Author's Notes: Sorry the times are a bit back and forth, but I'm trying to keep the story parts together by type or location.
The Bronze, 7:15-7:50 PM, (Spike's Vampires)
Spike and his bus of stunned minions pressed through traffic, miraculously avoiding the worst of it, and as they neared the club, the lure of the Hell Mouth proved to much of a lure, as well as a threat to Spike's world-view of 'no world, I'm not gonna be around much longer…' and he ordered the driver to turn down a street that would take them to the high school, barely missing a bunch of weird-looking pikesmen firing bazookas at chrome-plated guys.
"This place is just too bloody crazy," Spike murmured after giving the order to radio all the others to hurry up and meet them at the school library, "After tonight, maybe I'll just find Dru and go home to London."
The Bronze, 7:25-7:50 PM
Kyle Richards Ramirez of Wolves House and Adama of the Colonial Fleet could determine no further threat to the integrity of the building; apparently the Cylons and the other oddly-armored group had engaged each other and were too busy to force entry.
The Pack, wolves and human, grew anxious from the wait, and after a quick recon out the alley door, determined it safe enough to go further.
"Kyle, it's all clear," Tor reported back, "We should attempt to reach the School; we haven't been able to call his cell again."
"I'm sure he can take care of himself, but you're right," the designated leader agreed, receiving a similar feel from Magnus, "Gather the others." He turned to 'Adama' and remarked, "We need to reach our other family, so staying here just in case to make sure no one harms the civilians wouldn't be too bad an idea."
"No, if the Cylons are out there, they ust be stopped before others are killed," the young-looking man replied, waving others over, "But unless we determine they've taken another route, we'll accompany you and lend assistance."
"Thank you…Commander," Kyle replied, "I guess if you gather your people, we'll head out now.
Apophis, Baltar, Cylons and Jaffa, 7:20- 7:50 PM
Apophis and his Jaffa continued to avoid the chrome machines and their presumably-human leader, staff weapons just sufficient to keep pursuit to a steady, but slow, pace. A large Tauri transport swerved and narrowly missed both sides in the engagement, but this was sufficient to allow the Goa'uld to order his forces into an alley paralleling their current path.
Baltar and his force continued forward, faster, the human recklessly ordering his Cylons ahead as he attempted to catch up. Two sets of arms grabbed him, preventing him from crying out as they turned the Traitor Baltar to face the leader of the enemy he'd pursued.
Silver eyes flashed close to his own, and Baltar was filed with dread at his possible fate. He smiled in almost a leer, and began to speak only to fil his enemy's hand grasp him by the throat and lift him up.
"Your body is week, but I have need of your soldiers until I can establish my rule over this pathetic world," Apophis told Baltar, "So you have the honor of providing a host vessel to your god!" Baltar choked, but as the silver flashed in the eyes of his confronter he felt something press into his mouth and into the back of his neck. The hand dropped away as the body dropped.
Apophis' eyes flashed as he took control of the new host, just as the Cylons came around the corner. Racing trough the thoughts of the new host, Apophis turned, "Halt, these are Jaffa and owe allegiance. They obey and will follow us to establish order over the humans. I take the name Apophis to establish this control, so address me as Lord Commander Apophis."
"By your command."
Captain Starbuck, watching with his binocs from across the road, swore and relayed the information to the others. Kyle nodded to Adama.
"How about firing into that bunch, then running to join up with our people at the school to find help?"
"It's the only plan," Adama agreed, turning to this Colonials, "Aim and Fire."
Fire Station #2, 7:20 PM (Spike's Vampires)
"Hi, I'm Adam Pierson," the dark-haired man with an inadequate haircut introduced himself, "And I hope someone can tell me what's going on."
"Vampire, lots of 'em," one of the firefighting crew said, "Oh, and I'm Rory Harris, just playing cards with these when these bastards showed up. You seem pretty handy with that thing, thanks for the help."
"Your welcome," Adam replied, "Any reason why these…vampires would suddenly attack a fire station?" Rory was about to respond when one of his fire-fighting friends called over to everyone.
"Hey, the whole town's hit!" the man yelled, "Police, fire and other places are also under attack, and the power outage is wide-spread."
