Time Frame: A decade after both BtVS & AtS finales.
Rating: T-Mature (cuz Faith still curses like a sailor)
This story contains several gay relationships, consider yourselves forewarned.
Pairings: as of the moment, only B/F, D/X and Wes/Ill are planned. More may eventually follow.
Final Note: This is my first fan-fic, reviews, beta reads and constructive criticism are all welcome.
Legalities: All B:TVS characters are that of the Mighty Whedon and his glorious intellect. This work is meant only in celebration and nothing ulterior.
Chapter 10 - Housewarming III: My Girl
Gear was checked and orders were given out. Amy conjured a small glowing orb for a measure of light. The spell-wisp would bob in the air, weaving in its path as they walked. The group headed down into a tunnel wide enough for those arboreal giants they had fought to crawl through single file. Illyria took point several yards ahead. Noncombatant witches were kept in the middle of the group surrounded by slayers for protection.
Eleven in all journeyed down into the fissure. The soft whitish luminescence of a floating orb provided a weak light in earthen tunnel surrounding them. The witches and warlocks showed fear on their nervous faces. Slayer eyes darted back and forth, ever vigilant in the dark.
Two of the youngest slayers traveling with them had never been in a battle that large before and their adrenaline levels were still spiking in its aftermath. They could not help but twitter at each other excitedly in quiet tones.
"Jeez, it was nuts, they didn't even need support!" a chubby-cheeked slayer named Hanna recalled. She was Asian and her backwards Cleveland Indians cap covered her hair. In her hands she held a Roman short sword called a gladius. Seeing Faith and Buffy attacking the biggest target they saw on the field first was the single most awe inspiring thing she had ever witnessed. "The Chief just jumped at the one of the biggest ones, then wailed at it a couple times and it went down." That sight alone was worth the bruise that was barely even there anymore.
"Yeah, brain-trust over here got a face full of tree branch 'cuz she couldn't stop gawking." another slayer named Emma revealed as she threw a thumb at Hanna. Her bright blonde hair seemed darker in the tunnel. She was slight and willowy and the weapons harness she wore seemed over sized because of her twiggish figure. She wielded a kukri, a knife made famous by Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. In her small hand, the single edged weapon looked enormous.
"Hey! You have to admit man, that fight was freakin' crazy!" Hanna's enthusiasm was clear and Emma had admitted to herself that crazy was a good word for what she had just experienced. She may have had the good sense to keep her head in the game instead of rubbernecking like Hanna but that didn't mean she did not see with her own eyes the incredible sight that was The Chosen Two in combat. They made violence into art as they fought. Still, Emma refused to be the newb in the party.
"Crazy isn't worth losing your head over, Hanna." she admonished, remembering the injuries some slayers received during the attack. "Three girls from Columbus broke arms and ribs. A few got got stabbed through with vines and one of the house guards got a root-thing right through her foot." She had dragged out that girl out of the fight herself.
"God, sound more like my mom." Was Hanna's rebuke, the eye roll was heard rather than seen.
"God, sound more like a potential." Emma snorted saying the last word like an insult. It hit Hanna hard and it was meant to, she tried her best to hide the embarrassment on her face.
"It's cool, let her talk." Vi soothed in low tones. Even in the low light, the scar traveling across the ridge of her nose was plainly seen. "After Sunnydale fell, me and Carrie? We couldn't stop talking about the fight for days."
"Then Rona got back on her feet and she couldn't stop talking about it with us either." Carridad added. "Hell, it's been like, ten years and we still get together and talk about it over drinks."
"What about The Chief and Faith? How were they after the crater?" Hanna couldn't help but ask. Emma was curious as well but held her tongue, wanting to seem aloof.
The redheaded glanced ahead to The Chosen Two several yard ahead of the group and remembered them and the Scoobies after they had finally escaped sinking town of Sunnydale. She recalled the rage she felt overhearing their casual banter about mall shopping as she was still trying to stop her sister slayer from bleeding to death. It wasn't years later that she understood what they were going through.
"Kind of in shock." Vi recalled. "They tried to act fine but they weren't. So many people died that day." she shook her head as the faces of the long dead flashed in her memory. She continued recounting the day the hellmouth collapsed in on itself. "The Chief's family lost their entire home town. I mean, they tried to keep it cool, probably 'cuz if one of them broke down, they all probably would've. "
Hanna turned to the nearest slayer besides Emma. She was one of Cleveland's élite. According to gossip, her watcher summoned a demon that fell in love with him. It even brought him back to life a couple of years after he died during a giant throw-down in Los Angeles ten years back. Now, the guy held a high position in The Council, so being attached to him was a big thing.
