After looking through the episodes, I decided to combine a few in this chapter. I also have a little surprise in store for this fic, but it won't be revealed until the end of season 2, so you'll have to wait a while longer. On another note, I know that my definition of machine spirits may not be strictly cannon, but for the purpose of my fic my definition stands. Well, hope everyone likes it.
Chapter 3
"Why did you call us over, Willow?" Buffy and Xander walked in the library after Willow asked them to join her. Giles was already there, feeling curious as well.
"I wanted to update you on my own actions. While you were out patrolling, I've been busy working on ways to upgrade our equipment and fighting ability. Last night, I completed the first phase of my plan." Willow said proudly.
"What exactly did you do, Willow, and what is your plan?" Giles asked.
"While it would be impossible to create the weapons and equipment of the 41st Millennium, I managed to design some weapons that can be built with the technology available today. Of course, to build them, I needed two things, funding and a place to work. Last night, I took care of those two issues." Willow grinned.
"Please tell me you did nothing illegal." Giles sighed, knowing that he would hear just that.
"Unfortunately, appropriating the necessary funds was the only way to get the resources we need. Don't worry; there is no way it can be traced back to us." Willow assured him.
"What makes you so sure? Who did you rob, and how much did you take?" Giles pressed on. They had enough on their plate without involving the law.
"Before I went after the funding, I began to commune with the machine spirits in the bank's servers. They are rather simple, but that only made my job easier." Willow began.
"What exactly are these machine spirits?" Giles interrupted.
"I can't explain it really. Basically, every construct designed for a purpose has one, but it wasn't until the machines grew complex enough that they were discovered. The Mechanicus learned how to commune with the spirits and over time, command them to better serve the Imperium. Considering how simple the spirits are in this age, putting them under my control took little effort.
While I was transferring the money, they scrambled all the log files and they will continue to divert all traces away from us and through large, endless loops. As for how much, I gathered two billion dollars from various criminal syndicates." Willow surprised them all.
"That was a bold move. I expect you have already secured a location as well?" Buffy was unconcerned about Willow's actions as Gilles spluttered in shock. The money was made at the expense of others, and putting it to better use was something she supported wholeheartedly.
"Yes. A factory at the outskirts of town has been for sale for some time. I have already secured the deed, and once I examine it, I can start to bring in equipment and supplies. It will be a bit hard to work on my own, but I'll manage." Willow grinned.
"Anything we can do?" Xander asked.
"You can go and check it out to make sure nothing has taken residence there. It is quite possible that there could be vampires there. Xander, you are free to move in as well. It might be a good idea to have you nearby." Willow replied.
"I know I can't talk you out of whatever you have planned, but please, be careful. Buffy, tonight is blood delivery night at the hospital." Giles informed her.
Buffy nodded and together with Xander and Willow, walked out of the library.
The factory was fortunately completely abandoned, and while Xander staked himself a nice corner of the building, Willow began marking out areas of the factory for different purposes, and with Xander's help, cleared out all the trash from the structure, fixed up the utilities and replaced the broken windows.
She had begun ordering the machines and supplies for the plant, which would arrive over the course of the next month and by her estimate, she would be able to start manufacturing within three months.
On their next scheduled meeting, the trio walked in the library on a nice Saturday morning to find Giles and Ethan fighting a dead looking man.
"Demon filth." Buffy growled as she sensed the entity inside the corpse. Xander had sensed it as well, and as one, their eyes began to glow as they gathered power.
Xander's spell washed over the corpse, holding it in place just before Buffy's spell struck it full force and obliterated the entity. Without the demon, the corpse simply collapsed onto the ground.
"So, would anyone care to explain what was going on here?" Buffy asked.
"I suppose you deserve to know the truth. In my youth, I was a bit wilder, more rebellious. I got mixed up with the wrong crowd, and we started to experiment with magic. Dangerous, forbidden magic." Giles began with a sigh.
"What sort of magic?" Buffy narrowed her eyes.
"Demon summoning. The demon you destroyed was called Eyghon. We would summon it and let it possess one of us. It was the ultimate high. Then one day, one of our friends was killed by it, and we dispersed." Gilles confessed.
"You know, my respect for you has both plummeted and risen at the same time. I'll never figure you out, will I?" Buffy grinned, showing him that she didn't hold his past against him. In fact, the darker parts of his personality would fit right in with the servants of the Imperium in the trio.
"What should we do with costume boy here?" Xander turned their attention to himself. Ethan was safely secured by the much larger boy.
"That is for Giles to decide. Ethan is his friend, after all." Buffy shrugged.
"Ethan, your actions have caused great damage here, but at the same time, you have given these three a great blessing, however unwitting it might have been. For that, I will let you leave with your life, but if you ever set foot in this town again, I will destroy you myself." Giles growled as he buried his fist in Ethan's gut, dropping him like an empty sack.
"Now get out of my sight."
"I really don't see the point of this test. I already have a job, well sort of." Buffy sighed as she was working through the mandatory test for the school's career week.
