Mbwa Mwitu, Chapter Fourteen
Title: Mbwa Mwitu, Chapter Fourteen
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Buffyverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Spike/Xander, Oz/Tara
Summary: When Xander decides to help Oz find the balance between man and wolf, he has no idea as to the events that it will trigger.
Warnings: non-descriptive rape. Het. Slash. Pack mentality. Character Death.
Chapter Summary: A battle is waged as our group attempts to escape, and another character bites the dust. And it's a big, major character, too! *is annoyingly gleeful about it*
previous chapters
Xander felt alive, and yet a part of him was dead to the world. The inability to smell his allies and the demons swarming around him caused everything to mute. His hearing and eyesight were fine, but being possessed by a hyena had made his sense of smell his strongest weapon. Now, he was almost fighting in the dark. And yet, fighting along side Spike once more made him feel so alive.
They punched and kicked and fought in tune with one another, bringing demon after demon down. The pain rushing through Xander's body, caused by the enemy attacking him where his stitches threatened to rip back open, was merely a side effect. He barely noticed it, and what he did feel only caused him to fight harder.
Demons from every walk of life. It was like a Hellmouth seminar in the middle of the Level D hallway. Cat demons, dog demons, lizard demons, someone that looked like he was half tomato. So many to choose from, so many to destroy. Xander felt as though he were in heaven. Finally, after two days of being picked on and prodded, he could fight back.
A charge of electricity flowed through the air, followed by the sound of thunder. Xander glanced back to see Tara standing by the elevator, hands raised as sparks shot from her fingertips. Her eyes glowed pure white and a wind whipped around her, causing her now white hair and torn skirt to dance about like the Goddess she nearly was. The lightning flowed past them, un-harming, and hit the demons face first. Five dropped dead, while a small group screamed in pain as the volts wracked their bodies.
Next to Spike, Wesley was shooting bolts from his crossbow faster than a Slayer was able to. Eyes narrowed in concentration, Wesley focused on hitting any creature that got past Spike, Xander, Angel, and Doyle. The moment a demon stepped close to Tara, they would drop down with a bolt sticking out of their forehead.
For a split second, Xander was thankful that a large number of demons dissolved or evaporated when killed. Otherwise, the hall would have been filling up with dead bodies.
"We need to get out of here!" Doyle announced, as his face shifted into demon form. He grabbed the shoulders of the nearest demon and head-butt him. The demon staggered back into Angel's sword.
"The elevator is moving too slowly." Spike grumbled, dropping down to kick the legs out of a large bird-like creature.
"The elevator is not moving at all." Tara replied, her voice tinkling. She turned around and pressed her hands against the elevator's doors. Electricity flowed from her fingers, causing sparks and making the metal doors shake.
Seconds later, the elevator door dinged, swinging open to reveal two shocked soldiers. Tara tilted her head and raised a hand. The two soldiers were grabbed by some invisible force and dragged out of the elevator. Xander watched, amazed, as they were thrown overhead and into the thicket of demons.
"Time to go, love." Spike said, grabbing Xander's arm.
They all rushed toward the elevator as a group. Just as Xander found himself safely pressed against the back of the small space, a scream of pain echoed in their ears. Ahead of them, just as he was stepping into the elevator, Wesley crumbled to the ground. Angel grabbed the front of Wesley's shirt and jerked him inside. As the doors shut, Xander caught sight of a tall demon that looked like a human shaped lion holding his bleeding hand in pain.
"Wesley?" Tara asked, kneeling in front of him. Wesley let out a moan and blinked open his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Bloody hell, that hurt." Was Wesley's reply. He lifted his shirt, to reveal a long, thick claw protruding from his side. Yellow blood trickled from the end of it, where it had ripped from the demon's hand.
"Don't remove it." Doyle ordered, as Tara reached for it. "We don't know how deep it went."
"But it could be poisoning him." Spike pointed out.
"Leave it." Wesley said, through gritted teeth. "We'll worry about it when we get out of here. Bleeding will just slow me down."
"Wes..." Tara said softly. Wesley sent her a small smile, before forcing himself to stand. He held the arm of his wounded side close, using it to keep the claw from shifting.