"Any idea where the worst of it is so we can stay away from there?" Adam asked, feeling a real pull to the west.
"Yeah, over toward the high school and that way seems the worst," the man replied, pointing west, "Anybody think we should get in the trucks and head that way?"
"Do the phones work?" Rory called back, "You guys need to check on your wives and families. If we have to, we'll do a run in your trucks and get you guys home, alright?"
"You treat your men well, Mr. Harris," Adam commented, trying to avoid the draw of what might be the Gathering, "But I fear my presence needs to be at the middle of all this."
"Oh, I'm not a firefighter, Adam," Rory replied, "I was just visiting my friends when this went into the fan…but as the Captain isn't here, I'm just helping out. And if that's what you're going to do, I grab and axe and some flares. I've been ignoring the vampires for too long, and drinking too much. I have a nephew that hangs around he school a lot, so let's go. I'll get my old Buick out back, and we'll head over."
"Why not simply walk?" Adam asked, "You don't seem to give off a vibe that it'll be far."
"It's not, but there are three things," Rory Harris replied, "The first is that as an American I'm overwhelmed with the need to not leave my car where more of these vampire things can wreck it worse than it is. Second, I have a bottle of forty-years old Scotch I've been saving up since I left employment with CRD last year, a bonus from their rival company for a little 'intel' you might say. And most important, Don't you think that a big heavy car is a better weapon for killing demons?"
Adam smiled.
The Knights of Byzantium, 7:30 – 8:00 PM
"My Lord Commander, the teams have cleared the first eight ramps into Sunnydale and are ready to move in toward the High School," his aide reported, "They are coming into contact with vampires or are helping pull survivors out of some damaged businesses."
"For now, minimize rescue operations," the Knight Commander directed, unhappy at such a necessity, "The forces are still in the Sixes allocation we'd previously decided (6 Team personnel, 6 Knights and 6 mounted squires, 2 drivers and 4 groomsmen/mounted infantry in the trucks and horse trailers assigned)?" At his aide's nod he continued, "Have them slowly work their way to catch up with and destroy the demonic afflictors, then as possible make haste at that point to the High School which our intel shows seems to be at or near the center of the Hell Mouth."
"Yessir!" the aide saluted and radioed orders. 'Definitely a night to remember…'
The Knights and the vampires engaged in heated and ever-consuming battle in and around the Post Office, where two of Sunnydale's main city streets intersected. Vampires with hand guns and the occasional assault rifle, knives and their own evil strength and speed met Knights sworn to destroy them, armed and trained in modern 'team' tactics, or mounted on horseback engaging with sword or charging with lances.
For fifteen minutes the groups called for help and converged into the fight, the occasional chaos-transformed human lending fire support or direct close combat against the vampires, who'd simply charge in with buses and then get out to attacks. Blood, dust and body parts filled the air, even as the newly-arriving vampires seemed more intent on busting through than staying to fight.
The Knight Commander himself found himself after entering the fray, fighting alongside the jovial Post Office demon that twice saved his life.
"Hey, Clem, How much longer on your other job?" another night-shift postal worker called out as they started passing Clem big steel mailboxes to hurl into the vamps.
"What? My bailiff job?" Clem responded, throwing one and then another heavy projectile rolling atop and through an advancing half-dozen vamps, "Tomorrow's the last day, I usually work nights but Harry needed me to cover for Bull since he had to go visit his Jovian friends."
"You get all the fun, Clem," another worker joked as they rolled up the last drop-box, "But we're glad you didn't short-time us tonight, right guys?!" The Knight Commander shook his head as the night-shift started chanting Clem's name.
The fighting about that time transformed into a running engagement as the demons shifted toward outright running toward the Hell Mouth, the remaining
humans, Clem and a werewolf transforming back to human letting them go for the moment as they tended to the dead and wounded. The postal workers, including Clem and the were, began retrieving the mail boxes and other assets used to defeat the vampires, the amount of dust fairly impressive.
"Your orders Commander?" one of the Knights asked, nodding toward Clem, "Shall we?"
