Chapter 7: The Joining
8 8 8
Buffy snapped out of her homicidal rage with a gasp, noticing Spike’s unneeded inhalation next to her as they fought. Their eyes met, and then together, they looked at the huge fight that was still erupting around them. No… it couldn’t even be called a fight. It was an outright massacre. Something was…
“Something’s wrong, Slayer!” Spike yelled over the screaming. “That’s never happened to me before, and I’d wager it’s never happened to you either. ”
“Whatever happened, we have to get to 314 now!”
“I’m with you on that one,” Spike grumbled.
Scanning the room together, crouched down behind an army vehicle, Buffy swore. This room was larger than she’d remembered it. There was still a hundred metre stretch to go until the door, the red light above it seeming to almost mock them as they glared at it.
They’d only managed to reach halfway across the room before, in the strange killing craze…
What was with that, anyway?-
Spike’s voice drew her from her thoughts. “Slayer, we’re gonna have to make a run for it. Without being affected by whatever it was back there. Otherwise, we’re gonna stand a very small chance about making it to the other side.”
“Ready when you are,” Buffy replied.
Spike merely raised his scarred eyebrow, and repeated what he’d said to her previously.
“I’m always ready, Slayer.”
They took a deep, (for one, unneeded) breath, and then burst out of cover.
A raging Fyarl demon ran at her first, and she fended it off with expert precision. There was a small twist in her, as she smilingly remembered when Giles had transformed into one, courtesy of a small spell performed by his old friend, Ethan Rayne.
But this was not Giles. This was a demon, almost drowning in the primeval energy that seemed to be encompassing them all. And though she felt something within her twitch as it stirred from sleep again, she fought it down. No time… no time…
“Slayer, duck!”
She heard his voice, but she didn’t understand. The Fyarl demon had just toppled at her feet, so what was wrong? She'd already seen the next demon moving towards her, and she was moving to intercept it...
Spike roared suddenly, and before she could stop him, he was upon her, throwing her to the ground with a cry. Quickly, her mind flashed images at him. –The chip… it’s out… he’s gonna… that bastard! He betrayed us and…-
She bucked under him, surprised when he actually went flying. He cursed, holding his head. In the midst of the gunfire, she hauled him up, and was about to punch him, when she realized two things. One, he was crying blood from the chip’s explosion. Two, the leather duster he was wearing was wet with yet more viscous liquid, freshly sliding down the material. And she knew it wasn’t from the demons he’d been fighting when she found the wounds.
“What…?”
Spike groaned, and wavered, but still stubbornly kept his feet. “You silly bint!” he half-yelled. “Didn’t you see that stupid soldier-boy…?”
“You…”
In amazement, she realized what had happened, and the anger seeped from her, to be replaced by pure astonishment. “Can you walk?” sheasked.
Spike eyed the flashing 314 door, and winced, and for a flash, she could swear she saw his face crease in pain. Not physical pain, but something else. Then the mask was back again, and he was grinning cockily.
“Of course, Slayer,” he smirked. “A couple of soddin’ bullets can’t take me down. Don’t insult me.”
"Why?"
It was then that he finally noticed the bewilderment and suspicion in her eyes. Knowing the wrong words could get him staked, he wet his lips unconsciously, and tried to think. “Uh… Slayer?”
"Why the hell did you just save me when you've been trying to kill me for the last two years?"
Spike looked pointedly around them. “Let’s just kick Adam’s ass, Slayer,” Spike groaned. “We can talk about this later.”
He wasn't surprised when she shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not about to trust you with all of our lives without knowing what exactly your intentions are. Now why did you pull that little stunt?"
"Because you're my ally," Spike replied bluntly. "Now let's go, Slayer!"
Grudgingly she complied. “We need to have a talk later. But right now... we need to run to 314.”
He grimaced. “Got it.”
With practiced grace, the two hunters ran from cover, gunfire blazing around them. The same energy tried to envelope them again, but this time it was their own beating it back, resisting the urge to fall into mindless violence. Fire flamed all around them, electricity spasmed the air between them as tasers targeted demons, rendering them incapacitated. The two blondes seemed to have a fiery halo decorating them as they finally reached the already bloodstained door, smashed the last demon away from it, and quickly closed and barricaded it.
