Chapter Seven: Fight Music
Note: The characters still do not belong to me. None of them at all. Please don't sue me.
Two minutes ago…
Glory, once more appropriately garbed in another of her many dresses, smiled as she saw the mansion through the barred gates. The crystal was tugging even harder. Well, duh! It was the mansion it showed her.
"Get ready to ram, Jinx," she told the minion.
"But we might destroy half the bus!" Jinx told her.
"Do I look like I care? Do it NOW!"
"Yes, oh Most Destructive Gatecrashing One" Jinx replied as he put the bus into reverse, and then rammed the gate at terrific speed.
Surprisingly, the bus suffered little damage. The same could not be said for its driver.
"Oooh," Jinx moaned. The crash somehow threw him to the front doorway of the bus.
"Well, it's about time!" Glory cried as she kicked the door off its hinges. Well, actually, she kicked Jinx, and his momentum ripped the door off its hinges.
"Oowwww…." Jinx moaned, lying on top of the door.
"Oh shut up!"
The second bus full of demons drove in beside the first one. The doors opened, and Dreg came out.
"Are you ready, oh Most Magnificent Homebound One?"
"Can none of you minions ask me an intelligent question? I've been ready for twenty-five frickin' years!"
"Yes, Your Most Divinely Patient One," Dreg placated her. "Fall out!" He yelled. Demons exited from both buses.
"And now, storm the mansion!" Dreg shouted. "Leave none alive!" Nothing moved. "What are you waiting for?"
"For me, Dregsie," Glory purred. "Or have you suddenly achieved godhood?"
"Oh, Most Impressive Omnipotence, I-"
SMACK!
Glory's kick launched the minion high into the air. He landed right beside the door wher Jinx lay.
"Oowwww…"
"Oh shut up!" She turned to the demons. "Listen up! Follow me, and don't attack anyone until I say so! Now this crystal-" she held it aloft, "is going to fly straight to the Key! If anyone puts even a scratch on my Key, that demon will answer to me!" Holding up the crystal, Glory went in the direction it was tugging her. The Key must be on the other side of this ugly little hovel. As Glory rounded the back, she slowed down, causing her pack to slow down behind her. After all, Glorificus the Almighty makes none but the best entrances.
Sure enough, there was a crowd of superheroes surrounding the Slayer's sister, as well as the Slayer and her friends. The crystal in her hand suddenly began to glow, and with a jerk, it escaped her grasp. It flew through the crowd of people, to slip itself on the girl's neck. Glory grinned wickedly- any possible doubt was gone, now.
"There's my little Key," the deity purred.
* * * * * * * * *
Buffy glared at Glory. She had seldom hated one of her opponents like she hated the Hellgod at this moment.
"Now, little girl, you have two choices," Glory called. "You can either come with me right now, and every one of your family and friends dies in a couple days, or you can try to resist, and they all die right now. Painfully."
Dawn's face was pale.
"Go to hell!" She yelled. Buffy felt incredibly proud of Dawn. More proof, as if any was needed, that Dawn was a Summers.
"Yeah, that's kinda the idea," Glory smirked. "You heard the little brat, fellas."
The demons charged.
* * * * * * * * *
Buffy grabbed Dawn and ran towards the mansion. Some of the demons went after her. The rest didn't have a chance.
"Remember- don't hold back!" Giles yelled as a Polgara demon charged him.
Scott actually snarled as his beams shot at a large reptilian looking demon that was leading the charge to Buffy. Slowing it down caused several other demons to fall on top of it… leaving them free for Jean to throw them into the ocean.
*Thanks* he sent.
*Thank later. Fight now* was the response. That, and, as always, *I love you*
*Ditto*
From the skies Ororo's eyes turned white as she called the elements to do her will. Lightning streaked down from the heavens. She had to be extremely careful- battle is chaotic, and the weapons of her Goddess could hurt friend as easily as foe.
"Save some for the rest of us!" Warren called as he joined her. Taking aim, he shot at an insectoid creature that was moving towards the Professor. It hurt the thing, but it wasn't doing the job.
"Need help?" Dani called from a distance. Atop Brightwind, she took careful aim with her own bow, and fired. Her shot put the creature to the ground.
"See?" she called. "Now that's how it's done!" Warren's only response was a cold smile, and a shot from his crossbow.
"What?" Dani yelled. The bolt barely missed her. What the hell? Warren pointed, and she shifted so that she could see behind her. A batlike demon was falling into the ocean.
"Don't get cocky!" Warren called back. A shadowy creature was gliding up behind him. Dani shot it, and it fell to earth.
"I knew that was there!" he called as he took aim again.
