A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Life has been hectic, to put it mildly. But here's the next chapter. Started off a bit slowly but it really took off towards the end. I admit, I cheated a little and "borrowed" the movie scene from one of the Buffy episodes. I don't quite remember which one though, but it had Willow, Buffy, and Xander watching a cheesy martial arts movie and Buffy was criticizing the fighting.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be mind. Just so we're clear.
The Summers of Our Discontent: Part III
By Gaeriel Mallory
Westchester, New York
Logan and Rogue carried in bowls of popcorn. Their arrival in the rec room was met by cheers.
"Finally!" Bobby Drake announced. He vaulted over the sofa, causing Jean and Scott to duck and laugh, and took the bowl Rogue was carrying. "Come on, I saved you a seat."
She looked at Logan how glared briefly at Bobby before nodding to Rogue. "Go on, kid. I'll be fine."
Logan took a wooden chair and turned it around and sat down in it backwards, leaning his arms on the back. Just then, a girl ran through the wall, panting. "Am I late?" she asked. "I lost track of time."
Logan hid a smile. He then tossed the other bowl of popcorn towards Scott, who was sitting next to Jean on the couch. "Hey, Cyke, catch."
Scott looked up, surprised, and barley managed to catch the bowl. A few popcorn kernels spilled over the side to drop onto the floor. "Thanks for the warning, Logan," he said dryly.
The Canadian smirked. "So, what's on the playbill tonight?"
Bobby looked up and grinned. "There's a horror movie marathon playing on channel thirty nine. And they're all bad horror movies too."
Logan shook his head and sighed. The things he put up with. He looked up when the door opened and saw Jubilee leading in that new girl, Dawn and some bleached blond Billy Idol wannabe in a black leather trench coat. His eyes narrowed as he caught a whiff of the guy's scent. He's not human...
Rogue waved to the group. "Hey, Jubes! There's room on the floor over here."
Dawn smiled shyly at everyone as she picked her way through the crowd. Billy Idol leaned against he wall. She looked back at him. "Come on, Spike."
He shook his head. "Sorry, pet," he said in a Cockney accent. "You know I'm not much of a joiner."
"It'll be fun, Spike. Please?"
Spike sighed and pushed away from the wall. "So long as we're not watching some bloody chick flick."
Rogue pushed her hair back from her face. "Nope. B horror movies."
Spike grinned. "Why didn't you say so? I'm in the mood for a good comedy."
Logan stared at him. Strange guy. He then mentally shrugged. Strange was not a crime, especially at Xavier's. Besides, how strange can one guy be?
* * *
Spike laughed hilariously. "Oh come on! You call that a fight! My last girlfriend could fight better than that!"
Dawn looked at him. "Um, Spike, your last girlfriend was Harmony. Got in a catfight with Xander, remember?"
"My point exactly, nibblet. Now shush, I can't hear the dialogue."
On the screen, two figures circled each other. "You shall die for what you have done, you foul beast from Hell!" The demon hunter waved a sword around. The obviously fake demon snarled and lunged towards the other figure, swiping the sword from his grasp.
Now Dawn was yelling at the screen. "Moron! You hold the sword with two hands!"
Rogue leaned over towards Jubilee. "Those two are kinda too into the movie, don't you think?"
The Asian girl nodded. "Tell me about it. And I thought I was loud at movies."
"You bleeding idiot! Cut off its head, not poke it with the sword repeatedly. You're just going to get it pissed off." Spike waved a fist at the screen and then groaned smacking the palm of his hand against his face as the demon died. "Well, that's Hollywood for you," he sighed. "No sense of reality."
Logan growled under his breath. He had tried to ignore the loud Brit for almost an hour but he was nearing his breaking point. He finally got out of his chair and reached over and plucked the vampire up by his coat collar and slammed him into the wall. "Listen, bub," he snarled. "Some of us are trying to watch a movie here."
Spike smiled sweetly. "So sorry to spoil your viewing experience, bub."
Logan slammed him against the wall harder. "Either you shut up or I'll rip you a new nose hole."
"Oh, that's original. You must have been overslept the day they were handing out wit." Spike eyed the other man. "And good hair."
Logan glowered and was about to speak again when Scott called out. "Both of you, back off, now."
Spike looked around Logan. "Sorry, four-eyes, but I'm not in your secret club. Can't boss me around."
