Night Falls
Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I'm going to try to wrap this up soon.
Previously:
"Angel said that it's supposed to be worn by a champion," Buffy explained. "He didn't know what it does. But he said that it's powerful."
"A champion, huh?" Spike said, holding up the medallion. "You think I'm a champion?"
"I do," Buffy said, nodding. "Prove me right."
Chapter Forty-Nine:
"Is it usually this boring out there?" Dawn asked, slumped over in her chair. She was watching the video feeds around Sunnydale on the laptop with Andrew.
"Sometimes," he agreed. "But most of the time something interesting happens."
"I thought this was supposed to be the Hellmouth," Dawn grumbled. "Shouldn't we be seeing vampires and demons and all sorts of horrifying supernatural creatures?"
"I guess we should be glad there isn't much going on," Andrew replied, shrugging.
"I know," Dawn muttered. "But still, I thought video duty would be a little more fun."
"Well," Andrew said, thinking, "We could play a game."
"Like what?" Dawn asked, perking up.
"I see something green," Andrew stated.
Dawn peered into the monitor, quickly glancing over the eight separate screens that divided the viewing area. "Okay, you have to pick something harder than that," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "Grass."
"I was just getting warmed up," Andrew said defensively.
"I see something red," Dawn replied. Andrew gazed at the screen for several long moments before clicking his fingers together and looking over at her triumphantly.
"Coke can," he stated.
"Yep," Dawn said.
"Okay," Andrew said seriously, "I see something yellow."
Dawn scanned the screens intently. "Potato chip bag."
"Damn," Andrew muttered. "You're good at this."
"My turn," Dawn said happily. "I see…oh shit," she said, leaning forward with her eyes wide.
"You see what?" Andrew asked in surprise.
"Can you zoom in on camera three?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah," Andrew replied. He typed several commands into the computer and the images from the third camera filled the screen. "Oh," he said nervously, "I see now."
"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, looking over into Andrew's terrified eyes.
"Downstairs with Spike," Andrew replied. Dawn bolted from her chair, running over to the basement door, and flying down the stairs.
"Buffy," she said breathlessly.
"What?" Buffy asked concernedly, seeing her sister's frightened expression.
"We saw something on the camera," Dawn said. "You should come see it." Buffy followed her sister up the stairs and into the dining room. Hailey was standing over Andrew's shoulder with a grave expression on her face.
"What is it?" Buffy asked, moving around the table until she could see the monitor.
"Turok-Hans," Hailey answered. "Lots of them."
"Shit," Buffy said. "We're not ready for this."
"What do you mean?" Hailey asked.
"We can't fight them," Buffy answered.
"We can't just let them wander the town at will. Are you even watching this? They're slaughtering people," Hailey yelled emphatically.
"And what are we supposed to do?" Buffy shouted back. "The girls aren't ready yet. We can't do the spell tonight. We don't have everything that it'll require. If we go out there, chances are pretty good we're not coming back. Then what? The First will have the run of this town and everyone in it."
"What makes you think the First doesn't already?" Hailey questioned. "This is our job. This is what we do. This is the only reason why we're here!"
"The reason why we're here is to protect those girls," Buffy said, her voice hushed. She knew that the Potentials could hear them arguing. "If we leave them, we fail in that responsibility. I can't live knowing that those girls died because of me."
"What about those people?" Hailey asked, pointing to the screen. One of the vampires had ripped into the throat of a young man. Hailey watched as people scattered, running from the horde of vampires that was scouring Main Street for victims.
"I don't know those people," Buffy said gravely. "Either you're with me or not, Hailey. You may be a Slayer, but I'm the one in charge. So fall in line or go fight them by yourself." Hailey stared steely into Buffy's eyes. Dawn and Andrew glanced over at each other. They could both feel the intensity of the Slayers' gaze piercing everything in the room. Finally, Hailey looked away.
"I guess I'm fighting them by myself then," she said, looking back at Buffy, who started in surprise.
"Hailey!" Buffy called after her as she walked away. "What about Willow?"
