Chapter 7: Sanctuary
Somewhere in Carson City, Nevada
Malachi was watching three Slayers fight off more than ten vampires from a far away building.
You've wasted your time, he thought. You should have just gone straight to helping the Slayers. Now you've lost precious time. The cells are already closing and soon you will be completely cut off. Foolish!
The three had killed off more than half of the vampires and were now pursuing their quarry. Malachi leaned back and thought about what would happen from then on. The storms were just wild, wet rains and sporadic throughout the globe. It will grow, though. And the hell fire, brimstone, darkness, and famine aren't even here yet. And to worsen things, my secret ally hasn't even arrived yet.
Malachi climbed down and used his psychic powers to read the mind of one of the Slayers.
"Shannon!" One of the Slayers shouted.
The girl Shannon turned around and backhanded a vamp that was about to catch her off guard. "Thanks."
"No problem." As the Slayer said this she staked another vampire, leaving only two to run.
"That's enough." Shannon commanded.
"But Shannon."
"I know. But our watcher just called. They want us home."
"We're just gonna leave them to run?" The other girl was incredulous.
"Look, Elaine," Shannon the veteran Slayer said. "You're young and a little new at this. But right now, April and the others are suffering from a disease that none of the Watchers can figure out yet. It's mystical but thank God it hasn't killed anyone yet."
"Just sends them into a complete coma," The other girl muttered.
"Yeah, which is why we should keep our heads low long enough to figure this out."
They were about to leave when five other Slayers stepped out of the shadows from different places. Shannon was the first to recognize them.
"Melanie? What're you guys doing here? Aren't you suppo… Oh my God!" The five Slayers that were surrounding them were clothed in a somewhat demonic looking carapace, their skin was gray-colored and their eyes burned with demonic energy.
"Mel? What happened?"
No response.
"Mel, what are you…" And just as Shannon said it, the five Slayers pounced on the other three. They fought and struggled, trading blows right and left. The three girls tried to escape but they were encircled. The fight kept going until one of Shannon's girls was knocked unconscious to the ground. The remaining two stood back to back as the Slayer, Melanie and her posse circled them like vultures.
"Mel!" Shannon yelled. "Why are you doing this!"
"Ah, Shannon! You're one of the Sunnydale girls right? I think killing you will be a welcome challenge." Then the five pounced and a fight continued. After few minutes, the remaining two Slayers were pinned to ground by the five.
"Well that was disappointing." Melanie's nails grew into claws, getting ready to rip open Shannon's neck.
"Ladies" Malachi was walking towards where the Slayers were struggling.
"Who the…?"
"Oh don't mind me. I'm just trying to deliver a message." Malachi was nonchalant.
Melanie was not impressed. All five of them were holding Shannon and her surviving companion down. "Jen, kill him will ya?"
One of the Slayers stood up and left her comrades to their prey.
"Run! Get help!" Shannon shouted.
Malachi did not run, rather he pulled out a ball of energy from thin air and everything was engulfed into a flash. All that was left afterwards were eight unconscious Slayers and Malachi standing over them almost laconically. Two minutes passed and Malachi returned with an SUV. He loaded up Shannon and her companions into the vehicle and sped off.
Another Eight minutes and the girls were beginning to wake up.
"Hi." Malachi said.
Shannon was tired and could barely manage a coherent sentence without puking. She managed just one word. "Who?"
"Not important."
"Why?"
"Not important either."
"How about I break your face? That important?" Someone from behind him said.
Malachi looked at the Slayer and smiled. "You're welcome."
"Where are we going?" another one of the Slayers asked from the back.
"Your HQ."
"Okay, buddy. I don't like mystery. Why'd you help us? And what did you do to do them?"
"Melanie and her girl friends?"
"Yes! They were sick only yesterday. And now," she coughed. "They're like Morticia Adams or something."
"Yes, and I suppose you know that this plague is mystical?"
Shannon's eyes suddenly grew with revelation. "Did turning into those… things part of the plague?"
"No. Something is corrupting your people into demons and another group wants to stop that… by simply killing you."
"Demons?"
"Maybe," Malachi answered smugly.
"How do you know about them?"
"Past experience. Listen, you can't trust me now, I understand that."
"I'm listening." Shannon was scared.
"All the places that have been infected by the disease, are places with Slayers in them." They looked at him with surprise. How could they have missed that? It was so obvious. "Whatever's doing this wants you turned into…"
"Mel?"
"Yes. This corruption is targeting the Slayer line and it's turning you into demons like your friends back there. Before, it would not have harmed you. Those who created the Slayer arranged so that it be incorruptible. Mystical barriers you know. But after the scythe, the Slayer line has become vulnerable. Vulnerable to tampering by anyone with sufficient power.
