Freedom Fighter
Author's Note: Chapter 10....wow. I'm still amazed. It looks like this story is going to be longer than I thought-yikes. Not really, but I'm hoping to get this thing complete by the end of summer-maybe mid-August or so, and maybe before that. But I know I'll be sad when it ends, because I love this story so much. But on to this chapter-I don't think I've done a very good job with Geia. You know that she's very powerful and has the blessing of God, but is she as "Good" as what she appears to be? She's not perfect, and I'm not going to get into a political/religion based debate about the fact that she can't be perfect because only God is perfect-I'm gonna write it as I see it. And you finally get to know what Angel and Geia's connection is in this chapter-woohoo, another big step:) But it's not Geia that tells Angel-*suspense*. Gasp! It's....read the chapter and you'll know. Remember, feedback is like air-I need it. Peace out.
Chapter 10--Meet the Players(the next night)
His gun was loaded with two tranquilizer darts with enough power to knock anything out for a good four hours or so. He ran along the familiar streets, the memories rushing back, the words like a haunting melody. It seemed so quiet, but amist the silence was the Evil. It hid in the shadows, stalked the innocent, and destroyed so many lives. It was the one enemy every mortal fought against, refusing to succumb to the seductiveness.
He felt his muscles burn as he turned down the next street, eyes always scanning what was in front of him and ears always listening for that bump in the night. His destination was in sight now, a warm glow emanating from the two windows, a little ray of sunlight to the moon's shadows that revealed a large group gathered in Giles' living room. There were a few new faces, a few old ones, a few hated ones, and one very familiar one. But would they let him in?
His hand stopped just mere centimeters from the metal of the front door. This was stupid, he shouldn't even be here. But they needed to know what was going on. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't say anything. But what if, what if, what if, what if, what if......what if they wouldn't listen, just because it was him? He hoped to God that they'd see what he was trying to do, to help, to make up for the mistakes he made, to ease the pain. Could his words do that?
Geia was the only one who heard the soft tap at the door amist all the talking going on. Their plan was coming together and it caused a tinge of anxiousness and a little dangerous excitement at the plan's prospects. She needed everyone in on it-it would fail without full cooperation, a little luck, good timing, and a Higher Power looking on.
No one really saw Geia get up and answer the door, or the confused look on her face at the stranger who knocked. She motioned him in, sensing the good in him, and tried to tell someone, but wound up watching, with some amusement, the animated and heated discussion that was taking place about timing and placement for the attack on Myron's hideout.
Spike's eyes caught sight of the figure beside Geia and froze. Geia saw it and used the opportunity to announce their visitor. "Anybody here know a Riley Finn?"
Silence, along with stunned looks. Finally, someone spoke.
Giles summed it up in two words. "Bloody hell."
Riley had expected a reaction like that. After he left, he knew no one would care what happened to him-he was out of Buffy's life, thus making him nonexistent in everyone else's.
The only thought in Buffy's mind was that this was impossible. How could the three men who had most affected her life be in the same room at the same time? Damn bad luck, that's what it was. And now she had to face Riley again-she had forgiven him a long time ago, but him being here was just.....wrong. "The Initiative drop you again, Mr. Finn?" The words slipped out with so much sarcasm and ease that Buffy wasn't aware of what she had said until she saw the hurt look on Riley's face.
Riley felt everyone's eyes on him, and was suddenly aware of the overwhelming presence of the woman beside him. Cut to the chase, Finn. Tell them what they need to know and get out of here. Away from the pain- out of sight, out of mind. "I'm here because I've got some information you need to know. There's a sorcerer in town named Myron, and he's looking for- "
"-the ingredients to the spell that will create Hell on Earth." Geia smiled at the stranger. "You're a little late, sweetie."
Riley caught the saucy wink Geia threw his way, watching how her eyes changed color from charcoal to blue. He couldn't take the stares anymore, but was curious to the two newcomers to the Scooby gang, especially the dark-haired beauty who had let him in. He turned to go, but stopped with his hand on the door handle. "I only came back to warn you. This guy is more powerful than anything the Hellmouth's ever seen, but he's also a mental case and loves destruction more than any other bad guy." He noticed everyone but Angel, who had a dangerous glint to his eyes, had relaxed a bit, even though Spike looked nearly ready to bolt for the door, and again his eyes rested on Geia and her Cheshire-cat grin. He threw a small pager to Buffy. "If you need help, the Initiative's around. Just use that to send the call through." He again looked at Geia, and an odd tingling sensation ran through him. There was something about her....
"Don't move, Riley Finn. You may be of some use to us."
Riley turned around involuntarily, and gave her a puzzled look. How did she know his name? Had Buffy said something about him to her? "Excuse me?"
Geia rolled her eyes and pulled him away from the door. "Don't make me sit you down on the couch." She looked at Angel. "What is it with these young people?"
Angel saw the humor Geia was trying to put in, and smiled slightly to help her out. "I'd rather not comment on this one, Geia. He has a history."
Willow saw the Riley-bashing afoot and decided to stop it before it started. "Guys, he's just here to help cause he's concerned. I'd be worried if he wasn't." She saw Riley's grateful yet meek smile. She may not have liked the guy for leaving Buffy like that, but it wasn't entirely Riley's fault. Buffy had always, in some way, been untouchable to the only real mortal boyfriend she'd ever had. Willow chalked that up to the Angel catastrophe, that Buffy would always be like that. Riley's fault was not being able to accept that and then looking for a solution that was not exactly appropriate.
Willow, the voice of reason, Giles thought. His eyes rested on Riley, who was obviously uncomfortable beside an on-edge yet silent Xander and a restless Anya, and with a very confused Buffy seated across the way. "Riley, what can the Initiative do for us? Myron is amazingly powerful, and I don't believe that stun guns and infrared vision will do us much good."
Riley looked glad to have a question to answer to break the silence. "We started tracking Myron a few months back when he was in Paris. We thought he was just another sorcerer who always wanted to destroy the world, but once we found out he wanted to suck the world into Hell and was really trying to accomplish that, we tried finding everything we could on him. By the time we pieced everything together, he was here."
Geia had been watching Riley quietly from a corner of the small living room. She already knew his track record with the Slayer and knew that deep down, he meant to do what he thought was right. He was just slightly misguided. "You might want to rethink that 'suck the world into Hell' statement, Riley."
He gave her a startled look. "What?"
Her sword slid cleanly out of the scabbard that had been hidden under her long black duster. Riley's hand instinctively reached for his stun gun, but Giles shook his head at the soldier. "Myron doesn't want to suck the world into Hell. His plan is to create Hell on Earth, essentially, widen Hell's dimensions to Earth so he had better access to Heaven." Her ears caught the noise that only the other immortals heard. But this noise outside Giles' apartment had a dangerous connotation to it. "Call your soldier boys off, Finn. I don't want to have to contain 15 men because it won't be pretty."
