I know what you're thinking! Tiggr already has 2 unfinished stories on the board and has promised 3 others that she hasn't even written, so why on earth is she starting another one. Of course, maybe you weren't thinking that at all. This just struck me as a fun idea as I was sitting in traffic yesterday.
The wonderfully amusing movie, D.E.B.S. has not left my DVD player for about a month. I beg forgiveness from the amazingly talented, Angela Robinson, who is the writer of this brilliant tale. Her dialogue and scenes are so funny that you will often find I haven't changed much, just adapted it to our girls. I hope you enjoy this!
Title: S.C.O.O.B.Y.S.
Author: Tiggrscorpio
Email:
Tiggrscorpio1117@aol.com
Feedback: Yes, please!
Spoilers: This is extremely AU but if you haven’t seen the film D.E.B.S. you might want to skip reading this until you do.
Pairing: W/T, who else!
Rating: PG-13 but we might see a steamy love scene or two.
Disclaimers: The truly brilliant Angela Robinson is the creator of the D.E.B.S. characters. I hope she will forgive me for playing with them. The seriously misguided Joss Whedon owns the Buffy characters. Please don’t sue me – all you will get is an extremely expensive mortgage.
Summary: If you’ve seen the movie D.E.B.S. then you know all you need to know. If not, please see this wonderfully fun film, and then, read this story about how a sexy spy falls in love with an alluring villainess.
Here is a cheat sheet to clarify the characters:
Tara – Amy Bradshaw
Willow – Lucy Diamond
Faith – Max
Buffy – Janet
Kendra – Dominique
Anya – Ninotchka
Xander – Scud
Larry – Bobby
Giles – Mr. Phipps
Jenny Calendar – Ms. Petrie
*****
Chapter 1
There is a secret test hidden within the S.A.T. This test does not measure a student’s aptitude at reading, writing and arithmetic. It measures a student’s innate ability to lie, cheat, fight and kill. Those who score well are recruited into a secret para-military academy. Some call them seductresses; some call them spies; fools call them innocent. They call themselves…S.C.O.O.B.Y.S.
Sunnydale, California – S.C.O.O.B.Y. House
The elegant white house in the quiet suburban neighborhood looked like all of the other homes on the tree-lined street. But the four young women who occupied this residence were anything but ordinary. Inside their spacious and tastefully decorated living room, on one of the main walls, hung a portrait of the quartet.
To the far left was Faith Lehane. The dark eyed temptress had an attitude as full as her lips. A borderline psychotic, from Boston, she was the leader of the Scooby’s. When it came to fighting evil, Faith was in charge.
On the far right was Kendra. Just Kendra. She was too cool for a last name. The island beauty was Jamaican born and bred and had a thing for the boys. All boys. She could book ‘em and bed ‘em in between chain smoking her cigarettes.
Next to Kendra was Buffy Summers. The perky blonde with the perfect ponytail was anything but little miss innocent. An LA native, her quick hands now hoisted a firearm, instead of shoplifting the latest trinkets from Rodeo Drive.
The All-American blonde next to Faith was the pride and joy of the S.C.O.O.B.Y. Academy. Tara Maclay was the only person to ever achieve a perfect score on the secret test in the S.A.T. Oregon raised, the book smart and beautiful cop captured hearts, along with criminals.
The portrait on the wall faded away to reveal a black screen television. The panel then displayed a silver leafed round medallion encircling a picture of the canine cop, Scooby Doo. This picture quickly dissolved into a stuffy looking, middle-aged white man with glasses.
“Good morning, Scooby’s,” he spoke in a distinct British accent.
Silence echoed throughout the house. He cleared his throat and said a bit louder but still very proper, “Good Morning, Scooby’s.”
There was still no response.
“Oh, dear lord,” he said removing his glasses and wiping them with a handkerchief. “I suppose it must be done,” he added putting his glasses back on. He then hit a large red button on his desk.
A blaring alarm sounded throughout the house. Faith sprang up in her bed, pulling a large gun out from under her pillow. In the room down the hall, Tara grumpily lifted a blue blindfold up and wiped her tired eyes. From another bedroom, Buffy leapt excitedly out of bed, energized to start a new day.
