CHAPTER 7

“OK, Xander, what’s the plan?” Buffy asked. They’d headed to his parent’s house to grab some supplies before hitting the Initiative.

Frowning in concentration as he loaded a clip into his ‘borrowed’ handgun, the brunette Scooby replied, “We get you two into costume, use your security code to get us in, and hope we find a chatty scientist to explain the 314 thing to us.”

“We need to find Dr. Engelmann. He and Walsh are cozy. If anyone in the Initiative knows what 314 is, I’m betting on him.” The Slayer grabbed the clothes Willow handed her. “Hey, since when do I have to dress in unflattering blacks and browns?”

“Well, I guess I could be the big bad Marine,” the redhead commented with a quirky grin. “I’ve been working out you know.” She held up a thin arm and flexed.

“Nice, Will. I’m sure you could take on at least a platoon all by yourself.” The girls shared a laugh as they moved behind Xander’s privacy curtain – sheets dangling from a clothesline strung across the basement – to change. Buffy tried to remember how Riley put his clothing together and tucked, tightened, and fastened every button and flap she found. The clunky boots were another matter. Ten minutes later, she managed to get the pants to blouse correctly and tied the footwear with a flourish. Standing, she held out her arms and posed. “How do I look?”

“Kinda butch. Cute, but butch.” The redhead giggled at the shock on the Slayer’s face. “What? I’m a college girl now. I know lots more things than I used to.” She moved behind the shorter girl and undid the ponytail. “If I remember correctly, this has to be above your collar.” She started braiding the blonde hair with the ease of familiarity. “Hey, this is like being back in high school, huh?”

“Hmmm, let’s see…big bad monster guy, check; possible large scale death and destruction, check; quality time with my bestest friend, check.” She grinned. “Yep. High school all over again.”

“Goof.” Willow smacked the other girl on the shoulder.

She just happened to hit a bruise left by the demon’s axe. “Ow!” Buffy pulled away.

Eyes wide, the witch started apologizing. “Buffy, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, really, I mean…Hey, how did I hurt you, anyway?”

“Remember the sewer demons from earlier? One of them got off a lucky shot.” The Slayer poked her friend in the arm. “Course, it could be all that working out you’re doing.”

“Yep. Better be careful, Slayer, I might be after your job.” Deciding she just had to do it, Willow played on Buffy’s earlier shock. Moving closer to the camouflaged blonde, she dropped her voice to a husky whisper. “You know, I’d be happy to kiss that nasty bruise all better.”

Buffy’s head came up so fast, Willow was surprised it didn’t pop off. “Will!”

Shrieking with laughter, the hacker ran for safety, chanting, “I got you! I got you!” She dashed through the curtain, nearly ripping it from the clothesline, and hid behind a bemused Xander.

“Gee, Will, I’m glad to see you, too. Wanna tell me why the Buffster is stalking toward us with that death look in her eyes?” He checked the safety on his weapon and slowly stood up. “Girls, normally I’d enjoy a little girl-on-girl smackdown, but we have a mission to complete. Remember, Professor Walsh and some big demony guy?”

Buffy straightened to her full height and meticulously adjusted her belt buckle. “Fine. We do the mission. Then,” she glared at a still laughing Willow, “we’re talking about this new person who’s taken over my shy redhead.”

Sensing it might be time to get his friends moving, Xander handed Buffy her own gun. “Xander, I don’t do guns.”

“You do now, Marine,” he commented. Picking through a cardboard box, he finally located a weapons belt for his small friend. “Here. See if you can get this tight enough. If not, I’ll have to punch a new hole in the belt.”

Mumbling under her breath about evil twins and soldier memories, the Slayer donned the belt, pulling the leather through the buckle until it fit. Thanks to military engineering, there were just enough holes so she could fasten it without worry it would fall off. With a last grimace of distaste, she rammed the gun into the holster, snapped the flap closed over the butt, and tied the holster to her thigh. “Let’s do this,” she said.

***

The three disguised Scoobies crept through Lowell House. The normally bustling faux-frat house was deserted.

“Seems pretty quiet,” Xander commented, peering around a corner.