Graham, who was outside the door, heard her words and then Riley's voice telling them to halt. "It was only a precaution in case Myron had spies around." His words fell on deaf ears as Geia put her sword away and roughly shoved the door open, grabbing the two nearest soldiers by their collars.
Geia looked out on the 13 other G.I. Joe's and cringed. She fought for mankind, and they tramped around in army gear with stun guns and night goggles and thought they knew what they were doing. She didn't mind the Slayer, but these demon-catcher wannabes were the Cabbage Patch Kids of demonology. They knew so little, but were so confident they were experts on Evil.
Jamal came to his Master's aid at her nod, his axeblade glinting dangerously in the dim light right outside the door. "Anybody moves, I'll let my friend here take a whack at you, and he swings awfully hard."
Up to this point, Riley had been sure that Geia and Jamal were on their side, but he couldn't let her threaten his men. Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed Geia from behind and used his stun gun on full blast to contain her. Or at least he thought he could.
Riley wound up looking up at a furious Geia from the cold floor. "Don't even try that again, Finn. If you think a stun gun is going to stop me, or Myron for that matter, you didn't do your homework. Now get up before you embarrass yourself even more." She helped him up and led him just outside the door, relieving Jamal of his duty. The others in the apartment weren't left with much choice but to let Geia run the show.
Geia shut the front door and made the soldiers move back a few feet. She felt their mixed hatred and fear in every one of their stares, and couldn't blame them. How were they to know? "Riley, I want you to tell your commanding leader, whoever he is, that I wish to speak with him tomorrow. Have him come to the alley behind the Bronze tomorrow around dusk. And make sure he's alone. I don't want to have to ward off an army."
The tone in her voice demanded respect for the authority she apparently held, but Riley wasn't satisfied. He didn't even know who this girl was. "Fine," he replied grudgingly. "But I want to know who you are and what you have to do with and know about Myron."
Geia held out her hand to him, and felt the strength in his grip. "I'm Geia, and the man who helped me is Jamal. He's my...assistant. We're warriors who battle demons. Myron is a bad guy, and I intend on killing him one way or another. Happy?"
Riley refused to move until he got better answers. "No, I'm not. You've told me who you are, but I think you're lying about the warrior part. The Initiative knows of every demon hunter and warrior in the world so that we can work with them when needed, and there is no record of your or Jamal." He leaned in close and whispered, "You hurt these people and I'll come back and hunt you down until you plead, and maybe then I'll have mercy and only capture you instead of killing you. If you value your life, I suggest you tell me and the others in there the truth."
Geia straightened and looked defeated. "Please don't kill me, sir. I'm just a humble demon hunter." Her faked British accent mocked him, and he felt his anger rise in his throat like bile. Her eyes grew stormy, and the wind picked up and blew her duster back like a cape, giving her quite an impressive appearance, like an all-seeing god of some fantastic and terrifying power. "Just tell your leader what I said, except, why don't you encourage him to bring all the men he wants. I've wanted to time how long it would take me to defeat an entire army of you G.I. Joe dolls. Make sure they've got the biggest guns, too. Wouldn't want them wimping out on me."
Riley's eyes matched hers in sudden hatred, but he also couldn't understand why Buffy would enlist the help of someone who was obviously a threat and very powerful, whether that power came supernaturally or not. With a curt, mocking salute, he turned on his heel and led his regiment down the street into the shadows. No one saw the two sets of eyes that had seen and heard everything that had gone on outside the apartment. Leaving their freshest meal for dead, they went to report to their master.
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The early morning sunlight was something he hadn't seen in too long a time. When was the last time he had seen a sunrise, the first light of day permeate the darkness, turning the sky into gorgeous shades of pink, blue, orange, and yellow? His eyes scanned the complex, looking for any movement. Nothing-this place was deader than a bloody cemetery. He heard Buffy's quiet footsteps as she came out of a small, nearby building.
"Find anything?"
Buffy shook her head. "Just an old vamp nest that I busted last year. It still reeks in there."
Spike grinned at her. "You smell the blood and carnage, Slayer. That's why it smells so bloody bad."
She rolled her eyes. "So where are the angels at? You'd think it wouldn't take them that long to scope out a few buildings."
Spike leaned against the cold metal outer wall of the building and slid down to the ground. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his last cigarette and a lighter. Moments later, smoke floated the few feet over to Buffy. She gagged and scowled at him. "Do you mind?"
"Not a bit." His keen senses still detected nothing, and he was getting a little worried that neither Geia nor Jamal had come back yet. But his job was to watch the Slayer, Geia told him, not come after them if something should happen. Geia had figured that Myron probably deserted his hideout during the day for something more comfortable, like an old mansion, but still wanted to scope the address out that Buffy had gotten from "Tony" the night before.
Spike watched as Buffy hesitantly sat down beside him on the ground, a stake idly twirling in her fingers. "You might want to watch where you point that thing at, Slayer. I don't want to be a pile of dust."
The stake stopped, pointed at him. "Don't trust me, Spike? Besides, I couldn't stake you. You're too pathetic, so much that I almost feel sorry for you."
Spike smiled at her attempt to start an argument, something he knew she loved doing with him. But it was just a way to pass the time, and as the minutes went by, he grew increasingly more worried. "It shouldn't take them this long, they're holy for heaven's sake," he mumbled.
"What?"
He flicked the ashes off his cigarette, watching the wind scatter them. "Nothing, Slayer." He looked over and saw her, eyes closed, resting against the building. The sound of footsteps made him snap his head the other direction, but he saw nothing but empty barrels and boxes.
Buffy felt an elbow nudge her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see Spike standing up. Following his lead, she watched as he scanned every inch of ground around them, a concerned look on his face. "What is it?"
"I heard footsteps, but I've got no body to match them with."
She sighed. "You must have been dreaming."
"I know what I heard, Slayer." His tone was harsh and surprisingly ferocious. "I'm worried something happened to them." He started off toward the west side of the complex, a confused Slayer following him. "They may be all holy and powerful, but they're not invincible."
A loud crash sent them running to the nearest building. Their combined effort successfully pulled the rusty door off its hinges. Buffy took the lead, stake in one hand and a small crossbow in the other, which she threw to Spike before they split up to cover the large building.
Spike crept amongst the boxes piled to the ceiling on the shelves and the floor. "Better not get bloody lost in here." He turned a corner, and found himself face to face with a Zalkana warrior. Spike's face instantly vamped, and his fanged smile was full of confidence. "My lucky day. I found myself a warrior to fight." With a roar, he charged full on, sending the unexpecting Zalkana into a stack of boxes. The warrior leapt up, not even the least bit stunned, and sent Spike backward with a left hook. Punches and kicks were exchanged in a flurry of animalistic ferocity.
