Chapter 38

The potentials were sitting around the dining room table. Buffy stood at the head of the table and Willow sat at the end opposite her. Connor and Xander leaned against the wall near the door to the kitchen. Dawn was seated at the table near Buffy.

"We should run." Vi said.

"And go where, Vi?" Kennedy asked.

"Annabelle ran. Look where it got her." Dawn reminded them.

"Safer in than out." Buffy said.

"How can you say that?" Molly asked. "It was here, Buffy, in the house, living with us for days."

"And you didn't even know it." Chloe said.

"Well, none of us knew it." Xander said.

"It could still be here." Vi said. "It could be any one of us."

"No, The First can only take the form of dead people." Willow said.

"Yeah, well there'll be plenty more of those soon enough." Rona snapped. "We're dropping like flies here." All the girls started talking over one another.

"Hey!" Buffy yelled. The girls stopped talking. "Look, I know you're all scared. You know what? I am too, but Giles and Anya will be back soon, and hopefully they will have the information that we need to stop The First. In the mean time, we need to stick together. Ok, we're stronger that way. We cannot afford to fall apart now."

Andrew stepped up to the table. "She's right. Where would the Justice League have been if they hadn't put their differences aside to stop the Imperium and his shape-shifting alien horde?"

"Don't help me."

"Buff, the sun goes down, and UberVamp's on its way." Xander said. "So a plan'd be good right about now."

"Will, I'm sorry to ask, but…."

"I know, we need a barrier." Willow said.

"A major one. Something tells me this vampire doesn't need an invite to get into the house. Can you do it?"

"I'll try."

"Try?" Rona asked.

"You heard her." Kennedy said.

"Buff, are you sure about Willow doing the hocus pocus again?" Xander asked. "I…. I mean, last time she…."

"Xander, we don't have a lot of choices." Buffy said.

"And what if that doesn't work? What if that monster gets through?" Chloe asked.

"Then we'll deal."

"Deal?" Rona asked. "Fight, you mean. How are we supposed to do that?"

"And with what?" Vi interjected.

"With whatever it takes!" Kennedy snapped, then looked at Buffy. "Right?"

"Buffy, you fought the Turok-Han, and it almost killed you." Molly said.

"And you're the real slayer." Chloe added.

"Wh-what chance do we have?" Rona asked.

"Honestly, you staked that thing, and it didn't die." Molly said.

"No, but that doesn't…." Dawn started.

"Maybe it can't be killed."

Buffy stared straight ahead, tuning the girls out. She looked at Willow and caught her eyes. "Willow, can you hear me?" She thought.

"Yeah." Willow thought back.

"We're losing them. We can't let that happen. I have an idea. Grab Xander and Connor." Buffy walked into the kitchen.

Willow stood up to follow her and walked past Xander and Connor. "Xander. Connor."

Both of them jumped and stared at Willow."What!?" Both of the cried.

"I said…." Kennedy started.

"I just thought it bared repeating." Xander grabbed Connor's arm and pulled him into the kitchen after Buffy and Willow.

"I gotta slay the NeanderVamp to get Spike outta that cave, but I need those girls to see me do it." Buffy thought.

"What's going on?" Connor asked.

"Don't talk out loud, Connor. Just project your thoughts towards everyone in the kitchen." Willow thought. She looked at Buffy. "I get it, but this isn't the best venue for a smackdown."

"I know just the place." Xander thought.

"Where?"

"The future home of the Sunnydale Library. It's got a big open space and an area where everyone can get up at a safe height and watch."

Outside, Bringers were encircling Buffy's house. Dawn peered out between the cracks of the boarded up window and Molly and Chloe were on the couch beside her, also looking out.

"There's more of them now." Dawn announced.

Xander walked into the room. "And two more out back."

"Why aren't they doing anything, attacking?" Molly asked.

"They don't want in." Buffy said. "They're here to make sure we don't get out. Rona." She held up a sword.

Rona went to Buffy and took the sword. "Like this'll do any good. I mean, what's the point?"

Kennedy pointed to the tip of Rona's sword. "It's this end right here. Just stick that in the bad guys. Any more questions?" She went to the weapons chest and took out a crossbow. "This'll do me."

"Are you sure you know how to use it?" Buffy asked.

Kennedy practiced loading and shooting the unloaded weapon. "Since I was eight." Buffy handed her a quiver of arrows.

"Can I have something?" Andrew asked. Buffy glared at him. "Come on, the Turok-Han's coming for me too, you know. I have a right to defend myself…." Buffy raised her eyebrows. "If you say so." She sighed and looked into the weapons chest. She grabbed a glass bottle of holy water and handed it to Andrew. He took it and held it close to his chest like a treasure.