"Don't be absurd, Abelard," the Commander rebuked, "Even if he hadn't just proved he was non-Evil by defending his human co-workers and fulfilling his oath of government service, do you really want piss off the Post Office and its international equivalents by killing one of them while on duty, and especially when we've gotten the idiots back in Europe to finally use the posts instead of messenger convoys?"
"Sorry, Milord, I just wanted to clarify our position for the men."
"You have, now please see to our own so that we can pursue, this is still a battle, and it is still the Hell Mouth"
SHS Parking Lot, 7:20-8:00 PM
The WH Teams continued to press into the library and the side opposite the door skirmish. Several as they showed, were able to mop up stray wounded from the Watchers and others, ensuring no more surprises when they finished the rendezvous and headed to relieve Team Nine at the Mayoral Event.
The Wolfram and Hart teams moved in to close on the Library, and the Watcher personnel forcing entry. The night had so far proven the greatest cluster experienced by the experienced mercenary humans and vampires, a series of grab and runs, maybe some fighting to ensure the security of the objectives. Circumstance and Chaos had turned the inhabitants into monsters, superheroes, soldiers, pirates and what-all, interfering with rapid response in this small city of less than a hundred thousand.
The Jedi and the Ramirez Immortals
"If the dark force that was in our father has been matched by another," Luke considered, "We have to do whatever it takes to end it."
"I couldn't agree more," Juan Ramirez greeted the young Jedi, "And we'll back you up in this." The Jedi group turned to find several sword wielders approaching, weapons out but not threatening. The amount of Power coming off the dark-haired speaker unsettled Luke, but very little of it was of the Dark Side, and it was as if the man were a giant, walking mid-chlorian. The man also carried a light saber, unactivated, in his left hand, "I'm Juan Ramirez, Master Jedi, what is your plan?"
"I'm Luke, and I think in order to minimize a bad situation, we'll just have to charge around the corner, blasters firing and put an end to the Sith and the dead things as quickly as possible. Are you Force-trained?"
"A bit simple, but a workable plan," Ramirez smiled back, "And my group will flank yours just after you make your move. And a long time ago I'd advanced as a Padawan."
"Well, the Order is rebuilding, Juan Ramirez, if we survive we'll speak of you possibly joining us again." With that, Luke signaled his group to the attack.
SHS LIbrary, 7:20-8:00 PM
Penn and his minions plowed through the vampires and men next to the library, crashing into the building at high speed because of Penn's threats. The rear of the library, and a fair section of wall gave way under the sheer mass of the vehicle, allowing the stunned and bloodied vampires a brief moment to exit and spread out, four of them left to heal on the bus from head and other injuries.
Connor and Amanda charged into the minions, quickly surprising and wreaking a hideous toll from the undead menaces, 'Luke' surprised as yet again 'mere mortals' defeated him, ending his unlife. The Master continued to chant, drawing on the radiant power of the Hell Mouth to fuel his opening of same. He reveled and smiled broadly as the Earth shook again, causing those nearby to pay as much attention maintaining footing as fighting. Anakin and the Hands forced back the minions toward the doors, Skywalker using force lightning to blast a half-dozen away without harming one of his current allies. Seeing the Master revel in his evil magic, he drew on the Force and surprised all by suddenly running up and along the wall, light saber striking minions as he rushed by at incredible speed toward the source of the increasing Dark Force.
Captain Holz and the Watchers move directly into the library as from around one side four figures with what appeared to be red light sabers advanced on them, another group with swords and blasters from the other, almost immediately backed up by Jedi types wielding light sabers a variety of non-red colors.
Palpatine and Vader closed the gap behind Grand Admiral Sreem and his Dark Jedi Captains as they encountered Jedi and others in the way to accessing the Dark Force of a possible dimensional rift.
"Admiral," Palpatine hissed loudly, receiving a deep bow in turn.
"My Lord Emperor," Sreem intoned, "Your orders, my master?"
"After Vader and I enter the library, kill all the Jedi and their rabble," the dark-cloaked figure hissed as it passed through after his tall Apprentice. Vader deflected blaster shots away as the two opposing forces met, the Dark Lord using Force-lightning to explode the doors into the library and through the combined forces of Holz and the Watchers. His Master followed leisurely behind.
