"Now then, let me get this straight. You want asylum?"
The Governor smiled as he said these words. It wasn't the first time someone had come to him with this request and it most likely wouldn't be the last. Still he played up the routine he had used time and time again. He made them feel at home and comfortable.
"Y-Yes." The man seated on the other side of his desk said, "We seek asylum in your town."
"We? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?" the Governor asked, "Mint?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Do you want a mint?" the Governor asked.
"Ah, no thank you. And yes, we. Myself and two of my charges." The other man stated.
"Well I'm not so sure. I know about your kind. I won't tolerate any roughhousing in my town. That's only fun until you put an eye out." The Governor scolded.
The other man sighed. He reached up and pulled off his glasses, cleaning them.
"I assure you that we will not actively seek trouble. We merely need a place to stay."
"Because you're fugitives. I'm not sure Dracula would like me harboring fugitives here. I mean, word of that gets out I'm getting strung up by me heels and my back's getting flayed. There goes reelection." The Governor chuckled.
"My charges are young, almost children. They're my responsibility." The other man said, his proper English accent become rougher as he spoke, "Now the Council said that you could help us. That you may be sensitive to our needs. We merely require a place to stay and a source of income. We will not cause trouble I assure you."
The Governor turned around in his chair.
"Tell me Mr. Giles, are you a begging man?" the Governor asked.
"Excuse me?" Giles asked.
"Are you a begging man? Because I don't really see you as being the begging kind." The Governor explained, "You're a troublemaker. I've done my homework. I know all about your younger days. You see, I'm not sure I really want you here because of all that resistance nonsense. Now a begging man on the other hand could have a place here because I would know that he is also a smart man. He would know to keep his nose clean. So I ask you again, Mr. Giles, are you a begging man?"
Giles sat in silence for several minutes.
"No. But I'm not above it if it means saving the lives of my charges."
The Governor's chair swiveled back around. He wore a huge smile on his face.
"Then I think you'll fit in very nicely here in Sunnydale." The Governor smiled, "You're a willful man. A strong man. I respect that. I really do."
"I'm not sure I understand." Giles replied.
"There are three types of men Mr. Giles. There are men who beg to spare their lives. There are men who fight to the death without a second thought. Then there are men like us. We fight, but we're not stupid." The Governor replied, "You think I was one of the guys who went out fought against Dracula on my own? Heck no! I submitted to him and got all of Western America for my troubles, and the best part is I'm just planning to off him in the future myself. I admit, it's not very honorable but then again I'm evil. Anywho, you have my full permission to stay here in Sunnydale. Go out into the office and talk to Mr. Trick. He'll set up something for you."
Giles' face lit up.
"Thank you, sir. I greatly appreciate this. You won't regret it!" Giles said, with glee.
The Governor sat back.
"Make sure that I don't." he stated, "And if you're the kind of man to betray any resistance against Dracula, then you'll want to kill yourself before I get through with you."
Giles understood the threat and merely nodded.
"Well good then. Are you sure you don't want a mint? They're low cal." The Governor smiled, offering the bowl of mints.
Giles reluctantly took one and ate it.
"There we go." The Governor chuckled.
"Thank you again." Giles stated.
"Well thank you for making an appointment." The Governor replied, "I'm sure you can find your own way out. I'm absolutely swamped in paper work today. Say, you being a Watcher probably qualifies you to do all sorts of research and paper work am I right?"
"Well…er…yes." Giles replied.
"Well then I think I have just the job for you." The Governor smiled, "It comes with a very interesting cover."
"Librarian." Giles explained.
Faith nearly hit the breaks right then and there.
"Librarian? You mean like late fees and overdue books and stuff?" she asked.
"Something like that, yes." Giles replied.
"As covers go, that's not unrealistic." The man in the backseat with the shotgun replied.
"No. No it's not. The cover is excellent." Giles replied, "But in addition to my well…rather simple duties as a librarian, I'm also on Governor Wilkins' payroll. I would do research for him and consult with him on supernatural matters. It's very apt considering my background."
