saga1chap30

Armageddon Saga
Chapter Thirty two: Anticipation
By the Lady Sirona ladysirona@LadySirona.com

Gertrude, the Proust Slayer called over to Buffy and Willow at the breakfast table, "Come on Prime, we have to go drill!" Willow smiled at Buffy's rapid response of popping up to go. "Throw a few in for Angel.. and the baby." Willow told her friend Buffy smiled and replied. "I will, gotta go.... COMING!" Willow nodded and watched Buffy follow Gertrude.
Gertrude Watched as Slayer Prime came up to her. They way she moved was pure lethal. Gertrude's appreciation of the skills of Slayer Prime was in line with the other Slayers. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" She asked Buffy with a wry smile. "We're going up against the Cucularaine today, and I will tell you, he has been a serious asshole since the very first day, and much worst lately."
Buffy snickered to hear Angel called an Asshole. She had called him a lot of things in her time knowing him. Cryptic Guy, Mr. Brooding, but Asshole had never been one of them. Buffy smiled. "I would like to see him try, he never could kick my ass. Like to see him try now!" Gertrude stared in surprise and then remembered. "That's right you know him, God he *is* gorgeous...” Buffy looked at her in surprise and replied "Guess you could say that," and them mumbled in a low voice "Don't even think about it." Gertrude continued unaware of Buffy's whispered opinion. "Too bad he is a vampire, or I would have gone after him in a heart beat!" Buffy was glad he was.
They arrive at the dining hall. The furniture has been pushed aside and the floor is open for battle
practice. The eight Slayers and their Watchers are all there. Weapons of all sorts fill the benches, and electronic equipment is on the table, headsets and some sort of radio equipment. Buffy looked at it all surprise... they're going hi tech?
Tirla walked in followed by the Cucularaine. The Slayers watched as he walked in with a sleek
predatory stroll. He was watching all the Slayers with a sly smile that Buffy recognized from her earlier dealings with Angelus. He was magnificent, powerful, sure and aggressive, and she stared at him possessively. He moved with the grace of a lethal predator.
Tirla stopped and began to address the Slayers. Buffy barely heard the words because her eyes were on Angelus. Her eyes appraised him as he stood at attention behind Tirla, her warrior at her beck and call. Jealousy burned in Buffy for the hold and obligation Tirla held over Angel.
She wasn't the only one distracted by him. The Slayers were also distracted by his presence, they could feel the silent menace, and his strength rolling off him in waves. The Slayer response to the threat of a vampire triggered their battle readiness and their awareness increased. Buffy watched him as Tirla's voice hums in the background, as she absently stroked her abdomen.
He scanned the Slayers, and then his eyes stopped on Buffy, seeing her motion and her unconscious movement as she strokes his growing child in her womb. He gave her a smirk. She stopped and stared into his eyes and her breathing increased. He stared at her possessively, and lifted his eyebrow at her and winked as she returned the gaze and looked him over head to toe.
Tirla suddenly reached back and slapped him, catching his attention and brining it back to the task on hand. He looked at her in surprise, and then his eyes unwillingly drifted back to back to Buffy
Buffy watched him, and unconsciously licks her lips slowly in an erotic display just for him. He
responded with a sly smile, and licked his lips unconsciously in return, as he stared at Buffy. She felt her insides contract with her need of him and a hot rush of lust and desire.
Tirla's voice finally registered to her sex addled brain, and she turned her attention to what the
older vampire was saying, ".. For the next few days we will train with each other. You will train with the other Slayers and you will hone your battle skills with the Cucularaine. This is where we seek to repair any weaknesses, rather than have them found in battle where the world can fall." Buffy registered the silent admonishment to her distractions and swallowed hard.
She continued. "Everyone in this battle is expendable. I am sorry, but saving the world can be
our only goal." She stared at the Slayers, descendants of the original Slayers and she looked at them so sadly. Like their predecessors, they would have brutal, short lives.
Buffy stared at Tirla and Angel as sadness clouds her eyes as she strokes her belly slowly again.
She looks away from him, the bleak future was too painful. Vaguely, she heard as Tirla continued.
"Once we go into battle, anyone who falls and is injured enough to be too incapacitated to protect themselves and continue to fight during the battle, will be killed by us. We will not be able to save the moderately or severely injured. I am sorry. We will need to keep the focus of the battle without worrying about the status of the injured. We cannot afford to have a raised Slayer used against us by the Demon lord. If injured beyond functioning,
the fallen Slayer's death will be rapid and quick, but painless. I am sorry but this is essential, the things he can do with an injured and dying body is too horrible to imagine," Tirla shuddered at the
thought, and the Slayers realized they didn't want to know what could make a 3000-year-old vampire quake in her shoes. "and will not be allowed to occur."
