This does have some spoiler from the first few eppy's of the new season.
Takes place after "Same Time, Same Place."
THE HUNTERS
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: None. This is after Season 6, and Buffy finds a load of books that Jonathan had written. A series called the Hunters, and everyone Buffy knew was in it. Jonathan had seen the movie Stargate, and then he wrote- The Hunters. Jonathan's story is in-between the (TH).
Pairing: Another mad attempt to keep Xander and Willow together. Even Jonathan saw it.
Summary: I am bored and my mind has stopped working. So I took some of my old stories written in 1995 and added characters from Buffy for the list. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters of Buffy tVS are the property of Joss. The idea of Stargate is not mine.
Rating - PG-13
Author's Note: NHA may archive. Anyone else is free to do so as well, just let me know. Thank you.
PLEASE NOTE-This chapter has some "heavy breathing" scenes, but I don't believe it is anything that hasn't been on the show before. Just warning you ahead of time.
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PART FIVE
The reading of the Hunters had to be put off because, well, Anya was up to her old tricks. While she had read the last chapter, she neglected to mention something about turning a man into a big bad worm. The story reading would be picked up where they left off, and Buffy promised to let Spike read the next chapter. He went on mumbling about his love for reading in front of a group. His mother used to read to him, he recalled, and so he wanted to pass that on to others that reading was very very good, yes, it was.
Upon Willow's return, well, that was another story. Things happened, she couldn't see any of her friends-except Anya-and they couldn't see her. That really made everyone on edge because suspicions were cast until the truth came out. Willow realized how important her friends were to her because she almost died without them. Being all alone is a horrible thing.
She rested on her bed in her room and watched Xander as he read to her the four chapters of Jonathan Levenson's "The Hunters". He wanted to get her up to speed on it so that she could also join in on the reading of chapter five later in the evening. Willow smiled when Xander read the part about the two of them kissing. She watched Xander closely. He raised the book a little so she couldn't see his face, but she could tell what he was doing.
"You're blushing, Mr. Harris," she said with her Willow half-smile.
He looked at her over the book. "Am not."
"Am, too, you are."
"That's funny. You sound like Yoda, but don't look like him."
"Well, that's always good to know, but are you saying I have a croak in my voice, mister?"
He grinned wryly. "Okay, so you don't sound like Yoda, exactly."
"You're just trying to avoid the fact that you were blushing."
"I wasn't.Not really."
She reached for his hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Okay. You weren't. Even though you were." She looked at him. "Kind of neat, though, isn't it? I mean, the way Jonathan must have thought of us. 'Cause if he didn't like us, wouldn't he have written about us in a bad way?"
Xander regarded her. "Yeah, I guess he would have." He paused. "Makes me wonder why he did hook up with.you know."
She nodded her head and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know."
"You okay?"
She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Yeah. I-I just sometimes can't get, you know, the whole thing I did out of my head. I guess it'll always be there to haunt me."
"We'll help you get through it." Xander referred to himself, Buffy, and the others.
She nodded. "I know." She sighed. "But for a while there, you all thought I had gone bad again 'cause, well, that skin-eating demon."
Xander shook his head. "I didn't, Will."
She looked at him. She had told Buffy the other day that she understood if Buffy felt like she was up to her old tricks, 'cause after all, Willow herself had wondered if she had committed the act unknowingly. She even told Buffy that Xander had believed it was her, if only for a few moments or so.
Now she looked into his eyes and saw the truth. Not for a second had he believed it was her.
She was astounded. "Really?"
He nodded. "Really."
"Xander.how could you not think it was me? I mean, I thought it was me for a while there. Buffy did, too, and Anya."
Xander shrugged. "Buffy's the Slayer, Will. I think that sometimes, she has to think like that, and that's okay. I just knew in my heart it wasn't you. You've been through so much, and Giles told us of the progress you've made."
"But it could have been me."
"It wasn't. I've got faith in you, Will."
She smiled wryly. "How did I ever get to have such a friend like you?" She was getting misty.
Xander leaned toward her and gave her a hug. "I ask myself that about you every day."
After the hug, Xander composed himself and finished the fourth chapter for Willow. Later that evening, they met with Anya, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike in the living room and Spike was ready to read the next chapter. He stood in front of the fireplace, held the book before him, and he said, "Chapter Five.The Wrath Of Ra."
"The wrath of who?" Dawn inquired.
Spike looked at her. "Sssshhhh." He put his fingers to his lips. "There is to be no talking."
The others looked up at him and he seemed to be waiting for them to get situated. When he was satisfied, he cleared his throat and began to read.
_________
(TH) Chapter Five: The Wrath of Ra
Xander Harris was gone.
But how was that possible? In a rage, Principal Snyder threw his hands up above his head and screamed in fury. Then he remembered he still had Willow lying helpless and shackled to the altar. She was struggling in vain to get free, but there was no escape for her. She suddenly stopped her struggles as she saw Snyder advancing toward her with his ritualistic knife raised to strike.
At that moment, Riley decided to throw off his cloak.
About a hundred Ra cultists-and Allen's-blocked his path to Snyder and Willow, but he intended to use his Uzi to clear a path. He opened fire.
Snyder whipped his head around and saw his people falling. That really did it. He raised the knife directly over Willow's heart.
She screamed.
Snyder began to bring the knife down.until a hand caught him by the wrist and stopped him. Snyder looked at the hand with a puzzled expression on his face. Then his eyes traced the arm attached to the hand, and then he looked at the face of the hand's owner.
It was Xander.
Xander looked at Snyder, smiled grimly, and shook his head. "I don't think so." (TH)
__________
Willow sighed, put her hands under her chin, and gazed at Xander, playing the part. "My hero."
Xander grinned. "Shucks, ma'am. Tweren't nothing.'"
Spike gave them the look.
Xander and Willow decided to behave.
Spike continued.
__________
(TH) Xander sent his fist on a direct collision course with Snyder's face. The blow struck hard. Snyder's eyes crossed, he groaned, and fell backward.
Xander began to free Willow. He got one wrist loose when he was grabbed from behind and thrown clear from the altar. A wall stopped his flight and after he crashed into it, he fell to the ground.
"Xander!" Willow shouted. "Look out!"
Xander got to his feet and shook his head to clear away the cobwebs. He looked toward the altar and saw two robed figures advancing toward him. Both figures were very tall. One of them decided to toss off the robe he wore only to reveal muscles that were bigger than his head. In fact, the guy looked like Conan, the Barbarian. The other guy took off his robe, too, and he looked like Mr. Atlas himself.
"Just friggin' peachy," Xander muttered as the two behemoths reached for him.