"Beats running from the Drac Pack all the damn time." Faith replied, pressing her foot down on the gas.
"Faith, language." Giles replied.
"I'm not exactly sure we can trust Wilkins. I rather loathe the idea of working for him."
"Your reservations are dually noted Wesley, but I think this town may be our best chance for survival. At present, the Watchers Council is fractured. Our organization has never been weaker since the attack in Boston. Wilkins, like him or not, is a very powerful man both in and out of the resistance. He can offer asylum for us and keep us safe from any pursuers. He may even know the whereabouts of the Slayer." Giles explained.
"How do you know he didn't have an Invisible in the room listening?" Wesley asked.
"Oh he probably did. Most powerful men or demons as it were in this world do." Giles stated, "Don't get me wrong. I'd sooner trust Ethan Rayne as a snake like Wilkins but I believe he won't have us killed. He hates Dracula as much as we do. Faith, please slow down."
"Sorry." Faith replied, letting off the gas.
"Why would he hate Dracula so? Because Dracula has more power?" Wesley asked, looking out the backseat window.
"Because Dracula destroyed any chances he had at an Ascension in the last century."
"Ah."
"So now you're Mr. Dewey Decimal." Faith added, "So what are me and Wes supposed to do now that you're off straightening shelves?"
"Well, I imagine I'll need an assistant in the library. Running it would be taxing enough without Wilkins to deal with." Giles explained.
"That's where I come in isn't it?" Wesley asked.
"Let's hope your Watcher muscles haven't atrophied." Giles replied with a smile.
Wesley smiled in return. Faith thought that was cool. It'd been a while since she'd seen either even come close.
"Don't expect me to help in some musty old library. I'm not hanging around there all day." Faith smirked.
"Oh don't worry, you won't have to be at the library." Giles replied.
"You're not honestly going to let her run around this town on her own during the day are you? She's bad enough sneaking off at night." Wesley stated.
Faith flipped him off in the rear view mirror.
"Bite me Wes. If G says I don't have to be there I don't have to be there."
"Rupert, you're not serious—"
"Wesley, please calm down. Faith is not going to be at the library all day. Perhaps only one period." Giles answered.
Faith's previous smirk fell.
"What do you mean period?" she asked.
"Oh? Didn't I say?
It's a school library." Giles said smiling, "You're going to school Faith."
Faith cringed as she heard both men
in the car with her do something she would have been happy to see any other
time. They laughed.
Willy the Snitch shook like a leaf. All he wanted was to run a respectable establishment. I mean he had a damned good bar. Best in Sunnydale in his opinion. But now, here he was, sitting in the Sunnydale Police Station. In the interrogation room. Oh he knew this was going to be bad. He knew it was really bad when the chief of Sunnydale's branch of the Black Guard stepped into the room. He was followed by a young woman.
"Willy. Good to see you again." The man said, as he sat down in a chair.
"Captain Finn." Willy gulped.
Riley Finn had been a straight A student all of his life in addition to being a top notch athlete. Iowa State Rifling Champion too. He'd been the perfect candidate for the Hyde formula. He removed the jacket of his dark black three piece uniform and unbuttoned his sleeves. He removed his cap and sat it on the table by his right hand. Willy's eyes instantly went to the metal object that fastened to his wrist. One press of the button on it and Hyde was introduced into his bloodstream. Then Captain Finn got very, VERY nasty.
"Tonight still ladies night?" Riley asked.
Willy swallowed despite his mouth going dry.
"Yeah. Still is. Happy Hour's at nine." Willy replied, trying to sound cordial.
"Well that's just
super then." Riley smiled, "Hear that Tara?"
The woman, who Willy was just now
noticing was dressed in more casual clothes.
"Sounds great. If we get everything out of the way, then maybe I can catch one." Tara replied, walking to Riley's side and handing Riley a folder.
"Agent MaClay is with our Magick division here in town so I doubt you've ever seen her before." Riley stated with a smile, "Mostly does research but she knows how handle herself. She's a five on the Magi Scale. She's very useful to us."