"Right," Dani smirked as she did the same.
* * * * * * * * *
On the ground, Peter and Roberto were fighting a large clay creature with the word 'Emeth' written on its forehead. Their blows were barely hurting it. From behind them, a shadowy figure muttered a spell, and sparks shot from its hands, hitting the two heroes.
Roberto and Peter gasped as they suddenly reverted to their ordinary selves. Before they could change back, the thing breathed peppermint pink gas on them. A sweet smell filled their nostrils.
"Good night," Roberto muttered in Portuguese as he passed out.
"Good night," Peter mumbled in Russian, joining his younger colleague in dreamland.
The mage grinned wickedly as the golem- one of his prized pair- lifted its hands to finish its opponents off. Just before its fists hit, a girl in blue reached them and touched them. The golem's fists went through the unconscious heroes, but didn't hurt them at all.
"That's Shadowcat," a voice came from behind him. He whirled. A young blond woman was standing behind him. "She can make herself and anything she touches intangible. And I'm Jimaine Szarados."
Szarados? As in- He didn't get a chance to finish his thought as the young woman rattled off a spell and he was enveloped in fire. It didn't hurt him, but his shield took quite a beating. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He launched a counterattack, and the magical duel was on.
"Kitty, you know how to stop a golem!" Willow yelled as she fought a duel of her own. Taking a page out of Bobby's book, she encased her opponent in ice… only to have it quickly melt and her enemy fired bolts of pure magic at her. Willow snarled, and countered with lightning.
Kitty did know how to deal with golems. She moved her teammates out of the line of fire- amazing how light things were when intangible- and ran back to the golem, which was moving towards where Buffy was holding off a crowd of demons. She phased herself through it, and stood before it. Lifting herself into the air, she concentrated enough to allow a finger to solidify. She used the solid digit to rub out the E in 'Emeth,' Hebrew for truth, leaving only 'Meth,' Hebrew word for death. The golem collapsed, inanimate. And who said old stories were all lies?
* * * * * * * * *
The Professor sat out of the general melee and concentrated on attacking the invaders with his greatest weapon- his mind. Some of the demons were vulnerable, others were not, and a few were capable of launching counterattacks. None were a match for the most powerful telepath alive.
He saw Buffy standing before Dawn fighting off a crowd of demons. The demons were crowding in around the Slayer, limiting their effectiveness, but the sheer number had the power to bring her down unless…
Charles quickly judged distance and severity of engagement, and came to a decision.
*Rupert! Gunn! Help Buffy!*
The Watcher and the demon hunter heard, and charged towards Buffy. Their opponents followed, but were met by Moira and Wesley.
"Move yer arse, Rupert!" Moira yelled as she cut the guts out of one demon, only to be attacked by another.
"Right," Giles replied as he stabbed a demon from behind.
Another of the demons near the back turned and charged at Gunn. He killed it quickly, and joined Giles in fighting the crowd as Buffy and Dawn continued their run for the Mansion. Neither man noticed Oz and Rahne charging after them, mixing it up with a pack of hellhounds who were hanging back, waiting for the right moment to kill.
Rahne was a little surprised by Oz's savagery as she ripped out one of the hounds' throats. The Professor claimed to have been able to help him retain some control when he 'wolfed out' as he called it, but as she sliced another hound's entrails she wondered how much good the Professor was actually doing.
* * * * * * * * *
"How are we doing?" Alison yelled to Lorne as they fought.
"We're alive, and the Key hasn't been taken yet," he called back. He pointed to a nearby pair of demons.
"See those guys? They're a mated pair. The boys can't stand loud noise, and the ladies just wilt under the bright lights."
Alison smirked. She could see where he was going. Running towards the demon, Lorne let out an ear piercing shriek. One of the demons fell to the ground. The other tried to help it up. Lorne kept shrieking, and Alison used the sound to fire several shards of light at the other. Soon both were down. The Host and the Dazzler took a quick moment to bow, and resumed the fight.
While Alex was covering her, Lorna focused on the two newly fallen demons. She tested them, and fortunately, they had enough metal in their blood to be movable by her. She threw them into the sky, where they hit a large birdlike thing that was fighting. It must be some kind of shapeshifter, Lorna decided, or else it wouldn't have been able to fit in a bus. The demons were impaled on its large claws.
Sean took advantage of the demon's surprise and hit it with renewed sonic fury, fury which was soon joined by Alex's blasts. The bird was quickly fried chicken. Nodding at each other, the three heroes kept up the struggle.
