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Disclaimer. Characters, except for Nathanial Carpenter and Meg, belong to Joss Whedon and Fox tv, etc. Used without permission
feedback: Would be nice.
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I was taking a little down time, just sitting there on the veranda gazing at the stars. Trying to recover from the head ache that astral projection always gave me. Especially when I have to fight while there, like I did this morning. Nudging the horde in the direction I wanted. Throwing up barricades that enforced the direction. They knew what I was doing too. So they sent out their scouts whenever they felt my presence. They were getting good at it.
That was over and done with, for now, I had a good idea where I wanted them coming, and was formulating a plan to handle them when the time came. But that could wait, I needed down time, I was taking it. Gazing at the stars.
I looked up as the door opened, and Buffy came out. She spotted an empty chair beside mine, headed over to claim it, and then hesitated, confused. She looked at me.
"Come sit," I invited. "Join me. Meg will be out soon with some hot chocolate."
Yeah sure," she took the seat, and looked at the night sky. "Pretty isn't it. Never seen them like this."
"We don't have as much light pollution out here."
"Light pollution?"
"Yeah, take a look at Sunnydale, see all the light?"
"Yeah. So?"
"So that light interferes with our ability to see the light from the stars. Out here in the boonies, we see more stars than you do in town."
"Oh."
We sat in silence for a while. I sensed she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it.
"Xander treating you okay?"
"Xander, I miss the old funny witty caring Xander. The one who makes me laugh." Buffy seemed a little surprised at what she was saying, but she carried on. "Instead of him, I got the Xander who makes me do push ups. I thought with him as my Watcher I'd be freer. But in ways, he's more of a taskmaster than they ever were."
"Xander is still Xander. You just saw what you wanted to see, or he wanted you to see.. Nobody sees everything about someone else. Nor do they show everything about themselves. The Xander you miss will be back soon enough.""
"Like you? You don't show or tell everything."
"Me?"
"I used to think you were like the Watchers, sitting in your libraries, sending others out to fight, or die. Its not like that, is it?"
"Sometimes, it is necessary to do that, send someone to fight, knowing that he will not return. Some would say that is what I am doing. Gathering forces to fight in a battle we cannot win."
"You don't think we will survive?"
"There are so very many of them, and so very few of us. Sometimes, I think we're like the Spartans at Thermopylae."
"Thermopoly?"
"Thermopylae,a valley in Greece amid high hills. On one side is the sea, on the other Mount Oeta. In 480 BC, Xerxes lead a massive Persian army in an invasion of Greece, and there, he met a force of 300 Spartans, under King Leonidas. The Spartans fought to the last man and with their sacrifice, Greece was given time to gather her armies."
"Did they win, the Greeks?"
"No, I don't believe they did. But without Thermopylae, they would have had no chance."
"That's what were doing, giving the rest of the world a chance to prepare, to surive?"
"Sometimes that is all we can do."
Willow doesn't think you'll make it. You're using too much energy in your hit and run tactics."
"How could I expect you, or any of the others, to die for a cause, if I am not willing to lay down my life for it?"
"But in the end, I will not be alone." I described the network of Magi, and Wiccans that would be drawn together to transfer power to me, and to Willow "There'll be enough power to get the job done."
"Yeah, but not enough for you to survive."
"One does what one can."
"Can't you get another Magi to come help?"
"A good number will, if only to see that I don't become too powerful. They should be here next week, Watchers, and Magi and Wiccans, all pledged to the fight."
"So you're it for now."
"For now. Willow may have to pitch in and help before this is over. But that's for later."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
They did come. Three days ago, this field was empty. Now it was a small town of tents, camp lights, camp stoves. Off in one corner, a barbecue was in progress.
It had been decided that the Horsemen would be herded to a small valley south of here, where the surrounding hills were high enough to form a good bottleneck. Watchers, Magi, their apprentices, Wiccans, and other personnel arrived to make the strike force.
Over to one side, Willow was lecturing to some of the younger Apprentices and Wiccans.
The others were around somewhere, but I was more interested in three figures standing off to one side, watching the lecture.
"A remarkable girl," said the portliest one as I drew near. Professor Johan Hauptmann was the best Magician I had ever studied under at the Academy. "Grown even more remarkable since she had the good fortune to become your Apprentice."
"Anything I am, you helped to make."
"Then for once, I have succeeded." The Professor, for that was what I thought of him, smiled, strong white teeth flashing under a thick bunch of white hair. He looked at me, blue eyes twinkling. "I had thought myself well rid of you."
"Now, Professor..."
He held up a hand. "Here, I am not your Professor. Here I am a soldier, and you are my leader." He grinned. "Later, when this is over, we can find a quiet corner of whatever Hell they put us in, there you can call me Professor and I shall lecture you endlessly for your sins."
"You will always be Professor." I started to feel a camaraderie I had lost since leaving the Academy. " I've never known you to put off a lecture."
"Do you doubt the wisdom of this?" Professor Hauptmann spread out his arms, to encompass the camp.
"I sometimes wonder about my ability to be the leader."
"If you doubt, do it where no one can see. If you choose wrong, then you must make another decision, and once that decision is made, there is no room to doubt it. If you do, and others see that you do, then they will doubt all the more."
"He's right you know." We had moved away from Willow's lecture, and were walking around the perimeter of the field. The speaker moved under a light.
"Sven Thorensson," I exclaimed clasping his hand. Sven was a couple years ahead of me, but still became my closest friend and confidant at the Academy. "What brings you from Norway?"
"It is good to see you my friend. I always knew you'd lead us to our deaths. I would regret it if I were not a witness to you doing it."
"Such optimism warms my heart."
"I have brought someone else for you to meet." Sven reached out and drew a girl into the light. "This is Heidi, my baby sister."
"I am pleased to meet you Mr. Carpenter." She dimpled, and ducked her head. For a baby sister, she was almost as tall as her brother, ash blonde hair, blue sparkling eyes. I told her to call me Nathaniel.
"She has proven herself as a Wiccan," Sven said proudly. "She was going to the Academy, and then she was going to be my Apprentice. But after seeing yours, I'm beginning to think the Academy a waste of time."
"No method of learning is a waste," Professor Hauptmann assured him. "Some are more suited to one method than to others."
"She will still be my Apprentice," Sven announced. "If Nat doesn't get us killed first."
"I will do my best," I assured him, and possibly myself. "Perhaps you should have left her home."
"She wanted to come." Sven grew serious. "If we fail, not even the Oslofjord will keep her safe."
By this time we had come up near a group of men and women, all dressed in tweed despite the weather. All, that is, except for Xander who was busy arguing with one of the Watchers, who was taking him to task for not having enough control over Buffy.
"That Watcher, the new one, Xander," said Professor Hauptmann. "How is he working out?"
"Quite well actually." We moved on, and I noted a form leave the group to follow closely behind us. "Oh there were rough spots for the first week, mainly because he's never learned to believe in himself and his abilities. When she accepted being back with the Council, Buffy worked with him almost night and day, getting him to believe that he was worth more than a laugh or two. Willow helped him to see his potential. I can still hear the fights, but finally they worked things out. The Council kept their word, and is supplying as much help and training as they can."
"But he is not your Mr. Giles."
"No, he isn't."
"I have been thinking on this for some time." Professor Hauptmann enunciated his words clearly. "Ever since you contacted me. The only thing I can think of, that might help, is the Life Transference Ritual. I left the instructions on my web page."
"That ritual requires the voluntary sacrifice of one of his friends. I doubt that Giles would want that. Or that one of his friends would agree."
But he would adjust? If this were done."
"Yes, once the ritual was done. I don't imagine that he would throw it away."
"Does he have any close friends, family?"
No. His work usually brings him into contact with the Slayer and her friends. He doesn't encourage other friendships."
"That is too bad. It should be one of these Slayerettes then, if we are to be assured of success."
