Greetings and Salutations. Looky what have for you. A massive, and forseeably last, chapter of Dark Future. Belasco gets what he deserves, but what was he really up to, and more to the point, is it over?
The next day, Buffy walked into Jam Pony. It was decided that she would need a job to explain where the cash was coming from, and Max said Normal was always looking for a new slave.
"Yo, Normal, fresh meat." Max yelled. The skinny owner moved to the window.
"Another slacker to add to my growing collection?" he sneered as Buffy walked over to the desk.
"Hi, I'm looking for a job?" She said. She made sure Normal had a good look at her before moving to the desk. "Max said you might have something available."
"Well, I-I-I might be able to squeeze you in somewhere." He said, suddenly polite. "Just fill in these, and we'll organize a sector pass. You can get started today." Buffy flashed a smile at him. No matter when you were, men were all the same.
"Thanks. Um, I'm kinda new in town and haven't the money to buy my own bike…"
"Use one to the company bikes until you can afford one of your own." He said. Buffy filled out the forms and handed them to her. He handed her a temporary sector pass and the keys for one of the bike locks.
"Thanks." She said and walked over to Max.
"Damn, girl, you played him like a cheap violin." One of the other girls said. "I'm Original Cindy."
"Buffy." The Slayer said. "It's a talent."
"Must be rare." Max said. "I've never seen anyone play Normal like that."
"Hey, what do you slackers think your doing? This is a business, not a club." Normal said walking over. "I got a hot run for you, Max. Let's see if you can get this done within two hours for a change." He handed her some packages. "Take Beauty…I mean Buffy with you. Show her around."
"You got it." She said. Buffy stowed her things and grabbed a bike.
"Thanks, Boss." Buffy said using some of the moves she had seen Faith use. They rode off, leaving Normal feeling slightly happier than usual.
"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Max asked as they rode through the city. Buffy shrugged.
"Gotta get my kicks somewhere." She said.
"Well, you're happier than you were yesterday." Max noted. "What's the deal?"
"I got a visit. Last night." Buffy said with a smile. "One of those dream visits I know so well. It was Logan."
"You're kidding, right?" Max couldn't believe it. The man was long dead, yet he visited Buffy in her dreams. "Are you sure it was him?" Buffy gave a sly smile.
"That depends." She said. "When did you stop calling everyone 'sir' or 'ma'am'?" Max almost stacked her bike.
"Joyce could've told you that." Max said lamely, but she didn't believe it. Not really.
"Do you really believe that?" Buffy asked.
"Not for an instant." Max said. "So, after all these years, he visits you in your dreams? That's either deep love or he's more stubborn than I remember." Buffy laughed.
"Probably a mixture of both." She said. "I think he was worried about me."
"He never forgot you." Max said. "I remember all the stories he told. You were always on his mind." Buffy smiled sadly. The feelings mutual, she thought.
"Let's get these packages delivered." Buffy said. "Sounds like you've got enough problems with Normal without being blamed for keeping me back." Max laughed as they headed for the first address.
That night, Buffy joined Max and the others at Crash, partly because Alec had promised to pay for her drinks, and mainly because the others were still on her case to relax.
"So, what do you think?" Max asked while Alec was getting a drink.
"Kind of like the Bronze back in Sunnydale." Buffy said. She looked around the bar. She noticed a guy leading a girl out of the bar. She felt the strangeness of him. "A little to much." She said, pointing it out to Max. "Vampire and victim. My guess is, they'll get just outside, head to an alley, start making out, then he'll have a bite to eat." She got up, checking her bag for her stakes. "So much for my day off." Max got up with her. "Hold on, Max. Let me do it. I haven't been on any solo patrols since I got here. I need to show I can do this alone."
"Alright." Max said. "Be careful."
"Mind my seat." Buffy took off after the vamp.
"Where's she going?" Alec said, coming back with the drinks.
"Things to do, jerks to beat up." Max shrugged. "Y'know. Girl stuff. She did say to mind her drink."