Meanwhile, Riley was in a bit of a jam himself on the other side of the cavern. He didn't know how many cultists he killed, but he was aware that the floor was littered with bodies. The cultists, he soon discovered, were dangerous fanatics. Not a single one of them made any attempt to escape when he had opened fire upon them. They just did the opposite. They had rushed at toward him, snarling like vicious animals, and he kept right on firing his Uzi until.
Click.
He froze.
The advancing enemy froze.
Riley swallowed. He looked at the thirty or more survivors who glared at him with hatred in their eyes, wanting nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. However, no one moved. The very air was charged with so much tension, any spark would set off an explosion. It was a stand-off.
Riley held up a finger, indicating that the angry cultists should wait before they charged him. He looked at his weapon and discovered that the damned thing had jammed. He tried to fix that.
The angry mob stepped toward him.
"Uh, I crashed a party, didn't I?" he asked them as he took a step backward.
They didn't answer him.
"Guess the party's over."
Riley threw the useless weapon at them, turned around, and he ran. The Allen's ran after him, roaring out in anger. Riley jumped up on a rock and leaped for the bumpy surface of the rock wall. He grabbed a hold of whatever he could and climbed up the wall toward an opening above him.
The cultists came after him.
Riley managed to climb at least twenty feet up when he noticed it was getting suddenly hot. He looked down and realized to his dismay that he had been climbing at an angle in his attempt to reach the opening above. He was directly over the burning, fiery pit. So were the Allen's who were climbing toward him.and climbing fast. (TH)
__________
"Oh, I can't take this," Anya declared. "When are the hero's going to get a break!"
Spike looked at her.
"Well, come on! Xander and Willow are having trouble with Conan and Mr. Atlas, and thirty or more pissed off cultists are after Riley to throw him into the pit! It's not fair!"
Buffy shrugged. "They'll make it, Anya. Besides, it's just a story."
"Which I'd like to read without interruption," Spike pointed out to them impatiently. "Would any of you like to be gagged?"
No one answered him.
Spike held up the book and continued to read.
__________
(TH) Xander roared out a war-cry and charged the two giants. He rammed his head into one of them and forced the man to fall back into his friend. All three men crashed to the floor. Xander, however, quickly rolled to his feet and he snap-kicked one of the goons in the face.
The other one-Conan-got to his feet and he charged Xander with a rebel yell. He collided into Xander and slammed him into the wall. He began to rain blows on the Hunter, intending to kill him once and for all.
Mr. Atlas slowly got to his feet, and he was angry. He began to advance toward Conan and Xander.
Xander was in a great deal of trouble, but so wasn't Willow. With her free hand, Willow frantically tried to unclasp the manacle on her left wrist. The damned thing was stuck! She pried at it, clawed at it, but it was no good. The thing wouldn't let her free.
Willow began to curse at it in frustration. Suddenly, a shadow crossed over her and she turned her head. She looked up and there was Snyder, grinning at her like a mad, little demon. He must have been standing on something to look tall, she thought to herself.
"Having a little trouble, are we?" Snyder asked innocently.
Furiously, she attempted to give the clasp one final, desperate yank. Unfortunately, she didn't have any more time. Within seconds, Snyder grabbed her free hand and slammed her back down onto the altar. He laughed as he re-clasped the manacle to her right wrist. Once again, Willow was shackled to the altar.
"Let me GO!" Willow shouted at him.
Snyder raised his knife high above her and laughed. (TH)
__________
Anya let out a sigh of frustration. Dawn was also getting anxious, and she wanted to say something. When she saw Spike looking at her, she decided not to say anything at all.
Spike resumed reading.
__________
(TH) Riley just about reached the opening above him when something grabbed his foot. He looked down. One of the damned Allen's had a grip on his ankle and was trying to pull him down. Another cultist was fast approaching him from the right, and another Allen was right behind that one. Below them were several others as they made their way up the wall.
They were all coming after him.
"Don't I feel so damned special," Riley said under his breath.
At least twenty other Allen's stood at the edge of the pit, cheering their comrades on. Riley snarled with disgust. He gripped the ledge above him and remembering something similar from a Star Trek movie, he began to kick the guy below him in the face.
"I-" kick "-have had-" kick "-enough-" kick "-of YOU!"
The man below him released his grip and he fell. His fall knocked two others off from the wall, and three cultists fell into the fiery pit below.
The man on Riley's right grabbed for his shoulder. That was a big mistake because Riley was just pissed off now. Riley looked right into the man's face, and then he head-butted him full in the face. There was a snapping sound as the man's nose broke. He grabbed at his nose and lost his balance. He fell to his death.
Riley looked down and saw several others climbing toward him, but at least he had more distance now. He pulled himself up over the ledge and into the opening. Then he turned himself around and looked down from the safety of the opening.
These bastards were persistent, he thought. And they were getting closer. One of them actually had the gall to look up at him.and laugh. Riley picked up a big rock, held it directly over the moron, and laughed back. The cultist stopped laughing as Riley let go of the rock.
It hit the man right in the face. The man only had time to scream as he fell into the pit below.
The other climbers on the wall stopped where they were and they looked up in sudden concern. They began to realize too late the position they were in.
Whistling "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", Riley began to juggle baseball- sized rocks. He was a terrible juggler. Three rocks sailed downward, knocking another man off the wall. Another guy got nervous and tried to climb back down. In his haste, he slipped and fell. Three remaining Allen's began to beg for mercy and Riley realized that being a fanatic must have had its limits.
Well, Riley had his limits, too. He got tired off dropping rocks. He pulled out his favorite .44 Magnum Head-blaster. Three simple shots took care of the remaining goons on the wall.
When the wall was clear, Riley looked at the sixteen remaining cultists standing safely at the edge of the pit. He waited. They had witnessed the fate of their friends and decided they didn't want the same fate. So they turned and ran.
Riley shook his head.
With purpose and determination, he turned and entered the tunnel he had discovered. At the angle it was going, he was confident it would take him to the destination he was hoping for. If it didn't, he wouldn't arrive in time to save Xander and Willow. (TH) __________
Spike looked at the others as he began to turn the page, just to make certain that no one was going to take the opportunity to speak at that very second. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, and he gave her the look. She closed her mouth. Spike resumed reading on the next page.
__________
(TH) Xander was good, but he wasn't invincible. He fought as well as he could against the two behemoths, but they eventually wore him down and weakened him to the point of total exhaustion.
Xander was doomed. A fist connected to his head one final time.and he collapsed. Conan and Mr. Atlas wordlessly picked him up with every intention of pulling him apart like a wishbone.
"STOP!"
They stopped as they turned to look at Snyder at the altar. He had intended to end Willow's life, but now he had a better idea. "Bring him here and just hold him still!"
They obeyed his command, dragging Xander closer.
