FicWad

BTVS/Casa de Scooby.


Buffy briskly walked up to the door of her house, and without hesitating walked in. She ignored the girls that were gaping at her in shock, and found the scoobies sitting around the table and looking rather depressed. She walked in and leaned against the counter and waited for them to acknowledge her presence there. ‘Other than going nearly vampire pale that is.’ The Slayer thought with a bit of dark amusement.

“Buffy.” Giles finally said, a few minutes later after an uncomfortable silence in where the four of them were staring at the Slayer.

“Giles.” The blonde said neutrally. The others looked at each other nervously, and swallowed as they finally really looked at the straight faced Slayer. The blonde woman had traded in the clothes that she had been wearing earlier for a black leather uniform with X’s on it, she also wore a black equipment vest like the soldiers wore. Tucked away in various pouches, they could just make out things like a radio and other basic military gear, and a combat knife strapped to her waist. The Slayer had actually surprised her ex by remembering where all of the gear had gone on the pouches. On her back was slung the Slayer Scythe that she had taken from the stone.

“Hey Buff, long time no see.” Xander said warily.

Buffy smiled lightly, but otherwise didn’t respond to the weak greeting. “How long till Faith is up and able to think clearly?”

“According to the note that was with her, she should be back to 100 efficiency in another hour or so.” Giles answered the Slayer. “I figure we’ll wait a bit after that before she can be really considered back at full strength though.”

“Fine, in an hour then I want you and Faith to be holding onto this.” Buffy said ignoring the Watcher's suggestion, as she tossed a wooden stake onto the table where it bounced a couple of times before it landed with it’s point was pointed at Giles. “Just you and Faith Giles. No one else.” She ordered.

“And just what is that?” Willow asked curiously. The witch could feel the foreign magic on the stake.

“Well Will’s off hand I’d say it’s a stake.” Xander teased. “You know those wooden pointy things that we like vampires to have heart to hearts with.”

Everyone rolled their eyes at this. “Its actually a stake with a magical transporter spell in it.” The Slayer said, saying the last part loud enough so that Andrew who had been listening in to the conversation suddenly jetted from the doorway to the table where he could examine the stake. Giles quickly pocketed the stake then kicked Andrew out of the room.

“That was low.” Dawn told her sister. “We have to spend the next hour with him trying to get at that now.”

Buffy ignored her sister for now, they could deal with their problems later but she had bigger things to worry about than how they got along. She gave Giles a piercing look. “Just you and Faith, Giles. No. One. Else.” She repeated, hoping she made herself clear enough for them all to understand.

“What!” Xander looked shocked and annoyed at this. “Why not us? We’ve been here forever!” He said pointing to Willow and himself.

The Slayer glared at her old friend, she knew there was more to his disappointment than he and Willow had been here first. She knew Xander enough to know that he had been hoping to rub it in the faces of her family and friends that she had accepted them back, that was why she had wanted Faith and Giles. Faith had told her she wasn’t going to unconditionally kiss up to her, and Giles might know something that could be useful. She needed them because Faith was now the leader of the Potentials, and it would be better if they worked together than against each other. “This is for heads only Xander, we don’t need you there right now.” Buffy said trying to be patient. “You can ask Faith and Giles when they get back.”

“Don’t you mean we can ask Giles?”

“That’s up to you guys, but remember that you did make her your leader, so your kind of stuck with whatever command structure you got with her.” Buffy said pointedly.

“So, were you going tell us Oz was here?” Giles tried, needing something to diffuse the tension between the Slayer and her friend

“No I wasn’t.”

“What?” Giles was surprised; this was not the kind of answer he was expecting from the Slayer.

“One, if he wants to talk to you that is his thing, I won’t get in his way. Two, Willow you know what happens when he gets around you and gets emotional. Three, you guys already knew he was here because about a dozen different people were aware of you hiding in the bushes and listened to you guys when you were scooping out Angels this morning. And Xander, they really didn’t like the clothes comment.” The group winced at this, they knew they weren’t the best at sneaking around, but to have it so casually thrown at them was rather embarrassing. “Now I’ve told everyone to lay off on you, hopefully that will make working together easier. So instead of being insulted all the time, all you’ll get is a cold shoulder.” She said turning back to Giles. “Don’t mistake this as us accepting you, or that you have any power in all of this Giles. The power is Faith’s, you are just an advisor. Her chief of staff if you will.”

