Date: June 17th, 2005
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the TRA:JQ characters and neither do I own any of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No money is made out of this fic. Don't sue me as I'm not sure I can afford Ally McBeal.
Category: A, DBN-HR, F, E, JQ/Buffy Crossover
Rating: Parental guidance is advised.
Author's note: This takes place after Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is my account on what happens and is based fully on my own creativity.
Archiver's Permission: Granted to those who want it. Just inform me on where it can be found.
THE STORM
"I can't believe that you got I-1 into this," Seth muttered, watching as a dozen men scrambled about the rocks, placing mini-detonators.
"Hey, you said go ahead." Jade shielded her eyes as she studied the activity. Yelling a few sharp orders, she turned to face Seth who was also watching the activity intently.
"Like I had a choice. We need all that rock cleared, and there's no way in hell the two of us could move them."
"Since when did you adopt Realpolitik as a philosophy of life?"
"Since it became necessary for the survival of the damn human population."
"Stand back!" came a shout, and there was a scramble for cover. A series of small explosions sent clouds of dust into the air, and with the fine mist came the heavier pelting of pulverized rock.
Seth took a look at the damage done so far. A large section of the rockslide had been blown away, but there was still a long way to go before they could call the path cleared. "It's noon, Jade. Time's ticking away… and I still have no idea what I'm expected to do back in there."
"You'll figure it out when you get there."
"How am I gonna figure it out when I don't have a friggin' idea what to do?"
Jade ignored him and went back to commanding the bomb squad. "C'mon guys! We're on a schedule here!"
JQJQJQ
MAINE
"We need a plan to keep the people indoors for the night," Benton said, glancing at the clock. It was about two in the morning. "Today's the day."
"That is not going to be easy, Father," Hadji said, looking up from his research. "We have no logical reason to give them."
Benton snorted, knowing the truth in his son's words. "How about saving their asses?" He grunted in frustration, knowing that it was to no avail.
"I'm patrolling tonight. Basically damage control," Race announced, coming out of the extended weapons closet. A double-barrel shotgun rested easily in his arms, and a couple of Uzis hung from their holsters.
"You mean we are," Benton said, walking into the closet. It was essentially a room by itself, lined with weapons, arranged neatly by function.
"Oh no you're NOT!" Race said, ducking back into the room.
"You can't stop me, Race."
"I'm responsible for your safety!"
"Then protect me if you must, but I'm not staying in here while my town goes to hell!"
"I can't protect you and fight at the same time."
"You won't have to. He picked up a slender cane made of highly polished dark wood and tested its weight in his hands. "This will do." He scanned the rest of the racks for other weapons. Testing the weight of several guns, he finally decided on two semi-autos. "Ya know, Race, we probably have one of the biggest collections of black market weaponry in the world."
"If you're ever caught, my name never comes up." Race turned to walk out as Hadji entered and coolly selected his own weapons.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Benton demanded.
"Same as you."
"No way!" was the unanimous reply from both Benton and Race.
"I'm the only one here besides Race who's able to perform spells of any sort, and therefore I'm coming!" Benton opened his mouth to protest. "No, Father, I'm coming!" That was it. No more discussion.
The three men stood fully armed in the room and stared at each other.
And broke out in laughter. Battle was not till the next night.
"Anyone up for a beer and a game of pool?" Race looked around.
"I'm game."
"Why not?"
JQJQJQ
SUNNYDALE
"Get out of here!"
"Giles, we're just training," Buffy protested.
"I know… but go out and do whatever it is that you kids do these days. Party. Boogie. Whatever." Giles struggled to maintain his composure.
"Apocalypse remember, Giles?"
"I know. But maybe you should enjoy tonight for what it's worth."
"Not the best outlook in things here," she admonished.
"Buffy," he said, looking straight into her eyes. "I have no doubt whatsoever that we'll defeat whatever it is that'll come. But for tonight, go out and live."
"Are you serious?"
"Have you ever known me to not be serious, Buffy?"
"Point taken." She grabbed her jacket and bag and bounced up the stairs. "Off we go then!"
Willow looked up from her book. "Where to?"
"The Bronze I guess?"
Oz nodded in approval. Xander sprang up and slammed his book shut, emitting a cloud of dust that elicited a glare from Cordelia. "Get your party groove on, folks!"
"Tell me again why I'm dating this loser?" Cordy snipped.
"Because Cordy, my love, you can't resist my moves!" Xander did his best Elvis rendition.
"Godzilla had more grace," she shot back.
"Who was talking about dancing?" An awkward moment of silence ensued.
"Xander, remember that talk we had about over-sharing? This would be a direct violation of the ground rules." Buffy clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
"Where's the new guy?" Oz asked, looking around.
"Here." Angel stood in the doorway of the library, his best brooding look on.
"My, aren't we looking debonair tonight?" Xander mused. "But we weren't talking about you. The other new guy."
Jonny stuck his head out of Giles office. "What about me?"
"Get your stuff. We're going out," Buffy said.
"Patrolling?"
"You men really have a one-track mind, don't you? No, chillin'!"
"Cool."
"You would think that everyone would be laying low for a while, apocalypse and all headed this way." Cordy looked around the crowded space. Perched on Xander's lap, she surveyed the room with hawk-like vigilance.
"I'm sorry, Cor. I think we forgot to mass-IM them the memo." Xander lay back contented. He pulled her down to him again.
"Eew… Xander…!"
"Hey, tonight may be the last!" She didn't protest and snuggled up to him in their corner.
The dance floor was packed like any other night. Willow watched as Buffy danced with Angel in the middle of the floor.
"You want to dance?" Oz whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her lobe.
Willow shook her head. "Maybe a slow one later."
Oz nodded. That was all she needed. She sighed and snuggled up to his chest and kissed him on his cheek. Oz returned it.
"You think we'll ever have what they have?" Willow asked. "I mean, it's not that this isn't good… but…"
"Shh… I love you. That's all there is to it." He kissed her softly. "Okay?"
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in closer. "Better."
Jonny watched from the bridge over the dance floor. In the dim lights, he saw Angel holding Buffy close. He saw Xander putting the moves on Cordelia, and they were some of the most original ones he had ever seen in his life, and she didn't seem to be complaining. In their own private world, Willow and Oz were cuddled, oblivious to the world.
Watching them, all of them now, he realized what made her so strong. This ragtag team was all she had, but it was all she needed. It wasn't a simple case of strength in numbers. It was what each one was willing to bring to the fight.
He thought of Jessie. It had been a while since he had last really thought about her. A flash of guilt shot through him. Seth had not been a replacement, but he had filled up some of the gaps in his life then. Looking down on the Slayer and her vampire lover, he wished for a moment that it was Jessie and him. He smiled at the memory of seeing her dance. She was always so alive.
He had never seen Seth dance though. They had kept their thing quiet. Partially because Seth didn't want to make a thing out of it. Partially because he wasn't sure about what they had. He still didn't. The music switched, a slow dance came on. He recognized it as one of Jessie's favorites. Watching as Buffy and Angel swayed gently in each other's arms, he sang along.
