Part 3
The group walked to the corridors of what once was a military base located in a secret bunker located under Sunnydale UC.
Buffy couldn't believe it, she looked around slowly, horrified by what she saw. People lay dead or dying. She saw one stretcher carrying away what had to be a dead body, so the dead would be transported out sooner or later. The smell of blood and burned flesh assaulted her sensitive Slayer nose, it made her want to run away, or find the demon that did this, but she had the distinct impression that the demon was nowhere around down here.
There was not electricity, no heat, no hygiene, a few flickering fires were all that the people had. The fires caused ghostly shadows to move across the walls, offering a few glimpses at smudged, hardened faces, most had empty eyes, no hope . . . except when they caught sight of their group, and mostly Xander, then their eyes lid up, however little.
#This can't be . . . it just can't, I sent Angel to hell,# Buffy thought in horror, as the devastating scenario became more and more impossible to deny, or to believe, and all around her there the sounds of wailing. Screams accompanied them, and cries of anguish and pain followed on top of that. Soft prayings where only for Slayer-ears to hear while she wasn't able to see the faces who whispered them. #How can this be? This isn't my fault. Why? Why me?# She wanted to cry and run away, but the horror in front of her eyes kept her too shocked to do much else but trod after the rest of the group.
The cells were turned into hastily patched together sick bays. The staff wasn't able to more then simple first aid as they lacked the right equipment and skills for more complex procedures.
As the group continued waling through the hallway, Buffy turned her head to look into one of them. She saw a heavily wounded woman lying on a stretcher with a little boy holding onto her shoulder, crying. "I-It's going to be alright," she whispered to him, trying not to stutter, making him more comfortable. "The doctors will have me p-patch . . ." She tried to continue with her last willpower, but felt silent.
"Mom? . . . Mom . . . Mom!?" The boy looked at her and started to shake his mother. "Mom!!" he yelled, desperately.
A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes as the mother opened her mouth to speak while she turned her head to look at the boy. It was the last sign of life as her eyes stayed open.
"No! . . ." the boy yelled and started to cry.
Angel turned around, missing the presence of his former love, and saw her standing with an ashen and expressionless face. He immediately walked back and laid a hand on her shoulder. It didn't get any reaction as she continued staring. He stared in her direction and then turned his head to her again. "Buffy, come. He will be taken care of." He wrapped his arm around her and gently pulled her out of the sight and trance.
She let herself be guided by her former lover throught the corridors as her thought proces couldn't comprehend what she just had witnessed.
*****
Resistance HQ located under Sunnydale UC
The returning troops of the resistance stumbled into the main room looking exhausted. They had finished their patrol and saved some people's lives. Xander's team came also walking in. He was at least as washed out as his men, but hadn't the luxury to show it. For most of the resistance he acted as their example. As their hero. He was barely able to hold up that image, but for humanity's sake he hadn't any choice. Only a few knew his real state of mind. Only Angel, Giles, Faith and Cordelia knew. They formed his inner-core and the only ones he was able to completely trust. If it was forced or out of own free will.
"Status."
An old man walked over to him and saluted him. "Sir, we have lost cell 718."
#Damn! That's Jason's team.# He swallowed the pain silently as he nodded, keeping his stoic mask. "No contact?"
"No, sir. We have lost all communication."
"Thank you, general." The man nodded and walked away as another officer replaced him. For some time he collected all the news, some good, but most bad.
The last one was Willow who just came walking over. "Have you found anything?" she asked.
Xander's only reply was a pointing finger to the blond girl who was sitting in a corner, are face blank. Willow stared in the direction and blinked. "Huh? . . . Buffy?"
Xander nodded and stared her in the eyes.
"How can this be?"
"You don't know?"
"It wasn't me, I swear, Xander. I only registered the magic, I didn't 'cause it . . ." she hastily said.
Xander frowned for a second. "I didn't say you were responsible, Willow. I know you have learned your lesson. I just want to know how she could be there all of a sudden."