They exited on the correct floor, staring in awe at the battle waging before them. They easily ran along one wall, Spike's hand tightly gripping Xander's arm in order to pull him along. Soldier's shot and died, while demons clawed their way through the group of men. Blood coated the floor, causing many of the fighters to slip on it's slick surface.
They made it to the security room, throwing the door open and pulling the wounded inside. Spike immediately pushed Xander to the floor, hovering over him and checking his wounds. Behind them, Buffy was arguing with Angel over her order to release the demons.
"It was my choice, Angel." Buffy snapped.
"Yes, your choice!" Angel growled back, his eyes flaring yellow. "Your choice that nearly got all of us killed. Now Wesley is wounded, Tara's on the verge of being drained again, and why is this? Because you had to do things your way."
"This needed to be done." Buffy hissed.
"I agree, but you could have waited until we made it back here." Angel yelled. Doyle quickly rushed to his lover, pulling the irate vampire away from Buffy. Buffy glared at Angel, before sending Doyle a disgusted look.
"We need medical supplies." Willow announced. She was kneeling next to Wesley. Buffy paused, before snatching up the last of the gauze, bandages, and morphine. She walked over to help Willow patch Wesley up.
"This is ridiculous." Angel was muttering. "How in the hell are we suppose to get out of here? Did she even think of that?"
"Calm down, Deadboy." Xander hoarse voice ordered. Xander leaned against the wall, his eyes half closed. Spike huddled next to him, the vampire's nose pressed against Xander's neck and his arms wrapped gently around his mate's waist. "We won't get out of here arguing."
"He's right." Doyle said, softly. Angel scowled, but said nothing more.
"Hey, Tara. You okay?" Xander asked, turning toward their pack mate. Tara was kneeling next to Oz, a look of pure anger on her face. She had the sheet covering her passed out lover pulled back, revealing the bandages wrapped around his chest. Spots of blood had began to appear on the white gauze.
"I'm fine." Tara whispered, her angered face slowly melting into a tired expression. She looked up at Xander, her eyes watering.
"No, you're not." Spike spoke up, glancing over at her. Tara looked at him and shook her head. "Those bastards will pay, you know."
"What are you talking about?" Xander asked, frowning.
"Love." Spike took an un-needed breath. "Why do you think Tara is dressed like that? You know our little witch wouldn't show that much flesh."
"I just... I'm trying to not think right now, Spike." Xander admitted. "I feel like I'm blind. If I think... Then I'll have to admit to myself that you all feel like strangers at the moment. I can't smell you, anymore."
"We'll fix that." Spike insisted. "Besides, at the moment it's probably a good thing you can't smell Tara."
"Why?" Xander looked over at Tara again, watching as she slowly slid to the floor and curled up around Oz's sleeping form. Xander's eyes narrowed, before looking over at the others. Angel was scowling again, while Doyle was avoiding looking at him. Buffy and Willow looked confused, though Willow's confusion had a hint of concern in it. Wesley was wheezing, his face looking flush. Slowly, Xander looked back at Tara. "What did they do to her?"
"Don't." Tara whispered, her voice cracking. "Please, Spike. Don't."
"Got to, pet." Spike replied. "Got to get revenge, after all."
"No, Spike." Tara said, fighting back a sob. "Just let it go. I'm fine."
"I don't think you are." Spike said, sadly. Tara turned away, burying her face into Oz's neck.
"We need to get out of here." Wesley said, after a moment of silence filled the room. His face had turned a dark shade of red, his eyes dilated. "Before they figure out someone is in here."
"Alright." Buffy nodded, standing. "Let's get going."
Spike stood up and helped Xander to his feet. Angel walked over and lifted Oz into his hands. After making sure Angel had a good grip on him, Tara walked over and allowed Wesley to lean against her side. Spike sent Buffy a dark look. "You first, Slayer."
Buffy ignored him and dramatically kicked the door open. They stormed into the hallway like a group of bees heading for honey. Around them, cries of pain and anger rose. Gunshots echoed down the hallway. The group made it's way down the hall, toward the screams, with Buffy and Willow taking the lead while Spike and Xander watched the rear.
They entered a large room, with five exits. Computers lined most of the walls, half of them on fire. The floor was already littered with the bodies of both demons and soldiers. They moved quickly around the groups of fighting men and demons, going unnoticed for the most part. Buffy led them to a small, closed door. She carefully pried it open and ushered them inside.