Hailey stopped and sighed heavily. "What about her?" She asked, turning back to the blonde Slayer and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Who's gonna protect her? Who's gonna be there for her? You? If you go out there by yourself, they're gonna kill you," Buffy argued. "Do you really want Willow to have to live with that? That pain of knowing that someone else she loves has died horribly?"
"Don't bring her into this," Hailey shot back.
"I have to," Buffy said. "To make you see reason. We're fighting a war and, as much as I hate to say this, there are casualties in war."
"What do you want me to do?" Hailey finally asked, after several long moments of silence.
"Get everyone in the basement. We'll wait the attack out until dawn," Buffy replied commandingly. Hailey nodded. As much as she wanted to help the people being slaughtered by the Turok-Hans, she could not leave Willow. Hailey did not know whether Buffy was right, but she knew that she had to follow Buffy, or the rest of the girls would doubt the blonde girl's authority. "Can you move the equipment downstairs?" Buffy asked, turning to Andrew as Hailey walked out of the dining room.
"I can," Andrew replied.
"Do it quickly," Buffy suggested.
Hailey stepped up to the living room doors and breathed deeply. Pressing her palms against the wood, she pushed the doors open. The Coven members looked up at her in surprise. "We asked that we not be disturbed until we're finished," Amelia said firmly.
"I'm sorry," Hailey apologized, her eyes falling on Willow. "But it's not safe here for you anymore."
"What're you talking about?" Willow asked, rising to her feet. She had been seated on the floor with Amelia in a circle formed by the rest of the Coven members.
"Vampires are looting the town," Hailey said. "Buffy is ordering everyone to wait out the attack in the basement until dawn."
"We're not fighting them?" Willow questioned.
"No," Hailey sighed. "If you would please," she said, motioning towards the basement door. The Coven members nodded and filed down the stairs. Willow lingered behind.
"You want to fight them," she stated.
"It doesn't matter," Hailey shook her head.
"Are you going to leave me?" Willow asked vulnerably.
Hailey smiled and stepped forward, gently touching the side of her girlfriend's face. "No," she said sincerely. "I'm not going to leave you."
"Willow," Amelia said, appearing in the doorway of the basement.
"Yes?" Willow asked, turning back.
"We should do a protection spell on the basement. I know that you've already performed one on the house, but with so many vampires attacking, I'm afraid that it will fail. We can do a stronger one together."
"I'll be right there," Willow nodded. Amelia disappeared back into the darkness of the basement.
"Go," Hailey instructed. "I have to get the rest of the girls."
"You'll be okay?" Willow asked. Hailey nodded and Willow joined Amelia in the basement to perform the protection spell.
Hailey walked out of the living room and up the stairs that led to the second level. Faith was already in the process of moving all of the girls into the basement. "Hurry up!" Faith said. "It's not safe up here."
"Kennedy," Hailey said, pulling the dark haired Potential to the side.
"Yeah?" Kennedy asked nervously.
"I need your help with something," Hailey said, pulling the girl back down the hallway. "If the vampires get in, they're going to raid our stuff. One of the boxes of guns and ammunition is already in the basement. But I moved the other into my room. Can you help me move it? It's rather heavy."
"Yeah," Kennedy said, relieved.
"Everything okay?" Faith asked them.
"Kennedy is going to help me move the gun box," Hailey replied.
"Okay," Faith nodded. "I'll be downstairs waiting for you guys."
Hailey and Kennedy briskly moved towards the room that Hailey and Willow shared. Pushing open the door, they headed straight for the box. "There's another reason why I asked you," Hailey said. She threw open the lid and pulled out one of the guns. "This is yours," she said, handing the shiny, silver gun to the younger girl.
"Really?" Kennedy asked in surprise.
"I know that we've had our differences," Hailey understated, "but you're one of the best Potentials here. Buffy, Faith, and I can't be everywhere at once. Those girls need everyone that they can get to protect them."
"Thanks," Kennedy said, smiling sincerely. "Truce?" She asked, extending her hand to Hailey. Hailey smiled and took it.
"Truce," she replied. Closing the lid of the box, they picked it up and moved it out into the hallway. They had reached the top of the stairs when Hailey felt the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stand alert. "Shit," she said, dropping the box and pulling out her own gun.
