"I have to be there. I promise I'll keep to the background. Seth and his people have insisted on leading the attack." He looked sharply at Max, noticing that he was about to object for his own reasons. "Liz has to go in to insure that Spike gets out safe and that as few of Seth's people die as possible. I know you don't like her risking her life, but it's what a Slayer does." Max's clenched jaw was the only sign of tension in him. Otherwise his face was unreadable. "I know you don't like it. I don't either, but it still has to be done." Max looked at Liz who nodded, confirming Xander's assertion.

"Be careful. Is and I will be in the background with Xander, tending to the wounded." Liz's eyes widened. This was news to her. She opened her mouth to object, finding it strange that suddenly she was the one trying to protect Max.

"I'll be there too," Michael spoke up before Liz could get a word out. "You'll need someone watching your backs while you work." Max nodded, grateful for his friend's support and Liz reluctantly backed down, knowing that she couldn't change their minds. Both Liz and Max were surprised. They had expected Michael to try to talk him out of it. They all knew it would mean that using their powers in public, but if it meant saving lives, that was an acceptable risk to Max. He knew Michael wouldn't mind as much, given what they had learned in recent weeks.

The world they now called home was far stranger than they had ever realized, or even imagined, and they weren't the strangest people on the planet by a long shot.

None of them were quite sure how to react to that. It seemed they weren't as special and unique as they had thought. This was, at the same time, a relief and a disappointment. Max found it a very strange combination. He was sure the others did too, although none of them had spoken of it. The reactions from the others when they'd found out about the aliens was somewhat surprising.

Spike seemed to find the idea of aliens, or little green men, as he insisted on calling them, amazingly funny. Xander and Anya had been briefed, apparently by Wesley, under strictest confidence. Xander gave them a couple of odd looks, as if he was trying to spot their antennae, it had been Michael who had made the 'My Favorite Martian' reference, but otherwise he made no comment nor did he treat them differently in any way. He and Anya had that in common. When asked pointedly about it, she had shrugged. "Aliens, big whoop." Michael, who had asked the question actually looked crestfallen at their lack of reaction, and Max had had to work hard to keep his amusement from showing. Isabel, a last minute addition, despite the objections of her brother and Michael didn't seem to care what they thought of aliens.

Now, as the jeep headed out of Roswell, bearing the Slayer and the three aliens, there was little discussion of what they would do. The plan was in place and there was no time to make changes, even if any of them had a better idea. No one was happy with the possibility that they would actually have to go into the mine to face the vampires, but everyone knew that sealing them inside the mine was not an option. Live burial was not exactly a threat to something that didn't breathe. As Seth had pointed out, in a rather condescending tone Michael though, it would only piss them off.

It was just before midnight and there just wasn't time.

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Organizing everyone to move out took time. Vampires didn't exactly make for a disciplined military force. First it was necessary to stoke them up and get their bloodlust going, and at the same time he had to convince them to proceed only as he directed. The attack had to go like clockwork or Seth's better-organized troops would fight back too effectively.

He outlined the plan for them again. The plan that would guarantee their victory. They looked impatient at first but then the plan caught their imaginations all over again. It would be a thing of beauty. Not a single hunter would escape alive. It was Sunday, 12:30 a.m.

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The bolt thudded home and the sentry turned to dust without a sound. That was the last of them. Seth lowered the crossbow and gave a hand signal to the others telling them to move up into position. That signal was passed silently from group to group, all around the perimeter. The idea was to allow the enemy out into the open, just in front of the mine entrance. This would allow Spike to slip away and make the rest of vampires sitting ducks. They would retreat almost immediately into the mine, but a lot of damage could be done in the short time they would be exposed. The crowd at the entrance would make a lovely target, Seth reflected.

The area immediately surrounding the mine was ideal for an ambush. For a moment, a half-remembered line of something passed through Seth's mind. "Rock to the left, rock to the right, and low lean scrub between…"

"Huh?" Kate glanced at him. Seth shook his head, annoyed with himself.

"Just something I remember reading once." Kate dismissed it and focused on the mine again. It would begin soon, just a matter of time. The mine entrance was unlighted so as not to draw attention to it. It didn't help. Several of the hunters were equipped with a military-grade night vision device that amplified available light. To them, the group of people that began to emerge from the mine were as clear to them as if the noonday sun were shining down on them. Others, holding rifle-mikes, listened to the conversation going on among the vampires.

