"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"

"You've seen life through distorted eyes
You know you had to learn
The execution of your mind
You really had to turn
The race is run the book is read
The end begins to show
The truth is out, the lies are old
But you don't want to know

Nobody will ever let you know
When you ask the reasons why
They just tell you that you're on your own
Fill your head all full of lies

The people who have crippled you
You want to see them burn
The gates of life have closed on you
And now there's just no return
You're wishing that the hands of doom
Could take your mind away
And you don't care if you don't see again
The light of day

Nobody will ever let you know
When you ask the reasons why
They just tell you that you're on your own
Fill your head all full of lies

Where can you run to
What more can you do
No more tomorrow
Life is killing you
Dreams turn to nightmares
Heaven turns to hell
Burned out confusion
Nothing more to tell

Everything around you
What's it coming to
God knows as your dog knows
Bog blast all of you
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Nothing more to do
Living just for dying
Dying just for you" Black Sabbath(Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 1974)


Brigadier General Stephen Johnson watch the vampire train one of the new arrivals. It had been rumored that she was especially gifted in combat despite her demure size. Watching the two trade blows for blows captivated him. He had worked his whole career trying to find the perfect solider. His colleague Dr. Maggie Walsh had shared the same dream. She had been the one to recruit him for her mission. Only General Johnson had taken it one step further. Where she had tried to build a soldier the way Dr. Frankenstein had tried to build a man, the General was trying to create a soldier through gene splicing. He firmly believed that by not repeating her mistakes, that he would succeed where Doctor Walsh had failed. It had been a failure that cost Maggie her life and nearly destroyed all the work they’d done. If it hadn’t been for a young enterprising Special Agent named Riley Finn the whole Initiative would have gone under. His brave heroics in keeping the program alive and running were taught to all new recruits. It was a shame that one of the nasty beast they studied had killed him. Now it was up too all of the commanding officers and their soldiers to keep the dream alive.

With one last look through the two way mirror, Brigadier General Stephen Johnson quickly strode away. It was time to speak to his superiors. That fascinating young woman would be perfect of his breeding program.


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Buffy stood quietly under the spray of the showers. Dispassionately she watched the blood and grim whirl down the drain. Today’s training had been rough. William had pushed her hard and at punishing speeds. For five hours they had fought. No breaks were allowed and any slip ups resulted in fifty laps around the Olympic sized track. Buffy had slipped up twice.


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“Off the ground. This is a training exercise not a rest period.” William had growled at Buffy.

Struggling to her feet, Buffy silently cursed and thanked God for her placement. At least in the fighter’s group she got to keep her skills honed. Unfortunately that meant daily five hour training sessions with the evil vampire. Buffy knew that she could have easily been placed in something demeaning like laundry detail but the urge to snap back William as he trained her was nearly overwhelming at times. Buffy missed the times when she could snarl back at her opponents. Here she was to remain quiet and follow orders.

Sometimes she could see a look of sympathy fill William’s blue eyes. It made her wonder what had occurred in this vampire’s life to make him feel sympathy for a human.

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When the red light above her buzzed, Buffy stepped back from the shower. A female soldier stepped forward to hand her a scratchy gray towel. She had gotten used to the indignities. The jump suits felt like sand paper and the blankets and towels smelled of bleach. They all made her skin itch.

At night when Buffy would dream of her home in Sunnydale she would struggle to keep her tears at bay. Buffy didn‘t know if any of her friends were still alive. When the soldiers had cleansed Sunnydale they had gotten put on separate cargo trucks. Buffy had managed to get away but that left her guessing about her mother and friends.

Stepping through the doors and into the hall that lead to her bunk, Buffy promised herself that one day the Initiative would be destroyed. She would accomplish this task even if it killed her.


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Melly Cartwright quickly chopped up the pile of vegetables before her. Her task was to prepare meals for the soldiers and their commanders. Before the soldiers had taken her life from her, Melly had owned a restaurant. It had been a quaint little restaurant that specialized in home style cooking. She was known for her liberal use of spices and never wanted for any costumers. Melly had been happy. Her children were grown and off trying to carve their place in the world and she had her restaurant. Her last gift from her beloved husband Jacob who had died fifteen years previously from a bad heart.


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Fifteen years ago 1995

“Babies, wake up.” Melly gently rubbed her two son’s on their shoulders. She almost wished they would stay asleep. It would keep the agony of her news at bay for just a little while longer. The two boys may have been eighteen and sixteen but to Melly they would forever and always be her babies.

“Mom?” Junior asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The early morning dawn provided enough light for Junior to see his mother’s tear stained face.

“Mom. What’s wrong?” Ricky asked, sitting up next to his brother.

“Boys.“ Melly began, her brown eyes filling with tears, “Jacob is gone.”

With three tiny words their whole world had ended.


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Today she was preparing Brigadier General Johnson’s favorite meal. It consisted of roast pork, covered in spices with chopped garlic on top. On the side he liked mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed broccoli. As a special treat for the soldiers Melly also served sliced mushrooms cooked in olive oil, butter, garlic, and garlic spices. The only time she was asked to cook this meal was when one of the General’s superiors was visiting the Citadel. It served her well to keep them all fed and happy. Though there were many days when Melly dreamed of putting industrial strength cleaner in the gravy.

Content with her own plans for retribution Melly spent her time making sure the Citadel’s kitchen couldn’t survive with out her. It was amazing the things a person could learn in a kitchen. Melly knew where each Commander and General slept. She knew what meals they preferred and what times they preferred to eat them. Usually when one of the soldiers entered her kitchen it was in the company of one of their bosses. They often spoke freely in front of her, giving no mind to the middle aged half demon. Melly had been taught a long time ago by her grandmother, who had been a vengeance demon, that people always underestimated those they thought to be weak. So Melly let them thing she was weak and timid. Melly Cartwright hadn’t been married to a seasoned cop and raised two boys without learning a few things.