They marched through the middle of Sunnydale.
Demona watched them in disbelief. What was this madness?
No attempts at tactics? Or strategy? Just a death march straight to her fortress?
She held her forces back, suspecting a trap, or trick.
But nothing.
Her enemies walked straight to her through the devastated streets until they had arrived at her base in the center of town.
Demona emerged from her castle and stood on its roof after she had made certain her building's energy field was activated.
She looked down at them.
They looked up at her.
Angel and his resistance movement, Neil's personalities, and Buffy and her gang were all there.
"So you have come to die. Fascinating. I could spend some time bantering with you, but I have more important matters to attend to." Demona chuckled.
She took a communication creature from her pocket and ordered in cold amusement:
"Shoot them, and be done with this."
Her creatures sprang from their hiding places and opened fire!
Demona grinned with a fiery and satisfied bloodlust.
But that grin vanished when the unexpected occurred.
When her troops' weapon fire touched her enemies…
...there was a massive and powerful explosion!
The blast literally shredded her ambushing soldiers and sent Demona sprawling! Even with her field up, the sheer force of the blast had knocked her down!
Climbing shakily back up, Demona whispered to herself in disbelief:
"What…?! HOW?!"
Her pondering was interrupted by more explosions!
Demona looked at both new blast sites and a realization hit her like a punch to the gut!
"MY SHIELD GENERATORS! NO! DAMN YOU!" Demona cried out in unmatched rage!
Nearby, Buffy, Angel and the Scoobies were watching Demona and her fort. They had stealthily moved into position and were well concealed.
"Huh. Wow, this thing really works!" Buffy said wonderingly, staring at the magical object Dante had brought them.
"Yeah. Too bad it can only be used once." Angel replied wistfully.
A sergeant hurried into General Jones's tent and reported:
"General! The shield around Sunnydale has vanished!"
The General and his command staff looked at the sergeant, then at each other, and then at the map of Sunnydale they had spread out on the table.
"Time to kick some ass gentlemen." Jones growled.
They all saluted the General and left the tent.
The General picked up the radio and ordered:
"All troops, this is General Jones. Operation Liberation has been initiated. Good luck gentlemen!"
Off the coast of Sunnydale, two aircraft carrier groups had been waiting for exactly this event.
"Get those planes in the air!" the admiral ordered from the bridge. Be aware we have friendlies in the city!"
"Copy that sir!" the squadron commanders answered.
The American military, the most powerful fighting force on Earth, was moving in.
And they would not be stopped.
As the U.S. soldiers entered the town limits they were immediately set upon.
Organic turrets emerged from underground and opened fire, catching them off guard and battering their ranks.
But not as much as expected.
The human infantry took cover as energy weapon fire raked their positions with a murderous hail of bolts and beams.
Demona's infantry advanced and fired as well, increasing the attack.
American soldiers returned fire. Demona's creatures screeched as they were impacted by bullets. They also took cover but continued the assault.
M1 Abrams and M2 Bradleys moved in with cannon and machine gun fire, supporting the infantry. Shells and bullets blasted the organic turrets, destroying them. The human infantry tossed grenades at the monsters assailing them, and the monsters returned the favor.
Ah64 Apaches and Ah-1 SuperCobras arrived, blazing away with their weapons. Demona's forces found themselves being forced back.
Then Demona's blobs appeared.
But they were unable to do much because Marine Corp F/A-18 Hornets swooped in and blew them out of the sky!
As the American jets flew over Sunnydale, dueling Demona's blobs and conducting airstrikes, Demona's AA turrets targeted them and launched their own attacks!
U.S. Army artillery batteries initiated fire support missions. Their muzzle flashes and rocket launches lit up the surrounding area.
Demona's artillery returned fire.
A-10 Thunderbolt IIs blazed away at enemy troop concentrations and Demona's armored creatures.
Ticonderoga guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyers launched cruise missiles in support as Marine expeditionary units put ashore and the two Nimitz-class aircraft carriers launched F/A-18 Hornets in support.
Demona's shore batteries shot at the carrier groups and were shot at in turn.
The battle had truly begun.
A squad of Marines were moving rapidly down a side street, weapons raised. Their alert gazes swept their surroundings thoroughly.
And they still couldn't react in time.
Snarling, a group of cat-like monstrosities leapt upon the startled Marines!
Slashing with claw and fang, they disemboweled half the squad before any of the servicemen could react. Their strength and speed was terrifying!
The dazed and surviving Marines found themselves pinned to the asphalt by half of their attackers while the other half circled eagerly.
Then they were interrupted.
By an arrow through one of the monster's heads! It fell dead with a thwarted growl.
The other monsters turned toward the new threat. The soldiers saw her as well.