The rifle-mikes looked like futuristic ray guns and were aimed in much the way a weapon would be aimed. The user wore earphones attached to the device and could easily make out every word spoken from almost a quarter mile away. The group below was talking up a storm, laughing and boasting. The man holding the device, a wiry, dark-haired and dark-eyed ex-marine named Tully, turned to Liz and nodded.

"Your vampire buddy is down there," he said in a quiet gravelly voice. Tully was always quiet. It was something Liz had come to associate with him. He was quiet, but he was very good at killing demons. Xander hadn't recognized him from the time in Sunnydale, but said that the fact that he had become third in command of the group said a lot about him. The fact that Seth trusted him to watch his back said even more.

"I see him." Liz passed the Star Tron night vision device she was using back to another hunter sharing their cover. "Remember what I told you earlier. He is not a target."

"Yeah, yeah. We won't kill your pet vamp." Liz glanced at him sharply and was about to protest the description when the radios they carried gave two short bursts of static followed by a sustained burst. No words were spoken over the radio on the off chance they were being monitored. The short pattern of static bursts had been arranged to let them know that the attack was imminent. Each member of the attacking force began counting down from ten. It was Sunday, 12:55 a.m.

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"Spike, you Mary and these five will accompany me in the van. The rest will distribute themselves among the vehicles we have in the warehouse." He nodded to the large sheet metal structure that had once housed mining equipment. The group moved away from the entrance to the mine, but as soon as they got into the open, clear of any immediate cover, the trouble started.

The large minion walking to Cole's right was suddenly headless. The crack of the high-powered rifle came a half-second later. That seemed to be the signal. The air filled with the sound of automatic weapons fire. Spike threw himself flat and began to crawl away. The rattattatta of the machine guns began to be interspersed with the sound of crossbow bolts finding their targets and vampires going to dust. Spike glanced back as he made it to the cover of a shed. A flaming bottle arced high over the group, coming down in their midst near the mine entrance. The malotov cocktail burst, scattering burning oil over half a dozen minions. He heard a high-pitched hissing sound and looked up. Flares were starting to rain down on the frantic vampires. As he watched, two who were standing near the mine entrance, stymied by the fire were struck dead center in the back and went up in flames. Spike started to crawl faster.

Cole began to roar orders and the mob turned and began to advance into the hills. He knew that if they tried to crowd back into the mine they would be slaughtered. The fire was short lived, but the bottleneck at the entrance would be a perfect target. Instead they began to scatter into the surrounding landscape, taking the fight to the hunters.

He looked around for the rest as he ran, dodging as best he could as he made his way toward the source, or at least one of the sources, of the gunfire. He was met halfway by a man armed with a wooden staff, sharpened to a fine point at each end. He killed the man easily, but the man managed to ram one end of the staff through Cole's shoulder before he died.

Similar scenes were being played out around the mine. Stakes, axes, crosses, guns, and torches were all brought into play, but the vampires fought back fiercely. Seth decapitated one while shooting another in the face. He then turned on the wounded one and killed him. He saw one of his men go down and started to go to his aid, but the Slayer was there first staking the vamp and helping the man to his feet. He was winded, but not seriously hurt so Seth turned his attention elsewhere.

***********************************************************************

Michael focused his power and the vamp was flung backwards with tremendous force. It toppled another in its brief flight and Michael changed his focus, heating the pair to the point of combustion. He turned to where Max and Isabel were helping the wounded. Max was tending to a man who had been stabbed with his own stake while Isabel and Xander Harris stood over him with torches, thrusting it toward anyone who came toward them. When the man was healed they moved on to the next wounded hunter. They saved several, but there were far too many that were beyond help.

Spike and Seth came together to find the trio examining a man with a vicious wound in his neck. "Damn. Looks like the bastard tried to rip out his throat." He shook his head sadly. "Sorry George." Max looked up at the sound of Seth's voice.

"There's nothing we can do for him." Seth didn't know about their powers, only that they were treating the wounded.

"There is one thing we can do," Seth corrected. He took a metal flask out of his jacket pocket and opened it, emptying it over the body. He then took the torch from Isabel.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, shocked by the prospect.

