Chapter 9: Search Party Attacked
*****New Year's Day*****
Tara went to USC to visit some of her old friends for lunch. It was nice to be back, but she was already feeling the darkness of the hellmouth pressing in.
The First, disguised as Buffy, debated the advantages of outright killing the witch. Loki loved the human, and it would make an enemy of the god of Mischief. The girl probably had some way to contact both Loki and her lover. Keeping her alive was risky but killing her right away was not an act that could be rescinded.
Deciding, the First appeared before Caleb, who was still in Sunnydale. Then it paid a visit to another who was not too far away.
*****Elsewhere*****
Buffy, Bucky, Xander, and Cordelia slept until noon and had lunch with Willow and all their Sunnydale friends except for Tara as she had lunch plans. Buffy was very happy to have Bucky finally meet Giles. Giles, in turn, was glad to see his slayer so settled and at peace. Her joy in life was now apparent—a sight he never thought he'd see. At first, Giles had been leery of Buffy's involvement with the Winter Soldier. However, Xander had assured Giles that the All-Father healed him. Until Buffy's fostering reached a year, she could not take Savannah just anywhere. She had to plan several weeks in advance and get permission. Although she had enjoyed seeing everyone at the New Year's Eve party, she was ready to go home to Ohio and Savannah.
For their return flight, they didn't fly home on Tony's plane, nor did they use Dawn, who went home after breakfast with Clint via a portal. They had simply purchased commercial seats. Wesley was going to visit his friends in Los Angeles, so he wasn't returning with them. Bucky and Buffy had seats in front of Xander and Cordelia. Naturally, Cordy insisted they fly first class, a first for all of them but Cordy. Flying on Tony's jet was the closest they'd come to that.
They were on the plane, going down the runway when Cordy received a vision about Tara being in danger.
"Guys, Tara's about to be attacked by those eyeless freaks!" she said, leaning up to Buffy.
"Seriously? We have to call Willow!" she announced.
"You can't turn on your phone or make a call with their phone lines until we get completely in the air," Bucky said.
All of them tensely waited until they could warn Willow. Then they sat through a miserable plane ride home.
"I have to get back to Willow," Xander said. "You know how she gets if there's danger to someone she loves."
"Let's get to the Magic Box and call Dawn," Buffy suggested. "We can get her to open a portal to Sunnydale. I'm sure Loki will want to go."
That was exactly what happened. "I must find her," Loki said.
"I figured you'd want to come," Xander said.
Buffy wanted to stay with Savannah, so she looked at her lover. "Will it be okay if I go? Will you go to Savannah? Let her know I'll be back very soon, okay?" she asked.
"Of course," Bucky said.
Dawn was more than happy to open a portal and come over. Then she wasted no time opening the portal to Sunnydale's Magic Box. "Laura said I could stay until Sunday if need be," Dawn said. "Classes start back on Monday."
"Okay," Buffy said.
"Be careful—all of you. Call me!" Bucky said before giving Buffy a brief kiss.
He watched them disappear in the hole Dawn created and looked at Cordelia. "I guess we have to run the shop," he said.
"You can go home and relieve Clem. After Loki opened up the shop, he was sitting with her until we returned," Cordelia reminded him. Clem wanted to visit some family in Ohio, so he had agreed to help out in exchange for one portal letting him go there for free. Savannah had been very excited to meet a real demon, who wasn't scary at all.
"Okay. Call me if something comes up," Bucky said.
Cordelia watched him leave, hoping that Tara would be okay.
*****Back in Sunnydale*****
Tony, Pepper, Steve, Natasha, and Bruce were all still in town when the word spread that Tara was under attack. Tony got to campus a minute after Willow.
Unfortunately, they were too late. Tara was taken.
Willow was preparing to do a locator spell when Loki arrived with Xander.
"Have you found her?" Xander said.
"I'm about to do a spell now," Willow said.
When she did the spell, however, nothing happened.
No one expected Willow to fail, and they all looked at each other at a loss.
"I can find her," Loki said, "if she has the pendant that I gave her."
Willow nodded. "She wears it every day," Willow said.
Loki smiled, happy to hear that. He focused on his connection with her, expecting to feel her.
However, there was a void.
"I can't feel her," Loki said.
"What does that mean?" Buffy said.
"She's unconscious," Loki said, refusing to think of the alternative.
"If they were going to kill her, we would have found her body," Steve said.
"I agree," Natasha said.
"Why would anyone take Tara?" Willow said.
"To piss you off," Tony suggested. "You're a powerful witch. Maybe they hoped you'd go postal."
Willow's eyes went completely white. "They will not get away with this," she said. Then she disappeared.
Tony's mouth fell open, and he looked at Buffy. "Did you know she could teleport?" he said.
Buffy shook her head. "No, but at this point, I'm not sure much is beyond her," he said.
