Hey all! Sorry it's been so long. I got distracted, then got busy, then forgot. I was looking through old files again and found this about half done, so I finished it. If anyone still cares, part 3 would not take ANYWHERE near as long, I haven't decided if it will be much longer and the last or if (more likely) there will be a part 4, I DO have the whole thing mapped out.
anyway, if anyone is still watching this, let me know what you think!
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Winifred Burkle strolled along a river, watching the current, trying to enjoy the afternoon and the sunset….trying to shake her bad feeling. She heard the voice in her head " It's not just you child, something is happening. The eldritch world is full of chaos and change. It feels like….war". Fred shivered, it had been more than ten years since Willow had come down on Illyria with the magical equivalent of a nuke and demanded that they come to an understanding, and she could still never quite get used to Illyria speaking into her mind.
Their agreement had actually been pretty simple, Willow wanted Fred to live, Illyria wanted to live, and Willow had PURPLE eyes when she showed up that day, so all parties had figured it was not a terrible move to hear her out. With all dreams of conquest turned to dust long ago, Illyria had been forced to settle for proving itself in combat, sticking with Angel Investigations even after the fall of LA, along with the deaths of Angel, Lorne and Wes. In the aftermath, Illyria stayed with the surviving team because they routinely faced off against the most interesting enemies around.
Now Fred and the demon had established a deal. Fred got to live her life. No nightmares, she kept her soul, no eldritch debts of any kind, with Illyria whispering the odd bit in her mind (that was helpful more often than not, Illyria had LIVED much of early history and had helped unravel more than one mystery). Fred could dance and laugh and love and not have to feel like she was hiding some shameful secret, because Illyria didn't seem to have ulterior motives. In exchange, Fred went with the team on every combat mission, and when they were having a slow time, she supplanted it by aiding the Slayers in their battles, and Illyria got to drive. None of her friends were cowards, but if Illyria wanted to get up front and take the brunt of the violence, Spike was the only one who ever really had any trouble with that, and Illyria never minded sharing with her pet. It was a win, win, win…(Fred had paused working this one out early on) win?
Fred stopped reminiscing, Illyria speaking to her always got the cheerful nerd wondering how her life had gotten so strange, but she needed to focus. One side effect of having an Old One sharing your body was that Fred had acquired some vaguely demonic abilities. Even when she was in control, Fred could see in the dark, she never seemed to get sick (Illyria had mixed feelings about sharing this body with a human, although an abstract fondness had formed. A human was enough, harmful microbes would NOT be tolerated!) and she had a sort of demon sense. She couldn't feel vampires nearby, but more powerful beings were like a sound at the edge of her hearing. She had thought for the last few hours that she was imagining things, but she DEFINITELY felt it now. Not an immediate threat…..more like what she felt at a Hellmouth, a vast stormcloud, just waiting to burst.
"The Slayers will require assistance, and I sense they will be aware and getting ready to move soon. Death Valley is the quickest way to them, I shall drive" said Illyria. Fred had been comfortable on a moped in college, and had upgraded to a motorcycle a few years earlier. When they were in a hurry, Illyria would sometimes wear the guise of Fred to avoid unwanted attention, but it would be the demon driving, able to go faster and take more risks than a human ever could. Fred hesitated for a moment, Death Valley was extremely dangerous, not just because of the heat, which with Illyria she was largely immune to, but because of a powerful and mysterious demonic presence. Those with exposure to the magical world were unable to go unnoticed and faced great danger. The voice in her head felt the hesitation "Oloror was a very loyal servant in the Primordial Days. It wishes to be left alone and would not answer my call for aid, but will not hinder our passage. There are lesser beings there, but they can feel the aura of demon royalty and they would not dare impede me"
Buffy Summers was sitting at the table for a Slayer Council meeting. Senior Slayers, Watchers, assorted other advisors and diplomats and experts in various areas all had a seat at the table, the new organization was more inclusive and more flexible than what had come before. Buffy and Faith were there, along with Xander and Willow, and a few other long time friends and allies. They were discussing expenses and new potential resources in their never ending war, and trying to determine if a revolution in a small island country might be demonically influenced, when Giles and Vi crashed down in the middle of the table.