"Oh, but I can." A fist came in from the side and slammed into the vampire's face.
He cried out and Logan let him go. Spike glared up at Buffy. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"I told you to behave, remember? This," she pointed from Spike to Logan and back to Spike again, "is not behaving."
Spike muttered something under his breath before shoving past Buffy. "Sod this. I need a smoke."
Buffy sighed and flopped down on the ground next to Dawn. "So, sis, how are things?"
Dawn shrugged. "All right."
"How was your meeting with Xavier?" Jean asked.
"Long." She eyed the television. "What are you guys watching?"
"The Monster of Hell Reach Pass," Scott said. "They're having a marathon."
"Oh, yay. Horror movies." Buffy got up. "I think I'll pass."
"Don't like horror movies?"
"Don't watch them. Same reason historians shouldn't watch historical based movies. They end up critiquing everything. Willow and Xander have forever banned me from watching horror movies and movies with any fighting."
"Yeah," Dawn commented. "You should have seen her during Braveheart. She was going crazy."
"Is it my fault that Mel Gibson can't use a sword properly?" Buffy started heading towards the door. "Hey, Scott, you got a gym somewhere in this place?"
"Yeah," he answered. "It's in the east wing."
* * *
Buffy emptied her mind and attacked the punching bag. Kick, jab, jump, kick, punch, punch, roundhouse kick… She threw herself into the workout, releasing the frustration, fear, and anger that had been building up ever since she had learned that Glory had taken a cross-country road trip after Dawn. Punch, punch, punch, punch…Whoops. She stared in dismay at the sand dribbling out of the hole in the punching bag.
"Impressive."
She whirled around, instinctively crouching into a fighting position. Leaning against the wall was the man who had been threatening Spike in the rec room. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Your friend was annoying me. Thought I'd come work out."
Buffy grabbed her towel and wiped her face and hands. "He's not my friend. The only reason I haven't killed him is because he comes in useful at times."
"Not to mention the way your little sis has latched onto him." He straightened away from the wall and started walking over. He took in the battered punching bag and whistled. "You're stronger than you look, blondie."
She threw the towel onto the floor. "Look, you got a reason for bothering me or do you just want to get your ass kicked?"
He smiled and crouched into the fighting position that was so familiar to him. "Bring it on."
She smiled dangerously in return before attacking.
* * *
Scott, there is something that you may find interesting in the gym.
Scott tore his attention away from the movie. Professor?
It is nothing too important. Just that your cousin is fighting Logan.
He grinned. Oh, this I have got to see. He turned to Jean. "Want to get out of here?" he whispered.
She looked at him in surprise. "And go where?"
"There's something you have got to see in the gym."
* * *
Logan grunted in pain. The girl was a lot stronger than she looked. And quicker too. She was a real fighter. He grinned. He had not enjoyed himself this much since the last time he was punching the lights out of Sabertooth's head. "So, what kind of name is Buffy?" he asked as he blocked her punch.
"I don't know. What kind of name is Logan?" She grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder onto the mat.
He grunted as he got up. "Call me Wolverine."
"Ok, Wolvy." She back flipped out of the way of his kick. "If we're going by codenames now, call me Slayer."
He grinned. "Don't call me Wolvy."
"Don't call me blondie." She kicked him in the chest and he felt himself fly through the air and impact with the wall. He got up slowly, blinking at the stars in front of his eyes. He looked up at her to see her standing halfway across the room, hands on her hips. "I win," she announced.
There was clapping and cheering and he looked towards the doorway to see that they had gathered a crowd. He winced when he saw Scott and Jean at the front. I am never going to live this down. Beaten by a girl half my size. He sighed.
* * *
Somewhere in New York, en route to Westchester
Glory tapped her foot impatiently. "It would have been quicker to walk," she muttered under her breath.
Her minion sat beside her in a heavy robe. "I am most sorry, your Beautifulness. But I do not think there is anyway to get the driver to go any faster. But if you wish, I shall go and ask him to."
She pursed her lips. "Don't bother," she said as she got up. "I'm hungry."
The minion winced at the screams.
* * *
Westchester, New York
Giles woke up early and headed downstairs. He wandered around in search of the kitchen. This place should come with a map or something, he thought to himself. He finally found his destination by following the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
"My word!" Giles stared at the large blue creature—ape?—standing in front of the refrigerator.
