"The I in Team"

Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The I in Team" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "She" Written by David Greenwalt and Marti Noxon

The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.


Cordelia was having a party at her place. Veruca and her band, Shy, were performing. There were a lot of people there, including Wesley, who was dancing by himself.

Cordelia walked up to some people. "Hi, Diego, Laura."

Diego handed her a bag of ice. "Let the consumption of cold things begin."

"Excellent. Now, are you going to behave yourself?" Cordelia asked him.

"Have you ever seen me at a party?"

Cordelia gave him a look, then walked up to Angel. "Hi! Are you having fun?"

"Sure. This is, uh..."

"Your idea of Hell?" Cordelia guessed.

"Actually, in Hell, you tend to know a lot of the people. No, I-I'm having a great time."

Cordelia put some of the ice into a bowl on the table that Angel was leaning against. "Yeah? Can I get you some blood or anything?"

"I'm good."

"Okay." Cordelia paused, trying to think of something to say. "Steve Paymer came; can you believe it?"

Angel stared at her blankly.

"David Paymer's brother,...Steve?"

Angel just looked at her.

Cordelia thrust the half-empty bag of ice at him and walked off. "Steve!" Then something else caught her attention. "Diego, pants on!"


Cordelia was in the office the next morning, making coffee. The elevator rose and came to a stop.

Cordelia looked at Angel. "Hi."

Angel lifted the grating and stepped out of the elevator. "Good morning. Is there coffee?"

"They're still in bean form. I...thought I ordered the ground." Cordelia handed him a silver coffee bag. "Maybe you could crush the beans with your vampire strength? Just mush the bag."

Angel looked from the bag to Cordelia, then back at the bag in his hands.

Cordelia made the gesture with her hands. "Mush it."

Angel put the bag down with a slight grimace. "Really, uh, fun party last night."

"I'm so glad you came. You know how parties are. You're always worried that no one is going to suck the energy out of the room like a giant black hole of boring despair. But there you were - in the clinch!"

"I didn't..." Angel paused. "Boring?"

"You used to be a person! Did you never party? Did people not gather in olden times?"

"I talked to people." Angel paused. "Laura."

"Laura thought you hated her. I had to tell her you were challenged."

"I don't hate her. I-I got two modes with people: bite and avoid. Hard to shift. Plus...I can't get too close. I mean...with women..."

"You can be nice. I mean...it's not like Laura is going to throw you down on the living room floor and tear off all of your..." Cordelia paused and reconsidered. "Well, actually, Laura-"

"I'll try harder. Still, I mean...the quiet, reserved...thing, don't you think it makes me kind of - I don't know - cool?"

Cordelia pointed at Wesley as he walked into the office. "He was cooler."

Wesley smiled. "Good morning."

Angel sat down on the couch with a sigh. "Now, I'm depressed."

"I feel rather chipper, myself. That was quite a soiree last night."

"Glad someone enjoyed it."

"I enjoyed it!" Angel insisted.

"A gala event. In particular, the tiny Reubens and the shrimp puffs. Don't suppose there are any leftovers laying about? Any...abandoned shrimp puffs?" Wesley asked.

Cordelia immediately understood. "You're broke, aren't you?"

"Cordelia,...a man's finances are his own business."

Angel got up. "You want a job?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

"Look, I don't have much, but, as long as you make yourself useful around here, you're entitled to a cut."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Well, this is great! Now, we're really..." Cordelia looked at Angel. "Do I have to take a pay cut?"

Angel shook his head.

Cordelia turned back to Wesley. "...a team!"

Wesley tried to hug Angel, but he warded him off with a slight grimace.

"You won't be disappointed." Wesley turned away and looked down. "There is, uh, something in my eye."

Angel pulled the handkerchief out of Wesley's front pocket and handed it to him.

"Oh, don't go getting all sappy." Cordelia looked at Angel. "Hold me."

"Look, why don't we just-"

"No! Hold me!"

Angel barely caught her as she got hit by a vision. Cordelia saw a guy and a box. He screamed, his face started to blister, and his eyeballs exploded.

"Gross! Oh, eww is all. Ugh!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"What did you see?" Wesley asked.

"I don't just see; I feel, okay? Thank you, Doyle."

"Is someone in trouble?" Angel asked.

Wesley got a pad and pencil. "I'm, uh, I'm at the ready."

"You're going to the ice factory...on Fifth, downtown."

"What are we looking for?" Angel asked her.

"A corpse."

Wesley looked at a map. "I don't think there is access through the tunnels."

"I'm driving, then."

"I'm coming with you. I intend to earn my keep. Oh, and, in terms of this keep, by the by-"

"There is no dental."

"Right, well, I'll floss."

"Let's go."

Cordelia held a glass full of ice to her head. "Hey, be careful. The guy was burnt to death in an ice factory. The thing that did that could still be there."

"You didn't get a look at it?" Angel asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "All I felt was his fear - then the exploding eyeballs. Did I mention that I hate this gig?"

"We'll be in touch."

Wesley opened the door for Angel. "After you, sir."


Later, back at the office, Angel handed Wesley a finished drawing of a demon's face. "He said his name was Tay. Seemed pretty shook up. Said this thing brings chaos and destruction to his world."

"Tay. Hmm. Could be a Kovitch demon from the Caucasus."

"He's not from our dimension."

"Ah, they must come to ours via portals."

"Don't we have enough on our hands without burning monster fiends coming here?" Cordelia asked.

Wesley looked at Angel. "We'll figure out who he is, where he comes from,...boss,...you can count on it."

Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Wesley, stop kissing ass. It's not like we get overtime."

Angel looked at her.

"Oh, but I'll get right on it." Cordelia started typing on her computer.

"I also want to know if there have been any other-"

"Killings by incineration lately?" Cordelia guessed. "See? On it."

"Uh, where are you headed?" Wesley asked Angel.

"Victim's office. He's in private security. I'd like to know who hired him."

Cordelia nodded. "Okay."


Sandy, her sister Kendra, their mother Megan, Tara, Amy, and Harmony were sitting at the Grays' kitchen table, playing Monopoly for the evening. They had sodas, potato chips, and pretzels to snack on.