Darius and Buffy combined to attack Angelus and the Master, breaking the concentration of the powerful demon before he could cast the final spells to undo the Seal and begin releasing the thousand turok-han vampires into the world, with the energy of an almost-open Hell Mouth to ensure his own place as ruler. Contrary to the Watchers and others of his own Aurelians, the Master sought Power, not world domination by True Demons that would eliminate his position by eating him.
The Hell Beast guarding the Seal cast about widely with its tentacles, seeking out the one who dared violate its territory. Angelus was grabbed and wrenched toward the maw of the Beast before 'Buffy' could stab him in the chest, setting her off-balance, but giving the Master a chance to throw a minion into the path of Darius' sword.
Holz and Michaels stood clear of the doors, taking in the chaotic engagement before them as their men went directly into the killing of vampires. Spotting two Angeluses caused Holz to pause and carefully note that an apparent slayer attacked one, as the other was dusting vampires. For now, he would move toward the Hell Beast and ensure the end of that Angelus.
The door exploded inward, barely missing the Captain as he and two of his men charged off to the left to get around the worst of the fight. The Watchers had managed to reload before entering the library, eliminating a few vapires before the doors pasted them down into the ground with much bloodshed and damage, only the old gentleman and a near-boy of the group avoiding wounds.
Michaels and his team had pressed to the right, not waiting for the desk-jockeys to get with the program. Seeing as three very-capable 'birds' were holding off a large number of vampires, the black ops leader ordered his men to try and link up with them, pincering those undead between them. The door explosion came as a surprise, unfortunately taking out Michaels' newest man, but allowing the fight to continue. 'Damn, how do face another threat on our rear flank, hope it's one of our other teams.'
Lord Sidious and Count Dooku approached the school parking lot feeling the presence of strong Sith and Dark Jedi, as well as that of several Jedi.
"Master," Dooku addressed the Sith Lord, "What are your orders in this?"
"We are approaching the structure in which…Palpatine…and others are drawing on a large concentration of the Dark Side. Kill that which is in our way and I shall bring my apprentice into our fold…or kill him."
"Yes, Master," Dooku intoned, activating his light saber and charging forward into an existing melee so as to clear a path for his master.
The Jedi surged forward, unable to end Vader or his revived Master, but pressing strongly against the Dark Jedi, pressing them quickly back toward the library. The swordsmen charged around and for a moment it looked like the blaster wounds would end the intrusion, but the Immortals kept coming, a large enough group as to make a difference. Neferteri fell to the ground in pain the blaster killing her as her sword went into a Dark Captain, both falling to the ground out of the fight. Lady Croft, tiring from an evening of rescuing children from monsters, suddenly felt overcome with extra energy even as her new friend fell.
"I'll avenge you, Neferteri, just keep your head until I return," Lara swore as she then screamed and threw herself in front of a blaster, but skewered her opponent's chest, ending another and buying her brethren time to end whatever madness was going on inside the building. 'I hate ruining another blouse,' she griped to herself as she fell to the ground, the briefest flash of green in her eyes as the blackest took her.
Sreem abandoned his Captains to follow his Emperor into the library, seeking a path to survival
Dooku, the vampires and the remaining personnel from different teams did battle for three minutes until Lord Sidious gained unimpeded passage into the building's rear entry, a large gaping hole. Dooku had deflected bullets, slashed at the vampires and exacted a great toll in body parts before dusting the undead, Penn engaging the teams with abandon.
Sidious and his Apprentice left behind bullets, knives and all-out bloody murder as the surge of dark power began to ebb, the sounds of battle inside a choir to the ears of Sidious.
The vampires of Penn and the teams went berserk from the proximity to the ark power and the smell of blood, soon they were all fighting on an individual against everyone basis as small clusters of sword-wielders started to approach and sometimes engage each other, some guns firing beforehand.
Holz and Michaels were cast aside with the hand-flicks of Vader and Palpatine as they stalked into the room, the fight behind them of no consequence.
The Master looked up, feeling the Power radiating off of the two, and equal Power coming up from the rear of the library as the Slayer dusted Angelus and began hacking her way free of the Hell Beast. Sneering at the blonde, he spoke.
