Disclaimer and copyright: Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy
Inc., and Warner Bros.
Logan/Wolverine belongs to Marvel.
Kai belongs to Kaylee, and you don't mess with her.
No one is making any money, so don't sue, please.

Ok, that's out of the way.  This is my first and was written for fun,
not accuracy, so please be kind.  This would not be possible without the
collaborative efforts of Kaylee and Shera.
Much credit goes to them.

If you happen to like it, let me know.  Please do not archive without my
permission, though.
If you don't happen to like it, have a nice day and read something
else.  :-)

_________________________________

X-Slayer
Chapter 3

She wasn't sure what woke her, but she was immediately alert.  All her
old paranoia and training came rushing back and put her body into gear.
She quickly donned her sweats, grabbed a flashlight, and selected a few
wooden stakes.  As she crawled out of the tent she thought the stakes
seemed a bit extreme, but you never know.  She threw a few more branches
on the low fire, hoping to build up a blaze that would discourage any
wild animals.  Wiping the bark pieces off her hands, she picked up her
flashlight and stakes and backed up against the wall to see what might
have woken her.  The flashlight in her left hand, a stake in her right,
she waited.

A figure walked towards her from the other side of the fire.  As he
approached, she saw a playful smile on his face.  That didn't look
promising.  She turned the light on in his face, knowing it would hurt
as dark as it was.  She was right.  Immediately his arm swept up to
cover his eyes.  With his arm up, she couldn't see him anyway, so she
lowered the light without turning it off.

"Who are you?," she said.

"A friend," replied the stranger, with his arm still over his face.
Having said this, he slowly started towards her.  As he got closer she
saw his arm come down a little, and she froze.

A vampire.  In the Rocky mountains.  The middle of nowhere.  What is
this world coming to?  Without much thought she put the stake in
fighting position and assumed a fighting stance.  Once the gig was up,
the vampire put down his arm and smiled, fully exposing his true face.
His slightly yellowed fangs gleamed in the firelight as he smiled.  The
smile had no humor to her as she looked upon a visage almost like a
twisted gargoyle's, patches of sickly looking skin pushing out as if
they were looking to get away from their owner.  Looking into his dark,
evil eyes, she could see he seemed to be having fun.  We will see about
that, she thought.

Just as she was about to lunge and end the demon's life she heard the
crunch of branches beside her as two more forms came out of the
darkness.  One was a very muscular man, and the other a well-built lady,
and neither seemed shy.

"Back off, little lady," said the man as he tossed his backpack to the
ground and stomped towards her.  "He's all mine."

"Not so fast," she said as she flashed the light on his figure.  He
wasn't wearing his vampire face, but you could never tell.  Good
vampire, bad vampire and all that.

By this time the lady with him had also tossed her pack on the ground
and was approaching her, but much more gracefully than the man.  Things
were getting a bit crowded in her little campsite, she thought.

"Its okay," the lady said, smiling.  "We are friends."

"That is what the ugly one over there said," she replied.

"We are not with him, we assure you.  My name is Kai, and this is
Logan.  I am not sure what or who your other 'friend' is."

"Vampire," replied Logan, staring at the stranger's face.  "If I hadn't
of seen it with my own two eyes..."

"What is your name?" Kai asked her.

"Buffy.  Buffy Summers.  You two better stay back while I handle this."

Buffy turned back around and decided to go with the original 'friend' as
the enemy tonight.  She began to edge toward the vampire.  Kai and Logan
looked at each other with a very confused look on their faces.  'Who
does she think she is?' read plainly on their faces.

Taking action, Logan jumped in front of Buffy and put out his arm to
hold her back.  "Stay back, kid.  I'll handle the punk."

Buffy pushed his arm out of the way, jumped back in front of him and
told him to stay there.  "You will be safer behind me," she explained.

Not to be bested, Logan jumped in front of Buffy, pushing her to the
right.  "Listen, kid, get behind me where it’s safer."

"Hey," said the vampire, his smile still on his face, but looking more
real.  "No fighting to be my midnight snack."

Again pushing past Logan, Buffy looked him in the eye.  "Look, I am
going to kill this smart-mouthed vampire.  Unless you want to die, too,
back off."  The last words were spat out machine-gun style, causing
Logan to temporarily halt the leapfrog game he was playing with Buffy.

Kai, wearing a bemused smile, edged up to Buffy's right side and walked
past both her and Logan.  "You are both nuts.  Quit your arguing and let
me take care of this."

