Acceptable Casualties
18 January 2002
------
"...I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn." Quintin and his strike team leader exchanged glances as they eavesdropped on the magic box. This could end badly. Buffy Summers had done some good work in her time, even Quintin would admit that. Grudgingly. But allowing personal feelings to interfere with the mission? This only confirmed what her critics had been saying all along.
An incoming message came in from the observation post across from the Magic Box. "Control, this is oscar-two. Victor sierra is on the move, over."
The strike team leader picked up a microphone. "Oscar-two, roger that. Maintain visual contact. Follow, but stay out of sight, out."
------
Tara led the way, sometimes hesitating, sometimes rushing forward with a great sense of purpose, oblivious to the world around her, drawn to Glory.
The Scoobies followed her, keeping a little bit of distance. When they saw the tower rising up before them, they immediately knew that it was their destination. After hastily surveying the area, they firmed up their plan of attack and fanned out.
------
Tara slowed as she neared the tower. Willow stayed close to her, out of sight.
Glory was the first to notice her approach. She was about to intercept Tara, when a voice rang out. "Your days are ended, Beast."
A man dressed in black stood a short distance away. He shouldered his submachine gun and fired a full clip at Glory.
Apparently unaffected by the bullets, Glory rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Let me guess. The knights of Byzantium have joined the 21st century? I liked the swords better." By this time, the man had reloaded. He fired another clip at her, backing away. She started to follow him.
Glory's minions were rallying her people to the base of the tower. Willow tried to stop Tara from going with them, but a minion knocked her in the head from behind. She staggered and fell. Xander and Anya rushed forward, drove away the minion and pulled Willow, barely conscious, to safety.
The man ran a short distance, then turned about and faced her again. He had reloaded and was now peppering her with submachine gun fire.
"Do you realize how annoying that is?" Glory stood hands on hips, facing him. She heard a whispered command and looked to her right in time to see a flash of light. Two shoulder launched anti tank missiles streaked toward her, slamming into her chest.
------
"Target is down. Target is down." crackled over the speaker. Quintin and the strike team leader exchanged satisfied smiles in the command post.
"Wait. There's movement. It's ... arrrghhh!" The transmission ended.
"Alpha team, report. Report. Damn it!" The strike team leader slammed the microphone down in frustration. "Bravo team, charlie team. Panther. I say again, panther. Out."
Quintin shrugged. The weapons were experimental. They'd never been tested against a hell god.
------
Giles finished examining Willow. "Well, I don't think she has a concussion," he said, "but she's in no shape for spell casting."
They heard explosions in the distance.
"We're not the only ones here. Anyone get a look at who that was?" Xander asked.
"Glory said it was the knights again, but I don't think it's them," said Anya. "Maybe the police...?"
Spike ran up. "Buffy and Glory are fighting. If we're going to get Dawn, we're going to have to move quickly."
"Yes, we'd better get to it," Giles agreed. "We'll have to do without Willow's spell. We're running out of time."
Together, they charged the base of the tower, trying to force their way through to the stairway. They were pushed back. Glory's servants were too numerous.
------
Buffy had given it her best shot. No vampire, no demon, no one had she'd ever fought had gotten the beating she was dishing out. And it wasn't enough. She was starting get worn down now, and Glory was just warming up.
Once more Buffy swung at Glory's head with Olaf's hammer, but the hell god twisted out of the way at the last minute and kicked out. Buffy was sent flying, them tumbled to a heap on the ground. The hammer skidded across the pavement.
Glory paused for a moment to admire her handiwork. "Oh, did you drop your hammer?"
A wrecking ball slammed into her, sending her crashing into a wall. Xander, in the control chair for the crane, took a moment to wisecrack, then rejoined his friends at the base of the tower.
------
When Xander arrived, Giles, Anya and Spike were talking with three men in black combat uniforms.
Their leader was talking to Giles. "After we clear them off the stairway at the base of the tower..."
