"They've been gone a long time." Joyce remarked to Wesley worriedly.
"I know Joyce. But all we can do is wait I fear." Wesley replied.
"They probably got gobbled." Lucas chuckled.
"Will you shush?! You're such an ass!" Dawn snapped at Lucas.
Lucas simply smirked at Dawn and walked away. Wesley shook his head and turned back to assisting with the magics to boost the military radio equipment and protect the signal so it couldn't be traced.
Joyce and Dawn held each other, wondering if they would ever see Buffy again, if their lives would go back to normal.
Well, semi-normal.
One of the demon guards entered the caverns, walked to Lucas, whispered in his ear, and then went back to his post. Lucas went back to Wesley, Joyce, and Dawn, and stated firmly:
"They're back. And they brought company."
"Company?" Dawn said hopefully.
Everyone turned as Angel, Spike, the soldiers and the "company" entered the cave.
"Oh my god!" Dawn exclaimed.
"You're back!" Joyce cried.
"My God! Where have you been?!" Wesley nearly screamed in disbelief.
Dawn and Joyce rushed Buffy and the Scoobies and nearly suffocated them with almost hysterical hugs.
"Whoa! We weren't gone that long. Apparently." Xander commented.
"I am so glad to be back home." Buffy breathed happily.
"You guys are back too?! Great?!" Dawn squealed happily at Neil's pals. She gleefully hopped up and down.
"Hi Dawn." Neil's personalities said in chorus, obviously amused.
"And-" Dawn paused, looking the newcomers up and down.
Everyone else in the cave imitated Dawn's baffled and curious movements.
"What the fuck is that?" Lucas asked, pointing at Dante and its group.
"I'm not a what. I'm a who. Now the question requires reletting. Who the fuck are you?" Dante retorted.
Lucas's face shifted, and he growled menacingly. He walked toward Dante. Angel moved to intervene but Dante gently pushed him aside.
"My name is Lucas, and I'm the psychotic bastard you DON'T want to fuck with." Lucas snapped. He stopped in front of Dante and looked down at it.
Dante snorted derisively and replied in a mocking tone:
"Oh my. Do you think you're scary?"
Lucas gave Dante a disbelieving look. He looked back at the other vampires and back at Dante.
"You bet your ass I think tha-"Lucas started furiously.
"Well you ain't!" Dante hissed.
The startled Lucas took a step back.
"And as for your creepy face? I got me one of them too." Dante explained.
To everyone's shock (except the Seal-Neils and Many-Legs, of course.) Dante transformed into a tentacled many-eyed and multi-mouthed thing! It made a terrifying screech!
Lucas backed up very rapidly!
As everyone watched, Dante changed back to its standard form. It watched Lucas steadily.
"Now sit your dead ass down. Or I'll do it for you." Dante snarled.
Lucas did as he was told.
Dawn stared at Dante with no small amount of trepidation.
Dante returned Dawn's stare and said to her casually:
"Hey, how ya doin'?"
"We've got it!" Wesley shouted with glee.
"Got what, man?" Zeus wondered.
Wesley looked at them all, an ecstatic look on his face.
"The sorcerers and I have finished the spell which will conceal us from Demona's jamming and being able to triangulate on our signals. We can contact the military outside the energy shield!"
"Now we're talking." Angel replied approvingly.
They all gathered around the radio. The sorcerers chanted their new incantation and a bubble of magical energy surrounded their hide-out. They nodded, and the senior officer and C.O. of the soldiers activated the radio. He began to speak:
"This is Captain Davy Crockett of the 53rd brigade based out of Sunnydale California. General Samuel Jones or any high-ranking officer please respond."
There was a tense silence for a moment, and then there was a crisp response.
"Captain Crockett, this is Major McCarthy. We have received your message. Hold for General Jones."
They all looked at each other, then the radio crackled once more:
"Captain Crockett, this is General Jones. Give me your serial number for verification."
The Captain did as he was ordered. There was further silence for a few moments, and then the General's stern voice emitted once more from the speaker.
"We have confirmed your identity. What's your situation son?"
"Extremely dire sir. The majority of military personnel and civilians are KIA or MIA. A hostile force has seized Sunnydale and is currently occupying it. We have every reason to believe they intend a full-scale invasion of the United States and possibly the rest of the world."
"Understood Captain. What is the size and strength of the enemy forces? We cannot see through the barrier, it is completely opaque."
"There are hundreds of thousands of them General, maybe more. They have the equivalent of infantry, tanks, artillery, aircraft...name it sir, and they have it. This is a well-organized, well-trained, and professional force. And they're well dug-in."
"Understood. Can you bring down their barrier? We can't penetrate it."
"We'll do our best sir."
"That's all anyone can ask of anyone Captain Crockett. Try to have it down by 2200 hours."
"Affirmative sir."
"Godspeed and good luck Captain. General Jones out."
The Captain looked back at everyone.
"Time to get it done." Crockett stated.
"Then let's get it done." Angel replied.
Setting up a massive table in the middle of the cave, several vampires and soldiers spread a map of Sunnydale on it. Angel, Spike, Lucas, Wesley, Buffy and the Scoobies, Neil's friends, Captain Crockett and his command staff, and Dante and its team gathered around it.
"We've identified the devices Demona is using to control and feed the power to her shield from the Hellmouth. There are two of them, located at opposite ends of the town. We have to destroy those to bring it down." Angel explained, pointing at the map.
"I'm guessing they're super well-guarded?" Buffy asked Angel.
"They are. Too well guarded. A frontal attack is out of the question." Angel replied to Buffy.
"So we need to sneak in." Xander said.
"This is is a job for special forces. Wish we had some of those." Crockett sighed.
"You do." Dante put in swiftly.
"That's right. You told us the troops you brought have that kind of training." Angel said.
"Yes siree. But I doubt we can tackle both targets at the same time." Dante elucidated.
"We have that covered." Bellona commented.
"I am unsurprised. You lot possess all of those military skills." Giles said.
"So that solves that. But what will the rest of us do? Suck each other's bloody thumbs?" Spike commented sarcastically.
"You sure as hell aren't sucking mine." Lucas growled.
"Are you two fucking done?!" Hera snarled at Spike and Lucas. They looked at her, a little taken aback.
"Let us continue. This is a serious matter." Lilith said grimly.
"Agreed. What is our part in this attack?" Giles wondered.
"I imagine once the energy barrier falls, we should launch a surprise attack on Demona's positions that we have identified from our reconnaissance missions, and assist the American soldiers as much as we can." Wesley stated.
"Yes. That would seem logical. Multiple hit and fade assaults will keep her garrison off-balance, rendering them less able to defend or counterattack General Jones's forces." Diana remarked.
"Now that I think of it, they probably have a carrier group sitting off the coast. We'll need to be mindful of cruise missiles and airstrikes as well as artillery, armor, and infantry." Ares commented.
"Oh dear. I hadn't thought of that. You're probably correct." Wesley said.
They discussed their battle plans for another hour before they called an end to the meeting. But just as they turned away, Dante spoke up:
"One last thing."
Everyone turned to Dante expectantly.
Dante took a wooden and metal box from one of its subordinates and opened it. It removed a peculiar object of an indescribable shape and design and showed it to them.
"What the fuck is that thing supposed to be?!" Athena asked Dante.
"This is our trump card precious. Let me show you how it works..."
An hour later...
Buffy was readying a crossbow when a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder. She spun around expecting Angel or Helen but was surprised to find Athena standing there.
"Come on. We're going on a little field trip." Athena told Buffy.
"Where are we going?" Buffy asked suspiciously.
"To get something that belongs to you." Athena replied.