"They're going to bloody well destroy each other." Spike commented with one last glance toward the large room.
"Let's hope so." Xander muttered.
"Hurry up." Buffy snapped from behind them, where she still holding the door open. The rest of the group rushed inside. Spike and Xander, now at the front, looked down the dark corridor, where only a few emergency lights were seen. "This will lead to the passage we took to get in he-"
Buffy's words were cut off by a series of gunshots that sounded far too close. Spike twisted around, dragging Xander even closer toward him. Willow let out a piercing scream that caused Spike to wince in pain. The door, which had been the main source of light, suddenly slid closed as something soft hit the floor with a thump. Spike's eyes quickly adjusted to the light.
He saw that Xander's eyes were wide and filled with shock. Knowing that his mate was able to see in the darkness as well, Spike followed his line of sight. He spotted Angel, carrying a sleeping Oz in his hands. Angel's face was set stone, showing no emotion. Next to him, Doyle was holding Willow, who was struggling to get out of his grip. Tears streamed down her face as she finally gave up and fell to the ground, sobbing. Tara had her face pressed into Wesley's shoulder. Wesley, face still red from a fever, stared at the closed door, his mouth open in shock.
Spike's eyes, now drawn, finally rested on the door. A dark streak of blood ran vertically on the metal door. The blood dripped downward, until it connected with Buffy's blonde head. Buffy sat, almost peacefully, against the door. Blood pooled below her, coating her tight, cream colored flare jeans. Her eyes, normally a deep hazel, looked blank and glazed over. Concentrating, Spike could hear her heart beat slowing until it came to a sluggish stop.
"Oh, God." Xander whispered. "Buffy."
"We've got to get moving." Angel said, turning.
"What?" Willow screeched. "We can't just leave her here!" Angel didn't reply. Spike, watching as Angel's shoulder became impossibly stiff, knew the vampire was trying to not cry. Willow pushed her way out of Doyle's hold and crawled over to Buffy's body. "We've got to bring her with us."
"She's dead." Xander said, softly. His eyes closed briefly. "Willow, we've got to start moving. Do you want them to break that door down? Those demons can smell the blood of a Slayer."
"He's right." Wesley wheezed.
"Shush." Tara ordered him. Wesley gave a weak nod and forced himself to breath easier.
"If we bring her with us it will be like leaving breadcrumbs." Xander finally said. Willow stared at him, resolve face wilting under her strung out emotions. "Willow... Please. We've got to start moving."
"I'll... I'll carry her." Willow insisted. "I'll use a spell. Please, guys! We can't just leave her down here to be... Be... To be eaten!"
"I'll carry her." Doyle offered. He gently pulled Willow away. Slipping his hands underneath Buffy's body, he lifted her up. Blood dripped from her soaked clothes and to the floor. Spike tilted his head in order to look at her back. It looked as though someone had gone at her with a machine gun. Doyle's hands slipped in the blood, but after a moment he was able to get a good hold. "Let's go."
They continued down the corridor, making barely a sound. Their soft footsteps and the sporadic drip of Buffy's blood hitting the floor were the only sounds echoing down the hall. Finally, they reached another small door. Spike quickly pried it open and they entered another corridor. This hallway had a series of emergency lights on the ceiling, enough to show a small staircase a few feet away. At the top of the staircase, they found another door.
"This should be it." Angel said, his voice soft.
Nodding, Spike turned the large lever protruding from the door and pushed his shoulder against it. The door gave way easily, opening up into a large clearing inside the Sunnydale Woods. Xander stepped into the open, staring at the trees as though he had never seen them before. He grabbed Spike, smiling slightly, and pulled him into a hard hug.
Behind them, Tara had let go of Wesley long enough to shut the door. She pressed her hand against the edge of the doorway, whispering under her breath. The metal seemed to melt, before molding with the cement around it. Blinking tiredly, Tara stumbled over to them, slipping an arm around Wesley's waist to help steady him. "That should keep anyone from following us."
"Good idea, pet, but we've got another problem." Spike said, reaching out to grab Xander's hand. He thread his fingers through Xander's, finding comfort from the contact.
"What could go wrong now?" Willow asked, sniffling.
"The sun's coming up." Spike replied staring toward the east. A bright glow was rising between the trees, drawing closer to where they were standing.
