Chapter 102: The Yoko Factor

Buffy is searching, looking for Adam's lair. She comes upon a cave entrance, as she powers up a fireball. As she takes a step forward she hears a twig snap. She whirls, comes face to face with… Forrest.

"Don't shoot." Forrest says.

Buffy hesitates a long moment before extinguishing the fireball. "Give me a reason not to."

"You killing humans, now?" Forrest asks.

"Not yet. Beating you senseless should do just fine." Buffy says.

"I could have a patrol here in under a minute…" Forrest says.

"And I could be gone in less time. Or do you not remember my little show and tell?" Buffy says,

Forrest nods, "Ok let's make this simple then. You go your way, and I'll go mine."

Buffy steps toward the cave. Forrest does too. Both stop to glare at one another. "I'm checking out that cave."

"My orders exactly." Forrest says.

"Alone?" Buffy asks.

"We're spread a little thin right now, so yeah. Family's tearing apart -" Forrest says.

"Family? What kind of family are you guys? The Corleones?" Buffy says as they enter the cave.

"Weren't until you showed up." Forrest says.

"What, no girls in the club?" Buffy asks.

"You think you're the first girlfriend Riley's ever had? There's one big head on that skinny little body - no, you're just the first one ever got him to commit treason. Riley had a career. He had a future 'til he met you and yeah, I got a problem with that." Forrest says.

"A future? A future doing what? Illegal experiments? Torture? Murder? I guess killing someone isn't a problem for you." Buffy says.

"Less and less. Now why don't you get the hell out of here before I –" Forrest says as he grabs her shoulder - pissing her off. She shakes him off, interrupting his threat.

"Touch me again you'll find out what Slayer strength is like." Buffy says. "Or maybe I'll just see how far up your ass I can shove a fireball."

"Think it's about time you showed me, then." Forrest says.

"Yes." They turn to see the cave entrance is blocked - by Adam. "I think that would be interesting."

Adam prepares to skewer Forrest.

Buffy leaps across the cave and grabs Adam's skewering arm just as the blade juts out, throwing off his aim. Buffy and Adam square off. Without looking back, Buffy grabs Forrest by the shirt, bunching it up in her fist and shoves him back hard, toward the entrance of the cave.

"Get out of here." Buffy says.

"Not moving." Forrest says.

Buffy strikes at Adam with all she's got. He doesn't move. He knocks her back. "GO!"

Adam turns to see Forrest aiming the blaster right at him. The sight is interesting to him. Forrest fires - at point blank range. Electric energy courses through Adam's entire frame, rippling blue shock waves around his body, making his whole form violently vibrate. Buffy watches from the ground. Finally it stops - the last ray of energy wriggles into Adam's chest plate - energy absorbed. Adam rights himself.

"Thank you." Adam says.

Buffy runs toward Adam. "I could have told you that would happen. I threw a fireball during out last encounter. He ate it right up."

With one lightning-fast thrust, Adam impales Forrest.

Buffy rushes Adam.

Adam throws the dead body of Forrest onto Buffy.

Buffy hits the ground, momentarily pinned by the dead weight - face to face with dead Forrest.

Adam picks up Forrest's dropped blaster.

Buffy flames out as Adam fires at where she was at. She flames in somewhere in the woods. Flaming has greatly drained her with the head wound she has from her fight with Adam. She passes out.

Later in the evening Buffy regains consciousness. She just lies there a moment, not moving. Then suddenly bolts upright with a gasping intake of air. She gets her bearings. Stands. Instant pain nearly makes her knees buckle beneath her. She grabs a tree trunk for support.

Buffy takes one small, painful step. "Leo!"

Leo orbs in and takes a look at Buffy and grabs a hold of her orbing Buffy back to the Manor. He sets her down on the couch and holds his hands over Buffy and begins to heal her.

"Leo?" Piper asks.

Leo shakes his head, "I don't know. But she's hurt bad."

Buffy's wounds close up and she smiles, "Thanks, Leo."

Leo nods, "How did this happen?"

"Adam." Buffy says. "Piper we need to get everyone together."

Piper nods, "I'll call Paige. Get her back. I doubt Pheebs will answer since she's evil now."

Buffy nods, "I know. I'll get Xander and Giles. Can you call Willow? I'll call Riley."

"Alright. Speaking of Riley. How's he doing. You know recovering, transitioning to civilian life?" Piper asks.

