Meet and Greet

The rows upon rows of monoliths that held within them our pasts. The musty scent of ancient texts courtesy of Giles and his fascination with all that was and still is supernatural. The dim lighting leaving a small ambient orangish glow that lit up the whole place and lit up Buffy Summer's somewhat annoyed face.

I watched as she glared at me. Her hands crossed, her back straight. Her glare wasn't as piercing as she had thought it was. It really fucking was not. It was just the childish stare of a girl that both dreamed of leaving the world behind to find her own little world even when the world itself would never let her leave.

She had seen too much, known too much. She could not turn her back on it because if she did, she would think herself a monster. Hero.

Some people could walk by. They could stare as a man was getting pounded on the fucking ground. They would turn, look and then look away. Buffy could not do that. Not anymore. She had been the Slayer for too long, had helped too many people, had made so many mistakes. Janna Kalderesh.

She had died because Buffy put herself first. She put her love before the world. Giles, tortured, and her friends all scarred mentally. In the end, she had had to look forward, had to face her fears and she took that step with tears into her eyes impaling the man that she loved with every ounce of her body.

Right now though, she'd pissed me off just a teensy bit and even if I loved her other counterpart. This wasn't her.

Batman had seen so many different versions of the same people. Multiverses and shit. It wasn't too hard to differentiate.

This Buffy Summers had everything. A loving mother. Friends. Family. A father figure in Giles. Mine on the other hand had been alone. She'd waded through the seas of life without anyone to guide her and so she'd built her own path, made her own way in a world so uncaring of her that who could she truly trust?

Anne had grown being around us. She'd found people that had her backs, an odd family of sorts, a family that she trusted wholeheartedly.

Buffy wasn't there yet. She constantly feared for her friend's safety and rightfully so.

Willow had just started on her magic journey and wasn't that strong to begin with. She was good for research and the tech side of things but if some ubervamp or some other supernatural force came into the picture, what could happen?

Xander Harris while his heart was in the right place was not a fighter. He might have had the warrior spirit. He might have saved Buffy and changed a prophecy, but that was all luck. Things happened because he had never given up. What would happen when and unstoppable force came in front of a person who was not strong enough yet, not prepared enough to face it? Death.

Giles had just betrayed her trust and while I had softened the blow, it was still there, still beating. He had been one of the only people that she had ever truly confided in. She had trusted him and he had taken advantage of that trust to weaken her, to hurt her. He was like a father to her. She had wanted to go to the skating rink with him on the day of the Cruciamentum. I had watched that episode and seen her trying to bring it up with Giles. The blockhead didn't get the message though.

She was a girl that felt like she had to carry the whole weight of the world on her shoulders, especially when she thought Faith was a killer.

Giles stared at the two of us sighing.

"Calm down you two."

I nod.

"Depends on her. Are you ready to talk or do you just want to glare at me?"

I take a seat on a random miscellaneous chair.

"Why are you here?" She asked for the second time.

Anne jumps in this time.

"We are the ones the council told you about."

I watched as the wheels turned in Buffy's brain.

"So you're the hunters that the council warned us about. You don't look like much."

Anne just smirked.

"Wanna fight again?"

Giles just places his face in his palm muttering, "Why me?"

Rose cuts in, ignoring Anne's taunt.

"We are here to help you fight the Mayor. That's the important thing right now."

I nod.

"I have given Giles some details on the subject."

"We already got it covered. Thanks. You guys can go back to whatever hole yo-" Buffy smiles.

"Our reality is dead as in gone gone. There isn't a way back," Alex cuts in.

"Why are we moving in circles?"

"We don'-"

"Why are you so adamant on them leaving Buff?" Xan jumps in.

His cool bronze melting into Buffy's raging thunderclouds.

Buffy turns and stares at Faith. She quickly looks away. I caught on though.

"Faith did nothing wrong."

Buffy glares daggers at me. If I was a vamp, I was very sure she would have ended me by now. I'd be turned into dust and make her sneeze like a motherfucker in revenge.