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Buffyverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Spike/Xander, Oz/Tara
Summary: When Xander decides to help Oz find the balance between man and wolf, he has no idea as to the events that it will trigger.
Warnings: non-descriptive rape. Het. Slash. Pack mentality. Character Death.
Chapter Summary: A battle is waged as our group attempts to escape, and another character bites the dust. And it's a big, major character, too! *is annoyingly gleeful about it*
previous chapters
Xander felt alive, and yet a part of him was dead to the world. The inability to smell his allies and the demons swarming around him caused everything to mute. His hearing and eyesight were fine, but being possessed by a hyena had made his sense of smell his strongest weapon. Now, he was almost fighting in the dark. And yet, fighting along side Spike once more made him feel so alive.
They punched and kicked and fought in tune with one another, bringing demon after demon down. The pain rushing through Xander's body, caused by the enemy attacking him where his stitches threatened to rip back open, was merely a side effect. He barely noticed it, and what he did feel only caused him to fight harder.
Demons from every walk of life. It was like a Hellmouth seminar in the middle of the Level D hallway. Cat demons, dog demons, lizard demons, someone that looked like he was half tomato. So many to choose from, so many to destroy. Xander felt as though he were in heaven. Finally, after two days of being picked on and prodded, he could fight back.
A charge of electricity flowed through the air, followed by the sound of thunder. Xander glanced back to see Tara standing by the elevator, hands raised as sparks shot from her fingertips. Her eyes glowed pure white and a wind whipped around her, causing her now white hair and torn skirt to dance about like the Goddess she nearly was. The lightning flowed past them, un-harming, and hit the demons face first. Five dropped dead, while a small group screamed in pain as the volts wracked their bodies.
Next to Spike, Wesley was shooting bolts from his crossbow faster than a Slayer was able to. Eyes narrowed in concentration, Wesley focused on hitting any creature that got past Spike, Xander, Angel, and Doyle. The moment a demon stepped close to Tara, they would drop down with a bolt sticking out of their forehead.
For a split second, Xander was thankful that a large number of demons dissolved or evaporated when killed. Otherwise, the hall would have been filling up with dead bodies.
"We need to get out of here!" Doyle announced, as his face shifted into demon form. He grabbed the shoulders of the nearest demon and head-butt him. The demon staggered back into Angel's sword.
"The elevator is moving too slowly." Spike grumbled, dropping down to kick the legs out of a large bird-like creature.
"The elevator is not moving at all." Tara replied, her voice tinkling. She turned around and pressed her hands against the elevator's doors. Electricity flowed from her fingers, causing sparks and making the metal doors shake.
Seconds later, the elevator door dinged, swinging open to reveal two shocked soldiers. Tara tilted her head and raised a hand. The two soldiers were grabbed by some invisible force and dragged out of the elevator. Xander watched, amazed, as they were thrown overhead and into the thicket of demons.
"Time to go, love." Spike said, grabbing Xander's arm.
They all rushed toward the elevator as a group. Just as Xander found himself safely pressed against the back of the small space, a scream of pain echoed in their ears. Ahead of them, just as he was stepping into the elevator, Wesley crumbled to the ground. Angel grabbed the front of Wesley's shirt and jerked him inside. As the doors shut, Xander caught sight of a tall demon that looked like a human shaped lion holding his bleeding hand in pain.
"Wesley?" Tara asked, kneeling in front of him. Wesley let out a moan and blinked open his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Bloody hell, that hurt." Was Wesley's reply. He lifted his shirt, to reveal a long, thick claw protruding from his side. Yellow blood trickled from the end of it, where it had ripped from the demon's hand.
"Don't remove it." Doyle ordered, as Tara reached for it. "We don't know how deep it went."
"But it could be poisoning him." Spike pointed out.
"Leave it." Wesley said, through gritted teeth. "We'll worry about it when we get out of here. Bleeding will just slow me down."
"Wes..." Tara said softly. Wesley sent her a small smile, before forcing himself to stand. He held the arm of his wounded side close, using it to keep the claw from shifting.
They exited on the correct floor, staring in awe at the battle waging before them. They easily ran along one wall, Spike's hand tightly gripping Xander's arm in order to pull him along. Soldier's shot and died, while demons clawed their way through the group of men. Blood coated the floor, causing many of the fighters to slip on it's slick surface.
