ANs: Man I hate writing action scenes. If it were up to me, I'd write love scenes all day long. But that would be boring for you and no doubt eventually for me, too. Personalized ANs next chapter, I promise. Still desperately seeking a beta, sita:)
In the Ruins
Westchester, New York
May 26, 1999 9 AM
As it turned out, no spell was necessary once Buffy recommended that Xavier help Willow access the plans used by the local municipal water and waste departments. Only one decommissioned city building in the area had access to the town's sewer system. Currently, that building was used to house antiquated septic equipment and broken pipes until it was sold on scrap metal auction lots.
On the east side of the building, Logan and Buffy quietly climbed up through a trash chute set at a 45 degree angle. The chute was easy enough to get through; but the fact that it was a trash chute did not go unnoticed.
"Augh! God! This is the worst thing I've ever smelled in my entire life. Does it ever wash off?"
Buffy laughed softly, then whispered, "Nope. Not to my satisfaction. Welcome to the glamorous world of vampire slayage, where every day means another aromatic traipse through the sewers."
"Is there such a thing as death by stench?"
Buffy motioned for Logan to be quiet. "Shh... I see the opening."
They emerged on the second floor and listened carefully. They glanced over the side of a railing and found a room full of vampires two floors down. Realizing the vampires were in the basement, and that there was a gaping hole in the ground level floor, they crept back until they found a way to get closer without being seen. Descending a hidden set of stairs, around a corner from the opening, the conversation in the basement below became clear.
"Here is the list of students to bring to me and their room assignments."
Logan clearly recognized the voice, and Buffy looked at him questioningly.
"Magneto," Logan mouthed, and Buffy's eyes grew wide.
We will have someone on the inside who will grant you access to the school. It is vital that no mistakes are made," Magneto stated abruptly.
"We know what to do."
"Fine. I'll see you after," Magneto said, his voice becoming louder and then more distant as he levitated out of the basement and headed for the exit. "Oh, and Paul, eat before you go. If any of those children turn up dead before I give the word, there will be no place on earth you will be safe from me."
Buffy risked a glance around the corner. "He's gone," she whispered.
Then, another vampire spoke, "But Master, I heard that the Slayer is with them."
Paul, obviously the mutant vampire snickered, "Leave the Slayer to me."
A block away sat a seemingly abandoned old black Blazer. It was a school vehicle that, while still serviceable, had not been used in some time. Oz, Xander, John, and Bobby had spent nearly half an hour denting it, so that it would blend in to the background of dilapidated buildings on the street where it was to be parked.
Inside the truck, Kurt and Scott were monitoring Buffy and Logan's situation. Waiting was starting to wear on Scott's nerves.
"Do you think we should go in now?" he asked impatiently.
"No, ve must not," sighed Kurt, "Ve must vait until the signal is given."
"What if the coms are faulty?"
"Ve tested all of the communication equipment before leaving the school. All is vell, or ve vould know it."
"But what if..." Scott began.
"Sshht!" Kurt interrupted. "Do you vant to get Logan and your cousin killed? Because if ve go in there now, that is vhat will happen."
Inside the building, Buffy and Logan were trying to get back to the stairs, but they were cut off by a bevy of activity now on the main floor. Several vampires were bedding down for the day, bringing them increasingly closer to Buffy and Logan's position.
Buffy whispered, "Should we call Kurt?"
Logan shook his head. "Not yet."
Suddenly, a vampire called out,"Master... I smell... fresh blood...."
Buffy grabbed Logan by the hand and said, "Run for the exit as fast as you can! We just need to make it into the light."
Forgetting about Kurt outside for a moment, they ran to the closest door, just as Logan reached the door, he heard a voice behind him say, "Goodbye, Slayer."
Buffy was racing behind Logan as quickly as she could, jumping over pipes and fittings. Ten feet from the door, a powerful hand came from behind and gripped Buffy by the throat. Before she could react, Paul, the vampire mutant sneered, "Goodbye Slayer," and a pain worse than any she'd experienced laced through her back. She thought she heard someone yelling her name, then Kurt's, as she fell to the ground.
She struggled to keep her eyes open and to pick herself up, but it was so hard to focus and she was so cold. The sound of battle was all around her and then everything went silent.
A week later, it was after midnight and Logan was sitting at Buffy's bedside in the infirmary with Willow. Buffy had been stabbed by a knife dipped in liquid Brodifacoum, an anti-coagulant rat poison, and a hemorrhagic virus of some kind. While her body was eventually able to close the wound, she had spent several days in the hospital until the internal bleeding had stopped. She had been coherent enough to ask to be taken back to the manor, but Buffy's distressed immune system was still struggling with bouts of fever.
Although Magneto's plan had been uncovered, Scott, Bobby, Ororo, Willow, Logan, John, Xander, Marie, Kurt, and Oz, were still alternating between bedside vigils and nightly campus patrols.
Willow was exhausted, and her shoulders ached terribly. Standing up to stretch, she looked over at Logan, who was holding Buffy's hand.
"Are you about ready to turn in?" Willow asked. "Xander and Oz will be here soon."
"No, I'll stay with her a little longer. You go ahead."
"You really like her don't you? This goes beyond friendship for you, doesn't it?"
Logan glared at Willow, fatigue etched on his features, "Absolutely not. She's just a baby."
Willow picked up her blanket and pillow and stood in front of Logan, frowning and nodding. The disbelief was apparent in her eyes. "A baby? I'll let you in on a little Buffy Summers secret. For the last four years, every happy moment Buffy's had has been overshadowed by something frightening and terrible. She's always taken care of us. We've tried to reciprocate, but it's been hard. Sometimes we've been oblivious and sometimes she's been stubborn. It would be nice to see someone really take care of her for a change. If you like her, you should tell her."