"He's been doing ok. But if what I heard is any indication. Their saying he committed treason." Buffy says.

"That's not good." Piper says.

"By the way my exposure problem." Buffy says and Piper nods. "Adam killed Forrest." She walks over to the phone and dials Xander.

Piper looks at Buffy a moment and then walks into the kitchen dialing Paige.

"Hello?" Xander asks.

"Xander, it's Buffy." Buffy says.

"Hel-lo?" Xander asks.

"Xander?" Buffy asks, confused.

"Ah, just kidding, this is an answering machine. At the tone, leave a message." Xander says as Buffy hears the…

Beep!

"Xander, call me. I think we need to get the gang together." Buffy says.

Buffy, feeling a little humiliated that she fell for Xander's trick, hangs up.

In the kitchen Piper is on the phone to Paige. "Yeah get back here. Leo orbed Buffy home. He had to heal her. She said it was Adam. Okay, thanks. No I don't think I'm going to try Phoebe. I'm not sure she would answer to help us."

In the Foyer Buffy is on the phone again.

"… for Rupert Giles and I'll return your call as soon as possible."

Beep!

"Giles. It's me. Just … call me." Buffy says as she hangs up.

In the kitchen Piper is dialing. She tried Willow's dorm and left a message. Buffy had told her that Willow sometimes stayed with Tara and given her that number for emergencies also.

"Hi. This is Tara. Please leave a message."

Beep!

"Hi, uh, Tara? It's Piper Halliwell, Payson Halliwell's cousin. You might recognize her as Buffy if Willow told you about her. Anyways I'm looking for Willow. If you see her, would you tell her to call? It's pretty important. Thanks." Piper says.

In the Foyer Buffy is on the phone.

"Hello?" Riley says.

"Riley. It's Buffy." Buffy says.

"What is it?" Riley asks.

"I have some bad news. I was out looking for Adam's lair. Ran into Forrest and Adam. Not together though. Forrest and I were checking out the same cave. Adam came up behind us. I tried to get Forrest out there, but…"

"What is it?" Riley asks.

Buffy sighs, "Forrest is dead." Riley is too stunned to speak. "I'm so sorry… There was a fight. Adam killed him. I barely got away."

Riley softly moans.

"I know nothing I say can make things better. But I swear to you, we will find and destroy this thing. Right now you need time. Take what you need, I can…" Buffy says.

"I have to go." Riley says.

"Are you sure? You…" Buffy asks.

The only answer Buffy receives is a dial tone.

Later at Giles' apartment, spread out around the couch by the fireplace, everyone looks tense - sitting clustered in mini-factions: Xander and Anya on a chair, Willow and Tara at the computer, Giles in the kitchen area where he cracks the seal on a new bottle of scotch and pours himself yet another drink.

Buffy looks over Willow's shoulder, scanning the computer screen, which is again filled with unintelligible characters. They are looking at the information on a disc that Spike had acquired for them. Piper and Paige remained at the Manor to work on potions to use against Adam.

"It's all weird and jumbley." Buffy says.

"It's still encrypted." Willow says.

"Willow's been working really hard on it, though." Tara says.

"Okay. So how long before you… uncrypt it?" Buffy asks.

"Hours. Days, maybe. Anyone suggesting months would not be accused of crazy talk." Willow says.

Giles is drunkenly in a mood of false cheer, "Whatever happened to Latin? At least when that made no sense, the church approved."

"I can't just wait around, Will. That disk is no good to me unless you crack it soon-" Buffy says.

Willow obviously fumes at this.

"Hey! We worked hard getting that! Xander delivered clothing." Anya says.

"The church approved." Giles says and he chuckles to himself, retroactively appreciating his joke.

"Sorry everyone, but we're on a clock here. Adam was at that cave. Maybe he was there for a reason. I can go back, scope it out, track him if I have to…" Buffy says.

"Right! And maybe you'll get lucky and he'll still be there and he can rip your arms off for you! Buffy, you can't go back alone." Willow says.

"You never train with me anymore. Adam's gonna kick your ass." Giles says.

Buffy frowns, "Giles?!"

"Sorry! Didn't mean to be so honest. Terribly sorry." Giles says.

"So she doesn't go alone. Giles, weapons all around—" Xander says.

"You're not coming, Xander. You'd get hurt. It'll be easier for me if I'm not worrying about protecting you." Buffy says.

