-'Enter Sandman.'-
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
"Choice is Chaos."
"I still don't get how that is a good thing."
"It's not. But it can be. People choose to be good. People choose to be bad."
"So of everything that you could tell me: lotto numbers, what Big Bad is gonna roll into town, how to make people like me, you tell me that choice is chaos?"
"Its very simple and profound isn't it?"
"No, it's annoying and doesn't tell me anything."
The man sighed and sat back into his seat. He looked Xander strait in the eye. "If you could have anything, do anything, what would it be?"
Xander didn't hesitate. "I want to make a difference."
///////////////////////////////
The group rode in Oz's van. Truth be told, Xander didn't really like Oz very much. He wasn't a bad guy or anything. He just always felt a little protective of Willow. 'No one would ever be good enough for her,' he thought as he saw her riding in the passenger seat next to Oz, 'especially me.'
An angry blonde slayer interrupted his internal monologue. "Xander, just what in the hell do you think you are doing?"
Xander turned to face her. Her blonde hair hung on both sides of her face. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He felt bad for her. Having to go up against someone you love has to be hard. But he couldn't help but look in her eyes and still see strength and beauty. He smiled kindly as he started to lie out his grand plan.
"Well Buff, you see...this," he held up the LAW, "is the light M72 Light Anti-Armor Weapon. It has a 66mm High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead. The base weight is about 5.2 pounds, or for the British in the van," he smiled at Giles, "2.3 kg."
He sighed, noticing the blank stares he got from the occupants of the van. "It's a rocket launcher, I point it at something, it blows up."
Giles nodded as he seemed to understand where the boy was going. "And you think this can defeat the Judge?"
Xander smiled. "Yep, this baby aint forged and it sure as hell can pack a punch. I just need you to distract him and the vamps while I get a clear shot. The minimum range is about ten meters, but I sure as hell want to be farther away than that."
Buffy shook her head. "No Xan, I need to do this. It's my responsibility."
"Buffy, listen I could try to give you a crash course in the operation of a highly explosive device, but I don't think we got the time." He turned to the librarian. "Giles, you okay with my plan?"
Giles sat still for a minute before slowly nodding his head. "As much as it scares me to say, I can't think of any better."
Xander smirked. "Thanks for the support G-man."
Giles steadied himself as the van hit a pothole. "Please don't call me that."
"You got it G-dawg."
Giles' moaning was interrupted by Willow. "Do we have an idea on where they would go?"
Buffy exhaled. "I don't know, uh... somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean, the Judge needs to kill people, a lot of them, right?"
Xander looked up. "The Bronze?"
Oz turned around but kept his eyes on the road. "It's closed tonight."
Cordelia spoke. "There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."
Oz looked pensive. "Uh, guys? If I were gonna line up, I know where I'd go."
///////////////////////////////////////////
Cordelia was getting frantic. "How could they attack the MALL? I mean, hello? There isn't any other decent shopping outlet in Sunnydale."
The rest of the gang continued to ignore her as they walked into the Sunnydale Mall food court.
Xander turned to face the group. "Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Buffy, I need you to distract them while I get into position. Be sure to keep at least ten yards away from him. Everyone else, take out any lesser vamps if you can. Leave big blue to me."
////////////////////////////////////
The Judge, as well as Angelus and Drusilla, walked down the staircase. People walked past them without even stopping to look at the bright blue monster. Drusilla started to bounce with glee. "Oh, goody! Can we start now daddy? Can we?"
Angelus shook his head and backed off from the Judge. "Lets let our new friend start the show."
The Judge extended his arms, feeling the energy tense through him. The air around him felt as an extension of his own body as blue sparks started to spring from his arms. With a final growl, the energy pulsed through his body relaying to pure lightning. The energy arced out his arms and through the crowd. The Judge's energy swarmed through the area, freezing the people in place. The Judge smiled widely.
Suddenly a crossbow bolt hit the Judge in the chest and broke his concentration. The arcs of energy disappear, and the people fell to the floor. The Judge grabbed the bolt and pulled it from his chest.
The judge snarled in anger. "Who dares?"
