Misusing Post-Apocalyptic Tropes
Feb. 2nd, 2018 11:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerI have the next chapter of Shadowed Suspicion done but I want to make sure I can at least finish out the volume before I start posting.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: The Initiative gets around to actually doing evil things.
Word Count: 1260
Rating: Teen? some pain
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: The Initiative gets around to actually doing evil things.
Word Count: 1260
Rating: Teen? some pain
He quickly analyzes the situation. There’s a vampire—a familiar vampire. That’s a plus. There’s what looks like a giant spider. There’s two other vampires considered expendable, easy to catch a lot of, not difficult to replace and one humanoid one he doesn’t recognize with nasty looking claws.
“H-hey, Spike. You’re not going to actually take part in this chess game, are you?” he asks conversationally even as he dives for the Exoskel. They’ve only given him one. That’s problematic. At least it doesn’t require the circuit to function, because if it did he’d be dead meat again.
“They’ve been starving me,” the blond explains with a shrug as he leans against the wall, lips still twitching as he speaks to Xander’s neck, not his face. It’s a weird situation that makes him realize that this? This is how women feel when you get distracted by their anatomy. Probably. Kinda, though I didn’t care before Afghanistan, Iron Maiden chimes in, amused. “Before that, the blood was drugged. Didn’t want to taint myself with that stuff.”
“So, what, you’re their attack dog? You attack on command?” Xander sneers, desperately trying to get the vampire’s attention, to talk him out of this. He has to roll out of the way when the spider and one of the vampires get in the way. One of the vampires seems to be listening, too, which is something. “They’ll use you and then they’ll put you down for having attacked a human. To them, you’re a pawn. Expendable.”
He screams as claws dig into his shoulder, putting blood in the air. Are vampires like sharks? is a question he really never wanted to be asking.
Spike’s smile twitches, as do his fingers.
“I’ll allow you to feed without screaming for the Slayer—but that’s only if you help,” he tries as a last-ditch effort. The claws dig in deeper, and he barely manages shuddering breath.
We’ve had worse, lads, the Red Shirt reminds them in a decent Scottish accent. He continues in his normal voice. This is nothing like getting—or keeping—an arc reactor in your chest. We need to at least get our hands on the Exoskel, because having her in anyone else’s hands isn’t really an option.
He pulls the demon with the claws closer, hands struggling to get a grip. In response, it throws him against the wall, and his breath leaves his lungs in one giant burst. That’s gonna be a nasty bruise later. The absence of the claws almost hurts more than the actual claws, which, along with the sudden twist in his vision, tells him something really important.
That’s probably some sort of weird demon poison, huh? Okay, timeline just accelerated, kids, Leader Tony throws in.
“You’re serious? No calling momma later lyin’ about how you didn’t really give consent?” Spike suddenly asks, and it takes him an extra moment to realize what the vampire’s even talking about.
“Consider this a written invitation. You’re not exactly my first choice, but I hate dying even more, so…” He gets to his hands and knees and ducks just in time to avoid a flying spider demon, then rolls out of the way before it can slide down onto his head.
“Grimslaws like to eat hearts,” the other listening vampire states conversationally.
Great, just what I needed. It takes him a moment to realize he’s said that out loud, too.
His reflexes are just a tad slow, so the Exoskel hits him in the face before he catches it. Spike. Spike threw it.
He gets it on not a moment too soon, because that secondary mouth looks uncomfortably like a Xenomorph from Aliens and he doesn’t want to see if it’s just as effective. The demon bounces off the shield.
I’d estimate we only have about an hour and a half of juice left in this thing. We can probably drag that out if we just use the shielding option, which might be our best bet, anyway, First states.
It takes him a moment to even be able to respond, because a wave of pain travels down each and every synapse, leaving him incapable of doing much more than sobbing as he kneels.
“How’s that different from your average witches’ shield?” Spike asks, and he nearly responds before he realizes these Initiative jerks could use that, too, even if he’s not playing by their rules.
“Tell ya later. It’s a little bit of a trade secret, y’see,” he forces out breathlessly and tries desperately to catch his breath and figure out his next move.
“That’s why they’re doing this,” the other vampire realizes, sounding a little bit impressed, which, yeah, as villain plans go it’s definitely elegant in its simplicity.
