What If??

Faith glances at the two ‘commandos’ once more as they get closer to the college. “This is just fuckin’ freaky.”

Tara chuckles, it coming out deeper like a man’s chuckle. “Yeah it is. I had to make a little bit of a change to the spell to make us ‘seem’ solid. Between that and the protection spell, nothing should be able to dispel it.” Tara takes a deep breath, looking at her lover. “Time to look for some other commando’s and follow them in?”

“Lowell House, here we come.” Buffy nods, turning to look at Faith and Xander. “You two know where to go?”

“Yeah. Head over to the little escape hatch we found the other night and wait for you to send some fun our way.” Faith grins evilly and cracks her knuckles.

“Tara’s already tagged it so that the demons that we let loose will head straight to it.” Buffy explains quietly as they come to a stop.

“With an uncontrollable urge to get the hell out of the Initiative without causing any other problems.” Tara shrugs, and smirks. “Let’s get going, the sooner we get in there, the sooner we get home.”

“Be careful.” Xander starts to hug the two women… but looking at them as men, he just shakes his head. “I’d give you two a hug, but that’s just a little too weird for my taste.”

Faith snorts and smacks him gently on the back. “What? You ain’t wantin’ to try the home team, Xan?”

“NO!” Xander’s eyes widen and he looks at Faith in disbelief. “That is a ONE WAY STREET!! Nothing’s heading in there, nope… not gonna happen.” Xander shakes his head vehemently.

“Don’t know what you’re missing.” Buffy murmurs a little louder than she meant to, looking wide-eyed at Tara as the Wicca blushes darkly. “Ummm. We’re going, have a good time and be careful.” Buffy tugs on Tara’s jacket as they take off jogging towards the Initiative’s ‘house’.

Xander stares after the two women, his mouth hanging open in shock. Slowly turning his gaze to Faith after Buffy and Tara are out of sight, he whimpers. “Did she just…?”

“Yep. I’d say they’ve experimented and enjoyed the hell outta it!” Faith smirks at the young man. “Don’t knock it ‘til ya’ try it Xan.” Faith chuckles wickedly as she makes her way towards the entrance to the Initiative she and Buffy had found.

“Oh, my God!” Xander moans and rubs a hand over his suddenly sweaty forehead. “Not a good thing, these thoughts that are running through my head. Not good at all.” Xander whimpers and follows after the dark-haired slayer.

***

Buffy looks at Tara, taking a deep breath before they walk into the Initiatives house.

Graham looks up at Riley and Forrest. “Talk about making it here just in time. We’re getting ready to have a meeting. Where have you two been?”

“Had problems and had to kill the demon.” Buffy growls angrily, working her way towards the entrance to the Initiatives underground lair, making sure Graham was in front of her to activate it.

Graham nods in understanding as he presses the button, saying his name for voice recognition.

Tara exhales softly in relief at the biggest problem they faced, knowing she could have magicked their way in, but not wanting to possibly tip their hand too soon in case it set of some kind of sensors.

Tara and Buffy follow behind Graham, allowing him to lead, the two women surreptitiously taking mental notes of the military installation. Buffy sharpens her gaze as she sees the banks of small monitors, showing small cells with demons in them. Listening intently as she continues to follow Graham, Buffy hears the different personnel talking, two men arguing back and forth about Adam having access to everything in the Initiative and that they had to do something and quick.

“Is that everyone?” Major Jefferson looks up as they come in to lean against the back wall of the meeting room, looking at the group of military personnel. “I’m Major Jefferson. I just arrived here, after we were made aware of the situation. This installation is going to be shut down, no more experimentation is going to happen, and we need to release the hostiles that have the modifications chips in them and take out the other hostiles.”

Buffy and Tara glance quickly at each other in surprise, before they look back at the commotion the Majors words were causing.