The creature turned and smiled revealing fangs. "Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met." It extended a large blue furred hand. "I'm Dr. Henry McCoy, but you can call me Hank."
Giles stared at the hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it. "Rupert Giles. I apologize for staring but your appearance startled me."
Hank waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I have gotten quite used to it, I can assure you." He held out a mug. "Coffee?"
Giles accepted it gratefully. "Oh, thank you." He took a sip and sighed. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing up so early? No one else seems to be up yet."
Hank chuckled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Benjamin Franklin. I have to healthy down, and I would like to think I have the wise as well. As for wealthy…I am still working on that one, I am afraid."
Giles smiled. "A very nice sentiment. I am afraid that I shall be none of those things if it weren't for this wonderful beverage." He raised his mug.
Hank smiled again. "Do you mind if I turn on the television. I like a bit of news with my breakfast."
Giles waved. "By all means."
Hank turned on the television perched on top of the refrigerator. He flipped through the channels until he came to a news program. "…still no leads on to the number of mentally ill people found by the side of the road earlier this morning. The odd thing is that all of them before today had showed no signs or history of mental illness. All were apparently traveling on the same bus to the town of Westchester. The bus is missing and police are currently trying to track it down to see if some biological contaminant was the cause…"
"Oh my stars and garters. I wonder how that could have happened. Don't you find that odd, Rupert?" Hank turned toward the other man to find him pale faced and clutching his coffee mug with whitened knuckles. He was staring at the television in horror. "Rupert? Are you all right?"
The Englishman shook himself free from his daze and looked towards the scientist. "Oh, yes. I'm terribly sorry." He set down his mug and got up from the table. "If you will excuse me, I must be going."
Giles practically ran out of the kitchen without waiting for Hank to reply. He raced up the stairs to the sleeping quarters and the rooms that he, Buffy, Willow, and Tara had been given. He skidded to a stop in front of the Slayer's room. "Buffy!" he shouted as he pounded on the door. "Buffy! Get up this instant. This is important!"
The door was yanked open and he was confronted by a sleepy and grumpy vampire slayer. "What is it Giles? Can't it wait?"
"No. It's Glory. She's on her way here."
Buffy yawned and ran a hand through her hair. "I thought we knew that already."
Giles shook his head. "No. I mean she's on here way here. As in Westchester and the school. And she's close."
The Slayer snapped awake. "How do you know this?"
"It was on the news. A group of people found by the side of the road. All were on a bus heading here, and all were mentally ill but were not before today. Does this sound familiar?"
Buffy frowned and her eyes grew hard. "Get everyone else up now. We have to get ready. And someone should tell Xavier that he has a hell goddess on the way."
* * *
En route to Westchester
He fought for dominance. He hated this—this struggle that happened every time between he and Glory. He had to go through it whenever she got the upper hand. It had grown increasingly harder for him to fight her. He wondered if one day he would lose and the being known as Ben would disappear altogether, leaving only Glory behind.
Pain.
Blinding light.
Pain.
He burst through, screaming as he did. He felt his body shift and he felt her anger as he shoved her deep inside himself. He opened his eyes and—
"Holy shit!" He slammed his foot down on the brakes, stopping the bus just before it collided with the tree.
He looked around himself wildly, finally spotting the huddled form of one of Glory's followers. "Where the hell am I?" he demanded.
The pathetic creature looked up. "You! No no no." It wrung its hands. "This is a bad time for you to come back. Bad bad bad. The great Glorificus will be very angry. Very angry." It moaned.
Ben got out of the driver's seat and walked over to the creature. "Why will she be angry? Tell me!"
It stared up at him. "The Key. We are very close to getting the Key."
The Key. A chill ran up his spine. If Glory gets her hands on it, she will open the portal between the worlds, destroying this one. And him. But there was a chance. If he could get to the Key before Glory regained the upper hand and if he destroyed it—
He grabbed the minion. "Where is it?"
"Westchester."
Westchester? Ben looked out the window at the unfamiliar scenery. "Where are we?"
"New York. Her Magnificence tracked the Key here."
"Oh." He paused for a moment, trying not to think how much time must have passed since he was last aware. I probably lost my job already. But there were more important matters. Such as finding the Key and destroying it. He looked down at himself, dressed in a revealing blue dress and high heels.