Tara looked down, almost shyly.
"You're going to make me blush."
"Sorry." Riley smiled at her, "Anyway, she's here to help with our interrogation."
"Interrogation? That what this is?" Willy asked, sweating bullets.
Riley kept the charm on.
"Well, yeah Willy. It sure is." Riley said, as he deposited the contents of the folder on the table, "Care to tell me what I'm seeing here?"
Willy carefully looked at the photographs that had spilled out of the folder.
"I don't know. What are those things?" Willy asked.
"Come on now Willy. You're dumb but you're not that dumb." Riley replied.
Willy sighed.
"Crucifixes." Willy stated.
"Exactly. Crucifixes. Mind telling me what's in those vials and beakers beside them?" Riley asked.
"Some kind of….potion?" Willy asked.
"Holy Water. But then you knew that already too." Tara added.
"Holy Water? What are you crazy? That stuff's illegal!" Willy shouted.
"We're aware of that Willy." Riley said, "We're police officers remember?"
"Crucifixes are illegal too. So are Rosaries and silver." Tara said, taking a seat beside Riley.
"So are the explosives we found." Riley added.
"Same goes for this really rare poison. What's it called? Killer of the Dead?" Tara asked.
"That's a rough translation but yeah." Riley answered.
They both looked at Willy.
"Well, gee guys, I'd tell ya if I knew anything about somebody hoarding all that stuff but I got my ear pretty low to the ground and zilch." Willy stated, growing ever more nervous.
"You know I'd appreciate that Willy. Agent MaClay would appreciate that too. But you seem, we found all this stuff downtown in a special storage locker that you rented." Riley explained.
"Storage locker? I-I don't have a storage locker." Willy laughed.
"Well, technically I don't think you do, but one Miguel Sanchez does. And his signature looks a hell of a lot like yours." Riley went on.
"We have fingerprints too." Tara added, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on the backs of her hands, "All that stuff's illegal Willy, because it kills vampires."
"And we've got to protect all of our citizens don't we?" Riley asked.
Willy could be called Niagara Falls with the amount of sweat he was giving off.
"Alright…alright. I'll level with you here. I've had some rough customers at the bar lately. Couple of vamps, all fangs no brains ya know? Well, they've been coming in and causing trouble so I was going to throw them out and then they threatened my life. I figure…I gotta protect myself right? So I started collecting that stuff just in case I'd ever need it." Willy stated.
Riley looked at Willy for a minute before turning to Tara.
"He's lying." Tara explained.
"What?! No! No I'm not!"
"He's lying again." Tara replied, sitting back.
"Finn, you have to believe me here man! I've never lied to you!" Willy screeched.
"Now see, I don't need Tara to tell me you're lying now." Riley laughed at Willy's stunned expression, "Oh yeah. Tara can tell if you're lying or not. She's good at a lot of magickal skills, but she excels at aura reading."
"Your aura fluctuates in color whenever you lie, so why don't you tell Captain Finn the truth before he loses patience and presses that little button on his hand." Tara explained.
"I-I-"
"It'll be easier this way Willy. Trust me." Riley added.
Willy shut his mouth and looked like he was refusing to speak. Riley merely locked eyes with him and put his left hand right into Willy's line of sight. The left then started to descend towards his right. It lowered slowly, letting Willy's eyes follow it. Willy swallowed as he saw Riley's finger gingerly sweep around the button. One little push and Captain Finn would be a major force to be reckoned with. Riley watched as Willy stayed silent and decided to start pressing down.
"Wait!" Willy shouted, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Riley pulled his hand back.
"Spill it."
"A couple of months ago, this guy came up to me. Big guy, black, Out of Towner. Said he heard I had the reputation for getting stuff, and ya know, I do. Said he wanted some dusting style weapons. He was going to try and take out the Crypt." Willy began.
Tara sat up surprised.
"The Crypt?" she asked.