"Willow and Xander are needed where they are, Oz is excluded because he is not exclusively human."
"There are no others."
"Angel is a Vampire, and Cordelia is the only other one. . I do not think she would do this."
"Not even to save the world?"
"Afraid not." We walked on, I checked to see if we were still being followed. We were.
"I have found a way where the ritual could be performed without a close friend. There is small chance of success, but a chance none the less." Sven paused thinking, glancing at his sister. "Heidi has already volunteered."
I turned to look at her. She smiled and ducked her head.
"It would be a great honour," she said. "To die for such a man, that the world might continue."
"What happens if it doesn't work?"
"Then we will have tried."
"And my death will have found meaning, in the trying."
I lifted a finger as I sensed our follower slipping away. I waited until I was sure we were alone, and slumped, nearly falling.
"Did it work?" Professor Hauptmann slipped an arm around my shoulders, supporting me, Sven grabbed the other side.
"Yes," I whispered. "I think so."
"You hate yourself now?"
"Yes," more emphatically.
"Do not. There will be plenty, who will be glad to do that for you."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Three days later, Giles left the hospital.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"I haven't had so much fun in a long time!" The speaker twisted and turned, between blasts of dark energy. The Horde thundered beneath us, and we blasted it in the only major engagement planned before it reached Earth. The Horde fired with all it had, dropping some of us, making it difficult for the rest of us to get in clean shots.
Fun, I thought as I twisted desperately away from a searing blast. Fun, maybe his mind would have been changed if he'd seen the pretty young apprentice, a Magus for all of ten seconds, before she died, gibberous horror playing in her eyes.
Yeah, that was fun.
The scene below us was chaotic, and about to get worse. I could see Professor Hauptmann and Sven fly into position, with other hand picked Magi moving into position.
"Apprentices, all others, leave now," I mind shouted. I counted ten. "Willow Now!"
The front runners of the Horde had passed over the spot where she had been hidden, and the greatest mass was passing over, when the ground erupted up from underneath them. Sending mount and demon flying every which way. The Magi fired into the spreading chaos, allowing a red headed Magician time to shoot up from her hiding place, and out of sight. I saw a smile of triumph as she passed my position.
"Your turn Carpenter," Professor Hauptmann mind shouted as he, and the other Magi moved into the star position. "Go now!"
I did as I was told. We had done some damage, though they'd been waiting. Gained some time, I could only hope it was enough as I spiraled up and away, avoiding the winged demons. That and that the others would get out safely.
*** *** *** *** **** **** *** **** ***
I can't say how Willow was feeling, but I had a spitting headache. I was bruised, and any parts of me injured astrally found its physical counter part, doubly so. Not actually injured, but the pain was real. I would have enjoyed staying in bed, but sometimes you don't have a choice. So I got up, moaned, and stumbled down stairs.
"Good lord," came a voice from the kitchen. Mrs. Summers raced up to catch me, just as I started to trip over the last step. What was she doing here. Oh, yeah, she had appeared at the door a week ago, asking if she could stay, wanting to be near Buffy. "You go right back up, and get back in bed."
"No time," I muttered, briefly wondering what the white specks that appeared to be floating in the air were. "I got to get to the others. Important."
"Okay then I'll help you get there, just don't mind the flour. I've been baking bread ever since Willow came home this morning. Wasn't she with you? Astrally I mean."
Mrs. Summers guided me down the hall, turning right into the library. Meg was there, looking upset, no doubt about being chased out of her own kitchen. So was Willow, holding her head at a table, talking quietly to Giles.
I was happy to see Professor Hauptmann. Sven and Heidi over in a corner, looking the worse for wear. But alive.
Meg and Mrs. Summers helped me over to the couch.
Buffy was doing push ups on a training mat, under Xander's watchful eyes. He glanced at me, paled, and started for me. "You got fifty more to do," he told her. "Don't stop."
"You just like watching me do this.," she grunted.
"What happened out there? Willow never told us anything."
I didn't answer right away, the room faded, and swung like a pin wheel. Willow rushed over, her eyes looking at mine. Behind her, Giles appeared. By the time the room dropped back to normal, a blonde head had joined the others.
"We did some damage. Gained a week, two at most."
"That gives us three weeks 'till they come." Xander did the math. "Are we going to be ready in time. I mean..."
"Plan for less. Can't go up against them again. Meg, she ready?"
Meg bobbed her head. "She's had her lunch. I bring her?"
I nodded.
"Bring who?"
"Cordelia. Didn't die. Explain when gets here."
"Weapons locker, cloth roll, blue, get it."
"I'll get it," said Willow, suiting action to words. I watched her, scanned her. Thankful that her effort wasn't taking the toll I was was feeling. She was hurting, nothing could have avoided that. Magick has a price, and the more used, the higher the price. She didn't complain. I was proud of my apprentice.
"The least you could have done was give me something decent to wear." Cordelia came into the library, wearing pajamas covered with a white flannel robe. "Really, I mean, they expect more of me."
I don't think anyone even noticed what she was wearing.
"And you," Cordelia stood over the couch. "Grim and silent here told me that you'd explain what happened. And what meat grinder did you fall out of? Never mind, just tell me why I'm still alive."
"You are immortal."
"What?"
"Immortal."
"You mean I can't die. Then what happened?"
"You died, can die. Just come back to life. Willow..."
"I'm here."
"Give her package."
"Swords? What am I supposed to do with these?"
"Amaratzu steel, finest Japanese craftsmanship. Learn to use, to fight. Buffy, Willow will help?"
"Why? If I'm immortal, and I'll just come back to life, why do I need to learn to fight."
"There can be only one."
"Huh?"
"You die... final death... if head removed from body. Other immortals, like you, will try"
"You mean, other immortals will try to kill me?"
"Yes."
But why?"
"Prize for last immortal Not sure."
The room faded, and he voices that started babbling all at once died out.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** **
"So what happened?" I woke up in my bed. Willow was sitting there, and had fetched me a cup of herb tea, and a scone Mrs. Summers had baked this morning. "How long have I been out?"
"Five hours." Willow glanced at me. "You scared everybody, when you faded out. Luckily Giles found a pulse and He and Meg brought you up here. Uhm, I wouldn't go near Buffy for a while though. She's pretty wigged."
"Oh."
"Yeah, she started screaming about what you'd put her through. She was so mad that she swore at her mother. Something she has never done."
"And? I can't see Mrs. Summers taking that from her daughter, even if she is the Slayer."
"She didn't," Willow frowned. "They had a real screaming match. Then her mom made her do push ups, you know the hand clappy ones. The ones she really doesn't like."
"I bet she really loved that."
"It's not over yet." I looked past Willow to see Oz standing in the doorway. "When that was done, and you ran out of the room, they went to the kitchen. Mrs. S. is baking, and lecturing, up a storm, and Buffy is just barely keeping up with the washing. I'm going for flour, you wanna come?"
Willow looked at me apologetically. I nodded, and she scampered out of the room.
"Giles is waiting to talk to you."
I sighed, it wasn't hard to figure out what he wanted to talk about.
"Send him in."
"Your funeral."
**** *** **** ***
"Feeling better?" Giles came in, his eyes icy, as he regarded me through his glasses.
"Moderately," I answered, "though I doubt my health is what you came to talk about."
"you're right, it isn't."
"Lets cut the sparring, and get on with it."
"Okay. First off, Who's idea was it to go to the council?"
"There wasn't a choice. You've developed the ability to winkle out the good prophecies from the bad. No one else could. But that facet had to be covered, and the Watchers are the only ones who could have helped.""
"I've seen these kids do some amazing things."
"They still do, and will continue to do so. But you don't send them out with less than the information they need and expect them to pull a rabbit out of the hat. You can't expect miracles all the time. ."
I stopped, seeing the look of pain on his face.