“But, sir! We have spent the last six months capturing these HST. You can’t mean for us to just release them or kill them?” One of the soldiers questions, the surprise obvious in his voice.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. These experiments were done without the knowledge and approval of the US Government! Now, I want you to start at Level three with the more powerful demons and work your way up to the vampires. Any of you that have any information on Adam, I want you to see me. Now get whatever weapons you may need and go!” Major Jefferson growls, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. Angry at the major fuck-up this installation had done and how far off they had gotten from the watch and learn that they were supposed to do.

Buffy turns and looks at Tara. “See if you can get to where Adam was built. I’m going to head downstairs with this group and start helping them take the demons out, this will work out better than I thought it would, with them deciding to shut this place down.” Buffy whispers softly, gently squeezing her lover’s arm.

“Be careful.” Tara grins at her lover as she heads towards the door.

“You, too.” Buffy winks and smirks before sliding out to follow the other personnel out of the room.

Tara takes a deep breath and works her way out of the room, orienting herself to what they were told by Riley, heading towards the area Adam had been created.

***

Adam rubs his chin as he punches up the computer, frowning heavily as he sees the military personnel heading down to the cells loaded with weapons. “Oh, no. That won’t do at all.” Adam starts punching keys on the keyboard.

***

“Shit!” Willow dials Buffy’s number as soon as she sees the activity. “He’s going into the section that keeps the cells locked! I can’t stop him!”

“Call Tara.” Buffy growls into the phone as she slips into an empty room to talk to Willow. “Then call Faith next, then Mom and Giles.” Buffy disconnects the phone and runs out of the room. “FUCK! Everyone watch out! Be prepared, the cells are being unlocked all at once!” Buffy screams as she runs through, seeing an emergency lever on the wall, yanking it down even as she’s running by to head to the lower level. Whispering the spell that Tara had taught her, hoping that it isn’t too late.

***

Adam’s eyes twitch as he watches the soldiers running down towards the cells. “Little too late. They’re already unlocking and escaping.” Adam allows a small smile to cross his face, frowning as he watches one soldier push his way to the front of the group heading down to the lower levels. “Eager to die?” Adam shrugs before tapping away at the computer, switching all the cells completely open. “Now, to see what happens.” Adam tips back in his chair, his eyes on the multitude of monitors in front of him, smiling as he hears the cries starting through the doorway even as he watches it on the screen.

***

Tara narrows her eyes as she hangs up the phone, feeling her lover hurriedly try to place the spell, already knowing that she was going to be too late, some of the demons already having escaped. Adding her strength to the spell, she concentrates to send the demons back on the right path, praying that none of the soldiers or personnel gets between them, knowing she can’t send a powerful enough spell out to them from where she is to keep them from attacking the humans. “Good luck, love.” Tara whispers softly before heading into the room that had birthed the hybrid Adam.

***

“Shit! Xan be prepared. Seems like this shit is gonna go down now.” Faith growls as she pulls out a short sword and a stake, looking intently at Xander as he double-checks his crossbows and the stack of bolts he has within easy re-load distance. “Don’t know what we’re gonna get. B was planning on just sending us up vamps as she went cell to cell, but Red called and said that Adam dude is making it a free for all.” Faith warns, her eyes serious.

“Gotcha.” Xander takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart as he aims the crossbow towards the opening Faith had previously flipped open. “You still want me to try and take them out first?”

“Yeah, and I’ll go after the ones that get by ya’, and while you reload.” Faith nods her head at the young man, grinning hugely. “Time to party!” Faith jumps uncontrollably as she hears the pounding of feet coming down the exit from the Initiative.

“You need help.” Xander groans before lifting the crossbow to his shoulder, aiming as he watches the first demon pop up out of the opening, letting him make it two steps away before firing.

“SWEET SHOT!” Faith yells, spinning her sword around as she watches Xander nail the first vampire right in the heart, dusting him instantly.

Xander grunts and quickly reloads before letting go another bolt, praying that most of his shots hit home.

***

“GET BACK!” Buffy screams to the soldiers that were practically being trampled by the demons escaping, thanking God that the demons weren’t attacking the soldiers anymore, but knowing that just being trampled by some of them would kill them. Quickly unleashing a deadly swing, Buffy starts taking off the demons head’s indiscriminately, knowing that most demons won’t live through being beheaded.