"I implore you, Nike, blessed goddess of victory, heed my call." Amy rolled the dice.

She got a two. That put her between Park Place and Boardwalk, dodging Tara's hotels. She handed the $75 in luxury tax to Megan, who was doubling as the banker.

Tara smiled in amusement. "You know, magic in board games qualifies as cheating."

"That wasn't magic. I was praying." Amy playfully stuck her tongue out at Tara.

Harmony sighed. "I wish Buffy could've made it. You two are dominating the game."

Amy smiled. "Honed through years of practice. You forget we both had shitty home lives and spent a ton of time with each other."

"So why aren't you two together?" Harmony asked them. "You're both witches, and, Amy, you hardly ever see Trina."

Tara gave Harmony an annoyed look. "Why are you with Faith? You hardly ever see her."

"Because I like her."

"And I love Buffy."

Amy nodded. "And I love Trina."

Sandy looked at Harmony. "Harm, if we limited ourselves to whoever was convenient, we'd never know if it was real love or just convenience. True love is worth working at."

Kendra put her index finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. "My sister, the vampire. I swear you've gotten sappier since you died."

Sandy playfully messed up Kendra's hair.

"Where is Buffy, anyway?" Megan asked.

Tara picked up the dice. "She's out with the Initiative. They're putting her through some field training."


The phone rang at the office.

Cordelia picked up the handset. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless."

"I hate the cell phone that you gave me. Any luck?"

"We're stymied on the demon guy, but we did find four similar killings in the last eleven months. All guys, all burned from the inside out. Did you find it?"

"Yeah. It's not an 'it'; it's a 'she'."

"A chick that burns? Are you okay? Did she Carrie you?" Cordelia asked.

"Did she care about me?"

"Did she Carrie you?! Carrie, the movie, you know?" Cordelia asked.

"I ca- he- you. Hello? Cord-"

Cordelia sighed. "You must be going through a canyon."

"Cordelia, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you now. Are you back?"

"Yeah, I can hear you. You know, these things were definitely cooked up by a bored warlock. I want you two to keep trying to find that demon, Tay. He knows a lot more than he is telling. I think she is here on some kind of mission. I think he may be the key to all this."

Wesley made a circular motion in front of his face to Cordelia.

"What - What does she look like?" Cordelia asked Angel.

"Uh, two raised ridges running down either cheek, violet eyes, um, she seemed intelligent. Her name is Jhiera. She was very...attractive...for a demon."

"A hottie, huh? I guess she's that, all right, what with the sizzle."

"Sizzler?"

"The sizzle factor?" Cordelia paused. "Angel?"


Somewhere in the woods, Buffy was hunting. She saw a few of the Initiative commandos prowling through the trees and bushes in low crouches. They were all wearing their dark ski masks and armed with taser rifles. The lead commando silently motioned them forward, and three of them disappeared into a tall stretch of bushes. Buffy kicked one of the commandos, who went flying out of the bushes, landing at least ten yards away. Buffy jumped out of the bushes, kicking two more commandos down to the ground around her. A fourth and fifth commando charged her from either side. Buffy greeted the fourth commando with quick alternating front kicks that the commando blocked, but the impact sent him off balance. Buffy spun into a roundhouse kick into the face of the fifth commando as he came up behind her. He recovered quickly and swung a punch that she ducked and sent him down with a right hook. Then she turned to the fourth commando, who was up again. She faked him with a high backhand that he blocked, then brought that fist down to hammerpunch him in the balls, making him hunch around in pain. But her attention was already on the fifth commando, and she blocked a mid-level uppercut, catching it, and had him in an armlock. She sent a back kick into the fourth commando's chest, sending him to the ground. Buffy swung her captured commando around just as the lead commando popped out of some bushes with his taser rifle and fired. The blast hit the helpless commando, and he spasmed as rings of electricity coursed through his body. Buffy let him drop to the ground and readied herself as the lead commando charged her. They were about to fight.

"Lights!"

The brights of a Humvee parked up on a gradual hill illuminated the area, and Buffy and the lead commando turned to see Professor Maggie Walsh, in a dark wool coat, hurrying down to them. She walked past the lead commando, who was pulling off his mask, and Buffy saw it was Riley Finn.

Walsh stood in front of Buffy and regarded her with a stoic expression. "It took the patrol team forty-two minutes to track you, and you neutralized them in twenty-eight seconds."

"That's the power of a Slayer."

"I see. Well...still. Very impressive." Walsh turned and headed back to the Humvee.

Buffy watched her leave as Riley stepped up to her. The rest of the commandos were getting to their feet and taking their masks off.

Graham Miller passed Buffy on her right. "Awesome, Buffy."

Forrest Gates walked past her on her left without saying a word, looking a little angry. He had a hand on his back and stopped for a moment to look over his shoulder. "Pfft!" He continued on.

Buffy and Riley followed the others.


Cordelia was asleep, her head on her desk. Open books were stacked everywhere.

"Ah-ha!"

Cordelia jerked awake and stared at Wesley in annoyance. "That better be an 'Ah-ha!' of triumph. I was dreaming there was a going-out-of-business sale at Neiman's!"

Wesley was looking at a book. "I think I've located them. The Vigories of Oden Tal."

"The what of whatee?"

"Of Oden Tal. The men are called Vigories. They have four distinct ridges on their foreheads, are said to be fierce warriors, and their women live enslaved to them."

Cordelia punched him on the arm. "Way to go, Wes! Angel said this Tay guy could be the key. Any way to find them here in town?"

Wesley scanned the page. "Ah, it says that the men are herbivores. They eat a thick stew made from rotting plants and flowers, and they need to consume half their body weight per day."

"Whoa. So...we're looking, like,...for the biggest compost heap in L.A.?" Cordelia asked.


The next morning, in Rocket Cafe, Tara and Buffy were sitting at a table next to each other, drinking hot black tea.

Buffy was excited. "So then I kicked everyone's ass. There was this move I made where I used one of the commandos as a shield to block a taser blast. It was, like, twelve-thousand volts. It took the guy almost two hours to recover." She laughed with demented glee and took a sip of her tea.

