Why stay on Earth? [Pg - M]

[Doc]

Just writing some stuff on her return home. I'll do flashback for her training and hunts she's been on.

[Rogue]

Good idea. *nods*

[Doc]

One year later.
Earth.
Buffy stepped off the ship she had…acquired some time ago, looking around the air base where she had landed. And, more to the point, the soldiers pointing guns at her. What a welcome home, she thought.
“Identify yourself, now,” the lead soldier ordered. He looked up the ramp at the intimidating figure, trigger finger ready. Buffy looked at him, sneering behind her mask. Not that they could actually do her any damage, but she could understand why they were nervous.
For the most part, it was the same equipment that all Yautja hunters wore. However, her chest was covered from the solid chest plate of a creature she had hunted some systems away. Her first solo hunt, one she had been proud of. The creature she had faced had been about the same size, if a little taller, with nearly no chinks in the massive bone armour it sported. Buffy had been collecting additional pieces to add to her own armour, and did not want to waste what would be a good addition. Especially when her hunting knife slid harmlessly off it’s back.
In the end, the Slayer found a chink in its abdomen, which allowed her direct access to the heart. A kill to be proud of.
Her plasma caster was also protected. Her first hunt, without the Elder’s guidance, had proven to be a dangerous one, and shown that even Predator armour was not infallible. Especially against creatures with acid blood. Buffy had almost died that day, and the scar on her back and sides were proof that she was no longer the soft cheerleader she had once been. The creature that had almost killed her now protected her, it’s skull covering her plasma caster, a move that had amused Scar to no end.
“My name is…Buffy Summers,” she said slowly. She looked at them, removing her mask. There was on scar on her face, that showing her completion of the ritual hunt that proved her adulthood, and worth as a Predator. It had been some time since she had spoken Engilsh. She wanted to get this right. “I have come…home.”<br>
One week later.
Dutch walked into the building where the girl was being kept, confused. Why would one of those…things not only leave a human alive, but also, by all reports, train her. From his experience, limited it may be, that didn’t make sense.
He saluted absently as he walked past the guard and into her cell. The girl looked up at him.
“So, you’re asking questions today?” She asked. Dutch nodded.
“Only two,” he said. “How? Why?”<br>“Let me guess,” Buffy said with an amused grin. “How did I find the Predators and why did they spare me? Right?”<br>“Yes,” Dutch answered simply.
“Well, that depends…Colonel,” she said, looking at his rank. “How much are you willing to believe to get the truth? How far are you willing to go to prove it?”<br>“What does that mean?” He asked. She’d asked these questions every time someone tried to get answers.
“You’ve had a run in with the Yautja,” she said.
“Yes.”<br>“You can’t believe they’d spare anyone they consider prey.”<br>“Can you blame me?” He asked. She shook her head.
“Have you found Riley yet?”<br>“He should be here…” at the instant, Major Riley Finn, head of the Army’s Rapid Supernatural Response Unit walked in. The look on his face said it all. Disbelief.
“Buffy,” he whispered. “It is you.”<br>“Hello, Riley,” she said evenly. “You are…good?”<br>“I’ve been better,” He said, taking a seat.
“At least you haven’t accused me of lying yet,” Buffy remarked.
“It’s coming,” Riley admitted with a weak smile.
“Any reason why Major Finn needed to be here?” Dutch asked.
“Because he can confirm, what I’m about to say,” Buffy said. Taking a breath. “The world is older than you know…”

[Rogue]

Your evil. Cutting it off right their.

[Doc]

I know. ;D

[Rogue]

[Doc]

*sigh* I just can't resist that tongue. ;D



“It’s all true sir,” Riley said. They were both standing just outside the door, discussing what Buffy had told them. “The stuff about the demons anyway. My team hunts them down.”<br>“Okay, I’ll buy that,” Dutch said. “What about this… ‘Glory’?”<br>“Real,” Riley nodded. “If I’d known this was going to happen…I should have stayed. I don’t know what I could have done…”
“Probably nothing,” Dutch assured him. “If she was as strong as Buffy claims. So, we have a Vampire Slayer trained by a race of aliens that hunt anything they consider prey – which is everyone – armed with weapons unlike any seen on our planet. What do we do with her?”<br>“She’s no danger to human beings, sir,” Riley said. “Her morals on that front are still intact.”<br>“You’re sure about that, Major?”<br>“Positive,” Riley said. “I say we just…send her home.”<br>“And where is home?” Dutch asked.


Buffy walked out of the cave silently. Nice of the military to give the old caves to her to hide her ship. Sure, she planned on staying, but she was a wanderer now. She had to keep hunting. The vampires wouldn’t be much of a challenge. That was Scar’s plan, after all.
Engaging her cloak, she moved off into the darkness. It was time to say ‘hello’.