"Hey, Gina. What did you think about the fight?" Hanna asked.
"Never fought trees before." She replied with a slow nod. "Kinda cool." Her black hair shined a little in the wisp's glow. Hanna tried to press her for more details.
"Come on, you're part of the top squad in Cleveland, you must'a had some weirder fights."
"Got into a fistfight with a leprechaun once." Gina admitted Emma and Hanna blinked.
"Really?" Emma asked drawn in by the older slayer.
"No." Gina stated flatly. "Head in the game, potential." She sneered and gave the younger girl a condescending look, garnering snickers from other older slayers. With both of the youngest slayers embarrassed in turn, they continued on.
Eyes squinted in the low light. Ears and noses stayed alert as well. After several hundred yards their light chatter slipped to whispering. Then, after a thousand yards or so, no one spoke as they ventured farther downwards in the tunnel of dirt and rock and root and an endless, endless darkness.
The long walk into impending danger was the worst part of these things for Buffy. This part was always bored her to death. The mismatched outfit she wore did little to help, leaving her feeling silly in front of people she was supposed to lead. Sometimes Buffy really wished that when people sent their stupid demon trees to her property, that they should at lest have the decency to do it in person. That way, she wouldn't have to walk so far and get all dirty just so she could cut their stupid heads off. Stupid trees, stupid tunnel, stupid sacred duty. She just wanted to see her son and get some karaoke time in.
The slayers were uniform in their harnesses full of weapons and field survival gear over a t-shirt and chainmail armor. Combat boots and fatigue pants smartly completed their utilitarian look. In contrast, Buffy's eggshell white blouse and gray pantsuit trousers looked incredibly out of place beneath borrowed armor. Her also loaned combat boots were a reminder of days long past tromping around in much more stylish but impractical heels. The Scythe resting on her shoulder was the only indicator of her rank.
Amy Madison, reformed dark witch, coven Mother shared Buffy's bad mood. Also, she had decided to kill Faith. After this little venture into yet another godforsaken hole in the ground, she would strangle the brunette while screaming 'Come to the party! It'll just be a couple of hours!' over and over again. Scattered rock crunched beneath her sneakers. All she wanted to do tonight was make nice with The Slayer and whatever part of the High Council Inner Scooby Circle she kept company with these days then go home. Instead where was she? A freakin' cavern.
She glanced over to the three warlocks in tow with her. She could feel their power and they were not wanting in that regard. One was a coven brother who was forced upon her on this trip. The other two were local spellslingers, hired guns to fill the gaps of power in the Great Lakes chapter of The Council.
Amy had reservations with all of them. The locals, Rhody and Bruno, were sloppy and reckless and she had only just met her coven brother, Frank Dobbs. Though left unsaid, she knew Frank was a sort of chaperon sent by her coven sisters. A casual reminder of their opinions of her sordid past. Synergy from the brother would be not be expected. Joey had been left due to his age. No matter how good he was at weaving spells, she was not going to risk her sixteen year old student by bringing him on a mission like this. Part of her wished she could have brought him despite.
Buffy threw up a fist; the halt signal. The group froze for a long arduous moment, the light of the globe receding to a suffocating dimness as they huddled together to guard the groups center. The younger slayers strained their senses to locate a danger.
Illyria moved in to view from the darkness, the God-King's crimson carapace gave a dull shine in the glow. Her exposed skin's unnatural pallor matched the light.
"This path will lead into a larger cavern ahead." The God-King indicated to Buffy. Her voice was as cold as the space they walked in. "There are magicks here similar to The Green's." A tilt of her head and the demon's hair fell towards one shoulder. "It has a placating tone."
Buffy made a confused face, her wife saw and tried to help.
"Placate. Um..." Faith began, twirling her hands to help find her words. "What is to make someone less angry?"
"I know what it means, Faith." Buffy huffed her indignation quietly.
Wes told Vi and Carrie that the Lehanes had a habit of doing this. The use of Jeopardy style question and answers as a way of speaking was a sure sign of domestication. In Buffy's case, it wasn't surprise, she had worked towards that goal for a long time. Everyone knew that Buffy would one day get married and have a family. Marrying Faith blindsided almost everyone.
