My beta-reader is still M.I.A. so I apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors.
Zeppo 3: Slayer Evolved
Part 14: The Demon
Buffy sat in the back of the ambulance as it shot through traffic like a bullet from a gun, serine screaming like a banshee. One of the paramedics was working of Faith while the other was yelling into the radio while trying to avoid oncoming traffic.
The M6D Pistol Xander had shoved into her hand felt heavy in her jacket pocket, and she was uncomfortable carrying it. She knew fell well that Adam's cyborg solders were deadly, and not to be taken lightly, but she hated guns on general principle.
The ambulance skidded to a shop with a squeal of brakes. The driver jumped out as a Doctor opened the back doors and pulled the gurney out.
"What we got?" He asked, looking down at Faith's pale form.
"Caucasian female aged approximately 17/18, signal stab wound to the lower abdomen." The paramedic reported as he followed behind, "She's lost a lot of blood, and there's signs of internal bleeding."
"Ok, let's get her into trauma one." Te Doctor glanced at Buffy, "Who's she?"
"A friend: she's the one that called 911." The driver looked at the doctor, "You're knew here, aren't you?"
"Yes, why?"
"You want to last long in this town, you've got to learn not to ask too many questions…"
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Xander stood looking at his weaponry, his helmet tucked under one arm, his face almost blank.
"I've tried to contact Colonel Johnson, but there's no answer on the number he gave Giles." Cortana appeared on the holographic projector, "We have to assume that Adam is moving against the Initiative."
"Most likely." Xander lifted the SMG's and loaded a full magazine into each. He chambered the first round then ejected the magazine, replacing it with a fresh one, "See if you can hack their systems again; find out what's going on in there. But don't get caught: I'm going to need you with me on this one."
"I'll be careful." Cortana disappeared in a shower of pixels.
Xander slowly and methodically checked and loaded every weapon, making sure they had full magazines and a chambered round. He ignored the Snipers Rifle and Rocket launcher, knowing that they would be more of a hindrance than a help in the confined spaces of the Initiative. The MAG was also left to one side: there where only two rounds left in it's magazine, and Xander had no time to fabricate more.
Taking a set of straps converted for the job, Xander attached one SMG to each hip, just below his belt. His surviving grenades slipped into their assigned places on his belt as the shotgun was slung over one shoulder, followed closely by the Battle Rifle. Xander lifted his Assault Rifle, and then looked at the LAG from the back of the Warthog.
He considered taking it, but then changed his mind. Its impressive firepower came at the expense of alarming ammo usage: there was no way he could carry anywhere near enough ammo to make it an effective weapon.
The last thing he picked up we the 'paper weight', holding it in his hand. He considered activating it, but knew he would needs its entire power reserve for what he had in mind.
"I'm back." Cortana reappeared, "no luck I'm afraid: Adam's cut all the data pathways leading in and out of the Initiative."
"Then we do it the old fashioned way." Xander placed his hand on the holo-projector, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as Cortana uploaded himself into the amours internal circuitry, "You ready to rock and roll?"
"As ever!" The A.I. laughed as Xander attached his helmet.
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Faith was already in surgery by the time the other Scobey's arrived, including a worried looking Riley.
"Any idea's what Xander's planning on doing?" He asked.
"Based on his memories and experiences as a Spartan, anything short of tactical nuclear war." Buffy sat on a bench, "I got the distinct impression that he's gotten very close to Faith, and he was always protective to start with."
"Indeed." Giles took off his glasses and started to clean them, a sure sign that he was worried about something, "We must hope that Cortana is able to exercise some influence over him."
"I don't know; she's a hardcore military A.I." Willow shrugged, "She'll be looking to bust some heads too…"
The doors at the end of the corridor opened, admitting a group of men that radiated Military, even if they were in civilian clothing.
"Guys…" Buffy stood, getting into a fighting stance.