"He's making sure the guy doesn't come back as a vampire," Spike said. "It's better than having to kill a friend later." Seth glanced at him, and Spike could see the memory of something very bad clearly passing behind his eyes. Seth squashed it quickly though and his face returned to the neutral mask he normally wore.

"Got that right." He turned to Max. "Make sure anyone else who gets drained gets the same treatment." He set the body afire. "Move it people. The night's not over." He handed the torch back to Isabel and headed toward the nearest fight. The three teens stared after him, barely believing what had just happened.

"Get used to it kiddies," Spike snorted. "If you're going to fight this war you'll see things a lot worse than that." He turned without another word and went looking for a new fight.

Liz didn't think. She couldn't allow herself to think. She just acted and reacted, killing any vampire that came within reach. She ducked and twisted and stabbed, leaving piles of dust in her wake. The instincts that seemed to come with the job were there as were the reflexes she had acquired from Faith. Liz allowed them to take over, knowing that those instincts and reflexes were all that would keep her alive.

It was her instincts that told her to crouch at the last second. The huge vampire that had tried to grab her tripped over her and fell on his face. Unfortunately, he pinned her long enough for another to throw himself on top of her. Another followed suit and Liz soon found herself under a pile of dead bodies. Too bad they're still moving, she reflected as she managed to drive one of her stakes into the one sitting on her chest. It didn't find the heart, but he flinched, giving her room to buck him off.

There were too many. Hands seized her arms and legs while two more sat on her chest and stomach. Another one lowered his mouth toward her throat, fangs bared. Suddenly one of her legs was free and she kicked him in the head. The weight was gone from her stomach next and she renewed her efforts to throw off the others.

The cold spray that suddenly drenched her caused her to pause a moment. What the-?

"Hey! Watch it with that thing!" a familiar voice shouted as the vampires scrambled away from her, yelling in pain. Holy water, she realized. No wonder Spike sounded pissed. She scrambled to her feet as Tully ran up to them, somehow managing not to look ridiculous dressed in camouflage and carrying a Super-Soaker.

"Sorry," he said to the white-blonde vampire, not sounding at all sorry.

"How's it going?" Liz asked, taking advantage of the momentary breather. The three moved back to back so they could watch all approaches, but for the moment the action had moved away from them.

"We're losing people," Tully said bluntly. "Too many. The damn vamps were supposed to run back into the mine!"

"Did anyone tell them that?" Spike asked. Liz could hear the smile. So, apparently could Tully. Liz felt him tense and quickly stepped in to prevent trouble.

"What about the vamps? They're taking a lot of damage too."

"Yeah, but not enough. Some of 'em are bound to get away. We'll be back where we started. We need a way to turn this around fast."

"Maybe Cole can do that," Liz suggested. "He'll be wanting to rally his troops."

"Yeah," Tully nodded, "but he's not going to be stupid enough to gather them all into a big clump for us to shoot into."

"He may not have to," Liz said. "If we start to fall back he'll want to press his advantage. He'll keep them from running long enough for one big attack on us. We just need to give him an opening."

"And then close it on him," Tully grinned. "Let's find Seth."

***********************************************************************

He was not going to let this happen. Not after all of his work. The hunters were dying, but not fast enough, and too many of his people were dying as well. He'd lost track of Mary and Spike, and his troops were scattered all over the place. Some of them were even fleeing. He began grabbing people and issuing orders, organizing them into a fighting force. Gradually, he started to pull them together. He still couldn't find Spike or Mary though.

Under his direction they began to push the hunters back. He saw the Slayer from a distance; she was indeed formidable. It seems Spike failed he mused, not really caring. He continued to pull his people together, launching concerted attacks against the hunters. Soon, the enemy began to fall back.

Perfect! He pulled two of his followers to him and issued orders to them. They immediately left in opposite directions to deliver his messages and see his orders carried out.

They soon returned, having located Seth, Kate and… Spike? "Spike is working for them?" Cole hissed, enraged. "How could he? Miserable lapdog, I'll kill him slowly for this!" It did explain how they had been found. Cole fumed silently for a moment. "All right. Seth, Kate, and the Slayer are the core of this group. Kill them, and the hunters will scatter. We can hunt the rest down at our leisure."

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It had not been easy to organize with the battle underway, but they had managed to pull it together. Gradually, word spread and the plan was put into effect. The hunters retreated. They scattered into the hills, and just as Liz had predicted, the vamps did not pursue. They turned and began to gather to assault the one small group that had not fled. Seth, Kate, Tully, Liz, Spike and about half a dozen others gathered together, making a show of trying and failing to hold the fighting force together. It was Sunday, 1:20 a.m.

