Again, inform me of any bad plot points. I will listen if you have a point; that's how chapters getrevised.

Here's Chapter 4:


7:14 A.M.

Buffy stalked the kitchen, glaring at the table as though it had offended her. Four coffee mugs rested on the table innocuously, their owners blatantly missing.

Liu Kang came down the stairs, face taut with worry. "I can't find Stryker or Kitana, and Jack can't find Daniel. I don't know about Daniel, Dawn, or Faith, but neither Stryker nor Kitana have left for a morning jog."

"How do you know that?" Xander growled. Dawn meant a lot to him, to everyone, and Faith was one of their friends. The rude morning awakening was not welcome.

"Kitana hates morning runs. And Stryker never leaves without his cap," Liu held up the hat. "It doesn't matter if he makes a run to the mailbox, he doesn't leave without this."

"Kidnapped, then?" Willow gulped. She was growing nervous and trying to repress the feeling. Nervous Willow meant Babbling Willow, and right now Buffy didn't need Babbling Willow.

"I'd say so," Jack stormed in, face mirroring his mood. Behind him Sam and Teal'c marched a pace slower, both concerned.

"How?" Xander whispered. "How could they have gotten in? We have wards, defenses. Right, Willow?"

"Right," Willow nodded hurriedly, then added with just as much reluctance, "But none of them went off."

Finishing her fifth tour of the kitchen in seven minutes, Buffy slammed her fist down on the counter in frustration. Her fist left a crater on the linoleum. Noticing her aggravation, Giles chose to calm his Slayer down. "Buffy, we will find them. Dawn is safe. She has Faith with her, and three others. We will find the ones responsible and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Sonya and Nightwolf filed in, looking tired. Liu sailed to their sides and demanded, "Did you find them?"

Upon discovering their comrades missing, they had gone to their old headquarters to locate Stryker and Kitana via the communicators they wore. Sonya disappointed them by shaking her head. "Whoever has them, they were smart enough to kill the signal. We can't even get a general location from the communicators."

Groans filled the kitchen, everyone either collapsing in disappointment or slamming fists in anger. Buffy and Jack were two of the latter.

"Everyone calm down!" Giles roared over the ensuing chaos. He shooed them out of the kitchen, as it was too small to fit twelve people and too defenseless against Buffy's unchecked rage. When everyone had taken a seat, he began, "Our first order of business is to find them. Willow, see if you can devise a location spell to fit a wider range than just Earth and get past whatever wards the enemy has against detection. Nightwolf, if you could help her. . ."

Nightwolf nodded obligingly and the two left the room for Willow's bedroom. Giles turned to Sam. "While they look for things in the magical sense, a scientific approach could be useful."

"I'll check and see if there is any residual energy signatures we can trace," Sam barely gave her CO an askance look before taking off to the equipment they dragged to a closet in the foyer.

Xander took a look around the room, sensing the jaded atmosphere. "How about some donuts? Donuts are good for the wounded soul and all that."

Giles nearly scolded the younger man for such an unhelpful suggestion. He realized after a moment that morale was low, and certainly no one was in the mood for coffee. "If Major Briggs would be so kind as to drive you, Xander, I'm sure we would all appreciate it. I hate to imagine what sort of wreck you'd be in, driving with just one eye," he interrupted as Xander made to protest.

Xander grumbled a bit, but relented as Jax waved him on. Once those two left, Giles took stock of the remaining people. Jack and Buffy both looked ready to strangle the one responsible, and while Liu was calmer about it the former Watcher knew he was in the same boat. Sonya looked bone-weary, and Teal'c. . . Teal'c looked as though he were watching a shut-off television set. If it were at all possible, Sub-Zero seemed more impassive than the Jaffa.

Spending just a second on wondering what sort of name Sub-Zero was, Giles said, "Aside from researching our newest enemy, there is nothing else we can do."

"No, Giles, there has to be something," Buffy shot out of her seat, eyes glittering. "There's got to be a baddie that knows something. This Hanbi guy did not just come out of nowhere, someone has to know something about him."