"Now?" Oz asked. Willow nodded. They got up and moved to the middle of the floor. Willow draped her arms on Oz's shoulders as he held her eyes with him. Swaying slowly, Willow felt herself leaning on him, his heartbeat drowning out the music.
"Look at them, Oz. You think they'll ever be together? Like for real?"
He kissed her hair. "Things will work out." Typical Oz-cryptic answer. But she bought it.
"I'm scared." It was a simple statement, but it got him to look at her harder than she had ever remembered. "About tomorrow night, that is."
"I'll protect you." He caressed her cheek, smiling his special smile for her.
"It's not just that. It's never gonna end is it, Angel? I'm going to have to fight till the day I die, and I'll have to die fighting."
He was silent as she laid her head on his chest. The slow beat of the song was all she heard, and a part of her yearned for the sycophantic thump of Angel's heart. They danced; a dance for the night.
Maybe just for the night.
But for now, it was all the she could hold on to.
Next to her now, Willow and Oz swayed gently. The final strains of the song faded.
JQJQJQ
ISRAEL
Another explosion of rock resounded hollowly in the desert air. A victorious call came over the cloud of dust. A rousing cheer roused Seth from his fetal position in the shade. Stretching, he looked in the general vicinity of the cave entrance. As the dust cleared, he saw that the final explosion has indeed ripped a huge opening in the solid rockslide.
The sky was a clear purple, the sun just beginning to rise on the horizon. Stars still twinkled, a muted sparkle against the veil of daylight that now crept across the cloudless sky. Hitting the illuminator button on his watch, he checked the time. About five in the morning. Doing the math quickly, he figured it had to be around seven in the evening back in California. Evening.
He sat up and pushed aside the blanket that covered him. "Jade?" The tent was empty.
"You're needed. Get out now!" a voice barked at him. Looking at the doorway, he saw one of the operatives standing there. Lieutenant Caine. "Move it!"
Seth grunted in response and scrambled out of the tent, tugging his boots on as he tumbled out into the sand. The men had gathered about the entrance, and they were waiting for something to happen. They were waiting for him, he realized. They were waiting for him to lead the way into the cave.
He stepped as purposefully towards the small congregation, feeling the odd need to impress. He paused for a moment to look at them, and then stepped into the darkness. As he ran his hands on the surface of the walls, he felt a strange pull, almost like a magnet being pulled towards a metal bar set far away. The ground was uneven from the previous disaster, but most of it was just gravel and dust now as the team had effectively blown a tunnel through the solid rock. The runes and hieroglyphs were gone, destroyed by the explosions. But the walls still spoke of untold power.
Power untamable.
Behind him, men with ultra-modern LED flashlights followed, treading carefully. Their beams illuminating the destroyed rock formations. Jagged shadows leered and twisted away as the beams passed. Jade walked next to him, watching him intently. He could feel her eyes on him as they navigated the tunnel, descending into the darkness. The air got heavier, less wholesome as they trod through.
Suddenly, he lost his footing on a loose rock and slipped down, falling off a sheer drop into the darkness.
"Seth!" Jade yelled, dashing to the drop.
"I'm okay. I just found the shortcut, that's all," came his muffled reply. "Damn, it's dark in here."
"Seth, don't move until we get there. You never know how close you are to a ledge!"
"I'm fine." Jade saw a milky glow in the darkness and knew that he was using his magic. "Careful, you don't wanna exhaust yourself before the big showdown."
She slipped the drop and found herself standing next to Seth in the vast underground canyon again. It was still essentially the same, a vast open area with cracks and drops that fell into total darkness. She heard the rest of the troop come shuffling down the narrow opening.
"Damn!" Caine muttered as he surveyed the area. "Where are we?"
"Underground," Seth mumbled, flashing the man a look of displeasure. "Where'd you think?"
Caine advanced threateningly, but Seth flashed a ball of energy in front of him. "You really wanna do that?" Caine backed down, glaring viciously. "I thought so." Looking at Jade, he said, "Now what?"
"Remember what I told you? About how magic is drawn to you?"
Seth nodded.
"That's all I have. You're on your own on this one. You feel the energy, I know you do. You just have to tap into it somehow."
"I really don't know how to."
"Draw it to you, Seth. You have to. The world is going to hell right about now, and he needs you to be able to do this."
Seth walked over to the abyss and stared down into the hidden depths. Shit!
JQJQJQ
SUNNYDALE
The sun was sinking below the horizon. Jonny looked on with grim indifference. The Blade of Aefriol was strapped to his back. A stake was stashed in the reinforced pocket of his leather jacket. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the door frame, waiting for Angel to emerge from his bedroom.
"It's showtime," Angel said, coming out. Straightening the collar of his black duster, he was an image of impeccable cool and edginess. "You ready?"
Jonny nodded. "Got a ride?"
"No. But I know a shortcut."
"That'll work. We just need to get to the library as soon as possible."
"Fifteen minutes, tops."
"Lead the way."
Oz watched as the pencil did a mad dance of death as it spun out of control. "Calm down," he said quietly as it embedded itself in the spine of an old tome. "Breathe."
"You try being calm when there's all this pressure on you!" Willow cried; her eyes wide with panic. "I can't even keep a pencil in constant rotation!"
"On the bright side, that pencil thing you just did – very handy against vamps." He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "You can do this, Will." He pulled her close, and she knew it was his way of saying that she could depend on him, lean on him for support. He was her rock after all.
"Okay, once more." She sat up straight and focused on yet another pencil, trying to keep her focus. The pencil rose and began to spin slowly, picking up speed as it went along. Suddenly, the library doors banged open and her focus was thrown. The pencil made a straight line for Angel.
"NO!" she cried, knowing that it was an ashy end for the vampire if it hit him. It never did.
Jonny caught the pencil an inch away from the vampire's chest. He smiled and walked over to Willow and handed it back to her. "Relax. I know how you feel… or at least I know someone who does."
She took the pencil and smiled nervously. "I don't know if I can do this."
"Did Oz tell you that you could?" She nodded in response. "Then, I believe him." Turning, he looked at Giles and smiled. "We come to it at last, huh?"
Giles nodded. "That's an interesting looking sword you have there."
Jonny grinned. "It's actually kinda ancient."
"I can tell. May I take a look at it?" Giles asked, approaching him.
Jonny shrugged and unsheathed the sword. He handed it over to the Watcher, who studied it intently with a scholarly air. Several times, his brow furrowed at a sequence of runes, and once or twice, he flipped through a few books.
"Remarkable," he muttered under his breath. "Where did you get this?" he asked, looking up.
"Long story, Giles. But let's just say that it wasn't easy, and I nearly died for it." Jonny grinned. "If we get through this, you'll get the whole story."
"The Blade of Aefriol," the Watcher intoned, peering at the boy, marking the astonished expression on his face.
