Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.42: What I'm about to do

(A/N: I finally got around to drawing Aud. Her bangs aren't actually like that, BTW, I just couldn't get her other eye right. o<-<)

  "Ugh....everybody okay?" I questioned while pushing myself off the side of the vehicle. I heard their replies and groans before looking at the driver. "Oh, my God! Pops!" Quickly getting to my feet, I went to Giles's side, ripping off his seatbelt to get him out of the wreck. We had to all climb out of the hatch on the roof to get out, and Pops' shirt was stained with blood.

  "We gotta find shelter." Xander stated as Buffy ran to us.

  "Right bloody quick." Spike added while shading himself with a blanket.

  "Buffy!" I called out, feeling panic constricting around my heart. "We have to help Pops." She rushed over and grabbed Pops's free arm to help me hold him up.

  "Come on, this way." Buffy then led us down the dusty road until we found an abandoned auto repair station. Once we were in, Buffy handed Pops off to Spike, and we both lifted him up onto the counter. "Okay, Will?"

  "I'm on it. Careful!" Willow said as Pops was clearly in pain. He was bleeding pretty heavily from where the spear had struck him in the side.

  "I'm-I'm so sorry, I-I know you're supposed to leave it in, but-but the spear, it was-it was  pinning Pops in the RV and-and-"

  "Aud, it's going to be okay." Willow looked at me as she folded up a jacket and set it under Giles's head. Nodding, I still felt the chains of panic and fear closing in all around me.

  "Okay, okay- I'll just find something to fix him up with!" I stepped back, then began to rummage around the auto repair store. 'Come on, something! Something! Anything!'

  "Buffy!" I heard Willow shout not but a few seconds later. Looking back, I was clearly losing control and focus, seeing that my claws were out and I was leaving marks on everything I grabbed as I dug through piles of junk. My heartbeat sounded in my ears as I felt my tail curling and uncurling.

  "There's nothing here!" I cried. "Nothing!" Suddenly, a flaming arrow broke through a crack in the boarded-up windows.

  "Dawn, get down!" Buffy quickly took her sister behind the counter while Xander put out the arrow.

  "We got company. And they brought a crusade." Xander looked at us after peeking out a window. Arrows were flying, and my blood was rushing in my veins as I put out as many fires as I could.

  "Willow!"

  "I'm working on it!" Buffy and Spike pushed an old coffee dispensing machine in front of the door to keep the knights from coming in that way. They were swarming over the windows, hitting the boards with their axes.

  "Buffy!" I heard Dawn scream. The Slayer went to her, and a knight burst in through the back door.

  "Hey!" I snarled, grabbing his attention. He swung his mace and it caught me on the jaw. Falling back, I furrowed my brows. 'I am so not in the mood for this!'Spike screamed in pain while holding his head after he punched the knight, and I jumped back to my feet. My tail swayed as I looked at the man. When he rose his mace, I attacked his large, unprotected body. Sure, he was wearing chainmail and armor, but my fists could dent any well-made chest plate.

Xander dragged him to the back after I took the knight down, and I was ready to fight again as another one of the knights made his way in.

  "The Key." He pointed his sword, and I grabbed the mace off the ground while throwing it at his hand to disarm him. Watching Buffy fight had taught me how to use my surroundings to my advantage rather than just relying on my brute strength and speed alone. Grabbing him, I rammed his head into a column, knocking him out. That was when Willow finally got the barrier spell up.