the battle for San Francisco: Prophet

the usual list of disclaimers, don't own much just borrowing the characters.

The woman looks down from her rooftop perch. She watches a well-dressed man as he runs from a hallucination.

So this is what prophets have become. She can remember when prophets were something to be feared. With a sigh she turns her back on the man. The battle was fast approaching. And this man would be at the heart of it. In the coming days it would be decided whether her works would be for naught. She prayed they would be able to face this. The darkness was here, it was stirring. She could feel its taint on the world. It was waking the deep dark things.

The Great War is coming. In the coming days one of the first battles would be fought. Either the balance would be restored, or this world would fall.

***

It is a scene of chaos which surrounds the broken spoke bar. Two unconscious men lay sprawled outside the doorway, a third is off to the left. The broken glass surrounding his body makes it clear the gaping hole in the bars window was created by his passage through it.

The sound of ragged laughter emanates from within. Xander and faith sit with their backs to the bar passing a bottle of jack Daniels back and forth. They are cut and bruised but their injuries do little to reign in their mirth.

They had gotten a job to refill their coffers after la. It was fairly simple by their standards. A biker who skipped out on his bale. They should have known it would be more complicated than that. Tracking him down had led them to this hole in the wall, and the brief fight which had just concluded. Xander looks over at the bail jumper. He is tied up with a bar rag stuffed in his mouth to stifle his rather loud arguments against his new place in the world. Chuckling Xander takes another swig from the bottle.

"Gods I love my life right now" says faith after a moment.

"Nothing like a scuffle to put you right. Guess we should be getting him to six killer." Bobby six killer he was the bounty hunter that Barmy had set Xander and faith up with. He would send jobs he was too busy for their way. The situation worked for all of them. Six Killer got half the bounty, and Xander and faith didn't have to deal with explaining themselves to law enforcement.

"Well here's to having some money in the bank once more" says faith toasting the bottle to the air and taking a deep swig.

***

Mac looks at the screen of her laptop. Her fingers fly over the keys creating intricate patterns of encryption and decryption. She is almost finished with the tricky coding standing between her and victory, when a small messenger window appears on her screen.

Wisp - Hey, you free to talk?

Her task forgotten mac grins. She hadn't communicated with wisp in weeks. The hacker was one of the few on the net capable of matching her prowess. She had spent many nights messaging back and forth with the hacker, the two of them working out difficult hacks.

Q- Hey wisp, haven't heard from you in a while. All good in the hood?

Wisp- been depressed, my best friend split out of the blue. I haven't heard anything from him, I'm starting to get really worried.

Q- He isn't the sort to up and leave?

Wisp- not in the least, he's always been totally reliable. I'mstartingtothinkacultbrainwa shedhimandmadehimleavewithth emandthetookallhismoneyandth athe'sdeadinaditchandI'lneverseehimagain.

Mac just looks at the screen for a moment, it is always a little funny when Wisp gets like this, her fingers seem to just spew every thought coming into her mind. The subject matter however keeps her from chuckling at the line of text. Mac pauses for a moment before typing her response.

Q- I think I might know someone who can help.

***

Derik hale paces agitatedly. The utter clam his father displays only serving to make him more agitated. They are standing in front of their car in a small clearing, far from town. A good place for privacy, but also a good place for an ambush.

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" he finally bursts out after he can take it no more.

"Nothing will come from becoming worked up. What will happen, will happen."

"This is a bad idea. We have no way to ensure these hunters won't turn on us. We shouldn't be here."

"They wish for peace, we wish for peace. Perhaps it is finally time we both receive what we wish for."

As the elder wolf finishes speaking a truck appears across the clearing from them. Derrick is briefly blinded by their headlights before the truck rumbles to a halt. He can just make out two men inside the cab.

"Why aren't they getting out?" he asks suspiciously.

"They are waiting for the intermediary to arrive." The words are barely out of his mouth before derrick hears a new engine it has the low rumble of an old car which has been well cared for.

A black charger pulls alongside the hunters' truck. It is barely halted before the doors open to reveal two young figures.