Snyder stepped down to stand in front of Xander. He grabbed him by the hair and forced his head back. "Wake up, Harris! Wake up.and watch your beloved Willow Rosenberg die!" (TH)
__________
Willow smiled at Xander. "Oh. He said beloved."
Xander nodded. "Yeah, but considering who said it worries me."
Willow thought about it. "Oh, I never did like that Principal."
Spike looked at them.
"Sorry." Willow mimicked zipping her mouth closed.
__________
(TH) Xander wearily forced his eyes open.
Willow was lying helpless upon the altar, and her eyes met his. The helplessness in her eyes made his heart ache for her. He had to do something.and so he did.
Xander looked up at the golden statue of Ra on the wall above them, noticed it move ever so slightly.and he laughed.
Snyder and the behemoths looked at him as if he had just lost his mind. Willow watched him from the altar, wondering what he was up to now.
Snyder snorted. "I don't really see anything funny about any of this, Harris. Don't you even get what is about to happen here? You and your woman are going to die!"
"For Ra?" Xander asked.
"Well, of course, for Ra!" Snyder sighed and shook his head. "Look, Harris, if you really must know, this really isn't anything personal against you or your merry band of Hunters. I mean I could even find it in my heart to like you and Willow, but this is a very serious religious matter and I'm afraid there are things I must do to keep my beloved god happy. You can understand that, can't you?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah. I guess I do. You have no other choice.right?"
Snyder looked puzzled. "What do you mean I have no other choice?"
"Well.I just think it would be more fitting if you stand on the other side of the altar and.well, just give us a brief sermon."
Conan and Mr. Atlas beamed happily at the idea. They looked at Snyder and nodded eagerly in agreement. Upon the altar, Willow rolled her eyes.
Snyder frowned at Xander. "Now.wait just one second here." He looked at him suspiciously. "You want me.to preach?"
Xander nodded.
"Really?"
"Yes." Xander paused as he tried to look contrite. "Since you're going to kill us anyway, and since we.were unbelievers, perhaps it would be best to give us one final sermon about the wrath of Ra."
Snyder looked at him closely. Then, he began to chuckle merrily. "You know, Harris, that is an excellent idea. All right. I'll grant you this last request."
The behemoths actually bounced on their feet with giddiness. They attempted to applaud but Snyder stopped them.
"Just hold him," he told them. When Snyder was satisfied they had a hold of Xander, he walked over to the other side of the altar and stood right where Xander was hoping he would stand. Directly beneath the slightly moving statue of Ra, the Sun God.
Snyder raised his hands dramatically. "I have granted the request from a man condemned to die for his unbelief! A man whom I believe has had a change of heart!"
Xander snorted.
Conan, and Mr. Atlas looked at him. So did Snyder. Willow just shook her head. She didn't like any of this nonsense.
Xander faked a cough. "Sorry.just getting a little misty." He sniffed for effect.
Snyder nodded and continued, "For the unbeliever, death must be slow and agonizing, for the wrath of Ra demands it. Yet sometimes, there are those few who once at deaths door, they suddenly realize the error of their ways. They suddenly become believers. Regrettably, they must still die. However, their deaths can be quick and, well, less painful. In this way, they escape Ra's full wrath. It has always been my duty to seek out the unbeliever and crush him!" He raised a fist. "It is to these fool unbelievers I bring the full wrath of Ra to! Infidels! Fools! They will all be consumed by Ra's might wrath!"
At that point, the statue above fell.
Hearing something above him, Snyder looked up. The statue fell on him, burying him beneath it. Xander, Willow, Conan, and Mr. Atlas stared up at the hole in the wall where the statue had been. Riley looked down at them, covered completely in white sand.
Conan and Mr. Atlas took one look at him and they ran away screaming.
Riley looked down at Xander and Willow. "Are you two okay?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the timely appearance, Ra."
Riley frowned. "Who?"
"Forget it."
"Excuse me," Willow began, "but, uhm, still tied up here."
Xander smiled at her as he approached the altar. "I know. I like you this way."
She gave him one of her many fabulous looks. "There's no time for that, mister." (TH)
__________
Dawn began to giggle.
"Willow, why is your face getting red?" Anya asked.
Willow shook her head. "My-my face isn't red, Anya. My hair is."
"Xander's getting red, too," Buffy pointed out.
Xander looked at the reader. "Spike.nothing goes on in that book that.you know, shouldn't be read out loud? Does it?"
Spike paused for effect. "I wouldn't bloody know with all the interruptions I keep getting."
"Well.just edit them if there are."
Buffy shook her head. "No, Spike. Do NOT edit a thing."
"Yeah," Dawn added, "read every detail."
Buffy realized her sister was present and quickly came to her senses. "Uh, Spike.major on the editing. Okay?"
Spike sighed. "I do not edit, Buffy. That's like taking away from the--"
She looked at him. "Edit!"
"Fine." He sighed. "Can I get back to the story?"
Xander and Willow glanced at each other.
Buffy nodded. "Please do."
Spike picked up where he left off.
__________
(TH) Riley cleared his throat. "Uh, I'll.I'll be down in a minute, guys." He looked behind him at the tunnel he was in. "As soon as I find a way down." Then he disappeared inside the hole.
Xander began to free Willow from the altar. The very second she was free, she wrapped her arms around him and passionately pressed her lips against his. Xander did not resist and the two of them stumbled to the floor. (TH)
__________
"Spike," Buffy said in a warning tone.
Spike grinned to himself and continued to read.
__________
(TH) "They.almost.beat you," Willow managed to get out as she found herself on top of him, and in between kisses.
Xander hungrily returned the kisses. "Yeah.but.I had.faith."
Willow pushed her tongue into his mouth. "We.we really.shouldn't be.doing this." (TH)
__________
Buffy was glaring daggers at Spike. "WE really shouldn't be reading this part out loud!"
Anya looked over at Xander and made a face. "Hey, did Willow really ever give you the tongue?"
"No!" Xander denied.
Willow shook her head emphatically. "Uh uh, nope. Not ever." Dawn waved at them to be quiet. "Spike, read!" Here eyes were wide and she couldn't stop giggling.
"Spike, don't!" Buffy warned.
Spike read.
__________
(TH) "Certainly.not here," Xander agreed breathlessly. "You.shouldn't get.me going."
"Then.get off.of me," Willow breathed.
Xander chuckled. "Uh, Willow."
"Yes?"
"You're the one who's on me."
She sat up and laughed. Slowly, and with a great deal of reluctance, she got off him and got to her feet. Xander got up and the two of them shared a laugh as Riley approached them. (TH)
__________
Dawn looked disappointed. "That's it?"
"That better be," Buffy said, looking at Spike.
Spike continued to read.
__________
(TH) "Am I interrupting something?" Riley asked them as he looked from one to the other.