"Yeah" Riley added, "That would be one hell of a job to pull off."
"Yeah. Honestly, I didn't think he could pull it off but he was offering a lot of money. Ten grand. So I accepted and scrounged up some stuff. Managed to buy some Killer of the Dead from this Chaos Demon using it for garnish. I figured the guy'd go down in flames so it'd be no big deal right? I mean, nobody takes out the Crypt. I don't care if you are loaded to the teeth, the Crypt's impenetrable." Willy replied.
"He's telling the truth." Tara answered on instinct when Riley turned to her.
"You get the guy's name?" Riley asked.
Willy swallowed.
"Yeah, yeah I got it."
"What was the name, Willy?" Riley asked.
"It might be a fake. I dunno. Sounds fake." Willy said.
"What's the name, Willy?" Riley asked, a little more belligerently.
"It was Gunn. Charles Gunn." Willy replied.
"Tara?"
"The truth, surprisingly."
Riley looked back to Willy.
"When and where was the deal supposed to go down?" Riley asked.
"Tomorrow night. At the locker." Willy sighed as he lay his head down on the table.
Riley smiled.
"Now see, telling us all that probably means you'll get to keep your fingers."
"Yeah…wonderful." Willy groaned.
"Think Forrest or Graham can handle it from here?" Tara asked.
"Yeah. Why?" Riley asked in reply.
"You owe me a drink." Tara smirked.
Riley got up and put his jacket and cap on.
"You're on." He smirked back.
Tara rose and walked towards the door, Riley holding it open for her. Willy's head popped up behind them.
"Hey uh? Captain Finn?" Willy asked.
"What is it Willy?" Riley asked, frustrated.
"Well uh, how'd you find out about all this? I mean I usually keep deals on the lowdown."
Riley turned and smirked.
"Routine locker search. You'd be surprised how often we do that." Riley replied.
Willy sighed and lay his head down again. He hoped he'd get out of this with minimal pain. He probably wasn't going to.
"You want to see anymore?" Warren asked from his computer.
"No." a voice stated, "Switch to one of the other rooms. See if our bugs can find out about anything else going on. See if anyone else had anything valuable confiscated."
"You're the boss." Warren said, "So I guess you're going out tomorrow."
"You'd guess right." The voice replied, "And no you can't come. It's too dangerous."
"Take April at least then?" Warren asked.
"Warren, I'm not really sure that's such a good idea."
"Oh come on! She's as strong as you are! And she's got tons of fighting skills programmed into her!" Warren whined.
"She's flighty, and no! The last thing I need is your pet robot getting in my way. These aren't vampires that just explode into dust. These are Black Guardsmen. They're strong, smart, and tough and that's before they turn into apes!"
"Well then, what are we going to do?" Warren asked.
"I'll take care of it okay? Me. I'll try for my trump. It's worked before." The voice replied.
"You sure that thing's not getting too old?" Warren asked.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it."
"So what do I do tomorrow night then?" Warren sighed.
"I don't know. Do your homework, help Walsh and Angleman, play with April. You're not coming."
Warren started to open his mouth.
"And neither is she!"
Warren sighed and turned to the computer again.
"Hmmm, think I can send April out to hunt tomorrow?" Warren asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"We have a rogue Polgara demon in the area. They're briefing some Guardsmen on it." Warren replied.
"Polgara….they're almost animal-like. Opposable thumb. Retractable barb. Sounds good. Just call and tell Walsh she's getting a new subject."
"Yeah." Warren smirked.
"And don't even think about going out with April."
"How'd you know I was planning that?"
"Hey, I was your age once too."
Willow Rosenberg yawned and opened her eyes. She then shot up in a panic.
"Xander!" she screeched, "What are you doing in my bed?"
Xander's eyes stayed shut.
"No…I dun want any bread." He mumbled.
Willow sighed and pinched his nose shut. Within five seconds, his eyes opened and he sat up.
"Wills, jeez, I've told you not to do that!" Xander said, pulling from her grasp.
