"Well, they may be a bit of an overstatement. More like one." Fred clarified.
"Didn't the alarms go off, we have precautions set up against this sort of thing, don't we?" Angel asked.
"Well we sort of had to shut down the vampire alert system when our new boss just happened to be one." Knox answered. "Anyways, I doubt they would have been able to do anything, this guy was fast."
"Wait, can we back up here, what exactly happened?" Wesley asked.
"We were working in the lab. Running some tests, you know, burning it, boiling it, dilluting it, that sort of thing. But we had put the original sample in holding box, so we didn't see what was happening."
"And why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Buffy asked.
"Because it was replicating, copying itself, making more of the gelatinous substance. We didn't notice until we saw it leaking out of the box. One of the assistants went to open the box to clean up the mess, and well, lets just say we'll have to clean up the assistant." Knox started.
"The goo like reconstituted, all Terminator style back into what I suspect you were fighting." Fred finished.
"Where is it now?" Angel asked
"Probably long gone. It ripped through the lab, really destroyed thousands of dollars of equipment, killed a couple of technicians, and that's when we ran. I'm sorry Angel we should have stayed and tried to stop it or something."
"No Fred, it was smart of you to run, otherwise we might be cleaning you up off the lab floor."
"Yo, you know what's weird?" Faith asked, "Those vamps we wiped out, I don't remember them looking different."
"What do you mean?"
"She means they all were the same, identical like." Gunn realized he couldn't recall them being different either.
"Like clones? Great, this is some sort of attack of the clones?" Buffy asked.
"I saw that movie, it's okay the force is with us." Andrew said.
"The force?"
"The force of good? Duh. We're like the Jedi and their like the clones."
"Andrew, you really haven't ever known the touch of a woman have you?" Xander asked.
"I was just saying there was a parallel to be drawn between Episode 2 and our predicament. And I'll have you know Anya touched me once, and Dawn ripped the tape off my chest when we tried to record the first, so there was touching there, and they were women."
"Unless... nevermind, Andrew, just shut up."
"Of course!" Willow jumped up, "Eureka! Light-bulbs going off in my head! They are clones, the goo can replicate itself, so I bet if two big piles of it get seperated they both morph into a new guy, but the same guy!"
"So does this mean we just washed a small army into the sewers?" Kennedy asked.
"No, I'm sure it has to be pure material, any dillution could upset the balance and make reproduction impossible. I bet that's why they couldn't be wiped out during the Crusades, everytime they thought they had killed one, it could have turned into 2 or more identical vamps, so all of a sudden you could go from fighting 200 vamp-demons to fighting 2,000!" Willow explained.
"And to think, we thought we had our hands full with the Turok-Han Hellmouth birthing center." Buffy laughed.
"There must be a way to stop them, they feel threatened by the Aurelius vamps, which means there must be something that can destroy them." Giles noted.
"So are you gonna go off and consult the books?" Dawn asked.
"Actually, yes." Giles looked put off.
"Some of us should probably head into the office today, check things out, see if we can find anything out. Wes you and Giles should head to the libraries and to our antiquities collection. Fred, Knox, head back to the lab and see what you have, see if there is anything else you can learn. Willow, I'd like you to head over to our magick department, see if there is anyone trustworthy in there, if you have your doubts, make them sing for Lorne. Maybe there's a magical way to stop them from replicating? Xander, we have a construction division, nothing fancy, maybe you could take a look at the lab? We'll pay you as a general contractor, make it worth your while. Cordelia, you could go through the records, see if we have done any business with these Camille-Varian's in the past, we might have a way in through that, take Dawn and Andrew with you, they're good at, err reading? Faith, you should take the rest of the potentials to the airport and bus station, they should all be out of here by tonight. Mr Wood will be heading back to New York to consult with his mother's old watcher, see if he has any texts left from the Council, maybe he has something we don't. Gunn, I want you to hit the streets see if any of your old crew has run across these guys, or if they have heard of any new nests or hideouts, if you can wait Faith can help you out."
"I just love it when Peaches gets all bossy." Spike said to Buffy.
"Spike, Buffy, I want you two to stay here, in case they try to attack."
"Oh thanks, please leave us to fight the unkillable army of clones!" Spike mocked Angel.