Just as Spike went in for the kill on the helpless and bloodied Zalkana, a voice stopped him. "You might not want to do that, that is, if you want your friend here to live."
Spike looked up to see Buffy being held by another Zalkana warrior, a knife blade pointed at her throat. Myron emerged from the shadows, dressed all in black, and winked at Spike. "C'mon, get up vampire." He looked at Buffy. "She's got to be the prettiest Slayer I've ever seen. But if you want her to live, which is actually pretty funny that a vampire is protecting a Slayer, you might want to come with me." His hand grabbed Spike by the shoulder and pushed down unmercifully. "I want you two to see my operation before you become a part of it, because I certainly don't foresee any of your friends coming to be all heroic and save you two." He looked at the fallen Zalkana warrior. "And you can just go stab yourself with your own sword because you're certainly of no use to me anymore. Wimp."
Vampire and Slayer were led down three hidden flights of steps down to the very foundation of the building. A tunnel lit by torches opened to reveal a humongous cavern. Hundreds of demons and humans were toiling beside each other, digging and chipping into the rock walls. Myron waved a hand over the cavern, a proud smile on his face. "Isn't it just lovely? They're actually looking for, what my calculations and research tell me, is just what I need for this great little spell I want to do." He leaned in close to Buffy and whispered, "It's just the neatest spell-how would you like an all expenses-paid trip to Hell, you pretty thing?"
Buffy's eyes were dark with hatred. "How about you let me go and I send you there myself?" she spat back.
Myron rolled his eyes. He gestured to a corner of the cavern where numerous Zalkana warriors stood. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You and blonde boy would be sorely outnumbered, and I'm not in the mood for a senseless massacre right now. They may not be the brightest creatures, but they are good servants and brutal fighters, if the price is right."
Spike and Buffy were led over to a set of metal cages, containing several demons and humans, locked together like animals. The humans, bloodied and bruised, cried out to them for help, and the demons, many mutilated by deep cuts and bloody bruises like the humans, rattled the bars and roared out in several different languages. Myron stopped them right in front of the cages and grinned like a proud father. "Aren't they magnificent? But I see you're not impressed by my newest recruits." He motioned to a nearby guard, who brought out a small child. His mother's screams from the cage pierced the air as she knew the danger her baby was in.
Myron placed the child right in front of Buffy and Spike, his hands on the boy's shoulders. The child looked at them, frightened and dirty, smears of mud across his face and ripped clothing. Buffy's eyes went from the boy to his mother, who was sobbing hysterically in the cage. "Don't you dare hurt this child, Myron."
Myron looked hurt. "Now why would I do that? But my friend, big and ugly and nasty as he is, will if you don't go along with me." Buffy nodded, and the child was put back in the cage with his mother. His eyes lightened up and he smiled slightly. "But I can't talk to you if we're not alone." Buffy could only watch in horror as Spike was dragged off to a fate unknown, though Buffy was sure that he would be tortured.
Myron drew close to her, his hand cupping her cheek in a gentle manner. She shivered, completely disgusted and somewhat terrified. He took her hand and led her into a smaller room in the cave, ornately decorated with gold and hunter green. The room was completely empty, but Buffy would have preferred it that way. Whatever Myron had planned for her, she was determined she didn't want anyone to see her try to get away, if that was even possible.
Buffy sat down stiffly on the couch beside the sorcerer and cringed when he put his arm around her. "Don't touch me."
Myron ran a hand through his hair and shook his head disapprovingly. "Such manners for a young lady. I'll have to make sure you straighten up if you want to be by my side."
Buffy's eyes grew huge and in one quick motion, she slapped him square across the face, leaving a red handprint. "Sonofabitch, get away from me, and don't you dare hurt Spike."
Myron didn't even feel the slap. But it pissed him off. He grabbed her hands roughly and pulled her on his lap. "Bitch, you'll learn. I want you to see it all when I turn this useless dimension into Hell itself. You'll watch your family and friends burn in the flames of their sins while I rule over all." He leaned in close and whispered, "And all the while, you'll be my beautiful, enchanting, polite, obeying little whore. It's perfect-the Slayer, the one being who is supposed to protect the world from the bad guys, will be the devil's personal Jezebel." Buffy's blood froze at his words, and Myron took that chance to yank on her arms and pull her face within inches of his. "And as for your little vampire friend, I think a few of my guards will find much enjoyment in torturing him and then putting him to work on my little project. He looks like a strong one, so hopefully he'll last a few weeks."
Buffy's mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to escape, to get her and Spike out of there and find Geia and Jamal. She'd never been this scared before, and it made her feel weak. And staring at the painfully handsome face in front of her, seeing the Evil in his eyes, called out to her Slayer-side. Get up and kick his ass with everything you've got! It screamed inside her, but all she could do was close her eyes and pray this was a nightmare. She felt Myron pick her up and put her on the couch, dropping her roughly, and say something about not moving or Spike would get it worse than what he already had coming. Her eyes still closed, she willed herself to think of a way out of this, but she could think of nothing but Spike being tortured mercilessly. He may not be her favorite undead person, but she didn't want to think of him getting doused in holy water and having crosses forced over his head.
But in the darkness of her mind and her eyes, Buffy saw a small blue light dancing crazily. "You can't let him do this," it whispered.
"What?" Buffy heard herself ask outloud.
"Myron is a dangerous and very powerful being, but you have forces on your side who can defeat him. Start something in motion, Slayer!"
The small blue orb buzzed insanely, as if it was mad. Buffy felt an overwhelming presence within that orb, but didn't know what it was. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You were given a dagonsphere, were you not? Use it!" The voice was now louder and commanding.
Buffy was completely baffled. "How did you know that I had a dagonsphere? Who are you?"
The blue light calmed down, slowly moving in a circular motion. "I am a lost soul, one who is in Heaven but is restless. You must trust the judgement of the Tainted One, Geia. She is the only one with the power to stop Myron."
Buffy's hand unconsciously reached into her pocket and found the dagonsphere. "If you're a restless soul, you were once a person. What's your name?"
"Emily."
The whisper stopped Buffy's heart. Emily? But that was-
"I'm Geia's sister who died, bitten by a vampire."
Now it made sense. Emily probably was watching everything that was going on and wanted to warn us, Buffy thought. "But why are you a restless soul, Emily? Aren't you in Heaven?"
"Yes, but the vampire that bit me still lives. I have tried many times to tell my sister that this vampire should die, but she convinced me that he is of a better cause now. I have seen this, but I will always be a wanderer on the Ghost Roads. But it is for the sake of humanity, so I am willing to be a lost one."
Buffy's hand tightened around the dagonsphere, and she felt Emily's presence push on her hand to break the glass ball. But for their combined effort, it wouldn't break. "Why isn't this working?" Buffy asked, panicked.