"You can relax Miss Summers, we're not here to hurt anyone." The leader raised his hands, "Colonel Johnson sends his regards, and asked us to keep an eye on Miss Lehane."
"Who?" Tara blinked, confused.
"He means Faith." Buffy relaxes slightly, "How do you even know she's here?"
"We were brought by Colonel Johnson in to try and find Miss Lehane and Mr. Harris." The man explained, "Our orders were to keep an eye on the local hospitals and morgues. When we heard that someone matching Miss Lehane's appearance was being rushed here with a stab wound, we came as soon as we could."
"Are you going to arrest her?" Giles asked, worried what Buffy might do.
"Our orders are to keep her safe until Colonel Johnson arrives." The man shrugged, "The rest is up to him."
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Colonel Johnson stood with his legs apart, holding his side arm with both hands as he fired round after round into the advancing demon, aiming for first its center of mass, then its head. He cringed slightly when the hammer fell on empty space, the creature still advancing.
The thud-thud-thud of Xander's Battle Rifle filled the air as the Spartan appeared from out of the shadows, a weapon in either hand. The first demon fell back, dead or dieing, as another was gut down by a burst from Xander's Assault Rifle.
Xander checked his motion sensor to make sure the coast was clear before turning to look at Colonel Johnson: he had a momentary flash-back to the Master Chief's memories of the legendary Sergeant Johnson from the HALO universe.
It lasted for a second, but still gave him a shock.
"Mr. Harris, I presume?" Johnson looked at the Spartan, "I figured you be taller."
"People always do." Cortana laughed, "I take it you're Colonel Johnson?"
"I am." Johnson lowered his sidearm, "Maggie Walsh was out of control, and needed to be stopped. While I can't condone your actions, I understand your reasons."
"Thank you." Xander nodded, then handed over the Battle Rifle and all the spare ammo he had for it, "You'll need this: get your people out of here. We'll talk later, if we survive." He started to walk down the hallway; "I have an appointment with a man named Adam…"
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"I think you'd better have this." Buffy handed Riley the M6D Pistol Xander had given her and all the spare ammo, "I'd probably only shoot myself in the foot."
"Thanks, I think…" Riley looked at the weapon; knowing full well that the Marines Colonel Johnson had sent were eyeing him carefully, ready to respond if he did anything.
"I can't just sit around here like this." Buffy stood, "The rest of you wait here: I'm going to go help Xander."
"Buffy, if Faith couldn't handles these cyborgs, how can you?" Giles asked, not wanting to see the other Slayer in his care hospitalized.
"I know a way to even up the odds." Buffy headed for the exit, "I just hope Faith used deodorant…"
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Adam watched the monitors as Xander made his way through the Initiative, killing anything that got in his way, occasionally pausing to rescue trapped scientism and agents, sending them back the way he had come.
Despite everything that had happened, Adam couldn't help but respect the other cyborg: Xander was unflinching when it came to carrying out his mission. If only Professor Walsh had been able to recruit him into the program rather than turning him against it.
The door to lab 314 exploded inward, propelled across the room by a hastily set up shaped-charge. Smoke obscured the entrance, but something big and heavy stepped through, a flashlight scanning the room.
"Come out, com out, wherever you are…" Xander stepped out of the smoke, SMG in each hand, looking in every corner, "Come out from behind your curtain, wizard."
"I have been expecting you." Adam stepped from the shadows, "It is unfortunate that we must fight like this; we have much in common…"
"Oh for gods sake, please don't be one of those that tries to talk me to death!" Xander slouched slightly, "Don't you know that monologing is bad for your health?"
"As you wish." Adam's arm shifted, the barrel of a high-calibre machinegun poking through the skin on his wrist, "I've had upgrades." He fired a sustained burst at Xander, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off of him, his shield flaring brightly.
"Funny you should say that; so have I." Xander holstered his guns and pulled the paperweight from his belt. He squeezed the middle, activating the weapon. The magnetic field stabilized almost immediately, filling with glowing energy.