"Okay." Alec put a beer down next to his. "So…think I've got a shot?"
"In your dreams."
Buffy stalked the vamp carefully. She knew the dangers of running into this without thinking it through. She snuck carefully around the corner.
"I thought we were going to your place." The girl said.
"Aw, baby, I couldn't wait." He said. "I want you now." He kissed her neck lightly. "I want you so bad I can taste you." He let out an animal roar.
"Go time." Buffy muttered. "Hey, buddy." The vamp turned, game face in place. "Didn't your sire ever teach you its rude to bite?" The vamp dropped his intended victim and moved towards her. Buffy pulled out a small stake. "I'll take that as a no." She charged forward, stake ready. She ducked under his foot as it streaked towards her. She took a shot at his knee, and then threw a vicious upper cut. The vamp sprawled on the ground. Buffy raced forward, only to meet his foot with her face. She staggered back, dropping her stake. The vamp charged again, grabbing her by the throat.
"You come to feed me to?" He growled.
"Actually, I have a bit of dental advise." She said. "You should really brush those." With that, he exploded into dust. Buffy brushed the dust of her hand and spare stake before picking up the other one. She then went to check on the girl. "You alright?" She asked the girl.
"Was that one of those…transgenic things we've been hearing about?" She asked.
"Something a lot older than that I'm afraid." Buffy said. "You should head for home. And don't ask anyone in." The nodded her thankyou and ran off. Buffy looked around. "Yup, just like home." She said, looking down. "Another perfectly good outfit ruined." She headed back to Crash. Finish her drink, and then go to bed. Maybe Logan would visit again.
"You said she was out of the way!" The man accused. Belasco sighed irritated. "You said she couldn't interfere. The girl should be ours by now…"
"Ours?" Belasco broke in. "Ours?" He launched over the table, grasping the man by the throat. "You overstate the importance of yourself and your colleagues. You are nothing more than a means to an end. Shadowcat is, was and always will be mine and mine alone. The Slayer's reappearance is an unfortunate accident." A lie, of course. The Slayer would lead his front line, as Shadowcat would command his entire army. Both girls were integral in his plan, though where Pryde was concerned it was very personal. "Remember that."
"Of course." The W&H lawyer gasped. "My apologies. I was…over zealous."
"See that it does not happen again." He looked out the window, over the once sprawling metropolis of Seattle. "How goes the acquisition of the land I asked for?"
"It is…yours." The man said. "What importance does it hold?"
"None." Belasco said offhandedly. "But as long as the fools think it is, they will rush to find a way to keep it out of my hands. And while they rush around aimlessly, I shall take what is mind, and they shall be none the wiser." Belasco grinned. Soon, it would all be his.
The law clerk moved quickly down the hall, pressing the quick dial on his phone. "Sir, I have news. The land's a trap. They mentioned something about a Slayer as well." He listened a moment. "Alright, I understand. I'll leave it to you. Yes sir." He hung up the phone. He just hoped Eyes Only could use the news.
"Logan heard from Eyes Only." Max said as she came in. She hated keeping Eyes Only's identity from them, but the less people knew the better. "The lands a red herring."
"What do you mean, Max?" Buffy asked.
"There is no importance to it." She said. "One his agents in W&H called. He overheard two guys talking. The lands a fake to keep us at arms length til he's ready." Buffy looked out the window.
"Dawn, where's Faith?""I've already sent them on their way. They should arrive with Faith's branch of Scoobies soon."
"Good. Its time to move." Buffy turned to her friends. "No holding back now." She said. "We don't need to wait for him to make his move. We move on the land, try and draw him out."
"And if that don't work?" Spike asked. "This guy can't be that dumb."
"He's not." Kitty said. "He's bound to have a plan for this."
"I'm counting on it." Buffy said. He turned to each of them. "How many people can we organise to hit this thing?"
"A diversion." Angel realised. "Make him think we're hitting the land…"
"While we take Wolfram & Hart." Buffy confirmed. "Chances are that's where he's holed up. And I'm not talking sneaking here. With all of us, plus Faith, we can shelve the sneaky stuff."