“Do Grimslaw—that sounds like a weird cabbage salad recipe, by the way—only eat human hearts, or are they less picky eaters?” he wonders out loud, and hears someone who’d been quiet before now speak up.
When you have a moment, Xander, I’ve got a plan.
“Dunno,” Spike answers, and well, that’s helpful. Then again, he’s fighting the other vampire, which if he’s that lost in his bloodlust, he’s probably a fledge.
We might be able to use the energy stored in the Exoskel ourselves, the Sorceror Supreme suggests. They might not have seen magic exactly like ours, but it’s magic, which they are distinctly uninterested in. I don’t think you can cast in your condition, but with our help, especially if we drain the Exoskel…
Good thinking, he replies as the spider bounces off again, sending a little shock through his wounded shoulder. Any spells that’ll clear this room quick? Particularly Clawsy and the Mouth Demon, ‘cause I’m not sure how long I’d last against those two without a shield.
The clawed demon, seeing the frustrated attempts of the spider, turns his attention to the vampire Spike’s attacking.
Confusion. Get those two to attack each other.
It’s a good idea. It requires him to stand, which is a struggle but he’s nothing if not stubborn. He probably can’t manage a stronger spell if his life depended on it—which it kind of does. He moves smoothly into the mindset of spellcasting, hands and mouth moving in unison as he casts. Spike looks briefly confused before the demon with the claws and the spider launch themselves at each other.
Spike and the female vampire turn toward the last vampire, who seems to be waiting to clean up the mess, and she holds him in place while Spike breaks the other’s neck in one smooth motion. The vampire dusts.
The clawed demon twitches and goes limp. Those claws did damage, but Xander’s not willing to wait for it to die, especially as it’ll probably take longer for the poison to affect a demon than a human. The two vampires cross the space quickly and throw it at the ceiling, and he puts what’s left in the Exoskel—all of it—into the magical equivalent of a Force throw. The demon sails through the hardened ceiling, chunks of plaster raining down, and he falls, once more, to his knees, caught in a spasm as it feels like molten lava surges through his blood, igniting every cell along the way. He can’t even voice a scream.
He feels a hand stroke his throat as the world tilts and dims. It feels vaguely comforting, but then, he might be going insane. His eyes only see blackness, and he doesn’t catch all of Spike’s words, but he hears the ending before everything disappears. “…next time, pet.”
“H-hey, Spike. You’re not going to actually take part in this chess game, are you?” he asks conversationally even as he dives for the Exoskel. They’ve only given him one. That’s problematic. At least it doesn’t require the circuit to function, because if it did he’d be dead meat again.
“They’ve been starving me,” the blond explains with a shrug as he leans against the wall, lips still twitching as he speaks to Xander’s neck, not his face. It’s a weird situation that makes him realize that this? This is how women feel when you get distracted by their anatomy. Probably. Kinda, though I didn’t care before Afghanistan, Iron Maiden chimes in, amused. “Before that, the blood was drugged. Didn’t want to taint myself with that stuff.”
“So, what, you’re their attack dog? You attack on command?” Xander sneers, desperately trying to get the vampire’s attention, to talk him out of this. He has to roll out of the way when the spider and one of the vampires get in the way. One of the vampires seems to be listening, too, which is something. “They’ll use you and then they’ll put you down for having attacked a human. To them, you’re a pawn. Expendable.”
He screams as claws dig into his shoulder, putting blood in the air. Are vampires like sharks? is a question he really never wanted to be asking.
Spike’s smile twitches, as do his fingers.
“I’ll allow you to feed without screaming for the Slayer—but that’s only if you help,” he tries as a last-ditch effort. The claws dig in deeper, and he barely manages shuddering breath.
We’ve had worse, lads, the Red Shirt reminds them in a decent Scottish accent. He continues in his normal voice. This is nothing like getting—or keeping—an arc reactor in your chest. We need to at least get our hands on the Exoskel, because having her in anyone else’s hands isn’t really an option.
He pulls the demon with the claws closer, hands struggling to get a grip. In response, it throws him against the wall, and his breath leaves his lungs in one giant burst. That’s gonna be a nasty bruise later. The absence of the claws almost hurts more than the actual claws, which, along with the sudden twist in his vision, tells him something really important.