And finding himself some clothes.
* * *
Westchester, New York
Gossip buzzed through the halls of the Xavier Institute. All of the teachers had holed themselves up in the Professor's private office. Also in on the meeting were the newcomers from Sunnydale who had arrived last night along with the newest student, Dawn Summers.
Classes were cancelled for the day and the students looked at each other in shock at that announcement. The only times that classes were cancelled were when the teachers were busy with X-men duties.
What could be going on? And what did it have to do with Dawn, who was not a mutant?
* * *
Ororo Munroe sat back in her seat and rubbed her eyes. "So what you are saying is that this 'Glory' is impossible to kill?"
"Nothing is impossible to kill," Giles replied. "Everything has its weaknesses, even gods. We just have to find it and exploit it."
"But what would a hell goddess have for an Achilles heel?" Hank asked.
Buffy sighed. "I've been dealing with her for months and I still have no idea. She's strong, virtually indestructible, and a powerful magic user to boot. The only thing that I can think of us is that she is extremely irrational. She's incredibly vain and egotistical. We might be able to use that against her though I don't know how."
Xavier looked thoughtful. "It is a shame we do not have a shape shifter among us at the moment. We could have then presented her with a copy of herself."
"Quite." Giles pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose—a nervous gesture that the Scoobies were familiar with. "I suggest that the best way to fight Glory is with a good defense. We do not know all that she is capable of. Yet, she does not know all the resources that we can bring to bear on her either." He nodded towards the Professor. "What can your team do?"
"Telepathy, control of the weather, telekinesis, plasma rays. That's only the X-men, though, and not the students. There are several mutants with very powerful powers among the student body."
Giles sighed. "I do not like bringing children in on this but we may have no choice. We must use everything we have."
"I agree." Xavier nodded to two of his X-men. "Ororo, Scott, if you could gather the students and brief them. Make it perfectly clear to them that they are to only use their powers from a distance and not to confront Glory directly."
The two nodded and left the room. Xavier then turned towards Dawn. "You have been awfully quiet. Do you have anything to add to this?"
Dawn shook her head. "There's really nothing I can do. I don't have powers. I can't do anything except wait for her to come get me." She laughed bitterly. "Let the Slayer protect me. That's why the monks sent me to her, right?"
Willow reached out and grasped her hand. "Don't see yourself short, Dawnie. You pulled off a wicked protection spell, remember?"
"Speaking of which…" Xavier looked at the two witches. "What are you going to do?"
Tara looked out the window. "Whatever we can. Protection spells, fire, fog…whatever we have to."
Xavier studied her for a long moment before nodding. "I suppose that is all we can do."
* * *
It was sunset when Ben finally pulled up in front of the gates of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. He was dressed in sweats that he had found among Glory's clothes. He felt her within him, trying to get out. He forced her back down and prayed that she would not resurface until after he destroyed the Key.
He exited the bus with the minion following behind pitifully. "Please reconsider your actions. Her Magnificence won't like this at all."
He whirled on the demon. "I couldn't give a damn what that bitch thinks about this!" He felt anger bubble up inside of him. "This is my life too, and to hell with her! Now I'm going to go find her precious Key and make sure that she can never get her hands on it." He turned back towards the gate when he doubled over in pain. "No…not now…"
He screamed. Pain pain pain. No! He forced her down. "No, damn it!" he shouted. "I'm not letting you win…" he gasped.
His body contorted and he felt himself being shunted inward. Noooo…
* * *
Glory straightened and laughed. "Silly man. Try and trick me, will you." She studied her surroundings. "Well, at least that idiot got me here. That's something." She approached the closed gates and grasped them with her bare hands and ripped them from the walls. She tossed them on the ground and advanced up the driveway. "Ready or not, Slayer, here I come."
* * *
"She's here!" Kitty burst through the door of Xavier's study. "She's here!" she called out again.
Xavier nodded at her. "My thanks, Kitty. Go take your place with the other students now."
She nodded and ran out the door again—right through the door. Spike stared after her and shook his head slightly. "Mutants," he muttered as he gathered Dawn and started moving towards the door. "What else is next?"
Wolverine snarled under his breath. "Watch it, deadboy."
* * *
Bobby watched the blond haired woman walk up the drive. He closed his eyes as he concentrated. He reached his hand towards her. Freeze.
