Terra Australis Incognito 13-15/29

["Tony McD" <cdreramius@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 13-15/29 
AUTHOR: Tony McD (o163210@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit. 
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.
SPOILERS: AU around season 4. 
RATING: R (for language)



Authors Note: I'll be posting the entire series in sequential order over the next week or 2. The stories are (in order) Terra Australis Incognito, La Vita Nuova (written by Kirayoshi), Let the Games Begin (also by Kirayoshi),Bucket Full of Sunshine, Trinity's Child, and Destiny's End.

 
Chapter 13
 

It was a sight for sore eyes, Giles thought to himself. Buffy and Willow, freed of the spell that turned them against Xander, where making up for losttime. They joked with him, watched TV with him, and generally smothered him with lots of hugs. Xander, for his part, had responded well to the attention, even cracking a joke or two. But every now and then, Xander would retreat back into himself. It was a clear sign that he would need more than a few hours to recover the damage done to him.

 

"Doesn't it just make you want to vomit." Spike said as he entered the room.

 

"One more comment from you Spike and you will have a date with the dust buster." Buffy shot back. Spike just shrugged. He knew she wouldn't do it.

 

"So, someone is out to get you lot." Spike said upbeatly. "I like them already."

 

"We need to find out who cast that spell." Giles said, removing his glassesand cleaning them.

 

"We need to find them and kick their ass." Buffy said with some vehemence.

 

"OK, we don't know who or what did this. But do we know why they did it? Why turn Buffy and Willow against Xander? What purpose does it serve? What isthere to gain?" David pondered. Blank looks from Giles, Willow and Buffy. A shrug from Xander and a look of amazement from Spike.

 

"Bloody hell! You lot are stupid. Who ever it was wanted to break up the Scooby Gang. Without them, Goldie Locks here would be dead in no time. You want to kill her, separate her from her friends first. Probably would have later made Red and Goldie Locks have a lovers tiff." Spike said. "I only wishI had thought of it before I got this bloody chip."

 

Giles took a moment for the information to sink in. Spike was right. Someone was out to get Buffy. Then the rest of what Spike said registered.

 

"A lovers WHAT? Bloody Hell!" Giles exclaimed.

 

"Yes, Buffy and Willow are lovers, welcome to the 21st century, blah, blah,blah. Can we get back to the matter at hand?" David told his father. Out of the corner of his eye David saw the momentary look that crossed Xander face when he said that. Not good.

 

"How did you know?" Willow asked, shocked that Spike was privy to such personal information.

 

"It's all over town. Some demon saw you to snogging and now it's the talk of Sunnydale's demon population." Spike laughed. "You should see the expression on your face, Red. Priceless." 

 

The look that Buffy gave Spike made him doubt his belief that she wouldn't slay him.

 

"Look, I don't give a fuck what Buffy and Willow get up to together. There is a big evil out there with the Scooby Gang in its sights. We need to findout more information." David said, a little frustrated at the diversion.

 

"Sounds like a research party in the making." Xander suggested.

 

"Research party?" David asked, puzzled.

 

"Yeah. We crack out the books, look up the evil and eat donuts." Xander smiled, thinking of the good times in the library. David looked at Xander funny.

 

"You guys need a life." he said.

 

"Yes, we should try to research who or what did this. But I'm afraid that we don't have much to go on." Giles informed the group.

 

"Start the research, I've got an idea on how to get more info on this." David looked at his watch. "Shit. I've got a meeting with Huckleberry Hound in20 minutes." said David.

 

"Huckleberry Hound?" asked Buffy.

 

"Riley Finn." David informed her. When she gave him a confused look, he continued.

 

"When I read the briefing papers before I came, I saw that the liaison guy was Riley Finn from Iowa. With the name Finn and coming from Iowa, I naturally called him Huckleberry Finn. Then when I saw his soldiering ability, I feel that Huckleberry Hound is more appropriate." Xander had a good chuckleat that.

 

"Before you go David." Buffy said, walking over to David. "We owe you for helping get things normal again."

 

"No worries. Only glad I could help my friend." dismissed David.