“Rise and shine, ladies,” Giles said politely in the background as Faith strutted across the floor in front of the upstairs monitor.
“Yeah, yeah, G-man,” Faith said opening the bedroom door next to the monitor.
The room looked empty except for the lumpy mattress on the floor.
“Kendra, get up!” Faith ordered. There was not movement from the bed. “Come on, Kendra…before Giles states some nauseating fact about the perils of sleeping late.”
The blanket drew back to reveal the obviously exhausted island beauty.
“Five minutes,” Faith took pity on the girl and started to close the door, but then opened it again. “And no boys allowed upstairs unless they’re in my room.”
Faith closed the door as Kendra peeled back her blanket further to reveal her bewildered bedtime companion.
“Out! Get out, mon!” she said cranky.
As Faith passed the monitor again on her way to Buffy’s room, Giles spoke up again.
“It’s interesting you mention sleeping issues…” he started
“Yeah, yeah,” Faith cut him off and opened Buffy’s door.
The perky blonde was already dressed in her blue plaid skirt and ruffled white shirt. She wore knee high white socks with her Maryjanes.
“Five minutes, B,” Faith said quickly.
“Did I leave my gun in the shower again?” the pony tailed girl asked frantically searching through her backpack.
Faith shook her head and left without answering. The phone rang and Faith picked up the hallway extension.
“Scooby’s, Faith here,” she answered and listened. “Tara, it’s for you,” she called out setting the receiver down on the credenza and walking off to get dressed.
“Hello,” Tara said picking up the phone in her room. She listened a second. “No, no…I’m not t-talking about this anymore,” she said before hanging up.
Back in Kendra’s room, she ordered the still dazed boy from her bed.
“Gweh, mon! An tek your clothes wit ya! Mi not ya mudda!”
Down the hall Buffy finally found her gun in the bottom of the laundry hamper. Back in Tara’s room, the blonde was fully dressed when her cell phone rang. She picked it up off the bed and answered it.
“Larry, seriously, it’s n-not a good time,” she said flustered and hung up again. She went to put her palm pilot in her book bag when it rang.
A stocky boy with dark brown hair appeared on the screen.
“When is a good time?” he asked her irritated.
“Stop calling,” Tara clicked off the image.
Downstairs, the other three girls were dressed and waiting for Tara. Kendra’s blue plaid skirt barely covered the tops of her thighs. Her skimpy white blouse was skin tight and her plaid tie hung loosely around her neck. Her legs were bare and she wore six inch heeled black pumps.
Faith’s blue plaid skirt was made of leather. She sported a white tank top and wore her tie around her waist like a belt. Calf-high combat books, with white athletic socks, completed her attire.
“TAAARRRRAAA,” Faith screamed.
“I’m coming!’ Tara called out picking up her backpack to leave her room. The watch on her wrist beeped. An image of Larry appeared on the faceplate.
“After all we’ve been through together,” he said desperately.
“Goodbye, Larry,” she said ending the call and leaving the room.
Tara bounded down the steps. Her blue plaid skirt was a modest length and her white blouse was perfectly tailored. Her tie was done up neatly. She wore white knee high socks, similar to Buffy’s, and her shoes were black flats.
The young ladies left the house and got into their black Volkswagen convertible. They headed for the S.C.O.O.B.Y. Academy. Faith drove like a maniac. Tara sat in the front passenger seat, with Kendra and Buffy in the back.
“I broke up with Larry,” Tara announced.
“That’s good, cause I think he’s gay,” Faith said.
“Nuh true! Chi chi mon!” Kendra concurred.
“I think he’s sweet,” Buffy threw in her two cents.
“Exactly…that’s my point!” Faith sneered pulling into the school parking lot.
“I’m just not in love,” Tara said sadly.
They exited the car and walked toward the cafeteria.
“It’s okay, T,” Faith reassured her friend. “We’ll find you a hot, heterosexual guy.”
Tara’s mood didn’t brighten as the entered the dining hall. Inside, several other students fawned over Tara. She greeted them sweetly, and then, joined her group who sat at one of the tables with their instructor, Mr. Giles.
“Hey, G-man,” Faith said sliding into the booth next to him.