"A full scale assault on W&H?" Jubilee exclaimed. "That's insane." Joyce smiled, a familiar feral grin. A grin just like her fathers.
"They'll never expect it." She said. "Until we're beatin' the doors down. A decent scrap at last." The Witchblade came out of hiding. "Beauty." Buffy smiled over at her.
"You're channelling your father." She pointed out with a grin. "That means you're with me." Joyce's grin got wider.
"Let's go, mom."
"We're over head." Faith said. "Let the games begin." She fired a small ki blast into the roof. Klaxons could be heard from where she was flying. "They better not have air to air, B." Buffy grinned. The slightly more controlled Faith had finally given way to the in your face, wild, scrapper Faith they all knew.
"Nothing that can pick up flying people." Logan Cale said over the comlink.
"Just don't get to close." Hank McCoy, the blue furred Beast, radioed from his position. He may have been a little older than he used to be, but that didn't make him totally useless. He had arrived about a day before they had attacked, with Blink and Hercules.
"Alright, guys. We're in the sewers." Buffy said. She looked over at Joyce. The girl had the Witchblade out, and was ready for action. "Let's do it." Joyce grinned as they approached a rather heavily defended steel door. Several guard walked towards them.
"Hey, your…" One of them looked at Joyce. "Oh shit!" Joyce grinned, recognising the Weapon X soldier from the forests in Canada, just before she'd met her mother.
"Well, looky here." She said, walking up to him. "You got a flare for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sparky." The man shook a bit. "Remember what I said back in Canada."
"You said if I chased you again." He whined. "I wasn't chasing you, I promise. I was just guarding."
"What does Weapon X have to do with Wolfram & Hart?" Joyce demanded.
"Weapon X?" Buffy stepped forward. "Aren't they the guys that gave Logan his Adamantium and wiped his memories?"
"That's them." Joyce said. "They decided that they wanted the daughter of the original Weapon X as one of their agents. I went to Canada to…persuade them otherwise." Buffy's blood went cold. Those creeps were after her daughter? And they had something to do with Wolfram& Hart?
"You don't have a lot going for you at the moment." She said, and then she noticed his friends, guns ready. "That doesn't help." She said, sending them flying with a wave of her hand. They hit the wall and slumped, unconscious, to the floor. "Now I believe that my daughter asked you a question."
"Your…oh shit!" The poor guard now realised he was definitely in the wrong line of work. "I don't know. All I know is that we were sent here with a couple of Weapon X agents. That's it."
"Who?" Joyce demanded.
"Sabretooth, Wild Child and Mesmero." He said quickly, desperately not wanting to die. Buffy swore. Sabretooth and Wild Child, she could handle. She wasn't sure her mental powers were up to a duel with Mesmero, though.
"Guys, we have problems. Weapon X is involved. They've sent Saretooth, Wild Child and Mesmero along to beef up security."
"Can't you hit 'em with a psychic whammy or something?" Faith asked.
"I might get Sabretooth and Wild Child, but not Mesmero, and he's the dangerous one." Buffy sent. "A master of mental manipulation. Shit, we didn't plan for this."
"Maybe we did, and didn't know it." Kitty said suddenly. "Your the only one with mental abilities that's been able to use them to even talk to Angel, why we don't know. All anyone else gets a half signal, and the same for Dru and Spike."
"The soul." Buffy realized.
"And you can probably get a proper signal because you're the Slayer." Xander volunteered. "Your Slayer sense gives you an avenue that no one else has." Buffy couldn't believe how much like Giles he sounded.
"Alright, new plan." She said. "Blink, once we find them, send the fang gang to our position so they can deal with Mesmero. Me and Joyce can handle Creed and his Mini Me." The original Scoobies chuckled.
"Mini Me?" Joyce asked as they moved to the door.