"Listen to me, lots of disasters have been happening lately. Watch TV? They are biblical. These catastrophes are related to the plague now. A powerful demonic army, known as the Horde is coming into this world. They are a mixture of remnants from different demonic armies that once swept this world before humanity's time. They are the ones that are responsible for the corruption infecting the Slayer line. There is another danger out there… They will bring their own destruction and disease… but not now at the moment."
"Who are you?"
"A friend…"
"Then why the mystery act?"
"I didn't say I was your friend."
"This is bull! Why did you help us?"
"To see how much you knew. From what I seem to gather so far – it isn't a lot. Your watchers are keeping you on a tight leash."
Malachi stopped as the SUV arrived at its destination. "What's going on?" Shannon asked as she stepped from the SUV.
Malachi only smiled and drove off.
"Shannon. This may sound stupid, but how did we get here?" One of the Slayers asked. She knew that they had somehow beaten Melanie and her group and had run all the way there but it all seemed vague.
"April!"
"Yeah, but… how…. Hey!"
The three saw their watchers and, were for now, safe. And they seemed to recall that they had to contact the others and hide.
It was already eight in the evening when Lawin walked into the bar, wearing a leather coat that was hiding a half dozen weapons underneath it. The Temple, an underground safe house slash bar slash meeting place for sorcerers with shady pasts, was a large establishment reminiscent to that of a large, expensive club. The entire place had a ward in place to keep it hidden from all eyes, physical as well as mystical.
Inside, the place was very much what it was, a bar and club filled with not so ordinary patrons: Mystics, sorcerers, witches, mages and the occasional warlock.
"Hey, Kelly." Lawin shyly greeted the young bartender.
"Hey, slick." The comely, chocolate skinned bartender answered, her dark brown hair falling like waves down to her back. "Haven't been here in a while. The usual?"
Lawin nodded his head and accepted a glass of Vodka. "Been busy… Things have been getting shot to hell lately…"
"So I've heard. The Ancients killing each other?"
Lawin gave an amused and annoyed look at the bartender but was seething inside with anxiety, asking himself how much she or the people in these places knew about the secrets that were being thrown around. "One day Kelly, I'm going to find out how you do that…"
"Do what?" She smiled amusingly, like she was trying to be mischievous.
"You know. Find out things like this. I mean, for a bunch of very mysterious, very powerful circle of people, the Ancients turn into gossip in places like this."
Kelly winked and feigned offense. "A word of advice… and reminder Mighty Zarakite. In our world, if you look for things hard enough you'll find them." She smiled innocuously and then added, "even if they don't exist."
"I ask a question and she quotes aphorisms. One day you're gonna meet a guy, Kell, and you're going to kill him with your smart mouth."
"They haven't built a man that could take me down yet, hon." She snickered flirtatiously.
Lawin grunted in an amused response, sipping his glass while admiring the specimen in front of him - and then quickly reminding himself that she was the bad news kind. "Is he here?"
"Always. You can find him around back." Lawin finished his drink and began to leave.
"Hey slick," Kelly called out to the departing figure.
"Yeah."
"You ever need a new job just come and call me, 'kay."
Lawin was taken aback by the innuendo. What was that supposed to mean? That he'll no longer be with the Ancients soon because of the war or was it supposed to mean something more. "I'll see you around Kell."
Fine Ass!
"Shut up!" Lawin muttered.
Fine rack too. I think she was checking you out.
"Listen to me you sex starved Bastich. Kelly is dangerous. She's a witch and she's a potential enemy."
The Scion laughed. Then why were you flirting with her?
Lawin barked at the voice in his head and fell silent as he noticed the stares being directed his way. The locals knew what he was. They knew who he was. And the employers he was working for. He quickened his pace to a door that led to a basement office. There, he was greeted by a large granite golem that would only let him through if he gave the right password.
"Pylea," Lawin said.
The golem moved aside and let Lawin through.
The door opened to a private office and he went inside to where the green skinned empathy demon sulked. "Hello Thorek," he said.
"Lawin! How's my favorite sorcerer? You're sober I hope?"
Lawin snickered a bit at the innuendo. Thus far, he has come to understand that Pyleans were mostly neutral in their attitudes towards good and evil, he thought with satisfaction.
"I'm afraid this is going to be a business transaction, Thorek. I need some information on a…. client of mine."
"Would that client be going about with the name, William?" The green skinned demon gave a knowing wink.
"Spying on me?"