"No. We're fine," Willow told him, looking at Xander with a private smile. She cleared her throat. "Uh.we-we really should get out of here."
"We will." Riley reassured her. He paused for effect. "But first, I've really got to show you both something." Riley led them through the tunnel he had investigated earlier when he and Xander had first split up. His .44 Magnum was held at the ready.
Xander had his weapons back, too. He held his Uzi ready, and Willow held onto his .357 Magnum in a two-handed grip. She hadn't liked being shackled to the altar, and if she had anything to say about it, it wasn't going to happen again.
Riley went ahead of them. Willow was behind him. Xander brought up the rear.
"Where are we going?" Willow wanted to know. "If we're not moving toward the nearest exit, then we're going the wrong way!"
"You'll see," Riley told her.
Finally, they were there. Xander and Willow looked at each other, and then they looked at Riley.
"It's a dead end!" Willow exclaimed. "You brought us here to see a wall?"
Riley pointed at the ground. "Step on that rock, Harris."
Xander glanced at him. "A trap door?"
"Yep."
"Where's it lead to?"
Riley paused. "It doesn't lead to Allentown. In fact, I'd even say we're no longer in the State of New York."
Xander snorted doubtfully. "Yeah. Right."
"I'm telling you, Harris. We've really gone where no man has gone before. In a very big way."
He frowned. "And I'm telling you, Finn. I don't care what you saw on the other side of this wall. I still say we're somewhere underground.beneath Allentown."
Riley shrugged. "See for yourself."
"I will."
Willow lightly slapped Xander on his arm to get his attention. "Oh, just quit arguing and step on the blasted rock already!"
Xander grinned and stepped on the rock. The wall began to move and a doorway leading to the outside appeared. The Hunters stepped out through the doorway and stared.
It was obvious they had been inside a pyramid and the pyramid was completely surrounded by desert. From where they stood, a long staircase led to the ground a hundred or more feet below. The sight before them was breathtaking, but it was more than that. It was night and the sky was so clear and bright, they could see for miles before them.
Xander was forced to admit that he was wrong. They were clearly not in Allentown any more. Nor were they in the State of New York. In fact, they could not possibly be on Earth because even on a clear night like this one, Earth did not have three moons.
"I'm not.I'm not really seeing three moons, am I?" Xander asked no one in particular. "I mean, I can't be seeing three moons. That's-that's impossible. It would mean that." He stopped.
Willow found her own voice. In a hushed whisper, she said, "We-we-we're not on Earth?" She swallowed. "We-we-we're not on Big Blue?"
They looked at each other.
Riley let out a sigh. "We can't possibly be on Earth. That portal is something we have to be extremely careful with."
Xander didn't like the sound of that. He looked at Riley. "What do you mean? It got us here, didn't it? It should be able to get us back home."
"It didn't work the last time we tried it, Harris. It's possible that it's only meant for a one way trip."
"I don't buy that."
Willow looked at them. "Well, wh-what if this portal you guys are talking about only needs a key?"
They turned to regard her.
She sighed. "Well, if a door is locked, you unlock it with a key, right? Maybe.maybe it's the same way with this portal. Maybe it's just locked and it needs a key."
Riley paused in thought. "You may be right, Willow. On the console panel of the portal, I noticed there were empty slots. Maybe all we need to find is a chip or a disc that would fit. Then we can go home. The only trouble is finding it."
Xander shook his head. "Nah. That's not the only trouble, Finn. Why was the portal back on Earth even left open for us? We didn't need a key for that one."
He looked at him. "It's my guess it was left open for us."
Xander looked around. "But who left it open? Certainly not Principal Snyder. He's admitted that."
"He could have been lying," Willow said.
"No. He wasn't. Someone else is responsible for this. Someone smarter."
Willow sighed in frustration. "Look, Xander, who cares right now? Let's just find this key and-and-and get out of here!"
They turned around and prepared to go back inside.but the door had closed. (TH)
__________
"You have GOT to be kidding!" Buffy exclaimed. "These guys don't get a break, do they?"
"How they even gonna find this key?" Dawn inquired.
Spike cleared his throat. "I know how we can find out."
"How?"
He held up the book. "Let me read."
Dawn paused. "Oh."
Spike continued.
__________
(TH) "That's just great!" Riley snarled as he ran his hands along the wall, trying to find the door. It was sealed so tightly there wasn't a single trace a door had even been there.
"There's gotta be another switch somewhere," Xander said, trying to be calm as he helped Riley search for the door. "We just have to find it. That's all. We open the door, get back to the portal, and find that damn key!"
Willow stood watching them as her foot nearly stepped on a loose rock. "Those Allen-people are still in there," she reminded them. "They're probably regrouping right about now."
"Let them."
Riley happened to glance at Willow and he noticed the rock by her left foot. He laughed with relief. "That's got to be it, Willow.right by your foot."
She looked down. "Oh, well.here goes nothing."
Willow stepped on it.and nothing happened.
No.wait. There was a rumble. The door began to re-open.and when it was completely open, two extremely tall beings stepped through the doorway. Willow, Xander and Riley looked up. They were at least twelve feet tall. Their bodies looked human, but their heads were that of wolves. They glared down at their human prey with bright red eyes. In their hands, they carried spears.
The Hunters slowly backed up.
The aliens leveled their spears and suddenly, two blue beams shot out from the tips of the spears and struck Riley and Xander. Both men fell to the ground and lay perfectly still. Willow stared down at them, shaking with fear. Then she looked up at the two advancing beings and swallowed hard. They glared down at her.
She stood her ground. After all, there was no where she could go, especially without Xander and Riley. So she waited.
One of them leveled its spear at her.
She closed her eyes and waited. She didn't even see the blue beam that struck her. (TH)
__________
Spike closed the book.
"WHAT?!" Willow and Xander exclaimed.
"What the hell are you doing, mister?" Buffy demanded. "Why are you closing that book?"
Dawn scowled. "Yeah. What gives?"
Anya put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You can't end it like that."
Spike shrugged. "The chapter has ended."
"How can Jonathan just end a chapter like that?" Willow wanted to know. "I mean, God, every chapter ends with some climatic scene and-and we're left hanging until the next chapter!"
Spike stepped toward her and held out the book to her. "Here you go."
Willow took it. "Why are you giving it to me?"
Xander smiled at her. "It's your turn to read the next chapter."
She looked at it. "Oh." She nodded and smiled as she opened it. She caught a peek of chapter six. "Justice." She read a foot note on the top of the page. "'Spike must find a way to rescue the Hunters, or they'll lose their lives slowly at the hands of.'" She stopped. Her eyes were wide.
"At the hands of who, Will?" Xander asked.
Willow looked up in surprise. "Faith."
