FIC; Let The Games Begin (2/3)

["JDMeans" <Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimers;
Buffy and crew belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, and trust me, Joss, Buffy's much happier here than she would have been with ol' Beefstick Finn.No money is changing hands here. If you take pleasure in my efforts, that's my reward.

Author's Notes;
Props to me mate Tony McD for creating the marvelous Terra Australis Incognito, from whence this little effort of mine springs. And thanks for the information and input, Tony. You're a top bloke.

Cathy Freeman, who puts in an appearance in the following, is a real personand one worthy of praise. The first aboriginal Australian to win Olympic Gold in an individual event, she has become a celebrity in her homeland and deservedly so. To her, 
I dedicate my story.

Archives; You got Terra? Go for it.

Feedback; Yes please. Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx

Rating; PG-13

Summary;
Buffy and her extended family are in Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympics. But so is a rather nasty vampire, who is wreaking havoc in the Olympic village.


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Terra Australis Incognito:
Let The Games Begin
Written By Kirayoshi
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Chapter 2
Runner

"Through the night,
Through the dawn
Behind you another runner is born.
Don't look back,
You've been there,
See the mist as your breath hits the air,

And it's underneath the moonlight, passing some,
Till your heart beats in the moonlight like a drum.

And you will run your time
A shooting star across the sky
And you will surely cross that line.
So pass on the flame."

--Manfred Mann's Earth Band
"Runner"

"I had worked with Willow on a possible presentation," Albert said as he and Joyce sat at the dinner table in her hotel suite. "I showed her photos ofthe artifacts I wanted you and your employers at the museum to see, and Willow was able to scan them into her computer and, what was that term she used, ah yes, 'burned' them onto this CD." He showed her the disc, and Joyce whistled quietly at the accomplishment. "Quite a remarkable young woman, that Miss Rosenberg."
Joyce chuckled lightly. "Hey, she survived being Buffy's best friend, she can pretty much handle anything." Albert said nothing, but only arched an eyebrow, reminding Joyce of Mister Spock. He then smirked slightly, breaking the illusion.

"Have you spoken with your daughter since arriving in Sydney, Miss Summers?" His eyes were alight with a knowing pleasure.

Joyce pursed her lips slightly, as she answered. "Well, yes, but probably not in any real mother-daughter sense. I guess I was thrown by Buffy's new relationship with her friends, not to mention her moving half a planet away."

Albert chuckled, understanding. "Not a pleasant prospect to be seperated from your family by such a distance, is it?"

"No, my friend, it isn't," Joyce confessed. "But not long ago, Buffy and I were thousands of miles apart even if we were in the same room. She--you know about Slayers, right?"

Albert now laughed wholeheartedly. "I'm a bloody Watcher, I'd bloody well better! And from what I have witnessed, your daugter is the best."

"Thank you," Joyce blushed slightly. "Anyway, she'd kept that secret from me for two years or so, but when I actually saw her shove a stake into someone's chest," she shuddered at the memory, "then watch her victim turn into a pile of ash, well, I didn't take it very well at first."

"I can understand your concern, Mrs. Summers. A less stalwart soul might have gone mad at the sight."

"Believe me," she ruefully sipped her coffee as she recalled her reaction to Buffy's secret, "I did for a few minutes. Just long enough to kick her out of the house, to nearly lose her for good." She placed her coffee cup back on the table, and said, "Never again. Xander and Willow are good for her,I can see that now. I'll be having dinner with them tonight, and I'll tellthem then. I may not understand this relationship of theirs, but she will always have my unconditional support."

Albert chuckled silently, nodding his head. "A wise policy, Mrs. Summers. Do not worry, my friend. From what David had written to me before he died, Isuspect that these three will achieve great things together."

"As long as she's happy," Joyce smiled, "then I'll be happy for her. Now then, let's discuss which items you particulary wanted me to show the museum..."

========

They sat at a sidewalk cafe in downtown Sydney, Xander sporting a black baseball cap with the Sydney games logo embroidered on the front, Buffy wearing a t-shirt with a cartoon picture of Millie the Echidna, Oly the Kookaburaand Syd the Platypus, the mascots of the games, and Willow cuddling with the stuffed Oly that Buffy had bought for her. What Willow and Xander had suggested just seconds ago had Buffy's head spinning. "You're kidding, right?" Buffy asked her two soulmates as they sipped their mochas, but peering into their hearts through the empathic bond they shared, she already had her answer. They were not kidding.

