DISCLAIMER: Still not mine, even though they've been abused horribly by
Joss ... Kate met Buffy during 'Sanctuary', riiight? Well, in my little
universe she has. Sorry this installment took so long, but I broke my ankle
and well, I was having enough trouble getting out of bed to think about
getting this published. The first quote's from the Matthew Good Band song
'Look Happy, It's the End of the World", the second's from The Tea Party's
'Requiem' and the last quote's from Soul Coughing's 'Screenwriter's Blues'.
***************
"Hoping
Is out of style
So look happy
It's the end of the world."
****************
"Lost and they set you free
concerned by what they'd see
and you begged on bended knee
still they let you down
say it comes to this
all the things you'd miss
a requiem won't change your fate."
****************
"It is 5 a.m. and you are listening to Los Angeles and the radio man says it is a beautiful night out there and the radio man says rock and roll lives and the radio man says it is a beautiful night out there in Los Angeles you live in Los Angeles and you are going to Recida we are all in some way or another going to Recida some day, to die and the radio man laughs because the radio man fucks a model too gone savage for teenagers with automatic weapons and boundless love gone savage for teenagers who are aesthetically pleasing, in other words, fly Los Angeles beckons the teenagers to come to her on buses Los Angeles loves love."
**********************
Night fell and the city burned.
Each day bled into another as the residents of Los Angeles fled from their homes, the shrill wail of sirens ricocheting through empty streets, fire fighters battling an everlasting foe. Still more blazing cinder plunged from the sky, turning L.A into an orange-hued wasteland of ash and dust. After a couple of days, the warehouse district of the city was beginning to look like a post-apocalyptic nightmare: the charred remains of buildings, scattered debris, panicked, soot-covered survivors. Kate imagined that after a couple of weeks, it would look less a la 'bad-Kurt-Russell-flick- from-the-'80s' and more like ... well ...
(-Hell on Earth-)
She was racing through the crowded L.A streets, dodging abandoned cars and haphazard rubble in her quest for the Hyperion Hotel. As soon as the plane managed to land, her first instinct had been to seek out Angel. Rain of fire equaled vampire with a soul-cum-detective. If anyone knew what was happening (and Kate was highly suspicious of the news reports claiming they were simply experiencing some extreme meteor fallout), it would be him. She still couldn't quite fathom the blazing heavenly remnants that fell around; some small piece of her brain stuck stubbornly in "Normal" protested that 'this can't be happening'. Only the loaded .45 Magnum under her jacket offered Kate any semblance of reassurance; she continually checked and rechecked her police-issued pistol as looters and rioters raced by. Of course, she considered, sidestepping a large piece of flaming ... something, the gun wouldn't do much good against a vampire or demon-y type.
And because Kate's existence had recently become one giant irony, it was almost with expected resignation that she spotted the trio of grinning, blood-soaked undead, prowling the streets in search of fresh kill at that exact moment. With a weary sigh, the police officer reached back into the waistband of her jeans, fingers curling around a well-sharpened stake.
**********************
They'd abandoned the car a couple miles back.
The group of seven, who had endured a hushed, tension-filled ride from Sunnydale, had been greeted by panic and fire on their arrival in Los Angeles, managing to maneuver through the congested streets for a little while. A five-car collision at the intersection on Westshore had convinced the Scoobies that their rented mini-van (which Xander had pointed out was not exactly the type of vehicle to strike fear into the heart of evil) had to be deserted. So now they walked, trudging along in dreary silence, each occupied with thoughts of what lay ahead.
Buffy led the way, pale features set with determination, a nasty-looking axe in hand. At first, the group had concealed their weapons; slid stakes up sleeves and buried cross-bows in knapsacks. After a couple of blocks the Scoobies had realized that fire falling from the sky was far more distracting than medieval weaponry.
Dawn tagged close behind her sister, shivering a little. They'd listened to radio broadcasts on the way up to L.A, announcers with grave warnings to get out of the city, scientific explanations about the 'meteor fallout'. Theories of why Los Angeles was the only affected area, rationalization about the sudden presence of "strange beasts". 'Mass hallucinations, my ass,' Dawn grumbled inwardly, tripping over a piece of concrete.