Emily's light shone brighter, and it moved with greater speed. "Geia must be nearby, but she may not know of the peril you and William are in. I will see if I can contact her."
The blue light began to fade, and Buffy cried out to it. "No, wait. What was the vampire's name? Maybe I can find him and-"
"No!" The voice was now a scream. "You cannot kill this vampire, or allow him to be killed. He doesn't know it yet, but he is an essential part to help Geia destroy Myron. He must not be touched."
"Fine. But his name...."
The blue light began to fade again, and Emily's voice again a whisper. "Angelus."
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"Bloody hell."
Jamal looked over at Spike and grinned. "Problems?"
He received a scowl. "Oh, you mean other than the gauntlet we just ran through nearly got me staked, and now Buffy's being held captive by big bad and ugly down there? No, I'd say we're in perfect shape.
Geia waved her sword at them jokingly. "Would you two shut up for a second?" She saw the look on Spike's face that said "bite me", and she smiled slightly. "You sure you're okay, Spike?"
Spike nodded. "Like I said before... you killed that guy who was trying to drag me off to the torture chamber, and now I'm here with you two trying to figure out a way to get the Slayer out of here. I'm just fine."
Jamal motioned to the still form of the Slayer below the balcony they were on. "She's talking to someone, but I'm not seeing anyone down there other than her."
Geia closed her eyes and reached out, trying to feel for any mystical energy within the cavern, and was shocked at what she found. "She's talking to Emily."
Her apprentice's head snapped in her direction. "Emily? I thought she only talked to you."
"I guess not. She's telling her to break the dagonsphere, but Buffy can't because I'm so nearby." She paused, trying to listen to the conversation in Buffy's mind. "Shit."
Spike looked from Jamal to Geia a few times, completely confused. "Shit what, pet?"
Geia's eyes fluttered open and they were nearly black. "My darling sister just told Buffy what big nasty vampire bit her and sent her to Heaven for the second time. Buffy's not supposed to know that."
"That's such a bad thing?"
Geia didn't move and her words were whispered. "Yes, Spike. That's a very bad thing."
A thought crossed Spike's mind, but he dismissed it. There was no way she was talking about Angel, right?
Jamal's sharp hearing caught the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps to the balcony they were on. "We've got company, boss. I'd say four or five big and uglies coming our way." He took a quick glance downward and saw Myron had returned with a few guards, directing them to cover all the entrances. "I think he knows our blonde vampire friend escaped from him, Geia."
Geia's warm hand touched the cool skin on Spike's face, her eyes boring through his. "You'll only have a few minutes to do this. I'm going to give you my ability to be invisible, and I want you to slip past Myron, grab Buffy, and run as fast as you can back to Giles. If you're followed, break your dagonsphere and someone will come to your aid. Jamal and I will do our best to distract Myron so you can get away." Spike felt something pass through him and knew he was now invisible to even Myron. But the power would only last for fifteen minutes.
Spike slipped down the stairwell, right past the Zalkana warriors who were coming up. Bloody hell, he thought. No one can see me, and those sorry blokes will find two very pissed off angels. Angels with big, shiny blades. The thought made him smile blithely. He came to the end of the stairs and paused, hearing the clash of metal along with the screams of the Zalkanas as they met their fate under an axehead and a sword.
Geia and Jamal stood over the carnage they had caused and watched as Spike's invisible form crept along the farthest wall of the cavern below. "It's pretty funny we're the only ones who can see him, Master. I just hope he can move fast enough."
Geia started down the steps, her form changing into a blonde, shorter girl so that Myron wouldn't see her true identity. "He'll move as fast as he needs to, knowing how much we're depending on him." She stopped and turned to him. "Now would be a good time to harness your powers to change your appearance, my apprentice." Jamal was able to change his facial and body structure enough so that he looked like a bodybuilder instead of a basketball player. Geia nodded approvingly. "Good enough."
Buffy watched as Myron shouted out orders to his guards to find the blonde vampire. She turned her head to follow two guards who had heard the commotion on the balcony and started to go up the steps, but were hewn down by two bright silver flashes. A small, blonde girl, similar in build to herself, and a large black man stepped into the cavern, right in Myron's view. Geia and Jamal, she thought. I'll be damned.
Myron saw the two people who had stepped off the stairs and shrieked to his guards to kill them. "I want their heads! They're the ones who let the vampire get away!"
As the guards rushed Geia and Jamal, with Myron watching intensely, Spike crossed the room with all the stealth and cunning of a vampire. Buffy felt a breeze pass by her, then cross back, covering her entire body. Without a sound, Spike lifted her off the couch and carried her out of the cavern, running through the mining area and up the steps. Once outside, he ran faster than he thought possible back to Giles.
He stopped right outside the front door of Giles' apartment and saw Buffy's frightened and confused look. "It's alright, Slayer. It's just me. Geia made me invisible so that I could get you out of the hellhole while she and Jamal distracted Myron."
Spike kicked the door to open it, and Giles looked up from the computer which Willow was working on, seeing Spike materialize out of nowhere, holding Buffy in his arms. "What the hell?"
Myron watched as his warriors fell in numbers to the two fighters brandishing awesome weapons. The axeblade and sword hummed a melody of death as it chopped warriors in two and decapitated even his best Zalkanas. Myron saw his last warrior on hand fall. He saw the light of battle in the girl's eyes, and he heard the unspoken challenge. "You think you can defeat me, mortal? You have no chance." He gestured toward the couch. "I have your precious Slayer, and there's no way that you can-"
Geia pointed at the empty couch. "What Slayer?"
Myron turned and saw Buffy gone. When he turned back around, Geia and Jamal were walking calmly out the door. He sensed these two beings were more than mortals now, but he didn't have the manpower to start a war, not yet. "Who the hell are you?"
Geia stopped and faced him. "We're Freedom Fighters." She and Jamal went up the steps, but a minute later, she returned, her voice taunting. "Poor Myron, lost his slayer, lost his warriors, lost his slaves. So much for having everything."
Jamal and Geia joined the freed demons and humans, all reformed to Good, as they ran into the early afternoon sunshine.
Myron walked through his now empty mining chamber, fuming at his bad luck. Freedom Fighters? What the hell?!? He sat on the cold floor and concentrated, hoping to find a more detailed identity to the two warriors who had destroyed his entire operation. Two forms appeared before him as he focused all of his power on this task. A dark-haired, tall beauty and a well-built, very dark black man were shown to him.
The dark-haired girl was the same one he had met in the cemetery, and it wasn't a bat she had been carrying.
And now he had the Initiative to deal with. More humans he had to kill.
Buffy watched as Angel got ready to leave Giles' apartment. He had stayed after all the others had left upon hearing what went on with Myron. She was tempted to tell him what she now knew, but didn't know what to say.
So she said the first thing that came to her mind after she called his name. "Murderer."