* * *
Glory cried out as her foot slipped and she fell heavily on the ground. She stared at shock at the ground which was covered by a heavy layer of ice. She snarled as she carefully got up. "Nice try, witches, but not good enough. Now why don't you just come out so that I can suck on your brains already?"
A fireball zoomed through the air towards her. She deflected it into the sky with one hand. She did not notice the second fireball until it was right on top of her.
* * *
Jubilee watched as the woman was engulfed in fire. She smiled and pushed her sunglasses down into place. Too bad Rogue could not help. She had wanted to but Xavier had refused. "I do not want to even think what would happen to you if you had an insane hell goddess in your head. No, Rogue. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay on the sidelines for this one."
My turn, bitch. For both me and Rogue. She held out her hands and plasma streaked through the air. She smiled at the cry of pain. Try and hurt my friend, will ya? Not while Jubilation Lee is here!
* * *
Now, Scott!
Cyclops acknowledged Jean's order and reached to the side of his visor, releasing the powerful red beams from his eyes to add to the mix. The area the three-way attack was directed towards was bright—too bright to look at with normal eyes.
Suddenly, he found himself flung backwards. He blinked, trying to clear his head. Oh no…
Still standing in the middle of the drive was a fully intact, and pissed Glory.
* * *
Oh, the Slayer was going to get it. When she got her hands around that pretty little neck, she is going to snap it like a twig. She will enjoy the feel of the limp body hanging from her fingers.
"Think that is going to stop me? Oh no. It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me."
There was a slight sound behind her and she turned around to see a boy, about twelve years old. Glory stared at the boy in distaste. "And who are you supposed to be?"
The boy only waved before disappearing in a cloud of sulfur dust. She coughed and looked around her. "Where did you go? Come back here you little brat!"
He reappeared a few feet to her left. She growled and ran towards him, ready to sink her fingers into his brain only to have him disappear again right before she reached him.
"Stand still you little squirt!"
"Now, that wasn't very nice," a female voice called out.
Glory glared at the owner. "Listen, girlie. I eat little girls like you for lunch. So why don't you go run and get my Key before you make me really really mad!"
The girl maddeningly shook her head and crossed her arms. "I don't think so, bitch."
Her lips curled in a sneer. Dammit, but she was hungry. She had used up all that energy she had gotten from the busload of people while fighting with Ben and repelling the fire attack. "Fine," she whispered. "Guess I found dinner."
* * *
Kitty stood her ground as Glory advanced towards her. As the goddess pushed her fingers towards her head, she smiled in satisfaction at the rage on Glory's face.
"What's the matter?" Kitty ran through the woman to reappear on the other side. "Aw…is the poor hell goddess hungry?"
Glory stood in one place, her face contorted in anger. She never noticed the figure sneaking up behind her until she felt the pain in the middle.
* * *
Wolverine ran Glory through with his claws. He grunted as he lifted her up with one hand, still impaled, and threw her to the side.
He nodded with satisfaction at the sound of her hitting the tree. He watched as she slowly got to her feet. She lifted up her shirt and touched the bloody holes. Even as he was looking, the wounds closed up.
She looked up at him. "Oh, you are going to pay for that."
He crouched and held up his fists. His claws glinted in the fading sunlight. "Shut up and fight."
She grinned nastily. "Oh, nice claws. Are you compensating for something?"
He growled before attacking.
* * *
The Slayer watched the battle from a window. "I don't like this," she announced. "I don't like waiting."
"You must be patient, Buffy. This way, we keep Glory off balance," Xavier said calmly.
"Yeah, off balance, irrational, insane, and still deadly. I don't like it." She watched as Wolverine and Glory circled around each other. She glanced over her shoulder at her Watcher. "How much longer until I can get out there?"
Giles looked at Xavier. "Charles?" he asked.
Xavier nodded and closed his eyes, placing his hands to his head in concentration.
* * *
Just as Glory was about to punch Logan, she felt someone trying to get into her mind. She screamed and pushed. "Get out!"
* * *
The wheelchair flew backwards and collided with a bookcase, causing several books to fall to the floor. Hank ran over to his friend who was doubled over in the chair. "Charles!"
Xavier waved him away and slowly sat up. "I'm fine." He was pale and sweating slightly but he managed a small smile. "I found something out about her. I found out how to defeat her."