A few feet from Alex and Lorna, Sam was observing the battle in the sky. By this time, every demon that could fly was doing so. Seeing a free target, he blasted off, and hit it as hard as he could. It flew off into the horizon. With all his might, he managed to turn around, and charged a monster on the ground. It flew out to the ocean. After he hit the thing, he stopped, and prepared to repeat the process. Then, he noticed the golem- the mage's other golem- beside him. His world became peppermint pink and sweet smelling, and suddenly, sleeping seemed like a really good idea.
"G'night," he mumbled as he fell into sleepyland.
Fortunately, Rogue was right there, and also saw how Kitty defeated the other golem. Holding her breath, she quickly wiped the E off the golems brow, and as it crashed to the ground, she took Sam to where Petey and 'Berto were sleeping it off, and where Xi'an was kneeling, psychically controlling a demon that was attacking its former allies.
"Sleep tight, boys," she whispered, caught Xi'an's eye briefly and nodded, and went back to the sky, where battle was still fiercely raging.
* * * * * * * * *
Doug/Warlock (Douglock) was single handedly holding off a group of very nasty looking demons. Or rather, double handedly. Manipulating his/their hands into saws, hammers, and other nasty devices, he/they kept the creatures at bay. Douglock cut into one- and the saw was stuck. Douglock tried to remove his/their appendage, but the monsters grabbed their other arm, and two others grabbed their/his legs.
"Looks like we're gonna have us some mutie," one of the standing demons grinned, and swung at Douglock's chest. He never made it.
Ivy was swirling tightly around him, and where it clung, he couldn't move. It soon enveloped him. Douglock even saw ivy going into the demon's eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Looking around, he/they saw that all of their enemies were in the same state. Then the demons let go. Douglock was free!
Looking around, they/he saw Tara holding a hand outstretched. She noticed them and shrugged, as if to say "I can fight nasty when I have to."
"You boys should get out of the way now," she told him/them. Douglock followed instructions- a good thing, as Amara proceeded to fry the demons with her powers.
On the other side of the yard, Hank and Bobby were fending off a group of blue-furred ape demons.
"Say buddy, how do I know you're not one of them?" Bobby called as he made some of his demons chill out.
"Because none of them is as handsome as me," Hank replied, as he dazzled his demons with his enhanced strength and acrobatic prowess- dazzled them right to dreamland.
"Ach, handsome is in the eye of the beholder, mein freund!" Kurt called from where he was fighting three uglies with swords for hands. In spite of the danger of the situation, Kurt was enjoying himself. It wasn't often that he had to use his hands and his tail in a swordfight.
"Wanna trade?" Bobby called. "These guys are getting boring."
"Ja. Und du, Hank?"
"Ah, okay. To your left, men!"
"Right!" they both called back.
"Not that old joke again," Hank muttered as he leapt over Bobby's to land on the blue ape-demons. Kurt teleported to deal with Hank's former burdens, and Bobby flash-froze the surprised sword-thingies.
"Do we rock, or do we rock!" Bobby crowed.
"Indeed!" Hank agreed.
"That's what makes us the X-Men!" Kurt added.
* * * * * * * * *
The minions, plus Jinx and Dreg (who had finally recovered enough to move) watched the battle with dismay.
The battle was still raging fiercely, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. Their enemies were winning.
"Why doesn't her Most Awe-Inspiring KickAssness not enter the battle?" one of them asked.
"Her Most Cunning Shrewdness must have a plan," another said, and they all nodded. Of course. Her Most Brilliant Evil-Schemerness always had a plan!
"Maybe," came a voice from behind them. The minions turned.
Xander, Anya, Cordelia, and Fred were standing behind them, weapons drawn.
"Or maybe she's just a cowardly little Hellgodling," Xander continued, tauntingly.
The minions stared in shock. No one had ever called the almighty Glorificus a coward!
With a wordless cry, the minions charged. No one would insult their Most Divine Non-Cowardliness and get away with it!
* * * * * * * * *
The minions were right- Glory did have a plan. She was lying in wait, concealed by the bushes near the back door of the mansion. If the Slayer managed to get the Key through the gauntlet of demons, Glory was ready to grab and dash.
And sure enough, the Slayer was nearing the back door. Glory was ready to pounce. The noise of the battle and… sigh… the loud and pathetic whining of her minions getting their asses kicked would cover up any sound until it was too late. Note to self- get better minions when I rule My dimension alone.
Glory stood up, and neared the Slayer.
"Buffy! Look out!" Buffy turned. Fred was yelling, and Buffy could see why.
"Hello, bitch," Buffy snarled, and hit Glory as hard as she could. "Dawn! Get inside!"
"Not today, sweetheart!" Glory recovered, and knocked the Slayer out of the way. The Key had a very pleasing expression of absolute terror on her face.
