*San Salvador* "In 1994, I was working as a security guard in a maximum secuirity insane asylum in this state. I had recently faked my death with the help of an associate of mine, Peter Withers. There was a patient there, Sarah Conner, who believed that in 1985, a machine called the Terminator had been sent back in time to kill her prevent her son from being born and becoming the leader of a resistance force against the Machines. She ranted about a Judgement day, which would have occured on August 29, 1997."
"Which obviously didn't occur," Buffy interceded.
"Yes. I use to believe that she was crazy but tonight reinforced the feeling that Sarah Conner was right, or right on part. The thing I met tonight was like a vampire but had incredible strength and reflexes even compared to the average vampire. It caught my sword in mid swing and put a load of buckshot from a sawed off shotgun into me.
"So can half of the nonvampire things in Sunnydale could probably do that." "Yes, but I've met this thing, or something very similar to it before."
"When and How?"
-Flashback 1994-
I pressed the security button and headed toward where Sarah Connor was escaping. She had taken the administrator of this facitility hostage. I had ran to where Connors was, my cast hand hanging a bit low. I had kept the wrist casted even though it was healed because several doctors had seen it before it was healed and they had casted it and put it on record. I managed to refuse to have their recommended doctor recast it. Rather I did it myself and I have to wait six weeks before taking it off. I saw a big guy decked out in leather and ran up to him and backhanded him with the cast. He looked at me without any sort of pain even though the backhand was hard enough to break his sunglasses. He then pushed me down the hall without effort. After the shock wore off, I got up to see him shoot a cop in the chest with a shotgun. The pellets didn't even slow the cop down and the cop's gunshots didn't even slow down the guy in leather either. I saw the cop force open the door and drop into the elevator shaft. I swear I saw silver metal under that cops uniform before it healed itelf.
-Back to the Present-
"I know that this thing is a Terminator or that guy has several twin brothers that don't age or age to look exactly alike. I saw pictures of the one in 1985. I compared it to the one in 1994 and the one I saw tonight are the same looking."
"What do we do?" Buffy said.
"I think that we have to stay low for now. I think that this 'whatever' is after you."
"What makes you think that?"
"If it was after me, I would be permently dead now. With it being a vampire flesh on the outside, I bet it's after you. If it was after me or someone else, it would probably be human over the machine. But since it is a vampire, it would have attracted you to and then it would kill you. I had found it drinking from a human victim. What would you have done in that situation?"
"I would have attacked it."
"Exactly. I think it would be best if we prepare against this thing. Then we've got to figure out some way of destroying it. But Kelly, you're leaving as soon as possible. You're going to Duncan MacLeod's in Seacouver." "Are you kidding?" "No, I'm not. You'd would just get hurt or possibly killed if you stay here." "No, I won't." Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia backed off recognizing a parent- daughter fight in the making. "Trust me, you would. This thing is ten times as dangerous as a vampire if it is indeed a Terminator. Anyways, I taught you a few things about swordfighting. MacLeod will teach you some more that is going to be real useful. You just can't stay here."
"If your going to act like my mother, damn it, then don't keep secrets from me." "What secrets?" I knew what she was talking about. "Like I am some sort of damned vampire-Immortal freak." "No, your not a freak. But I'll try to explain if I can. This is just my opinion from what I've read, experienced, and guessed from the two. First, when a person is blood-bonded to a vampire, the soul is sent to purgatory because of the drainage until the stronger, the vampire, brings the weaker, the victim, back to the earth because of the blood-bond. But by that time, the soul has gone on and the demon has taken its place. But you weren't blood-bonded to a vampire. "When an Immortal first dies, he or she stays dead for the longer time than any other death the Immortal will experience except for a few extreme examples. Then he or she is brought back after the time. Then the time is very shortened afterwards. But because Angelus drank your blood until you died, you were sent to the purgatory for a long time. There you picked up certain vampire characteristics but not the demon and you came back without the blood-bond because of your immortality. What happened tonight to make you ask?"
