Taking the Initiative: Descending
by bob_obo
Xander fidgeted impatiently. He had used all his fading military know-how, plus Riley's pertinent advice to choose his position to wait. Why somehow did that result in him sitting in a rosebush?
He tried to ease the myriad aches in his body without causing himself to bleed to death. Great plan Riley...
Xander pushed the sour thought out of his mind with some effort. This wasn't the time to feel vindictive towards the guy who was saving Buffys life. Hopefully.
He'd genuinely tried to quiet all doubts regarding this plan. After all, it was the only way to save Buffy, wasn't it? But still, a corner of his mind adamantly insisted that something was fatally wrong with this idea, and he would be lucky to merely survive, yet alone to figure out what.
The plan, such as it was, was simple. Riley needed unfettered access to the initiative. This, Willow could provide, at least for a few minutes before they caught on to the security breach. Of course, getting past computer systems was one thing. Getting past flesh and blood soldiers was quite another.
For this purpose, Spike had been enlisted. Xander acknowledged a fair chunk of his uncertainty sprung from this part of the plan. Evidently Giles had spoken to the neutered vampire, and astonishingly it had quite readily agreed to the plan.
That worried Xander. He knew Spike far better than he'd ever want to, and he knew that altruism was as beyond the vampire as quantum physics was beyond Xander. Trusting a vital part of the plan to the platinum prick was only going to end in disaster.
Still, he'd been overruled. He could only pray that Spike really was out there lurking not too inconspicuously in the shadows, making his presence known, baiting the initiative soldiers out to reel in their lost prize.
Regardless, he and Riley were committed now. Somehow - and a treacherous thought reminded him that it was at his own insistence, he' been enlisted to help Riley on his way into the initiatives base. In other words, he'd signed his own death warrant.
Shit. Don't think that way, he interrupted himself desperately. An echo of military, and a huge dose of crappy war films screamed at him that fatalistic thoughts like that were the finest way to ensure you'd come back dead. Think of... think of... um..... Think of Anya! Yes. Think of sex! Sex good. Sex with Anya was certainly better than death. Almost certainly. As long as she wasn't thinking of marriage...
Gah!
He stared out blankly into the empty darkness, almost willing initiative soldiers into being to silence his own thoughts.
As if in answer, he saw the shadowy figures appearing, threading their way quietly past the buildings as he watched.
He lifted his walkie-talkie, and spoke in a voice that was a whisper, but seemed to seemed to his strained nerves to be deafening.
“Xander here, hello? Er, over?”
He watched the oblivious shadowy figures dart between buildings below him like substantial ghosts for a few seconds,
“Alpha bravo. This is Alpha leader.”, Riley sounded vaguely annoyed, “What's your status? Over.”
“My status?” Xander whispered into his walkie-talkie, “I'm going to die! You?”
There was silence for a moment, which somehow still managed to convey outrage, “Alpha bravo, try to maintain protocol.” came the reproachful reply. “If we can't do this we may as well bury Buffy right now. Over.”
Xander felt a wave of shame try to wash over him, but a little pride and anger weathered it.
“Whats the point to all this protocol stuff Riley?” he demanded, “We're the only ones on the damn radio!”
There was static for several seconds, then a clearly pained reply, “Can we just do this properly please - it helps me think? Over.”
“Fine. Over.” Xander snapped.
“Bollocks to that!” came an unexpected irritatingly cheerful voice.
“Spike?” Rileys military correctness slipped in astonishment. “How the hell did you get this frequency? How the hell did you get a walkie-talkie?”
“Sod you Alpha git. I'm the one getting your wanker friends running themselves all around town trying to shoot me. Think I'm going to miss the opportunity to taunt you prats about how easy it is?”
“Just stay off this frequency, understand? Over.”
“You know what mate, you can Foxtrot Oscar. Out.”
Thats it Riley, piss off the nice vampire so he decides to say, lead the soldiers right to us! Xander kept the thought unspoken. As if the plan wasn't desperate enough without the two of them literally at each others throats...
“Alpha two, I am in position, over.” Rileys voice cut in.
Xander shook himself back into the present with an effort. Riley had reached the entrance to the initiative now then. He'd given Xander detailed directions to find him, reasoning that it made sense for the seasoned soldier to ensure that the path was clear, that the soldiers really were all out hunting for the illusive vampire. It made sense, if you discounted Xanders aptitude for getting lost on the way to the toilet at night.
Xander wasn't sure whether the soldiers knew about him, or if they would even care if they did. The risk of his being detained by a patrol was sizable however, so it was imperative both he and Riley got to the entrance to the initiative without being seen.
He struggled his way out of his hiding place, swearing less than stealthily as the thorns tore at him, doing everything in their power to keep him captive, or failing that flay him alive. Could there be such a thing as a demon rosebush? He wondered indistinctly.
At last he freed himself, and half ran, half crouched his way across the open grass of the Sunnydale campus, trusting to the cover of gloomy darkness, and to the commandos obsession with recapturing Spike.
And what was that about anyway? He thought suddenly. He'd suffered the vampires company for several weeks while he squatted in his basement. Xander would have happily killed him after merely a few minutes – why were the initiative yearning for his company so desperately.
He stumbled and slithered his way down the grass bank, into the protective concealment of the trees. He let out his breath explosively and stood gasping, realizing why holding your breath over a 100 meter sprint really wasn't a good idea.
A moment later he spun as he sensed motion beside him.
Riley materialized out of the night like a large, impossibly stealthy bear. He crouched down and pointed towards the leaf-strewn ground.
Xander peered down dutifully. For a moment he still failed to see anything, then he noticed the patch of leaves and earth that had been cleared away a little. Almost invisible even when you knew it was there, Xander saw the trapdoor that led into the bowels of the initiative.
Riley tapped his wrist pointedly. Xander stared at him blankly for a moment, then in sudden comprehension looked at his own watch.
“2.11am.” he whispered.
Riley nodded. “Then Willow should open the locks and cut the power in four minutes.”
Xander nodded back, feeling a flus of pride for his friend. Who'd have thought a couple of years ago little old Will would be breaking me into a highly guarded military installation to steal the antidote to a government concocted slayer-killing poison? Erm, no-one he guessed.
There was an almost inaudible clunk from beneath their feet. Xander leaped back with a startled cry, but not so distracted to miss the withering look Riley gave him.
Riley reached down and pulled up the trapdoor. A moment later he disappeared downwards.
Xander peered after him. He could see a long, winding metal staircase descending down interminably into the stronghold full of trained soldiers who would shoot him without hesitation if they saw him.
Xander paused, feeling his doubts and fears wash over him, leeching him of strength and purpose. He drew an image of Buffys face into his mind, and one by one his insecurities retreated to a dark corner of his mind.
Drawing in a deep, trembling breath, Xander started downward.

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