dawn said.
"No ma'am, Private," Private Sergeant Cookie said, looking at her seriously, "I may really be Laurie Strode, fourth grader, and shorter than you, but I'm still an Irregular. And I agreed to do a thing. It is not done. So," she turned to Benjy, "You gonna lead us in, First Sergeant?"
Dawn shook her head, staring at the other girl.
"Laurie," Beverly said, "I got people killed tonight."
"No, ma'am," Private Sergeant Hotstuff, Cassie Dunleavy said, "You didn't, Beverly. Those freaking Lost Boys did by making us fight through their idiot kingdom and have to escape through those darned tunnels. Those pirates did when they tried to kidnap us and got Private Calamity. You got us through all of that to here. Idiot."
"Yer not supposed to call your First Sergeant an idiot," Beverly said, mildly, "It's against the US Codes of Military Whatever."
"Put me on freaking report, Beverly," Cassie said, grinning at her. "Back at base."
"So? Again, whattaya say, Irregulars," Bucky said, facing the rest of the group, "Are we done?"
"Heck no!" came back a much stronger chorus this time. "No sir, Corporal!"
"Good," Bucky said. "Then get up off yer lazy butts and on yer dying feet, kids. We got a mission to finish. And don't call me sir – I work for a living."
Corporal Bucky turned to Beverly and snapped her a salute, and said, "Ma'am. The Platoon is yours."
Beverly swallowed past a lump in her throat. "Aw right," she said. She noticed he was still standing at attention, and returned the salute snappily. "At ease, Corporal."
"Yes'm."
"Ok, ok, geeze, I guess I'm freaking insane too," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "Private Dawn reporting for freaking duty, First Sergeant," she said. "But let's not be freaking stupid about this. Let's call my mom and get her to help us finish up, figure out," she waved at 'Kat, Chessie, and Pook, "All this, and how best to get back."
"Oh, man, chica," Carlos said, "Your mom is so gonna freak out."
"Naw. My mom is cool," Dawn said, "She'll only freak a little bit. Buffy is the one that'll freak. I so can't wait to see her face!"
Beverly shook her head, slowly. After a long minute, First Sergeant Benjy looked at Private Dawn Summers and said, "You real sure about this? 'Cause we're gonna be trusting your mom with Pook, Saavik, 'Kat, Devila, and Chessie's lives, girl."
"How so," Misty said, blinking.
"Gee, ever watch a movie?" Benjy shook her head, "How much you think some nutcase scientist would just love to get Devila or 'Kat in a laboratory and see what makes 'em tick?"
"Oh no, they wouldn't really do that, would they?" Misty's eyes got big.
Benjy shrugged. "Those kid's parents are gonna freak, Misty. They're gonna get doctors involved, and hospitals, and tests, and x-rays, and cat scans and all sorts of stuff. Whattaya think they're gonna do if the results come back 'cat girl' instead of 'human eleven year old', huh? Whatta ya think Nikki's parents are gonna think about having a Wicked Princess for a daughter?"
"oh, crap."
"Yeah," Benjy said. "This ain't over yet, not by a long shot, Misty. When you decided you were my new best friend, you got the whole package. I am not gonna let my kids down. Not now, not ever."
Misty nodded. "No one takes our 'Kat away to experiment on. Or any of 'em."
"Darn straight," Benjy said. She studied the girl in front of her. There was small trace left of the ditzy fashion and boy band obsessed kid from before. Then again, it'd been a long night, in Irregular years. Benjy spit in her hand and stuck it out, and Misty grinned, did the same and took it.
"Let's get it done, Bev."
"All right. Dawn?" Benjy said. "I'm trusting you. Don't mess up."
"Gee, Bev. Way to not pile on the pressure, huh?" Dawn rolled her eyes, and then stared at her. After a moment, she nodded. "My mom will help. And she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt a kid, ever. Let's do it."
"All right," Benjy said, "Got your cell phone?"
"Oh, please," Dawn said, "Like my mom would get me a cell? But I bet she will now!" Dawn shook her head, and added, "Gonna have to hit the emergency room and use a pay phone."
"First Sergeant Chief?"
Benjy looked over at a puzzled looking 'Kat. "Yeah?"