“It would be easier if we had an overall commander though Buffy.”

“You do. You have Faith.”

“One that is not so reckless perhaps?” Giles tried.

“I don’t have time to deal with you Giles.” Buffy said, a scowl on her face. “I have to many responsibilities to do this sort of thing. Depending on their willingness to cooperate; will depend how the Potentials are trained. If they shape up, and do as they’re told fine I’ll let them train with others. If they’re going to act like spoiled brats on power trips because they might get the power then they can be tossed in the cellar and train there for all I care.” Buffy gave Willow a knowing look. “I will try to work with you despite our problems, other than that don’t expect a whole lot right now.”

“Thank you.” Giles said, before the others could say anything. “Now about the weapon on your back.” He said pointing to the scythe.

“At the meeting.”

“But.”

“That’s how we’re going to do this Giles.”

“But Faith can’t really leave the Potentials on their own here. Perhaps if you gave a summary here, and left that item here we could tell you more about it.” Giles tried.

Buffy waved the concern and suggestion away. “I have a team of soldiers that will be patrolling the area just in case some of the leftover Bringers decide to visit you guys.”

“Leftover?”

“Yeah when we attacked the vineyard last night we killed between 20 or 30 of them.” The Scoobies stared at the Slayer in shock at this new bit of information. “Look, I want to check on Faith before I go, and I do have to set up for a meeting so I’ll be going now.”

“Don’t you think you owe us an explanation Buffy?” Giles asked. “Surely you could have told us you had called for reinforcements. And I can’t help but wonder why you bothered bringing your family into this.”

“Its not exactly what I was expecting honestly.” Buffy admitted to the group. “I meant it as warning, but instead of sticking there heads in the sand like the rest of the world, they decided to believe me and come help. Might help that my family seems to have a thing for the weird and saving the world. And I thought we had already established the fact that you weren’t my Watcher anymore.”

“Very well then, why didn’t you tell us that you were connected to the Warren line? Had I known.”

“You would have seen to it my mystical potential had been opened up in that way as well? If it hadn’t been for Prue and the others, I might not even know that I was a witch by blood. A witch from one of the most powerful lines of wandless witches to I might add. I’m sure you would have loved to unlock any mystical powers I might have had. Just like I know you’ve been considering ways to perform the joining spell ever since I told you, you weren’t in charge anymore and that I didn’t need a watcher. Or maybe it was after you and Anya found out that it was because of Willow bringing me back that you’ve been plotting this. I know that you expected me to die fighting Caleb and the First.” Giles looked at the table guiltily while the others looked in surprise at this, they obviously had not having been a part of this plan.

Buffy shook her head. “I gotta go things top do a world to save.” She walked to the doorway and paused. “By the way, thanks for the wakeup call. I really needed that slap across the proverbial face.” She then walked out, leaving the scoobies to consider what had just gone on. The Slayer walked into the next room, and was almost immediately confronted by a smirking Kennedy.

“What?” The taller teen asked the woman, as she tried to loom over the blonde. “Your great family already kicked you out? And you decided to try and beg your way back in with us?” The girl sneered at the Slayer. “Thanks for the offer, but we’re much better off without you.”

Buffy rolled her eyes at the rich girl. Despite the fact that she had saved all of their ungrateful Asses, and the fact that of the two of them she was the only one of the two of them armed, the girl was still trying to push her buttons and try to prove that she was greater than the others. "I’m trying to include you little girls in a war that we’ve all been fighting with our heads up our Asses. And the sooner we get our heads screwed on correctly the better off we’ll all be.”

“Then why don’t you get started and send that family of yours away. In fact, why don’t you go with them.”

“As fun as this isn’t, I do have more important things to do. Now move.” Kennedy glared, but stepped out of the way. The memory of what the witch from earlier had done still fresh in her mind, and until Willow was ready to do magic she didn’t have the kind of power needed.

Buffy ignored the other Potentials, as they made half-hearted apologies. She walked up the stairs and went to her old room, and found Faith lying on the bed with Wood sitting in the chair next to her. The High School Principle watched the woman warily, but he couldn’t deny that the small woman before him now had the same dangerous aura that his mother used to have when she fought her own vampires and demons.