"Look, Buffy," Xander explained. "The last message I got from David, he asked me to look after Giles, and pointed out that the man's sweet on your mom. And band candy issues aside, those two have gotten past that whole 'you stole my daughter from me' thing they had in your senior year."

"Besides," Willow observed, "Giles is practically your father in every way that matters, except for genetics, why not set him up with your mom?"

"I dunno," she answered defensively, her eyes trailing toward the throng ofpeople milling the streets. With the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games just a little over twenty-four hours away, excitement in Australia, andespecially in Sydney had built to a fever pitch. It was easy to stare at the mass of humanity, both native to Australia and from around the world, who came to see the world compete.

"It's just that Giles, well, he's always been part of my life. My Slayerness. One of us, one of the Scoobs. Even if he doesn't like that title very much. Having him hook up with Mom'll change that dynamic. Like he's become something different."

Xander took her hand in his, delighting in how their emotional bond seemed to strengthen with that touch. "News flash, Miss 'I-have-sex-with-two-people', we're all different now. New rules, new roles, new goals. He's gonna beshuttling between Sydney and Sunnydale a lot, keeping the Slayers Council going, and he's not gonna have us around as much. And with you being away from your mom, it just makes sense that they should find each other."

"Hey, consider the plusses," added the redhead, taking another swig of whatBuffy once called 'more sugar than the human body can withstand'. "He's about your mom's age. He's smart. He's not a hardship to look at. There is a spark between the two of them, or else the band candy wouldn't have affected them the way it did. Plus, and this is a biggie, he's not a homocidal sexist robot!"

"Good points," conceded Buffy. "Especially that last one. Okay, so if we'regonna play yente for these two, how do we go about it?"

"I say just have them sit next to each other, or arrange for them to have some quality time alone, and let nature take its course," suggested Xander. "With the games starting tomorrow, we'll have plenty of opportunities."


Buffy sighed, resigned to the plans of her soulmates. "Okay, count me in. If it makes Mom happy, that's enough for me." She noticed a tall figure in ablue shirt walking toward them, and signaled mentally to the others to table the conversation.

"Hello, all," Giles greeted the three, who smiled back at the Watcher. "So,what are we scheming about?"

"Scheming, Giles?" Buffy looked at her Watcher with a practiced air of nonchalance. "Total lack of scheming here."

"Just reflecting on recent events," Xander added. "Y'know, life, the universe and all that."

"Forty-two," Giles stifled a grin. Xander and Willow chuckled knowingly, but Buffy looked lost. "We'll explain later," he added to Buffy.

"You chat with Mom recently, Giles?" Buffy asked. "She's been acting kinda odd around me."


"I spoke with her at breakfast, just before she left to speak with Albert,"Giles answered, as he flagged down a waitress and requested a cup of Earl Grey. "She seems to be adjusting to Trinity, your move, all those things. She said she wanted to talk to you about that later tonight."

"Glad to hear that," Buffy sipped her latte as she spoke. "I've been worried about her, about how she's been taking the way things are between Willow,Xander and me."

Giles nodded as Buffy aired her concerns. "I can't say that it's been easy for her. She was relatively calm about your relationship with Willow, but most parents would be nonplussed about their daughter entering a polyamorousrelationship."

"Gee, when you say it that way, it doesn't sound that good to me either," Willow commented. "Still, it's all new to us as well. I mean, who could haveknown that the three of us would be soulmates, or even have a child together?"

"Murg Dor, for one," answered Xander calmly.

Buffy and Willow turned to their companion, surprised at his insight. "Consider it, gals," Xander continued. "What's the first thing Murg Dor did whenhe blew into Sunnydale?"

Buffy winced as she remembered. "He hit us with that hate spell that turnedWill and me against you."

"Right," Xander said. "At first we thought that Murg Dor was trying to justbreak up the gang, to rob Buffy of her support system. But if that was thecase, why didn't he just cast the spell on Willow and me, turning us against her? I think he knew about Trinity, and by eliminating any one of us, hewould have won his goal. No trinity, no baby. Remember, that was his finaltarget during the War of the Six."