“Jesus!” Graham stares in surprise, watching as the person he thinks is Riley wades into the midst of the demons without fear and starts killing them in a blur. Taking a deep breath, he starts shooting the other demons even as the other personnel either run away or fight back.

***

“Riley, it seems your military’s monstrous creation, Adam, has let loose the demons. Hopefully the two people we sent down there made it in time to keep the slaughter to a minimum. As it is, we’re going to help be back up.” Giles explains hurriedly as he reverses the spell keeping the two men prisoner in the basement of the Magic Box. “Don’t make me regret this!” Giles growls angrily.

“Who the fuck are you?” Riley strides out from the corner, Forrest following closely behind.

“I’ll be your worst fucking nightmare if you don’t help.” Giles hands stakes and swords to the two men.

“Come on, Rupert!” Joyce calls down from the top of the stairs. “Willow just called back, all of the cells are open and she was able to tap into some of the monitors, it seems that Buffy and Tara weren’t able to get the spell completely in place before some of the demons escaped.”

“Shit! Come on you two wankers. Do right for a change and bloody well help out.” Giles orders as he runs up the stairs, following after Joyce, the two commando’s looking at each other before following after the older couple.

“Should we?” Forrest questions quietly as they jog through the shop.

“They know what’s going on, all I can say is we’ll follow them and if we need to split off afterwards we will.” Riley frowns heavily as he jumps in the back of the Jeep, Forrest following quickly as the woman doesn’t even wait for them to shut the doors before she peels out away from the curb heading towards the campus.

***

Faith grins madly as she swings at the demons charging out of the hole as Xander reloads both crossbows. “YIPPEEEE!!” Faith cries out as she jumps over the head of one of the horned demons coming at her, spinning in the middle of the air to land behind him, swinging with all her power.

“God help us! She’s fucking lost her mind.” Xander growls as he finishes loading the crossbow, pulling it up quickly as a vampire heads towards him, having escaped Faith’s wild fight. “No you don’t!” Xander pulls the trigger, dusting the vampire, before swinging around and taking aim at other demons.

“Want a couple extra hands?” Giles pants as he runs up, watching as the two commandos wade in and start helping Faith fight the demons.

“We’ll take everything you got.” Xander nods as he nails another vampire, watching as Giles pulls his own crossbow from his back and starting to aim. “Where’s Joyce?”

“She’s right behind me.” Giles looks over his shoulder watching as Joyce strides towards them, grinning. “I should of thought to teach her how to use a crossbow. I’ll be damn sure of doing it here in the future.”

“Always helpful.” Xander drops the empty crossbow, grabbing the other one up.

“I think I can load the crossbows.” Joyce offers, grabbing the empty crossbow and the bag of bolts, having watched Buffy do it enough times that she figures she has the mechanics down.

“Thanks.” Giles and Xander both call out as they start picking off the demons, trying to keep from aiming anywhere near the two commandos and Faith.

***

“Fuck me!” Buffy growls, wiping the sweat, blood and slime from her face as she looks around at the decimated demons, turning to look at the wounded soldiers and personnel of the Initiative. Yanking off the charm, she grinds it under foot as she stares at Graham, the shock obvious on his face. “Yeah, you know me. Get the wounded out of here and to somewhere safe. Treat ‘em while I try to round up any other demons still running loose and finding that fucking idiotic creation.”

Graham stares stunned after the petite blonde, knowing that she looks familiar, but not knowing why. Finally looking at the other tired and wore out commando’s he orders them loudly. “Pick up the wounded! Get them out by the elevator to the house, then clean their wounds.” Graham reaches down helping one of the unconscious personnel, gently easing him over his shoulder while wrapping his arm around another wounded one that can still walk as the group starts heading towards the elevator.