"Don't be so gloomy, Buffy. Don't you want to know what you would have ended up as if you hadn't been called?" Willow grinned as she worked on her own test.
"How are things at the plant?" Buffy ignored the question completely.
"The machines have begun to arrive. I'll be able to get the smelting operation started in a couple of weeks.
While it was impossible to produce the technology used in the Imperium, some materials like ceramite and adamantium could be manufactured using modern smelters, although with a fair bit more impurities. Armor made from it wouldn't be able to endure the weapons of the 41 millennium, but against the weapons available in the 20th century, it was practically impervious.
"That's good to know. I could use a little more protection on me." Buffy grinned.
"Well, let's get going. We don't want to be late for class." Willow stood up, putting her test on top of her books.
The next day, the results were out, and Buffy grinned inwardly as she read the list. For her, the recommendation was that she try law enforcement, while for Xander, she was surprised to see it said he should try and join the clergy.
There was nothing about Willow, but moments later, one of the teachers led her away to a separate lounge where she was informed that a leading software company was interested in hiring her.
To their disappointment, Willow declined their offer, as her work in her new factory was already eating a massive amount of her time.
"Giles, do you recognize this symbol?" Buffy handed her Watcher a ring. There was still some blood on it.
"This is the mark of the Order of Taraka. Where did you find it?" Gilles gasped.
"Some asshole tried to kill me while I was on patrol. I believe he was human, since I didn't sense any demonic taint from him. So, what's this Order thing?" Buffy replied calmly.
"They are an ancient order of assassins. They are famous for never giving up on a contract. When one assassin fails, another comes to take their place. Someone has put out a contract against you." Giles frowned.
"It's probably Spike, which means he's likely to be planning something nasty." Buffy sighed.
"He is indeed the most likely candidate, and along with the recent book theft, it all certainly points to him." Giles mused.
"Did you figure out what was in the stolen books?" Buffy asked.
"I'm still working on tracking down a few, but the ones I managed to track down have nothing in them that should concern us for the moment."
"Alright then. I'll keep my eyes open for more assassins. You try to figure out what Spike is planning." With that, Buffy walked out of the library and back into the night.
"Damn, someone got lucky tonight." Buffy cursed as she saw the pair of vampires running away from a cemetery. "I'll get them another time."
"Oh shit." Willy the barkeep, the owner of Willy's, a real dive of a place famous as a hangout for every inhuman creature in Sunnydale groaned as Buffy walked in.
Immediately, several patrons rushed out, and the rest shifted further away from the bar.
Willy's face grew even paler as Angel walked in just moments after Buffy.
"What brings you here?" Buffy grinned as she turned to face the vampire. "Willy, two shots of your best stuff."
"Right away, ma'am. Nothing but the best for the Slayer." The greasy little man rushed to comply, making sure it was his best stuff he was pouring. The last time he had tried to give her the cheap stuff she had broken his arm and three fingers.
"I heard a rumor that the Order of Taraka was in town, so I thought I'd ask Willy what he knows." Angel shrugged.
"It's probably our old friend Spike, right Willy?" Buffy quickly downed the shot, exhaling contently as the liquor burned down her throat.
"Yes ma'am. He is indeed behind the Order's presence here. Do you require anything else?" Willy spoke rapidly, pouring her another shot.
"Nothing for now. Enjoy the rest of the evening, everyone." Buffy downed her second glass and walked out.
Willy looked like he was about to protest the fact she didn't pay, but the pain in his arm told him otherwise. He knew perfectly well that he was only alive because he was useful to her, and he wasn't about to endanger his existence considering he had enough trouble with his usual patrons.
As the pair walked down one of the many alleys, a dark skinned girl suddenly jumped out from behind a dumpster and attacked them.
"That was fast. The Order of Taraka sure works fast. At least you're better than the last one." Buffy grinned as she fought the girl.
"I am not from the Order of Taraka, vampire. I am Kendra, the vampire slayer." The girl sneered.
"First, I'm not a vampire." Buffy blocked the girl's punch and slammed her against the wall behind her. "And second, I am the vampire slayer."
With that, she pulled out a dagger and pressed it against the girl's throat.
"You're coming with me. Let's see if Giles can shed some light on this whole mess." Buffy kept the blade on Kendra's throat as she marched her towards the library.
"Is she another assassin?" Giles frowned, wondering why Buffy hadn't just killed the girl.
"No. She claims to be the Slayer." This surprised the Watcher.
"I've never heard of there being two Slayers. You are certain of this?" Giles frowned.
"I know what I am. My Watcher Sam Zabuto sent me here to stop a great evil from rising." Kendra said calmly.
"So, any explanation, Giles?" Buffy noticed Giles relaxed when Kendra mentioned her Watcher, and realized she was on the level.
"Oh. Well, it is possible she was called when you died fighting the Master. You were dead long enough for the next potential to be activated." Giles offered them an explanation after a minute.
"Well, that's good to know. Welcome to the club, I guess." Buffy released the girl and held out her hand.
"What about him? I sense he is a vampire." Kendra pointed at Angel.
