Pulling Through
by somewhittynamehere aka Sayahiei
Rating: R
Disclaimer: BtVS, Angel, chars and related belong to J.Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, etc. I get nothing but weird looks for writing!
Note: There was no Initiative in season 4. Find some other way to
fill in that season. My job is to alter things later on! Post S7, it
starts about 2 months after.
Feedback: This is my first time writing a fiction of any kind in the Buffverse.
Please give me some feedback; I need to know if this is good enough to
continue. Thanks!
The day started like any other. People went to work, school, etc. They went on with their lives. But little did anyone know that this day would not end like any normal day.
Buffy Summers was the director of the Slayer Academy. She hated many things about it. There was always paper work and there was always stuck up teens engulfed with raging hormones. And them being Slayers never helped when Buffy tried to calm them down.
She always wondered why she couldn't just leave this to someone else, someone who hadn't been in this line of work for the better part of their life. But Buffy could never answer this question. Sure, she came up with possibilities and theories, but that's all they ever were.
Some days she loved her job; sparing with the other Slayers, despite their inexperience, was always refreshing for Buffy. Some days, the eldest Summers daughter wished she could just shove the responsibility up the PTBs' ass.
Today would be one of those days.
Buffy woke up at normal time, or what she thought was a normal time for her, 4:30.
She was in the middle of a fitful dream. The dream was of her past. When she first became a Slayer and fought the Master. It still haunted her, though not as often as it used to. Now that she thought about it, the dream, or nightmare as she loved to call it, hardly ever came to her at all. It was strange, but she dismissed it, thinking nothing of it.
The blonde got up and started the morning the same way she had since she settled here in the state of New York.
Get up. Use the bathroom. Take a shower. Brush hair. Brush teeth. Apply make-up. Get dressed. And occasionally, stub her toe on the edge of the bed.
Leaving her room, she walked slowly down the stairs of the dark mansion.
The mansion was a huge beautiful old Victorian style home, and headquarters to the Slayers at the Academy. The outside is a little worn, but Buffy fell in love with it at first sight.
Downside, she will be paying for it for the rest of her life.
Walking into the dark kitchen, Buffy hit the lights and walked straight to the coffeepot. Pulling the pot out of its holding place, she trudged over to the distilled water dispenser and groaned loudly when she noticed someone left the water jug empty. Could have been Staff or Slayer.
Buffy opted for the latter and made a mental note to send out a notice.
Once she replaced the jug and got the coffee going, the Slayer poured a bowl of cereal and milk and started to munch down on her food.
Buffy glanced at the clock and found it was only 5:30. With a sigh, she got up poured a cup of coffee and left to her office to begin the day.
Sitting at her desk, she logged on to the server mainframe Willow set up before going to England with Giles and Dawn. Buffy started to read the reports of patrols around North America and some of the reports from the rest of the world, just seeing how the world's undead is getting on.
The main thing she noticed about each report was the lack of vampire and demons activity. Buffy could not figure out why the drop appeared so suddenly, not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and Asia. South America was having little activity as well.
Buffy bit her lip and decided that she would look into it as the week progressed.
She would never get that chance.
As soon as the blonde finished reading the reports and writing an email to Willow, Dawn and Giles, she went to the basement to get a little morning training in before the others began to wake up.
Morning practice started the same and ended in embarrassment as the punching bag gained a mind of its own and swung back to hit Buffy full force in the face.
The green eyed Slayer picked herself off the floor and walked out of the room, happy no one was there to see her get decked by the inanimate object.
One by one, she passed Slayers that looked like zombies, not to mention sounded like them as they grunted `good morning' or the occasional `fuck you' as she passed; it was difficult to tell the difference between them after awhile.
Buffy entered her classroom and sat at the desk and pulled out a novel from one of the desk compartments. She began to read it as she waited for the Slayers to begin to file in the room.
Buffy stood up when the clock hands reached 8:00 A.M. She scanned the room and put on a fake smile.
Fake. The petite did that a lot lately. Fake smiles. Fake encouragements. Fake everything.
She was getting tired of teaching. She hated school. What in the hell possessed her to become a teacher of strategies and techniques?
It was beyond her.
She scanned the room again.
9 girls. Correction, 9 Slayers. None of them a day over 16.
Here they were. Sitting in a class of how to fight smart. Knowing if they didn't pay close enough attention, they could die that night. Or they could die that month. Or that year. Even so far as to say they could die when they had their own families.
It was never known to them. The girls, the children, known as Slayers just needed to live their life out the way they wanted, but live it smart.
Buffy couldn't help but sometimes feel she was leading these girls to their deaths. And in a way, she was.
