Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Warning- Suicide attempt in this chapter.
Also, the Troll I mentioned yesterday on my other fic who took my name, he is at it still, now using an alt to say I'm a pedophile and rapist, and he did that to my friend Arrowverse Fan 217 too, and also OmnipotentUIJudgeofCharacterOG.
First of all, the 'pedophile and rapist' message was a hoax designed by a troll user whose account is now deleted, to discredit a teacher (the address mentioned in the 'review' is that teacher's) and it was actually sent to the police too, and they determined it was fake.
Now this troll takes that message and points it at anyone he wants to harass.
So here's what I wanted to say- You should be ashamed of yourself for using words like 'pedophile' and 'rape' to get back at people for such petty things. You're insulting actual victims of pedophilia and rape by pulling bullshit like this.
And that makes you subhuman shit who deserves to be squashed like a bug. Doesn't matter if you pull this on me or Arrowverse Fan 217 or yourself or anyone else, the fact that you are pulling this at all is telling enough.
At this point, I don't care if any of your alts come at me again with this crap, all you're doing is proving me right that you are subhuman scum.
You want to make alts? Be my Guest scum! I'll just block your worthless, pathetic, subhuman, good for nothing ass and move on with my day, I have better things to do than deal with pieces of shit who derive pleasure from going after people over such petty crap and use words like 'pedophile' and 'rape' to do so.
Doesn't matter if you stop or keep at this till the day you die, doesn't matter if you use the name of Chadwick Boseman or Jesus Christ or God Himself.
It doesn't change the fact that you're worthless scum, and no one with an ounce of common sense would feel anything other than disgust towards you.
Guest: Thank you for what you said. Normally, I'd say you're going too far, but I have no ounce of sympathy for this shitbag. He has no ounce of shame in his body either.
Chapter 11- The Shadow-Men
Buffy was walking around the house, checking on the Slayers-in-training as they slept—the floor was crowded with them in their sleeping bags. Buffy bent down to pick up a large, thick book labelled "Greek," and she put it on the desk before turning out the light.
Buffy went upstairs to check on more potentials in Willow's and Tara's room. Willow and Tara were asleep on the bed, and several more girls were asleep in sleeping bags on the floor, including the 2 new ones called Satsu and Renee.
Buffy heard crying from the hallway, and went to investigate. In the corner at the end of the hall, Chloe was sitting on the floor, huddled up with her knees to her chest, sobbing.
"Chloe? It is Chloe, right?"
Chloe looked up at Buffy, but before she could answer, the First Slayer tackled Buffy from the side, pushing her down the stairs. The First Slayer landed on top of Buffy.
"It's not enough."
Buffy gasped as she woke from the dream, alarmed. She looked around the room and saw the girls were there and safe. She furrowed her brow as she contemplated what just happened.
Buffy was sitting at her desk, and Principal Wood was standing behind her with his arms crossed. They were both facing the same direction.
"This may mean more than you think."
Wood wondered. "Is that so?"
Two young boys in front of them had bruises and ripped shirts.
"Because I think what we have here is a couple of chuckle-heads who thought that a cafeteria fist fight would impress. I'm not impressed. Buffy, are you impressed?"
Buffy pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly.
"Still, I'm gonna cut you guys some slack this time", he made a gesture toward the door with his thumb; the kids left; he turned to Buffy. "Third fight this week, and it's just getting worse." Wood closed window blinds, then walked to the front of Buffy's desk. "Plus, a rise in vandalism. Three students missing. Tell me something, Buffy, in your professional opinion—" he listened to the kids rough-housing in the hallway outside, "it's started, hasn't it?" He closed another set of window blinds.
Buffy agreed with Wood. "The hellmouth has begun its semi-annual percolation. Usually, it blows around May."
Wood asked her. "Was it like this before? I mean, it just seems to me as if things are getting bad faster than we thought."
"We're a little ahead of schedule."
"I can't say I'm too surprised, since you are 2 Slayers and a Spider-Man now. And some Avengers too it seems, with SHIELD Agents. I knew I signed on for something, but, Buffy, I'm just a guy. Granted, a cool and sexy vampire-fighting guy, but still."
