Snippet: Bad Hair Day

[buffythebushkangaroo@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Mad... Quite mad.

Anne-Lise.

-

Anya revved the engine of her custom gloss-black Pontiac Firebird 
as she waited for the lights to change.
"I'm sorry," said the car in a nasally whiny voice, "but I really 
must ask you to desist from that. Its bad for my injectors!"
Anya blinked. "Who asked you?" She floored the accelerator and 
nearly ran into a biker who was overtaking her on the lights.
"Hey!" Xander's voice called out from inside a mirror-black 
helmet. "Watch the Hawk."
Anya stared. "Is it me," she asked, "or is something a little 
different today?"
A black transit van with a red diagonal stripe on the side pulled 
up to a halt behind her.
"Come on fools!" Oz shouted from behind the wheel. "I need to get to 
the grocers and buy me some milk!"

*

The three pulled up together in the parking lot of K-mart, although 
Oz had to circle for another parking space as Xander had beaten them 
all there, and Anya had pulled off a last-minute turbo boost that 
sailed her into a perfect parking position.
"Love the moves," Xander high-fived as he met up with his lover.
"Love the air-brakes, Nighthawk." Anya stared impressed at the bike.
Xander put his arm around her shoulder. "Actually, its Streethawk 
now," he claimed.
"Ooh, I like that!" Anya squealed. "Its so... earthy."
Oz came over to join them. "Something really weird's happening," he 
stated. "I'm sure we don't own this stuff... And I don't really like 
milk...Gah!" Oz crumpled to the floor holding his head. A blue gleam 
flashed over his eyes and then he was back to himself again. "Sorry 
about that... I don't know what came over me. I'm going in for some 
milk... Be right back!"

*

Buffy held on tight and enjoyed the feel of the warm breeze as it 
caressed her hair.
"Airwolf to Buffy," Riley's voice came through to her ear-
piece. "Are you okay?"
"Great!"
"Roger that. Just don't get cold... Buffy?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you hanging onto the skid of a helicopter I don't know how 
to fly?"
Buffy's panic rose to match Riley's. "Tell me you're joking?"
"I wish... I knew a moment ago... Argh!"
Buffy jumped clear moments before the helicopter hit the First 
Interstate World Center and crashed and burned into the Central 
Business District. She hung for a moment, by her fingertips, on the 
windowledge of the 62nd floor before hauling herself up. If she'd 
seen Riley's face in the last few moments of his pitiful life, she 
might have noticed a blue fire in his eyes.
But she didn't, so no big.

*

Xander hung up the bike-phone. "That was Buffy," he said. "She was 
involved in a helicopter crash... Riley died."
"Oh dear," shrugged Anya without feeling.
oz pointed a finger skywards, "And *that* is why you'll never get 
me on no plane, fools!"
Anya raised an eyebrow at Xander as Oz slumped over sideways. "You 
drugged his milk?"
Xander nodded. "I love it when a plan comes together," he grinned.
"But... we're not going anywhere in a plane, are we?" Anya asked.
Xander's grin faded. "No... I guess not."

*

Adam stared at his monitors. "These are lies," he claimed as he 
turned off the screens. "None of this is real. The world has been 
changed." He paused. "It's intriguing, but it's wrong."
"Feels ok to me," Spike said as he puffed on a cigarette.
"You're under her spell just like the others. I seem to be the only 
one who is not."
"Really?" Spike rolled his eyes. "And what makes you so special?"
"I'm aware! I know every molecule of myself and everything around 
me. No one, no human, no demon ... has ever been as awake and alive 
as I am! You are all just shadows."
"So who's behind all this? You mentioned 'her'? Oh... Don't tell 
me... Willow Rosenberg."
"For a shadow, you are remarkably perceptive. Yes it is this Willow 
Rosenberg who has changed the world, however unwittingly."
Spike frowned. "So why don't you do something? Hey, you could kill 
her! That would make the Slayer sad... And I'm all for that!"
Adam sighed. "I don't need to do anything. These magicks are 
unstable... corrosive. They will inevitably lead to chaos." Adam 
smiled, although it was difficult to tell if he was sincere. "And I 
am interested in chaos."

*

Tara rolled into her apartment, literally, in a tight figure-
hugging black leather catsuit.
"Willow, w...wake up!" Tara rolled to a halt next to the bed. "B... 
Bosley needs our help!"
She took a closer look at Willow and realised that something was 
seriously wrong with Willow, who lay with her eyes open but 
unfocused, breathing shallowly. She decided to radio in for backup.

*

Cordelia sunned herself by the pool. Admirers who stared kept 
falling in with a "Wah!" but she didn't notice.
"What's that? Willow's in trouble? I'll be right there..."

*

Harmony prodded her victim with her Sears boot. "Are you really 
dead?" she asked cluelessly. The dead body failed to move. "I guess 
so." Her mobile rang, so she answered it on the third 
attempt. "Hello? Willow's in trouble?"

*

End Snippet.