Title: Requiem For Tomorrow
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Description: The long-awaited (I think...) sequel to "Rain Falls on the Just" and "Of Magic and Machinations."
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Zero bar and a rusted slinky. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox. It's their barn. I just roll in their hay.
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The humans all wore dark black robes. They were hidden in the darkness except for the symbol of the world being smothered by serpents. The girl on the table was naked and beautiful. She was the sacrifice, and a willing one at that. Brother Antus spoke to the brethren in a calm, soothing tone. The words he spoke were Babylonian in origin, though his accent was definitely from New Jersey. The three new recruits in the order were prostrate, echoing his words. With the recitation complete, Brother Antus brought the ceremonial dagger down hard, plunging with a sickening sound through the young woman's sternum. She smiled as her blood spilled down the metal table into a large goblet, before choking on her blood and jerking uncontrollably. With a loud gurgle, she ceased her movement. She was dead.
The first of the recruits came forward, and bowed low before Brother Antus. He then stood, head hung low. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said softly. Brother Antus pulled back the young man's hood. He then dipped his fingers in the woman's warm blood and traced the sigil of a serpent on the recruit's forehead.
"May you please him," Brother Antus said. The recruit bowed once more and returned to his original position. The second recruit came before him, and followed suit. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said. Once the sigil was drawn on his head, Brother Antus said, "May you please him."
The third recruit waited for the second to return to his place before moving. He then repeated the same ritual, bowing low and then standing before Brother Antus. He repeated, "I am less, that the song may be more." With the hood pulled back and the sigil drawn on his forehead, he made sure to look Brother Antus in the eyes, instead of cowering as the others did. Antus smiled at him grimly and said, "May you please him." The third recruit returned to his place.
"You will know the song by heart for it will echo throughout eternity," Brother Antus said. "May you please him."
"May we please him," all present repeated.
With the ceremony over, many of the Brothers of the Eternal Song shook hands with the recruits. Brother Antus came first to the third recruit.
"You have spirit," he told the young man. "What is your name?"
"Jordan West," the man said with a charming grin. "And one day I hope to stand by your side when you consult the Eternal Song, Brother Antus."
"Many aspire," Brother Antus said flatly, "yet few succeed. Still, I look forward to seeing how you prove yourself, Jordan. If you prove useful, perhaps you will reach even the loftiest of goals."
Jordan bowed again. "I will make you proud, Brother. You will see. Now if you will excuse me, I promised to tell my brother about this evening. He aspires to join the Brotherhood. I promised I would begin teaching him, so he may pledge his loyalty as well."
"Already recruiting," Brother Antus smiled. "That's a wonderful way to start. Bring your brother to our next meeting, Jordan. We will help you convince him."
"Of course, Brother."
Jordan West walked nearly half a mile from the old cathedral before he gave the signal. On a nearby rooftop, a woman dressed all in black opened a channel on her walkie-talkie. "Lost Sheep to Shepherd. Lost Sheep to Shepherd."
"Shepherd to Lost Sheep," a male voice replied in her earpiece. "Report."
"Nighthawk has infiltrated the nest," she said. She watched as the robed figure disappeared down a dark street. "Be careful, Xander," she whispered to herself. "If anything happens to you, boss-lady is gonna be pissed."
Rupert Giles leaned on his cane, watching the new recruits doing their Tai Chi. They were young and frail. Many of them had been on the street for nearly a year with little or no food. They had lost loved ones by the dozen when the Vampire Lord came to rule. He shouted a command at them, all the while wishing he could return them to innocent times. This, however, was not a time for innocence. He would make them killers. It was the best gift he could offer.
"I thought I was the pro at barking orders," Riley Finn said, stepping up next to him. "You just made me sound like Barney Fife yelling at Otis." Giles just stared at him blankly. "That was pretty much lost on you, wasn't it?" Giles nodded with a soft grin. "Oh well. I just came to report."
"You've heard from Xander?"
"He gave the signal to Tynisa about ten minutes ago. He's in," he said with a grin.
"I don't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be sick to my stomach," Giles sighed. "If they find him out..."
"They won't," Riley said confidently. "I trained him myself. He's good. Real good. Suave Xander is back on the clock."
"I know," Giles said. "But if anything were to happen to him..."
"Buffy would lose it," Riley finished. "She's... doing an amazing job here, but... she's still..."
"Fractured," Giles said bluntly. "Is your team ready?"