Buffy ignored the principle, and turned to her fellow Slayer, the other half of the Chosen Two. She grabbed her hand for a moment, and gave it a brief squeeze. “Get better.” The Slayer whispered into the brunette’s ear. “I need you to be five by five for the mess that we gotta deal with.” She then walked to the other side of the bed, and with movements of practice slipped the window up and climbed out before she dropped to the ground silently. A couple minutes later Willow nudged the door open flanked by Dawn and Xander. Their faces fell, as they saw the open window. Dawn rushed to the window, and watched as the figure in black ran off in a burst of Slayer speed.

Xander shook his head, before turning to the others in the room with a weak grin. “How come the Buffster always manages to get all of the cool clothes?” He asked lightly of those in the room. “I mean seriously, no matter what happens she always has an outfit to go with what’s going on.”

“Good fashion sense and the right connections.” Faith replied weakly from the bed. “Girl always seem to make the right connection when it comes to clothes.”

Robin sprang to help Faith, as she tried to sit up. “Easy there Faith, you took some pretty bad hits back there when that cavern caved in on you.

“Caved in my ass. The place was rigged to blow. The First let us catch that Bringer just so that it could get rid of us without B getting hurt.”

“Yes, that is a fairly accurate theory.” Giles said, as he walked into the room.

“What was B doing here anyways? She come to make sure we all in one piece?”

“No, you were the only one she checked on. She was merely telling me where to be and not bring anyone but you with me.”

“Explain.” The group explained to the Slayer, though they made sure to inform Faith Giles was accompanying her not the other way around.

“Personally I think we should stay away from these people.” Giles said from where he was standing. “Buffy may not antagonize us, but I doubt she will reign in her family either. And with Spike likely being there this could be ugly.”

“Shows how much you guys really know B then G. If you want to stay here then you’re welcome to, but I am so going.” The Slayer said, as she took a long pull from her cigarette, despite the disapproving looks she was getting.

“Faith, you need to let your body heal.” Giles argued.

“News flash G. I’m in charge. Sides I don’t recall you objecting to B fighting when she had been drained by the Master, or when she was to weak to fight because of you and your drugs.” Giles blinked in surprise at this. “Yeah I know all about some of the shit you put her through. Spent a lot of time reading her journal.”

“You read her journal?” Dawn said in shock.

“Yep, but only the pages that she told me to read.” She said, as she held a scrap of paper that told her where to start reading. “So yeah G, I’m going you can come with if you want to.

“Very well. I disagree with this plan though.” Giles said, as he pulled out the stake and placed it on the bedside. We leave in thirty minutes if you want to get cleaned up now would be the time.”

“Gotchya.”


Good guys: BASECAMP


Faith and Giles popped into a room and stumbled to the ground.

Cursing, the dark haired slayer tucked and rolled with her fall, and came back up on her feet. Giles, meanwhile, was stuck on the ground where he had fallen.

“Nice landing.” Faith joked, as she offered her hand to the former Watcher. She looked around the room cautiously. They were inside a medium sized room, which had been cleared of nearly all of the furniture, with the exception of the man hiding behind the bulletproof glass with a machine gun. There were four other men in the room, as well, and all of them held weapons at the ready.

“Well, this definitely ain’t the welcoming committee that I was expecting,” Faith drawled to the men.

“That’s them, all right,” Spike said from where he was standing, partially hidden in the shadows of another doorway. He gestured for them to follow him, which they did as they inched past the gunmen.

“Where are we going, Spike, and why didn’t Buffy come and get us?” Giles asked, as they walked down a hallway.

“Simple, really, Rupert,” Spike returned, as he waved at a couple of soldiers. “Slayer’s family is teaching her how to delegate some of her jobs. It’s about bleeding time someone taught her if you ask me. She still needs reminders though that she ain’t in this mess alone. You really ought to have taught the Slayer those sorts of things Rupert.”

Giles nodded in a noncommittal fashion, as they finally walked into a conference room.

The bleached vampire nodded toward a pair of chairs at about the middle of the table. They each nodded their thanks, and quickly sat down at their assigned places. The two then sat and waited, as the rest of the people began to show up.