A dozen hands around the table went for weapons on the spot, and a dozen more rushed in with steel and wood bared. Their HQ was protected with every warding spell they were aware of and it had kept things out for years, nothing had ever gotten in without permission, but they could never be too careful. They recognized the two friends, and when Faith splashed holy water and it didn't burn them, all weapons were lowered. Kennedy and Rona rushed to help the two, Buffy froze "Where's Dawn?"
The next few minutes were a blur, Giles in tears, recounting what they had seen, Vi with a dislocated shoulder from the bad landing trying to get to the door, to go back for Dawn. Giles didn't have to finish before Buffy raised her hand for him to stop, and helped Colleen push Vi into a chair. "Vi, enough, we don't need to hurry" said Buffy sadly. Vi looked at her, with horror and confusion and tears in her eyes "You've known Dawn for 20 years. She had two grenades, she had already made her choice, and she saw that there was no way out. If they took her alive, she'd be a vampire by now, and she knew that. Dawn would never let them take her alive….there's nothing to save". Buffy felt cold, detached. She wasn't fighting back tears, her mind was ahead, on what had to happen. "We still have to destroy that nest, it's a real threat, and we don't know how many there are, we need to bring everyone, just to be certain. Riley? ...no, I don't want any comfort until it's done….just get everyone, call all of our friends, tell them what happened, let's get this done'...she trailed off, she sat down. She wasn't up to leading, not right now.
Around the room, Buffy was the only one not actively weeping, even Riley had tears in his eyes as he left to prepare for war. There was a growl, and Spike stood up. He had gotten his humanity after Angel was killed in L.A., and he and Buffy had been happy together. He had aged with her, grown with her, and taught little Slayers how to fight, even though he couldn't keep up with them anymore. "I need to do something, give me two days before we head out" he said shortly, and left the room.
People were arguing about what to do next, how to attack, if they SHOULD attack or just bomb it and risk things escaping. Buffy was unresponsive, staring at the table, there was so much confusion and anger. Aliya stood up and banged the blunt end of a stake on the table, everyone quieted down. Aliya was special, she was only 22, but she had many of the same qualities as Buffy herself, even among the Slayers, she was great. She was stronger and faster than most, she never showed fear. She didn't like to fight, she was much happier as a diplomat for the organization, she made friends, she eased tensions, she taught and she healed. But when things were grim, when it seemed like all hope was lost, she was one of the few people Buffy could call on and know she would not fail. So many Slayers had fallen over the years, bleeding in the mud, with death looming over them, only for her spear to flash and destroy their enemies. And she wasn't just a hero on the battlefield, there had been many stories over the years, people pulled out of rubble, out of burning buildings, from raging rivers. She never stayed, she never spoke, but stories of the guardian angel in the green hijab were told in towns around the world. She was a great fighter, but those she had picked up and carried to safety, those for whom she had stopped the bleeding or coaxed the water from their lungs greatly outnumbered the fights she had won. She was young and quiet, but when she wished to speak, those who knew her stopped and listened.
The young woman looked at Buffy 'Do you mind if I….' Buffy nodded distantly 'go for it'. Aliya turned to the rest of the group. "Okay, we can't allow them to escape, revenge or just not dealing with them again later, I don't care what motivates you, we need to get this done. Kennedy, Faith, Vi, I need you three to get a team together, go through the armory. Any weapons, any spells, any toys we haven't pulled out yet, now is the time to figure out how they work. Vi, you said there was at least one Old One, as bad as it is, we need to proceed as if there are more. Xander, get on the phones. Every Slayer on missions everywhere, any friends we might have, anyone who can give us more of an edge. Legal, illegal, whatever. If anyone knows arms dealers who can get us things we don't have, do it and get the bill to Stacey in accounting. We need grenades, we need crossbows, we need those guns with the wooden bullets if we can get them." Riley looked up "I can do that, being a general has perks. There aren't a lot of them, but you'll have all the ones there are" Aliyah nodded gratefully, that would make waves of vampires easier.
