Part twenty-two: In which the darkest day becomes a dawn of glory.
Sunnydale, CA
May 26th, 1999
0002 Hours PST
The sky was turning dark and red as the plume of flame blasted upward. The demons on the steps whooped and high-fived each other, several giving Roz congratulatory slaps on the back.
The woman just smiled and laughed as demons began to emerge from the pillar, spreading through the town and toward the stunned fighters.
"Oh, God," Steve murmured. His grip on his sword increased as Buffy instinctively put a hand to him. The Slayer's own face was tight with fear and shock, a hollow feeling in her stomach as she saw the horror of the Hellmouth begin to emerge. Several vampires and demons were already moving forward, eager to taste the blood of those who had kept them underfoot so long.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here," Torc whispered.
"Willy always did take Robbie's best material," Aideen automatically commented.
Randi glared at Roz. "You said you were going to do it at midnight!"
The alien shrugged. "I lied. I'm evil and insane. I do that."
Zev swallowed as he allowed his spikes to spring out. "Ladies and gentlemen...I hope you find the right afterlife."
"Well, it's been a good life, can't complain, three hundred years, not bad," Sparrow intoned sardonically.
"It can't end like this," Marc whispered, shaking his head. "It can't."
"Oh, but it can," Roz laughed. "Kiss your planet goodbye, folks! You don't expect a cavalry to just come barging in now, do you?"
On that brilliant cue, a flash of light erupted between the demons and the Section fighters and two figures materialised out of nothing. It took a moment before the eyes could clear enough to show Robin and Liam, who immediately threw up their hands and yelled out. "HERE WE COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAYYYY!"
"Hooray, we're dead," Cordelia sardonically observed.
Roz frowned as she saw the two new arrivals. "Who in the Nine Pillars..."
The two ignored her and focused on the gathering demons. "Lads and lassies, I'd recommend you all turn right around and get going while ye still can," Liam announced.
The demons all laughed in disbelief, Roz with them. "Oh, please!" she yelled. "What the hell are you two going to do to defend this town?"
Robin smiled broadly. "Well, first of all...hasn't it occurred to you how odd it is that no one's come out to investigate the big wall of fire, let along two armies of demons and fighters?"
There was a long silence as both sides suddenly realised he was right. Even for Sunnydale, ignoring such a massive event was unheard of.
"Yep," Robin added with his smile broadening. "Made a call to a...friend of mind and he's arranged a little stasis time for the Sunnydale population. They can be put back without even knowing they were gone. Which means, we've got the whole town to work with without the fear of collateral damage."
Roz snorted. "Whoop-de-shit. I'm about to wipe out your damn planet, remember?"
"Actually, no, ye aren't," Liam stated. "Because the lad responsible for the mass exodus is also responsible for the people who are coming down here to kick all your asses straight back below." With that, he and Robin both looked up.
Roz stared at them in confusion, then did the same. So did the majority of the gathered warriors, all wondering what they were looking for. Marc peered upward, trying to gauge what was going on. A bright flash caught his eyes and he focused on it. It took a moment to realise what it was and his eyes widened. "Oh my God," he whispered.
There was a loud shriek as a glowing figure streaked through the sky and smacked right into a pack of demons. There was an eruption of dirt as the demons were sent flying in all directions. Everyone ducked away and then stared at the crater that had formed from the object. One demon leaned over the edge to look into it. A second later, he was sent flying back, a gaping hole in his chest as a figure rose from the crater and hung in the air about twenty feet over the ground.
She grinned wildly at the stunned stares from all sides, spinning the staff in her hands as she looked to the demons and vampires. "Evening, you murdering sons of bitches." Seeing some female vamps, she amended "And just plain bitches. My name's Astra and I don't think I've ever hated anyone in my life as much as I hate all of you right now." Her face grew hard. "This is my planet you bastards are trying to kill. And I don't like that. I don't like that one bit."
"Neither do I." Everyone turned at the strong voice but saw no one. Then they looked up to see the golden figure standing in mid-air, arms crossed before her. "I'm Apalla. I'm the Queen of Light and I don't appreciate you ass holes stepping in my kingdom."
A vampire scoffed. "Nice trick with the flying, bitch. But you don't-"
Apalla looked at him, her mirrored glasses flashing and a blast of energy erupting from them. It struck the vampire, along with the two behind him, incinerating them before they could scream.
"My God," Xander whispered. "She killed those guys just by looking at them."
"She's got style," another female voice came. "But so do I." They all turned to see Elementra striding forward, wind whipping at her clothing and hair. Her face was hard and her hands seemed to crackle with power. "I'm Elementra. And as of right now...you bastards are at war with this planet."
