Buffy and the Professor

"Riley, you don't understand? Can't you see that Buffy is a threat to everything we stand for? She is a major security risk. Why can't you see that?"

"You're wrong, Professor. Buffy's no risk to us. She's known about us for weeks, if not months, and she hasn't said anything. Don't you think that being the Slayer she's able to keep secrets? Hell, we didn't know there WAS such a thing as a Slayer, and how long have we been here, and still didn't know about her?"

"I'm sorry, Riley, but Buffy has to be neutralized."

"You tried that once, remember? What makes you think you can succeed the next time?"

"Okay, so I underestimated her. It won't happen again."

"You're right, it won't happen again. I won't let it. I'm not going to stand by and let you kill Buffy."

"Riley, you're not thinking straight. You're too close to her. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

"It doesn't matter how I feel about her, killing innocent civilians is wrong. It's wrong!"

"But don't you see? Buffy isn't innocent. She knows too much. She can compromise our whole operation. How can you trust her knowing she's been giving refuge to Hostile 17? She's protecting the very thing we've sworn to destroy."

"Professor, things aren't just black and white. . . . "

"But they ARE! At least they should be to you. You're a soldier. Your duty is to follow orders, period. Questioning them is akin to mutiny. Riley, don't throw away your career just because you feel something for this girl. It's not worth it, not in the long run."

"That's where you're wrong. Some things are worth it -- like the truth, and Buffy."

"I can't let you do this."

"Oh you can't? So how are you going to stop me? Lock me up?"

"If I have to."

"I don't think so. Goodbye, Professor, it's almost been fun."

As Riley turned to go, Professor Walsh nodded to several armed soldiers standing by. They immediately lowered their rifles, pointing them at Riley. He looked at them, then back at Prof Walsh.

"So this is how it's going to be?" He asked.

"It was your decision." She said. "Put him in Cell 17. After we recapture him, Riley and Hostile 17 can be cell mates."

Riley briefly thought about trying to fight his way out, but even if the soldiers didn't shoot him, he was still no match for five against one.

'Where's the Slayer when you need her?' He thought to himself.

After Riley was safely locked up, Prof Walsh dispatched a dozen soldiers to go after Buffy. Their orders were to capture her, if possible. Prof Walsh was curious to find out why she had so much strength for being a small, thin GIRL!

But if capture wasn't a viable option, they were to take her out any way possible. Even if it meant innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire.

"I can't believe Prof Walsh tried to have you killed." Willow said with some concern. "I mean, I know she's this important government biggie and all, but . . . ."

"At first, I couldn't figure it either. But facts are facts. I was deliberately trapped with a gun that didn't work, and two big bads. Fortunately, she didn't realize two-on-one is more or less SOP."

"Yeah. But I'm sure even it there had been three or four of them you could have handled them."

Buffy smiled at her best friend, but a little uneasy that she had so much confidence it Buffy's abilities.

"So now what?" Willow asked.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Wait and see, I guess. She'll try again, I'm sure. Just have to stay alert and ready for her."

"Don't you want to take the fight to her?" Willow said with anticipation in her voice. "Just like the Scoobies of old? You know, you kick butt, and we'll be there to back you up."

"Thanks, but this is different. These guys are real soldiers, and they have real weapons. And I can't take the chance any of you will get hurt, or killed. No, like it or not, this is my fight."

"Still going patrolling?"

"Yeah, have to -- some things don't change."

Willow nodded in agreement. "Vamp-o-rama."

As Buffy hid her favorite Mr. Pointy up her sleeve, Willow asked, "Want me to walk with you part of the way? I'm heading to the Student Center anyway."

"Sure."

As they left Stevenson Hall, Buffy suddenly got a bad feeling, which Willow immediately picked up on.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Don't know, but I don't like it." Buffy answered.

"You think it's them?"

"Hard to say."

Just then they were surrounded by a half dozen soldiers, their faces covered with only their eyes showing, with rifles pointed at them.

"Don't move!" One of them ordered. "Move and you die!"

For an instant, Buffy thought about resisting, but with Willow there, she knew she was helpless.

"Let her go. It's me you want, not her." Buffy demanded.

"What do you think?" Another one asked. "Do we take them both?"