"But why make you the target in particular, Xander?" asked Giles.

"Because Willow and I were already established, and Xander was the odd one out," Buffy answered. "It was easier to turn us against him, because that link was not yet established." She took Xander's hand in her own, and added,"Now that we have that link, there's nothing that'll break this act up." 

Xander grinned broadly, then turned and kissed Buffy on the nose. "You're such a neat lady," he laughed happily, eliciting grins from the other three.Finishing his latte, Xander fished some money out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. "This one's on me, gang," he assured them as he glanced at Buffy reaching for her purse. "Now, we're supposed to pick up your mom and Albert, and plan our itinerary for tomorrow."

"As long as we make it in time for the opening ceremonies," Willow insisted. Giles, Buffy and Xander agreed. They planned to be there from start to finish. Like Xander had pointed out a couple of days ago, Sydney was going tobe World Party Central for the next two weeks or so.

And these three were ready to party.

========

Natasha Vulkavitch had been reprimanded by her coach for staying out after curfew, but she couldn't resist stepping out into the warm Australian night. She normally could sleep through anything, under any circumstance short of a runaway train, but tonight was special. In a few short hours, she wouldjoin her comrades in representing Russia in the games. She had earlier inspected her bow for the umpteenth time, making sure that the bowstring was properly tightened. She wasn't considered a favorite in women's archery thistime around, but she still had high hopes to surprise her audience. She knew she was capable of at least a bronze.

Abandoning sleep, she chose instead to stroll along the Olympic village, the area of the game site that she and her fellow atheletes would call home for the duration of their stay in Sydney, and meditate on the clear night sky. She traced the constellations over her head, and tried to locate the Southern Cross, losing herself in the serenity of the evening stars.

Around her, throughout the rest of the village, the celebratory air of the rest of Sydney may have been muted down, but not silenced. She had heard that the local stores had to restock their supply of free condoms for the athletes twice already. This thought put a smile on Natasha's lips. She had noted a few young men already around the village, some were even giving her the eye. She had firmly resolved not to indulge in any such entanglements while she was still on her quest for Olympic gold. After her final event, shemused, a wicked tingle going through her body at the thought, maybe...

Rough hands grabbed her from behind, and dragged her away from the lit walkways and toward darkness. Before she could effectively struggle against hercaptor, she felt the needle-like punctures at the base of the throat. She felt her blood being sucked out of her body. Then she felt oblivion.

Before the sun rose on the Olympic complex, a squad of soldiers had removedthe body from the village. The Russian team would not know the final fate of archery champion Natasha Vulkavitch. But someone already did. Someone who had connections to people with connections to people who could handle this delicate matter. The Australian military had already found two other corpses, similarly drained, and one of Australia's most prominent atheletes claimed to have seen the fiend responsible for the attacks. The deaths were covered up, so as not to alarm the attendees of the games. But steps were already being taken to prevent further such incidents.

========

The opening ceremonies were an incredible spectacle, and from their seats near the front(which Xander insisted on calling the 'fifty yard line'), Buffy and her family had a perfect view. The Parade of Nations, featuring over 11,000 atheletes, a breathtaking show of Aboriginal rites, displays that illustrated the history of the continent, a two-thousand person marching band, and a vocal performance from Olivia Newton-John, which had Willow smilinghugely. When Buffy noted the face-splitting grin, Willow answered "Hey, I loved 'Grease'!" 

One of the recurring themes of the ceremony was a recognition of Australia's aboriginal peoples, and reconciliation with them and the colonials who claimed the land from them. The final act of the ceremonies, the lighting of the torch, was a fitting symbol of that spirit. The final leg of the relay entered Stadium Australia, as Australian athlete Greg Norman passed the torch to Betty Cuthbert, who passed it to Dawn Fraser, who finally passed the torch to aboriginal native and Australia's best hope for a gold in these games, Cathy Freeman. As Freeman stood amid the fountains and fireworks, lighting the Olympic Cauldron, her face appeared on the diamond-view screens, her jaw set in calm determination, her eyes alight with pride and purpose. All in all, a triumphant end to a grand day.

As they joined the crowds filing out of the stadium, Xander, Buffy and Willow chatted animatedly about their favorite portions of the ceremonies, and what events they were particularly looking forward to in the coming games. Giles and Joyce strolled behind them, no less excited than the younger three were for their calm and quiet. 

