Disclaimer : BTVS and Angel belong to the Great, Munificent Joss Whedon! I do not them or Stargate, Dukes of Hazzard, or Highlander. Nor do I own M.A.S.H or Charmed. I'm not doing this for money, fame, or fortune (more's the pity) but I am doing this for the recognition of my peers, peons, and loyal subjects.
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As the dragon above screamed her rage the magical force-field in the alley failed. Demons in the front fell forward no longer held back. They were trampled and eaten and dusted as the remaining army raced toward the remaining defenders.
"Don't fire until you see the... red?... of their eyes!" Jack called out to his teammates.
Sam smirked. Teal'c's lips twitched in barely held mirth. Daniel shook his head and asked, "You've always wanted to say that didn't you?"
The barricade made of corrugated metal was shaped in a pattern of old redoubts. The metal had been attached at five foot intervals and angled to each other. Murder holes were cut on the inside of each angle forcing the enemy to concentrate in the kill-zones provided.
Jack, not bothering to answer Daniel or wait for the enemy to get too close to their defensive position, grabbed up a pair of 'clackers'. He squeezed the grips of the devices which were wired detonators sending a signal through a hefty wire to the explosive devices they were able to plant before the demon army had started gathering. It had been a calculated risk, Jack knew, but one that panned out quite well.
Duncan commented to his kinsman Conner, watching the Air-Force officers activate the detonators, "Claymores. Conner, why did you call them Claymores?"
"I didn't," he responded in all innocence, "it was my research team that called 'em that."
Daniel, standing near them while firing his p-90 through the murder hole in the barricade, snapped up asking, "Wait, so you invented the Claymore Mine?"
"Yes, I did." Conner replied while reloading another machine gun. Pridefully he added, "And I thank God above everyday for the idea. Sure it changed warfare, but after Korea and Vietnam..." he let the sentence trail off as Jack and Sam set off another set of Claymores.
The resultant devastation of thousands of little 1/8 inch steel balls ripping into the demons were quite apparent. Any and all demons that were right in front of the claymore mines were immediately shredded beyond recovery, most dissolving into a fine mist of guts and gore. Any demons further out were either maimed, as body parts flew off, or injured sufficiently for their fellow demons to fall upon them in a feeding frenzy much like sharks that smell blood in the water.
Yet still, they came. Wave upon wave of hideous demon flesh pressed against their barricade. Major Carter double checked the supports they had welded together, the stops sinking further into the asphalt and concrete of the alley road.
Daniel, Jack, and Hailey kept their P-90's on full auto. The Immortals Conner and Duncan reloaded the spare machine guns behind them, passing the fully loaded weapons up when the front-line shooters ran dry.
"Conner, Duncan! Switch with Carter and me!" Jack yelled out, noticing the struts and supports for the barricade starting to bend from the stress of the demons pushing upon it. The Immortals having just re-loaded a weapon each slid gracefully into the positions vacated by the Air Force officer's.
"Sir! There's too many of them!" Hailey shouted out, the Slayers and others shifting nervously behind them.
Jack shouted in reply as he handed a repeating grenade launcher to Major Carter, "Lieutenant! You should know better than that! There's no such thing as 'too many'. It's just a 'Target Rich' environment!"
Major Carter nodded in response as they raised their launchers and pumped three grenades each in a high arc into the enemy. They calmly re-loaded and fired again as their first rounds blew. These next rounds they fired a little farther out causing all sorts of mayhem amongst the demon army. The explosions took out a fair number of the army giving them some breathing room.
Daisy beat her cousins up the side of the building when she spotted the drainage pipe secured to the side of the building. She hopped from the fire-escape, grabbing the pipe and clambered up as fast as she could. She got enough speed to grab the edge of the roof and flip up to the top.
"Show off." Bo groused good-naturally at his cousins antics. He chanced a look down and shouted, "Get a move on Luke! The demons are coming up the ladder!"
Luke doubled his pace not deigning to look down. Catching up Bo helped by pushing up on the duffel bag his cousin was lugging holding their weapons and supplies.
"Conner!" Daisy called out as the young man jogged over to join the Dukes. Behind them Daisy could see the Mages had finished their design and were starting their spell.
"'Sup Daisy?" Conner drawled as Luke and Bo hopped over the edge dropping their duffel bag onto the gravel. Ripping the zipper open they pulled out a Staff weapon, a couple Zat'nik'tels, two axes that were sharpened and blessed by Father Mulcahy.
Luke tossed Conner the Staff weapon as Bo grabbed up a Zat gun. Leaning over the edge he fired three shots into the fire-escape ladder effectively disintegrating it and a few demons to boot. Conner spun the Staff weapon around admiring the balance of the weapon. Daisy reached out and snatched it away. He looked up, surprised opening his mouth in exclamation. Daisy hushed him by showing him how it worked as Bo and Luke started firing indiscriminately into the Demons below.
"This is the firing end." she said over the sound of Zat blasts pointing to the emitter of the weapon. "This other end is for balance and blunt force work." she added showing the other blunted end.
Pressing on the activation button she showed him how the emitter opened saying, "This opens and closes the emitter. This button," she said pointing to the trigger, "fires bursts of plasma."
Handing it back to him she grinned ordering, "Have fun!"