"And beating the tar out of him will not get us Dawn back," Giles ignored the cover. "If you want to help your sister, you must stay calm and focus on obtaining reliable information."

Still fuming, Buffy stormed to the windows, glaring out into the morning mist. Giles chose to let her do so, saying to the rest, "If anyone has any suggestions as to our next course of action, it would be well-received right about now."

Sub-Zero rose from his seat. "Meditation is appealing right now. I'll see if I can contact Rayden through it." He turned to Liu. "You coming?"

The Champion shook his head solemnly, and with a relenting shrug Sub-Zero left for a quieter spot.

Willow and Nightwolf bustled in twenty minutes later, the latter carrying a box full of jars and candles. The wolf trailed behind the Indian regally, head held high. As Willow and Nightwolf set up the equipment, the wolf changed directions and sat beside Buffy, ears erect. Buffy glanced down at the wolf, feeling a twinge of concern. "He doesn't–"

"Kiva doesn't bite on a whim, contrary to Stryker's claims," said Nightwolf, anticipating her question. "As long as you don't cause him harm, he is quite content to sit and comfort."

Buffy regarded the wolf for a minute longer before setting a hand in the valley between his ears. He closed his eyes as she rubbed and murmured, "Heavens knows I need some comfort right about now."

The others watched as Willow and Nightwolf prepared the locator spell. Jack inquired, "How does this work, exactly?"

"Oh, I just add a few ingredients together, chant a bit, throw it in the fireplace, chant some more, and it gives me a, well, a faery to point me the way," Willow explained bubbly. "Since it's more than likely that they're in the hell dimension with Hanbi, we'll have to settle for a downscaled version of the universe." She held up a yellow ball, with different-colored dots. "Each of these is labeled a certain dimension that I've discovered with extensive research. If the faery doesn't point to one of these, then I'll look up a few more, add them on, and do the spell again."

"Trial and error," Teal'c summarized.

"Exactamundo," Willow nodded, eyes bright, then dimmed as she added hurriedly, "But it's better than trial and error, since we have so many choices already."

"And your role in all this is?" Sonya asked of Nightwolf as she watched him organize leaves and minerals.

"Willow explained to me her magick," Nightwolf told her. "I'm here to make sure she doesn't go completely. . . er–"

"Black, veiny, evil Willow," the redhead winced. "Did that once, not in a hurry to repeat the experience." She looked around in alarm. "He-ey, where's Xander? He's like my rock, I can't do my voodoo without my rock."

"He went out to get us something to eat," Giles assured her. "He'll come back soon."

"Oh," Willow smiled sheepishly, turning to her task. "Right."

Minutes passed in silence; the only noise came from Willow and Nightwolf's work and Sam in the kitchen running her tests. The two by the fireplace declared themselves done preparing and began completing the actual spell.

Everything went according to Willow's plan: she added all the right ingredients at the right time, and said everything correctly. With a burst of yellow and an aroma of rotten eggs, a ball of yellow light drifted out of the fire, wavering in the air.

"Whoa," Jack intoned, staring.

"Now what?" Liu asked, watching the light suspiciously.

"Now it should show us the way," Willow coughed as the nauseating smell stuck to her. "Show us the way, little faery!" she encouraged the ball, waving her hands about to emphasize the point.

Stubbornly it did nothing but float. Just as Nightwolf was ready to announce it a no-go, the orb zoomed to the ball he held and exploded.

Coughing harder, Willow sat up from her fallen position and squinted through the smoke. She heard the others stirring around her. Sam and Sub-Zero rushed in, the former worry-faced and the latter vigilant.

"What the devil was that?" Jack exclaimed, rising to his feet. Kiva bounded over to his companion, nuzzling his face and licking the oily fumes off.

"Kiva, I'm okay," Nightwolf pushed the wolf gently aside, shaking his head clear.

"I- I don't know," Willow stammered, feeling her nerves rattle. "It's never done that before. . ."

"And how many times did you do this before?" Sonya growled.

Preferring not to answer with the truthful "Once," Willow set about trying to see if any of her remaining ingredients seemed spoiled. "I don't understand, nothing appears wrong."