"Look, its not your fault. It was done to you, you didn't cut out. But we still needed someone to do your job, and that someone needed the backing, the knowledge, and the expertise of the Watcher's Council. You still have a lot of training to undergo, we still need them.""
"I can't believe they chose Xander."
"Why not? You just never gave him the credit he deserved, or saw the man beneath the boy." I laughed bitterly. "You never even looked to see what he might be hiding with that comic routine of his."
"This wasn't the best time for him to start."
"It isn't like there was a whole lot of choice."
"So they just accepted it."
"They didn't get much choice anyway."
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them that if they didn't take the deal, I, and the other Magi, would go all out against the Horsemen and leave them to deal with the aftermath."
"You'd have done that?"
"No, but they didn't need to know it."
"If I was so important, why didn't you have them perform the life transference ritual when I went down?" You knew about the ritual." Giles stared hard at me. "Don't deny it."
"Sure I knew. But what would you have me do? Ask Cordelia if she would kindly allow herself to be killed? I knew what she was, she didn't, nor was she likely to believe me if I told her. Should I have taken Buffy aside and suggested that she shove a knife through Cordelia's heart for the greater good? Would she have done it?"
"She did shove a knife through Cordelia's heart."
"Cordelia made the choice. That's what made the sacrifice valid."
"What about me, do you think I'd want that? That I could live with that kind of sacrifice?"
"You want to honour what she did you will. Cordelia isn't, wasn't a fighter, though I'm told she's getting better at it. Oh, she can handle one vampire, two in a pinch, but she didn't think she could do much against the Horsemen, when they came. She saw something she could do. If she couldn't fight to make a difference, she could maybe die to make a difference. She made a choice. You have to decide what to do with it."
"But she didn't die."
"She just didn't stay dead."
"You've got everything figured out don't you."
"I do my best."
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*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"Buffy," Riley walked beside her. "We know about the farm."
"The..the farm?" Buffy wondered exactly how much he knew. If Riley knew then the Initiative knew. She didn't know whether that was good or bad.
"Yes the farm." Riley turned Buffy so he could look into her eyes. "An old horse breeding place, just south of here. It used to be empty for years, now the place is hopping. Tents all over the place, archery practice, crossbows, sword fights. Your friends have been seen there, so you must know what's going on."
"May be one of those SCA things, I think Willow has been thinking about joining." Buffy thought fast, wondering just how she was going to convince Willow to join, or even if there was a local chapter of the Society for Creative Anarchism. "Probably nothing."
"Let's hope that's all it is."
"Why, what's going on."
"Nothing." Riley sounded distracted.
"What," Buffy demanded. "What's gong on?" Is it the Initiative..."
Her voice was cut off by a popping explosion off to their left. It was soon followed by the staccato of machine gun fire.
"Finn, you get this," crackled an alarmed voice through his belt radio. 'The Initiative is under attack."
"Under attack, but why?"
Riley ignored Buffy, and raced for the nearest entrance.
The door had been blasted open. Four commandos had come out, and lay just in front of the door, their guns chattering away at figures moving around in the dark. One passed under a light.
"Spike," whispered Buffy. "What's he up to?"
"Spike," asked Riley.
"Yeah, that was one of his lieutenants." She paused listening. There was a whooshing sound as a flight of arrows flew into the gaping entrance.
"You go right, I'll..."
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Willow raised her eyes and glared at Graham, trying to ignore her cheek, where she had been backhanded.
"Well," demanded Professor Walsh stepping into the room.
"Nothing," growled Graham. He and a friend had grabbed Willow after classes that afternoon, and brought her in for questioning. Except she wasn't answering. This was her second questioning session. She had refused to answer anything, except name, age and academic standing. Something she had found very amusing, if he hadn't. It had been followed by a period of isolationism, in which she was supposed to have pondered her situation and, ideally, grown more frightened.
Oh, she was scared, Graham could see it in her eyes. She was just not scared enough. He figured they were running out of time. The slayer...
"Perhaps Finn will have more luck with Ms. Summers." Professor Walsh interrupted his thoughts.
Graham snorted, believing that Finn had been compromised by the Slayer. He stepped towards Willow, raising his arms, and fell to the ground under the force of a rumbling explosion.
"What's going on," snapped Professor Walsh, getting to her feet.
Graham grabbed a radio, and snapped it on. He barked an order, and listened to the staticy voices.
"We're under attack," he shouted at Professor Walsh. "Entrances to sectors A, C, D and F have been blasted open. They've got projectile weapons, organization. They're inside, in overwhelming numbers."
"Who's inside."
"Vampires." Graham listened some more. "Hostile 19's been seen, sector A. He's released the Hostiles in the holding area."
"That's impossible, Vampires don't have the discipline for this." snapped Professor Walsh. "I put its implant in myself."
"Well it's not working," Graham snapped. "They'll be here any moment. The whole place is compromised."
"We're here now," A blond head poked itself into the door, fully vamped out. Two more vampires slid into the room, cross bows trained on Professor Walsh and Forrest. "Might not be a good time to move, ducks. Orders are not to harm you, but if you give us no choice." Spike shrugged.
"Orders," sneered Professor Walsh," since when do Vampires take orders from anyone."
"Not often," I said stepping into the room. "But they can be quite cooperative, under the right leadership and against a common enemy."
"Who are you," hissed Professor Walsh. "What's the meaning of this?"
I ignored her, preferring to check up on my Apprentice. Fortunately, there was little physically wrong, and she was freed of her shackles.
There was a commotion at the door, and Buffy and Riley were shoved into the room. Each held by three Vampires.
"Willow," cried Buffy. "What?"
I looked at her hard.
"Shackle them, and bring them," I nodded to the Professor and Graham, who'd backed up against a wall. I glanced again at Buffy and Riley. "Them too."
Riley started to struggle. I nodded. A vampire grinned, picked up a piece of wood, and knocked Riley unconscious.
Buffy glared at me. But didn't struggle as her arms were shackled behind her back.
*********************************************************
"Do you know what you have done?" We were in my office, back at the farm. Where we created quite a stir when Buffy was led, shackled, into the house. She was seated, still shackled, next to Graham and Professor Walsh, who was the speaker. "You have allied yourself with these monsters, against your own people. Become a traitor to your own kind, your country."
"I have done merely what you were trying to do, make soldiers out of them. Now as to my Apprentice, and your abducting her."
"You should worry more about your future," Professor Walsh hissed. "They will find us."
I opened a little brown case, and dumped the contents onto the desk. Little gray chips. Graham paled when he saw them.
"Not with these they won't."
"But how..."
"Not difficult," I answered. "But you're right. Eventually someone would think to look here. I suppose I could send you through the mirror."
Both Professor and Graham paled when they saw the mirror.
It was an oak framed oval full length affair that I kept in the corner of my office. And kept for more than just admiring my beauty.
It showed a grassy plain disappearing fast under the thundering hooves of demon ridden steeds.
"I dare say you wouldn't last long, but they wouldn't find you here, or any trace."
"I could keep you here, using my talents to keep you hidden and your friends unaware. They could kill you when they get here."
"They're...coming...here?"
"Graham," snapped Professor Walsh. "Be quiet."
"They're coming," I answered him. "Very soon."
"Who, what are they?"
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." I proceeded to describe briefly what they were, what they were coming for, and what I was doing about it."
"You think you can stop them?"
"All I can do is try."
"You don't have the resources," sneered Professor Walsh. "If you would have come to us, cooperated with us, this threat could have been averted. This unpleasantness could have been avoided. As it is..." She left the question hanging.
"Professor, they could still cooperate with us," Graham suggested sitting forward. "Maybe we could forget this ever happened."
"A possibility." Professor Walsh appeared to think a moment. "I think you will find the government is generous with its allies. Yes, we shall forget this ever happened."
"When this crisis is over?"
"Life goes back to normal." She shrugged. "As before."
"She's lying."