Buffy smiled. "Don't forget "snappy dresser.""
Wood smiled. "Mm. Thank you. But this is gonna get bigger than me."
"Yeah, it is."
"That's why I've decided to give you this." Wood reached down under Buffy's desk and pulled up a large leather duffel bag, setting it on her desk with a clunk.
"What is it?"
"An emergency kit. This bag belonged to my mother."
"A Slayer keepsake", Buffy realized before saying. "I-I couldn't."
Wood told her. "Well, you have to. Technically, it should have been passed down directly to you through the years, but after my mother died... I guess I just couldn't part with it. And right now, I guess both you and Faith should keep it."
"Wow!"
Wood confessed to her. "I don't know what's inside, exactly, but I know it has something to do with her power. Well, your power now."
Buffy sighed. "I-I don't know what to say."
Wood shrugged. "Try saying, "Thank you, Principal Wood.""
"Thank you, Principal Wood."
Wood grinned. "Ah, call me Robin. Now, I'd like to see where you work."
"Uh, here, actually", Buffy touched her desk. "Uh, th-this is my desk, and, uh", she held up her pencil holder, "these are my pencils..."
"No, where you do your other work."
Buffy and Principal Wood walked through the front door to Buffy's house.
"So, all the potential Slayers—who seem to keep popping up from, like, every corner of the earth-", Buffy shut the door, "were getting killed."
"By the First."
"Agents of. We thought the Council could protect them, but, unfortunately, no one was protecting the Council, and all their watchers were killed. Word got out, and they've all been coming here since", Buffy told him. "And turns out Natasha Romanoff the Black Widow, and a SHIELD Agent called Jemma Simmons are Potentials too, so they came, along with Bucky Barnes, and 3 other Agents called Leo Fitz, Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter."
"Well, I look forward to meeting them", Wood shrugged as they walked in, and there Curt was eating some pizza.
"Professor?" Wood greeted him in shock.
"Hello Principal Wood", Curt greeted him back.
"Why are you here?" Wood inquired.
"Ah you see, he is-"
"I did an experiment to get back by lost hand, but it turned me into a lizard monster, and the First manipulated and used me to kill innocent people, so I'm here now for protection", Curt clarified to Wood. "That's why I've been on leave."
"Oh, gotcha, that's the problem Peter mentioned back then, right?" Wood asked and got a nod from Curt. "Sorry to hear that."
"It's all right, we'll do something about it", Curt shrugged.
Buffy lead Principal Wood out to the back porch. "And your wish is fulfilled."
Natasha stood in front of the other Potentials, training them in fighting as they did some moves, and Felicia was among the Potentials in training too, since while better than the rest, she wasn't on par with a SHIELD Agent.
One girl called Chloe did the move wrong which Bucky noticed and said. "You did it wrong."
"Oh!"
"Do the move 20 times."
"Really?" Chloe asked.
"Really", Natasha said. "We can't afford mistakes right now."
"So, if you make a mistake, suffer a little", Felicia quipped.
"No jabs", Simmons said from where she was sitting with Fitz, the two tinkering some guns.
"Fine", Felicia shrugged.
"Not to worry, you're still doing decent, I think you can be battle ready in time", Faith assured them. "Just as long as the First doesn't move up its schedule."
"And what if it does?" Kennedy asked.
"We're here to take care of it", Bobbi shrugged.
"As long as there are no more Ubervamps", Hunter added.
"Guys", Buffy called out, and they turned to see them.
"Hey Wood", Faith greeted him with a wave.
"Hello Faith", Wood greeted back.
"So now we're bringing strangers here?" Simmons wondered.
"Oh no, Wood knows about us all", Buffy said and turned to Faith. "And he has a box for us Slayers, the two of us should take a look."
"Will do in a bit", Faith said as she walked amongst the Potentials, correcting any wrong postures they had. She, Natasha and Bucky trained them well, being harsh in the right amount, but also kind and understanding, which the girls needed.
"Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, honored to meet you two", Wood said, sounding like a fanboy as he held out his hand, and they shook it.
"Don't sweat it", Bucky assured with a shrug.
"Yeah, we're the weaker ones", Natasha quipped.
