Author's note:

Having taken Lonely Souls to the right point it is now time to update this. Reviews would be much appreciated. The third chapter is much longer than 1 and two and will be up when Lonely Souls catches up again…

Chapter 2: Dawn's Rules of Ranging

"Janice?"

"Yo?"

"Why does everybody knuckle under to Kit?"

Janice rolled her eyes. "Dawn…just pay her okay? No one who's stood up against her has ever won. She took down Kimberly Hancock and she's three years older. No one messes with Kit."

"No single person no…but why don't we walk around more in groups? Help each other? Sign a pact?"

"A pact?"

"Yeah, you know, mutual defence. 'If attacked by Kit Holburn, we will all come to each others' aid, stuff like that."

"Dawn…it won't work okay, everybody's scared of her."

"Yeah well, I'm not too scared to do something about her! I don't like paying some lazy ass so she can buy whatever it is she wants to spend our money on!"

"Well neither do I! Dawn, no one ever beats Kit! She's like, like Supergirl, except she's got no Kryptonite. And she's evil."

"Well, what if no one pays her anymore? She can't hurt us too bad…"

"Everybody pays eventually. Or did you forget the knee to your stomach?"

"I'm not giving up on this Jan…I want to take that bitch down."

"Yeah, well you and me both, but every time I see her I start to tremble."

Dawn sighed. "So…If I told my mom about this…"

"Nobody would believe you. Farmingham would deny everything. Nothing like that could happen at his school, or be done by his angelic little pupils…"

"But…"

"It's been tried Dawn! Do you think we just knuckled under? KIT HOLBURN IS THE DEVIL!"

Dawn reared back from her friend's scream.

"Wow. She's really got you whipped…"

"Don't say it Dawn…You've only known her for a coupla weeks…we've been dealing with her for months" Janice wiped away a tear.

Dawn wisely kept her silence and returned to watching.

She noticed that Kit had certain routes, and apparently a system whereby none of her sheep were overburdened. She saw how small groups tried to fend her off, only to be separated and taken down solitarily. Kit was patient and thorough and very, very sneaky. As far as she could see the only ones who were kept from getting Kit's wrath were those who were dropped off by their parents on a daily basis as well as the Kendall Twins, whose annoyingly vapid elder sister dropped them off. She wondered if she'd be willing to suffer that trade off herself…Harmony Kendall was seriously stupid. She shook her head. Not getting beaten up was not worth the aggravation of living in the same home as Harmony.

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Things at school did not improve when Miss Mellowes fell ill with a stomach bug. The new teacher, a tall thin man called Pennyman, though effective in the classroom, spent most of his schoolyard patrol time sitting on a bench discussing educational principles with Principal Farmingham. Without Shannon Mellowes spurring presence the other teachers started paying less attention to the needs of the pupils and more to their own.

Dawn Summers was not usually a crusader. But the continued bullying convinced her something had to be done. She filched a map of Sunnydale form her mother's car and sneaked a list of her classmates' addresses from the school office and started plotting. The Summers' Pact for Mutual Aid started small.

"Heya Carlos." Dawn had snuck up on Carlos Trejo. As a member of the so called "Ballet Brawlers" Carlos avoided her as much as possible. He turned round swiftly and flinched involuntarily and put a hand to his nose while backing away.

"S-Summers? Hey…Ummmm…d-did I do anything…?"

Dawn inwardly grinned. She might not be Kit Holburn but she did sort of enjoy the awe her smack down had inspired in some of her school mates.

"No…Carlos…I've been looking at the map…"

"Huh?"

Dawn got out her road map, the individual houses marked in biro, and pointed. "You live here. This is Joey's house, Janice, Billy, Prissy, Becky, The Kendalls…but they get taken to school and may not be interested…We all live close enough together that we can get into school together…"

"Ummm. What?"

"Carlos…are you on something?"

"Huh?"

"Carlos…look when you walk into school alone, what happens?"

"I get jumped by Kit?"

"Exactly…has Kit ever attacked a group of three or more?"

Carlos brow furrowed in thought. "No…"

"So if you and me and Janice meet up here…" She pointed at the map. Carlos peered at the map.

"You're not gonna lure me there to pull some more of that Ballet-Fu are you?"

Dawn grinned. "Not if you're gonna be polite about my sister."

"S'okay…Ummm…So…tomorrow?"

"Sure, see you then."

The next day Kit Holburn waylaid Joey Brand.

Dawn surprised him when he came out of the boy's rest room. "Heya Joey." Joey clapped his hands to his groin and tried to scuttle away. Dawn grabbed his collar and Joey flinched.

"Joey…you just paid fifty cents to Kit Holburn…"

"Summers…I gotta eat! If you take the rest of my money, I won't get food!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I don't want your money Joey…I want to stop Kit Holburn. You saw Carlos walked in with me and Janice this morning?"

"Yeah…"

Dawn got out her map. "Now look here…If we walk in together every morning we can stop Kit, 'cause there will be more of us than she can fight…"

It snowballed from there. Once she convinced Joey Brand, Billy Hadwell and Carlos Trejo to walk with her and Janice others took an interest.

