Part 5. Ice Breaker.
Several days later at Angel's Hotel (Offices).
Buffy sat quietly on one of the sofas, half asleep. Angel smiled as he
watched her. She always looked so peaceful when she was asleep. When Elissa
began to cry she woke up instantly and disappeared into one of the first
floor rooms to quiet her. She re-emerged some time later. "Is she
sleeping?" he asked.
She smiled "Sound asleep."
"She's good like that isn't she? Do you want to go up and lie down? I'll
listen out for her if you want." Angel said to her.
She shook her head, "Ironically, when I get the chance to sleep I have to
study. I have an essay to write."
He smiled as he watched her pick up her laptop and begin to work.
Suddenly the front door opened and several people filed in.
Buffy put her computer down and stood up. Before the leader could speak she
did. "What do you want here Riley? I don't like the military. I never have,
so if I have to I'll kick your ass all the way to the curb."
"Hello Buffy." was all that he said. She just shook her head at him. Angel
moved forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. "How can we help you?"
he asked politely.
Dawn leaned against the door frame and looked at Angel, "The only way you
can help him is by asking him to leave." She walked over and stood beside
Buffy.
"What's with the ladies having a go at Finn?" one of the soldiers
snickered. Riley said nothing to him.
"We have a problem. There's something loose in LA and it's very dangerous."
He threw a newspaper to them. Buffy caught it and looked at the front
headline. '12 Massacred, Police Have No Idea', it was accompanied by
several graphic photographs. She took a deep breath. She'd seen similar
photographs before. When she spoke her voice was deadly calm. "I can't
believe this. I can't be seeing this. Not even you could be so stupid. God
Riley I would have thought that you knew better. We killed one of these
things for you before. You created it, you destroy it."
"Buffy you can't mean that. It's your job to kill creatures like this. What
changed your tune?" he asked her, sounding confused.
"Oh but I do mean that, 'Agent Finn'. My job description has words like
'supernatural' and 'paranormal' on it. Not words like 'unnatural' and 'man-
made'. My reasons? I have a list of them, it's about a dozen reasons long
and I'm still working on it. That's good enough for me." she began to walk
away.
Riley lunged after her. She whirled around to face him. "If you touch me I
will break your hand." she snapped at him. "This is your mess, your
problem." she paused before speaking quietly, "I have a lot more to lose."
One of the soldiers came forward, a woman. "I'm sure you have a lot to lose
Slayer. But isn't the greater good more important to you?"
Buffy flinched, like the woman had slapped her. "You know nothing about me,
or about my life. I've lost people I care about to vampires, demons,
illness and the darkness. I'm not about to go and get more of the people I
love the most killed or injured. You people aren't fighting the war, you're
waging it and making it worse. So don't you dare stand there and tell me
that the 'greater good' as you put it is more important that the people I
care about." Drawn up to her full height and standing strong, she radiated
power and energy.
Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordy and Gunn who had all come to find out what was
going on, stood speechless in the doorway. Buffy turned to them, "Do you
want to know what Riley's done this time? Well, he's gone back to the
government and they've created another creature like Adam. Which is loose
in Los Angeles, if you don't mind."
None of the Sunnydale gang looked happy at her statement. The staff of
Angel Investigations looked a little confused. Buffy launched into the
cliff notes version for them. "Adam. Big squiggly ugly thing. Part demon,
part machine, part man. Powered by Uranium -235, packs a hell of a punch,
kills people. The last one even killed his creator."
A baby cry shattered the silence. Buffy left the room, only to re-enter
carrying Elissa. All eyes were upon her as Buffy sat down, cooing to her
daughter.
She looked up at Riley, "See what else I have to lose?"
He moved closer to her, "She's beautiful." He sat down across from her.
"I'll bet you have some good stories to tell. Maybe we can compare?"
"Did you die?" was Buffy's response.
He looked a little confused at her question. "No."
"I'm going to win." she shot back.
**********
She sighed, still cradling her daughter, now sleeping. One handed she
picked up the telephone receiver and dialed.
She'd never used the number before, she'd never used it, but could never
forget it.
Buffy waited as the call was diverted to another number. It rang a few
times before it was picked up.
