THE HUNTERS
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: [email protected]
Spoiler: None. This is after Season 6, and Buffy finds a load of books that Jonathan had written. A series called the Hunters, and everyone Buffy knew was in it. Jonathan had seen the movie Stargate, and then he wrote- The Hunters. Jonathan's story is in-between the (TH).
Pairing: Another mad attempt to keep Xander and Willow together. Even Jonathan saw it.
Summary: I am bored and my mind has stopped working. So I took some of my old stories written in 1995 and added characters from Buffy for the list. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters of Buffy tVS are the property of Joss. The idea of Stargate is not mine.
Rating - PG-13
Author's Note: NHA may archive. Anyone else is free to do so as well, just let me know. Thank you.
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Part Six
Willow looked at Spike, Buffy, Anya, Xander, and Dawn, who were all eagerly awaiting the latest chapter of "The Hunters" written by Jonathan Levenson. They had waited a very long time and it was over due. Long over due. They had all gone to bed and then some time had passed. They had to take care of things that kept them from the story.
There was a lot of talk about the big bad that was coming. Some new evil had tried to split them apart and make them mistrust each other. It had nearly driven Spike mad, and to top it all off, Andrew had returned back to Sunnydale. He had killed Jonathan and Buffy thought it was more than fitting that he should listen in on the readings, now that they were going to pick it up again where they had left off.
Everyone explained to Andrew that he was a bad guy in the book and that his characters name was Andrew Loser.
"Well, duh, that's really no surprise 'cause, well, I'm like a real bad guy now.only in real life," he responded to them. "And, of course.I'm not really a loser. 'Cause in that book that Jonathan wrote, I'm a bad guy, and he used me as a guide.kind of like Luke needed Darth Vader to be his guide."
"I thought Kermit was Luke's guide," Anya replied with a puzzled frown.
Andrew looked at her, truly offended. "What?" He was appalled. "Kermit?! Kermit was a frog, you dizzy demon.ess. He was a Muppet!" He would have tossed up his hands in frustration if they weren't tied to a chair. "Yoda was Luke's Master."
"Oh.well, they're both green, aren't they?"
Andrew just looked at her.
Willow sighed. "Can we just begin now? I'm really curious about Faith."
Xander clapped his hands with glee. "Ooooh, hey, that's right! We get to see a little of the bad Slayer action in this chapter."
"And that's a good thing?" Buffy wanted to know. "Last I remember was that el-switcheroo job she did on me. Not fun." She looked at Xander suspiciously. "Wait a minute.you're thinking of another time with Faith, aren't you? When you lost your-"
"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed. "Let's just start the story okay?"
Andrew looked at Xander. "But, wait! I want to know what you lost with the bad Slayer. Did she embarrass you real bad in front of a lot of people and made you, well, wet yourself?"
Xander snorted. "That might have happened to you, Obi Wanna-be, but not me."
Spike sniffed as he sat on the sofa beside Buffy. "It was his virginity he lost."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Dawn, Anya, and Andrew.
Andrew looked at Xander with new respect and admiration. "Wow! That is so cool, man!"
Willow took a deep breath. "You know, people, I promised you I would not use any magic.unless I had a really good reason to. I think I've got several reasons, now."
Xander looked at her. "Uh, Will.that was in the past."
"I know that. But." She sighed as she held up the book in her hand. "I'm dying to read this! Can we have a little quiet now?" She looked at everyone in the room. "And a silence spell isn't very hard to do and it doesn't lead me to evil, so don't make me use it." She nodded. "'Cause I will.if I have to."
The room fell into silence.
Willow nodded and smiled with satisfaction. "Okay.Very good." She grinned like a school girl.like the old Willow. "I should have been a librarian. I would have made Giles proud." She opened the book. "Now.we're up to chapter six. So far, Xander, Riley, and me.that is, uh, Willow, are all trapped in some other dimension. Principal Snyder had vowed to kill them in the name of Ra. Meanwhile; Angel, Giles, and Willy have been captured by Warren, Andrew, and Parker, and they were put into an armored car to be taken away. On one side of the camp, we have Jonathan. On the other, we have Spike. It's up to them to make a move. Will it be the right move? Or will it only endanger them further?"
She opened the book. She cleared her throat. "Chapter Six.Justice."
__________
(TH) Spike saw time racing past him as he made his move. He needed something fast and so he chose a Kawasaki Motorcycle that someone just kicked into life. Fortunately, he was real close. Close enough to grab the startled man from behind and yank him off the cycle. Before the man could react, Shiva slammed the man's head-in spite of the man wearing a helmet-against a nearby truck. Then he dropped the unconscious man and jumped onto the motorcycle.
Someone saw him and shouted, "There's the other one! Stop him!"
Gunfire started. Bullets whipped past Shiva, but it was too late. He sped off in the same direction that the armored van had gone. His friends were being held as prisoners, and they were inside that van. One way or another, he was going to stop that van.
Or die trying.
From his position at the other side of the camp, Jon saw Spike's actions and he silently cheered him on. The entire camp was suddenly alive, but no one was looking for Jon Levon.
No.
They were after Spike.
A jeep with a mounted M-60, two cars, and two motorcycles roared to life and gave chase to Spike. Jon wished him luck because he knew that he couldn't go after them himself. He had something else to do. Thanks to the advantage Spike had just given him, Jon broke from cover and advanced toward the barn. (TH)
__________
Andrew snorted. "Why would he go to the barn, unless he was going to steal a horse, or something?"
All eyes turned to look at him.
Andrew swallowed. "Well.he liked horses. He did. He-he always told me that he wanted to have a horse one day. Like the Lone Ranger."
"And you're telling us this because.?" Xander wanted to know.
Andrew shrugged, but he didn't answer.
Everyone looked at Willow.
She continued.
__________
(TH) The roads curved a lot in between nothing but trees. There wasn't a whole lot of civilization in between Allentown and the nearest town to begin with. Allentown was out in the boonies and anything could happen there without the world ever knowing about it. Behind Spike, the jeep was gaining as the M-60 angrily spat out bullets at him at an incredible rate. So far, they were missing him, but the trees and terrain around him were getting torn to pieces.
That damned van was further up the road than he had originally thought.
Suddenly, there was another tight curve approaching rapidly. Spike shook his head and smiled in bitter irony. He knew he wasn't going to make the turn.
So be it.
When that curve finally came, Spike didn't follow it. He went right off the road and right into the woods, down a very steep decline. The driver of the jeep was so intent on him that he never noticed the curve until it was too late.
He panicked.and he spun the steering wheel.
Big mistake.