"How did you…?"
"I'm a Watcher. The Blade's a remarkable artifact, a legend almost. Any Watcher worthy of a Slayer has at least heard of the Blade, if not only whispers. In fact, your line of slayers is not as obscure as you thought. But we always just assumed the legend to be just that, a legend. Almost a myth, really."
"Present in the flesh, Giles old boy!" He sat down and threw a glance at the clock. "Where's Buffy?"
"She went home to take care of some business," Giles said, not saying anymore. Jonny knew he meant her mother, and he was glad. He had completely forgotten about her, and he knew how much she meant to Buffy. In fact, he had completely forgotten that there were probably going to be casualties tonight.
Dad!
Getting up, he went behind the stacks and called his father's cell. Satisfied, he rejoined the rest. Buffy had just arrived, her bag slung on her shoulder.
"Okay, here's the plan. Divide and conquer." She looked around. "Two teams." She looked up and caught Jonny's eye.
Seeing her nod, Jonny understood that she meant that he would be leading a group. "Okay."
"Angel, Xander, Willow. You're with me."
"That means the rest of you are with me." Jonny grinned, but even he felt the lack of humor. "How about the portals?"
"Willow can handle them." Squeezing Willow's hand, she added, "If she feels up to it."
"I'll be okay." She sounded more resolute than she felt.
"And Giles has some experience with magic too."
Jonny nodded. "Okay then, out we go."
JQJQJQ
MAINE
Benton walked down an alley, hearing the steady crunching of snow under his boots. Steam rose from the vents, obscuring his vision slightly. The polished cane was warm where his hands gripped it.
A soft scuffle.
He turned around, and saw the tail of rat disappear behind a pile of trash. Jesus, that was huge! Smiling, he turned again…
And whipped his cane about, pulling out a slender blade from the sheath, and neatly lobbing off a vampire's head. As the head rolled and disintegrated, he took a deep breath. It felt good to be out in the field again.
The rapid fall of running feet alerted him. Whirling around, blade poised, he came face to face with Race and Hadji.
"Don't ever do that again, Doc!" Race warned. "This is not the best time to be running off alone."
Benton smiled. "I had to test something out." He brandished the sword a little before sheathing it. "What's the count so far?"
"Three vampires… and we spotted some giant rat-like creature scampering this way.
"Black and bristly?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"It's behind you." Benton pulled out his sword again. The creature's red eyes glowed in the dark. There were three short releases, and it fell dead. Lesser demon, Benton noted. Hadji's uzis still smoked.
"Rathika demons. Lesser demons of the underground. Just like oversized sewer rats," Hadji noted.
"Let's get out of this alley. It's a deathtrap waiting to happen," Race said, hurrying to the exit. Sliding behind the wheel, Race started the engine. The SUV came to life as the other two climbed in.
"To trouble I guess." Benton fingered his cane as he peered out into the quiet neighborhood. From their vantage point, the town below was in full illumination. Of flames. The sky crackled with electricity, each shot of lightning rending the clouds.
Hell on earth.
"Hang on!" Race ploughed the vehicle into a strange beast, launching it several feet in the air before it crashed through the window of a bookstore. The streets were in utter chaos, cars slipping on the snow as they charged desperately. A horde of vampires had begun their bloodlust, picking off panicked bystanders one at a time.
"Stop here, Race!" The doors were thrown open as they rushed out. Race dusted two vampires from the double-bolt crossbow he carried. Reloading quickly, He shot another in the eye and dusted another.
"Run! Just run!" Benton yelled, whipping his blade around and disemboweling a vampire before taking off her head with an upward swing. A heavy blow knocked his sword out of his hands and another caught his heavily in the gut. As he fell, he felt a heavy mass slam into him. Pulling out a vial of holy water, he slammed it heavily onto the vampire's face, so hard that the glass bit into his own hand. As the vampire moaned and grabbed at his sizzling flesh, Benton fought his way to his feet and grabbing a fallen crossbow bolt, plunged it into the chest cavity. He didn't wait to watch the disintegration. Grabbing his sword, he hacked off the arm of a heavy looking female who had pressed Hadji against a wall.
Feeling the lost of pressure, Hadji drove his stake through her heart before moving on to the next vamp. It was a freakin' massacre. People were dying all around, and there was nothing that three men could do.
Suddenly, they heard the loud workings of heavy engines. Ten Hummers pulled up, and immediately military personnel began to pour out to dispatch the vampires with rapid fire.
"Dr. Quest. Race Bannon." Seeing them nod, the young operative continued, "Sergeant Cole from I-1."
"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" Race exclaimed.
"We were ordered to assist you in any manner possible."
"Ordered by whom?" Benton pressed.
"Your son, sir."
Hadji laughed out loud. "Jonny, my brother. Vishnu smiles upon you yet!"
"Eliminate all hostiles in sight. Do not waste ammo on the vampires; stakes and decapitation are your best bet. Ignition is another option. All other hostiles are to be taken out in whichever manner seems appropriate!" Race took over. "And sergeant… welcome to the Hellmouth!"
JQJQJQ
SUNNYDALE
Prumiva stood on the hill, watching the destruction of her doing. The streets were ablaze, lines of fire that branched everywhere, consuming everything within its fiery grasp. The rampant sirens that blared brazenly were of no more use than the foolish mortals running about. Noble beings to put their lives on the line but, foolish nonetheless.
She sipped her glass, savoring the taste of freshly drawn blood. Draining it, she handed it to her servant. "More," was her simple command. She barely recognized his nod. Her gaze was fixed intently on the chaos that reigned. Looking up, she saw that the sky had shattered; clouds of ashy black were now veined with crimson. Like the blood that laced her lips. Each lightning crash cracked the granite sky even more. A tremor passed under her feet, a stronger rumbling than before.
They were waking up.
The portents were in place. The sky bled, the earth shook. The Old Ones would awaken.
"Kyle! My blood!" she snapped, turning around. She saw him tremble as he tapped a young boy, strung up like the fallen messiah.
"He's almost dry, mistress," Kyle said, stabbing the boy once more, trying to get him to bleed faster. The boy whimpered, a weak exhalation. Dried tear tracks were the only sign that this tattered effigy had once been alive. The rest of him resembled marble now, his white skin veined blue. A beautiful marble boy.
"Forget it!" she said. Going up to him, she plunged her fangs into his throat and sucked. Drawing her own blood from her wrist, she pressed it to the boy's lips. "Drink!"
She felt the weak suction on her wrist grow stronger with each deliberate sip. "Enough!" She ripped her wrist away from the greedy vampire-child. As he fell into a deep slumber, she knew that he would awaken soon, with the blood-thirst running in his veins. "Get another. He will need to feed soon!"
"Giles, where is the highest point of view in Sunnydale?" Jonny asked, twirling his stake as they walked down the street.
Cordelia cleared her throat uncomfortably at that. "There is a hill… with a view of the city and all…"
"That'll work. We should probably head that way."
