Disclaimer and Continuity Note: I don't own any of the characters used in
this fic, who were created by Mutant Enemy productions unless otherwise noted.
This fic is set approximately circa October 2001. It is presumed to occur
pretty soon after the S6 episode "Flooded" (marking the return of Giles),
PRIOR to the series finale of the Lone Gunmen (which had to occur pretty soon
before their blue-faced appearance on the last season of the X-Files), and
at a corresponding point early in last season's ER.
Giles: Previously, on The Fallen:
Jimmy: Wait, did you say The Slayer?
Spike: Oh, we want the bloody Slayer, do we? Sure, that'll be priceless.
Go ahead, she's probably hanging with her puppy-dog friends at the Magic
Shop.
Buffybot: *whirls around to look at Frohike* You will not interfere
with Mother's designs. The human and demon races will be analyzed.
The Buffybot grabs Frohike by the throat, lifts him effortlessly and throws
him across the room, bowling over Langly. Both Gunmen lay motionless
on the floor.
Buffybot: *tilts head* Accessing, emergency scenario response. Response
located. In event of Adam unit deactivation and recovery, seek out room
0314, County General Hospital, Chicago. This is Adam, Mother. I
am coming for you. *walks off, smashing the door of the motel room
and leaving behind the fallen Gunmen.
Kimmy: Guys? GUYS!!!!
The Fallen: Chapter 3
*The Magic Box, the next afternoon*
Anya: I don't understand why they WON'T pay her!
Everyone stops short and stares at Anya, a frequent occurrence when the Scooby
Gang gathers in the Magic Box.
Anya: I mean, we DO know the President. And she saves the world. A
lot.
Xander: Anya, darling, I don't think the government works quite that way.....
Buffy: Wait, you met President Bartlet? When was this?! Where
was I? *pouts*
Anya: Oh, it was last summer while you were dead. He invited us to
the Oval Office and we saved his daughter, and got to hang out in the White
House for a few days and everything.....
Tara: We would have mentioned it, but you seemed so upset when you.... came
back, and we didn't want to make you jealous. I... I hope you don't
mind....
Buffy: I....
Willow: I'm sorry, Buffy... if we could have found a quicker way to rescue
you from that hell dimension, we would have, but it seemed like it was a
lost cause until Anya stumbled on that lead....
Buffy: Hell dimension... right.... *upset, but trying to hide it* Don't worry
about it, you did your best....
Dawn: Besides, we were saving the world from Mayor Wilkins' sister, who tried
to bring down the government by unveiling the initiative as a distraction
so she could destroy the essence of the First Slayer. And I got to
hang with Zoey Bartlett, it was soooo cool....
Giles: *adjusts glasses, tired* Well, barring the United States Government
stepping in to pay Buffy's bills because of her status....
Anya: Why shouldn't they? She saves the world, a lot. If it weren't
for her, there wouldn't be anymore money... *looks very distressed*
Xander: Anya, we've discussed this. Buffy has what's called a secret
identity. She can't collect money for what she does unless she tells
everyone that she does it.
Anya: So?
Tara: Well... like... people might come to hurt her friends... or maybe the
places they work?
Anya: *turns pale* Oh god, not the store! Buffy, you can't tell anyone
you're the Slayer!!
Suddenly, the door bursts inwards, kicked by a panicked Jimmy, holding an
unconscious Frohike.
Jimmy: We need help! Is there someone called The Slayer around here?
Anya: NO! No slayers, nope, nothing to see here.......
*County General, that evening*
Boy: Help! My daddy's fallen down!
Abby: *runs over* What was wrong with him?
Man's Wife: He was having pain in his abdomen...
Man: *screams in agony*
Dr. Greene: Sounds like it could be a burst appendix. He needs a surgeon.
Who's on call?
Frank: One step ahead of you. Here comes the Rocket now....
Dr. Romano: You people left a man with acute appendicitis in your waiting
room for a few hours? What kind of a show are you running here?
Weaver: A very over-worked one. If it's going to be a problem, we can
page Dr. Corday....
