Title: Resistance (6/7)
Author: Miz Thang
Characters/Pairing: Ensemble, Illyria/Spike, DS/Angel, WR/OFC, CG/HK, DS/Spike
Rating: FRM
Word Count: 2059
Warnings: Angst. Melodrama. Romance. Character death.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the little story's idea. Everything else belongs to who it belongs to.
SummaryLet's pretend, that, for a moment, Illyria's great army isn't dead at the end of Shells, and that she begins a great rise to power, and basically, war breaks out. There's only one group that dares intervene, known as the Resistance.

Notes: This is an ahead-of-time warning. This story only has five chapters, a prologue and an epilogue. This is supposed to tell the end of the struggle against Illyria. If not, it'd be some long drawn out story about the three hundred and fifty years I skipped. It's also quite possible that there could be a sequel. And oh, this story is Spike/Illyria, among other pairings.

Five

-2354-

"Hey, guys!" Harmony called out cheerfully as she entered the head quarters. She got no answer and frowned a bit, wondering if there'd been a mission today. "Hello?"

Dawn leaned against the wall. "Where were you, Harmony?"

"None of your bees' wax." Harmony retorted.

"I can smell Gunn on you."

"And don't I smell just a bit of Spike?"

It was a stalemate. Dawn wouldn't tell anyone about Harmony doing whatever she did with Gunn (even if she was quite possibly the traitor), because Harmony wouldn't hesitate to tell about Dawn visiting Spike, often (she'd found this out from Gunn). Dawn idly wondered why Angel didn't notice, like Harmony did.

"What happened today?" Harmony asked. Gunn hadn't, wouldn't, tell her what had happened when Spike and Illyria went after Willow in the airport.

"Will's dead. Spike killed her." Dawn said, every word that came out of her mouth bitter.

Harmony's face was one of picture perfect surprise. Dawn almost immediately felt bad; of course Harmony wasn't the traitor. She couldn't pretend that well. "Oh…oh my God."

"I know. In three days, we're attacking Willem. Taking it down-for Willow." Dawn said. "It's going to be Sandris-"

-

"-Connor, Hope, Yane and me." Harmony said, taking a seat on Gunn's bed.

He smiled at her and leaned forward for a kiss. "Good to know, Harm."

She smiled at him. "Anything for you, baby."

-

Gunn entered Illyria and Spike's suite first ting the next morning. "Info!"

Lucky for him, they were already up. But then again, as fast as they had a tendency to move, they could've been having sex or something…which brought him back to Harmony and the information that she gave him.

Spike raised and eyebrow. "What?"

"Harm came by last night. Canada, U.S., South Americas, and South Asia attack Will in two days' time." He answered, taking a seat on the couch.

"This is an interesting development." Illyria said, standing.

"If you say so." Spike muttered. In a louder voice, he said, "Well, we don't have to worry."

"What do you mean?" Illyria asked.

"Had a plan, sweets. And Dawn is very essential. She just doesn't realize it yet."

"Do we get any hints?" Gunn asked, a grin on his face. He should've known; Spike wasn't messing with Dawn as much as usual.

"Let's just say, nothing last forever. Not feelings, not souls."

-

Angel cornered Dawn. "What did Harmony have to say?"

Dawn shrugged. "You know Harm; she had a date."

"A date?" Angel asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Sort of. Just-let it go. She went." Dawn replied. She wasn't going to expose Harmony. She didn't know what exactly was keeping her from telling that Harmony might very well be the traitor, but she needed to get it out of her system before it became fatal.

-

Sandris didn't trust the Resistance anymore. She'd never admit to it, but she really couldn't. Someone was a traitor. And, until they found out who that was, no one deserved her trust.

Hope was busy attempting, and not succeeding, in glaring a hole into Dawn as the youngest vampire sparred with Yane. They moved quickly, only attacking and blocking until, quite unexpectedly actually, Dawn kicked Yane in the kidney and watched dispassionately as he flew back into the wall.

"Dawnie?" Harmony turned to see the girl, biting her lip in anticipation. God, she couldn't wait. Showtime, Phoenix.

Dawn shut her eyes and fell to her knees. Angel crossed the room to her aide as she shut her eyes and tired to fight whatever it was that was happening. It was getting to hard and hurt so damn much.

"Can you feel it, Nib, scouring out that thing they put in you?"

She let out a small cry, thrashing even as Angel's arms circled around her. It felt like something had grabbed a hold of her heart and was yanking on it. "Oh, God."

There was a moment where her eyes shot open, orange as her soul floated away from her body. No one noticed, more concerned about what had come over her than the color of her eyes. She took deep breaths, sagging into Angel's arms.

"Ow." She murmured to herself. She was half expecting to feel guilty. For tossing Yane across the room. For imagining Spike half the time she and Angel…for not saying anything about Harmony being the spy, for Spike's plan that was coming to pass at the very moment that shy lay on the floor, pretending to be Dawn. She didn't feel bad. At all. A smile crossed her face at the realization. Bye, bye, Dawnie. Bitch.

"Are you okay?" Angel raised her face to his.

She looked him in the eyes and almost wondered if he could tell. If he loved her enough to see that her blue eyes once again held that mischievous glare that belonged to Phoenix. She knew he couldn't when he continued to hold her close, lovingly.

"Fine." She allowed Angel to help her to her feet. She was so back. Phoenix was back and she'd be damned if she and Harmony stayed any longer than necessary. "I've never felt better." She said to Angel, then hitting him with a right cross and watching him fly onto his back.

A slow smile came over Harmony's face. It worked! I did it right! The spell worked! Spike is going to be so totally pleased with me! "Phoenix." She said it in an awed, breathless voice.

