Fic: Ultimate Slayer - Issue 7

Author: mkcrl120

Disclaimer: All the characters mentioned in this story belong to Joss Whedon or Mutant Enemy or some other people. I own nothing and wrote this just to get it out of my system. The Ultimate idea comes from Marvel's use of revamping (pardon the pun) some of it's older titles.

Summary: Fresh universe… it all starts here folks

Rating: 15 by English standards (mainly for language)

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Ultimate Slayer #7 - Chosen part six

Somewhere over the United States.

Merrick was on a plane again. 'Bloody countries too big...' he thought to himself. 'Takes too long to get anywhere.'

He'd checked in with his contact in the council. They were still checking for her. "Newspapers..." he muttered to himself. 'Who uses newspapers as a reliable source of information?' He was re-assured however, when he'd been reliably informed that as their search was becoming unfruitful, they were considering bringing in his expertise. 'And they know once I've identified her, I'd never let them leave her with that idiot Travers.'

Merrick sat back and tried to relax... 'Another hour or so before you land. Get some rest now, so that you're fresh when you arrive.'

=====

Manhattan

"I thought you said we were in a hurry?" The tall bum asked, as they stood next to the car inside a garage. The row of garages was inside an alley. The weather outside was gloomy, the ground still wet from where it'd been raining previously.

"We are..." The shorter man responded, "We just need to get the car ready."

"Hmmph." Getting the car ready, had mainly consisted of lining the inside of the windows with tin foil. Some dirt was spread on the outside. "It looks worse than it did before."

"And you still smell of rat."

Sighing, the taller man climbed into the back seat, and prepared himself for the drive.

The other closed the garage doors behind him, and sat in the drivers seat. "Get up here."

The other opened the rear door and threw the blanket back inside. Getting into the front he began to speak, "You know I ca..."

He was quickly interrupted. "Wanna see a trick?"

"You closed the doors... we're still inside!"

The shorter man ignored him, and pulled a pack of cards out of his pocket. "I'm bored... pick a card, any card."

Trying to ignore him, the other man pointed at the garage door. "It's closed."

"Shhh... Just take one."

Reluctantly, he took one of the cards off him and left it in his hand, never looking at it. "Are we going, or what?"

"Sure... knock yourself out."

Sighing the taller man, got out of the car and walked to the door. The shorter guy followed him, "Just so you know... I don't like the actual road part of road trips. Especially, when the passenger smells as bad as you."

The taller man sighed, and put his hand out to open the garage door.

"Wait." the shorter man said. Taking a quick look round, he continued. "No. It's alright, it's behind us."

Confused, the taller man opened the door. Only to look at a completely different landscape. Instead of the opposing wall of the alley, he was now facing out into an open street, opposite was a gas station on the corner of a junction, it was completely bathed in sunlight. As he stepped back quickly, he accidently dropped the card.

The shorter man walked up to where it was lying face up. "Three of Clubs."

=====

Los Angeles

10am

'Finally arrived. Gonna be difficult from now on. Can't tell if get much closer than a mile or so.' Merrick looked at the glowing gem in his hand. "You better last long enough."

Turning in a slow circle, he waited til it glowed brighter once. Staying facing the same direction he began to count. When it flashed again he quickly did the calculations in his head. 'About thirty miles.' Checking the position of the sun and the time on his watch, he consulted a local map of the area.

'Suburbia, right.' he figured. His finger pointing directly at the town of Hemery.

He closed the map, and tried to find a bus station, taxi rank, anything that could provide transport.

"Now I'm here I'm definitely going to need a car at some point."

=====

Hemery High

Lunchtime

Buffy was sitting talking to Nicole. "So Cassandra is having to compete with Louise for Tyler's affection?"

"Louise is definitely winning. He's having trouble avoiding her charms."

Buffy smiled, "Everyone has trouble avoiding her charms. She displays them for all to see."

"You think they're real." Nicole whispered.

"Unfortunately, evidence does say it's likely."

"Eh?"

"She started developing them when she was twelve; I've not been paying full attention but the growth seemed natural over the period of time."