The speaker was a brown haired woman, sitting beside my desk, unobtrusively taking notes.
"Tamara is an excellent telepath, quite adept at picking up lies."
"No, I think it best you remain here. I'm sure your assistant can handle your classes. As there are too few of us to act as your guards," Forrest smirked, "during the daytime at least. I will place a geas on you. You will have complete freedom to move about this farm, to talk to anyone you choose."
"You will have no desire to leave the boundaries of this farm, or communicate with others off this farm, or be seen by anyone not of this farm."
"This geas will be removed when this threat is dealt with?"
"Yes."
I pronounced the spell, and Professor Walsh and Graham were escorted out, and shown to their rooms.
Which left Buffy sitting on the couch, staring at me.
I waggled a finger, and her shackles fell off.
"Did you have to do this," she asked rubbing her wrists.
"Verisimilitude." She looked confused. "It had to appear real," I explained. "As the Slayer, the geas has no effect on you. But I would ask that you limit your absences to times when they are not apt to notice."
She nodded glumly and left.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"It seems we got a problem boys." General Sherman T. Hogg sat behind Professor Walsh's desk at the Initiative, glaring from under regulation cut eyebrows. "I have some questions to ask. I hope you don't mind answering."
"Sir Yes sir." Forrest stood at attention before the General. Beside him, Riley stood slightly more at ease.
"Good." The General smiled his approval.
"This Initiative was mandated to determine a way to turn Vampires and other demonkind into soldiers for Uncle Sam. Several millions of dollars has been spent on this program. Our research has shown that they aren't very good at organization. Yet, this Carpenter fellow seems to have done just that. Organized them, turned them into soldiers, and led them on a successful raid of this facility, leaving Uncle Sam with egg all over his face. How and why did he do that, gentlemen?"
Forrest gulped. "We don't know sir, there must have been a spy?"
"There must have been a spy," the General repeated. "A convenient answer." The General glanced at Riley. "Do you have a suggestion."
"Sir, I believe that the Vampire army was cooperating with him, rather than working for him."
"Why do you believe that?"
"Sir, we know that vampires do not readily cooperate with each other, and when they do it is more like a gang, banded under a master vampire. Even then their cooperation is more out of fear of the leader, than any desire to cooperate. They do not cooperate with anyone outside their community, or gang, unless presented with a common enemy. In this case, us."
"I see." The General steepled his fingers. "I can see why the vampires would consider us their enemy, but why this other fellow. He doesn't appear in any of the reports I've seen, yet he leads a raid against us. Why?"
"Sir, his Apprentice was brought in for questioning."
"Is this apprentice a vampire, demon?"
"No sir, as far as I know, she's just a civilian. She attends UC Sunnydale."
"Under the Rules of Engagement, no civilian was to be interrogated, or even investigated, without my express permission. I saw no request for such an operation."
"Sir," Forrest swallowed. "The civilian in question, a Willow Rosenberg, has been known to have been involved with paranormal activity, and has been seen in the company of Hostile 19. Professor Walsh agreed to it."
"I see. Perhaps then she deserved investigation. I presume she is safely back at this farm. There is no way to draw her out, or anyone else?"
"Sir," Forrest looked uncomfortable. "The farm has taken on the characteristics of an armed camp. No one has entered or left except to replenish supplies."
General Hogg looked astounded.
"We have the biggest threat to the security of the United States of America located on a farm within our borders, and we can't even stop them from going shopping?"
"Has it not occurred to you that they should be contained to their farm, at the very least."
"Sir, yes sir. Several attempts has been made, Sir. However, the men report that their vehicles are clearly marked, and when ever one approaches, they feel an overwhelming desire to clear the road."
"Who are the principals?"
"Mr. Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris, those are the ones we know, Sir."
"Occupations?"
Mr. Giles is unemployed, the rest are students."
"Students, young students, or older students."
"Young sir."
"Bring in their parents then. Perhaps we can use them to draw them out."
Riley was about to protest when Forrest began speaking.
"They're not there sir."
"What?"
"Professor Walsh suggested that an effective means of putting pressure on the members of a group is through family connections. "I sent men around to each of their residences. They were not there."
"Well then gentlemen, I am open to suggestions."
"We could stage a raid ourselves sir. With air support..."
"The Senator would not appreciate having his constituents jolted out of their beds by falling bombs. He would not appreciate that at all."
"
"Sir," Riley said coming to attention. "May I make a suggestion."
"You may."
*******************************************************
"You can't keep me here."
I looked up at the thickset man who'd stormed into my office. Not only was he thickset, but he had a paunch that spilled over his belt, covered with a yellow tee shirt that wasn't quite wide enough to cover it.
"Wife's a lawyer. Soon's we get outta here, she's gonna sue your sorry butt off. You can't frighten me with your cock a doodle doo stories."
"No one is trying to frighten you Mr. Harris. We just felt it safer for you to be here. For you as well. You may leave whenever you wish."
Mr. Harris smiled, and rose to his feet.
"Then I'll be seeing you in court."
"Perhaps, should we both survive that long."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"There are other organizations, government organizations that may wish to stop us." I stressed the word government, because my background checks had revealed Mr. Harris to be deeply involved in the Militia movements, a good number of which were pro their brand of freedom, rather than freedom for all, the kind promoted by government. "They may feel that the best way of pressuring us is through you."
"Why me?"
"Because your son, Xander, is part of this organization."
"That no account kid, he can look after himself."
I smiled.
"It appars that Xander shares the same opinion of you. I don't believe he would fall to that type of pressure should these organizations get their hands on you. I only wished to be fair. You are free to go, whenever you wish."
Mr. Harris glared at me, I could almost see the wheels turning.
"What if these organizations come after me?"
"My protection ends when you leave this farm."
***********************************************************
"I just don't understand it." Sheila Rosenberg stood at the corral fence, watching as her daughter trained with Buffy. They were using staffs, and both of them were moving faster than it seemed humanly possible. "How can she do this?"
"I don't know," Ira Rosenberg shook his head. "That thing she did with the pencil."
'It must have been controlled with a string."
"It was my pencil. I had just given it to her. You saw that. She did not even touch it."
"Then it's drugs. We must have been drugged some how, I don't even know why we came out here."
"It just felt necessary. Something we had to do."
"What happened to our sweet Willow?"
"Reality," said a voice beside them. Sheila looked to see Joyce Summers watching her aughter. "Just not the one we grew up with."
"You...you know something about this?"
"I know that what they said is true..."
"You're as crazy as they are. You're part of it aren't you, and you got my daughter into it." Shela started moving towards Joyce, but stopped when Ira placed a hand on her shoulder. "You get my daughter out of this you hear," she screamed. "You let her go now!"
"Sheila, you should go lay down. You're getting distraught. Things will be better later, when we get a chance to think about it."
The Rosenbergs argued a bit longer, but finally Sheila stalked towards the house.
"I apologize for my wife." Ira looked at his daughter, who had been distracted by the argument, and was standing staring at them. "It is a lot too take in."
"Believe me, I went through it all when Buffy told me she was the Slayer, and I still wish I could get her out of it. I can't though, no matter how much I would like too."
Joyce looked over at Ira. "You seem to take it quite calmly."
"Calm," he chuckled. "I am not calm. Nether am I as insulated from my daughter's life as is her mother."
"You knew this was going on?"
"A little thing here, a little thing there it all adds up, and comes together like a picture puzzle."
"You never tried to stop her?"
"It was too late. If I had confronted her with what I knew and suspected, would she have stopped? Better to have her learn to fight against these things, rather than find her dead because she could not defend herself.
"And I've always wondered."
"Wondered?"
"The Torah, you would call it the Old Testament, speaks of a war between God and certain of his Angels. These Angels were cast down from Heaven, and their Prince, Lucifer, which means Morning Star, was given dominion over this world. I always wondered who protected us against them."