"We done yet? 'Cause I'm hungry. And bored again."
"Well, don't eat Private Pooka, Fuzzy Butt," Benjy said, "And we'll see what we can do about the rest, ok? All right, Irregulars, let's move out!"
First Sergeant Beverly Sheridan, aka Sergeant Benjy, still had a mission. She'd lost people, and had three people killed under her command, but – she still had a platoon at her back. No longer a military platoon full of changelings, maybe, but a platoon, nonetheless.
And she had twenty-three long blocks, and the Sunnydale night between them and Sunnydale High School to cope with.
The First Sunnydale Irregulars, Tech-Comm, North American Resistance Command, were coming home.
There was still nothing that was going to be allowed to get in their way.
Friday, October 31, 1997: Shooter's Hill area, St. Marin home, Sunnydale, Night 12:13pm –
"Oh God, holy crap," Corporal Audie Murphy said, bending over from the waist, suddenly overwhelmed completely by a rush of memory and completely new knowledge and awareness.
"Murphy!" Tam said, clutching tightly onto his hand, her eyes going suddenly huge and worried.
A few moments later, a blue eyed, thoroughly wrung out, and emotionally exhausted Jonathan Levinson straightened back up.
"No," he said. "Sorry, Tam. Just me." Jonathan essayed a rather weak smile, and then suddenly put his hands to his eyes, unable to stand the clear tinted contacts a moment longer. They came away easily.
"Ok, that didn't help. Your eyes are still blue," Tam said. "So, uh, Jonathan?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"Gotta agree with the kid there," Solo, or maybe the former Solo, said, "Holy crap."
"Hey, who you calling a kid, teenager," Jonathan said, starting to smile.
"Yeah, you take that back or else, shrimp," Solo said, grinning back at him.
"I gather that whatever possessed you has passed, and you're now whomever you were before?" Gerrald St. Marin said, his eyes and voice concerned.
"Yes sir," Jonathan said. "I think so. And, let me say: whoa. That was rough."
"I'll say," Leia said.
"So, who are we talking to now?" January asked. "I mean, just for the record and for keeping it straight?"
"Sorry, January," Solo said. "Douglas Quaid. Until around five fifteen or so, I was a kid from Grant high school that only dressed like Han Solo and was obsessed with Star Wars."
"And I'm Julie Sands," Leia said. "Ditto, and Doug's off and on girlfriend. We thought we'd do the pair costume thing... "
"At least she's not my twin sister," Doug said. "Man, was that one screwed up relationship."
"Jonathan Levinson, January," Jonathan said. "And thanks, like, tons for helping us out. You too, Mr. and Mrs. St. Marin."
"Pshaw," January said. "My pleasure. Hey – how often do we get to rescue some heroes?"
"No ma'am," Jonathan said shaking his head. "Audie Murphy was a hero. I'm just a teenager."
Whap! Tam's other hand, the one that wasn't holding Jonathan's, dope slapped him lightly. "Stop that! I told you, err, him, that if he went away I wanted to see if you were salvageable. Don't make me decide you're not."
"Yeah, I remember that," Jonathan said, smiling slightly and rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry you're going to regret it. I know you really liked him."
Tam raised her hand again, her eyes narrowing.
"I'm going to go out to the Woody and get you a bigger shovel," January said, "'Cause I think you're going to need it, to get out of the hole you're digging."
"Yeah, kid," Solo, or Doug said, with Solo's lopsided grin. "I'd stop talking right now and go the strong, silent, and wounded routine. All else fails, plead mental incapacity and beg for mercy – because you'd have to be crazy to screw this up."
Whap! Julie swatted him one. "Last thing he needs is girl advice from you, Han."
Mr. St. Marins was examining the still not a toy again blasters, and the now again air soft Thompson and Crosman M1 BB rifle. He shook his head, and said, "I hadn't seen this, I wouldn't credit it. So, should I take it that you all three remember everything?"
"Yes, sir," all three voices said, almost in unison. They exchanged looks.
"Yes sir," Doug said. "And honestly? I almost wish I didn't. Now I have to live with knowing that there's no space flight, no hyper drives, and no way I'll ever get back up there again." Leia nodded.