"Nahh... and for the true record of their development, you'd really have to ask Tyler."

Buffy giggled. "He did seem to pay attention for all those years."

"You were hardly friendly to him, teasing him with your little skirts each year." Nicole commented.

"Me..? What about you, waggling your backside at him, whenever you could."

"Well, I didn't know he was gonna be such a late blossomer. I would have been friendlier if I'd known."

"Gotta admit, was so glad I was the one to see him over the summer at that pool party. Who'd thought you could change so much in five months..?"

"Them's hormones for you."

"Talking of which, he had them in spades. Always trying to take it further than I was willing to go. That was the main reason I gave up on him."

Nicole looked shocked. "You never said."

"It's not the sort of thing you bring up in a normal conversation."

"You just managed it."

Buffy smiled at her, "But I'm with Jeffrey now, and bitching about your ex is so much more satisfying."

"Uh huh." Nicole seemed distracted. "Isn't that the fish guy?" she asked pointing towards a group of older students hanging out near the running track.

Buffy turned to look, picking out the person almost immediately. "Oh you mean Pike."

Pike was below them talking to some of the soccer squad, and they were the final year soccer team.

"Hmmm mmmm." Nicole said, "Seems I misjudged Fish-Guy... he has some fine friends."

Buffy noticed one of the soccer team had pushed Pike, Pike had got back up and started fighting back.

"Or maybe he hasn't..." Nicole corrected herself.

Buffy watched as the brawl progressed further. 'Pike seems to be fairing okay considering he's outnumbered.'

Some of the others arrived as the girls sat watching.

Jeffrey looked on. "Friend of yours babe?"

"We've met." Nicole answered for Buffy.

"Want us to help him out?" Andy asked, inflating his chest.

'Probably for Nicole's benefit.' Buffy thought. 'Wrong girl idiot. Concentrate on Kim.'

"Yeah we can do that." Jeffrey added.

Nicole shook her head, but then when she saw Pike go down from a hit from behind, she suddenly added, "This is no better than bullying. Someone should do something."

"We can do that." Andy said, tapping Jeffrey in the stomach he began to run down the bank to aid this stranger. Jeffrey quickly followed.

Buffy grabbed Nicole's hand and followed them down.

By the time they arrived, Pike was fending off two of them and Jeffrey and Andy had one each, another was standing watching the two newcomers to see who'd be the most threat. Being two years below they weren't fairing very well anyway.

Nicole screamed for them to stop, but Buffy leapt straight into the middle.

Grabbing the standing one by his arm, she physically turned him around with one yank. "Hey, stoppit, leav..." The guy reacted instinctively.

Having realised he'd punched Buffy in the side of her head, he began apologising. "I didn't know it was a girl. I swear."

Jeffrey managed to escape the guy attacking him to land a punch on the guy who'd hit Buffy. The guy he'd been fighting immediately rejoined the attack on Pike, who had been their initial target.

Nicole had dropped to the ground to check on Buffy, moving her hair out of the way she'd found a slight bruise. "Buffy..? You alright?"

Buffy sat up groggily. "I'm fine. Stings though." She could swear she saw a blurry figure, watching from behind the school wall.

Nicole put her hands on either sides of Buffy's face, "That was quite the whack. I'm amazed you're still conscious."

"Don't know... never been hit before." The guy seemed to have gone, believing she'd imagined it, she looked at the situation in front of her.

Andy had been taken down to the ground, his opponent standing over him daring him to get up. The guy wrestling Jeffrey had managed to get him in an arm lock, both facing each other. "Dude, I didn't know... I swear." he explained refusing to do further damage to this situation.

Pike had managed to take one of them out, but was being held by the first one he's faced, while his remaining friend punched him in the stomach.

"Stop that!" The voice of one of the male teachers boomed from the top of the bank.

The two guys challenging Pike were the first to disappear. The one on the floor managed to get up, following his friends across the running track. Pike managed to trip him up as he began to run away. Noticing for the first time exactly who had come to his rescue, he began to speak. "Heey..."