Buffy scanned the area with her Slayer senses. Someone was heading their way. She gestured for Willow to get behind her and nodded down the hallway. Xander nodded in return and his hand dropped to his gun. Seconds later, a uniformed man rushed by, brushing past the Slayer without a word. “It usually is,” Buffy finally answered Xander’s comment.

The trio continued down the hallway. Buffy stopped in front of a full length mirror. Punching a button on the wall, she gazed at her reflection. “Hey, Buff, maybe you could check the look later.” Xander moved behind her.

“Don’t.” The Slayer shoved her friend out of the way, eliciting a surprised yelp from the boy. “Sorry,” the blonde apologized without looking away from the mirror. “I’m the only one who can pass the retinal scan.”

“Ooh,” Willow cooed. “She means they scan her eye and match it to a print on file,” she explained.

“Well, we’ll know in a few seconds if my clearance is good.” Buffy waited while a green light traveled up and down her body.

A mechanical voice chimed, “Retinal scan recorded. Summers, Buffy,” and the mirror slid aside, revealing an elevator car. The Scoobies climbed aboard and began their descent. On the ride down, Buffy and Xander checked their weapons and uniforms while Willow donned a white lab coat. Feeling faintly ridiculous, they waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor.

The doors finally opened, revealing the heart of the Initiative. Military and science personnel scurried around the huge expanse. Willow and Xander wandered forward, dazed at the size, to peer over the railing into the examination lab inset into the floor.

“Holy moley,” Xander breathed. “I totally get it now. Can I have sex with Riley, too?”

Willow giggled at the look in his eye and Buffy’s irritated response. Grabbing her fellow “Marine,” the Slayer dragged him away from his vantage point. They marched down a flight of metal stairs with the redhead following along behind. Despite frequent moments of panic when faced with groups of soldiers, the Scoobies had little problem crossing the base.

Once they left the more public areas, all three teens relaxed slightly. The long white corridors were less heavily populated. Buffy, having been in the facility before, naturally took the lead. “Hey, Buffy? How many people work down here?” Willow wanted to know.

“I’m not sure, Will. Is it important?”

Nervously tugging at the too-large coat, the redhead replied, “It could be. Think about it, guys. If you were a secret military organization run by a psychopathic scientist, you’d want a bunch of people working for you. It makes it much harder to keep track of all the projects going on. You can have groups for research or personnel, and each one has its own mission statement. With everyone focused on their own job, they aren’t going to be interested in what happens across the hall in, say, Room 314.”

“That’s so simple, it actually makes sense,” Xander said.

Buffy paused and motioned for them to gather in a recessed doorway. Voices sounded down the hall.

“The men are still out there,” a man said urgently. “The longer they go without their meds, the more dangerous it becomes.”

“I know,” a second voice said. He sounded tired and frustrated. “With the professor’s death, the schedules are all off. We’ve managed to locate all but a few. The last group was in pretty bad shape, but we got them stabilized.”

The three hidden teens listened, shocked at the information. Drugs in the food? What was the Initiative doing to the soldiers working in the lab? Buffy was concentrating so hard on the problem, she nearly missed the rest of the conversation.

“Finn is still at large, right?” the first speaker asked.

“Yeah. We have all available personnel looking for him.”

“He’s a key part of the project. You make sure you find him and bring him in. He’s the only one I really care about.” The voices faded as the speakers moved away from the trio. The gang remained frozen in place, each trying to reconcile the information they’d overheard.

“Come on, guys. We can deal with this later. Right now, we have a demon to find.” The Slayer sprinted down the hall after the scientists. Rounding a corner, she glimpsed a white-coated figure use a key card to access a sealed lab. Waiting until he went inside, she rushed to the door, making sure it didn’t close behind him. Willow and Xander joined her and the three slipped inside. The individual they’d followed had his back to the door, staring intently at a computer screen.

Buffy stalked across the room and grabbed the unsuspecting man, spinning him to face her. “You know,” she told the frightened scientist, “I don’t usually like killing humans, but I’ve learned it pays to be flexible in life.”

“I was wondering when you’d turn up,” Dr. Engelmann remarked. He looked down at the tiny blonde who effortlessly held him in place.

Clicking her tongue and looking at the other two teens, she lamented. “Darn, then this wasn’t a surprise. Now, you can tell me what you did to Riley and then we can all take a tour of 314.”