"Why?"
"If Prumiva is watching her handiwork right now, where do you think she would be?"
"By God! I never even thought about her. I completely forgot that she was involved in this!" Giles exclaimed.
"Yeah well, she killed my girlfriend. So I didn't forget." His eyes shot at a shadow. He had caught the slightest hint of movement.
"Prepare yourselves," he said, not changing the even tone of his voice. No point letting them know that their cover was blown. "They're all around us." He heard Cordelia breathe sharply, and slowed down his pace to match hers. "Stay close." He met her eyes and held them for a moment. Then…
Three vampires leapt out of the shadows ahead of them, and another five from behind. Several flanked the first wave, but Jonny lost count as he flew into action. Whipping out the Blade, he dismembered two of the first batch, letting Oz and Giles take care of them. He watched Cordelia stake one of them from the corner of his eye and smiled. Slamming the broad side of the Blade on the head of another, he plunged a stake deep into its heart before slamming a heavy kick into another.
"Giles, they have to be protecting something! Vampires don't hunt in packs!" Jonny yelled, decapitating yet another vamp.
Giles was already on his way to the shadows, pulling Cordy with him as Oz took care of the rest of the vampires that lay helplessly on the ground. As they approached the inky darkness, Giles realized that the shade was not caused by any shadow, but was a portal itself; an inky pool of air that pulsed and stirred.
"Oh good Lord!" he rasped, as it began to pulse again, the stirring becoming more intense. "Cordy, hold on to this!" He handed her a heavy book and began to draw in the dirt, digging his fingers deep into the soil.
"Giles, this is no time to be leaving a mark!" Cordy said, her voice trembling a little as fingers emerged from the pulsating cloud. "Giles…!"
"Shut up!" he commanded, and she obeyed meekly. "Watch my back," he said, in a gentler tone, and smiled what he hoped was a reassuring grin. Sitting down next to the charm he had drawn in the earth, he began to chant, spreading his arms wide. The portal began to spread.
"Close the damn thing!" Jonny yelled, slamming yet another vampire into the ground before finishing it off. "Oz, use this!" He handed Oz a machete he had stowed in his bag.
"Giles… it's not working…!" The fingers were now fully visible, and an arm was beginning to emerge. The talons were just several inches away from Giles' head, and although he could not see them with his eyes closed in concentration, he knew that he was in danger. His chanting became more intense as the pulsing of the portal began to magnify.
A shriek tore through the night, and as he opened his eyes, he saw that Cordy had stuck a stake into the forearm that had nearly taken his head off. She screamed as it whipped at her, ripping part of her jacket. A flash of steel caught his eye and the arm lay lifeless on the ground. Another shriek, this one more terrifying ripped through the night.
"… Arach necropetlo carach!" Giles yelled, clapping his hands together. The portal glimmered one last time, and then shrunk into itself.
"Great! Now we have about a billion more of those to close, and we'll be set." Jonny grinned, swabbing at the deep scratch he had gotten on his cheek. It was already beginning to clot, but it did give him the appearance of a war hero.
Oz checked his watch. "Only ten more hours to go."
"I don't think splitting up was a great idea," Jonny muttered.
"This was a rotten idea!" Buffy yelled, staking a vampire before throwing another into the path of a speeding car. The vampire thunked heavily on the hood, making a huge dent, before rolling off. The car sped away, but not before Buffy caught the panicked look on the driver's face. "Will, how's that portal coming along?"
Willow stood in the midst of the chaos, chanting calmly. Amidst the madness, Buffy thought she looked like the pillar of tranquility as she focused her energy on closing the hell-gate. A scaly demon launched itself at her, razor-sharp claws extended to take her down.
"Will!" Buffy yelled, breaking into a helpless run as she knew her friend would be taken down in an instant. Even then, she saw a blur leap up to meet the creature, and cringed at the loud smack of bodies. The scaly demon fell dead, neck ripped and throat exposed.
Angel wiped his face, his fangs bloodied from the attack. "Damn, that's just nasty!" He spat on the ground, a bloody glob and made a face. "Broccoli," he affirmed.
Xander swung his sword in a wide arc, not the most polished swing, but it got the work done. Two vampires dusted immediately while the third lost an eye. Xander pulled out his stake and prepared to do some one-on-one dusting when another vampire crashed into him, propelling him forward. The stake plunged into the heart of the blinded vamp, and Xander fell through the cloud of dust and slammed hard into the wet asphalt. "Buff! Some help here!"
Seeing her friend pinned to the ground, Buffy staked the vampire she was fighting and threw her stake at the one on Xander. It met its mark right on, and the vamp disintegrated, just like all the rest.
This would be Martha Stewart's worst nightmare, she mussed.
"Buffy!" She saw Jonny and the rest running up the street. "Not a good idea, this whole splitting up deal," he said, grinning. Without another word, he launched himself into battle-mode, taking out vampires so quickly that it left the rest of them room to take care of the other hellish beings that had managed to escape from the portal.
Willow slumped down, exhausted but exhilarated from her work. The portal was sealed. She was exhausted and exhilarated from her work. She felt a strong pair of arms catch her as she fell, and looked gratefully at Oz's concerned face. "I'm okay," she told him. "Just a little woozy."
"Oz, get Willow out of there!" Giles yelled, fending off three vampires with a crucifix, stake poised for the offensive. From the corner of his eye, he observed the new slayer at work. He wielded that sword with deadly potency. Such fluidity did not simply come from years of practice with arms, Giles thought. There was something else. Like it was made for him! he realized. He hoped that maybe somewhere, there was such a weapon for Buffy. I've never heard of such a weapon though, he grimaced. But then again, the whole Destined line had been nothing more than a myth – a Watcher's urban legend – till now.
"There are too many of them!" Cordelia screamed, her hair disheveled from a tussle. "We don't all have super-slayer powers!"
"Cordelia's right! Regroup now! Back to the library!" Giles yelled, staking another vampire. Where on earth are they all coming from? Has there been a brethren of breeding vampires?
Giles glanced at the sky and shuddered. It was an angry red now; red as blood where the sky peeped out from behind the black clouds – clouds so dense that they looked like chunks of solid rock. Lightining flashed, slashing through the heavens.
Angel looked up too. The scent of rain was heavy in the air; he could already smell the distant rainfall. But the air also smelled of something else… evil. "Buffy! Library now!" he kicked a demon carcass out of the way and grabbed the Slayer's arm. "Let's go!"
He saw the frustration in her eyes. She's angry to back down, he realized. "Come on… we need to regroup. Figure out a new plan of action." That did the trick, she was satiated for now.
Rain poured down, the heavy drops splashing the windows as Jonny looked out. "Well, at least that takes care of some of the fires." He was restless. It had started raining just before they made it back, and they were soaked, for the most part.
His wet clothes were beginning to bug him as they dripped everywhere. He studied a soggy map, locating the hill Cordy had mentioned earlier.