"I've told you not to get in my bed!" Willow retorted.
"Touchy. I thought you liked me right next to you." Xander smirked before kissing her.
Willow's resistance faded and she kissed him back, melting into him. Then she pulled back into her resolve face.
"Out of my bed before your mom catches us." Willow said.
"Oh come on. She's not even up yet." Xander smirked.
"Willow! Xander! Breakfast!"
Willow looked at Xander with an "I told ya so" smirk.
"So I've been known to be wrong before. Sue me."
"Get up and get to your room before she catches you!" Willow scolded.
"Hey now, easy there, that anyway to treat your sweet monkey of love?" Xander asked, as Willow pushed him to the door.
"Xander, never say that again." Willow shuddered.
"Is it so wrong that I want to be close to you?" Xander asked.
Willow smiled, and looked at the floor for a minute.
"Well no doofus." She grinned before her face got more serious, "I just don't want to get sent to therapy. You need a cold shower."
And with that she shoved him out and slammed the door. She turned and sunk back against it.
"I need a cold shower."
Later on, Willow did take a shower. Not a cold one. Good old fashioned hot. As she washed her hair she reflected on the last few years. Needless to say they had been really interesting and in some cases, tragic.
Her parents had been prominent psychologists. On top of that her father had been a Rabbi. Being Jewish was still looked down upon by Lord Dracula, but the stigma was not nearly as bad as being Christian; something that was downright illegal. Her mother on the other hand came from a long line of Wicca, not that she practiced or anything. Their politics had been…to say the least…radical.
They opposed many of the institutions and laws set in place by Dracula. They considered Dracula to be a tyrant and it truth he was. The Rosenbergs constantly held subversive meetings at their home and Willow, even at a young age, suspected that they were violently antiestablishment. Despite being Jewish and Wicca respectively, they constantly lobbied for Christians to regain their rights to practice because they deserved those fundamental rights. They deserved respect. They always spoke of the American Constitution and how it had been buried by Dracula. Willow had been too young to really understand what that was, but she put pieces together over time.
There came a dark day when Willow was about ten. Her parents had been implicated in firebombing a nest of vampires. The sentence for any human who killed a vampire was death by torture. In their will, custody of Willow was awarded to the Harris's, close friends of the Rosenbergs. And even under Dracula's law that would be honored, excepting if the child had any "special" talents.
Medical tests had disproved any notions that she may have carried the mutant gene. Still, given her lineage there was the possibility that she could have had some mystical talents. Willow remembered the last time she had even spoken to her parents and how her mother had seemingly talked without moving her lips, telling her to purposely fail any tests they set in front of her.
Willow didn't really understand. She was always a perfect student, but she knew that there was something more to all this. She was however old enough to understand that this was the last wish from a woman who was going to be executed. And for that reason, Willow failed the mystical tests the government has set before her. And like that, she was allowed to live with the Harris's. Especially her best friend Xander. Her sweet, dopey, incredibly hot friend Xander.
"Okay, bad thoughts! Bad!" Willow scolded herself.
They were both seventeen now and things had….well they changed. After oh, say puberty. There was an attraction between the two of them. That was undeniable. It only grew after Jesse…
"Hey Wills! Hurry up!" Xander said knocking on the bathroom door.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Willow shouted back, "Also the door's locked!"
Silence.
"Ah damn it!" Xander said, before she heard him tromping down the hallway.
Willow watched him as they drove to school in his Uncle Rory's car. Xander obviously noticed.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing."
Xander accepted that and went back to driving before looking over at her again. She was staring again.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"It's not nothing. It's something. What's the something?"
"Xander, did you have the dream again last night?"
"What? No. Of course not. I haven't had those in a year." Xander replied.
"Then why were you in my bed?" Willow asked.
"Well I think we both know the answer to that." Xander smirked salaciously.
Willow giggled. She couldn't help it whenever he showed her attention like that. He made her feel special.
"Alright then. I believe you." Willow replied.
Xander sighed.
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"How do you say you believe me and make me feel bad?"
