Chapter 4: Learning to Fight

********A Week Later*******

Buffy had a mostly uneventful week after her date with Quentin. She'd went to the movies once with Felicity, Thea, and Roy and had coffee once with Quentin. It was hard for her to keep him at a distance, but she didn't want to constantly lie to an obviously honest man. Her job as a bouncer was surprisingly fun. She got to listen to the music and escort overly boisterous guests to the door. Most gave her very little trouble—mainly because they were too busy hitting on her.

The more time she spent with Thea, the more she liked her. She wasn't a stern boss, but she was no one's fool. The only hint of slayer strength she'd detected was her lifting large boxes of alcohol, but normally her boyfriend took them from her before she could get very far. Roy seemed to be a stand up guy. He was from the Glades and seemed very affected by the growing violence and devastation in his neighborhood. Buffy had overheard them arguing more than once about Roy's insistence in stopping crime he encountered. Thea had already told her about his desire to save a bunch of people on a bus the night the earthquake hit. When Buffy had inquired on whether or not she'd wanted to lend a hand, Thea had looked surprised. The idea honestly had never occurred to the woman. She did end up assisting with getting the people out of the bus, but Buffy could tell she only did so to help her boyfriend.

Her behavior wasn't very slayer-like. Most slayers instinctively threw themselves into battle. Roy had the instincts of a slayer—at least when it came to wanting to help others. He had told Buffy about his encounter with the Hood and how he wanted to make a difference like the vigilante. His earnest desire to help when he was entirely out of his depth reminded Buffy so much of Xander that she warmed to him instantly. However, she knew she'd have to keep an eye on him or he'd get himself hurt.

This desire to keep him safe was what prompt her to follow him outside the backdoor of the bar one day after the club had closed. He made it two blocks away before he decided to stop some guys from breaking into a car. Buffy stood back in the shadows and watched as he enthusiastically took on the three guys. He wasn't overly skilled but could take a hit. At first, he was holding his own. Then one of the guys pinned his arms, so the others could hit him. That's when Buffy stepped out of the shadows.

"Three against one. That's not very nice," she said.

The guys looked up. So did Roy. He glared at her. "I got this!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I can see that," Buffy said, flashing him a grin. "How about I lend you a hand?" She stepped up to one of the guys, who immediately tried to grab her.

Roy watched as his girlfriend's new bouncer effortlessly dispatched two of the guys. He turned and hit the other hard. The guy went down. "I told you I was fine!" he said, giving her a disgruntled look.

She took out her phone to dial 9-1-1.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked.

"Calling the cops," Buffy said.

Roy reached and tried to grab her phone. She stepped back and squelched his second grab with a look. He backed off but didn't give up. "Don't call the cops! They'll just bring trouble for both of us!" he insisted.

Buffy frowned but dialed another number. Roy opened his mouth again to protest. She held up her hand for silence. "Quentin, are you on duty? I caught some guys beating up Roy, who caught them breaking into a car," Buffy said. "The corner of third and Wabash...Yes, I'm fine...Yes...Okay..." She hung up the phone. "Quentin is just around the corner. He'll be here in a minute."

"Cops always bring trouble," Roy said in annoyance.

"Well, this is a human problem. Cops deal with human criminals," Buffy said with a shrug.

Roy frowned in confusion. "What other kinds of criminals are there besides humans?" he asked.

Buffy winked at him. "Oh, you'd be surprised," she said. She knew Giles would definitely not approve of her getting involved in human concerns like this. However, Starling City was coming apart at the seams. Was she supposed to stand back and do nothing? Roy was barely a man and felt compelled to risk his life to try and help the people in this city. Buffy was more capable than he was. How could she not do something?

Quentin appeared with another cop. He increased his pace when he spotted them. He glanced at Buffy in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. He shined his flash light along her face and down her body, checking for injuries.

"I'm fine, too," Roy couldn't resist announcing. The flashlight shined on him.

"I take it the guys were using Harper for a punching bag?" Quentin asked, gesturing to the guys that were starting to get up. The other cop began reading them their rights. Quentin bent down and grabbed the closest one, hauling him to his feet.

