Chapter 36

Tremors

A/N: Chapter thirty six of the series. As I was going over the story, I discovered I made some editorial mistakes. Since I don't have a beta reader (and don't want one, thank you very much) I didn't realize I had described the new Council's building as being only five stories tall and three levels below ground level. In later chapters I mentioned a sixth floor and a fourth sub level. I apologize for the mistake to all of you who noticed it.

Looks like I managed to slip one more before Christmas. Maybe I'll be able to post some others.

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show.

Feedback: Sure.

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London, England

December 2017

Giles took off his earpiece and realized Buffy wouldn't go back.

He hoped the PD would listen and wouldn't shoot down any more slayers. He knew Buffy and her girls wouldn't retaliate, but Faith, Wesley, Illyria and Connor were something else.

If the police shot any of them, they would answer with equally deadly force.

He ran his hands through his hair. They were over their heads with the fire of the city, and they had yet to confront the turok hans.

And from what Buffy had described, the vampires were merely part of a larger army.

He stared at the virtual map in the end of the wall, and he stood up and walked to it. Xander and Willow stepped next to him, uncertain of what was happening.

"The local PD has killed two slayers." Giles said. Willow and Xander hung their heads, already aware of the fact. "The city is slowly being consumed by fire. Ordinarily, the authorities would have already contained it, but they're falling like flies at the hands of the turok hans."

"Do you think they'll listen to Buffy?" Willow asked.

"I don't know." Giles replied. "Fortunately, half of the slayers out there have already returned."

"But they are itching to go out there again." Xander said. "Specially after hearing Buffy speak."

"We can't let them go." Giles said. "What Wesley said was true. The slayers are fighting three deadly enemies out there. The fire kills them, they can't feel the turok hans, and the frightened officers are shooting them as well."

"But the city…"

"I know." Giles said, cutting Willow's words. "Wesley is already on his way."

"The three of them against an army of turok hans?" Willow asked.

"Do you remember what Illyria did on the alley?" He answered. "She can fight them better than most of us."

"Which means we'll have to trust the survival of the city to three loose cannons." Xander stated.

For once, neither Willow nor Giles could answer to that.

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"Aren't you coming?"

Buffy, Dawn and Annie were already aboard the stolen Mercedes, but Joe was still standing in the middle of the burning street. He looked at them, then turned around and noticed people were still running around.

"I can't leave them." He said. The three women frowned.

"It's not safe here." Dawn said.

"Precisely." Joe replied. "There's still people out here. Maybe they can't get out, or maybe there's other people as crazy as you trying to get inside."

He checked his weapons, and smiled at them.

"I have to stay here and form a perimeter." He said. "I have to keep the remaining citizens safe."

"You could do that from the Council." Annie said, poking her head out of the window. Joe smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Then I wouldn't be any different from that Superintendent jerk, wouldn't I?" He said. Dawn was about to reply when Buffy placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. Joe loaded his weapons and smiled.

"Of course."

The three women said nothing else, they just looked at him. Buffy extended her right hand, as she held Joe's gaze. He nodded again and shook her hand.

"Good luck, sergeant."

"Same to you."

The three women sped away, leaving behind one of the few remaining good cops in the city.

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"We can't leave him behind."

Annie said, looking from her position in the backseat at the rapidly disappearing figure in the distance.

"It was his decision." Buffy said, jamming her foot on the gas.

"It's my decision to fight with you, and you won't let me." Annie said, sulking in her seat.

"Hello? You're fourteen, Joe must be in his forties or fifties." Buffy replied. "Besides, what he said was true. It's what we should be doing."

"He's going to get himself killed." Dawn whispered.

"Let's hope not." Buffy whispered back. "He knows what he's doing."

"He's no match to a turok han."

"He'll make it." Buffy continued. "That's not what's worries me now."

"Wow, insensitive much?"

"Not like that, the chaos must be visible to the whole island now." Buffy said. "What I'm worried about is the army's reaction to this."

"What?"

"Think about it. The locals can't handle the situation, and are now even shooting civilians, it's a matter of time before the Queen or the Prime Minister authorizes the army to march in and take control."

"Didn't think of that." Dawn admitted.

"Well, we had never been in such a chaotic mess before." Buffy continued. "Now the city is two minutes from exploding and I don't know what is going to happen."

"I can hear you even if you whisper, y'know." Annie said. Dawn chuckled and Buffy shook her head.

"What's all this about the army getting in?" Annie asked.

"It's a logical step, dear." Buffy replied. "The police can't fight the vampires, and we are not helping much."

"Who were the slayers shot?" Annie asked. Buffy sighed and looked ahead. The road was awful and she feared the temperature would increase and a telephone post would fall on them.

"Mum?"

"They were from Faith's pack." Buffy finally replied. "Don't know their names yet."

"That's three this month." Dawn said.

"That hadn't happened since World War II." Buffy said. "Seventy three years."

"Oh." Annie whispered. "That sucks."

"Big time."

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Fortunately, the Council and the surrounding areas had not been affected by the flames, and it seemed the turok hans were focusing their attack on the rest of the city.

Giles looked at the map of the city, and noticed the fire reports had diminished. He exhaled in relief when he saw Buffy, Dawn and Annie step inside his office.

"Thank God you're here." He said, and smiled when Annie ran to greet him.

"Hi grandpa." She said as she kissed his cheek.

"Oh, dear, you should have stayed back home." Giles said.

"See?" Buffy said. "But you never listen."

"I wanted to be here, with you." Annie replied.

"Seems we are safe here." Xander said, sting in his station. "There have been no new fire reports."

"Looks like Wesley had a point." Willow said. "The attacks went down as soon as most of the slayers returned home."

"Dammit." Buffy said. "I hate it when Wesley is right."

"He's right most of the time." Giles said. "He has a rational mind."

"And how many people out there are dying because of his rational thoughts?" Buffy countered.

"It would seem less than when you were out there." Xander replied. "There has been no fire report in the past five minutes."

"Swell." Buffy said. "I was fearing things would spin madly out of control and the army would sweep the streets."

"Thought of that one too." Giles said. "In fact, we received some info regarding the soldiers actually getting ready to get inside the city."

"And?"

"It's election year." Giles replied. "And the Superintendent of police wouldn't want the PD to admit defeat and ask for the army's help."

"Great." Buffy said. "What's the status on the turok hans?"

"Wesley is yet to report what he's found." Giles said. "If you look at the screen, he's far away from the Council, meaning the turok hans are away as well."

"We'll have to focus on trying to find them." Buffy said. "Have you learnt anything about why we can't feel them?"

"I'm already on it." Willow replied, sitting in her own station. "If there were magic, I would feel it. I can't sense any spell, but there is something in them."

"Weird enough, considering Wesley and Illyria can feel them." Xander said.

"Isn't that creepy?" Dawn asked.
"You have no idea." Xander replied. "Don't know why they can, and no one else did."

"It probably has to do with Wesley's dual nature." Giles said. "And Illyria has always been able to feel supernatural beings."

"How sad it is they're the only ones who can fight back." Buffy said.

"We can only wait now." Giles said. "Let's hope he was completely right and the turok hans will center their attack here."

"Again, how sad it is we want the ubervamps to come attack us home?" Buffy repeated.

"That way we stand a chance." Giles said. "We'll focus their attack here and won't let them…"

Giles' words were cut short as a massive earthquake hit London.

End of Chapter