"What's the plan?" Xander asked, wincing as Cordy swabbed a cut on his cheek with an alcohol swab. "Oww… gently Cordy. No need to get rough now!"
"Just take it!" she snapped back, but he could see that she was near to tears herself. He pulled her into a hug. "It'll be okay," he whispered. He felt her nod her head, trusting him.
"We go for Prumiva," Jonny said suddenly. "Giles, do you have a car?"
Giles nodded. "But…"
"No buts. I'll go… just lend me your car, or come with me if you're gonna be antsy about it! Point is, I'm going to face her."
"You can't go alone!" Buffy said, her wet hair pulled back from her face.
"Your city needs you to protect it. I've got back-up on the other side of the world working on this."
"You're not even sure if he'll be able to deliver. And even if he does, you have no idea what he'll be able to do. This is suicide!"
"It still has to be done, Buffy." He stopped pacing and looked at her. "This isn't the big show yet… there'll be fireworks still… and if that happens, we're all gonna die!"
"Let him go," Angel said softly, coming up behind her. "He's right. You've a city to protect. Let him do his job."
"It's not his job to die!" she cried.
"It is his job to protect, and you know that damn well!" Angel said.
"Why don't we all go look for this über-vamp?" Willow asked, her voice shrinking as the magnitude of the ordeal hit her.
"Coz someone's gotta be taking care of business while I work on shutting down the main event. Remember the prophecy? The Old Ones will awaken? Not exactly sure what that entails… but it doesn't sound good."
Suddenly, the floor pitched, and the room rocked violently, the rumbling terrifyingly loud. Books fell off the shelves as shelves pitched forward and crashed.
"Everybody outside now!" Giles yelled, grabbing his weapons and hurrying everyone else. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the tremor ceased.
"The earth will rend and tear," Jonny intoned, pointing to the huge crack that ran across the floor.
"Giles… the Hellmouth," Buffy said, looking fearfully at the floor.
"Hopefully that will not be enough to open it yet. But Jonny's right, Buffy. There are potent forces at work tonight; forces we cannot hope to fight by ourselves without going for the core."
"Giles. Keys." Instead, Cordelia tossed him her keys. "Red Mazda at the back," she said. "Please don't scratch it… I'm already in trouble about the bumper."
Jonny nodded. "Stay together and watch each other's back."
JQJQJQ
MAINE
Benton noted with grim chagrin that the situation was in control. The fires still raged; every once in a while, another explosion triggered a whole new series of fires. The general situation was not as dire as it would appear at first. The vampire onslaught was now under control, with I-1 taking care of the otherwise massacre. There had been only three fatalities in the I-1 personnel as yet, and several wounded men and women. Otherwise, Benton had to admit that I-1 had trained their operatives well, and he could only hope that the Watcher's Council could boast the same.
He watched as Race slammed a vampire into the hood of a car before finishing it off. Hadji was deep in meditation, performing the ancient binding spells they had discovered. Several of the I-1 operatives were mages-in-training, and one was a druid of renowned power. They were doing their best to shut down the multiple portals that had opened up all around.
"Benton, behind you!"
He reacted before he saw the attack, dropping to the ground and rolling. In almost slow-motion action, he saw a blade pass over his head and bite into the concrete wall. Sparks leapt off from the heavy contact. The demon sneered at him, fangs bared and dripping with saliva. With a ferocious yank, it pulled the blade free from the concrete, scattering tiny chunks of pulverized debris. With a snarl, it leapt at Benton, blades poised for another blow.
Benton pulled out the semi-autos at his side and released three rapid fire shots. Each one hit the spot with deadly accuracy and the demon fell dead before it could retract the blades into his forearms. As he stumbled clumsily back to his feet, a violent tremor sent his sprawling again.
The road groaned in protest as heavy cracks traced their way, some parts erupting in a spray of asphalt and gravel as the strain intensified. Benton rolled out of the way, just avoiding a particularly violent explosion. A fire hydrant exploded, sending debris everywhere while icy-cold water jetted above.
Race had forgotten how cold it was; the fires and exertion had thoroughly warmed him up. He shouted a few more orders before jumping into the SUV and gunning the engine. Benton and Hadji jumped in. All around, the operatives hopped into their vehicles. The area was secure, at least for now.
Benton almost laughed ironically. Their intense battle had only been a small scuffle in the grand scheme of things. He wondered how Seth was faring… the boy had been totally confused when Jade had dragged him along on the trip.
Jonny…
"Those binding spells are slammin'!" Hadji said, and laughed. Jonny had tried to teach him the phrase, but he had never been able to pull them off with much conviction. Benton and Race laughed too. Another tremor shook the earth.
"Oh shit!" Race yelled, slamming hard on the brakes. The vehicle careened and skidded to a halt, jolting violently as it rode over a massive bump.
"What the hell, Race?" Benton demanded. He clutched his head where he had slammed it heavily on the side. "Holy shit!"
Race had stopped the vehicle at the lip of a sharp drop. The roads had shifted so violently that an entire chunk had relocated over a craggy cliff. Even now, the only thing that had stopped them effectively, though violently, was the curb. Breathing in controlled breaths now, Race put the vehicle into reverse and backed-up.
"No point getting killed the boring way today," he noted, his jaw set in grim determination.
"Too late for that!" Benton muttered, pointing ahead.
Race and Hadji stared out into the darkness and their sharp gasps told Benton that they saw the giant wave cresting in the near distance. The foam flecked body of water thundered as it rose higher still.
JQJQJQ
ISRAEL
"Quit wasting time!" Caine said, his tone was harsh and impatient. Personally, Seth couldn't blame the guy for impatience, they had been standing there for nearly two hours, and still nothing had happened. He had no idea how to work the mojo at all, and it was beginning to piss him off. It was like handing him all the ingredients to making a pie without the instructions.
Seth turned around and glared at him. "You wanna do it instead? Coz I really don't have a clue on how to do this!"
Caine laughed, a raspy bark in the gloom. "And I-1 sent all these men to watch this pipsqueak!" he exclaimed loudly.
Jade turned on Caine. "You're here to assist him, not watch him!"
Caine laughed again, and it was beginning to grate on Seth's nerves. He watched as Jade argued with the big guy, her posture rigid and cold with rage.
"Don't you dare aim your guns at him!" she snapped, her eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light.
"I'm giving the orders here!" Caine shoved Jade sharply aside. She stumbled into the arms of one of the hired arms. "Get your hands off me, private!" she sneered.
Seth moved so quickly that no one saw him till he had a knife at Caine's throat. "Do that again, and I swear next time, this blade will not rest quite so gently!" he spat, before slamming Caine to the ground with a graceful maneuver. He stalked back to the edge of the emptiness, and did not see Caine till he heard Jade's scream. Turning around, he saw that Caine had whipped out his pistol and aimed it at him.
A shot rang out in the darkness, and Jade's scream echoed it.