“So you’re the one who sees,” Caleb said, holding Xander by the side of the face. “Let’s do something about that,” before he could drive his thumb into the young man’s eye however, the fallen Priests back exploded, causing him to roar in pain, dropping Xander to the ground.
“Who did that?” He demanded, turning in anger as Spike pulled Xander out of harms way. The Potential Slayers, Spike, Xander and Faith watched as the strange, armoured, to headed figure appeared out of nowhere. “And you are…?” The figure said nothing, touching its hand to its wrist. The second head’s mouth flared, firing a blue bolt that hit the priest’s chest. “You…” three red dots appeared on his forhead, in the shape of a triangle. “Oh…”
Then his head exploded. The First appeared above its fallen puppet, in the shape of Buffy.
“Well now, this is interesting,” it said. “And just who are you?” The figure cocked its head to the side, as if in confused, before revealing it’s ‘face’.
“Nice trick,” Buffy said. “But you’re not real.”<br>“I’m seeing double,” one of the Potentials said.
“Can it…do that?” Xander asked. Faith stood there silently. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t have dodged the bullet again! There wasn’t even a body!
“It’s her,” Spike said in shock. “I don’t know how, but…I can smell her.”<br>“Well, you really do have more lives than a cat,” the First commented, truly shocked for the first time in millennia.
“You, on the other hand, are using something that doesn’t belong to you,” Buffy commented. “And while you may not be here, now, I will hunt you down. Not that you’ll be worthy prey, I guess.”<br>“Prey?” Faith whispered. She wasn’t talking like B, that was for sure.
“And what gives you that idea?”<br>“Hiding behind illusions and puppets,” Buffy commented. “Pathetic.”<br>“And you little blaster trick was…?”<br>“If he hadn’t been about to hurt Xander, I would have played with him first,” Buffy commented. “His skull would have made a nice addition to my collection.”<br>“Well,” the First sneered. “Aren’t we a big game hunter?” It changed its form, showing itself as Joyce Summers. “What would mommy think?” Buffy snarled at it in a tongue unheard of by any in the room. Save the First. “Oh, well now I see,” it said. “A Yautja saved you somehow. That explains the armour. Interesting adjustments.”<br>“I will add you’re head to it, bitch,” Buffy growled, switching back to English.
“We shall see, Slayer,” the First cackled, vanishing altogether.
“You can’t hide from me,” Buffy growled.
“Buffy?” Xander whispered. “Is that…?”<br>“Hey, Xand,” her voice, her features, all softened visibly. She had been travelling for a while, but she’d never forget that voice. “Faith.”<br>“B,” Faith nodded. “Cheated death again?”<br>“Actually, I think we work together,” Buffy said with a sideways grin. “Spike.”<br>“Hello, pet,” Spike said gently, stepping forward.
“How’s Dawn?”<br>“Alive,” Spike answered. “Did my best. She had a bout of kleptomania, but…”
“We’ll talk about that later,” Buffy said, looking at the girls still in the cellar. “And these are…?”<br>“Potential Slayers,” Xander said. “The First – that’s the not so real thing you just faced down, by the way – is trying to end the Slayer line by killing them. It already blew up the Council.”<br>“Looks like I’m just in time,” Buffy muttered, tuning away.
“Where are you going?” One Potential said.
“Looing for a decent trophy after all that,” she commented. “Get the wounded to hospital. I’ll meet you back home.”<br>

[Rogue]

Interesting comment.

Nice chapter. ;D

[Doc]

Now, what trophies could she find. ;D

[Rogue]

Good question.

[Doc]

Sorry, I have no more to post.

[Doc]

