Bright Lights
By: Peanutbutter
Note: Yeah, I know its season 3 I made a huge typo. I fixed it on the summary but not on the first chapter. Sorry about that.
Chapter 2 'A Familiar Face'
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Buffy awoke some hours later. Her body was stiff as she lifted herself from the rubble she'd apparently fallen asleep on. The pain was still there, refusing to leave, but she knew from experience that dwelling on it wasn't going to make it go away, after all she not only cried for Hamel and his family last night but for herself. She'd sent her lover to hell, Hamel was that lover sent to hell and if Buffy could just get one message to his wife… Buffy sniffed and whipped her nose before crawling to her feet. One of her arms was still sore and she held it securely to her chest as she looked around. She was surrounded by darkness. Given her night vision was better than most humans it as still dark and she was human.
The most disturbing thing about the darkness was the all consuming silence. She had only lived in LA for a few months but she knew one thing, L.A. never slept. There was always taxi cabs speeding through the empty dark streets, cats fighting in the alleys, people fighting in the alleys, Los Angeles was loud. Yet here she stood in a building she was pretty sure wasn't sound proof and there was nothing, in fact given the state of the ground she had woken up on something tremendous had happened while she was in hell. Stumbling forward Buffy walked though the rubble and wood her fingers finally coming to a wall. Her sense of direction was pretty good and Buffy figured she'd be able to find her way back out. When she rounded the first turn a light ahead told her she was close and within moments she was the door, except there wasn't a door there anymore.
There were remains scattered on the threshold of what might have been a door a while ago, no knob just pieces of wood and the frame was charred black as if it had been burned. Stepping into the moonlight night Buffy stopped dead. She could feel the blood draining from her face as she clutched her injured arm closer to her shaking body. It couldn't be. It had to be a dream. Before her were the magnificent buildings that had once littered the streets of L.A. yet they were skeletons. The glass windows were gone, the roofs rotted and caved inward. The walls were burned and the stench in the air suggested that the sewers had backed up and spilled their vile contents all over the streets. The streets themselves were nothing more than broken bits of concrete pulled up and thrown to the side. There were ripples in the road suggesting a giant wave had run through the middle of the street. There was no sound. The silence was complete and deadly as Buffy stepped off the concrete remains of the building's threshold. The sound echoed in the night making her want to cover her ears and cower.
'What happened?' her mind raced as he looked over the damage. It wasn't just one building it was every building. The fire escapes that had run from the back of every apartment complex were red and corroded the metal long fallen away except for a few scraps till hooked to the walls. If she hadn't known they were there before she never would have known what they were. There weren't any cars parked along the streets. No lamp posts on the corner. The poles were knocked down adding to the hazard that was the street. The stark yellow lines that used to separate the lanes were hardly visible.
There were so many possibilities as to what had happened that it made her shake with fear. They could have been bombed. What if the nuclear residue was seeping into her skin and bones at this very moment eating at her killing her? If it was a bomb how much of America had been hit? Was it only California or had it hit somewhere else the after shocks the cause the destruction and decay of L.A. She didn't know what nuclear warfare would cause exactly but mostly everything looked old and ancient.
She shivered again this time not from fear but from the cold. A sharp breeze blew in from no where making a chill run up her spine and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The uniform they'd stuffed her into was threadbare and she noticed for the first time that she was naked underneath the garment. It didn't fair well for warmth. Her hair whipped around her face in a chaotic dance before it finally died down and she was able to move again. 'What was she going to do?'
"Well look what we have here."
Buffy spun around quickly making her entire body pound at the sudden movement. She held her arm closer to her body as she searched for the source of the voice. It was too dark and she was too scared. She backed up a few steps only to hear the voice again, only this time a different one.
"It's a little human, all by her little self." There was a laugh.
Buffy turned again and swallowed. She was panicking. She wasn't supposed to panic she was the Slayer. She lifted her chin and cleared her throat, "Are you two going to hide all night or are you going to come out and play?"
There was more laughter, "Such threats from a weak human girl," There was a pause before it continued, "and, ah, I smell your blood. It's rich and healthy. I can't wait to drink it." There was a low growl coming from both behind her and in front of her.
Buffy knew the odds weren't good. Whatever it was she was facing obviously wasn't human. Normally two demons was only a minor irritation but she was injured and she could admit vulnerable. Her attackers had the advantage and they knew it. She only had one hope, to get in as many good blows before they realized how strong she was, or worse than that how much weaker she was than usual.
