As the laughter died down, Buffy apologized to Tara about the car.
"I-it's okay, Buffy," Tara smiled, "At least you and I didn't h-have to be with Faith on her way to the c-costume store." Faith groaned, then reluctantly nodded before giving a hard look at Jesse and Jonathan as they entered the library and had the decency to blush.
Flashback
"Listen hear, 'Commander Cain,'" the frustrated driver, Faith, retorted, "THIS is not a Battlestar, and I'm not under your command, and next time roll the window down all the way before firing that ray gun of yours."
Next Flashback
"Okay, here's the plan, y—" Faith said to the two Colonials, only to watch them draw their ray guns and charge into the costume shop, "Ahhhhh!"
End Flashbacks
"So I get in there after they stop shooting every damn costume in the place," Faith shakes her head as she recollects, "And they've hit everything including that Ethan bastard who's on the floor, and the only thing they missed was the statue. So I kick the damn thing over and made Cain and Starbuck there walk back. So sue me. Then there was Buffy the Volkswagen Slayer whacking at the car with me in it, and as soon as the spell breaks…Tara reminds me I promised not to use bad language. So yes, I'm just a little tense." Jesse hands her a very strong coffee, extra sugar, no cream. She turns to him after slurping half of it down, "Okay, you are off the" looks at Tara "you-know-what list, but Commander 'Window-Melter' better have" a large slice of Halloween-decorated cake and ice cream appears on her other side "and apparently does have enough sense to feed the" takes a bite "hungry Slayer." She drinks more coffee, then looks at Buffy, "And I think Tara could use a little of the cake and coffee treatment too don't you?"
The next morning found Xander and most of the others considering their options on how to make sure they could leave the looping behind them, and what was the deal with the holy objects.
"Well, actually, I think I'm going now, guys, but we might want one last hurrah," Xander emphasized, "And I think I'm going to do something a little drastic to make sure it happens correctly. So I think that whatever costumes you have planned, you should wear as though this is the last Reset coming up. Make up a variation, it doesn't matter but keep in mind the physical considerations if they stick with you."
"So Xan, I guess Quinn and Max are going to give it a try?" Doyle asked when the others left them for a moment, "You and I'll leap out of here, and hopefully be able to leap back?" Xander nodded.
"Yeah, that's the plan, and I also plan to have a few extra timers with us just in case," Xander replied equally quietly, "So we'll want the duffle bag with us when we leave, weapons, cash and a laptop."
"You punch in the codes for the accounts and we'll swing by the bank for cash on the way to Ethan's," Doyle suggested, "And while you do the kiddy escort, I'll get everything ready. Try to get back here as soon as you can, cause I feel that the special forces types the girls saw might be Resetters or working for Resetters, otherwise they wouldn't be in town when they haven't before."
Dawn had apparently been convinced by Jonathan and Jesse to join in the Battlestar Galactica theme of theirs, figuring it wouldn't hurt, and she really didn't feel all that great yesterday in the library. Also, after accidentally letting slip to her mother just before the Reset that she'd dressed as Willow and as Buffy, within Willow's and other's hearing hadn't made things better, so maybe hanging out with Xander's old pals might be a better idea.
At the beginning of the Reset, an hour ago, her mother surprised her by remembering everything from the past loop and keeping the entire Wonder Woman package except for the floating/flying thing, even the costume and accoutrements were lying next to her at the office and apparently real.
Jonathan, Dawn, Jesse, Faith and Kendra went with the Battlestar Galactica theme, while Willow, Tara and Buffy seemed to Dawn to just be going as themselves tonight. Buffy, though, had managed to fit into a tight black dress to catch Angel's eye.
Xander and Doyle had as meticulously as possible really gotten into their costuming and carried twice the normal gear as the characters. Xander and Doyle, in contact with the others by means of cheap walkie-talkies, communicated the fact that at least one group seemed to be combing through Sunnydale looking for someone or something. Hopefully, this jaunt would be over soon, though Doyle had expressed the niggling sensation that something would happen.
"A vision?" Xander asked his friend.
"Nah, just a strong feeling that we're going to be getting out of the Resets soon," Doyle replied, "but I think I'm picking up a vibe of some kind off this whole thing."
"Good, Bad…"
"Just different…"
"Well, it's almost time, 'Professor,'" Xander remarked as they neared the school, "Let's gather our bags before we chicken out."
"Very well, Mr. Mallory," Doyle responded, getting into character, "We must hurry or the others will find out what we're up to."
Four teams from Wolfram and Hart had narrowed their search parameters down to two locations, the high school and a few shops in the business district, as the possible targets. Mr. Manners had been explicit in ordering the capture or elimination of anyone that seemed aware of what was going on, and anything involving portals or large concentrations of magic.
The four Watchers approached the costume shop as the shadows began to darken the streets of Sunnydale, awaiting any indication of magical change before charging in and ending the spell and subduing Ethan Rayne. They were nearly at their destination when Wesley pointed out the darkly-clothed men moving toward the store with barely-concealed weapons.