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Cole grinned in anticipation. Within minutes, it would all be over. What was left of his force, only fifteen vampires out of the more than thirty that had comprised his original force, moved in, spreading out to surround the smaller group.

"There's still a way out of this for you Seth," Cole called. "You've caused me a great deal of trouble, but I do admire your perseverance. Surrender, and I'll change you. You can live forever." Cole had no intention of changing Seth, but if he was fool enough to accept or even if it made him stop and think briefly, then it would be worth it. He had his answer almost immediately. Seth stepped forward, he was down to a stake in each hand and a determined look on his face. The rest didn't have much better. It would be over quickly. Seth glared at his nemesis contemptuously before answering.

"Kill 'em all!"

The last crossbow bolts thudded home and of the four that were struck, two of them went to dust. Cole roared and charged. The fight was brief and furious. Blows were traded and three hunters went down even as their stakes plunged home. One vamp went to dust and two more retreated, wounded. They didn't get the chance to rejoin the fight. A surge of heat washed over them and both went up in flames. Led by Michael, a contingent of hunters fell upon the vampires from behind.

The retreat hadn't lasted very long. They had only kept going for two minutes after the vampires stopped chasing them. At that point they began to carefully make their way back to the where Liz and the others were making their stand. Michael had insisted on going in to save Liz. He thought Maria would probably kill him if she found out he was taking such a risk, but it was worth it. He didn't want to think about how Max would react if anything happened to Liz. Isabel had managed to restrain Max, convincing him to stay back and help the wounded. At this point they limited themselves to bandages and iodine, as the patients were more aware of what they were doing, but there was still a lot to be done.

Michael carried a stake in his left hand, but didn't use it. Instead he focused his power on a pair of vampires in front of him as they staggered away from the fight. Both were dust before they knew they were being attacked. Crossbows couldn't be used due to the close quarters, too great a chance of hitting a friend, so stakes were used.

Another three were dusted before Cole could turn his attention to the new threat. With his numbers dwindling rapidly he knew the smart thing to do would be to call for a retreat, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not when he was this close. He wasn't going to run from the hunters again. He would not endure another humiliating defeat! He would not! Something snapped.

Roaring madly, he threw off the man he was grappling with, not bothering to kill him. Fighting like a wild animal, he smashed opponents aside, roaring for Seth to face him. Suddenly he was there, swinging an ax he had retrieved from somewhere. Cole ducked and came in under the blow, fast and hard. His first blow lifted his enemy off the ground and sent him almost three feet through the air. Cole felt a hard blow to his side and spared a glance that way. He swatted the Slayer aside without a second thought and threw himself at the human who had become the complete focus of his world.

Had there been any breath in his lungs it would have been forced out by Seth's booted feet driving into his gut and pushing him over and away. Cole rolled to his feet and came back snarling, determined to get his teeth into the human's throat.

Seth fell back before a furious rain of blows, ducking and blocking as best he could, and taking advantage of the berserker fury where he could. Cole did little or nothing to defend himself, but he barely felt the punches and kicks directed at him. Seth grinned as he leaned away from a wild swing and came back up with a roundhouse blow that cracked one of Cole's ribs. Just like the first time, he thought, throwing himself clear and rolling under the feet of another vampire. That unfortunate fell into Cole's path and was batted aside, dropping a stake he had gotten from one of Seth's hunters at some point. Seth scooted away on his backside, keeping his last stake hidden. Cole saw his opening and lunged. He seized a small hatchet from another vampire as he passed, startling him and leaving that one an easy target for the Slayer's stake.

"Oh sh--!" Seth thrust the stake forward and tried to roll aside at the same time as Cole came down on top of him.

***********************************************************************

Tully drove the shattered remains of the large water gun under the ribcage and into the chest of a vampire, then turned to look for another opponent. He didn't pause to wonder at the fact that plastic worked as well as wood or to wonder why. He simply moved on to the next chore. But there were no more chores left to do. He looked around quickly, pivoting on one foot while maintaining his fighting stance. Nothing. Other hunters were coming to realize the same thing. They were out of vampires.

