AUTHOR'S NOTE Just so everyone's clear now, this story is now post "Freak Nation" in DA time. Its 2121 and the transgenics are living in their own community in Terminal City. The Watcher's Council is still alive and kicking it in Great Britain and they aren't happy with how Buffy's doing.
DISCLAIMER Still don't own them. If I ever do, will let you know.
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Chapter Fifteen: In Which Buffy and Friends Teach the Transgenics a Few Things
Great Britain
Quentin stood with great difficulty at the head of the long table. He steeled himself against the complaints of his deteriorating body, for he couldn't afford to appear weak in the face of the other council members.
"What's this about Quentin?" a younger watcher asked. "Your Slayer has failed. She was unable to contain the transgenics." Several other young council members added their agreement.
Quentin held up a hand for silence. "The situation has changed. Information received from our dear departed Elizabeth Renfro in the past year has altered the objective."
"In what way?"
"We cannot afford to lose X5-452. Therefore, the Slayer and her compatriots cannot be allowed to harm her."
Myles, the young messenger who'd been allowed to observe the meeting, spoke up. "What do you propose?"
Quentin hesitated, for he knew that his suggestion was radical. "There is one in Los Angeles who can help us dispose of both the Familiars who threaten our transgenic friends as well as the Slayer."
"Who, Quentin?"
"Holden."
The same young, idealistic watcher leapt to his feet. "Holden? Quentin, have you lost your mind? You know what he is!"
"Yes I do and I also know that he will ensure victory for our creations!" Quentin seated himself and picked up a cup of tea that had been set out for him. "Now. The Familiars have already contacted Holden for help in their endeavor. All we must do is simply provide him with certain materials. He will trust us if we help him achieve what he desires."
He was met with silence. Finally the young man stood up. "Rupert Giles never would have stood for this."
Quentin smiled. "Ah, so you're a protégé of Giles, are you? Things make sense now. Unfortunately, Rupert Giles is no longer with us. He has never been in control of the Watcher's Council and I certainly will not let his memory be in control here. You know that helping Holden is the only way to completely return the transgenics to us."
This time, the silence he was met with meant an agreement had been reached. Myles was sent to contact Los Angeles.
Terminal City"You're making a big mistake!" Buffy growled as she crouched next to Angel on the ground. Blood seeped out through the vampire's fingers, though not as much as a human being's would have. Mole looked at the Slayer suspiciously.
"Are you working with a transgenic?" he asked.
"What?"
"A human would be dead from a wound in the chest. Why the hell isn't he?"
Angel's eyes glinted dangerously. "Do you really want to find out?"
Mole narrowed his eyes and motioned for some of the other soldiers to tie them up. Buffy leapt to her feet. "Oh no!"
"Buffy!" Angel's voice cut her off. Doubtfully, she looked down to where he'd made it to his knees and was digging into the wound to remove the bullet. She turned away, grimacing. "Don't fight."
"Don't fight?" she repeated incredulously. "We're just going to let them take us prisoner?"
Willow was already being tied up. She gestured to the small army bearing assault rifles. "Do you really want to get shot, Buffy?" she asked.
As much as she hated to admit it, Buffy knew that Willow was right. Illyria was the only one to struggle against her captors. Buffy glared at Mole smiling smugly at her as she was bound. "I'll get you for this!"
The lizard thing looked over at her. "I'm sure."
They entered the first building they came to. However, the people carrying Angel and Spike, however, were thrown back when they tried to enter a small apartment-like area. Buffy laughed and the lizard glared at her. "What's wrong?" he called.
"I don't know, Mole! It's like there's a wall there that we can't go through." Spike started snickering. "You wanna tell me what's so funny?" his captor said.
"Invite us in."
"Huh?"
"Someone lives in this room, yeah?" Spike asked. His guard nodded. "Well then you have to invite me and Angel here inside. Otherwise we can't go in."
"What the Hell is this?" Mole asked.
"It's true," Willow added from her place slung over her guard's shoulder. "Just do it. These ropes hurt."
"Ugh, just do it then!" Mole shouted in frustration. "Play their little game!"
"Fine. You two are invited in."
Spike smirked. "That wasn't so hard, now, was it?"
His captor answered by dropping him roughly on the floor of the first room they came to. The others received similar welcomes.
"Hey Mole!" someone called. Buffy looked up to see another human enter the room and start a conversation with Mole.
"He looks familiar," Willow whispered.
Buffy squinted. "He's one of the guys who was with 452 outside the bar!"
The blonde guy heard her and turned to face the prisoners. His eyes widened as he recognized Buffy staring coldly back at him. "Mole, what are they doing here?" he asked.
"Caught 'em sneaking around outside the City," Mole explained. "Why?"
"The blonde one attacked Max awhile ago. We haven't seen them since."
"Go find Max and Alec." Mole snorted. "They're pretty strong. A normal human can't take them."
Logan glared at Mole, but turned and left. Five minutes later, Alec appeared just as Illyria managed to throw off her bonds. Automatic rifles leveled at her immediately, but Alec called them off. "Hello there," he said, circling around her.
The Old One kept her uncanny eyes on him. "You wish to fight me."
"Nah," Alec shrugged. "Only if you want to fight me."
"He jests," Illyria said, with a note of irritation. "I do not like him."
"Aw, come on! You just met me. How do you know if you like me or not?"
