Chapter Eleven - The Romance of Train Travel Part I
There was a crackle from one of the goons.
“Team leader what is your status?”
“I think there’s probably more coming, luv.”
“Thank god, it’s not just a pathetic three because that is just—”
The rest of the company were loading the bags into the trunk, but Raj actually stopped to look at her.
Spike just smirked at him and then turned back to the slayer and gestured for her to get in the car. She slid into the front seat filled with piss and vinegar and every inch the warrior he had met in Sunnydale.
“What are you smirking at, Spike?” she demanded.
Spike didn’t reply, He didn’t want to go all ponce-y on her now. But she had fire in her eyes he had not seen that in a little while and he didn't want to do anything to dislodge it. While he was reminiscing, Wesley reached down and grabbed one of the downed commando’s radios, he cleared his throat and did his best to impersonate the rough cockney.
“The slayer’s not ‘ere. We’re all alone ‘ere. Maybe check the next place.” He paused, shrugging at the surprised looks on everyone's face and looked bewildered even at himself. “How are you?”
“You sound fucking weird, Roddy. Confirm with your personal code!”
“Er-er-“ Wes looked stricken and then dropped the walkie-talkie on the floor and stomped on it as hard as he could. “We need to get out of here.”
One of the goons on the ground groaned just as they were shuffling the seating arrangements to keep Spike in the back and out of the sunlight. Wes threw himself into the front seat and they pealed out of the garage and onto the Ringerstrasse.
*****
Wesley got them to the train station in under ten minutes. They pulled into closest parking spot to shade they could find and Spike sprinted out under his duster and the blanket he had brought from their hotel. The rest of them grabbed what they could of Raj’s equipment and tore into the train station. Several black clad commandos were already there. Alex spotted them immediately as they signaled to each other and talked into their shirts. She nudged Wesley and pointed them out. She then slipped a ten euronote to a vendor and grabbed a Vienna beanie. She shoved it over her red hair.
Spike and Buffy were scanning the departures.
“I don’t see a train to Prague.” Buffy said helpfully.
“Bugger. What’s the next train? to anywhere?”
“Venice is leaving in 2 minutes.”
“We could make a run for it.” Raj piped up.
“They would definitely notice us.” Alex countered.
“They’re on the other side of the station. They won’t reach in time.” Spike replied confidently.
“So we run?” Buffy asked.
“Run.”
And they took off towards the platform. The remaining commandos spotted them immediately attempted to follow them. Spike, Buffy and the rest pushed past people and on one occasion, Alex had to jump over a child.
Buffy swerved around a couple who had stopped to take a long look at the departures’ board and kept going. She glanced next to her, knowing that Spike would be keeping up with her step for step. Wesley and Raj had lagged behind a little. They had been running for a little while but something felt different about this. She wasn’t petrified, she realized. She didn’t feel like she was trapped in a little box just waiting for someone up above to kill her. One glance at Spike and she knew he was feeling that too.
She could see the train in front of her, she could see the train employees starting to put away luggage and she could hear them calling out for a final warning. Just then a shot rang out across the station, Buffy cursed heavily, she had forgotten she was dealing with humans. She glanced at Spike to see him falter. She was moving too fast to stop anything and it all happened in slow motion. Whatever they were shooting had caught Spike in the back near his right shoulder. It must have come from some where to the right of them because the force of the shot propelled the vampire stumbling to the right, toward the neighboring tracks and the gap in the awnings.
Buffy did her best to stop, she reached out instinctively just as Spike hit the lip of the pavements. She didn’t have time to cry out, she could see everything moving in slow motion. Spike was falling over the side, unable to fight against the momentum, and just as suddenly as it all happened an hand stuck out to pull him back.
She thought for a minute it was Alex. But the girl was actually ahead of them, she had been yelling at the conductors in German. It had been Wesley whom she had just been thinking about lagging behind them. The former watcher must have honed his reflexes because they both tumbled in a heap, a few feet to the left. She was at their side in mili-seconds dragging both of them up and half carrying Spike onto the train.