 

"No. I really owe you and I would like to repay you." Buffy said. Before anyone could blink, Buffy's knee crashed into David's testicles, causing him to collapse in a heap. Giles, Spike and Xander all winced in sympathy pain at the blow. Buffy smiled sweetly.

 

"Now we are even." she said brightly.

 

It was 10 minutes before David had recovered enough to leave for his meeting.

 

Chapter 14
 

The gang started to research possible suspects who had the power to cast the hate spell. They had little to go on, however they could rule out the normal run of the mill demons. They lacked the magic or the smarts for such a spell. Buffy, for her part, decided to go for the donuts and the packet of Twinkies Xander had requested. She had just left when David came running in.

 

"Wow. That was a quick meeting." Xander observed.

 

"Well, meetings tend to be short when one side is dead." David deadpanned.

 

"What?" Giles said, not quite getting what David was driving at.

 

"Riley and the Initiative are dead." David said slowly.

 

"What? How? Who?" Willow babbled, stunned at the news.

 

"All very good questions. What ever it was, it was definitely not a vampire. Vampires like to drink their victim's blood. Whatever this was liked to paint the room with it. Also whatever it was, it ain't no ordinary demon. The bodies of the soldiers, well what was left of them, had guns and there was probably a thousand empty cartridges laying around. Whatever it was took nearly a thousand rounds and still felt healthy enough to tear every livingthing in the complex apart." David said, the images of the bodies of soldiers, scientists, and captured demons ripped apart like roast chickens stillfresh in his mind.

 

"We need to warn Buffy." Willow said anxiously. David looked around.

 

"Where is she?" he asked.

 

"On a doughnut run." Xander told him.

 

"Well she should be OK until she gets back. Hopefully she won't be too long." David paused for a second to gather his thoughts. Time to take charge. "OK, we know how this thing operates, that should give us an idea on what tolook for." David said.

 

"Could what ever killed the Initiative be the same thing that cast the hatespell?" Willow said, afraid for Buffy's life.

 

"Probably not." Giles informed her. "From the description of the brutality and viciousness of the attack, it indicates that what ever we are dealing with is savage, physically powerful, a killing machine of sorts. That usually precludes any real powerful spell casting ability. But I suppose we should be prudent and keep an open mind on the matter."

 

"Right." nodded David. He turned to Xander. "I left a big black leather book in the games room, could you grab it for me?" he asked Xander. 

 

Xander nodded and left.

 

"Another good book to start with is Nathanyals Index." David said. They moved to the shelves that were stacked with books.

 

"Um, sorry to interrupt guys, but I've got a question." Xander said coming in.

 

"Sure, shoot." David said.

 

"Could the demon that killed the Initiative be about 7 foot tall, red leathery skin, look like the creature out of 'Predator'?" Xander asked. 

 

David looked up at Xander slowly.

 

"Possibly. Why?" he asked suspiciously.

 

"Oh, nothing. Just that it's in your flower garden out back." Xander said idly.

 

"WHAT?" David shouted as he raced to the back windows.

 

There, in the garden, stood a demon. Man shaped, with long, powerful arms and red leathery skin covering its' lean muscled body. Claws protruded from its hands; its face was similar to the creature from the movie 'Predator', with a mass of teeth and yellow eyes. In those eyes burned such great evil and insanity that made everyone shudder in fright.

 

"Oh shit. It's a Jachyra," said David, fear making his voice wavier.

 

Chapter 15

 

David turned to Xander, fear large in both their eyes.

 

"Armory. Match Head rounds. 13-19-01. Go! Now!" said David. Xander dashed off in the direction of the armory. David then turned to Willow. "You know any attack spells? You know, fire, lightning, blow the big ugly monster to bits kind?" he asked her.

 

"Yes, but I need to get the right ingredients and look in the right books."she informed him.

 

"No time." David told her. He finally looked at Giles.

 

"OK. If this thing gets past me, you need to get out of here. You, Xander, and Willow need to find Buffy. Then drive to March Air Force Base. When youget there..." Giles interrupted David.

 

"You're not going to fight this..." Giles began.