Once they filed into the Mystery Machine, Xander took the wheel, with Buffyriding shotgun and Willow in the back with Joyce and Giles(stratigically sitting on the side so Joyce and Giles were next to each other). "I don't know about the rest of you guys," Xander admitted to the others on their way back to the hotel, "but I'm way too wired to sleep tonight. These next two weeks are gonna be incredible."

"I hear you there, Xan," Buffy agreed wholeheartedly from the shotgun seat."I'm not coming down for a long time."

"Same here," Willow added. She then leaned forward and whispered in Xander's ear, "Besides, Buffy and I have plans once we get back to the hotel, and you definitely figure into them." She nipped at Xander's earlobe with her teeth, just once, which was enough to give Xander the general idea of their 'plans'. 

It took a supreme act of will on Xander's part to not crash the SUV as he drove them back to the hotel. Joyce and Giles just smiled knowingly, Joyce catching the sultry look on her daughter's face. Yes, she decided, Buffy wascomplete now with these two friends and lovers. She was fulfilled, and above all else, she was loved. That's what mattered.

Xander considered a bawdy reply to Willow's veiled erotic promise, but was cut off by the chirping of his cellular phone. He fished the phone out of the compartment next to the driver's side(he was still getting used to driving on the left side of the road), while keeping his other hand firmly on the wheel, and was able to answer the phone. "Hello, Xander here," he announced. "Yes. Just a sec." He passed the phone to Buffy, saying, "Albert, Buff,he says it's important."

Buffy took the phone from Xander and greeted the caller. After a few moments of nods and 'Uh-huhs', she said, "Okay, we'll be there tomorrow." As she disconnected the line and returned the cel-phone to its compartment, Willowand Xander could sense the shift in her mood. From exhuberant to serious, Slayer-serious, in a heartbeat. "Wills, Xand-man" she announced, "I'm sorry, guys, but this just became a working vacation. Albert wants us to meet with him at the hotel tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. Apparently a vampire's gotten loosein the Olympic Village."

The announcement caused brief shudders among the other passengers, but, as Willow observed, "Hey, who ya gonna call?"

"According to Albert," Buffy continued, "it's just one vamp, but he's a tough one."

Willow's demeanor had turned as serious as the others. "So, Buff, do we turn this rig around and do the slay thing?"

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Xander admitted. "The way traffic is right now, we won't be able to get back to the Village tonight."


"Besides," Buffy answered, "Albert doesn't want us going in before the briefing tomorrow. The Olympic Committee doesn't want us to go in without preparation."

"Makes sense," Giles conceded. "A vampire scare at the start of the games could spell trouble."

"Yeah," Willow added. "This isn't a small town like Sunnydale, we can't just rush in like normal."

Buffy and Xander nodded in agreement. "Albert's met with a lieutenant Bodine from the Anti-Vamp Squad, so we'll hammer this out quick, then we can getback to the games."

========

"Lieutenant Bodine," Buffy shook the lieutenant's hand as she and her partners met with him in a conference room at the Sydney Sheraton. "I'm Buffy Summers," the Slayer began her introductions, "this is Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Albert Nameria and Rupert Giles."

"Glad to meet you," Bodine smiled as he and the others sat down. "I hope you don't mind waiting for a few seconds, but we have a witness to one of therecent vampire attacks."

"A survivor?" Willow asked. "How'd he manage that?"

"She," Bodine corrected Willow gently. "And how's easy enough; she ran likeBelial."

"It's what I do, Jake," a resonant voice answered from the door. All heads turned, as a short Aboriginal woman walked into the room. She was about Willow's height, and rather slim, and was wearing sweat pants and a runner's tank top. Buffy noted the tattoo on her left shoulder that read 'Cos I'm Free'. Nice motto. Albert nodded at his kinswoman, as she eyed the others in the conference room. Her eyes rested on the three younger people, a knowing smile forming on her face. "So, you three must be the Trinity. My cousin Jake, he told me about you when I told him about the vamp."

"Miss Summers, Miss Rosenberg, Mister Harris," Bodine announced, "meet our witness, Cathy Freeman." Cathy nodded to the others, who's eyes widened at the name.

"We're honored, Miss Freeman," Xander said as he shook the athelete's hand.