They made it to the security room, throwing the door open and pulling the wounded inside. Spike immediately pushed Xander to the floor, hovering over him and checking his wounds. Behind them, Buffy was arguing with Angel over her order to release the demons.
"It was my choice, Angel." Buffy snapped.
"Yes, your choice!" Angel growled back, his eyes flaring yellow. "Your choice that nearly got all of us killed. Now Wesley is wounded, Tara's on the verge of being drained again, and why is this? Because you had to do things your way."
"This needed to be done." Buffy hissed.
"I agree, but you could have waited until we made it back here." Angel yelled. Doyle quickly rushed to his lover, pulling the irate vampire away from Buffy. Buffy glared at Angel, before sending Doyle a disgusted look.
"We need medical supplies." Willow announced. She was kneeling next to Wesley. Buffy paused, before snatching up the last of the gauze, bandages, and morphine. She walked over to help Willow patch Wesley up.
"This is ridiculous." Angel was muttering. "How in the hell are we suppose to get out of here? Did she even think of that?"
"Calm down, Deadboy." Xander hoarse voice ordered. Xander leaned against the wall, his eyes half closed. Spike huddled next to him, the vampire's nose pressed against Xander's neck and his arms wrapped gently around his mate's waist. "We won't get out of here arguing."
"He's right." Doyle said, softly. Angel scowled, but said nothing more.
"Hey, Tara. You okay?" Xander asked, turning toward their pack mate. Tara was kneeling next to Oz, a look of pure anger on her face. She had the sheet covering her passed out lover pulled back, revealing the bandages wrapped around his chest. Spots of blood had began to appear on the white gauze.
"I'm fine." Tara whispered, her angered face slowly melting into a tired expression. She looked up at Xander, her eyes watering.
"No, you're not." Spike spoke up, glancing over at her. Tara looked at him and shook her head. "Those bastards will pay, you know."
"What are you talking about?" Xander asked, frowning.
"Love." Spike took an un-needed breath. "Why do you think Tara is dressed like that? You know our little witch wouldn't show that much flesh."
"I just... I'm trying to not think right now, Spike." Xander admitted. "I feel like I'm blind. If I think... Then I'll have to admit to myself that you all feel like strangers at the moment. I can't smell you, anymore."
"We'll fix that." Spike insisted. "Besides, at the moment it's probably a good thing you can't smell Tara."
"Why?" Xander looked over at Tara again, watching as she slowly slid to the floor and curled up around Oz's sleeping form. Xander's eyes narrowed, before looking over at the others. Angel was scowling again, while Doyle was avoiding looking at him. Buffy and Willow looked confused, though Willow's confusion had a hint of concern in it. Wesley was wheezing, his face looking flush. Slowly, Xander looked back at Tara. "What did they do to her?"
"Don't." Tara whispered, her voice cracking. "Please, Spike. Don't."
"Got to, pet." Spike replied. "Got to get revenge, after all."
"No, Spike." Tara said, fighting back a sob. "Just let it go. I'm fine."
"I don't think you are." Spike said, sadly. Tara turned away, burying her face into Oz's neck.
"We need to get out of here." Wesley said, after a moment of silence filled the room. His face had turned a dark shade of red, his eyes dilated. "Before they figure out someone is in here."
"Alright." Buffy nodded, standing. "Let's get going."
Spike stood up and helped Xander to his feet. Angel walked over and lifted Oz into his hands. After making sure Angel had a good grip on him, Tara walked over and allowed Wesley to lean against her side. Spike sent Buffy a dark look. "You first, Slayer."
Buffy ignored him and dramatically kicked the door open. They stormed into the hallway like a group of bees heading for honey. Around them, cries of pain and anger rose. Gunshots echoed down the hallway. The group made it's way down the hall, toward the screams, with Buffy and Willow taking the lead while Spike and Xander watched the rear.
They entered a large room, with five exits. Computers lined most of the walls, half of them on fire. The floor was already littered with the bodies of both demons and soldiers. They moved quickly around the groups of fighting men and demons, going unnoticed for the most part. Buffy led them to a small, closed door. She carefully pried it open and ushered them inside.