Pandemonium had broken out behind them, but none of them realized what was going on. Whatever it was no one had told the conductor because train was moving already as they reached it. Fewer than 3 seconds had passed since she heard the shot. Alex got there first and wrenched open the door between compartments.
Something whizzed past her ear.
“bullets or tranqs?” Buffy exclaimed pushing Spike on the train and leaping on after him.
They both reached out to pull Wes on. A few feet behind him sprinted Raj who lobbed his bag into the train and huffed and puffed. He reached out a hand and nearly slipped but Alex was suddenly behind him and she half pushed him onto the train. There was volley of bullets. Then the commandos burst through the wall of people screaming and trying to take cover. The train had already left the platform, but Buffy could make them out the only ones calm in a sea of panic.
“Tranqs.” Alex answered nodding at Spike who was passed out on the train floor.
*****
“Buffy, we can’t stay on this train. They are just going to cut us off at the next station.” Alex said logically from her place crouched next to Spike.
The train was nearly empty or at least the car was which was god because Buffy was pretty sure their presence would be noticed. As it was there was just three passengers to witness them. One was a teenager, eyes glued to a magazine with headphones leaking base she could hear across the car, and the other two were an old couple; the woman was sleep and the man was staring at them like he was unsure if what he was seeing was really happening of if his wits have finally failed him.
“Raj,” Buffy said hurriedly. “Do you think you can Visa Black the conductor to make a stop somewhere?”
Raj nodded but Wesley shook his head.
“As this is Austria I find that highly unlikely.” He said. “Our best bet would be to try and use the threat factor.” He glanced meaningfully at a slumbering Spike.
Buffy nodded, she had a plan, but it needed mulling. It was pretty cruel but it would kill two birds with one stone.
“I have an idea.” She said. “Alex do you think you can carry him?”
Alex nodded without hesitation.
“Do you also have anything pointy on you?”
Alex produced a wicked looking dagger from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Buffy wordlessly.
“You had that on you the whole time?” Raj demanded, he studied the girl in askance. “Where do you keep it?”
“Wesley smacked him upside the head.
“Too sharp.” The slayer said with a bemused smile.
Taking her meaning Alex rummaged through the tote bag of Raj’s stuff she was carrying and came up with a screwdriver. Wes pointed towards the head of the train and Buffy and Alex hurried off.
Buffy threw open the door. The conductor protested in surprise in a German or Italian, but Buffy didn’t listen.
“You speak English?” the slayer demanded brandishing Alex’s dagger.
The man held his hands up and nodded. He was wondering what commotion had happened as he was leaving the station. Maybe this was it.
“Make a stop at the closest underground station.” She demanded. “Or I will let him loose.”
She glanced at Alex who quickly jabbed the screwdriver into Spike’s side and the vampire woke instantly, growling in pain and retribution.
3 minutes later, they were standing in an empty U-bahn station. Spike held onto his injured side and was cursing so comprehensively and creatively that he had to be using a demon language or two. Alex was comforting him as best she could while clearly trying not to giggle.
“Bloody hell, Slayer, you are a right bitch you know that?”
“If there was another way I would have done it.” Buffy said apologetically. “Now stop being a big baby and help me map out a next move.”
“I liked you better when you were playing nurse.” Spike growled at her. “And you got the nibblet involved. I can never trust you two ever again.”
Buffy rolled her eyes knowing that a complain-y Spike was an okay Spike. “I’m sure your tender haunches will find a way to get better. You can complain the whole way to Prague.”
Spike glowered at her, and adjusted his coat. "Oh, I intend to."
“Best thing to do would be to take the tunnels back to the station.” He said. “There’s another one in Vienna, We go there, we take another train out.”
“Are you sure this is the best idea and not, for instance,” Raj spoke up glancing through the dark tunnel. “a one way trip to being strawberry preserve all over the tracks?”
Spike smirked.