"She killed a person."

Anne looked like she was about to cut in but I smiled at her. Don't worry babe, I got this.

"A person that you threw at her after having thrown a bunch of vampires. If you ask me, you caused it."

"I-if she'd controlled herself the-"

"Then what? You were in the midst of battle. You were the one who threw the Alan Finch at her. Which means you were responsible so why do you keep on blaming Faith? Faith does enough of that to herself. Yes, Faith could have had more situational awareness but shit happens. Now, this does not mean that his death wasn't sad. It just means the you fucked up. You! So why are you throwing the responsibility onto a girl that has only been a slayer for a few months when you have over three years under your fucking belt?"

I started walking up to her. With each step, she took a concurrent one backwards. Soon, her back was to a shelf and she couldn't keep on moving back.

"This was your fault Buffy Summers. Yo…"

I stared at the girl whose face looked crestfallen. Tears were streaming down from her eyes as she stared back into my stern face in fear. Fear of what she had done. Fear at who she had hurt.

I stopped. What was the point of shouting at a girl that already felt this bad? I wasn't Batman. I would berate Dick or Tim or Jason for hours on end telling them each minute detail of how they had messed up. I had seen how much they beat themselves up about the whole thing. I did not want her to feel that way. It wasn't good for the mind.

She'd realized her mistake and that was good enough. I hoped that this would be enough.

My eyes soften as I place my hand on her shoulder.

"Look. I know you are doing what you are a good person. I know that you have it in you to be great. You killed the Master for god's sake. You took down Angelus, the scourge of europe. Just don't be a fucking asshole and we'll be good. Cool?"

She nods.

"Cool."

Giles jumps in.

"Okay, let's get into what we came here for, The Mayor."

Alex cuts in.

"Before that, I just want to say that Rose and I are vamps."

The scoobies turn to both Rose and Alex in shock.

"Don't forget the whole with souls thing you dolt!"

Rose elbows Alex.

"Hey! I was getting to that."

"So you're like Angel?" Wills asks.

They nod.

"Don't have sex," Cordy cuts in.

Rose giggles and points to me.

"He edited the Ritual of restoration to allow for sex."

Willow just stares at me with stars in her eyes.

"How?"

Rose smiles at her younger self.

"I'll tell you later," She promises.

I would have to talk to Rose about the whole dark witch shebang. Hopefully, we could put a pin it.

"Wait. Vamps can do magic?" Willow asks.

I nod.

"Drusilla was a seer. It shouldn't be too hard for you all to wrap your heads around the idea that vamps can do magic."

"That's unsettling," Cordelia says.

"We can also walk in the sun," Alex adds.

He douses on the fire.

"I'm guessing this has something to do with you?" Oz says.

I awkwardly smile.

"Gem of Amara."

Giles's eyes widened.

"I-I'd thought that was a myth."

"What's the Gem of Amara?" Willow inquires.

Giles jumps in.

"It's the holy grail for vampires. It makes them practically immune to all of their weaknesses. A stake to the heart heals instantly. The sun no longer burns them. Anything short of beheading will not work against it. Though, I did not know there were two of them."

He stares at the two green rings residing on Rose and Alex's fingers.

"There aren't two. I just got the wishverse version and this verse's version"

"I see. I was afraid that there would be more of them."

Giles sighs in relief.

Buffy stares up at me. A look of realization crossed her eyes.

"Could you do the ritual for Angel?"

I shake my head.

"Bu-"

"He's a pedophile."

"What? How is he a pedophile?" Oz asks.

"He isn't."

Buffy glares. I shake my head.

"When did he meet you?" Anne asks.

"What?"

"How old were you?"

"I-i don't know. I do know that he's not a pedophile."

I stare into her confused thunderclouds.

"You were sixteen. Now, should a man that was two hundred and forty years older than you be messing with a sixteen year old. For god's sake Buffy, you had sex with him at seventeen."