Arrogantly, the man stared over her head. “Someone’s coming, you know.” Xander and Willow glanced at the closed lab door. “I’m sure by now security has spotted you on the cameras.”

“Will,” the Slayer ordered.

“On it.” Pushing passed the blonde and her captive, the hacker tapped furiously on the keyboard. “It’s got a password. I can break it, but it’ll take a while.”

Lifting Engelmann off the ground, Buffy asked politely, “Password, please?” The dark haired man shook his head. “Damn. Have it your way.” She swung the scientist around, slamming him against the wall. He grunted, but made no comment. The frustrated blonde prepared to rough up the smug scientist when a body hurtled from above, landing on the ground with a sickening sound.

Everyone looked up at the grotesque figure standing on the catwalk. “Tell the witch not to worry about security. I made sure the cameras were inoperable.”

CHAPTER 8

“You must be Adam,” Buffy stated. “Nice. Definitely different from the usual run-of-the-mill demons we see.” She prayed her unease wasn’t too apparent. The thing on the catwalk was huge and looked straight from a science fiction special effects project.

A smile stretched the green skin on the left side of the monster’s face. “Indeed. I am Adam.” He stepped off the walkway and dropped to the floor. His feet rang metallically when they hit the floor. Not fazed by the twenty-foot drop, the hybrid stood calmly regarding the four humans. “Maggie Walsh created me.”

Buffy nodded, sliding slowly to her left, hoping to get between the creature and the Scoobies. “Yeah. The good professor had some issues. So, you planning on taking over the world? Cause you might want to rethink that plan.”

“Why?” Adam regarded the Slayer curiously.

The blonde struggled for an answer. Do I look like Answer Girl? Luckily, Willow stepped in to give her friend a hand. “Because trying to take over Sunnydale leads to you being dead. Simple, really.” Her light, girlish voice was swallowed in the large room.

No one was prepared for the laughter that rumbled from Walsh’s creation. “Magnificent. You think you can beat me.” It wasn’t a question. Adam cocked his head, eyes boring into the novice witch. “You feel familiar. Why?”

“No reason,” Willow squeaked. “I mean, I’m not anything special; just me. Maybe you’re confusing me with someone else.”

Unfortunately for the redhead, the demon made the connection. “Ah. You use magic. I can feel your power.” Red eyes bored into the redhead. “It is minimal, but surprising. Mother did not know humans could do magic.” He moved forward a step.

That was enough for Buffy. The time for talk was over. Leaping in front of her best friend, she grabbed the hybrid’s outstretched arm and launched a kick. She made solid contact with Adam’s chest, but it didn’t even slow his movement. A clawed hand grabbed the Slayer by the shirt, hurling her into the air. The blonde crashed into a research station, tearing through the table and landing on the floor. She lay there, stunned, as Adam stroked Willow’s face with his human hand.

“Xan!” she called. Shaking himself out of his shock, the male Scooby drew his handgun and fired at Adam. The bullets bounced off the energy shield suddenly surrounding the demon.

“Your pathetic weapons cannot harm me.” Adam smirked. “Maggie Walsh was a brilliant woman. She made sure I was protected from all manner of attack.”

Willow was terrified. She felt the power surrounding the man/demon/machine standing so close. But the witch wasn’t willing to watch the destruction of her family. Thinking furiously, the redhead pieced together a spell and reached out with astral hands, tapping into the enormous power source in front of her. The magic flooded through her and she channeled it into the words she chanted. Fearing a direct attack would also be deflected, she merged with the shield surrounding Adam, disrupting the harmony of the energy. Intermittent holes appeared. “Xan, try again,” she ordered.

The report of the weapon rang through the room. Although most of the shots were stopped by the barrier, a few managed to find the gaps in the magic. Adam staggered. Blood and ichor oozed from the wounds. “You annoy me,” he growled.

“Damn. And here I thought we could all hold hands and be friends,” Willow chirped. Still flushed with her borrowed power, she tried a different spell. Continuing to disrupt the shield energy, she sent a tendril of magic around the demon, looking for a point of entry. The witch grinned, feeling the data drive mounted in the hybrid’s chest. Her energy streaked into the port, widening as it flowed through the circuitry.