Angelus and Drusilla look over at the refreshment stand. Buffy lowered the crossbow. Willow, Oz, Giles, and Cordelia, were steadfast holding crossbows and swords, preparing for an eventual counter attack.
Buffy smiled. "Think I got his attention."
////////////////////////////
Xander snuck out from the third story terrace and pulled the clip, extending the LAW to its full length. He put the MP5 on the floor beneath him slowly, there were no vampires or demons guarding the floor luckily, so he took aim and waited for the signal.
////////////////////////////
The Judge slowly walked forward. "You're a fool. No weapon forged can stop me."
Buffy reloaded her crossbow and shook her head at the monster. "That was then."
Xander smirked and pulled the trigger.
"This is now."
Angelus and Drusilla looked up to the third terrace, seeing Xander holding the launcher. They exchanged a look before going into a dead run and leapt over the stair railing. Buffy and the rest of the team took cover behind the snack counter.
The Judge cocked his head as the weapon fired. "What does that do?"
The Judge didn't flinch as the rocket came down upon him. The explosion was enough to wake the people in the mall as they began to scream and run. Angelus and Drusilla hit the floor below. The team looked over the counter at what's left of the Judge. Bits of charred Judge fell all around them. The smoke cloud from the explosion still hung in the air.
Buffy smiled and looked up at Xander. "Best present ever, Xan."
Xander shouted back as he ran to the stairs. "Hah, I knew you'd like it."
Willow walked over to a large blue arm and poked it. "Do you think he's dead?"
Buffy walked off in search of Angelus. "We can't be sure. Pick up the pieces and keep them separate."
The rest of the gang started to collect what's left of the Judge.
Cordelia made a gagging noise as she picked up a foot. "Pieces? We get the pieces. Our job sucks!"
Giles looked at her as they began to pick up the pieces of the Judge. "Could've been worse, we could have let it destroy all of humanity."
Cordelia squealed as some of the blue blood got into her blouse.
Giles sighed. "God help us all."
Oz walked over behind a concession stand. He looked to the others and pointed to the floor. "Uh...arm."
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
"Choice is Chaos."
"I still don't get how that is a good thing."
"It's not. But it can be. People choose to be good. People choose to be bad."
"So of everything that you could tell me: lotto numbers, what Big Bad is gonna roll into town, how to make people like me, you tell me that choice is chaos?"
"Its very simple and profound isn't it?"
"No, it's annoying and doesn't tell me anything."
The man sighed and sat back into his seat. He looked Xander strait in the eye. "If you could have anything, do anything, what would it be?"
Xander didn't hesitate. "I want to make a difference."
///////////////////////////////
The group rode in Oz's van. Truth be told, Xander didn't really like Oz very much. He wasn't a bad guy or anything. He just always felt a little protective of Willow. 'No one would ever be good enough for her,' he thought as he saw her riding in the passenger seat next to Oz, 'especially me.'
An angry blonde slayer interrupted his internal monologue. "Xander, just what in the hell do you think you are doing?"
Xander turned to face her. Her blonde hair hung on both sides of her face. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He felt bad for her. Having to go up against someone you love has to be hard. But he couldn't help but look in her eyes and still see strength and beauty. He smiled kindly as he started to lie out his grand plan.
"Well Buff, you see...this," he held up the LAW, "is the light M72 Light Anti-Armor Weapon. It has a 66mm High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead. The base weight is about 5.2 pounds, or for the British in the van," he smiled at Giles, "2.3 kg."
He sighed, noticing the blank stares he got from the occupants of the van. "It's a rocket launcher, I point it at something, it blows up."
Giles nodded as he seemed to understand where the boy was going. "And you think this can defeat the Judge?"
Xander smiled. "Yep, this baby aint forged and it sure as hell can pack a punch. I just need you to distract him and the vamps while I get a clear shot. The minimum range is about ten meters, but I sure as hell want to be farther away than that."
Buffy shook her head. "No Xan, I need to do this. It's my responsibility."
"Buffy, listen I could try to give you a crash course in the operation of a highly explosive device, but I don't think we got the time." He turned to the librarian. "Giles, you okay with my plan?"