"What is it?" Kennedy asked.
"They're here," she replied. "Grab some more ammunition."
"Why?" Kennedy asked, shoving several boxes into the pockets of her pants, as well as another gun, which she jammed into the waistband of her jeans.
"We're going to need it," Hailey said, doing the same. Suddenly, the front door burst off of its hinges. The Turok-Hans stood, slobber dripping off of their jaws, growling lowly in the doorway. Faith stood in shock at the bottom of the stairs. "Faith!" Hailey called. Faith turned to look at the older girl. "Go!"
Faith leapt into action, running towards the basement door. The Turok-Hans flooded into the house as if no spell had been in place to keep them out. Diving through the basement door, Faith heard it slam shut behind her. The Coven members started chanting. "Where is Hailey?" Willow asked desperately. Faith looked back at the door and shook her head.
"Willow!" Amelia said. "We need you." Willow swallowed the lump forming in her throat and began to chant.
"What're we going to do now?" Kennedy asked. Hailey raised her gun, pointing it at the chest of the nearest vampire.
"I think it's safe to say we can leave the box," Hailey said jokingly. Kennedy looked over at her fearfully. "Just follow my lead, okay? You're going to be fine. Lesson one, Kennedy. This is what being a Slayer means. You look the thing that you're most afraid of in the world directly in the eyes and you don't back down for a second."
"I don't know if I can do that," Kennedy stated.
"Raise your gun," Hailey instructed. Kennedy raised her gun, her hand trembling slightly. "Fire." A loud bang resounded through the hallway as Kennedy pulled the trigger of her gun. The vampire she had been aiming at burst into flames. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Hailey asked.
Kenned smiled. "No, actually, it wasn't." The vampires looked down at the disintegrating body of their companion and growled loudly. Then they charged. Hailey and Kennedy turned, running back down the hallway. "What now?" Kennedy asked.
"See that window at the end of the hallway?" Hailey asked. Kennedy nodded. "Jump through it." Kennedy leapt forward, crashing through the glass. She felt herself hurdling through the air. Then she landed hard on the grass of the backyard. Hailey landed next to her and groaned.
"You okay?" Kennedy asked.
"I'm getting too old for this," Hailey muttered. Kennedy helped her to her feet. Glancing back up at the window, they saw the Turok-Hans staring down at them.
"What now?" Kennedy asked.
"Run," Hailey said as the first Turok-Han jumped. Hailey and Kennedy vaulted over the backyard fence. Landing on the other side, they continued to run through the yards of their neighbors, firing shots back at the vampires that were chasing them. The Turok-Hans ran after them, but gave up the pursuit after several blocks. Finally, Hailey and Kennedy stop running and crept out onto the street. Everything was quiet.
"We need to find someplace to hide," Kennedy said.
"How do you feel about sewers?" Hailey replied, walking over to a manhole cover.
"Pretty good right about now," Kennedy replied. Hailey lifted the metal cover off of the manhole and dropped down into the sewer. Kennedy followed after her, closing the lid back on the hole as she climbed down the ladder. It was dark in the sewer, but Kennedy's eyes soon adjusted. "Do you think we're safe down here?"
"Safer than out there," Hailey answered. "How are you on ammo?"
Kennedy unloaded the used clip and let it fall into the ankle deep water of the sewer. "That one was spent," she said, replacing it with a fresh one. "I've got two more clips and a fresh gun." Hailey nodded.
"The way I see it, we have two options," Hailey said. "We can stay down here and hide until dawn. Or we go back up there and help as many people as we can."
Kennedy looked down at the floor thoughtfully. "Stare into the eyes of the thing you fear the most and don't back down, huh?" She asked, looking back up at Hailey.
"Yeah," Hailey replied.
"Let's go do our jobs then," Kennedy said.
"They were attacking Main Street pretty heavily," Hailey said, moving further into the sewer. Kennedy followed her. "We should start there." They walked in silence until they reached the ladder that led to the first manhole cover on Main Street. "Are you sure about this?" Hailey asked. Kennedy nodded.
"Let's go kick some ass."