That’s probably some sort of weird demon poison, huh? Okay, timeline just accelerated, kids, Leader Tony throws in.
“You’re serious? No calling momma later lyin’ about how you didn’t really give consent?” Spike suddenly asks, and it takes him an extra moment to realize what the vampire’s even talking about.
“Consider this a written invitation. You’re not exactly my first choice, but I hate dying even more, so…” He gets to his hands and knees and ducks just in time to avoid a flying spider demon, then rolls out of the way before it can slide down onto his head.
“Grimslaws like to eat hearts,” the other listening vampire states conversationally.
Great, just what I needed. It takes him a moment to realize he’s said that out loud, too.
His reflexes are just a tad slow, so the Exoskel hits him in the face before he catches it. Spike. Spike threw it.
He gets it on not a moment too soon, because that secondary mouth looks uncomfortably like a Xenomorph from Aliens and he doesn’t want to see if it’s just as effective. The demon bounces off the shield.
I’d estimate we only have about an hour and a half of juice left in this thing. We can probably drag that out if we just use the shielding option, which might be our best bet, anyway, First states.
It takes him a moment to even be able to respond, because a wave of pain travels down each and every synapse, leaving him incapable of doing much more than sobbing as he kneels.
“How’s that different from your average witches’ shield?” Spike asks, and he nearly responds before he realizes these Initiative jerks could use that, too, even if he’s not playing by their rules.
“Tell ya later. It’s a little bit of a trade secret, y’see,” he forces out breathlessly and tries desperately to catch his breath and figure out his next move.
“That’s why they’re doing this,” the other vampire realizes, sounding a little bit impressed, which, yeah, as villain plans go it’s definitely elegant in its simplicity.
“Do Grimslaw—that sounds like a weird cabbage salad recipe, by the way—only eat human hearts, or are they less picky eaters?” he wonders out loud, and hears someone who’d been quiet before now speak up.
When you have a moment, Xander, I’ve got a plan.
“Dunno,” Spike answers, and well, that’s helpful. Then again, he’s fighting the other vampire, which if he’s that lost in his bloodlust, he’s probably a fledge.
We might be able to use the energy stored in the Exoskel ourselves, the Sorceror Supreme suggests. They might not have seen magic exactly like ours, but it’s magic, which they are distinctly uninterested in. I don’t think you can cast in your condition, but with our help, especially if we drain the Exoskel…
Good thinking, he replies as the spider bounces off again, sending a little shock through his wounded shoulder. Any spells that’ll clear this room quick? Particularly Clawsy and the Mouth Demon, ‘cause I’m not sure how long I’d last against those two without a shield.
The clawed demon, seeing the frustrated attempts of the spider, turns his attention to the vampire Spike’s attacking.
Confusion. Get those two to attack each other.
It’s a good idea. It requires him to stand, which is a struggle but he’s nothing if not stubborn. He probably can’t manage a stronger spell if his life depended on it—which it kind of does. He moves smoothly into the mindset of spellcasting, hands and mouth moving in unison as he casts. Spike looks briefly confused before the demon with the claws and the spider launch themselves at each other.
Spike and the female vampire turn toward the last vampire, who seems to be waiting to clean up the mess, and she holds him in place while Spike breaks the other’s neck in one smooth motion. The vampire dusts.
The clawed demon twitches and goes limp. Those claws did damage, but Xander’s not willing to wait for it to die, especially as it’ll probably take longer for the poison to affect a demon than a human. The two vampires cross the space quickly and throw it at the ceiling, and he puts what’s left in the Exoskel—all of it—into the magical equivalent of a Force throw. The demon sails through the hardened ceiling, chunks of plaster raining down, and he falls, once more, to his knees, caught in a spasm as it feels like molten lava surges through his blood, igniting every cell along the way. He can’t even voice a scream.
He feels a hand stroke his throat as the world tilts and dims. It feels vaguely comforting, but then, he might be going insane. His eyes only see blackness, and he doesn’t catch all of Spike’s words, but he hears the ending before everything disappears. “…next time, pet.”