"Children?" asks derrick incredulously.

"They appear the same age as you son."

The two figure walk to the space between the two parties. The hunters following on their heels.

"SO" says the girl "let's get this party started."

"We are gathered here to negotiate a peace between the hunter clan argent, and the hale pack" states the boy in a voice which brooks no argument "when this night is through we shall have forged a peace which shall be honored by all those who come from your lines, lest they bring the penalty down upon them." A silence hangs in the air as he finishes. The weight of the situation finally dawning upon those present.

The conversation lasts well into the night. The usual mixture of agreement and concession which always fills such meetings. But finally a new day dawns, and the agreement is made. Derrick watches as the two intermediaries depart walking back to their car.

He watches as they pull away, and fade into the distance.

"They gave me the chills" he says to no one in particular. One of the two hunters, he can't remember his name, hears his words.

"You'd be a fool if they didn't."

***

Mac fidgets in her seat at the Neptune bus station. It was an odd feeling to be meeting someone for the first time after knowing them for so long.

After hearing about wisp's missing friend, mac immediately thought of veronica. If anyone could track him down it was her. Wisp had agreed to hire the girl detective. But after much conversation had decided to come in person.

Mac looks up as she hears the buss pull into the station. The hacker watches as a stream of people exit the vehicle. They mill about for a time meeting family and friends, some heading to parked cars, until finally there is a lone girl left standing on the pavement.

"Wisp?" asks mac in an unsure voice.

"Attack?" she responds.

"I see you made it."

"My first bus ride" she says with a grin "so you really think that your friend can help?"

"If anyone can find your friend, its veronica Mars."

***

The demons neck snaps under his hands with a sickening crack. Snorting in derision Xander tosses it aside. It was close to a month since LA, and they steady stream of jobs he and faith had been working had started to blend into a hazy mass. They were currently in a small town a few hours from LA. The job was to clean out a Gored nest that had been dining on the locals.

Leaning against the ally wall Xander pulls out a flask and takes a drink.

"Pass that here, I think I got some guts in my mouth" says faith appearing from the darkness. She is drenched in gore, carrying a machete.

"Next time we get a job clearing out a Gored nest we charge double" says Xander passing her the flask.

"I never knew there could be so much ick in a body" says faith trying to shed some of the dark viscous fluid. Her attempts only manage to fling some of the material into Xanders face. Faith can't help herself at the expression on his face as he wipes the dark fluid off of his cheek. She laughs, a deep throaty laugh. It is infectious, and the two of them find themselves leaning on each other.

"Gods who would have seen my life going this way" says Xander taking back the flask and taking a drink.

"Hell I didn't ever give much thought to the future. But of someone had told me how things would go, I probably would have laughed in their face." she pauses for a moment looking up at the stars, just visible through the city lights "I don't think I would want it going any other way though."

"Well then here's to fighting the fight, and being happy with your place" says Xander handing back the flask.

They finally head back to the car. Dumping their gear in the trunk and heading to the fleabag motel that was their abode for the night.

Morning comes to find the two of them wrapped in each other's arms deep in sleep. The scene of relative peace is short lived however. Xander bolts awake as his phone rings. Grabbing the offending object , looking at the readout he finds it displaying an unfamiliar number.

Looking at it for a moment pondering, Xander finally decides to answer the loudly blearing device.

"Whoever this is it better be important."

"Uh hello. I hope I have the right number, is this Xander Harris?"

"Who is this?"

"My name is Eli Stone. And I think I need your help"

***

Veronica mars was having a good morning. The day was sunny, it was a weekend, and the cute barista had put the perfect balance of vanilla in her coffee. All in all everything was good. When she sees Mac headed her way with an unknown girl in her wake, veronica had a feeling that her relaxing day was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

"Hey V" says mac stopping in front of the picnic table veronica had claimed in the park.

"Mac, unknown girl" responds veronica.

"Oh this is-"

"Willow" finishes the girl cutting off mac.

"Hello willow."

"Mac tells me that you can find people" says the girl, her voice gaining strength as she speaks.

"I've been known to track a cheating bou or two in my day."