"We're going to need.." there was a knock on the door, Clem was standing in the doorway. His face was more wrinkled than ever, and there was a deep pain in his eyes "Is it true?" the looks around the room were confirmation enough. Tears rolled down his cheeks "Dawn….she was my friend, she was the first human to treat me like a friend. I…...I'm useless in a fight, but I'm a trained medic, and I know more who aren't afraid of a war, is there a place for me?" Aliyah walked over and hugged him gently "Clem, we are going to need medics by the end of this. But that aside, you know that each of us sees you as a friend. Dawn may have been one of the first, but her leaving doesn't change anything, there is ALWAYS a place for you with us". Clem nodded, fighting back tears, he opened his mouth to say something, but struggled and settled for hugging Aliyah, then said softly "I have some calls to make. I might as well call my old gambling buddies as well. They don't mind Slayers and they like a fight" then he hurried off. Nobody commented when they heard him crying in the hall, more than one of them was crying right in the room. That was one of the lessons Faith had drilled into them. There was no shame in crying, in mourning. Faith herself had cried in front of the group after a fight with a demon that took the form of the Mayor. She had been clear, let the emotions out, confront them before they consume you, and reach out for help, don't suffer alone. Faith had been very open about her past, they knew she spoke from experience.
The next day passed in a blur. Calls were made, money was paid, allies drawn in. Through it all, Buffy didn't say a word. She threw herself into the work, she sharpened dozens of stakes, checked countless crossbows, loaded gear into battle packs, all without speaking or making direct eye contact. A few people tried to talk to her, but she just hurried to work elsewhere. Nobody pressured the most senior Slayer. If they won and she survived, her friends who had known her longest would be there to get her through this. If either of those conditions was not met, they had bigger things to worry about.
Late afternoon the day after Dawn fell, Fred/Illyria arrived. As Illyria, they did not need food or water or rest, they had stopped twice for gas on the prototype motorcycle Fred had built, and otherwise had crossed the continent without stopping, demonic reflexes and temporal magic allowing them to never drop below 100mph. Fred had tried to offer her sympathies to Buffy, only to be met with the same as everyone else. Fred wasn't offended, just heartbroken for her friend. And furious, Dawn had been very dear to her. She gave Illyria free reign to prepare for what the God-King predicted would be the greatest eldritch war since humanity had driven the majority of pure demons from this dimension.
Illyria had never come into battle with a weapon. It would take one from an opponent at times, but never brought one to battle, stating that it could defeat most things without one, and the lack of a weapon made the conflict more interesting. So Kennedy was surprised when Illyria asked to visit the vault to seek a weapon. The Slayers had taken many magical weapons and other artifacts, researching them, and storing the most dangerous in a vault far beneath headquarters. Illyria had helped them identify many of the oldest and most powerful items, but had never shown interest in the enchanted treasures. Kennedy had been put in charge of getting everyone armed and had been going down to the vault, Illyria came with her.
As Kennedy opened the vault and they got a look, the Slayer saw their blue haired ally display shock for the first time. The demon wandered in "I had no idea that you had found many of these items, this is most impressive" Kennedy smiled for the first time since vi and Giles had come back, seeking these things out was a passion project of hers, and she was proud of some of her finds. "Thanks. We don't know what the ones over on this side do, but we're getting there in archiving everything".
Illyria nodded. " I recognize some of these from the Primordial Age, and I know the spells on others enough to know what they do. If we win and i make it back, I would be glad to help your archivists. For now, this, this, this, and the two at the end are just powerful enchanted weapons, exactly as they appear, with no traps or danger, give them to skilled warriors. These three are useless to us at this time, this is an urn holding the spirit of one of my brethren, bury it in concrete after the war…...oh my, THIS is remarkable, may I use this?" Illyria had picked up a knife. Kennedy nodded " You're our strongest fighter, you have first pick of the toys, it's all yours."
Illyria actually seemed excited, in their detached, alien way "Thank you, now I just need to fashion a shaft and…..I don't believe it, you have the other half!" It picked up a length of wood and some mystery metal woven together and etched with demonic runes, Kennedy took a step back "Careful, that flattened the camp of the archaeologists who found it, it killed ten people". Illyria snapped it into the knife head, which turned out to be a stubby spear, with the runes now glowing " It's stable now, this was the weapon I kept at my throne in the Primordial Age. It was bigger then, one of my smaller minions must have taken it after I fell. This is one of the greatest weapons in existence, at least in the hands of a demon. It would turn a mortal to ash if they held it" Illyria snapped it like a whip and the weapon extended to about Fred-height.
Illyria worked with renewed energy, that spear really seemed to make it very happy. The Old One spent the next couple hours in the vault, sorting through the items, setting aside anything they could use today and explaining how it worked. A set of mystery cubes ended up being armor, to be given to the most formidable combatants.
