“Did you all ever get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that says something, is really, really wrong?” Buffy asked softly while everyone scurried around in preparation for the battle that was to come. “Because I don’t know about you but something doesn’t feel right.”
“We’re about to attack a killing machine created by the government and there’s a pretty good chance it knows we’re coming and is counting on it.” Xander paused for a moment and shook his head. “Nope, I don’t know why anything about that seems wrong.”
“You‘re right…you’re a fricking genius Xander!” Buffy said a brilliant smile already spreading across her lips.
“Not that I’m complaining but why am I a genius again?” He asked as everyone around them turned to look at Buffy.
“He’s expecting you all, or atleast Faith but he doesn’t have a clue about what I was or am now.” Buffy said already playing it all out in her head. “If he triggered Spike’s chip it could have been because it was taking you so long to crack the disk and fall into his trap. Which would point to Spike double crossing him but he doesn’t know I’m with your group and my arrival threw things out of whack for a bit. But since you all are the good guys he knows you have to go in, even if it’s a trap because there are lives at stake. We just overlooked the fact that without Faith in the mix, the plan is a no-go because there wouldn’t be enough demon parts to play scientist with. And since the demons are going to know he betrayed them by locking them in, all those that survive will go after him.”
“Surely you're not suggesting that we allow all those soldiers to die?” Giles asked more than a little taken aback by her train of thought.
“You‘re missing the point.” Buffy cleared off the center of the coffee table and grabbed a handful of pretzels and laid them down before doing the same with a handful of popcorn. Glancing around the table she grabbed Xander’s bag of skittles and laid them down as well.
“Okay guys you’re skittles, the popcorn is the soldiers and the pretzels are the demons. Right now we’re trail mix because Adam’s put us all together so he could eat us all up. Now the popcorn and the pretzels don’t get along and the skittles don’t get along with the popcorn or the pretzels. But the great thing about skittles is that they’re a mixed bag of candy goodness all on their own.” She separated out two red skittles and one green one. “Now this green Skittle still has a few popcorn pals, pals who like him might be willing to do what it takes to keep their people safe…even from their own pet project. The two red skittles are me and Spike. We’re demons and not just any demons but a turned Slayer whose now head of a bloodline and William the Bloody, formally part of the Scourge of Europe. Even as half-breeds we beat out whatever the hell Adam is because we’re natural demons and not something cooked up in a lab. So while the rest of the skittles are dealing with Adam, why don’t we try to take the popcorn and pretzels out of the mix without anyone having to get eaten?”
“Just how do you plan on swaying the pret…demons to your side?” Giles asked seeing the merit of her plan but finding it impossible to achieve. “What’s in it for them?”
Buffy smirked. “I’m guessing they sided with Adam because they were pissed off at the humans for playing mad scientist and couldn’t find any other way to bring the Initiative down without working together. I’m going to promise the demons that’s it's shutting it’s doors for good and if the government won’t do it…I’m going to help them see they are messing with things they don't need to be messing with. So no matter what happens with Adam, the Initiative has to go. I’m not saying I have all these fluffy feelings for demons, but experimenting on them and using them to create even bigger monsters is wrong. But for the battle with Adam atleast, they’ll have to agree to a temporary truce with the soldiers and the Slayer. I‘ll make it clear that I‘m not on their side but since both Faith and I also fit into the Initiative’s idea of walking science projects, it will atleast go to show that we want the same thing they do…unlike Adam who has his own secret agenda.”
“Okay, but how am I suppose to convince the soldiers that letting a whole bunch of demons loose is a good thing?” Riley asked, running his hands through his hair. “They think I turned against them Buffy.”
“They think or the new boss thinks?” Buffy asked arching her eyebrow. “I’ve only known you a couple of days and I can see you’re a real boy scout and you’ve been with the other troops how long? I‘m not saying it will be easy, especially since you can‘t do it in person because they‘ll arrest you but I think it can be done. For his plan to work Adam‘s going to have to reveal himself and take control of the base. When that happens, they‘ll see you were right. Now what do you think they‘ll say when all the demons they‘ve captured and beat on are suddenly loose but don‘t attack?”
“They’ll want to contain the largest threat, Adam, at all costs and assume that the demons will either flee the town or that they can be recovered later.” Xander answered, his army guy training coming back to him. “Their people will take priority over forcing a fight in which they’ll suffer high casualties.”
“That’s what I’m counting on atleast, because if the first shot’s fired it’s gonna go down.” Buffy admitted the biggest risk to her plan, with a deep sigh. “These two group are just itching for a reason to fight and if someone from either side throws the first punch, it’s going to snowball from there.’
“Let’s say I can convince the others to stand down but how are you going to keep the demons in check?” Riley asked trusting his people to do the right thing when it all comes to a head.