"NYARRH!" Suddenly, Glory was stabbed in the side. She looked at her assailant. A small, wild eyed man, with a torn yellow and blue costume (at least that's what it looked like in the places that weren't covered with blood) and animalistic eyes, was stabbing her in her side.
"I don't have time for this!" She yelled as she hit him. He made a strange clanging noise as she hit him, let he had a metal skeleton.
She turned back to the Key… in time for the Slayer to hit her again. Hard.
"Okay, I've been patient, I really have, but I'm getting very tired of this!" The Slayer and the small clawed man were facing her. To one side, she could hear the Slayer's friends fighting their way through her incompetent minions to help the Slayer fight. She could see several of the mutants try to clear a path to her. She snarled. Screw the incompetents! She'd take all these stupid, pathetic mortals alone if she had to!
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Key sneak into the doorway, followed by the two werewolves. She smiled nastily. Nice try. Moving as fast as she could, she made a dash for the doorway. Would she? Yes! She did! She slammed the door behind her.
* * * * * * * * *
Buffy made for the door but didn't make it in time. And then the back wall of the mansion's exterior was flash frozen. All eyes turned to a sheepish Bobby.
"Damn! Too slow," he cursed.
"You got that right, Assman," Cordy snarked.
Half the group made for the front door, while the other half served as rear guard. All that is, except Kurt and Illyana, who teleported in.
* * * * * * * * *
The three youths whirled around as Glory slammed the door.
"You know," the Hellgod said almost pleasantly, "I thought my time on this mudball couldn't get any less pleasant, but hey whaddaya know- it did!" She took a step forward, and there was a minor explosion in front of her.
"Guten tag, Fraulein," a blue fuzzy thing said, merrily. "Run!" he yelled at the three. They did.
"They can run, but they can't-"
"Ah, but Fraulein Glory, they can!" He grabbed her, and the two vanished in a cloud of smoke.
* * * * * * * * *
"Angel! Spike!" Illyana called as she teleported into the Professor's private study, where the two vampires were waiting.
"She's here, ain't she?" Spike asked, seeing the sorceress covered in blood. "You hurt, love?"
"The blood's not mine, and yes, she's here. She's in the mansion, too, but I think Kurt's… leading her around."
"Why aren't the others following?" Angel demanded.
"Iceman tried to flash freeze the back part of the mansion before Glory could get in. It kinda backfired. The others are coming- there are still demons out there."
"You got that right!" Dawn panted, entering the room with Oz and Rahne hot on her heels.
"The demons are fighting the others," Oz growled.
"Since when could you talk as a wolf?" Angel asked.
"The Professor taught me," was all Oz said. Typical.
"Must've been some lessons," Spike snorted.
"You have no idea."
"How long do you think we have?" Dawn asked.
"Depends on how long Kurt keeps 'er occupied," Rahne shrugged.
"And
how will she do that?"
"Ye really don't wanna know."
Illyana was lost in thought. If it was going to come down to the four of them against Glorificus… she glanced at Dawn, and remembered her earlier vow. The Key would die at her hands before she'd let Glory have it.
Or maybe… she wouldn't have to…
Illyana's eyes widened. It was a definite risk, but if it worked- if it worked, she might be able to take Glory out once and for all!
"Okay, everybody, listen to me! I have a plan…"
* * * * * * * * *
The blue fuzzy man lay on the floor. How did he get there? He waited a little too long between teleports. Glory did the rest.
Glory snarled. This was really pissing her off! She walked through the mansion, passing by doors. Finally, she heard muttered words coming from behind one of them. She recognized the voice, and smirked. It was about time! She ripped the door off its hinges.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dawn was sitting on a chair. The others were pacing- waiting for Glory. Cordelia said it would come to the four of them against the HellGod, and- surprise, surprise- she was right.
"No matter what happens," Dawn suddenly said. "I want to thank you all for protecting me." All eyes turned to her.
"No thanks are needed," Angel said simply.
"They
are! I mean, you're all fighting for me, and I can't do anything! Buffy won't
let me learn how to fight, she won't let me learn
magic- she won't let me learn to defend myself!"
At that moment, the door ripped from its hinges.
"I'm not complaining, chicky," Glory smirked as she entered the room. Her smirk quickly became a grin of triumph.
Oz, Angel, Spike, Rahne, and Illyana stood for a moment, each silently praying to whatever god they believed in. Then, they reviewed the plan. It was desperate, but it might work. After a moment, they charged.
Dawn could only watch.