As Buffy turned towards Kai, she noticed she was in a classic martial
arts stance similar to her own, and definitely looked like she could
take care of herself.  Maybe with punks, Buffy thought, but this is
different.  "Look, no offense, but I know what I am doing, and have
plenty of experience.  Please, get back and give me room to handle fang
face."

All this time the stranger had been watching them with a bemused look on
his face.  The three stooges’ routine was very entertaining, but was
starting to annoy him.  He wasn't in the mood to play with his food
tonight.  Slowly moving around to get a better angle when he would need
it, he approached the bickering trio.  As Buffy turned her head to talk
to Kai, he leapt.

Buffy noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye and quickly
danced to the side.  As he landed beside her she took her right foot
into a sidekick that shattered his left knee.  Before the pain had fully
registered on his face, she flipped the stake around in her hand, and
using a spinning backfist into his chest, impaled him.  Immediately he
became ashes and disappeared from their sight, his dying scream echoing
off the pines.

Buffy began to brush herself off as Kai and Logan both stared at her.
"Its okay," she said.  "Believe it or not, it happens to me all the
time.  Come on over here and sit down.  Looks like you need it."

Kai and Logan stared at each other, shook their heads, and headed for
their packs.  They brought them close to the fire and sat down on a log
facing Buffy.

Logan looked at the ground for a few minutes and then looked up at her.
"Little lady, I was going to chew you out and tell you how lucky you
were to have had us smell your fire and come by here.  Now I am not sure
what to say."

Kai put her hand on Logan's arm.  "What he is trying to say," she said,
"is that you did very well, and we are very confused.  What just
happened?"

Buffy looked at them both, not sure what to tell them.  This was always
difficult since she didn't know what they would believe.

Kai, sensing the hesitation, said, "Look, we are part of a, well, a
Special Forces group of sorts.  We deal with very unusual and highly
dangerous situations and individuals.  We understand there are strange
things out there, so please tell us what you know."

Okay, Buffy thought, here goes.  "I am a slayer.  A vampire slayer.
There is one chosen of each generation to fight vampires, and I happened
to win the lottery this round.  I have received special training by my
watcher, and have more than a passing acquaintance with vampires, and
many other strange creatures and phenomena."  She paused for a second,
checking their faces.  "That was a vampire.  Past tense."  Well, that
pretty much summed it up, she thought.  Let’s see how they take it.

The two guests pondered this for a moment, and as Kai was about to
respond, Logan laid a hand on her arm and put a finger over his lips
with his other hand.  Buffy could see him sniffing the air, and could
see his didn't like what he saw.  She noticed Kai started exhibiting the
same funny behavior as Logan.  "The reinforcements are here, ladies, and
there are several of them."  As Logan said this, he stood up and seemed
to slip effortlessly into the woods, quickly disappearing through the
trees.

Kai watched him go, staring for a moment at the swaying branches, and
then looked at Buffy.  "You might see some strange things here tonight
from us, but that does not mean we are one of those creatures you should
be afraid of.  Each of us has, well, special capabilities.  We are
mutants.  I think that will become evident, I am sure, depending on how
the night goes."

"Mutants," Buffy said.  "Can't say as I have had a chance to meet any
mutants that were anywhere near the role-model class."  Much less who
'wanted' to attack a vampire, she thought.  She and Kai then stood up
and went into a defensive posture.  Buffy reached down for her backpack
and grabbed a few stakes for herself, and handed a couple to Kai.

"Here, you just might need these, special abilities or not.  Go for the
heart.  Decapitation also works, but I didn't think to bring a sword."
Buffy said this without thinking, and once the words were out of her
mouth, Kai saw Buffy's face fall, and her eyes tear up.  Kai didn't get
a chance to ask her what was wrong as they both heard a cry from outside
the camp.  A low growl accompanied the cry and then the cry was cut off.

Logan loped into camp, blood on his right hand.  "I got one, but there
are several more comin’ from the other side."  As soon as he said this,
four figures appeared, advancing into the firelight.  Buffy had thrown
the rest of her wood supply on her fire, and although it helped, it
wasn't exactly lit like a stadium.  Even so, it was enough for her to
see a look in Logan's eyes that wasn't there before.  She wasn't sure
what it was, but it demanded respect.