Giles, Willow, and Xander were already waiting, and they all inhaled sharply at the sight of blood staining Buffy’s white shirt from when Spike had been almost forced to half-lean on her. “Buffy, are you okay?”
“It’s Spike’s,” Buffy replied. “He took a bullet for me.”
“What?” Xander gaped. “Hang on a second, this is Deadboy Junior we’re talking about…”
“We don’t have time for this!” Spike snarled, one hand still clasped to his side, stained red with mixed blood. “If you’re gonna save the ruddy soldier-boys, we’re gonna have to get started!”
“Since when did you care?” Xander demanded.
“Since Frankenstein decided to kill me,” Spike shot back bluntly. “Betrayal sucks, did you know that, Whelp? So I’m planning on squeezing every drop of satisfaction I can from seeing his face when this is over. Now let’s get going!”
“As childish as his reasons are, he’s right,” Giles glanced towards Buffy.
“I know. The passage should be…” Buffy scanned the room, and noticed a small crack in one of the corners. She and Willow moved immediately to it, shoving the strange contraption that blocked them from accessing the Secret Lab out of the way. She tested the corner, and opened it. It moved sluggishly but smoothly, almost blinding them as bright light poured into the darkened room. Buffy looked back at the four faces behind her, silhouetted. Half in the light and half in the darkness.
Just like her…
“Is this place okay to be Magic Central?”
“It should do,” Giles looked through the window at where the demons and soldiers were still battling it out. “It’s probably the calmest place anywhere.”
“Good,” Buffy looked at them all. “Now I want you guys to seal the door behind me when I’m gone. Giles, how long until the spell kicks in?”
“About five minutes.”
“I’ll have to move fast then…”
Buffy turned to go, but Xander stopped her, worry creeping into his brown eyes.
“Buffy, I still don’t like you going in alone.”
The only answer she gave him was one of her rare, enchantingly beautiful smiles.
“I won’t be.”
And then she was gone. They sealed the door behind her, and went to work.
888
“Begin… begin… begin…
You have been chosen,
Before the death of Time,
To follow the path,
And teach with song and Rhyme
Wisdom of the Ancient,
Follow bardic trail,
Companion to the Singer,
For Light to win, prevail
The First and Last have conquered,
Undo what has gone before,
Or else all Heart has failed,
And lost this endless War
This battle must be won
Though both sides may win and lose,
But the fighting must be done,
For the Heart to finally choose
Argue, lie, tell truths and hate,
Work against the other Fate,
Guide and save, protect and fall,
Die and live again for all…”
The last thought Cassandra had before chaos swept over her again was that whoever these people were, they had absolutely no sense of rhythm…
888
“Riley!”
Buffy almost leapt down the ladder to him as he sat in the strange chair, fixed in that strange position. “Riley, it’s me! We’ve got to get going, Adam’s already started…”
He looked at her in frustration, but she still didn’t comprehend. Then, his eyes widened, and finally getting the message, she turned around.
Maggie Walsh and the other doctor stared back at her, mottled and rotting flesh clashing viciously with their pristine, white labcoats.
Buffy fought the urge to vomit. No-one, no-one should be reduced to this mindless state…
“Riley, Riley, why can’t you talk to me?”
“He can’t talk to you because he’s not programmed to.”
Buffy whirled around to face Adam. He was studying her with the irritating half-smile that he always used.
“What, he’s programmed so he can be used in your little Final Phase project? Just like I’m supposed to be used? Sorry, I don’t take commands from other people. I’ve never been one to toe the line.”
“Oh…” Adam’s eyes darkened. “Kill her.”
Buffy was about to reply with one of her quips when she felt a strong arm encircle her throat and squeeze. With horror, she recognized Forrest… only he was… barely recognizable. Adam had sewn on the forehead and jaw of a demon, the stitches glaringly obvious, yelling at her that this cursed union was unnatural.
There was a glazed look on his eyes, and she realized that this wasn’t Forrest. Just a shell.
“I thought you’d never ask,” the Forrest/demon hybrid growled.