After a few seconds, the first one said, "No. The professor only wants this one," as he pointed his rifle at Buffy.

"Stun 'em both." He said.

Then two taser guns shot out their twin darts, and Buffy and Willow both fell to the ground in spasms.

Buffy had a blanket thrown over her then was bound with rope.

Willow was dragged into nearby bushes.

"By the time she comes to, we'll be long gone." The first one said. "We got what we came for, let's go."

As Buffy slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust them to the bright lights, Prof Walsh swam into focus. She was standing with the wooden spike in her hand in front of Buffy, who was on the floor.

When she saw Buffy had recovered enough to understand, she said. "I can't believe you're using such an archaic 'weapon.' No wonder there are so many hostiles here. You're way over your head."

Buffy slowly got to her feet, without handcuffs or leg restraints. 'Bad mistake.' she thought to herself.

Looking around she asked "Where's Riley?"

"Riley's -- being restrained, for now."

Buffy followed Prof Walsh's gaze, and over her shoulder she saw Riley inside one of the glass fronted cages.

"You know, Buffy, if you had worked with us from the beginning, we could have used you. But instead, you decided to go your own way."

"I don't play well with others." Buffy replied.

"Too bad."

Prof Walsh took a deep breath, as if making a decision she didn't like. "But you leave us no other choice. It looks like we're going to keep you around for a while. We need to find out what makes you tick, what this Slayer thing is all about."

"Oh, really? And just how are you going to do that?"

As Prof Walsh started to answer, Buffy went into action.

With two quick roundhouse kicks, two of her guards went down. As three more charged her, she went low, sweeping the feet out from under two of them and kicking the third under the chin.

A guard fired his taser at her, but she dove and rolled away from it. A second taser was fired at her, but she grabbed yet another guard, spun him around, then let him go as the darts penetrated his back, sending him to the floor.

As the downed guards got to their feet, Buffy threw them one at a time into the walls, into each other, and back down to the floor.

With a momentary break in the action, Buffy grabbed Prof Walsh by the throat and forced her against a wall.

"Call them off!" Buffy demanded. "Call them off or somebody's going to get seriously hurt. And right now it looks like you're the number one candidate."

For a few seconds Prof Walsh hesitated, hoping someone would make a move. But only a couple of the men were able to make it to their feet.

"As you were!" She commanded.

"Good plan." Buffy said, still holding her against the wall.

"You want to know about Slayers? Well, here's one thing -- We fight. We fight against demons and vampires and whatever other evil comes along. And they're tough. But they don't mind getting hurt if they think they can make a kill. Now YOUR guys are plenty tough, no doubt because you've pumped them full of some kind of super juice, but eventually they get tired. But me? I don't get tired. I'm the Slayer."

As the rest of the men slowly got to their feet, Buffy knew she needed an ally.

"Let Riley go." She said to Prof Walsh.

"No." She answered stubbornly.

"Fine. I'll just do it myself."

Buffy cautiously released Prof Walsh, keeping an eye on the soldiers, and walked over to the glass door, looking it up and down. She then stepped back a few feet, preparing herself to kick it down.

"You'll never open it that way." Prof Walsh told her. "It's half inch thick, specially tempered glass."

Buffy gave the professor a knowing smile, then with a short run, launched herself into the air and smashed into the glass with one foot.

For a few seconds nothing happened, then it began to spider web, and just as Prof Walsh was about to make a comment, the glass shattered into thousand of pieces.

Riley rushed out and picked up one of the taser rifles, pointing it at the others.

Buffy looked at Prof Walsh, "You were saying?" she asked.

The professor's mouth was gaped open - what she had just seen was impossible!

Buffy walked back to the professor.

"Let me tell you about Slayers. We have been around for thousands of years, for as long as demons have been walking the earth. That's why we were created. And when one of us dies, another is chosen, and then another, and then another. If you had killed me, I would have been replaced. If you had killed her, the next one would be called. It NEVER ends! Oh, and just in case you were wondering why only one at a time is chosen -- it's because only one at a time is needed."

"And now," Buffy continued, "let's see what's in, oh, I don't know, how about -- room 314?"

(Of course, room 314 is where Adam is. And the rest is BtVS history.)