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TO BE CONTINUED--
THE HUNTERS
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: None. This is after Season 6, and Buffy finds a load of books that Jonathan had written. A series called the Hunters, and everyone Buffy knew was in it. Jonathan had seen the movie Stargate, and then he wrote- The Hunters. Jonathan's story is in-between the (TH).
Pairing: Another mad attempt to keep Xander and Willow together. Even Jonathan saw it.
Summary: I am bored and my mind has stopped working. So I took some of my old stories written in 1995 and added characters from Buffy for the list. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters of Buffy tVS are the property of Joss. The idea of Stargate is not mine.
Rating - PG-13
Author's Note: NHA may archive. Anyone else is free to do so as well, just let me know. Thank you.
PLEASE NOTE-This chapter has some "heavy breathing" scenes, but I don't believe it is anything that hasn't been on the show before. Just warning you ahead of time.
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PART FIVE
The reading of the Hunters had to be put off because, well, Anya was up to her old tricks. While she had read the last chapter, she neglected to mention something about turning a man into a big bad worm. The story reading would be picked up where they left off, and Buffy promised to let Spike read the next chapter. He went on mumbling about his love for reading in front of a group. His mother used to read to him, he recalled, and so he wanted to pass that on to others that reading was very very good, yes, it was.
Upon Willow's return, well, that was another story. Things happened, she couldn't see any of her friends-except Anya-and they couldn't see her. That really made everyone on edge because suspicions were cast until the truth came out. Willow realized how important her friends were to her because she almost died without them. Being all alone is a horrible thing.
She rested on her bed in her room and watched Xander as he read to her the four chapters of Jonathan Levenson's "The Hunters". He wanted to get her up to speed on it so that she could also join in on the reading of chapter five later in the evening. Willow smiled when Xander read the part about the two of them kissing. She watched Xander closely. He raised the book a little so she couldn't see his face, but she could tell what he was doing.
"You're blushing, Mr. Harris," she said with her Willow half-smile.
He looked at her over the book. "Am not."
"Am, too, you are."
"That's funny. You sound like Yoda, but don't look like him."
"Well, that's always good to know, but are you saying I have a croak in my voice, mister?"
He grinned wryly. "Okay, so you don't sound like Yoda, exactly."
"You're just trying to avoid the fact that you were blushing."
"I wasn't.Not really."
She reached for his hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Okay. You weren't. Even though you were." She looked at him. "Kind of neat, though, isn't it? I mean, the way Jonathan must have thought of us. 'Cause if he didn't like us, wouldn't he have written about us in a bad way?"
Xander regarded her. "Yeah, I guess he would have." He paused. "Makes me wonder why he did hook up with.you know."
She nodded her head and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know."
"You okay?"
She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Yeah. I-I just sometimes can't get, you know, the whole thing I did out of my head. I guess it'll always be there to haunt me."
"We'll help you get through it." Xander referred to himself, Buffy, and the others.
She nodded. "I know." She sighed. "But for a while there, you all thought I had gone bad again 'cause, well, that skin-eating demon."
Xander shook his head. "I didn't, Will."
She looked at him. She had told Buffy the other day that she understood if Buffy felt like she was up to her old tricks, 'cause after all, Willow herself had wondered if she had committed the act unknowingly. She even told Buffy that Xander had believed it was her, if only for a few moments or so.
Now she looked into his eyes and saw the truth. Not for a second had he believed it was her.
She was astounded. "Really?"
He nodded. "Really."
"Xander.how could you not think it was me? I mean, I thought it was me for a while there. Buffy did, too, and Anya."
Xander shrugged. "Buffy's the Slayer, Will. I think that sometimes, she has to think like that, and that's okay. I just knew in my heart it wasn't you. You've been through so much, and Giles told us of the progress you've made."
"But it could have been me."
"It wasn't. I've got faith in you, Will."
She smiled wryly. "How did I ever get to have such a friend like you?" She was getting misty.
Xander leaned toward her and gave her a hug. "I ask myself that about you every day."
After the hug, Xander composed himself and finished the fourth chapter for Willow. Later that evening, they met with Anya, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike in the living room and Spike was ready to read the next chapter. He stood in front of the fireplace, held the book before him, and he said, "Chapter Five.The Wrath Of Ra."
"The wrath of who?" Dawn inquired.
Spike looked at her. "Sssshhhh." He put his fingers to his lips. "There is to be no talking."
The others looked up at him and he seemed to be waiting for them to get situated. When he was satisfied, he cleared his throat and began to read.
_________
(TH) Chapter Five: The Wrath of Ra
Xander Harris was gone.
But how was that possible? In a rage, Principal Snyder threw his hands up above his head and screamed in fury. Then he remembered he still had Willow lying helpless and shackled to the altar. She was struggling in vain to get free, but there was no escape for her. She suddenly stopped her struggles as she saw Snyder advancing toward her with his ritualistic knife raised to strike.
At that moment, Riley decided to throw off his cloak.
About a hundred Ra cultists-and Allen's-blocked his path to Snyder and Willow, but he intended to use his Uzi to clear a path. He opened fire.
Snyder whipped his head around and saw his people falling. That really did it. He raised the knife directly over Willow's heart.
She screamed.
Snyder began to bring the knife down.until a hand caught him by the wrist and stopped him. Snyder looked at the hand with a puzzled expression on his face. Then his eyes traced the arm attached to the hand, and then he looked at the face of the hand's owner.
It was Xander.
Xander looked at Snyder, smiled grimly, and shook his head. "I don't think so." (TH)
__________
Willow sighed, put her hands under her chin, and gazed at Xander, playing the part. "My hero."
Xander grinned. "Shucks, ma'am. Tweren't nothing.'"
Spike gave them the look.
Xander and Willow decided to behave.
Spike continued.
__________
(TH) Xander sent his fist on a direct collision course with Snyder's face. The blow struck hard. Snyder's eyes crossed, he groaned, and fell backward.
Xander began to free Willow. He got one wrist loose when he was grabbed from behind and thrown clear from the altar. A wall stopped his flight and after he crashed into it, he fell to the ground.
"Xander!" Willow shouted. "Look out!"
Xander got to his feet and shook his head to clear away the cobwebs. He looked toward the altar and saw two robed figures advancing toward him. Both figures were very tall. One of them decided to toss off the robe he wore only to reveal muscles that were bigger than his head. In fact, the guy looked like Conan, the Barbarian. The other guy took off his robe, too, and he looked like Mr. Atlas himself.
"Just friggin' peachy," Xander muttered as the two behemoths reached for him.
