Xander, Giles, Buffy, Willow and I were Xander's basement.
Xander was working at the taser rifles that had malfunctioned on Buffy and me. "So, here it is. The latest in state-of-the-art combat technology. I gotta say, it doesn't look that complicated."
"So, can you repair them?" I asked.
"Sure," Xander answered. "Just as soon as I get my master's degree in advanced starship technology."
Xander let them fall to the table.
"Well, why don't we experiment?" Willow asked. "Press some buttons, see what happens."
"Well, I'd like to veto that," Giles told us.
Xander raised his hand. "Second. They're called blasters, Will. A word tends to discourage experimentation. Now, if they were called the orgasminators, I'd be the first to try your basic button-press approach."
"Just tell me," Buffy told him. "Can you repair them or not?"
"I'm working on it, I'm working on it," Xander told us. "If I blow a hole in my mom's azalea patch, the neighbors will not be pleased."
I sat down, putting a hand to my head.
"You all right?" Giles asked, sitting down next to me. "You've been patrolling around the clock for three days straight. Perhaps you could use some--"
"What, some rest?" I asked. "There's a demonoid killing machine out there, Giles. It doesn't only work the night shift."
"Gathering your strength might not be a bad idea," Giles told me.
Buffy and Willow gave me a look, knowing more than the boys did.
I looked at Xander. "Just get the blasters working. Please. That's all the strength I need."
"Are you sure?" Willow asked.
"Why?" I asked. "Because ray guns aren't in the Slayer handbook? Well, you haven't seen this Adam thing. He's the Terminator without the bashful charm. He's deadly, and the last time we met, he kicked my ass, and Buffy's."
Buffy and Willow sat down.
I looked at Buffy. "No word about Riley?"
"They keep telling me that he's fine," Buffy told us. "That's all they'll say."
"Maybe they're telling the truth," Willow told us.
"Maybe," Buffy told us. "I don't even know what the Initiative's version of 'fine' is. I mean, they could be forcing him back onto medication or torturing him for all I know."
"From what we've seen, I doubt they'll be trying to hurt him," Giles told us.
"The only thing I know for certain is that my boyfriend is locked away and I'm not helping," Buffy told us.
Lots of sparks came from one of the blasters.
Xander recoiled.
"Maybe Giles has a point," Willow told us. "I mean, Riley is their top gun guy. Doesn't make sense they's hurt him."
"All I know is that the Initiative has all those brain-washy, behavior modification guys," Buffy told us.
"So?" I asked.
"So, what happens when they start not liking his behavior?" Buffy asked.
We didn't answer.
~~~~
After dark, Buffy, Willow, Xander and I walked through the woods.
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College Girl (Book Four, BTVS)
FanfictionZoey Francis is a Slayer, but she is still the same girl with the same needs and the same likes and same everything about her. Except she's going to UC Sunnydale. She is heartbroken when her long-term boyfriend Oz makes his exit, but she's not going...
