Interesting Times

Interesting Times

by JohnTFS



Part One


Buffy completed one last patrol circuit near the graveyard and finally decided to head home. Wherever the fang gang was, it wasn't in Sunnydale. Not that there wasn't excitement. Oh no, Gemini Development, a division of the Pentex corporation, and wasn't everyone sick of that addendum; had announced plans for a shopping mall to be constructed.

The prefab shell would be ready and open for business by the beginning of summer. Cordelia had almost been orgasmic at the news. Something that probably hadn't happened since last weeks date with Xander, Buffy thought nastily. She sighed and continued her walk, heading for a McDonald's for chow. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the form following her.

After waiting in line a bit, Buffy had her meal in relative peace and left McDonald's. She was still scarfing down a few fries when she sensed something behind her. It was a large, ratty looking dog. His, (for some reason it seemed like a "him") fur was dirty and there was no collar to be seen, but the creature seemed friendly enough. He walked forward, tongue out, toward her.

Buffy tensed slightly, even to a Slayer, a wild dog could pose a problem. The dog stopped short of her, sniffed toward the food in her hands and whined pitifully. It was obviously intent on seducing her of her fries. "No, you're not getting my fries, a Slayer needs her food." said Buffy attempting to shoo the dog away (And on reflection, the creature looked a bit more like a coyote, than a dog). The creature just looked longingly from her to her fries, the same pitiful look that said "Feed me!" Finally, with a growl of irritation, she complied and the beast wolfed down the remains of her meal. Then it stiffened, and answered her growl with one of its own.

But her Slayer-enhanced instincts had already sensed peril. "You shouldn't be so quick to feed the hungry beasts, Buffy. You never know when they'll bite the hand that feeds them." Angelus was there, his lips looked human, if one ignored the trace of blood on them.

"What's the matter, jealous?" taunted Buffy, to cover her own pain. "Go home, boy." she commanded the dog, "The Slayer's just gotta take out some old trash!" With that she launched a flying kick at him and drew forth a stake.

The kick caught him in his perfect face, hurling him backwards as two other vamps lunged out of the darkness. The dog, in a bizarre display of fearlessness, leaped at one of them, its teeth sinking into the creature's shoulder, making it hiss in pain.

Buffy, meanwhile was beginning to have problems. She was having trouble watching Angelus and his buddy at the same time. As she moved to avoid the second vampire's rush, Angelus caught her a vicious kick to the ribs. Pain flared in her side and she felt bone give before more than human strength. The other vamp attempted to take advantage, rushing her. At the last instant she got the stake up and in his heart. He vanished into ashes.

"This night the Slayer is slain!" declared Angelus, his face a twisted parody of the one she'd loved. He kicked her beneath the chin, sending her sprawling. He leapt on her. She was ready with stake, but not ready enough. The wooden implement plunged into his stomach. He grabbed it, ripped it out of himself and hurled it away. "Now you die!" he hissed. "And all you love after!"

"Not in *this* lifetime." she promised and kicked his wounded belly, throwing him away from her. She got to her feet and they faced each other.

The dog was still pinning the other vampire, sustaining deep scratches on his flanks to do so. Angelus charged again. Buffy prepared to flip him with a tai chi move, but he'd feinted and snap kicked her in the knee. She fell and he was on her, punching and trying for the killing bite.

She shoved her cross against his flesh and he hissed in pain. But his agony strengthen him. He pounded her face into the road, Once, twice, three times. As she finally blacked out, she could swear the growls of the dog sounded almost...human.


Scratches-at-Fleas saw the battle going poorly. Despite her skill, the girl was losing to the leech she fought, as her injury weakened her. As the vampire pounded her face, Scratches-at-Fleas shifted to the Hispo form.

The vampire fighting the large dog gasped in shock. In the space of seconds it had transformed into something out "American Werewolf in London. Its shock died as swiftly as it did though, Scratches knocked the things head from its shoulders with one swipe of his now huge paws. Then Scratches faced his final opponent.

Scratches-at-Fleas assumed the crinos form, and growled "Flee or die, leech!"

Angelus looked up to see a huge shape. It was easily seven feet tall, resembling the werewolves from "The Howling", but far more menacing for its physical presence. The thing bounded forward with deceptive agility and knocked Angelus sprawling. The vampire rolled to his feet and hissed in rage. Then it turned and fled. There would be another time. There always was.

Scratches sniffed and licked the girl, but aside from steady breathing there was no response. He knew naught of this place, but the girl needed help. He gathered her still form in his arms and loped away to find the way home.

Fortune was with him tonight, for the humans were indoors. Those that weren't he easily avoided. He was growing frustrated though. He couldn't fully understand the human's signs. Some instinct made him stop before one store, "Fred's Antiques". He called upon his spirit gift and looked inside.

The inside was dark, but his gift made it seem nearly light as day. He saw what he needed inside, against the wall. His concentration cost him though, as pain burned across his huge shoulders and a gunshot echoed in the night.

Silver bullets, fur-ball" grinned a vamped out, triumphant Angelus. "Time to get me a new rug and a tasty snack!" As the vampire aimed again, Scratches-at-Fleas acted.

Shielding the girl, he leapt through the plate glass window and strode to the mirror he'd seen inside. He rubbed his fetish tattoo and tried to concentrate, to banish impending death from his mind.

Angelus ran to the shattered window, gun held ready. Inside, he saw the werewolf, Buffy in his arms, leap at a mirror inside and vanish! In a rage he entered ran to the mirror, smashing it, trying to find a secret panel. Nothing! With the store's alarm stinging his ears, Angelus fled into the night.


Pain. Pain and darkness. And now disembodied voice pierced Buffy's mind. "Whoa, major babeage." came a California surfer like voice. "Great, now even the dog's bring in strays." came a young, sarcastic, female voice. "Grrrr!" this a growl, apparently in answer. "Bite me, flea bag." came the girl's response.

"I should take care, Melissa," came another girl's voice, though this one sounded more mature somehow. "Scratches might take you up on the idea." "Yeah, right. How come he gets to take home a stray and I don't?" asked Melissa.

"Because of what happened last time." came the older girl's voice. "Yeah," said Surfer dude. "I kinda think Hanson would've wanted their lead singer back."

"Andru, why don't you french-kiss my- Hey, I think she's up!" With a groan Buffy opened her eyes.

The group clustered around her was eclectic to say the least. The guy, Andru, sat in a wheelchair. He wore VR goggles that covered his eyes and wrapped around his stringy blonde hair. Torn jeans and a food stained "Neuromancer" T-shirt completed the ensemble. The girl had passed eclectic and into the strange. She was tiny, maybe five feet tops and probably weighed less than ninety pounds. She appeared to be asian but it was hard to tell. Her eyes were outlined in a raccoon mask of black make-up. Her hair was dyed albino white with purple, red and green streaks through it. She wore a black fishnet halter top and what appeared to be yellow bermuda shorts. She was glaring at Buffy, who recognized her as a vampire.

The other girl seemed unaware or unconcerned about her companion's undead state. She seemed the most normal, if one ignore the chain mail armor she wore and the broadsword, presumably hers that leaned against the wall. Buffy could sense something off about her as well. Meanwhile the dog she'd seen earlier was sitting up seemingly grinning.

Buffy looked around, she was apparently in someone's bedroom, maybe the vamp's. Posters of Hanson, Jewel and some group called "Baby Chorus" adorned the walls. There were no windows. A florescent light provided illumination.

Buffy licked her lips and looked from one face to another. "Um, who are you guys."

Melissa looked back at her and replied. "We're the Rat Pack. And you're gonna help us save the world."

Chapter 2