She stamped her left foot on the ground and instantly, the ground shook. Shock waves moved forward but they only seemed to effect the vampires and demons, throwing them about while the Section Seven fighters stood, frozen in amazement. Elementra spun on her heel and raised her hands. The street to one side flew up in a tidal wave of rock, dirt and pavement flaring up as bodies flew about.
"Holy shit," Faith spoke for most of the fighters assembled. Before anyone could react, the sky suddenly flared with a bright green colour. It flew about like a dome, arcing downward, the edges burrowing into the ground around the city limits. Lowering himself from the sky, his staff held high above his head, the crystal on it glowing brightly, Shamaran levitated above the ground and threw a dark grin at Roz.
Merlin stared in amazement, feeling the incredible magical power coming from the man, power that was almost at his own strength. "The Master Mage," he whispered.
Roz blinked in disbelief at the black man. "What did you just..."
"Little spell to seal this town off," Shamaran answered her. "As of now, only way anything inhuman is getting out of here is if we want it too. And we don't." He spread out his arms and made an evil grin. "Welcome to Thunderdome, bitch."
"What the hell?" Buffy yelled as the demons scattered. Astra and Apalla immediately flew into the hordes and began attacking.
Even as she tried to figure out what the hell was happening, Roz let out a yell. "What are you idiots waiting for? GET THEM!" Realising their cue, the demons began to spread out on the attack. An attack that was joined by fighters no one could possibly expect.
<Shamaran, how many have we got to face here?>
<You want general counts or by demon type, sex and astrological sign?>
<What?>
<Hey, I like to be thorough.>
A pack of demons were rushing toward the main street toward several Knights. The Knights prepared themselves for the attack...only to have a blast of energy knock one demon right off his feet, a gaping hole in his chest. The Knights turned to see Imator hop down to the ground, a large gun in her hand, the barrel smoking. The woman's outfit had shifted into a dark green, almost metallic outfit, her grin showing amidst her large headgear.
"Who the hell are you?" one demon demanded.
"Your worst nightmare, buddy," Imator stated, bending her hand back with the gun clutched in it. "A Cartoon Network junkie with the power to make anything I want come to life." She threw the gun up in the air in a wide arc. At the very height of it, the gun suddenly transformed into a robot with a cannon on his arm and an odd purple symbol on his chest. The robot landed, held up his cannon and blew the demons away.
The head of the Knight unit simply stared in disbelief as one of the younger members muttered, "Megatron?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know he's a baddie," Imator shrugged. "Hey, but he is cool as hell. Gotta count the style."
"Just who the hell are you?" A knight choked out.
"Ever read Henry V?"
"Yeah."
"I am the muse of fire they're asking for at the beginning."
<Hey, Im> Shamaran's voice broke in. <Tempted to move out here?>
<And do what?>
<Well, we could put Industrial Lights and Magic out of business.>
<Imator> Apalla's voice came to her mind. <Got some nasties trying to move in the alleyway near town centre.
<On it.> Imator thought and found the perfect character...
The demons and vampires had actually managed to work out a strategy of sorts to spring on the Section fighters once the Hellmouth was opened. It called for strikes at them from multiple directions, too many for them to fight back. While the sudden appearance of these new fighters had thrown a wrench in things, they were ready to go through with the attempt.
They were about two dozen in all, a mix of vamps and several demons, moving through the alleyway with speed and stealth and not at all prepared for the figure that suddenly appeared before them.
He was tall and dressed like an Old West gunfighter with dark overcoat over denim pants, shirt and jacket, a battered galleon hat on his head. His face was a dark grey, craggy and seemingly stuck in a perpetual scowl. His eyes were as black and cold as the Arctic, motionless as he stared down the group before him. When he spoke, it was with a voice of age that carried the air of death. "Get going before you can't."
"Who the hell-"
The man was holding up two antique Colt .45 pistols in his hands. No one had even seen him draw; one second his hands were clear, the next they were holding the guns, guns that would never run out of ammo, whose bullets would always find their mark.
"Ain't nothing in hell worse than me, boy," the man intoned. "Go and have a look."
With that, the Saint of All Killers opened fire.
Mulder, Scully, Tessa and Melissa were running down one of the streets, swords out and looking for trouble. It wasn't hard to find as demons and vamps were beginning to flow out of the Hellmouth and into the town itself.
A couple of vamps saw the group and started to move in. Before they got far, however, there was a screeching sound and suddenly a pack of squirrels leaped out of nowhere to latch at them. The vamps yelled as the animals clawed and bit at them. Before their demon partners could join in, several hisses rang out and from seemingly every alleyway nearby, cats suddenly launched themselves at them.
"What the hell is going on?!" one vampire screamed as he crushed a cat's neck before throwing it aside. There was a whisper of air and suddenly, an arrow ploughed into his chest, turning him to dust. Flipping through the air, crossbow still in hand, a male figure landed before the vamps and made a sardonic smile.