Her infiltration finally caught Adam’s attention. He tried to grab the redhead, but his mechanical servos were frozen. Howling, he leveled a blast of raw power at Willow. Unprepared for the attack, the novice witch screamed in pain and dropped to the floor. “We will meet again, humans.” With a powerful movement, the demon leapt up to the catwalk and disappeared through a doorway.

Buffy and Xander scrambled to Willow’s side. “Doctor!” the Slayer snapped. The white-coated scientist ignored the panicked command and fled. “Fuck.” The blonde pulled Willow into her arms. “Come on, Will. Wake up, please.”

“Don’t wanna,” the slim redhead mumbled. Green eyes blinked up at the Slayer before widening. A blush raced across her cheeks, highlighting her freckles. “Whoo boy! What a rush.” She grinned maniacally. “Now I know what Faith meant. Hey, Buffy, you get like this after patrol every night?”

The blonde scrambled to her feet, nearly tossing the witch onto the floor in her haste. “Let’s get out of here,” she said, avoiding the question hanging in the air. The other two teens shared a smile at Buffy’s typical evasion of the question regarding the “HH Factor.” “We need to fill Giles in. I don’t think his precious books are going to be much help with this one.”

They exited the lab. Soldiers swarmed the vast underground complex. “Looks like Engelmann alerted the troops,” Xander commented. The three Scoobies ran through the organized confusion without challenge. The elevator ride passed in silence, each teen trying to come to terms with their battle with Adam.

“OK, guys. We need to get to the Council safe house. With Walsh dead, I don’t think we need to hide from the Initiative, but Adam’s on the loose.” Buffy took the lead as the trio ran out of Lowell House. The sun had set.

Willow grabbed the blonde’s arm. “Buffy, wait. We can’t go charging through downtown Sunnydale in uniform. You and Xander are armed, for Goddess’ sake.”

“She’s got a point, Buff.”

Nodding reluctantly, the Slayer looked at the redhead. “Got a plan?”

“I’m working on it.” The witch flashed an impish grin. “It isn’t much, but it should keep us from getting too much attention. It’s Thursday.”

The ‘and your point is’ looks from her friends caused the grin to widen. “ROTC day, guys. Come on. It’s the one day all the military students come out in uniforms. Ditch the guns inside Lowell House and we’ll just be three college students out for a walk.”

Xander didn’t like the idea of leaving the weapons behind. “I don’t know if we can get anymore guns, guys. This is the last of the supply we stole.” He looked at Buffy. “We may need them.”

“OK, Will. Plan B?”

Frowning in thought, Willow finally said, “Maybe. Don’t move, ‘k?” She was tired, but there was just enough power. Muttering a quick incantation, she waved her hands in front of the two ‘Marines.’ The air rippled and thickened around them. “As long as we don’t walk in front of any mirrors, we’re good.” She rubbed her forehead. A reaction headache threatened.

“What did you do?” Buffy wanted to know as they resumed their trek for Sunnydale’s residential area.

“I put a glamour on the guns.” Willow struggled to keep up with the other two. It had been a very long time since she’d slept and the magics had wiped her out. “It’s not a complicated one, so if you’re in front of a mirror, the guns will show.”

“Cool. Way to go, Will.” The blonde smiled. “Looks like you just might be able to take my job after all. First you managed to freak out Adam and now the glamour. I think I’ll retire.”

“Goof.” If she only had the energy, the witch would have smacked the grinning Slayer.

They slowed to a walk when they reached downtown. Throngs of people hurried down the sidewalks, intent on getting to their destinations as quickly as possible. The two BDU garbed teens got a few looks, but no one seemed overly interested. Finally, the Scoobies reached the edge of the business district. Buffy opened her Slayer senses, looking for possible threats. The night was quiet. “Think we’re good, guys. No skulking required.”

Still, they moved cautiously down the dark street to the Council’s safe house. Entering through a back door, Buffy let her guard down and called out. “Hey, Giles? Mom?”

“In here, Buffy,” Joyce Summers answered. The remaining members of the gang sat on couches around a long, low table. Dim lamps fought to provide lighting in the vast room. “Everything go OK?”