"So much like my Darla, but I must need leave rather than die," the resurrected vampire mock-grieved, "Good-bye, Slayer." And with that he used his strength and a spell to launch himself upward and through the windows and into the night. 'I wonder what Kakistos is doing these days?'
Most of the vampires met with dusting within the moment, Connor and Amanda moving to Buffy's side, swords out to attack the Hell Beast that even now was retreating back into the closing fissure.
Sidious and Dooku looked across to find Palpatine and Vader an equal match as they slowly and cautiously made their way towards each other even as the Jedi and Ramirez' Immortals raced through the door. Blasters fired, Force-lightning flared first from one, then from others taking advantage of the situation to attack rivals. Books burned and furniture with it, Anakin activating a fallen light saber and flinging it into Dooku's face, enough of a distraction for the evil-detecting slayer to hurl a stake directly into a human heart. Sidious turned toward the Immortals covering her, sending Force-lightning to cast them back into the walls, Immortal bones breaking but unfortunately for Sidious, allowing Vader to leap and slash, removing the Dark Lord's left arm.
The vampire Penn raced in at full speed, out of control and bowling over both Sith, tumbling them to the ground.
Anakin force-enhanced a cartwheel that dropped him behind Penn, grasping the demon's head and using Force-lightning point-blank to dust the being.
Ramirez was first in, dropping to the ground and somersaulting over to the feet of the Emperor, slicing at the stomach of the evil man. Palpatine used more Force-lightining at the other Immortals as they spread out, and felt the seriousness of the wound. He reached down and pressed his hand hard to Ramirez's, into the floor. Ramirez wavered as he felt the essence of Palpatine pushed inside, memories flashing as he struggled to keep out the dark-soul of the Sith Lord from passing inward. Reaching inside, Ramirez tapped his inner reserves, and used a knife to stab himself in the heart and out again.
Palpatine screamed as he struggled back toward his own body, the flare of the Force-enhanced quickening vaporizing the dark energies inside both bodies. Palpatine died within was beheaded by a Jedi. The dark robes and the body within writhed as they fell, burning to nothing.
Vader meanwhile turned and deflected four blaster shots into Anakin and back into Otavio, one of the shots blowing his neck open and leaving him on the floor.
Surveying the situation, as the library fight diminished and the Immortals and Jedi lunged for him, he used Force-lightning on the dying Anakin to propel him towards the rear of the building and possible escape.
Battle for Sunnydale Police Department, 7:20-8:00PM
The Immortals fighting the vampires had relieved ten on-duty officers under attack by vampires, and finally the tide turned against the undead. Several officers noted the experienced manner the mostly-young group handled itself, and to see an obviously trained woman tending to the wounded. 'Teenagers!?' was the thought that ran through the minds of the tired and aching police staff as vampires were destroyed left and right. As the police officers themselves started to exact a toll, a short young man called out to his companions, calling a withdrawal now that this situation was under control.
"Who are you people?" one of the sergeants asked, binding up a fellow officer's arm.
"The new neighborhood watch," the short Duncan Macleod quipped as his group left, tired but intact.
Stepping out into the streets, Duncan's group of six found themselves looking at a truly chaotic situation, three groups of Immortals shooting and then sword-fighting each other and about forty vampires that seemed to be moving in the direction of the school.
"All of them are evil, my friends," Hayoka informed them, "And those two groups feel like they have matching quickenings if you haven't figured that out for yourselves."
"What do we want to do Duncan," Fitzcairn asked his now-shorter friend, "The vampires don't count against the challenge, but we would."
"For now, why don't we kill the vampires that make it past the challenges, and make our way back to the school. We can rest there."
"What of the Gathering?" Simmons ventured.
"We hold off as long as we can before the urge overcomes us, friends," Duncan decided, "We'll go after the ones that mustn't be allowed to win, so that one of us might make it." The others nodded in agreement, then lunged to the vampires, hacking and slashing to dust a few as the Immortals sought passage to the school, when two quickenings, and then two more lit up the night, the power devastating the ranks of the undead as they sought to go by, the lightning turning bodies into dust.