"I still have a few things to teach them," Riley said, "but they are definitely the cream of the crop. Most of them had previous experience. Some with the military, and some with the police or fire department. They were a bit easier to train than your bunch."
"It is a daunting task," the Watcher said. "But if anyone can turn this lot into an army, it's our group."
"The Scooby Gang rides again," Riley smiled.
Sarah Potts cursed under her breath. The heat of the Sahara was nearly unbearable. She doubted that she would still be moving at all if not for her slayer strength. "I've got a mission for you, she says," the Slayer said rolling her eyes. "It's gonna be a cakewalk, she says. When I get my hands on you, Buffy..." Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by a gust wind that blew sand in her eyes. She sighed a heavy sigh, and cursed again. "All this way to find some mage that may not even have the info we need," she complained. "I'll bet Buffy's just laughing her ass off about now."
Buffy licked the blood from her lip and put her hand on her broken rib. There were only two vamps, but something was different about them. "They seem faster," she thought, barely ducking a punch. She plunged a stake deep into his chest. He punched her hard enough to send her flying, pulled the stake from his heart and laughed a deep, growling laugh. "And remarkably resilient," she thought, trying hard to remain conscious. They were on her before she could move. One of them kicked her broken rib, shattering it further.
"You guys have been eating your vegetarians," she said, flipping out of their reach. She managed to block the next blow, but a kick caught her in the chest and sent her back to the pavement.
"That's no way to treat a lady," said Riley Finn, stepping behind them with a five man unit. "How about we teach you some manners?"
The demons turned and growled at them, not the least bit afraid. "Stakes don't work," Buffy said, pulling herself up. "It's like we figured."
"You heard the lady," Riley said. "Torch 'em."
A young woman stepped forward with a large flame thrower, and within minutes, the creatures were dead.
"So flames and sunlight, eh?" Riley asked, as the other female in the group lifted Buffy shirt enough to bandage the ribs. Riley turned his back. "Any other weaknesses?"
"Holy water does nothing," she said. "The cross still works, but the stakes don't phase them. I cut one's head off, but it... sorta grew back."
"But they can be killed," Riley said. "That's more than we can say about their master. What is it he renamed himself?"
Buffy pulled her shirt down and stepped in front of him. "Requiem. My son is calling himself Requiem."
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Description: The long-awaited (I think...) sequel to "Rain Falls on the Just" and "Of Magic and Machinations."
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Zero bar and a rusted slinky. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox. It's their barn. I just roll in their hay.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The humans all wore dark black robes. They were hidden in the darkness except for the symbol of the world being smothered by serpents. The girl on the table was naked and beautiful. She was the sacrifice, and a willing one at that. Brother Antus spoke to the brethren in a calm, soothing tone. The words he spoke were Babylonian in origin, though his accent was definitely from New Jersey. The three new recruits in the order were prostrate, echoing his words. With the recitation complete, Brother Antus brought the ceremonial dagger down hard, plunging with a sickening sound through the young woman's sternum. She smiled as her blood spilled down the metal table into a large goblet, before choking on her blood and jerking uncontrollably. With a loud gurgle, she ceased her movement. She was dead.
The first of the recruits came forward, and bowed low before Brother Antus. He then stood, head hung low. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said softly. Brother Antus pulled back the young man's hood. He then dipped his fingers in the woman's warm blood and traced the sigil of a serpent on the recruit's forehead.
"May you please him," Brother Antus said. The recruit bowed once more and returned to his original position. The second recruit came before him, and followed suit. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said. Once the sigil was drawn on his head, Brother Antus said, "May you please him."
The third recruit waited for the second to return to his place before moving. He then repeated the same ritual, bowing low and then standing before Brother Antus. He repeated, "I am less, that the song may be more." With the hood pulled back and the sigil drawn on his forehead, he made sure to look Brother Antus in the eyes, instead of cowering as the others did. Antus smiled at him grimly and said, "May you please him." The third recruit returned to his place.
"You will know the song by heart for it will echo throughout eternity," Brother Antus said. "May you please him."
"May we please him," all present repeated.
With the ceremony over, many of the Brothers of the Eternal Song shook hands with the recruits. Brother Antus came first to the third recruit.
"You have spirit," he told the young man. "What is your name?"
"Jordan West," the man said with a charming grin. "And one day I hope to stand by your side when you consult the Eternal Song, Brother Antus."
"Many aspire," Brother Antus said flatly, "yet few succeed. Still, I look forward to seeing how you prove yourself, Jordan. If you prove useful, perhaps you will reach even the loftiest of goals."