"How do you propose to 'clear them off'?" asked Giles. The man indicated his submachine gun.
Xander was appalled. "You can't do that. Tara's with them."
The man seemed genuinely sympathetic. "Look son, I know it's not pleasant to hear this. But if she's with them, she's not ... who she was when you knew her. She's not the same person. She's Glory's now."
"She's mine." It was Willow. She walked unsteadily and leaned against a post. "And I need her for a spell. If I can get to her, we can weaken Glory."
The man looked at Giles, who nodded. "All right," he said. "We'll try to get her out. We only have time to try this once."
"Someone's up there. On the tower. With Dawn." Spike pointed upward. There was indeed someone up on the tower.
------
The minion looked out from his position on the stairs. Glory's enemies had apparently given up. Fools! Fools to oppose the might and wonder of Glory's power. Where was Glory?
He heard a popping sound and another. Two canisters arced through the air and landed at the based of the stairs. Tear gas hissed out, forming a cloud around the base of the stairs. Choking, coughing, disoriented, the people guarding the stairs were unable to resist the second charge of Glory's enemies.
They had almost broken through when Glory herself appeared. She was a little bit dusty, a little bit beaten up and very, very much displeased.
------
Spike had taken the lead. The tear gas made his eyes sting, but didn't make him choke. Two of the strike team guys in gas masks were backing him up. They shoved people aside, pushing their way up the stairs.
Glory advanced toward the stairway. The third strike force man, who had been with Giles, Anya and Xander, ran out from cover.
"Hey!" he said, shooting her repeatedly. She shrugged off the bullets, then picked up a tool from the ground and threw it at him. He fell backward, struck dead.
Glory entered the cloud of tear gas, moving toward the stairs. She quickly killed one strike team member, then the other, proceeded upward toward Spike. To her side, Tara was bent over, coughing. Willow's fingers entered Glory's head. Power crackled, exploded, sent Glory, Willow and Tara flying.
Spike was knocked flat by the force of the spell, but recovered and sped up the stairs.
18 January 2002
------
"...I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn." Quintin and his strike team leader exchanged glances as they eavesdropped on the magic box. This could end badly. Buffy Summers had done some good work in her time, even Quintin would admit that. Grudgingly. But allowing personal feelings to interfere with the mission? This only confirmed what her critics had been saying all along.
An incoming message came in from the observation post across from the Magic Box. "Control, this is oscar-two. Victor sierra is on the move, over."
The strike team leader picked up a microphone. "Oscar-two, roger that. Maintain visual contact. Follow, but stay out of sight, out."
------
Tara led the way, sometimes hesitating, sometimes rushing forward with a great sense of purpose, oblivious to the world around her, drawn to Glory.
The Scoobies followed her, keeping a little bit of distance. When they saw the tower rising up before them, they immediately knew that it was their destination. After hastily surveying the area, they firmed up their plan of attack and fanned out.
------
Tara slowed as she neared the tower. Willow stayed close to her, out of sight.
Glory was the first to notice her approach. She was about to intercept Tara, when a voice rang out. "Your days are ended, Beast."
A man dressed in black stood a short distance away. He shouldered his submachine gun and fired a full clip at Glory.
Apparently unaffected by the bullets, Glory rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Let me guess. The knights of Byzantium have joined the 21st century? I liked the swords better." By this time, the man had reloaded. He fired another clip at her, backing away. She started to follow him.
Glory's minions were rallying her people to the base of the tower. Willow tried to stop Tara from going with them, but a minion knocked her in the head from behind. She staggered and fell. Xander and Anya rushed forward, drove away the minion and pulled Willow, barely conscious, to safety.
The man ran a short distance, then turned about and faced her again. He had reloaded and was now peppering her with submachine gun fire.
"Do you realize how annoying that is?" Glory stood hands on hips, facing him. She heard a whispered command and looked to her right in time to see a flash of light. Two shoulder launched anti tank missiles streaked toward her, slamming into her chest.
