Aug 30th - The Cavalry
Title: The Cavalry
Author: acswatwst (acs)
Rating: FR-18
Word Count: 1,737
Crossover: BtVS / Dr Who / Clifford B. Hicks: Alvin's Secret Code
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work. All BtVS characters and concepts belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox Television, and others. The BBC owns all things Dr Who (K-9, Romana, etc.). Riverton, its residents and the events that occur there belong the the estate of Clifford B. Hicks.
Author's Note: Some action, some exposition.
Summary: Buffy and Daphne go demon hunting, with a little help from K-9. Meanwhile, Missy takes the Scoobies on an adventure they won't soon forget.
"So, let's put the books away and get ready for a demon hunt," Buffy said. "If you don't mind the assistance?" she said, looking at Daphne. "It's your town."
"Plenty of them for both of us, I think," Daphne said.
"What do you have for weapons?" Buffy asked, looking around the room.
"A machete," Daphne said, "and some of Alvin's inventions."
"I'm still working on them," Alvin said reluctantly. "They mostly work as a distraction right now. They aren't strong enough for these demons. Not sure they'd even work on vampires."
"Anything else?" Buffy said. She wasn't too worried, yet. Improvising was a thing. Before Giles found her many sharp and pointy things, she'd used whatever she could find.
"There's this," Daphne said, holding up an old cavalry sword. "I found it in Mr. Link's attic. The machete works better for me."
"Okay," Buffy said. "I'll take that. You have experience with your machete so that's good. It's better than a knife, it gives you some distance from things but can be used for chopping." She took the sword, and stepping away from the others, went thru a series of movements to get a feel for it.
"What about us?" Joyce said.
"Can you use anything with a pointy end?" Buffy asked. "Are there any cool alien weapons in the TARDIS?"
"No," Romana said. "The kinds of battle it can be used for are at a different scale than this."
"Missy has some things," Joyce said.
"Which, if she didn't take them with her, are likely boobytrapped," Romana said, shaking her head.
"Can you get the Wardrobe to at least get you some kind of armor or thick material to protect you from these demons? They probably have sharp claws and teeth. Even a leather jacket would be better than nothing," Buffy said. "Or the two of you can stay here where it's mostly safe."
"We should stay here," Romana said, nodding in agreement.
"Why?" Joyce asked. "Sure, we aren't superheroes like them, but neither is Alvin."
"Because they would have to spend time protecting us instead of actually hunting these demons," Romana said. "And Alvin should stay here also."
"I'd rather not have to worry about you," Buffy said, agreeing with her. "She is right about that being a distraction."
"They can move faster than we can," Alvin said. "Why don't we try to find out more about thesm? There must be a reason they're in Riverton. I don't think we have anything mystical in town to attract any demons."
"Okay, but I'll need coffee for this," Joyce said, sighing. "And no getting killed! By anyone!"
"Yes, Mom," Buffy said, winking at her. She turned to Daphne, "Let's go see if the Wardrobe has anything we can wear. The key being protective but not restrictive."
"Okay," Daphne said, grinning.
-- -- --
"How many have you killed so far?" Buffy asked, as the demons surrounded them out near the old chemical plant. "Are they all here now?"
"Three," Daphne said, back to back with Buffy.
"That's what I thought. Four left. This might hurt," Buffy said. "Though my research people said killing the matriarch would take care of the rest, in some way."
"How do we know which one that is?" Daphne said.
"The book didn't say," Buffy said. "But, that one has a fancier head jewel, and longer claws." She turned them so Daphne could see the one she was talking about.
"Think they'll protect her, or will she attack first?" Daphne said. "If they're pack creatures don't they follow the lead of the one in charge?"
"Their 'alpha'?" Buffy said. "That might make it difficult. Let's find out." Buffy turned them so she was once again facing the one they assumed was the leader. Stomping on the ground to get their attention, she took a step forward. Two of the demons immediately stepped in front of their leader.
"That answers that," Buffy said. "They'll protect her. So we'll have to whittle them down."
"We're outnumbered," Daphne said nervously.
"That's a consideration," Buffy said. "But that's why they pay us the big bucks."
"I'm not getting paid," Daphne said, frowning. "I don't even get any extra allowance."
"I don't either," Buffy said. "But I'm sure we can convince your brother to invent something to pay the slaying bills. In fact, I have this awesome crossbow, that is easy to arm, for a slayer, and never misses. I'm pretty sure he designs it someday."
"It would be useful right now," Daphne said. "Right now his things that throw pointy objects bounce off these guys."
"We just need to survive this and you can give him feedback," Buffy said. "I know he can do it, and I don't know him that well."
"Okay. Time to whittle?" Daphne said. "The same one or a different one."
"If we stall too long, they'll either attack or run away," Buffy said. "And the cavalry probably isn't coming. We don't want them runnign away. Let's try one each."