"Oh. Okay. You and Willow go do the superpower thing. I'll stay behind and putter around the batcave," Xander says as he indicates Giles, "with crusty old Alfred here."

Giles, still working at being chipper, pours another drink. "Ahh. I am no Alfred, sir. You forget - Alfred had a job."

"Willow stays behind too. I'll do it alone." Buffy says.

"Great. And then, when you've got your new no arms, we'll all say, gee, it's a good thing we weren't there getting in the way of that!" Willow says.

Tara and Anya make eye contact, uncomfortable. Tara slowly gets up and leaves her spot next to Willow, moving quietly toward the kitchen area.

"Right, and maybe we can help in other ways. Need some fightin' pants, Buff? I could go get you some fightin' pants." Xander says.

"Guys, you're just making this harder." Buffy says.

"Wow. We're already getting in the way. We're good at this, huh, Xander?" Willow says.

"Right. I'm so good at it you might have to ship me off to the army to get me out of the way." Xander says.

Now, unnoticed, Anya leaves Xander's side and also heads toward the kitchen…

"The army?" Buffy asks.

"You didn't know I knew about that, did you? You two talking about me behind my back." Xander says.

"Us talking about you?" Buffy asks.

"Besides - when is there any "us two?" You two are the two who are the two. I'm the other one." Willow says.

"Uh-huh. But maybe that all changes when I'm doing sit-ups at Fort Dix." Xander says.

Giles laughs, "Fort Dix. Heh heh…"

"Are you drunk?" Buffy asks.

"Quite a bit, actually!" Giles says, happily.

Buffy shakes her head. "Well, stop it. This is stupid."

"Stupid. So you finally have the guts to say it to my face…" Xander says.

"I don't think you're stupid, Xander, so stop being an idiot and help me fix things. I need both of you. I need you all the time, just not now. Adam is dangerous—" Buffy says.

"Wait. How do you need me? Really." Willow says.

"I need you a lot. You're great, with, with the computer. Usually." Buffy says.

"Right you are. And I'm great with the pacing and the saying of "hmmmmm" and "ahhhhh," and "Good Lord!"" Giles says.

"And you're coming along with your magic." Buffy says. "You know this is crazy."

"No it's not! It's all finally making perfect sense and I'm not going to miss a moment of it." Giles says as he moves to sit down and misses the chair.

"And if I did join the army I'd be great. You know why? Because maybe they'd give me a job that couldn't be done by any well-trained Border Collie." Xander says.

"That's it. I'm going to bed!" Giles says as he heads for the stairs, unbuttoning his shirt as he goes.

"Sure, you'd be wonderful in the army - you think the umbilical cord between you and Anya would stretch that far?" Willow asks.

"I knew it. I knew you hated her." Xander says.

Giles' shirt sails over the banister and lands on Xander's head.

"Hey, I'm not the one being judgmental, here. I'll leave that territory to you and Buffy." Willow says. "Or excuse me is it Payson now."

"Judgmental? If I was any more open minded about the choices you two make my whole brain would fall out." Buffy says.

"Oh. And superior. Don't forget that. Just because you're better than us doesn't mean you can be all superior." Xander says.

"Guys, stop this. What happened to you today?" Buffy says.

"It's not today. Buffy, everything's been wrong for a while. Don't you see that?" Willow says.

Buffy sighs, "Willow, what do you mean things have been wrong? Things don't have to be wrong, do they?"

"Buffy, things haven't been right since Tara. We have to face it. You can't handle Tara being my girlfriend." Willow says.

"No, it was bad before that. Since you two went off to college and forgot about me, just left me in the basement to –Tara's your girlfriend?" Xander says.

"Bloody hell!" Giles says from upstairs.

Buffy has had it. "Enough. All I know is that you want to help, right? Be part of the team?"

"I don't know anymore—" Willow says.

"Clearly not wanted—" Xander says.

"No. You said you wanted to go. So let's go. All of us. We'll walk into that cave with you two attacking me and the funny drunk drooling on my shoes. Maybe that's the secret way to kill Adam." Buffy says.

"Buffy—" Xander says.

"Is that it? Is that how you can help? You're not answering. Go on. How can you possibly help?" Buffy asks. They all freeze, stunned by what Buffy just said. "So… So I guess I'm on my own. And you know what? I'm starting to get why there's no ancient prophesy about a Chosen One and Friends. If I need help, I'll go to someone I can count on." Buffy says as she flames out.