He saw Kate on a small rise to the north. She was breathing heavily and bleeding from several small wounds, but she gave him a cocky grin and waved. To the south, the Slayer was standing with the help of one of her friends. Tully didn't see any visible wounds, but she limped as she made her way toward him. Kate joined them a moment later. Spike strolled up, uninjured, but grumbling over a tear in his coat.

"Well," the British vampire smiled. "That was-." He caught the Slayer glowering at him and wisely decided to shut up. He turned instead to survey the battlefield. "I think we got 'em all," he said, with no hint of the casual, even jaunty, air he'd displayed a moment earlier. Tully nodded.

"I think so. I'll organize some of our group to do a sweep of the area, just to make sure. Where's Seth?" He looked around, noticing his leader's absence for the first time. Liz pointed.

"Over there." She led the way, leaning on Max who had just found them. Michael happily relinquished the burden to his friend and turned to organize the sweep that Tully had mentioned.

Seth was alive when they reached him. He gave a weak grin. "I got him. I got the bastard." Max quickly knelt by the man's side, but stopped, not knowing how to proceed. A hatchet was buried in his chest, only a few inches from the heart. He couldn't heal Seth while the blade remained in him, but he could tell that attempting to remove it would be instantly fatal. Seth spared him a glance. "Don't worry about it kid. I ain't cashin' out over a shaving nick." He coughed hard, blood, running from the corner of his mouth. "Did we get 'em?"

"Yeah Seth," Tully answered for the group. "We got 'em all." Seth tried to shake his head, but was too weak.

"No," he finally said. "We didn't. We keep going, you hear me? Till we can really say we got 'em all."

"We will Seth," Kate promised, on the edge of tears. Seth closed his eyes and drew a shuddering breath. It came out as a wet sounding rattle.

Others began to gather around, silently staring down at the man who had always acted like he was invincible, and usually had his enemies believing it.

"What do we do now?" Someone, Kate didn't see who, asked for the group. She rounded on them.

"We keep going, until there are no more vampires left to kill." She nodded to Tully. "Start the sweep. We need to tend to the wounded and then get out of here. I want us in another state by dawn." Tully nodded, turned to the rest, and began giving orders. Kate turned to Liz and her friends. "Thank you. This could have been a lot… worse. We'll take it from here." The catch in her voice made her stop talking. She turned away before any of them could respond. Liz turned to her friends one by one, and finally turning to Xander. He shook his head sadly and turned away.

"Let's get out of here." It was Sunday, 2:00 a.m.

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Mary reached the outskirts of Roswell half an hour before dawn. She was seething. How could Spike turn on them like that? How could he work for a Slayer? It didn't matter; he would pay for his betrayal. They all would pay soon. The first step though was to tend to her own injuries. A good meal would see her on her way back to full strength. She spotted a likely prospect on the street ahead of her. She increased her pace, not bothering to conceal her approach. The middle-aged couple she approached didn't seem to notice her, but as they turned into a narrow side street, saving her the trouble of getting them out of plain sight she overheard a snatch of conversation.

She paused, momentarily puzzled by what she had heard. They were looking for air? An heir? She dismissed it and turned in after them. "Haven't you been told it's dangerous to wander the streets at night?" The two turned at the sound of her voice. Mary allowed her demon to show as she approached, but the couple only looked at each other curiously. They showed no sign of fear or even apprehension.

"We cannot allow her to spread word of our presence here," the woman said matter-of-factly. The man nodded. Annoyed by their response or lack of it Mary leapt at the female and attempted to sink her teeth into the woman's neck. Her intended victim shoved her away easily, but there was a ripping sound and Mary tasted something foul. She raised her hand to her mouth and found something caught in her teeth. It looked like… snake skin?

"What the hell?" She looked up at the couple. The skin of the woman's neck was torn, but she barely seemed to notice. Under the skin was… "What the hell are you?" The man raised a hand containing a curious device, and Mary felt an intense burning pain in her chest. She tried to scream, but was consumed by the fire the the weapon started before she could even begin.

The pair stared curiously at the cloud of ash slowly drifting toward the ground. "Interesting. There was nothing in our briefing about the species being so vulnerable to heat." His companion shrugged. Her skin was already regenerating, covering what lay beneath.

"We knew our files on this world were incomplete. It hardly matters though. This simply means that the humans will be less of an obstacle to finding the heir than we had anticipated."