Had he kept right on going, he would have experienced nothing more than a bumpy ride until the trees eventually stopped him from going any further. However, because he made the tragic error of turning the wheel, the jeep- moving incredibly fast-flipped over and began to roll down the steep hill. The two men in the back with the M-60 were immediately crushed. The two men in the front received broken bones and they were pinned underneath the overturned jeep.
One of the cars stopped to assist their fallen agents. The other car stayed with the road, hoping to catch up with Spike. The two motorcycle riders followed Spike into the woods.
Spike knew he was lucky so far. Weaving back and forth to avoid hitting a tree was not an easy task, and the fact that the ground was uneven was something that did not help at all. At one point, the ground even vanished from below him in a ten foot drop. When he hit the ground again, he didn't know how he had managed to stay on the damned bike.
But he pressed on.
Behind him, his pursuers also discovered the ten foot drop. One of them collided with a tree he couldn't avoid. The other rider simply fell off his bike because he panicked.
For the moment, Spike had some breathing room.
He stopped on a hill and saw the main road about thirty feet below. As luck would have it, there was the armored van. Now.how the hell was he going to stop it with a motorcycle?
He suddenly realized that there was only one way. He didn't know if it would work, but he knew of no other way. The timing had to be right. He aimed the bike down hill, sped off toward the main road.and if he did this right, he would send the bike on a collision course with the armored van.
To his astonishment, he did it right.
Near the bottom of the hill, he jumped off the bike and rolled. He was lucky that he didn't break anything, but it was better than driving the bike into his death. The motorcycle came onto the road, and like an angry machine out of control, it headed directly for the front of the van.
The driver and his companion stared.
The driver had only enough time to say, "What the--?"
Then, the cycle struck.
There was a loud crash.
The van swerved sharply and drove off the road. It crashed through the trees until it finally came to a stop about forty feet into the woods. Spike moved toward it and noticed that it was lying on its side.
He found the drive unconscious, but the companion was stumbling out of the wreck. He tried to pull a gun on Spike, but he was too shook up to aim. Spike simply slapped the gun out of his hand and then punched the man in the face. The men fell onto the ground, unconscious.
Spike got the keys out of the ignition and quickly made his way to the rear of the van. He pounded on it as he moved. "Hold on, guys!" he shouted. "Colonel! Angel! Willy! It's me! I'll get you out of there in a bloody sec!"
He inserted the key into the back door, and it popped open. Spike had to back out of the way so that the door wouldn't knock him over.and so that he wouldn't get buried in the trash that was falling out.
Spike blinked.
Trash?
He stared.
The back of the armored van was filled.with trash!
"Aw, bloody hell!"
Spike suddenly realized that this van must have been a decoy. His friends were in another van, and they were possibly on their way to their deaths. As for himself, he may have just walked into a trap! (TH)
__________
"No one gets a break in this story!" Dawn exclaimed.
Willow looked at her.
"Well, I'm sorry, but they don't."
Andrew chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Buffy demanded.
Andrew looked at her. "Well.Dawn says that no one gets a break in this story, but, well, she's wrong. 'Cause the bad guys seem to have all the breaks so far."
"Not for long," Xander told him. "It will end well for the heroes."
"But not before the villains make them miserable. Trust me. I know how villains think. I am one, you know."
"In your twisted mind, maybe, but in the real world, you're just a sad excuse for a little boy trapped in a fantasy world."
Andrew frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means shut up," Willow snapped. "I'm reading here." She held up her book as proof. "See?" She waited. When it was silent again. She continued.
__________
(TH) The armored van came to a stop.
Angel sighed with relief. "Thank God! Now maybe they'll stop playing that damn music."
Willy and Giles glanced up at the speakers mounted in the corners near the front of their prison. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing had been playing but the same old thing. It was the eerie theme song to the arcade game "The Gauntlet", and it even played the sound effects to go along with it.
Although they had been forced to endure it during their ride, they weren't certain how long they had been riding inside the armored van. It could have been four hours, or it could have been more. They just didn't know. Their watches had been taken from them in Allentown. However, they had been forced to ride in a van with their ankles and wrists chained through bars like criminals. It could only get worse from here.
"I don't know, big guy," Willy said to Angel after some thought. "I kind of like the them. Makes me think of Valkrie." He let out a sigh. "Man, what a woman."
Giles and Angel looked at him.
Suddenly, the doors swung open.
Two men armed with rifles stood at attention and a woman stood between them with her hands on her hips. She had raven-black hair over her shoulders, dark brown eyes, and she wore a tight one-piece outfit that did absolutely nothing to hide her figure. The outfit was dark blue.
She gave her prisoners a welcome smile. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I hope you've enjoyed your trip."
Willy looked at her. "A pit stop would have been nice."
"Oh, but you have reservations with us, Mr. Snitch, and there simply wasn't any time to make any pit stops." She looked at him with an amused grin. "Don't tell me! Did you make a mess in here?"
"I was about to."
Giles didn't like the woman's smile. It had a dangerous edge to it. "Where are we?"
She looked at him. "You're at the Facility, Colonel Giles. That's what we like to call it any way. It's short and simple. But, hell, you can call it whatever you like, even though it won't really matter one way or the other."
"Why's that?" Angel demanded.
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me that the famous Hunters have never heard of the Facility before?" She looked at each one of them and chuckled. "Well, well.Maybe you have. Maybe you haven't. If you have, then you know what this place is. If you haven't, then just be content to know that once you're inside these walls, you'll never ever see the outside world again."
"A prison?"
She laughed. "Maybe. I guess you could call it that.if you live that long." She smiled. "Call it the last place on earth, boys. For you, that's exactly what it is. How long you stay here-alive and in one piece- is totally up to you."
"Who are you?" Giles wanted to know.
She smiled again. That cruel, sadistic smile. "I'll tell you when I'm ready, but starting right now, you will ask me no more questions. After all, I'm the one who will do the interrogations. Not you." She turned to the guards and snapped her fingers. "Clean them up and give them their uniforms. Then bring them to the Interview Room." She smiled at the Hunters. "Enjoy, fellows. I'll see you in a little while." Laughing, she turned and sauntered away. (TH)
__________
"Is that her?" Andrew asked. "Is that Faith?"
Willow sighed. "That would be my guess." She looked at Buffy. "Buffy, can we gag him please?"
"Wait, no.please don't do that."
Buffy smiled. "Sure, Will." She got up, and left the room. When she came back, she had a dish towel which she used as a gag for Andrew. When the gag was in place, Buffy returned to her seat and smiled at Willow. "You may continue without any further interruptions from us."