"I'm the hell that's going on. I'm Pretor and I just told the wild kingdom of Sunnydale not to take any more shit from you pissants." He lifted his crossbows back up and fired more arrows at the demons, taking out two more vampires and a demon.
"What is that?" Tessa gasped.
"Dr. Doolittle on steroids?" Melissa asked.
Mulder and Scully were backing away when they felt a presence behind them. They spun around to see two Grappler demons behind them, snarling. Before either agent could move, two tendrils of black energy seemed to come out of nowhere, wrapping around the demons' throats. A yank and two snaps went out. Mulder and Scully stared at the figure that flowed upward over the corpses. He smiled and nodded. "No need to thank me."
"Who the hell are you?" Scully demanded.
"Name's Darknighter."
"Darknighter?" Mulder expressed. "Nice. You a demon?"
The man smiled. "You must be Mulder. Robin told us there was one guy who could be counted on to be suspicious of someone even if he just saved your life."
He turned as he saw another group of demons heading in. The minute they were under the light, Darknighter snapped his fingers. In mid-step, the demons were yanked in their tracks as their own shadows reared up to attack them. Mulder and Scully blinked and turned to look at the man. "How long have you known Robin and Liam?" Mulder asked.
"Couple of days."
“You’re a quick learner.”
Tessa had managed to recover enough to pull out her ever present bullwhip. She uncoiled it and lashed it forward, driving a demon back. She caught the slight smile on Pretor's face and paused. The man looked the whip over and nodded. "Not bad."
Tessa sniffed. "You can do better?"
Pretor looked at her and holstered his crossbows. He reached to his belt and pulled out his own whip, stepping forward at the demons and vampires still standing. He lashed it outward, the tip suddenly glowing as if electrified. It hit one vamp, who howled as his body was rocked with electricity that soon disintegrated him. He swung the whip around as the tip turned into a spiked bola that slammed into a red-skinned demon's head. Pretor leaped up as he swung the whip underneath him, the long tendril igniting with flame. He seemed to hover in the air as the whip circled around, striking all the vamps and demons about him, sending them back screaming and aflame. He landed on his feet, yanking the whip back into a coiled position on his belt. He paused to give Tessa a wry smile before launching himself at the demons.
Tessa did a slow burn, muttering under her breath in a rapid-fire rant of Spanish that would do Desi Arnaz proud. All Melissa could understand was "show off gringo" and was a bit grateful for that.
The main street of Sunnydale was the site of most of the fighting as Immortals, Amazons, Knights and other warriors tangled with the slews of demons and vampires in the area. So close was the fighting that many of the Immortals barely registered the addition of another Buzz.
Giles and Jenny were back to back, the MacLeods and Amanda nearby, swords and stakes swinging as they tried to fight back the demons around them. Giles swung at an orange skinned hulk, who ducked the axe and swung out with a fist that knocked Giles back into Jenny. The two fell back, off-balance, both looking toward the demon who moved in for the kill. Suddenly, it straightened up, gasping in pain as the edge of a sword poked from his chest. He collapsed to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman behind him, smiling. "God save the Queen," she announced in a chipper British accent.
Duncan and Connor both turned at the familiar voice, spinning about and staring in amazement at the figure. "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth Corday nodded. "Duncan, Connor, Amanda, good to see you all again."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Amanda gasped.
"Well, let's just say I ran into Robin and Liam and things sort of got out of hand from there," the surgeon shrugged.
"How well we know the feeling," Giles muttered. His eyes widened as he saw a vampire lunge at Elizabeth. "Behind-"
Without even looking, Elizabeth snapped her foot back to catch the vampire in the chest, then spun around to kick him in the face. She glanced up to see a trio of demons on a rooftop of the store next to them. Tucking her sword under one arm, Elizabeth tensed and leaped upward, spinning about, her hair whirling about her face as she flew twenty feet in the air. She landed on the roof and immediately began attacking the demons with a wild series of kicks, flips and slashes.
The Immortals, the Watcher and the Gypsy watched in mute amazement as Elizabeth back flipped, kicking one demon in the face and slashing at another in mid-air. "Amazon?" Connor asked.
Jenny shook her head. "No. A bit too wild for us."
Giles sighed. "Robin."
A Buzz cut through the air, every Immortal reacting to it. All were struck by how it seemed so strong, stronger than a single Immortal would be. The gallop of hooves struck the ground as a figure flew down the street behind them. He was astride a powerful Spanish steed, the horse's nostrils flaring as it drove its owner on. A pair of demons tried to get before him but with two powerful sweeps of his arm, the rider beheaded them both.