Tirla's looked at all the Slayers knowing she just scared the hell out of them. "Does any wish to
drop out now? This is your last chance. Once we start final preparation there will be no one getting out." She looked from face to face as they each faced their fears and their own mortality. Their chances or surviving this encounter with the Demon Lord was as high as their chances of walking on the surface of the sun. They all knew it. All they could hope for, was that their deaths would buy the world salvation. All any Slayer could ask in their brief lives.
Buffy stared at Angel. *God I want to ...* She glanced at the other Slayers and could see plainly
they all looked like they also wanted to bolt. But none stepped forward. Tirla walked over to the table and picked up one of the mic/headsets and turned to the gathering. "We will all be wearing
communication devices, to be able to talk to one another and the base where the Watchers will be. You need to learn to keep speech to a minimum. Back at Watcher control they will be monitoring your heart beats, and if your the heart stops the device will no longer transmit. This is how we will know where each of you are and be in contact when separated. You will need to learn how to keep in contact with one another."
They looked at one another. This was right out of the movies Aliens. Somehow the Slayers
thought the basic outcome would be the same for them also. "You will wear them continuously until the battle, until they are a part of you and wearing them is second nature." She looked at Giles who started handing them out...
Buffy watched as Angel puts his on... it has his name on it... she realizes that unlike the ones worn
by the Slayers, his probably didn't monitor the heart beat... neither probably did Tirla's. They had none to monitor. Buffy shuddered with the morbid thoughts and joined the rest of the Slayers as they put them on and start talking to one another in playful tones. Tirla looked on with the contented patience of a mother lion cub, with her litter of dangerous offspring. She watched them carefully, and she patiently let them play
Buffy didn't play with the other Slayers as they horse around and joke over the headsets. She
found herself staring at Angel. She was quiet. He looked at her and flashed her one of Angelus' wry grins. He never said a word to Buffy as he locks eyes with her with a possessive stare... and then she
heared it over the head set, a low rumble she knows is just for her... his purr, a low sexual purr. She looked up at him sharply at the sound and she felt herself melt. He knows the effect his vocalization has on her. He takes a step forward toward her but he stops when Tirla slaps him again. Buffy frowned at her. Bitch.
Tirla looked at him and frowns. Then she turns to address the Slayers. "Now we will drill with the
weapons. Try to keep talking to a minimum, saying just what has to be said. Too much talking and we will lose communication to the noise. Then, one after another, you will drill with the Cucularaine to finalize the honing of your skills." They looked at Angel with hesitation... They didn't like fighting him hand to hand... they certainly are not looking forward to fighting him with weapons...
Angel looked frankly anticipatory to the drilling with the Slayers. The flush of Battle, the singing
feeling of domination.... He licked his lips in an aggressive hungry gesture. His obvious bloodlust was distracting. Buffy felt herself slide into slayer mode.
The Slayers were paired off and are starting to battle one another in mock combat. Buffy was
paired with Gertrude, each have quarter-staffs. Gertrude smiled, "Ready to fall Prime?" She smiled, knowing she was going to get her ass kicked, but she was not going to show fear.
Gertrude smiled as she began her attack and swings, which Buffy blocked and countered quickly
with a resounding smack to the hip.
Buffy smiled at Gertrude's surprise at the quickness of the blow. "You so sure about that? I
wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, I got myself a secret weapon." Buffy gave a evil little chuckle.
Angel stands loosely but alert as he watches Buffy and Gertrude spar. She was magnificent...
*The* Slayer. All the rest were just imitations and she was HIS! He watched as Buffy swung hard, blocked a blow and then brought the staff back up to ready position. Gertrude suddenly did a rapid multi-thrust parry and got under her guard and landed a good strike to Buffy's abdomen. Buffy fell to the ground in order to protect her child. She curled in a ball fear running through her.. *Oh god the baby! *
Angel transformed and let out a roar of challenge that curdled the blood of all in the room. He
crossed the space in a heartbeat and grabbed Gertrude by the neck, quickly restraining her. *MINE! * was the only thought as he descended to her neck, fangs bared. He was going for the throat with a killing strike...