“Not with vamp hearing. S'a tried and true way to get around a city.” He said. He tapped his ears. “Listen for trains, avoid them, old vamp trick. Why do you think there are so bloody many of us in Paris? The whole place built on tunnels. Have you got a torch in there, boyscout?”
Raj nodded and pulled out a little emergency penlight.
Buffy looked dubiously at the paltry light source.
The hacker shrugged. “I didn’t know we would be tunnel trekking I’d have brought my super special spelunking torch.”
The trek wasn’t long, the train had barely had enough time to put on speed before they got off so they were only a kilometer or so to the station. They had to take around about way of it to dodge a few u-bahn trains. They got back to the Vienna West Bahnhoff and Alex vaulted onto a shaded platform pulling up Raj and Wesley while Buffy helped Spike up, it was hard to believe he was still recovering from his injuries from the previous night’s activities, the slayer’s blood and adrenaline was working wonders for his system.
It made sense to split up then—but stay within eye-line. Alex, Buffy and Raj headed off trying to look like back packers. While Spike and Wesley walked more purposefully in front. Without Spike’s trademark bleached hair, he passed for respectable, though they had thought to throw on one of Wesley’s button downs over his black shirt. Thankfully the dark wardrobe hid all the bloodstains.
At first they didn’t notice any commandos, but after a few moments they became clear. There was one plain clothed guy who clearly was speaking into his lapel. Spike snuck up behind him and tapped him lightly on the temples and then supporting his fall, settling him unerringly onto a bench.
Wes was studying him intently as they strode through the train station trying to look inconspicuous.
“Something for you, Oxford?” The vampire asked still scanning the crowd for anyone suspicious. "My grandsire never let on we know how to do the quick and quiet-like?
“I’ve just seen Angel do things like that and all. I was under the impression it was not your style.”
Spike shrugged. “Can be if it suits me.” He wasn’t sure when he had shifted back to his North London accent, but it felt oddly good to be talking like himself again. “Angel was my sire for all intents and purposes and that bugger is a controlling ass. He liked to see me work this kind of thing so he could sweep though like some sort of princeling after and not get his cuffs and collars wet. Still not convinced that Rice woman didn’t meet Angelus in his heyday and decided to write le Stat.”
Wesley smiled, it was interesting to hear stories from his friend’s past from a different perspective.For starters, he was fairly sure Angel didn't know who Anne Rice was.
“Oxford, Stop your musing and keep your focus, yeah?”
Despite Spike’s worry, their second trek through Vienna’s main train station was largely uneventful. Buffy ducked a few more commandos who seemed to be doing a sweep. And Raj got the bright idea to have Alex sans beanie and therefore the most recognizable buy tickets for Berlin. They then very conspicuously boarded the train for Berlin. Each sneaking out from a different exit to cross the tracks for the train to Prague.
They settled into an empty compartment with a minute or so to spare. They remained vigilant the entire time, waiting for the train to move. It was only after the train had started speeding up and the Vienna cityscape gave way to countryside that they began to relax.
They were all sitting slumped over, pretending not to be alert for every noise and wary of every passer-by. Their compartment was a study in forced non-chalance. Raj was typing something onto his brick of a cellular phone. Wesley brought up the possibility of a drink. Buffy watched the scenery whizz by. Spike and Alex, however, were not even pretending to relax.
Alex's shoulders were tense. She could clearly feel Spike's piercing blue eyes, boring into her as she studied the floor. She knew he was going to start any minute if she didn’t say anything.
It was, however, Buffy who broke the silence.
“Alright, Mysterio-girl.” Her voice cut into everyone's brooding. “There’s clearly something you aren’t telling us. So spill.”
Alex glanced up in surprise.
Buffy’s face was serious. “Why does everyone think I’m Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm? I’ve lived with that bump on my nose my whole life you think I wouldn’t recognize it on someone else?”