Author's Note: Chapter 10....wow. I'm still amazed. It looks like this story is going to be longer than I thought-yikes. Not really, but I'm hoping to get this thing complete by the end of summer-maybe mid-August or so, and maybe before that. But I know I'll be sad when it ends, because I love this story so much. But on to this chapter-I don't think I've done a very good job with Geia. You know that she's very powerful and has the blessing of God, but is she as "Good" as what she appears to be? She's not perfect, and I'm not going to get into a political/religion based debate about the fact that she can't be perfect because only God is perfect-I'm gonna write it as I see it. And you finally get to know what Angel and Geia's connection is in this chapter-woohoo, another big step:) But it's not Geia that tells Angel-*suspense*. Gasp! It's....read the chapter and you'll know. Remember, feedback is like air-I need it. Peace out.
Chapter 10--Meet the Players(the next night)
His gun was loaded with two tranquilizer darts with enough power to knock anything out for a good four hours or so. He ran along the familiar streets, the memories rushing back, the words like a haunting melody. It seemed so quiet, but amist the silence was the Evil. It hid in the shadows, stalked the innocent, and destroyed so many lives. It was the one enemy every mortal fought against, refusing to succumb to the seductiveness.
He felt his muscles burn as he turned down the next street, eyes always scanning what was in front of him and ears always listening for that bump in the night. His destination was in sight now, a warm glow emanating from the two windows, a little ray of sunlight to the moon's shadows that revealed a large group gathered in Giles' living room. There were a few new faces, a few old ones, a few hated ones, and one very familiar one. But would they let him in?
His hand stopped just mere centimeters from the metal of the front door. This was stupid, he shouldn't even be here. But they needed to know what was going on. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't say anything. But what if, what if, what if, what if, what if......what if they wouldn't listen, just because it was him? He hoped to God that they'd see what he was trying to do, to help, to make up for the mistakes he made, to ease the pain. Could his words do that?
Geia was the only one who heard the soft tap at the door amist all the talking going on. Their plan was coming together and it caused a tinge of anxiousness and a little dangerous excitement at the plan's prospects. She needed everyone in on it-it would fail without full cooperation, a little luck, good timing, and a Higher Power looking on.
No one really saw Geia get up and answer the door, or the confused look on her face at the stranger who knocked. She motioned him in, sensing the good in him, and tried to tell someone, but wound up watching, with some amusement, the animated and heated discussion that was taking place about timing and placement for the attack on Myron's hideout.
Spike's eyes caught sight of the figure beside Geia and froze. Geia saw it and used the opportunity to announce their visitor. "Anybody here know a Riley Finn?"
Silence, along with stunned looks. Finally, someone spoke.
Giles summed it up in two words. "Bloody hell."
Riley had expected a reaction like that. After he left, he knew no one would care what happened to him-he was out of Buffy's life, thus making him nonexistent in everyone else's.
The only thought in Buffy's mind was that this was impossible. How could the three men who had most affected her life be in the same room at the same time? Damn bad luck, that's what it was. And now she had to face Riley again-she had forgiven him a long time ago, but him being here was just.....wrong. "The Initiative drop you again, Mr. Finn?" The words slipped out with so much sarcasm and ease that Buffy wasn't aware of what she had said until she saw the hurt look on Riley's face.
Riley felt everyone's eyes on him, and was suddenly aware of the overwhelming presence of the woman beside him. Cut to the chase, Finn. Tell them what they need to know and get out of here. Away from the pain- out of sight, out of mind. "I'm here because I've got some information you need to know. There's a sorcerer in town named Myron, and he's looking for- "
"-the ingredients to the spell that will create Hell on Earth." Geia smiled at the stranger. "You're a little late, sweetie."
Riley caught the saucy wink Geia threw his way, watching how her eyes changed color from charcoal to blue. He couldn't take the stares anymore, but was curious to the two newcomers to the Scooby gang, especially the dark-haired beauty who had let him in. He turned to go, but stopped with his hand on the door handle. "I only came back to warn you. This guy is more powerful than anything the Hellmouth's ever seen, but he's also a mental case and loves destruction more than any other bad guy." He noticed everyone but Angel, who had a dangerous glint to his eyes, had relaxed a bit, even though Spike looked nearly ready to bolt for the door, and again his eyes rested on Geia and her Cheshire-cat grin. He threw a small pager to Buffy. "If you need help, the Initiative's around. Just use that to send the call through." He again looked at Geia, and an odd tingling sensation ran through him. There was something about her....
"Don't move, Riley Finn. You may be of some use to us."
Riley turned around involuntarily, and gave her a puzzled look. How did she know his name? Had Buffy said something about him to her? "Excuse me?"
Geia rolled her eyes and pulled him away from the door. "Don't make me sit you down on the couch." She looked at Angel. "What is it with these young people?"
Angel saw the humor Geia was trying to put in, and smiled slightly to help her out. "I'd rather not comment on this one, Geia. He has a history."
Willow saw the Riley-bashing afoot and decided to stop it before it started. "Guys, he's just here to help cause he's concerned. I'd be worried if he wasn't." She saw Riley's grateful yet meek smile. She may not have liked the guy for leaving Buffy like that, but it wasn't entirely Riley's fault. Buffy had always, in some way, been untouchable to the only real mortal boyfriend she'd ever had. Willow chalked that up to the Angel catastrophe, that Buffy would always be like that. Riley's fault was not being able to accept that and then looking for a solution that was not exactly appropriate.
Willow, the voice of reason, Giles thought. His eyes rested on Riley, who was obviously uncomfortable beside an on-edge yet silent Xander and a restless Anya, and with a very confused Buffy seated across the way. "Riley, what can the Initiative do for us? Myron is amazingly powerful, and I don't believe that stun guns and infrared vision will do us much good."
Riley looked glad to have a question to answer to break the silence. "We started tracking Myron a few months back when he was in Paris. We thought he was just another sorcerer who always wanted to destroy the world, but once we found out he wanted to suck the world into Hell and was really trying to accomplish that, we tried finding everything we could on him. By the time we pieced everything together, he was here."
Geia had been watching Riley quietly from a corner of the small living room. She already knew his track record with the Slayer and knew that deep down, he meant to do what he thought was right. He was just slightly misguided. "You might want to rethink that 'suck the world into Hell' statement, Riley."
He gave her a startled look. "What?"
Her sword slid cleanly out of the scabbard that had been hidden under her long black duster. Riley's hand instinctively reached for his stun gun, but Giles shook his head at the soldier. "Myron doesn't want to suck the world into Hell. His plan is to create Hell on Earth, essentially, widen Hell's dimensions to Earth so he had better access to Heaven." Her ears caught the noise that only the other immortals heard. But this noise outside Giles' apartment had a dangerous connotation to it. "Call your soldier boys off, Finn. I don't want to have to contain 15 men because it won't be pretty."