"Hide and seek is getting really old fellas why don't you two show yourselves before I get bored and decide to leave." Buffy faked boredom all the while listening for their charge, they weren't taking bait or she couldn't hear them coming for her. "Olly, olly oxen free!" Buffy called just as she felt something rushing at her from behind. Grinning Buffy crouched slightly and waited for the impact. Moments before the demon was about to plow into her Buffy jumped backward doing a somersault in the air and landing on her feet facing the back of the demon's head. She didn't hesitate before charging forward. She threw a flying roundhouse to his head knocking him off balance before gathering all her strength and kicking him in what would be his knee caps, possibly. She wasn't really sure on that, after all it was dark and she couldn't see them very well.
The demon pitched forward at her hits and fell to the ground face first with a mighty boom. Buffy smiled a little and looked up to see the other demon barreling down on her. She didn't remember ever seeing a demon like him before. He was ugly, blue and kind of gray with lumpy ridges around his eyes and red snake eyes. He was screaming a war cry of some kind as he came at her. Buffy knew she wouldn't be able to ward him off with his momentum. She was going to have to try a jump again. Again she waited and again when he was almost on top of her she leaped into the air and started to twist around. When she was about to turn up right again she felt a tight grip on her ankle followed by a jerk. Buffy let out a cry as she was thrown off balance and was unable to stop her descent to the ground. She hit hard her already injured arm twisting underneath her body and making her wince. Her head smacked on a sharp rock and she felt the world around her swirling.
"I don't like it when they try to fight back," the demon who had grabbed her ankle drew back his massive clawed fist and backhanded her across the face. She slid backward the gravel biting its way through her clothes and into the delicate skin of her back.
Buffy struggled to her feet despite the swollen eye that was already overtaking one side of her face. This was not turning out well at all. She stood up again fists rose as she looked to the demon she'd knocked down earlier. He was coming at her angry, or so she thought distinguishing demon facial expressions really wasn't her forte.
"Prepare to die human," the demon that she'd knocked down growled. Both of them began to charge.
She met their punches and kicks her arms and legs flying as she tried to push them back. She was able to get in a few punches before she began to tire completely. Her injured arm was screaming and her head was swimming not to mention the sweat was running into her various cuts making her wince. This wasn't good, not good at all.
Buffy stumbled backward when her foot hit a spot of uneven ground. Her defensive stance fell and the demons took advantage. The first hit was across the face and then in her stomach her shoulder, her side, her leg, her face again. Buffy grunted as her knees buckled after a particularly vicious blow and she fell to the ground. As the blows rained down her and she curled into a ball she knew it was the end.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Buffy barely acknowledged the new voice that had joined the mix but somewhere in her pain she noticed that the blows had stopped. Buffy rolled slowly to her back to see the demons know being engaged by a tall man with black hair carrying a bright blue glowing sword. He fought like something out of a martial arts movie. His moves were quick and low to the ground and his sword swipes clean and even. He lobbed off the head of the first demon with little effort and the second only moments afterward.
Buffy pulled herself to her feet half delirious as she watched the tall dark figure swim in and out of focus. She squinted as he sheathed his blue sword causing the blue glow from the sword to disappear. He dusted his hands off and started toward her. There was something familiar about him, about his hair his face, his eyes. She almost started to cry…
He stopped right in front of her his hand extended to help her up. He got a serious expression on his face right before he grinned, "Cume vith me if you vant to live." He said in an obviously fake accent. He stopped and laughed a little before shaking his head, "nobody gets my humor." He ran his hand through his mop of black hair.
Buffy felt the tears of joy streaming down her face as she stared him. Her mouth opened in a silent scream before leaping at her savior and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Xander, god I can't believe it's you. I'm, I don't know what's happening…I got here and…" She trailed off and held on tighter as her body went slack in his arms.
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She was beautiful even though she was bruised and beaten, none of the bruises could hide her beauty. She had remarkably smooth skinned and lovely considering what people looked like, now rough and angry. She just looked scared and obviously delirious. Whoever this Xander was he must be important to her. Trenton shook his head and gathered her in his arms and prepared to take her back to his home. It wasn't every day you came across a human being living on the surface, and definitely not human that can hold her own against a pair of Farloc demons.
It was lucky for her that he was up here scouting. He hadn't really planned to go to the surface tonight but he was bored and it was either that or doing more research. He'd opted for the violence after all he hadn't spent all that time training to waste his skills while he got fat and lazy reading books on magic. Speaking of which he had no magical talent except for that was for Isa and that was entirely magic, not exactly anyway. As he thought of her he felt a hum start at his thigh where Isa was strapped to his waist and hidden within her sheath.
Isa was his sword. He'd found her years ago buried in a pile of rubble by the old expressway. She'd called to him begging him to take her back to the refuge and from then on he'd been tied to the sword. She'd told him her name was Isa and she had a mind and soul of her own. She never talked to him but he knew she had feelings. It was weird a sword with feelings but his Isa had strong ones.
