The Black, May 2520
Lacey took a deep breath before descending into the cargo bay. Her gaze drifted toward Cole and Jayne, taking turns spotting each other at Jayne's weight bench. They looked up curiously when she stopped in front of them.
"Gentlemen, if you could meet me on the bridge in about 5 minutes, I'd like a word in private."
Jayne looked ready to make a snide comment but Cole lifted a hand to cut him off and nodded at Lacey.
Five minutes later, Jayne was leaning over the back of River's chair, absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair. Cole stood near the window, gazing out at the stars. Lacey made certain the hall outside was clear before sliding the door shut and nodding thanks when River silently engaged the lock.
Cole heard the lock click into place and turned to face Lacey, "I take it this is rather serious matter?"
Lacey nodded and moved to stand next to him, "I have a job for the two of you, if you're willing."
"We already got a job. Shoot any Alliance that gets in our way." Jayne said.
River smiled sadly, "I have a more specific job."
"We still get to shoot people?"
"Probably."
"What kind of job?"
"Protection."
"And who would we be protecting?" Cole asked.
"Three Slayers and a witch."
"That is rather specific. And why do they need protection?"
Lacey hesitated.
"Success of desolation hinges upon their safety." River offered.
Lacey nodded, "What she said. We have a spell that, in theory, will allow us to defeat the head of the Academy. But those four must remain focused and untouched as long as the spell is in place."
Cole's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You know who the head of the Academy is?"
Lacey pursed her lips tightly.
"You've been withholding information."
Lacey met Cole's eyes, "It's the only way."
Lacey watched indecision war across the general's face before his expression settled, and she knew he was choosing to trust her.
Cole and Jayne exchanged a long glance, having some sort of silent conversation.
River tilted her face up toward Jayne, "Shì. The girl's safety is involved."
"Stay outta my head, Moonbrain." Jayne growled without any real menace.
Jayne nodded at Cole.
Cole turned back to Lacey, "We'll do it."
Lacey sighed in relief, "Xièxie."
"Obviously, the witch will be Willow. Which three Slayers will we be responsible for?"
Ariel, late May 2520
Lacey crouched near the outer wall of the upper levels of the Academy with rain falling steadily down on her. Xander crouched next to her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to look over at him. She raised a hand to his face and he turned into her touch, his brown eye gazing into her grey ones.
She smiled, briefly, "Xander, I need you to promise me that whatever happens in there, you'll stick to the plan."
He looked confused, "What aren't you telling me Ace?"
Lacey just shook her head, "I'm protecting you."
"Ace…"
"No, Xander. Trust me. This time I really can promise you I'm not leaving. We will both come out of this, but you have to stick to the plan. Promise me."
Xander searched her face, wondering at the near desperation in her voice, and finally nodded, "I do trust you. I promise."
Lacey leaned forward to kiss him gently, "Wǒ ài nǐ."
Then she stood and took a few steps back for a running start to vault over the wall, praying that all of this would work but placing her faith in the Slayers, not the Powers that Be. It was the Powers fault all of this was happening in the first place. Hell, all of this goes well, Lacey thought, maybe the next fight we start will be with them.
Lacey landed lightly, noticing other Slayers doing the same all around the courtyard surrounding the Academy's upper levels. Guards were systematically and silently taken out and moments later, wavering portals appeared at various points in the wall, and the rest of the Slayers and their allies poured into the courtyard. Willow was the last one through, Oz barely a step ahead of her, both tense.
Lacey took one last fortifying breath before moving forward, and into the building.
Shepherd Book gasped, "What in the name of all that's holy –"
"There's nothing holy in this place, Preacher." Lacey cut him off coldly.
They had been working their way down one of the lower level corridors. A number of Slayers, werewolves, and even a few vampires had been freed from various areas of the facility. Those who had the mental capacity and desire to help were given weapons. Those who were unable to provide aid (there were none who didn't have the desire) were grouped and escorted back to upper levels. The latest corridor had opened onto the sight before them now.
Metal tables lined the room, blood in varying stages of freshness ringed the drains in the floor. X-Ray and other scanning machines lined the room, many displaying horrific breaks and lacerations. Various brain scans immediately brought back the passionate fury Legacy had felt when Simon first explained what they had done to River's brain.
A very young girl, dark haired and dark skinned, to Lacey's right cringed back from her. Lacey looked at the girl curiously.
Dark eyes looked up to meet her face, "So much rage…" the girl said fearfully.
Another voice somewhere behind Lacey offered, "Mina is an empath."
Lacey nodded understanding and met the girl's, Mina's, eyes, and spoke as gently as she could, "Mina, look closer, mèimei. There is rage. But it is for you, not toward you."