Ever the clown, Xander jumped in, “Not so much, Mrs. Summers. We met the demon and he pretty much laughed at us. Will managed to get off a few good shots, but me and the Buffster struck out.”

“I take it you had no luck, then?” Giles tried to rephrase the teen’s words.

“Right. The thing Tara saw last night has a name: Adam. It’s some kind of hybrid.” Willow went into lecture mode. “I’d guess Professor Walsh combined pieces of the demons the Initiative captured with a human body and then added some mechanical parts just to make sure she didn’t miss anything.”

“That’s not good.” The Watcher looked pained.

“Exactly. Add to that his penchant for random violence and a completely evil personality and you have an end of the world in the making.” The Slayer’s voice was tired. “Walsh outdid herself with this one. She screwed up big time with his programming or whatever. He’s out of control.”

Joyce joined the discussion. “Could you talk to her, honey? Maybe-“

“Too late, Mom. Her evil monster killed her.” The younger Summers shrugged. “At least, that’s the impression I got. She’s definitely dead.”

“Good Lord.” Giles stood and paced. “Girls,” he addressed the two witches, “do you remember which demons the faeries pointed out in the book?”

“Yes, Mr. Giles, but I don’t think it was a complete list.” Tara sat forward. “I don’t think we can plan any magical offensive without a better idea what we might be facing.”

The Briton removed his glasses and started chewing thoughtfully on the earpiece. “Perhaps we could try the spell a second time.”

“Oh, no, Giles.” Willow was quick to end that plan. “He’s way powerful. I got a taste of it at the lab. We aren’t trying that again.” She described the demon’s magical strength in detail. “I got lucky. He wasn’t expecting me to try anything. Now that he knows we have magical capability, he’ll be on guard.”

No one seemed to have any more ideas. An uncomfortable silence grew in the room. Finally, Tara asked, “Do w-we ha-have any idea what Adam’s mission is?”

“Based on the clues,” Xander answered, “I’d say killing. He’s a killing machine.”

“That’s probably a best case scenario,” Buffy gloomily added. “He’s unbelievably strong and he’s a warlock to boot. Kinda got the best of it all, if you’re on the Evil side of the game.”

Willow tried to cheer up the Slayer. “Well, that’s true. But, I’m betting since Professor Walsh designed Adam she left notes and stuff.”

“Those are probably in the Initiative,” Giles pointed out. “I don’t think they are likely to let you walk back in and we certainly aren’t in a position to mount a major offensive.”

“No, but I did get into the system last night. I could go back and do some more digging.” The redhead wasn’t going to be brushed off. Giles never took her hacking seriously. “Maybe I can find her notes, or just a list of the demons they studied. It could help us identify all of Adam’s parts.”

“If you can do that, Willow, I’m sure we could do some magical research.” Tara smiled crookedly at her student.

Buffy narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t sure she liked the other blonde. After all, it took more than just one close call with demons to become a full-fledge member of the Scooby gang. “OK, Will. We’ll turn you loose on the computers. Giles and Tara can start combing the magic books. Mom, Xander, and I will be the food and clothing getting crew. I think it’s safer if we stay here for a bit.”

“What about classes?” Everyone smiled at the redhead. “Hey, it’s a valid question. Midterms will be here before you know it.”

Knowing her friend’s need to go to school, Buffy said, “Call a friend in one of your classes. Have them take notes and get assignments for you. I just don’t want the Initiative or Adam waiting for us in regular spots.” She walked over and hugged the despondent witch. “Come on, Will. It’ll be like a big slumber party. Only without the movies, popcorn, and other goodies.”

Willow brightened. “It has been a while since we got to spend quality time together. OK. I’ll –“

A shrill ringing startled her into silence. “I’ll get it.” Giles moved across the room and picked up the phone. “Hello?...When?” Everyone looked at the older man. Something was wrong. His expression was worried. “OK. Thanks for calling.”

The Scoobies waited for him to fill them in. “That was the hospital. I asked them to call if Faith’s condition changed.”

Swallowing hard, Buffy choked out, “She’s dead?”

“No.” The Watcher looked at his charge sympathetically. “She’s awake, and she’s disappeared.”

CHAPTER 9

“I’d say this qualifies for the worst timing ever award,” Willow groused. She looked from Giles to Buffy. Slayer and Watcher were locked in their own worlds, silent and grim. “Buffy? Whacha thinking?”