Teaching them to fight, to control their powers, and to fight the evils that go bump in the night.
She was leading them to their deaths.
She sometimes questioned, how she was able to sleep at night?
But she always answered her questions with the same answer.
They, the Slayers, made the decision to come here, to learn to harness their powers. Their death was not on Buffy, but on them. It was all them and their choice.
Buffy would never encourage someone to use their powers that she knew could and would get them killed.
Is that really how she got herself to sleep at night?
That's pretty shallow if one really thought about it.
Lunch came around at a steadily slow pace.
When her classes were over for the day, Buffy walked over to the garage and started her car. While it warmed up, she decided to eat at the local Chinese joint in the city. Hopping in the car she sped off the property and down to the main road to her destination.
After paying for her food, she went outside to eat at the tables.
Half way through her lunch, her Slayer senses started to go off like mad. Buffy didn't know what was going on with them. She saw no vampires, no demons. Nothing that would make her senses go off so bad that they would give her a headache.
Standing up and scanning the area carefully, she saw nothing.
Suddenly a passer by screamed as they saw a group of people come up from the subway.
Vampires!
Buffy had little time to think about how they were vamped out, about why they were walking above ground during the day and why they weren't burning up into huge balls of flame.
All she could do was watch as they started to kill the people near the subway entrance/exit.
It was at moments like this that Buffy just wished that she had stopped being part of the demonic world and moved to some desolate place like Antarctica or a small island in the Pacific.
This day wasn't going to end great for the Slayer known as Buffy Summers.
Author's Notes: I had tried a different writing style for this chapter...yea...it's called putting dialog into the fic. Anyway, I would like the thank the readers who reviewed. Good to know I don't have to toss it into the Recycle Bin on my computer. Ok, enough with me talking. Heres the next chapter.
Buffy's cell started to ring as some of the vampires made their way towards her.
Caller I.D. said it was the Academy.
"Please tell me there's an explanation for what I'm seeing!" Buffy almost shouted into the phone as she began to back away from the oncoming vampires.
"They're everywhere, Buffy! All over the world there are reports of people with bumpy faces ripping people apart and drinking their blood!" It was Cass, an older Slayer who joined the academy soon after Buffy started it. "Willow just called and told me that she felt a huge surge of dark magic before the reports of vamps started to flow around the world!" Cass yelled into the phone.
Buffy was running back to her car at this point. If this is happening everywhere then there was no way she could stop it with just 2 stakes and a set of chopsticks. "Cass, I am coming back as fast as I can. Set the Academy's special defense system on and don't let anyone off the grounds! I've never seen anything like this before."
"Same here, Buff. I'm not sure what's going on but I'd love to figure it out."
"Same here, Cass. We need to do research. No doubt if Will felt dark magic..." Buffy started the car and peeled out of the parking lot running over a couple of vamps on the way.
"I know. I'll get the Slayers that are here on it. You just get here as fast as you can. Later." Cass hung up the phone.
Buffy closed her cell and tossed it the seat next to her. "Going as fast as I can..."
Buffy pulled up to the garage of the Academy after breaking the speed limit and ramming into at least 15 vamps on the way over.
Jumping out of the car and sprinting to the small library, Buffy almost ripped the door off the hinges when opening it.
In the library there was a group of 10 Slayers and 5 of the staff members sitting around tables pushed up against each other. The TV was on and tuned to a news channel currently reporting on the situation around the world. It was the same as it was in New York; vamps running around the cities during the day leading other demons.
"Nobody understands where they came from. There are also many reports of female teens and women fighting and successfully killing them. The military is going to step in soon if this doesn't stop." One black haired Slayer explained to the blonde in charge. "With the way the military normally acts, I'm surprised that they haven't jumped to the rescue yet."
Buffy nodded, "This is too big for the military not to respond. It's happening worldwide and no one but females can stop it. What do you think the military will say to that?"
The girls in the room just glanced around and went back to their respective books.
"It's only a matter of time before the vamps and demons make it over here to the mansion. We have to hurry. If we can't find anything, we're out of here. Understood?" Buffy looked at all of the people before her.
Some were scared, barely able to stop shaking. Some remained neutral to the whole situation, having been in too many problems in the past to blow this one out of proportion.
After 45 minutes of quick research, all the books had been looked through.
Nothing.
There was nothing.
After 45 minutes, no one could conclude what the fuck was going on.
After 45 minutes, the military had been dispatched to several places over the states.
And after 45 minutes, the military classified the Slayers, vampires and demons all in the same category. Freaks.