In the meantime Faith had walked over to Cordelia. "C, I have to tell you something. Ya not gonna like it."
Cordelia looked up from her work as she was mixing all kinds of powder. "What is it?"
"It's X. He . . ."
An older man had been eavesdropping on Faith explaining the situation of Buffy to Cordelia. He frowned as he saw Cordelia reaction to it. He walked towards them. "Hey, Xander was helping that girl. She didn't do her job. You can't blame Xander for it."
Both girls looked at him in disgust. "Go away," Faith replied.
He pointed a finger at both of them. "And you call yourself his friends. Xander is a hero. And I can't tolerate that scum like you both are fucking up his life. And if you think I'm gonna stand by and watch him being destroyed by bitches like you two, then you're wrong."
Faith's eyes flashed furious. "You're the most fucked up guy I've ever met. And that counts for something with my rep. For years you treated him as dirt and all of the sudden he became a hero, you are willing to see it. That you have fucked up with your wife doesn't mean that . . ."
"You stay out of my and my wife's business, bitch. And what happened between me and my son too."
"Xander is our business. You make yourself proud, powerful and famous over the back of your own son. He isn't a god to be worshipped. He's just a guy and if you're not willing to see that, then you better stay out of it!" Cordy practically yelled.
"I will, but when I see that you're gossiping this around I will have to do something about it . . ." he threatened the girls.
"And how do think you are gonna do that, mister. You and your Gestapo are banned out of this place. The only reason Xander welcomes you here is because you are his father."
"We will we see about that . . ."
The man stepped away quickly and the girls sighed. Xander's father hadn't approved their relationship with Xander from the beginning, but it got worse and worse. "I think we need to have a talk with Xander about this," Cordy said.
*****
~~O~~
Earlier
The group ran from Angelus Mansion as Xander thought what to do. "Xander," Angel continued, "demons are crawling out of my place . . . they will attack the nearest houses. We have to protect them."
"We can't. Demons will be pouring over the Earth in no time. We need to go back, trying to close it." His mind was racing for options. "Somehow . . ."
Angel and Giles could see the logic in that. "Do you have any ideas?" Giles asked.
Xander shook his head as he wound himself up thinking about Buffy. Suddenly screams came from everywhere shaking Xander out of the horrible thoughts that were haunting him. He turned his head to sweep the area and saw people running over the streets as a thirty feet high demon had freed himself from Angelus' base. The demon was a strange kind of prehistoric reptile.
"Shit! A phone! I need get to a phone, quick," Xander said as he ran to the nearest cell phone.
Giles stared at him and yelled after him. "Why!?"
"The Army base, I have to warn them!" he yelled back as he picked up the horn.
When Angel and Giles were next to him Xander turned his head to stare at Giles while waiting for a reply when he had given his access codes and asked for the general.
"We can't deal this alone, Giles. Hell is about to suck us in, this is a world-wide disaster . . . one word: Armageddon," he said calmly. Giles nodded in agreement as he had no other choice than to agree. Both Slayers were dead now, and the scoobies were *not* able to deal with this.
Xander continued as Giles nodded and went over to the cell phone next to him. "Hello, Colonel Newsome? This is Private Harris on the 33rd, I'm on live and in Sunnydale. I need to speak with the General, sir."
After more codes, explanations and some questions Xander finally was able to get the General on the phone, while Giles had explained the situation to Willow. "Tell her to steal weapons from the army."
Giles look confused. "How? And you have contacted the military base, why should she?"
"We don't have time to wait for the army. I'll give her the location and she can use a transportation spell."
"Xander, that is a heavy spell," Giles objected.
Xander looked at him with a face that would scare even the Ripper. "If she *can* perform an ensouling spell then she certainly can do a transportation spell."
Giles blinked at his grim tone before agreeing reluctantly. Xander sighed a bit. "Look, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but we need her help and fast."
Giles nodded. "Fine."
"I will ask the general and arrange for 'transport'. And let her contact other magicians. We are gonna need them."
