Third Strike, You're Out

A/N: Chapter sixty three of the series.

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

Feedback: Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy the vampire slayer couldn't recover from the shock when the Initiative soldiers ran to their positions.

"What...?"

"Sorry, ma'am, but Red Leader is already on the battle front." One of the soldiers said. "We're here to bring cover to you. The enemy is making their move."

"Dammit." Buffy muttered and tried to stand up. Giles' other hand shot and held on to her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" She replied. "We've got three master vampires leading the army of hell. I can't stay here and do nothing."

"Mum!" Annie smiled when seeing her mother up and awake.

"Annie? What are you doing here?"

"You did ask me to come back." Annie frowned. "And even if you hadn't, we have to stay together."

"Honey, I know I asked, but now things are even worse than before."

"Why?"

"Because we're fighting powerful enemies, honey." Buffy replied. "And because you may find out things you're not ready to know."

"Mum, I have seen things I never thought I'd see, and learnt things about my own father I never even imagined." Annie said. "I don't want to lose you, or have a stranger come home and tell me they found my family dead. If we're going to go down, let me go down fighting next to you."

Buffy didn't have any words to answer, and instead hugged her daughter.

"Right. But promise me something."

Annie nodded, her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Should I ask you to leave, you'll have to, understood?"

"Mum..."

"Honey, I have learnt things I never even imagined or dreamt about. I have heard and seen things that could hurt you very much. I don't want you to learn about it on the battlefield. Any distraction could get is killed."

"You're scaring me."

"There's just one thing you have to understand now, dear." Buffy stared into her daughter's eyes. "Your father..., he isn't what he was, he..."

"Is Angelus, I know."

"No, no, no. I just..., don't get near any of those three."

"What three?"

"Them."

Annie looked at the enemy's base camp and saw three figures standing in front of them, seemingly ready to move forward and launch their third attack. She saw her father, the vampire who'd kidnapped her years ago, and a third, unknown male figure.

"Who is he?" Annie asked, pointing her finger at Spike.

"He..., he is Spike."

"That's Spike?" Annie frowned. "Thought he'd be taller."

"Pray you don't have to fight against him." Buffy smirked. "And just so you know it, two of them wiped the floor with Faith and your momma here, so don't get anywhere near them."

"I don't think that's going to be an option, mum."

Their eyes fixed on the three vampires, now moving towards them.

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The already exhausted slayers and the brave soldiers stood front against the attack.

Fortunately for them, the enemy was tired as well, fighting as ferociously as them and giving their all. Had it been a different time and a different war, there would have been respect between both sides. They gave their all and fought with passion and ardent fervor.

Amidst them all, vampires struck demons, guided by the slayer's daughter, their loyalty firm and unwavering, many of them falling while protecting the blue eyed blonde girl.

The sound of metal clashing rang through the never ending night, screams and growls from fighters falling filled the ears of those still fighting, and the smell of blood soon turned into an unbearable stench.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours, both sides not yielding, until what had to happen happened.

One of the older slayers, one of those trained by Buffy herself, fifteen years before, came face to face with one of the deadliest vampires known to slayers.

The once naïve Vi found herself standing right in front of a sword wielding Spike.

"What are you looking at, pet?"

Vi looked around, seeing if she'd have any sort of backup, but she saw only chaos and madness.

"Scanning the battlefield." The woman replied. "Searching for any advantage against you."

"I'm flattered, but I gotta tell you. I'm very good at killing your kind."

"And I excel at killing yours."

Vi lifted her sword, and struck Spike's own.

"Oh, fiery little one." Spike chuckled as he dodged two strikes. Vi stopped and took a defensive posture.

"Ah, now there's a smart slayer." Spike noted. "You all come forward as gibbering maniacs, you know? You trust so much in your superior strength that you don't analyze the situation."

"I'm not like other slayers." Vi replied. "I don't like to fight that much."

"May I ask why?"

"It always ends too fast." Vi answered as she once again struck. Spike was surprised by the quick and effective motions. Seemed like the girl didn't waste energy and didn't use more moves than those absolutely necessary.

"You're one of the old ones, aren't you?" He asked. "Those who've been slayers for too long."

"I survived two apocalypses." Vi replied. "I think I'll manage a third one."

"I survived several." Spike said, his eyes roaming through Vi's body. "Caused a couple of them. Had a busy life. Or unlife. Whatever."

"Read somewhere you had a chip on your brain." Vi continued, studying her opponent. "Stopped you from injuring humans."

"Can't say I remember, love." Spike chuckled. "Could be. Don't really care."

"Fifteen years ago."

"Right. Have I met you before? You look awfully familiar."

"Haven't had the pleasure."

"Name's Spike."

"I know. My name is Victoria. Most people call me Vi."

"Like the queen in days of old, huh?"

Vi saw an opening and fast as lightning swung her sword. The tip of steel nicked Spike's hand, instinctively risen to protect his face.

"Now, that wasn't polite, pet." Spike said, licking the blood of his hand. "Tricky. I like that in a girl."

"I'm not a girl."

"I'm as old as dirt, pet. You're a baby to me."

"A baby that just cut your hand."

"A naughty baby, all right?" Spike chuckled. "Man, you slayers are more fun every time I meet one of you."

"You killed three. You are famous because of that."

"Oh, no, luv. I have killed more than three." Spike said. "I can't even remember how many."

"You lie." Vi hissed. "I don't know how you killed Kennedy. She was one of the strongest."

"Problem with you slayers." Spike chuckled. "Is you think you are the best of the best. The best fighter isn't he who conquers all, but he who conquers himself."