Dawn and her fellow Colonials had had a good time and were approaching the school with their trick-or-treaters when the magic started to sweep across Sunnydale.
Joyce was sitting in Giles office sipping tea and wearing jeans and a blouse. She shook her head at the costume, lasso and such from the night before when she heard Doyle and Xander enter the library with purpose. She got up and wandered out, overhearing the two discussing their plans and forgetting she might be around.
"Okay, the timer is set for a five-minute countdown?" Doyle asked Xander, who nodded, "And it's started?"
Yeah, now," Xander said, "And here's our gear for the slide. Did you pick up cash for us on the way over?"
"Everything's in the bags, so all we have to do is have it in our hands so our costume guys have the sense to just go with it," Doyle continued, "And if we ever get back home, the world should already have moved on time-wise." Joyce displayed some shock as she came out of the office and into their full view.
"What are you to up to?" Joyce asked forcefully, "And does anyone else know?"
"No, Joyce, they don't," Xander replied, "And don't try to stop us. We think we have an excellent chance of getting this over with and saving everybody. That's what's important."
"What's important Xander?" Dawn asked as she entered the library with her fellow Colonial Warriors and the magic transformed the costumed.
Dawn fell to the ground, closely followed by Willow as Joyce watched the change overcome the other occupants of the library. A loud crash from the back of the library seemed to indicate things or people trying to break into the library, as gunshots seemed to draw nearer from beyond the doors through which the young people had entered. The three dressed as Viper pilots drew their blasters and formed a defensive position, as Quinn and the Professor noticed the countdown nearing its end.
The costume shop was forced open by the unknown group, Giles continuing to drive by and hoping not to be noticed. Half a block down the street, small demons began fighting each other as the magic took hold, the Watchers consulting as to a course of action.
"Do we have firearms other than your revolver, Mr. Giles?" Zabuto asked his fellow Field Watcher, receiving a shake of the head in response.
At the library, Captain Apollo fired several shots into a group of attackers, striking two of the six and causing the others to take cover. He turned to his fellow defenders, noting that a pair of teenagers seemed dressed as Commanders were unconscious on the floor, tended by another so-clad young woman and a civilian. Two young Warriors raced by him with blasters drawn, ready to provide protection from the threat coming from the rear of the building.
The ex-vampires and Buffy/Miss Parker were approaching the library when they saw the attack begin.
"Those kids in there friends of yours?" Miss Parker asked, receiving nods, "Well I seem to owe you for the save from the short uglies, so this'll call it even." She drew out her weapon from her stylish jacket and carefully used the lights of the library to shoot three silhouetted hitters and remove them from the fight. They listened a moment as someone ordered a withdrawal, and as they and their wounded disappeared, Miss Parker moved to th doors and listened.
"Seems that whatever fight's going on, moved to the other side of the building," she remarked to the others, "We'll wait a moment, then go in."
Giles turned the car around and handed the revolver to Zabuto. They drove back, several men coming out of the store with a glowy-eyed statue and Ethan Rayne with them. Zabuto quickly fired at the statue, managing to hit and shatter it enough to break the magic, as well as hitting two of the gunmen. Shots were returned as Giles weaved the car around the corner and down an alley into the next street.
"Mr. Giles, we need to go to the hospital!" Pryce called from the back seat, "They've both been shot badly!" Giles spared a glance, noting they might not make it in time to save Wesley Wyndham-Price and Samuel Zabuto.
Apollo moved quickly to support the other Warriors as he heard some type of relief force exacting a toll from the attackers. He watched as a vortex opened in the library, the older blonde woman calling out to the two men as they seemed about to enter the apparent portal.
"Help us!" Joyce called to the Sliders, "They're unconscious." The other blonde seemed reluctant to leave the two downed young people.
"What do you say, Professor?" Quinn shouted over the sound of the vortex, "Take them with us?"
"Perhaps we must, Mr. Mallory," Maximilian Arturo responded, "Those dastards surrounding the place seem intent on causing them harm."
Nodding, the two helped lift the two girls, noting they both had small abrasions bleeding. Noting a drop on his timer, Quinn quickly put it away. Shouts from in back of the library indicated the three blaster-wielders were not faring well, backing into view.
"Get out of here!" Apollo called out as he shot another foe, "Do whatever you have to!" The backs of the other two were backing also into sight.
"We have no choice but to take you ladies with us," Arturo explained, "We jump between parallel worlds in hope of finding our own, we're going to jump…" Commander Artemis of the Atlantia nodded, and agreed since this place wasn't the bridge of her vessel at the peace conference.
"Let's go!" she directed, the men leaping with the young women, and she grabbed and tossed their baggage through before turning, "Captain hurry!" before leaping with the older woman holding strange clothes, "I wonder why the vortex turned green when they jumped in with the girls!"
Apollo and Sheba fired and killed the last two attackers, diving for the vortex as it disappeared and the magic stopped. Jesse looked over to Faith and Kendra, who looked equally stricken, as did Buffy as she looked from the door.