Several days later at Angel's Hotel (Offices).
Buffy sat quietly on one of the sofas, half asleep. Angel smiled as he
watched her. She always looked so peaceful when she was asleep. When Elissa
began to cry she woke up instantly and disappeared into one of the first
floor rooms to quiet her. She re-emerged some time later. "Is she
sleeping?" he asked.
She smiled "Sound asleep."
"She's good like that isn't she? Do you want to go up and lie down? I'll
listen out for her if you want." Angel said to her.
She shook her head, "Ironically, when I get the chance to sleep I have to
study. I have an essay to write."
He smiled as he watched her pick up her laptop and begin to work.
Suddenly the front door opened and several people filed in.
Buffy put her computer down and stood up. Before the leader could speak she
did. "What do you want here Riley? I don't like the military. I never have,
so if I have to I'll kick your ass all the way to the curb."
"Hello Buffy." was all that he said. She just shook her head at him. Angel
moved forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. "How can we help you?"
he asked politely.
Dawn leaned against the door frame and looked at Angel, "The only way you
can help him is by asking him to leave." She walked over and stood beside
Buffy.
"What's with the ladies having a go at Finn?" one of the soldiers
snickered. Riley said nothing to him.
"We have a problem. There's something loose in LA and it's very dangerous."
He threw a newspaper to them. Buffy caught it and looked at the front
headline. '12 Massacred, Police Have No Idea', it was accompanied by
several graphic photographs. She took a deep breath. She'd seen similar
photographs before. When she spoke her voice was deadly calm. "I can't
believe this. I can't be seeing this. Not even you could be so stupid. God
Riley I would have thought that you knew better. We killed one of these
things for you before. You created it, you destroy it."
"Buffy you can't mean that. It's your job to kill creatures like this. What
changed your tune?" he asked her, sounding confused.
"Oh but I do mean that, 'Agent Finn'. My job description has words like
'supernatural' and 'paranormal' on it. Not words like 'unnatural' and 'man-
made'. My reasons? I have a list of them, it's about a dozen reasons long
and I'm still working on it. That's good enough for me." she began to walk
away.
Riley lunged after her. She whirled around to face him. "If you touch me I
will break your hand." she snapped at him. "This is your mess, your
problem." she paused before speaking quietly, "I have a lot more to lose."
One of the soldiers came forward, a woman. "I'm sure you have a lot to lose
Slayer. But isn't the greater good more important to you?"
Buffy flinched, like the woman had slapped her. "You know nothing about me,
or about my life. I've lost people I care about to vampires, demons,
illness and the darkness. I'm not about to go and get more of the people I
love the most killed or injured. You people aren't fighting the war, you're
waging it and making it worse. So don't you dare stand there and tell me
that the 'greater good' as you put it is more important that the people I
care about." Drawn up to her full height and standing strong, she radiated
power and energy.
Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordy and Gunn who had all come to find out what was
going on, stood speechless in the doorway. Buffy turned to them, "Do you
want to know what Riley's done this time? Well, he's gone back to the
government and they've created another creature like Adam. Which is loose
in Los Angeles, if you don't mind."
None of the Sunnydale gang looked happy at her statement. The staff of
Angel Investigations looked a little confused. Buffy launched into the
cliff notes version for them. "Adam. Big squiggly ugly thing. Part demon,
part machine, part man. Powered by Uranium -235, packs a hell of a punch,
kills people. The last one even killed his creator."
A baby cry shattered the silence. Buffy left the room, only to re-enter
carrying Elissa. All eyes were upon her as Buffy sat down, cooing to her
daughter.
She looked up at Riley, "See what else I have to lose?"
He moved closer to her, "She's beautiful." He sat down across from her.
"I'll bet you have some good stories to tell. Maybe we can compare?"
"Did you die?" was Buffy's response.
He looked a little confused at her question. "No."
"I'm going to win." she shot back.
**********
She sighed, still cradling her daughter, now sleeping. One handed she
picked up the telephone receiver and dialed.
She'd never used the number before, she'd never used it, but could never
forget it.
Buffy waited as the call was diverted to another number. It rang a few
times before it was picked up.