Graham, who was outside the door, heard her words and then Riley's voice telling them to halt. "It was only a precaution in case Myron had spies around." His words fell on deaf ears as Geia put her sword away and roughly shoved the door open, grabbing the two nearest soldiers by their collars.
Geia looked out on the 13 other G.I. Joe's and cringed. She fought for mankind, and they tramped around in army gear with stun guns and night goggles and thought they knew what they were doing. She didn't mind the Slayer, but these demon-catcher wannabes were the Cabbage Patch Kids of demonology. They knew so little, but were so confident they were experts on Evil.
Jamal came to his Master's aid at her nod, his axeblade glinting dangerously in the dim light right outside the door. "Anybody moves, I'll let my friend here take a whack at you, and he swings awfully hard."
Up to this point, Riley had been sure that Geia and Jamal were on their side, but he couldn't let her threaten his men. Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed Geia from behind and used his stun gun on full blast to contain her. Or at least he thought he could.
Riley wound up looking up at a furious Geia from the cold floor. "Don't even try that again, Finn. If you think a stun gun is going to stop me, or Myron for that matter, you didn't do your homework. Now get up before you embarrass yourself even more." She helped him up and led him just outside the door, relieving Jamal of his duty. The others in the apartment weren't left with much choice but to let Geia run the show.
Geia shut the front door and made the soldiers move back a few feet. She felt their mixed hatred and fear in every one of their stares, and couldn't blame them. How were they to know? "Riley, I want you to tell your commanding leader, whoever he is, that I wish to speak with him tomorrow. Have him come to the alley behind the Bronze tomorrow around dusk. And make sure he's alone. I don't want to have to ward off an army."
The tone in her voice demanded respect for the authority she apparently held, but Riley wasn't satisfied. He didn't even know who this girl was. "Fine," he replied grudgingly. "But I want to know who you are and what you have to do with and know about Myron."
Geia held out her hand to him, and felt the strength in his grip. "I'm Geia, and the man who helped me is Jamal. He's my...assistant. We're warriors who battle demons. Myron is a bad guy, and I intend on killing him one way or another. Happy?"
Riley refused to move until he got better answers. "No, I'm not. You've told me who you are, but I think you're lying about the warrior part. The Initiative knows of every demon hunter and warrior in the world so that we can work with them when needed, and there is no record of your or Jamal." He leaned in close and whispered, "You hurt these people and I'll come back and hunt you down until you plead, and maybe then I'll have mercy and only capture you instead of killing you. If you value your life, I suggest you tell me and the others in there the truth."
Geia straightened and looked defeated. "Please don't kill me, sir. I'm just a humble demon hunter." Her faked British accent mocked him, and he felt his anger rise in his throat like bile. Her eyes grew stormy, and the wind picked up and blew her duster back like a cape, giving her quite an impressive appearance, like an all-seeing god of some fantastic and terrifying power. "Just tell your leader what I said, except, why don't you encourage him to bring all the men he wants. I've wanted to time how long it would take me to defeat an entire army of you G.I. Joe dolls. Make sure they've got the biggest guns, too. Wouldn't want them wimping out on me."
Riley's eyes matched hers in sudden hatred, but he also couldn't understand why Buffy would enlist the help of someone who was obviously a threat and very powerful, whether that power came supernaturally or not. With a curt, mocking salute, he turned on his heel and led his regiment down the street into the shadows. No one saw the two sets of eyes that had seen and heard everything that had gone on outside the apartment. Leaving their freshest meal for dead, they went to report to their master.
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The early morning sunlight was something he hadn't seen in too long a time. When was the last time he had seen a sunrise, the first light of day permeate the darkness, turning the sky into gorgeous shades of pink, blue, orange, and yellow? His eyes scanned the complex, looking for any movement. Nothing-this place was deader than a bloody cemetery. He heard Buffy's quiet footsteps as she came out of a small, nearby building.
"Find anything?"
Buffy shook her head. "Just an old vamp nest that I busted last year. It still reeks in there."
Spike grinned at her. "You smell the blood and carnage, Slayer. That's why it smells so bloody bad."
She rolled her eyes. "So where are the angels at? You'd think it wouldn't take them that long to scope out a few buildings."
Spike leaned against the cold metal outer wall of the building and slid down to the ground. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his last cigarette and a lighter. Moments later, smoke floated the few feet over to Buffy. She gagged and scowled at him. "Do you mind?"
"Not a bit." His keen senses still detected nothing, and he was getting a little worried that neither Geia nor Jamal had come back yet. But his job was to watch the Slayer, Geia told him, not come after them if something should happen. Geia had figured that Myron probably deserted his hideout during the day for something more comfortable, like an old mansion, but still wanted to scope the address out that Buffy had gotten from "Tony" the night before.
Spike watched as Buffy hesitantly sat down beside him on the ground, a stake idly twirling in her fingers. "You might want to watch where you point that thing at, Slayer. I don't want to be a pile of dust."
The stake stopped, pointed at him. "Don't trust me, Spike? Besides, I couldn't stake you. You're too pathetic, so much that I almost feel sorry for you."
Spike smiled at her attempt to start an argument, something he knew she loved doing with him. But it was just a way to pass the time, and as the minutes went by, he grew increasingly more worried. "It shouldn't take them this long, they're holy for heaven's sake," he mumbled.
"What?"
He flicked the ashes off his cigarette, watching the wind scatter them. "Nothing, Slayer." He looked over and saw her, eyes closed, resting against the building. The sound of footsteps made him snap his head the other direction, but he saw nothing but empty barrels and boxes.
Buffy felt an elbow nudge her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see Spike standing up. Following his lead, she watched as he scanned every inch of ground around them, a concerned look on his face. "What is it?"
"I heard footsteps, but I've got no body to match them with."
She sighed. "You must have been dreaming."
"I know what I heard, Slayer." His tone was harsh and surprisingly ferocious. "I'm worried something happened to them." He started off toward the west side of the complex, a confused Slayer following him. "They may be all holy and powerful, but they're not invincible."
A loud crash sent them running to the nearest building. Their combined effort successfully pulled the rusty door off its hinges. Buffy took the lead, stake in one hand and a small crossbow in the other, which she threw to Spike before they split up to cover the large building.
Spike crept amongst the boxes piled to the ceiling on the shelves and the floor. "Better not get bloody lost in here." He turned a corner, and found himself face to face with a Zalkana warrior. Spike's face instantly vamped, and his fanged smile was full of confidence. "My lucky day. I found myself a warrior to fight." With a roar, he charged full on, sending the unexpecting Zalkana into a stack of boxes. The warrior leapt up, not even the least bit stunned, and sent Spike backward with a left hook. Punches and kicks were exchanged in a flurry of animalistic ferocity.