"Yep," Buffy said.

"I saw them breaking into that car," Roy said, pointing to the car.

"And you just had to play hero?" Quentin said sourly. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Well, someone's got to do something! The city has not increased patrols since the quake even though crime has skyrocketed!" Roy said angrily.

"We lost over a dozen good cops in the quake. Guys that aren't easy to replace!" Quentin said harshly. "The department is doing the best that it can!"

"Hey, it's okay. No one's blaming you," Buffy said easily.

"Speak for yourself," Roy said, still glaring at Quentin.

"Be nice before I regret helping you," Buffy warned, giving him a hard look.

Roy looked sullen but didn't say anything.

Quentin reached and grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her a short distance away from Roy. He looked at her in concern. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

Buffy found his worry sweet and smiled at him warmly. "I'm fine. I really do know how to take care of myself," she assured him.

He sighed in resignation, running a hand down his face in frustration. "It's not your job to police this city. It's mine. I know you're capable, but the more you get involved in the crime in this city, the greater your chances of getting hurt," he said.

Buffy leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You're very sweet. I'll be careful. But I'm not going to walk by and let someone be hurt, especially if it's someone I know," she said.

"Maybe you can at least use your influence to talk some sense into the kid? He clearly doesn't have your skill set," Quentin said, giving Roy a disapproving frown.

"That I will gladly do," Buffy said, smiling. "Can I take him back to his girlfriend? Thea will be giving him a stern tongue latching, I know!"

"Yes," he said. He wanted to ask her out again, but there was no privacy. Instead, he said, "Have a good night."

"You, too," she said. She grabbed Roy's arm and steered him in the direction of the club.

When they were a block down the street, Roy stopped and faced her. "How do you do that?" he asked.

"I have twenty years experience fighting off very bad guys. Leave it to the professionals," she said. She grabbed his arm again and tugged him down the street.

"Will you teach me to fight like that?" he asked hopefully.

"I'll think about it," she said. A short time later, she left him with Thea, who wasted no time in scolding him while hugging him tight. Buffy slipped away before Thea could focus that energy on her. As she walked back to her place, trying to think of a way to deal with both Thea and Roy.

*****Three Days Later*****

Felicity was down in the foundry working on a new program when Diggle came in.

"Felicity, how's the program coming along?" he asked.

"Good. If Oliver accesses his trust, I'll have his location," she said with satisfaction. She and John had decided that they needed to know where to find Oliver. They'd only heard from him the one time since he'd left. Felicity was worried. John wasn't really, but he agreed that it was a good idea that they knew were Oliver was.

"Spent any more time with your new friend Buffy?" Diggle asked, curious.

"We went to the movies last week with Thea and Roy," she said. "I could tell that Roy wanted to ask me a lot of questions about Oliver. He must've figured out I was helping him."

"What did he say?" Diggle wondered.

"Nothing. We were never alone," she said. "We probably should have a talk with him soon. I'm afraid he might say something to Thea."

"Yes, that's the last thing we need," John agreed.

"Well, the club isn't in full swing yet. I'll go upstairs and see if I can talk to him," Felicity said.

"Don't let Thea see you come from down here. I'm not sure how we'd explain this place," Diggle said.

"It's a good thing Oliver put that key lock in place. So far she hasn't shown any interest in exploring the basement," Felicity remarked. "Let's hope that doesn't change."

"It probably won't if she doesn't see you coming out that particular door!" Diggle said meaningfully.

"Don't worry. I'll go around," Felicity said. She grabbed her purse. "I'll call you later." She got up and walked to the side exit.

It was barely seven, so the club was not full. She went to the bartender and asked where Roy was. He pointed upstairs. "He's with the boss."

Felicity thanked him and made her way upstairs to the manager's office. As she approached, she could hear Roy arguing with Thea.

"Why are you being like this?" Roy asked. "You don't want me to get hurt. Buffy says she'll teach me how to fight better."

"I don't want you fighting at all!" Thea said adamantly.