"What is it?" Buffy looked at him, waiting for his answer.
"She has a dual nature. In her current form, she is invulnerable. In the other form however…"
Buffy frowned and turned back towards the window. "So we need to get her to change forms. But how?"
* * *
Jean felt a familiar touch in her mind. What is it, Professor? I'm a little busy right now. She was coordinating the attack against Glory.
Link with me.
She complied and images and information flooded into her. She nodded. I got it, Professor. But can the two of us do it ourselves?
I do not know, and I do not want to find out. Can you ask for some magical assistance?
She turned towards Willow and Tara who were in the room with her. "We found out how to defeat Glory. But we need your help."
* * *
Tara's mind raced as she tried to find a spell that would work. Finally, she nodded. "There is a spell to bring to the surface things that are hidden."
Jean smiled. "That is perfect. Will is work with the Professor and me using our powers?"
"It should. If all of us were pulling at the same time, it should work."
Jean nodded. "Good. Go get ready. We're may only get one chance at this."
The two witches left in search of supplies.
* * *
Buffy frowned as Xavier outlined the plan. "Will it work?"
"I do not know. But it may be our best chance. There is just one problem though…"
"Yeah. I have to kill her." Buffy's mouth hardened into a line. "Look, Professor, there is no other way. She has to die in order for all of this to end."
Xavier sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Yes."
"If it makes you feel any better, she's not human."
"There are some that would not consider me human," Hank remarked softly from the corner of the room.
Buffy turned towards him. "But you're not evil. She is. And she wants my sister and I'm going to do anything I have to make sure Dawn is safe. I have killed before. They were demons and vampires, but I still killed them. It's my job."
Xavier was startled at the vehemence in her voice. He took a deep breath before he spoke. He was not by nature a violent man, but he was a practical one. He knew that in some instances, there was one thing that could be done, like it or not. "Well, then," he said, carefully keeping his voice steady. "It looks there is no choice."
* * *
Wolverine was covered in blood, and not all of it his own. Glory was covered in her share as well, but with one difference: all of her injuries healed within seconds while his took longer. He had been gifted with accelerated healing but he might as well have not had it for all the good it was doing him at the moment.
He saw a speck in the sky above him and he grinned ferally. "I'd look out if I were you," he growled.
Glory looked at him questioning. "Wha--?"
He jumped to one side and rolled as the lightening struck the hell goddess.
* * *
Ororo, known as the X-men Storm, poured energy into the repeated lightening strike. Again and again, she directed pure electricity at the figure on the ground.
Dawn Summers may have only been a student at the Institute for two days but she was still a student. And there was one thing that Ororo would not stand and that was someone trying to hurt one of the children under her charge.
* * *
Jean studied the setup in the room. It was much like the arrangement that Dawn had prepared for her spell the other day. Was it only yesterday? she wondered. How much has changed since then.
Willow nodded at Jean.
We're ready, the telepath sent.
* * *
Xavier looked towards Buffy. "Ready?" he asked.
She hefted her sword—a Japanese katana—and answered in the affirmative. Giles opened the window, giving her a clear path to the outside and Glory. "We don't know if you're going to get another chance at this," he warned. "Make it count."
She nodded at her Watcher and adjusted her grip.
* * *
Willow and Tara held hands and chanted. Energy swirled around the two of them. Jean watched in fascination for a moment before closing her eyes and linking with the two witches. She felt the link falter before someone grabbed hold of it. She then reached out again, careful not to break the first link, and found Xavier. He joined in the link and it crystallized.
Their four minds melded into one seamless force. She was overwhelmed with sensation and probably would have lost hold of herself if it were not for a familiar touch on her mind that pulled her back. Thank you, Professor.
She felt his familiarity surround her for a moment in a brief embrace. He pulled her gently. Come. We have a job to do.
In the background, she felt the presence of Willow and Tara as they molded the spell, anchoring the two telepaths as well as giving them the power needed to complete their task.
She linked tighter with the other three and with Xavier in particular before reaching out, searching for their target.
* * *
Storm let the lightening die down and watched with horror as the figure on the ground picked itself up and stood slowly. The dirt was blasted black and had turned to glass in places. She could feel the almost unbearable heat from where she stood. How can she still be alive?
Glory's clothes were in tatters and her face was smeared with soot. Her face was twisted in fury. She advanced towards Storm who backed up.