"Still Avengers", Wood said and turned to the SHIELD Agents. "You too, even if you're not Avengers."
"Thank you, very much appreciated", Fitz told him.
Amanda waved to Wood. "Principal Wood, hi! It's so weird seeing you outside of school."
"Hi Amanda", Wood waved back before noticing Felicia. "Hello Felicia."
"Hello Principal", Felicia shrugged without much care and continued training.
"Something happen to her?" Wood asked Buffy.
"Yeah", Buffy confirmed.
Willow and Tara walked out the back door onto the porch, arms full of weapons. Then they saw Wood.
Willow greeted first. "Oh, hi. Hey."
"He knows, its Principal Wood", Buffy told the two.
"Oh, right. Hi, I'm Tara", Tara held out her hand as Wood shook it.
"Pleased to meet you two", Wood said, shaking hands with Willow too. "I heard you two do magic."
"Yeah, a lot of it", Willow said as she shared a smile with Tara and whispered to Buffy. "So much cooler than Snyder."
They walked back in as Wood asked. "She really almost destroyed the world?"
Buffy nodded. "Yep."
"Remind me not to make her crabby."
"I'm more scared of Tara."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I want to meet the Vampire."
Spike was exercising, shirtless, when Buffy and Wood arrived and he stood up as Wood said. "Hope we're not intruding."
"Not a bit. And just what brings our good principal to this neck of the gloom?"
Buffy told him. "I'm showing him our operation. Us."
"Fine by me", Spike nodded. "Big fight against evil coming up. The more good guys we've got, the longer we'll all live."
Wood was not facing Spike yet. "Is that what you are? A good guy?"
Spike turned from Buffy toward Wood. "I haven't heard any complaints. Well, I have heard a few complaints over the years, but then I just killed whoever spoke up, and that was pretty much that."
Wood turned to face Spike.
Buffy gave Spike a look and he sighed while she turned to Wood. "He's joking."
Wood glared at Spike. "No, he's not."
Spike looked at Wood, a bit apologetic. "No, I'm not." He softly added. "But...that's the old me I'm talking about."
Wood inquired. "Why don't you tell me about that?"
Spike sighed. "Not much to tell. I've changed."
Wood knew exactly why. "Oh, now that you have a soul."
Spike nodded. "Yeah. That was a big deal. Very... private." He then turned to Buffy. "What, are you just telling everyone now?"
Wood wanted Spike to face him. "Oh, come on, Spike. Don't blame Buffy. I asked." He walked toward Spike.
Spike too walked towards Wood. "Right, the educator." They were facing each other now, only a few feet apart. "Yeah, I went to great lengths. Lots of trouble, and now I'm unique. Well, more or less. Got myself a soul, whatever that means."
Wood then inquired. "And how's that working out for you?"
"In progress."
Wood wanted to know more, just to be sure about all of this. "Well, you've had some time. You've been in Sunnydale, what...?"
"Years."
"How many?"
"A few."
"Before that?"
"Around." Spike was gritting his teeth, huffing, pursing his lips as Wood needled him.
Buffy then stepped up, nearly stepping in between the two of them. "I think we'd better get back upstairs."
Spike stared at Wood and agreed. "Right. Give him the full tour. You don't want to miss a look at her weapons' chest."
Buffy walked upstairs; Wood followed, and Spike sighed.
Later, Peter and Dawn were walking with Faith and Tara as Dawn told the two older women. "So, we took a peek at what was in Wood's kit."
"And, what did you find?" Faith inquired.
"There were trinkets, there were weapons, and one textbook, not of Science though", Peter said as he turned to Tara. "You might be interested, its ancient Sumerian."
"Me, Willow and Giles can do something about it", Tara assured him.
"But that's all you got for now, right?" Faith asked and got nods.
"We'll keep at it", Peter assured when they found Chloe standing over a stood with a bed sheet around her neck, and knew what she'd just done.
"No!" Peter yelled as the stool feel and her body went limp, but Peter leapt into action, taking the bedsheet off of her as he and Faith laid her down on the bed, with Dawn and Tara coming next to them quickly.
"She okay?" Dawn asked, panicking.
"Yeah, she'll be fine", Faith assured while holding her head up.