It was an hour later when Buffy returned to the house she’d spent five years in. Oddly, she felt somewhat hollow as she stepped through the door, removing her mask.
Before Dawn appeared at the top of the stairs. Then it all came back to her.
“Buffy?”<br>“Hey, Dawnie,” Buffy said quietly. “You alright?”<br>“I’m good,” the younger Summers said quietly, making her way to the bottom of the stairs. Once there, she kicked Buffy in the shins.
“Ow!”<br>“What took you so long?” Dawn demanded.
“Long story,” Buffy said. “Short version, I got rescued by alien big game hunters who wouldn’t let me go until I proved I wasn’t prey. It’s taken me this long to do it.”<br>“You’re a hunter now?”<br>“After a fashion,” Buffy said. “I kept my morals, much to Scar’s disgust.”<br>“Scar?”<br>“The Elder,” Buffy answered, walking into the kitchen and setting her mask on the table. She then removed her plasma caster, chest armour, claws and wrist control, placing them with the mask and a strange weapon that looked like a combination axe, staff and stake. Her knife remained on her thigh, her staff in place at her back. “He trained me personally. He was a bit disgusted when I refused to hunt a sentient being. Of course, I impressed him by taking down two of these,” she patted the skull that protected her plasma caster.
“Right scary that looked, too,” Spike said, walking up behind Dawn. “Looked like she had two heads.”<br>“Glad I put the fear of me in people,” Buffy said, looking at Dawn. “Which reminds me. What’s this about you stealing after I was gone?”<br>“You promised you wouldn’t tell,” Dawn accused Spike.
“You’re old man, Bit,” Spike said soothly. “Not Buffy. Personally, I’m more afraid of her.”<br>“Buffy?” The Slayer smiled as Willow pushed past Spike and Dawn.
“Hey, Wills,” Buffy said gently as Willow’s jaw dropped to the ground. Giles stood behind Spike with a similar look, though his slightly less…attentive to what she was wearing. “What? Is there something wrong with the way I’m dressed?”<br>“No!” Willow said a little too quickly. “I mean…well, you know. You look… you’ve been working out?”<br>“A little,” Buffy said, realising how she must look now, muscles that once relied on Slayer strength now taught like steel cables beneath her skin. “If you count six months on a jungle planet, it’s time, I don’t know how long of intensive training and hunting the meanest things in the universe til now as exercise.”<br>“Really?” Willow said in shock. “Hunting? Like, bad things?”<br>“Nothing sentient,” Buffy assured her friend. “But some of the biggest baddest things in the universe.”<br>“Then why not go after Spike?” Dawn asked. Buffy looked at the vampire and laughed, harder than she had in some time.
“I’m sorry,” Buffy said still chuckling. “I forgot you called yourself ‘the Big Bad’. I…oh man I haven’t laughed like this in ages.”<br>“What’s so bleedin’ funny?” Spike demanded.
“I’ll tell you when Xander gets back,” Buffy chuckled. “You’ll see.”<br>

[Doc]

“Hello, Buffy,” Giles said. Buffy smiled up at the man.
“Hey, Giles,” Buffy said. “Brought you something,” she retrieved the strange weapon she had brought in from the table. “Found this in the vineyard. It was stuck in stone and surrounded by tools. I think they were trying to get it out,” Buffy shrugged. “Guess that makes me the Queen of England.”<br>“I’ll look into it,” Giles said with a smile. “Don’t go planning you’re coronation just yet, though.”<br>“Xander’s been a bad influence on you,” Buffy said with a grin, before pushing past Spike and wrapping her arms around her Watcher. “I’ve missed you, Watcher mine.”<br>“Try not to stay away so long next time,” Giles advised, clinging to her for all he was worth.
“I’ll try,” Buffy promised. “So, what’s been happening around here? Where’s Tara?” Giles’s face fell. “Giles?”<br>“We had some difficulty after you…left,” Giles said. “The Council got Faith released from prison, but…”
“These three gits decided to try take over Sunnydale,” Spike continued. “Faith stopped ‘em at every turn, and ended up getting’ two of ‘em jailed. The third one came after her with a gun. He got off two shots. Faith survived…”
“Oh no,” Buffy whispered, turning to Willow.
“I’m okay,” Willow said. “I went a bit nutso for a while, but…”
“Define ‘nutso’,” Buffy said. “And where is this guy?”<br>“That’s the ‘nutso’,” Willow whispered. “I killed him. Tore his skin right of his body. I…went into the magic, trying to get enough to bring Tara back. I…almost…”
“Willow, it’s alright,” Buffy said. Willow looked into her eyes, pain shining brightly.
“It’s not alright,” Willow said sharply. “I killed, Buffy! Not some demon. A human being!”<br>“And I had to kill one of the ones that kept me alive, Willow,” Buffy said. Willow looked at her. “It was the Rite of Passage. There were two others and I. We separated; I got my kill, hooked up with Junior, Scar’s son. At first everything seemed alright, but while we were looking for the exit, my mask picked up a second heat signature inside of him.”<br>“What?” Dawn asked. “How?”<br>“The creatures we were hunting,” Buffy said. “They enter a host body in a larval state, use the body heat to incubate. Once one’s in…” Buffy closed her eyes, remembering back.

“Junior,” Buffy whispered in the Yautja’s guttural tongue. “Did you…?”<br>“One of the face huggers got me,” Junior replied. “Slayer?”<br>“There’s one…inside of you,” Buffy whispered. Junior looked over at her.
“You’re sure?”<br>“I can see it, on the heat scan,” Buffy said, popping her plasma caster up. “You know you can’t leave.”<br>“I know,” Junior said. “Tell my father…”
“You hunted well, my friend,” Buffy said. “You gained honour for yourself and you’re people.”<br>“Take care,” Junior said. Buffy touched the button on her wrist, incinerating the thing inside of Junior…<br>…Killing her friend.

