Hellmouth Heroes

FIC: Hellmouth Heroes (7/?)

“I have your package.” Dalton hurried in carrying a large wooden box.

Spike nodded. “Just put it on the table, near the other gifts.” Dalton obeyed before scurrying off. Spike looked towards Drusilla. “Are you dead set on this, pet? Wouldn't you rather have your party in Vienna?”

Drusilla looked like she was about to burst into tears. “But the invitations are sent.”
The Seer vampire entered and walked over to the table before inspecting the flower arrangements woven into the chairs. “These flowers are wrong.” The decorators looked terrified. “They're all wrong! I can't abide them!” Letting out an insane scream, the vampiress began to tear at the flowers.

In a second Spike was at Dru’s side. “Let's try something different with the flowers then.”

After a few seconds, the former convent girl calmed down and began eyeing the boxes on the table, slowly walking around them. “Can I open one? Can I?“

Spike shrugged. “Just the one. They're for the party.” Dru let out an excited squeal before flipping the latch on one of the boxes and opening it. “Do you like it, baby?”

Drusilla threw her head back and laughed. “It reeks of death.”

Spike smirked. “That’d be a yes then.”

Drusilla sank to her knees, clutching the box to her chest. “This will be the best party ever.”

“Why is that luv?” Spike asked.

“Because...” Dru giggled. “It will be the last.”

* * *

“Have you noticed the drop-off in numbers of vamps to kill?” Faith queried. “Never thought Sunnydale would become boring.”

”Faith,” Wesley shot her one of the withering looks that the English seemed born with, “one cannot afford to be fool-hardy, after all Spike and Drusilla are still about.”

”Wasn’t saying we should take our eye off the prize or nothin’,” Faith defended. “Just sayin’ maybe someone else is hunting vamps as well as us.”

”Ah,” Wesley’s eyes narrowed. “An interesting point, and one perhaps that requires some research.” Faith groaned. “Not book research, merely an enquiry to check the veracity of your suspicions.”

“Veracity?” Faith sighed. “Jesus, if I’m gonna have to keep hangin’ with you English, I’m gonna have to get me a thesaurus.”

Wesley sniffed disdainfully. “Why would you wish to change your idiom? It’s really quite delightful.”

Faith glanced at Xander, eyes suspicious. “Is he jerkin’ my chain?” Before Xander had chance to answer, Faith heard Giles’ voice in her head telling her to return to base. “Every one else get that?”

“Yes,” Wesley nodded, “we return to the library with all appreciable promptness.”

”And there he goes again,” Faith muttered.

* * *

”Hello, everyone, please take a seat, it appears we have a new enemy at hand who is of quite overwhelming power and malevolence.” Faith sighed. Giles looked at the sultry beauty. “ What’s wrong dear?”

”English would be good instead of nerd-speak,” the Slayer testily replied. “I get enough of this expand your vocabulary crap from Wes.”

Giles bit down on a smile at Wes’ out-raged look at the Slayer’s words. “I’ll attempt with all earnestness.” The Slayer groaned. His moment of joviality over, Giles continued. “It appears that Spike and Drusilla are attempting to resurrect the Judge.”

“Oh good lord,” whispered Wesley.

“Wes?” Faith queried.

His younger country-man shook himself before beginning his explanation. “The Judge was an ancient and legendary demon from the Middle Ages, who was brought forth to rid Earth of the plague of humanity. He was aptly named The Judge for he had come to separate the righteous from the wicked, and burn the righteous down. An army was sent against the Judge, and though most of the warriors died, the army was finally able to dismember the Judge, but not to kill him. The pieces were placed in iron boxes and scattered to be buried "in every corner of the Earth.”

“What are his powers?” Wood demanded.

It was Giles who answered. “The Judge's main power was to "burn the humanity" out of a person. In addition, he cannot be slain by any weapon forged by man.”

“Well that’s just great!” groaned Cordy.

“Yes, none of the powers we’ve recently gained will be any use against the Judge,” Giles said. “We’d have to get close enough to use them, and then he’d burn us al-.”

“Wait,” Xander interrupted. “You said he was cut to pieces, right?” Giles nodded at the young man. “Well if we can stop the re-assembling part-.” Xander paused at his head-shake. “What?”

“The assembling was scheduled to take place at nightfall tonight.”

“Oh crap.” Faith groaned.

“There’s an earthly accuracy to that,” Wesley agreed.

Faith groaned. “I swear if you don’t stop talking like this I am gonna shove a dictionary up your butt.”

* * *

Drusilla looked up at the newly-assembled Judge. He stood close to six foot six in height with a build to match and a blue skin and burning eyes. “Goll...”