"My best friend is missing. I want you to find him."

"Missing, like gone in the night missing" asks veronica, if this was a missing person's case it made no sense for willow to be coming to her.

"He just packed up and left. Five months ago he suddenly skips school-"

"I take it he isn't the sort to ditch."

"Never, Xander was always completely reliable. Me and Jessie, he's my other friend, we go to Xander's house. We find him packing up his cloths. He says he needs to leave, that he got out of school. I checked, he said that he got time off but he dropped out. He hasn't called he hasn't written. I'm really worried." The girl finishes her story on the verge of tears. Veronica gives her a moment to collect herself before asking her questions.

"Is Xander the sort to fall in with the wrong sort of people? If he owed someone money it could explain his taking off."

"Xander is a complete straight arrow, as straight as they come. I need you to find him. Please, I can pay you."

"If it's easy it will be a hundred, but I think this won't be easy" says veronica " this could get expensive" she warns.

"It doesn't matter, I need to know. Pleas, will you help me?"

"I'll find your friend" says veronica with determination.

"Thank you."

***

Xander and faith pull into golden gate park. It is just barely dawn. The two of them had driven all night getting here. It seemed that this Eli had stumbled into something big. He wasn't overly forthcoming over the phone but from the way he talked it was clear he was scared, the type of scared you can't fake.

Getting out of the car Xander automatically checks his colt riding in its holster under his left arm. It had become a comforting friend over the past months. He could tell faith was doing the same subtle check of her own weapons. For some reason the simple action brings a smile to his lips. It was the little things like that which always reminded him why he loved her.

They make their way to the meeting place. As they go Xanders senses go into overdrive, but there is no discernible danger. They come around a bend in the path to find a man in an expensive suit. He is sitting on a picnic table his tie undone. He looked like he was suffering from little to no sleep.

"Mr. Stone?" asks faith after a moment.

"It's you. God I thought I'd really lost it. But you're real."

"What?" asks faith raising an eyebrow.

"I have these visions, but when I got this one… it was so bazar I thought I was going insane."

"You're a see'er?" the thought wasn't beyond belief. The two of them had known see'ers over the years but this man didn't really look like he would be one. He looked like he would be at home in a courtroom, not a battlefield.

"My friend calls me a prophet. Look I saw a, creature. God I can't believe I'm saying this. I saw an army attacking the city. And I saw you two fighting it."

"I'm guessing that aint the end of the story."

"This army, it wasn't human."

"What did it look like" asks Xander speaking for the first time

"Horrible, deformed. It was like nightmares were walking the world" says Eli. He pauses for a moment before speaking once more. "You died, in the vision" says Eli finally. His voice is shaken.

Turning his back to faith and Eli, Xander looks out over the park. You can see all the way to the golden gate bridge. It is a beautiful day.

This hadn't happened the first time. It is the only thing trumpeting through Xanders' mind. He would have heard if San Francisco had been invaded by an inhuman army.

Looking up at the sky he takes a breath. It's a good day to die. He tunes out faith and Eli as the talk behind him. He pulls out his phone. He hits speed dial.

"Hi Barmy, please tell me you have contacts in San Francisco.

***

Veronica sits at her desk in the mars investigation offices. She has been following the tangled trail of one alexander Harris for the past five hours, and she has come up with nothing. For all intents and purposes he has disappeared.

The only solid record she could find were his official expulsion from Sunnydale high school, and a bus ticket to Boston. She was able to confirm that he had indeed been on the bus but after arriving in Beantown it was like he became a ghost. Veronica had even checked the morgue for similar john does. There was nothing.

Sitting back in her chair with a sigh. Veronica tries to rid herself of the ach that had settled into her lower back.

There was only one explanation for his disappearance, he must have gotten himself fake paper. A city like Boston there would be dozens of penny any operations capable of giving someone a new identity.

This was going to be hard. She tries to stamp down the annoyance at the lack of forthcoming information. She would track him down, but not tonight.