“I do wish you would refrain from calling me that,” he said stiffly and uncomfortably.
“Hey, Mr. G,” Tara and Buffy said simultaneously.
“Hey, Mr. G, mon,” Kendra added.
The waitress appeared at their table to take their orders.
“French fries,” Faith ordered.
“Bean sprouts and a mineral water,” Tara went next.
“Chocolate ice cream with extra hot fudge sauce,” Buffy said eagerly.
“Aspirin…” Kendra offered weakly. “…and a rum and coke.”
The waitress left to place their unusual orders.
“Well, now…hmmm…,” Giles cleared his throat. “We have a special visitor with us this morning…um…girls…ladies…yes. Ms. Calendar will be joining us.”
“Ms. Calendar,” Faith said a bit too excited and got a round of suspicious stares from the other girls. “What? She’s hot! And she never comes down here.”
At that moment, Ms. Calendar’s image energized in front of the girls. The schools commandant was sexy, stylish and sassy. The stunning beauty with shoulder length black hair was in her mid-thirties and full of attitude.
“Good Morning, Mr. Giles,” her dark eyes devoured the teacher. “Is that a new tweed suit you’re wearing?” she winked at him.
“Um…well…er…yes…yes it is,” he flushed with embarrassment and looked down.
“Ms. Calendar, I just want to…” Faith addressed the woman.
Ms. Calendar held up her hand to silence the girl who looked stunned. “No time for pleasantries. Ladies, a matter of some urgency has come to my attention,” Ms. Calendar was suddenly all business. “Willow Emerald is back in the state.”
“Damn,” Faith looked serious.
“Oh, sheet, mon!” Kendra added.
“Really?” Tara asked excited. “I’m writing my thesis on her,” she told the group.
“Mr. Giles,” Ms. Calendar spoke up. “I expect to be kept in the loop on this, so…uh…stop by my office to update me…often.” She looked around the table. “Let’s show some hustle,” she clapped her hands and energized out of the room.
“Wow!” Faith said still surprised.
“I can’t believe she’s back,” Tara was also amazed.
“Who’s Willow Emerald?” Buffy asked cluelessly.
Giles fumbled for the instrument in the left breast pocket of his coat. He pulled out an item that looked like a regular pen. He pushed a button on the cap and an image appeared in front of the group.
The picture displayed a young woman with shoulder length, straight red hair. Her green eyes sparkled like her namesake – emeralds.
“Willow Emerald…she is the last surviving member of the Rosenberg crime syndicate. Her family did battle with the Moloch’s. They had a vicious blood feud for control of CRD laboratories that lasted decades,” Giles instructed the ladies. “After her father’s death, she took over. She’s proficient in computer tampering, illegal wire transfers and her favorite activity…emerald smuggling. She protected by a rather goofy looking squad, led by this man…” An image of a gangly, young man with dark hair, bushy eyebrows and chocolate brown eyes appeared in front of them. “…Xander. It is believed that Willow Emerald was behind the attempted bombing of Wyoming in 1999,” he continued. “Three attempts have been made to apprehend her…all failed,” he said solemnly. “In 2003, she went underground and has not been seen or heard from since.”
“Jinkeys!” Buffy eyes were wide with wonder.
“That’s not even the bad part,” Tara informed her friend.
“What’s the bad part?” Buffy was almost afraid to ask.
“No one has ever fought her…and lived to tell about it,” Giles revealed.
“Oh,” Buffy said wishing she hadn’t asked.
“Why do you think she’s back?” Faith asked Giles.
“The council suggests she is in town to meet this woman,” he flicked the button on his pointer and the image of a dirty-blonde haired woman appeared. “…Anya Christine Emmanuelle Jenkins. She’s a free-lance assassin, known for eviscerating her targets. They call her…the Vengeance Demon. They’re scheduled to meet tonight…at twenty hundred hours…this is…8 o’clock,” he clarified. “Find out what Willow’s up to? Strictly surveillance…do not try to apprehend her yourselves. Faith you’re, of course, in charge. Tara, you’re second…and Scooby’s…be careful,” he warned before energizing away.
“What does a reclusive criminal mastermind want with a vicious vengeance demon?” Tara pondered.
