Title: The Young, the Brave and the Beautiful
Author: Fontana777
Email: xj74us[at]yahoo[dot]com
Website: http://www.geocities.com//xj74us/
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
HARTFORD. STREET. NIGHT.
Buffy, Rory, Paris and Faith race down to the streets of the burning subdivision. All around them is fire, screams of torment, scorched corpses, and burning, living skeletons.
To their left Buffy hears screams coming from a two story Tudor. They race over to the front door. Buffy kicks it in. Flames shoot out.
Faith dives through the wall of flames and lands in the living room. There's smoke and fire everywhere. Through the dense smoke and flame she can see a woman cowering in the corner in fear. Beside her are slumped her two young daughters, age five and six. Faith races over to them.
The two girls look to be unconscious, overcome by smoke. Faith heaves them over her shoulders.
Faith starts for the front door.
Buffy comes diving through the smoke and fire.
Buffy sees the woman over in the corner and makes a beeline for her. Faith works her way outside and places the two girls on the lawn.
Rory slaps both girls on the cheek. One comes around, but the other remains unconscious.
Rory and Paris begin CPR on the girl. Meanwhile, inside the burning house, Buffy reaches the woman.
Buffy picks the woman up in her arms.
The woman does as she is told. Buffy starts for the front door. Just as they reach it - CRASH! - the front part of the roof caves in, burying them!
Rory and Paris continue with the CPR as Faith rushes over to the mound of burning rubble that the front façade has become. Faith kicks down what's left of the front door threshold. Behind it is a pile of burning rubble from the cave-in. Faith starts furiously clawing her way through it. After a few desperate seconds, she finds Buffy and the woman buried underneath, both unconscious. She grabs both of them by the leg and drags them outside to the lawn.
Meanwhile, Rory and Paris continue with the CPR.
Finished with CPR on the girl, Rory rushes over to Faith.
Faith shakes Buffy violently.
Buffy regains consciousness. She sits up. Faith hugs her.
Rory shakes the woman. She too regains consciousness. She crawls on the grass over to her daughters, tears flooding her eyes.
She hugs them fiercely.
The woman stares at Faith.
Just then - BOOM! - what's left of the house explodes in a tremendous explosion. The explosion knocks the women to the ground. The girls look up and see Kirk standing down the street. He has just fired a thunderbolt at them and missed, hitting the house.
Rory whips out a machine pistol and opens fire on Kirk. She hits him repeatedly but the bullets do little damage.
Buffy takes out the 40mm grenade launcher and pops in a grenade. She fires. She scores a direct hit. Kirk is knocked a good thirty feet back through the air. He lies smoldering on the ground. After a few seconds, he hops to his feet, apparently undamaged.
An ear-splitting crackle rends the air as Kirk fires a thunderbolt at Buffy. Buffy dives to the grass, and the thunderbolt sails past her, but hits Faith square on her left shoulder. Faith is knocked hard to the ground.
The girls run up to Faith.
They help her to her feet.
Kirk fires another thunderbolt. It goes wide of the mark, and explodes on the front lawn of the adjoining house.
They run through the alley separating the two houses, then hop over the backyard fence into the backyard of another house. They race out into the street.
Faith runs up to a Chevy four-door Impala. She knocks in the front driver's side window, gets in, and lets the others in. Paris hops up front, with Rory and Buffy in the rear.
Faith hotwire starts it. She floors the accelerator just as Kirk appears down the street. He fires still another thunderbolt at them. It narrowly misses the speeding Impala, and strikes a parked car. The car explodes in flames.
Faith makes a hard right turn at the corner and hightails it out of there.
Kirk looks down the street and sees that fire and police have started to arrive. A police cruiser slams to a halt in front of him.
Kirk reaches in and snaps the officer's neck, killing him instantly. He pulls the body out through the window and tosses it aside. Kirk gets into the cruiser and takes off after the girls.
HIGHWAY. SPEEDING CARS. NIGHT.