"That's because everything was right," Nightwolf accepted the hand up from Giles, wincing at the ache in his hands. "The orb landed on a name before it exploded. Abaddon."

"So we go there, and we find Dawn and the others?" Buffy exacted.

"It's the only shot we have," Liu grimaced.

"What about your end?" Jack asked of Sam. "Anything?"

"There are traces of diluted sulfur and magnesium present in the kitchen, most likely a residue from whatever sort of transport was used," Sam reported. She hesitated for a second before going on, "Sir, there was also a quantity of naquadah."

"Naquadah?" Willow and Nightwolf repeated together.

"It's an element we discovered among alien technology," Sam told them. "It's very powerful."

"How did things go with Rayden?" Sonya asked Sub-Zero. "Did you find him?"

"Conversation was cut short," Sub-Zero replied, sparing a glance in Willow's direction. "But the gist of it is that he's calling in some favors."

Buffy nodded. "Alright, so we've got some info. Willow, Giles, hit the books, find what you can about this Abaddon place. And you– er, you guys do what you guys do," she had the grace to blush as Jack raised his brow.

"We can't do much with the information I've gathered," Sam said in frustration. "The most I can hypothesize is that, wherever they are, its atmosphere has sulfur, magnesium, and naquadah, a rather poisonous combination."

Jack weighed their options, then told her, "You join Willow and Giles on the research. Teal'c and I will set up watch. We don't know if the five will be the last taken, and I'm not getting sucker-punched again."

"Sub-Zero, try and get a hold of Rayden," Liu said to his comrade. "See if he's found anything. Nightwolf, help them with the research. Sonya and I will keep guard, too."

Solemnly, the group parted ways. Buffy stayed behind with Jack, Teal'c, Liu, and Sonya. She took a moment to stare out a window, wondering where their friends were and if they were safe.


Abaddon

"Could you please stop hitting the door?" Daniel pleaded to Faith. "It doesn't seem to be accomplishing much."

She span, yelling, "At least I'm doing something! All you can do is sit there and theorize about what the hell happened!"

Sensing Faith's readiness to attack the archaeologist, Dawn swiftly came to the Slayer's side and urged, "Daniel's ass isn't the one you need to kick, Faith. It's theirs," she gestured to the guards standing outside the door.

Sending a nasty glare to the mentioned captors, the brunette Slayer slid against the wall to the floor. She growled, "I am so going to kick their asses when I get out of here."

Kitana opened her eyes, pulling herself out of a meditative state. "Nothing," she sighed. "They have some sort of field in this cell, preventing any sort of mental contact."

Dawn paced the length of the cell, turning for a second trip when the shadows beyond the door bent and twisted. "Someone's coming," she informed them, hurrying to stand beside the rising Faith. Daniel and Kitana stood as well.

The door opened with a loud creak, and a normal-seeming man stepped through. His hair and eyes were dark, his complexion tan, and his stature tall, taller than Teal'c, Jax, or Giles. He dressed in blue robes and his steel-toed boots glimmered silver. He smirked down at the five, his confident smile enticing Faith to smash a few teeth out.

"I'm rather surprised the higher beings allowed such a collection to gather," he sneered, his voice as debonair as his looks. "Especially considering none of you knew the other existed."

"Where are we?" Faith demanded, keeping her cocky stance. "Who are you? And just to round off the questions, what do you want with us?"

"Such impertinence," the man sniffed. He entered the cell fully, and mocked them by forbidding the guards to follow. "One of your questions is immaterial; you will not live long enough for it to matter. Another question is one that will be answered when the moment is right. As for the remaining one . . . I suppose my captives should know the name of their future master. I am known as Hanbi."

Dawn eyed him coolly. "Zero points for fashion sense." She gulped and retreated farther behind Faith as he turned his attention to her.

"Such . . . humor, is wasted upon me, Key." At hers and Faith's startled looks, his smile returned in full. "Yes, I know all about your true existence, little one. That is not your real form, merely a shell encasing the more significant being."