The Judge stood. He pointed at Drusilla. “You!”

Spike sauntered over to Dru’s side. “What’s up mate?”

“Would you like a party favor?” Drusilla smiled, indicating the suddenly paling guests.

The Judge inspected the guests. His gaze settled on Dalton. “This one is full of feeling. Bring him to me.” Dalton turned to run but Spike grabbed him.

“Bloody hell mate,” Spike scoffed as he easily restrained the bespectacled demon. “What's with the bringing? I thought you could just zap people.”

“My full strength will return in time. Until then... I need contact.” The Judge stepped over to Dalton.

Dalton shook his head. “No. No! NO!”

“Be a man for once Dalts,” Spike drawled. “Take one for the team.”

The Judge put his hand on Dalton's chest. The screaming vampire soon burst into flames. “Do it again! Do it again!” Drusilla screamed. The Judge smiled.

* * *

Xander slammed the book shut. “Nothing! This book mentions the Judge, but nothing useful. Big, scary, no weapon forged can stop him, took an army to take him down. Blah, blah, blah. We need some insight, a weak spot.”

“Well, we're not gonna find it here,” Jonathan commented.

“What about the Judge? Where do we stand?” Giles asked as he walked in from the inner office.

“On a pile of really boring books that say exactly the same thing,” Xander replied.

Giles grimaced. “Allow me to hazard a guess, 'no weapon forged.'”

“Actually, they usually say we are fucked,” Faith replied.

“Or my personal favourite,” Cordy said. “'It took an army.'.”

“Yeah, where's an army when you need one?” Willow glanced at Xander. “What?”

Xander grinned. “Whoa. Whoa! I... I think I'm having a thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a thought. Now I'm having a plan. I have a plan.”

“Oh no,” Cordelia commented. “As if we needed proof things could always be worse.”

He ignored that. “I think I may have a way to deal with this Judge guy.”

“What do we do?” Jonathan queried.

Xander looked at his friends. “I think I may need Faith and Alana for this one. And we need wheels.”

“You can borrow my truck,” Gunn volunteered.

“Care to let me in on the plan I'm a part of?” the Slayer demanded.

“No.”

“Why not?” the transplanted Bostonian stood, with hands on her hips.

Xander grinned “Because if I tell you, then you won't be impatient to know what I’m up to. Just meet me at Gunn's house in half an hour. Oh and Alana, wear something trashy...” He stopped and looked at the Slayer, unable to resist dicing with death. “Maybe Faith can lend you something.”

“Yeah, no prob-,” the Slayer’s ebony eyes hardened. “Harris!”

”Must dash.”

* * *

“Right face, hu! Double-time, hu! Left, left, left, left...”

Xander glanced at the marching troops through the mesh fence. “Wait here. When you see that window open get out the ladder, come up, we'll pass you the package, okay?” Jesse nodded. Xander leapt out and hurried towards the army base, Faith, dressed in her tightest leathers and tinniest midriff top, and Alana, clad in a pair of denim cut-offs and a low-cut gym vest, followed suit. Once he’d used a pair of bolt-cutters to cut through the fence, Xander squeezed through it, and turned to the girls. “The security here really is a joke. I should, uh, report it.”

“Who am I supposed to be again?” Alana pressed him.

“You would be a girl,” Xander replied, his voice lecturing as if talking to someone slow. “Think you can handle it?” He winced when Alana stamped on his foot. “That’s a yes then.”

They sneaked along the side of the supply building, Xander looked out from behind some crates piled up there. The coast appeared clear, so they continued past a truck. A group of soldiers could be heard quickly marching by. Xander peeked out from behind the truck. He grimaced as he noticed a soldier stood outside the supply building. “Damn it,” he turned to the Slayer and Alana. “This is what I want you to do.”

Alana’s eyes widened as he talked. “You have gotta be joking!” she hissed. “I’m not doing that!”

“You mean,” Faith’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. “You don’t,” the brunette sniffed, “feel the same way?”

Alana glanced from him to Faith in disgust. “Fine, I’ll do it. But no inappropriate touching!”

“You kill-joy,” Faith accused.

* * *

“Halt!” Faith stopped at the soldier’s shout. “Identify yourself right now.”

“Hey,” Faith put a note of fear in her voice. “No need for the gun, just me and my girl-friend.”

The soldier’s eyes widened as he stepped closer, looking from her to Alana and back again. “Your girl-friend?”