The girls speed down the highway, heading towards downtown Hartford. Kirk is not far behind them, gaining fast.
Faith floors the accelerator. But Kirk out-accelerates her, and pulls along the driver's side. Rory whips out her machine pistol and open fires. The passenger side windows of the cruiser are blown out. Kirk responds by slamming into the Impala. Faith screams in agony as the impact aggravates her shoulder wound.
Faith counters by slamming hard into Kirk. Kirk loses control. He does a 360 degree spin out, and barely is able to stay on the road. It takes him awhile, but he is finally able to regain control. He's about 500 yards behind the girls. Angered, he charges up fast and catches them. All the while the cruiser is taking a phalanx of hits from Rory with her machine pistol, and now Buffy with her sidearm.
Kirk rams the cruiser into the Impala's driver's door. Faith screams in pain.
Kirk rams them again. And again. Faith almost loses control of the car.
Kirk rams them yet again. The driver's door is crumpled in a good eight inches. Faith car barely maintain control of the car. Kirk can smell blood.
Paris doesn't wait for a response. She forces her way over to the driver's seat. Faith reluctantly lets her have the wheel, and slides over to the passenger's seat.
Paris floors it, and the Impala takes off. She quickly hits 100 mph. Kirk falls behind at first, but quickly catches up. He rams them from behind. Buffy knocks out the rear windshield, and then open fires on Kirk, plastering his front windshield with bullets. Kirk knocks out what's left of the front windshield with his fist. He then fires a thunderbolt at the Impala. But Paris sees it coming. She veers hard to her left to avoid it, into the opposite lane of the narrow two lane highway, right into the path of a speeding tractor trailer truck. The thunderbolt misses them and slams up the highway and explodes harmlessly. But the tractor trailer is less than two hundred yards away and closing fast for a certain fatal head on collision!
Paris swings the car further to her left, onto the gravelly roadside. It takes all of Paris' skill to maintain control of the car as the truck speeds by, missing them by inches.
Once the tractor trailer is past, Paris swings to her right, back onto the road. Kirk comes up fast and pulls along side them on the driver's side. He points his right hand at them, ready to fire a thunderbolt, at point blank range. But just as he fires, Paris rams into the cruiser, throwing Kirk off balance. The thunderbolt goes wide of the mark, and sails into the woods adjacent to the highway, and explodes.
Paris really floors it this time, and brings the car up to 120 mph, leaving Kirk far behind. Kirk starts to close fast. When he closes to within one hundred yards, Paris suddenly slams on the brakes. She then does a 180 degree skid, and slams into Kirk's front driver's side with the Impala's front driver's side. The impact sends the police cruiser flying off the road. Kirk fights desperately to maintain control, but to no avail. The cruiser careens along the roadside for a couple hundred yards or so, then Kirk loses it totally. The cruiser does a roll over, and tumbles end over end into the woods and explodes.
Paris grimaces with satisfaction as she sees the fireball rise in the air in her rearview mirror. She hightails it out of there, and they escape.
HIGHWAY. CAR. NIGHT. FIVE MINUTES LATER.
Paris speeds down the highway. Buffy casts a wary eye out through the broken glass of the back window.
Paris eases the car down to 70 mph. Across from her, Faith nurses her wounded shoulder.
Faith stares at Buffy cold as ice.
Rory and Buffy both clear their throats at the same time - LOUDLY.
The girls continue to speed down the dark highway.
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE. NIGHT. A HALF HOUR LATER.
Paris pulls up to an abandoned warehouse. The warehouse lies on the outskirts of north Hartford. Paris parks the car then shuts it off.
Paris bursts out into laughter.
Paris gets out the car and walks around to the passenger side rear door. She hops in the back with Rory and Buffy. She starts feeling Rory up. Buffy FREAKS OUT.
Paris laughs again. She starts to unbutton Rory's blouse.
Buffy gets out and starts walking towards the decrepit entrance of the building. Faith joins her. Buffy forces the door open, and they enter.