"Angel loves her," Willow cuts in.

Ever the romantic.

"Doesn't change the facts."

I shrug knowing that Buffy won't change her mind in a day.

Oz looks slightly uncomfortable. Cordelia just stares at Buffy in pity. Willow looks as if her world is crashing down into pieces and Buffy just glares at me, tears reforming.

Fuck. I feel bad.

"Let's move on," Rose cuts in.

"Yeah let's," Oz adds.

Everyone nods.

"What do you guys know about the Mayor?"

"We've heard of the ascension," Willow states.

"The mayor is a human that made a deal with some demons in exchange for immortality. He plans to become an old one."

"What's an old one?" Cordy asks.

"The old ones are the original demons. They roamed the earth along with the Powers That Be in the original age. They came from other more hellish dimensions and turned the earth into their personal hellhole. WE DO NOT WANT ANOTHER OLD ONE TO RISE UP," I emphasize.

"How do you kill an immortal being?"

"The Mayor is still human. He might be colluding with demons but we could capture him and find a way to end him for good or we could let him ascend and blow him to pieces. That second option is a last resort though. If he hasn't done his Dedication yet then he might still be killable."

"What's a dedication?" Xan asks.

"It's a ritual that anyone planning an ascension takes, it makes them nigh invulnerable for a hundred days. We cou-"

"Okay so we just get the Mayor," Buffy says.

Rose shakes her head.

"It isn't that easy. He practically owns the demons in this town plus he might have some magical protections that we don't know of. He's a sorcerer who has lived longer than any human."

I turn to Buffy.

"A lot of your issues this year were distractions from the Mayor. He's trying to make sure that you don't interfere."

She nods.

"Buffy. I know that you might not agree with this but we might have to kill him," Giles sighs.

Buffy stares at him. She was probably shocked at the fact that he had even brought that up.

"Is he human?"

She turns to me.

I nod.

"Then no killing."

Anne just stares at Buffy. I could tell she felt sad for her. She'd once been this way too. She still not like killing but at certain times, it had to be done.

"Buffy! This is not a game. Lives are at stake. The world might be at stake. This man is barely human."

"And as you have said he's still hum-"

"How many more humans are you going to allow this man to kill because he's human? Not all of us are the Slayer!" Cordelia shouts, "My parents live in this town."

Buffy just stares at the group looking for a person that will agree with her. For someone who would understand her. No one?

"You guys don-"

"Don't what? I have seen the dregs of humanity. The worst of the worst. It's all held up here in my noggin. This man's worse than most of them. He colluded with demons, sacrificing his fellow man for immortality. Even Vamps have an excuse. They are fucking demons. He's just a selfish man with a black heart."

I stared into Buffy's eyes. There was a lot of turbulence. She wasn't ready for this. I don't know when it would be, but it isn't now. We'd said too fucking much. I'd said too fucking much. I'd do it on my own if need be. I was just informing Sunnydale's resident slayer as a common courtesy.

It was nice to have seen a more innocent Wills. I just hoped that she wouldn't become that. Oz and Cordy seemed cool enough, though Oz didn't speak much.

"I'm not here to argue. I came here because I thought that we could pool our heads together and create a plan. Seeing as we are debating over whether killing a man who's probably subjected thousands to an untimely death. There doesn't seem to be more to talk about."

I turn to Giles.

"You know where to find us. Let's go."

Anne stares at Buffy.

"Wait."

I nod.

"Look Buff. I know you. I am you, different upbringing but still. Your heart is in the right place. We're just a little…hard headed at times and when we fall in love, we fall hard. I won't make you do anything that you don't want to do so try to forget about this. You're free. Go to whatever college you wish and live your life or stay here and keep on fighting just know that I'm here for you."

"Let's go."

"I'm staying. I'll see you guys later," Xan says.

I nod. His friends needed him here and so this was where he would be. It was one of the things that I respected Xander for. He was always there when you needed him, even if you did not want him there. He would hug you as you screamed and shouted, cursing the world.