Mr. St. Marin nodded, and looked at Jonathan. "Yes. And I think I'm going to have nightmares about some of it for weeks. But I'm really glad Murphy was there when that thing showed up," Jonathan said, sighing heavily.
"So am I," Mrs. St. Marin said. "Are any of you hungry, by chance?"
"Starved," four voices said, and January said, "I could eat, thank you."
"Will your parents be expecting you home? It's after midnight now," Mr. St. Marin asked.
Doug and Julie looked at each other and shrugged. Jonathan said, "Honestly? If I tell my dad I was out late because I met a girl, he'll give me the title to the house and tell me to stay gone as long as I want. I think he was about to give up on me."
Tam started laughing.
"But, no sir, anyway," Jonathan said, smiling at Tam. "The Bronze is open until two, and they weren't expecting me home until after. I hope nothing happened to his car, though, or he'll kill me."
Saturday, November 1, 1997: Sunnydale High School Library, Sunnydale, Night 12:18pm –
After several long minutes, Daniel Rand sat back up, removing his face from his hands, to see everyone staring at him with worried expressions.
Actually, after several long minutes, Jesse McNally sat back up, and looked around. "Oh, holy crap. That was just... something else."
"Daniel, are you ok, son?" Michael Sheridan asked, looking at him worriedly.
"No sir. And it's not Daniel, not any more," he said. "It's Jesse McNally."
Giles started, and Angel glanced at him curiously. "Good lord," Giles said, "That name sounds familiar for some reason. I can't quite seem to place it, however... "
"He was a friend of Xander, Willow, and Cordelia's last year," Angel said. "At least, I think he was a friend of Cordelia's. I thought we mentioned this?"
"No, apparently you had not," Giles said.
"Uh, we met briefly, sir," Jesse said. "Here in the library right after me and Xander discovered you and that Buffy girl discussing her being a vampire slayer. And then that Darla girl picked me up at the Bronze, and she bit me, and then someone grabbed me and led me into some tunnels, and... " he shrugged, "That's all she wrote on the memory front until I – er, Danny Rand – found himself standing near Sheffield street wearing an Iron Fist costume."
"Oh! All right, I somewhat remember," Giles said, nodding. "You were the boy who got killed right before the Harvest."
"Giles!" both Angel and Joyce said.
"Wow, really subtle way to break that to me," Jesse said, "I was dead?"
"I, err, ah, um, I mean that, ah," Giles removed his glasses and started polishing them. "Oh, terribly sorry, son. I wasn't thinking, I'm afraid."
"That's ok," Jesse said, grinning at him. "Aura broke the whole thing to Daniel Rand after she recognized me under the mask."
"Wait, you remember all of that?" Angel said, frowning.
"All of it. Including the last huge fight with Sabretooth, and passing out after Daniel knocked him through that wall," Jesse said. "Wow."
"Me too," Jenny Calendar said, "Everything."
Everyone looked at her, staring, and Giles cleared his throat and went over to her. "Jenny!"
"Hello Rupert," Jenny said. "I'm glad to know you're only partly a gentleman when your date is under the influence. That was some kiss."
"I, ah, err," Giles slowly started turning bright red, and said, "Oh, bugger."
"Having a bit of an off night eh, old chap?" Michael Sheridan said, grinning at him. His wife dope slapped him one, lightly.
"Oh, do belt up, you berk," Giles said, smiling back. "It has been one of those nights, yes."
"Oh!" Michelle Sheridan's eyes widened, "Is the rest of your staff still locked in the upstairs lab?"
"Oh dear," Giles said.
"I'll go," Jenny said. "I know where it is." She paused at the door and turned back, and said, "Does anyone have a camera? The blackmail photos should be priceless. I'll cut you in for a share of the cash. No?"
Shaking her head and laughing, she slipped out through the doors and went on.
"I need to... oh, crap," Jesse said, stopping half way up out of his chair. "I don't have a home to go to, or parents to call any more, do I? Aura said they moved away... "
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Michelle said.
"Well... I normally don't make this kind of offer, but you can sack out on the sofa in our den tonight," Michael said. "Until you can check around and see if you can find a number or forwarding address for them."