The guy challenging Jeffrey had left in pursuit of his friends, dragging the one standing over Andy with him. As soon as he'd let go of Jeffrey, Jeffrey had run to his girlfriend, putting a protective arm around her, he led them both away from the teacher. They disappeared in the direction of the seats.

The teacher had started to make his way down the bank to them all. Nicole ran to Andy, grabbing his hand she attempted to lift him up.

"Wha..?" was all he managed to get out.

Pike realising the trouble they'd be in, came to Nicole's rescue. Grabbing Andy by the other hand he hauled him to his feet. Putting an arm under his shoulder, he half-carried half-dragged Andy across the field in the direction of the school's perimeter wall. "It's lower this way," he told them.

Nicole put Andy's other arm over her shoulder and helped carry him. "We can't skip school."

"Better to skip, than to be expelled for fighting." He explained. "We can sneak back in once your friend looks less like he's just had the crap kicked out of him."

"He has just had the crap kicked out of him."

"So how you gonna deny his involvement in the fight then."

Nicole conceded the point, "We'll be back once he's okay right?"

"Sure. Thanks for the save by the way. I'm Pike."

"Fish-guy. I remember... I'm Nicole," at his blank look, "didn't know I was that forgettable."

"You're not..." he smiled reassuringly.

"So you actually remember where we met..?" She teased.

"Ermmm... sure... you were with... your friends... at Reno's." He finished triumphantly. "You were the one that stood on... no wait, she was blonde... you pushed me... no, that was the other blonde... you're one of the other ones?" He guessed.

"Not good with names then are you?"

"I don't think you told us your names... so out of all of them, you might be one of the two who didn't assault me in any way, but you are the only one whose name I know."

"Smooth talker."

"I try."

Andy managed to get out, "That's my woman."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, he's delusional."

"I thought so too."

As they reached the wall, Nicole and Pike tried to help Andy over it.

"You want to be on this side or that?" Pike asked.

"I can't lift him." Nicole reminded him.

"Dammit. Okay it's only a five foot wall, can you climb it?"

"In this skirt?"

Pike admired the view for a while, he was brought out of it by the sound of Nicole coughing. "I guess not."

Nicole started at him.

"Okay I got it. I'll balance him on the wall. Then I'll give you a foot up, while you're up there make sure he doesn't fall. Then I'll climb over myself. And help you both down the other side. Sound good?"

"It'll have to do."

They managed to balance Andy on top. He was groaning, but beyond that nothing seemed wrong with him.

Pike put his hands together, telling Nicole to use it for a foot up.

Nicole stood on them, and Pike lifted her to a sitting position on the wall. "You better not be looking up my skirt."

Pike pointed out that she was currently sitting at a level below his shoulders. Smiling, she drew her legs up so that she could spin around to face the opposite way. As her knees came up, he said. "Now I am." And winked.

He stepped across and pulled himself up onto the wall, unfortunately this caused him to knock Andy slightly, Andy was moved just enough to start to fall... headfirst.

Andy realising what was happening thrust his arms up to grab the wall. Unable to get a proper grasp he continued to fall backwards, Pike quickly moved to grab him but all he managed to connect with was his belt. Nicole, for her part, had managed to throw her weight across his lower legs, in an attempt to keep him on the wall. Neither was having much success.

Andy stopped moving away from them. Believing himself to be caught by the others he opened his eyes. They were both staring at him from slightly above him. That meant he was off the wall. But his legs had remained connected. Finally noticing that he seemed to be being supported by his shoulders he tilted his head back to see what he'd landed on.

There was a man in a trenchcoat standing directly behind him. Due to the position of the sun, the man's head was in silohouette, all he could really make out was a slight beard and a hat. The man had a firm grip on his shoulders.

By this point Pike had jumped off the wall and was lowering his legs. As Pike lowered his legs to the ground, the man raised him up by the shoulders, eventually Andy was back in the standing position. Well leaning anyway, while Pike then helped Nicole down.

"Having fun children?" He asked in a distinctive British accent. Getting his first real look at the man's face he could tell that he was probably in his mid-fifties, there was a small moustache and beard. The guy was in pretty good shape for his age, and Andy was proof that there was strength in the man's frame.