Without another word otherwise, Kelly and Buffy told me what happened at the Bronze and outside. It just proves what I thought what happened. I get up slowly and walk over to my equipment bag and pull out a vial of holy water. "Put out your hand, Kelly." Kelly hesitantly puts her hand out and I drip a few drops of holy water on her hand.
Nothing. "What does that prove?" Kelly asked. I pressed my cross against her hand. Nothing again.
"Apparently, you have the physical strengths and senses nearly or that of a vampire and don't have the problems with holy water, crosses and sunlight. There might be more but I can't guess anything else yet."
"That's why I feel her weakly with my Slayer sense anytime she is near me." It took me a minute to put together the Spiderman connection.
I turn to Kelly, "That about it. And that is why I feel you and vice versa because we both are Immortal. That probably means your more Immortal than you are vampire." "But I'm still a freak." Kelly was near tears.
"In the company of. I'm a person who lives forever and Buffy is a supernatually strong person whose destiny to kill vampires and other evils." I touch her shoulder. "You might have heard this before but all that really counts is what is inside. Who you are is merely different but not freakish."
"What you are saying is that I am different but I have company, so get on with life." I grin sadly, "Sounds about right, Kelly." "I'll go pack to go to your friend's place but I'll need some money."
"No problem there. I'll get some rainy day money."
Kelly goes and packs quickly. While she is packing, I make two calls. One is to the bus station for a ticket to Seacouver. The other is to Duncun MacLeod. He is not exactly happy to hear from me.
"Hey MacLeod, it's Sandra. I know this is probably a bad time but I need your help. I have a new student that needs some training and I figured your the best person for the job."
"What's gone wrong?"
"I'm not exactly sure but it's a lot of trouble. Kelly will give you a call once she gets to the Seacouver bus station. Now I know we don't exactly get along but she really needs your help and protection."
"No problem."
"I'll hopefully call once this problem is finished. If things don't end up well, please keep training Kelly or get someone who can. Thank you." I put down the receiver quietly.
"You don't like this 'MacLeod' a lot, do you?" Buffy asked.
"He's a good person, but I just don't agree with him much especially with personal philosophies."
After a minute, Kelly comes out of her room quickly with a medium sized duffle bag. I give her five hundred dollars and tell her that the bus leaves in one hour and that she better get going fairly quickly. I give her the sword that she has been best at, the saber that belonged to Charleson. I remember how skillfully she used that sword and the speed and power she used it with. She should have very few problems surviving the Game. I get her to the bus station an hour after sunrise and get Kelly on the bus. I watch the bus disappear into the early morning.
*Kelly* I don't know how I know, but I have the feeling that San and Buffy need me. Without San knowing, I had found out about a sub-basement cavern that is located under the school. I did some exploring after school and found a locked door in the basement. I found some ventilation tunnels that bypass the door. I found a large room and a large crack in the ground. Something had been in there but not now. I got off the bus at the next town and hitchhiked back to Sunnydale and got some food and water at the grocery store. I sneak into the school when the janitors are leaving after cleaning up the school. I realize that something is going to happen and they are going to need me.
*San Salvador* I'm glad that I got Kelly out of the soon-to-be warzone. I don't want to get her involved with this because there is a fair chance that we won't get out of this alive. I carefully checked my gun, a .38 autoloader. I managed to get armor-piercing magnum rounds for it. What I heard was these things could go through steel plating. I don't like the thought of using it, but I know how to use it when it is necessary, like now. I carefully check over the Stella antitank missle launcher as best I can. Buffy said that they had used it to stop the demon, Judge. It might slow down the Terminator, or whatever it is, but it might not stop him. It might not even be light enough to move easily in order to hit it I am at a lost of what to do.
I am going through my practice routine with my sword when Buffy walks in. "Did you convince Giles and the others to get out of town?" "Yes. And my mother is at a convention and Giles and the others are out of Sunnydale."
"If that thing has a patrol pattern like last night, it will check the park, then the Bronze, and probably interrogate a vampire to find out more about you. Then if it finds your name, it will start going after you, your family, and your friends."