INSIDE WAREHOUSE. NIGHT.
The warehouse is cold, cavernous, empty and dark. Buffy and Faith sit down against the near wall.
The sarcasm in Faith's voice hits home. Buffy's face flares with anger. She rips off part of her blouse. She uses it as a tourniquet, tying it around Faith's shoulder wound.
Buffy's face softens a bit. She loosens up the tourniquet.
As Buffy adjusts the tourniquet, she is only inches away from Faith's face. Faith parts her lips ever so slightly, and her eyes become dreamy, as if to signal to Buffy that she is ready to receive her. But Buffy doesn't take the bait.
Buffy rises. She reaches in her pants pocket and feels the engagement ring. But she doesn't take the ring out. She just keeps her hand in her pocket.
She walks over to one of the windows. Staring out, she can see Rory and Paris going at it pretty good in the car.
INSIDE CAR. NIGHT.
Paris and Rory consummate their lovemaking. They are both covered with sweat.
They both start to button themselves up.
Paris bursts out laughing.
Rory straps the backpack containing the Grail to her back, her face steeled with determination.
Paris reflects on what Rory has said. She nods her head in agreement. They kiss.
INSIDE WAREHOUSE. NIGHT.
Buffy continues to stand at the window. She can see Rory and Paris kissing in the car. Faith rises and walks up to her.
Faith's face hardens.
Faith turns her back on Buffy. Buffy realizes she's really hurt Faith.
Faith grabs Buffy and slams her up hard against the wall. Buffy looks like she is ready to punch Faith in the mouth. But she doesn't, restraining herself.
Faith's mood shifts, from anger to... lust. She presses her body up against Buffy's body, her breasts up against Buffy's breasts, her leg between Buffy's legs. Their lips almost touch. Buffy starts to melt.
Both women look like they're ready to give in to their passion. But at the last second Faith takes a step back. She laughs softly.
Buffy sighs.
Buffy puts her hand on Faith's arm. They stare into each other's eyes.
Buffy takes out the engagement ring and clutches it in her fist with her right hand. With her left hand she holds Faith's hand.
Suddenly, it starts raining fire outside.
Buffy tucks the engagement ring back in her pocket. Faith reaches for it. Buffy blocks her hand.
They rush outside.
WAREHOUSE. NIGHT.
Rory and Paris have exited the car and join Faith and Buffy outside the warehouse.
They all look to the south. Much of the southern part of Hartford appears to be on fire.
They pile into the car and take off.
INSIDE CAR. NIGHT.
Paris tears out of the drive of the warehouse and races down the street.
Paris suddenly slams to a halt in front of a parked car.
They exit the beat up Impala and force their way into the parked car, a four door Lexus sedan. Paris is behind the wheel and Faith sits next to her. Faith reaches over and hotwire starts it as Paris eyes her intensely. The ignition catches, and Paris takes off with the roar of screeching tires.
Faith laughs out loud.
Faith reaches over and places her hand on Paris' thigh and rubs it. She gives Paris a provocative look. Paris' eyes do a major league BUG OUT.
They continue to race down the darkened streets as fire rains down from the skies. Within a few minutes, they are on the highway heading south. They see a trail of energy balls arching from the outskirts of Hartford and slamming into the southern part of the city. Entire blocks are on fire.
They reach the outskirts of the city.
Kirk stands in the middle of the highway. He has the highway blocked off with a stolen Ford SUV. He is firing energy ball after energy ball into south Hartford. He spots the girls. He gets in the SUV and takes off after them.
Paris does a 180 and takes off, heading north. Kirk closes in fast.
Paris gives Faith THE LOOK.
Rory reaches up to the front seat and kisses her wife.
They do. Paris floors it. The Lexus takes off like a rocket. Soon they are at 130 mph. They leave Kirk far behind.
HIGHWAY. CAR. NIGHT. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER.
Paris tears down the highway at 150 mph. They have now crossed the state line into Massachusetts.