"That's good, 'cause there are a lot more towels, aren't there?"
Buffy nodded.
Willow smiled as she found her place and began to read.
__________
(TH) It was a trap.
Spike could hear the vehicles all around him suddenly roaring with life. As he looked around, he saw several figures moving through the woods. They were moving toward him and the overturned van.
He cursed.
There was only one place to go. Further into the woods. With his gun in his hand, he ran as fast as he could and as far as he could. Soon, however, he saw movement ahead of him. They had him surrounded.
He ducked behind a tree and stayed low to the ground. He had to think of a way out of this.
Think, man. Think!
He looked around. Soon, the enemy was close enough where he could hear them.
"He really fell for it, didn't he?"
Someone else laughed.
Another said, "It's not funny! Two guys are dead and four more are down because if this crazy bloke. Now shut your holes and go bring his ass in!"
"Yes, sir."
"Yeah, sure."
Then, there was silence.
Spike turned his head and saw three men slowly passing right where he was hiding. He breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't stop. Unfortunately, there were a lot more men out there now, and every damned one of them were looking for him.
He moved away from the tree and headed through the woods. He decided to head back toward the road and maybe he could steal a ride to safety. All he knew was that he still had a mission to complete.
Escape.and then locate where Justice had taken his friends.
He was just coming out of the woods when a voice said, "Hey, buddy.got a light?"
Spike froze. Then, he turned his head.
A man stood at the edge of the road with his back turned toward him. An M- 16 was across his shoulder. The man was holding something in his hand.
Spike gripped his gun. "Uh." he said, "no. I'm afraid I don't have a bloody light."
Jesse McNally turned to look at him and he shrugged. "That's okay, bud. I didn't really need a light any way. I just wanted to get your attention." He pulled the pin from a grenade. "Now I want to get their attention."
Spike stared in surprise.
Jesse sighed. "Uh, Spike.you'd better duck." Then, he threw the grenade.
It sailed through the air, bounced on the road, and rolled under a jeep. It exploded, and the jeep became a fiery, burning wreckage. Justice agents suddenly came pouring out of the woods.but Spike and Jesse were nowhere in sight.
Meanwhile, Jon Levon made it to the barn where he made an amazing discovery. He ducked into a stable when he heard someone approaching. Risking a peek, he saw a man dragging an unconscious man into another stable. Curious, Jon moved closer. Then, he decided to risk it.
Jon waited for the man to come out of the stable. When he did, the Hunter put his gun to the man's head. "Hold it right there."
The man froze.
"Turn around."
"No problem, Jonny-boy," the man responded. "No problem at all." He slowly turned around.
Jon sighed in relief. "Fritz!"
Fritz grinned at him. "The one and only."
"Don't get me wrong, 'cause I'm glad to see you, but.what the hell are you doing here?"
"Looking for you and the others."
Jon frowned. "The others were captured by Justice. Spike went after them to see if he could help them, and as for Xander, Riley, and Willow.well, no one's heard from them at all."
Fritz regarded him. "I've got some more bad news for you, buddy."
"What?"
"The Hardsite's been destroyed, and we, the Hunters, are now the hunted. How does that grab you?" He let out a weary sigh. "Jesse, Devon, and Oz.and myself.we managed to escape, but just barely. The only place we could think of to head for was here, to this god-forsaken dump."
"Where are they?"
"We heard gunfire a ways from here. They decided to check it out, and I came here." He paused. "Well, I did find you, so maybe they found Spike."
Jon nodded. "Man, I hope so."
Fritz took a look around. "Well, now that I've found you, I think we'd better go catch up with the others. Don't you?"
"I think we'd better take a look and see what's underground first. Whatever it is, it made a lot of people disappear.including Xander, Riley, and Willow. We should at least see if we can get underground and take a look. They may need out help."
Fritz gave it some thought. "Okay, then.lead on 'cause I am jacked up and ready to kick some serious ass."
Jon did. At the pigpen, they found two unconscious agents hidden out of sight. Jon looked at Fritz.
Fritz shrugged. "I came in this way."
Jon pointed at the open trap door. "Did you notice that?"
Fritz frowned. "Hell, no. Actually, I didn't. Now I know why they were standing guard." He peered down the hole. "What do you suppose is down there?"
Jon shrugged. "I don't have one friggin' clue, but I intend to find out." He climbed into the hole.
Shrugging his shoulders, Fritz followed. (TH)
__________
"Mph swrs lt."
Willow gave Andrew a look. "What was that? Are you trying to say something while I'm reading?"
Andrew shook his head, eyes wide with fright.
"Keep it that way, Mister!" Willow resumed reading.
__________
(TH) It was a very trying ordeal for the Hunters.
Giles, Willy, and Angel were marched into a room where armed guards watched their every move. Every guard was armed, either with a rifle or a billy club, and they all looked like they wanted to use them. Totally outnumbered, the Hunters didn't put up a fight when they were finally released from their chains. They were ordered to strip down into their birthday suits, and then naked, they were marched into a room that had drainage holes on the floor.
The three men were hosed down, and the pressure from the water was nearly unbearable. They had trouble standing, they couldn't see a thing, and they were forced to hold their breaths for long periods of time.
Eventually, the spraying from the hoses came to an end, although the guards were reluctant about it. The prisoners were handed towels and a single pair of boxer shorts.
"Shorts!" Angel snapped angrily. He was losing his temper. "What the hell is this?"
"You can go naked for all I care," said the man who had issued the boxers. "You're at the Facility now, Hunter. Get used to it."
The Hunters had no choice. They held onto what dignity they had and put on their boxers.
Finally, they were marched into another room. This room had only four chairs and a large mirror that covered one wall. Three of the chairs were at the back of the room and the fourth chair was at the front, facing the back of the room.
When they were left alone in the room and the door was closed, Giles nodded his head in understanding. "This-this must be the Interview Room."
Willy stood in front of the mirror and studied his reflection. "I don't recall filling out any job application, Chief. Nor did I hand in any resume. In fact, I think I would like to quit this place before the interview even begins."
Angel began to pace. "I just want to get my hands on somebody. This is bullshit! We don't deserve to be treated like this! We were only doing our jobs!"
"Try to calm down, Angel," Giles cautioned him. "For the moment, there's nothing we can do but take a seat and wait." As an example to his men, he sat down in the center seat.
Angel, however, would not stop pacing. "I will not sit down!" he exclaimed. "And I sure as hell won't calm down! This place is like a prison and we're being treated like criminals. Why did they take our clothes? What kind of place is this?"