The Pylean shrugged. "People listen, kiddo. But mostly they listen to people who spy on people that spy on their bosses." Thorek was implying the last couple of days when Lawin was secretly looking into the ancient's (which meant Rukash) activities, most of which seemed to include the hiring of additional demon and vampire mercenaries and the procurement of a lot of mystical weapons – like they were getting ready for war.
"So you want me to read you?" Thorek looked at him with a steady gaze.
"On a specific topic, no more no less. I particularly want to know where he is now… And if the Ancients are touching him? Call me paranoid." Lawin shrugged.
Thorek nodded. "Very well."
"Thanks Thorek." Lawin stood up and grabbed a nearby guitar on a stand, getting himself ready to sing.
"Don't thank me Zarakite." Thorek went to a nearby counter to fix himself a sea breeze. "I owe you from way back… Just make sure that you understand that when the Ancients come knocking down my door I'm not going to stick my neck out for you."
Lawin nodded. It was good of him to be honest. The Scion leaned over and watched to where Thorek was sitting a moment ago. A laptop was there. On it was a fan website of the show: Alien Hunter. "You a fan too?"
"Hell, yeah." Thorek said as he was mixing the alcohol. "I love Yut. He's so spunky… and kinda hot."
"He's a shit face. I want to kick his Rooplas into his Orotog. And what's with those platinum blonde tattoos. They're gay!"
"To be fair, Gortod looks like a cardboard box. Somehow, I just can't see the Alien Hunter ending up with him." Thorek thought for a moment and something dawned on him. "Platinum blond tattoos? Hey are you Black God 234? You posted those exact same words on the forum last week." Thorek said, as he fixed Lawin's seabreeze.
Lawin snickered. "It was only to respond to Chichi 40. Can you imagine that bitch? Just because I ship for Gortod and Alien Hunter does not make me Puritan Gay guy!"
"Insulting the other members isn't going to help your case one bit either though." Thorek smiled as he walked back towards Lawin with the drinks. "Ready?"
"Yes…" Lawin began to sing.
"Wait. Wait. Are you going to sing Michelle Branch again?"
"Uhhh… No."
Liar!!
Lawin began to sing A Red Hot Chili Peppers song…
San Antonio, Texas
"Hi." Lawin said to a man, fixing the engine of a car.
The man looked up and wiped his dirty hands on some old newspaper. His platinum blonde hair was matted from the work and he was sweating from the eleven AM sun.
"You again." Spike began walking away from the pickup truck and into some shade. "Locklin right?"
"Lawin."
"Oh, right. So, ah, why'd you come?"
"Just to check up on you."
"Or were you sent to here check up on me?"
"Something like that. They're kinda," Lawin pointed at the sky. "wondering why'd you stay here? I mean it's almost two years now since Wolfram and Hart. You're human. Shanshued and all. They're curious as to why you don't go out and get your happy ending? You're free to do that now."
"You know those higher being power that be types are really condescending." Spike shook his head thoughtfully. "Dunno, mate. When I went here to give the Burkles the news of what happened to Fred… I figured I just… well I don't know what happens next."
"Like you're in Limbo…" Lawin said absently. He could empathize.
"Yeah. Limbo. I bloody hell don't even know what I should do now. I never really thought that I'd stop being a vampire, you know? Never really believed I'd be the one with the happy endings and the white picket fence. That was kinda that poof, Angel's gig. Nah, mine. What with him and the hair gel and the girl-in-alleys and all."
"What about Buffy?"
"Buffy? How'd you know about her?"
"I know a little more than you think."
Spike grabbed his head as if in frustration. "I may be human mate but she's still the Slayer. A Slayer, anyways. Nothing will change that. Don't get me wrong, being human's a hoot. But I always knew, you know. I always knew that she never really loved me. Could never love me. And if she did, it wouldn't matter because it would lead nowhere. She's a Slayer. And always will be. And me being human won't change that. All I have to do is read the book on Angel's life to know that it ain't going nowhere."
Lawin looked around for a moment. "Why don't you move out? Find a life? Girls, for reasons only God knows why, seem to like you. Big world out there. Time to let go of the past."
Spike snickered a bit. "Listen to me Junior, Texas ain't so bad. I kinda like it here. I got me a job as a mechanic here in San Antonio. Not much, but it pays the bills. After Fred's parents, well, I really don't know what happened next. Like I said. The whole shanshu thing was kinda Angel's gig and all." Spike stood up and paced around. "The Burkles didn't take it very well you know. Illyria was the first one who died in that alley. Her body was torn apart by something that looked like Shrek. No body for the funeral. I couldn't face them. So's I just gave them an address to where I… we got Illyria buried. Told them that she died in some earthquake."