Jordan bowed again. "I will make you proud, Brother. You will see. Now if you will excuse me, I promised to tell my brother about this evening. He aspires to join the Brotherhood. I promised I would begin teaching him, so he may pledge his loyalty as well."
"Already recruiting," Brother Antus smiled. "That's a wonderful way to start. Bring your brother to our next meeting, Jordan. We will help you convince him."
"Of course, Brother."
Jordan West walked nearly half a mile from the old cathedral before he gave the signal. On a nearby rooftop, a woman dressed all in black opened a channel on her walkie-talkie. "Lost Sheep to Shepherd. Lost Sheep to Shepherd."
"Shepherd to Lost Sheep," a male voice replied in her earpiece. "Report."
"Nighthawk has infiltrated the nest," she said. She watched as the robed figure disappeared down a dark street. "Be careful, Xander," she whispered to herself. "If anything happens to you, boss-lady is gonna be pissed."
Rupert Giles leaned on his cane, watching the new recruits doing their Tai Chi. They were young and frail. Many of them had been on the street for nearly a year with little or no food. They had lost loved ones by the dozen when the Vampire Lord came to rule. He shouted a command at them, all the while wishing he could return them to innocent times. This, however, was not a time for innocence. He would make them killers. It was the best gift he could offer.
"I thought I was the pro at barking orders," Riley Finn said, stepping up next to him. "You just made me sound like Barney Fife yelling at Otis." Giles just stared at him blankly. "That was pretty much lost on you, wasn't it?" Giles nodded with a soft grin. "Oh well. I just came to report."
"You've heard from Xander?"
"He gave the signal to Tynisa about ten minutes ago. He's in," he said with a grin.
"I don't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be sick to my stomach," Giles sighed. "If they find him out..."
"They won't," Riley said confidently. "I trained him myself. He's good. Real good. Suave Xander is back on the clock."
"I know," Giles said. "But if anything were to happen to him..."
"Buffy would lose it," Riley finished. "She's... doing an amazing job here, but... she's still..."
"Fractured," Giles said bluntly. "Is your team ready?"
"I still have a few things to teach them," Riley said, "but they are definitely the cream of the crop. Most of them had previous experience. Some with the military, and some with the police or fire department. They were a bit easier to train than your bunch."
"It is a daunting task," the Watcher said. "But if anyone can turn this lot into an army, it's our group."
"The Scooby Gang rides again," Riley smiled.
Sarah Potts cursed under her breath. The heat of the Sahara was nearly unbearable. She doubted that she would still be moving at all if not for her slayer strength. "I've got a mission for you, she says," the Slayer said rolling her eyes. "It's gonna be a cakewalk, she says. When I get my hands on you, Buffy..." Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by a gust wind that blew sand in her eyes. She sighed a heavy sigh, and cursed again. "All this way to find some mage that may not even have the info we need," she complained. "I'll bet Buffy's just laughing her ass off about now."
Buffy licked the blood from her lip and put her hand on her broken rib. There were only two vamps, but something was different about them. "They seem faster," she thought, barely ducking a punch. She plunged a stake deep into his chest. He punched her hard enough to send her flying, pulled the stake from his heart and laughed a deep, growling laugh. "And remarkably resilient," she thought, trying hard to remain conscious. They were on her before she could move. One of them kicked her broken rib, shattering it further.
"You guys have been eating your vegetarians," she said, flipping out of their reach. She managed to block the next blow, but a kick caught her in the chest and sent her back to the pavement.
"That's no way to treat a lady," said Riley Finn, stepping behind them with a five man unit. "How about we teach you some manners?"
The demons turned and growled at them, not the least bit afraid. "Stakes don't work," Buffy said, pulling herself up. "It's like we figured."
"You heard the lady," Riley said. "Torch 'em."
A young woman stepped forward with a large flame thrower, and within minutes, the creatures were dead.
"So flames and sunlight, eh?" Riley asked, as the other female in the group lifted Buffy shirt enough to bandage the ribs. Riley turned his back. "Any other weaknesses?"
"Holy water does nothing," she said. "The cross still works, but the stakes don't phase them. I cut one's head off, but it... sorta grew back."
"But they can be killed," Riley said. "That's more than we can say about their master. What is it he renamed himself?"
Buffy pulled her shirt down and stepped in front of him. "Requiem. My son is calling himself Requiem."