I finish my routine and, after taking a shower, lay back a bit. Buffy joins me. A few minutes after sunset, we prepare to go. We place the Stella into the back of my jeep.
Then Buffy says, "A bit of a recap. Why didn't this Terminator thing find me last night?"
"It probably would have needed to know who you are in order to find you."
"Why was it in the park last night?" "Trying to find you, obviously." "But drinking a person dry takes time. Wouldn't it have figured that the Slayer wasn't coming by the time you showed up." "Unless the person it was drinking on wasn't its kill."
"Then where did the vampire who made the kill go?" "It was interrogated and then the Terminator drank from the vampire's victim for more energy. Unless Angelus told them your name and everything, all the Terminator would know was where the vampires hung out." "Then it would be going there tonight. We've got to go." "The prophecy. Remember. . the one who is unsouled. It's Angelus it's after if I'm right. We've got to save him to save the world." The irony is thick enough to cut with a knife.
*At Vampire Central*
The vampire sentry didn't even stand a chance against the Terminator. It just grabbed the vampire and twisted off the vampire's head. It walked into the warehouse at a steady walk. The Terminator was intercepted by three vampires which were terminated by it within a minute.
"Where did you come from?" Angelus asks it while the other vampires circle the terminator. Spike and Dru had left on a bit of a side trip just before dawn and for some reason that they conviently 'forgot' to tell Angelus.
The Terminator ignored the question and said, "Secondary target: Angel. Interrogate to obtain the location of primary target and then terminate."
"Get him," Angelus yelled. The five vampires close in on the Terminator. It slam the barrel of the gun into one of the five and unload a shot into its gut. The second it slam the gun's stock into a second vampire. The Terminator broke off a plank from a box and nails the third, fourth and fifth vampire with it. A quick check of termination of the guard vampires and Angelus is all alone against the Terminator.
Angelus reliazed that this vampire is not exactly like most vampires. He rushed in and made a series of punches and kicks that the Terminator barely even noticed. It grabbed Angelus' wrist with one hand and squeezed. The sounds of cracking bones started to be heard. The Terminator forced Angelus down on his knees, moaning.
The terminator stated, "Aquisition of information can be found from other sources. Target 'Angel' must be terminated to prevent danger to temporal stream."
"What are you talking about." The terminator lost his grip on Angelus for a second and then got back his grip. It prepared to rip off Angelus' head when a .38 caliber round nails it in the head. The terminator is thrown back.
"I really don't think so, Terminator."
"Unknown individual survived point-blank shotgun round. Indentify type individual as an Immortal. Method of termination, removal of head," the terminator says in a monotone voice. "If you can, cyborg." Five more rounds in the head and chest, the terminator turns the shotgun in San's direction and shoots. But San has already ducked and the shot went over her head.
"Angelus, get out of here now!" she shouts before she runs out. The terminator follows in close pursuit.
The terminator raises his shotgun and aims at the wildly weaving form of San. "Duck, San," an unknown person shouts. She immediately drops to the ground as an automatic rifle fires into the terminator. It falls back some.
"Go, go San. I'll hold it back," the person says. San does as he says and runs like hell.
*Buffy*
Buffy moved into the warehouse with a quiet motion. Angel is lying on the ground, hurt bad. She stifled her first reaction to go help him.
"Is this thing your creation, Buffy?"
"Of course not. This 'thing' is trying to kill us all. It's Salvador's opinion that we have to work together to kill it. If you want to live, we have to have a truce for now just so we can survive."
Angelus considered this situation, his pride and desire to kill Buffy vs. his desire to continue his unlife. He didn't answer but he went in front of Buffy when they left the building.
*Salvador*
"Who the hell are you?" as she and the unknown guy run of their lives. The terminator isn't following but she bets it will. The guy looks about thirty years old and kind of nice looking. "That isn't the nice way to ask someone their name, Sandra. But you should know me. I gave you the job at the high school and cleared up a few problems with Kelly's adoption."
The clue clicks with San, "Peter Withers, what the hell are you doing here?"