Tara laughed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't find that funny."

"Oh, go ahead; it's funny."

"We goin' to the Bronze tonight, right?" Tara asked.

Buffy grinned. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't be anywhere else." She paused and reconsidered. "Well, maybe in bed with you."

Tara smiled seductively. "After."


Giles entered the cemetery and walked up to a mausoleum. He opened the door and stepped inside.

Laying on top of a stone sarcophagus, Spike raised his head at the sound. He threw off the ratty blanket that was covering him. "Hey! Wipe your feet when you enter a person's home."

Giles closed the door. "Oh, yes. Careless of me. Tracking mud all over your, uh...mud."

Spike walked towards him, looking around. "I admit it's a bit of a fixer-upper. Needs a woman's touch." He looked at Giles. "Care to have a crack at it?"

"While I'd love to go on trading jabs with you, Spike, perhaps I'll come to the point. As much as it pains me to say it, um, I owe you a debt of gratitude for the help you provided me in my recent...metamorphosis."

Spike rubbed a crick out of his neck. "Stuff the gratitude. You owe me more than that, mate."

Giles pulled out a small bundle of dollar bills and offered it to him. "Three-hundred. Count it if you'd-"

Spike snatched it out of his hand.

"-like."

"I'll do that."

While Spike started counting the money, Giles looked the place over.

"Um, thinking about your affliction and, uh, your newfound discovery that you can fight only demons, it occurs to me that..." Giles chuckled. "...I realize this is completely against your nature, but I-I-I-" He paused. "Has it occurred to you that there may be a higher purpose-"

"Ugh! You made me lose count." Spike faced him. "What are you still doing here?"

"Talking to myself, apparently."

"Well, piss off, then." Spike indicated the money in his hands. "This bit of business wraps up any I got with you and your Slayerettes. From here on, I want nothing to do with the lot of you."

"Your choosing to remain in Sunnydale might make that a little difficult."

"Well, you and yours will just have to show a little restraint is all. We're through. You got it? Honeymoon is over. Get out."

Giles didn't say anything and headed for the door. He opened the door, and Spike flinched away from the brightness. Giles left without a word.


Buffy and Riley turned and stepped in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the wall in the center hallway in Lowell House. Riley opened a tiny hidden panel beside the mirror and pushed a button. Buffy just stood there as a horizontal green line came from the mirror and slid down over her body.

"New retinal scan recorded. Summers, Buffy."

The mirror slid to one side to reveal the very white interior of an elevator. Riley stepped inside first. Buffy followed Riley in. Buffy turned and watched the elevator door close. The elevator descended and then came to a stop.

The elevator door opened, and Buffy followed Riley out onto a catwalk overlooking the main chamber.

Buffy's eyes went wide in surprise. "My God."

They were in a jumbo, hangar-sized complex. In the middle of the floor was a lower section where men and women in surgical scrubs and white lab coats were performing tests and operations on several types of demons strapped to strange-looking tables and chairs.

"You said it was big." Buffy took in the view. "You told me, but you never said it was fucking huuuge!"

"I don't like to brag."

Buffy looked at him, and he grinned.

Buffy looked down again. "I had no idea. This is incredible. But not that I thought it was some fly-by-night operation." She turned to him, excited. "Unless it is! I mean...can you guys fly? At night. With those jet-pack things; do you have those?"

"I can't really talk about it."

"This is unreal."

"So...you like our little operation?"

They turned to see Walsh standing behind them on the catwalk.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. It's very...clean."

Walsh approached and handed her a small, plastic clip-on badge. "Your visitor's pass." She took a few papers from her clipboard. "And I've assembled some reading material to bring you up to speed."

Buffy clipped the pass to her leather jacket and took the papers that Walsh offered her. She frowned. "Oh. And I thought I was never gonna get homework from you again."

"You can't take that home. That's classified material. Highly sensitive. When you're through reading those pages, you'll have to eat them."

Buffy just stared at her, speechless. She looked at Riley.

Riley grinned. "She's joking."

"Don't worry, it doesn't happen very often. Shall we?" Walsh walked off.

Buffy exchanged another glance with Riley, and they followed. They made their way down the metal staircase, and Walsh led them towards the open center of the complex. They stopped at the metal railing and looked down.

"Much of our hands-on research with the SHTs is performed here. We call this 'the Pit'."

Buffy saw a pair of green squid-faced demons laying on two tables while scrub-clad techs worked on them.

"And what do you call those?" Buffy asked.

"Tough. It took eight of us to bring those two down."

"They'll be under our control soon enough. Doctor Angleman!" Walsh called down.

A man in a white lab coat was talking with another person. He looked up to acknowledge Walsh, then returned to his conversation.

Walsh looked at Buffy. "Head of our science team. He's a leader in the field of xenomorphic behavior modification."

"Behavior modification?" Buffy asked.

"We've made significant advances in reconditioning the sub-terrestrials. Bringing them to a point where they no longer pose a threat."

"So I've seen."

Then Buffy saw Walsh and Riley's expressions as they looked at her.

"On the Discovery Channel. With gorillas and sharks. They - They made them all nice. You haven't seen it?"

They didn't say anything, but Walsh didn't look convinced.

Buffy turned her attention away and pointed across the complex. "What's over there?"

She started to walk casually in that direction, and Riley and Walsh followed. Seconds later, Walsh was in the lead again as they approached an area closed off by a chain-link fence. Inside were large caches of guns and equipment of all types. There was one commando on duty inside.

"The armory. You'll have to be cleared for use on each of these weapons."

Buffy's attention had already wandered, and she stepped up to a table behind Walsh and Riley. She saw a small device laying in an open case and lifted it up. She held the device close to her face.

"The more advanced arsenal can be complicated, but I'm certain, in time, you'll pick that up. Don't pick that up." Walsh walked to her and quickly took it from her.

"What is it?"

"About twenty-thousand dollars."

"It's a prototype for a com-cam." Riley pointed to the monitor behind her. "Communications camera. Soon to be standard issue. Gives us a direct comlink to Control when we're out in the field."