Willy was still regarding the mirror. He squinted his eyes. "You know, I sincerely hope this interview doesn't include anything kinky. No. I'm sure of it. I certainly don't want to work here.unless the parking's good." He nodded. "Yep. A good parking spot is almost as good as a decent pay check."
"Why the hell do you keep looking at that mirror?" Angel wanted to know.
"Oh, no particular reason. It's only that I'm quite sure someone must be behind it." Willy put his face close to the mirror. "Darlin'!" he exclaimed with a thick accent. "Oh, daarlin'.You must simply come and see this! Oh, absolutely positively, you must!" He pressed his lips against the mirror, smudging it.
Giles grinned and shook his head.
Angel had had enough. He reached for a chair to hurl it through the mirror, but he soon discovered that the chairs were bolted to the floor. In frustration, he pointed at the mirror. "Stop hiding, damn it!" he shouted. "Show yourself!"
In the center of the mirror, a door swung open.
The woman entered, and the door closed behind her. "Gentlemen.please, have a seat."
Willy sat down next to Giles.
Angel, on the other hand, refused to take a seat. He stood before the woman and glared at her defiantly.
"Sit down," she ordered.
Angel didn't budge.
She lightly put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled. "Are you going to be a gentlemen and sit down for me, Angel?" she asked sweetly.
He began with, "Go to-" Then he screamed. Angel was suddenly tense. His whole body was shaking, his eyes were wide open, and he was crying out in agony.
Both Giles and Willy jumped out of their seats. They grabbed a hold of Angel from either side, intending to pull him to his seat, but suddenly-the instant they touched him-they, too, froze and began to cry out in pain.
The woman laughed. "Oh, what they say is true. The single touch of a woman's hand will always drive men crazy with pleasure and pain." She watched the Hunters and felt a shiver of pleasure race through her. "For you men, it is pain. I get all the pleasure!" Abruptly, she removed her hand from Angel and all three men collapsed to the floor.
The woman watched them and waited for them to catch their breaths. "Now.let's try this again." She paused for effect. "Sit down."
The Hunters pulled themselves up from the floor and, shaking from the experience, they sat down. Angel glared up at the woman.
She smiled at him. Then, she looked from one to the other. "It's the suit," she told them. She slowly turned about, raising her hands. "Do you like it? It's quite the fashion statement, isn't it? It's called the END outfit. That stands for Electrolyte Nerve Depressor. Kind of catchy, don't you think? Just by touching you, I can send every nerve in your body into shock. I can completely immobilize you and do whatever I want." She regarded them. "Of course, if you boys promise to behave yourselves, then I won't have to punish you. I can simply touch you and just will it to happen when you are bad.but if you're good, then I can touch you.gently." She smiled at Angel. "Wouldn't you like that, Angel?"
Angel just glared at her.
"Good," she said with a nod. "No questions. You're definitely learning, and that is very good." She sat down in her chair in front of them. "Okay, boys.let me tell you a little bit about myself and our new relationship together. My name is Faith, and I am now the only light in this dark world you will ever see. You see, it's like this. You continue to live because I allow it. The truth is, I own your sorry asses. You can't do anything here that I won't know about. The only food you will eat is what I provide you. I'm always going to be watching you, so all you have to do is watch your step with me. Push me just once, and you can cease to exist. Cross the line, and you'll be very sorry." She paused to regard them. "Those cute little boxers you're wearing are all you will ever wear at the Facility. I want you to feel vulnerable and insecure as much as possible. There is no escape from the Facility, gentlemen. Once you're here, you can never leave. No one is going to attempt a rescue either because the last I heard from Warren Meers, the Hunters were terminated and you three are the sole survivors. Now the bottom line is this.Give me your full cooperation and your death will be quick and painless. Don't cooperate at all, and I'll give you forever to suffer very horribly. So tell me.what will you choose?"
The Hunters looked at each other, and then they looked at her. Not one of them said a word.
Faith smiled at them and purred. "Oh, I'm so glad you chose not to cooperate. That makes my job more enjoyable." She laughed. (TH)
__________
Willow glanced at Buffy.
"Wow." Buffy said. She paused. "I really hope Angel kicks her ass."
"Well.let's find out if he does." Willow continued the chapter.
__________
(TH) Four men spied upon the encampment from the perimeter of Allentown. Spike, Jesse, Devon, and Oz. They each understood the situation.
"We have to grab one of them," Spike declared, "and make the bleeding bastard tell us where they've taken the others."
Jesse nodded in agreement. "We'll have to wait for nightfall." He paused. "And we'll have to be very careful. We're not protected by the government any longer." He looked at the others. "We're on our own."
The Hunters watched the campsite.and they waited for the night. (TH)
__________
Willow cleared her throat. "Well, that's it for the chapter."
"Damn, that was good," Xander replied.
"Mmf ump mmmf," Andrew agreed with a nod of his head.
Dawn scowled. "There-there really isn't anything else?"
Willow paused. "Uhm.there is a hint for chapter seven."
"What is it?" Anya asked. "It's not about rabbits, is it?"
"No, Anya. It's not about rabbits." Willow rolled her eyes. "I'll read it." She opened the book and read outloud, "'Riley and Stacie must find a way to escape.before Xander kills thems. Chapter Seven.The Servant of Ra.'" She looked at Xander. "Uhm.I-I guess it's your turn to go bad, huh?"
Xander grinned at her. "C'mon! Who are you kidding? I just want to get Riley to take a hike so you and I can go do some exploring."
"Are you guys talking about sex?" Anya asked. "You're not very tactful about it."
Willow blushed.
"Hey," Dawn said, "who's turn is it to read the next chapter?"
Everyone looked at one another. Buffy paused. "Well.we've all read a chapter."
They all looked at Andrew.
"Mmf! Mmf!" Andrew tried to cry out enthusiastically. He would have raised his hand if he wasn't tied to a chair.
Everyone shook their heads.
"No," Buffy said, making a face. "Andrew probably can't read anyway. It's my turn again. I'll read." She held her hand out to Willow.
Then the voice from behind them spoke.
"No. I believe it is my turn to read."
One by one, they all turned around, except for Andrew who couldn't. Rupert Giles stood in the doorway of the living room. He approached them and took the book from Willow. He smiled at them. "I-I heard you from the beginning of the chapter, and I also heard you fill in the previous chapters to Andrew so I believe I am quite capable of reading chapter seven. But make no mistake." He looked from one to the other. "I will not tolerate any interruption whatsoever. I am, after all, a librarian.or was, but you know what I mean. Are we quite clear?"
Everyone agreed.