***

Tara frowns as she watches the personnel of the Initiative scatter and run as the demons are freed. “You’d think they’d be better trained.” Tara shakes her head as she gathers the items and slides into a small room, quickly setting it up to do the locator spell, silently praying to the Goddess that they can find Adam and finish this now.

Taking a deep breath, Tara slowly immerses herself into a meditative state as she works on the locator spell, unaware of the time passing as the fight wages on outside the room, around and above.

***

Buffy calls Willow on the cell phone. “What’s going on?”

“Giles and your mom released the two commandos and took them to help out Xander and Faith above ground. What’s going on down there? It looks like a massacre, thankfully from the couple sections I’ve been able to tap into, it looks like a massacre on the demon side.” Willow switches between cameras looking at the four different cameras she was able to get access to.

“Pretty much. There were some casualties on the Initiatives side, but I don’t know if anyone was killed, or if it was more them being hurt. Have you heard from Tara?” Buffy questions as she dodges a vampire that had escaped, growling angrily as she stabs it quickly before continuing on.

“I saw her on one of the monitors head into a room a couple doors down from 317, but I couldn’t make out the room number.” Willow admits as she switches to that camera like she’d been doing every thirty seconds give or take.

“Thanks. I’m going to hunt her out now.” Buffy snaps the phone shut as she heads towards her lover, starting to send out a mental query, knowing that it only works short distance, but praying that Tara hears her as she runs through the hallways of the underground installation.

***

Adam snarls as he watches the carnage… in the humans favor, his plans going down the drain. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you just bit off more than you can chew.” Adam stands and heads towards the door, stepping over the body of one of the doctors that had helped build him as he opens the door to take care of this himself.

***

Buffy sighs in relief as she gets closer to her lover, hearing her mental call finally answered. Waiting in the hallway, Buffy looks up and down the hallway, keeping her eyes open. Smiling as Tara steps out of the room.

“Not worried about the disguise anymore?” Tara questions softly, pulling her own charm off and tucking it away in a pocket.

“No. People got hurt, I don’t know how badly, but it can definitely be considered a victory for us, even with not being able to get everything set-up before all hell broke loose.” Buffy reaches to stroke her finger over Tara’s cheek, frowning at the crust covered hand. “I know you made it so that anything that could hurt us couldn’t get through, but couldn’t you have made it so that nothing could?” Buffy grumbles, pulling her hand back away.

Tara chuckles at her lover, eyeing her up and down, actually paying attention to how she looks. “You are a little… disgusting.” Tara shrugs, smirking at Buffy.

“Thanks. I love you, too.” Buffy grumbles her lips quirked before her spidey senses start tingling strongly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. “Uh, oh. Something wicked this way comes.” Buffy growls, hearing the stomping step of something huge heading towards them.

Tara sends out the locator, it hesitating before heading down to the end of the hallway to where Buffy’s staring. “Guess that answers that.”

“Yes, it does.” Buffy looks around at the narrow hallway. “Start to head up top. I’m playing bait to bring him out to somewhere I can fight him with some room to maneuver.” Buffy allow a small smile to cross her face as Tara strokes a finger over her dirty face.

“Be careful love. And if you aren’t out of that hole within a couple minutes, I’m coming back down here to kick your ass.” Tara warns, dropping her hand and smacking her lover firmly on the ass before she takes off running down the hallway to head out the same exit they had been funneling the demons to.

Buffy watches her lover for a moment, smiling as she sees Tara grab the phone out of her pocket as she runs towards the exit. Taking a deep breath, Buffy turns back and waits for Adam to make his appearance.

At the first sight of the behemoth patchwork demon, Buffy blinks in surprise, swallowing hard.

“You are more trouble that you are worth. What are you?” Adam‘s deep voice resonates down the hallway as he stomps towards the small woman that had pretty much single-handedly destroyed his plans for slowly taking over the world.

“I‘m just a little thing called a Slayer.” Buffy answers, backing up slowly, trying not to smirk as she watches the behemoth grin as he realizes she‘s backing away from him.