It took a second for the blonde to respond. “Change in plan, guys. The rest of you stick with the original. I’m going to head out on patrol. Faith’s back, and lucky for us she doesn’t usually hide very well. I’ll hit the hot spots in town; see if she’s surfaced.”

“Are you quite sure it’s safe for that?” Giles wanted to know. “I mean, Adam is still on the loose.”

“Exactly, Giles. Adam is still on the loose. So is Faith. Do we really want two homicidal maniacs running around town?” Buffy crossed her arms and rolled her neck. Things couldn’t get much worse, could they?

Willow wasn’t about to let her friend go alone. “No way, Buff. This is Faith we’re talking about. I’ll go with you. If you do find her, I can do a spell and knock her out. With Adam out there, you can’t be all banged up from a Slayer War.” She glared at the blonde, daring her to refuse.

Buffy rose to the occasion. Moving into the witch’s personal space, she said quietly, “I’m sorry, Will. But I go alone. I don’t want you hurt, and Adam may be able to track your magic. Besides, you need to do the computer work”

“No.” Green eyes met and held hazel. “I can set the computer up to do the search without me. If it finds anything, Giles or Tara can take a look. As for Adam, he never felt my power like he did Tara’s. I used his own energy against him.” She smiled slightly. “If he was going to use a tracking spell, he could find me here, too. I’m going.”

“I’m not putting you in danger,” Buffy stated.

“Hello? Been a Scooby for four years, here! It isn’t the first time we’ve faced death together, Buffy. Get over it. You can take me, or I can follow you.” The earlier smile turned a little nasty. “Even your Slayer speed can’t outrun a tracking spell. I can find you anywhere, anytime.”

Reluctantly, the Slayer acknowledged the point. “Fine. You go.” She spun, locating her mother. “You and Xan be careful. We need supplies for at least a week. Bring as many of the weapons in the chest as you can carry. There’s no telling what will be useful.” Getting a nod from the older Summers, Buffy motioned for Giles to move into another room.

The Watcher was obviously confused. “We’ve got a second problem, Giles. If Will and I find Faith, what do we do with her? I’m not going to kill her.” She shuddered. “I got too close the last time. We can’t turn her in to the cops. They wouldn’t know what to do with a Slayer, even if they knew we existed. The Council?”

“It’s unlikely they would be of any help. I’m afraid they washed their hands of the entire situation.” The older man was frustrated.

“So I have to make the decision.” The blonde teen watched her mentor for some clue about how to proceed. “God knows she’s caused problems and done things we can’t ignore, but…”

“But what, my dear?”

“What if she doesn’t remember what happened? What if she’s out there alone, hiding, not knowing what’s going on?” Giles looked skeptical. “I know, it’s a long shot, but we could use her help on this one. I don’t want to just take her out without knowing which side she’s on. There’s got to be a way to help her with the stuff from last year.”

The Briton thought about that. “I suppose there might be avenues of rehabilitation we haven’t thought of.”

“OK, then.” The Slayer was relieved. Giles wasn’t asking her to kill her sister Slayer or disable her long-term. He was willing to let her feel Faith out. “Will and I’ll see what’s the what and report back.” Buffy walked back in to the main living area. “Ready, Will?” she called to the redhead bent over the laptop.

“Yep. The program’s running a series of algorithms, trying to decrypt the Initiative’s security system. If it works, I showed Tara what to do. Once we’re back from patrol, I can use the hook to do more digging.” She stood up and looked at her best friend. “Where are we heading first?”

“The Bronze. After eight months of basically no life, I’m betting Faith is looking for some action.”

“Oooh, good idea.” Willow grabbed Buffy’s hand and they left the house through the back entrance.

***

They walked in silence for a few minutes, while the Slayer tried to find the words for the question on her mind. “Uh, Will? Can I ask you something?”

“Haven’t you always?” the witch joked.

“Yeah. I guess.” Buffy bit her lip. “I was wondering what’s up with Tara? You never mentioned her or anything and now she’s a part of the gang.”

Willow slowed down and looked closely at the shorter girl. “I met her at the Wicca meeting. Didn’t I tell you that?”