"Why did you send your boys to kill Faith?" Xander asked; plasma sword held high.
"Why did you kill my mother?" Adam looked at the new weapon, trying to come up with a defense.
"She was a psychotic bitch who wanted to carve me up like a Sunday roast."
"Miss Lehane betrayed the Initiative. That could not go unpunished."
"Neither can you trying to kill Faith!" Xander leapt forward, slashing down and across with the sword.
Adam ducked at the last possible moment, so the blade only seared his skin. He punched out, hitting Xander in the chest, knocking him back. Despite the cushioning effects of the force field and his suits gel-lined padding, Xander felt his carbide ceramic reinforced ribs crack under the blow.
Xander fought the darkness that threatened to envelop him, keeping a tight grip on the plasma sword as he swung it wildly. There was a buzz and the smell of burning flesh, followed by a roar of pain from Adam as the blade severed his left wrist, dropping the hand to the floor.
"I'll take you one piece at a time if I must!" Xander smiled, backing away a little to gain room to move.
Adam looked at his wrist, the wound closed by the high temperatures of the plasma blade, and then with snake-like reflexes, he punched out at Xander.
The inside of his helmet rang like a bell as Xander felt Adam's fist connect with enough force to knock through his shields. He felt his mind fogging, threatening to black out at the worst of all possible times.
Fighting the darkness that was encroaching on the outside of his vision, Xander blocked Adam's next blow, countering with a slash from his plasma sword that severed the other cyborgs right arm just below the elbow.
Adam fell to his knees, roaring with pain.
"As much as it pains me to say it, I can't condemn you: you are what that bitch Walsh made you." Xander raised his sword above his head.
Adam looked up, a strange look of peace in his eyes, "Thank you…"
Xander brought the sword through 180-degrees, decapitating his opponent.
Then the stress and injury caught up with him, and he collapsed onto the ground.
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Colonel Johnson thought he was going mad when he saw a second Spartan walk through the trees and into the clearing outside the emergency exit tunnel. It stood slightly shorter than Xander, and was carrying a dangerous looking broadsword in one hand, a pump-action repeater-crossbow in the other.
"What the hell kind of town is this?" He asked, spitting the end of his last cigar out.
"A very strange one." Buffy removed the helmet of Faith's counterfeit amour, "Colonel Johnson, I presume?"
"I am. And I take it by the lack of serious injury and blond hair that you are Miss Summers?"
"Indeed." Buffy nodded at the tunnel, "Is Xander in there?"
"As far as I know he is, with what ever Maggie Walsh was working on." Johnson slipped a fresh magazine into the Battle Rifle, "Want to go take a look?"
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Cortana was close to panic: Xander's vitals were dropping to the critical levels, and he wasn't responding to her. His injuries were severe, beyond even his ability to withstand without immediate medical attention.
She tried calling for assistance, but the rock and metal surrounding the lab made it impossible to contact the outside world.
Xander's life signs slipped lower; his heartbeat and breathing stopped completely.
"Oh no you don't!" Cortana redirected all the suits power into the emergency medical systems, "I'm not letting you go that easily!"
A jolt ran through Xander's body as the capacitor discharged, trying to shock his heart back into life. The force was enough to make his armor shift. A second jolt a few seconds later had the same result, but still his life signs refused to return to normal.
"Come on you son-of-a-bitch: you're not going to let something like this stop you?" Cortana yelled, "Fight, goddamn you! FIGHT!"
A third, even larger jolt lifted Xander off the floor, electrical discharge playing across his armor like an aurora. Still there was no response.
"NO!" Cortana sent an even bigger shock through Xander, almost shorting out the entire suit, "I'm not going to let you leave me alone like this, damn it! I need you!"
To Be Continued…
Note to all: word over at Twisting the Hellmouth is that Lehane is Faith canon surname in the new RPG guidebook.