"Guys? Something's happening." Dawn said.

Rona looked out and saw the Turok-Han approaching the house. "Oh, my God!"

"Here it comes." Buffy said as the Turok-Han walked towards Buffy's front door, growling.

Everyone gathered around Willow as the Turok-Han beat on the door, trying to enter the house. "Caerimonia Minerva, saepio, saepire, saepsi." Willow intoned.

"Um, deflector shields! Deflector shields up!" Andrew cried.

"Willow…." Buffy said. The Turok-Han finally broke the door down and Willow finished the spell as her eyes went black.

"Saepio impedimentum!" A barrier went up, keeping the Turok-Han at bay.

"It's working." Chloe said.

"For the moment." Vi said.

"Will…." Buffy started.

"It's…. it's strong." Willow struggled.

"It's hurting her." Kennedy said.

"Hang on, Willow." Buffy said.

Willow shook her head. "I don't know."

"She can't hold it." Dawn cried.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Rona panicked.

"Run. Everybody run." Buffy ordered. As the Turok-Han continued to try to penetrate the barrier, everyone ran out the back door of the house except for Buffy, Connor, and Willow who stayed to the very last possible moment.

Xander lead everyone outside, going after the Bringers with a battle axe in his hands. Kennedy used her crossbow to take out a few of the Bringers herself. Hand-to-hand combat ensued as Xander fought a Bringer, but the Bringer overpowered him and took the battle-axe away from him. Just as the Bringer was about to slice and dice Xander, Buffy stabbed the Bringer from behind just as the barrier inside the house fell, and the Turok-Han ran outside after them.

"Come on!" Buffy yelled. Buffy and Xander ran off after the others. They ran up the street, all at full speed. After a long few minutes, they stopped for air.

Xander looked behind them. "Ok, no Bringers following. I guess they'll save us for old snaggletooth."

"Where is the Turok-Han?" Connor asked.

"Right behind us. Time to split up." Buffy said.

"Split up?" Molly asked. "We're splittin' up? Is that wise?"

"Willow, take everyone and find a safe location."

"I know a place." Xander said.

"What are you gonna do?" Dawn asked.

"Gonna try to slow the Turok down." Buffy said. "Lead him away from you guys. Get him to chase me."

"Buffy, you can't take that thing on yourself."

"I'll stay." Kennedy said.

"No!" Buffy took the bottle of holy water from Andrew.

"H-hey, I need that!" Andrew cried.

"Willow, Xander, Connor, take everyone to a safe location. Get 'em out of here. Now!" Everyone but Buffy and Dawn followed Willow.

Xander touched Dawn's arm. "Have to go, Dawnie."

Dawn grudgingly went with Xander. Buffy faced the Turok-Han, who was now on the street facing her as in a standoff. Buffy took a running leap towards it, kicking it in the chest. It didn't even move, but Buffy fell to the ground. As the Turok-Han came closer to her, Buffy took the bottle of holy water out of her pocket. When the Turok-Han was within arms reach, Buffy smashed the bottle in its face, causing it to roar and retreat.

Buffy stood, but it grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into a car window, shattering it. The holy water burned the Turok-Han's face, but didn't appear to have slowed it down any. Buffy ran away, expecting the Turok-Han to give chase, which it did for a moment before stopping. Buffy turned around to see if it was still behind her, but it was gone.

"Showtime." Buffy muttered.

Xander climbed down scaffolding, still carrying his battle-axe as he called, "Come on, people, we gotta move."

"I'm moving." Andrew whined. "Climbing's not my thing. I got an inner ear condition."

"Is falling your thing?" Connor asked, having already beat everyone to the bottom. "Cause if you don't pick up the pace, I'm gonna come up there and drop your ass."

"Way to keep up morale in a crisis." Andrew jumped to the ground. "No wonder Buffy's the leader."

"Some leader." Rona muttered.

"This is crazy." Chloe said.

"You got that right. What are we doing down here?"

"Quieter. Faster." Xander said.

As they followed Xander through the open area, Molly asked, "Where are we?"

"Future site of the new public library, opening up May 2003. If I ever get back to work, that is."

"You call this a safe location?" Rona asked.

"It's the middle of nothing." Vi agreed.

"This'll do." Willow said. "Ok everyone. Spread out, take positions." Everyone spread out except Andrew.

He stood alone in the middle of the open area. "Um, what's my position?"

"And don't make a sound."

