Chapter 7

As Buffy turned to head for the stage, Batman placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Outside. The song can wait."

The young woman turned and regarded him for a minute with a quizzical expression before brushing past him back up the stairs and out into the alley. She stood silently, waiting for him. In the brief time that Batman had been acquainted with her, he knew well enough to expect that the silence wasn't going to last long. Buffy was clearly used to being in charge, her authority never in question.

He, on the other hand, was used to working alone.

"You're not singing, are you?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"No."

"And you're not going to tell me about your relationship with al Goop, either." Buffy fixed him with a level stare. "I kinda figured that maybe you were his protégé or something until you realized he wanted to destroy the world and you wanted to save it."

The green-skinned demon was right about secrets being revealed tonight. "Something like that. And the Key? Is it some kind of Slayer weapon?"

Buffy smiled wistfully. "It's not an it. It's a who. Dawn. So now we know al Goop has Dawn. We also know al Goop is working with Drusilla. And we know that Lorne isn't completely right about some things. The fear demon he mentioned is your pal, the Scarecrow."

"He's also wrong about the Lazarus Pits," came Willow's voice. The redhead approached cautiously. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, Buff, but….Lorne sent me up here with a message for Batman. He says you need to go to the Dixon Docks. Now."

"And I'm just supposed to take his word for that?"

Willow gave him a firm look and then turned that look on Buffy. "Lorne is not a bad guy. He's on our side and he's trying to help. If he says you need to go somewhere, you should go. If it turns out to be nothing, fine. He was wrong and you can be broody skeptical guy all you want. If he's right, both of you owe him an apology for manhandling him."

"Why should I apologize?" Buffy demanded.

"Because you're blaming him for what happened to Angel and that's not his fault. Angel made his own choices, " Willow shot back. "And you don't need me to tell you that you overreacted when he mentioned Dawn. Batman's overreaction is more understandable. He's all about being spooky and secretive. Lorne exposed a secret without asking. His bad and then Batman's bad. Apologies all around. See?"

Buffy groaned. "I hate it when you're right."

"As I so often am," Willow grinned. Turning back to Batman, she pointed. "You. Docks. Now." With that, the Wicca descended the stairs and left the two alone again.

"I guess you're heading to the docks. Need help?" Buffy asked.

Shooting a line upwards, Batman shook his head. "I've got it. Besides, it sounds like you have some singing and apologizing to do. We'll meet here tomorrow night."

"Wait," she called after him. "What about your apology?"

"Tomorrow," he repeated. "Tonight, I still have work to do."

With that, he rose quickly upwards and out of sight. When he glanced back down, Buffy was gone.

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The Scarecrow took a step in her direction and Dawn emitted a squeak of pure fear. If there was anything she absolutely did not want, it was this man messing with her mind. Granted, her memories weren't all real, but they felt real and they were hers. There had to be a way to stop this, to stall until Buffy showed up…

And then she knew.

"Three years," Dawn cried, just as the Scarecrow laid a hand on her forearm. "I've been human for a little over three years."

Al Ghul smiled. "Thank you, Dawn."

The Scarecrow fingers closed around her arm anyway. "Shall I proceed?"

"I have the answers I need."

"My dears! I'm home and I brought Chinese!" Drusilla threw open the heavy steel door, hauling in a half-dead Chinese delivery boy and a shopping bag that smelled so good that it made Dawn's stomach growl. The vampire stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at the scene before her. With a snarl, she dropped her victim and the food to launch herself at Dawn.

Dawn gasped to find Drusilla's fingers curled tightly around her neck and the Scarecrow sprawled on his ass. The whole thing happened in under a second.

"Release her," al Ghul commanded.

With a hiss, Drusilla let go.

Dawn rubbed her neck and discovered she was bleeding. It was a long shot, she knew, and she certainly didn't have an Orb of Thesulah, but her blood had power and Angel's line was particularly susceptible to this spell. Maybe it would be enough. The least she could do was try to even up the odds. "I know the spell that made me human."

This piqued al Ghul's interest. "Do you indeed?"

"It won't work without, uh, the symbols or drawing a circle but if I say it, maybe it'll mean something to you," Dawn suggested. "I could show you the symbols after."

"Very well. Proceed."

Dawn looked down at the blood on her fingertips. With the stars and planets properly aligned, her blood could open portals. Without them, she still had more than a simple aptitude for magic. There had to be a reason. "Quod perditum est, invenietur. Not dead…nor of the living. Spirits of the Interrgnum, I call. God, bind her. Cast her heart from the Evil Realm. Te implore, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte. Nici mort, nici al finite…Lasa clavis sa fie vasul care – I va transporata la el Asa sa fie! As sa fie! Acum! Acum!"

There was a long, definitely pregnant pause and Dawn knew it didn't work. Maybe it was the substitution of the Latin word for key instead of the word for orb. Or maybe it was because there was no orb. She was still puzzling it out when she felt something white-hot stab her in the chest and then radiate throughout her entire body.

Drusilla screamed.

The pain and Drusilla's screaming seemed to go on forever.

Finally, it all stopped. And when it did, Dawn was on her knees and Drusilla was running around in circles, clawing at her chest and face. The vampires cries were incomprehensible but when she lashed out wildly, both the Scarecrow and al Ghul stepped out of the way.

It was exactly the distraction Dawn was waiting for. She scrambled to her feet.

"And where do you think you're going?" the Scarecrow hissed in her ear.

It wasn't even a conscious thought, just a reaction. She clasped both hands and swung upwards, connecting solidly with his chin and sending the man onto his ass for the second time in less than fifteen minutes. Dawn glanced once over her shoulder, saw that Drusilla had al Ghul cornered and took off through the open door to freedom.