Pike took Andy by the arm, and they escorted Nicole away from the guy. "We're okay... but thanks for the hand." He responded as they left, his eyes never leaving the older man.

Walking down the street towards the crossing, Nicole asked, "What we gonna do?"

"Let's just go to a cafe and rest up for a bit. Andy doesn't seem to have too many bruises on his face, so we should be able to return for lessons later. How you feeling Andy?"

"Bruised," Andy said, holding his ribs. "And legs are still a little shaky. We'll see how it goes."

"You sure you don't need to go to a hospital?" Nicole asked.

"I should be fine... guess we'll just see eh?"

They got to the crossing, eventually it changed so that they could cross. As they stood there, Pike turned his attention back to the man who'd helped them. The guy was watching them walk away. As Pike continued to stare, he eventually turned away to face the school grounds again. 'Great... rescued by a fucking pervert.' he thought, but decided not to share that with the others.

=====

Merrick smiled as he watched them leave.

'Not a bad fighter.' he thought. 'And it definitely helped me identify her. Knew once I'd identified the town finding the local high school was the best bet.'

"There's no way she should have got up after a punch like that." he muttered to himself.

The kids had reached the crossing. As they stood there, the tall one had continually checked him out, without alerting the others while doing so.

'Kid's good. Sort of instincts that might keep him alive. Like to see common sense in the younger generations, gives me hope for the future.'

Deciding that they were safe, he turned his attention back to athletics track. He saw the teacher standing there, looking around lost. 'Whereas others... tsk.'

Lunch time seemed to be over, 'I'll come back later, hopefully she'll have P.E. or something that could definitely confirm who she is.'

Walking away for the time being, he went to a nearby phone box.

Dialling a number, a familiar voice soon answered.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"So how you finding the colonies?" She sounded amused.

"Very funny."

"Found the girl yet?"

"I believe so. Least a likely candidate."

"So what do you need me for? You'll be making contact, before I could get there I assume."

"After she finishes school. Could you find out her name?"

Amanda decided to humour him. "Sure... I just need a photo, the address of her school, access to their records, that sort of thing."

"I haven't got a photo."

The voice on the other end giggled, "Doesn't matter, I can't do the rest of it anyway."

"Then why suggest it?"

"I'm trying to point out th..."

Merrick quickly finished it for her, "That the council ought to be taking the role of computers in society more seriously... yes, you've pointed that out enough times."

"Not seen any change though."

"You're not even with the council anymore."

"We both know that wouldn't stop me discovering anything about them... they're about as subtle as a brick."

"The council has been in existance for over a millenia an..."

She recognised his lecture mode and decided to cut him off before he got into full flow. "Hasn't shown any progress since the twelfth century. Yar yar yar... heard it all before."

Sighing, he realised when he was beaten. "So you can't help."

"Not really, no."

"You got any contacts in Los Angeles?"

She paused, thinking about it. "The sort that could get you access to a school, no. Weapons, and mystical artefacts, I have a few leads... though you wouldn't agree with them."

"No matter... I might need help with weapons... but for now I'll stick with the basics. I'll contact you once I've gained her trust."

"Or if you don't manage to, and need my help." She added sarcastically.

"Har har."

Merrick hung up and walked to a nearby hardware store. Inside he bought a sturdy penknife and several brooms.

=====

Later that day.
Outside Hemery High.

"It's starting!!!" the short guy shouted excitedly. "Come on cheer up..." Using his had to mime a phone call he began, "Destiny calling... this is destiny calling..." At the others lack of reaction, he added. "Please feel free to answer then."

"We're in a car."

"You never heard of a cell?"

"As in prison?"

"I give up."

They were sitting in a car. Even on the student parking lot, it stood out. Firstly it was probably older than most of the students. Secondly all of the windows had been blacked out, mixtures of dirt and paint and tape had been used to do it. The tall guy still didn't feel comfortable travelling in it. He was sitting in the back seat wrapped in blankets.

"Look he's here." Turning he grabbed the taller guy by the collar, "Look."