They were all dangerous and they all needed to be stopped.
Buffy watched on the news as the military pointed their guns at the Slayers and vampires. Her mouth opened slightly as she watched in horror as they open fired on them.
They all watched as the military commandos contained the wounded vampires and Slayers.
Never once did they notice that their shots killed girls. The human girls. Innocent girls fighting on their side. They never would have thought this would be a sign of things to come.
The cameras started to show the military men eventually bringing out stun guns. One by one vamps, demons and Slayers passed out, feeling the voltage rampage through their bodies.
Buffy felt herself need to heave, but she resisted and kept the bile down.
Suddenly Buffy's cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID before answering the phone she saw it was Willow.
"Hey Will. Got any news for us?"
The red head sighed into the mouthpiece of her phone waiting a second to organize her thoughts before she starts. "There was a prophecy..."
Willow was cut off before she could continue. "Of course. There's always a prophecy." Buffy sighs into the mouthpiece of the phone, "Every time it seems like..."
"I know Buffy, but what can you really do? These things are a pain in the butt, but you know we will always beat them!" Buffy smiled a little bit at what the witch was saying and silently agreed.
"Ok, Willow, what the heck is trying to cause an Apocalypse now?" Buffy sighed waiting for her best friend to answer.
Buffy heard a heavy sigh and the sound of old pages of a book being turned. "Yes, the Prophecy of the Ions. Apparently about 3,440 years ago there was a small race of vampires called 'Ions' by several different magic groups. They were like a sub-race of the vamps that could go out in the sunlight. Unfortunately, we still can't find where this sub-race originated.
"They supposedly died out about 500 years after they first appeared. But not before they hid the secret to their power in some sort of prophecy. We haven't found the prophecy yet; Giles just found this information in one of his many books. I am not going to bore you with all the details of what we found because that would be stupid and I wouldn't be able to get to the point right..."
"Willow...I am dying here. You're in ramble mode and now really isn't the time. I just really need to know what I am dealing with and how to stop it." Buffy sighed. Sometimes the Wicca had a way with starting to babble at the most inopportune moments.
"Oh, right. Sorry Buffy. The power source is in the form a necklace. But the thing is, we have no clue what it looks like. Dawnie is on her forth book while Giles is on his fifth trying to find out more. What we do know is that the necklace is worn by one of the most powerful vampires. He says an incantation written in 'Ion' and BOOM! Most of the vampires can walk during the day and not be affected by the sun.
"Fire will still burn them. Crosses will still repel them. Stakes will still dust them. Holy Water will still make them melt." Buffy heard a book closing on Willow's side. "Like I said, before...or I think I did...Anyway, the necklace needs to be destroyed. It makes no difference how you destroy it. You could accidentally step on it and it will be gone."
"Damn...Ok, when you find out any more clues as to what the necklace looks like or anything, give me a call Will." Buffy sighed and motioned for the group to start packing and moving out.
"I will do that Buffy. Just be careful. You never..." The line was cut off.
Dead.
The line was dead and Buffy lost it.
"Willow?! Willow! What the..." Buffy yelled, wishing she could just throw the phone out the window. 'No, gotta maintain my composure...This is going to be tougher then I thought...Damn...'
She shoved her cell back into her pocket, glanced once more at the television and looked back at the group, "Sorry guys, looks like we need to get out of here." She paused for a moment and gave a small smile to the newer Slayers, "Get something packed, but remember, we're traveling light, I suggest you stop what you're doing and start now."
Buffy opened her cell phone and in bold letters across the screen it said 'No Service'.
Author's Notes: Hope it's as good as the other 2 chapters. Enjoy and don't forget to review, good or bad. Oh yea, what's going on with the military near the end is what I imagine what they would do if something out of their control. Needless to say, I don't care for them much.
Faith and her friend-in-Slaying, Kelly, had been on their way to the store when it happened.
The two had met in prison. Both understood what it meant to be in the wrong place at the very wrong time.
Of course Kelly's coming to prison story was completely different from Faith's.
Kelly had been on her way back to home from a field hockey game when something she never would have thought would have ever happened to her did happen. She never thought it would have turned out the way it did.
And boy, did she pay for it.
A man came up from behind her; told her to empty her pockets.
She dropped her wallet on the ground; her cell phone followed soon after.
He pulled a gun out on the young blonde and pushed it up to the back of her skull. She took a deep breath and had muttered, "Go ahead. Shoot me. I know you don't have the balls otherwise you would have done it when you first confronted me."
"You got guts to say that, bitch! Now get on the ground or I'll shoot your god damned brains out."