A huge red-headed woman with a bow, standing on a rooftop. She swiftly unleashed three more arrows and slew three more of the pseudo-cat beings.
The other "cats" hissed and sprinted toward the red-head.
But they were intercepted.
To the Marines' amazement, a raven-haired giantess appeared with out warning and attacked.
Her ax and sword moved with greater speed than she did, beheading and dismembering their mutual foes with practiced ease.
And just like that, it was over.
The dark-haired woman looked down at the Marines, still laying on the ground.
"Coming gentlemen?" she asked in a strong and distinguished voice.
She turned away and walked off without awaiting a reply, the red-head jumping down from the rooftop and joining her a moment later.
The Marines looked at each other, got back to their feet, and their CO, a sergeant, spoke quietly:
"You heard her. Follow the amazons."
"That's it! Keep pushing!" Bellona snarled as she blazed away with her rifle, cutting two of Demona's soldiers down.
Apollo and Zeus didn't argue. They sprinted after her, dodging from ruined automobile to ruined automobile, firing their own weapons and scoring their own kills.
They saw Hera and Ares rush out of a nearby alley. Hera and Ares pulled a pin off a grenade they respectively held and heaved them
into another alley across the road.
Hera and Ares threw themselves onto the ground as the explosive weapons detonated, slaying four of Demona's monsters, who perished with a throaty inhuman scream!
As Ares and Hera regained their feet, Helen and Neptune appeared from the entrance to a ruined shop. They turned and fired into the store they had just exited. Whatever they just shot at obviously had succumbed to their wounds, as there was a great deal of crashing inside which quickly ceased.
A manhole cover in the street flew up into the air and Taryn and Lilith popped out of it. Taryn caught the falling manhole cover and threw it at a flying bat-like creature who swooped down at her. The hurtling cover shredded it, and pieces of its destroyed carcass fell everywhere. Lilith threw a knife at a snail-like beast who oozed out of the open sewer entrance they had just exited. It quivered as the blade embedded itself in its slimy face. Then it ceased all movement as it gave up the proverbial ghost.
The street suddenly erupted upwards as an armored centipede thing forced its way through. It howled at the full moon above as it turned to face Neil's personalities. Everyone tensed.
But before the loathsome beast could lunge at them, an armored van came roaring around the corner! Lilith and the others dodged the speeding vehicle and watched as the van plowed into the centipede! It screeched in agony from the impact.
That was when Athena emerged from the driver's side with an AT4 launcher and fired it at the monster's head. The anti-tank projectile collided with the creature's face, murdering it instantly. It shuddered and fell to the street with a thunderous sound.
Tossing the used weapon aside, she looked over her shoulder at the rest of Neil's friends who came up behind her. Then they all looked at Diana and Artemis as they emerged from a side street and walked over to them, followed by a few Marines.
"Let us put an end to this madness." Diana stated to everyone.
"Indeed." Lilith replied.
They continued down the street toward Demona's fort.
"See anything?" Willow whispered to Buffy.
"All clear. Well not actually clear, with wrecks everywhere, but no baddies, if that's what you meant." Buffy whispered back.
Buffy, the Scoobies, Faith, Angel, Wesley, Dawn, Joyce, the remaining civilians, and Spike (for some reason) were creeping along one of the streets that led out of Sunnydale. Understandably they were all tense as the sounds of battle surrounded them.
"I hope Athena is okay B." Faith mumbled to Buffy.
"I'm sure she's fine." Buffy whispered tersely.
Faith looked at Buffy and shook her head at the other Slayer's lack of concern. Spike noted Faith's clear irritation and Willow's pleasure at Buffy's dismissal of Faith.
Not on the same page? Good to know. Spike thought.
He then noticed Angel looking at the two Slayers with a frown.
Interesting. Not pleased about that friction, are ya? Spike ruminated.
"Do you hear that?" Angel whispered suddenly.
The others paused and looked at him. They shook their heads.
Except Spike of course.
"SHIT! Look the bloody fuck out!" Spike shouted.
Everybody scattered as a glowing ball of energy plummeted down into their midst and exploded!
Fortunately they had avoided a direct hit, but the blast force had sent them hurtling through the air!
"Where the bloody hell did that come from?!" Wesley cried as everyone got back up hurriedly.
"From over there!" Angel replied. He pointed at a small forest to their left.
And from that small forest came more energy balls!
Demona must have an artillery battery concealed there! Giles realized mentally.
"Look out!" Buffy screamed.
"Fucking incoming!" Xander warned unnecessarily.
Zigzagging wildly, with the "balls" detonating around them, Buffy and the others made a run for it.
"Oh my god! Jesus Christ!" Dawn shouted, panicking.
"Run! Run! Run! Fucking run for fuck's sake!" Cordelia yelled.