 

"DAD! Shut the fuck up and listen! When you get to the main gate, tell the guards the code word is 'Jericho'. The air movements officer will arrive and tell him the code word is 'Cotton Tail'. They will then fly you to Amberley Air Force Base in Australia. Once there, call Albert and he will take care of things after that." Giles nodded reluctantly. Xander returned with a shotgun in one hand and an uzi in the other. David took the uzi.

 

"Protect them." David said indicating to Giles and Willow. "Dad will fill you in on the rest."

 

"Dad?" Xander asked puzzled, but David had walked out into the garden.

 

The Jachyra looked at David as he strolled out into the garden. It gave a hideous, demented howl of near delight. It was the kind of sound that made people's blood run cold. David was no exception. David cocked the weapon then opened fire on the Jachyra, empting the entire clip. The Jachyra became abrilliant pillar of fire, howling and rolling on the grass. The fires diedout. To David's horror the Jachyra, horribly burnt and smoking, leapt to its feet. It let loose a howl of pain and delight then kicked David through the glass windows of the gym/training room where Willow, Giles and Xander stood. David slid across the floor and laid unmoving. The Jachyra jumped into the room.

 

"HEY!" a voice yelled. It was Buffy with Spike beside her. Buffy took a flying leap at the Jachyra, kicking it in the head. The Jachyra merely shrugged off the blow and backhanded Buffy, sending her flying into the wall, dazed and unable to move. The Jachyra advanced toward Buffy.

 

Xander swore in frustration. Match head rounds didn't work on this creature and he couldn't take the shot at it for fear of hitting Buffy. A growl and a blonde blur signalled Spike's attack.

 

The blonde vampire tackled the Jachyra with a tackle that would have made arugby coach proud. Spike sat on top of the Jachyra and began to punch it.

 

"NOBODY!" Punch! 

 

"KILLS!" Punch! 

 

"MY!" Punch! 

       

"FRIENDS!" The Jachyra caught Spike's arm and, to the horror of everybody, ripped it off and struck Spike in the head with the arm. Spike lay unconscious on the floor. The Jachyra got up and began to move towards Buffy again.Before it could reach her, a set of hands grabbed the Jachyra around the head. David.

 

Blue-white spirit fire burst from his hands, enveloping its head. The Jachyra gave a howl of pain before the spirit fire exploded down its body and reduced it to ashes. David fell to the ground, his energy gone and unable to stand. Giles, Willow, and Xander rushed over. Giles went to David.

 

"Are you alright?" Giles asked his son.

 

"Yeah, I'll be OK. Spirit Fire uses a lot of magic and strength. I just need to rest for a bit. Go help Buffy and Spike," mumbled David. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Willow helping Buffy stand and Giles and Xander tending to Spike's wounds.

 

David awoke a little over an hour later. He was laying in his bed and Gilessat in a chair beside him. Seeing that he was awake Giles came over to David.

 

"How do you feel?" he asked. David smiled.

 

"Fine. How's Buffy and Spike?" asked David.

 

"Other than a bump to the head and a few bruises, she will be fine. Spike, well, we bandaged his stump and have given him some painkillers. We will keep a good supply of blood to him and hope his vampire healing abilities will be able to handle it." Giles and David looked up when Buffy, Willow and Xander entered the room.

 

"Hey Buffy. I like the bump." David said, indicating to the big lump on herforehead.

 

"Well, normally I leave the getting bumped on the head thing to your father." she said as she came to stand beside Giles.

 

"I guess you want an explanation." David said, referring to the fact that Giles was his father.

 

"No need. I explained it to them." Giles informed his son.

 

"And? How they take it?" asked David. Buffy answered for Giles.

 

"I'm too busy wigging out about that red demon. Once I'm done with that, then I'll start wigging out about you and Giles." Buffy grew silent for a moment. "That thing, was it the thing that cast that spell on me and Willow?" she asked.

 

"No. The Jachyra is a killing demon. I'm pretty sure it was the Jachyra that killed the Initiative. It is a creature of great magic in the fact that it takes great magic to bring into this world. I guess only magic could killit. So, no. But whoever or whatever raised the Jachyra is probably the same person that cast the spell. Tonight we are going to find out who or what did this." David said.

 

"We?" Willow asked.

 

"Yes. Tonight Xander and I are going to talk to the Dreamtime Spirits." said David.