Disclaimer. Characters, except for Nathanial Carpenter and Meg, belong to Joss Whedon and Fox tv, etc. Used without permission
feedback: Would be nice.
**********************************************************
I was taking a little down time, just sitting there on the veranda gazing at the stars. Trying to recover from the head ache that astral projection always gave me. Especially when I have to fight while there, like I did this morning. Nudging the horde in the direction I wanted. Throwing up barricades that enforced the direction. They knew what I was doing too. So they sent out their scouts whenever they felt my presence. They were getting good at it.
That was over and done with, for now, I had a good idea where I wanted them coming, and was formulating a plan to handle them when the time came. But that could wait, I needed down time, I was taking it. Gazing at the stars.
I looked up as the door opened, and Buffy came out. She spotted an empty chair beside mine, headed over to claim it, and then hesitated, confused. She looked at me.
"Come sit," I invited. "Join me. Meg will be out soon with some hot chocolate."
Yeah sure," she took the seat, and looked at the night sky. "Pretty isn't it. Never seen them like this."
"We don't have as much light pollution out here."
"Light pollution?"
"Yeah, take a look at Sunnydale, see all the light?"
"Yeah. So?"
"So that light interferes with our ability to see the light from the stars. Out here in the boonies, we see more stars than you do in town."
"Oh."
We sat in silence for a while. I sensed she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it.
"Xander treating you okay?"
"Xander, I miss the old funny witty caring Xander. The one who makes me laugh." Buffy seemed a little surprised at what she was saying, but she carried on. "Instead of him, I got the Xander who makes me do push ups. I thought with him as my Watcher I'd be freer. But in ways, he's more of a taskmaster than they ever were."
"Xander is still Xander. You just saw what you wanted to see, or he wanted you to see.. Nobody sees everything about someone else. Nor do they show everything about themselves. The Xander you miss will be back soon enough.""
"Like you? You don't show or tell everything."
"Me?"
"I used to think you were like the Watchers, sitting in your libraries, sending others out to fight, or die. Its not like that, is it?"
"Sometimes, it is necessary to do that, send someone to fight, knowing that he will not return. Some would say that is what I am doing. Gathering forces to fight in a battle we cannot win."
"You don't think we will survive?"
"There are so very many of them, and so very few of us. Sometimes, I think we're like the Spartans at Thermopylae."
"Thermopoly?"
"Thermopylae,a valley in Greece amid high hills. On one side is the sea, on the other Mount Oeta. In 480 BC, Xerxes lead a massive Persian army in an invasion of Greece, and there, he met a force of 300 Spartans, under King Leonidas. The Spartans fought to the last man and with their sacrifice, Greece was given time to gather her armies."
"Did they win, the Greeks?"
"No, I don't believe they did. But without Thermopylae, they would have had no chance."
"That's what were doing, giving the rest of the world a chance to prepare, to surive?"
"Sometimes that is all we can do."
Willow doesn't think you'll make it. You're using too much energy in your hit and run tactics."
"How could I expect you, or any of the others, to die for a cause, if I am not willing to lay down my life for it?"
"But in the end, I will not be alone." I described the network of Magi, and Wiccans that would be drawn together to transfer power to me, and to Willow "There'll be enough power to get the job done."
"Yeah, but not enough for you to survive."
"One does what one can."
"Can't you get another Magi to come help?"
"A good number will, if only to see that I don't become too powerful. They should be here next week, Watchers, and Magi and Wiccans, all pledged to the fight."
"So you're it for now."
"For now. Willow may have to pitch in and help before this is over. But that's for later."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
They did come. Three days ago, this field was empty. Now it was a small town of tents, camp lights, camp stoves. Off in one corner, a barbecue was in progress.
It had been decided that the Horsemen would be herded to a small valley south of here, where the surrounding hills were high enough to form a good bottleneck. Watchers, Magi, their apprentices, Wiccans, and other personnel arrived to make the strike force.
Over to one side, Willow was lecturing to some of the younger Apprentices and Wiccans.
The others were around somewhere, but I was more interested in three figures standing off to one side, watching the lecture.
"A remarkable girl," said the portliest one as I drew near. Professor Johan Hauptmann was the best Magician I had ever studied under at the Academy. "Grown even more remarkable since she had the good fortune to become your Apprentice."
"Anything I am, you helped to make."
"Then for once, I have succeeded." The Professor, for that was what I thought of him, smiled, strong white teeth flashing under a thick bunch of white hair. He looked at me, blue eyes twinkling. "I had thought myself well rid of you."
"Now, Professor..."
He held up a hand. "Here, I am not your Professor. Here I am a soldier, and you are my leader." He grinned. "Later, when this is over, we can find a quiet corner of whatever Hell they put us in, there you can call me Professor and I shall lecture you endlessly for your sins."
"You will always be Professor." I started to feel a camaraderie I had lost since leaving the Academy. " I've never known you to put off a lecture."
"Do you doubt the wisdom of this?" Professor Hauptmann spread out his arms, to encompass the camp.
"I sometimes wonder about my ability to be the leader."
"If you doubt, do it where no one can see. If you choose wrong, then you must make another decision, and once that decision is made, there is no room to doubt it. If you do, and others see that you do, then they will doubt all the more."
"He's right you know." We had moved away from Willow's lecture, and were walking around the perimeter of the field. The speaker moved under a light.
"Sven Thorensson," I exclaimed clasping his hand. Sven was a couple years ahead of me, but still became my closest friend and confidant at the Academy. "What brings you from Norway?"
"It is good to see you my friend. I always knew you'd lead us to our deaths. I would regret it if I were not a witness to you doing it."
"Such optimism warms my heart."
"I have brought someone else for you to meet." Sven reached out and drew a girl into the light. "This is Heidi, my baby sister."
"I am pleased to meet you Mr. Carpenter." She dimpled, and ducked her head. For a baby sister, she was almost as tall as her brother, ash blonde hair, blue sparkling eyes. I told her to call me Nathaniel.
"She has proven herself as a Wiccan," Sven said proudly. "She was going to the Academy, and then she was going to be my Apprentice. But after seeing yours, I'm beginning to think the Academy a waste of time."
"No method of learning is a waste," Professor Hauptmann assured him. "Some are more suited to one method than to others."
"She will still be my Apprentice," Sven announced. "If Nat doesn't get us killed first."
"I will do my best," I assured him, and possibly myself. "Perhaps you should have left her home."
"She wanted to come." Sven grew serious. "If we fail, not even the Oslofjord will keep her safe."
By this time we had come up near a group of men and women, all dressed in tweed despite the weather. All, that is, except for Xander who was busy arguing with one of the Watchers, who was taking him to task for not having enough control over Buffy.
"That Watcher, the new one, Xander," said Professor Hauptmann. "How is he working out?"
"Quite well actually." We moved on, and I noted a form leave the group to follow closely behind us. "Oh there were rough spots for the first week, mainly because he's never learned to believe in himself and his abilities. When she accepted being back with the Council, Buffy worked with him almost night and day, getting him to believe that he was worth more than a laugh or two. Willow helped him to see his potential. I can still hear the fights, but finally they worked things out. The Council kept their word, and is supplying as much help and training as they can."
"But he is not your Mr. Giles."
"No, he isn't."
"I have been thinking on this for some time." Professor Hauptmann enunciated his words clearly. "Ever since you contacted me. The only thing I can think of, that might help, is the Life Transference Ritual. I left the instructions on my web page."
"That ritual requires the voluntary sacrifice of one of his friends. I doubt that Giles would want that. Or that one of his friends would agree."
But he would adjust? If this were done."
"Yes, once the ritual was done. I don't imagine that he would throw it away."
"Does he have any close friends, family?"
No. His work usually brings him into contact with the Slayer and her friends. He doesn't encourage other friendships."
"That is too bad. It should be one of these Slayerettes then, if we are to be assured of success."