Tara's eyes widened as she turned to see the First coming around as Ben Parker, and they turned to see him too.
"Why are you here?" Peter snarled.
"Stings, doesn't it?" the First asked with a chuckle, doing a hair flip.
"What did you do to her?" Tara snarled.
"I put some dirt in her eye, said to her- 'You're trash, Chloe'", the First responded with a smirk. "She couldn't enjoy it, ya know? Too fragile."
"And you talked her into hanging herself", Dawn said with a sneer.
"I missed the part where that's my problem", the First said without a care, and gave the four of them a wink. "I'd love to shoot you guys sometime."
"Flattered, but have a guy already", Faith told him.
"Get out of here", Peter said with a snarl, hating seeing it appear as Uncle Ben.
The First chuckled and spun in a dance motion, saying. "See ya, chump!" And with that, it was gone.
Everyone in the house was gathered into the living room for a meeting. The mood was somber as everyone sat in silence. There were some Potentials in the room including Amanda, Vi, Satsu, Renee, Kennedy and Rona along with Peter, Willow, Spike, Tara, Faith, Dawn, Xander, Anya, Bucky, Natasha, Fitz, Simmons, Bobbi, Hunter, Felicia and Curt.
Buffy walked in and told the rest of them. "She'll be fine." She looked at Tara, Faith, Dawn and Peter. "You four got there in time."
They nodded as Buffy sighed. "The First is using our power to try to take us out."
"Look, I get the First got to her, but not everyone can hold out against it", Bucky counselled Buffy. "Some things affect some weakly, and others quite strongly."
"Speaking from experience?" Buffy inquired.
"Quite a few of us have it", Natasha said, gesturing to herself, Bucky, Spike, Faith, Willow, Fitz and Curt.
"Unfortunately", Willow muttered as Tara held her hand. "And its trying to use the whole thing to its advantage."
"Look, it is clearly coming at us hard", Fitz spoke up. "It almost got Chloe, we need to be careful and work faster, take it out before it comes for us once more."
"Well, best to lock me up", Curt spoke to the rest. "I'm still its biggest weapon."
"No, you stay up, we have enough people to contain you if anything happens, and we won't let it", Faith assured Curt.
"Look, what happened, it was hard on us all yes, and quite disturbing too, a close call", Peter said as they all turned to look at him. "But, we must learn from it, make ourselves, well, harder, I guess. The First's biggest ability is to talk, so we must not listen, and that shall take its power away. Its not easy, but its all we have."
"Spider-kid has a point", Hunter agreed. "It gets to us if we let it."
"So if we don't, it loses its power", Bobbi shrugged.
"And, you got any plans then, Buffy?" Xander asked as she looked at them all. "We will follow your lead."
"Thanks guys, just hope I know what I'm doing", Buffy sighed.
"Well, we are all here with you if you don't, by any chance", Spike assured her while putting a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled.
"Yeah, we're all here to help", Tara smiled. "We're all your friends."
"Except me", Anya spoke up with raised hands as all groaned.
"Why are you here then?" Dawn asked.
"For…sarcasm!" Anya said.
"That's my job", Xander muttered.
"Either way, guess we should think of something before it tries to pull something again", Felicia told the rest of them. "Right?"
"Right", Simmons nodded.
"So, what should we do now, Buffy?" Dawn inquired.
"I'm declaring an emergency", Buffy said as she walked out past the rest of them.
At night, in the living room, Principal Wood set down the Slayer's emergency kit next to Buffy and Faith.
Buffy told him. "We thought you'd want to be here."
Wood agreed with that assessment. "Yeah, you thought right."
"Let's see what we've got now", Faith commented as Peter, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Felicia, Fitz and Simmons went through the contents of the bag.
Dawn told the three of them. "That emergency bag's got some neat stuff in it. Weapons, charms", she held up a book, "advanced reading assignments."
Xander agreed. "Yeah, cool stuff, but we've seen it all before."
"Not us, we do more science than magic", Fitz said as he and Simmons went through the things, nothing them all.
"Still, not much to say up till now", Simmons shrugged.
"The stuff here would make quite a lot", Felicia said and was shot weird looks. "Which is not relevant."