The wolves reached her first. Rahne clawed at Glory's stomach, and Oz tried to rip the arteries in her legs to immobilize her. Rahne only tore the dress, and Oz didn't even leave visible marks.
Angel slashed at Glory with his sword, while Spike went for her head. Their swords broke.
Illyana ran Glory through with her sword. The Hellgod's eyes widened.
"AAHH!" she yelled. "That really hurt, you little bitch!" She shoved the Soulsword out of her chest, and hit Illyana across the room. Angel and the others redoubled their attack.
Glory stood motionless for a moment. That was a Soulsword! In her relatively weakened state, it could well… but the question was- did blondie know what it was capable of?
With a mighty movement of her arms, she threw her assailants off of her. The blond chick was holding her Key's arm. Seeing Glory standing, the girls waved.
"Bye, Glorificus," the bitch taunted as circles of light enveloped their feet and move up across their bodies. The brat was a teleporter!
"Nice try, sweetie!" Glory shouted, and charged. She tackled the girls, and was enveloped in the teleportation. She vanished along with them.
"It's all up t' ye now, Illyana," Rahne muttered, and silently prayed.
* * * * * * * * *
The dimension of Limbo was a dark, hellish place. It wasn't always like that, but it had long been changed to reflect the tastes of its masters. At the moment, it was the ideal of Lord Belasco, Limbo's last ruler.
Its current ruler was rolling around on the ground wrestling a Hellgod.
"You little bitch!" Glory screamed. "Did you think you could keep my Key away from me? Did you?"
Dawn had escaped from the struggle- Illyana pushed her out, actually- and was looking around at her environment, looking at whatever she could, as long as it wasn't the struggle before her. Illyana was only human. She would- huh? Dawn's eyes bulged. She was staring at the one thing she did not expect to see.
"Ben?"
Her voice distracted the combatants, and both looked where Dawn was staring. Sure enough, Ben was there, lying on the ground, a dazed expression on his face.
"Hey, I know that dress," Ben said, dazedly. He quickly snapped out of it.
"No way," he breathed.
Glory stood up.
"So you're Ben," she snarled. "I thought I lost some annoying dead weight. I'll deal with you in a minute."
"No way," Ben breathed again. For the first time in nine years, he felt… free. There wasn't that pressure in the back of his mind, always serving as a reminder of Glory's presence. That dark, gnawing hunger he always felt was gone. He really was free. He stood up.
"Now this is more like it!" Glory enthused, taking in her surroundings. She was in yet another dimension- she could feel it! Not her home, but a damn sight closer than the last mudball was. And then she was tackled.
"This is for my father!" Ben screamed, hitting her. "My mother!" Another blow. "All those people whose lives you ruined!" Another hit. "And this is for me!" His hardest hit yet.
"Are you done, little man?" Glory asked, and then threw him off of her. She stood again.
"Anyone else wanna go?"
"I do," the blond witch purred. "Oh, and Glory? In case you're wondering where you are, you're in Limbo. And I'm Illyana Rasputin, its ruler."
Glory swallowed. She'd heard of the girl child that took down Belasco. And if she was the ruler of this realm like she claimed… No!
"This may be a hell," Illyana snarled, approaching Glory, who was beginning to back up. "But it's my hell, and you know what?"
"What?" Glory asked, openly fearful.
"In this place," Illyana raised her sword, "My will be done!" She swung.
Dawn had never seen anyone beheaded before. Ben had, but this time, looking up from where he landed, he enjoyed watching.
Glory's body exploded. Dark energy crackled and escaped from the Hellgod's corporeal form. Dawn thought it was kinda like the death of the Emperor in The Return of the Jedi. Ben smiled. No more possessions. No more coming to in a dress. No more lying to people who wanted to be his friend. Soon, the energy died down. No body remained. Their tormentor was dead.
Dawn began to cry. It was over- it was finally over. Illyana went over to her newest friend, and held her as she cried in relief.
"So, uh- how are we going to get back," came Ben's voice. Having recovered from his parasite's hit, he was standing.
"As soon as we get you some clothes, sexy," Illyana grinned wickedly. Ben looked down, and blushed as he covered himself. Glory got the dress, and Ben- didn't.
"Too late, Ben," Dawn giggled, tears done. "We've already seen you."
"All of you," Illyana added. She summoned a towel, which Ben hastily wrapped around himself.
"Thanks," he said, gratefully. Part of him wondered why she didn't just zap up some clothing, but he didn't mind- she killed Glory. There were all sorts of things she could do that he wouldn't complain about.
"Come over here, sexy," she smirked, and Ben did as he was told. Circles of light enveloped them, and they returned to their home dimension, where friends and family awaited them.