“You should be afraid, little girl. I plan on breaking you into pieces, then grinding you into the ground.” Adam growls as he slowly strides after the woman, watching as she dodges and steps over the demons that had fallen. “You helped take out my army. I had big plans for them.” Adam waves a hand towards the floor and the littered remains. “I will have to start over again.”

“Sorry for screwing up your plans.” Buffy bites the inside of her cheek to keep the smirk from showing as she picks up her speed slightly, making sure that Adam keeps following her. Though she has a feeling that he‘ll follow her no matter what she does now. “Umm… could we talk about this?”

“I‘m finished talking.” Adam follows after the slayer, picking up his speed to lumber after the woman as she turns and starts to jog towards one of the exits.

‘Here we go.’ Buffy comments to herself as she picks up speed running down the same exit she and Faith had come across, smiling as she hears the lumbering footfalls behind her. “It‘s me.” Buffy calls out softly, hoping Faith is close by to hear her.

“Gotcha.” Faith answers, turning to look at the rest of the crew, grinning at the motley crew. “She‘s bringing him out.”

Tara stops striding back and forth before she turns to watch the exit.

Xander finishes gathering up the bolts off the ground, loading up the two crossbows even as Giles loads his crossbow again, just in case. “What are we going to do with all the demons that didn‘t explode, evaporate, disintegrate or liquefy?” Xander questions to the pile of demons Faith had moved off into a pile.

“A nice little bonfire would probably work well.” Giles admits looking at the pile.

“I’ll take care of it afterwards.” Tara comments as she watches Buffy jump up out of the hole, relaxing slightly at the sight of her lover, knowing she should be okay, but still worried.

Riley and Forrest look at each other, both men wiping at a couple wounds, trying to figure out how the rest of the group kept from getting hurt, even though the majority of them did look tired.

Riley turns his gaze on Buffy. “Exactly who the hell are you?”

Buffy smirks at the TA even as Tara growls at him. “She’s my lover and the slayer, what is it to you?” Tara nails the commando with ice blue eyes. “You guys really should check into the areas you infiltrate a little better. You could have caused the Hellmouth to open with all the demons here together. Idiots.” Tara looks back at the exit, hearing the pounding feet.

Faith tilts her head as she hears the growl and the feet pounding from down below. “Sounds like a big fucker.”

“You have no idea.” Buffy grins at her as she comes to stand beside her sister slayer, waiting for Adam to come out of the escape exit, winking at Tara before turning her gaze back to the exit.

“Where did you go, little girl? I’m getting hungry.” Adam growls as he pulls himself out of the hole, staring in surprise at the group of people. “Do you honestly think you puny humans have a chance against me?”

“Yeah, I’d say she does.” Faith jerks her thumb towards Buffy. “She’s a tough little bitch, and we’re the cheering section.”

“One puny little girl doesn’t stand a chance against me.” Adam growls as he strides towards the small blonde.

“I’d argue the point, but I’d rather watch her kick your ass.” Faith smirks as she shifts back, allowing Buffy all the room she needs. “Kick his ass, B.”

“She doesn’t have a chance against him.” Riley frowns as he watches Buffy meet Adam, jumping up and nailing the behemoth in the chest, surprised when Adam shoots back a good ten feet, landing on his back.

“You really should find out what a slayer is.” Tara comments as she watches her lover fight Adam. “You should also learn when someone’s interested before you flirt with them, or ask them out.” Tara smirks at the tall commando. “My love was a bit peeved with you when you hit on her.”

Riley’s mouth drops open as he stares at the blonde beside him, his eyes trailing back to Buffy. “You two?”

“Yep. Those two get all hot and sweaty all over the damn place. You gotta be careful where you go around the house, no telling what ya’ might see.” Faith smirks as she watches Buffy duck a swing by the Frankenstein monster. “Shit, if he actually made contact with something, he’d probably fuckin’ crush it with one hit.”

“I do believe so.” Giles agrees, frowning heavily as he watches Buffy.

Buffy snarls as she slams her fist into Adam’s jaw, making him stumble back away from her. “I’m not in the mood to play. You ruined my plans to take out the demons down below to keep the damn idiots from being hurt, and that does not make me happy!”