*****
Sunnydale, California – Willow’s Lair
The huge industrial warehouse was located near the docks in the sleepy town of Sunnydale. The interior of the place was badly decorated in colors that clashed severely. A green metal sign, just inside the entryway, hung from the ceiling. It was shaped like an emerald and bore the initials, WE. A bit further into the room was another sign that read, “S.C.O.O.B.Y.S. say rut roh before dying.”
There was a swirl of activity in the common area of the building. Men and women worked briskly moving stolen merchandise and typing feverishly on a row of computers.
In the center of the room, Willow sat in a leather chair. The red haired beauty was dressed in form fitting black jeans and a short sleeve snuggly fit black top. She was looking at the computer generated image of Anya. She was studying the picture when Xander walked up behind her.
“You’re scheduled to meet at twenty hundred hours…that’s 5:30..no wait..7:15,” he tried to do the math in his head. “..I think.”
“Where did you find her?” Willow ignored him and tilted her head to the side continuing to eye the vision.
“D’Hoffryn tipped us,” Willow’s life long friend answered. “Said she’s in town, relocating from Dayton.”
“Assassin?” Willow questioned.
“Check-a-rooney,” he said happily.
“Where’s the meet?” she asked.
“The Doublemeat Palace,” a picture of the establishment flashed up in front of them. “Trendy, but kind of a pit,” he admitted.
Willow squinted her eyes, and then, darted them to the left and back again.
“Cancel it,” she instructed and got up to walk out of the room.
“Why? It’s all set up!” Xander followed her up the stairs toward her bedroom.
“I don’t do blind dates,” she snapped walking into another room full of activity. She signed an paper for one of her henchmen and turned around to look at Xander.
“Yeah, well, it’s not a blind date if you know what they look like…unless of course one of you is actually blind…then I guess it could be,” he explained. “Come on, Will. It’s been two years. You have to get out there,” he insisted.
“I am out there,” she countered. “I went out with that Marcy girl. The one who thought she was invisible,” Willow reminded him.
“She didn’t think she was invisible…she was invisible!” he yelled.
“Yeah, well…I could see her…sometimes,” Willow said in a small voice and started walking again.
The walked down a ramp into another room. They passed a large map of the United States on the wall. A big X was marked across the state of Wyoming.
“Just tell her I’m not coming,” Willow walked over toward the wardrobe trunk in her bedroom. “Tell her I came down with something.”
“Look, Cordelia dumped you for Harmony,” he said walking up behind her.
“I was not dumped,” Willow defended.
“Oh, you were dumped…hard…and that sucks. But you took your time off and went to Granola ville…”
“Guerneville…and it was the Russian River Women’s Festival,” she corrected him.
“Look, Will, it’s time to get back in the game,” he took her by her slender shoulders. “You’ve got a blind date with the beautiful Vengeance Demon…and you’re gonna show up,” he stated firmly.
“Fine,” she relented. “Okay, I’ll go. I’ll be there.”
“Just promise me you’ll be open,” he told his friend.
“Open to what?” Willow questioned.
“Sex…lots and lots of sex,” he smiled.
Willow shook her head, full of doubt.
*****
The Doublemeat Palace – 8pm
The Doublemeat Palace was a trendy new restaurant in the center of town. The place was busy when Xander pulled up out front to drop off Willow.
Inside the restaurant, the Scooby’s had their stakeout all set up. They sat on swings suspended from the ceiling of the lofty establishment. Tara flipped through the pages of an art book, while Faith read an article in a magazine. Buffy busied herself by untangling her surveillance equipment. Kendra sat on the far swing smoking a cigarette.
“Hey, check this out,” Faith leaned over to show Tara the article she was reading. “Ms. Calendar is hand picking girls for the international bureau,” she pointed to a picture of the school’s leader. “I’m gonna see if I can get an interview.”
“Do you thing Mr. Giles would let me take some time off after graduation?” Tara said absently not hearing what Faith had said to her.
“What are you talking about?” Faith questioned her friend.
Tara looked up from her book. “I don’t k-know…there’s this art school in Barcelona…” she looked back down at her book.