"Bye, other me," Willow waved.

Rose smiled and waved.

We walked out of there and got into the car.

I slumped into my chair.

"Haaah. I hope I wasn't too harsh."

Anne smiled at me and squeezed my hands for a second.

"You might have been a tad bit too harsh. She needed a wake up call and you gave her one. Hopefully, she can grow from this."

I just look down and sigh. I didn't want to be a bully. I didn't want to shout at someone that hadn't yet been through too much shit yet.

"It's not your job to babysit Buffy," Alex says.

I turn towards him, eyes widened. He stared piercingly, his bronze shield getting ready to push.

"She is not a child. She isn't a new slayer. She can handle herself and if she can't…then I guess she isn't cut out to be a slayer and should just go back to her ordinary life. She isn't even the main Slayer, Anne and Faith are."

She wasn't a child. That was true. She was the leader of the scoobies, vamp fighting extraordinaire and ubervamp slayer. She'd killed both Kakistos and the Master.

"Yeah, she was kind of an ass though."

"Rose? Is that you swearing?" Anne asks.

Her hand on her mouth in shock. Alex giggles as if he was a kid with the coolest toy in the world

"What? It's true," Rose muttered.

"Could you not get any hotter?"

Rose gazed lovingly into Alex's eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll show you how much hott-"

"Ughh. Could you guys stop," Faith jumps in.

She'd been quiet for a while now. I was beginning to get a bit worried. I stare at her. She stares back.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Anne asks.

Faith mouth quivers as she opens it to speak.

"Thanks for caring about me."

"I couldn't let my padawan's name be tarnished like that," I smile.

She smiles, staring downwards. Tears drop onto her shirt.

"I-i've just never had anyone who cared about me."

Rose hugs Faith.

"Well, you're part of the fam now," Alex smiles.

"Yup."

Faith looks up to see everyone nodding.

I step in.

"Who wants to go hunting?"

We found ourselves in a bigger graveyard than the last time. Now that Buffy was aware of us, I could freely begin hunting vamps.

I turn to Faith.

"Remember, this is training. We'll only intervene if we have to or if you can't control yourself."

Faith nodded.

Three vampires were upon us. Anne and I stepped out of the way to see how Faith dealt with it.

She stabbed the first one in the heart but got pushed away by the second one. The third one ran at her but she kicked out pushing it away before throwing her stake at the second one's chest dusting it. The third one was already up and had ran up to her. It went in for a punch but Faith grabbed its fist and twisted before stabbing it in the heart.

All in all, she was crude, had little to no technique and yet, she had both aimbot and super strength and reflexes.

"Slayers are cheats."

Anne laughed.

"Says the guy with all of Batman's knowledge at his fingertips."

"Touche Anne. Touche."

She would be right. I got this power so simply and yet there was a consequence as there was everything else. Knowledge was power but it usually meant a loss of innocence. I had been a twenty something years old dude that had been just trying to survive, now I was still that twenty something year old dude but with hundreds of thoughts carved into my brain and a perfect memory that did not allow me to forget the pained faces of my loved ones or how big my mistakes were.

How could I ever forget? How could I when they were still so fresh within my mind. I could have stopped Alan Finch's death. I should have even. If I had even just checked the date, then there might have been a way. If I had gone to the scoobies earlier then a good man might be alive right now.

I hadn't though. I had been too focused on my mind and the horror held within them. Fuck. It hurt because I had the power to change things, to fight against fate and it seemed as if I had not even done anything.

I knew that was a lie. Faith would probably not be the dark slayer. That meant Buffy and I could focus on the Mayor and his subordinates.

I was ready and willing to do this without the scoobies. Anne, Alex, Rose, Faith, Xan and I were a good fucking team. I knew because I had trained all of them. While Xan and Faith weren't there yet, Faith was the slayer and if I gave Xan the orbs of Nezzla'khan then things should be…

"You are doing it again."

Anne squeezed my hand.