Just as Spike went in for the kill on the helpless and bloodied Zalkana, a voice stopped him. "You might not want to do that, that is, if you want your friend here to live."
Spike looked up to see Buffy being held by another Zalkana warrior, a knife blade pointed at her throat. Myron emerged from the shadows, dressed all in black, and winked at Spike. "C'mon, get up vampire." He looked at Buffy. "She's got to be the prettiest Slayer I've ever seen. But if you want her to live, which is actually pretty funny that a vampire is protecting a Slayer, you might want to come with me." His hand grabbed Spike by the shoulder and pushed down unmercifully. "I want you two to see my operation before you become a part of it, because I certainly don't foresee any of your friends coming to be all heroic and save you two." He looked at the fallen Zalkana warrior. "And you can just go stab yourself with your own sword because you're certainly of no use to me anymore. Wimp."
Vampire and Slayer were led down three hidden flights of steps down to the very foundation of the building. A tunnel lit by torches opened to reveal a humongous cavern. Hundreds of demons and humans were toiling beside each other, digging and chipping into the rock walls. Myron waved a hand over the cavern, a proud smile on his face. "Isn't it just lovely? They're actually looking for, what my calculations and research tell me, is just what I need for this great little spell I want to do." He leaned in close to Buffy and whispered, "It's just the neatest spell-how would you like an all expenses-paid trip to Hell, you pretty thing?"
Buffy's eyes were dark with hatred. "How about you let me go and I send you there myself?" she spat back.
Myron rolled his eyes. He gestured to a corner of the cavern where numerous Zalkana warriors stood. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You and blonde boy would be sorely outnumbered, and I'm not in the mood for a senseless massacre right now. They may not be the brightest creatures, but they are good servants and brutal fighters, if the price is right."
Spike and Buffy were led over to a set of metal cages, containing several demons and humans, locked together like animals. The humans, bloodied and bruised, cried out to them for help, and the demons, many mutilated by deep cuts and bloody bruises like the humans, rattled the bars and roared out in several different languages. Myron stopped them right in front of the cages and grinned like a proud father. "Aren't they magnificent? But I see you're not impressed by my newest recruits." He motioned to a nearby guard, who brought out a small child. His mother's screams from the cage pierced the air as she knew the danger her baby was in.
Myron placed the child right in front of Buffy and Spike, his hands on the boy's shoulders. The child looked at them, frightened and dirty, smears of mud across his face and ripped clothing. Buffy's eyes went from the boy to his mother, who was sobbing hysterically in the cage. "Don't you dare hurt this child, Myron."
Myron looked hurt. "Now why would I do that? But my friend, big and ugly and nasty as he is, will if you don't go along with me." Buffy nodded, and the child was put back in the cage with his mother. His eyes lightened up and he smiled slightly. "But I can't talk to you if we're not alone." Buffy could only watch in horror as Spike was dragged off to a fate unknown, though Buffy was sure that he would be tortured.
Myron drew close to her, his hand cupping her cheek in a gentle manner. She shivered, completely disgusted and somewhat terrified. He took her hand and led her into a smaller room in the cave, ornately decorated with gold and hunter green. The room was completely empty, but Buffy would have preferred it that way. Whatever Myron had planned for her, she was determined she didn't want anyone to see her try to get away, if that was even possible.
Buffy sat down stiffly on the couch beside the sorcerer and cringed when he put his arm around her. "Don't touch me."
Myron ran a hand through his hair and shook his head disapprovingly. "Such manners for a young lady. I'll have to make sure you straighten up if you want to be by my side."
Buffy's eyes grew huge and in one quick motion, she slapped him square across the face, leaving a red handprint. "Sonofabitch, get away from me, and don't you dare hurt Spike."
Myron didn't even feel the slap. But it pissed him off. He grabbed her hands roughly and pulled her on his lap. "Bitch, you'll learn. I want you to see it all when I turn this useless dimension into Hell itself. You'll watch your family and friends burn in the flames of their sins while I rule over all." He leaned in close and whispered, "And all the while, you'll be my beautiful, enchanting, polite, obeying little whore. It's perfect-the Slayer, the one being who is supposed to protect the world from the bad guys, will be the devil's personal Jezebel." Buffy's blood froze at his words, and Myron took that chance to yank on her arms and pull her face within inches of his. "And as for your little vampire friend, I think a few of my guards will find much enjoyment in torturing him and then putting him to work on my little project. He looks like a strong one, so hopefully he'll last a few weeks."
Buffy's mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to escape, to get her and Spike out of there and find Geia and Jamal. She'd never been this scared before, and it made her feel weak. And staring at the painfully handsome face in front of her, seeing the Evil in his eyes, called out to her Slayer-side. Get up and kick his ass with everything you've got! It screamed inside her, but all she could do was close her eyes and pray this was a nightmare. She felt Myron pick her up and put her on the couch, dropping her roughly, and say something about not moving or Spike would get it worse than what he already had coming. Her eyes still closed, she willed herself to think of a way out of this, but she could think of nothing but Spike being tortured mercilessly. He may not be her favorite undead person, but she didn't want to think of him getting doused in holy water and having crosses forced over his head.
But in the darkness of her mind and her eyes, Buffy saw a small blue light dancing crazily. "You can't let him do this," it whispered.
"What?" Buffy heard herself ask outloud.
"Myron is a dangerous and very powerful being, but you have forces on your side who can defeat him. Start something in motion, Slayer!"
The small blue orb buzzed insanely, as if it was mad. Buffy felt an overwhelming presence within that orb, but didn't know what it was. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You were given a dagonsphere, were you not? Use it!" The voice was now louder and commanding.
Buffy was completely baffled. "How did you know that I had a dagonsphere? Who are you?"
The blue light calmed down, slowly moving in a circular motion. "I am a lost soul, one who is in Heaven but is restless. You must trust the judgement of the Tainted One, Geia. She is the only one with the power to stop Myron."
Buffy's hand unconsciously reached into her pocket and found the dagonsphere. "If you're a restless soul, you were once a person. What's your name?"
"Emily."
The whisper stopped Buffy's heart. Emily? But that was-
"I'm Geia's sister who died, bitten by a vampire."
Now it made sense. Emily probably was watching everything that was going on and wanted to warn us, Buffy thought. "But why are you a restless soul, Emily? Aren't you in Heaven?"
"Yes, but the vampire that bit me still lives. I have tried many times to tell my sister that this vampire should die, but she convinced me that he is of a better cause now. I have seen this, but I will always be a wanderer on the Ghost Roads. But it is for the sake of humanity, so I am willing to be a lost one."
Buffy's hand tightened around the dagonsphere, and she felt Emily's presence push on her hand to break the glass ball. But for their combined effort, it wouldn't break. "Why isn't this working?" Buffy asked, panicked.