She looks over at the clock. It was almost seven at night. Time to get a move on. There were other paying clients whose problems she can actually fix tonight. Namely Mr. Johnson and his possibly cheating wife. Veronica pulls her camera bag out of the bottom drawer of her desk.

Grabbing her jacket she exits the office.

***

Xander looks at the bar Barmy had sent them to. The river stix Xander was having second thoughts about the three hour drive to Neptune.. It was the sort of hole in the wall bar that gives hole in the wall bars a bad name. Barmy hadn't been too forthcoming on details. But the Fitzpatricks did their business out of here. Barmy had made it clear that they were far from being on the side if the angles, but this wasn't the time to make moral judgments. According to Eli the Army was attacking in less than a week.

Faith was trying another lead. Apparently there is a family of witches who made san Francisco their home. Xander was left with the fighting Fitzpatricks.

Checking his weapons Xander straightens his jacket and pushes through the door.

The smell of sweat and blood hits him like a wall. There were a few pool tables and a bar top. The half dozen men occupying the bar all had the look of repeat offenders. Xander grins as he looks them over. At least he might get a good fight out of this.

"I'm looking for Liam Fitzpatrick" says Xander.

"And who would you be?" asks a greasy looking man turning to face Xander. He leans on his pool Que. He has the sort of cocky grin that just asks for someone to wipe it clean.

"Barny sent me" says Xander with a toothy grin. Liam's smile falters at Barny's name.

"What do you want?" it's clear that he's nervous, but he's trying to put a good face on for his boys.

"Barmy told me you were good in a jam. Seems I need some muscle, for my sort of problem."

"We stay clear of demons. It doesn't pay to bring that sort of heat down on your head. Cops, crooks, they just kill you or lock you up for a few years. Demons, that's something that gets serious. Why should we help you?"

"Seems something big is coming. Something that will affect all of us. San Francisco is going to fall, and Neptune, your turf, that won't be far behind."

"What's coming?"

"An Army" says Xander with a grin.

"Gonna be a good fight?"

"The best."

"Hell boy" says Liam with a smirk. He grabs his whisky from the pool table "how could I say no to that."

"So what do you have to get a drink around here."

"Lola" yells Liam "if we're gonna die we might as well get dead drunk first" he says with a smirk."

***

Faith looks at the mansion. It is an old house, the sort that had been common around here once but was all but extinct these days. It was well kept up, loved.

Faith looks to her right at Eli. Gotta hand it to the guy he was sticking it out. When she had first seen him she had expected him to cut and run at the first opportunity, but he had made it clear he was in this to the end.

"Well guess this is the place" says faith. Eli tries to grin encouragingly. She walks up the stairs to the door. Hesitating for a moment, faith finally rings the doorbell.

After a moment the door opens to reveal a beautiful woman. She looks at the odd pair on her doorstep for a moment before she says anything.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you one of the Halliwell sisters?" asks faith trying to look friendly.

"Yes, I'm phoebe Halliwell."

"My name is faith, this is Eli. It seems were in the same line of work." Says faith.

"You're a witch" asks the girl with excitement.

"Not exactly, can we come in. this will take some explaining." Faith can't help but grin approvingly when phoebe simply steps aside rather than inviting her in. taking the hint faith pushes Eli into the house, following close on his heels.

***

Xander and Liam are halfway through a bottle of surprisingly good whiskey. They Irishman was actually a good drinking partner as it turns out.

"So what sort of fight are we in for?" asks Liam after being quiet.

"A hard one. My partner is scaring up some heavy hitters, but we're gonna be beating back the big bad while they work their mojo."

"An Army? Always knew demons could be trouble, never thought they'd organize though."

"There are a lot of things, bad things, that have been sleeping. They're waking up."

"Your name's Harris, you Irish?"

"Second generation off the boat. I got cousins that fought in the IRA."

"Knew I liked you" says Liam with a lecherous grin. "I'm guessing we'll need some heavy artillery to pull this off."

"Wouldn't hurt."

"I know someone. She's ex IRA, loves her guns and c4."

"We're under a deadline, can she move quick?"

"If you can pay."

"Do what you need to" says Xander toasting Liam's glass.

To be continued.