The tiny blonde turned her head back to Illyria's direction. With a long look into the darkness past the demon. "How big is larger?"
"Immense." the demon replied. "There are structures within. None are inhabited."
"Structures? Not like, stalagmites or stalactites?" Buffy asked, interest showing clear on her face. The primordial demon nodded once to indicate an affirmative. "Structures don't just pop up out of dirt and rock, who made them?" The small blonde questioned.
"In my time, the rodents chose to burrow beneath the dirt to hide from those of us that would idly swallow them for amusement. We did not lower ourselves to seek out their hearths." the demon deadpanned, though the derision in her words was plainly heard.
"Jeez," Faith breathed out. "Ill take 'I Dunno In Illyria-Talk' for a thousand, Alex."
Buffy nudged her wife. "Thank you, Illyria. We'll go check it out. Are you fine keeping point?" The God-King gave The Dark Slayer a glare before stooping to answer.
"It is the most logical position for me." She maintained her dark look at Faith as she stepped backwards and disappeared into the darkness. Buffy waited a moment before chiding her wife.
"Don't poke The Shaper of Things." Buffy's admonishment was light and bemused, Faith gave her wife a playful smile. Amy came up from behind them, her wisp following as it floated over her shoulder.
"They're getting antsy. No one's said anything yet but I can feel it." she warned in a low tone, indicating the rest of the party. Faith nodded to the witch but Buffy was lost in thought. The second eldest slayer and the witch both gave the tiny blonde expectant looks.
"What's the plan, B?" Faith whispered in the dim light.
Buffy snapped to attention hearing her wife's voice. Her eyes met Amy's and their intensity startled the witch. She barely recognized this face as Buffy Summers Lehane, instead she saw the face of The Slayer steeling her resolve. Buffy had Faith and Amy herd the rest of the group together to explain the plan.
"We're a little over a mile deep now." she spoke quietly but clearly as she rested her eyes on each member of the party. "Illyria says that there's a bigger space up ahead. Like, huger bigger. We're gonna go in and check it out. If we find anything, we kill it then go home." She explained grimly.
The chubby faced slayer looked like she had something to say but hesitated. Only Faith saw noticed.
"Yo, you wanna say somethin'..?" The second eldest slayer let sentence hung blank a moment.
"Hanna." The round-faced girl provided.
"Yeah, you got somethin' to say, Hanna?"
"Um...shouldn't we give them a chance to talk first, at least?" the young slayer suggested, though carefully. Groans were made and incredulous looks were given.
"Listen, kid. When someone comes at you when your just trying to unwind like that, it usually ain't no accident." Faith explained.
Hanna tried to argue but Buffy cut her off before she could continue. "If whoever they are can communicate? Fine, Maybe. But don't expect much." She acquiesced. Hanna looked disheartened.
"And if things go south?" Emma asked tentatively, the question was both of greenest slayers were thinking.
Faith shrugged in response. "Standard tunnel retreat."
Seeing Hanna's and Emma's faces showing confusion, Gina spoke up. "Slayers hang back to cover the noncombatants's full retreat, killing anything that gets in our way."
"Magicks would be used to try and delay or protect." Amy added. Rhody, Bruno and Frank nodded hearing that plan, they weren't savvy on council procedures for this kind of field work.
Buffy looked over the slayers and witches."For now, were on defense. If they to come at us it's their funeral."
"Any more questions?" Buffy asked scanning the group before her. Receiving none, she led them deeper into the dark.
It was another thousand yards before they reached the mouth of a cavern. The opening lead to a short vertical drop down. The light from the spell wisp spilled out but did not reach what ever walls this space had, which was indication of it being larger than the previous passage. The subtle differences were felt by Illyria but was voiced by one of the younger slayers first.
"This place feel's..." Buffy looked over her shoulder, in the wisp's dim light she saw that it was Gina who spoke. The younger slayer paused in her step a moment and shut her eyes.
Gina's school file, which Buffy went over thoroughly that morning, was impeccable. Youngest potential to skip junior status and start as a senior, youngest to place first in fighting for her grade. She didn't loose that title until she graduated. Youngest of her class to graduate to full slayer status. Her leadership abilities were lacking, but those could be taught.
That she requested a Cruciamentum for herself was testament to her self-confidence. The last slayer to be inflicted with that barbarous tradition the old Watcher's Council practiced on their slayers, was Buffy, and that was less than willing. From the eloquent mouth of Faith herself, this girl had a pair of big brass ones that rang like church bells when she was kicking ass.