"Oh. Thanks."

I looke up to see Faith being pushed back by five vamps. She managed to fling one away but one of the remaining four got a lucky hit on her temple and she fell backwards.

I pulled out the AK and shot. He disappeared into a cloud of nothingness.

Anne ran up and punched one in the face while simultaneously stabbing one in the heart. I aimed at the one in front of Anne and bidded my time waiting for him to move far enough away where his chest was visible. Anne kicking him away and BANG! I'd shot him. He was nothing more than the contents of your grandmother's jar. Anne stabbed one of them in the heart.

Faith groaned and ran up to the final vamp before stabbing it in its heart,

She lay down on the ground for a bit after. Her body outstretched as she lay there.

Anne gives her a hand, Faith takes it.

"You did pretty well."

She nods. She stared at me in disbelief.

"I've just begun teaching you and you are showing a lot of potential. You've been slaying these guys by yourself for a while now so I'm sure that you would have come out on top anyways."

Faith isn't staring at me. She's staring behind me. She readies her stake.

I stab a vamp as it tries to sneak up behind me. I don't even turn to look. I just stare into her mocha eyes.

"Ok. I've seen what needs to be improved. I think it's time for me and Anne to show off a bit."

I put my AK back into my spatial bag and throw a woo-arang at a Vamp that has quietly snuck up behind Faith.

She enters into a coughing fit.

Anne runs past faith and jump kicks a vampire while throwing Mr. Pointy into another's chest. She gets up. Pulls out Mr. Pointy from the ground and runs to the next vamp. She's goes in for the stab but this one turns back and starts running. A tree branch is in its path and it ends up impaling itself.

Faith just looked in shock. She was probs wondering how a vamp killed itself.

I pat her shoulder.

"Some vamps are slow."

Another one runs in.

"Slayer! I shall defeat you."

Anne just stared.

"Why did you announce yourself? You do know that I'm stronger than most vamps right?"

The vamp began flexing its muscles.

"I am the great Arnold Schwarzvamper and I have co-Uh… So dishonorable."

A wood-arang was lodged into his chest. This fool.

Anne turned to me.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You could have let him finish. He was kinda funny."

I just raise my eyebrow. I look to see three more rushing from Anne's direction.

"Anne! Three more behind you."

She nods. She fumbles around in her pocket, pulls out a transparent bottle with a see-through liquid in it. She uncorks the bottle and releases its contents on the vamps in front of her.

"Aaargh!" They scream.

She stabs all three of them in quick succession and then dodges a punch from the right.

I turn to see another vamp. She knees it in its balls and as it drops to its knees, she stabs it in the heart.

SNAP!

I turn after hearing a snapped twig to see a group of ten or so vamps coming in from behind me.

I turn to Faith.

"You ready?"

"I'm always ready for a fight," She smirks.

I nod my head.

"Good."

I release three wood-arangs dusting three vamps. Using the dust cloud, I run in, wood-arang in each hand and stab into another two. One goes into a punch that I dodge. Faith stabs it. Another punches at Faith but she grabs his hands and crushes it. I quickly end its pitiful existence. Two more come at us.

It goes in for a high kick with its right leg and so I dodge to the side and stab it to the heart while also slinging a wood-arang at one of the farther away vamps. Faith on the other hand feints a jab. The Vamp doesn't take the feint and wild throws a hook. Faith judo slams the vamp before turning it to dust.

"Just one more left," I shout.

She runs in.

"I got this," She says.

She sweeps him to the ground and quickly stabs it into nothingness.

"How you like them apples?" I say

Anne just looks at me weirdly.

"You know you love this weirdo."

She sighs feigning mock disappointment. A smile creeps its way onto her face.

"I really do."

She kisses me on the lips.

"Ehem! Ehem!"

We turn to see Faith.

Hey guys, author here, sorry about the low word count, I was writing this sleepy for whatever reason. I probs just need to sleep more.

What did you think of this chap?

Was it fun?

Any fun ideas?