Trapped - Whatever It Takes

Buffy carefully swept through the tunnels, fancy Initiative weapon in hand. Professor Walsh sent her for a short reconnaissance after a low-threat demon, but she was getting anxious, sensing real danger lurking in the shadows.

The first attack didn't surprise her, but she quickly disregarded the oversized gun for her own kicks and punches. The demon seemed to be of vampire descend, though tougher, like she was fighting an old Master line. Didn't look typical as well, his face and body sporting different-colored skin, as if sewn together from different creatures; it dusted real enough when she staked it, however, and she resumed the mission, scouting the location.

She left the gun on the ground after it shocked her with electricity, getting the impression Walsh seriously underplayed the gravity of the situation. There were more enemies around and when she circled back to the sewers' entrance, she found it locked up from the outside.

When five more vampire hybrids surrounded her, she knew it was a setup.

---

Riley returned to the base, having just lost Hostile 17. His operation was a flunk and he was disappointed to report it, until professor Walsh told him Buffy went alone on a recon against her recommendation. They just lost her comm and she was presumed dead, but he didn't believe it one bit.

His commander tried to get him to stand by, but he recognized the GPS coordinates from the main control screens and ran out before the security could stop him. He was going to help her, his orders meaningless against the fear of losing her.

Professor Walsh glared after him, hands crossed. "Two liabilities with one stone."

---

When Riley came to her aid, Buffy briefly regained hope, but quickly realized it wasn't enough. They both lost track of how many franken-vamps they dusted; their numbers didn't seem to decrease and they soon found themselves on the defensive, darting from one blocked exit to another.

Their enemies were more vicious and persistent than any vampires Buffy encountered. She received a few hard hits and saw Riley's knee get shattered by a hard kick, sending him to the ground.

She fended off few more vamps, then pulled Riley up, opting for a retreat. They wandered away from the snarls of the bigger groups of demons, deeper into the dark corridors. Some loners still crossed their path, but they were easier to kill; their power was in numbers.

Riley leaned on a wall, unable to put any pressure on his wounded leg. He could feel blood in his mouth and every breath caused a spike of pain, signaling broken ribs, possibly cracked in and piercing his lungs.

"We need to hide", he hissed and Buffy looked around frantically, long lost in the tunnels. This was vampire territory, one she didn't explore unless she really had to.

Her senses were overloaded and she didn't foresee the vamp that jumped her from above, landing on her back and dislocating her right shoulder with a loud crack. She picked the stake with her left, crying sharply; Riley threw his backpack at the demon, distracting it, and she managed to dust it with pure luck, muscle memory letting her hit the heart in the darkness.

They entered a smaller tunnel, panting deeply, shying away from howls echoing behind them. "This is bad", she whispered, then felt a tuck on her shirt as Riley pointed out a small door hidden in a nook. Buffy kicked it in, feeling her own injuries, then hurried Riley through, barricading the entrance behind him.

It was an unused control room, cluttered with old office equipment, a single miraculously fluttering lightbulb barely lighting the space. She sat the soldier by the wall before her senses picked up on another presence, too close to be avoided.