*****
Sitting in her office at Project Headquarters in North London, Dara Laird all but threw the telephone handset at the receiver. She bowed her head over her desk and seethed. Somehow the slayer and vampire had slipped through her fingers yet again. Worse, she could see from footage at their German facility that they were being aided by someone. She wasn’t sure who, but someone who had advanced computer skills since every single one of the tapes from the surveillance system had been scrambled beyond recognition. Whoever they were they were good, she had thought her system was un-hackable. She had concluded that it must be some organization because they also knew about the hybrid girl that Dara had gone through a literal hell of trouble to procure and seemed to have infrastructure in place to elude the Project retrieval specialists, Mostly South African mercenaries accustomed to procuring blood diamonds. Her investors had deep pockets but they also had pretty shallow reserves of patience, and Dara was beginning to get worried.
For a millisecond she considered that the leak in intel was Francis, but Francis had all the sophistication of a middle class victorian social climber: All ambition and few people skills. It was hard, however, not to blame him since most of her hell started when they had hit a wall and Francis had though to bring another watcher—this one specializing in genetics into their fold. Ravi Prasad had turned out to be a very bad idea. His death was very high profile and he had a son—a low level watcher brat whom Dara had worried about, but had apparently not signed out of his online role playing game except for about five hours around dawn since his father’s funeral. They dubbed it Warcraft Watch and it had become a favorite rotation among the IT guys. It Couldn't be Buff's witchy-computer savvy friend, they were monitoring her computer activity as well. So who the bloody hell was doing it?
“Bad news then?” Dara’s friend and mentor, Martin Woll asked from his place leaning against the bookshelf.
Dara said nothing, just nodded rubbing her temples.
“You knew the risk when you took on the vampire.” Martin said gently. “William the bloody is extremely adept of wiggling out of tight spaces. He escaped the American Military and you knew you would not be able to contain him for long.”
“There was an outside factor I didn’t foresee.” Dara muttered in defense but knew that Martin was just trying—but failing—to make her feel better.
“Samples from lesser vampires were not working, Laird.” Martin continued. “We needed it to be William the bloody, his bloodline held the most potential. Were you at least able to ascertain positive results?”
“There are samples processing”
“They’ve been gone three weeks and they are still in processing?” Martin demanded. “Get me the samples. we could pop right down the road to a chemist and you’ll know in fifteen minutes!”
“Its not as simple as that, Woll.” Dara said. “with undead samples the markers are all different. We had to figure out what differences there were from the baseline and create the test first.”
Martin sighed.
“Did you try it?”
“I am not an idiot, Martin, of course I tried it.” She snapped using his given name to demonstrate her irritation with him. “it came up negative, every time.”
“Dara, why couldn’t you have just studied something stable like neurosurgery? Paranormal neonatal research obstetrics was the only thing that you found any interest in?”
Dara shot him a look that told him she was clearly not in the mood for him trying to steer her away from her specialty.
“You’re going to get calls from them soon, you know.”
“I know, Martin.”
“I know you know, Dara, I also know you know they’ll rip you a new one if they find out just how much trouble the slayer has caused. And I mean that literally they will find a grolaaak demon and he will create a—”
“Shut up, Martin!”
There was silence in the room for a long moment. Then, a ding sounded on her computer. The IT guys never called, they were a little afraid of her so she got periodic e-mails from them. This usually irritated her to no end, but right now she was grateful for the distraction.
She clicked open the e-mail and read its contents someone saw a girl matching the hybrid's description getting on a train to Berlin and for the first time that day, Dara smiled.
*****
Simon was checking his bags every few seconds. His little lab table was in an inconspicuous corner, but the open plan of the Project Headquarter’s labs meant that no one was completely cosseted from everyone else.
He wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. While the Nokia was usually good enough to get in touch with Raj, he didn’t get anything back from his friend. He knew that a direct text could compromise Raj’s encryption, something about the network. Raj had explained it once but Simon had forgotten it, he only had enough headspace for organic chemistry or Raj’s crazy spycraft and Orgo won out.
“Why do you keep checking your bag, Zhang?”
