Rating: pg-13 or higher, dunno that crazy American
system
Content: violence, death and almost swearing
Spoiler Warning: Nothing really, besides stuff from season 4
Summary: Adam transplants a chip from a deceased hostile into Riley, who
then needs to die (like he hasn’t since the beginning?)
Disclaimer: These character don’t belong to me, they’re the property
of Joss Whedon (the most incredible person in existance), WB, Fox and so
on. We all know the drill.
p.s. I wrote this between 2 and 2.30am, so it does kinda suck, but I thought
the general idea was kinda cool, and Riley dies.. woo hoo!
*****
With one thrust, the vampire was pierced straight through the heart.
“Shi...” was all the creature could utter before it exploded into
a pile of dust.
Adam retracted the metal spike into his arm, observing with an eerie fascination
the manner with these creatures combusted. But, there was little time for
that tonight. Crouching his immense frame down, Adam extracted a small electronic
chip from the dust pile that was once hostile 5. Yes, now he could test his
theory.
* * *
A new professor had taken over the lectures for what once was Maggie
Walsh’s psychology class. A professor with a large bust and a tendency
to wear cow print mini skirts. With that type of clothing, none of the other
TAs were surprised to find Riley volunteering to do extra work for her. It
was late one night, while the professor and the boy from Iowa were marking
papers, that Adam entered with his following of vampires. The professor was
passed around as a communal snack, after Riley had fallen from a single blow
to the back of the head. Adam watched with satisfaction as a couple of vamps
dragged his ‘brother’ to the med. labs of the college. Mother’s
theories would be expanded now.
* * *
In another part of the state, Cordelia Chase lay in perfect contentment upon
her couch, face mask applied and cucumber slices across her eyes. All she
needed now was the right mental image of Brad Pitt naked and...
With a burst of pain, Cordy gripped her head, trying to fend off the onslaught
of her vision. Flashes of a face she knew, and had cursed often, snapping
and cracking of bones. And just as quickly, it stopped. Gasping for air,
Cordelia scrambled for the phone, hitting the speed dial labeled
‘Angel’. Absently picking up her pieces of cucumber, she said the
three words her employer dreaded hearing.
“Buffy’s in trouble”.
Patrol was the same as usual, if a little less solitary than Buffy was used
to. Somehow, Willow, Xander and Anya, all appropriately armed, had volunteered
for duty, and somehow Buffy hadn’t dissuaded them from it, like normal.
Then she remembered why... with the Scooby gang along, Riley wouldn’t
insist on joining them. Not that Buffy wanted to endanger her friends and
keep her boyfriend balled up in cotton... it was just.. she worked better
with these guys, she liked their company. And yes, she was kinda getting...
bored?... over?.... sick of? Farm boy. Not that she’d had to make an
excuse tonight, Riley hadn’t been seen since yesterday. It had been
nice, the time away from him, without his blonde face intruding on the image
of Angel she always kept in her mind.
Just then, Riley came shambling over. The entire group stopped, not so much
startled by his presence as that... half his head had been shaven, and an
ugly, bloodied patch of stitches held his scalp together.
“Riley...” started Willow, trailing off as Riley strode towards
them, his focus entirely on the slayer.
“C’mon big guy, not even gonna say hello?” quipped Xander,
who was unceremoniously shoved out of the way by the commando. Anya gave
a shriek of protest, kneeling next to her boyfriend and cradling his head.
“Riley... what happened...” Buffy was cut off by her supposed boyfriend
grabbing her neck, hoisting her up off the ground. One swing of his free
arm sent an attacking Willow flying back, landing with a thud that left her
at best dazed.
Digging her nails into his arm, Buffy hit tendon, causing Riley to drop her
from his grasp. “What are you doing?” she managed to rasp out before
ducking to avoid a full forced punch from her now definitely ex-boyfriend.
“Adam showed me the way,” Riley replied, tapping the shaven side
of his head. “He showed that the chips that could make hostiles docile,
could make dorks.. I mean, good guys bad.” With the explanation out
of the way, Riley attacked again, striking and punching with strength renewed
by a healthy dose of steroids from his ‘brother’. Buffy ducked
and dodged, trying to figure out how to disable Riley without actually hurting
him. She was so focused on the problem that she made a slight error in judgement,
giving Riley the chance to swipe her legs out from under her, leaving Buffy
crashed on the ground. Without pause, Riley drove the heel of his foot towards
her neck, but whether Buffy blocked in time, she’d never know. A flash
of darkness came from the shadows, lifting and carrying her ex up, eventually
slamming him into a tree. As Buffy stood, she saw Angel, his face twisted
into a vampire snarl, gripping Riley by the throat and forcing his head back
into the tree trunk.
“You (crack) do (slam) not (crunch) hit (whack) Buffy,” growled
Angel, punctuating each word with impact to Riley’s skull. Even after
the commando’s eyes fluttered closed and his body slumped, Angel continued
the assault, only stopped when Buffy whispered his name. Dropping Adam’s
guinea pig to the floor, Angel walked to his one time lover, instinctively
wrapping his arms around her, just to be sure she was alright. And despite
what she had said to him in L.A., Buffy slid her arms around Angel, knowing
this was where she belonged.
The two soulmates were interrupted by a sudden thump, and the crunch of breaking
bones. Still holding each other, they turned to see a stake protruding from
Riley’s forehead, and Anya holding the recently emptied cross bow.
“He might’ve gotten up again,” explained Anya, without the
faintest hint of apology in her voice. “Besides, no one hurts my
Xander”.
fin
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
dierileydie