"ANGELUS! NO!" Tirla stops him with a gesture and backs it up with a Magickal compulsion,
stopping Angel cold. Tirla then she runs to Buffy. Angel stopped his attack on the assaulter of his
woman with a angry snarl and turns to Buffy, eyes deep yellow... fear ringing in his heart as he sees her on the floor. Buffy was rocking back and forth holding her abdomen terrified she lost the baby "No..."
Angel quickly lost interest in Gertrude and dropped her to the floor. She lay there stunned as she
realized how close she had been to being killed by the Cucularaine.
Angel ran to Buffy and in a second he was at her side... watching in fear as Buffy took deep breath
slowly. Tirla looked to Angel. "Angelus, take her to her room. I want her to lay down for the rest of the morning, she can come back after lunch. You however, are needed this morning with preparing the other Slayers. You have 15 minutes to return." She nodded her dismissal.
Buffy enjoyed the feeling of his arms as Angel picked her up and cuddled her close and nodded at
Tirla as he strode out of the room. She looked back at Tirla God, I hate that woman... * She glanced up at Angel as he is carrying her. She watched with love as he slowly calmed and transformed back to his human features.
She moved in his arms and pain from the blow to the abdomen lances through her. "Ow...” Angel
looked down at her and growled in anger... frustrated that she was hurt and held her tighter in a deeply possessive mode. She slowly reached up to touch his face, as he looked down at her. Concern and fear in his face. "I'm OK... Didn’t hit me low..." She told him as he frowned at the thought. He looked upset, and distressed. His voice was low and threatening. "She hurt you..."
Buffy looked at him with compassion in her eyes... he was so obvious in his love for her and his
concern for the baby... "Quarter staffs have a tendency to do that... I should have chosen something else.. I'm sorry...” He looked at her with a scared expression... "No. I want you with the quarter staff, it gives you a longer reach..." He hugged her tightly to him in a vain attempt to protect her from the horrors he knew would come.
“I should have known better." She shook her head ruefully, "I think the cross bow is better." He
shook his head 'No' and carried her gently. "God I can't believe how close I was to killing her... where the hell is my control?" He asked himself as he crossed the door jam into Buffy's room.
She looked at him with wide eyes... This must be incredibly hard on him! "Ask Tirla." She mumbles into his shoulder... she realized she couldn’t tell him... she couldn’t sabotage the work Tirla is doing, it could cost them the battle and therefore any chance they have to survive.
He looked at her carefully. "What do you mean?" He had the sinking feeling there was more occurring than he knew and his life was becoming a pawn piece in a grand inter-dimensional chess game.
"You'll have to ask her Angel. I am sorry I don't know the fine details..." She looks up with tear
filled eyes. "Please, stay, I don't want you to leave."
He looked down on her his love showing in his eyes. "Rest love." He told her as he lay down beside her. “I have 12 minutes” He looked in her eyes as he stroked her face.
She took his hand and guided it to her belly. She looked at him and confessed "I'm scared Angel."
He looked at her belly and then her face. "You are so beautiful."
"I am scared Angel. When she offered the out I wanted to take it so badly, but I know we have to
fight. But all I want to do is run." She allowed him to hold her tight. For the moment she felt loved and safe and there is a possibility of a future....
"I know baby and I want you to run so bad I can't stand it... I want you and the baby to be safe."
he rocked her gently.
Buffy erupted in feeble anger at the Demon Lord. "Why did he have to pick now?"
He looked at her with a patient smile. "I don't know, I don't think he cares if he inconvenienced us. Well, pissing me off is NOT a good plan... I think that is what Tirla's game plan is. Keeping us apart so you rip him a new one!"
Angel snarled. "New one my ass - I'm gonna tear his head off and shove it up his ass!" She looked
into his deep yellow eyes. Obviously Tirla's plan to make him possessive and battle ready was working.
"I love it when you talk rough,” she kissed him roughly, as he stroked her possessively as he his slid tongue into her mouth. She felt her passion build and her body pushed up against his hand.
"Mine" he growled into her mouth as he claimed all within as his own, and framed her face and kissed her thoroughly... He then pulled away and growled in anger. "The bitch is activating the compulsion spell," he told her in a low growl. "I have to return to the drill..." Buffy hugged him hard *God I hate her* He stood suddenly and loomed over her... grabbed her by the back of the neck and kissed her roughly..."Remember. You are mine!" he whispered in her ear and in a flash he was gone.
Buffy stared after him, chuckling ruefully. "Great, gets me all hot and bothered and disappears.
Boy, is that familiar!"

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