First were Jesse and Luke Duke, followed by the Winchester brothers. Giles recognized them as a pair of Demon Hunters that were making a name for themselves outside of their father’s shadow. Next were Jack O’Neill and Sam Finn, who both took seats to either side of the head seat. Harry Potter came in with a group of three wizards; then came one of the Halliwell sisters, then a blonde gentleman, and the boy who had thrown Faith.

There were two men with the mark of what appeared to be an Egyptian God on their foreheads. The marks were filled with what looked to be gold. Joining them was Dr. Daniel Jackson himself.

Two of the sword wielders were next, followed by a man in a wheelchair, who had brought three of his own people with him.

They all wore the same black leather uniforms that Giles had seen Buffy wearing earlier; the only difference appeared to be cosmetic additions. Of the three of them, the only one that he knew was Scott Summers, Buffy and Dawn’s older cousin, who taught at a school, according to what Dawn had told him. Of course, if that was true, then one had to wonder what the school taught, exactly, to have teachers like this.

“So, are we all here?” Buffy asked, as she walked into the room last of all.

“Anyone not here, please raise your hands,” one of the Winchester brothers jibed, earning a few chuckles.

“All righty, then, folks. It looks like we’re ready to start, then,” The Slayer said, as she sat down. Placing the Scythe on the table, Buffy slid it towards Faith. “What do you feel, Fay?”

Faith reached out, and picked up the weapon. Her breath hitched for a second, as she felt the power that the weapon had in it begin to rush through her like some kind of drug. It felt like her Slayer powers had just been amped up, or maybe her connection to the Slayer power had become a little easier to feel. With this weapon in her hands she felt like she could beat anything.

“I feel the power,” the woman said, smirking slightly, as she let the feeling wash over her. “It feels like it’s mine.” She frowned a little then, as she gave the weapon a longing look. “Which means that it’s yours.” She then shoved it back towards the blonde.

“It’s the weapon of the Slayer,” Buffy pointed out. “I think you and I need to have a talk later. Alone,” she added, giving Giles and several of her family and their friends knowing looks.

She picked the Scythe up, and twirled it a couple of times before she set it back on the table. “What do you think, Master Bra’tac?”

The Master Warrior stood up as he examined the weapon. “It is indeed a mighty weapon,” the First Prime complimented. “Its balance is exquisite,” he went on, as he suddenly grabbed the weapon, and spun with it in his hands, stopping a few breaths away with the flat of the blade against Buffy’s neck. “This is truly the weapon of a warrior. If the staff weapon has one fault, it is its length, making it at times awkward.”

“That, and its accuracy when it is compared to Tau’ri weapons,” interjected Teal’c solemnly.

“This is a true thing that you say, Teal’c, but they are the weapons we know best,” the older of the two men said, before he returned the weapon to its current wielder. “May you bring fear to your enemies with this,” he said, inclining his head in respect to the warrior woman.

Buffy smiled, and returned the bow as she accepted the weapon back. The Slayer then turned back to the table. “Some of the soldier boys asked a few questions earlier that got me to thinking. It’s pretty and all,” she stated, looking with almost maternal fondness at the Scythe, “but why were they guarding it? What’s so important about this thing?” She placed the weapon on the table, as she sat back down at the head seat.

“Is it capable of hurting ghosts, or spirit-form demons?” Sam Winchester asked. “If so, that might be why they were so intent on keeping it away from you. This might be something that could hurt the First.”

“But they wouldn’t have needed to dig it out, then, if it can hurt the First, would they?” Dean asked his brother. “I mean, yeah, demons can be stupid and arrogant at times, but not that stupid and arrogant.”

“Bait?” Harry Potter asked from his seat. “You did say that you had lost a lot of people to get it. Maybe it’s only something to draw you to it.”

“If that was the case, then why was there something of actual worth there? Though it’s not a bad idea.” Buffy sat back, her eyes going a little distant for a moment as she chewed lightly at her bottom lip in thought.

Wolverine glanced at the weapon; various people were looking at it as they all talked. The mutant sniffed at it. “It’s got some adamantium in it, and other scents that I can’t even tell you what they are.”