Dr. Romano: No, she just got out of the OR, I've got this one.....
Abby: *notices a blonde girl wandering from the waiting room towards the
stairs* Excuse me.... can I help you?
Buffy: Huh?
Abby: If you have a minor injury, can you wait in the waiting room? Most
of our patients there don't end up like that guy, trust me....
Buffy: Uh... sure, okay. I just... want to use the bathroom.
Abby: Oh, okay, down the hall. *heads back towards the duty board,
stops short* What are you waiting here for anyway, you look fine? *there's
no response, and she turns around, only to find the girl gone* Weird....
Frank: MVA inbound, at least three near critical!
Abby: *looks, thinks she sees the door to the stairs to the basement closing,
back at the ambulance bay, where approaching sirens can be heard* Oh, she'll
find her way.....
*County General Roof*
Dr. Elizabeth Corday stands on the roof, and shakes her head. It had
been morning when she'd come on shift, and now it was over an hour past dark.
One of those days. She was getting ready to head downstairs to
sign out and go home to Ella when she heard someone walking on the roof.
Corday: Who's there?
She wheeled around to see a youngish man dressed in dark clothing, a leather jacket, with bleeched blond hair.
Spike: Er.... *trying to think of a good excuse* I don't suppose you've
got a light on you?
Corday: *not sure what to make of this intruder* Uh.... no, I'm afraid I
can't help you there....
Spike: *shrugs, pulls out a lighter to light his cigarette, notes Corday's
shocked look* What, just seemed like a good place to start the conversation.
*Lights up, offers the pack to her* Want one?
Corday: Filthy habit, one smoker in my household is quite enough. You
do realize this area isn't open to the public.....
Spike: *shrugs, leans up to look over the edge of the building* Right shame.
Bloody swell view you've got up here.
Corday sighs and shakes her head.
Spike: *half mocking* You're not planning to report me, are you?
Corday: *smiles slightly* I imagine it will be a waste of my time. Just
don't fall, a drop from this height will kill you.
Spike: *shrugs* Been there, done that. My friends, by which I mean
the sorry wankers I spend way more of my time than I should with, don't seem
to appreciate it much.
Corday: Well, however much you think death suits you, I can't say that you'd
like to go that way. The fall will break most every bone in your body,
and they probably won't get the pieces up off the street anytime before bright
and early tomorrow morning.
Spike: Right, let's not do that then.
Corday: *shakes her head* Look, I don't know what's going on with you, but
I've got a family to go home to. If you like, I can refer you to some
friends of mine in psych....
Spike: No, I think I've had enough people messing with my head. Thanks
Doc.
Corday: *not sure what to make of this whole conversation, but not even going
to mess with it at this point* Don't mention it. And like I said, try
not to hurt yourself, I don't want to get paged at home to come stitch you
back together.
Spike: Sure. Besides, this is a bloody hospital. What's
going to hurt me in here?
*The Magic Box*
Buffy: ADAM IS IN THE BUFFYBOT?!
Willow: Well... that's my best guess... I mean, I did run into an algorithm
when I was trying to get the Initiative files from the DoD that claimed to
be Adam's consciousness.....
Buffy: I KNEW we should have destroyed that thing......
Xander: Well, we did sort of throw it in the junk yard. It looked pretty
busted up....
Dawn: Yeah.... until some geniuses decided to patch it up.....
Byers: Look, we're sorry, we wouldn't have done anything with it if we knew
it was dangerous.
Jimmy: We're just trying to prove the government is trying to replace us
all with robots...
Anya: Actually, this was more the work of a deranged, couldn't get a girl
to sleep with if he wanted to geek loser.
Xander: Now, now, An, don't insult company.
Anya: Why not? They look funny.
Byers: Alright, so this robot is strong and fast. But how much of a
threat is the brain of this Adam thing?
Xander: Let me put it this way. The last time he came to town, we were
missing the guy who just wanted to turn into a giant snake and eat our entire
high school class at graduation.
The Gunmen stare.