"That's the plan?" Rona asked. "Spread out? That thing is gonna kill Buffy, and then it's gonna come after us. For all we know, it's killing her right now."

"Or, it could just skip that part and come straight here." Kennedy said. Everyone turned to follow her gaze and saw the Turok-Han had found them. The Turok-Han walked menacingly toward them. Kennedy loaded her crossbow and prepared to fight. The others walked up behind her.

"Oh no no no no…." Chloe said.

Suddenly, the flood lights came on and everyone turned to look. Buffy was standing there, arms crossed, on a ledge overlooking the open area.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"What's she doing?" Rona asked.

Kennedy aimed her crossbow at the Turok-Han, but Willow waved her off. "Just watch. It's show time." Willow lead the group away from the open area. They climbed the scaffolding and watched. Connor hesitated for a moment, before climbing up the scaffolding like Buffy had asked. Andrew looked on eagerly, hanging on the outside of the bars.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" Buffy said to the Turok-Han. "They're trapped in here. Terrified. Meat for the beast, and there's nothing they can do but wait." She did a forward somersault down into the open area. "That's all they've been doing for days." She walked towards the Turok-Han. "Waiting to be picked off. Having nightmares about monsters that can't be killed. But I don't believe in that. I always find a way. I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why. It's time. Welcome to Thunderdome."

"Two men enter. One man leaves." Andrew intoned.

The Turok-Han went for Buffy. She was able to hold her own against it for a moment, but soon she was being beaten back. The onlookers grimaced as the Turok-Han dealt harsh blows to Buffy. Connor almost jumped out to help her, but Xander and Willow held him back. Buffy managed to get in an offensive move here and there, punching and kicking it between its own moves.

Dawn looked at Willow. "This…. you planned this. Letting the barrier fail, bringing us here, you and Buffy."

The Turok-Han punched Buffy to the ground, but she got back up to fight more. It threw her about 20 feet away and she landed on the scaffolds, knocking the crossbow out of Kennedy's hands. Buffy picked up the weapon and aimed it at the Turok-Han and fired as it ran towards her, hitting it right in the heart. It only paused for a moment, then came at her again.

Buffy grabbed a nearby pipe from the scaffolding and used it as a staff. She then used it to propel herself away from the fight, but the Turok-Han was right behind her. She grabbed a pickaxe and swung it at the Turok-Han, but it ducked and pushed her into the wall of the construction office trailer. Buffy fell to the ground and the Turok-Han disarmed her before throwing her back toward the center of the open area. It punched her again and again. She fell into a pile of cinder blocks, but picked one up to throw at the Turok-Han. It crushed the block before she could throw it. It punched her again and kicked her under some scaffolding before throwing her a dozen feet into the air, through the scaffold platform. Buffy managed to stay on the platform, and the Turok-Han scaled the scaffolding to get to her. It grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground and choking her as she struggled against him.

"It's killing her." Rona cried.

"We have to do something." Molly said.

"Wait!" Willow called.

Buffy reached down, grabbed the arrow in the Turok-Han's chest, pulled it out, and jabbed its eye. It roared and dropped Buffy. While it was dealing with its injury, Buffy started punching it, and kicked it to the ground, where it landed in a pile of cinder blocks and boards. Weakly, it tried to punch her back, but she kept punching and kicking it until finally she could bang its head into the metal scaffolding. Buffy grabbed some nearby barbed wire and slipped it around the Turok-Han's throat. It fell to the ground and Buffy pulled on the wire hard enough to sever its head. The Turok-Han exploded in a cloud of dust in front of her.

"See? Dust." Buffy said, turning to look up at the girls. "Just like the rest of 'em. I don't know what's coming next, but I do know it's gonna be just like this. Hard. Painful. But in the end it's gonna be us. If we all do our parts, believe it, we'll be the ones left standing. Here endeth the lesson." Buffy walked away as the potentials watched her. Kennedy smiled as the other girls looked at each other. They all followed Buffy out of the construction site.

Still shackled to the rocky cave wall, Spike saw someone walking toward him. "A knife, now, is it?" He asked. A white-shirted, cut and bruised Buffy stood before him holding a Bringer's knife in her hand. "What'll….what'll that…. You…. you can't hurt me. You're…. you're just a bloody figment, you are. You're just…." Buffy approached him slowly and cut him loose of his tethers. He collapsed forward and braced himself with his hand on her shoulder. When he touched her and realized she was real, he smiled and squinted, searching her face intently. She looked into his eyes. "You. Oh." He put his arm over her shoulder, and she put her arm around his waist. Although Spike was weak and limping, they walked out of the cave together.