"Also monitors the heart rate of the wearer. A valuable tool for research in stress in combat condition. If you'll follow me, I'll show you the SHT containment area." Walsh walked off.

Buffy and Riley followed.


Wesley and Cordelia went to the California Flower Mart.

"I'm not sure about coming out here all by ourselves. Maybe we should have waited for Angel."

"Cordelia, now that I am officially in Angel's employ, I feel it's doubly important to show initiative and drive. We can't just dally about..." Wesley pointed at some roses. "Look! Nancy's Petticoat. Oh. They're quite rare. They were named for Nancy Mitford, the author." He sniffed the roses. "Because of her love for..."

Cordelia gave him an irritated look.

"Right. Shoving off."

"I wonder how we find where they keep the compost."

"I'd say we follow our noses." Wesley walked ahead.

"Wait!" Cordelia caught up.


They sneaked into the dimly-lit back room of the Flower Mart.

"Wait. Okay, now, I'm sure we shouldn't have come here. It smells like flower shit!" Cordelia told him.

They heard Tay speak and ducked behind some barrels.

"The portal will open soon - and only for a short while. When the proper coordinates align, we must move to the entry point immediately. You will escort it there, ensure its quick return, and rejoin us."

Cordelia climbed up to peek over the cement wall. She saw Tay, two other Vigories, and a female. There were open wounds on her back where the spine ridges used to be.

"We have a lot of work to do in this dimension. It can go home now." Tay looked at the woman. "Would it like that? Would it like to go home?"

"It is happy to go - as soon as you say."

Tay stepped closer to her. "And don't you feel better now?"

She nodded slowly. One Vigory led her away, and Wesley pulled frantically on Cordelia's shirt to make her get down behind the barrels.

The other Vigory turned to Tay. "We've recovered two this month. We should-"

"It means nothing! This won't stop until we find Jhiera."

Cordelia climbed down.


Some time later, the tour was coming to an end.

Walsh stopped to face Buffy. "We have a few more things to give you."

Buffy pointed at a metal security door. "What's in there?"

A lab-coat scientist used a ID card to open the door and walked inside.

"Research area. Very restricted for security reasons. Here is your security card and your pager."

Buffy accepted the items from Walsh and studied the pager.

"We're the only ones with the number, and it stays that way."

"Right."

"Lose either one of them, and there's hell to pay, and, down here, we mean that literally." Walsh offered her hand.

Buffy shook it.

Walsh smiled. "Again, welcome to the team."


Later, in the student lounge in Stevenson Hall, Buffy and Tara were sitting on sofa chairs, leaning on the arm rests. Tara was holding a clear purple-pink crystal in the palms of her hands.

Buffy smiled. "This is so cool. Wow. Where'd you get it?"

"It - It was my grandma's, I think. I found it a long time ago in my attic. I-I want you to have it."

"Oh, no, Tara. Th-That's really sweet. I can't. It's like a family heirloom. I-I just wouldn't feel comfortable."

Tara was a little hurt, and she put the crystal away.

Buffy saw this. "But i-if you're really sure about this..."

Tara looked at her. "You're not. I-It's okay."


Cordelia and Wesley cowered behind the barrels. Wesley tried repeatedly to call Angel. Cordelia could hear the Vigories talking.

"This food source will only keep us supplied for a few more days. At that point, we must relocate."

Wesley held a cell phone to his ear. "Still no answer."

"I bet he forgot to turn that thing on again! You'd think a guy that knows how to use an ancient Scythian shortbow could figure out how to use a cell phone!" Cordelia sighed. "So what now?"

"I suppose we head back and try to find Angel."

"Okay. Lead the way - low and slow."

Wesley nodded and headed off, but Cordelia pulled him back as one of the Vigories walked in.

"No, hide. Hide. Hide."

"Sir! I believe we've found them."

"Where?"

"A worker at an ice plant tells me he recently started shipping two tons of ice a week to this address."

"Gather the men. They need to be prepared to capture the princess and cut them all quickly."


That night, at the Bronze, music was playing, and people, mostly young, were socializing. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting at a table, sharing a large supreme pizza. They also each had a large glass of regular Coke.

Harmony stared at Sandy. "So...does the Gem protect you against garlic, too, or what?"

Sandy chewed her piece of pizza. "Nah, I can eat garlic just fine. It's the flowers that'll do me in."

"Really?"

"No."

Buffy's pager beeped.

Buffy took it out of her pocket and checked it. "Shit."

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"The Initiative." Buffy drained her glass of Coke, grabbed her bag, and stood up. "I gotta go."

Tara looked at her, upset. "Be careful."

"I will." Buffy bent down and kissed Tara on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Buffy walked away.

Tara looked down at the pizza in sadness.

Amy noticed. "She'll be okay."


Cordelia and Wesley ran down the stairs into Angel's apartment. Angel was wearing just his pants and toweling off his hair.

"What are you doing? We nearly got burned from the inside out, and you're here, getting all April fresh?" Cordelia asked him.

"Hello?" Angel tried, confused.

"I believe she is especially agitated, because we tried to call you in the midst of a situation."

Angel looked off to the side. "I had to take a shower."

Cordelia and Wesley looked at each other.

"What's up?"

Cordelia looked at Angel. "What's up is that those creepy demons said that they found what they were looking for, and they seemed very interested in cutting someone they called the princess, which I can only imagine is not a happy thing!"

Angel pulled on a sweater. "Well, you'd be right on that one. We gotta find her first."

"The demon guy said something about a lot of ice being delivered somewhere. No one said where."

"Ice."

"Yeah."

Angel pulled a paper out of his coat hanging on a hat stand. "Shipping order. We've got an address. We're heading out."

"That's it? They seemed..." Wesley paused. "There were quite a few of them. Perhaps we need a plan."

"Here is the plan: we go in, I start hitting people hard in the face, see where it takes us."

They headed out.


In the briefing area at Initiative headquarters, there was an overhead projector displaying the image of an ugly demon on a large white screen. Riley was standing to one side of the screen as Professor Walsh walked in front of the group of commandos seated in rows before her. Buffy was among them near the back.