"It's different." Buffy finished for her. Gina turned to her, eyes open. Mildly surprised, she slowly nodded. Even the the feeling of the ground beneath her feet had changed.
The Slayer watched as Gina closed her eyes again and tried to stretch out her senses. She focused on her hearing and smell to get a her bearings in the cavern. The others saw what she was doing and mimicked. Know your environment, Buffy thought agreeably. She saw the other slayers following suit. She noticed the changes as well.
The air had changed since the drop. Here, they were free of the constant odor of wet rock and mud from before. Now the smell was more...fresh? Buffy could not name it. On her skin, she felt the slight sensation of moving air. One glance at Faith and a quick scan of the group showed all the slayers had felt the draft too. But there was something else. The ground was different as well.
"Amy, shine some light on the floor." The witch did as she was ordered and they saw grass. Green, thin and long, Sweeping the ground around them the weed seemed to cover the cavern.
"How the hell is that growing down here?" Asked Rhody who gathered with the group staring at the visible spot on the ground. The dark green blades only provided more questions that Buffy had no answer to.
"It's like we're in a prairie all of a sudden. It even smells like one." Emma pointed out.
"Come on." Was all Buffy had to say and the slayers fell in line behind her, almost herding the magickers on as they went. They followed the direction of faint air current. In the dimness, Buffy feeling of urgency heightened. The farther they went, the more her hackles rose. And as they trekked along the grassy floor that should not have been there, none could deny the sensation of being watched.
"Wanna make-out?" the young slayer suggested to an aghast warlock hearing the words. Joey, the warlock in question, could not believe Jessie's boldness, though it was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her. They had met the first day of his visit to Cleveland. She was part of the entourage that picked up his little group of Wiccans when they arrived at Hopkins International Airport. He had been smitten immediately.
Giles gave a loud ahem to gain the attention of the two hormonal teens cuddling on the couch. Jessie sat up reflexively hearing her old headmaster.
"If you could perhaps dial it down a bit while more impressionable company is present, Ms. Miller, Mr. Bandemer?" The watcher indicated to a cross-legged Nicholas sitting near him with his eyes.
"Sorry, Mr. Giles." Joey apologized.
"Sorry, Headmaster." Jessie said with a slight reddening of her cheeks. Though Giles had not held that title for a time now, using it was still reflexive to Jessie. She had attended The Joyce Summer School for Girls in Cleveland when he had filled that position and it was difficult to shake old habits.
The reproachful look on Giles's face melted to a more understanding one. "Would you two like to join us? We are in the middle of a riveting game of Eye Spy." The watcher spoke with a touch of sarcasm buffeted by his amusement. The other watchers with him gave the wry grin of people doing anything to pass the time.
Wendy and Jacob flanked Giles who sat in a semicircle with little Nicholas in front of them. The other watchers had half bored expressions on their faces. Joey shrugged, there was little else to do while they waited for the all clear in the basement room. Jessie sat besides Jacob and Joey took a spot next to Jessie, expanding the semicircle.
Nicholas was enthused, he had not played with his Grampa Giles or his Uncle Jake in some time and having all these other people willing to play with him? Well, that's quite a thing for an eight year old boy.
"Okay, okay!" the child called out to the rest of his new playmates. "It's my turn." A finger was put to his chin as he he scanned the room for something worthy. His bright brown eyes finally settled. It was perfect.
"I spy, with my little eye, something that's green." the boy sang to the others starting the game.
"The sofa." Jacob immediately called, the furniture in room was upholstered in a light evergreen, with the red brick walls surrounding them, it reminded the young man of Christmas. Nicholas shook his head.
"Ooh!" Denise's emerald irises lit up at her idea. "My eyes!" She smiled as she spoke but scowled when the child told her no.
"Guess again." Nicholas snickered at them, clearly very pleased with himself.
Giles took a languorous look around them room and finally saw the invading vegetation. The Englishman did a double take. Jumping up he gave a "Good Lord!" in surprise when he saw the vine nearly an arm thick and cracking the wall several feet behind them.
"Incoming!" the watcher called to the others. Immediately, the two slayers shot up to a fighting stance and stood in front of Giles. Joey began casting a spell under his breath behind them. Wendy reached for a holster at her hip that was not there. Only Jacob seemed lost.