"Willow and Xander are needed where they are, Oz is excluded because he is not exclusively human."
"There are no others."
"Angel is a Vampire, and Cordelia is the only other one. . I do not think she would do this."
"Not even to save the world?"
"Afraid not." We walked on, I checked to see if we were still being followed. We were.
"I have found a way where the ritual could be performed without a close friend. There is small chance of success, but a chance none the less." Sven paused thinking, glancing at his sister. "Heidi has already volunteered."
I turned to look at her. She smiled and ducked her head.
"It would be a great honour," she said. "To die for such a man, that the world might continue."
"What happens if it doesn't work?"
"Then we will have tried."
"And my death will have found meaning, in the trying."
I lifted a finger as I sensed our follower slipping away. I waited until I was sure we were alone, and slumped, nearly falling.
"Did it work?" Professor Hauptmann slipped an arm around my shoulders, supporting me, Sven grabbed the other side.
"Yes," I whispered. "I think so."
"You hate yourself now?"
"Yes," more emphatically.
"Do not. There will be plenty, who will be glad to do that for you."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Three days later, Giles left the hospital.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"I haven't had so much fun in a long time!" The speaker twisted and turned, between blasts of dark energy. The Horde thundered beneath us, and we blasted it in the only major engagement planned before it reached Earth. The Horde fired with all it had, dropping some of us, making it difficult for the rest of us to get in clean shots.
Fun, I thought as I twisted desperately away from a searing blast. Fun, maybe his mind would have been changed if he'd seen the pretty young apprentice, a Magus for all of ten seconds, before she died, gibberous horror playing in her eyes.
Yeah, that was fun.
The scene below us was chaotic, and about to get worse. I could see Professor Hauptmann and Sven fly into position, with other hand picked Magi moving into position.
"Apprentices, all others, leave now," I mind shouted. I counted ten. "Willow Now!"
The front runners of the Horde had passed over the spot where she had been hidden, and the greatest mass was passing over, when the ground erupted up from underneath them. Sending mount and demon flying every which way. The Magi fired into the spreading chaos, allowing a red headed Magician time to shoot up from her hiding place, and out of sight. I saw a smile of triumph as she passed my position.
"Your turn Carpenter," Professor Hauptmann mind shouted as he, and the other Magi moved into the star position. "Go now!"
I did as I was told. We had done some damage, though they'd been waiting. Gained some time, I could only hope it was enough as I spiraled up and away, avoiding the winged demons. That and that the others would get out safely.
*** *** *** *** **** **** *** **** ***
I can't say how Willow was feeling, but I had a spitting headache. I was bruised, and any parts of me injured astrally found its physical counter part, doubly so. Not actually injured, but the pain was real. I would have enjoyed staying in bed, but sometimes you don't have a choice. So I got up, moaned, and stumbled down stairs.
"Good lord," came a voice from the kitchen. Mrs. Summers raced up to catch me, just as I started to trip over the last step. What was she doing here. Oh, yeah, she had appeared at the door a week ago, asking if she could stay, wanting to be near Buffy. "You go right back up, and get back in bed."
"No time," I muttered, briefly wondering what the white specks that appeared to be floating in the air were. "I got to get to the others. Important."
"Okay then I'll help you get there, just don't mind the flour. I've been baking bread ever since Willow came home this morning. Wasn't she with you? Astrally I mean."
Mrs. Summers guided me down the hall, turning right into the library. Meg was there, looking upset, no doubt about being chased out of her own kitchen. So was Willow, holding her head at a table, talking quietly to Giles.
I was happy to see Professor Hauptmann. Sven and Heidi over in a corner, looking the worse for wear. But alive.
Meg and Mrs. Summers helped me over to the couch.
Buffy was doing push ups on a training mat, under Xander's watchful eyes. He glanced at me, paled, and started for me. "You got fifty more to do," he told her. "Don't stop."
"You just like watching me do this.," she grunted.
"What happened out there? Willow never told us anything."
I didn't answer right away, the room faded, and swung like a pin wheel. Willow rushed over, her eyes looking at mine. Behind her, Giles appeared. By the time the room dropped back to normal, a blonde head had joined the others.
"We did some damage. Gained a week, two at most."
"That gives us three weeks 'till they come." Xander did the math. "Are we going to be ready in time. I mean..."
"Plan for less. Can't go up against them again. Meg, she ready?"
Meg bobbed her head. "She's had her lunch. I bring her?"
I nodded.
"Bring who?"
"Cordelia. Didn't die. Explain when gets here."
"Weapons locker, cloth roll, blue, get it."
"I'll get it," said Willow, suiting action to words. I watched her, scanned her. Thankful that her effort wasn't taking the toll I was was feeling. She was hurting, nothing could have avoided that. Magick has a price, and the more used, the higher the price. She didn't complain. I was proud of my apprentice.
"The least you could have done was give me something decent to wear." Cordelia came into the library, wearing pajamas covered with a white flannel robe. "Really, I mean, they expect more of me."
I don't think anyone even noticed what she was wearing.
"And you," Cordelia stood over the couch. "Grim and silent here told me that you'd explain what happened. And what meat grinder did you fall out of? Never mind, just tell me why I'm still alive."
"You are immortal."
"What?"
"Immortal."
"You mean I can't die. Then what happened?"
"You died, can die. Just come back to life. Willow..."
"I'm here."
"Give her package."
"Swords? What am I supposed to do with these?"
"Amaratzu steel, finest Japanese craftsmanship. Learn to use, to fight. Buffy, Willow will help?"
"Why? If I'm immortal, and I'll just come back to life, why do I need to learn to fight."
"There can be only one."
"Huh?"
"You die... final death... if head removed from body. Other immortals, like you, will try"
"You mean, other immortals will try to kill me?"
"Yes."
But why?"
"Prize for last immortal Not sure."
The room faded, and he voices that started babbling all at once died out.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** **
"So what happened?" I woke up in my bed. Willow was sitting there, and had fetched me a cup of herb tea, and a scone Mrs. Summers had baked this morning. "How long have I been out?"
"Five hours." Willow glanced at me. "You scared everybody, when you faded out. Luckily Giles found a pulse and He and Meg brought you up here. Uhm, I wouldn't go near Buffy for a while though. She's pretty wigged."
"Oh."
"Yeah, she started screaming about what you'd put her through. She was so mad that she swore at her mother. Something she has never done."
"And? I can't see Mrs. Summers taking that from her daughter, even if she is the Slayer."
"She didn't," Willow frowned. "They had a real screaming match. Then her mom made her do push ups, you know the hand clappy ones. The ones she really doesn't like."
"I bet she really loved that."
"It's not over yet." I looked past Willow to see Oz standing in the doorway. "When that was done, and you ran out of the room, they went to the kitchen. Mrs. S. is baking, and lecturing, up a storm, and Buffy is just barely keeping up with the washing. I'm going for flour, you wanna come?"
Willow looked at me apologetically. I nodded, and she scampered out of the room.
"Giles is waiting to talk to you."
I sighed, it wasn't hard to figure out what he wanted to talk about.
"Send him in."
"Your funeral."
**** *** **** ***
"Feeling better?" Giles came in, his eyes icy, as he regarded me through his glasses.
"Moderately," I answered, "though I doubt my health is what you came to talk about."
"you're right, it isn't."
"Lets cut the sparring, and get on with it."
"Okay. First off, Who's idea was it to go to the council?"
"There wasn't a choice. You've developed the ability to winkle out the good prophecies from the bad. No one else could. But that facet had to be covered, and the Watchers are the only ones who could have helped.""
"I've seen these kids do some amazing things."
"They still do, and will continue to do so. But you don't send them out with less than the information they need and expect them to pull a rabbit out of the hat. You can't expect miracles all the time. ."
I stopped, seeing the look of pain on his face.
