Aug 27 - Field Trip
Title: Field Trip
Author: acswatwst (acs)
Rating: FR-18
Word Count: 1,602
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.).
Author's Note: I'm not good at writing action, so there isn't much of that here. Just use your imagination.
Summary: Buffy takes Romana and Joyce on a Sunnydale field trip. Willow and Xander come along.
"You might want to make sure you can get back in quickly," Buffy said, watching Romana, Joyce, a metal creature, and a cat, exit the blue box just inside the Restfield Cemetery gates.
"Got my running shoes on," Joyce said, holding up a boot covered foot. "We have to leave in a hurry sometimes."
"Good to know," Buffy said. "Metal dog and a cat?" She stared down at the cat as it started winding around her feet.
"K-9, say hi to Buffy," Romana said. "She's a slayer."
"Acknowledged, Mistress," K-9 said, approaching Buffy and sticking his gun out briefly before retracting it. "Hello, Miss."
"Hi, K-9," Buffy said.
"He's cute," Willow said, standing off to the side with someone else, a teen boy. "Is that a ray gun?"
"Yes, in essence," Romana said. "It disrupts the flow of electrons."
"It works against most things," Joyce said. "But we haven't run into vampires or demons so we'd like to test that."
"If we run into anything, we can let him take a shot," Buffy said. "And the cat?" She looked down at the cat at her feet.
"Is not a cat," Joyce said. "That's Chewie, he's a flerken. The monsters we ran into before ran away when they saw him."
"Ah," the boy said. "Doing the 'Look small and harmless, but hit them hard' thing? Like you, Buffster."
"Xander?" Buffy said, glaring at him.
"Yes, Buffy?" Xander said.
"What did I say about that?" Buffy said.
"Small is beautiful?" Xander said, stepping back nervously.
"None of us are very tall," Joyce said, frowning at him. "But size isn't everything."
"Sorry ladies," Xander said, "No offense intended. I bow to the superiority of the amassed power here." He gave them an exaggerated bow.
"And don't you forget it, Buster," Willow said, poking him.
"Hey! Watch the ribs, Willow," Xander said, jumping back.
"You've met Willow," Buffy said. "Xander likes to play comic relief and get donuts, but is excellent at last minute rescues."
"Never doubt the usefulness of a good donut," Xander said. "And surprise. Shall we get going?"
"There are two possible vampire rising here tonight," Willow said, taking out a small pad of paper. "John Doe 1, a hobo found down near the rail yard, and John Doe 2, a shoe salesman."
"They tend to come out of the ground hungry," Buffy said, leading them to two fresh graves near a large mausoleum.
"Are they usually buried so close together?" Joyce said, looking around. "This is a big cemetery."
"Usually stray vampire victims don't get buried in this cemetery," Willow said. "It's a little suspicious."
"Someone is being very helpful," Buffy said. "Putting possible vampires where we can easily find them."
"It's a obvious pattern," Willow said, "but we haven't figured out who is really behind it yet."
"Anything that makes it easier? I'm not going to argue with," Buffy said. "At least not until they try to start an apocalypse."
"A distraction?" Romana said.
"Missy likes that kind of thing," Joyce said. "Do something obvious while sneaking around behind your back. But this isn't her style," Joyce quickly added. "Usually. And she's somewhere else right now."
"Good," Xander said. "Missy sounds like an ominous name, like Buffy." He barely dodged a swat from Buffy.
"How long does it take for a vampire to rise?" Romana asked, taking out her sonic and scanning the area.
"The shoe salesman has been dead for a week," Willow said. "The hobo was in the morgue for a couple days before they buried him out here. There have been studies about the process of becoming a vampire, but it isn't consistent. It can take up to two weeks, depending on the age of the vampire that turned them."
A hand shot out of the ground, followed by another.
"Getting out of their own grave seems to be some sort of big deal," Buffy said. "You can tell how powerful they'll be depending on how long it takes."
There was loud clapping. "Giving guided tours now, Slayer?" A skinny, white hair male in a leather jacket said. Another male carrying a video camera stood slightly behind him.
"Go away, Spike," Buffy said. "I don't have time for you now."
"Don't worry pet, we won't get in your way. Those aren't mine," Spike said. He turned and gave Romana and Joyce a quick glance. "Odd company you keep, when that Nancy Boy isn't around."