The look in the goddess's eyes terrified the mutant. She had seen such madness before in the eyes of elephants that had gone feral back in Africa. They had destroyed everything in their path and killed indiscriminately. But what scared her the most was not the madness, but the intelligence that was in the eyes as well.
She tried to grasp for the winds to carry her away but her control faltered and she felt a hand encircle her throat and lift her up. She felt it squeezing…squeezing…
Blackness.
* * *
"Ro!" Logan screamed when he saw his teammate's body go limp. His claws unsheathed with a *snickt* and he growled. No one hurt one of his friends. No one.
He was about to attack when he saw Glory drop Ororo and double over. "No!" she screamed. "No!"
She stumbled a few steps away from the fallen Storm and leaned heavily against a nearby tree. She screamed again, a wordless cry as her body rippled and changed.
* * *
Buffy leapt out the window and raced across the lawn. One chance, she told herself. She gripped the katana hard with both hands as she neared her target.
She shifted her balance and thrust upward with all her might. She felt the blade enter flesh and continued driving the sword up. A part of her mind heard and registered the soft cry of pain but she remained focused.
Finally, she backed off and the body fell onto the ground. It was only then that she saw the face. Ben…
She let go of the handle and dropped beside the body. "Ben!" She cursed under her breath as she checked for a pulse. Damn it, this isn't fair!
His eyes fluttered opened and he smiled slightly at her. "Buffy," he whispered.
She felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I am so sorry," she murmured. "Sorry…"
"Glory…gone…" He gasped and a trickle of blood rolled out of his mouth. "You did…right thing…" He panted and struggled to talk. "Did what…you had to…"
His voice trailed off and his eyes stared unseeing at her. With a trembling hand, she reached over and gently closed them. It was only then that she realized that her hands were covered in blood.
* * *
Logan cradled Ororo in his arms as he fumbled with the collar of her suit. Why did their uniforms have these high necks anyway? He ripped one glove off with his teeth and felt for a pulse. He sighed with relief when he felt the slow beats under his fingers.
He felt Cyclops behind him. He looked up at the leader of the X-men, for once no sarcastic comment on his tongue. "She's all right," he told Scott.
Scott nodded and looked towards his cousin who was kneeling in a pool of blood, looking at her hands in horror. She sobbed loudly and cradled her hands against her chest, her head bowed.
It was then that Logan noticed the dead body—the decidedly male body. He wondered what had happened. There was a lot more going on than he had been told.
* * *
Jean clutched her head and groaned. She had one hell of a headache. She opened her eyes and immediately closed them again. Too bright! She realized that she was lying on the floor.
She felt arms lift her up into a sitting position and a glass of water lifted to her lips. She drank. Two pills were pressed into her hand and she swallowed those and sat back against he wall.
Jean? Are you all right?
She grimaced. The pain only intensified with the telepathic contact. Fine. Head hurts, she answered curtly. Win?
She felt his chuckle. Yes, we won. Dawn is safe.
Good. She then let herself sink back into blessed unconsciousness.
* * *
Dawn hated feeling helpless. She and Spike were sitting deep underneath the school, inside Xavier's plane, the Blackbird. If anything was to go wrong with the battle, Spike had strict orders to fly Dawn to safety.
She had lost track of how long the two of them had been in the Blackbird. She looked over at the vampire. "Do you think they're going to win?"
Spike looked over. "Course they're going to win. They're the good guys, remember?"
"But good doesn't always win." Dawn got up and paced. "There was Jack the Ripper, and…and…the Titanic! You can't tell me that the Titanic sinking was good. And then there was—"
Spike sighed and reached out and pulled Dawn back into her seat. "Stop worrying, little bit. Your sister isn't going to let anything happen to you."
There was a sound outside of the plane and both froze. The door to the outside slowly opened and Spike pushed Dawn behind him.
Buffy walked in. She was covered in blood and dirt. She looked blankly at the two. "Glory's dead."
Dawn pushed past Spike. "Then I'm safe. So everything is good, right, Buffy?" When her sister did not answer, Dawn looked into her face. What she saw there scared her. "Buffy? Is everything all right?"
The Slayer did not answer. She turned around slowly and walked out of the Blackbird and down the ramp.
Dawn stared after her. "Buffy?" she whispered.