Kelly stayed standing. Hearing the gun cock back, what else would anyone do?
Well, what she claimed to be self defense landed her with 2nd degree murder and locked up for 10 years in a maximum security prison.
So much for self defense right?
Well, 2 years into her sentence, she met a wild child named Faith.
They hit it off instantly, or almost instantly. Few scuffles here and there, couple of nights in the infirmary. Nothing major.
Anyway, they were the best of friends in jail. Neither of them gave a shit about their past; it was just an inconvenient moment in their lives.
Soon after Faith broke out of jail, Kelly was released from her sentence. Kelly had an appeal and was convicted of a lesser charge of manslaughter and released on parole.
Faith and Kelly ran into each other in L.A. 2 months after the collapse of SunnyHell.
Literally.
Faith had been patrolling in a random cemetery and was in pursuit of a vamp.
The vampire had suddenly dusted 3 meters in front of her and Faith almost ran into the same stake the vampire had. Dodging the stake quickly she slammed into the girl.
Jumping up quickly Faith saw that it was Kelly; and a trip down memory lane began for the both of them.
They have since then been living out their lives for the past 3 years in Quebec.
In much like Buffy's case, and other people all around the world, their day started the same.
Walking down the street to a local store, the two Slayers were pushing and shoving each other. Some almost saw them as sisters; they were, in a non-biological way.
They had just made it to the store when they heard a scream. Instantly they jumped into Slayer mode, ready to fight.
But in no way were they ever ready for this.
Vampires and other assorted demons were climbing out of manholes in the street.
Kelly gave Faith a questioning look and all Faith could do was shake her head.
Neither of them understood what was going on.
They were pushed back into reality by a large pukishly green demon with the stench of bad eggs and moldy cheese. Kelly had no time to react when the demon started to swing its arm back, so Faith sunk the knife she always carried into the demon.
She was only able to stall it. Faith grabbed Kelly and pulled her away.
Faith started to pull Kelly at an alarmingly fast pace back in the direction of their home.
They got back to the small two-bedroom apartment in record time what with all the staking going on and everything.
On the way back, Faith told Kelly that they had to gather weapons and start staking everyone that was really ugly.
The blonde asked if that included really ugly humans and Faith chuckled. She knew this was going to be a difficult trial for her. A test to see if she really was on the good side once again. It was tempting to kill everything, but she didn't want to be the way she was before.
They grabbed stakes and knives. Each pulled their weapons duffel out of the closet.
"I'll call my contact; you...see what the news is saying about this." Faith told the tall blonde.
Kelly nodded and ran to the next room. The brunette pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number she dreaded.
Buffy's number.
It rang once and then a loud high-pitched dial tone greeted Faith. Humorlessly Faith looked at her cell and muttered, "I knew Buffy loved to torture me..."
Hanging up the phone, the elder Slayer walked into the main room and heard the report on the T.V.
"...in chaos as strange creatures bite the necks of the public trying to escape them. Reports of this strange event are coming in from all over the world. Many scientists are concluding that these creatures are known as vampires. There is no evidence other then they are biting and drinking the blood of any bit of the population they can get.
"We are just receiving news that the U.S. Military is moving into major cities all over the States and are currently trying to put a stop to this. So far it has been unsuccessful. Here are some videos of what is going on over there. We advise you that what you are about to see is graphic and is not suitable for young children."
Faith's jaw dropped as she watched the military march into the scene loaded with guns.
They took aim and...
Boom.
Slayers and vampires dropped; they dropped like flies.
It seemed as if the frames had stopped moving once the bodies hit the ground.
Faith and Kelly stared at the T.V. and waited for something to happen. Suddenly there was movement.
The vampires were getting up!
So far, the Slayers have not moved.
Faith screamed at the scene, "They're just children! Girls who haven't even started a fucking life! Don't you see it?!"
Kelly got up and hugged Faith, "You know how the U.S. government operates. Shoot first and ask questions later, much later. Come on; let's see if we can fix our problem over here, then we will go back to the states. Are we clear? All you need to do is keep your cool. Did you get a hold of Buffy?"
"No, I think the phone lines are...how did you know I was calling her?" Watching Kelly smirk a little and give a half shrug, Faith sighed and continued, "I think the phone lines are down. Dunno if it's here or there. We've gotta get going."
Kelly chuckles and shakes her head, "I've only been in this for 3 years and I'm already fucking tired of all this shit. I can only imagine how you feel about it right now."
Faith just gave a small laugh and shook her head in response. The brunette nodded towards the door and the two Slayers grabbed their gear and prepared to raise some hell in Canada.
...to be continued...