"It's a good thing she's on our side," Natasha said.
"Let's spread out in town and try and find her old school," Steve said.
"I agree," Buffy said. "Steve, you and Nat take the northside of town. Faith, you and Bruce, the west. Loki and Xander, the south. I will take the east. Pepper will stay in case someone comes here with news. Tony, you will keep to the air."
"Buffy, you know this is Faith's hellmouth now," Giles said.
"It's okay," Faith said, grinning. "It's good to have you back in town." She'd rather Buffy be in charge of finding Tara because then Faith wouldn't feel so guilty if they didn't find her.
"Canada is at the high school," Steve said. "I'll have Dom and Jonathan check out the Bronze and abandoned buildings."
"Good idea," Faith said.
They all spread out to look for Tara. Buffy wanted to take the east because Willy's was there, and she knew someone in that bar would have intel. Before she could get inside, Willow appeared suddenly in front of Buffy.
"God, Will. Don't just jump out at a person like that!" Buffy said, clutching her pounding heart.
"Sorry. I went to a magic dealer, and he said someone with magical powers was back on the board," Willow said. "Looks like you and I had the same plan. Willy or one of his patrons may know something."
"My thoughts exactly," Buffy said, pulling the door open for Willow to step in a head of her.
Willy's eyes widened when he saw Buffy and Willow. "Gee, Slayer," he said loudly, so the vampires will flee. "I am surprised to see you and your powerful witch friend here."
Willow waved her hand, muttering a word, and all the doors were sealed. No vampire could flee.
"No one is going anywhere until I get some answers," Buffy said.
"We are happy to help," Willy said. "No one wants to get slayed or maimed. Right guys?"
Several vampires and demons nodded while a few just glared or growled at the intruders.
Buffy threw a stake just to let them know she was serious, impaling a vampire in the process.
"We are looking for Tara, Willow's girlfriend. You know who she is?" Buffy asked Willy.
"I've heard a few rumors," Willy said. "Nice girl. Press secretary to the Iron Man."
When Buffy looked surprised that he knew that, he shrugged. "Hey, we watch the news!" he exclaimed.
"Someone took her. If we don't get some information, demons will start dying," Buffy warned. She threw another stake. This time it hit a demon in its shoulder. The demon roared in rage.
"I got this, Buffy," Willow said, finally making her presence known. "I will rip it from their minds," she said. Then several demons began crying out in pain and clutching their heads. A few vampires threw themselves at Buffy's feet.
"Make her stop!" the vampire begged.
"Willow!" Buffy called out.
Willow's eyes were black, but her hair was still white. The eye color changed worried Buffy since the All Father told her to limit her time on the hellmouth.
"They don't know anything," Willow said, releasing them. She turned to leave.
"Keep that witch out of my bar!" Willy exclaimed. "She's nuts!"
Buffy turned to follow Willow and heard Willy offer a round of drinks on the house.
"What was that, Will?" Buffy asked.
"Relax, Buffy. I didn't kill them all," Willow said. "I just absorbed some of their recent memories. It wasn't pleasant for me either. Some of them are quite evil."
Buffy gave her a concerned look but didn't say anything else. "I know we're going to find her, Will," Buffy said. "I know what she means to you."
"She's my everything," Willow said.
Buffy hoped they found Tara soon because she feared Willow's reaction if they didn't find her.
*****A Bit Later*****
Loki was beyond frustrated. Where was she? Why didn't she reach out? After hours of searching, they found nothing. "I don't understand. Someone should have found her by now," he said.
"We will," Xander said.
"I think Heimdall could find her. Ask the All-Father if he can see her," Loki suggested.
Xander thought that was a good idea. Odin, can you hear me?" he thought.
"I can," Odin replied.
"Tara has been taken. We have searched everywhere. Loki thinks Heimdall may be able to see her. Can you ask him?"
"I shall," Odin said.
"Okay, he said he would," Xander told Loki.
"Good," Loki said. He glanced at Xander. Although he'd spent time with Xander as Luke at his shop, this was the first time they'd spent extended time together. His presence was not as awful as he would have believed, considering Xander was now the mate of the woman Loki strongly desired.
"I think we should check out the hellmouth," Xander said.
"What do you mean? Is this town not the hellmouth?" Loki asked.
"I mean that entrance. It's at the high school," Xander shared. "School's still out, so it should be empty."
"The mouth to hell is under a school?" Loki asked in bemusement.
"Didn't Cordy mention that?" Xander said with a grin. "When graduates of Sunnydale say our school was hell, they weren't exaggerating."
Loki found himself once again readjusting his thinking about Midgard. "Unfortunately, the sun will be down by the time we get there," he observed.
"The school is well-lit up, so we should be okay," Xander said. Odin spoke to him as they approached the school.
Heimdall cannot see her. She may have passed from the world or the darkness of the hellmouth is cloaking her. We cannot say," Odin told him.
