Fic: Stormriders (1/1)

["buffythebushkangaroo" <buffythebushkangaroo@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Folks, you've got to stop trying to reassure 
> Anne-Lise that we love her work and we want more. 
> It never works. She'll never believe us.

You big meanie!

(You liked Enigma?)

> (Gee, I really hope this "reverse-psychology" thing works?)

*pout*

--

"There's no records of her on the computer, you know, Professor. 
Well, apart from the usual stuff... like school attendance records, 
passport applications, and all that. Her grades are well above 
average but nothing abnormal, except..." Jubilee frowned.
"What is it, Jubilee?" Charles Xavier gave her a quizical look. He 
was good at them.
"There seems to be a whole boatload of strange activity in the area, 
Professor. The local newspaper reads like a supermarket rag. Demons, 
strange lights, destruction of property..."
"Hmm. It certainly sounds like we need to pay her a visit," The 
Professor agreed. "Willow Rosenberg..." he muttered. "What mutant 
powers could you possibly possess..."

*

"We're about to come in for a landing, Ms. Monroe," the small 
Japanese woman informed her. "Time to buckle up!"
"Already Yukio? I thought we weren't due to arrive for at least 
another hour." The White-haired, dark skinned woman stretched back in 
her conformable chair and massaged her aching neck. "At least the 
weather's behaving itself!"
Yukio laughed. "The weather always behaves itself when you're 
around," she teased.
"We're comin' in fer a landing, darlin's!" The pilot called back 
through the open cockpit door. The plane dropped groundwards at high 
speed, slowing only at the last possible moment before landing 
smoothly.
"Well, ladies, here we are. Sunnydale!"
"Where the hell'd you learn how to fly, Logan, Disneyland?" screamed 
the white-haired woman.
Wolverine unbuckled and shrugged. "Wha's the matter, darlin', can't 
you keep up?"
"Always!" Storm glared back at him, her eyes glowing white. "Always!"
Logan grinned. "Anyway, don't blame me for the sudden landing. I 
got yer skinny ass down in one piece, didn't I? We sorta hit 
something."
"We did?" Yukio's eyes widened.
"Yeah. Some kinda energy field. Its makin' my skin tingle." 
Wolverine stared into space. "Seems ter be comin' from over 
thataway." He gestured with his hand, and an Adamantium claw extended 
out still further with a 'snik'.
Storm nodded. "Let's go!"

*

The attack came without warning, three of them. But that was just 
fine 'n' dandy as far as Logan was concerned. He'd smelled them 
coming from a few blocks away. The vampires tore into him with 
preternatural strength and Logan simply laughed as he rolled with the 
blows.
"Yer gotta do better than that!" He cried as his claws rent strips 
of flesh from the lead vampire. "I've got mutant healin' power," he 
butted another vampire, driving its nose into its brain and leaving 
it howling with pain on the floor. "An adamantium skeleton," he kneed 
the last vampire in the crotch and revelled in the flush of 
adrenalin. "And claws that can cut through steel!" The lead vampire, 
bleeding from a multitude of flesh wounds, staggered backwards. Logan 
closed in from the kill.
"They seemed almost like Morlocks," Storm suggested when the 
massacre came to an end.
Wolverine shook his head. "These weren't mutants," he 
muttered. "Muties don't turn into dust when you slash 'em ter bits."
"Then what were they, Wolverine?" Yukio asked as she stepped from 
behind Storm.
Logan pulled a cigar from a pocket and slipped it into his 
mouth. "Goddam vampires," he muttered.

*

Willow turned the TV off in disgust as Senator Kelly rambled on 
about the rights of Man. 
"Chauvenist prig," she summed up accurately as Buffy sauntered into 
the room.
Buffy came over and gave her a hug. "Hey you," she 
greeted. "Special occassion!"
"It is?" Willow frowned. It wasn't anyone's birthday that she knew 
of.
Buffy nodded. "One hundred days without intentional magic use!" she 
yayed. Dawn peered around the doorway, and then came in with a small 
cake.
The cake was pitiful. It was really a muffin with a single candle 
in it, but the thought meant everything to Willow.
"Oh, you guys!"
Buffy tousled Willow's hair, and then on impulse leaned over and 
kissed her cheek. Willow gave her a slightly puzzled look as Buffy 
stood up and backed off. Dawn didn't notice anything.
"Right!" Buffy said, a little too quickly. "I'm off on patrol!"
Willow stared after her. "'Bye..."