Paris exits the 84 and takes the 90 heading East for Cambridge. Faith looks out the window. To the southwest, the sky is aglow as the fires of Hartford burning light up the horizon. She grimaces.
Buffy squirms uncomfortably in her seat.
Buffy smiles.
Both women start giggling.
Rory brushes up against Buffy, flirting.
MIT. PLASMA SCIENCE AND RESEARCH FACILITY. NIGHT. A HALF HOUR LATER.
Paris screeches to a halt in front of the research facility building. The girls hop out the car.
Buffy kicks in the reinforced steel door of the facility, and they make their way in. They walk quickly down a dimly lit corridor.
They walk up a flight of stairs, then down a short corridor to the control room. Rory knocks in the door. They enter.
The control room sits a couple of stories above the giant donut-shaped Tomahawk fusion reactor. They stare at it through the glass partition.
Paris walks over to the control panel. She starts the power-on sequence.
Paris continues the power-on sequence. Suddenly, the entire building shakes.
Faith and Buffy stand lookout as Paris picks up the tempo. She flips one switch after the next, in an odd sort of symphony.
All kinds of warning lights start flashing around the reactor, and the reactor itself starts to emit a low hum. Paris stares at the digital POWER OUTPUT readout on the control panel.
They exit out a second door into the vast chamber containing the reactor. They race down the stairs to the chamber floor. Paris runs up to the reactor, with the others behind her.
Faith taps on the reactor wall with her finger.
Kirk walks into the control room.
The three slayers rear back their fists -
They slam their fists into the wall of the reactor. They punch a large hole in the wall. Metal flies everywhere. When the smoke clears they can see the plasma stream through the hole.
They walk hurriedly to the other side of the reactor as Kirk exits the control room and starts down the stairs.
Kirk reaches the bottom of the stairs. The girls take up positions on the far side of the reactor.
Buffy opens fire with her sidearm and Rory her machine pistol. The bullets strike Kirk but do no damage. Faith whips out a sawed-off shot gun and open fires. She scores direct hits to Kirk's chest. Kirk staggers a bit. Buffy pulls out the grenade launcher and fires a 40mm grenade at him. The grenade strikes Kirk in the chest and explodes. He is knocked back up against the wall. It takes him a couple seconds to gather himself. He then rises and fires a thunderbolt at the girls. All four girls hit the deck as the thunderbolt sails over them, strikes the wall, and explodes.
Faith rises from the floor and continues to blast away with her shotgun. Kirk responds by firing a thunderbolt at her. She tries to dive out of the way, but the thunderbolt strikes her on the left side of her chest. She is knocked to the floor. She writhes in pain. The flesh on the left side of her chest is severely burned. She tries to get up, but he fires another thunderbolt at her, this time striking her on the right thigh. She collapses hard to the floor. She screams in pain.
Meanwhile, Paris rises and circles around the reactor and comes up behind Kirk. She whips out her sword and rams Kirk through the heart from behind, catching him by surprise.
Kirk staggers for just a second. He then grabs the blade of the sword and pulls it out. He heals instantly. He turns and punches Paris hard in the face. She goes flying through the air and crashes up against the wall.
Rory jumps to her feet and walks towards Kirk, unloading with her machine pistol. She runs out of bullets. She tosses the machine pistol aside and takes out her sidearm and continues firing. All to no avail.
Kirk, realizing Rory has the Grail, rushes her. But Buffy comes up and dives between them. She knocks Kirk to the floor. He rises. She kicks him in the chest, sending him tumbling over. Kirk hops to his feet and responds by punching her hard in the face. He then grabs her and twirls her around and sends her flying through the air. She crashes hard to the floor. She lies there, dazed.
Rory, meanwhile, has gotten past Kirk and rushes up to Paris.
Paris is barely conscious. Rory looks up and sees Kirk walking menacingly toward her. She realizes she has her back to the wall with nowhere to go. He reaches her. He grabs her by the throat, choking her.