"They believe you?"
Spike shrugged. "Dunno."
Lawin looked around for a moment then decided to make the leap. "Did you tell the Slayers about me?" Spike shook his head.
"About how I rescued you?"
"I didn't need a rescue."
"Fine, help then." Spike shook his head.
"Thanks Spike I appreciate it."
"You probably saved my life and got me out and got me human. I owe you lad."
"Don't mention it. We both serve the powers that be." Lawin was lying, the Ancients had never served the powers. And he would never tell Spike that he was actually just the Ancient's pawn in a power play against the powers that be.
When Lawin first presented himself to the Ancients, to ask for a cure of the Scion, Rukash instructed Lawin to do a curious thing. The elder Ancient wanted to give a vampire named Spike a soul. He was told were to meet the itinerant vampire and that also certain spies were sent to point Spike in his direction. Lawin later knew the full extent of the reason, something about a prophecy, since they could not control Angel, a vampire also with peculiar abilities, they decided to create their own vampire with a soul.
Lawin knew that this was a test to see just how well he could obey. It was clear that he had no choice, he didn't understand what was going on completely, but he had to obey orders or risk not being trusted by the people he needed to manipulate. So he placed a glamour on himself that made him look like a demon and went to Africa to give Spike his soul. The Ancients refused to use Angel to aid the Slayers because they had not created or controled him. Spike was theirs, though. They owned him. He was sent as a Champion and did everything that he was created to do, a perfect asset, regardless of the First.
So when Spike went from asset to liability, when he was reincarnated because of one Lindsey Macdonald, Rukash had instructed Lawin to make Spike human again, shortly after the fall of the Black Thorn, when his very existence was a danger to all the interests. But Lawin never delivered the amulet, others were playing with their chess piece and everything and all the plans were falling apart. Rukash was cutting his losses by making Spike human again. No one knew what the original intention for the vampire Champion really was. But whatever it was, it was messed up with the interference of the Ancients and this made Lawin brood in anxiety. The Ancients had floundered into territory they weren't supposed to enter. He was being made to do the dirty work with the highest likeliness of getting killed.
"Know what happened to Angel yet?"
Lawin shook his head. It was the truth. He really didn't know. The powers might have rescued their Champion just as the Ancients rescued their own creation. But then again he could be dust. Gunn's body was found a few blocks from the Hyperion. So were pieces of what was once Illyria. But Angel may have been dust but then, you can never really assume anything.
"Get out of this place, William. You're William again. Spike died back in L.A. You have your happy ending now, enjoy it."
"It just doesn't seem fair."
"Fair?"
"Percy. Gunn. Fred. Even that poof, Angel. Why didn't they get their happy endings? Somehow, I feel like I cheated my way here."
No, we, the Ancients and I, cheated your way here, Lawin thought. "Survivor's guilt, I suppose. It'll pass. Why don't you find Buffy? She loves you."
"You never give up do you? I always knew she never loved me… not the way I want to anyway. And besides we really don't live in the same world anymore. She's still the… a Slayer and I'm back to a being a two bit nothing. You're right, Spike's gone. God, second chances are a bitch!"
"But they're also one of the greatest things in the world. And you're not a nothing." Lawin frowned at what he just said. "Okay, that was kinda gay for a moment there. Can I rephrase that?"
Spike laughed and looked at Lawin thoughtfully. "You know, I never really thanked you for helping me. When you first found me and rescued me, I pulled that macho crap on you. And afterwards, I decked you for turning me human."
Lawin smiled and touched his right eye where he got the punch. "Yeah, you thought I was in on some kind of conspiracy from some power bloc."
And I am.
"I'll find my own way, lad. And I appreciate all that you've done for me and you know," Spike pointed upwards, denoting the powers that be. "them."
"I couldn't even save the others," He lied. His orders were to save Spike alone. The powers can rot, Rukash said. "Not much to be thankful about."
"Not your fault. Fred's parents are great. Even when I lied to them that Fred died from an earthquake that destroyed the Wolfram and Hart building, they still…" Spike rubbed a tear away. "They didn't take anything out on me. Thought I was just another Wolfram and Hart lackey. I suppose they probably suspect the truth but… Do us both a favor, don't try to find me again, laddie. I'll find my own way to where I want to be."
"Good luck, buddy." Lawin nodded and walked away.
"Lawin," Spike called out. Lawin turned. "Thanks."
Lawin visited Spike to make sure the Ancients weren't planning anything with him and now that he knew they weren't, he still couldn't shake the feeling that somehow he was missing answers and he figured that he could find them by looking closer at the factors that pointed him there.
Anyway, time to get home.