"Look, its not your fault. It was done to you, you didn't cut out. But we still needed someone to do your job, and that someone needed the backing, the knowledge, and the expertise of the Watcher's Council. You still have a lot of training to undergo, we still need them.""
"I can't believe they chose Xander."
"Why not? You just never gave him the credit he deserved, or saw the man beneath the boy." I laughed bitterly. "You never even looked to see what he might be hiding with that comic routine of his."
"This wasn't the best time for him to start."
"It isn't like there was a whole lot of choice."
"So they just accepted it."
"They didn't get much choice anyway."
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them that if they didn't take the deal, I, and the other Magi, would go all out against the Horsemen and leave them to deal with the aftermath."
"You'd have done that?"
"No, but they didn't need to know it."
"If I was so important, why didn't you have them perform the life transference ritual when I went down?" You knew about the ritual." Giles stared hard at me. "Don't deny it."
"Sure I knew. But what would you have me do? Ask Cordelia if she would kindly allow herself to be killed? I knew what she was, she didn't, nor was she likely to believe me if I told her. Should I have taken Buffy aside and suggested that she shove a knife through Cordelia's heart for the greater good? Would she have done it?"
"She did shove a knife through Cordelia's heart."
"Cordelia made the choice. That's what made the sacrifice valid."
"What about me, do you think I'd want that? That I could live with that kind of sacrifice?"
"You want to honour what she did you will. Cordelia isn't, wasn't a fighter, though I'm told she's getting better at it. Oh, she can handle one vampire, two in a pinch, but she didn't think she could do much against the Horsemen, when they came. She saw something she could do. If she couldn't fight to make a difference, she could maybe die to make a difference. She made a choice. You have to decide what to do with it."
"But she didn't die."
"She just didn't stay dead."
"You've got everything figured out don't you."
"I do my best."
**********************************************************
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"Buffy," Riley walked beside her. "We know about the farm."
"The..the farm?" Buffy wondered exactly how much he knew. If Riley knew then the Initiative knew. She didn't know whether that was good or bad.
"Yes the farm." Riley turned Buffy so he could look into her eyes. "An old horse breeding place, just south of here. It used to be empty for years, now the place is hopping. Tents all over the place, archery practice, crossbows, sword fights. Your friends have been seen there, so you must know what's going on."
"May be one of those SCA things, I think Willow has been thinking about joining." Buffy thought fast, wondering just how she was going to convince Willow to join, or even if there was a local chapter of the Society for Creative Anarchism. "Probably nothing."
"Let's hope that's all it is."
"Why, what's going on."
"Nothing." Riley sounded distracted.
"What," Buffy demanded. "What's gong on?" Is it the Initiative..."
Her voice was cut off by a popping explosion off to their left. It was soon followed by the staccato of machine gun fire.
"Finn, you get this," crackled an alarmed voice through his belt radio. 'The Initiative is under attack."
"Under attack, but why?"
Riley ignored Buffy, and raced for the nearest entrance.
The door had been blasted open. Four commandos had come out, and lay just in front of the door, their guns chattering away at figures moving around in the dark. One passed under a light.
"Spike," whispered Buffy. "What's he up to?"
"Spike," asked Riley.
"Yeah, that was one of his lieutenants." She paused listening. There was a whooshing sound as a flight of arrows flew into the gaping entrance.
"You go right, I'll..."
************************************************************
Willow raised her eyes and glared at Graham, trying to ignore her cheek, where she had been backhanded.
"Well," demanded Professor Walsh stepping into the room.
"Nothing," growled Graham. He and a friend had grabbed Willow after classes that afternoon, and brought her in for questioning. Except she wasn't answering. This was her second questioning session. She had refused to answer anything, except name, age and academic standing. Something she had found very amusing, if he hadn't. It had been followed by a period of isolationism, in which she was supposed to have pondered her situation and, ideally, grown more frightened.
Oh, she was scared, Graham could see it in her eyes. She was just not scared enough. He figured they were running out of time. The slayer...
"Perhaps Finn will have more luck with Ms. Summers." Professor Walsh interrupted his thoughts.
Graham snorted, believing that Finn had been compromised by the Slayer. He stepped towards Willow, raising his arms, and fell to the ground under the force of a rumbling explosion.
"What's going on," snapped Professor Walsh, getting to her feet.
Graham grabbed a radio, and snapped it on. He barked an order, and listened to the staticy voices.
"We're under attack," he shouted at Professor Walsh. "Entrances to sectors A, C, D and F have been blasted open. They've got projectile weapons, organization. They're inside, in overwhelming numbers."
"Who's inside."
"Vampires." Graham listened some more. "Hostile 19's been seen, sector A. He's released the Hostiles in the holding area."
"That's impossible, Vampires don't have the discipline for this." snapped Professor Walsh. "I put its implant in myself."
"Well it's not working," Graham snapped. "They'll be here any moment. The whole place is compromised."
"We're here now," A blond head poked itself into the door, fully vamped out. Two more vampires slid into the room, cross bows trained on Professor Walsh and Forrest. "Might not be a good time to move, ducks. Orders are not to harm you, but if you give us no choice." Spike shrugged.
"Orders," sneered Professor Walsh," since when do Vampires take orders from anyone."
"Not often," I said stepping into the room. "But they can be quite cooperative, under the right leadership and against a common enemy."
"Who are you," hissed Professor Walsh. "What's the meaning of this?"
I ignored her, preferring to check up on my Apprentice. Fortunately, there was little physically wrong, and she was freed of her shackles.
There was a commotion at the door, and Buffy and Riley were shoved into the room. Each held by three Vampires.
"Willow," cried Buffy. "What?"
I looked at her hard.
"Shackle them, and bring them," I nodded to the Professor and Graham, who'd backed up against a wall. I glanced again at Buffy and Riley. "Them too."
Riley started to struggle. I nodded. A vampire grinned, picked up a piece of wood, and knocked Riley unconscious.
Buffy glared at me. But didn't struggle as her arms were shackled behind her back.
*********************************************************
"Do you know what you have done?" We were in my office, back at the farm. Where we created quite a stir when Buffy was led, shackled, into the house. She was seated, still shackled, next to Graham and Professor Walsh, who was the speaker. "You have allied yourself with these monsters, against your own people. Become a traitor to your own kind, your country."
"I have done merely what you were trying to do, make soldiers out of them. Now as to my Apprentice, and your abducting her."
"You should worry more about your future," Professor Walsh hissed. "They will find us."
I opened a little brown case, and dumped the contents onto the desk. Little gray chips. Graham paled when he saw them.
"Not with these they won't."
"But how..."
"Not difficult," I answered. "But you're right. Eventually someone would think to look here. I suppose I could send you through the mirror."
Both Professor and Graham paled when they saw the mirror.
It was an oak framed oval full length affair that I kept in the corner of my office. And kept for more than just admiring my beauty.
It showed a grassy plain disappearing fast under the thundering hooves of demon ridden steeds.
"I dare say you wouldn't last long, but they wouldn't find you here, or any trace."
"I could keep you here, using my talents to keep you hidden and your friends unaware. They could kill you when they get here."
"They're...coming...here?"
"Graham," snapped Professor Walsh. "Be quiet."
"They're coming," I answered him. "Very soon."
"Who, what are they?"
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." I proceeded to describe briefly what they were, what they were coming for, and what I was doing about it."
"You think you can stop them?"
"All I can do is try."
"You don't have the resources," sneered Professor Walsh. "If you would have come to us, cooperated with us, this threat could have been averted. This unpleasantness could have been avoided. As it is..." She left the question hanging.
"Professor, they could still cooperate with us," Graham suggested sitting forward. "Maybe we could forget this ever happened."
"A possibility." Professor Walsh appeared to think a moment. "I think you will find the government is generous with its allies. Yes, we shall forget this ever happened."
"When this crisis is over?"
"Life goes back to normal." She shrugged. "As before."
"She's lying."