Willow, Xander, and Anya occupied the middle of the rag-tag band, each too stunned with horror to speak. Even Anya remained reverently quiet. They'd stumbled upon more than one badly-mutilated corpse during their current on- foot journey.
Bringing up the rear were Giles and Spike, both Brits cagey and restless. Spike could sense his Sire; this connection to Angel only fostered his growing uneasiness. The location, the nearness of his vampiric father was always on the edge of Spike's conscious, a constant presence, an influence, in his mind. When Spike began to feel the faint prickles of worry from Angel's mind, he was immediately concerned. As big of a poofster as he was, the elder vamp didn't often spring into a panic unless provoked ... "Buffy!" Spike called out clumsily, her name unbidden on his lips.
The entire group turned to look at him in confusion, while the blond Slayer moved to his side. Whistler's words echoed through her mind as she examined the visibly-shaken vampire. Pre-souled Spike would never admit weakness, let alone show it to the Scoobies. But now ... now, as much as he tried to dismiss it, Spike cared. About them, about the stupid dustball they inhabited, about the "walking HappyMeals" that populated it. "What? What is it?"
"Angel ..." he murmured, voice low, stoic composure beginning to crumble. The sense of wrongness continued to increase as he gazed at Buffy. "I ... I dunno, but I got a bad feelin'."
She stared back hard at Spike. "Then we go. Now," she announced, turning on her heels and commencing a brisk pace. The others exchanged quick glances and hurried to catch up with the determined Slayer.
***********************
Kate knew she was going to die.
When you're a police officer for long enough, you gain the sense to distinguish between situations that are 'haha, that'll make a good story someday' bad and 'your ticket's up, thanks for playing' bad. Collapsed limply into the arms of a vampire, fangs buried into the soft pit of neck and collarbone, Kate knew this had to be the latter. She'd been here before; a bungled drug bust in '96 that left the scar tissue of bullet wounds in her right shoulder and thigh ... an attempted robbery that had her three seconds from a slit throat ... her run-in with that demon spawn Penn a couple years back.
Kate knew.
The second vampire chomped eagerly into her bicep, ripping flesh and muscle as he drained the blood from her body. Red flowed from the wound, soaking her entire left side with the sticky stuff; Kate barely managed to register the sensation. The first vamp she'd dusted without much of a fight, much to his great surprise. The next two weren't as cocky, and Officer Lockley soon found herself flat back on the pavement, one creature of the undead grinning above her. Seconds later, his strong arms encircled her, and in this twisted lover's embrace she felt sharp teeth sink into her skin.
It was horribly painful ... but it was an exquisite kind of pain ...
Suddenly, the two sets of fangs were dislodged as violently as the entered. A blond head entered Kate's line of sight as both vamps exploded into clouds of dust. She crumpled onto the asphalt, weak and coughing. Her shoulder and neck burned; a tinny, metallic taste filled her mouth. Voices, one, or maybe two, distinctly British ...
"She's still alive. Severe blood loss, however."
"After bein' drained by two vamps? Well done, Watcher!"
"Should we take her to a hospital? Are there any hospitals still standing?"
"I believe there's one in the area. Two blocks west, is it Buffy?"
"Yeah, near my dad's place. Dawn, grab some gauze and bandages from the First Aid supplies."
"You brought a First Aid kit?"
"Apocalypse, Xander. The thought of injury did cross my mind. Help me wrap her arm. Careful ..."
Through a dim haze, Kate felt herself being lifted, felt pressure applied to still-gushing wounds. Then she was in someone's arms, carried at a jilted gait. "What's the name, luv?" one of the British voices' asked her, his mouth close to her ear. Kate mumbled a reply, feeling more blood fleck her lips. "Kate?" the man repeated, hurrying his pace. "You stay with us now, girl."
"Kate?" a female voice demanded from somewhere behind. "Her name's Kate? ... I thought she looked familiar!"
