Zeppo 3: Slayer Evolved
Part 7: Ace in the hole

Walsh sat at her desk, thinking: Adam was certainly tough enough to rip Harris limb-from-limb, but he was too slow to catch him if he had a chance to get a head start. What was needed was something faster, able to get in and keep Harris occupied while Adam got closer. Her train of thought was interrupted when the phone rang.

"Walsh."

"Um, ma'am, I think you should come down to containment: we ran into a young woman who the local PD were trying to arrest."

"And?"

"Well, she was throwing them around like rag-dolls, and there were some big cops. We were able to take her down with a couple of hits from a taser, but she's recovered far quicker than she should have."

"I'm on my way." Walsh sighed as she put the phone down and stood.

"Ok everyone, pay attention," Cortana stood suspended in the air over the portable holographic projector she had managed to get Xander to build, "because this guy is a serious threat." The image on Giles' TV changed to a rotating 3D representation of Adam. "This is what I have been able to extrapolate from what we saw and what the sensors in Xander's suit picked up: big, fast and dumb."

"That's not much." Buffy smiled. "I'd kind of expected more from you…"

"Yeah, well, I'm translating into Valley Girl so you can keep up," Cortana snapped back. "I could go in-depth as to his augmentation, speed, acceleration, damage potential and the like, but I don't think that you would be able to keep up."

"Can we please concentrate?" Xander asked, annoyed by the near constant bickering between the Slayer and the A.I. "How do we kill it?"

"That may be harder than you think. The plasma grenade you hit him with was one of our most powerful weapons." Cortanna looked worried. "It is possible that we could come up with a spell or other magical weapon that can take him out, but that's not my department."

"I'll get started on that when I get home," Willow nodded, knowing that she was the Scooby's main magical researcher.

"I'll get in touch with my contacts within the Watchers Council, see if they can suggest anything," Giles nodded. "What of the rocket launcher?"

"You want the good new or the bad news?" Xander asked. "The good news is it is still in working order. The bad news is we have exactly one rocket. I've experimented with what Willy can get hold of on the black market, but nothing works. I say we keep it in reserve as a last resort."

"I agree." Buffy stood, ending the meeting.

Walsh stood in the doorway as a number of her agents tried to subdue the young brunette woman who they had found earlier in the day. Despite being half the size of the men she was up against, the woman was easily holding her own and, in fact, seemed to be enjoying herself.

"That is quite enough." Walsh drew a small pistol from her pocket and fired it into the air, ending the fight. "You have a name, young lady?"

"Faith." The brunet looked at her intently, ignoring the gun. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm your new best friend. My people ran your fingerprints and we know that you are wanted by the Sunnydale police department in connection with a suspicious death last year."

"Would it help any if I said it was an accident?"

"To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less. I have a problem that I feel you might be able to help me with."

"What's in it for me?"

"I can erase your criminal record and pay you one million dollars, if you are willing to get your hands a little dirty."

"Keep talking." Faith smiled.

"You know, you don't have to try and stop Walsh." Cortana suggested as Xander drove home. "There are times that even a Spartan must consider the possibility of defeat."

"Relax. This isn't Thermopylae and I'm no King Leonidas." Xander blinked. "What the hell did I just say?"

"That was probably John talking. The legendary battle of Thermopylae and the history of the original Spartans was a key part to his training."

"I hate it when his memories pop up like that! I caught myself field stripping the LAG the other day, only remembering half way though that I shouldn't know how to do that."

"Live with it. John's training has saved your life before now."

"I know I've been in a coma for a while, but isn't that a suit of Spartan armor?" Faith asked, looking at the contents of Walsh's lab. "The funny thing is that I know a guy who's got one just like it…"

"Alexander Harris?" Walsh asked.

"I take it you've run into him, huh? Yeah, that's the guy. He's cute, and has stamina like you wouldn't believe!"

"You had sex with him?"

"Oh hell yeah! Would have done it again, but I think I scared him off a little. It got a bit rough…"

"Can we get back on topic?"

"Sorry, just reminiscing a little. So what is this thing? A Halloween costume?"

"It is a prototype based on what little we were able to learn during the short time we had Mr. Harris in our custody. It should fit you, and given what I've seen of your abilities, I think you should be able handle it."

"You managed to capture Xander? I bet B was a little upset about that…"

"B?"

"Buffy Summer, the Slayer… Short, blond, stuck-up."

"I know her. Are you saying she is also a Spartan?"

"Hell no! She's a Slayer, like me."

"A what?"

"Long story, tell you later. So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to kill Mr. Harris for me."

"I still say it's a bad idea to go on patrol tonight," Cortana muttered as Xander adjusted the strap securing his rifle to his back. "We still don't have anything that can stop Adam."

"You're the one who's always going on about duty," Xander replied. "Anyway, we agreed that if we see Adam, we run. Simple as that."

"Still…" Cortana stopped when a red blip appeared on the edge of the motion tracker. "Look's like we're in business."

"Yeah, and it's not Adam." Xander drew his side arm and started to slowly advance. "Look at the speed it's moving at."

"Some kind of demon?"

"Can't say I've ever encountered anything that can move that fast."

"Well we're about to find out just what it is." Cortana sounded hesitant as they entered a small clearing. "It will be coming into view any moment…"

Xander stood motionless, looking at the figure that was standing on the other side of the clearing. They were the same height and dressed in an almost identical suit of Mjolnir II Battle Armor. The only apparent difference was in the weapons the newcomer was carrying. Instead of a MA5B Assault Rifle, it held a FN P90 submachine gun in each hand.

"What the hell?" Xander blinked. "Um, hi!"

The stranger raised the weapons and opened fire.

To Be Continued…