Willow started to leave, then hesitated and placed her hand gently on his arm. "You should tell her, but only if you mean it."
(end chapter)
In the Ruins
Westchester, New York
May 26, 1999 9 AM
As it turned out, no spell was necessary once Buffy recommended that Xavier help Willow access the plans used by the local municipal water and waste departments. Only one decommissioned city building in the area had access to the town's sewer system. Currently, that building was used to house antiquated septic equipment and broken pipes until it was sold on scrap metal auction lots.
On the east side of the building, Logan and Buffy quietly climbed up through a trash chute set at a 45 degree angle. The chute was easy enough to get through; but the fact that it was a trash chute did not go unnoticed.
"Augh! God! This is the worst thing I've ever smelled in my entire life. Does it ever wash off?"
Buffy laughed softly, then whispered, "Nope. Not to my satisfaction. Welcome to the glamorous world of vampire slayage, where every day means another aromatic traipse through the sewers."
"Is there such a thing as death by stench?"
Buffy motioned for Logan to be quiet. "Shh... I see the opening."
They emerged on the second floor and listened carefully. They glanced over the side of a railing and found a room full of vampires two floors down. Realizing the vampires were in the basement, and that there was a gaping hole in the ground level floor, they crept back until they found a way to get closer without being seen. Descending a hidden set of stairs, around a corner from the opening, the conversation in the basement below became clear.
"Here is the list of students to bring to me and their room assignments."
Logan clearly recognized the voice, and Buffy looked at him questioningly.
"Magneto," Logan mouthed, and Buffy's eyes grew wide.
We will have someone on the inside who will grant you access to the school. It is vital that no mistakes are made," Magneto stated abruptly.
"We know what to do."
"Fine. I'll see you after," Magneto said, his voice becoming louder and then more distant as he levitated out of the basement and headed for the exit. "Oh, and Paul, eat before you go. If any of those children turn up dead before I give the word, there will be no place on earth you will be safe from me."
Buffy risked a glance around the corner. "He's gone," she whispered.
Then, another vampire spoke, "But Master, I heard that the Slayer is with them."
Paul, obviously the mutant vampire snickered, "Leave the Slayer to me."
A block away sat a seemingly abandoned old black Blazer. It was a school vehicle that, while still serviceable, had not been used in some time. Oz, Xander, John, and Bobby had spent nearly half an hour denting it, so that it would blend in to the background of dilapidated buildings on the street where it was to be parked.
Inside the truck, Kurt and Scott were monitoring Buffy and Logan's situation. Waiting was starting to wear on Scott's nerves.
"Do you think we should go in now?" he asked impatiently.
"No, ve must not," sighed Kurt, "Ve must vait until the signal is given."
"What if the coms are faulty?"
"Ve tested all of the communication equipment before leaving the school. All is vell, or ve vould know it."
"But what if..." Scott began.
"Sshht!" Kurt interrupted. "Do you vant to get Logan and your cousin killed? Because if ve go in there now, that is vhat will happen."
Inside the building, Buffy and Logan were trying to get back to the stairs, but they were cut off by a bevy of activity now on the main floor. Several vampires were bedding down for the day, bringing them increasingly closer to Buffy and Logan's position.
Buffy whispered, "Should we call Kurt?"
Logan shook his head. "Not yet."
Suddenly, a vampire called out,"Master... I smell... fresh blood...."
Buffy grabbed Logan by the hand and said, "Run for the exit as fast as you can! We just need to make it into the light."
Forgetting about Kurt outside for a moment, they ran to the closest door, just as Logan reached the door, he heard a voice behind him say, "Goodbye, Slayer."
Buffy was racing behind Logan as quickly as she could, jumping over pipes and fittings. Ten feet from the door, a powerful hand came from behind and gripped Buffy by the throat. Before she could react, Paul, the vampire mutant sneered, "Goodbye Slayer," and a pain worse than any she'd experienced laced through her back. She thought she heard someone yelling her name, then Kurt's, as she fell to the ground.
She struggled to keep her eyes open and to pick herself up, but it was so hard to focus and she was so cold. The sound of battle was all around her and then everything went silent.
A week later, it was after midnight and Logan was sitting at Buffy's bedside in the infirmary with Willow. Buffy had been stabbed by a knife dipped in liquid Brodifacoum, an anti-coagulant rat poison, and a hemorrhagic virus of some kind. While her body was eventually able to close the wound, she had spent several days in the hospital until the internal bleeding had stopped. She had been coherent enough to ask to be taken back to the manor, but Buffy's distressed immune system was still struggling with bouts of fever.
Although Magneto's plan had been uncovered, Scott, Bobby, Ororo, Willow, Logan, John, Xander, Marie, Kurt, and Oz, were still alternating between bedside vigils and nightly campus patrols.
Willow was exhausted, and her shoulders ached terribly. Standing up to stretch, she looked over at Logan, who was holding Buffy's hand.
"Are you about ready to turn in?" Willow asked. "Xander and Oz will be here soon."
"No, I'll stay with her a little longer. You go ahead."
"You really like her don't you? This goes beyond friendship for you, doesn't it?"
Logan glared at Willow, fatigue etched on his features, "Absolutely not. She's just a baby."
Willow picked up her blanket and pillow and stood in front of Logan, frowning and nodding. The disbelief was apparent in her eyes. "A baby? I'll let you in on a little Buffy Summers secret. For the last four years, every happy moment Buffy's had has been overshadowed by something frightening and terrible. She's always taken care of us. We've tried to reciprocate, but it's been hard. Sometimes we've been oblivious and sometimes she's been stubborn. It would be nice to see someone really take care of her for a change. If you like her, you should tell her."
Willow started to leave, then hesitated and placed her hand gently on his arm. "You should tell her, but only if you mean it."
(end chapter)