"It's not my fault the Glades have collapsed! I live here, Thea. Maybe you're okay with walking down the street and ignoring the hurting, but I'm not built that way!" he exclaimed in irritation. "Oh, wait. I forgot you don't walk anywhere. You have your own driver!"

Felicity decided that she should make her presence known before things got worse. She knocked on the door.

"Come in," Thea said, still glaring at Roy.

"Sorry, to interrupt," Felicity said.

"It's fine. You stopped Roy from being a bigger jackass than he already is," Thea said crossly.

Roy sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You just make me crazy!" He walked over to her and reached out and took her hand.

"Is it so wrong of me to not want you to be hurt? I lost my father. I lost my brother for five years. He came back to me, but he's not the same. His body is covered in scars. Violence changes a person," she said quietly.

Felicity blinked in surprise at her words. She'd never heard Thea acknowledge what Oliver went through. She hadn't been aware Thea really knew much. Then again the changes in Oliver were too severe for anyone close to him to not notice.

"It won't change me. Oliver was a victim. I'm not going to be. I want to help people," Roy said with conviction.

Thea looked at her boyfriend. She loved that he was so brave and selfless, but she was terrified of losing another person she loved. Tommy's death was too fresh. "Why don't you ask John to train you? He was like in the army or something. He's saved Laurel's life and Oliver's more than once," Thea suggested.

"He was Special Forces," Felicity couldn't help adding.

"Well, I've not seen him in action. I've seen Buffy. She's incredible. It's like she's not even a woman," Roy said.

His comments had both women glaring at him. Wincing, he quickly said, "Sorry!"

"Diggle is downstairs. Roy and I will talk to him. It's better that he know how to protect himself, don't you think?" Felicity said to Thea.

Thea sighed in resignation. "I suppose."

"And Buffy's amazing. I'm telling you. We should have her come over your place since you have all that space tomorrow. Your ballroom has a lot of open space," Roy pointed out. "Or the gym."

"Fine. Tomorrow morning," Thea said, giving in.

Roy grinned happily and kissed her before following Felicity out the door. As they walked down the stairs, Felicity said, "So I wanted to talk to you about Oliver's secret you discovered."

Roy looked surprised and then grinned eagerly. "Really? I have like a million questions!" Roy said.

"Do you think you can take a break before it gets too busy?" Felicity asked.

"Sure. Let me tell the bartender," Roy said. He walked over and said a few words to the guy. Then he made it back to her side. "I'm good to go. I got a half hour."

"Let's go to some place quieter. My car is out back," Felicity said. She decided they should just go down to Big Belly Burger and grab a quick bite to eat while they talked. After they placed their order, Roy wasted no time asking his questions.

"So when's Oliver coming back? Do you think he'll let me be a part of his team?" Roy asked excitedly.

"I honestly can't speak of that. Oliver was pretty upset when he left. He came to this city with a goal. He wanted to stop some bad guys on this list his dad gave him. He felt he owed it to his dad because his dad was a willing participant in what Merlyn had planned. Like his mom, his dad wanted out too late. Merlyn had the Gambit sabotaged," Felicity shared.

Roy shook his head in disgust. "Rich people are messed up," he said.

"Says the guy who's been arrested more than once for petty larceny," Felicity pointed out with a grin.

Roy gave her a sheepish grin. "So how did you get involved with Oliver?" he asked.

Felicity filled him in on how she became a part of the team. He listened without interrupting.

"I'm working on locating Oliver so that we can track him down if a need arrives. Dig and I want to make sure you don't go telling Thea what you know," Felicity said. "Thea has enough to deal with right now. I'm not sure how she'd handle knowing her brother was the vigilante."

Roy shook his head. "I'm not sure how I can handle the truth about Oliver," he remarked. "It's hard to wrap your mind around. He's got this entire facade that is really just a mask. Thea has no idea who her brother is."

"The brother she knew is still there. He's just different," Felicity insisted. "He doesn't want his family or Laurel to know know who he is. When Tommy found out, he called him a murderer. When Tommy died, they weren't exactly friends again. I think that hurt him the most, knowing Tommy died before he forgave Oliver. It made things worse when Oliver had to lie to Tommy before he died. Tommy asked him if he'd killed his dad. Oliver told him no."

