Slayer Hunting
Part 3 Of Visionary
by Chaoseternus
Chapter 21: Endgame
He'd lost.
He didn't want to admit it, but he knew beyond a doubt that he, Anubis, the most powerful Gao'uld ever to exist, had lost, defeated by a handful of pathetic humans and… the creature.
He wasn't going to dignify such a things existence by giving it a name, not a thing that actually managed to be far more evil then he.
It had been going all so well too, okay, the intervention of the Asgard had meant he lost his warships but they delayed the Tau'ri response to his presence, gave him more time to assess the situation on Earth and arrange a wild goose chase for the enemy as he made his move on the hellmouth, a distraction that had kept the enemy occupied for days.
Yet, he had still lost.
The slayer was at the door, he could feel her, the contained, controlled dark essence within begging for a release he knew he would not be able to give it, the startling electric auras close to her suggesting the presence of immortals one of whom was most definitely 'old'
Old as in, 'had an Unas as a host' type old.
But it wasn't them who had actually defeated him, oh no, it was the creature with her distractions, her singing…
He doubted there was a word in any language to describe what he thought of her singing or her humming or perhaps just her voice in general, but if there was, it would almost certainly come from a demonic language.
Her distractions… all the spell components, wasted, the Urn of Unprincipled Evil, shattered, his stocks of champions blood staining the ground and that was the worst!
Each of those champions, those lesser Slayers had willingly died to defend this place, in allowing their blood to just stain the ground, he consecrated it, strengthening the barriers and wards.
Damn the… thing and her distractions, he had no choice now, he had to leave.
Growling, he stalked towards Dawn, glaring at her but hiding how impressed he actually was. She must know she was going to die and yet there wasn't even the slightest flicker of fear in her eyes, only defiance and acceptance.
Even O'Neill tended to show some fear, even if it wasn't much.
Then an evil thought struck him and evilly, Anubis grinned.
With a shattering crash, the door to the Hellmouth chamber fell into the room, soldiers, witches, slayers and more pouring into the room, weapons raised, all ready and willing to fight.
Baffled, they glanced around the room, stunned by its emptiness.
There were scattered, battered tables, the ground was covered with unidentifiable muck and blood but no Anubis or supersoldiers.
"Buffy!" shouting across the room for the slayer to follow, Xander raced towards a battered, groaning figure tossed into a corner of the room, it was Dawn.
"She's alive," Xander confirmed with a grin.
"I do not sense a symbiote," Teal'c's voice sounded behind them.
Nodding, Buffy signalled her agreement before gasping and grabbing her sister, saying 'Thank you, Thank you' over and over again as she held the youth in her hands.
Xander however was frowning, "what is that written on her arms?"
Concerned, Buffy glanced down but couldn't read the writing though it looked like Goa'uld. Puzzled, she passed control to Enerina for just a moment, letting the Symbiote do the reading for her, hoping it wasn't something time-critical.
"You have won, but I will not leave without my victory,"
Groans filled the room, no-one doubting for a second that what they were about to hear was going to be bad.
"Therefore I do unto you the most evil thing I can imagine.
I leave you Dawn, alive.
I have little doubt that her evil will destroy you as effectively as it destroyed my attempt to end this world.
Wishing you pain and much suffering.
Anubis"
Bemused, Xander let out an amused chuckle, "that's our Dawnie"
Buffy nodded, before releasing her bundle anxiously into the waiting arms of Doctor Frasier.
Anubis growled as the small, stealthy craft escaped the system, this failure had cost him far too much, too many ships, too many Jaffa and most importantly, too many supersoldiers.
Not that he could truly trust them anymore, his incorruptible, perfect warriors… corrupted!
He didn't know how the Tau'ri managed it, he really didn't.
But at least he was safe for the moment.
But in that case, why was he still on edge?
Why was he loking anxiously into every corner as if something was missing?
And why was it so quiet?
So quiet?
He couldn't…
Oh hell, he did.
After all the mess he caused, the distractions, the destruction of his beautiful plans, the sheer agony…
He, Anubis, most powerful being in the Milky Way, missed Dawn.
Groaning inarticulately, Anubis tried to bang his head against the crafts controls.
And across the Universe, creatures of all kinds shuddered simultaneously as an outraged voice cried out on Earth, "He tattooed her? He tattooed my sister!"
Finished