“Art school. Tara, you’re the perfect score. You can have your choice of any assignment after grad,” Faith said envious.
Tara blew out a small breath annoyed with the title that followed her every move.
“Who’s your best bud?” Faith asked
“You are my best friend,” Tara confirmed.
“And what did I say to you the very first day at the academy?” Faith asked.
“That’s my harness, bitch!” Tara answered without blinking.
“Okay, after that,” Faith smirked.
“Scooby’s stick together,” Tara recalled.
“Exactly! We’ve been through four years of hell and now we’re the top shit, right? We’re just getting to the really nasty stuff we can kill. Ready to kick ass.”
Tara nodded.
“So, you’re not gonna ruin it all by going to art school,” Faith pressured her friend. “Am I right?”
“Yes,” Tara smiled though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “You are always right.”
“Yah need to put it ‘ere,” Kendra said struggling with Buffy for the listening device in the blonde girl’s hands. “Don be an idiot fer once.”
“You need to speak English or Jamaican,” Buffy responded annoyed. “Jaminglish is not a language.” Buffy’s Nextel rang. She answered it. “Scooby’s, Buffy speaking. Over.”
“Buffy, put her on,” an annoyed boy spoke through the walkie talkie.
“It’s Larry,” Buffy informed Tara.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Tara shook her head.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you. Over,” Buffy brutally informed the young man.
“Bullshit, I need to talk to her,” he responded angrily.
“Copy that,” Buffy replied. “He really needs to see you,” she said handing the phone to Tara.
“He should not call. It is embarrassin, mon,” Kendra voiced her discontent.
Tara took the phone. “Larry, I told you. It’s over. Over.”
“I’ve got to talk to you,” he insisted.
“No, I’m serious, no,” Tara tried to deter him and handed the phone back to Buffy.
The stocky guy propelled down in his climbing harness, from the ceiling, right next to the blonde.
“Tara, we need to talk,” he said.
“Goddess, Larry, what are you doing here?” she said startled.
“You think you guys are the only ones on to Willow Emerald. Everyone’s here,” he pointed across the ceiling to another group of guys hanging in swings. “The Feds…The Advocate,” he pointed to a group of reporters standing on a balcony with cameras.
“I can’t believe it, mon,” Kendra whined.
“This is supposed to be our stakeout,” Faith grumbled.
“Could you guys excuse us f-for a moment,” Tara asked her three friends.
Faith pushed a button on a remote that sent their swings sliding off to the far left wall.
“Why do you have to be such a jerk about everything?” Tara tried to keep her voice down and keep her cool.
“Well, when my girlfriend breaks up with me for no reason, after eight months, you’ll excuse me if I’m a little perturbed,” he said in a shrill girly voice.
“It’s not for no reason,” Tara interjected.
“Well, then, give me one,” he insisted.
“I just w-want more,” she said.
“More what?” he pushed.
“I don’t…I don’t know,” Tara said exasperated.
Across the way, Buffy wore a pair of large headphones and was holding a listening devise pointed toward where Tara and Larry were talking.
“Wat they saying?” Kendra asked.
I’m not gonna spy on them,” Buffy rolled her eyes.
“You are a spy, dip shit,” Faith sneered.
“Is there somebody else?” Larry probed the girl.
“No, there is nobody else,” she assured him.
“Cause if there’s somebody else, I swear on Cher’s wardrobe I will…” he threatened.
“Look, I just…” Tara tried to explain herself.
“Speak!” he demanded.
“I’m not in love with you,” she looked him directly in the eyes.
“Well,” he tried to compose himself. “I guess nobody’s good enough for little miss perfect score.”
“Be quiet,” Tara tried to contain her fury.
“Oh yeah, you’ll be back,” he hoisted himself up to where his team was waiting for him.
Outside, Xander was giving Willow a pep talk. “You can do this,” he insisted
“Why is it I can hold the whole world hostage, but I’m scared of going on one stupid blind date?” she lamented.
“Because love is harder than crime,” he reasoned. “Okay, now knock ‘em dead…but not really,” he added.
Willow got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant.
Inside, the Scooby’s swung back over to join Tara. Buffy was now sitting next to the blonde.