"Indeed," Giles answered. "We saw you at the opening ceremonies last night.And we look forward to seeing you in the games."

"Thanks, mate, and call me Cathy," she answered as she sat down at the table. "But if we can't stop this bloodsucker quick, we may not make it to my events. Games Security's having the Devil's own time keeping a lid on our friend, and if word gets out--" She left the sentence hanging, there was no need to finish it.

"So, Cathy," Buffy asked, "when did you see the vamp?"

"Two nights before the opening ceremonies," Cathy answered. "Shortly after I arrived at the village. I was taking a late night jog, to wind down, whenI heard a ruckus near the entrance. I ducked around to see what was up, when I saw him. Big, nasty, face ridged, teeth bared, blood coming out of hismouth. He had just shredded the throat of a mate, one of the Australian rowing team. I ran quickly, and once I figured out what I'd seen, I contaced Jake Bodine, my cousin in the Anti-Vampire Squad. He told me that the threeof you were here at the Games, so we agreed to inform you."

"You did the right thing, Cathy," Xander said. "Bodine, do you have anything on this new big bad?"

"Yeah, and it's not good news." He pulled out a manilla folder, and placed it on the table in front of Buffy, Willow and Xander. Buffy opened the folder, and the three of them looked at the enclosed newspaper clippings. Headlines announced; "Austrian Strongman Expected to Win Gold", "Kurt Schwarzwold Makes Olympic Weightlifting Team", "Schwarzwold Sited For Steroid Use", and finally, "Disgraced Weightlifter Found Dead".

"Kurt Schwarzwold was considered one of the strongest men living today," Bodine explained. "He was a shoe-in for the Austrian Olympic team, until he tested positive for steroids. Apparently he had taken some strong muscle enhancers, and when he was caught, he was promptly disqualified from future competition. Two weeks later, he disappeared." Buffy fished out a photograph in the folder, one of a large, musclebound man lifting a huge barbell, the weights marked at 500 pounds. Each.

"Oh my," Willow whistled. "He's a big one."

"His body was found on a lonely street in Vienna," Bodine continued, "this throat bearing puncture marks. The cause of his death was clearly a vampireattack, but was covered up in the press. We had contacts in Austria who monitored his progress, to make sure he didn't rise from his grave. When he did, we were alerted. It seems that Schwarzwold, before he died, had a majormad on against the Olympic committee for stripping him of his chances to compete. Now as a vampire, he can exact his revenge, one athelete at a time.

"His victims so far included two American male gymnasts, the Australian oarsman Cathy saw go down, and a Russian archer. He seems to select his victims at random, but always atheletes, and always at or near the Village."

"But we can't take the risk that he won't start going after spectators," Buffy confirmed. "Okay. One newbie vampire, the three of us can take him down."

"I doubt it will be that simple, Buffy," Giles spoke up. "Remember, he was remarkably strong to begin with, thanks to the steroids. His already phenomenal strength, multiplied by his vampiric nature, would make him far stronger than the typical vampire."

"Okay, so we need a strategy," Xander said. "He's been targeting atheletes,so I can go around the village in sweats or something, while Buffy and Willow sneak up behind him."

"No can do," Bodine answered. "We suspect that Schwarzwold has gained access to the master lists of known atheletes playing the games."

"So I'll be the bait," Cathy offered, "while the three of you attack."

"I'm not comfortable with that idea either," Buffy said sharply. "I don't want to endanger you, Cathy." Buffy had read several newspaper articles on Cathy Freeman since she first moved to Australia. She was aware that the Australian people had pinned their hopes for Olympic glory on Cathy Freeman's shoulders. She seemed to be holding up well enough under the pressure, but Buffy didn't want to add another burden. Especially since if anything had happened to one of Australia's most celebrated atheletes, Buffy and the others couldn't show their faces in Australia again.

"It is my choice, Buffy," Cathy answered, her voice calm, her jaw firm. "I wish to help, if you will have me."

Willow looked at Cathy's features as she spoke, then turned to Xander, commenting, "I thought I had a good resolve face."

Cathy smiled at Willow. "I'm an athelete, mate. Resolve comes naturally to me."

Buffy laughed heartily, saying, "Very well, Cathy, welcome aboard. Now then, people, let's take this beastie boy down."