There was an orb that with the right spells and a tribute of blood would radiate strength to the allies of the user, keeping them fresh. That was the treasure Kennedy valued most. Erin, a high school aged Slayer in a wheelchair since birth, had been feeling left out. She was invaluable in research, a lifetime of loving to read, she was well on the way to being as learned as any Watcher. She'd been feeling left out because she knew the crossbow strapped to the back of her chair wouldn't be enough for her to contribute as much as her friends. She could use a stake, but more than one or two vampires would just outmaneuver her. When Kennedy had asked her to hold the orb, give it the blood, and give everyone else a better chance of living, Erin had been all too happy to be actually useful. She could still use the crossbox from the rear, and now Kennedy wouldn't have to keep a front line fighter back.
Riley showed up with a ship full of more modern weapons, including the promised wooden bullet guns. Vi had taken a small flamethrower to add to her usual gear. The misery and guilt were plainly visible in her eyes. Kennedy wanted to take her aside and talk to her. The redhead was not to blame for what had happened. Dawn hadn't been a Slayer, but she had trained ever since Glory to not be helpless, and she could land the first hit, or cast the first teleportation spell against anyone who wasn't expecting it. Dawn had made a choice to save her friends, knowing the cost full well. Kennedy had known Vi since Sunnydale, she didn't want her friend trying for some suicidal penance. Slayers would die in the fight to come, but they were too valuable to the world to die stupidly.
They continued to work late into the second day. Just after sunset, the vampire alarms went off. They were modeled on the ones Wolfram and Hart had used. Aliya hid it well, but felt a bit of vindictive anticipation. Bring on a vampire, ten, fifty, a hundred, five hundred. They had hundreds of Slayers, armed to the teeth and all too eager to start the staking. This was their home, with all of their defenses, nothing in the world could defeat them here, and…...Aliya stopped, her thoughts derailing. Was she missing something or was there just one?
Crossbows were sticking out of windows, stakes were drawn, they were ready for a brawl. The lone vampire in the motorcycle helmet and long black duster paused "Oh bollocks, forgot about the helmet" and pulled it off. Spike stood there, looking the same as before, but he had set off the detectors….Aliya looked at him "You didn't". In an instant, he had his vampire game face "Sorry pet, had to do it. I wasn't strong enough or fast enough to go to war again, so I called Dru. No soul, but if Red pulls through this, she can patch me up real quick. If not, I probably don't make it. And if I do, you lot can put me down."
He paused, the swagger disappearing "Come on Slayer, you know me. I want to nail some folks to trees, but not you lot, the other side." he looked down " I'd have died for Dawn even without a soul, I nearly did, more than once. I got my curse back so I could crush the ones that killed her.I know I won't make it out of this fight, let me do some good. Dawn made me promise that if she ever got vamped, I would stake her. No 'vampire with a soul' for her. Let me keep my promise. I'm so bloody tired of this world, and if I can check out and protect one of you youngsters while i do it, that's bloody fantastic" there were tears in his eyes.
They heard a gasp behind them, Willow had come out with battle magic at the ready. Spike looked at her, still wearing his game face. "How about it Red? Can you trust me around friends for one last run?" Willow was even paler than usual, which was impressive. But she didn't hesitate, she walked up and hugged him "You were with us for a lot of scary fights before you got your soul. I don't have an Orb of Thesullah on me, but I trust you with my life Spike". Aliya nodded "I only met you after the soul, but I heard the stories, we're good".
Buffy was still drawn into herself, only nodding at the news. Faith and Kennedy and Giles had taken charge of getting everyone ready and loaded onto the aircraft carrier Riley had called in a few favors to borrow. The Slayers had their own healthy supply of vehicles and such, but nothing that could get all of them and the special forces Riley commanded, and all of their various allies from Slayer HQ to Scotland. It really had to be one trip, they didn't know exactly what they would be up against, and while their combined forces could almost certainly destroy any rival, Fath didn't want to risk the first landing party being ambushed and wiped out before the rest arrived.
A couple days after they left Slayer HQ, the massed forces were assembled outside of the tunnels, with forces with high explosives placed at every known exit. Nothing would be allowed to escape. After trying and failing to convince Giles to sit out, and getting nothing but calm, emotionless refusals from talking to a still concerningly empty Buffy about the same, Faith led her huge family into the dark tunnel, and whatever awaited them below ground.