*********************
A/N: Da, da, DAH! Sorry this was so short ... again exams beckon and I kinda need to stay in university, as much as I'd love to support myself by writing fanfiction. This is gonna be a long one folks, but hang in for the whole story ... it'll unfold in time. Hopefully, Buffy and company will make it to the Hyperion by the next chapter and maybe we'll find out what happened to Faith, Gunn and Angel ... we'll see ... my muse is fickle! ;)
***************
"Hoping
Is out of style
So look happy
It's the end of the world."
****************
"Lost and they set you free
concerned by what they'd see
and you begged on bended knee
still they let you down
say it comes to this
all the things you'd miss
a requiem won't change your fate."
****************
"It is 5 a.m. and you are listening to Los Angeles and the radio man says it is a beautiful night out there and the radio man says rock and roll lives and the radio man says it is a beautiful night out there in Los Angeles you live in Los Angeles and you are going to Recida we are all in some way or another going to Recida some day, to die and the radio man laughs because the radio man fucks a model too gone savage for teenagers with automatic weapons and boundless love gone savage for teenagers who are aesthetically pleasing, in other words, fly Los Angeles beckons the teenagers to come to her on buses Los Angeles loves love."
**********************
Night fell and the city burned.
Each day bled into another as the residents of Los Angeles fled from their homes, the shrill wail of sirens ricocheting through empty streets, fire fighters battling an everlasting foe. Still more blazing cinder plunged from the sky, turning L.A into an orange-hued wasteland of ash and dust. After a couple of days, the warehouse district of the city was beginning to look like a post-apocalyptic nightmare: the charred remains of buildings, scattered debris, panicked, soot-covered survivors. Kate imagined that after a couple of weeks, it would look less a la 'bad-Kurt-Russell-flick- from-the-'80s' and more like ... well ...
(-Hell on Earth-)
She was racing through the crowded L.A streets, dodging abandoned cars and haphazard rubble in her quest for the Hyperion Hotel. As soon as the plane managed to land, her first instinct had been to seek out Angel. Rain of fire equaled vampire with a soul-cum-detective. If anyone knew what was happening (and Kate was highly suspicious of the news reports claiming they were simply experiencing some extreme meteor fallout), it would be him. She still couldn't quite fathom the blazing heavenly remnants that fell around; some small piece of her brain stuck stubbornly in "Normal" protested that 'this can't be happening'. Only the loaded .45 Magnum under her jacket offered Kate any semblance of reassurance; she continually checked and rechecked her police-issued pistol as looters and rioters raced by. Of course, she considered, sidestepping a large piece of flaming ... something, the gun wouldn't do much good against a vampire or demon-y type.
And because Kate's existence had recently become one giant irony, it was almost with expected resignation that she spotted the trio of grinning, blood-soaked undead, prowling the streets in search of fresh kill at that exact moment. With a weary sigh, the police officer reached back into the waistband of her jeans, fingers curling around a well-sharpened stake.
**********************
They'd abandoned the car a couple miles back.
The group of seven, who had endured a hushed, tension-filled ride from Sunnydale, had been greeted by panic and fire on their arrival in Los Angeles, managing to maneuver through the congested streets for a little while. A five-car collision at the intersection on Westshore had convinced the Scoobies that their rented mini-van (which Xander had pointed out was not exactly the type of vehicle to strike fear into the heart of evil) had to be deserted. So now they walked, trudging along in dreary silence, each occupied with thoughts of what lay ahead.
Buffy led the way, pale features set with determination, a nasty-looking axe in hand. At first, the group had concealed their weapons; slid stakes up sleeves and buried cross-bows in knapsacks. After a couple of blocks the Scoobies had realized that fire falling from the sky was far more distracting than medieval weaponry.
Dawn tagged close behind her sister, shivering a little. They'd listened to radio broadcasts on the way up to L.A, announcers with grave warnings to get out of the city, scientific explanations about the 'meteor fallout'. Theories of why Los Angeles was the only affected area, rationalization about the sudden presence of "strange beasts". 'Mass hallucinations, my ass,' Dawn grumbled inwardly, tripping over a piece of concrete.
Willow, Xander, and Anya occupied the middle of the rag-tag band, each too stunned with horror to speak. Even Anya remained reverently quiet. They'd stumbled upon more than one badly-mutilated corpse during their current on- foot journey.
