Subject: [OTL]: (Buffy/X-folks) Summerswind Book 1 Chapter 1/? (PG-13) Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2002 20:53:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Summerswind Book 1 Chapter 1 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Joss Whedon's, except for those who are Marvel's. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: At LAST - they're back :) NOTE 2: Alternate Earth - that's why Buffy's folks are Scott and Jean Summers, Sunnydale is a suburb of Salem Center, NY, and other changes ... :) -------------------------------------------------------- 9/3/2002: Sunnydale High School, Salem Center, NY: 08:01 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- #Well, this isn't too bad. So far.# Buffy glanced around her English class, seeing a wide mix of the social classes she'd expected in high school. Having attended public schools since fourth grade – when the X-teams had received government sanction, and the Kelly Act had gone into effect and legalized mutant equality — Buffy wasn't unfamiliar with what to expect in the "regular" school setting. "Miss - Summers. Hmm. I wasn't aware we had a celebrity among us," the teacher - Caucasian woman, mid-50s, greying hair and piercing brown eyes, frumpy dress - called. "Yes, ma'am," Buffy said, trying to ignore the snickers from some of the cattier members of Cordelia's clique in the corner. Marianne DuPris' glare silenced the girls, and she looked at Buffy with a similar expression. "While your family's activism is worthy of respect, Miss Summers, I do not make exceptions for anyone. Are we clear ?" DuPris said coldly. "Yes, ma'am," Buffy replied, fighting a blush as the teacher turned to the board. #Great. The dreaded X-fame makes an appearance ...# -------------------------------------------------------- Cafeteria: Noon: -------------------------------------------------------- "... I never asked for this, you know? I mean, just because my parents are two of the most famous, most powerful X-Men doesn't mean that I ever wanted to be judged by their standards." "Buffy. It's. Life. Our parents will always be the yardstick by which adults measure us. The only vengeance we ever get is by picking their nursing homes," Cordelia said in a half-bored tone after she nibbled on a french fry. The brunette had waved Buffy over to sit with her and her friends, who were behaving themselves for the moment. "That is SO true," Babette Marchand, a blonde in - or out, Buffy thought - of a designer halter-top and short shorts giggled. "My dad detested my grandmother SO much, he stuck her in this grotty upstate nursing home WITHOUT a butler." Cordelia and her clique collectively gasped in horror. "Isn't that - Buffy ?" Cordelia asked, looking around in surprise. #Shallowness ... receding ... as I flee,# Buffy thought, darting over to another table and sitting down across from another familiar face. "Buffy ! Hi - sorry I'm reading," Willow said, smiling sheepishly and closing a thick book. "'Beginning Witchcraft' ? Interesting - you're both open-minded and brave enough to read about eye of toad over the meatloaf surprise," Buffy quipped. "Just - be careful, OK ? I can literally speak from experience that magic is nothing to mess with." "I know. But I'm really interested in the Kaballah, and there's a lot of positive things about folklore," Willow replied. "Besides - I think there's a warlock here." Buffy's eyebrows raised. #Uh-oh ...# "The new librarian ? He's ... well, kind of odd. He cleaned out the occult section of the school library," Willow whispered, blanching as Giles approached. "Oh, him ? Odd, yes. Evil, no," Buffy reassured her new friend. She looked up at Giles and smiled cheerily, adding, "We were just discussing you." "Not in too many words, I hope," Giles deadpanned. "Buffy, you and I need to talk immediately after school. There've been some ... developments -" "COMING THROUGH !" The low-level rumble of teenage chatter died down, turning to cheers and whistles as a dark-haired thunderbolt shot through the cafeteria and landed in Mrs. DuPris' lap. The thunderbolt's lunch tray landed on DuPris' head. "MISTER Harris !" Principal Van Stranker bellowed. The tall, bald white man loomed over a suddenly-blanching Xander, who pointed at the far entrance with a pleading expression. "Uh - I can explain," Xander began. The faculty members looked over at the far entrance, then collectively scowled. Three boys in leather jackets and blue jeans leaned against the doors, sneers and outdated sunglasses on their faces. "JACKLEY ! You and your friends had better not be causing trouble again," Van Stranker bellowed. #Buffy-Sense - tingling !