"Good. Now.it's intermission time so go and take a break, but be back here in one hour. Then we shall discover together what becomes of Riley and Willow."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: [email protected]
Spoiler: None. This is after Season 6, and Buffy finds a load of books that Jonathan had written. A series called the Hunters, and everyone Buffy knew was in it. Jonathan had seen the movie Stargate, and then he wrote- The Hunters. Jonathan's story is in-between the (TH).
Pairing: Another mad attempt to keep Xander and Willow together. Even Jonathan saw it.
Summary: I am bored and my mind has stopped working. So I took some of my old stories written in 1995 and added characters from Buffy for the list. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters of Buffy tVS are the property of Joss. The idea of Stargate is not mine.
Rating - PG-13
Author's Note: NHA may archive. Anyone else is free to do so as well, just let me know. Thank you.
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Part Six
Willow looked at Spike, Buffy, Anya, Xander, and Dawn, who were all eagerly awaiting the latest chapter of "The Hunters" written by Jonathan Levenson. They had waited a very long time and it was over due. Long over due. They had all gone to bed and then some time had passed. They had to take care of things that kept them from the story.
There was a lot of talk about the big bad that was coming. Some new evil had tried to split them apart and make them mistrust each other. It had nearly driven Spike mad, and to top it all off, Andrew had returned back to Sunnydale. He had killed Jonathan and Buffy thought it was more than fitting that he should listen in on the readings, now that they were going to pick it up again where they had left off.
Everyone explained to Andrew that he was a bad guy in the book and that his characters name was Andrew Loser.
"Well, duh, that's really no surprise 'cause, well, I'm like a real bad guy now.only in real life," he responded to them. "And, of course.I'm not really a loser. 'Cause in that book that Jonathan wrote, I'm a bad guy, and he used me as a guide.kind of like Luke needed Darth Vader to be his guide."
"I thought Kermit was Luke's guide," Anya replied with a puzzled frown.
Andrew looked at her, truly offended. "What?" He was appalled. "Kermit?! Kermit was a frog, you dizzy demon.ess. He was a Muppet!" He would have tossed up his hands in frustration if they weren't tied to a chair. "Yoda was Luke's Master."
"Oh.well, they're both green, aren't they?"
Andrew just looked at her.
Willow sighed. "Can we just begin now? I'm really curious about Faith."
Xander clapped his hands with glee. "Ooooh, hey, that's right! We get to see a little of the bad Slayer action in this chapter."
"And that's a good thing?" Buffy wanted to know. "Last I remember was that el-switcheroo job she did on me. Not fun." She looked at Xander suspiciously. "Wait a minute.you're thinking of another time with Faith, aren't you? When you lost your-"
"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed. "Let's just start the story okay?"
Andrew looked at Xander. "But, wait! I want to know what you lost with the bad Slayer. Did she embarrass you real bad in front of a lot of people and made you, well, wet yourself?"
Xander snorted. "That might have happened to you, Obi Wanna-be, but not me."
Spike sniffed as he sat on the sofa beside Buffy. "It was his virginity he lost."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Dawn, Anya, and Andrew.
Andrew looked at Xander with new respect and admiration. "Wow! That is so cool, man!"
Willow took a deep breath. "You know, people, I promised you I would not use any magic.unless I had a really good reason to. I think I've got several reasons, now."
Xander looked at her. "Uh, Will.that was in the past."
"I know that. But." She sighed as she held up the book in her hand. "I'm dying to read this! Can we have a little quiet now?" She looked at everyone in the room. "And a silence spell isn't very hard to do and it doesn't lead me to evil, so don't make me use it." She nodded. "'Cause I will.if I have to."
The room fell into silence.
Willow nodded and smiled with satisfaction. "Okay.Very good." She grinned like a school girl.like the old Willow. "I should have been a librarian. I would have made Giles proud." She opened the book. "Now.we're up to chapter six. So far, Xander, Riley, and me.that is, uh, Willow, are all trapped in some other dimension. Principal Snyder had vowed to kill them in the name of Ra. Meanwhile; Angel, Giles, and Willy have been captured by Warren, Andrew, and Parker, and they were put into an armored car to be taken away. On one side of the camp, we have Jonathan. On the other, we have Spike. It's up to them to make a move. Will it be the right move? Or will it only endanger them further?"
She opened the book. She cleared her throat. "Chapter Six.Justice."
__________
(TH) Spike saw time racing past him as he made his move. He needed something fast and so he chose a Kawasaki Motorcycle that someone just kicked into life. Fortunately, he was real close. Close enough to grab the startled man from behind and yank him off the cycle. Before the man could react, Shiva slammed the man's head-in spite of the man wearing a helmet-against a nearby truck. Then he dropped the unconscious man and jumped onto the motorcycle.
Someone saw him and shouted, "There's the other one! Stop him!"
Gunfire started. Bullets whipped past Shiva, but it was too late. He sped off in the same direction that the armored van had gone. His friends were being held as prisoners, and they were inside that van. One way or another, he was going to stop that van.
Or die trying.
From his position at the other side of the camp, Jon saw Spike's actions and he silently cheered him on. The entire camp was suddenly alive, but no one was looking for Jon Levon.
No.
They were after Spike.
A jeep with a mounted M-60, two cars, and two motorcycles roared to life and gave chase to Spike. Jon wished him luck because he knew that he couldn't go after them himself. He had something else to do. Thanks to the advantage Spike had just given him, Jon broke from cover and advanced toward the barn. (TH)
__________
Andrew snorted. "Why would he go to the barn, unless he was going to steal a horse, or something?"
All eyes turned to look at him.
Andrew swallowed. "Well.he liked horses. He did. He-he always told me that he wanted to have a horse one day. Like the Lone Ranger."
"And you're telling us this because.?" Xander wanted to know.
Andrew shrugged, but he didn't answer.
Everyone looked at Willow.
She continued.
__________
(TH) The roads curved a lot in between nothing but trees. There wasn't a whole lot of civilization in between Allentown and the nearest town to begin with. Allentown was out in the boonies and anything could happen there without the world ever knowing about it. Behind Spike, the jeep was gaining as the M-60 angrily spat out bullets at him at an incredible rate. So far, they were missing him, but the trees and terrain around him were getting torn to pieces.
That damned van was further up the road than he had originally thought.
Suddenly, there was another tight curve approaching rapidly. Spike shook his head and smiled in bitter irony. He knew he wasn't going to make the turn.
So be it.
When that curve finally came, Spike didn't follow it. He went right off the road and right into the woods, down a very steep decline. The driver of the jeep was so intent on him that he never noticed the curve until it was too late.
He panicked.and he spun the steering wheel.
Big mistake.