"Because you were lying?" Willow asked.
Xander sighed again.
"Okay, you got me."
"You did have the dream again didn't you?"
Xander flushed. He remembered the night two years ago. It was just going to be another night at the Bronze. Just he, Willow, and Jesse. Jesse even got lucky, scoring with this chick they had met that night. What was her name? Carla? Darla?
Then he disappeared. Showed up the next night and almost took a bite out of Cordelia Chase. That was until that other chick he had met the day before punched the living hell out of him. Buffy. Yeah, he'd never forget that name. Jesse charged her and he got beat down furiously. Where that girl got the strength to beat down a vampire, Xander would never know. Maybe she was a mutant.
Still, pretty soon the Guardsmen had arrived. Six of them. Jesse had broken the law by trying to feed in a No Kill Zone. Buffy had broken the law by assaulting a vampire, and for staking him right in front of the Guardsmen. That's when all hell broke loose. She tried to fight the Guardsmen off. She even managed to knock one out. That was until Officer Finn, all aped up on Hyde, put her through the stage the bad played on. For capturing her, he had made Lieutenant. A year later and he was Captain.
The most horrifying thing though was the look on Jesse's face when he turned to dust. He was scared. Here he was, a big badass demon now, and he was scared. Part of Xander was thankful for her taking care of Jesse and saving Cordy (as scary a prospect that was). But there was another part that was angry with Buffy. That was the part that missed his friend.
"Yeah, I had the dream again. I saw him Will. I saw him turn to dust." Xander sighed, barely realizing he had already pulled into his parking space at school.
Willow's hand touched his shoulder.
"I saw that too. Remember?" she said.
"Yeah."
"You should talk to me instead of keeping it all inside okay? Tell me next time you have a bad dream." Willow replied.
"Even if it involves scary guys with claws for hands?" Xander asked, with a smile.
"Oh now come on. You know I put a ward up on THAT guy." Willow said, "You promise to tell me?"
Xander nodded.
"Yeah. I promise."
"Good. Because I'm here for you." Willow smiled, before she kissed him.
Xander responded warmly and kissed her back.
"Oh get a room!" Cordelia shouted from a distance.
"Get a nose job!" Willow shouted back as she pulled away from Xander.
Cordelia merely huffed and walked into the school.
"Now see, off the cuff remarks like that are the reason I love you." Xander laughed.
"That and you think I'm cute."
"As a button."
Willow smiled and looked at her watch, "Well I have to get to the library. Duty calls."
"Yeah. I have a math test to flunk."
"Hey! Be optimistic! Seize the day!"
"That is me being optimistic. Pessimistic would be walking in there naked and taking it."
"I dunno. Doesn't sound too bad."
"Yeah, I'm hot." Xander smirked.
"Meet me for lunch?"
"Well duh."
Needless to say, Willow was slightly surprised when people were already in the library. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them.
"Um, can I help you?" an older man in glasses asked her.
"That's usually my line." Willow replied.
"Excuse me?" he asked again.
"I'm Willow Rosenberg. First period library science? Pretty much the librarian here since the last one got eaten?" Willow asked, seeing if she got any recognition.
"Oh. I'm sorry. No one said anything about there being a student who worked here." The man said, "I'm Mr. Giles."
"Hi."
"And this," Giles said, gesturing to another younger man who seemed to be cut of the same mold, "Is my assistant, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce."
"Hello." Wesley offered.
Willow looked at both of them after hearing them both speak.
"We're British." Giles stated.
"Yeah, I caught that." Willow answered, "Are you related?"
Giles looked at Wesley and shot him a look. Wesley knew the look all too well. It meant not to say anything.
"Yes. Wesley is my…nephew." Giles replied.
"Yes. Uncle Rupe and I just moved here." Wesley said, shooting Giles a look, enjoying the fact that he was hating being called Uncle Rupe already.
"Hey we're out of Twizzlers." A young woman about Willow's age said walking out the library office.
She paused and studied Willow. Willow looked at her and squinted.