Bringing up the rear were Giles and Spike, both Brits cagey and restless. Spike could sense his Sire; this connection to Angel only fostered his growing uneasiness. The location, the nearness of his vampiric father was always on the edge of Spike's conscious, a constant presence, an influence, in his mind. When Spike began to feel the faint prickles of worry from Angel's mind, he was immediately concerned. As big of a poofster as he was, the elder vamp didn't often spring into a panic unless provoked ... "Buffy!" Spike called out clumsily, her name unbidden on his lips.
The entire group turned to look at him in confusion, while the blond Slayer moved to his side. Whistler's words echoed through her mind as she examined the visibly-shaken vampire. Pre-souled Spike would never admit weakness, let alone show it to the Scoobies. But now ... now, as much as he tried to dismiss it, Spike cared. About them, about the stupid dustball they inhabited, about the "walking HappyMeals" that populated it. "What? What is it?"
"Angel ..." he murmured, voice low, stoic composure beginning to crumble. The sense of wrongness continued to increase as he gazed at Buffy. "I ... I dunno, but I got a bad feelin'."
She stared back hard at Spike. "Then we go. Now," she announced, turning on her heels and commencing a brisk pace. The others exchanged quick glances and hurried to catch up with the determined Slayer.
***********************
Kate knew she was going to die.
When you're a police officer for long enough, you gain the sense to distinguish between situations that are 'haha, that'll make a good story someday' bad and 'your ticket's up, thanks for playing' bad. Collapsed limply into the arms of a vampire, fangs buried into the soft pit of neck and collarbone, Kate knew this had to be the latter. She'd been here before; a bungled drug bust in '96 that left the scar tissue of bullet wounds in her right shoulder and thigh ... an attempted robbery that had her three seconds from a slit throat ... her run-in with that demon spawn Penn a couple years back.
Kate knew.
The second vampire chomped eagerly into her bicep, ripping flesh and muscle as he drained the blood from her body. Red flowed from the wound, soaking her entire left side with the sticky stuff; Kate barely managed to register the sensation. The first vamp she'd dusted without much of a fight, much to his great surprise. The next two weren't as cocky, and Officer Lockley soon found herself flat back on the pavement, one creature of the undead grinning above her. Seconds later, his strong arms encircled her, and in this twisted lover's embrace she felt sharp teeth sink into her skin.
It was horribly painful ... but it was an exquisite kind of pain ...
Suddenly, the two sets of fangs were dislodged as violently as the entered. A blond head entered Kate's line of sight as both vamps exploded into clouds of dust. She crumpled onto the asphalt, weak and coughing. Her shoulder and neck burned; a tinny, metallic taste filled her mouth. Voices, one, or maybe two, distinctly British ...
"She's still alive. Severe blood loss, however."
"After bein' drained by two vamps? Well done, Watcher!"
"Should we take her to a hospital? Are there any hospitals still standing?"
"I believe there's one in the area. Two blocks west, is it Buffy?"
"Yeah, near my dad's place. Dawn, grab some gauze and bandages from the First Aid supplies."
"You brought a First Aid kit?"
"Apocalypse, Xander. The thought of injury did cross my mind. Help me wrap her arm. Careful ..."
Through a dim haze, Kate felt herself being lifted, felt pressure applied to still-gushing wounds. Then she was in someone's arms, carried at a jilted gait. "What's the name, luv?" one of the British voices' asked her, his mouth close to her ear. Kate mumbled a reply, feeling more blood fleck her lips. "Kate?" the man repeated, hurrying his pace. "You stay with us now, girl."
"Kate?" a female voice demanded from somewhere behind. "Her name's Kate? ... I thought she looked familiar!"
*********************
A/N: Da, da, DAH! Sorry this was so short ... again exams beckon and I kinda need to stay in university, as much as I'd love to support myself by writing fanfiction. This is gonna be a long one folks, but hang in for the whole story ... it'll unfold in time. Hopefully, Buffy and company will make it to the Hyperion by the next chapter and maybe we'll find out what happened to Faith, Gunn and Angel ... we'll see ... my muse is fickle! ;)