------
"Target is down. Target is down." crackled over the speaker. Quintin and the strike team leader exchanged satisfied smiles in the command post.
"Wait. There's movement. It's ... arrrghhh!" The transmission ended.
"Alpha team, report. Report. Damn it!" The strike team leader slammed the microphone down in frustration. "Bravo team, charlie team. Panther. I say again, panther. Out."
Quintin shrugged. The weapons were experimental. They'd never been tested against a hell god.
------
Giles finished examining Willow. "Well, I don't think she has a concussion," he said, "but she's in no shape for spell casting."
They heard explosions in the distance.
"We're not the only ones here. Anyone get a look at who that was?" Xander asked.
"Glory said it was the knights again, but I don't think it's them," said Anya. "Maybe the police...?"
Spike ran up. "Buffy and Glory are fighting. If we're going to get Dawn, we're going to have to move quickly."
"Yes, we'd better get to it," Giles agreed. "We'll have to do without Willow's spell. We're running out of time."
Together, they charged the base of the tower, trying to force their way through to the stairway. They were pushed back. Glory's servants were too numerous.
------
Buffy had given it her best shot. No vampire, no demon, no one had she'd ever fought had gotten the beating she was dishing out. And it wasn't enough. She was starting get worn down now, and Glory was just warming up.
Once more Buffy swung at Glory's head with Olaf's hammer, but the hell god twisted out of the way at the last minute and kicked out. Buffy was sent flying, them tumbled to a heap on the ground. The hammer skidded across the pavement.
Glory paused for a moment to admire her handiwork. "Oh, did you drop your hammer?"
A wrecking ball slammed into her, sending her crashing into a wall. Xander, in the control chair for the crane, took a moment to wisecrack, then rejoined his friends at the base of the tower.
------
When Xander arrived, Giles, Anya and Spike were talking with three men in black combat uniforms.
Their leader was talking to Giles. "After we clear them off the stairway at the base of the tower..."
"How do you propose to 'clear them off'?" asked Giles. The man indicated his submachine gun.
Xander was appalled. "You can't do that. Tara's with them."
The man seemed genuinely sympathetic. "Look son, I know it's not pleasant to hear this. But if she's with them, she's not ... who she was when you knew her. She's not the same person. She's Glory's now."
"She's mine." It was Willow. She walked unsteadily and leaned against a post. "And I need her for a spell. If I can get to her, we can weaken Glory."
The man looked at Giles, who nodded. "All right," he said. "We'll try to get her out. We only have time to try this once."
"Someone's up there. On the tower. With Dawn." Spike pointed upward. There was indeed someone up on the tower.
------
The minion looked out from his position on the stairs. Glory's enemies had apparently given up. Fools! Fools to oppose the might and wonder of Glory's power. Where was Glory?
He heard a popping sound and another. Two canisters arced through the air and landed at the based of the stairs. Tear gas hissed out, forming a cloud around the base of the stairs. Choking, coughing, disoriented, the people guarding the stairs were unable to resist the second charge of Glory's enemies.
They had almost broken through when Glory herself appeared. She was a little bit dusty, a little bit beaten up and very, very much displeased.
------
Spike had taken the lead. The tear gas made his eyes sting, but didn't make him choke. Two of the strike team guys in gas masks were backing him up. They shoved people aside, pushing their way up the stairs.
Glory advanced toward the stairway. The third strike force man, who had been with Giles, Anya and Xander, ran out from cover.
"Hey!" he said, shooting her repeatedly. She shrugged off the bullets, then picked up a tool from the ground and threw it at him. He fell backward, struck dead.
Glory entered the cloud of tear gas, moving toward the stairs. She quickly killed one strike team member, then the other, proceeded upward toward Spike. To her side, Tara was bent over, coughing. Willow's fingers entered Glory's head. Power crackled, exploded, sent Glory, Willow and Tara flying.
Spike was knocked flat by the force of the spell, but recovered and sped up the stairs.