“I couldn’t leave him there,” Buffy whispered, a single tear in her eye. “He deserved better. I dragged his body out into the jungle, leaving the bomb all Yautja hunters wear in the testing ground, sent the rest of those bastards to hell…”
“Buffy,” Willow whispered.
“I never hunted a sentient being since,” Buffy continued. “My hunting knife and spear were Junior’s. Scar said he’d want me to have them,” she looked at Willow, rare tears in her eyes. “So I know what you’re going through, Wills. Possibly worse. But he deserved it. He was no worse than the thing that was killing Junior. Just remember the guilt. It’s what keeps you sane.”<br>

[Rogue]

Good chapters. *nods*

[Doc]

The next day, the Scoobies sat down in the lounge room, the SiTs either out the back training or just hanging around.
“I guess this all really started about…forty years ago,” Buffy said. “Scar, the Elder, has come to Earth on a hunt. He found one of the Order of Dragons hiding places under siege by the Knight of Byzantium. Needless to say, the Knights were seen as more worthy prey. Not that stood a chance. Swords and armour may have been good once upon a time, but not much can stop a plasma caster or a smart disc.
“Most of the monks were dead. There was one still alive, though not by much. He gave Scar a crystal, begged him to guard it. Scar thought it made a good trophy. Til it brought me to him.”<br>“Pardon my interruption,” Giles said. “But, uh, how did the jewel work?”<br>“Not sure,” Buffy admitted. “As far as I can tell, it created a link to the portal. I think it was made to keep track of the Key,” she hugged Dawn, who was sitting next to her, “and stop the portal from actually going where Glory wanted it to. A safety measure.”<br>“Bloody brilliant,” Spike muttered. “Takes the bint right to the bloody monks.”<br>“Well, not necessarily,” Willow said. “Right spell, you teleport the crystal to the Sun, or the centre of the earth or, y’know, orbit.”<br>“Re-entry without a ship’s gotta be killer,” Xander commented.
“Hmph, maybe the monks weren’t a ‘worthless’ as he thought,” Buffy muttered. “Anyway, the portal was redirected when I jumped through, to the crystal. I landed in front of Scar. Apparently every Yautja in the area had seen it, and started a huge argument over what was to be done. Some just wanted to kill me, others thought I’d be the perfect hunt. Scar, however, thought differently. He saw something else, he saw a hunter. So he devised a test. Thy chose a jungle planet, put together weapons and equipment from their trophies, gave me food and water for a week, and left me for six months.”<br>“You had to hunt your own food,” Xander surmised. Buffy nodded.
“Six months, I was on my own,” Buffy said. “Trying to find a way home. Then a rookie hunter, not even past his Rite of Passage, decided I was fair game,” Buffy grinned as she told her friends of the hunt. “It was…fun. I found someone who could match me, in instinct, in strength…<br>“Scar showed up, took me onto the ship. He explained, in broken English, that I had proven myself as more than prey. So, they put me in with the young Yautja and I got their training. Took me two months to fast track to a hunting group, and I was good at it. A month after that…me, Junior and Short Stuff had our Rite of Passage. Those things…” Buffy shook her head. “If they ever get to Earth, we’re out of here. Period. I’m all for fighting for humanity, but if those…things get here, we’re a lost cause.”<br>“That bad?” Faith asked.
“Acid blood, armoured exoskeleton, hive mentality, claws, teeth and no remorse,” Buffy listed. “If I never saw those things again, it’d be too soon.”<br>“Well, we just have to make sure they don’t get here,” Dawn said. Buffy didn’t have the heart to tell her little sister they might already, hiding in a testing ground for young Predators.
“After the test,” Buffy continued, “I was sent out on a solo hunt. The Predators, would pull a ship into orbit, send you to the surface and leave you there for a while. I racked up some good kills, tough bastards. Then I discovered something I didn’t expect. A wormhole, sent me… I don’t know if it was our universe or another dimension, but I landed somewhere I didn’t expect, I wouldn’t have even recognised if it weren’t for Xander and his obsession.”<br>“Hey!” Xander said defensively. “Wait, where?”<br>“Tatooine.”<br>“WHAT?”<br>“T…Tatooine?” Andrew said weakly, standing near the door. “Where Luke was raised? Jabba the Hutt? Final resting place of Boba Fett? THAT Tatooine?”<br>“Well, all but the last part,” Buffy said with a smile.

((( ;D So, Boba Fett battle anyone?)))