The speaker was a brown haired woman, sitting beside my desk, unobtrusively taking notes.
"Tamara is an excellent telepath, quite adept at picking up lies."
"No, I think it best you remain here. I'm sure your assistant can handle your classes. As there are too few of us to act as your guards," Forrest smirked, "during the daytime at least. I will place a geas on you. You will have complete freedom to move about this farm, to talk to anyone you choose."
"You will have no desire to leave the boundaries of this farm, or communicate with others off this farm, or be seen by anyone not of this farm."
"This geas will be removed when this threat is dealt with?"
"Yes."
I pronounced the spell, and Professor Walsh and Graham were escorted out, and shown to their rooms.
Which left Buffy sitting on the couch, staring at me.
I waggled a finger, and her shackles fell off.
"Did you have to do this," she asked rubbing her wrists.
"Verisimilitude." She looked confused. "It had to appear real," I explained. "As the Slayer, the geas has no effect on you. But I would ask that you limit your absences to times when they are not apt to notice."
She nodded glumly and left.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"It seems we got a problem boys." General Sherman T. Hogg sat behind Professor Walsh's desk at the Initiative, glaring from under regulation cut eyebrows. "I have some questions to ask. I hope you don't mind answering."
"Sir Yes sir." Forrest stood at attention before the General. Beside him, Riley stood slightly more at ease.
"Good." The General smiled his approval.
"This Initiative was mandated to determine a way to turn Vampires and other demonkind into soldiers for Uncle Sam. Several millions of dollars has been spent on this program. Our research has shown that they aren't very good at organization. Yet, this Carpenter fellow seems to have done just that. Organized them, turned them into soldiers, and led them on a successful raid of this facility, leaving Uncle Sam with egg all over his face. How and why did he do that, gentlemen?"
Forrest gulped. "We don't know sir, there must have been a spy?"
"There must have been a spy," the General repeated. "A convenient answer." The General glanced at Riley. "Do you have a suggestion."
"Sir, I believe that the Vampire army was cooperating with him, rather than working for him."
"Why do you believe that?"
"Sir, we know that vampires do not readily cooperate with each other, and when they do it is more like a gang, banded under a master vampire. Even then their cooperation is more out of fear of the leader, than any desire to cooperate. They do not cooperate with anyone outside their community, or gang, unless presented with a common enemy. In this case, us."
"I see." The General steepled his fingers. "I can see why the vampires would consider us their enemy, but why this other fellow. He doesn't appear in any of the reports I've seen, yet he leads a raid against us. Why?"
"Sir, his Apprentice was brought in for questioning."
"Is this apprentice a vampire, demon?"
"No sir, as far as I know, she's just a civilian. She attends UC Sunnydale."
"Under the Rules of Engagement, no civilian was to be interrogated, or even investigated, without my express permission. I saw no request for such an operation."
"Sir," Forrest swallowed. "The civilian in question, a Willow Rosenberg, has been known to have been involved with paranormal activity, and has been seen in the company of Hostile 19. Professor Walsh agreed to it."
"I see. Perhaps then she deserved investigation. I presume she is safely back at this farm. There is no way to draw her out, or anyone else?"
"Sir," Forrest looked uncomfortable. "The farm has taken on the characteristics of an armed camp. No one has entered or left except to replenish supplies."
General Hogg looked astounded.
"We have the biggest threat to the security of the United States of America located on a farm within our borders, and we can't even stop them from going shopping?"
"Has it not occurred to you that they should be contained to their farm, at the very least."
"Sir, yes sir. Several attempts has been made, Sir. However, the men report that their vehicles are clearly marked, and when ever one approaches, they feel an overwhelming desire to clear the road."
"Who are the principals?"
"Mr. Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris, those are the ones we know, Sir."
"Occupations?"
Mr. Giles is unemployed, the rest are students."
"Students, young students, or older students."
"Young sir."
"Bring in their parents then. Perhaps we can use them to draw them out."
Riley was about to protest when Forrest began speaking.
"They're not there sir."
"What?"
"Professor Walsh suggested that an effective means of putting pressure on the members of a group is through family connections. "I sent men around to each of their residences. They were not there."
"Well then gentlemen, I am open to suggestions."
"We could stage a raid ourselves sir. With air support..."
"The Senator would not appreciate having his constituents jolted out of their beds by falling bombs. He would not appreciate that at all."
"
"Sir," Riley said coming to attention. "May I make a suggestion."
"You may."
*******************************************************
"You can't keep me here."
I looked up at the thickset man who'd stormed into my office. Not only was he thickset, but he had a paunch that spilled over his belt, covered with a yellow tee shirt that wasn't quite wide enough to cover it.
"Wife's a lawyer. Soon's we get outta here, she's gonna sue your sorry butt off. You can't frighten me with your cock a doodle doo stories."
"No one is trying to frighten you Mr. Harris. We just felt it safer for you to be here. For you as well. You may leave whenever you wish."
Mr. Harris smiled, and rose to his feet.
"Then I'll be seeing you in court."
"Perhaps, should we both survive that long."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"There are other organizations, government organizations that may wish to stop us." I stressed the word government, because my background checks had revealed Mr. Harris to be deeply involved in the Militia movements, a good number of which were pro their brand of freedom, rather than freedom for all, the kind promoted by government. "They may feel that the best way of pressuring us is through you."
"Why me?"
"Because your son, Xander, is part of this organization."
"That no account kid, he can look after himself."
I smiled.
"It appars that Xander shares the same opinion of you. I don't believe he would fall to that type of pressure should these organizations get their hands on you. I only wished to be fair. You are free to go, whenever you wish."
Mr. Harris glared at me, I could almost see the wheels turning.
"What if these organizations come after me?"
"My protection ends when you leave this farm."
***********************************************************
"I just don't understand it." Sheila Rosenberg stood at the corral fence, watching as her daughter trained with Buffy. They were using staffs, and both of them were moving faster than it seemed humanly possible. "How can she do this?"
"I don't know," Ira Rosenberg shook his head. "That thing she did with the pencil."
'It must have been controlled with a string."
"It was my pencil. I had just given it to her. You saw that. She did not even touch it."
"Then it's drugs. We must have been drugged some how, I don't even know why we came out here."
"It just felt necessary. Something we had to do."
"What happened to our sweet Willow?"
"Reality," said a voice beside them. Sheila looked to see Joyce Summers watching her aughter. "Just not the one we grew up with."
"You...you know something about this?"
"I know that what they said is true..."
"You're as crazy as they are. You're part of it aren't you, and you got my daughter into it." Shela started moving towards Joyce, but stopped when Ira placed a hand on her shoulder. "You get my daughter out of this you hear," she screamed. "You let her go now!"
"Sheila, you should go lay down. You're getting distraught. Things will be better later, when we get a chance to think about it."
The Rosenbergs argued a bit longer, but finally Sheila stalked towards the house.
"I apologize for my wife." Ira looked at his daughter, who had been distracted by the argument, and was standing staring at them. "It is a lot too take in."
"Believe me, I went through it all when Buffy told me she was the Slayer, and I still wish I could get her out of it. I can't though, no matter how much I would like too."
Joyce looked over at Ira. "You seem to take it quite calmly."
"Calm," he chuckled. "I am not calm. Nether am I as insulated from my daughter's life as is her mother."
"You knew this was going on?"
"A little thing here, a little thing there it all adds up, and comes together like a picture puzzle."
"You never tried to stop her?"
"It was too late. If I had confronted her with what I knew and suspected, would she have stopped? Better to have her learn to fight against these things, rather than find her dead because she could not defend herself.
"And I've always wondered."
"Wondered?"
"The Torah, you would call it the Old Testament, speaks of a war between God and certain of his Angels. These Angels were cast down from Heaven, and their Prince, Lucifer, which means Morning Star, was given dominion over this world. I always wondered who protected us against them."