Torc and Kate both stared at that move. The way the armoured man carried himself, his stride, his skill, his technique which they found so familiar. "Maximus," both whispered.
Soldar leaped off his stead, feet slamming a pair of vampires back. They tried to rush them and his actions were a blur, a flash of darkness and steal and before they even knew it, the vampires were ash on the ground. Soldar swung his blade outward to decapitate another demon before turning to the fighters nearby. His eyes landed on two and a smile grew under his helmet. "Torc. Kate. Good to see you both again."
"It is you," Kate whispered. "How...how did you..."
"Fight now, talk later," the Roman general bit out. He looked over to where Sonya and Jax were brawling with some vampires who apparently liked kung-fu. "You two! Get to the west side and reinforce them there!"
Sonya kicked a vamp down and threw a glare at the figure before her. "Excuse me but just who the hell do you think-"
"I SAID NOW, SOLDIER!"
"SIR, YES, SIR!" Sonya yelled back, immediately snapping off a salute and rushing off, Jax hot on her heels. Soldar smiled. "Still got it..."
Roz had no idea what the hell was going on but she knew it wasn't good. She had tried to run back into the school but the rush of demons into the battle had carried her to one of the smaller streets near the school. She managed to break free, running across the alleyway and was almost at the end when a fist lashed outward and knocked her back. She staggered backward and saw Buffy, a hard expression on her face as she marched forward. Roz turned just in time to see Joyce throwing a fist of her own. Roz staggered back, turning so Buffy punched her again. She staggered, turning the other way in time to catch a blow from Joyce. This kept up for several turns as she seemed to bounce from one blow to another before another figure seemed to materialise and punched her in the face, sending her down.
"HEY!" Buffy and Joyce both yelled.
Zev shrugged. "Sorry, the whole thing was giving me a headache."
Roz got to her knees, growling and taking a deep breath. She opened her mouth and unleashed a scream. Unlike Zev's, which had acted like a concessive force, hers was high pitched and was like a piercing pain to anyone who heard it. Buffy, Joyce and Zev all yelled and covered their ears, falling to their knees under the wave.
Roz shut her mouth, smiling as she saw the stunned figures before her. She flexed her arms and her own spikes came popping out. She moved toward Joyce, deciding she would be the first to die when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked back. With a yelp, Roz went sailing right through the wall of a store, landing hard on the ground with a cracking in her back. She moaned as she tried to roll up and saw two figures leaning down to her, evil smiles on their faces.
"You must be Roz," Robin said.
"Nice to meet ye," Liam said.
"I'm Robin."
"I'm Liam."
"The people you used and abused and humiliated are considered family to me."
"The elven lass whose trust ye twisted about is close to my heart."
"Her cousin is the woman I love."
"Ye realise, of course, that your days as a bipedal vertebrae are now officially over."
Roz shook her head as she tried to sit up. "What do you expect me to do? Beg?" She felt herself slammed back without warning, pinned to the ground as if by a massive weight. She gasped as she looked up at the two faeries, their eyes glowing with dark energy.
"Fetch," Robin told her.
"Roll over," Liam added.
"Play dead," they both intoned before descending on her.
Zev got to his feet, shaking his head. "Jurden, that hurt." He looked to the hole where he could hear some screams coming out. "What in Surton...?"
Buffy drew a grim smile as she realised what had happened. "Sounds like Robin and Liam are checking her into the penthouse suite of the Smackdown Hotel."
"Shouldn't we doing something?"
"Well, normally, I'd say get some popcorn and watch," Buffy replied as she held up her sword. "But we've got other work to do." With that, she took off into the battle.
Zev looked to Joyce. "I take an earlier comment back. I do see the family resemblance."
Elementra flipped backward, levitating over the heads of a dozen demons and floating upside down. She waved her hands toward the area where two demons had congregated and yelled, "You two trees! Down, damn you!"
There was a loud cracking and splitting as the trees collapsed inward, smashing onto the demons between them.
"Did those trees just fall because she suggested they do?" Xander stated in disbelief.
"Who the hell are these guys?!" Cordelia yelled.
Elementra clenched a fist at the trees and loud cracking sounds could be heard. She spun and waved her hand outward and a slew of branches, twigs and shards of wood flew up and outward, slamming into the a squad of demons nearby. Vampires turned to dust as demons yelled out from mortal wounds.
Elementra held up her hands to the sky. The clouds above rolled as lightning flashed about.
Willow and Oz were as stunned as the others at the sight; Oz actually raised his eyebrows a full inch. "I don't believe this," Amy remarked as she watched lightning cross the sky at Elementra's wave. "I just do not believe this."
"She's like a one-woman Weather channel!" Xander exclaimed.
"They do put the 'oy' in 'flamboyant' don't they?" Tarring asked as he stepped up.