A bus driven by a vampire surged through the crowd, interrupting fights by the simple manner of crashing into and over the individuals, vampires crunching and two surprised Jacob Kells finding their heads crushed under the tires, heads no longer attached to spines releasing two massive quickenings that overpowered those standing nearby, unfortunately that being Fitzcairn and Simmons.
Several of the Kell gangs went crazy from pain, hacking at the downed and each other, releasing the quickenings of Simmons and Fitz before their friends could react to save them. Suddenly there wasn't a challenge, but an all-out frenzy, a mini-Gathering without rules as only the Immortals, good and bad, attacked.
Ten minutes of fighting saw Richie, Reagan and Hayoka downed but still with their heads, Duncan barely managing to hold on as the police fired into his opposition as he swung and ended the last three with two strokes, then collapsed to the ground as the quickenings built and lashed out at he nearest.
Battle for Port Sunnydale, 7:20-8:00PM
The pirate remnants had turned and veered directly into the ambush points selected by the vampires to make easy work of the Civil War soldiers. The pirates screamed as they were beaten, hacking as they could nearly a dozen of the enemy in desperation.
General Chamberlain, with Finn on the left and Miller to the right, was able to spot the vampires in time to actually get of nearly two full volleys before the fight became hand-to-hand. The large rounds had torn through the demons, rendering fifteen dusted and another twelve torn apart and left on the street. Eleven unscathed and two recovering vampires against only a score of humans fought bitterly, the Watcher team breaking free and intervening to end Spike's minions. Between the surprise of their showing up on the flank, and their unarmed and close-in knife-wielding skills proved a balancing force after blowing the heads off another six as they entered the fray because their leader had a personal grudge against the nearest vampire leader from Los Angeles.
More human bones were broken, the vampires due to numbers and the occasional pistol shot being unable to regain the initiative. In full game-face, though, the Watcher vampires soon found themselves being attacked by both sides after the initial attack. The melee went on, the humans surprisingly able to wreak a toll equal to that by the vampires. After forty long minutes of contact and engagement, four crippled vampires fled into the night, leaving only eight dead humans, but including pirates only another eight that did not suffer multiple broken bones or gunshot wounds.
"Finn," Chamberlain ordered, suffering a serious but not life-threatening head injury, "Tend to the wounded, and as possible withdraw them ack to the mansion. I believe we'll be unable to do more tonight."
"Yes, Sir, General," the young officer replied, and began giving orders to his mobile survivors.
Wolfram and Hart Building, 8:00 PM
Glorificus walked out onto the roof of the burning building, having drained and/or killed every being encountered on her ascent through the stairwells. Fires had lapped away her clothing and all over she was covered in a hint of soot as she ripped open the door of a helicopter about to depart, a pair of junior executives fleeing the conflagration. Draining both of them, she turned to the pilot.
"Sunnydale, Now," and nothing else was said.
Boston, Massachusetts, 8:00 PM
The girl woke with a start, having drifted off from a quick nap in the alley behind the shelter. Big teeth and yellow eyes, dark robes and light sabers, swords and pain had awoken her, sweat forming on her brow. Strangely, she felt energized and maybe just a little more confident as she stood and headed out to see what was going down in the city tonight.
Ethan's Costume Shoppe, 8:00 PM
Sahjhan swore as he watched Angelus dust and 'Angel' as Connor Macleod remain intact.
"He's human now, old boy," Ethan chided his entertainment companion, "He'd have to be turned again and then find a vampiress to bring your enemy into this world and against you. Have you considered that it was an Angelus issue? And you've just seen the demon ended."
"You're right, Ethan, my apologies," the demon replied, "But after tonight let's keep in touch, not only in case I need your assistance again, but just for a possible repeat."
"What? Like an annual tradition?" the Mage mused, "Count me in."
"Can you pass the munchies? I haven't been solid in ages."
Demons Sent To Sunnydale by Sebassis, 8:00 PM
"I've just mad contact with Lubus, the Lieutenant of Pain," the lead demon told his followers in the vehicle, and by radio, "Our Lord Sebassis is dead, with the Lawyers also. We head back and establish ourselves in his place."