“Are you okay?” she asked sincerely.
“Hey, she’s ‘ere, mon,” Kendra put on the headphones as Willow entered the restaurant.
Faith pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look at the notorious villainess. “Okay, we’ve got visual,” she confirmed.
Willow walked over to the table where Anya was already sitting. She took off her long leather jacket and greeted the blonde woman.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I got lost,” she lied easily hanging her coat over the back of her chair and sitting down.
Anya closed her menu and put it down on the table. The busty blonde wore a low cut blouse and a floor length leopard print jacket.
“There’s such a thing as Mapquest, you know. Being that you’re a computer genius, I thought you would know that,” she said briskly.
Willow frowned as the waiter approached.
“I’ll have the Cobb” she said after quickly looking at the menu. “And some wine,” she told the waiter. “Do you…want wine?” she asked Anya.
“Vodka,” she told the waiter. “You can leave the bottle.”
Tara pulled out her own pair of binoculars to take a closer look at Willow. “Wow,” she felt a twinge of excitement that settled in the pit of her stomach. “Willow, she’s…” Tara had almost said gorgeous.
“What?” Faith waited for her friend to finish.
“…real,” Tara regained her composure. “I…I n-never thought I’d see her in person.”
Back at the table, Willow and Anya sat quietly, checking each other out.
“You’re very pleasing to look at,” Anya finally spoke out. “We could have extremely nice orgasms together.”
“Oh,” Willow looked horrified and tried to change the subject. “So…you’re an assassin.”
“Yep,” Anya answered happily.
“How’s that work?” Willow questioned.
“It’s mostly freelance,” she took a swig of her drink.
“So you just…you basically…what…kill like whoever,” Willow didn’t quite get it.
“Sometimes I eviscerate,” she smiled. “Evisceration is more.”
“What are they saying?” Tara whispered to Kendra while still looking through her binoculars.
“Dhey talking ‘bout killen…how to kill…and who to kill,” Kendra answered.
“Goddess,” Tara’s heartbeat sped up.
“I do it just to pay bills,” Anya told Willow who immediately brightened up.
“Really!” Willow said excited.
“Mostly, I want to be a venture capitalist. Make lots of money…retire young and wealthy.”
Willow frowned again.
Up where the Scooby’s sat, Larry once again propelled down next to Tara.
“Ah, yeah, can I have my bracelet back?” he said annoyed.
“What are you doing?” Tara couldn’t believe the boy’s timing.
“My friend Rico gave that to me when we raided that Brazilian bath house,” he explained.
At the table below, Anya was explaining why Bill Gates was her hero.
“I couldn’t afford to take his seminar, so my friend Spike says…my girlfriend is cheating on me with this guy named Angel…you kill her lover and I’ll pay for the class.”
Willow started to look queasy.
“The man was an Irish dancer, so I beat him to death with his clogs and put Irish Spring soap in his throat…”
Willow looked like she was going to pass out.
“What’s wrong?” Anya said oblivious.
“Oh, you know, I just…I’m feeling really ill. It’s my stomach. I think I have food poisoning,” she lied again to the disturbing woman.
“Are you not gonna blow me?” Anya asked incredulously.
“What?” Willow looked shocked.
“I bought dinner, you should at least have sex with me,” she reasoned.
Up in the rafters, Tara had agreed to give Larry back his bracelet. They were both struggling with the clasp when it suddenly opened and the item fell from Tara’s wrist into mid-air. They all watch horrified as it landed right in Willow’s bowl of soup. Startled, the redhead fished the item out of her soup with a spoon. She looked at it suspiciously and then looked up toward the ceiling.
Seeing the Scooby’s up above her, Willow reached for her gun. The Scooby’s and Larry all drew their weapons.
At the table next to Willow and Anya, the waiter opened a champagne bottle. The sound caused a knee jerk reaction from Larry, who fired his gun, shattering a glass on Willow and Anya’s table.
The restaurant erupted into a flurry of panicked customers all yelling and screaming. Willow got up and fired a haphazard shot up toward the ceiling before fleeing her table. Anya followed closely behind, with her gun also drawn.
The Scooby’s grabbed the ropes from the side of their chairs and began to rappel down to the floor.