Simon’s blood ran cold. He turned to smile at Ritika Singh. She was one of the brightest women in the lab, and she was forever fussing over him, like a second mother—despite knowing he could lie better than most people, Simon still got a little jittery around these people who were also clearly smarter than the average evil sociopathic sadist organization. If he could just nail this little fib, though, he knew he would be golden.
“H-hi, Ritika.” He said smiled shyly. “I don’t want to talk about it it’s stupid. I’m not even sure how much I like her.”
There, he thought that would get the attention of busybody in the lab. He shifted uncomfortably under her delighted gaze and deliberately did not meet her eye.
“Stupid? How can it be stupid? Simon, are you texting with a girl?”
Simon sighed. Small and subtle, was the way to go. Ritika would take it from there.
“If you can call it that.” He said in self-deprecating tones. “I texted her at least. I just keep checking to see if she’s replied.”
Ritika looked overjoyed. She was about to insist he explain everything to her, but the microwave dinged and she had to go back to her experiments.
“I want to hear all about her later!” she demanded conspiratorially.
Simon nodded reluctantly. “Just don’t tell anyone?” he said knowing she was going to blab to everyone in the office. “I don’t know if this is actually going anywhere and I just don’t everyone nosing in, you know.”
Ritika grinned conspiratorially. “of course not.”
She glanced down at his phone which read: Hope you made it back alright, Katie. Did you have fun last night? shall we meet tonight? SZ
The phone dinged before Simon could pull away the phone, Ritika read the text and giggled. So sweet to check in! 2 l8 tho! Out of London @ the mo, left early to beat the traffic. Call u nxt wk? xoXO
Ritika did her best to stifle a squeal. She squeezed his arm and toddled off.
Simon sighed letting his shoulders sag. He was so glad Raj made it out of dodge in time, especially since Simon had to compromise the system integrity to warn him. Now that he didn't have to worry his friend was in immediate danger, Simon wondered where on earth Raj had learned to text so convincingly like a flirty, maybe a little drunk college girl.
*****
She wasn’t sure what to say to the expectant slayer or the master vampire or the watcher or Raj. She sort of just sat a little dumbstruck at the sudden interrogation.
“Spike told you.”
“Spike told me about the hybrid status.” Buffy said. “But you have the exact same fighting stance as me and in the tunnels you made a crack about your nose and instead of being commiserating Buffy I thought ‘don’t you dare axe that beak it’s what gives your face character’ which is what my mom always said to me. Sonow I'm kinda on the side of wig.”
“What happened to the ordeal I’ve been through?” she sputtered a little helplessly.
Buffy shrugged. “Immediate danger is over and you’re half vampire. Color me having an immediate stake in knowing what you’re doing here.” She glanced meaningfully at her belly. Before glancing pointedly at Alex. “So spill, Alex, if that is your real name.”
“Yeah.” The damphyr said finally. “It’s my real name. It's short for Alexis.” She took a long moment there, everyone in the compartment was staring at her, at the edge of their seats all except for Spike who was leaning back, but still watching her intently. “and I was born February 22, 2004.”
She waited for the exclamations of disbelief but her announcement was met with stunned silence.
“so when I was born, there was this prophesy.” She took a deep breath and recited it just as she had many times before. “There is a gift, given from the powers above and beyond. At the end of all things, the chosen will lose her champion and be given her reward. More than chosen, more than demon her time is limited here, at the peak of the sun she will go in the blaze of glory to walk with the original slayer she will take her place with the warriors of old and theirs will be the stuff of legend, which becomes myth.”
“It doesn’t rhyme.” Buffy commented after a moment. “Shouldn’t prophesies rhyme?”
Alex looked at her incredulously.
“It may have rhymed in Ancient Zulu which is what the prophesy was written in. Its not like people wrote in English then.” She paused. “I’m not sure English was a thing yet.”
“Translating from ancient African languages can be extremely difficult.” Wesley spoke up. “There’s so little we have in common with them anything beyond fire and enemy and spear can be tricky.”