"I doubt they will be heading here, from what we know, they will know I'm not here."
"And who's to say they aren't after yours truely?" Spike asked.
Angel rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone I missed?"
"No, I don't think so, but we do have something else to deal with, namely the Cleveland Hellmouth." Giles said.
":I forgot about that, we should send a team out there. If only to get a feel for the town see if the activity level is up."
"I've already applied for a job at one of the high schools, it seems they have a problem with gangs on PCP killing principals as PHS24." Wood added, "I was planning on heading down after I go to see Crowley."
"I can't take my parents for more than a week, so I could head down too, when Wood leaves, you know, become a guardian of a hellmouth." Kennedy announced.
"Did somebody say New York, as in New York City, as in 5th Avenue, Manhattan, etceterra.?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I'm going to have to go down to the Hamptons to my parents summer house..." Kennedy started.
"Angel, sorry hon, but I haven't had a vacation in forever, and a coma doesn't count. For some reason I hear the Hamptons calling my name, 'Cordelia, Cordelia come experience the luxuriousness of our fabulous parties..'." Cordelia was being dramatic, "That is if it's cool with Junior Slayer over there. I could head out to Cleveland or whatever then, sort be the W&H Liason of stuff in Cleveland."
"I'm sure Wolfram & Hart have a Cleveland division Cordelia, but fine, if its okay with them you can head out there."
"It's fine with me, I can just tell my parents you're my new watcher."
"No you won't! I am in no way old or British enough to pass for a watcher!"
"Cordelia it may provide you with the ability to recieve a salary." Wesley knew there was one thing Cordy loved more than the rich & famous and that would be the rich.
"Really? Okay, fine, Watcher-girl I am."
"Dawn & Andrew are going to need someone to help them through the files, maybe Lorne?"
"Cupcake, you know I love ya, but I'm not much on the old stinky file room, the dust hurts my throat and do you know what that can do to a career?
"Fine, I'll take them down there." Angel settled. "We should get going
The group headed to Wolfram and Hart said their goodbyes to Kennedy, Wood and Cordelia. It was especially bittersweet for Angel, as he knew that Cordy didn't remember their last two years together. They promised to be in contact through email as soon as they arrived in New York, and were given W&H cell phones to keep in touch with. Buffy & Spike also said their goodbyes to the New York bound. Spike didn't really feel the need to bid too fond adieu to any of them as he wasn't too familiar with Cordelia, Wood had plotted his demise, and well he thought Willow could do better than Kennedy. The rest of the crew loaded up and headed to Wolfram & Hart, leaving behind the phone numbers where everyone could be reached. Faith reminded Buffy not to do anything she would do while she was gone, Buffy laughed at the thought, not knowing what Faith knew from Spike.
"So love, finally got all this room to ourselves."
"Yup, we sure do."
"So what should we do?"
"We could go shopping, get you out of Wesley's lame clothes."
"You know, some of his clothes aren't so bad, I think he's got a bit of the wicked in him. Black leather pants, grommet belts, and I swear there were a pair of handcuffs in his closet."
"Really? Wow, makes you wonder what really goes on at Watcher school, Giles was a demon worshipping delinquent, Wesley is some sort of S&M bondage-man, maybe we should go to Britain?" She laughed. Spike loved seeing her happy, smiling, laughing.
"Didn't you go shopping yesterday?"
"A girl can never shop too much, its like a scientific impossibility. Plus I have a whole wardrobe to replace, as mine is currently subterranean."
"I definately could use some new clothes. I 'aven't been shopping for a long time, hard to find many clothes shops open after dark in Sunnydale."
"See? Plus this is LA, which means awesome shops, and a huge variety. Come on, we can steal one of Angel's cars, it'll be fun."
"Are you suggesting we rip off the magnificent pouf?"
"Well, it's not really ripping it off if we bring it back before any of them realize we were gone right?"
"Hmm didn't think if it that way, I guess you're right. Not like I care anyways, I mean it is Angel we're talking about."
"Play nice."
"When have I ever not?" Spike winked at her. Buffy
grabbed up their cell phones.
**Sorry about how long it took me to get this up, and about how lame it kinda turned out. It's a transitional chapter, what do you expect? Thanks for the reviews, if you keep reviewing, I'll keep writing! Thanks! -Adrianna