"Hiya, boys and girls. In case we haven't met before, my name is Phoenix and I'm going to kill every single one of you." She seemed to pause. "Well, except Harmony."

Hope shook her head, trembling in anger. "And you wonder why I didn't want to work with them. They're our traitors! Right fucking there!" Hope launched herself at Dawn, her leg swinging in a deadly arc to hit Dawn in the chest.

Dawn stumbled back and tilted her head at the slayer. "Can you say, 'that was a mistake'? You hit like girl." Dawn lashed out with her own attack, her sharp kick to the jaw sending Hope into Sandris and a heap on the floor.

"Can you feel it, Nix? The power you'll have back after so many without? Just remember, always remember, no matter what they try to do to you-even if they go as far as your soul, you're Phoenix. The Princess. My princess. Never let the soul stick."

Yane had to defend himself against Dawn next. There really was no point to it all. It was a battle to the death, and it ended quickly with her snapping his neck savagely. "God, I haven't killed someone in like forever!"

Sandris only had one option. She had to threaten Phoenix. And she'd do it with Harmony. Just as she moved to attack the unaware blonde vampire, a fist shot into her face, knocking her out cold. Connor smirked a bit.

Angel pushed himself to his feet. "Wanna have it out, Phoenix? See how many you can kill before running back to your sire who doesn't even love you?"

"He does love me." Phoenix countered, her posture tensing.

"Where is he then?" Angel asked smartly.

"Here." Spike replied, hitting the dark vampire over the back of the head with a crow bar. He stared at the weapon. "Feels like old times. " He dropped the weapon and looked up at Phoenix.

A grin spread across her face; she'd almost believed Angel. "Spike." Feeling confident once more, she looked at the others, sure that they had lost, that this was the end (and wasn't it?). "It's been fun guys, really. But my poor soul has been on loan from the very night you guys shoved it in me. It's too bad. Because now I hate all of you."

-

Sandris glared at the seven others with her in the dungeon-like cellar. They were all in separate cells. and she'd learned the hard way to refrain from touching the glass around her, only so that she wouldn't have to go through nearly being electrocuted to death again. Instead she paced her small space, thinking of escape plans. All she needed was Angel…

Another ex-resistance member to have sold their soul was Gwen Raiden. She sat in a chair by Angel's, filing her nails and checking the time eagerly.

Executions. They'd rebelled against the New World Order and now they would die for it. Connor was the worst traitor of them all; his only job was to protect Harmony for Gunn. Connor had been double agenting as well. His "crush" was a fluke. He fooled them all along, Harmony and Phoenix too.

The door creaked open and Phoenix entered. She was dressed immaculately, like a princess. A long flowing black gown. Her skin as pale as ever, a necklace never seen by Sandris around her neck. There was to be a celebration above tonight, a celebration of the downfall of the Resistance. The Peaceful Era would be soon coming.

She titled her head, tapping her chin as if hard up for a decision. She looked at Angel, never taking her eyes of him as she said to Gwen, "Let me in. Don't lock it."

Gwen did as she was ordered, sending a shock through the cell. The door swung open and Phoenix stepped inside. She sat down in her seat again, readying herself to enjoy whatever show Phoenix was to give.

She pulled out a syringe and looked at Angel disdainfully. "This might be totally cliché, but, any last words?"

"Yeah." Angel replied. "How could you do this to me?"

"What did you think would happen, Angel? I like you-a lot. But I don't love you. That's all Dawnie Soul's job. Me, this me, loves Spike. Hell, we both love Spike. And maybe Connor a bit. He's cute. Though, Faith is kinda busy with him a lot. Between her and Buffy, he's got his hands full."

Angel didn't reply and Dawn, not Phoenix-never Phoenix, said, "Let's make this simple. Lethal injection." She holds up the needle. "Spike's orders."

Angel fought her all the way, even as the needle ended up in his neck. She froze at that result and let him go, watching in dismayed fascination as he began to toss about in agony. Gwen even stood up. She'd never gotten the chance to watch. Not in a really long time-not since Phoenix had last been around.

"Sayonara, Angel." The electric girl said quietly to herself.

Sandris waited and watched with a sadistic fascination as Angel's glass cell was suddenly full of dust. Dawn remained standing inside for a moment before leaving. And at that moment, Sandris understood. Separating Phoenix from Dawn was pure bull. Both sides loved Angel, both loved Spike. That whole speech had been her way to deal with killing one half of her. And that had been Spike's test. Congratulations, Phoenix passed.

She stepped out the cell as the dust settled. Sandris watched as Phoenix slowly walked towards her cell, saying to them all, "Who next? You won't explode like Angel did-except you, Astin-so don't worry about leaving a mess."

Gwen opened the door to Sandris' cell and their eyes met for the longest time. Gwen gave the smallest nod before stepping back to let Phoenix enter. Sandris considered fighting Phoenix, but what would be the point? What would she have but a life of solitude and confinement?

She closed her eyes and sat still as Phoenix eased the syringe into her neck. She had to face it. They all had to face it. What had happened. What the resistance would really ever be.

It burned. She rolled off her cot and squirmed as it continued to burn. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. She couldn't-Willow, see you soon, baby.

The last thing she saw and heard were cheers from the only trustworthy members of the Resistance as Gwen slammed a stake into Phoenix's back with much flourish. Her eyes then stared sightlessly at the ceiling of her cell as Gwen released the last few vestiges of their purpose and escaped before Spike could realize his princess was dust.

The Resistance would eventually be a failure, and Spike and Illyria would eventually win. But they'd be damned if they didn't go down without fighting to the death and pulling a few tricks from their sleeves.

Author's Note: The epilogue awaits and that's it.