“Yeah,” Faith put a breathless note in her voice. Fuck, she was enjoying this, both the look on the soldier’s face and Alana squirming beside her. “Guns get her hot-.” She groaned as Xander grabbed the soldier in a stranglehold from behind. Stepping forward she snatched the troop’s assault rifle from him. “Fuck X,” she groused. “I was having fun.”

“Glad one of us was,” Alana muttered as she pulled away.

“He’s out,” Xander declared. “Let’s get him inside so I can get the weapons.”

* * *

“You stole a rocket launcher?” Giles stared in disbelief at the crate sat on the middle of his inner office desk. “Exactly how many federal laws did you break?”

”No weapon forged by man,” Xander explained.

Giles chuckled, delighted by Xander’s resourcefulness. “Ingenious.”

“Yeah, now all you have to do is show me how to use it,” Faith agreed.

“No.” Both he and Faith looked towards Xander. “This is a complex weapon, I can’t just teach you how to use it in a couple of hours.”

“Plus school go boom,” snarked Cordelia.

His Slayer’s mouth opened in protest but he beat her to it. “Xander, I assume you remember how to use it?” The young man nodded. “In that case you’ll be in charge of it. Don’t let us down.”

Xander seemed to grow a foot at his decision. “I won’t, sir.”

Giles nodded. “Good, everybody get a move on, and stay together, if you come across the Judge without Xander’s rocket launcher, you’re done for.”

* * *
Faith looked around the deserted factory. “Fuck. Too late.”

Giles looked around. “And we haven't a clue on where they would go?” Faith shook her head.

“Somewhere crowded! I mean, the Judge needs bodies, right?” Willow suggested. The red-head’s eyes widened. “The Bronze?”

“It's closed tonight,” Jonathan put in.

“There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred.” Cordelia commented.

Oz raised a hand. “Uh, guys? If I wanted to line up, I know where I'd go.”

* * *

Spike smirked as he looked around the mall, noting with relish the long line of people at the refreshment stand in the middle of the mall and the milling crowds of customers moving from shop to shop. How pathetic, how easy to slaughter so you could revel in their screams.

Spike glanced at the Judge, his sire, and their minions. “Ready?” At the others’ nods, Spike shoved the doors open and walked into the mall itself. A man coming up the stairs was grabbed by the Judge, an arc of energy emanating from the blue-skinned demon to the man. The man’s eyes widened even as he exploded into smoke, leaving behind only a sulphurous stench. Spike glanced at his minions. “Lock the exits, boys.” He turned to the Judge even as the minions hurried to do his bidding. “It's all yours, Big Blue.” The Judge smiled.

* * *

Giles scowled as the elevator open, the panicked screams reaching his ears just before he saw the carnage. “Xander,” he ordered. “You stick with Jen, Wood, and Wes. Their job is to make sure you get your shot. Faith, John, Oz, and Alana with me, we’re taking the west side vamps. Gunn, Cordelia, Willow, Tara, and Amy, take the other side.” Even as he gave his orders the Judge reached out, his energy arcs enveloping the ten or so people on the steps. “And let’s hurry people, before there’s a massacre.”

* * *
Suddenly a crossbow bolt hit square the Judge in the chest, breaking his concentration. The energy attack disappeared, and the people rushed away. The Judge grabbed the bolt and pulled it from his chest. “Who dares?” he boomed.

“Ah, that would be me.” Wesley bobbed his head up from behind a hot-dog stand. “Good to see the old aim’s still fine.”

“You're a fool.” The Judge replied. “No weapon forged can stop me.”

Xander stood up from behind the refreshment counter, the rocket launcher on his shoulder.

“That was then. This is now.” Xander smiled. “Now you’re just a lego set waiting to be disassembled.”

Dru and Spike leapt over the stairs and ran, their minions rushing towards the back of the mall. The Judge just glared imperiously. “What's that do?”

“Why don’t you find out?” Xander pulled the trigger. The rocket flew into the Judge, hitting him in an explosion of flame and smoke. The mall’s customers began to scream and run, bits of charred Judge falling around them. “No weapon forged, huh? Bet he feels really stupid now.” Xander chuckled. “He might even be in pieces about it.”

* * *

“Come on!” Hacksaw snarled as he led his fellow minions out of the back of the mall. How could things have gone so bad so quick?

He pulled up as he burst out into the underground parking lot to find a group of teenagers stood waiting for them. “Get out of the way,” he snarled. He hadn’t fed yet, but getting away from the Slayer had to be the priority.

A weedy kid moved into a karate stance and grinned. “Why don’t you make us?”

* * *

Spike snarled as he saw a group of the Slayer’s friends rushing to block him. The mood he was in, they were making the biggest and last mistakes of their lives. He left his feet, leaping at the cheerleader. And gasped when she bounded off the ground to meet him in mid-air, her harder than possible punch smashing his jaw and sending him careering off course to land in and through a near-by food cart.