# Buffy thought, letting her odd new "evil-radar" turn her head towards the newcomers. "We were just tryin' to ... discuss ... somethin' with our friend Xander there, sir," the tallest of the three boys sneered. He tossed back a head topped with slicked-back black hair and called, "Later, Harris." Xander just paled as he struggled to his feet, then tried to clean the meatloaf surprise out of Mrs. DuPris' hair. She shooed him off, but the principal shook his head and muttered, "Just go, Harris. We'll look into this incident later." Xander looked around, finding no refuge among the unnaturally-quiet lunch tables until Willow caught his eye and waved. He sat down beside Willow, then met Buffy's faint smile and asked, "Short or long version ?" "Humor me. We have 15 minutes left and I'm an infoholic," Buffy suggested. She glanced at Giles, who just nodded and stepped away. "The Jackley Trio. They don't sing, they don't dance, and they don't take requests. Especially, 'Please Don't Carve Your Initials In My Neck,'" Xander grumbled. "What's REALLY weird is that they never go outside without hooded sweatshirts. And they never accept seat assignments by windows," Willow said, wide-eyed. "Hooded ... sweatshirts," Buffy repeated, raising an eyebrow. "They're not, by any chance, mostly nocturnal, are they ?" Xander and Willow traded a look, then nodded at Buffy. "Sunlight aversion. Bad attitude. Hmm. I think I should talk to Mr. Jackley and Associates," Buffy mused. "You're either a much badder girl than I thought, or you're suicidal," Xander said, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll see you at the mortuary, either for my funeral or yours." "Xander, how much - WHOA," Buffy said. Something flared in her mind, and she closed her eyes to focus on a rarely-used portion of her psyche - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~RAY !?~ The astral form of Buffy's fraternal twin sister flashed into existence in Buffy's mind, flaming red and gold and clad in the Dark Phoenix uniform. ~Sorry, Buffy. I've been playing with my new powers,~ Rachel Summers sent telepathically with an only half-apologetic emotional "tone." ~You DIDN'T,~ Buffy accused, grinning despite herself as she hugged Rachel. ~I'm thrilled, just as long as you don't go on the Galactus Diet.~ ~Thanks. You and Frank are probably the only ones who're taking this OK so far,~ Rachel sent, rolling her astral form's eyes. ~I gotta go - you're not face-down in meatloaf, are you ?~ ~I HOPE not. I might have my first vampire incidence to look into. Tell Mom and Dad I'll be late,~ Buffy sent - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - and she sat up, coughing, before wiping her face. "Buffy !? You fell into your meatloaf !" Willow cried. She grasped Buffy's forearm, until the blonde girl smiled weakly and waved her free arm. "It's OK. My mind was elsewhere," Buffy tried to explain. "My sister and I share a psi-link, and she had something major happen to her. But we're both OK." "You're not a mutant, though," Xander asked. "She's a telepath," Buffy explained. The bell rang, and the freshmen got to their feet. "Tell me I don't have meatloaf left on my face." "Face, no. Forehead, yes. Actually, I feel akin to that meatloaf, because I'm going to share its consistency unless I find a way to evade the Trio this afternoon," Xander sighed. #Maybe, maybe not,# Buffy thought, waving to her friends as she headed for her next class. -------------------------------------------------------- X-Mansion Back Yard: 16:00 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- She weaved. He lunged. She kick-swept. He jumped. She lunged. His feet were tangled in her arms, and they went down in a heap. "Better," Giles coughed, sptting up leaves as Buffy got off of his chest. "Your initial martial arts and melee training are quite good for someone who wasn't aware she was a Slayer only a few days ago. Growing up among the X-Men definitely helped you." "In some ways," Buffy agreed absently. She helped Giles get to his feet, then asked, "When do you think I''ll be ready ? I think we've got a problem ..." "The Jackley Trio. Yes - perhaps a good first run. The odds are against you, but you've shown that you can handle one at a time. Utilizing the element of surprise, you might be able to take them down rapidly," Giles said. Buffy began to