Seth waved his arm, immediately changing the density of the air around him. He saw the bullet come at him as it ripped through the air, creating ripples in the altered density of the atmosphere. It slowed down… but not enough. The bullet ripped through his chest, pain firing through his brain.
Just as quickly as the pain had seared through him, Seth felt a change in his being…
"Oh f…!" Seth cried, as he felt energy surge through his being, flooding him with power unheard of. The infusion of power was beyond anything he had ever felt before as it shot through his limbs; he was no longer Seth, just a vessel that overflowed with great magic. Dark magic.
Standing at the abyss, Seth collapsed onto his knees, and he screamed as the forces pummeled at him, bolts of untold potency slamming over and over into him. Each hit hurt him, slicing deep into the core of his soul, threatening to tear him apart. "Jade…!" he screamed. "Help me…!" His voice grew foreign to his own ears, as everything clouded over. The pain became nothing more than a haunting reality, He felt soothed, bathed in a magical salve.
Deep inside, he felt the locks give way, that old familiarity came back and he was now the wielder and not the used. He was whole again.
He stood up… And turned around. The wound was gone; all that remained was the bloody stain in the front, and a bloodier rip at the point of exit of the bullet.
"Put the guns down!" he commanded, glaring at the barrels that were trained on him. "I said put them down!" he swept his arms aside, and an unseen force seemed to knock everyone back. He smiled, his eyes glowing a transparent blue in his tan face. "Much better."
Caine stood trembling; this entity scared the living crap out of him. The boy had been intimidating, but the force that stood in front of him now was terrifying.
Seth just sneered at him. "Do it again. I dare you!" Turning to Jade, he said, "I have to help him."
Jade nodded. She did not recognize the entity that stood before her. The shell was her son, but she could not see any part of the being that matched him. Where he had once been beautiful, this being was now terrible. She knew that it was more than a glamour that cloaked him now; she felt the power that surged within him.
He was the thing I-1 had feared all along… a weapon with an automatic trigger and no failsafe.
Seth stepped to the edge of the abyss and then stepped off it. Jade watched in bewildered amazement as he seemed to walk on air, no wobble or anything that indicated that his position was any more precarious than when on solid ground. A gale swept through the caverns, a great roar in the dark that flickered the torches as it whipped past. Dust and debris stung her as she shielded her eyes; the yells behind her indicating that the soldiers felt it too as the wind picked up.
Raising his arms in supplication, she heard Seth offer a short prayer to the Goddess for strength. Jade smiled. She was Eileen's son after all, raised with knowledge of the Old Religion. Stretching his arms out now, he rode the winds, rising until he was at the center of the cavern.
"GODDESS, HEAR MY PLEA! GREAT MOTHER, RECEIVE THE PRAYER OF YOUR CHILD! BY ALL YOUR NAMES KNOWN TO MANKIND AND THOSE UNKNOWN TO EVEN THE DIVINE, I CALL YOU NOW!" Seth's voice thundered through the great space, shaking the ground as the gale intensified.
"The bastard's going to kill us all!" Caine yelled. He had armed himself again, and now stood bracing himself against the wind. "This place reeks of evil power!"
A laugh reverberated through the space. "FOOLISH MAN! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS EVIL POWER! THERE IS JUST POWER; IT'S THE MISUSE THAT MAKES IT EVIL!" Seth sneered, his body illuminated with an unearthly light.
"Seth, hurry up! You have no idea what prolonged exposure to such power will do to you!" Jade yelled, her voice pitifully smothered by the roaring wind. Another laugh.
"I'M QUITE AWARE OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN, MOTHER!" he laughed again. Jade detected a slight hint of lunacy in it. "EVEN NOW, IT'S KILLING ME, THE CONTROL, THAT IS. I COULD JUST LET GO, AND IT'LL FEEL GREAT! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SOMEONE WHO FELT GREAT WHILE DYING?"
"Just close the gates and release it!"
"ENOUGH ORDERS!" She watched as the illumination that framed him got brighter and he rose even higher. His voiced boomed once more, rising above the fury of the storm that they stood in, becoming a force of nature itself. He is a tempest! Jade realized, and shuddered at the thought of the storm that would come should he be unleashed upon the world. He's unstable, the reality hit her for the first time, and watching her son now, she saw him as I-1 did. He must be contained… She lowered her gaze softly. The arid dust dried her tears.
"I know what you're thinking, Mother!" He was speaking to her, but it wasn't the booming voice that shook the very foundations of the earth. He spoke only to her. Her blood chilled. He could read her thoughts!
"You're right. You must stop the force!" Looking up once more, she thought she glimpsed a flash of a smile from the creature above. "Help me…"
"EARTH, QUELL YOUR STORMS! I COMMAND YOUR OCEANS! CLEAR THE SKIES!" Flicking a wrist, his intensified the glow that already surrounded him, the translucent aura becoming pure light. "I SOOTHE YOUR TREMORS, I CALM YOUR WATERS, I FREE THE HEAVENS!" The glow pulsed now with unfathomable potency.
"We're going to be swallowed by that glow!" Someone yelled from the back, and Jade knew he was right. What will it do to us all? she wondered.
"Nothing. It's only meant to cease the apocalypse…"
"Stand your ground, soldier!" Jade commanded. "We'll be fine!"
"How'd you know?" the same voice questioned.
"I just know, okay, dammit!" she snapped back.
"I DEFY THE DARKNESS! I ENGULF THE EVIL! I FORTIFY THE BARRIERS, I CLOSE THE GATEWAYS!" The hum of energy was almost palpable now. I can almost taste it, Jade mused.
"It's a bittersweet thing…" Seth said in a mournful tone that contrasted the majestic image that still levitated over them. "I'm so tired…"
Then let go! She urged.
"I must do this… This is my destiny, I guess." She could almost see the casual shrug that would have accompanied that last remark.
You don't have to die!
"Do you think it's possible to strengthen all the barriers, and close all the portals to hell without destroying myself in the process?" He was mildly sarcastic, and Jade knew that this was the son she could have loved.
Why did you agree to do it then?
"It had to be done, Mom… Victories call for little sacrifices…"
Little? Goddamn you! You're not… She trailed away.
So be it! Seth was spinning now, a blurry core of the cyclone of light that reflected off the dusty particles that saturated the air. The light that pulsed now was blinding. Close your eyes! And Jade knew that this time, he wasn't only speaking to her. With a final look at him, she closed her eyes and bent her head.
A humming moment of intensity, and then it was over. The caverns had resumed their original gloom, with only the flashlights to provide beams of dull illumination. The winds had died all-together though the air was still rich with the alkaline dust. As the dust cleared, she saw him. No longer illuminated with the glow of power, but glowing with life.
JQJQJQ
SUNNYDALE
Jonny jumped out of Cordy's car, unsheathing his sword as he ran the remaining way up the hill. I was right! he noted. The center of the storm seemed to hover above him now, the core of the gigantic swirls of storm clouds that blotted out the sky. Lightning ripped the heavens again, more bloody cracks emerged. The moon, partially obscured by the black clouds was red.