The four figures, three men and one woman, approached the three
campers.  The vampires spread out so as to pen the three in.  Buffy
heard a schlukk! sound, and saw long claws shoot from the back of Logan
hands.  As she stared, Kai saw her confusion.  "I told you there would
be strange things from us.  He is called Wolverine, and those claws will
go through just about anything."

Buffy shook her head.  "Nice," she said.  "Does he have trouble getting
a manicurist?"

Kai snorted and turned back toward the advancing vampires.  As one they
rushed.  Logan took down the first one with a neat decapitation move.
The vampire's head swished through the air, causing the second one to
duck the grisly mass, but he quickly grabbed Logan and flipped him.
That was a neat trick with Logan's size, but vampires have their own
abilities.  Buffy and Kai intercepted their pair at the same time.
Both, without communicating their intentions, did a flying sidekick into
their attackers.  Both attackers went down, their grunts further
breaking the stillness of the night, but they came right back up, a bit
more wary this time.

Buffy's vampire closed and struck her a stinging blow to her right
cheek, almost knocking her down.  Her back came up hard against the rock
wall behind her, severely limiting her options, and almost winding her.
She blew some stray hair out of her eyes, and deciding upon the direct
approach went into a front roll and came out of it by putting the stake
right through her vampire's heart.  Two down, she thought as the dust
drifted across her face.  Through the dust she thought she saw the Big
Dipper in the clear mountain sky.  This reality paradox caused her to
stutter for a second, but she quickly turned to see about Kai and jumped
to her feet.

Kai was holding her own.  She had drawn the female vampire, and was also
approaching the wall.  The vampire rushed at her, arms outstretched.
Big mistake.  Kai gripped a wrist, came into the rushing vampire, and
flipped her over her head, right into the rock wall.  The vampire was
stunned for a few seconds, then jumped up and with a scream charged
again.  Since she was trying the same attack, Kai decided on the same
defense.  This time there was no wall behind her, just a fire.  The
vampire was flipped into the fire, sparks flying as she burst into
flame, her scream echoing off the wall behind them.  As Kai stared at
this strange sight, Buffy checked on Logan.

Logan had his vampire down in a chokehold.  As Buffy was about to give
him a tip on why that would not work to kill the gagging pale-face,
another figure appeared behind Logan and leapt onto his back.  This one
was the vampire Logan had left in the woods.  Logan had not killed this
one properly, and he had came back with a vengeance.  The bloody
vampire's fingers ripped into Logan's back, the sharp claws immediately
drawing blood.  Kai jumped towards the vampire to knock him off Logan's
back, but the vampire back-handed her in the mouth, throwing her back
towards Buffy and drawing blood from the smashed lips.  As Kai was slow
to get up, Buffy advanced on the vampire while Logan proceeded to choke
the vampire under him, and try to throw the other off his back.

"Back off, little Slayer," hissed the vampire on Logan's back, his
hideous face glaring at her.  "Or you will die tonight."

"Listen, blood boy," Buffy retorted, "I am definitely not in the mood
for a dramatic vampire tonight."  This said she charged.  The vampire
forgot Logan and jumped towards her.  She saw where Logan had punched
neat holes in his stomach.  Holes in his stomach, Angel.  Her mind
flashed back to Angel’s death, and as she looked up at the charging
vampire, she saw Angel's face, and the pain froze her.  The shock of the
vampire's right fist connecting with her stomach knocked her down and
out of her harsh reverie.

Gasping, Buffy jumped to her feet.  As the vampire charged again, Buffy
feinted with her right, causing the vampire to leap to her left.  She
put out her left leg and swept his feet out from under him.  He was up
immediately, not showing any evidence of being hurt.  Some get-away, she
thought.  Middle of nowhere and it looks like the Hellmouth moved.

The vampire smiled at her and advanced.  Buffy saw Kai get up and circle
to her left.  Glancing at her, she saw a small nod, and knew Kai and her
were now in double-team mode.  The smiling vampire came at Buffy again,
ignoring Kai.  Buffy made as if to throw a high front kick, getting the
vampire's attention.  While focused on stopping the dramatic kick, Kai
came in from his right, snapping a front kick into his chest, knocking
him back about five feet.  Wow, thought Buffy, that was some power.

Now the vampire was watching them both.  Kai jumped in and out,
delivering a palm strike to the vampires chin and snapping his head
back.  Buffy threw a stake at this moment and nailed him through the
heart, ending his night in a cloud of dust.