Meanwhile, Riley was in a bit of a jam himself on the other side of the cavern. He didn't know how many cultists he killed, but he was aware that the floor was littered with bodies. The cultists, he soon discovered, were dangerous fanatics. Not a single one of them made any attempt to escape when he had opened fire upon them. They just did the opposite. They had rushed at toward him, snarling like vicious animals, and he kept right on firing his Uzi until.
Click.
He froze.
The advancing enemy froze.
Riley swallowed. He looked at the thirty or more survivors who glared at him with hatred in their eyes, wanting nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. However, no one moved. The very air was charged with so much tension, any spark would set off an explosion. It was a stand-off.
Riley held up a finger, indicating that the angry cultists should wait before they charged him. He looked at his weapon and discovered that the damned thing had jammed. He tried to fix that.
The angry mob stepped toward him.
"Uh, I crashed a party, didn't I?" he asked them as he took a step backward.
They didn't answer him.
"Guess the party's over."
Riley threw the useless weapon at them, turned around, and he ran. The Allen's ran after him, roaring out in anger. Riley jumped up on a rock and leaped for the bumpy surface of the rock wall. He grabbed a hold of whatever he could and climbed up the wall toward an opening above him.
The cultists came after him.
Riley managed to climb at least twenty feet up when he noticed it was getting suddenly hot. He looked down and realized to his dismay that he had been climbing at an angle in his attempt to reach the opening above. He was directly over the burning, fiery pit. So were the Allen's who were climbing toward him.and climbing fast. (TH)
__________
"Oh, I can't take this," Anya declared. "When are the hero's going to get a break!"
Spike looked at her.
"Well, come on! Xander and Willow are having trouble with Conan and Mr. Atlas, and thirty or more pissed off cultists are after Riley to throw him into the pit! It's not fair!"
Buffy shrugged. "They'll make it, Anya. Besides, it's just a story."
"Which I'd like to read without interruption," Spike pointed out to them impatiently. "Would any of you like to be gagged?"
No one answered him.
Spike held up the book and continued to read.
__________
(TH) Xander roared out a war-cry and charged the two giants. He rammed his head into one of them and forced the man to fall back into his friend. All three men crashed to the floor. Xander, however, quickly rolled to his feet and he snap-kicked one of the goons in the face.
The other one-Conan-got to his feet and he charged Xander with a rebel yell. He collided into Xander and slammed him into the wall. He began to rain blows on the Hunter, intending to kill him once and for all.
Mr. Atlas slowly got to his feet, and he was angry. He began to advance toward Conan and Xander.
Xander was in a great deal of trouble, but so wasn't Willow. With her free hand, Willow frantically tried to unclasp the manacle on her left wrist. The damned thing was stuck! She pried at it, clawed at it, but it was no good. The thing wouldn't let her free.
Willow began to curse at it in frustration. Suddenly, a shadow crossed over her and she turned her head. She looked up and there was Snyder, grinning at her like a mad, little demon. He must have been standing on something to look tall, she thought to herself.
"Having a little trouble, are we?" Snyder asked innocently.
Furiously, she attempted to give the clasp one final, desperate yank. Unfortunately, she didn't have any more time. Within seconds, Snyder grabbed her free hand and slammed her back down onto the altar. He laughed as he re-clasped the manacle to her right wrist. Once again, Willow was shackled to the altar.
"Let me GO!" Willow shouted at him.
Snyder raised his knife high above her and laughed. (TH)
__________
Anya let out a sigh of frustration. Dawn was also getting anxious, and she wanted to say something. When she saw Spike looking at her, she decided not to say anything at all.
Spike resumed reading.
__________
(TH) Riley just about reached the opening above him when something grabbed his foot. He looked down. One of the damned Allen's had a grip on his ankle and was trying to pull him down. Another cultist was fast approaching him from the right, and another Allen was right behind that one. Below them were several others as they made their way up the wall.
They were all coming after him.
"Don't I feel so damned special," Riley said under his breath.
At least twenty other Allen's stood at the edge of the pit, cheering their comrades on. Riley snarled with disgust. He gripped the ledge above him and remembering something similar from a Star Trek movie, he began to kick the guy below him in the face.
"I-" kick "-have had-" kick "-enough-" kick "-of YOU!"
The man below him released his grip and he fell. His fall knocked two others off from the wall, and three cultists fell into the fiery pit below.
The man on Riley's right grabbed for his shoulder. That was a big mistake because Riley was just pissed off now. Riley looked right into the man's face, and then he head-butted him full in the face. There was a snapping sound as the man's nose broke. He grabbed at his nose and lost his balance. He fell to his death.
Riley looked down and saw several others climbing toward him, but at least he had more distance now. He pulled himself up over the ledge and into the opening. Then he turned himself around and looked down from the safety of the opening.
These bastards were persistent, he thought. And they were getting closer. One of them actually had the gall to look up at him.and laugh. Riley picked up a big rock, held it directly over the moron, and laughed back. The cultist stopped laughing as Riley let go of the rock.
It hit the man right in the face. The man only had time to scream as he fell into the pit below.
The other climbers on the wall stopped where they were and they looked up in sudden concern. They began to realize too late the position they were in.
Whistling "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", Riley began to juggle baseball- sized rocks. He was a terrible juggler. Three rocks sailed downward, knocking another man off the wall. Another guy got nervous and tried to climb back down. In his haste, he slipped and fell. Three remaining Allen's began to beg for mercy and Riley realized that being a fanatic must have had its limits.
Well, Riley had his limits, too. He got tired off dropping rocks. He pulled out his favorite .44 Magnum Head-blaster. Three simple shots took care of the remaining goons on the wall.
When the wall was clear, Riley looked at the sixteen remaining cultists standing safely at the edge of the pit. He waited. They had witnessed the fate of their friends and decided they didn't want the same fate. So they turned and ran.
Riley shook his head.
With purpose and determination, he turned and entered the tunnel he had discovered. At the angle it was going, he was confident it would take him to the destination he was hoping for. If it didn't, he wouldn't arrive in time to save Xander and Willow. (TH) __________
Spike looked at the others as he began to turn the page, just to make certain that no one was going to take the opportunity to speak at that very second. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, and he gave her the look. She closed her mouth. Spike resumed reading on the next page.
__________
(TH) Xander was good, but he wasn't invincible. He fought as well as he could against the two behemoths, but they eventually wore him down and weakened him to the point of total exhaustion.
Xander was doomed. A fist connected to his head one final time.and he collapsed. Conan and Mr. Atlas wordlessly picked him up with every intention of pulling him apart like a wishbone.
"STOP!"
They stopped as they turned to look at Snyder at the altar. He had intended to end Willow's life, but now he had a better idea. "Bring him here and just hold him still!"
They obeyed his command, dragging Xander closer.