"Too late again, Slayer!" Lightning flashed and he saw Prumiva standing at the edge of a precipice that overlooked a shallow vale. She laughed, her fangs glinting in the dark.
Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by vampires, Prumiva's hellish brethren. He sliced an arm clean off at the shoulder before cleaving the skull of another. Making fast work of most of the inexperienced newborns, he found himself going against some vampires that struck him as older than time.
"Why open the hellgates, Prumiva?" he yelled, punching a vampire in the face, his fist making pulp of the vampire's nose. He winced as he felt talons shear through his jeans, ripping flesh as well. Staking it, he kicked another in the groin before decapitating it. "You know how the Old Ones look at vampires! Half-breeds! Bastardized offspring borne of the human parasites! Your kind will be hunted off the face of the earth!"
"They will heed this!" She brandished an oilskin wrapped package. The Book.
Jonny laughed, loud enough for her to hear. "The Book? That's your only defense?"
"It's the essence of their existence!" Prumiva crowed victoriously.
"Wrong! It's the essence of your existence! The Old Ones are a primitive evil! An evil that pre-existed written text and pre-dates any modern knowledge."
"But the incantations to awaken them are all in here!" Doubt tinged her reply.
"To bring them back, yes. But it does not give existence to them. They've always existed. An ancient entity bidding its time to re-enter the realm that was once theirs. To re-establish a line of demonic purity!" A hard kick to the base of his spine sent him sprawling, the Blade falling out of his grasp. He rolled instinctively, avoiding a crushing blow. Another hard blow sent him down on the ground again, the muddy earth a soft landing spot. Jonny spat out mud, and wiped his vision clear. He took a heavy kick to the gut and rolled over in pain. A hard kick to the head floored him. Jonny blinked, trying to clear his vision. Flashes of color and pinpricks of light did the Irish Jig.
Two pairs of arms pinned him down, and then hoisted him up. Stumbling and dazed, Jonny struggled weakly. Prumiva grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up. Her talons bit into his scalp and he felt a trickle of blood down his neck. He tensed his neck, expecting to feel her fangs ripping into the tender flesh there. He swallowed hard, semi-amused by how helpless he felt right now.
She laughed. "No, sweetie… you're not going out quite so easy." She licked the blood that ran down his face, and Jonny shivered from cold touch of her fangs. "Look," she rasped into his ear, tilting his head so that he looked into the vale.
Jonny shuddered. Filling a vast expanse of the vale was some sort of hive, and in each "comb," demons writhed in their embryonic sacs. He understood now… the Old Ones would have to be reborn into this world. The "hive" was a womb, the gate itself that functioned as a great incubation chamber for the legions of demons that would overrun the world if they didn't stop them.
The hive shuddered, eliciting a low moan.
"Holy shit! The thing's alive!" he breathed. It had emerged from a huge crack in the earth, almost unearthed. The creature was so huge, it didn't seem able to move, anchored in place by hundreds of projections that dug into the earth like roots.
"It's the Mother," Prumiva said gleefully. "She's in labor… and she's hungry!"
"Figures the bitch would be!" Jonny muttered.
"You're the entrée!" Prumiva released her hold on his hair and smacked him across the face.
The momentary blinding pain was all it took to snap him out of the stupor he had allowed himself to sink into. Crushing a vampire's face with a headbutt that hurt like hell, he tripped his bloodied foe and sent him rolling down the vale. He watched in horrified fascination as the hive raised its head that resembled nothing more than a giant maw with rows of teeth that carved and tore flesh and bone like a paper-shredder. Wresting his arm free from his other foe, he sent her tumbling down the hill as well.
Launching himself into a powerful midair flip, he kicked two more vampires over the edge. As he tucked and rolled, he heard Prumiva scream: "Get the sword!"
Jonny broke into a run, his torn thigh burning with each step he took. He dove for the sword, reaching it a bare second before a second pair of hands made a grab for it. The hands lay unmoving on the ground and the vampire screamed in agony before another arc of the Blade took off her head. Pulling out the stake he kept in his belt loop, he threw it at a vampire, dusting him before ripping the head off another vampire with his sword.
Jonny stood still, marked with mud and blood. He breathed heavily, and as the dust settled into the falling rain, he looked up at Prumiva and smiled. "All dust. You're next!" he grinned, marching steadily at her. "In fact, let's even things out." He stuck the Blade in between them, right at the lip of the fall.
"Stupid boy!" Setting the Book wrapped in protective oilskins on the ground, she sprang at him, her talons flashing with ferocious speed. Jonny sidestepped the attack, but not before she drew first blood across his chest. His shirt flapped in the wind, the front shredded.
With a rolling motion, he fell into step with her, rain and mud flying as they punched and kicked each other. Prumiva slammed him onto the ground with a neat trip, and fell onto him, fangs bared for the kill. Using the slippery ground to his advantage, Jonny spun into a quick spin and caught her in the head with a hard kick. Flipping back onto his feet, he caught hold of her hair and slammed her into a tree.
Pulling back her head, he slammed her face hard again, feeling and hearing the satisfactory crack of her skull against the ancient wood. Revenge drove his fist as slammed her once more before pounding a hard punch to the back of her head, slamming the head once more against the rough bark. Wrenching her head around, he punched the pulped face and kicked her once more into the tree.
Prumiva stared back in a daze, blood obscuring her vision. She lunged weakly once more, but Jonny kicked her back and drove a stake into her throat, cutting out her scream.
"I would have made this a hundred times more painful and worth my time if it changed anything. But you killed her. You took her away from me, and nothing will bring her back to me. For that, you deserve more pain than I can possibly give you!" He stared at her lifeless eyes. "You wanna beg for your miserable existence now?" he sneered. "Thought so." He slammed the stake all the way through her neck, feeling the resistance of bone before it punched through and slammed into the tree.
Dust… that was all there was to it. A roar tore through the night. Labor pains… shit! Running to the edge, he picked up his sword and took a deep breath before launching himself down the slope, sliding on the slick surface.
Timing was key; mistiming his final leap would simply mean going down in the Slayer annals as "the one who was shredded inside the Mother." He saw her open her maw again, a deafening roar nearly deafened him. As she lunged forward to consume him, he tensed his legs and sprang forward, closing the gap between them with a yell.
He was inside the beast, sliding down the wet tongue with nothing to stop his fall. Desperate, Jonny slammed the Blade deep into the soft tissue. He almost sickened at the wet shredding noise it made as it finally came to a stop, caught in something. The Mother convulsed, pain ripping through her. The enormous tongue pressed Jonny hard against the soft throat, crushing him in its slimy embrace. His wounds burned in the acidic spit.