"This is your objective. Sub-T 67119. Demon class: Polgara species. Though visual confirmation has not yet been made, we're confident of the target's approximate position, as it leaves behind a distinct protein marker. Dr. Angleman will brief you on its defenses."

She took a seat to the side as Dr. Angleman stepped up next to the projector and laid a second transparent page over the first. This added long, sharp-looking protrusions from the demon's arms.

"When threatened...bone skewers jut from the creature's forearms during battle. It's imperative when ensnaring it not to damage its arms. That's all you really need to know."

Buffy raised her hand. "Question."

Dr. Angleman didn't seem sure how to respond. He glanced at Walsh.

Walsh stood up again. "Buffy?"

"Why, exactly, can't we damage this polka thing's arms? I, uh, not that I want to; it's just, in my experience, when fighting for your life, body parts get damaged, and...better its bits than mine." Buffy glanced at the guys around her. "Or...ours."

Angleman looked at her. "We wish to study the physiology of every sub-terrestrial's natural defenses. It's part of the research we do here."

"What do they want?"

"Want?"

"Why are they here? Sacrifices, treasure, or they just get rampagy? I find it's easier to predict their responses if I know-"

"They're not sentient. Just destructive, I believe."

Walsh looked at Buffy. "They do have keen eyesight, however. You might want to be suited up for this."

"Oh." Buffy glanced at the military green around her. "You mean the camo and stuff? I thought about it, but it's really a fashion don't."

This got chuckles from some of the commandos.

"Don't worry, I've patrolled in this halter many times."

This got even more chuckles.

"Why don't we give our attention to Dr. Angleman-"

Buffy raised her hand.

"-and save all questions until the end?"

"Actually, I'm finished."

"Oh. Uh, well, Agent Finn, deploy the teams."

All business, Riley walked out in front of the group. "Okay, listen up. We'll be going in a four-squad set-up. Team Leaders: Gates, Taggart, and Stavros. Alpha Team, you're with me."

"Report to TLs for assignment and weapons requisitions. Reminder: this is a zap-n-trap, people. Capture, not a kill. Any questions?" Walsh asked.

Buffy raised her hand.

Walsh sighed. "Buffy."


Angel pulled the convertible up in front of the spa. Cordelia was in the passenger seat, and Wesley was in the back seat.

Angel looked at Wesley. "Uh, you wait here. I want a warning when the demons show."

"All right." Wesley tried to jump out over the passenger-side door, but his foot got caught, and he tumbled out rather inelegantly.

"Wesley!" Cordelia exclaimed.

Wesley stood right back up and slapped the side of the car with a grimace.

Angel opened his door and got out of the car. Cordelia did the same.

Angel looked at her. "You, too. I wanna scope out the place first."


In a wooded area, Alpha Team was on patrol. Buffy was with them. She was walking beside Riley, three other commandos behind them.

Buffy was wearing a jacket over her halter top and felt a little glum, her hands shoved in the pockets. "So I guess she hates me now."

"What?" Riley asked, distracted.

"Professor Walsh. Questions. An Initiative faux pas, yes?"

"It's...a little unusual. She's just not used to it. Maybe because you barely ever opened your mouth in her classroom. But I know she likes you."


Cordelia ran into the room with the iced girls, followed by Wesley. Angel was there with Jhiera, a woman with short black hair and a face tattoo around her left eye.

"They're on their way. They'll be here-"

"Now. That would be now." Cordelia stopped in front of Angel.

Angel looked at Cordelia and Wesley. "Help get the girls out." He looked at the guy in charge of the spa. "You go back out front. Stall them as long as you can."

The guy nodded and left.

Angel looked at Jhiera. "I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not."

Wesley helped one of the girls out of the tub of ice and led her out. "Oh, my. You are a..." He paused. "Allow me to introduce myself."

Cordelia kicked him in the back from behind. "Wesley..."

Angel and Jhiera left the room.


Buffy and Alpha Team were now stationed in a clearing. A cell phone beeped. Buffy was standing beside Riley, who was scanning the area with night vision goggles.

One of the commandos stepped up to him with the cell phone. "Sir. Graham's on the talkie for you. Reception's not too good."

Riley took the phone. "This is Alpha Team, go ahead." He moved further out into the clearing, trying to get a better reception. "Say again, Beta Team. You're breaking up."

He didn't see the Polgara demon burst out of the trees behind him, but Buffy did.

"Riley!" Buffy warned.

Riley only had time to see the demon before it shoved him hard to the ground. Buffy rushed forward, as the Polgara stepped over Riley to finish him off, and snapped a roundhouse kick to its face, making it stagger. She stepped over Riley, spinning into a roundhouse kick across the creature's face. Riley stood up beside Buffy. He pulled out an ASP, and there was an echoing snap as he extended it with a flick of his wrist. Both ready to kick ass, they charged the demon together. Riley hit the demon in the arm with the ASP, making it stumble, then hit it again in the back of the head. The Polgara knocked him aside with the swing of its powerful arm. Buffy stepped in again with another roundhouse kick to its face and followed through with a hard right-left combination. The Polgara backhanded a commando, flipping him to the ground. Riley, behind it, jabbed the ASP into the demon's spine. Riley swung the ASP again, but the Polgara blocked it and punched him hard across the face. Buffy delivered a back kick into the creature's chest as Riley fell to the ground. Buffy slammed another right-left punching combo into the Polgara's face. It raised its arm, and its bone skewer extended from under its forearm. She ducked as it took a swing at her head. Riley was getting to his knees. Buffy blocked another strike and kneed the demon in the midsection. Buffy sidestepped the Polgara as it tried to stab her and got behind it. The demon turned to face her again. Buffy ducked under another of the Polgara's swings. Riley picked up a fallen taser gun and took aim, but Buffy was too close to the creature for a clear shot. Buffy slammed a two-legged drop kick into the Polgara's chest and dropped to the ground as it staggered back.

"Now!" Riley shouted.