smile, until she felt a semi-familiar mental "touch." "Incoming - think Cordelia with age, money and telepathy," Buffy sighed, turning around. ~You're too kind, Buffy,~ Emma Frost sent, walking towards the Slayer and her Watcher from atop the hill nearest the mansion. She reached Buffy quickly, then nodded as she said aloud, "I heard you had manifested non-mutant parabilities. Most intriguing." "Guess the genetic jackpot is never dull. Ask Giles here," Buffy said. Emma glanced at Giles, who returned the glance - - and stepped back, his jaw dropping. "Rupert... !?" Emma gasped - which, in itself, made Buffy's eyebrows reach for her hairline. The look of near-total shock on Emma's face made the girl's hair stand on end. "Emma - my GOD, it's been almost 15 years !" Giles laughed. He immediately became very serious and asked, "Is Adrienne here ?" "No - Rupert Stephen Giles, how in God's name did you survive what Adrienne did to you !? You were run clear through the chest with a katana !" Emma blurted. "Whoa - 'Stephen' ? Giles here is your crazy sister's long-thought-dead HUSBAND !?" Buffy yelled. "I used magic to survive the attack - and I hope that Adrienne either sought help or was arrested," Giles told Emma. "She's been taken care of for another crime or six," Emma said softly. A wistful smile crossed her lips, and she caressed Giles' cheek as she added, "I never got the chance to apologize for getting you in trouble with her ..." "Whoa - WHOA. Brakes, people. Adrienne - crazy, psycho Adrienne - shishkabobed my mentor here after Emma went after her English rarebit ?" Buffy asked. "A blunt, if accurate, description," Giles replied, turning bright red. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this under your hat, Buffy ..." "Yes, please. Robert wouldn't take it well if he learned the details of my past affairs. The thought of a staid academician - well, not SO staid - being among my former paramours might hurt Robert's feelings," Emma purred as she turned to go. "Heaven forbid I ruin Iceman's illusions," Buffy deadpanned, rolling her eyes. She tried not to gag when Emma blew Giles a kiss before heading back up the hill. "You and the White Queen. Giles, REALLY," Buffy teased. Giles just turned a deeper red. -------------------------------------------------------- 20:00 hrs: Salem Township Cemetery: -------------------------------------------------------- #Nobody here but the dead, the owls, and one shivering Slayer-in-training,# Buffy thought, looking around as she walked between the gravestones and tried to focus her night vision. "Buffy ?" Giles called over the girl's in-ear-transceiver. "Here," Buffy replied, holding a hand to her ear to activate the transmitter. "Nothing so - hello." She slid into the shadow of a particularly tall monument, watching as Jackley and his friends dragged a limp figure towards a row of empty graves. "Oh, crap. Xander, how'd you get into this mess ?" Buffy breathed. "I didn't. That's some new guy," Xander whispered in Buffy's ear. She managed not to jump as she turned around and glared at Xander and Willow. "WHAT are you guys doing here !?" Buffy demanded. "These guys are about to engage in some really outre entree choices, and you could be next on the menu !" "They're not c-cannibals, are they ?" Willow gulped. "That's open to opinion, baby," the freshmen heard, before looking up - - into a hideously-distorted face - - and Buffy lunged upwards with a stake. The scream of something unearthly, combined with the shower of dissolving undead matter, provoked screams from Xander and Willow. "Get OUT of here," Buffy demanded, before turning to block a punch by one of the remaining vampires. She kneed him in the chest, then pulled another stake free from her jacket and pierced the creature through the back, reducing him to dust. She never saw the third one, but managed to reverse the stake in time to take him out. "Oh. My. GOD," Willow whispered, helping Xander off the ground. "You - they -" "You just kicked vampire ass," Xander gulped. "Real, not-breathing, vampires - and you kicked their asses." "Welcome to my extracurricular," Buffy sighed. "C'mon - we've got to see if their victim is OK. Good thing the moon is so bright tonight -" Then something howled, and fur and teeth rose up before them. -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: OZ ! OZ ! OZ ! (Oh yeah - and a few English and Irish vampires, Bishop, and more on Giles' checkered past ...) --------------------------------------------------------