“Yeah, but have you noticed the way she looks at you?” The Slayer couldn’t believe she’d just said that.

“How she…” Green eyes widened and a blush highlighted the redhead’s freckles. “Well, Buffy, Tara’s a lesbian. I think she might be a little interested.” Despite the blush, a huge grin split her face. “She doesn’t know I know about her crush.”

The blonde stared at her friend in shock. “You’re OK with that?”

“Sure. It’s nice to be admired, and Tara’s gorgeous.”

“Since when have you played for the home team, Will?” Buffy really wanted to know. What about Oz and Xander?

The witch didn’t answer immediately. They’d hit downtown, and Willow wisely waited to continue the discussion until they weren’t surrounded by people. “Well, you remember Vamp Me, right? I’ve had a long time to think about her and what Angel tried to say when she was locked in the book cage.” She shrugged. “Besides, does it really matter?”

Seeing the confusion and hurt clouding the freckled face, Buffy was quick to reassure. “No! No, Will. I don’t care if you’re into women. It’s just a surprise. There was Oz and Xander, and that thing in the computer.” She squeezed the other girl’s hand tighter. “I don’t care who you love as long as they make you happy, Will.”

“Thanks.” A single tear traced its way down the witch’s face. “I wanted to tell you, but we haven’t been spending a lot of time together. When we did, I was afraid to risk our friendship by coming out. I really like her, Buffy. She’s smart, and funny, and a powerful witch. She’s helped me learn so much about magic and I like the way I am when she’s around. I feel powerful.”

Remembering the way the blonde witch had looked at Willow, Buffy ground her teeth. Willow had been hurt too much in the past. She wasn’t going to let her friend get involved with the older girl until she’d done some checking. “Good for you, Will. I mean, she seems really nice.” Nice. Wow. Let’s just gush with the compliments.

Fortunately, the redhead had focused on the club ahead missed the Slayer’s lame comments. “You feel anything?”

Responding to Willow’s sudden intensity, Buffy reached out with her senses. “Maybe. There’s a ripple, but it’s faint. Could just be a vamp on the prowl. Can you find her? Use that tracking spell?”

Dropping her head, the witch mumbled, “About that, I kinda exaggerated.” At Buffy’s snort, Willow protested, “I can do it. It just isn’t as easy as I made it out to be.”

The two girls entered the bar, giggling. The Bronze was crowded, and they moved through the throng, trying to reach the stairs to the upper level. If Buffy couldn’t use her Slayer connection to the other girl, they’d have to try spotting her visually. Holding Willow’s hand so they stayed together, Buffy pushed a path through the bodies. The balcony afforded them a nice vantage point, and the two leaned against the railing.

“Still nothing?” the witch inquired.

Buffy merely shook her head. “Not even a blip on the radar. Whatever I felt outside is gone. Besides, even with this crowd, I’m pretty sure we’d see her. The crowd of drooling potential fucks would give her away.”

Willow giggled. “Buffy!”

“Sorry. That was a bit harsh.” The Slayer scanned the bar one more time. “Well, no escaped murderers on the horizon, but we’ve got some action.” She pointed. “Riley’s here.”

“Why’s that a problem?”

“Well, remember the drug problem the doctor mentioned? I’m betting he’s well into withdrawal now.” Buffy pushed away from the railing. “Let’s go. I don’t want him doing anything stupid in public.”

The two trotted downstairs and reversed their original path through the dancers. The Marine was at the bar, toe to toe with a couple of campus jocks. “Shit. Will, can you help me out? I need to clear the Bronze.”

The redhead thought for a minute. “Yeah. Give me a couple. There’s a fire alarm back by the bathrooms.”

“Hey, no. I’m not having you in a jail cell.”

“Dummy! I’ll pull the handle with magic. I can do it from here, but I need to stop moving so I can concentrate.” The witch pushed past a couple making out by a small table and dropped into an empty chair. Closing her eyes, she let go of her form, projecting an Astral Willow. The shadowy form floated through the crowd and down the dimly lit back hallway. She was dimly aware Buffy had continued toward Riley.

***

“Hey, Ry. When did you get here?” The blonde tried to be casual. Will hadn’t gotten anyone out of the way, and there was a dangerous look in the young Marine’s eyes.