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"Dawn?" The voice was uncertain but hopeful.

Dawn looked up. "Heya Priss, Becky."

"Dawn…I saw you came in with Janice and the Ballet Boys…"

"Yeah…" Dawn grinned involuntarily at the description of the three former tough guys. They'd never live that encounter down…

"And Kit just looked and let you pass..."

Dawn nodded in satisfaction. "Yeah."

"You planned that didn't you?"

"Yeah I did."

"So…Can we…ummm…"

"You're welcome to walk with us, sure."

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome. We meet tomorrow at Finisterre Place."

"We'll be there!"

A week later Harmony Kendall stopped dropping off her sisters. Kit Holburn moved in like a shark, ready to reap the harvest. She hit them three days in a row, leaving the twin blondes scared, bruised and in disarray. Dawn saw them looking at her and Janice, Billy and Carlos and then withdraw into a corner to confer.

The Kendall twins came up to Dawn the morning after their fourth run in with Kit in a week, teary and with their usually neat braids askew. Melody began the conversation, Felicity joining in.

"Dawn?"

"Can we walk with you?"

"'Cause Kit beats up on us…"

"And pulls our hair…"

"And steals our money…"

"And we've had enough…"

"And you said strength in numbers!"

"And we want to be…"

"Among the numbers!"

They grinned at Dawn, speaking in unison. "When the Saints come marching in!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Did you two rehearse that?"

"Naahhh…"

"We're just naturally talented."

"Deeply gifted…"

"Utterly Awesome…"

Dawn groaned. "Stop it before I change my mind about letting you join."

The two shut up immediately, eyes wide. "Sorry."

"Hey, that was a joke, don't worry. It's kinda neat."

"Okay."

"Tomorrow at Clifton Cemetery."

"We'll be there!"

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In the second week seven more kids joined on Monday, Tuesday saw the numbers of Dawn's Rangers with the set of rules drawn up by Dawn based upon those of the guy called Roger, grow by a further eight members. By the third week half the school had joined. Kit Holburn had to act soon to prevent her power from being eroded. And the obvious target was the lynchpin, commander and founder of the Pact: Dawn Florence Summers.

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Dawn's Rules of engagement:

All Members are subject to the rules of engagement.

Never travel in groups smaller than three to prevent Kit Holburn from getting the upper hand.

Make certain one of you always keeps an eye out so you can't be surprised. Kit Holburn is sneaky.

Before reaching your destination, and if traveling in a larger group, send three ahead to flush out a possible ambush by Kit.

If Kit starts working with snitches, or anyone betrays the goals of the Pact, they will be cast out of the Pact and shunned.

Larger groups should travel with a front and rear guard, to lull Kit and the teachers into complacence. The front and rear guard should number at least three persons.

Make sure your groups of three are strong enough to take on Kit. If attacked, fall back until reinforcements arrive.

When chasing off Kit, make certain you don't get ahead of your group and get ambushed. Don't go into the bushes alone, don't run up hills after her.

When fleeing try to make it a fighting retreat, don't run unless you have to.

If you do have to flee, break up the group and run as fast as possible to a safe place.

All Pact members will be introduced to all other Pact members. There will be no favouritism,or discrimination, everybody will help everybody, all pact members are equal.

Don't hesitate to engage Kit if she attacks, but donot attack first. Don't let anyone fight her alone.

Retreat into bushes or easily defensible places like graveyards. Attack Kit from all sides.

Scream before entering the fight, it might frighten Kit. Don't scream if to near to a parent or teacher.

If you're sitting or talking, or eating lunch make certain at least one of you must keep watch, better to have two. Don't let Kit surprise you sitting down!

Everybody should be fully alert before leaving the bus stop, passing the statue of Smiling Dick, walking through School Park or any other of Kits favoured ambush spots.

If you're caught by Kit while alone (DON'T BE THAT STUPID!), call for help and flee, wait for other Pact members to show up. Try and make Kit believe your friends are nearby.

Always check where Kit is before you start moving in to the school or onto the yard, you can never be sure what she might do.

Don't forget to look behind you, not even when leaving school, she may decide to start attacking at other times.

Only go past Kit's favourite ambush sites when you can't avoid it, she chose them for a reason!

Don't get caught in a tight spot, don't let yourself get caught between Kit and a wall, try and stay in the open. Don't forget Kit's fast!

If Kit is following you, try and circle back, summon help and scare her off: change the odds in your favour.

Don't let Kit waylay you on the way from the PE fields in the park; you'll be tired and less able to fight. STAY IN GROUPS!

If Kit is following your group try not to fight her, if she presses, try and attack her in a place where you can make quick getaway if she proves stronger.

Always keep in eye or voice contact with pact members.

If you spot Kit, make certain you mark her position known to all other Pact members through signs and countersigns.

If Kit attacks you in a bad place, scatter and regroup in one that is good, or call for help.