Giles sat still for a minute before slowly nodding his head. "As much as it scares me to say, I can't think of any better."
Xander smirked. "Thanks for the support G-man."
Giles steadied himself as the van hit a pothole. "Please don't call me that."
"You got it G-dawg."
Giles' moaning was interrupted by Willow. "Do we have an idea on where they would go?"
Buffy exhaled. "I don't know, uh... somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean, the Judge needs to kill people, a lot of them, right?"
Xander looked up. "The Bronze?"
Oz turned around but kept his eyes on the road. "It's closed tonight."
Cordelia spoke. "There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."
Oz looked pensive. "Uh, guys? If I were gonna line up, I know where I'd go."
///////////////////////////////////////////
Cordelia was getting frantic. "How could they attack the MALL? I mean, hello? There isn't any other decent shopping outlet in Sunnydale."
The rest of the gang continued to ignore her as they walked into the Sunnydale Mall food court.
Xander turned to face the group. "Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Buffy, I need you to distract them while I get into position. Be sure to keep at least ten yards away from him. Everyone else, take out any lesser vamps if you can. Leave big blue to me."
////////////////////////////////////
The Judge, as well as Angelus and Drusilla, walked down the staircase. People walked past them without even stopping to look at the bright blue monster. Drusilla started to bounce with glee. "Oh, goody! Can we start now daddy? Can we?"
Angelus shook his head and backed off from the Judge. "Lets let our new friend start the show."
The Judge extended his arms, feeling the energy tense through him. The air around him felt as an extension of his own body as blue sparks started to spring from his arms. With a final growl, the energy pulsed through his body relaying to pure lightning. The energy arced out his arms and through the crowd. The Judge's energy swarmed through the area, freezing the people in place. The Judge smiled widely.
Suddenly a crossbow bolt hit the Judge in the chest and broke his concentration. The arcs of energy disappear, and the people fell to the floor. The Judge grabbed the bolt and pulled it from his chest.
The judge snarled in anger. "Who dares?"
Angelus and Drusilla look over at the refreshment stand. Buffy lowered the crossbow. Willow, Oz, Giles, and Cordelia, were steadfast holding crossbows and swords, preparing for an eventual counter attack.
Buffy smiled. "Think I got his attention."
////////////////////////////
Xander snuck out from the third story terrace and pulled the clip, extending the LAW to its full length. He put the MP5 on the floor beneath him slowly, there were no vampires or demons guarding the floor luckily, so he took aim and waited for the signal.
////////////////////////////
The Judge slowly walked forward. "You're a fool. No weapon forged can stop me."
Buffy reloaded her crossbow and shook her head at the monster. "That was then."
Xander smirked and pulled the trigger.
"This is now."
Angelus and Drusilla looked up to the third terrace, seeing Xander holding the launcher. They exchanged a look before going into a dead run and leapt over the stair railing. Buffy and the rest of the team took cover behind the snack counter.
The Judge cocked his head as the weapon fired. "What does that do?"
The Judge didn't flinch as the rocket came down upon him. The explosion was enough to wake the people in the mall as they began to scream and run. Angelus and Drusilla hit the floor below. The team looked over the counter at what's left of the Judge. Bits of charred Judge fell all around them. The smoke cloud from the explosion still hung in the air.
Buffy smiled and looked up at Xander. "Best present ever, Xan."
Xander shouted back as he ran to the stairs. "Hah, I knew you'd like it."
Willow walked over to a large blue arm and poked it. "Do you think he's dead?"
Buffy walked off in search of Angelus. "We can't be sure. Pick up the pieces and keep them separate."
The rest of the gang started to collect what's left of the Judge.
Cordelia made a gagging noise as she picked up a foot. "Pieces? We get the pieces. Our job sucks!"
Giles looked at her as they began to pick up the pieces of the Judge. "Could've been worse, we could have let it destroy all of humanity."
Cordelia squealed as some of the blue blood got into her blouse.
Giles sighed. "God help us all."
Oz walked over behind a concession stand. He looked to the others and pointed to the floor. "Uh...arm."