Rory grabs his arm, but even with her slayer strength, is unable to break his stranglehold.
Kirk slaps her hard across the face. He then tosses her a good twenty feet through the air. She crashes into the metal stairs leading up to the control room. She is knocked instantly unconscious.
Kirk walks over to her. He rips off the backpack. He opens it and takes out the Holy Grail. He holds it up in triumph.
Kirk turns and sees that Faith, summoning all her strength, has managed to rise to her feet. She staggers over to Paris' sword and picks it up.
Kirk places the Grail in a pouch inside his tunic.
He whips out his sword.
Kirk rushes forward and sends his sword crashing down on her. She is able to block it with her sword. He strikes her blow after blow, but she fights a defensive battle, and is somehow able to block them.
She gradually backpedals towards the reactor. She makes it to the hole in the reactor wall. She sees the plasma stream. Once she reaches it she takes the offensive, sending several hard blows against him. But Kirk blocks them easily. Kirk returns her blows with a single devastating blow. Faith blocks it, but the blow has such force that her sword shatters in her hand and splits in two. Faith tosses the useless stump aside in disgust. She realizes she's screwed.
Kirk grabs her by the neck and holds her only inches from the plasma stream and certain death. He taunts her with his sword.
The mere mention of Lionhearted's name sent a wave of rage coursing through Kirk. He was so blinded by it he didn't notice Faith's right hand reaching down to a knife she had secured to her right ankle. She pulls the knife from its sheath and - WHAM - plunges the knife into Kirk's right thigh, twisting it for good measure.
For just a fraction of a second Kirk felt pain - real pain. Only a fraction. But it was long enough. Faith shifts her weight, dropping towards the floor, then tosses Kirk headfirst towards the plasma stream. At the same time she managed to wrench the Grail from the pouch in his tunic.
With a loud, ungodly cry, Kirk slams into the plasma stream. He never stands a chance. In an instant he is vaporized, his molecules vanishing into nothingness.
Faith slumps against the reactor wall. Tears form in her eyes. She can hardly believe it: Kirk was dead. She staggers over and picks up the empty backpack. She holds the Grail in front of her, a look of grim satisfaction on her face. She places the Grail into the backpack and zips it up.
Rory regains consciousness. She rises and walks over to Paris. She helps Paris up and they walk over to Faith. Buffy recovers and walks up.
The four women embrace, scarcely able to hold back the tears.
Buffy steps back and pours over Faith's wounds.
Overcome with emotion, the four women embrace once more.
Rory breaks down, grieving for Lane. Buffy takes Rory in her arms, comforting her.
Buffy wipes the tears from her eyes.
Buffy turns to Faith.
Buffy takes out the engagement ring.
Buffy slips the ring on Faith's ring finger. They kiss. Their first kiss.
They kiss once more.
Faith turns to Rory.
Faith hands the backpack containing the Grail to Rory. Rory takes the Grail out. She stares at it for a long time. Her eyes flicker, as if reflecting a spark of awareness. She looks up at Paris. She then walks over to the hole in the reactor. Without warning, and without saying a word, she tosses the Grail into the plasma stream. It vaporizes instantly.
Faith walks over, her voice oddly calm.
Rory turns to Paris.
The three women are stunned speechless.
Paris, instinctively, walks up to Faith. She touches her. At her touch all Faith's wounds are healed.
Paris leans forward and kisses Faith, her tongue probing Faith's mouth.
Buffy, in turn, reaches over and caresses Rory's face. Rory's face is etched with the pain of Lane's loss, but Buffy's touch seems to ease it. Buffy kisses her. A long, moving kiss.
Rory glances one last time at the plasma stream, at the nothingness both Kirk and the Grail have become. She turns to Buffy. Buffy's eyes are locked on Rory's lips. Rory manages a faint smile. They both lean forward and their lips meet, kissing once more.
Buffy wraps her arm around Rory's waist. Paris locks arms with Faith.
They leave.
The End