Roy grimaced. "Man, that blows!" Roy said with sympathy. "I hadn't really thought about how hard it might've been for him. Before I knew his secret, I just thought he was a giant asshole. He looks through me. Or like I'm not good enough for Thea."

"No man would be good enough for Thea," Felicity said with a knowing smile. "He loves her more than anyone."

Roy chuckled. "You're probably right," he said. "It's easier now that I know. I get that it's not really me. The guy's just got a lot on his mind."

They food arrived, so they spent a few minutes eating in silence. Finally, Felicity asked, "So are you serious about having Buffy and Digs train you?"

Roy nodded. "I was hoping I could get the Hood, but since he turned out to be Thea's brother and skipped town, I guess they'll have to do," he said with a grin.

"Well, Digs is amazing. Who do you think trains with Oliver?" Felicity said.

"Yeah, I know. I saw them training at Thea's house. They looked like they were trying to kill each other!"

"They're pretty intense," Felicity said in agreement. "I'll call Buffy and see if she wants to join you tomorrow. What time?"

"How about eleven?" Roy asked. "You're going to come, too, right?"

"I have to work," Felicity said.

For some reason Roy really wanted her there. She was so easy to be with. She wasn't intimidating at all. "Don't you have, like, sick leave or something?" he asked.

Felicity considered it a moment. She did have a lot of personal days that she had accrued. "I'll see what I can do," she said without committing. She smiled at Roy's relieved expression.

******The Next Day******

Buffy had been pleasantly surprised to get the invitation directly from Thea about working with Roy at her house the next morning. She'd already decided that she was going to use Roy's desire to learn as a way to bring Thea into the training. Buffy figured since it was Thea's house it would be easy enough to get Thea to join them. She rode her bike up to the Queen mansion. She would've been more impressed if she hadn't spent so much time in Europe in various compounds the Watcher's Council owned. After gaining entrance through the gate, she parked the bike and got out. She was pleased to see Felicity's eco-friendly car parked out front already. Buffy decided she may as well get her new friend to learn some self-defense.

Thea opened the door. "Hey, thanks for doing this," she said as Buffy entered.

"No problem. Nice place," Buffy said as she looked around.

"Yeah, it's a bit much since I'm the only one here these days. Most of the time I just stay at Roy's," Thea said with a grimace.

"So you might want to change shoes," Buffy said, looking down at Thea's feet.

"Why?" Thea asked in confusion.

"Because those sandals aren't good to fight in," Buffy said.

"Ah, I don't plan on fighting. That's Roy," Thea said.

Roy and Diggle appeared with Felicity. "Hi!" Felicity called out with a warm smile.

"I'm glad you're here. I was telling Thea her shoes aren't right for this," Buffy said.

"And I was telling Buffy how I'm not the one learning how to fight," Thea said, puzzled.

"Listen, the Glades are not safe these days. You have a club in the middle of a bad neighborhood. I know you have your own security, but I'm sure he'd agree it's a good idea that you learn some self-defense," Buffy said. She looked at Felicity. "Both of you."

Felicity looked surprised. "I'm not one for the violence," she said weakly.

"No one is until the violence makes you a victim," Buffy said grimly.

"Digs has taught me some basic moves. Remember, I used a few on that guy the night we met?" Felicity reminded her.

"I don't think that's nearly enough. Not for this town." She looked at Felicity with a somber expression. "My best friend Willow in high school was exactly like you. A genius that was good with computers, not so good with people or saying the right thing. The first week I met her a cute guy tried to kill her. By the time she graduated from high school, she learned to fight enough to defend herself. I want the same for you."

"Man, your high school doesn't sound like a fun place," Felicity said.

"It was hell," Buffy said grimly. She'd talked to Riley about Diggle and knew that he was a man who could be trusted. Buffy wasn't ready to reveal her own identity, but she knew that Diggle would support her in this.