Had he kept right on going, he would have experienced nothing more than a bumpy ride until the trees eventually stopped him from going any further. However, because he made the tragic error of turning the wheel, the jeep- moving incredibly fast-flipped over and began to roll down the steep hill. The two men in the back with the M-60 were immediately crushed. The two men in the front received broken bones and they were pinned underneath the overturned jeep.
One of the cars stopped to assist their fallen agents. The other car stayed with the road, hoping to catch up with Spike. The two motorcycle riders followed Spike into the woods.
Spike knew he was lucky so far. Weaving back and forth to avoid hitting a tree was not an easy task, and the fact that the ground was uneven was something that did not help at all. At one point, the ground even vanished from below him in a ten foot drop. When he hit the ground again, he didn't know how he had managed to stay on the damned bike.
But he pressed on.
Behind him, his pursuers also discovered the ten foot drop. One of them collided with a tree he couldn't avoid. The other rider simply fell off his bike because he panicked.
For the moment, Spike had some breathing room.
He stopped on a hill and saw the main road about thirty feet below. As luck would have it, there was the armored van. Now.how the hell was he going to stop it with a motorcycle?
He suddenly realized that there was only one way. He didn't know if it would work, but he knew of no other way. The timing had to be right. He aimed the bike down hill, sped off toward the main road.and if he did this right, he would send the bike on a collision course with the armored van.
To his astonishment, he did it right.
Near the bottom of the hill, he jumped off the bike and rolled. He was lucky that he didn't break anything, but it was better than driving the bike into his death. The motorcycle came onto the road, and like an angry machine out of control, it headed directly for the front of the van.
The driver and his companion stared.
The driver had only enough time to say, "What the--?"
Then, the cycle struck.
There was a loud crash.
The van swerved sharply and drove off the road. It crashed through the trees until it finally came to a stop about forty feet into the woods. Spike moved toward it and noticed that it was lying on its side.
He found the drive unconscious, but the companion was stumbling out of the wreck. He tried to pull a gun on Spike, but he was too shook up to aim. Spike simply slapped the gun out of his hand and then punched the man in the face. The men fell onto the ground, unconscious.
Spike got the keys out of the ignition and quickly made his way to the rear of the van. He pounded on it as he moved. "Hold on, guys!" he shouted. "Colonel! Angel! Willy! It's me! I'll get you out of there in a bloody sec!"
He inserted the key into the back door, and it popped open. Spike had to back out of the way so that the door wouldn't knock him over.and so that he wouldn't get buried in the trash that was falling out.
Spike blinked.
Trash?
He stared.
The back of the armored van was filled.with trash!
"Aw, bloody hell!"
Spike suddenly realized that this van must have been a decoy. His friends were in another van, and they were possibly on their way to their deaths. As for himself, he may have just walked into a trap! (TH)
__________
"No one gets a break in this story!" Dawn exclaimed.
Willow looked at her.
"Well, I'm sorry, but they don't."
Andrew chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Buffy demanded.
Andrew looked at her. "Well.Dawn says that no one gets a break in this story, but, well, she's wrong. 'Cause the bad guys seem to have all the breaks so far."
"Not for long," Xander told him. "It will end well for the heroes."
"But not before the villains make them miserable. Trust me. I know how villains think. I am one, you know."
"In your twisted mind, maybe, but in the real world, you're just a sad excuse for a little boy trapped in a fantasy world."
Andrew frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means shut up," Willow snapped. "I'm reading here." She held up her book as proof. "See?" She waited. When it was silent again. She continued.
__________
(TH) The armored van came to a stop.
Angel sighed with relief. "Thank God! Now maybe they'll stop playing that damn music."
Willy and Giles glanced up at the speakers mounted in the corners near the front of their prison. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing had been playing but the same old thing. It was the eerie theme song to the arcade game "The Gauntlet", and it even played the sound effects to go along with it.
Although they had been forced to endure it during their ride, they weren't certain how long they had been riding inside the armored van. It could have been four hours, or it could have been more. They just didn't know. Their watches had been taken from them in Allentown. However, they had been forced to ride in a van with their ankles and wrists chained through bars like criminals. It could only get worse from here.
"I don't know, big guy," Willy said to Angel after some thought. "I kind of like the them. Makes me think of Valkrie." He let out a sigh. "Man, what a woman."
Giles and Angel looked at him.
Suddenly, the doors swung open.
Two men armed with rifles stood at attention and a woman stood between them with her hands on her hips. She had raven-black hair over her shoulders, dark brown eyes, and she wore a tight one-piece outfit that did absolutely nothing to hide her figure. The outfit was dark blue.
She gave her prisoners a welcome smile. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I hope you've enjoyed your trip."
Willy looked at her. "A pit stop would have been nice."
"Oh, but you have reservations with us, Mr. Snitch, and there simply wasn't any time to make any pit stops." She looked at him with an amused grin. "Don't tell me! Did you make a mess in here?"
"I was about to."
Giles didn't like the woman's smile. It had a dangerous edge to it. "Where are we?"
She looked at him. "You're at the Facility, Colonel Giles. That's what we like to call it any way. It's short and simple. But, hell, you can call it whatever you like, even though it won't really matter one way or the other."
"Why's that?" Angel demanded.
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me that the famous Hunters have never heard of the Facility before?" She looked at each one of them and chuckled. "Well, well.Maybe you have. Maybe you haven't. If you have, then you know what this place is. If you haven't, then just be content to know that once you're inside these walls, you'll never ever see the outside world again."
"A prison?"
She laughed. "Maybe. I guess you could call it that.if you live that long." She smiled. "Call it the last place on earth, boys. For you, that's exactly what it is. How long you stay here-alive and in one piece- is totally up to you."
"Who are you?" Giles wanted to know.
She smiled again. That cruel, sadistic smile. "I'll tell you when I'm ready, but starting right now, you will ask me no more questions. After all, I'm the one who will do the interrogations. Not you." She turned to the guards and snapped her fingers. "Clean them up and give them their uniforms. Then bring them to the Interview Room." She smiled at the Hunters. "Enjoy, fellows. I'll see you in a little while." Laughing, she turned and sauntered away. (TH)
__________
"Is that her?" Andrew asked. "Is that Faith?"
Willow sighed. "That would be my guess." She looked at Buffy. "Buffy, can we gag him please?"
"Wait, no.please don't do that."
Buffy smiled. "Sure, Will." She got up, and left the room. When she came back, she had a dish towel which she used as a gag for Andrew. When the gag was in place, Buffy returned to her seat and smiled at Willow. "You may continue without any further interruptions from us."
"That's good, 'cause there are a lot more towels, aren't there?"