"What? I got a zit or something?" Faith asked, slightly hostile.
"No. Just a Twizzler hanging out of your mouth." Willow replied.
Faith gulped it down.
"Sorry." Faith slightly laughed.
"Willow, this is my daughter….Faith." Giles replied.
Faith looked at Giles oddly before Wesley nudged her in the side. The cogs in Faith's brain turned.
"Oh hey. Nice to meet you." Willow waved.
"Likewise Red." Faith smiled wondering how many webs of lies that they would get themselves into while they were in town.
"She's not British." Willow said, before turning to Giles.
Giles froze.
"Takes after he mother." He replied.
"Oooh."
Wesley turned to her.
"Faith, don't you have classes?" he asked.
Faith snapped her fingers.
"Yeah…classes…I think I'll go. I'll talk to you about that ten bucks you owe me later dad." Faith said to Giles.
"Yes…we'll talk about that." Giles replied.
"See ya Wes. Catch ya later Red." Faith said before walking out the double doors.
"Principal Snyder really didn't say anything about me?" Willow asked.
"He neglected to mention it. Though to be honest, we can use all the help we can get here." Giles explained.
"Yes, Uncle Rupe and I honestly aren't sure of how to operate a library. We're practically amateurs." Wesley smiled, enjoying this entirely too much.
"It's cool. I'll steer you around the curves." Willow said heading to the office.
Giles looked at Wesley.
"Uncle Rupe?" he asked.
Wesley just smiled broadly and walked past.
It was not a good night for Charles Gunn. He'd come to Sunnydale to pick up some weapons. He was never really sure why a little town like Sunny-D was the capitol of California, but he guessed since it was a spooky world and the place was the center for spookiness west of the Mississippi, that was it.
Still, it was a spectacularly shitty night. He came to town by himself to get the goods from that piss ant Willy. Gunn had been sitting in his truck for fifteen minutes when he decided to bail. Willy hadn't showed and the whole thing started reeking of set-up. That's when the big monkey came out of nowhere and flipped his truck over onto its back.
The huge thing tore the door off of his truck and growled down at him.
"Got ya." It half growled, half chuckled.
Gunn pulled his piece and fired.
"No, got YOU!" he said as he fired.
The bullets struck the huge creature and it backed up, growling in pain as blood spurted from its chest. Gunn crawled from his upside down truck and stood, before ducking. The thing roared and swung a fist the size of a concrete block at him. It missed and hit the truck, spinning it on its top.
Gunn ducked and weaved out of the way and fired on it again and again. Then another monkey jumped out of nowhere. Gunn turned and was ready to fire before he stopped. It was a brother.
That momentary distraction was all it needed to knock the gun from his hand. Gunn shouted in pain. That same blow made his hand go numb. He sunk to his knees and looked up at the new monster.
"Give a brother a break?" Gunn asked.
It laughed at him before backhanding him hard.
"Nope." It growled.
Gunn hit the pavement in a heap and passed decidedly out. The new beast and the inured one approached the body and growled in anger.
"I'm going to kill it." The injured one hissed.
"No skin off my ass." The black creature growled.
"No one's killing anything." Captain Riley Finn said, walking into sight, "We bagged him, now we take him in."
"Big talk Finn. I was the one that got shot." The wounded beast growled.
"Graham, get out of my face." Riley said looking up at the ape-creature.
"Or what?" Graham growled.
"Or Finn touches the button on his hand, Hydes up, and whips your ass across town." The other beast, Forrest, added.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Riley smirked, before reaching down and pulling out Gunn's wallet, "Yep. This is definitely our guy. You'd think he'd be smarter than to come in alone."
"No one ever accused Gunn of being smart." A new voice stated.
Riley, Forrest, and Graham turned to see a man walking up to them. He was tall, but not quite as tall as the now human-sized Finn and not nearly as tall as the huge Graham and Forrest. Still, he was no small man. He also wore the uniform of a Black Guardsmen well.