As Buffy frantically tried to escape his hold, the two zombies of the Initiative doctors picked up something that vaguely resembled a whirring scalpel, and moved towards her, eyes devoid of emotion. Finally, she managed to utilize her legs, smashing the zombies away and flipping Forrest over onto the table, smashing three glass beakers. With a roar, he threw her, her body landing with a thud on the floor.
Riley felt the chip within him now. Controlling him. But he could… “Buffy!”
Forrest turned, with a mad grin on his face. “Shut up, and watch me kill your girlfriend.”
Riley didn’t listen to him. He’d seen the beakers smash, and right now, an idea had formed in his head… if only he…
As Buffy, Forrest, and the two doctors fought it out, Riley took a deep breath and plunged the glass shard into his chest.
Forrest sneered as they held her down, the electric wire sparking above then. . “Is that all you got?”
“No!”
Riley stood up and disabled the zombies, pulling the tubes filled with blood out, with a triumphant smile on his face. Blood dribbled down his shirt.
“She’s got me!”
“Well, well,” Forrest smirked. “Look who’s come home to…”
Buffy sent him half-flying across the room, and then turned to her boyfriend. “Riley! I have to get to Adam, like...” she checked her watch. “Now. Are you able?”
“Go,” Riley said, wiping a slightly bloodied nose with his sleeve. “I’ll hold him off.”
And she was gone.
888
With the five candles arrayed in a five pointed star, they began. Blood still dribbled from Spike’s side, but it had been staunched somewhat by the thick bandages laid clumsily and quickly over it. He pushed away the aching pain, concentrating on what was happening.
Their faces gleamed in the candlelight. Strange shadows flickered across their features, throwing them into sharp relief. Spike had never really looked properly at the Scoobies before. Of course, he’d observed them. He always had. But never really looked at them.
Willow started, and as soon as she did, a strange force seemed to envelope them.
“Power of the Slayer and all who wield it. Last to ancient First, we invoke thee. Grant us thy domain and primal spirit. Accept us in the power we possess. Keep us mind and spirit joined, let the hand encompass us, do thy will…”
Willow paused, and then handed them their respective cards. In a clear voice, she spoke her lines. She seemed eerie in the darkness, Spike thought. So full of power and… and…
“Spiritus, Spirit,” she called.
“Animus, heart,” Xander intoned softly.
“Surufus, mind,” Giles incanted.
“Arrakis, blood,” Spike whispered.
Willow spoke for Buffy, placing the final card down as an ominous wave of foreboding swept over them.
“And Amanas, the hand.”
888
Adam smiled, watching all of the mayhem he had caused. The violence that was playing out on the scream appealed to his demon part. Fed it. His human and mechanical side watched, detached. Everything had come into fruition…
“Fun isn’t it?”
Adam turned around sharply, his face relaxing as he saw the tiny blonde slayer leaning on the doorframe. He grinned, this time, cruelty lacing through it. “I do appreciate violence.”
Buffy smiled; a deadly smile. “Good.”
With that, she launched herself at him, giving it all she had. After a few vicious backhands, however, he merely threw her backwards. She crashed into the wall with a thud, her breath knocked out of her. The spike came out of his arm as he thrust it forwards, but she twisted gracefully, breaking it against her knee. With a strong right kick, she sent him stumbling backwards slightly as she flipped herself upwards, brandishing the bone spike like a trophy.
“Broke your arm,” she grinned,
“Got another,” Adam smiled.
Buffy watched in horror as his right arm began whirring and clanking with mechanic energy, extending out into a…
-Oh god. Not a machine gun... couldn’t it just have been a puny revolver or something? Or better still, just a… something.-
“I’ve been upgrading.”
Buffy leapt towards the only cover that the room offered, behind a stack of computers. Bullets peppered the air around her, only narrowly missing. They never stopped. Gunshot after gunshot in slow motion…
888
“We are joined so that we may inhabit the vessel, the hand…
888
And just as Adam blew apart the stack of computers to leave Buffy open and vulnerable…
888
“We implore thee, admit us to the vessel. Take us NOW!”
................
Oh…
My…
God…
(Thanks! Read and Review, everyone. Please!)
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters except for Mia, Bryan, Daniel, and Cassandra. Joss Whedon owns all of the others. Thank you to all my reviewers!