"The All-Father says the hellmouth is blocking Heimdall," Xander said, not seeing a bright side to telling Loki the full message.
Naturally, things went downhill from there. When they were near the school, they were attacked by giant vampires.
"What the hell?" Xander exclaimed. "I've never seen a demon like that!"
"I do not think it's a demon," Loki said. "It's called a Turok-Han."
"How do you know that?" Xander asked as he ducked a blow the monster aimed at him. Loki kicked it hard, knocking it back.
"I have been studying the books Wesley has. It claims that they are the vampires feared by all vampires. There is no humanity in them," Loki said, slicking off its head.
When it turned to dust, Xander looked at it in bemusement. "Well, I guess you were right. Giant, super strong vampires," he said.
"They are more primordial," Loki said. "Wesley said the race was considered a myth."
"I look forward to telling him how wrong he is," Xander said with a grin.
"Unfortunately, it was not traveling alone," Loki said, pointing at four more that were coming their way.
"Oh, crap," Xander said, lifting his axe.
"Looks like we can run or fight," he said.
"I'm not going to leave those things alive to hurt some high school student," Xander said.
"Then we fight," Loki said, holding up his sword.
*****Faith and Bruce******
Faith and Bruce had been searching the west part of town for signs of Tara for over an hour.
"I hope we find her alive," Faith said. "I don't think Willow will handle it well if she's hurt."
"I don't think Loki will either," Bruce said. "Let's not forget what he is capable of."
"Tara has always been so nice to me whenever we've been around each other," Faith said. "She's my favorite of the entire group besides Xander."
"Tony adores her," Bruce said. "You know he made her his new press secretary because he knew the press would love her gentle manner."
"Xander calls her the monster whisperer since she tamed Loki," Faith said.
"I think Tony said that first," Bruce said.
Faith's eyes widened as she saw what was coming toward them. "Holy shit! Look at that monster! What the hell is it?" she asked, pointing.
Bruce looked and sighed in resignation. "I don't know, but it's very large. You will need some help," he said.
"Nah. I got this," Faith said. She charged the demon and struck it with her fist. "Damn! It's hard as shit! I think my hand is broke."
Before she could duck, the creature hit her hard in the face, causing her to be lifted and flung back.
Bruce let the Hulk take over. "Arrrr!" the Hulk roared, running toward the large monster. It hit the Hulk, who kicked it hard in the stomach in retaliation, making it knock into a nearby tree.
"Well, I guess I'll let you have some fun, Big Guy," Faith said, smiling at the Hulk.
"You hurt?" Hulk said, noticing she was cradling her hand.
"My hand is, so you'll have to do the hitting," Faith said.
The Hulk had no problem with that, and he hit the creature over and over. However, the creature could take a hit and kept charging.
"You need a weapon," Faith said. She threw him her stake, the only weapon she had with her.
Hulk caught it and stabbed it in the heart. Then kicked the body, which was turning to dust.
"It's a vampire? No way!" Faith exclaimed incredulously.
"Dead vampire," Hulk said in satisfaction.
"It is," Faith said. "You did good. Give me a kiss."
The Hulk bent down to reach her lips, careful of her hand. He put his hands around her waist and lifted her up to kiss her.
*****Steve and Natasha*****
It seemed the search was fruitless after hours of searching. Natasha used her cell phone to send out hourly updates.
"No one is finding anything," she said.
"They kept looking. Shortly after dark, her phone beeped. "Buffy just sent a text. She and Willow just dispatched a really large and strong vampire. Beware," she read to Steve.
"That's not good," Steve said. "Is this something new and coincidental or is this something the First is behind?"
"I don't believe in coincidences," Natasha said.
They were now close to the Bronze when the sound of fighting was heard.
"Isn't Jonathan and Dom over in this area?" Natasha asked.
"Yes, Dave and Canada went to check out the outskirts of town after she left the high school, so I told them to stake out the Bronze since we had the rest of the town covered," Steve said.
They picked up their pace and rounded the corner to spot Jonathan and Dom fighting a huge demon of some kind.
"Looks like we got here just in time," Steve said when the creature broke Dom's arm and flung him down.
His cry of pain caused Jonathan to press forward and attack the monster as the spell he tried did very little damage to the thing.
Although Natasha and Steve were heading toward them at a run, they didn't get there in time to save Jonathan.
The monster had Jonathan off his feet and draining him. Steve threw his shield, beheading the creature, but it was too late.
Jonathan was dead.
*****To Be Continued*****
This story is now giving me problems. I'm trying to wrap it up, but I had trouble with this chapter. I'm not sure that I am satisfied with it. It's way overdue, so I thought I'd stop here and give the few still reading this series an update. Not much more left in this series. Anything you want to see happen before it's over, let me know. Let me know if you find any plot holes. Reviews are welcome. Thanks!