Mina's face took on a look of great concentration before she nodded and offered Lacey a watery smile. Suddenly, the girl's face paled, "He's angry."
"Who?" Book questioned from Lacey's left.
Lacey answered for Mina, "D'Hoffryn." she bit out savagely. She spun to face the group they had had rescued so far, "Can anyone tell where he is?"
A small voice spoke from somewhere in the back of the group, "He'll be in the inner courtyard in three minutes."
Lacey nodded to the unseen voice, "Xièxie." she turned to Book, "Preacher, keep clearing. We're not leaving anyone behind."
"What are you going to do?" Book asked as Lacey prepared to run.
"Make sure we can leave at all." Lacey answered as she sprinted off.
River, three minutes! Lacey thought with all her might as she took the ascending stairs two and three at a time. They had expected D'Hoffryn to be in the lower levels. It was the only reason Lacey had descended in the first place. So she would be closer to her target. It was the reason the other four stayed topside, to remain distant from the battle – safe. Lacey cursed vehemently at the change of plan as she burst into the inner courtyard.
Off to the edge, in a stone gazebo, surrounded by Jayne, Cole, Oz, Robin, Zoe, Spike, and Giles, Willow hovered over Faith, Buffy, and River, who sat in a circle with linked hands.
"An enjoining spell is… volatile. If we lose focus…" Willow sputtered.
"Will, I have faith in us. This could work." Lacey said.
Buffy and Faith looked just as determined. And it had been River's idea.
Willow sighed, "Fine… then who's going to be what?"
"Not like last time. Combine the true powers into one." River said.
Lacey took only a moment to figure it out, "Us four. Combine the true Slayers."
River nodded and began humming to herself.
"Will, you can invoke the spell, but use the four of us as the components." Lacey clarified.
"That could pack one hell of a punch." Faith whistled.
"That's true, but who's going be what?" Willow insisted.
Everyone was silent.
Finally, Willow spoke again, tentatively, "I think it should be Legacy."
"Which part?" Buffy asked.
"Manus. The hand. She's got the only one that has connections with each of you. Neither of you has any substantial connection to River yet."
Faith and Buffy nodded.
"Makes sense, but Xan-Man is gonna lose his shit." Faith said.
"He's not going to know." Lacey said flatly.
No one questioned her.
Lacey cursed even more creatively when she glimpsed Xander entering the courtyard, a hoard of the rescued students at his back. D'Hoffryn chose that moment to appear in the center of the courtyard, thankfully in his true form. Lacey watched as Xander's eye swept the scene and her heart broke at the horror on his face when it landed on D'Hoffryn.
Before Xander could do anything stupid, Lacey stepped forward to face D'Hoffryn.
The demon sneered at her, "Slayers. Why am I not surprised? It's almost a shame your legacy will be falling in the midst of trying to protect your own kind. It sounds so noble, and I'd so much rather you die humiliated."
Lacey grinned, feral-looking, and was about to answer when D'Hoffryn waved a hand and she went flying back into one of the stone walls surrounding the courtyard.
River's eyes went wide, "Coming!"
Willow gasped, "Already?!"
River nodded, hair flying about her face, "Three minutes."
Willow put the last candle in place and ushered the three Slayers into place.
Will tilted her head toward Lacey, "If you're the hand, it's best for you to decide what the others are, how they'll be most effective."
Lacey nodded and closed her eyes to think for a moment, "Buffy's the heart, she's the first us, she's our lifeblood. Faith is the spirit, her passion won't allow anything else. Most importantly, River is the mind."
River whimpered behind her and she turned to face the girl.
River shook her head with tears in her eyes, "The girl's mind is broken. Brainpan turned to mush."
Lacey stepped forward and took the girl's face in her hands, gently wiping away tears with her thumbs, "No, mèimei, you are not broken. You are special. You are zhēnde shì tiāncái, and I need that. I need to stay a step ahead of D'Hoffryn, and you'll have the three of us to anchor to, dǒng ma?"
River closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and nodding.
Willow glanced up as Lacey went flying across the courtyard. Spotting Xander, frozen in place with a mix of shock and horror on his face, the witch realized they had to act quickly.
Buffy seemed to read her thoughts, "Uh, Will, not to rush the magics, but Xan is going to do something astronomically stupid if we don't rush the magics."
Willow nodded and lit the last candle before rising to her feet and holding her hands out over the three Slayers,
"The power of the Slayer and all who wield it.
Last to ancient first, we invoke thee.
Grant us thy domain and primal strength.
Accept us and the power we possess.
Make us mind and heart and spirit enjoined.
Let the hand encompass us. Do thy will.
By the generous will of the Ancients, the almighty power of the Divine Spirits…
Your supplicants humbly beseech thee to behold us, and that which we possess…
the moieties of the One, the Avatar…
Spiritus... spirit.