~~O~~
The group walked to the corridors of what once was a military base located in a secret bunker located under Sunnydale UC.
Buffy couldn't believe it, she looked around slowly, horrified by what she saw. People lay dead or dying. She saw one stretcher carrying away what had to be a dead body, so the dead would be transported out sooner or later. The smell of blood and burned flesh assaulted her sensitive Slayer nose, it made her want to run away, or find the demon that did this, but she had the distinct impression that the demon was nowhere around down here.
There was not electricity, no heat, no hygiene, a few flickering fires were all that the people had. The fires caused ghostly shadows to move across the walls, offering a few glimpses at smudged, hardened faces, most had empty eyes, no hope . . . except when they caught sight of their group, and mostly Xander, then their eyes lid up, however little.
#This can't be . . . it just can't, I sent Angel to hell,# Buffy thought in horror, as the devastating scenario became more and more impossible to deny, or to believe, and all around her there the sounds of wailing. Screams accompanied them, and cries of anguish and pain followed on top of that. Soft prayings where only for Slayer-ears to hear while she wasn't able to see the faces who whispered them. #How can this be? This isn't my fault. Why? Why me?# She wanted to cry and run away, but the horror in front of her eyes kept her too shocked to do much else but trod after the rest of the group.
The cells were turned into hastily patched together sick bays. The staff wasn't able to more then simple first aid as they lacked the right equipment and skills for more complex procedures.
As the group continued waling through the hallway, Buffy turned her head to look into one of them. She saw a heavily wounded woman lying on a stretcher with a little boy holding onto her shoulder, crying. "I-It's going to be alright," she whispered to him, trying not to stutter, making him more comfortable. "The doctors will have me p-patch . . ." She tried to continue with her last willpower, but felt silent.
"Mom? . . . Mom . . . Mom!?" The boy looked at her and started to shake his mother. "Mom!!" he yelled, desperately.
A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes as the mother opened her mouth to speak while she turned her head to look at the boy. It was the last sign of life as her eyes stayed open.
"No! . . ." the boy yelled and started to cry.
Angel turned around, missing the presence of his former love, and saw her standing with an ashen and expressionless face. He immediately walked back and laid a hand on her shoulder. It didn't get any reaction as she continued staring. He stared in her direction and then turned his head to her again. "Buffy, come. He will be taken care of." He wrapped his arm around her and gently pulled her out of the sight and trance.
She let herself be guided by her former lover throught the corridors as her thought proces couldn't comprehend what she just had witnessed.
*****
Resistance HQ located under Sunnydale UC
The returning troops of the resistance stumbled into the main room looking exhausted. They had finished their patrol and saved some people's lives. Xander's team came also walking in. He was at least as washed out as his men, but hadn't the luxury to show it. For most of the resistance he acted as their example. As their hero. He was barely able to hold up that image, but for humanity's sake he hadn't any choice. Only a few knew his real state of mind. Only Angel, Giles, Faith and Cordelia knew. They formed his inner-core and the only ones he was able to completely trust. If it was forced or out of own free will.
"Status."
An old man walked over to him and saluted him. "Sir, we have lost cell 718."
#Damn! That's Jason's team.# He swallowed the pain silently as he nodded, keeping his stoic mask. "No contact?"
"No, sir. We have lost all communication."
"Thank you, general." The man nodded and walked away as another officer replaced him. For some time he collected all the news, some good, but most bad.
The last one was Willow who just came walking over. "Have you found anything?" she asked.
Xander's only reply was a pointing finger to the blond girl who was sitting in a corner, are face blank. Willow stared in the direction and blinked. "Huh? . . . Buffy?"
Xander nodded and stared her in the eyes.
"How can this be?"
"You don't know?"
"It wasn't me, I swear, Xander. I only registered the magic, I didn't 'cause it . . ." she hastily said.
Xander frowned for a second. "I didn't say you were responsible, Willow. I know you have learned your lesson. I just want to know how she could be there all of a sudden."