Then there was a tremendous explosion and Demona's gun battery went silent.
They all paused for a moment to catch their breath and stare at the patch of woods where the cannon fire had come from.
"What the fuck just happened?!" Faith wondered.
"Why the fuck did they stop shooting?!" Spike asked.
"Maybe they stopped to reload?" Buffy suggested.
"All good questions, but we have more immediate problems." Angel replied.
They all looked at him, then followed his stare.
From another patch of woods to their right, emerged a sizable group of huge pseudo-mantis and pseudo-scorpion monsters.
And they could only be Demona's.
"Oh dear." Wesley whispered.
As their fresh foes charged the Slayers and vampires headed them off!
Buffy swung her new weapon slaying (pardon the pun) two of the arthropod monstrosities, while Faith hacked viciously at another with her blade. Spike and Angel wielded their swords skillfully, killing a couple of more. Wesley and Giles held their own with their own swords, while Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Oz did the best they could with their own weapons. Dawn, Joyce, and the other civilians cowered fearfully.
Buffy, Angel, and the others were fighting hard, but there were too many enemies!
As they were forced to give ground and matters were starting to look grim, there was suddenly the sharp report of gunshots! The hideous exoskeleton-wearing beasts screeched and hissed in astonished pain as they were gunned down!
Finally, the last one succumbed to the withering hail of gunfire and went still.
"Who the heck just saved us?!" Willow inquired loudly.
"Your long-necked friends, looks like Red." Spike replied, nodding to the forest to their left.
They all turned and saw Dante and its company emerge from said forest.
"Well, fancy meeting you here." Dante commented as they strode up to them.
"You have the best timing Mr Dante." Wesley stated.
"Why thank you Jeeves." Dante answered.
Jeeves? Wesley thought, puzzled.
"I'm guessing you rescued us from the artillery barrage as well." Angel said.
"Yep. A few of the gunners put up more of a struggle than expected. When we polished them off, I happened to notice you had somehow gotten yourselves in even more trouble. And well, you can fill in the rest of the blanks, I'm sure." Dante explained.
"You're such a little prick." Buffy complained to Dante.
"You know Buffy, you and Athena are like two peas in a pod. Maybe you should get engaged or something." Dante retorted.
"Excuse me?!" Buffy nearly shouted.
"I think we have more important matters to attend to at the moment, like getting these people to safety." Angel interrupted.
"Quite. Let's attempt to pay attention to the life and death situation we currently find ourselves in, shall we?" Giles said dryly.
"Granted. We spotted a battalion of your soldiers a mile down this road. Let's head there so we can evacuate these civilians." Dante said.
That settled, they all hurried down the street.
Neil's personalities were nearing Demona's base when it happened.
The small squad of Marines had been called back to base and shortly after they left…
...a squadron of Demona's blobs has swooped down and opened fire!
Diana and the others were forced to scatter and seek cover. They returned fire with their own weaponry. The blobs screeched as they were penetrated by bullet and arrow. Their corpses fell to the shattered streets. One plowed into a ruined cafe.
That was when a company of Demona's ground forces attacked each one of them!
As they battled the monsters ferociously, Demona watched carefully from her hiding place on the second floor of a nearby shop through an intact window.
She readied herself to spring at Diana, the closest one, when someone grabbed her and spun her around!
Buffy glared at the astonished Demona.
"I told you I was coming for you." Buffy hissed.
Before Demona could react, Buffy kicked her out the window she had been peering through!
Demona landed roughly but she flipped back to her feet and snapped a wickedly fast kick at the Slayer as she landed near her but Buffy ducked just in time!
They circled each other warily.
"Oh my, my sweet. So full of vigor and courage. No wonder he loves you so much Elizabeth." Demona chuckled.
"You are like the most lamest stereotyped baddie ever. Can you get any cornier?" Buffy shot back.
"So clever your wit."
"Enough bullshit. Time to finish your ass and take back my town."
Demona took note of the weapon Buffy was holding.
"The so-called "Scythe" is it? You honestly believe that ludicrous ax will grant you a triumph over me?" Demona sneered.
"Why not? You have no weapon, just your bare hands that you're about to lose." Buffy responded, lifting her ax menacingly.
Demona conjured a wooden staff which materialized in her left hand.
"Seriously? That stick is going t-" Buffy began.
A seven-foot curved blade emerged from the side of the "stick", turning it into an actual scythe. The staff shifted from wood to metal. Buffy's eyes widened.
Demona smirked, and started tossing her scythe from hand to hand casually, her dead eyes never leaving Buffy's green ones.
She tossed it one last time to her left hand, then began twirling it slowly and rapidly. The malevolent giant redhead then slowly moved toward Buffy as she kept spinning her weapon. Buffy tensed, gripping her ax tighter.
And Demona lunged.