"I still can't believe you're Spider-Man, Peter", Wood said to Peter, some pride in his voice. "Great job you do in saving people everywhere."
"Thanks Principal", Peter said with a smile as Wood nodded.
"And what's inside it?" Anya asked as she pointed to the box.
"Mm, I don't know. It hasn't been opened since—"
Faith broke off the lock with her bare hands. "Well, since now."
"Would have done it, but was gonna ask first", Peter told her.
"Don't need to ask", Faith shrugged.
"Oh I like you", Wood said, giving Faith a look, which flattered her but she didn't like it.
Xander pulled out metal figures from the bag. "Puppets. That's it! The First hates puppets! Now if we can just airlift Kermit, Fozzie the Bear, and Miss Piggy into town, the First'll be a-running."
Willow noted. "Those are Muppets."
Tara took those from Xander. "These things are shadow-casters. You put them in motion, and they tell you a story."
"Yeah", Dawn agreed as she looked at the book. "It says you can't just watch, you have to see."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Hunter asked.
"Trying to be cryptic and confuse, you know?" Bobbi told him.
"What does this mean?" Buffy asked Wood.
Fitz and Simmons used their translators as the former said. "It is an origin myth."
"The story of the very first Slayer", Simmons finished.
Buffy's eyes widened. "I-I saw her."
"When did that happen?" Faith asked.
Buffy revealed. "The other night—in my dream. It's gotta mean something, right?"
In the darkened room, Xander struck a match and lit the wick at the center of a metal mechanical object. The light fills the room, revealing Tara, who was holding a large book open in her arms.
"OK. According to this, I think—you put on those puppet guys one by one. They cast shadows and the shadows tell the story. First, there is the Earth." Xander put the first metal figure on the mechanical object. The light at the center cast a shadow of the figure on the wall. A tribal drumbeat can be heard in the background.
Satsu wondered. "What's going on?"
"So far, so creepy", Xander said.
"Tell me about it", Renee agreed.
Willow and Peter walked in, and all of them were gathered now.
As Tara narrated the story, Xander put the corresponding shadow caster figure on the device: As Xander added the figures to the shadow caster, sounds were also added to the magical soundtrack:
"Then, there came the demons."
A representation of a demon growling sounds.
"After demons, there came men."
A representation of men chanting sounds.
"Men found a girl."
A representation of a girl a girl's scream.
"And the men took the girl to fight the demon—all demons. They—they chained her to the Earth. a representation of a chain and-"
The shadow casting device started spinning on its own.
They looked around as the sounds increased in volume, shadows of the figures appearing on the walls, but they were animated, moving, acting out the story.
"Where is this coming from?" Peter wondered.
"Don't ask", Faith muttered.
Bucky and Natasha had their guns up in case anything happened.
"What's next?" Buffy asked Tara.
Tara read it out. "It says you cannot be shown. You cannot just watch, but you must see. See for yourself, but only if you're willing to make the exchange."
Willow inquired. "When did you get so good at Sumerian?"
Spike looked over Tara's shoulder and said. "Not Sumerian anymore, luv. Its good ol' English."
"The pages are turning into English", Tara said as the words continued doing that.
The shadow casters told a story of a demon attacking the chained girl. The device spun faster and faster as the shadows moved up the walls. Suddenly, a bright blue light formed at the center of the device, growing in size until it formed a window of light.
Buffy walked closer to investigate it.
Xander asked. "But what does it mean?"
Buffy said. "It means I have to go in there."
"No, its too risky Buffy", Bucky warned.
"Don't go, we don't know what this is", Tara agreed.
Wood pointed out. "Buffy, you don't even know what you're exchanging. You don't know if you're ready yet."
"That's the point", Buffy said.
Willow pointed out. "No. Buffy, we don't know where you're going or how we'll get you back."
"Look, maybe you should stay and I should go", Faith offered, walking up to Buffy.
"No, no one's going through", Natasha said immediately.
"Maybe a non-Slayer should go", Peter offered. "Could throw them in for a loop."
"Or mess it up even more", Felicia pointed out.
"Buffy, please don't", Spike begged but Buffy looked determined.