Adam shakes his head, feeling something he never felt before. Taking a moment to assimilate his feelings, he realizes its fear. Eyes opening wide as the small blonde stalks towards him her eyes glowing orange.

“We have had enough! It is time you die!” Buffy growls, her voice sounding eerie in the night as she takes a running jump, slamming both feet into Adam’s chest, knocking him into the ground as she jumps up in the air a good twenty feet, slamming back down into his chest, the sound of metal screeching loud in the quiet night.

“Damn, that has to hurt.” Xander mutters, watching as the demon’s chest caves in.

“And he’s still alive.” Giles points out, whipping his glasses off as he watches Buffy kneel down beside the floundering demon.

Joyce stares as her daughter grasps his chest, separating the metal before her hands dig within the monstrous creation. “My, God!” Joyce shivers uncontrollably, though there’s no blood or guts, it just looks like clear fluid and electronics coming out. Unconsciously leaning into Giles as the watcher wraps his arm around her.

Tara watches intently as her lover searches within the demon as he tries to dislodge her, seeing her lover start to smile, Tara releases the breath she’d unconsciously been holding.

“Found it.” Buffy growls as she feels the cylinder shaped item, wrapping her fingers around it as she stares into the eyes of Adam. “No more of you.”

“NOOOOO!!!” Adam growls, feeling his power source being pulled from his body, swinging again at the small blonde, not being able to understand why it stops dead short of making contact, like all his previous hits, his eyes opening wide as he jerks as the powers finished being ripped from his body, his eyes slowly losing the spark of life.

“No more Adam.” Buffy growls, holding the glowing power source in her hands. “Love?” Buffy looks at Tara before tossing the plutonium source high up into the air, watching as her lover makes it disperse into millions of pieces. Turning her gaze on the two pale commandos, she points towards their college dorm house. “Go home, help the wounded. We’ll visit tomorrow to make sure your little group is going to leave like Major Jackson said.”

“Jefferson, sweetie.” Tara corrects softly.

“Whatever.” Buffy waves her hand around, before taking a menacing step towards the two men, chuckling as they take off running. Starting to reach for Tara and hug her, Buffy stops, looking down at her disgustingly filthy hands and arms, knowing the rest of her is coated probably worse.

“Come here, love.” Tara whispers, ignoring her lover’s state and hugging her tightly.

“Now, that’s true love if I ever did see it!” Xander smirks at the sight of Tara hugging the slayer.

“Come ‘ere, Xan!” Faith smirks and starts to stride towards the young man with her arms wide open, laughing and chasing after him as he squeals like a little girl and takes off running.

Joyce looks at Giles and laughs softly. “I guess this means we’ve won and time to go home?”

“FOOOOODDDD!” Faith cries as she jogs after Xander as the young man runs down the street.

“Meet you at home!” Buffy calls after the slayer, laughing as Xander and Faith zig-zag down the street, Xander whining the whole time.

“We can clean up in the dorm, love, before heading home.” Tara offers quietly, smiling as Buffy growls and picks her up.

“We’ll be at the house later. You two be careful.” Buffy calls over her shoulder towards her mom and watcher. “Call Willow and let her know we kicked ass.”

“As if there was ever any doubt.” Giles shakes his head, pulling out the phone to make the phone call as he and Joyce walk hand in hand towards the Jeep.

“And another apocalypse avoided.” Joyce sighs in relief, squealing out Giles’ name after he gets off the phone with Willow and picks her up to kiss her deeply. “What has gotten into you?” Joyce pants heavily after the watcher finally releases her a few long minutes later.

“Haven’t you heard Faith’s comments about slaying and being hungry?” Giles smirks at his lover as Joyce’s eyes open wide in surprise. “Doesn’t just happen to slayers, my dear!”

“Dear, Lord!” Joyce mutters, inflecting the words just like Giles, before laughing as they climb in the vehicle to head towards home, Giles laughing with her.