“You can tell that just by sniffing it?” Buffy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yep.”

“Well, the nose knows, I guess,” a couple of figures muttered.

“It has runes on it, as well.” Remus said, as he looked at it. “But they’re so well done, that you almost can’t see them. I would probably be better at reading them by running my hand across them than by actually reading them.”

“Ruins? Like old buildings?”

“No, Runes are, for lack of a better description, one of the main written languages of magic. We use Runes as a branch of magic since they can be used to reinforce things like protective wards,” the werewolf explained to the Muggle army of protectors.

“Okay, since a lot of you guys have told me I have to,” Buffy gave Jack and Riley pointed looks at this, “I’ll begin giving orders, and try not to lead every single charge. Because it requires either me or Faith to probably finish the job, and since Faith is going to be busy for the most part with training, and making sure that the potentials don’t get killed. Don’t worry, Faith, I’ll also have a team of soldiers for you to BS with,” Buffy assured the other Slayer, as she noticed the look the brunette had on her face. “You’re also going to help with some of the scouting, so you don’t go stir crazy.”

“Thanks, B, I so don’t have your tolerance for crap,” Faith said, genuinely grateful. “And some of them seem to have already forgotten that I’m the one that they wanted to be in charge, but they think that everything is up to a freaking vote.” The dark haired slayer rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Do I look like Uncle Sam to you?”

The men in the room very carefully did not answer out loud, but the silent consensus was that there could be very few people who looked less like Uncle Sam than the sultry, brashly sexy brunette Slayer.

“Oh believe me, I don’t envy you one bit.” Buffy said. “Consider this the other part of your sentence,” she smirked evilly at the other Slayer, who scowled at her.

“I’d rather go back to jail, personally.”

“Yeah, well, I want to go someplace where I can spend all day working on my tan, and all night clubbing. I haven’t quite gotten there yet, though.” The blonde Slayer leaned back a little in her chair, grinning.

Prue nodded in agreement with that statement.

“With or without a bathing suit?” Faith asked, a knowing grin on her face.

“Um...” Buffy paused, as she blushed at the question.

“Um, I know this may sound silly, but...getting back on topic to the town,” Daniel began, “what are the plans for the various artifacts that are in Sunnydale? There are a lot of valuable and irreplaceable things here. If we had a group work on it, we could move large portions of the things out of Sunnydale, and they wouldn’t have to be lost or destroyed in fights that are likely to go all over the place.” His face was very earnest, blue eyes wide behind his glasses.

“Let me get you straight. We’re in the middle of a fight, probably one of the major fights between Good and Evil... Hell, for the very survival of the Earth itself... and you want to go and get the museum cleaned out of all its old doohickeys?” demanded Buffy, incredulous.

“Eh, that’s Daniel for ya,” Jack said shrugging dismissively. “He’d rather go and play with old doodads from who knows when, than deal with the stuff in the here and the now.”

“Yes, and it is one of the secondary objectives, Jack,” Daniel pointed out smugly.

“Fine,” Buffy said, sighing. “You can have a group move the various doodads and thingamajigs up. I think some of the Scoobies might be able to help you; besides, it would be great team building for some of the girls, and the older Scoobies know where some of the more dangerous pieces are, and will steer you clear of things that you should probably leave alone.”

‘Like mummy girls that suck your life force out,’ she thought to herself.

“Willow and Giles will be your best references, though Xander and Andrew probably know a lot about that stuff too. Faith, have the Scoobies mark all of the spots on a map where we might find artifacts. Start on the museum first, though, Doc, and make sure you get the stuff clear of the town. With something this big, we have no idea how big of an explosion this will cause when we win.”

Giles started at this. This was this first time that Buffy had said that they were going to win, and had any kind of conviction in her words. Perhaps they really did have a chance at this.

“All right I’ll do that.” Daniel said. “I’m glad that you’re being so understanding about this, unlike some people can be,” he said, shooting a look at Jack.

“Don’t even get me started, Doc. Funky old stuff like that has been the cause of more headaches than I really know what to do with. So, taking a flamethrower to a lot of that stuff would be a great plan, as far as I’m concerned.” The blonde smiled at Jackson, while several of the other people snickered as the appreciative look Daniel had been wearing changed to horror.

