Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, it's Saban and Joss…

I Am a Chosen One-the Kimberly Hart story by biggerstaffbunch

Chapter Two: "Saying Hello"

Sunnydale

With a whump!, Kimberly Hart landed on the soft green lawn of Sunnydale Cemetery.

Kim looked around wildly, clutching her communicator and scowling as she realized just where she was. The wrought-iron gate to the grave-yard was swaying slightly in the breeze, and she stood next to the gravel walk-way leading from it to the plot of graves. The sky was black, a huge white moon glaring down, and Kim shivered as she caught sight of a few shadows moving. Great, she scowled, I landed in what Mr. Giles called 'the breeding ground' of vamps, at ten P.M, without so much as a cross on me.

"Skills, Kim." She muttered, crouching low to gain her bearings and observe. "You've got 'em." There were a few bushes lining the gravel walkways, and Kim, feeling ridiculous, stealthily crept behind them. She wasn't too sure what a Slayer's job was; Mr. Giles had been vague while insisting that her Watcher be the one to train her. But Kim had dealt with Putties, Tengas, and even evil clones before! Vampires weren't too different once you factor in the going-for-the-jugular and their cross aversion. Oh, and the stakes. Speaking of…

The bushes stopped an inch away from the plush grass that surrounded the tombstones. Kim crouched even lower, almost crab-walking down to the first grave and instantly sitting behind it. She sighed in relief.

God, how stupid must I look, she wondered, if I'm crab-walking past graves? If the real Slayer were here, she'd laugh. That thought buoyed Kim, and with a determined grin, she sat up. If she was gonna start training to be a real Slayer, she might as well start now. Sighing, Kim decided that first things came first. She needed a weapon.

Looking around furtively, she crawled with a cat-like grace over to a nearby crypt. The stone doors were heavy, and the stale stench of death hung. Kim wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Mr. Giles had mentioned that wood was good…hence the stakes…no wood. Damn. Spotting a long branch on the ground, Kim shrugged. This would have to do.

Absently, as she spun to take in her position, Kim wondered what her objective was. Seeing a movement behind a tall stone monument in the south end of the cemetery, her gaze darkened. My objective, she thought grimly, is to make my first kill.

Kim smiled, stunned at herself. She'd never sounded so cutthroat before. Must be the Slayer instincts.

In a better mood, Kim grasped her branch and hummed softly to herself. Sure, she was inexperienced, lacked proper knowledge in the whole dispatching vampires thing, and had no proper weapons, but dude! She was a Slayer! Kim let the name roll off her tongue, closing her eyes. "Slayer."

"No!" a hiss came, "Really? You?!"

Kim spun around, her eyes wide and startled. Staring right back at her, his gaze creepily smarmy and his forehead ridged, a vampire grinned wickedly, showing off a set of sharp fangs. He was dressed all in black, with greasy blonde hair and paint-splattered loafers. "Hello, doll. Come to play?" he asked, his gaze yellow and feral.

"Please," Kim said disdainfully, wrinkling her nose. "Who comes up with your lines?"

Artist!vamp growled. "I don't use lines, sweet cheeks. But your neck is lookin' pretty luscious 'bout now."

"Thanks," Kim sneered. "But let's cut the bantering and let me do my Slaying." Breaking the branch in her hand, she pointed the jagged end towards the vampire. "It has your name on it, see? 'Bad taste' in itty-bitty letters."

With a roar, the vampire rushed her, and Kim felt herself wildly afraid. What do I do now? she screamed inside her head.

Fight back, numskull! came the firm answer. Kim shrugged and threw the branch away; it wouldn't help her now.

The vampire was sailing at her with precision and speed, his punches hitting every square target. Kim felt the blows like hammers, one to the jaw, a kick to the stomach, steel hands grabbing her arms. Growling, the vamp clutched her to him and moved her neck back so far she thought he might break it. With a yell, Kim elbowed the vamp in the gut, sweeping her arm up and backhanding him in the nose. He stumbled back and Kim used the momentary lapse to snap a roundhouse kick Jason would've been proud of up and into his jaw, slamming his body side-ways.

Kim was exhilarated. Her body was moving with lethal speed, power. She was holding her own! Previously, even Putties gave her trouble sometimes. But with these Slayer powers, she felt her body taut and ready for every blow. Instead of bruising, her muscles went with the offense, moving easily to parry each blow.

Her earlier hesitation forgotten, Kim called upon every martial art move she'd ever known. Then she decided to screw it and just kick the crap out of the vampire in front of her.