He and another commando unleashed their tasers. The demon was blasted by the bursts of electricity, and the other two commandos were readying a heavy net behind it. They had the Polgara in the net, and it was struggling while Buffy got to her feet. She snapped a front kick into its face, knocking the creature out. The commandos wrapped things up, and Buffy took a few steps back, breathing heavy.


Wesley was about to close the top on one of the girls laying down in a box with ice. "That outfit - it quite becomes you, you know."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Wesley, get a grip! They're not going to be able to hold them off all day."

Wesley closed the lid and helped another girl into the next one. "My, what a grip. Very...healthy. Surprisingly firm myself under the jacket. Have a feel."

"You are pathetic! And about to get your eyeballs fried!" Cordelia got the girl to lay down and got ready to close the lid.

"I know, but, uh, just one kiss goodbye?" Wesley tried.


Angel and Jhiera were fighting the six Vigories in the dark and empty tub room, Jhiera using her fire-hands to send them flying, Angel using his fists and feet. Cordelia and Wesley ran in and joined the fray but were quickly taken hostage. Angel saw them being held and quit fighting.

"Jhiera and the runaways are ours."

Angel looked at Tay. "No, they're not."

"Give them back, or the humans die."

Angel looked over at Jhiera.

Jhiera looked at Tay. "Then they die."

Everyone looked after her as she walked out. Cordelia and Wesley elbowed the Vigories holding them in the stomach, and the fight resumed. It was over quickly, since most of the Vigories ran out to follow Jhiera.


Buffy walked inside her and Tara's dorm room in Stevenson Hall and closed the door behind her. Tara was sitting up in bed, naked, reading a book.

"Hey."

Tara looked up at her. "Hey."

Buffy went to her desk to put down her bag and took off her jacket and halter top. She hung them on her chair. Then she slipped out of her Nikes, took off her blue jeans, and hung the jeans on the chair. She took off her socks and panties, walked over, and tossed them in the laundry basket. Buffy noticed the dolls-eye crystal that she had refused from Tara earlier now sitting on top of Tara's dresser. Buffy got in bed to Tara's left. They were silent for a moment.

"Sorry about bailing on you guys at the Bronze."

"That's okay. I..." Tara glanced at the crystal, then looked at Buffy. "Don't worry about it."

Buffy smiled. "Okay."


The next morning, Giles and Jenny were in Giles' kitchen. Giles poured some tea for them, set the kettle on the stove, and joined her at the table.

There was a pounding on the door. Giles stood up and headed for the door. Before he reached it, it burst open, and Spike ran inside. He was holding a tarp over his head, protection from the sunlight.

"Close the door!" Spike yelled.

"Spike?" Giles asked.

Jenny joined them in the living room. "You may want to give up these morning jogs."

"Soldiers boys are out in force. I've been trying to keep them off my scent. Run them in circles. But they keep coming."

Giles took a quick inspection of his door, but he was still able to close it. Spike dropped the tarp in relief.

"And...how is this our concern?" Giles asked. "Seeing as how you've expressed the desire to have nothing more to do with us."

"Spike said that?" Jenny asked him.

"Mm-hmm."

Jenny put her hand over her heart and put on a sad face. "That hurts."

"All right. What do you want me to say? I need help." Spike pointed at Giles. "And no cheek from you."

Giles made a show of zipping his lips shut.

Spike shrugged his coat off his shoulder. "Look! The buggers shot me. In the back."

Giles was unmoved and leaned against his desk. "Remind me. Why should I help you?"

"Because you do that. You're the goody-good guys. You're the bloody fucking cavalry."

"No, you can come up with a better answer than that. Why should I help you?"

Spike thought for a moment. "Ooh! Because I helped you! When you turned into that Fyarl demon, I helped you, didn't I?" He smiled smugly.

"And that was out of the, um, evilness of your heart?"

Spike grinned. "Oh, hell, no. I made you pay me-" He stopped grinning and looked at Giles' stoic, but hard, expression. "You right bastard." He dug out the money from his coat pocket and slammed it into Giles' palm. "That's all that's left. I spent the rest on blood and smokes, which I'll never see again."

Jenny had enough and returned to the kitchen to drink her tea and browse the news on her laptop.

"Ah, come on! Circle the wagons. Tend to the wounded here. No time for layabouts."


Wesley opened the office door for Cordelia. She walked in, followed by Wesley.

Angel looked at them. "Watch out-"

"Angel-" Wesley slipped on coffee beans on the floor, landing on his butt.

"Sorry. I-I had a little-"

"Mushing didn't work out so great, huh?" Cordelia asked Angel.

"Not to worry. My fault, I'm sure, really." Wesley started sweeping up the beans in his hands. "Cagey little brutes, aren't they? I'll wash them, if you'd like. Individually. They'll be just as good as new. Better."

Angel laid a hand on Wesley's arm. "Wesley. Stop."

Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Wow. Groveling isn't just a way of life for you; it's an art."

"I do not grovel." Wesley looked at Angel. "Please don't fire me. What happened yesterday was an anomaly. I'm very rarely taken hostage."

"That's good to know. And you're not fired."

"I'm not?"

"No. It wasn't your fault." Angel clapped Wesley on the shoulder. "And you know what? You handled yourself very well."

"Well, that's...I can't tell you..." Wesley took a breath. "I am your faithful servant, Angel."

Cordelia looked at Angel. "Like I said, an art."

The door opened, and Jhiera walked in.

"Oh! Look who's here." Cordelia looked at Jhiera. "Can I get you something? Knife to our throat, so you can run away?"

There was a moment's silence, then Cordelia walked off.


Buffy found Riley by the mirror concealing the elevator in Lowell House. "Hey."

Riley looked at her. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"Not much."

Buffy nodded. "Good. Good."

Riley stared at her. "Is these something that you wanted?"

"Well, I just wanted to say...I'm...quite...impressed by your skill. Quite the regimental soldier."

"I am how they trained me."

"They? Who they?"

"You know, the government. Plucked me out of special op training for this."

"What did they tell you it was for?"

"They didn't. In the military, you learn to follow orders, not ask questions."

"I don't understand. Aren't you curious about all the science and research stuff they're doing?"