He’d barely made his feet when the powerfully built black was on him, jarring his head with a concussing right. Shaking off the pain he lunged forward, fangs reaching for the youth’s neck. “Bollocks!” Pain roared through his mouth as he attempted to sink down on the boy, it was like biting concrete.

He gasped as someone sunk a stake in his back, piercing his heart. He only had time to glance over his shoulder to see a pale-faced honey blonde stood there before bursting into dust.

* * *

“Such disaster, such violence!”

“You want violence?” Dru hissed as the Slayer blocked her path, raised her hand, and beckoned her on. “Bring it on.”

“Die blackbird, no more songs from you!” Drusilla shrilled as she charged the nasty girl.

“Oh please.” The supernatural warrior somersaulted over her, feet slamming into her shoulders, knocking her to her knees. “I thought you were meant to be something.”
Dru hissed as she charged the dirty bitch, claws swinging. Swinging claws that the Slayer easily avoided before jamming an elbow into the side of her head. “Not so easy when they fight back is it bitch?” The Slayer taunted as she kneed Dru in the stomach. Even as she doubled up she felt a stake enter her back.

* * *

Faith glanced at her companions as the demon burst into dust. Already Dru’s companions were ash. “John! Oz! With me, I saw a bunch head out up the stairs and out the back!”

”Faith-.”

Ignoring her Watcher’s protests, she and her companions sprinted out into the darkened parking lot. “Damn,” she cursed, “they got away.”

”No they didn’t,” Oz corrected. “There’s ash on the floor.”

”How do you-,” Faith shook her head. “Forget I asked.” Faith pursed her lips. She was right, someone else was killing Sunnydale’s vampires. Question was who and why? To help or to take their place?

* * *

Alana whistled as she strode through Sunnydale’s shadowed streets, the death of Dru, Spike, and their gang, and her new powers giving her a confidence she hadn’t previously had. Of course that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous about other things. Stopping at her destination, she strolled up the path and knocked on the front door. After a few seconds the front door swung open. “Hello, Ms Gunn.”

”Hey Wes,” Alana beamed at the Englishman, “Faith about?”

”She’s in her room.”

”Thanks,” Alana hurried up the stairs and into her best friend’s room, a simple one-bed room complete with Skid Row and Motley Crue posters on the walls, and her school bag cast carelessly under her desk. “Hey.”

At her entry, her friend turned off her TV. “Hey,” Faith nodded towards the seat by her computer. “Grab a seat.”

“Thanks.” Alana sat and stared at her best friend.

After about half-a-minute her friend raised a saucy eyebrow. “Damn I know I’m fine and all, but I didn’t have you down as gay. Not that I’ve any objections, but it ain’t me.” The Slayer paused. “No matter what Kendall wrote on the school toilet walls ‘fore I put her straight.”

”G…gay,” Alana stuttered. “I’m not.”

”Then stop staring at me like that,” Faith shook her head. “Jesus, creepy much.”

“Sorry,” Alana reddened. “Have you heard? Cor’s going with Gunn to the Christmas dance. Even with him being a senior.” Faith nodded. “Have you asked Xander yet?”

“Uh?” Faith stared at her. “Me and Xan?” The Slayer shook her head. “No, and I’m not gonna. Not interested, least ways not that way.”

“Well you’re always joking with him?” Alana pointed out.

“Yeah,” a rare crimson rose in Faith’s high cheeks. “He’s kinda,” Faith shrugged in apparent embarrassment, “my Charles.” Alana stared at her best friend. “I never had a big bro, someone I could rely on to have my back no matter what. Xan’s like that, loyal as hell, we have a wicked laugh, but that’s it.”

“Oh, so,” Alana grinned, “you don’t mind if I ask him?”

“Hell no girl-friend,” Faith grinned. “Go for it.”

“Great!” Alana enthused.

“You love him,” Faith put her arms around herself and began to sway from side to side, eyes sparkling with devilment, “you want to kiss him,” Faith’s full lips pouted, “you want to have his babi – Jesus!” Faith started and began to rub her ass. “What the hell!”

Alana grinned as she blew on her finger. “Don’t mess with electro girl,” she warned. “Who you gonna take?”

Faith shot her a wary glare before replying. “Jonathan.” Faith shrugged at her gape. “Hey, he’s real different from the guys I grew up with, quiet, sweet, and smart. But he’s brave too, and loyal. And he’s cute when he blushes.” Faith smirked. “And I make him blush a whole lot.”