Dawn: *matter of factly* Lively town.
Giles: Alright, let's think about this rationally. If Adam wants to
carry out his and Dr. Walsh's vision for the creation of a new species based
on man and demon hybrids, why would he want to go to a hospital in the middle
of Chicago?
Buffy: I don't know, but whatever candy surprises she left there for him,
they CAN'T be good news. I'm mounting up. Who's with?
Xander: Uh, do we even know he's going to Chicago? He could be staying
right here. The government didn't know about half the blueprint of
the Initiative complex, for all we know they could have missed a stockpile
and he could be gearing up right now.....
Buffy: Hm... Talk to me Willow, you rewired this thing, what can you tell
us about it?
Langly: *mutters to self* Wait, SHE's.....
Willow: I'm trying to login by remote, but it's not working. It's like
he immediately knew everything about the robot's schematics, because all
of my over-rides are gone. The GPS definitely puts him entering Chicago
though....
Buffy: Then like I said, we're already behind schedule, let's roll.
Frohike: *to Willow* So YOU'RE RoseyWillow99?
Willow: Huh? What? Oh, yes, me, right. I forgot I used
that callsign.....
Byers: We were looking for you ever since we found your name in the bios
of the robot.
Langly: Yeah, you're one of the hottest hack wizs ever....
Tara: *giggles, whispers in Willow's ear* He's got that right.
Willow: *mock offended* Tara!
Jimmy: Uh, guys? Why is the computer screen opening files by itself?
Langly: *looks at it* Someone's trying to hack our system. I can try
to run a trace, but it might not be fast enough....
Willow: No, let me.
With that, Willow lays her palm flat upon the screen. There's a bright
flash of light, on the screen and in her eyes, which suddenly stops.
Frohike: Whoa.... what just happened?
Willow: *proudly* I found out who did this.....
Tara: *worried* Willow, couldn't you have used the computer for that, without
a locator spell?
Willow: Nonsense, this way was much quicker. The girl might have gotten
away. Weird name though....
Byers: *suspicious* Weird how?
Willow: It was Reese Lyda Hovwal. Weird much?
Frohike: *gets out a pencil, quickly rearranges the letters to.... Lee Harvey
Oswald* Yep....
Langly: Eve.
Buffy: You know the joker who's hacking our computer?
Jimmy: I trust Eve, I don't think she's doing anything wrong here....
Giles: Maybe not, but she seems to know something about the situation, or
she wouldn't have known to try to hack Willow's computer. I think this
bears further investigation.
Frohike: We've dealt with her before. We'll go.
Willow: I think I'll come with. This girl messed with my computer....
Tara: I'll come too... *looks at Willow, worried by her use of magic on the
computer*
Buffy: Great. Meanwhile, I think I'll go hunt down our freakish friend
before he give my good name... er... face.... a bad name... oh you know what
I mean.
Giles: Alright. I'll make flight arrangements for Chicago.
Xander: Better call the crew, get them squared away.....
Anya: And if you run into any bad guys, tell them the Slayer has nothing
to do with the Magic Box, finest purveyor of the occult in Sunnydale!
Dawn: Aren't demons always knocking this place over to get the occult stuff?
Anya: Right, lose that last part!
TO BE CONTINUED........
The Lone Gunmen
Bruce Harwood .... John Fitzgerald Byers
Tom Braidwood .... Melvin Frohike
Dean Haglund .... Richard 'Ringo' Langly
Stephen Snedden .... Jimmy Bond
Zuleikha Robinson .... Yves Adele Harlow
ER
Anthony Edwards .... Dr. Mark Greene
Noah Wyle .... Dr. John Truman Carter, III
Laura Innes .... Dr. Kerry Weaver
Alex Kingston (I) .... Dr. Elizabeth Corday
Paul McCrane .... Dr. Robert 'Rocket' Romano
Goran Visnjic .... Dr. Luka Kovac
Maura Tierney .... Nurse Abigail "Abby" Wyczenski Lockhart
Created By Michael Crichton
To Be Continued....
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