"Okay," Daphne said, preparing to attack one of the demons, ready to try out what she'd learned from Mr. Miyagi against a real demon.
Buffy charged towards the matriarch and its guards, attempting to engage both of them at the same time.
Daphne attacked the one closest to her, which was separated from the others. Swinging her machete, she managed to slash it but not do any serious damage. "Too far away," she said. "It won't come closer."
"Yeah," Buffy said, stabbing at the demon closest to her. It dodged her sword, taking a swipe at her in return. "They don't seem to be in any hurry." She blocked a clawed hand from the other one. "Not good."
"Got it!" Daphne said triumphantly, ducking under the demon's next swipe and chopping its head off. She quickly turned to the other demon that had been watching them fight the others.
There was a strange sound and a bright light cut across the parking lot, hitting one of the demons Buffy was fighting, stunning it briefly. Buffy took advantage of the distraction and stabbed it through the jewel on its forehead. Before she could step back, its head exploded.
"Yuck!" Buffy said, wiping demon goo from her face. "Watch out for the explosion if you hit that jewel," she shouted to Daphne. "And thanks, K-9, wherever you are."
"Yes, Miss," K-9 chirped from out of sight.
"And another," Daphne said, slashing the other demon across its jewel. Learning from Buffy's experience she'd dropped to the ground and rolled away as soon as her machete connected, avoiding a shower of demon goo.
"Things are looking up," Buffy said, darting over and pulling her to her feet. "The cavalry is small but they have a big punch."
"Two left," Daphne said breathing heavily. "Is it always like this?"
"On a bad day," Buffy said, keeping an eye on the remaining demons. "But usually it's a bunch of vampires ganging up on us, not things like this. Which aren't as tough as the book says they are."
"K-9! You help Daphne," Buffy said, aiming her voice to where she thought he was. "Get the last guard," Buffy said. "I'll go for the matriarch."
"Got it," Daphne said.
The combination of K-9 and Daphne made short work of the last guard demon. Buffy, on the other hand, wasn't getting past the remaining demon's claws, and was covered in deep scratches.
"We need to help her," Daphne said, as she and K-9 watched.
"Affirmative, Miss," K-9 said, then tried to circle around Buffy and the demon to get in a good shot.
Before he could find a good angle, Buffy jumped up as high as she could, in a pseudo-cheerleading move that would have horrified Giles if he saw it. Avoiding the demon's claws, she used its head as a launching point to go even higher, stabbing down into its jewel in passing. "Down!" she shouted at Daphne, tumbling to the ground and away from the demon which exploded in an even more spectacular fashion than the others had, leaving just a goo covered spot.
"We did it!" Daphne said, running around the puddles of quickly dissolving demon goo to help Buffy to her feet.
"Yup!" Buffy said. "All three of us."
"Yes!" Daphne said. "Thanks K-9!"
"Gonna need to throw these clothes out," Buffy said, look at herself and Daphne. "I hope the TARDIS has an incinerator."
-- -- --
Stepping out of the TARDIS in the Sunnydale High library, Buffy stared at her friends in shock.
"How long were we gone?" she asked, looking at Giles wearing a bandage on his head, Xander with one arm in a cast, and Willow with crutches.
"A day," Willow said grumpily from where she was sitting down.
"And this happened in one day?" Buffy said. She turned towards Romana, who was right behind her. "Time machine!" she sputtered. "We should have been back a minute after we left."
"Yes, we should have," Romana said, frowning. "Where's Missy?"
"What did Missy do this time," Joyce said, standing next to her.
"She wanted to see the Master's cave," Xander said. "She was looking for something, she said."
"It wasn't empty," Willow said. "Spike and some crazy female vampire were down there looking for something also. We barely got away from the minions."
"Where is she now?" Joyce said. "Did she get what she was looking for?"
"She said it wasn't there," Willow said. "She's out there somewhere, poking around."
"And no one tried to stop her?" Buffy said.
"Us?" Xander said. "That woman is dangerous."
"Quite," Giles said. "She hasn't changed."
"Well, it hasn't been that long since we had that meeting with Ethan," Joyce said. "So she's run off, again. Can we leave her here?" she said to Romana, who was scanning Giles with her sonic.
"No, no, no!" Willow said, quickly. "We don't need that kind of chaos. Even if she scared that female vampire."
"She's all yours," Buffy said, grimacing. "Sorry."
"We can fix this," Romana said, scanning Willow and Xander next. "Let's take them down to the TARDIS infirmary."
"Alien medicine?" Willow said. "Will it work on us?"
"Yes," Joyce said, nodding. "If Idris likes you it will, and it feels like she does."
"Okay," Willow said, standing up and grabbing her crutches. "Lead on. Fixing first. We'll talk about your trip later," she said, giving Buffy a look.