"Should I start with you?" Buffy said, stepping towards him, jumping out of the way of a grasping hand.
"I can wait," Spike said. Chewie stepped between Buffy and Spike. "And that's no cat," he said, eyeing Chewie nervously. "We'll leave you to your business," he said, backing away from them slowly, Chewie stalking them. There was a strange sound, and a blur between Chewie and the other vampire, which disappeared. Spike took off at a run. Chewie sat there licking a paw clean.
"What just happened?" Xander said. "Did a cat just scare away Spike?"
"Not a cat," Joyce said.
"I saw something," Buffy said, frowning. "Not sure what but I think Chewie ate that vampire."
"Very likely," Romana said. "Hopefully it won't make him sick. Missy won't be happy if he's sick in her lab."
There was a growl, and the two new vampires who had pulled themselves out of the ground while they'd been busy with Spike charged towards them.
"Stay back with Willow and Xander," Buffy said quickly.
What followed was a brutal fight as Buffy took on both starving fledglings at the same time.
"She's taking her time," Xander said, his crossbow pointed towards the fight. "If there's more than one she likes to stake them as fast as possible, before they can gang up on her."
"I did tell you it's a demonstration," Willow said. "I'm not sure where we'll find a demon so you can see what that's like. She cleaned out Willie's a couple days ago so that will be empty of the bad kind of demon for a few weeks."
"Willie's?" Joyce said.
"A demon bar," Willow said. "She doesn't like taking us with her when she goes there. Usually it's just her and Giles."
"There goes the first one," Xander said. "And the second."
"What did you think?" Buffy said, strolling over to them. She'd taken several hits but overall Joyce thought she looked good considering what she'd just been doing.
"It seems to be more about power, and not finesse," Romana said. "Is it always like that?"
"Spike likes to show off," Buffy said. "He likes to use fancier moves if he has an audience. But most don't come out of the ground fighting like they're in a kung foo movie."
"Well, there was that one time," Xander said.
Willow nodded. "Some mobster," she said. "He was like some martial artist."
"Right," Buffy said. "Vampires remember who they were before rising. That one wasn't tough, so much as tricky. Had to really stretch at first."
"Buffy picks up new moves quickly so before she staked him she was as good as he was," Xander said.
"Better," Buffy said. "One of those Slayer things. If a fight goes on long enough I can access the moves of earlier Slayers."
"Genetic memory?" Romana said.
"Mystical memory," Willow said. "Giles can explain it better but the Council doesn't really know where it comes from, other than only activated slayers can do it."
-- -- --
"That was an interesting evening," Romana said, as they all entered the TARDIS for a ride back to Buffy's house.
"It's bigger on the inside," Xander said, stepping into the console room.
"You've said that already," Willow said, shaking her head.
"But it still is," he said. "So you travel around in this blue box? Where can we go?"
"We have school tomorrow," Willow said. "And you still have to do your homework."
"But time machine!" Xander said, giving her the puppy eyes. "Think of all the places we could go. We could rescue Jesse!"
"No," Romana said. "We can't."
"Why not?" Xander asked. "Nobody will notice."
"Some things can't be undone," Romana said. "Death is one of them. Those are fixed points in time."
"Sorry," Joyce said. "I asked the same thing, and got the same answer. Death is final. Not even Time Lords will bring back someone who died."
"Are we good?" Buffy said, before Xander could display his stubbornness. "Did you see enough? We had vampires, and those strange little things on the beach. And K-9 got to shoot a vampire."
"And that demon ritual we interrupted in the Espresso Pump," Willow said.
"Who does that in a coffee shop?" Joyce said. "All the coffee was ruined."
"I think I have a good feel for the capabilities of a slayer," Romana said. "I can think of several possible trainers, but we'll see."
"If you need something more, you know when and where we are," Buffy said. "Come on guys, I have to run over to Janice's and get Dawn. While I do that you can order some pizza."
"A Dawn special?" Xander asked, as he followed Buffy and Willow out of the TARDIS. "We need our own blue box," he could be heard saying as the door closed behind him.
"So, next stop, finding a trainer?" Joyce said.
"Yes," Romana said, throwing a lever and pressing a button. "The question is whether they'll be willing to spend a few days giving Daphne the basics."
"Will that be enough?" Joyce asked.
"It'll have to be," Romana said. "Unless we take her to them, which Alvin may object to."