"Thanks," Jesse said, a bit weakly. He sat back down.
"I'd offer," Angel said, "But you probably don't want to sleep on my couch."
Jesse grinned at him. "Thanks, but no. I've had my fill of vampires for awhile. No offense."
"None taken," Angel said, smiling slightly.
"Hey – what happened to Willow?"
"Oh, my," Joyce said. "She just kind of, umm... vanished abruptly."
"She may have gone back to wherever her body was left," Angel said. "I hope."
"Hope it's still there," Jesse said. "Although she did make a really cool ghost." He and Angel exchanged slight smiles.
"All right," Jenny said, opening the door and coming back in. "Apparently, someone figured out how to coordinate getting a lab table top off, and used it to break down a door. They're all gone."
"Oh, dear," Giles said. "I do hope that nothing happens to anyone other than Principal Snyder."
"Mr. Giles!" Michelle said, looking half appalled and half amused.
"I see that you've never actually met the fellow," Giles said. "His costumed persona was an improvement."
"Stop that, Rupert," Jenny said. "We already had one principal eaten by wild animals. Although we would have been better off if we'd been able to keep Flutie, instead."
"You people are just awful," Michelle said, laughing. Jenny threw a completely unrepentant grin her way.
"I agree with both teachers," Jesse said. "Wait, Snyder is Principal? And Flutie got eaten by wild animals?"
"Or at least that's the official explanation," Jenny said, making air quotes around official.
Joyce Summers' cell phone went off, startling everyone. Blinking, she pulled it from her purse, looked at it, frowned, and said, "Yes, Joyce Summers, who? Wait... Dawn! Where are you? Are you all right? What happened to you? Ok, ok... I'll slow down," Joyce said. She paused for a long time, and then said, "You're where? What are you doing at the hospital?"
Joyce paused for a long time, then said, "Ok. All right, yes... And are you sure you won't tell me? Uh huh... Oh, fine. Be stubborn. You're just like your sister."
She paused, listening again, and then said, "All right. Uh huh. All right... ok. Stay there. Do. Not. Go. Anywhere. I'll be right there."
"All right, I gather that was one of your daughters," Michael Sheridan said.
"My youngest," Joyce said, a bit absently. She was busily getting her purse and coat together. "She's at the hospital – she wouldn't say why except that she is not hurt. And she said she has some other girl named, uh, First Sergeant Benjy with her and a whole bunch of other kids. And a really big problem, but she wouldn't say what."
"Wait," Michael said, already rising and picking up his jacket. "We're going with you."
"You said Benjy? As in Benjy Sheridan?" Michelle said, also rising and grabbing her purse.
"Uh, Dawn didn't say," Joyce said, frowning. "You think that... "
"Our daughter's nickname is Benjy," Michael said. "Her sister gave it to her. And I'd almost bet – "
"That she's the little first sergeant," Michelle said, nodding. "At least that's what she dressed as going out tonight."
"Oh. Ok," Joyce said, hunting for her keys. "Wait, was that a gun I saw before you put your coat on, Michael?"
"I have a carry permit," Michael said, nodding, "And so does Michelle. And from what I've seen tonight? It's a good thing."
"I'm not fond of guns," Joyce said.
"I'm not fond of people who don't like guns," Michael said, shrugging. "I'm sure we'll work it out. Or not."
"Not that I plan on telling," Jenny said, "But it is against the law to carry on school property."
"Shh!' Michael said, winking at her. "Better to be tried by twelve than carried by six and all that." Jenny laughed, nodding, and Michael added, "There was no way that I or my wife were venturing out onto these streets tonight unarmed. Besides, I don't believe they allow swords on school property either."
Angel stood also, reaching for his coat. "I'd better go and look for Buffy again, then. And see what's what out there. Will you be all right holding the fort here, Giles?"
"Oh, certainly," Giles said. "I intend to while away the time picking young Mr. McNally's brain about this Iron Fist thing."
"Oh, joy." Jesse rolled his eyes, and said, "Hey! Look for Willow, too, willya? And see about Aura later?"
"I will," Angel said.
"Try in the areas around Sheffield, I think."