"So..."

"He's gonna tell her, he's gonna tell her."

The taller guy, still dressed like a bum, moved his head to got a clear view out of the window. "Which one is she..?"

"She's not here yet."

"So why are we?"

"Destiny's about to start and you're whinging... I got you ringside seats, man... Just enjoy it."

The taller man was silent, but continued to watch out of the window.

=====

Merrick was standing on the pavement. Scanning the crowd for the girl he'd seen earlier. He knew this was the girl, he could feel it in his bones.

Suddenly she appeared through one of the doors. She was walking with a girl he hadn't seen before.

He quickly walked to catch up with them, now being close enough to hear their conversation.

"You sure your okay to give me a lift, Michelle?" The girl he needed to speak to asked. "Nicole was meant to be giving me one, but she disappeared at lunchtime."

"You live round the corner from me, seriously it's no big deal Buffy."

"Thanks." Buffy grinned at her.

Merrick made his move.

"Excuse me," he asked indicating Buffy. "But did you drop this?"

And with that he passed a small gemstone into her hand, Buffy took a quick look at it. "No, you must be mistaken. That's not mine." She handed it back and quickly turning away, made her way further up the street.

Merrick took a look at the stone in his hand. It was already fading from red back to orange. 'Success.' he thought. Pocketing the stone he moved to catch her up.

This time he grabbed her by the arm and span her around.

"Hey!!" She shouted at him. "You want me to call the cops?"

The girl next to her looked worried, but Buffy was defiant. 'Good. Would suit her well not to be frightened of every little thing.' "You think you'd need a cop to deal with someone like me. You are most mistaken."

Michelle looked scared. "You know this guy Buffy?"

"No." Buffy said, looking pissed.

"Don't worry. Should I even wish harm on either of you, Buffy would be more than capable of defending you."

"Look here, I don't know who you are..."

"Well considering you don't even know who you are, that's a fair start. I am Merrick, I am your Watcher." Merrick said proudly.

Buffy looked horrified, "Is that like stalker..? Cos ewww... your age, and general look. My dad'll sic the cops on you so fast..."

Michelle was backing away. "Leave us alone... let's go find a teac..."

"Your friend is not welcome... leave us child. I have to tell you about your destiny."

"No... I'm destiny free... really... got all destinies surgically removed as a child." Buffy began backing away towards Michelle.

Merrick tried another line that'd worked previously, "You are the only one that can fight them."

Still continuing to back away, "Fight..? What fight..? I wasn't in a fight. Are you a teacher here?"

Merrick grabbed her and pulled her away from her friend. Michelle made a grab for Buffy but missed. Instead she started calling out. "Guys... Police... Anyone... Help... Some sicko just grabbed my friend!!!"

Merrick continued to pull her in the opposite direction. "You don't understand, you've been chosen."

"I don't want to be chosen, seriously. Offer it to another candidate." Buffy responded, trying to free her arms from his grasp.

Lifting one of his hands, he pointed at her face to get her full attention. "You are the... ooff" It had been a mistake. By pointing at her, he'd been forced to release one of her hands. She immediately hit him in the chest.

Finding her other arm free she ran to her friend. Michelle and Buffy both ran towards Michelle's car.

Merrick for his part, had landed hard. Managing to get out a final, "Vampire Slayer..." he lay on the ground holding his body.

Not sure if it had been intentional or not, only three people had hearing sensitive enough to be able to hear those last two words. Buffy and the two people in the car.

Buffy paused in her run, where she'd been practically dragging Michelle behind her. "Weirdo!!!" she shouted back. Michelle looked confused.

=====

From their viewpoint in the car. The shorter guy rolled up the passenger window.

"That was so cool... if I'd known it was gonna be that funny I'd have brought popcorn." Turning to face the bum, he asked. "So you in?"

The guy clenched his jaw and settled back, putting his head under the blankets, "I'm in."

=====

End Issue 7 - Chosen part six.

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A/N: Finally you have it, what you've been waiting for... the time she discovers she's a Vampire Slayer... did it go as you thought it would?