"They never showed you 'Austin Powers'?" Buffy asked. "You poor deprived child." She looked at the door. "Um, this looks to thick for me to bust through."
"Let me try." Joyce said, bringing the Witchblade to bear.
"Finally." It whispered into her mind. Joyce released it, letting its blade like tentacles rip away at the door; hellfire bolts slamming into the door. Buffy watched, amazed, as the door fell away.
"Holy shit." She muttered. "How come I didn't get that as part of my Slayer deal?" Joyce grinned as the Witchblade drew back to its gauntlet form.
"You're not a Wielder." She said simply. "Besides, you don't want this, trust me. Now, let's finish this."
"Well looky who's finally decided ta join the party?" Sabretooth said as the two Slayers walked in.
"Creed." Buffy said, careful not to look Mesmero in the eye. "Now, Blink." She looked over at what appeared to be a gremlin. "And you must be Wild Child. Logan never said you looked like a gremlin." He snarled at her.
"I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart, girl." He growled. "Maybe I'll even play with your daughter after Mesmero's done with her, and let you watch."
"You have been takin' too many lessons off big an' hairy, mate." A cockney voice said from behind them. "Maybe you should check the score." They turned to see three, rather annoyed, souled vampires. "Looks like your outnumber."
"Let's see if we can't alter that shall we." Mesmero said, moving over to Dru. "Vampire or not, I'll have some fun with you, beautiful." Dru blinked as he applied his power. Or at least, he tried.
"Little pointer." She said. "Make sure you know you can affect your victim before trying to enthral them, or else you could end up in a situation like this." She brought a hand up and crooked her finger. Mesmero trundled to her side and lay down like an obedient dog. Drusilla ruffled his hair. "You're not the only one who can hypnotise people, pet." She grinned a slightly insane smile. Not quite sane, Buffy remembered, but damn near close. "So, who's next?" Sabretooth merely grinned.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for someone to do that, doll face." He grinned. Dru glared at him, Spike seethed, and Angel, well…
"That's my Child you're talking to, hairy." He growled protectively, bringing his game face to bear. "There are two people in the world who can call her 'doll face'. I'm one of them, and you sure as hell are not the other one." Buffy shivered.
"Channelling Angelus much?" She said flippantly. Angel grinned, showing his fangs.
"No one messes with my family." He said. "You go deal with Belasco. We'll deal with these freaks. Just remember to leave some for Kitty and Faith. They'd be sore if you took it all for yourself."
"I'll be sure to leave them some morsels." Buffy said.
"Bite size." Joyce added. "Pre chewed."
"Ah, Ms Summers." Belasco said as Joyce and Buffy walked in. "How nice to see you again. I'm impressed you got this far." He turned from the window he was looking out of. "You seem none the worse for wear. What happened to Weapon X?" There was a crash of breaking glass from below. "Never mind, I think I can guess. I must admit you have proven more resourceful than I anticipated. Very impressive."
"Save it, red." Buffy spat. "I don't seek your approval. What are you up to?"
"Dear girl, isn't it obvious?" Belasco said, flashing a grin. "What I've always 'been up to'. The conquest of this planet, and Shadowcat's presence by my side, both in ruling, and in my bed. Any small victory you may achieve this day will be hollow and meaningless. Soon, she will be mine, this world will be mine, and you will be as dead as your lover." That was all Buffy could stand. The Phoenix flamed about her as she drew her sword, and she began to float above the floor.
"The only one dieing today, Belasco, will be you." Belasco hid a smile as she charged. Excellent, he thought. Soon, all of it would be his.
"Something's not right." Kitty muttered, seeing the flames above.
"Got that right. Something stinks." Faith agreed. There was a chilling familiarity about this, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"You sure it's not him?" Jubilee pointed at Sabretooth, who was just starting to get to his feet. Faith shook her head.
"I don't think so." She said. "But this seems so…Shit!" She exploded suddenly. "He's trying the same trick he tried with me!" She grabbed Kitty, and launched into the air, a trail of golden light streaking behind her.