Buffy nodded.
Willow smiled as she found her place and began to read.
__________
(TH) It was a trap.
Spike could hear the vehicles all around him suddenly roaring with life. As he looked around, he saw several figures moving through the woods. They were moving toward him and the overturned van.
He cursed.
There was only one place to go. Further into the woods. With his gun in his hand, he ran as fast as he could and as far as he could. Soon, however, he saw movement ahead of him. They had him surrounded.
He ducked behind a tree and stayed low to the ground. He had to think of a way out of this.
Think, man. Think!
He looked around. Soon, the enemy was close enough where he could hear them.
"He really fell for it, didn't he?"
Someone else laughed.
Another said, "It's not funny! Two guys are dead and four more are down because if this crazy bloke. Now shut your holes and go bring his ass in!"
"Yes, sir."
"Yeah, sure."
Then, there was silence.
Spike turned his head and saw three men slowly passing right where he was hiding. He breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't stop. Unfortunately, there were a lot more men out there now, and every damned one of them were looking for him.
He moved away from the tree and headed through the woods. He decided to head back toward the road and maybe he could steal a ride to safety. All he knew was that he still had a mission to complete.
Escape.and then locate where Justice had taken his friends.
He was just coming out of the woods when a voice said, "Hey, buddy.got a light?"
Spike froze. Then, he turned his head.
A man stood at the edge of the road with his back turned toward him. An M- 16 was across his shoulder. The man was holding something in his hand.
Spike gripped his gun. "Uh." he said, "no. I'm afraid I don't have a bloody light."
Jesse McNally turned to look at him and he shrugged. "That's okay, bud. I didn't really need a light any way. I just wanted to get your attention." He pulled the pin from a grenade. "Now I want to get their attention."
Spike stared in surprise.
Jesse sighed. "Uh, Spike.you'd better duck." Then, he threw the grenade.
It sailed through the air, bounced on the road, and rolled under a jeep. It exploded, and the jeep became a fiery, burning wreckage. Justice agents suddenly came pouring out of the woods.but Spike and Jesse were nowhere in sight.
Meanwhile, Jon Levon made it to the barn where he made an amazing discovery. He ducked into a stable when he heard someone approaching. Risking a peek, he saw a man dragging an unconscious man into another stable. Curious, Jon moved closer. Then, he decided to risk it.
Jon waited for the man to come out of the stable. When he did, the Hunter put his gun to the man's head. "Hold it right there."
The man froze.
"Turn around."
"No problem, Jonny-boy," the man responded. "No problem at all." He slowly turned around.
Jon sighed in relief. "Fritz!"
Fritz grinned at him. "The one and only."
"Don't get me wrong, 'cause I'm glad to see you, but.what the hell are you doing here?"
"Looking for you and the others."
Jon frowned. "The others were captured by Justice. Spike went after them to see if he could help them, and as for Xander, Riley, and Willow.well, no one's heard from them at all."
Fritz regarded him. "I've got some more bad news for you, buddy."
"What?"
"The Hardsite's been destroyed, and we, the Hunters, are now the hunted. How does that grab you?" He let out a weary sigh. "Jesse, Devon, and Oz.and myself.we managed to escape, but just barely. The only place we could think of to head for was here, to this god-forsaken dump."
"Where are they?"
"We heard gunfire a ways from here. They decided to check it out, and I came here." He paused. "Well, I did find you, so maybe they found Spike."
Jon nodded. "Man, I hope so."
Fritz took a look around. "Well, now that I've found you, I think we'd better go catch up with the others. Don't you?"
"I think we'd better take a look and see what's underground first. Whatever it is, it made a lot of people disappear.including Xander, Riley, and Willow. We should at least see if we can get underground and take a look. They may need out help."
Fritz gave it some thought. "Okay, then.lead on 'cause I am jacked up and ready to kick some serious ass."
Jon did. At the pigpen, they found two unconscious agents hidden out of sight. Jon looked at Fritz.
Fritz shrugged. "I came in this way."
Jon pointed at the open trap door. "Did you notice that?"
Fritz frowned. "Hell, no. Actually, I didn't. Now I know why they were standing guard." He peered down the hole. "What do you suppose is down there?"
Jon shrugged. "I don't have one friggin' clue, but I intend to find out." He climbed into the hole.
Shrugging his shoulders, Fritz followed. (TH)
__________
"Mph swrs lt."
Willow gave Andrew a look. "What was that? Are you trying to say something while I'm reading?"
Andrew shook his head, eyes wide with fright.
"Keep it that way, Mister!" Willow resumed reading.
__________
(TH) It was a very trying ordeal for the Hunters.
Giles, Willy, and Angel were marched into a room where armed guards watched their every move. Every guard was armed, either with a rifle or a billy club, and they all looked like they wanted to use them. Totally outnumbered, the Hunters didn't put up a fight when they were finally released from their chains. They were ordered to strip down into their birthday suits, and then naked, they were marched into a room that had drainage holes on the floor.
The three men were hosed down, and the pressure from the water was nearly unbearable. They had trouble standing, they couldn't see a thing, and they were forced to hold their breaths for long periods of time.
Eventually, the spraying from the hoses came to an end, although the guards were reluctant about it. The prisoners were handed towels and a single pair of boxer shorts.
"Shorts!" Angel snapped angrily. He was losing his temper. "What the hell is this?"
"You can go naked for all I care," said the man who had issued the boxers. "You're at the Facility now, Hunter. Get used to it."
The Hunters had no choice. They held onto what dignity they had and put on their boxers.
Finally, they were marched into another room. This room had only four chairs and a large mirror that covered one wall. Three of the chairs were at the back of the room and the fourth chair was at the front, facing the back of the room.
When they were left alone in the room and the door was closed, Giles nodded his head in understanding. "This-this must be the Interview Room."
Willy stood in front of the mirror and studied his reflection. "I don't recall filling out any job application, Chief. Nor did I hand in any resume. In fact, I think I would like to quit this place before the interview even begins."
Angel began to pace. "I just want to get my hands on somebody. This is bullshit! We don't deserve to be treated like this! We were only doing our jobs!"
"Try to calm down, Angel," Giles cautioned him. "For the moment, there's nothing we can do but take a seat and wait." As an example to his men, he sat down in the center seat.
Angel, however, would not stop pacing. "I will not sit down!" he exclaimed. "And I sure as hell won't calm down! This place is like a prison and we're being treated like criminals. Why did they take our clothes? What kind of place is this?"