"Who's the doll-face now, pansy?" Kim whooped, dancing on her toes to the right as the vamp advanced. She ducked a punch and swept her leg underneath his, bracing her body against the ground. The vamp landed with a thud on his back, but reacted quickly and was once again on his feet. In a lighting flash of a move, he had rounded behind her and captured her in a headlock from behind.

God, they're quick! Kim thought, stunned. Struggling against the vampire, her legs half-kneeling, half-standing, Kim grabbed his arm and used it as leverage to heave him up and over her head. Moving with a liquid ease, Kim flipped backwards, away from the vamp. Holding at a ready stance as the vamp shook his head and again advanced, Kim flicked her eyes to the left. A tree. Good. A plan began to formulate in her head, and in an instant, Kim tore left, running at full tilt the fifty feet or so that was between her and that tree. The vamp was right behind her.

Gaining speed, Kim slowed down only a second before she reached the trunk, and jumping about 6 inches, she braced her feet against the trunk and ran up, propelling herself up, back, and over. The vamp, though impressed, sneered as he halted in front of the tree. "Oh, please," he snapped, "I'm not stupid enough to just walk right into it!" A crash from behind forced him chest first into a long, sharp branch protruding from the middle of the trunk.

"No," said Kim slyly as the vamp exploded into dust, 'But you are dumb enough to stand there waiting for me to push you into it!"

There was a momentary silence as Kim dusted off her hands and smiled happily. Then, the crickets started chirping in time with the clapping.

Wait, the clapping?!

Kim dropped back, spinning around to see where the clapping was coming from.

From the shadows, a small red-haired figure stepped out, along with an equally short blue-haired guy, followed by a taller black-haired teen, and a willowy brunette.

"Giles told us we would find you here," the red-haired girl nervously said. She stuck out a hand. "Hi, I'm Willow. We're Buffy's friends."

Kim relaxed and put a hand over her heart. Her welcoming committee, how nice! "Hey," she said brightly, taking Willow's hand. "I'm Kim. Kimberly Hart. I'm the new Slayer." Willow flashed a relieved smile and gestured to her companions. "We know. Giles sent us to get you. It's not a good idea to be alone in Sunnydale if you've never met a vamp. But you handled it pretty well." Willow sounded impressed.

"Thanks, it was my first kill."

"No way!" The black-haired boy's jaw dropped. "That was a stellar move with the tree, by the way."

"This is Xander," Willow said, pointing to the black-haired boy. He gave a sheepish grin and a wave. "Cordelia," she motioned, nodding to the brunette. Cordelia gave a half-hearted wave before going back to her nails. "And Oz." The girl's voice was warm as she put a hand in the small blue-haired guy's hand. They were obviously attached. Kim smiled.

"Wow, name overload, guys. I was thinking, though…where's Buffy?"

The group looked uneasily to each other.

"Um, well, she had some patrolling to do of her own tonight." Willow gave a weak smile. "But she'll like you," she added hopefully.

Xander nodded. "Much with the liking, yes."

Oz just gave a serene smile.

Kim had a feeling akin to stepping into the twilight zone. "Um, okay," she said confusedly. "But, um…what about Giles?"

"At school, doing what he does best." Xander smiled wryly. "Making with the researching, the intellectual bastard."

Kim raised an eyebrow, as did everyone else. "What?" Xander yelped. "I said that lovingly! Lovingly!"

Cordelia snorted and gave Kim a look. "Yes, it's true," she sighed dramatically. "That's about as loving as the cretin gets."

Xander scowled. "And cretin is about as multi-syllabic as you get." The pair traded twin glares of indignity, and Kim was vaguely amused at how like Tommy and she they were.

Willow gave an embarrassed smile. "Guys," she pleaded. "Not in front of guests!"

Cordy broke off the staring contest to give Kim a dismissing look. "Oh, please, she's just another freak here to meet the Queen of Freakiness in the uber-town of freakydom. It's nothing new, Will. Get with it."

Xander shook his head and gave a weary sigh. "Cordelia. Meet tact once in awhile. Become best friends with it. We'd all benefit."

Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "Xander, meet fashion sense. It can't really be that hard for you to just match your clothes once in awhile."

Kim burst into laughter suddenly, watching as Cordelia reddened and Xander just looked resigned. "Is it always like this?" she giggled, holding her stomach.

Willow smiled uncertainly. "Pretty much. Except sometimes they kiss and pretend to like each other. Other than that, nothing new. They've settled into a pattern they kinda like."

"Oh." Kim snorted. "I have a feeling it's gonna be pretty eventful here in Sunnydale, with or without Xander and Cordelia."

It was Oz who spoke up.

"You have no idea."

Next chapter: "A Ten-Cent Tour of Sunnydale."