"I'll go", Faith offered again.
"No", Buffy shook her head.
"Please, stay here", Dawn begged. "It can be something we don't know."
"I have to see", Buffy pointed out.
Willow asked. "And how will we get you back?"
"Find a way", Buffy said, and with that, she went into the portal as it closed.
"Oh come on, its not so easy, portals are hard!" Fitz snapped.
"I know, but this is more magic", Simmons reminded.
Anya remembered. "What was that about an exchange?"
There was a flash of light, and then a large, growling demon appeared.
"Ah, this must be the exchange student."
The demon grabbed Xander by the shirt collar and threw him across the room, breaking furniture as he landed.
Willow and Tara were about to chant but it struck the two of them first, sending them flying off and knocked out.
Wood took out throwing stars and hurled them at the Demon and it turned to him. Wood punched and kicked it but was thrown back.
Faith then took out 2 knives. "Come on."
It tried to strike as she weaved behind it and sliced its arm a little, and kicked its back, sending it falling forwards towards Peter who leapt up and kicked its face, sending back again.
Felica did a cartwheel and hit its face but it grasped her feet and threw her off into a corner, and then Bobbi struck it with her staves twice before Hunter kicked it on the face, and then she used her staves to shock it.
It grunted but resisted and threw them both off as Fitz and Simmons fired ICERs but it was still unaffected.
Spike then punched the Demon twice and mocked it. "Oh come on, Nancy, you call yourself a Demon? Thought you were up for a proper fight."
The Demon knocked him down as Spike quipped. "Yeah! Now we're talking!"
Spike stood and tackled the Demon, head-butting it, as Natasha spin kicked it from behind and hit it with her Widow's Bite.
Spike leapt off as Bucky fired some shots at it.
The Demon charged Bucky but Bucky rammed into it, sending it to the ground and as it got up, Faith spin kicked it again, and flipping to its front, kneed its gut and sliced it twice, before Peter restrained with his webs.
"Come on!" Dawn urged as Spike grabbed the Demon in a chokehold and snapped its neck, killing it.
"Don't know about you, but a tussle like that, is good for the soul", Spike quipped as the others came to.
"Where did you get that coat?" Wood asked Spike.
"New York", Spike said as Wood looked at him.
"Buffy!" Willow said, her eyes widened.
"We have to get her back, come on, quick!" Tara said as all got to work.
"Yeah, just hope she's good where she's at", Faith hoped.
Buffy tumbled through the portal and found herself in the desert. It looked like where she had gone once before with Giles on the spiritual retreat.
"Well, guess that worked."
She heard chanting nearby and went to investigate.
Buffy soon walked up to a group of three men dressed in tribal fashion, each holding a tall staff and wearing different colored head-dresses.
"Hello? I'm Buffy. I'm a Slayer."
The men were speaking some unrecognizable language.
"We know who you are."
"And we know why you're here."
"We've been waiting."
Buffy nodded. "Good. That's good then. Um, you know, I know we have bigger issues to deal with, but how'd I understand anything you guys just said?"
They looked at each other and stood, not answering.
"Oh, I know, ancient magicks. I just thought it was neat."
The three then circled Buffy.
"We have been here since the beginning."
"Now, we are almost at the end."
"The neat of it just left. End of what?" Buffy then asked.
"You are the hellmouth's last guardian."
"Latest", Buffy corrected. "You mean latest guardian. And I'm not alone, there are two now."
"No."
"OK, um, I have a First to fight, OK. So just tell me what I need to know. I came to learn", Buffy requested them.
"We cannot give you knowledge. Only power."
Buffy was annoyed now. "You know what I think? I'm not really here at all. None of this is actually happening. This is like a play. Like some shadow-play. Some non-reality re-enactment hologramy—"
One of the men hit Buffy, knocking her over—she fell to the ground.
Buffy was groggy and disoriented as she regained consciousness. She was sitting on the ground.
"What is this?" Buffy stood only to find she was shackled at the wrists and chained to the ground. She struggled against the chains. The three men were standing in front of her in a circle.
"We are at the beginning. The source of your strength. The well of the Slayer's power."
"This is why we have brought you here."