He would have to destroy it from within. Pulling the Blade out, he hacked desperately at the tongue, slicing off bloody chunks. Go for the brain! Just as he was about to plunge the Blade upwards, the tongue flicked his to the front of the maw, pushing him closer to the rows of serrated teeth. Plan B! Jonny plunged the Blade into the side, hacking his way to the eye socket. With a massive swing, he severed the nerve and punctured the eyeball, releasing the jelly-like substance inside. Taking a deep breath, he plunged in, and carved an exit out of the membrane and tumbled out of the destroyed eye. Rolling as he fell, he stabbed the Blade into one of the sacs, releasing the suspension fluid. The demon within lay unmoving but Jonny hacked it anyway, just for good measure.
One down, about a billion left. Tumbling out of reach of the swinging head, he sliced open another sac. The Mother screamed in pain, her body wracked in convulsions. Oh no… she's really in labor. They're about to be born! Lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the sacs of viscous fluid. The scream continued to rend into the night and the giant head swung in crazed motions. The sacs came alive, the demons within waking up. The membrane-like substance that kept them in rippled as they began to move.
"Seth!" Jonny yelled, slicing another demon right through before cleaving another all the way through.
"I'm here…"
"Seth?"
"Yeah… hold on. I'm working on it!"
"You better work fast! The Mom's in labor, and she's getting really cranky. And the brood ain't puppies!" He hacked at another sac.
"Working on it…"
With a hideous scream, the Mother unearthed herself, her serpentine body rising to the sky like a mythological dragon awakening from its slumber. The projections that had held her fast now showered wet dirt on Jonny, the embryonic sacs all about to burst open to a start a new age of hell on earth.
"Seth… whatever it is you're doing, I need your mojo now!"
"So be it…"
"What?" No reply. Then suddenly, there was a flash of searing light, and the Mother screeched, the most horrible sound yet. Looking up, he saw her burning in the light, her rusty-colored skin blackening from the horrible scorching she suffered. One by one, the sacs burst, and the demons screamed, popping and exploding, showering the earth with blazing innards. Jonny rolled back as a particularly large chunk slammed down, still smoldering.
"Seth… you did it! You crazy bastard… you did it!" he yelled, whooping in joy.
The Mother let out a final shriek, before falling down, her reared body crashing down to earth. Jonny scrambled up the slippery hill, risking a glance over his shoulder as the massive hulk of charred slime crashed into the muddy ground, sending up a massive spray of mud. The stench of burnt flesh was so rancid that Jonny leant aside and vomited… an urge he had been fighting since he laid eyes on the beast.
He picked up the Book. A present for I-1, he noted grimly. They would probably appreciate being finally able to keep it in one of their dusty vaults so that no one could ever use it ever again.
"Buffy, look out!" She saw Angel grab a vampire by the throat and fling her into the window of a store. She noted that he was bleeding considerably in some areas, but that he would live. She noted that she was covered in minor cuts and bruises; more than she would have liked.
The portals were still opening all over, inky pools of darkness that welcomed more of the ancient hell-brethren. Willow looked exhausted, and yet she gamely held her ground, working her magic to close the doorways. Giles stood beside her, casting spells too.
Whipping about, she staked a vampire and kicked another into Angel's arms. She heard the soft whoosh, and knew that another one lay dusted.
She watched with pride as Xander fought beside Cordy, protecting her as best as he could. Cordy was in her groove, staking two vampires although she never lost the terrified expression on her face.
"Buffy!" She turned to see Willow collapsing in Giles' arms. "There are too many!" The pain on his face was evident, he was tired too.
The white light engulfed them before they knew what happened. In the glare, Buffy saw the portals pulse and close, the light driving away the inky darkness. In fear, the remaining vampires and demons fell back. The light had not scathed them, but who knew what was next.
"Jonny's friend did it, I guess," Buffy breathed. She smiled, and then began to laugh. She held Angel as she felt the tension drain from her limbs. "We did it… again."
He smiled and wiped the tears of joy off her face. "Again."
JQJQJQ
MAINE
The first wave crashed, the force knocking the SUV over and washing it inland. From the corner of his eye, Race saw one of the less fortunate Hummers going over with the backflow of the wave. The screams of the men died as the crashing surf claimed them.
"Everybody out!" he yelled, disentangling himself from his seat belt. Thankfully the doc and Hadji were fine, although Benton was bleeding from the head. The roar of another incoming wave drew nearer.
Race tumbled out onto the cold wet asphalt. He dragged Hadji out and helped Benton to his feet. "Run! Get as far inland as possible!" he yelled over the roaring surf.
The wave crested again, the dark shadow falling over them as they ran. A row of shops loomed in the near distance. "Get behind the buildings for cover. Hold on to anything!" Benton yelled. All around them pandemonium broke out as people fled for cover. "Behind the buildings!" Benton yelled again, waving his arms frantically to get the attention of the panicked mass. "Behind the buildings!"
Just as the wave crashed, Benton dove for cover, and held onto a drainage pipe for dear life. The freezing water fell on them, the backwash pulling hard at them.
"Hold on, there'll be another one!" Race yelled, his teeth chattering in the cold. There was a flash of light. "What the…?"
The next wave never came. There was no roaring surf, no thundering wave, no looming shadow. As they came out from cover, they surveyed the destruction of the streets: crashed cars, destroyed roads, shattered windows, various flotsam and jetsam from the oceans depths now littered the streets. Bodies lay strewn about, some broken beyond recognition, others barely alive. The operatives were already at work, some dealing with the casualties while others secured the area.
"I wonder if the house is still standing," Benton noted in chagrin. "But the ocean's calm now." He pointed out and the waves, though still high, were nowhere near the destructive dimensions of the ones that had hit before.
"Seth did it!" Hadji whooped. "He ended it!"
"Maybe this is it then. The end of the apocalypse!" Benton smiled. "And we're still standing!"
JQJQJQ
ISRAEL
He smiled, a grin that broke the lines of dust on his face.
"How…?" Jade asked, embracing him. "I thought you…"
"Died?" he laughed. "I did. At least a part of me did."
She looked hard at him, and realized that he was changed somewhat. Happier, less burdened… "You lost all of it?" No more power…
He nodded. "Tradeoff. All that ever made me special for this. All of this…" he laughed again and hugged her again. She could smell the sweat and dust on him. He was human… Her son.
"Mom?"
She nodded.
"Let's go home, wherever it is!"
"Sorry to break up this family reunion, but we have to take him back into protective custody. Run tests and certify him safe," Caine cut in.
Seth rose to his full height and Jade saw the cover of a glamour fall on him again. Instantly, he stood taller and seemed more imposing than ever. He still has some tricks…
"I'm not going anywhere with you! Tell I-1 that I'm done jumping through hoops for them. I quit!" He glared at Caine. "You try anything, and the Destined One will have your ass on a one-way flight to Siberia on a wild goose chase for ice demons! For an indefinite period of time!" he added, smirking. That seemed to do it, Caine stood down, deflated. "Thought so…" Taking Jade by the hand, they marched out of the gloom, leaving Caine to rally his men.
Out of the darkness, something hit Caine in the side of the head. He picked it up and looked bewildered. A chunk of ice?
To be continued…