Animus... heart.
Sophus... mind.
And Manus... the hand.
We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel, the hand...
daughter of Sineya...
first of the ones...
We implore thee: Admit us
bring us to the vessel!
Take us now!
We are heart...
We are mind...
We are spirit...
From the raging storm...
We bring the power of the Primeval One."
Lacey landed against the wall with a sickening thud. Her head was spinning as she drug herself to her feet. D'Hoffryn reached her just as she managed to get upright. One of his hands wrapped around her neck and he used it to lift her up and slam her into the wall once again. Spots of light and darkness alternately obscured Lacey's vision as she tried feebly to kick out. D'Hoffryn laughed and let Lacey drop into a pile at his feet. He kicked her in the ribs, sending her slamming back into the wall once more before reaching out and dragging her back to her feet. She leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. Without opening her eyes, she turned her head to the side and spat a mouthful of blood.
Then she felt the power flow into her.
"Giving up so soon, Slayer? Which one were you again? I can hardly keep track these days."
Lacey's eyes snapped open, glowing an inhumane yellow, "We are the Slayer. And our legacy will live on. You will not be so fortunate, demon."
D'Hoffryn took an involuntary step back, even as he raised his hand to send her flying again. Legacy raised into the air and flew slightly to the side before alighting back on the feet. She spun on D'Hoffryn and raised her own hand and he flew across the courtyard opposite her.
Just as he slammed into the wall, one of the doors to the Academy opened and guards poured out. Shots flew at her, but none hit their target. An invisible force not only stopped the projectiles, but returned them with greater force. Lacey ignored the guards in favor of D'Hoffryn.
Jayne's grip tightened on Vera and he raised it and fired toward the oncoming guards without a second thought. Lacey had just thrown that creepy lookin' guy across the whole courtyard without even touchin' him, and Jayne didn't quite understand how magic worked, but he knew Lacey bein' able to do that had something to do with the women holding hands in the gazebo behind him. If the guards got to them, the Slayers would lose the battle. But more importantly, if the guards got past him, River could get hurt. He wasn't aimin' to let that happen. He was just beginnin' to realize he liked havin' the feng le girl around, and was even startin' to think he liked having her in his bunk, and he wasn't ready to give her up just yet… even if he didn't know what that meant.
Two guards had made it past the hail of gunfire and were too close to the gazebo for Jayne's liking. He acted like he didn't notice them until they were within arm's length. Suddenly he dropped Vera, letting the strap on his shoulder catch its weight, and spun, drawing Andrew (it was new and he'd named it after the kid that hung around the Slayers' ranch, cause it was kinda goofy lookin', like the kid) from his belt. He wrapped an arm around the first guard's neck and drove the dagger into the man's heart from behind, then used the body to swing at the second guard, knocking him unconscious, before kicking him hard in the head just for good measure. None of the guards dared trying to come too close after that.
D'Hoffryn rose to his feet and lifted a hand toward Lacey, who had made her way across to him. But she was prepared this time and his gesture had no effect.
"You have no power over us, lord of Arashmaharr." Lacey intoned in an eerie multi-layered voice.
In a blink D'Hoffryn vanished, only to reappear just behind Lacey and wrap an arm around her neck. Lacey quickly got a grip on his arm and easily flipped him over her head and sent him slamming, upside down, into the wall once more.
Lacey leaned down and took hold of his robes to haul him to his feet. He suddenly stood straight and lifted both hands and Lacey flew halfway across the courtyard, stumbling slightly as she landed on her feet. D'Hoffryn stalked toward her, gesturing with his hands, as fire leapt up around her. Lacey waved her hands and the fire broke from its circle to fly toward the demon, who dissipated it completely with another gesture.
The demon and the Slayer circled each other slowly. D'Hoffryn leaped toward her suddenly, but Lacey side stepped. He stumbled, and was saved from falling by Lacey's unexpected grip on his arm. Lacey bent quickly to lift the Scythe from where it had fallen when D'Hoffryn first arrived and sent her flying. Rising, she used her grip on the demon's arm to pull him to the side, even as she swung the Scythe toward him. His face barely had time to register the shock before his head was rolling on the ground.
Cheering erupted from all around her and Lacey's gaze swept the edges of the courtyard, where she saw various groups rescued students with their escorts from the Slayers' forces. A smile began to creep onto her face even as she felt the power from the enjoining spell fading and swayed. Then there was just blackness as she collapsed atop the now headless form of D'Hoffryn.
Translations:
Shì – Yes
Xièxie – thank you
Wǒ ài nǐ – I love you
mèimei – little sister
zhēnde shì tiāncái – an absolute genius
dǒng ma – understand
feng le – crazy