"Cryptic." Vi frowned. "Like Giles. Look, not that it hasn't been fun, but could you stand still so I can behead you?"

"Wow, do you slayers make a point to be so bloody infuriating? Is it in the Official Handbook or what?"

Vi didn't answer and struck again with her sword. Spike answered with is own, and soon the two fighters were more like a blur in the battlefield, the normal eye not being able to follow both fighters.

The sound of their swords clashing was lost in the middle of the massive battle, but soon one of the fighters gained the upper hand.

More blood appeared on the field and a sword fell and embedded itself on the soiled ground.

"Good one." Spike said, holding his injured arm. "Managed to disarm me."

Vi didn't answer, she merely swung again, the sword aiming at Spike's neck. The vampire grinned as he dodged the weapon, diving for Vi's legs. Gaining the advantage, Spike hugged his opponent's legs and forced her to fall. In a quick motion, she slammed the back of her assailant with the hilt of her sword, and slammed her left fist into Spike's face.

The vampire growled, but he grinned as well. He morphed into his vampiric visage and bit hard into one of Vi's legs. The slayer howled in pain, and held upside down her sword, and lowered it fast and hard.

Spike couldn't move in time, and the sword struck his left shoulder blade, stopping with the bone. He growled again and jumped away. Blood soon dripped down his back, and he couldn't reach back far enough to dislodge the sword off his body.

"Bloody hell, girl, I thought we were having fun!"

Vi quickly tore off a piece of her sleeve and tied it quickly around her injured leg. Fortunately, Spike had missed the artery, or else she would have bled to death on the field.

She stood up, the rush of adrenaline aiding her.

Spike saw the fierce determination on her face and smiled.

"Good. There's the fire I want to see in a slayer."

"It's the last thing you'll see."

"You know, I'm getting tired of you slayers saying that." Spike hissed. "Have heard it so many times it's not fun anymore."

Without wasting time, Vi kicked Spike's head, sending him spiraling to the ground. When landing, the sword entered a bit more his body, and he felt the metal almost going all the way through.

The vampire growled as the slayer once again appeared next to him and punched him with all her strength. Spike's head snapped back with the impact, but he realized the slayer was tired, having felt the full brunt of a slayer's punch.

He laughed and spat blood aside. Vi didn't let herself be distracted and threw more punches at her enemy. Spike tried to block most of them, but he was distracted by the tenacity and fierceness of the woman in front of him. In another time or another place, he might have admired her.

Two more punches found their way, and Spike felt a few teeth loosen, and he knew it was time to end the game.

Vi threw more punches, but Spike caught both her arms and pulled her to him. Vi retaliated with a head butt which almost broke Spike's nose, but the vampire held on and kneed Victoria on the stomach. The air knocked out of her, Vi doubled over and Spike seized the opportunity and kissed her on the lips, both tasting each other's blood.

Vi spat when Spike's mouth left her, and the vampire chuckled.

"Oh, come on, I'm not a bad kisser."

Vi gazed at him with deadly eyes, but Spike kept smiling.

"As fun as this has been, I have other things to do and more slayers to kill."

Spike held Vi's arms against him, and pulled her even closer. Vi turned her head away, fearing another kiss, but Spike's actions caught her by surprise.

The vampire tossed themselves backwards.

When they hit the floor, the sword buried in Spike's back was pushed harder, going through the bone, muscle and flesh, exiting the vampire's body and entering Vi's shoulder.

Blood spattered both their faces, and the slayer bit her lips to stop her scream. It wouldn't do any good if she lost control and went into shock.

Spike, however, didn't have the same self control and howled as the offending metal went all the way through his body, and he didn't notice the blood falling on their faces.

"God damn it! I hate it when this happens!"

Vi tried to suppress all noise around her and think about a way of getting out of the mess she was into. She had lost her weapon and she was much to close to the vampire's fangs and knew it would take him no time until he realized the same.

Wasting no time, Vi ignored the pain and slammed her forehead into Spike's nose, hearing the bone crack and felt her own skin break with impact.

"Leave my bloody nose alone!" Spike growled and half twisted, causing the sword to shift and unbearable pain coursed through both fighter's bodies.

This time, Vi lost the battle with self control and screamed, the noise engulfed by the massive uproar of the war going on around them.

Spike chuckled and pushed the slayer away with all his strength. The sudden motion drove the sword out of Vi's body and blood spattered everywhere. The slayer tried to maintain her balance, but the pain and exhaustion caused her head to swirl for an instant and she fell on her knees. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground, looking for a discarded weapon in the sea of bodies, but she could only see blood.

"You sure are good." Spike said, coughing and spitting some blood. "You've come closer than most, guess this long living slayer shit does count for something."

"Wrong choice of weapon." Vi sighed. "If I had a stake, you would be dust by now."

"Foresight, huh?"

"A rookie's mistake."

"An honest mistake. I like you, slayer, but this soddin' thing has gone for too long." Spike growled, and still wearing his vampire mask, he lunged at her.

Vi didn't close her eyes, and rose her arms, ignoring the pain, in an attempt to fend off her assailant.

The impact never came, as a whirl of black appeared in front of her and tackled the vampire away.

The slayer blinked, and saw one of the men who'd trained her stand in front of her, facing her enemy.

A large Japanese sword appeared in the hand of the man talking, and a shorter one on his other hand.

"This has gone for too long." The man standing between vampire and slayer said. "You won't kill more slayers. You'll have to come through me first."

Vi looked up, and saw Xander Giles facing off the slayer of slayers.