"Damn, girl. Some warning next time." Kitty screamed as they headed up, until they reached their destination. Kitty phased them both through the window.
"Just in time." Faith muttered. Joyce was trying to get her mother's attention, but was failing miserably. "Buffy, calm down!" Buffy looked at her momentarily.
"He has to pay." She said. "He has to pay for what he's done." Kitty looked over at Belasco.
"Look at that smug bastard." She muttered, and then said louder, "Look at him, Buffy! He's up to something!" Buffy paid no attention to her. "Damn it all, Slayer! Snap out of it and use your head! Your playing right into his hands, didn't Logan teach you anything?" Buffy's eyes widened and the flames disappeared. She lowered herself to the floor and looked over at Kitty.
"Thanks, kid." She said. The tone of her voice took her aback slightly, because it sounded like a female Logan. "I needed that." Buffy looked over at Faith, who was still radiating golden energy. "That still impresses the hell out of me." Faith smiled.
"Thought we'd lost you for a sec there, B." She said. Buffy grinned.
"So'd I." She admitted, and then looked over at her daughter. "You okay?" Joyce nodded.
"Got dad's healing factor, remember?" Joyce said. She was shaken by what had happened, Buffy could feel it.
"It's alright." She told her. "I promised you I'd fix this, remember?" Joyce nodded. Buffy turned her attention to Belasco. "So that's what you're up to. Not just Kitty, but me as well. You just had to have a Slayer on side, and if you can't have Faith, then I'll do just as well, that it? Did you try for my daughter too?" Belasco merely grinned.
"Very good." The words literally dripped off his tongue. "You just continue to impress me." Buffy brought her sword up.
"That is going to be the death of you." She said. Joyce formed up on her left, forming the Witchblade into a sword of her own. Kitty summoned the Shadowsword and formed on her right. "What's that old saying, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?" Buffy smiled, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth. "You've got four women right royally pissed with you. That's gonna hurt."
"Funny." Belasco hissed. "I only count three."
"You forget about me, butt ugly?" Faith said, appearing behind him and knocking him to the floor. "That makes four. You gotta brush up on your maths."
"That's not very fair on him." Joyce stated. "After all, he probably never got past kindergarten." Belasco charged with a roar.
"Protect." The Witchblade's voice echoed through Joyce's mind, as diamond sharp tentacles lashed out at the Demon Lord, slicing into his flesh.
"You'll pay for that." He hissed, before being engulfed in hellfire.
"I'm sure." Joyce muttered, pouring it on. Buffy stood beside her, letting rip with the Phoenix Force. Belasco fell backwards, breathing heavily. Buffy flew forward, sword swinging. Belasco went to put a shield up, only to loose his arm.
"Bitch!" He snapped, releasing a spell with his other arm. Buffy flipped out of the way as Faith moved in with a haymaker. Belasco slid across the room, his head spinning. He shook his head and looked at Kitty. "If I can't have you, no one can!" He yelled, releasing a spell to destroy her. Before it hit though, Kitty did the unbelievable.
She disappeared.
"What the…?" Faith looked around. No way, Kitty can't move that fast. Belasco was confused as well, until a very familiar circle of light appeared behind him. However, Magick was nowhere to be found.
"Didn't know it could do that." Kitty muttered, looking at her sword. She looked at Belasco, who was looking back, thoroughly shocked. She grinned. "Well looky here. Butt head on ice." She charged, taking his other arm as he tried to stop her.
"Check it out." Buffy said in a fake English accent. "E's 'armless."
"I don't believe you just said that." Faith groaned. Buffy giggled.
"I don't believe I just said that." She admitted.
"Um, guys." Joyce said. "Can we concentrate on horn head now, and my mother's bad puns later?"
"There will be no later for you!" Belasco spat.
"Just keep talking, Ampy!" Kitty yelled as her sword cleaved through his neck. The four femme-fatales watched as it rolled across the floor.
"Ampy?" Joyce said warily. Kitty shrugged.