Willy was still regarding the mirror. He squinted his eyes. "You know, I sincerely hope this interview doesn't include anything kinky. No. I'm sure of it. I certainly don't want to work here.unless the parking's good." He nodded. "Yep. A good parking spot is almost as good as a decent pay check."
"Why the hell do you keep looking at that mirror?" Angel wanted to know.
"Oh, no particular reason. It's only that I'm quite sure someone must be behind it." Willy put his face close to the mirror. "Darlin'!" he exclaimed with a thick accent. "Oh, daarlin'.You must simply come and see this! Oh, absolutely positively, you must!" He pressed his lips against the mirror, smudging it.
Giles grinned and shook his head.
Angel had had enough. He reached for a chair to hurl it through the mirror, but he soon discovered that the chairs were bolted to the floor. In frustration, he pointed at the mirror. "Stop hiding, damn it!" he shouted. "Show yourself!"
In the center of the mirror, a door swung open.
The woman entered, and the door closed behind her. "Gentlemen.please, have a seat."
Willy sat down next to Giles.
Angel, on the other hand, refused to take a seat. He stood before the woman and glared at her defiantly.
"Sit down," she ordered.
Angel didn't budge.
She lightly put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled. "Are you going to be a gentlemen and sit down for me, Angel?" she asked sweetly.
He began with, "Go to-" Then he screamed. Angel was suddenly tense. His whole body was shaking, his eyes were wide open, and he was crying out in agony.
Both Giles and Willy jumped out of their seats. They grabbed a hold of Angel from either side, intending to pull him to his seat, but suddenly-the instant they touched him-they, too, froze and began to cry out in pain.
The woman laughed. "Oh, what they say is true. The single touch of a woman's hand will always drive men crazy with pleasure and pain." She watched the Hunters and felt a shiver of pleasure race through her. "For you men, it is pain. I get all the pleasure!" Abruptly, she removed her hand from Angel and all three men collapsed to the floor.
The woman watched them and waited for them to catch their breaths. "Now.let's try this again." She paused for effect. "Sit down."
The Hunters pulled themselves up from the floor and, shaking from the experience, they sat down. Angel glared up at the woman.
She smiled at him. Then, she looked from one to the other. "It's the suit," she told them. She slowly turned about, raising her hands. "Do you like it? It's quite the fashion statement, isn't it? It's called the END outfit. That stands for Electrolyte Nerve Depressor. Kind of catchy, don't you think? Just by touching you, I can send every nerve in your body into shock. I can completely immobilize you and do whatever I want." She regarded them. "Of course, if you boys promise to behave yourselves, then I won't have to punish you. I can simply touch you and just will it to happen when you are bad.but if you're good, then I can touch you.gently." She smiled at Angel. "Wouldn't you like that, Angel?"
Angel just glared at her.
"Good," she said with a nod. "No questions. You're definitely learning, and that is very good." She sat down in her chair in front of them. "Okay, boys.let me tell you a little bit about myself and our new relationship together. My name is Faith, and I am now the only light in this dark world you will ever see. You see, it's like this. You continue to live because I allow it. The truth is, I own your sorry asses. You can't do anything here that I won't know about. The only food you will eat is what I provide you. I'm always going to be watching you, so all you have to do is watch your step with me. Push me just once, and you can cease to exist. Cross the line, and you'll be very sorry." She paused to regard them. "Those cute little boxers you're wearing are all you will ever wear at the Facility. I want you to feel vulnerable and insecure as much as possible. There is no escape from the Facility, gentlemen. Once you're here, you can never leave. No one is going to attempt a rescue either because the last I heard from Warren Meers, the Hunters were terminated and you three are the sole survivors. Now the bottom line is this.Give me your full cooperation and your death will be quick and painless. Don't cooperate at all, and I'll give you forever to suffer very horribly. So tell me.what will you choose?"
The Hunters looked at each other, and then they looked at her. Not one of them said a word.
Faith smiled at them and purred. "Oh, I'm so glad you chose not to cooperate. That makes my job more enjoyable." She laughed. (TH)
__________
Willow glanced at Buffy.
"Wow." Buffy said. She paused. "I really hope Angel kicks her ass."
"Well.let's find out if he does." Willow continued the chapter.
__________
(TH) Four men spied upon the encampment from the perimeter of Allentown. Spike, Jesse, Devon, and Oz. They each understood the situation.
"We have to grab one of them," Spike declared, "and make the bleeding bastard tell us where they've taken the others."
Jesse nodded in agreement. "We'll have to wait for nightfall." He paused. "And we'll have to be very careful. We're not protected by the government any longer." He looked at the others. "We're on our own."
The Hunters watched the campsite.and they waited for the night. (TH)
__________
Willow cleared her throat. "Well, that's it for the chapter."
"Damn, that was good," Xander replied.
"Mmf ump mmmf," Andrew agreed with a nod of his head.
Dawn scowled. "There-there really isn't anything else?"
Willow paused. "Uhm.there is a hint for chapter seven."
"What is it?" Anya asked. "It's not about rabbits, is it?"
"No, Anya. It's not about rabbits." Willow rolled her eyes. "I'll read it." She opened the book and read outloud, "'Riley and Stacie must find a way to escape.before Xander kills thems. Chapter Seven.The Servant of Ra.'" She looked at Xander. "Uhm.I-I guess it's your turn to go bad, huh?"
Xander grinned at her. "C'mon! Who are you kidding? I just want to get Riley to take a hike so you and I can go do some exploring."
"Are you guys talking about sex?" Anya asked. "You're not very tactful about it."
Willow blushed.
"Hey," Dawn said, "who's turn is it to read the next chapter?"
Everyone looked at one another. Buffy paused. "Well.we've all read a chapter."
They all looked at Andrew.
"Mmf! Mmf!" Andrew tried to cry out enthusiastically. He would have raised his hand if he wasn't tied to a chair.
Everyone shook their heads.
"No," Buffy said, making a face. "Andrew probably can't read anyway. It's my turn again. I'll read." She held her hand out to Willow.
Then the voice from behind them spoke.
"No. I believe it is my turn to read."
One by one, they all turned around, except for Andrew who couldn't. Rupert Giles stood in the doorway of the living room. He approached them and took the book from Willow. He smiled at them. "I-I heard you from the beginning of the chapter, and I also heard you fill in the previous chapters to Andrew so I believe I am quite capable of reading chapter seven. But make no mistake." He looked from one to the other. "I will not tolerate any interruption whatsoever. I am, after all, a librarian.or was, but you know what I mean. Are we quite clear?"
Everyone agreed.
"Good. Now.it's intermission time so go and take a break, but be back here in one hour. Then we shall discover together what becomes of Riley and Willow."
TO BE CONTINUED.