"Who the hell-" Cordelia broke off when she saw the collar around Tarring's throat.
"Father Bernard Tarring," the priest introduced himself.
"And what do you do?" asked Xander.
Tarring let a small smile come to his face as he reached into his robe and removed a cross.
"Elementra!" he called out. "Some rain?"
Nodding, the red-haired woman snapped her fingers and the clouds began to pour down on the demons in the area while the Scoobies remained perfectly dry. Tarring suddenly began to yell out in Latin, making the sign of the cross before him. A series of loud shrieks went out as the demons suddenly began smoking as if acid had been dropped on them. The vampires began disintegrating as other demons tried to stagger away.
"What the-" Xander started
"Just a routine blessing," Tarring said with a smile.
Willow stared at him for a moment. Her eyes widened as she suddenly got it. "You...you blessed...the rain..."
"Holy water downpour," the priest confirmed.
Amy and Willow exchanged stunned looks. "Why didn't WE ever think of that?!"
As Methos sliced down one demon, he caught a flash of a reddish-brown mane that seemed so familiar. He turned to see Elizabeth twisting about as she cut down a vampire with her blade. She had a wild expression on her face, all vestiges of the proper lady she had once been now gone, replaced by a warrior who would take no prisoners. Methos had seen that look many times before...including on a face that looked exactly like Elizabeth's.
"Boudica?" he muttered in puzzlement. He shook his head and quickly went back to the battle.
Elizabeth had just cut down a vampire and spun about when her blade met another. She stared at the man before her who managed a smile. "Well, well, it's been a while, Moll-"
Sparrow went stumbling back as Elizabeth smacked him across the face. "Right, I did deserve that one..."
Giles cut a demon down and glanced up. His eyes widened as he saw several flying demons starting to move in. They varied in size and shape, wings flapping, jaws gaping, claws at the
ready. "We've got incoming."
"Don't worry," Elizabeth smiled. "Air support is on the way."
"Air support?" Jenny frowned. "What do you mean-"
The sky erupted with bursts of light and howls of rage and pain. The group looked up to see Apalla, Astra, Pretor and Shamaran flying in, coats and hair billowing as they unleashed energy blasts, light bursts, arrows and spells at the demons. Apalla back flipped to unleash double blasts that incinerated two demons while Astra smacked another back with her staff. The youngest member of the Pantheon looked down to see a green-skinned demon with no mouth but rather sharp claws moving toward the group on the ground. With a spin and kick downward, she flew down and smashed the demon in the face with her staff.
"Good Lord," Giles whispered. "Are Robin and Liam responsible for this?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "From what I've gathered, the man responsible for these people makes Robin and Liam look like the epitome of restrained and graceful gentlemen." She glanced to the group and saw the shocked and slightly horrified looks on their faces. "Yes, a chilling concept, I know."
Spinning her staff in one hand, Astra reached down to heft the demon up with her free arm. "Nasty looking sucker." She let a wide smile come onto her face. "Think I'll drop you on the Sea."
"Good Lord, don't do that!" Giles broke out. "It's an Aquan demon! It gains strength in water!"
"Oh, don't worry. There won't be any water in this Sea."
Giles looked sceptical. "And what sea would this be?"
Astra smiled as she slowly began to float up. "The Sea of Tranquillity." She sped upward, the demon clutched in one hand as she streaked to the heavens.
Steve sliced his bade outward, a green-skinned demon screaming as he was bisected by the cut. He turned to see Soldar kicking a vampire down before plunging a knife into its heart. The vampire screamed before bursting apart. "Blessed," Soldar explained to the Wanderer. "Makes it a bit faster."
<And it's still sharp enough to slice a tomato!>
<SHUT UP, IMATOR!>
Steve nodded, sizing the man up. "I know you?"
"We've never had the pleasure," the armoured man answered. "General Maximus Decimus Meridas."
Steve's eyes widened in shock. "You? I...didn't know you were Immortal."
"Surprising how something like that fails to get around," Soldar remarked. "We need to contain these demons with a two-pronged attack.
Steve shook his head. "As long as the Hellmouth is open, we're still going to have more coming."
Soldar nodded. "I'll have that handled. In the meantime...get me everyone who can ride a horse."
Steve stared as the general ploughed into battle. He became aware of Kate next to him. "Horses? Does he want to do a cavalry charge?"
"Wouldn't be at all surprised," the blacksmith said.
Steve stared at her. "Is he that crazy for a scheme?"
A small smile came to Kate's lips. "If you or I had thought it up, it'd be a crazy scheme. Maximus thought it up. That makes it a plan." She moved back to the fight as Steve tried to fight off a sudden feeling of inadequacy.