Smiling like a kid at Christmas Conner snatched it back, bounded to the edge of the roof and started firing at the demons below.
Giles was going over their plan one more time as Wesley stepped up to examine the design on the cleared roof floor.
"...nd then Dawn, we'll need just a few drops of your blood to open the portal..." he directed handing the ceremonial dagger to the brunette.
Wesley interrupted him stating unequivocally, "It won't work."
"It has to..." Giles began.
Dawn jumped in,"Giles I-" her attention was distracted by Buffy running by them pulling Angel and Spike with her, "agree with Wesley." she finished then, eyes wide in shock, she yelled, "Dragon!"
All four turned as Wesley pulled a half dozen ball-bearing sized orbs from his cloak stating, "I've got this!".
Whispering to them he then threw them up in the air. They formed a domed force-field over them, yet they still couldn't help but to drop and cover as the dragon roared by. Once passed them they stood up Wesley stating, "As I was about to say, as it stands currently the ritual is not enough. The Slayer Scythe and Excalibur are not enough."
"Well! What will be enough?" Willow exclaimed.
Wesley smiled saying, "Willow, I am now only second to you in magical power. There are three witches that together outstrip both of us."
"The Charmed Ones?" Giles gasped in realization.
Willow and Dawn crossed their arms and glared at Wesley. He gulped and took one step back in alarm as Willow ordered, "Spill Mister."
"All I am allowed to say is..." he hesitated slightly, "Someone is watching over us."
Sharing a glance the girls nodded and Dawn said, "Well, all righty then."
Giles offered, "Buffy has taken care of the dragon. Let's get this show on the road." no small amount of fatherly pride evident in his voice.
"Yes, let's." Wesley stated as he sat cross-legged at his assigned position. The others followed suit and started chanting. Their voices rose and fell and rose again. At the crescendo their came a sparkling of lights as four figures materialized in the night air.
"Thanks Leo. Looks like we got here ju-" turning the woman gestured freezing the demons about to overrun the Dukes, "st in time."
"Hey," Leo acknowledged, "I'm an Elder. Timing is my specialty."
"Thank you for saving us mister." Daisy said, well, thankfully. She asked, "Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, but who are ya'll?"
"I'm Leo, an Elder." Pointing each of the woman out he informed her, "That's Phoebe, she's the Clairvoyant of the sisters. She's the reason we're here. That's her younger sister Paige, she's telekinetic, half-witch and half-White-lighter. And that is my Wife..." Daisy could hear the capitol 'W', "she can freeze Demons and beings of Magic." Whispering he added, "She can make things explode so I always say 'yes dear'."
"Leo! Stop messing with the Slayer and get over here!" Piper playfully nagged at him.
Rolling his eyes he responded, "Yes Dear."
Daisy giggled.
Jack handed the fresh re-loaded weapon to Duncan trading off the empty P-90. He took a moment to examine the barricade, noticing the struts were bent in further. The metal supports were starting to creak and groan from the stress of the demons pressed against it. Peering past the shooters through the murder holes he noticed there were no piles of demon bodies. He knew, through observation earlier, that most demons either exploded to dust or liquefied to goo. Jack had also noticed that some didn't, they just collapsed or blew to pieces. Shaking his head he decided not to think further on the demon corpse subject.
That way led to madness.
"Carter!" he called out to his second-in-command. "How much longer we got on the barricade."
"Not long Colonel." she answered, "I'd give it another minute. Two at the most."
Nodding in acknowledgment and decision he ordered the Slayers and Immortals, "All right campers! About time for some 'hand-to-hand' engagement!"
Kennedy piped up, "Aw, and you didn't even get me a ring!" This led to some of the Slayers giggling and snickering.
Ignoring her he told Teal'c, "T! Your up! Time to do the voodoo you do. So well."
Teal'c called out, "SlayerVi!" as he turned and tossed his Staff to the Slayer. She shuddered, but not in fear. Gathering herself she jumped in his place, activated the Staff and started shooting carefully placed shots into the demon horde. Teal'c having picked up his BIG gun, slinging the strap over his shoulder, and pressing the activation button moved into position. As he passed the mobile supply chest he reached in and pulled out a cowboy hat. Standing slightly behind the shooters and in the middle of the barricade he pulled a toothpick out of a pocket.
"I am ready O'Neill." he informed Jack placing the toothpick between his teeth.
Jack barked out, "Shooters! Fall back!"
Duncan and Conner MacLeod stepped backwards firing the whole way. They moved carefully and in tandem, one foot placed carefully in-line behind the other. On the sides Daniel and Sam proceeded to do the same after the Immortals had taken five steps. Duncan and Conner stopped firing and jumped over the second, shorter barricade. Jack and Jesse fired their P-90's taking careful aim, weapons put to semi-auto, through the inner murder holes.
At that Sam and Daniel followed suit. As they jumped over Conner and Duncan took up the slack. Firing through the outer murder holes they kept the Demons at bay. The rest of the defenders squatted and poised, ready to jump over the second barricade and into the fray.
Teal'c drew himself to his full height, shouting out in a passable imitation of John Wayne, "All right you mangy curs! Listen up. There's a new Sheriff in town!"
At the end of his pronouncement he fired.