"Hm. I know all I need to know. We're doing good here. Protecting the public. Removing the sub-terrestrial threat. It's work worth doing."

They were silent for a moment.

Buffy mustered up her courage and looked Riley in the eyes. "What's 314?"

Riley seemed surprised by the question, but, before he could say anything, his phone rang.

Riley answered it. "Riley."

"We have a situation. You're needed."

Buffy heard the voice and recognized the caller as Maggie Walsh.

"On my way." Riley ended the call.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Don't know."

"You're really not one for asking questions, are you?"

"I'll leave that to you." Riley faced the mirror.

Buffy did as well.

Riley looked at her. "She didn't call for you."

Buffy looked at him for a moment, then she left.


Spike was sitting backwards in a chair, his bare chest against the backrest. Giles was standing behind him, wearing latex gloves, exploring the wound with a pair of long tweezers. Jenny stood to Giles' right, shining a flashlight on the wound.

"Oww! Watch it. That hurts."

"It doesn't appear to be a bullet. It's too deeply embedded to be a tranquilizer dart."

"Also not tranquil."

"Some sort of...illumination emanating from it. It's blinking."

Spike growled. "I don't care if it's playing 'Rockin' the Casbah' on the bloody Jew's harp, just get it out of me!"

"Jenny, there's a bottle of Cognac in the cabinet next to the sink. Can you get it for me?" Giles asked.

Jenny left to get it.

"What? You're gonna get snockered now?" Spike asked Giles.

"It's not for me, you prat. If I'm gonna operate on you, then I need you anesthetized. It's going to take some time." Giles picked up a scalpel.

Jenny returned with the bottle and offered it to Spike. "We don't have any. That blinking thing. It could be a tracer."

"A what?" Giles asked.

"A what?" Spike grabbed the bottle and took a swig.

"It's like a homing beacon. And if commando guys are reading the signal..."

"Well, we need to buy some time. It's in deep, and I'm no surgeon."


Buffy was on her way back to Stevenson Hall when her pager went off. She retrieved it from her bag and clipped it to the waistband of her blue jeans. She turned around and headed back to Lowell House.


Tara was studying at her desk when the phone rang.

Tara crossed the room and picked up the handset. "Hello?"

"Tara. Jenny. We have a problem. Where's Buffy?"

"She left a while ago to find Riley. You want me to go find her?"

"Uh, no. It's your help we need, actually."

"What do you want me to do?"


In Initiative headquarters, Buffy was walking with Walsh.

"It's a small job. Reconnaissance. Probably a waste of a Slayer's abilities, but my boys are on assignment, so I-"

"No. It's okay. I'm up for some action."

"I doubt you'll get any on this one."

They reached a table.

Walsh pointed to a map. "We have a reading of a Class 3 sub-terrestrial moving through the sewer tunnels just on the edge of town."

"Class 3?"

"It's a low-level threat. Minimal aggression. Meager defenses."

"Professor Walsh." A commando walked up and handed her a taser rifle.

"They barely show up on the scanner and occasionally turn out to be raccoons." Walsh handed the weapon to Buffy.

Buffy examined it. "Wow. You're not crazy about raccoons, huh?"

"We always take precautions." Walsh picked up the com-cam from the table. "All we need you to do is get a visual on this thing. This will feed me back an image, and I can advise you from there. I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger." She handed it to Buffy.

"Oh. That's okay. Danger's my birthright."

Not used to such a weapon, Buffy carelessly let the barrel point towards Walsh, who casually diverted the weapon away with her hand.

"Sorry. Um, Professor Walsh. There's, uh..." Buffy paused. "There's still some stuff about all this that I'm not clear on."

Walsh paused for a moment. "Well, when you get back, we can have a talk."

"Good. Okay. When I get back." Buffy walked off.


Back at Giles' apartment, Spike was now laying across the cleared surface of Giles' desk, the Cognac bottle hanging loosely in Spike's hand. He had a barely conscious expression on his face. Giles continued to work on the wound.

Tara was now there, standing to one side. She was reading, her spellbook in one arm and the dolls-eye crystal in her other palm. "Tropo, strato, meso, aero, iono, exo..."

Giles looked at Jenny. "So how is this supposed to work again?"

"If she succeeds, her spell will ionize the atmosphere around us, thereby disrupting the tracer's signal."

"Elements are brought to bear. Wind, earth, and water churn amidst the fire. Let the air be burned."

They all jumped as the spell took effect, and every light bulb in the apartment exploded.

"Did it work? Is the atmosphere ionized?" Tara asked.

She, Jenny, and Giles looked at each other. Their hair was standing straight up.

Giles adjusted his glasses. "I'd venture yes."


Buffy emerged from a tunnel in the sewers, and she stepped inside a larger chamber. She was armed with the taser rifle and was wearing the com-cam hooked over her left ear. She heard a snarling sound coming from deep in the chamber.

"Professor Walsh, are you getting this? Possible SHT? Make it a definite."

She saw a green squid-faced demon step out, wearing ragged robes and carrying a long battle ax. A second demon stepped out with it, also armed with a battle ax.

"And he's brought along a friend. They seem..." Buffy suddenly flashed back to her tour at the Initiative and remembered seeing these two demons being worked on in the Pit.

Buffy aimed the taser rifle at them and pulled the trigger. The weapon short-circuited with a burst of sparks, and Buffy dropped it from the shock. She turned to flee the way that she came, but a barred gate was dropping in place, blocking her escape into the tunnel.

Buffy looked at the approaching demons. "Oh, fuck me!"

She was standing on a three-foot raised section as she watched the demons approach. On the ground level, the taser rifle was still short-circuiting, shooting sparks. The demons charged, and she hopped down, hitting them with alternating front kicks. The second demon was quicker to recover and swung the ax down at her head. She sidestepped and kicked it in the back of the knee, throwing it off balance, and sent a back kick into the first demon. The second demon got up again, smashing the ax handle into her chin, turning her around. The first demon was swinging its ax at her, and she caught the handle with her hands. As they struggled with it, the second demon slammed the handle of its ax into the small of her back. The first demon used this to wrest free its weapon from Buffy's hold, and she fell to the ground in a shoulder roll. As she stood back up to face the demons, her hands were raised in a fighting stance, and she dodged the demons' attacks. Buffy's hands grabbed the handle of one of the demons' ax and wrestled with it. The other demon attacked and swung its ax down towards her, knocking her com-cam off her. It dropped to the ground.