Snyder stepped down to stand in front of Xander. He grabbed him by the hair and forced his head back. "Wake up, Harris! Wake up.and watch your beloved Willow Rosenberg die!" (TH)
__________
Willow smiled at Xander. "Oh. He said beloved."
Xander nodded. "Yeah, but considering who said it worries me."
Willow thought about it. "Oh, I never did like that Principal."
Spike looked at them.
"Sorry." Willow mimicked zipping her mouth closed.
__________
(TH) Xander wearily forced his eyes open.
Willow was lying helpless upon the altar, and her eyes met his. The helplessness in her eyes made his heart ache for her. He had to do something.and so he did.
Xander looked up at the golden statue of Ra on the wall above them, noticed it move ever so slightly.and he laughed.
Snyder and the behemoths looked at him as if he had just lost his mind. Willow watched him from the altar, wondering what he was up to now.
Snyder snorted. "I don't really see anything funny about any of this, Harris. Don't you even get what is about to happen here? You and your woman are going to die!"
"For Ra?" Xander asked.
"Well, of course, for Ra!" Snyder sighed and shook his head. "Look, Harris, if you really must know, this really isn't anything personal against you or your merry band of Hunters. I mean I could even find it in my heart to like you and Willow, but this is a very serious religious matter and I'm afraid there are things I must do to keep my beloved god happy. You can understand that, can't you?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah. I guess I do. You have no other choice.right?"
Snyder looked puzzled. "What do you mean I have no other choice?"
"Well.I just think it would be more fitting if you stand on the other side of the altar and.well, just give us a brief sermon."
Conan and Mr. Atlas beamed happily at the idea. They looked at Snyder and nodded eagerly in agreement. Upon the altar, Willow rolled her eyes.
Snyder frowned at Xander. "Now.wait just one second here." He looked at him suspiciously. "You want me.to preach?"
Xander nodded.
"Really?"
"Yes." Xander paused as he tried to look contrite. "Since you're going to kill us anyway, and since we.were unbelievers, perhaps it would be best to give us one final sermon about the wrath of Ra."
Snyder looked at him closely. Then, he began to chuckle merrily. "You know, Harris, that is an excellent idea. All right. I'll grant you this last request."
The behemoths actually bounced on their feet with giddiness. They attempted to applaud but Snyder stopped them.
"Just hold him," he told them. When Snyder was satisfied they had a hold of Xander, he walked over to the other side of the altar and stood right where Xander was hoping he would stand. Directly beneath the slightly moving statue of Ra, the Sun God.
Snyder raised his hands dramatically. "I have granted the request from a man condemned to die for his unbelief! A man whom I believe has had a change of heart!"
Xander snorted.
Conan, and Mr. Atlas looked at him. So did Snyder. Willow just shook her head. She didn't like any of this nonsense.
Xander faked a cough. "Sorry.just getting a little misty." He sniffed for effect.
Snyder nodded and continued, "For the unbeliever, death must be slow and agonizing, for the wrath of Ra demands it. Yet sometimes, there are those few who once at deaths door, they suddenly realize the error of their ways. They suddenly become believers. Regrettably, they must still die. However, their deaths can be quick and, well, less painful. In this way, they escape Ra's full wrath. It has always been my duty to seek out the unbeliever and crush him!" He raised a fist. "It is to these fool unbelievers I bring the full wrath of Ra to! Infidels! Fools! They will all be consumed by Ra's might wrath!"
At that point, the statue above fell.
Hearing something above him, Snyder looked up. The statue fell on him, burying him beneath it. Xander, Willow, Conan, and Mr. Atlas stared up at the hole in the wall where the statue had been. Riley looked down at them, covered completely in white sand.
Conan and Mr. Atlas took one look at him and they ran away screaming.
Riley looked down at Xander and Willow. "Are you two okay?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the timely appearance, Ra."
Riley frowned. "Who?"
"Forget it."
"Excuse me," Willow began, "but, uhm, still tied up here."
Xander smiled at her as he approached the altar. "I know. I like you this way."
She gave him one of her many fabulous looks. "There's no time for that, mister." (TH)
__________
Dawn began to giggle.
"Willow, why is your face getting red?" Anya asked.
Willow shook her head. "My-my face isn't red, Anya. My hair is."
"Xander's getting red, too," Buffy pointed out.
Xander looked at the reader. "Spike.nothing goes on in that book that.you know, shouldn't be read out loud? Does it?"
Spike paused for effect. "I wouldn't bloody know with all the interruptions I keep getting."
"Well.just edit them if there are."
Buffy shook her head. "No, Spike. Do NOT edit a thing."
"Yeah," Dawn added, "read every detail."
Buffy realized her sister was present and quickly came to her senses. "Uh, Spike.major on the editing. Okay?"
Spike sighed. "I do not edit, Buffy. That's like taking away from the--"
She looked at him. "Edit!"
"Fine." He sighed. "Can I get back to the story?"
Xander and Willow glanced at each other.
Buffy nodded. "Please do."
Spike picked up where he left off.
__________
(TH) Riley cleared his throat. "Uh, I'll.I'll be down in a minute, guys." He looked behind him at the tunnel he was in. "As soon as I find a way down." Then he disappeared inside the hole.
Xander began to free Willow from the altar. The very second she was free, she wrapped her arms around him and passionately pressed her lips against his. Xander did not resist and the two of them stumbled to the floor. (TH)
__________
"Spike," Buffy said in a warning tone.
Spike grinned to himself and continued to read.
__________
(TH) "They.almost.beat you," Willow managed to get out as she found herself on top of him, and in between kisses.
Xander hungrily returned the kisses. "Yeah.but.I had.faith."
Willow pushed her tongue into his mouth. "We.we really.shouldn't be.doing this." (TH)
__________
Buffy was glaring daggers at Spike. "WE really shouldn't be reading this part out loud!"
Anya looked over at Xander and made a face. "Hey, did Willow really ever give you the tongue?"
"No!" Xander denied.
Willow shook her head emphatically. "Uh uh, nope. Not ever." Dawn waved at them to be quiet. "Spike, read!" Here eyes were wide and she couldn't stop giggling.
"Spike, don't!" Buffy warned.
Spike read.
__________
(TH) "Certainly.not here," Xander agreed breathlessly. "You.shouldn't get.me going."
"Then.get off.of me," Willow breathed.
Xander chuckled. "Uh, Willow."
"Yes?"
"You're the one who's on me."
She sat up and laughed. Slowly, and with a great deal of reluctance, she got off him and got to her feet. Xander got up and the two of them shared a laugh as Riley approached them. (TH)
__________
Dawn looked disappointed. "That's it?"
"That better be," Buffy said, looking at Spike.
Spike continued to read.
__________
(TH) "Am I interrupting something?" Riley asked them as he looked from one to the other.