"We'll stop back by, son," Michael said, following his wife and Joyce out the door.
Jesse looked at Giles and Ms. Calendar and sighed. "So, whattaya want to know?"
Saturday, November 1, 1997: South Marion Drive Sunnydale Medical Complex, Sunnydale, Evening 12:40am –
Deciding to get some air – and get out of that hard waiting area seat for awhile, Aura went out through the emergency room's double sliding doors to the outside.
Looking around, she noticed, first off, that it was a lot quieter out now. Fewer sirens, for one thing.
She spotted a small girl looking somewhere between eleven and twelve, possibly, sitting on the grass with her back against the wall, away down from the doors. The girl was wearing a small olive colored jumper, a camo shirt open over an olive drab tank top, green military style boots, an olive drab military looking jacket with patches, and a matching camo style army cap that said, "RANGERS" and "U.S. ARMY" army across the front. From what she could see of the lettering, the tank top probably read something like "Rangers lead the way." She could just see the "gers" and "ead the w" on it.
And she had a wrist rocket in her left hand with the arm brace extended and on her forearm. Her eyes were closed, and her head was back against the wall.
"Hey," Aura said, softly, going over to lean a few feet away from her. "You ok?"
"Huh? I'm not dozing what's the problem report!" the girl said, snapping open her eyes fast and half rising.
"Whoa, ease up, soldier," Aura said, doing her best to restrain a laugh. "No problem. I just said, hey."
"Ah. Hey, lady," the kid said, sliding back down to a seated position. "How ya doing?"
"Oh, fine. More or less," Aura said. "Are you all right? Or just with someone here?"
"You could say that," the kid said. "I'm ok. Just with some people. Taking a break. Hey – aren't you cold in that outfit?"
"Hah!" Aura said, starting to laugh. "Yeah, a bit. But I've gotten used to it."
"And why do you have that big cross in your hand?"
"Vampires," Aura said. "Why do you have a wrist rocket?"
"Bad guys," the kid said, nodding, and apparently taking the 'vampires' comment perfectly in stride.
"Ah. Run into many bad guys?"
"Oh, heck yeah," the kid said. "All over tonight. Run into many vampires?"
"Yup. Whole bunch downtown," Aura said, "And then had a life and death duel with one here. Hence the cross."
"Ah. Makes sense."
"My name's Aura," Aura said, smiling. "I have a friend in intensive care here. I'm waiting to see her."
"Ah. My name's First Sergeant Benjy, ma'am," the kid said. "Well, it's really Beverly Sheridan, but I think I'd best be Sergeant Benjy for awhile yet. 'Til we get back to base, and I can go back to being Beverly."
"Ah. Is Benjy ok, or do you prefer Sarge or the whole thing?" Aura said, unable to restrain a grin. "And where's base?"
"Benjy is fine, for civilians, ma'am," Benjy said. "And base is Sunnydale High School. We're heading home."
"Sunnydale – wait," Aura said, blinking. "Were you with the kids that were on the school escort thing? That's my high school."
"Yup. We been heading back all night now," Benjy said, "Ever since Tech-sergeant Xander disappeared in a big ball of electricity."
"Oh." Aura suddenly noticed that the kid was studying her covertly and very intently, as if weighing and judging her. Or reserving judgment until more data came in... "Wait! Xander? Xander Harris?"
"Hey, yeah. You a friend of his?" Benjy said, perking up suddenly.
"Yeah! Well, no, not a friend really, uh," Aura said, shaking her head, "We grew up together. It's complicated."
"Ah." Benjy nodded seriously. "Believe me. I know complicated after tonight."
"I'll bet – "
"Problem, Chief?"
Another girl in a black, partially shredded leathery cat costume and one in a torn, red long dress and seriously convincing little devil outfit appeared suddenly by Aura, several feet away and just ahead, and eying her suspiciously.
Actually, she could have sworn the cat girl stepped out of a small patch of shadow by the curb, and the devil girl just appeared, as if out of nowhere. And... wait.
Those weren't costumes. Costumes didn't have tails that moved and twitched, or ears that went back lazily. You could get slit pupiled contacts, but...