Both now turned towards Logan.  Smiling, Kai crossed her arms across her
chest and said, "Logan, stop playing with the vampire and get on with
it."

Continuing to choke him, he looked at the ladies, puzzlement on his
face.  "I don't know how he does it.  I have been chokin’ him for some
time.  I know this isn't the normal way to kill a vampire, but don't
these guys have to breathe?"

Noting that the gagging had become the only sound in the quiet night,
she looked at Logan and said, "he is already dead," said Buffy.  You
just have to get rid of his body for him.  "Here," she said, and tossed
a stake at him.

Logan caught it and put it down beside him.  "Don't need that, little
lady, when I have these."  Logan extended his blades and punched into
the vampire's heart.  The vampire screamed, and slugged Logan in the
mouth, knocking him off.

Kai, now almost laughing, said, "Logan, listen to Buffy and finish him
off."  He reached down for the stake as the vampire started to run
away.  Logan was at his back in a second, one powerful hand on the
vampire's left shoulder, holding tight as his right hand drove the stake
through the vampire's heart from behind.  As Buffy saw this ferocious
display of strength and power, she realized that although unorthodox, it
was very effective.

Logan stopped and smelled the air, trying to sense any new creatures.
He didn't, and he let the ladies know.  Kai did the same and concurred
with his assessment.

"Let me look at your back," Kai said to Logan, concern showing in her
voice as she pushed him down into a sitting position on a log.  His
shirt was ripped, but as Buffy looked, the deep scratches he had
received began to heal over.  If there wasn't blood on his shirt, she
might have doubted what she saw.

Looking at Kai, she saw that her mouth had stopped bleeding, and showed
no evidence of having been smashed.  The night hadn't stopped being
strange, that was for sure, but some normalcy returned as she heard an
owl and the quiet night slowly came alive with the rhythmic sounds of
nature.

Logan looked at Kai.  "Well, now do you think I am crazy?"

"I still haven't heard any howling," was all she said back, a small
smile on her lips.  "And I think you were just enjoying yourself."

Logan threw up his arms in exasperation and stood up.  "I need to talk
to Buffy, _she'll_ listen to me."  Saying this he turned to Buffy and
got a serious look on his face.  "Almost a year ago one of our X-Men,
er, group, died very strangely.  He was a mutant we had just discovered
who was an old associate of Hank, our doctor.  After bein’ around for
only a few days, he was found outside on our lawn one morning with two
small puncture marks on his neck, and had been completely bled.  We were
unable to find out what happened to him, so we buried him.  Several
nights later he came out of his grave and attacked one of our group out
for a midnight stroll, who without thinkin’, sort of fried him in
self-defense.  We did some more investigation, but no one wanted to
believe what was the obvious cause of this strange episode."

Buffy glanced at Kai and saw a flash of pain in her eyes.  "He had only
been there for a few days, but he was a very kind and gentle man.  He
was not a monster."

As Logan continued talking he began to pace back and forth by the fire.
He hoped that by sharing with someone who obviously knew about vampires
he would help exorcise some of his worries, and maybe come up with a few
answers.  "Several months back we began getting’ reports of strange
activities in the Rocky Mountain area.  Missing hikers, mutilations, and
strange creatures.  Normal fare for the tabloids, but this seemed to
have a kernel of truth.  We sent a recon team in, but they saw nothin’,
so nothin’ further was planned.  Since they went in during the day, I
figured a little night recon was in order.  Kai didn't believe me, so
she wanted to pretend this was a vacation so no one would think I was
crazy.  On that note, here we are."

After a small pause, Buffy softly said, "Wow.  Did your friend who got
bitten have any special capabilities?"

After looking at Logan, Kai responded.  "He had a tremendous mental
capacity, genetics and physics were his specialties.  He had a strength
factor, and he had a healing factor similar to our own.  Being there for
such a short time, we are unaware if he had any other mutant abilities"

"Not good," said Buffy, frowning.  She sat down and thoughtfully looked
at them.  "Logan, you believe this vampire who killed your friend might
be on the mountain, conducting some kind of experiments, don't you?"

"Yes," said Logan.

"Do you also worry about any special skills the vampire may have gained
by ingesting your associate's blood?"

"Yes."  There it was, he thought, his brows drawing together as a grim
look drew his features.  Right to the point of his deepest fears.  With
the fire warming his back, a chill still swept his body.