Emily's light shone brighter, and it moved with greater speed. "Geia must be nearby, but she may not know of the peril you and William are in. I will see if I can contact her."
The blue light began to fade, and Buffy cried out to it. "No, wait. What was the vampire's name? Maybe I can find him and-"
"No!" The voice was now a scream. "You cannot kill this vampire, or allow him to be killed. He doesn't know it yet, but he is an essential part to help Geia destroy Myron. He must not be touched."
"Fine. But his name...."
The blue light began to fade again, and Emily's voice again a whisper. "Angelus."
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"Bloody hell."
Jamal looked over at Spike and grinned. "Problems?"
He received a scowl. "Oh, you mean other than the gauntlet we just ran through nearly got me staked, and now Buffy's being held captive by big bad and ugly down there? No, I'd say we're in perfect shape.
Geia waved her sword at them jokingly. "Would you two shut up for a second?" She saw the look on Spike's face that said "bite me", and she smiled slightly. "You sure you're okay, Spike?"
Spike nodded. "Like I said before... you killed that guy who was trying to drag me off to the torture chamber, and now I'm here with you two trying to figure out a way to get the Slayer out of here. I'm just fine."
Jamal motioned to the still form of the Slayer below the balcony they were on. "She's talking to someone, but I'm not seeing anyone down there other than her."
Geia closed her eyes and reached out, trying to feel for any mystical energy within the cavern, and was shocked at what she found. "She's talking to Emily."
Her apprentice's head snapped in her direction. "Emily? I thought she only talked to you."
"I guess not. She's telling her to break the dagonsphere, but Buffy can't because I'm so nearby." She paused, trying to listen to the conversation in Buffy's mind. "Shit."
Spike looked from Jamal to Geia a few times, completely confused. "Shit what, pet?"
Geia's eyes fluttered open and they were nearly black. "My darling sister just told Buffy what big nasty vampire bit her and sent her to Heaven for the second time. Buffy's not supposed to know that."
"That's such a bad thing?"
Geia didn't move and her words were whispered. "Yes, Spike. That's a very bad thing."
A thought crossed Spike's mind, but he dismissed it. There was no way she was talking about Angel, right?
Jamal's sharp hearing caught the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps to the balcony they were on. "We've got company, boss. I'd say four or five big and uglies coming our way." He took a quick glance downward and saw Myron had returned with a few guards, directing them to cover all the entrances. "I think he knows our blonde vampire friend escaped from him, Geia."
Geia's warm hand touched the cool skin on Spike's face, her eyes boring through his. "You'll only have a few minutes to do this. I'm going to give you my ability to be invisible, and I want you to slip past Myron, grab Buffy, and run as fast as you can back to Giles. If you're followed, break your dagonsphere and someone will come to your aid. Jamal and I will do our best to distract Myron so you can get away." Spike felt something pass through him and knew he was now invisible to even Myron. But the power would only last for fifteen minutes.
Spike slipped down the stairwell, right past the Zalkana warriors who were coming up. Bloody hell, he thought. No one can see me, and those sorry blokes will find two very pissed off angels. Angels with big, shiny blades. The thought made him smile blithely. He came to the end of the stairs and paused, hearing the clash of metal along with the screams of the Zalkanas as they met their fate under an axehead and a sword.
Geia and Jamal stood over the carnage they had caused and watched as Spike's invisible form crept along the farthest wall of the cavern below. "It's pretty funny we're the only ones who can see him, Master. I just hope he can move fast enough."
Geia started down the steps, her form changing into a blonde, shorter girl so that Myron wouldn't see her true identity. "He'll move as fast as he needs to, knowing how much we're depending on him." She stopped and turned to him. "Now would be a good time to harness your powers to change your appearance, my apprentice." Jamal was able to change his facial and body structure enough so that he looked like a bodybuilder instead of a basketball player. Geia nodded approvingly. "Good enough."
Buffy watched as Myron shouted out orders to his guards to find the blonde vampire. She turned her head to follow two guards who had heard the commotion on the balcony and started to go up the steps, but were hewn down by two bright silver flashes. A small, blonde girl, similar in build to herself, and a large black man stepped into the cavern, right in Myron's view. Geia and Jamal, she thought. I'll be damned.
Myron saw the two people who had stepped off the stairs and shrieked to his guards to kill them. "I want their heads! They're the ones who let the vampire get away!"
As the guards rushed Geia and Jamal, with Myron watching intensely, Spike crossed the room with all the stealth and cunning of a vampire. Buffy felt a breeze pass by her, then cross back, covering her entire body. Without a sound, Spike lifted her off the couch and carried her out of the cavern, running through the mining area and up the steps. Once outside, he ran faster than he thought possible back to Giles.
He stopped right outside the front door of Giles' apartment and saw Buffy's frightened and confused look. "It's alright, Slayer. It's just me. Geia made me invisible so that I could get you out of the hellhole while she and Jamal distracted Myron."
Spike kicked the door to open it, and Giles looked up from the computer which Willow was working on, seeing Spike materialize out of nowhere, holding Buffy in his arms. "What the hell?"
Myron watched as his warriors fell in numbers to the two fighters brandishing awesome weapons. The axeblade and sword hummed a melody of death as it chopped warriors in two and decapitated even his best Zalkanas. Myron saw his last warrior on hand fall. He saw the light of battle in the girl's eyes, and he heard the unspoken challenge. "You think you can defeat me, mortal? You have no chance." He gestured toward the couch. "I have your precious Slayer, and there's no way that you can-"
Geia pointed at the empty couch. "What Slayer?"
Myron turned and saw Buffy gone. When he turned back around, Geia and Jamal were walking calmly out the door. He sensed these two beings were more than mortals now, but he didn't have the manpower to start a war, not yet. "Who the hell are you?"
Geia stopped and faced him. "We're Freedom Fighters." She and Jamal went up the steps, but a minute later, she returned, her voice taunting. "Poor Myron, lost his slayer, lost his warriors, lost his slaves. So much for having everything."
Jamal and Geia joined the freed demons and humans, all reformed to Good, as they ran into the early afternoon sunshine.
Myron walked through his now empty mining chamber, fuming at his bad luck. Freedom Fighters? What the hell?!? He sat on the cold floor and concentrated, hoping to find a more detailed identity to the two warriors who had destroyed his entire operation. Two forms appeared before him as he focused all of his power on this task. A dark-haired, tall beauty and a well-built, very dark black man were shown to him.
The dark-haired girl was the same one he had met in the cemetery, and it wasn't a bat she had been carrying.
And now he had the Initiative to deal with. More humans he had to kill.
Buffy watched as Angel got ready to leave Giles' apartment. He had stayed after all the others had left upon hearing what went on with Myron. She was tempted to tell him what she now knew, but didn't know what to say.
So she said the first thing that came to her mind after she called his name. "Murderer."