“That’s why he earns the middling to little bucks.” Raj piped up with a little grin, he nodded encouraging at Alex.
Alex smiled at them both, grateful they were trying to lift the mood. She couldn't read Buffy's intent gaze and she couldn't even look at Spike.
“It’s about me and I’ve known about it for as long as I can remember because my mom’s been worrying about it since before I can remember. At least until…” Alex trailed off and looked back down at her boots. “Until she passed away. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about this nonstop since last night. Ever since Wesley asked me how to get me home. Because.” She looked around. “I think I’m there. Where I’m from, which is—the last date I remember is December 21, 2018—there isn’t just the one slayer. There are hundreds. All of them chosen in 2003 when my mom did a spell to activate them all to save the world. She said my dad died in that battle, that the only reason she and I survived was because Dad sacrificed himself to save the world. That’s why I’m named Alexis because she wanted to find a name that was special to him, and also after my uncle Xander. Mom wanted to honor everyone so on my birth certificate back home it says Alexis Joyce Tara Anyanka Summers Pratt.” She grimaced and nodded preempting any response from the assembled group. “Please just call me Alex?”
Buffy was still studying her intently, but Spike looked surprised at the naming. He caught Alex's eye and shook his head. Her eyes widened in comprehension and she shut her mouth with an audible click. Luckily, Buffy was too interested in the prophesy part of Alex's story to notice the naming convention.
“But the prophesy says that you’ll be with the original slayer.” Buffy said. “I’ve met her, she- she’s like this power primeval creature. She could probably translate your prophesy.”
“That’s the first slayer.” Alex said simply. “I thought-My grandpa thought it meant her also. But I realize that maybe it meant you. We started calling you the original slayer after you, er...” She trailed off looking uncomfortable. "To erm, honor you."
The compartment was quiet for a second. They had known Alex for less than 24 hours and yet none of them had really questioned the wisdom of trusting her, there was sense she was connected somehow, only Spike had put all the pieces together. But even he couldn’t have deduced this. Alex looked every inch her Fifteen years sitting with her hands knotted together, clearly trying to keep from crying.
Buffy studied the girl in front of her, actually taking in her features for the first time. She had a thin face with high cheekbones and startling blue eyes. The slayer kicked herself, it was quite obvious now who fathered her. Everything on her face belonged to Spike even the golden brown of her hair. Alex’s features were just softer and more delicate; It was all Spike's. Except her nose. Buffy had only just come to terms with that nose.
She wished she knew what to say to the girl, but she didn’t. Instead she asked the questions she couldn’t keep herself from asking.
“Alex, How do I die?”
“You were shot.” She said a little shakily. “God, it was so stupid. There was this demon terrorizing a bank and there was a team of us sent after him and we got him but some idiot with a gun panicked and started shooting everywhere and he caught you right in the heart and I kept waiting for the doctor to say it was a miracle and any other human would have survived but that never came.” She hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes. “but that’s not how you die here I don’t think.” She said gesturing around them. “Because none of this happened there. There was no Genesis and there was No gallivanting around Europe with Spike and Wesley—” she paused. “Hangs out with Angel. I’m not sure if I should have told you all this but I just couldn’t keep lying and pretending and I hate Kim Kardashian but I couldn’t think of anything else because I was looking at my father for the first time. And he was so close to dying again and I’m really not sure what happened or if telling you all of it just bollocksed everything up and – and—I think I need some air.”
Before anyone could say anything else Alex got up and sprinted from the room.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hello All!
I promised I would be uploading more regularly and here I am! I just needed to get over the hump I think but I am up and running and all the reviews are really helping so this is a nice long one--and part II should be up soon! Fluffy Spuffy fun soon I promise!
I promised I would be uploading more regularly and here I am! I just needed to get over the hump I think but I am up and running and all the reviews are really helping so this is a nice long one--and part II should be up soon! Fluffy Spuffy fun soon I promise!
Chapter End Notes:
So what did you guys think? Was that what you were expecting with Alex?