*

What had she been thinking? What...
"The Slayer!" She stopped dead, right in the centre of the 
graveyard. Even subconsciously her feet had brought her here.
She turned. "Spike, I'm really not in the mood."
"Who cares?" Spike grabbed her arms and pulled her close. Despite 
herself, Buffy leaned into his caress and kissed him. She felt... 
degraded.
*snik*
"What is it Logan?" Voices from behind her caused Buffy to break out 
of the embrace and back off.
"I smell... vampire!" A man burst out and charged Spike. No, not a 
man, Buffy realised. Shiny claws extended beyond his fingers. Demon!

*

Nicholas Fury looked up from his plastiform desk. Fury's office 
held an unparalleled view, set as it was on the bridge of the 
S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, currently hovering far above Sunnydale.
"So, what's our old pal Major Logan up to, Steve?" he asked as he 
chewed on his Cuban cigar.
Steve Rogers, once known as the hero Captain America but now a 
weapons analyst for the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage 
Logistics Directorate, cleared his throat.
"We've no idea, Nick. But he's right in the middle of the covert 
test area Professor Walsh was assigned to."
Fury chewed a moment longer in silence. "Think we ought to get 
involved?" he queried. "I don't know what Logan's trying to dig up 
here... But the Initiative is a whole can o' worms we don't want made 
public..."
Rogers shrugged. "I think we ought to keep tight surveillance. But 
I think Logan'll discreet enough."
Fury's laughter echoed out into the hallways.

*

Wolverine threw punches in a lethal dance with the Slayer, who'd 
taken the brunt of the onslaught to protect Spike. If she'd had time 
to introspect, maybe she wouldn't have bothered... But sometimes you 
just had to pick a side.
Buffy's kick connected with Wolverine's torso, throwing him 
backwards into a granite headstone.
"Nimble little minx, aintcha?" Logan complimented, shaking his head 
to reduce the daze. "Yer gotta punch like Sabretooth."
Buffy shrugged. "They're extinct," she said. "Like you soon will 
be!" She somersaulted forward and aimed a savage kick at Logan's 
face, which he deflected with a swipe of his arm. 
"You don't smell like a vampire, girlie." He got to his feet and 
sprang forward, spittle flying from his mouth. "So why're you 
protectin' the likes of him?" He jerked his thumb at Spike, who was 
nonchalantly trying to make an exit.
"You're going nowhere, sugar!" Storm told Spike as she hovered a few 
feet above the floor.
The newcomer's voice distracted Buffy for a moment, which was 
unfortunate as Wolverine's fist was then able to connect solidly to 
her stomach in a lethal uppercut that sent her crumpling to the floor.
Wolverine's nostrils flared momentarily. "She's not dead," he said, 
surprised.
"Takes more 'n that to take out the Slayer," Spike mumbled.
"Yeah, well," Logan advanced on Spike. "Time to say goodnight, 
pretty boy!"
Wolverine's slash was parried by a hand that seemed to come from 
nowhere, taking him by surprise.
"Well, well. Logan! How nice to see you!" A woman Wolverine knew 
well stood before him, her scent identifying her as clearly as the 
adamantium claws that still held his own, now that the wind carried 
her perfume to him. The reason he hadn't smelled her approach was now 
obvious... a portal closed behind her. "I've been tracking you... 
Biding my time," she claimed. "And now it seems I have allies in my 
fight!"
Spike stared. "Er, yeah. Yeah!" He strutted beside her. "Chums, we 
are! Old pals! Er," he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Who the 
hell *are* you?"
Wolverine's sensitive ears picked up the question and filed it 
away. They didn't know each other. Good. They wouldn't work as a 
team, so he could probably take them... Except the damn girl was 
waking up.
"Storm?" He called out to Ororo Munroe.
Storm turned her eerie gaze to Logan. "Yes, Wolverine?"
"We're outta here."

*

Spike watched the walking tin-opener and the weather witch flee the 
scene. His sensitive hearing also identified a third... demon? 
running away with them.
"So," he said, as buffy pulled herself to her feet. "Who are you, 
lady?"
The woman's eyes lingered on Buffy a moment. "Lady I am. My name is 
Yuriko," she claimed. "But you may call me Lady DeathStrike."
Buffy's mouth fell open as she stared at the woman's strange 
outfit. She closed it self-consciously. "My hat's got a cow," she 
muttered.

*

End Part 1.