The strangest thing about Isa was that after he'd found her others like her started to show up. Not only swords but daggers and cross bows that had eerie colored auras. He was the holder of the first but Isa was not the only one. In fact in his camp there was Isa (sword), Nell (dagger), Crydon (sword), and Tradora (sword). They were all bonded to somebody except for Tradora. Her fiery red aura had bonded with its finder long enough to get back to the camp, but once it had entered the establishment it had refused to glow for anyone that touched her. Whenever anybody laid their fingers on her smooth hilt her glow and hum stopped and Tradora became silent. There was nothing scarier than a sword like Isa that had fallen silent. Trenton hoped that Isa would never go silent. He didn't know what he'd do without her constant presence.
She hummed louder as Trenton carried the blond girl in his arms. Her clothes were covered in dry blood and looking at her injuries he could tell that it wasn't from any of her injuries but she was badly hurt. Trenton could tell that Isa liked her. That was odd Isa never liked anyone but him.
Trenton shifted Buffy to one side of his body as he kneeled and pulled open the trap door to their underground refuge. He groaned a little and hopped through the hole and hit the ground landing on the balls of his feet as he absorbed the impact. Buffy was barely jostled in his arms and Isa banged unsteadily against his leg, her hum was a little disturbed by this and Trenton apologized silently as they headed through the tunnel toward the base.
He was going to have to be careful he wasn't caught. He was seriously breaking the rules by bringing her down their, but if he had left she would have died and Isa liked her that was enough for him. The entire refuge was an underground base, possibly military before they had set up camp. There were exactly three hundred people currently living inside, including fourteen staff. He was considered staff. Officially he was in charge of patrol and watch between 9 pm and midnight as well as recon occasionally. He didn't really have a title, but his family for a couple generations back now had been doing this.
Trenton was so lost in thought that he didn't see Mika rounding the corner until he slammed right into her almost loosing Buffy in the process and knocking his brown haired friend to the ground her books flying out of her hands and scattering across the hall with a loud echo. "I'm sorry Mika." Trenton apologized.
"Trenton if you'd just watch where you're going," Mike stopped and looked up at the girl cradled in her friend's arms. "Who's that?" she asked her voice coming off more defensive than she would have liked.
"Shhh," Trenton hissed as he hurried past Mika and into his room that was just around the corner. He pushed the door open and ushered Mika, who was carrying her dropped books into the room. "Listen I found her outside. I couldn't just leave her there."
Mika's eyes widened, "how do you know she's not. I mean she could be a spy." She dumped her books on the small table in the corner of the room and tucked her chestnut hair behind her ears. Her green eyes were shining with annoyance as she watched Trenton lay the girl on his bed. She narrowed her eyes.
"I caught her fighting demons Mi, and I'm not talking about little Milths or Asetric I'm talking about full grow Farloc's." Trenton pulled his blanket out from underneath her and tucked the thin blanket around her shoulders.
"It looks more like they were using her for a soccer ball." Mika snorted as he looked over the girl's extensive injuries.
Trenton narrowed his eyes, "I'm serious Mi, I saw her fighting them off. It was incredible. I haven't seen anyone fight like her except, well except for maybe Zarah."
Mike laughed out right this time. "Zarah is a slayer, Trenton, you're crazy. You know the story there's only one. I've heard it a million times and not only from our oh so gracious leader, Angel."
"Well maybe," he trailed off and shook his head, "there's something special about her."
"We can't trust her," Mika repeated, "We don't know where she came from."
"Are you going to help me or are you going to go running to Angel?" Trenton growled angrily.
Mika sighed as she watched her friend dote over the new girl. She sighed and walked to the bed where he had pulled the cover down again and was looking at her purpled arm. "It's a sprain."
Trenton looked up, "So it's not broken?"
"No, but it'll take a long time to heal. None of her injuries are really serious except for the bruise on her temple," Mika pointed to it and sighed, "I imagine that's why she's unconscious. I'll get some medical equipment and meet you back in here okay, right now just let her rest."
Trenton nodded as Mika started leave, "she's okay Mika, Isa likes her."
Mika paused for a moment and swallowed hard, "Isa doesn't like anyone, she doesn't even like me and I have Nell and she doesn't like me." Mika fingered her dagger belted to her waist and swallowed. The weapons were very sensitive to each other and while they always sent a welcoming hum to their counter parts they didn't always like the holder. The fact that Isa liked a stranger better than herself hurt a little bit.
"I can't explain it when she's near her Isa doesn't just hum she sings." Trenton shook his head his brown locks falling in his dark eyes.
"I'll be back," Mika smiled a little and left the room leaving Trenton alone with the strange blond girl covered in blood.
Yep I said Angel. He's not the only 'familiar face' though, and before you ask this is most DEFINITELY NOT an Angel/Buffy story. Things about their relationship will be addressed later; it's not really the main story. The next chapter is a fun one so keep reading. Thanks for the feedback!