"Shut up," Faith growled, fingers itching to draw out the knife she didn't have on her.

"Ah ah," Hanbi held up a hand. "You shouldn't be so rude, second Slayer. I may be inclined to . . . dispose of unnecessary presences."

Daniel slid a bit to his left, shielding Dawn with Faith. "You know all of us, then?"

"Oh, yes," Hanbi turned and treaded the cell. "You, Daniel Jackson: once an Ascended being, but demoted for your interference. And Princess Kitana," he went on, turning in a circle but not looking at her, "stepdaughter to Emperor Shao Kahn, destroyer of worlds and made into an assassin. Yes, I know all of you. And I chose each of you for a reason.

"With each of you in my possession, I am near my goal to render Earth to its knees. However," he trailed off in disgust, "there is one problem facing me at the moment." He turned to face Kitana, eyes glittering with ire. "Princess, as you are the one who knows him best, I demand to know: Where is Stryker?"

Kitana eyed him coolly. "Nowhere he'd like you to be."

As the two glared, Daniel noted, So he doesn't know where Stryker is, either. That means he might have escaped that flash. But how? And where is he? Have the others already been warned—

Daniel was shaken out of his reverie when three guards entered the cell. As one Faith and Kitana tensed, and Dawn drifted closer to Daniel.

Hanbi waved the three guards forward, and said, "While Stryker is necessary for the completion of my plan, I can continue with the preliminary steps. Princess, if you would submit to a bloodletting, it would make everything much simpler."

Faith instantly stepped between Kitana and the guards. "Like hell."

Snapping his fingers, Hanbi stepped aside to allow the three guards room. They grabbed Faith, Dawn, and Daniel and pulled them away, leaving Kitana standing alone.

Growling with fury, Faith yanked her arms forward, dragging her guard flush into her back. She thrust her head up, headbutting him. As he staggered back Faith brought a heel up and kicked his chin, propelling him back into the wall. The Slayer turned to confront Hanbi, finding several more guards in the room, one of them notably a Screamer. Faith angled her body to barrel toward the enemy, but the Screamer opened its inhuman mouth and screeched.

Daniel, Kitana, and Dawn cringed and howled in pain, doubling over and trying to deafen the noise ineffectively. Faith, catching the brunt of the scream, barely had time to cry out when a burst of pain erupted in her head and she fainted.

The Screamer stopped, mouth clicking shut deafeningly. Hanbi, apparently unaffected by his minion's screech, motioned at a guard. The guard bent down to Faith, placing two fingers against a pulse. "Alive, sir."

"Good," Hanbi nodded. "I would hate to lose an integral blood component so early in the game." He turned to Kitana, smiling ambivalently. "Princess, your arm if you please?"

Kitana rose from her crouch, chin lifted and eyes defiant in spite of the pain.

"Such a proud will," Hanbi murmured, pulling out a knife from its sheath and a small vial. "I don't suppose you would consider joining me in my reign over the universe?"

"As Faith put it," Kitana answered calmly, "Like hell."

Hanbi nodded. "Of course."

Snakelike, he grabbed her arm and cut a slit into the crook of her arm. Acting on instinct, Kitana twisted her arm away, bringing one foot up to slam her heel under his chin. As he toppled back a few steps, a guard restrained Kitana.

Rubbing his chin and eyeing her with something akin to amusement, Hanbi palmed the dropped vial. "I should have expected that. Shame on me for underestimating you, Princess."

"You will be feeling much more than shame very soon," Kitana shot back. "Pain and death to name a couple."

Hanbi placed the vial below the cut, letting the blood quickly flow into the glass. "I'm afraid you'll be in for a disappointing climax, Princess. I don't intend to die, and while pain is in my future, it is a small sacrifice for the reward to be blessed to me."

He capped the filled vial and turned to leave the room. As the guards roughly shoved the three to the floor, Hanbi called over his shoulder, "Thank you for the blood, Princess. Rest assured, yours won't be the last."


Bwahaha. 'Twould've been interesting if the beam had been the Asgard/Thor, as one reviewer guessed. But our heroes aren't that fortunate.