“She does have a point, Daniel,” Jack said smugly. “Or have you forgotten about that glowing skull thing that turned you into a ghost? Or how about Thor’s Hammer, or the Quantum Mirror? Or my personal favorites, that Ancients memory thing, and their time loop toy?”

“All right, we’ll be careful,” Daniel promised, holding his hands up in defeat. Not really wanting Jack to bring up another one of their past adventures, because of some artifact or other that they had found.

“Hey, don’t you enjoy that sort of stuff, Prue?” asked Buffy.

“Yes; and yes, I’ll help them,” the dark-haired witch said. ‘Hopefully the other two won’t complain too much,’ Prue mused.

“Good.”

“The rest of us are going to clear the town out. I also need some of the research people to see if they can find anything on the Scythe. There’s got to be something about it somewhere, and I wouldn’t mind knowing what it is.”

“Okay; anything else?”

One of the swordsmen spoke up from his seat. “We’ve found what appears to be a secondary base. We’re not sure yet though, because we can only get so close before they’re aware of us being there.” He pointed to a map and circled an area with a pen. “This is the area that is being guarded,” he explained, “it encompasses about two or three warehouses that no one can get close to without being spotted. When we were searching for you earlier, we got close to the place, but were delayed; then you were found, making it unnecessary. First, there was the crazy one that challenged Adam, then by the message that ye had been found.”

“So, who or what are they hiding there?” Jonathan Kent asked, as he looked at the area that had been circled. “With an area that large, you could hide an entire strike force, or something.”

“Now there’s a charming thought that I could have lived without,” grimaced the blonde.

“We don’t know what’s there. But whatever it is in there, though, it must be important. And what’s more, these guards aren’t Bringers.”

This got several people’s attention, as they suddenly listened more closely.

“The guards appeared to be a mixture of various humans, from various walks of life and warlocks. I, personally, wouldn’t be surprised if there were other people in there that we hadn’t seen yet.”

“Professor, can you do your whole mental thing, and figure out what it is that we are going up against?” the Slayer asked hopefully.

Giles looked at the older gentleman, and wondered what Buffy could be talking about.

“I might,” Xavier said, “but there is the fact that since the First is a non-physical being, it might have a large knowledge on mental assaults and defenses, and be able to withstand any intrusion that I make. It could even possibly detect if any type of intrusion was made upon it, or any of its followers that would be around there. And if the forces are all demonic, I would have no true idea what it is that I am looking for.”

“All right,” the Slayer said. The plan had been good, but there had to be others. Buffy paused, as she thought about what it was that was going on. “OK, Professor, I got a question for you while we’re talking about abilities.”

The man nodded.

“Can your kids kill if they have to?” the Slayer asked bluntly. She needed to know who to count on. “I’ve seen some of your people in action,” she nodded to Scott and Logan, “and in practice. They’re good, there’s no doubt about it, but can they kill things that were once humans like the Bringers, or whatever else it is that we’re up against?”

Xavier paused for a moment before he looked at Wolverine. “Logan, what’s your opinion on this?”

The others all seemed a little surprised that he was asked, but seemed to understand why as well.

The mutant pulled a toothpick he had been chewing on out from his teeth. “Well, Chuck, I think the girls can definitely do it if they were pushed to it.”

“Trust me, mountain man, if they get into this, they won’t have a choice but kill or be killed,” Faith said, as she studied Wolverine curiously.

Wolverine nodded and continued his summary of the kids. “The Popsicle might be able to, as well. I ain’t sure yet, but even if he can’t he’d be great for just freezing ‘em inta blocks of ice. As for the Russian metal mound of muscle, unless he’s gonna be fighting it out with one of those really strong types, I don’t think he’ll be much use. He ain’t got the killer instinct that ya need fer this sort of thing. When it comes right down to it, he’s just too freaking nice fer his own good.” Logan actually looked annoyed at this. “He could be a danger out on the field ‘cause he won’t do what has ta be done. If he can’t take ‘em out fer good, he shouldn’t be dealing in skirmishes at all, but he might be the muscle ya need ta deal with something big,” the mutant concluded, replacing the toothpick in the corner of his mouth.