“Actually I'm more worried about you controlling the humans.” Buffy said being completely honest. “Demons all have one thing in common, a highly evolved since of self-preservation and once I make it clear that any demon that causes trouble will be dealt with when the dust settles I don’t expect any problems. As head of the bloodline, all vampires with our blood will have no choice but to honor my threat and since there are literally thousands of Aurelian vamps out there and more being made every day there’s no place to hide.”
“But that’s assuming that the vampires in the order accept you as their Master.” Wesley said, making a valid point.
“They don’t have any choice mate.” Spike said knowing the answer to that. “Angelus wasn’t fond of the old Master at first either but unless he was willing to challenge him, he had no other choice but to obey his rules. Anyone can challenge the head of the bloodline, it won’t get them the job of course but the old Master’s death will cause a change in command. It’s against our ways to challenge the Master in anything but a head to head duel but since the Master had Angel banished from the line until he lost his soul again, he wasn’t sought out by the line for him siding with the lot of you. So even if they don’t like Buffy, they have no choice but to obey her because our blood declared her as our Master. Once she’s dust the new Master can resend her vendetta’s or rules but until then, what she says goes.”
“It helps that my mate is William the Bloody and once we renew the claim between us, it will further discourage challenges because if someone kills me it’s his right as my mate to fight them. Hell if someone offends me, he can fight them. Not a lot of things are sacred to vampires but it’s a big no-no to mess with someone’s mate. I‘m going to remove Angel‘s banishment as well if he can straighten up his act and that will give me another strong and feared ally.” Buffy waved her hand, deciding now was not the time to lay out her plan for the future of her new vampire line. “But that’s not really important right now. Even as a new vamp I’m already pretty damn scary and my Slayerness will give the other demons a few worries of their own.”
“So why you and Riley are handling the soldiers and demons, what are the rest of us poor skittles doing?” Xander asked popping a few of them in his mouth.
“Wes’s spell, you all join up with Faith and make her super Slaygal and she’ll do the rest.” Buffy said nodding in Faith’s direction.
“Buffy we discussed this earlier. It has to be you that faces Adam and the added power will only further convince the demons to follow your lead.” Wes said giving her a firm look that clearly said ‘you’re not getting out of this’.
“Earlier I was angry and not thinking clearly but now that I am all calm and collected I know what part I have to play in this. Do you know how much I’ve had to take in lately, first I met this strange vampire who tells me it’s my destiny to fight demons and next thing I know I’m here in this town being attacked at every turn. First it soldiers, than a guy with a cross-bow and then another Slayer takes a punch at me. But since I can see she’s got the job under control I’m relived because once this is all over I can go back to my life where I don’t have to worry about anyone but myself. Then suddenly I have no other choice but to admit that I care about someone other than myself and because I just had to get involved with some half-demon kid I have to sign over all control of my life to that prick Travers. Then I find myself falling for a different vampire that somehow managed to slip past all my defenses to touch a part of me I though had died a long time ago. Next thing I know I’m a vampire and before I have even adjusted to that, I’m suddenly a Master vampire with tons of thoughts forcing their way into my mind. Before I know it you show up and make it sound like this spell is the only way to take back control of my life and never realize that my first instinct was right. This isn’t my fight, I’m not Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that’s who you and the council want me to be. I chose a different path, I’m Buffy the Vampire, friend of the real Slayer. That’s my life now and in the future I’ll have my own battles to fight but this one, this fight is Faith’s. I can help her, just like her friends have helped her over the years but it’s going to come down to her in the end.”
“Buffy I understand what you are saying but it still sounds like you are afraid.” Wes told her.
“I’m not the one whose afraid Wes, you are. You don’t know Faith so you’ve sided with me because you know I never back down once I make up my mind. Which I have. Spike and I will handle the demons, Riley the humans, the Scoobies will make with the magicks and Faith will take down the big bad. While you will start calling all your illicit connections to help bring the whole damn building down since you’re the master when it comes to bucking the system. You know just in case the government doesn‘t get the hint to get out of town.” Buffy got to her feet and gave them all a bright smile. “So kids, let’s all get in our places with sunshiny faces and do our best not to get killed and put back together again or dusted as the case may be.!”
“Top notch plan Buff…but leave the motivational speeches to Tony Robbins.” Xander said getting to his own feet. “Cuz, you really suck at them.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry it's taken sooo long for an update. My muses have been in a really Spuffy mood lately but thanks to reading a few really amazing fics, they started churning again!
My beta Eternal is on vacation until the end of the month, so please overlook the mistakes which I'm sure managed to slip through when I read over it myself.
My beta Eternal is on vacation until the end of the month, so please overlook the mistakes which I'm sure managed to slip through when I read over it myself.