"He is a useful ally, and no threat to humanity. Regardless of that, he is my responsibility." Buffy's tone allowed no protest, and Kendra nodded in acknowledgment.
"Hey, who's your new friend, Buffy?" Willow walked in, giving Kendra a curious look.
"She's the new Vampire Slayer. Her name is Kendra." Buffy shrugged.
"I see. I'm Willow, nice to meet you. Anyway, I got this for you, Buffy. It's not a force weapon, but Xander went all out with the blessings." Willow put the bag she carried on the table and pulled out a long sword.
Buffy picked it up and gave it a few expert swings. "Let's put it to the test, then. Angel, would you please touch this?" Buffy held the sword at him. Angel did so carefully, doing so with a single finger. The moment he touched it, the sword flashed with golden light and Angel pulled his hand back, cradling a smoking stump where his finger had been.
"Sorry about that. You'll be alright?" Buffy turned towards him in concern.
"Yeah, it will grow back in a couple of days. Do me a favor and next time test your toys on someone else." Angel sighed. He had noticed a rather striking difference between Christianity and the Imperial Cult, ever since Xander first showed him that image he had blessed.
The blessings of Christianity acted in a defensive manner, repelling or blocking vampires, but Imperial blessings were very aggressive, as the Imperium wasn't as interested in shielding itself from demons as much as it was interested in destroying them.
It made sense, after all, that the religion of such a dark and violent age reflect it in its practices.
"Sure. Come on, I'll walk you home." Buffy grinned.
The next day, Buffy and Willow were attending the career fair, and they dragged Kendra along with them for company.
"Buffy Summers. Who is Buffy Summers?" A woman in a cop uniform called out.
"Right here." Buffy walked up to the cop, and to her surprise, the woman suddenly pulled out her gun and aimed it right at her.
Jumping forward, she managed to grab the woman's arm and aim the gun upwards as it fired. The sound of gunfire caused a lot of panic in the assembled students and they began running around as Buffy managed to subdue the woman.
"Summers, what the hell is going on here?" Principal Snyder arrived, looking livid.
"I don't know, sir. This woman suddenly pulled her weapon on me and tried to kill me." Buffy replied from atop the struggling woman.
"Can you keep her down until the police arrives?" Snyder asked after a minute, and Buffy nodded.
"So, you're from the Order of Taraka, then?" Buffy whispered.
"I'm not the only one, girl. The Order has never failed a contract." The woman snarled.
"I heard you had an exciting morning." Giles grinned.
"I'm not in the mood, Giles. What did you discover?" Buffy glared at him.
"I finally found what book Spike was after. It was a book written by Josephus du Lac. One of the things it talks about is how to restore a sick vampire to full health. I believe Spike is going to perform the ritual to restore Drusilla." Giles replied.
"Do you know what he needs for this ritual?" Buffy asked.
"A full moon, which is tonight, and the sick vampire's sire, which in Drusilla's case happens to be Angel."
"Willow, get Xander and meet me outside Angel's apartment. Kendra, you're with me." Buffy stood up. Her romantic involvement with the vampire may have been over, but she still cared for him.
"Who and what are you?" Kendra was wide-eyed as she saw Xander, who was holding a massive two-handed sword in a single hand, standing next to a much smaller Willow.
"Xander Harris. As for what I am, it's a long story. So, is Angel here?" He turned to Buffy.
"The place is trashed. Looks like they dragged him off. Still, we should be able to find them if we try together." Buffy held out her hand to him. As one, their eyes ignited with the energies of the Warp as the air around them grew frigid.
"Found them." Buffy and Xander said as one and rushed away, the rest of their group following close behind.
They arrived in an old church where the ritual had already begun. There was a large group of vampires and another man that to their senses felt like a demon.
"Xander, take down that demon and then move to the vampires. Kendra, keep the rest of them busy as I interrupt the ritual." Buffy ordered and tightened her grip around her sword.
Spike felt a sudden chill in the air before a group of his minions were suddenly flung about the room like rag dolls by an invisible force.
"Damn, the bloody Slayer is here. Come on love, we're getting out of here." Spike picked up Drusilla, moving quickly to the back door of the church.
Meanwhile, Xander was busy with the demon that turned out to exist as a swarm of bugs. A quick application of Warp Lightning left the insects extra crispy and smoking on the ground, and he turned his attention to the vampires, his blessed blade cutting through them like they were air.
Five minutes later, all that was left of the vampires was dust, and Buffy was fussing over the unconscious Angel.
"Well, that was fun. I'm going back to the factory, then. Later." Xander separated from them as they walked towards the school.
"I should get back home as well. The sun will rise soon." Angel managed to recover a bit from the ritual.
"I need to return to my Watcher as well. This town is in good hands." Kendra smiled at Buffy, who returned the gesture.
"I should get back home as well before my parents start to worry." Willow walked away as well, leaving Buffy alone.
"A good night's work. Sleep sounds good right about now." Buffy yawned a bit, grinning a little as she walked towards her home.