"And you are?" Riley asked, crossing his arms.
"Captain Liam O'Connor, Los Angeles Black Guard. I see you caught our Mr. Gunn. Thanks for the assist but I'll take it from here." He stated.
"Whoa, whoa. Hold up. Credentials, now." Riley replied.
"Of course." Liam said, handing Riley his wallet and badge.
Forrest bent down by Liam's shoulder and growled slightly.
"Hi there." Liam said before turning back to Riley, "Do I check out?"
"Yeah. You're good. Captain Riley Finn, Sunnydale Black Guard." Riley replied, "You plan on taking this guy back to L.A.?"
"That I do."
"Tough. We caught him."
"He's from my city."
"He's IN my city."
"Whoa now. No need to be hostile. We're not on the stuff like these two….gentlemen."
"Sorry, but he's way out of your jurisdiction. He's in mine. Those are the rules." Riley replied.
Liam smiled.
"You haven't heard have you?"
"Heard what?"
"Yeah, heard what?" Graham growled.
"The reason he's here alone. We caught the rest of his gang back in L.A. We know all about the plan to get in the Crypt. We diffused it but he got away. He's a loose end. I just came here with orders to pick the guy up. Hell, your guys called me. They told me you'd be here so I drove over." Liam replied.
Riley looked at Liam and thought for a minute.
"What's the password?" Riley asked.
Liam chuckled.
"Do we really have to go through all that?" he asked.
"Yes. So what's the password?" Riley asked.
"The man asked you a question." Forrest growled.
"Easy Kong." Liam backed away before looking at Riley, "Fine. I'll say my part."
Liam cleared his throat.
"I don't wear the cheese…" he began.
Riley smiled.
"The cheese wears me." He replied, "Sorry about that man. Had to be sure."
"Hey no problem. Its just it's so corny. I just hate saying it." Liam replied.
"You got a car?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, down this way." Liam replied.
"Forrest, grab Mr. Gunn for me will you?" Riley asked, "Graham try not to do anything strenuous so the formula wears off. We have to get you to the hospital to get those bullets removed."
Forrest picked up Gunn without hesitation and followed Liam and Riley as they walked. Graham merely growled and sat by the upside down pickup truck.
"Here we go." Liam said as he began to unlock the back of the van, "Toss him on in."
Forrest lay Gunn down in the back of the van gently. Liam closed the doors and locked them again. He smiled.
"Thanks guys. I'm glad this didn't degenerate into a fight. I know how that can get when Guardsmen go into different territories." Liam stated.
"Yeah, well I'm just glad we got this guy before he could cause trouble and kill some of our guys at the Crypt." Riley replied.
"Sooner this psycho is behind bars the better right?" Liam chuckled, "Well anyway, nice running into you guys. Thanks for doing all the hard work for me."
Liam playfully hit Forrest's arm and made him growl.
"No sense of humor that one." Liam said to Riley.
"Not when he's on Hyde."
"Well, thanks again. Maybe I'll come up sometime and we can go get a few beers." Liam said, getting into the driver's side van.
"Yeah, I know a good bar here."
"Take care." Liam waved.
"Yeah, same to you." Riley said.
And with that the van started to move and roll off.
"You don't always have to be so rude." Riley said to Forrest.
"I didn't like the way he smelled. Too sterile." Forrest growled.
Riley laughed and hit him in the arm.
Then he paused. And thought.
"Son of a bitch!" Riley yelled as he began running.
"What is it?" Forrest called after him.
"He was undead!" Riley called back.
"Need help?"
Riley pressed the button on his hand.
"I got it." He began to growl.
"I really should have been an actor." Angel smirked as he drove off in the van at high speeds.
He looked back to the still unconscious Gunn.
"And you should be thanking me. No, I'm good though. No need for accolades. Not why I do this."
That's when there was a huge thud on top of the van and the ceiling sunk down about three extra inches. A huge upside down head with sharp fangs peered in through the windshield. And it roared, fogging up the glass.
"I really SHOULD have been an actor."