"Yeah. As in 'amputee'." She explained. The others groaned.
"That was worse than yours, B." Faith said.
"I thought that was impossible." Buffy chuckled. "You been hanging with Spider-Man since I went missing?" Kitty shrugged.
"It was all I could think of." She said defensively as Angel, Spike and Dru ran up in to the room.
"An' you worried." Spike said to his Grandsire, who moved instantly to Kitty's side. He looked at the now headless Belasco. "Bloody hell. Can't you go through one scrap without leavin' some poor bastard without 'is face?" Kitty shrugged.
"Where he's concerned, its no big loss." She said, cuddling close to Angel. "Its finally over." Buffy looked out the window.
"Not quite."
The group stood on top of the Space Needle, a shadow of its former glory, much like the world.
"This is it." Buffy said. "Belasco's taken care of, but this world still needs you guys. Take care of things." She pulled her blade out and walked over to Joyce. "This is yours." She said, handing it over. Joyce took it reverently.
"Thanks…mom." She said. Buffy smiled.
"Don't sweat it." She said. She looked over at her now huge extended family. "Take care of her."
"You have to ask?" Connor said. Buffy gave each of them a look, her eyes stopping on Faith's young daughter.
"Take care of that mother of yours." She told Elizabeth. "She has a habit of getting in trouble."
"Yes, ma'am." She said. Buffy smiled.
"Well, guess its time for me to go." She said, looking over at Trunks.
"Before you do." Hank said, leading Max and Logan forward. "I think there's something you need to see." He pushed them forward. Max looked over at him.
"Are you sure?" She asked cautiously. The Beast nodded.
"Just keep it clean." He said jokingly. Max nodded and took a breath.
"Finger crossed." She said as Logan leaned forward. The kiss was short and chaste.
"C'mon, ya wanker. Give 'er a decent one." Spike yelled.
"Might as well go out with a smile." Riley said suddenly. Spike smiled over at him.
"'Bout time ya snapped out of it, soldier boy." Spike said. "You've been a total bore since we found ya." Riley looked at him and, calmly, flicked him off.
"It worked." Max whispered. "I mean, your not dieing."
"Let's test that again." Logan muttered, leaning close again. Five minutes later, they disengaged.
"Doc, you're a genius." Buffy said.
"Why thank you, young lady." The doctor said, bowing with a flourish.
"Thanks Buffy." Max said, Logan holding her close. "For everything."
"Don't mention it." The Slayer said. "Just try to keep yours alive."
"No problems with that." Max said with a smile.
"Time to go." Trunks said from next to the Time Capsule. "I can't get you right on. For some reason, the closest I can get is about three years."
"Try and go for a couple of months before Belasco makes his grab for Kitty." Buffy said. "Enough time to get there, but close enough so it's a surprise when I shove my sword down his throat." Faith grinned at her husband.
"Drop her off in LA, at the exact moment she's needed." She suggested. "That'll give him a shock."
"No way." Buffy said. "I want some alone time with Logan before I charge in and save the day. Recharging the batteries." Trunks grinned, setting the Capsules destination.
"Right, we'll land not far from where Belasco nailed you, two months prior to his grab on Kitty." Trunks said. "Keep your head down, and that should be enough." Buffy nodded, climbing in. "It's set to auto return three minutes after arrival, so get clear quickly. Good luck."
"Thanks, Trunks." Buffy looked out at her friends – no, her family – one more time. I'll see you soon guys, she thought as the cockpit closed, and I will fix this. I promise.
The group watched as the Capsule took off. "Good luck, mom." Joyce said, holding the sword close. "I love you."
Cop that, Belasco! He gets a head shorter, and Max has a heck of a lot of back up, but don't bet its over, 'cause Buffy's on her way back. So what's next? Well, a short (hopefully) fic detailing Buffy's race to fix things, followed by the true last battle; Kitty, Angel and there team of Immortals versus Belasco. The Battle of the century, or Earth's Last Stand? Only one way to find out.
Stay tuned.
Doc.