“Does that answer your questions, my dear?” Xavier asked. Inside, he was both pleased and worried that Colossus couldn’t do the jobs he needed to do.

“Yeah, it does,” Buffy replied, thinking hard. The Slayer chewed on her lip for a moment as she tried to figure out how to deal with this problem. Then she smiled as she looked at Dr. Jackson. “Have your tin man join the retrieval team; he can help move stuff, and he can be a good defense if things get bad.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Daniel agreed, smiling.

“What about you, kid? Can you kill?” Jack asked as he looked at Clark Kent.

Clark Kent looked up at the soldier and remembered Tina Greer, and how she had impaled herself on a pole.

“I’ve only had to kill someone once. Twice, if you count the demon Luke and I killed,” he replied uncomfortably. He wasn’t happy about the idea of having to kill anyone or anything, but Clark knew that it was something that had to be asked.

The Slayer nodded sadly in understanding.

“I hope it never gets easier for you, kid. You look like someone that it can’t be fun for. Just remember that this is something that has to be done,” Jack said kindly but sternly.

The dark haired teen sighed, and slowly nodded in acceptance of what he was being told.

The Slayer addressed the whole group now. “Split into teams, and let’s begin searching for any more clues, people. It looks like we have a long night of work ahead of us. Dean, Sam, stay here; the rest of you, go do your thing.”

The group nodded as they all got up, some of them tossing salutes, others mock salutes as they left to help out where they could.

The only ones left in the room now were Spike, Buffy, the Winchester brothers, Faith, and Giles.

“So what did ya need from us?” Dean Winchester asked, slouching in his chair.

“I need you two to ward the Scooby HQ base against spiritual attacks. I don’t know if that will stop the First from entering, but it’s the only plan I got right now. Hopefully it will stop it; realistically, it might slow it down.” The brothers nodded, and walked out to get enough salt and holy water to protect the house. “Spike, you and Giles out of here.”

“But...”

“Spike.”

“Right, Slayer. Let’s go, Rupert,” the vampire said grumpily, as he pushed off from the wall that he had been leaning against.

“Buffy, perhaps Spike and I should stay,” Giles protested.

“It’s not your concern, Giles.” The Slayer’s voice was cool and implacable.

The watcher nodded in defeat, as he followed the vampire out the door.

“Harsh,” Faith commented.

“Yeah, I know, but sometimes he needs to let us do our thing,” agreed Buffy, beginning to move toward the door.

“And what is our thing?” Faith asked nervously. She knew that Buffy could easily kick her ass – hell, she knew that Spike might be able to put major hurting on her if he felt like it, but he hadn’t really been into it the other night. Just like Angelus had beaten her pretty badly till she managed to come up with that crazy plan, and B had actually beaten Angelus at the age of seventeen! Since then, she had gotten like five more years of training and experience. No; Faith knew that B was good. Besides, she doubted she’d want to fight her over what had happened.

“I actually wanted to talk to you,” Buffy said, as she looked at her fellow Slayer. “How are you feeling after having a cavern fall on you?”

“Pretty good, all things considered. I thought I’d be stuck in bed all day and all night with those injuries, even with the whole Slayer healing and endurance package.”

“Yeah, well, the wand wavers have ways of increasing your healing power,” Buffy said, as she leaned against the blacked out window, leaving the Scythe to rest between them. Neither of the girls wanted to think about it much. And they just sat there in silence.

“You ever think that there’s a reason that we never got along?” asked the blonde suddenly.

“You mean aside from me going evil?” Faith contemplated the toes of her shit-kicker boots, shame at the memories her statement evoked bringing a flush to her cheeks.

“No, seriously, what if the whole ‘there’s only supposed to be one’ thing is part of the reason that we have trouble getting along?”

The two looked at each other quietly, as they considered this.

“It’s a good thing we’re hot super heroes along with everything else, though.”

Buffy smirked at this. “It does help.”

A few minutes later, the two walked out of the room and met Giles and Spike, who were busy glaring at each other.

The two Slayers snickered at the two of them. “Come on, you two, we’ve got to find those two brothers, and get to making the house strong enough.”

The two nodded reluctantly, and followed after the two Slayers, who were headed to the garage where the Winchester brothers’ Impala stood waiting.