“Buffy.” His tone was short, almost angry. “What are you doing here?”

Watching him closely and silently urging Will to hurry, Buffy smiled. “You know, hanging out with Will, maybe do a little dancing. Usual weekend stuff.”

A group of drunk co-eds bumped into Riley and the Slayer leapt forward just in time. Her boyfriend lunged at one of the young men, rage contorting his face. “Ry! What’s the matter with you? Come on.” She pulled him back around, glaring at him. “You could have really hurt someone.”

“I’m sick and tired of protecting these people from the HSTs just so they can push me around.” Sweat stood out on his face, and he looked pale. “Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand and started across the floor.

It took far too much effort to halt the Marine. Buffy was stunned at his strength. “Ry. Stop! Stop!” she repeated when he kept yanking at her hand. “Fuck! If you don’t stand still I’m going to knock you out and carry you out of here.”

“Who put you in charge?” he roared. They were drawing a crowd. Damn it, Will, do something soon. I don’t want to put on a show for the good people of Sunnydale.

“Ry, calm down. You don’t look so good. Why-“ Strobe lights came on and a fire alarm blared. Thank God.

The masses of people began to head for the doors. Buffy waited with Riley as the building emptied. “What’s going on with you, Ry? Have you been to the Initiative lately?”

“No. Not since the mission with the Polgara the other night.” He shook his head. “The Professor sent us out to find a security breach, but we lost the signal.” The wild look in his eyes faded as he talked. “I need to report back to her.”

“Why haven’t you? I mean, it’s been almost an entire day?” Buffy was freaked. That wasn’t like the by-the-book young man.

“What’s it to you?” He took a fast step in her direction.

“Hey, guys.” Willow bounced up, grinning. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen this place so empty. Well, there was that time…”

“Shut up!”

The redhead flinched at the parade ground bellow.

Looking ready to explode, Riley paced forward until he stood mere inches away from the witch. “Why is it you’re always around? Huh? Everywhere we go, you somehow manage to already be there or you show up later. You got the hots for my girlfriend?”

“I-what? Riley?” Willow took a step back.

“Answer me, you bitch. I saw you and that blonde friend of yours at some dyke meet and greet. Did you think Buffy would ever be interested in you?” He backhanded the redhead, and she staggered into a nearby table.

The Slayer saw red. Gripping the Marine’s shirt, she tossed him across the room. “I’ve had enough of you, Riley. Mr. I’m the Big Bad Marine. Get over yourself. You know what your precious Initiative is really doing in Sunnydale?”

Riley climbed to his feet, wincing. “We’re doing important research on demons.”

“Party line crap.” Buffy helped Willow to her feet. “You OK?” she asked, gently touching the bruise already forming on the freckled cheek. Receiving a shaky nod, the blonde turned back to her ex-boyfriend.

“There’s no research, Riley. Walsh took a page out of the Nazi handbook and tried a little experimentation. Her creation is some science fiction monster made out of computer chips, demon parts, and a human form.” The Slayer waited until the young man stood in front of her to deliver final blow. “She messed up his programming, though. She’s dead, Riley. Her monster killed her.”

It was too much. Roaring, Riley charged the smaller blonde. Buffy merely sidestepped, sticking out a foot and sending the Marine to the ground. “While we’re having such a long-overdue conversation, let’s talk about Willow.”

“Yeah. Let’s do. When were you going to tell me I’d been replaced by a fucking lesbian?” He scrambled to his feet and dropped into a fighting stance, trying to find an opening.

“Newsflash, Riley. You got replaced all on your own. You and your military mindset need some help.” He lashed out with a booted foot, and the Slayer blocked it casually. “Will’s worth dozens of you, lesbian or not, lover or not.”

Strung out and furious, Riley overestimated his next punch, leaving himself vulnerable. Buffy landed a hard right to his chin and he dropped like a stone.

Eyeing the unconscious Marine, Willow sidled up to Buffy. “Nice job. Umm, how do we get him out of here?”

“We don’t,” Buffy said shortly. “I’ll call and leave a message for Graham. He’ll make sure Ry’s taken care of.” She eyed the flushed witch, feeling her blood race from the fight. “Was Riley, right, Will? Do you have the hots for me?”

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