The Creed Part II | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfiction

Chapter 5

Initiative headquarters. Buffy has healed quickly she's up and about and holding Riley's hand as he leads her out onto a catwalk overlooking the main chamber.

Buffy: (eyes wide) "My God."

This is the first time she's seeing the whole pavilion. The jumbo hangar size complex. In the middle of the floor is a lower section where men and women in surgical scrubs and white lab coats or performing tests and operations on several types of beasts, strapped to strange looking tables and chairs.

Walsh: "You're healing rally fast. So, you like our little operation?"

They turn to see Walsh standing behind them on the catwalk.

Buffy: "Yeah. Yes. It's very . . . clean."

Walsh: "I've assembled some reading material to bring you up to speed."

Buffy: "Oh. And I thought I was never gonna get homework from you again."

Walsh: "You can't take that home. That's classified material. Highly sensitive. When you're through reading those pages you'll have to eat them."

Buffy just stares at her, speechless. She looks up at Riley.

Riley: (grinning) "She's joking."

Walsh: "Don't worry, it doesn't happen very often. Shall we?"

Buffy exchanges another glance with Riley and they follow. Moments later, they've made their way down the metal staircase and Walsh is leading them towards the open center of the complex. They stop at the metal railing and look down.

Walsh: "Much of our hands-on research with the SHT's is performed here. We call this 'The Pit.'"

Buffy sees a pair of green squid-faced monsters laying on two tables, while scrub-clad techs work on them.

Buffy: "And what do you call those?"

Riley: "Tough. It took eight of us to bring those two down."

Walsh: "They'll be under our control soon enough."

—-

Walsh leads them to her office where Ivar is doing some research.

Walsh: "You've yet to meet Ivar, head of our science team. He's a leader in the field of xenomorphic genetics. He works directly with me."

Ivar turns, one arm on a crutch and greets Buffy.

"You've healed completely." Ivar says.

"Yeah, it's a slayer thing." Buffy says.

Ivar nods and makes a mental note.

"Have a seat." Walsh says.

Walsh leads them to her desk and the three of them sit down while Ivar continues his work within an earshot.

"We're glad you're here, Buffy." Walsh says. "But I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you or the assassins."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asks glancing at Riley.

"When I told the assassins we were only researching in order to kill the supernatural I wasn't telling the entire truth." Walsh says.

"So you are studying them? The monsters, vamps?"

"Yes we are. But what we're really interested are the more rare demons and your other half, the fallen slayer." Walsh says.

"But why? What's the goal?" Buffy asks.

"We see everything through a scientific lens, Buffy. When we see a vampire or a beast we think its an evolutionary anomaly. Nothing more than an animal." Walsh says.