Amid the blaze of gun fire, Willow and Anya dove behind the bar. They both stood up and fired back into the crowd. The Scooby’s were now on the floor. They pushed over a round table for cover and continued to fire upon the criminals. Willow and Anya ducked down below the bar again.
“Was it something I said?” Anya asked anxiously.
“No, no, look, I just…I just got back in to town…and, and, and, I just got out of this relationship,” she explained.
“I’m not asking for a relationship…just sex,” Anya said matter of factly.
“It’s not you,” Willow went on. “I mean…you seem really, really nice…it’s me.”
“Are you naturally frigid?” Anya asked pointedly.
Willow ignored her and stood up briefly to toss a live grenade right where the Scooby’s were crawling on the floor.
“Guys,” Buffy said wide-eyed staring at the grenade that had landed in front of them. The group stood up and ran.
“I’m just not interested,” Willow was finally honest with the woman, while the grenade exploded in the background.
“Then, you can die alone,” Anya gathered her purse and checked her gun for bullets before leaving.
Willow stood up and watched the assassin leave. At the corner of the restaurant, she saw that the Scooby’s’ had regrouped and were heading her way again. She reloaded her weapon and stood up, firing a shot at Faith, who quickly ducked behind a wall. Faith fired back when Willow crouched down again.
Willow spotted the small round metal table behind the bar. She pulled it off its base and ran across the now deserted restaurant using it as a shield. From the balcony, all four Scooby’s took aim and fired. The Feds did the same, while the people from The Advocate snapped pictures.
The redhead found a side door and slipped outside of the restaurant. She ran across the parking lot and into the building next door.
Inside the restaurant, Faith was already developing a plan to trap the crafty criminal.
“Tara, Buffy…head Willow off by the kitchen,” she ordered. “Kendra and I we’re gonna take the back.”
“Mr. Giles specifically ordered us not to engage her,” Buffy protested.
“B,” Faith spat waving her hand. “Who, here isn’t gonna graduate?” she asked while Tara and Kendra waited impatiently.
“Me,” Buffy answered correctly.
“Oh, why?” Faith asked sarcastically.
“I haven’t earned my Scooby snacks,” she answered.
“Oh, would that be this thing here?” Faith brushed back her long hair to reveal a pin on her tank top of a blue snack cracker.
Buffy nodded her head in agreement.
“And why is that?” Faith pushed her.
“You won’t give me a recommendation. I don’t see why you just don’t…” Buffy tried to plead.
“Zip it,” Faith cut her off. “Not what I asked.”
“You think I’m a candy ass fraidy cat,” Buffy replied. “I need to show courage in the face of unspeakable danger.”
“Exactly! So quit your whining and follow my orders,” Faith closed the discussion.
Buffy agreed and she and Tara went off on their own. After a minute Tara told the girl, “I’ll check the parking lot, you go that way. Stay in radio range.”
“But Mr. Giles,” Buffy tried to protest again.
“You can do this, Buffy,” Tara reassured her.
Tara exited the same door Willow had gone through earlier. She crossed the parking lot and entered the building next door.
There were large rolls of packing material piled high to the ceiling inside the warehouse. Tara followed along the corridor, stopping midway to try and contact Buffy on her watch radio.
“Buffy, are you there?” she asked but only got static in reply.
Looking ahead, Tara saw an exit door and started to run towards it. On the other side of the large packing rolls, Willow had also spotted the exit door and sprinted forward.
The two women collided into each other just in front of the door. Their impact sent them both falling to the ground and they both dropped their guns.
“Oh, golly, I’m so sorry,” Willow apologized as she turned around to look at who she had bumped into.
“I am really sorry,” Tara was equally apologetic as she got up on her knees and turned to look at the other woman.
Their eyes locked for only an instance before reality struck.
“Oh, Goddess,” Tara felt her hear beat faster with anticipation.
“Oh, shit,” Willow said stunned.
They both found their guns and stood up facing each other with their firearms pointed in each others face.
“You’re Willow Emerald,” Tara said disbelievingly.
“You’re a Scooby,” Willow said snidely, eyeing the beauty from head to toe and trying to keep her focus.
TBC