"Nope. No prob. Stand down, 'Kat, Devila," Benjy said. "She's cool."
"You sure, Chief?" a voice said from practically right behind Aura.
"Eep!" she said, jumping and turning around, to find another cat girl there. This one had on a leather and spotted furred short dress, gray and black and white leopard spotted fur all over, and a long mane of gray and white hair flowing down her back, matching the fringe of fur on the shins and forearms. And... claws.
"Yup. I said, stand down, Chessie," Benjy said. "That means I'm sure, ok?"
"Uh, hi," Aura said, waving a bit weakly at the new arrivals.
"Sorry 'bout that," Benjy said. "My scouts are kinda on edge right now, after everything. And they get kinda protective, 'specially 'Kat."
"I see... "
"This is Aura, guys," Benjy said. "She's cool. She fights vampires."
The three gave her slightly impressed looks, and then... "'Kat still hungry, Chief," the black furred cat girl said. "And bored."
"Sent Bucky with a collection in to Burger King to load up on all the dollar burgers he could get, 'Kat," Benjy said. "Can't do much for bored now. I'll send Pook to get you when he's back. Fan out."
All three vanished again, and Aura blinked.
"Oh-kay... " Aura shook her head. "This is the strangest town all of a sudden.'
"Oh, you ain't seen the half of it, lady," Benjy said, grinning up at her.
"So, did I pass?"
"Huh?"
"Inspection, First Sergeant, did I pass?" Aura said, grinning. "You were studying me awful hard earlier."
"Ah. Yup. 'Spect so. You didn't scream, run, or start calling for a zookeeper," Benjy said.
"Oh, please," Aura said, waving idly at the girl. "After the cat guy I saw earlier, twice, that put my friend in ICU? Your two ain't nothing."
"Oh yeah?" Benjy said, looking at her curiously, "Do tell?"
"Oh yeah," Aura said, sliding down to a sitting position herself. "His name is Creed, or Sabretooth. At least that's what Daniel called him... "
"Oh, wait, no crap? You guys fought Sabretooth? And lived... ?" Benjy's eyes brightened.
Saturday, November 1, 1997: South Marion Drive Sunnydale Medical Complex, Sunnydale, Evening 12:50am –
Corporal Bucky and Cap had managed to get a number of dollar burgers, and Benjy had seen to it that they distributed them to the Scouts and other Irregulars, and that her troops were settled comfortably. Now, she was sitting back outside the ER with Dawn, Misty, and Carlos, listening to Aura describe more of the battles and other situations that she and her companions had gone through while waiting for Dawn's mom.
It was a pleasant change from being in the middle of her own battles and situations, that's for sure.
Listening to someone older who'd been through, faced down, and fought grownup versions of the things that she and her Irregulars had was cool as heck, too. Especially someone who actually knew Iron Fist and had fought Sabretooth and survived it.
That was just awesome.
Not long, maybe ten minutes after she and Aura had first met, a green and silver Jeep Commander had pulled up to the curb in front of them, with another, oddly familiar red and black Wrangler pulling in behind it. Bev eyed that vehicle suspiciously, gripping her wrist rocket and shifting her weight to get her feet under her.
Her folks drove a red and black Wrangler Unlimited like that, but then, so did a lot of other people...
The drivers door to the Commander opened and a tallish woman with dirty blonde hair got out and Dawn yelled, "Mom!" and ran over to her. And that was just all right.
Then the doors of the Wrangler opened, and a medium height, slender, greying haired man with broad shoulders got out, followed by a slender dark haired woman, and Benjy suddenly knew she'd overlooked something critical.
There was a higher command to turn to for all of this. She'd forgotten that, completely, in all the turmoil of discovering that 'Kat and the others hadn't changed back, and everything else.
It wasn't a Command structure that could fix anything and everything, but it was one that would move Heaven and Hell to attempt it, or die trying.
And it was a Command structure that had never, ever let her down, and never would.
"Dad!"
Four foot four and a half inches of First Sergeant Benjy hit a suddenly wet eyed and lumpy throated former Lt. Col. Michael Sheridan at waist height like a cannonball.
The Sunnydale Irregulars were no longer completely on their own. Tech-Comm Military Command had come to them.
.