"You cannot match me."
Max had reached the room by that time and was quietly approaching Illyria from behind. Alec, grinning cheekily at the blue-haired demon, kept Illyria's attention away from Max.
At least, that's what he thought. Just as Max sprang to make her move, Illyria threw herself around and sent Max into the opposite wall. Her stance hardened, with one arm outstretched toward Max, crumbled on the floor and the other warding off Alec. "Max!" Logan cried and rushed toward her from the doorway. A sharp warning glance from Illyria cut him off.
"Ow!" Max finally said. "What the Hell are you guys?"
"Illyria, that's enough!" Angel finally said.
"They cannot stop me."
"Illyria, I said stop!"
Angrily, Illyria turned on Angel. "You cannot command me! Had I my full powers, I would destroy you and the world you live in."
Unfortunately for her, Illyria's attack on Angel allowed Alec enough time to grab a taser and bring the demon to her knees. "Sorry, cutie," he said sarcastically as she fell unconscious. "Tie her up tighter this time!" he yelled at Mole. He extended a hand to Max, who accepted it begrudgingly. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Max rubbed her elbow and turned to Buffy. "You're not so tough now, are you?"
Buffy glared defiantly back. "You wouldn't say that if I wasn't tied up."
Max laughed. "Well, I do make it a habit to tie up wanted murderers when they're in my home."
Buffy looked from Angel to Spike to Willow nervously. How could they possibly know who and what they were? "What do you mean, murderers?" she asked suspiciously.
Logan pulled an old, folded-up piece of paper from his back pocket. Buffy's eyes widened when she saw her own face staring back from under the word "WANTED." "Look familiar?" he asked.
"Oh God," Buffy said. She sounded amused.
Willow caught on. "Wait, isn't that…?"
"The poster the plastered Sunnydale with after Snyder accused me of killing Kendra," Buffy said nodding. "That's a horrible likeness."
Max and Logan looked at each other, confused. "You mean you didn't kill that poor girl?" Max asked.
Buffy narrowed her eyes. "She was my friend." Nodding toward Spike, she added bitingly, "His girlfriend slit her throat. I found her body and I was accused of her murder."
"Then why did the California prisons have your poster on file?" Logan asked. "If you were innocent, then why didn't you clear your name?"
With a glance at Angel, Buffy just said, "I was busy."
"Busy with what?" Alec asked.
Buffy leveled her glare at him. "Saving the world."
That elicited a laugh from the transgenics and friends. "Right," Max laughed. "Saving the world. I'm sick of your shit, Buffy." At Buffy's surprised look, she added, "That's right. I know your name. But there a lot of things that I don't know and that you're going to explain to me right now."
Buffy looked unphased. "Like what?"
"Gee, let's see." Max pointed to Illyria's form. "What are you? What is she? How do you know about me blowing open Manticore? Why do those two have yellow eyes? Why is that one still alive after being shot in the heart and why did I see him eating a rat?"
Buffy didn't say anything for a minute. "You honestly have no idea what's going on, do you?"
Max scoffed. "Neither do you, apparently. You're not afraid of us?"
Laughing coldly, Buffy shook her head. "Afraid of some part-demon army? Please. I've faced dozens."
Max's eyes narrowed dangerously and the other transgenics in the room took a menacing step closer to the captives. "What did you call us?"
"Oh please. There's no use in denying your demon roots. I've found that it's very healthy for the soul to get in touch with your beginnings."
"If you call us demons one more time…" Max growled.
"Stop!" Willow suddenly cried. "Buffy, they don't know anything! They don't know about Manticore!"
Max laughed. "I think I know quite enough about Manticore."
"No, you don't." Willow looked around. "None of you do! Now if you untie us, we promise we won't hurt you, but there's some stuff you need to know."
"Will, what are you doing?"
"Buffy, trust me. This is the only way."
Mole, who had just finished tying Illyria's body up with chains this time, turned to Max. "Don't listen to them! They're just humans. They don't know anything about Manticore."
But Max was staring at Willow. Her eyes had faded to black as she cried, "Incende!" and her bonds burst into flames.
"Get her!" cried Mole, but Willow was already on her feet and had spread her arms out wide.
"Enemies, fly and fall. Circling arms, raise a wall!" At her words, a rippling wall of translucent white light extended around the captives. In an instant, her eyes were normal again and she'd untied the bonds of Buffy, Angel, and Spike. Illyria was outside of the barrier.
Max, Alec, Mole, and Logan were watching her in wonder and horror. "What are you?"
Willow stared out from inside their protective shell. "I am powerful. And you're going to listen to what we have to say."
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Today's Trivia Question(s)
You get two questions today! The first one is:
Buffy has had two experiences of "getting in touch with her beginnings." What were they?
And the second one is: when did Willow first use the spell "Enemies, fly and fall. Circling arms, raise a wall!" and who was it against?
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Review Responses
Starr Light1 Haha, yeah I thought so too!
Allen Pitt That's true. Angel doesn't play dead, though, as you've seen.
Slash-a-holic Oh the excitement! I'm sorry if it's too much for you. I hope you do better with chapter! After all, the tables have turned now.
General Mac Glad you're enjoying!
Victoria87 They didn't really want to get shot, I think.
LittleDrusilla Yeah, I just didn't see Joshua fitting in to this story. He shows up once, but doesn't come back.
Big mak I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far!