Apalla spun about as she let out a blast of light at a flying demon. She looked down to see Willow, Amy, Jenny and Cordelia standing by a somewhat human-looking demon in robes. The man was standing behind a glowing white field, smiling as the witches hurled magic at him to no effect. The policewoman landed next to them and looked at the demon.
"Wizard?"
"Looks like," Jenny said. "Dammit, we can't dent the thing!"
"I can," Apalla replied.
"How?" Willow demanded.
Apalla smiled. "Well, I can see him. And, more importantly, he can see us. Which means there's one thing that can get through that field."
She raised her arm and pointed her index finger at the shield. The wizard frowned in confusion as the tip of her finger glowed. A beam of yellow energy flew outward, hitting the shield, flying through it and smashing into the mage's right eye and out the back of his head. A surprised look came over his face just before he keeled onto his back.
The witches all stared at Apalla. Milking the moment, the blonde brought her finger up to her lips and blew it. "I love being me," she remarked. With a smile, she then took off high into the air.
Willow looked at the others. "Why didn't WE think of that?"
Jax danced back as he tried to avoid the swipes of the large demon moving in on him. He was smaller than the two winged creatures which gave him mobility but lowered the impact of his blows. One demon swung its tail outward, taking Jax's knees down. He grunted as he slammed
onto the ground, looking up to see the two demons leering at them.
Two streaks of green light flew out, hitting each demon and incinerating them. Jax turned to see Shamaran floating down, his staff still glowing. He looked down at the other black man and raised an eyebrow. "Jax, right?"
"Yeah? Who are you?"
"Name's Cal Reynolds. But in the union suit, I'm Shamaran."
"Cool title."
"Thanks." He paused to look around, then turned back to Jax. "Say, is it me or is this town just not the haven for brothers?"
"Well, the only black guys on our side are you, me and Ivar, who's actually from Africa."
"Haven't noticed many on the other team. And I mean black skin, not scales."
"Sorry, pickings are slim."
"Tell me about it. I really wanted some ass holes I could turn loose on."
"Hey, niggers!"
The two turned to see a dozen vampires standing before them. Most were out of shape and smelled even worse than a vampire would. What made them notable was that they all wore the hoods and robes of the Klu Klux Klan.
Jax and Shamaran stared at them, then at each other, then looked up. "Thank you," they both said. They turned, wicked smiles on their faces as they strode forward. "Mind if I join?" Ivar asked as he strode up to join them.
"Hey, the more brothers the merrier!" Shamaran called out.
Ivar frowned as Jax leaned in to the mage. "He doesn't like being called a brother."
"Why not?"
"I'm 1400 years old and African," Ivar answered.
"So why help us here?"
"I spent eight fun-filled months as a plantation slave in Louisiana in 1843." Ivar hefted his trident. "Ever since I've wanted payback."
Jax frowned. "How could they bring you here that late? Even I know history."
"Smuggling," Ivar shrugged. "They caught me in the village I was visiting."
Shamaran spun his staff in his hands. "Well, Kunta Kinte, let's kick some ass!" He spun his staff in his hands and let the crystal tip glow. One vampire yelled as his form shifted into a flaming cross. The other vampires yelled as they fell back.
"That's low," Jax intoned. He smiled. "I like it." He glanced at Ivar and saw the Immortal was looking at Shamaran in fascination. "What is it?"
"How'd he know I was Kunta Kinte?" Ivar asked. He saw Jax staring at him. "What? Do you think Angus was the only one who had famous figures based on him? Read Othello some time." Hefting his trident, he charged into the fray, Jax taking a moment to shake his head before following.
Shamaran swung his staff out, smacking two vampires back. He spun around in time to see a black-skinned vampire staking one of the Klan ones. "How about that?" Shamaran announced. "Brothers stick together, even if they are undead."
The man smiled. "Actually, I've got a soul. Name's Charlie."
"Cal," the other returned. "Come on and fight the power, pal!" He waved a hand to turn one vampire into a cloud of dust as Charlie followed him in.
Apalla twisted in the air, flying past a lightning bolt that streaked down to incinerate a group of vampires. <SHAZAM!>
<Always liked that guy> Astra stated.
<Who?>
<Captain Marvel. He's the guy who said Shazam to turn super-powered and everything.>
<Actually, I was going more for Storm> Elementra explained.
<Really?> Darknighter chimed in. <I thought it was Thor.>
<I think I know how Charlie Brown must feel when his team would launch into a theology discussion in the middle of a ball game> Soldar remarked.
<I get to be Lucy> Imator announced.
<Why?>
<She was the hard ass, holder for the football team, outfielder and psychiatrist. A real Renaissance woman.>
<Okay, I get to be Sally> Astra piped up.
<I'm Franklin> Shamaran chimed in.
<Why do I bother...> Soldar sighed.