"I thought I brought me here", Buffy remembered and told them. "Listen, you guys. I'm already the Slayer, bursting with power. Really don't need any more."
"The First Slayer did not talk so much."
Buffy pulled on her chains again. The men started tapping their staves against the ground, rhythmically.
The man in the red hat fetched a box and brought it to the center of the circle, where he took off the box top.
"Herein lies your truest strength."
"The energy of the demon. Its spirit."
"Its heart."
Buffy realized what it was. "This is how you—"
"Created the Slayer?" He nodded. "Yes."
Black smoke came out of the box in long tentacles; it seems sentient as it danced around the circle. The men kept tapping their staves rhythmically.
"It must become one with you."
"No!" Buffy struggled against her chains.
"This will make you ready for the fight."
Buffy did not like the cost of it. "By making me less human?"
"This is how it was then. How it must be now."
"This is all there is."
Buffy struggled against her restraints in vain as the black smoke came toward her, entering her body through her nose and ears and she screamed as they watched. Her screaming threw the smoke out.
The smoke rose to the ceiling and came back down, encircling her hips though she resisted and sneered with gritted teeth. "Make this stop!"
"This is what you came for."
No, Buffy wouldn't lose her humanity to win. The First Slayer had. "No, this isn't the way."
"Do not fight this."
The black smoke headed toward Buffy again.
Buffy wasn't going to give in though. "You think I came all this way to get knocked up by some demon dust? I can't fight this. I know that now. But you guys? You're just men." She ripped her chains out of the ground. "Just the men who did this...to her. Whoever that girl was before she was the First Slayer."
"You don't understand."
"No, you don't understand!" Buffy snapped, letting them have it over destroying the humanity of the girl who became the first Slayer. "You violated that girl, made her kill for you because you're weak, you're pathetic, and you obviously have nothing to show me."
Buffy used the chains that were still shackled to her hands as weapons. She swung the chains, at the legs of one man, and the staff of the other. She kicked that one down too.
After defeating two of the men, Buffy walked up to the man in the red hat, holding a staff. She broke it, and the demon smoke disappeared.
"I knew it. It's always the staff."
"We offered you power."
Buffy was sarcastic. "Tell me something I don't know."
"As you wish." He held his hand to Buffy's head.
Willow and Tara had opened a portal again, Willow's Eldritch energy combined with Tara's pure magic being enough to do so.
Bucky and Spike together threw the Demon into the portal and Buffy was then back as all of them stared at her.
All of them stood in shock and silence for a moment.
A while later, Faith got a call and picked it up. "Hey."
She listened and asked. "What's the problem?"
Her eyes widened as she asked. "Okay, what? How did that happen?"
She listened and said. "I need you too. I love you. I'm coming."
Faith cut the call and walked to where Buffy, Willow and Tara were talking. "I need to go…to Los Angeles!"
"What?" Buffy asked. "Right now? But-"
"Look, things have gone to crap there, and they are understaffed. Here we have you 3, Peter, Spike, 2 Avengers, 4 SHIELD Agents, a former thief with fighting skills, a Slayer's kid, a former Vengeance Demon, Xander, and a bunch of other Potentials", Faith pointed out how many people were here already. "They don't have that many."
"Good point", Tara had to agree. "So, how long will you be gone?"
"Don't know, but I will accomplish something there", Faith assured them.
"Good luck", Willow told her and got a nod.
"Who knows? I might bring back something", Faith shrugged with a smile and waved at them as she walked out and they waved back at her.
Hope all enjoyed.
With Peter, Spike, Faith, Bucky, Natasha, Fitz, Simmons, Bobbi and Hunter added, don't think the Demon would go far.
Plus with Willow's new power added with Tara's, not much need to draw energy, besides, don't need Bitchedy bitching about it here.
Yes, I brought Satsu and Renee early because outside of Amanda and Vi, they are the only likeable Potentials.
The Chloe thing was hard to write but hope I did decently.
Also, in canon, certain events turned Buffy's mindset and attitude the way it was in canon, but here, its not happened, plus, she has accepted Faith earlier too so she doesn't have a stick up her ass over being 'the Slayer', hence her attitude is better and not 'cold general Buffy'.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.