"No. We're fine," Willow told him, looking at Xander with a private smile. She cleared her throat. "Uh.we-we really should get out of here."
"We will." Riley reassured her. He paused for effect. "But first, I've really got to show you both something." Riley led them through the tunnel he had investigated earlier when he and Xander had first split up. His .44 Magnum was held at the ready.
Xander had his weapons back, too. He held his Uzi ready, and Willow held onto his .357 Magnum in a two-handed grip. She hadn't liked being shackled to the altar, and if she had anything to say about it, it wasn't going to happen again.
Riley went ahead of them. Willow was behind him. Xander brought up the rear.
"Where are we going?" Willow wanted to know. "If we're not moving toward the nearest exit, then we're going the wrong way!"
"You'll see," Riley told her.
Finally, they were there. Xander and Willow looked at each other, and then they looked at Riley.
"It's a dead end!" Willow exclaimed. "You brought us here to see a wall?"
Riley pointed at the ground. "Step on that rock, Harris."
Xander glanced at him. "A trap door?"
"Yep."
"Where's it lead to?"
Riley paused. "It doesn't lead to Allentown. In fact, I'd even say we're no longer in the State of New York."
Xander snorted doubtfully. "Yeah. Right."
"I'm telling you, Harris. We've really gone where no man has gone before. In a very big way."
He frowned. "And I'm telling you, Finn. I don't care what you saw on the other side of this wall. I still say we're somewhere underground.beneath Allentown."
Riley shrugged. "See for yourself."
"I will."
Willow lightly slapped Xander on his arm to get his attention. "Oh, just quit arguing and step on the blasted rock already!"
Xander grinned and stepped on the rock. The wall began to move and a doorway leading to the outside appeared. The Hunters stepped out through the doorway and stared.
It was obvious they had been inside a pyramid and the pyramid was completely surrounded by desert. From where they stood, a long staircase led to the ground a hundred or more feet below. The sight before them was breathtaking, but it was more than that. It was night and the sky was so clear and bright, they could see for miles before them.
Xander was forced to admit that he was wrong. They were clearly not in Allentown any more. Nor were they in the State of New York. In fact, they could not possibly be on Earth because even on a clear night like this one, Earth did not have three moons.
"I'm not.I'm not really seeing three moons, am I?" Xander asked no one in particular. "I mean, I can't be seeing three moons. That's-that's impossible. It would mean that." He stopped.
Willow found her own voice. In a hushed whisper, she said, "We-we-we're not on Earth?" She swallowed. "We-we-we're not on Big Blue?"
They looked at each other.
Riley let out a sigh. "We can't possibly be on Earth. That portal is something we have to be extremely careful with."
Xander didn't like the sound of that. He looked at Riley. "What do you mean? It got us here, didn't it? It should be able to get us back home."
"It didn't work the last time we tried it, Harris. It's possible that it's only meant for a one way trip."
"I don't buy that."
Willow looked at them. "Well, wh-what if this portal you guys are talking about only needs a key?"
They turned to regard her.
She sighed. "Well, if a door is locked, you unlock it with a key, right? Maybe.maybe it's the same way with this portal. Maybe it's just locked and it needs a key."
Riley paused in thought. "You may be right, Willow. On the console panel of the portal, I noticed there were empty slots. Maybe all we need to find is a chip or a disc that would fit. Then we can go home. The only trouble is finding it."
Xander shook his head. "Nah. That's not the only trouble, Finn. Why was the portal back on Earth even left open for us? We didn't need a key for that one."
He looked at him. "It's my guess it was left open for us."
Xander looked around. "But who left it open? Certainly not Principal Snyder. He's admitted that."
"He could have been lying," Willow said.
"No. He wasn't. Someone else is responsible for this. Someone smarter."
Willow sighed in frustration. "Look, Xander, who cares right now? Let's just find this key and-and-and get out of here!"
They turned around and prepared to go back inside.but the door had closed. (TH)
__________
"You have GOT to be kidding!" Buffy exclaimed. "These guys don't get a break, do they?"
"How they even gonna find this key?" Dawn inquired.
Spike cleared his throat. "I know how we can find out."
"How?"
He held up the book. "Let me read."
Dawn paused. "Oh."
Spike continued.
__________
(TH) "That's just great!" Riley snarled as he ran his hands along the wall, trying to find the door. It was sealed so tightly there wasn't a single trace a door had even been there.
"There's gotta be another switch somewhere," Xander said, trying to be calm as he helped Riley search for the door. "We just have to find it. That's all. We open the door, get back to the portal, and find that damn key!"
Willow stood watching them as her foot nearly stepped on a loose rock. "Those Allen-people are still in there," she reminded them. "They're probably regrouping right about now."
"Let them."
Riley happened to glance at Willow and he noticed the rock by her left foot. He laughed with relief. "That's got to be it, Willow.right by your foot."
She looked down. "Oh, well.here goes nothing."
Willow stepped on it.and nothing happened.
No.wait. There was a rumble. The door began to re-open.and when it was completely open, two extremely tall beings stepped through the doorway. Willow, Xander and Riley looked up. They were at least twelve feet tall. Their bodies looked human, but their heads were that of wolves. They glared down at their human prey with bright red eyes. In their hands, they carried spears.
The Hunters slowly backed up.
The aliens leveled their spears and suddenly, two blue beams shot out from the tips of the spears and struck Riley and Xander. Both men fell to the ground and lay perfectly still. Willow stared down at them, shaking with fear. Then she looked up at the two advancing beings and swallowed hard. They glared down at her.
She stood her ground. After all, there was no where she could go, especially without Xander and Riley. So she waited.
One of them leveled its spear at her.
She closed her eyes and waited. She didn't even see the blue beam that struck her. (TH)
__________
Spike closed the book.
"WHAT?!" Willow and Xander exclaimed.
"What the hell are you doing, mister?" Buffy demanded. "Why are you closing that book?"
Dawn scowled. "Yeah. What gives?"
Anya put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You can't end it like that."
Spike shrugged. "The chapter has ended."
"How can Jonathan just end a chapter like that?" Willow wanted to know. "I mean, God, every chapter ends with some climatic scene and-and we're left hanging until the next chapter!"
Spike stepped toward her and held out the book to her. "Here you go."
Willow took it. "Why are you giving it to me?"
Xander smiled at her. "It's your turn to read the next chapter."
She looked at it. "Oh." She nodded and smiled as she opened it. She caught a peek of chapter six. "Justice." She read a foot note on the top of the page. "'Spike must find a way to rescue the Hunters, or they'll lose their lives slowly at the hands of.'" She stopped. Her eyes were wide.
"At the hands of who, Will?" Xander asked.
Willow looked up in surprise. "Faith."
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TO BE CONTINUED--