As the chaos continued, a group of burly demons tried to make a run for it only to have Pretor block their way. He smiled wickedly at them. "Hello. Allow me to introduce a couple of friends of mine. Perhaps you've heard of them."
From behind him materialised two shapes. Each was four-legged and large, golden fur seeming to glint in the light, along with their claws and fangs. "Say hello to the Ghost and the Darkness." Pretor nodded to the terrified demons. "Sic 'em, boys."
With stereo roars, the two lions lunged forward and into the pack.
<Nice job, Imator> Pretor thought as he watched the slaughter.
<De nada.>
<You know, if you went to the Field Museum, you'd know they weren't that big didn't have manes.>
<Artistic license.> Imator replied as she looked about for another fray to throw herself into. Her eyes fell on Sonja and Gabrielle, the two Amazons slashing out at a back of demons.
Grinning, Imator reformed her outfit into an extremely formfitting leather and armoured bustier and skirt, with plenty of leg and cleavage on display. She dashed forward, a pair of swords appearing in her hands as she bounded up and flipped through the air.
Sonja and Gabrielle were both taken aback at the scantily-dressed madwoman who fell among the demons, slashing left and right with a wild grin on her face. She gave each sword a slight twist with her wrist, then let go. The blades remained in the air, still on the attack, cutting and piercing demonic skin. "Always wanted to do that," Imator muttered.
"That's incredible," Gabrielle gawked.
"That? Nah," Imator said with a shake of her head. "Driving the Dan Ryan in the middle of February, now THAT'S skill!" She turned to face the blonde and redhead, a smile on her face as she looked them over. "Ladies. How's it going?"
"Who are you?" Sonja demanded while Gabrielle gave Imator an appreciative look.
Imator leaned in and winked. "A lady who's ready to give you two one hell of a ride later tonight." She moved away to fight elsewhere, leaving the two thrown at such brazenness.
Gabrielle looked to the redhead. "You think that vampire Willow has a cousin?"
Merlin could feel the magic swirling about the town, a mix so chaotic even he had difficulty managing through it. His staff flashed as he ignited a fireball into one demon and watched it catch alight. He turned toward a rushing trio but before he could do anything, they froze in place, their bodies turning from skin and scale to stone. Merlin blinked and then looked up as Shamaran floated to Earth.
They stared at one another. The two most powerful wizards on the planet, each seeming to feel the other out. Merlin slowly nodded. "The Master Mage. I felt your arrival."
"And you're the big, bad wizard," Shamaran said, leaning on his staff. "Funny...always figured you'd look like Gandalf."
"A curse I've had to bear," Merlin dryly stated. He glanced to where a hulking demon was starting to come their way. "Can you handle that?"
A sly grin came onto Shamaran's dark face. He pointed a finger downward and a small ball of energy appeared hovering a few inches off the ground. He lowered his staff, the crystal aiming to the ball. He spread his legs slightly, reared back and then swung downward, sending the energy ball slicing toward the demon. It struck it head on, causing an explosion that took off its head and most of its torso. "Eat your heart out, Tiger."
Shamaran balanced his staff on his shoulders as he turned to a surprised Merlin. "Here it is, senior," he said. "You may have the experience. You may have power. But I've got two things
you don't. Rhythm and style."
He spun around and pointed his cane at some large demons nearby. He concentrated and the demons suddenly found themselves rooted to the spot. Seconds later, their legs became actual roots as they were transformed into trees.
<Whoa> Elementra's voice cut in. <The environment here just took a rise. What happened?>
<I reforested the town.>
<Ask a stupid question...>
<Shamaran> Soldar's voice came in.
<Yo?>
<Get to the high school. Pretor, give him cover. I need you to do whatever it takes to seal up the Hellmouth.>
<Seal up the mouth to Hell. Just like that. Just like it's normal. Man, I love this gig.>
<Astra, can you back him up?...Astra? Astra, are you there?>
Astra was standing and staring in absolute wonder at the beautiful sight of Earth floating a few thousand miles away. The demon was lying behind her, senseless after the wild trip. She paid it no mind, her eyes glued to the sight she always dreamed of.
<Astra!>
<I'm on the moon> she answered dreamily.
<Get back down here.>
<Boss. I'm on. The. Moon.>
<Send me a postcard. Get back in the fight.>
<You're no fun> Astra pouted as she took off.
<I'm the leader. I'm not allowed.>
The Spirit Guardians were having their own time with some of the demons. All were in their supernatural forms, biting and clawing at anything in their path. Lassie tore a demon's throat out while Arial's claws slashed through a vampire. /We're still out numbered here!> Blackie threw in.
<Allow me> a voice suddenly cut in. A slew of arrows streaked outward and quickly turned the vampires to dust. A whip carved through the air, the flaming tip burning several demons before turning into a spike to cave in another's head. The animals all turned to see Pretor step
forward.