In the meantime Faith had walked over to Cordelia. "C, I have to tell you something. Ya not gonna like it."
Cordelia looked up from her work as she was mixing all kinds of powder. "What is it?"
"It's X. He . . ."
An older man had been eavesdropping on Faith explaining the situation of Buffy to Cordelia. He frowned as he saw Cordelia reaction to it. He walked towards them. "Hey, Xander was helping that girl. She didn't do her job. You can't blame Xander for it."
Both girls looked at him in disgust. "Go away," Faith replied.
He pointed a finger at both of them. "And you call yourself his friends. Xander is a hero. And I can't tolerate that scum like you both are fucking up his life. And if you think I'm gonna stand by and watch him being destroyed by bitches like you two, then you're wrong."
Faith's eyes flashed furious. "You're the most fucked up guy I've ever met. And that counts for something with my rep. For years you treated him as dirt and all of the sudden he became a hero, you are willing to see it. That you have fucked up with your wife doesn't mean that . . ."
"You stay out of my and my wife's business, bitch. And what happened between me and my son too."
"Xander is our business. You make yourself proud, powerful and famous over the back of your own son. He isn't a god to be worshipped. He's just a guy and if you're not willing to see that, then you better stay out of it!" Cordy practically yelled.
"I will, but when I see that you're gossiping this around I will have to do something about it . . ." he threatened the girls.
"And how do think you are gonna do that, mister. You and your Gestapo are banned out of this place. The only reason Xander welcomes you here is because you are his father."
"We will we see about that . . ."
The man stepped away quickly and the girls sighed. Xander's father hadn't approved their relationship with Xander from the beginning, but it got worse and worse. "I think we need to have a talk with Xander about this," Cordy said.
*****
~~O~~
Earlier
The group ran from Angelus Mansion as Xander thought what to do. "Xander," Angel continued, "demons are crawling out of my place . . . they will attack the nearest houses. We have to protect them."
"We can't. Demons will be pouring over the Earth in no time. We need to go back, trying to close it." His mind was racing for options. "Somehow . . ."
Angel and Giles could see the logic in that. "Do you have any ideas?" Giles asked.
Xander shook his head as he wound himself up thinking about Buffy. Suddenly screams came from everywhere shaking Xander out of the horrible thoughts that were haunting him. He turned his head to sweep the area and saw people running over the streets as a thirty feet high demon had freed himself from Angelus' base. The demon was a strange kind of prehistoric reptile.
"Shit! A phone! I need get to a phone, quick," Xander said as he ran to the nearest cell phone.
Giles stared at him and yelled after him. "Why!?"
"The Army base, I have to warn them!" he yelled back as he picked up the horn.
When Angel and Giles were next to him Xander turned his head to stare at Giles while waiting for a reply when he had given his access codes and asked for the general.
"We can't deal this alone, Giles. Hell is about to suck us in, this is a world-wide disaster . . . one word: Armageddon," he said calmly. Giles nodded in agreement as he had no other choice than to agree. Both Slayers were dead now, and the scoobies were *not* able to deal with this.
Xander continued as Giles nodded and went over to the cell phone next to him. "Hello, Colonel Newsome? This is Private Harris on the 33rd, I'm on live and in Sunnydale. I need to speak with the General, sir."
After more codes, explanations and some questions Xander finally was able to get the General on the phone, while Giles had explained the situation to Willow. "Tell her to steal weapons from the army."
Giles look confused. "How? And you have contacted the military base, why should she?"
"We don't have time to wait for the army. I'll give her the location and she can use a transportation spell."
"Xander, that is a heavy spell," Giles objected.
Xander looked at him with a face that would scare even the Ripper. "If she *can* perform an ensouling spell then she certainly can do a transportation spell."
Giles blinked at his grim tone before agreeing reluctantly. Xander sighed a bit. "Look, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but we need her help and fast."
Giles nodded. "Fine."
"I will ask the general and arrange for 'transport'. And let her contact other magicians. We are gonna need them."
~~O~~