AUTHOR'S NOTE This story chapter now takes place after the Dark Angel finale "Freak Nation." I also don't know whether or not Logan and Original Cindy moved into Terminal City in the show, but I'm having them do so here. The biohazard problem will be taken care of later. And just so it's clear, yes Elizabeth Renfro WAS a Watcher before she died.

DISCLAIMER I checked again and I still don't own them.

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Chapter Fourteen: In Which Buffy Gets Unlikely Help Finding Max

Great Britain

A knock came at the door. "Come in," a gravelly voice commanded. Hesitantly, the bedroom door creaked open.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Travers…"

Quentin Travers, considerably aged in years and disposition, cut off the young messenger. "Have you found Buffy Summers yet?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Travers. She's apparently gone to ground. She and the witch where however sighted in Seattle evading a checkpoint. Illyria was with them."

Quentin settled back into his armchair in disgust. "When she demanded to bring Angelus and his team, I had no idea that an Old One would be included." He waved a hand. "It doesn't matter. In a way, it is a good thing that Buffy's mission has failed. Elizabeth Renfro's last contact with us has made it clear that we need 452 alive."

"Sir?"

The old watcher waved a hand. "Never mind. Our mission has changed, Myles. Bring word to the other watchers that I am calling an urgent meeting."

Seattle Street

Buffy was getting frustrated. There had been no sign of X5-452 since that night outside the bar. She felt so close to her target, so close to leaving this awful place and going back home, yet so far away.

They'd kept a close eye on Crash, now that they knew she hung there. The others called the girl Max, but Buffy called her only by her designation. It kept her more of an enemy.

Buffy refused to let anyone patrol with her. But she was surprised, to say the least, when a vampire emerged from the shadows and bowed at her feet.

"What the hell?"

"Slayer, please don't kill me!"

Buffy eyed the demon nervously. "You are a real vampire, right?" He nodded. "Then why shouldn't I kill you?"

"Please Slayer, we beg you to bring us before Angelus."

"Us?" Several more vampires crept from the shadows and they too bowed their heads. "Okay, what is going on? You know I can take you all, right?"

"Slayer, we are older than the Pulse. We remember before the Hellmouth was closed. You are famous among us and now you have resurrected the legends Angelus and William the Bloody. We seek them."

Buffy looked around her. "What are you talking about?"
The vampire at her feet stood up. "William the Bloody and Angelus are legends now, as they were before they were destroyed by the Pulse. We are faced now with something we do not understand and seek their guidance now that they have returned from the dead."

"Whoa, wait. Are you saying that Spike and Angel were dusted?" The circle of vampires nodded. "By the Pulse?" Again, nodding. Buffy just looked at them all. "And now you need their help. You do know that they both have souls, don't you?"

"They will know what to do," was the only reply.

"I must be crazy," Buffy muttered to herself as she turned and beckoned the vampires to follow.

Warehouse

"What, are you crazy?" Spike sputtered when he saw Buffy lead a trail of vampires into their hideout.

Buffy shrugged and nodded. "Probably."

The vampires threw themselves at the feet of Angel and Spike. "We come seeking guidance from Angelus and William the Bloody!"

Angel and Spike looked at each other. "You what?" Spike asked.

"We seek your guidance, William the Bloody!" The vampires looked up. "We need your help!"

"With what?" Angel finally asked.

"Something strange has happened. We have discovered creatures that look human but taste of others."

Willow gasped. "Manticore!" she said.

Angel nodded. "How did you find them?" he asked.

"We were feeding, great Angelus, returned from the dead."

"Returned from the dead?" Willow asked.

The vampire nodded. "We sought Angelus and William the Bloody, who have miraculously returned from their deaths by the Pulse."

"You mean we get done in by a big explosion in the sky?" Spike sputtered. "That's it?"

Angel shrugged. "We both died once already saving the world. Don't you think that's enough?" He turned back to the vampire. "So you tried to feed and found that what you were eating wasn't human?"

"Yes. The girl tasted of human and animal and something foul."

"Demon blood," Willow suggested.

The vampires shuddered. "Angelus, do you know what these creatures are? They are not part of the natural order. They are insults to the underworld!"

Angel glanced at Willow and Buffy, a plan hatching in his head. "You must lead us to where you encountered this creature."

The vampire nodded violently. "Anything Angelus, if you will rid us of these abominations!"

Terminal City

Days went by. Max hadn't seen Buffy Summers for weeks. She, Joshua, Alec, Logan, and Original Cindy had moved permanently into Terminal City. The transgenic flag flew over their home. Everything was different.

The army, the police, and the media had backed off of Terminal City. Max figured they were nervous being so close to the biohazard area. She kept a close eye on Logan and OC, watching for signs of disease. So far, they seemed to handling the area okay.

Meanwhile, as night fell, a small band of creatures crept through the darkness. The vampire gang led Angel, Spike, Buffy, Willow, and Illyria through the streets toward Terminal City. "This, Angelus, is where we found the thing."

Buffy looked up at the fences covered in Biohazard signs. "What's that up there?" she asked, pointing to the flag flying high in the night.

"We do not know."

Buffy looked at Angel, who nodded. She sighed. "I'm sorry for this. You guys have been real helpful and all but…" She pulled a stake out of her sleeve and quickly dusted the vampire leader. "You are still evil."

Angel made short work of two other vampires, while Buffy got another and tossed a stake to Willow. Illyria and Spike worked together to relieve the last vamp of his head, which disintegrated as soon as it was detached from the body.

"What the Hell is going on?"

Suddenly bright floodlights blinded the group. "Who's there?" demanded Buffy. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she gasped. What looked like a huge desert lizard wearing camouflage approached her holding an assault rifle.

"You're trespassing."

"We were just passing through," Angel commented.

"Well pass through quicker," the lizard commanded, pointing the rifle at Angel's heart.

Angel laughed softly. "That won't kill me."

"Oh yeah? Let's see."

A shot rang out and Angel fell to the ground, clutching his chest in pain. "Angel!" Buffy cried and ran to his side.

"Oh my God!" Willow gasped. More soldiers, some human, some not, emerged from the city and surrounded them.

"Mole, who are they?" one asked the lizard guy.

"They're our prisoners now," Mole replied. "Tie them up and bring them inside."

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No Trivia Question Today

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Review Responses

General Mac I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far!

Slash-a-holic I figured it would be fairly difficult for them to track Buffy and everyone, since Buffy, Spike, Angel, and Illyria all technically don't exist. Buffy, Spike, and Angel are dead, and Fred may have been declared dead as well. And who knows what Willow's been up to since the Pulse?

Gylzgurl I've tracked down most of the BtVS/DA crossovers on and I've found some that are pretty good. It's the same with LotR/HP crossovers…there are just so many mediocre ones that it's hard to find good ones.

Lililbitoevrythingfireoffury Yeah, besides Kendra I also forgot Amy/Catherine Madison, Natalie French, Marcie, Gwendolyn Post, Anya, Vampire Willow, Kathy, Harmony, and the First Slayer. Hehe, oh well.

LittleDrusilla Actually, Joshua isn't really in this story. You'll be surprised who actually ends up seeing Illyria's point of view.

Starr Light1 Don't worry, that's just what Travers told Buffy to get her to kill Max. She'll figure out that Max isn't deranged.