"I think it's a good idea," John said, nodding. "You both should know how to protect yourself. It's something I should've brought up myself." He'd mentioned it once to Oliver, but Oliver hadn't wanted any excuse to put Felicity in the field. He thought if they kept her defenseless she'd be less likely to risk herself in the field. With Oliver gone, John figured it was past time he did what he thought was best for Felicity.

Felicity looked at Thea and shrugged. "I'm game if you are," she said.

"Well, okay," she said reluctantly.

Buffy wasn't sure how much of her strength she wanted to reveal to them. However, she needed to test Thea. This would be as good a chance as any.

John was looking forward to seeing for himself what exactly Buffy Summers was capable of. He knew Riley was not prone to exaggeration, but he still couldn't see such a slight woman being much of a threat to someone his size with his training.

After Thea changed her shoes, she led them to the gym where a few mats were placed. Buffy let John run the show and watched as he demonstrated stance and basic weak points. When he used Buffy to demonstrate a choke hold, she recalled the time in her high school gym where the gym coach did the same thing. She'd accidentally on purpose had thrown the annoying guy who tried to get a bit too friendly with her. The memory made her smile.

"So how would you get out of that, Buffy, if a guy came up to you from behind?" Felicity asked, her eyes alight with mischief. She was eager to see how her new friend dealt with someone as skilled as John.

Buffy easily demonstrated how to twist out of the hold without using her superstrength to throw him.

Roy grew bored with the girly self-defense lesson. "Come on! I want to see what you guys can do!" he challenged.

Buffy gave John a questioning look. He smiled. "Well, I guess we can spar. If Riley says you can handle yourself, I'll try not to go too easy on you," John said.

"I'll try not to embarrass you too badly," Buffy said with a sweet smile.

The girls laughed. They watched as John and Buffy took positions facing one another. Buffy faced the much larger man and decided to demonstrate what a person with superior speed could do. Felicity didn't have the strength that Buffy or Thea had, but if she learned to move quickly, she would always be able to protect herself. Or at least increase the odds.

John moved in and engaged Buffy. She ducked when he threw a punch. She dodged when he kicked out. She demonstrated remarkable flexibility and balance each time he tried to make contact. However, John kept missing.

"You don't have to be the strongest person if you can move faster than your attacker," Buffy said after she dodged yet another blow from John.

John was both exasperated and amused by her catlike abilities. She motioned for Roy.

"I noticed the other day that you are quick. Let's see if we can improve your odds of deflecting John's attack," she said.

John wasn't quite sure how the woman became the coach, but it was soon very obvious to them that Roy was not her first student nor was this the first time she'd instructed others how to fight. His interest in her was piqued even more. He had ran her name and found no military service records. At least not officially.

Within an hour, Buffy had all three of them learning to dodge and deflect. John had been surprised to see that Oliver's sister seemed to possess a natural ability to avoid a hit. He knew her brother would've been both amused and impressed.

"What about strength? I saw you. I know you are more than light on your feet," Roy said stubbornly. "I want to see what you can do."

"Why don't we save that for next time? I'm sure the girls have work to get to," Buffy said.

Felicity grinned. "I took a personal day," she shared.

"My assistant manager is opening up today," Thea added, flashing her a grin.

"Fine," Buffy said in resignation. She and John faced one another again. This time Buffy didn't waste any time. She allowed him to trade blows, parrying and blocking. Then she ended the fight with her signature roundhouse kick. The force of it knocked John off his feet.

Her audience was momentarily stunned. Then they started clapping.

"Girl's got game!" Roy said excitedly.

"Does anyone else feel like they want to go burn a bra?" Thea said proudly.

Buffy reached down and helped up John and looked at Thea. "What I did, you can do. I promise you," she said to her. Thea's slayer instincts were there. Buffy just needed to bring them out more.

Thea, though, just laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, well, I'd rather not have to exert myself so hard," she said.

John wasn't quite sure what had happened. He'd trained furiously with Oliver nearly every day. He wasn't out of practice or out of shape. Yet this very slight woman had managed to totally defeat him without breaking a nail or a sweat. The mystery of Buffy Summers grew even more confusing.

******Chapter End******

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