/Is that.../ Patches started.
/It is/ Duke said in shock. /Him. The Avatar of Animals./
Pretor smiled as he took in the shocked Guardians. <Seeing as how you're all animals now, I could command you fight these guys. But, given your unique abilities, I thought asking first would be more appropriate.>
/What can you do?/ Sherlock asked.
Pretor smiled. /Let's just say a little trick to make you a bit more like your owners.../
As the animals stared in confusion, Pretor smiled more. "I love being me." He paused before contacting another Pantheon member.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully's home
Georgetown, VA
Tigger fought back a yawn as he stretched in his small basket. He was used to lonely days with Mulder and Scully off on assignments so their sudden exit hadn't bothered them. He simply did what a cat did: Sat around and took some naps.
He was just about to nod off from one when a flash of light filled the apartment. Instantly, he was up and ready to turn into his tiger persona as a figure materialised. He was a black man in a dark coat clutching a long staff. He looked at Tigger and raised an eyebrow.
<Tigger, right?>
Tigger stared, stunned to hear the stranger's voice in his mind. /Who...who are.../
<Name's Shamaran. There's a party in Sunnydale, we're kicking demon ass and I've got a buddy who can give you and your pack the animal equivalent of the empowerment deal your owners have. Interested?>
Tigger didn't even think about it. /Lead the way./
Shaw's blades flashed with fire as she swung outward, cutting down a pair of demons. Behind her, Faith and Kendra were trying their best to fight off the horde of demons that had started to surround them. They were cut off from most of the other fighters, in a playground with little cover. The three were back to back as the vamps and demons started to close in on them.
Kendra kicked one vampire back and glanced at her friends. "We're outnumbered!" she pointed out.
"So what else is new?" Faith replied as she punched a demon in the face. "We're Slayers, we're always in over our heads!"
"They will be on our heads momentarily!" Kendra yelled. "We need-"
There was a blast of wind and suddenly Astra landed between the three, her staff held over her head. "Get down," she commanded in a tone that Marybeth Andrews wouldn't have thought herself capable of only days before.
Faith, Kendra and Shaw exchanged glances and then knelt down. Astra planted one end of her staff on the ground and raised her body up, legs beginning to pump out. She began to spin around and around, holding onto the staff as she spun about in a wide circle, legs kicking back at every demon that tried to get near, forcing them back. She spun a few more times before jumping back to her feet and swinging her staff out in a wide arc to knock even more demons back. She threw her staff outward and it flew about, spinning with both ends glowing with energy. Howls of pain emerged as the staff smacked into the demons, boomeranging around and into Astra's hands.
"And they gave me a C in gym," the teen laughed as she blasted a bolt of energy from her staff.
A large bulking demon snarled as he got back to his feet. Astra paused, her head cocked, then let a burst of light out of her staff. The demon yelled and covered his eyes as his shadow was illuminated behind him. Without warning, the shadow suddenly reared up and attacked, its claws as sharp and savage as the demon itself. The beast died without even realising his killer was himself.
Astra nodded as Darknighter appeared from the shadows. "Good one."
"Thanks." Darknighter glanced about. "Seen Apalla?"
Astra nodded to the distance. "Just follow the light bursts and screams, I figure."
Darknighter glanced to where the stunned demons were starting to get back to their feet. "You wanna handle them?"
Astra smiled. "I think Imator has something better."
The demons were starting to reorganise when a small figure materialised before them. They all stared in disbelief before bursting out laughing. "You have GOT to be shitting me!" one vampire howled. "I mean...come on!" He shook his head and walked forward.
The small green figure waved one hand and the vamp was suddenly thrown back as if yanked by a bungee cord, smashing into a wall. The other demons were taken aback as they looked once more to the small figure before them. The figure himself drew back the robe he was wearing to reveal a small metallic cylinder on his belt. It flew off and into his waiting right hand. The flick of a button produced a bar of green light as the figure moved into a fighting stance and spoke. "Open a can of whoop-ass, I intend to."
With a howl, he leaped upward, light sabre swinging as he ploughed into the demons. Faith, Kendra, Shaw, Astra and Darknighter simply stared at the sight of the small green gnome slashing them apart. "Yoda flipping around with a light sabre," Darknighter remarked. "That's something you'll never see in the movies." His eyes focused on a vampire who had been wandering about. The demon swallowed as he saw the dark-garbed warrior coming forward.
"Please," he whimpered. "I've got kids out there who are still alive."
Darknighter swung out his arm, a blade of shadow bisecting the vampire's neck to decapitate him. "They're better off without you."
Faith had a wide smile on her face. "I'm liking these guys."
"You would," Kendra muttered.