"They're going to bloody well destroy each other." Spike commented with one last glance toward the large room.
"Let's hope so." Xander muttered.
"Hurry up." Buffy snapped from behind them, where she still holding the door open. The rest of the group rushed inside. Spike and Xander, now at the front, looked down the dark corridor, where only a few emergency lights were seen. "This will lead to the passage we took to get in he-"
Buffy's words were cut off by a series of gunshots that sounded far too close. Spike twisted around, dragging Xander even closer toward him. Willow let out a piercing scream that caused Spike to wince in pain. The door, which had been the main source of light, suddenly slid closed as something soft hit the floor with a thump. Spike's eyes quickly adjusted to the light.
He saw that Xander's eyes were wide and filled with shock. Knowing that his mate was able to see in the darkness as well, Spike followed his line of sight. He spotted Angel, carrying a sleeping Oz in his hands. Angel's face was set stone, showing no emotion. Next to him, Doyle was holding Willow, who was struggling to get out of his grip. Tears streamed down her face as she finally gave up and fell to the ground, sobbing. Tara had her face pressed into Wesley's shoulder. Wesley, face still red from a fever, stared at the closed door, his mouth open in shock.
Spike's eyes, now drawn, finally rested on the door. A dark streak of blood ran vertically on the metal door. The blood dripped downward, until it connected with Buffy's blonde head. Buffy sat, almost peacefully, against the door. Blood pooled below her, coating her tight, cream colored flare jeans. Her eyes, normally a deep hazel, looked blank and glazed over. Concentrating, Spike could hear her heart beat slowing until it came to a sluggish stop.
"Oh, God." Xander whispered. "Buffy."
"We've got to get moving." Angel said, turning.
"What?" Willow screeched. "We can't just leave her here!" Angel didn't reply. Spike, watching as Angel's shoulder became impossibly stiff, knew the vampire was trying to not cry. Willow pushed her way out of Doyle's hold and crawled over to Buffy's body. "We've got to bring her with us."
"She's dead." Xander said, softly. His eyes closed briefly. "Willow, we've got to start moving. Do you want them to break that door down? Those demons can smell the blood of a Slayer."
"He's right." Wesley wheezed.
"Shush." Tara ordered him. Wesley gave a weak nod and forced himself to breath easier.
"If we bring her with us it will be like leaving breadcrumbs." Xander finally said. Willow stared at him, resolve face wilting under her strung out emotions. "Willow... Please. We've got to start moving."
"I'll... I'll carry her." Willow insisted. "I'll use a spell. Please, guys! We can't just leave her down here to be... Be... To be eaten!"
"I'll carry her." Doyle offered. He gently pulled Willow away. Slipping his hands underneath Buffy's body, he lifted her up. Blood dripped from her soaked clothes and to the floor. Spike tilted his head in order to look at her back. It looked as though someone had gone at her with a machine gun. Doyle's hands slipped in the blood, but after a moment he was able to get a good hold. "Let's go."
They continued down the corridor, making barely a sound. Their soft footsteps and the sporadic drip of Buffy's blood hitting the floor were the only sounds echoing down the hall. Finally, they reached another small door. Spike quickly pried it open and they entered another corridor. This hallway had a series of emergency lights on the ceiling, enough to show a small staircase a few feet away. At the top of the staircase, they found another door.
"This should be it." Angel said, his voice soft.
Nodding, Spike turned the large lever protruding from the door and pushed his shoulder against it. The door gave way easily, opening up into a large clearing inside the Sunnydale Woods. Xander stepped into the open, staring at the trees as though he had never seen them before. He grabbed Spike, smiling slightly, and pulled him into a hard hug.
Behind them, Tara had let go of Wesley long enough to shut the door. She pressed her hand against the edge of the doorway, whispering under her breath. The metal seemed to melt, before molding with the cement around it. Blinking tiredly, Tara stumbled over to them, slipping an arm around Wesley's waist to help steady him. "That should keep anyone from following us."
"Good idea, pet, but we've got another problem." Spike said, reaching out to grab Xander's hand. He thread his fingers through Xander's, finding comfort from the contact.
"What could go wrong now?" Willow asked, sniffling.
"The sun's coming up." Spike replied staring toward the east. A bright glow was rising between the trees, drawing closer to where they were standing.