In Giles' apartment, Giles was digging into Spike's wound with the tweezers while Jenny held the flashlight for him.

Tara noticed their hair was more or less back to normal. "It feels - and looks - like the ionizing spell is wearing off."

"Rupert?" Jenny asked.

"I've got it. I've got it!" Giles held up the tweezers, holding a two-inch dart with a blinking red light on the blunt end. He handed Jenny the tweezers. "Um, go!"

With the tracer in one hand, Jenny dashed down the hallway and skidded around the corner. She entered the bathroom, lifted the toilet cover, dropped the tracer into the bowl, and flushed the toilet.


Buffy and the demons were still fighting. They had Buffy surrounded, and the first demon charged, but she deflected the ax and shoved the creature into the second demon, pinning it against the wall. She stepped forward with an inward crescent kick to knock the ax aside and slammed her right fist into its gut. Not missing a beat, she followed through with a hard left hook as the first demon bent forward, giving her a clear shot at the second demon's face. She raised a knee into the first demon's face, making him stand straight again, and then spun into a jumping back kick, slamming them both against the wall again. Stunned, the first demon fell on its face, but the second demon charged Buffy. She was able to grab the handle of its ax as it drove her back into the opposite wall. She wrestled with it as the first demon got back to its feet and started to swing its ax directly at Buffy. In the last instant, she twisted the second demon around in front of her, who took the blade in the stomach. As it fell to the ground, dead, the first demon took another swing at Buffy, who ducked away. The demon quickly followed through into another swing, and she caught the handle again. She diverted the blade away from her and took a quick punch at the creature's face. It was stunned, and she ripped the ax from its grip, and the weapon flew away from them. But Buffy was off balance as she backed away. The demon took advantage by punching her hard in the face, sending her to the floor. The demon went after its weapon, stepping into a drainage canal where the ax was laying. Buffy raised her head and noticed the still-sparking taser rifle just a couple of feet from her. As the demon bent down to pick up its weapon, she saw it standing in water. Getting to her knees, she snatched up the taser and tossed it at the demon's feet. It hit the water, and electricity danced over the creature as it spasmed wildly, growling in pain. The chamber lit up, and Buffy just watched until it finally fell in the water, dead. As Buffy caught her breath, she heard voices coming from the com-cam, which was lying on the dirty sewer floor.

"Regret to report Hostile 17 is still at large. I left Beta Team to comb the area, but the tracer's-"

"Riley, something's happened. I-I don't know what to say. It-It-It's about Buffy. Two of our hostiles broke free and escaped into the tunnels. She...went after them on her own. She's dead, Riley."

"What?!"

"I did everything I could to stop her. I told her to wait for a back-up team; she kept insisting she didn't need any team; she could handle it by herself."

"I don't understand."

Buffy walked over and picked up the com-cam.

"How could this happen?"

"She was a very, very special girl."

Buffy set the com-cam down, stepped in front of it, and kneeled in front of it. She was pissed.

"I didn't understand at first. But she had something. I don't know...maybe I could have stopped her. It's hard not to blame myself."

"Professor Walsh. That simple little recon you sent me on...wasn't a raccoon. Turns out it was me trapped in the sewers with a faulty weapon and two of your pet demons. If you think that's enough to kill me, you really don't know what a Slayer is. Trust me when I say you're gonna find out." Buffy stood up and walked away. She knocked the com-cam to the floor and stepped on it, making a loud crunch sound.


In Giles' apartment, he was removing the latex gloves. Spike was sitting on the edge of the desk, putting his black T-shirt back on, careful of his wounded shoulder.

"It will be dark soon. I think it will be wise for you to leave Sunnydale."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until those bastards undo whatever they did to me. Put me back the way I was."

Tara rolled her eyes. "Sure. Just explain to the nice scientist guys that you really miss killing and torturing innocent people."

"Do you think that would work?" Spike asked her.

Giles removed his glasses. "Spike...Lord knows why I'm telling you this; it's for your own good. As long as the Initiative is in operation, it's not safe for you here."

Buffy walked into the apartment. "No."

Everyone turned to face her. They saw the grave expression on her face.

"It's not safe for any of us."

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.

"Maggie Walsh tried to kill me."

"What?!" Giles asked, not quite surprised.

Spike smiled. "Hey, good on her."

Jenny punched him in the nose, and he yelled in pain.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked, walking up to Buffy.

"Yeah." Buffy looked at Jenny and Giles. "Get everyone over here now. Team meeting."

Giles walked over to the phone.

Tara and Buffy hugged each other.

"What happened?" Tara asked her.

"I'm gonna tell everyone at the same time, but the short answer is I was set up. I barely got out of there." Buffy noticed the dolls-eye crystal sitting nearby.

Tara noticed Buffy noticing it. "I used it to cast a spell."

Buffy looked at her. "Oh. I just noticed it, and..." She fell silent.

"Do you want it?" Tara asked her.

Buffy stared into Tara's eyes for a moment. "May I speak with you privately, sweetie?"

Tara was a bit surprised. "Sure."

Buffy walked outside, and Tara followed her.

Buffy faced Tara. "I've upset you."

Tara struggled to respond. "N-N-No, it's f-fine."

"You probably think I'm in a different place in our relationship than you are, huh?" Buffy guessed.

"The...The thought had crossed my mind."

"Mine, too, I admit." Buffy paused. "But nearly dying today made me realize some things: life is short, and there is no I in team. And that's what we are: a team. I love you so goddamn much, Tara Maclay, and I can't imagine my life without you. We're in this together."

Tara stared into Buffy's eyes. "I feel the same way."

Buffy paused for a moment. "Will you be my domestic partner?"

Tara smiled, her tears flowing. "Yes."

Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.