The vine kept growing. Larger and larger, the brick could not contain its mass. The wall split and shattered from the pressure.
"Barrier." Joey shot his hand out and a faint shimmer in the air around the group was the only indication of his magic.
The vine pulsed and swelled at the it's tip, which was now so weighed down it touched the floor. The swell grew larger and larger till the green vine's skin ripped and peeled to reveal a whitish pod beneath it which was now the size of a small person. Slime trailed from shredded plant matter to its slick surface. Jacob was transfixed, Nicholas was calm, everyone else became more wary. The slayers clutched their drawn knives ready for anything. Giles eyed a revolver laying just a few feet on a table. Close in any other moment, but right now, so very far. Joey focused on his spell-barrier.
The vine broke off completely and began to wilt on the floor, its brick cracking bulk now a withered brown husk. The pod grew more. It was about the size of a person and its coloring was like honeydew.
At its base, short and tapered roots kept the pod upright. A puckering began to appear down the middle that deepened then split open to an iridescent blossom, with petals made of color and light. Everyone covered their eyes, the shine was so strong.
When they could see again, a small figure, whose curvature gave a feminine shape to its form, stepped out of the gigantic flower. It looked human at first glance. The details though, green eyes that were too stark, ears that almost ended in a point and the sickly green pallor to her skin proved her something distinctly not human. Its hair was short boyish and the color of corn silk. Its nakedness was soon covered by green leaves that sprouted from its body.
She took close inspection of her hands and fingers. She was most decidedly a her, the form and features made it too clear. She watched with fascination as she flexed them into a fist, as though she had not seen it in quite some time. A bending of her knees and an exaggerated swish of her thin hips was finished with a little shimmy. Then began the hopping. A girlish giggle erupted as the hops turned into jumps and giddily, the green flower girl began to cheerfully leap about the room. No one watching her knew what to do.
Denise was the first of the party to find her voice. "Um, Mr. Giles?" It took her a moment to tear her eyes off the girl who had just emerged from a giant flower and was now frolicking about the room. Jacob and Wendy were open mouthed in their amazement. Joey and Jessie kept their focus. Little Nicky, surrounded by the adults, was desperately trying to get a better view of what ever had scared all the old people in the room. Giles's scowl was joined with an annoyed frown.
"Mr. Giles?" Jacob repeated to the old watcher. With a calm voice, Giles told those behind him to remain calm and quiet.
Loudly using the same ahem he used on the lovesick kids, he gained the attention of the creature. She turned to him and gave the watcher the same admonished look Jessie and Joey
"Apologies, my lord." Her voice cracked with sincerity but it was light and airy. With a clearing of her throat and a sweeping bow the green girl introduced herself in a strong though falsetto voice. "I am The Emissary for The Copse of The Blin." She straightened and gave The Council people a dissecting look. "Art thou foes of The Erie People or Danzalthar?" She asked with a threatening wag of a slim finger. "If so, speak plain and we shall do battle with clear intent!" was her declaration, her pointer raised high over her head in emphasis.
Her sharp words were lost on nearly everyone else, though Giles heard a familiar name. "Danzalthar?" Giles uttered. "The wizard that sealed the hellmouths, that was millennia ago." he said with disbelief.
"Yea, doth the mighty magus hath made compact with a people that once did only war with one another. For the greater well-being of all did the wizard arrange our people to keep a mighty power at bay." The flower girl explained. Confusion settled on her face. "Why didst thy magi dissolve our seals if thou didst not wish to free our prisoner?"
"We did not know it was a seal! We thought that it was flooding the area with something malicious!" Giles defended. "The energies surrounding the forest was clearly from a very dark source."
The Emissary nodded. "The spawn of Yog Sothoth, though he slumbers now, had fitful dreaming nearly a century ago. His nightmares galloped passed our walls and began seeping out to the above." The slim green girl continued. "I was sent to parley with a coven of witches to try and place a stopper on the demonic leak. That cauldron was our work."
"Yo, what!?" Jacob blurted, startled by the plant girls words. "You said Yog Sothoth? That's Lovecraft! That's fiction!"
"So is magic and vampires, remember?" Wendy quietly pointed out.
"Have you already forgotten about our little performance with Illyria?" Giles reminded the new watcher. Despite Jacob's dark skin, he paled a shade lighter.
"She's an Old One Old One?" His eyes grew wider. He had read H.P. Lovecraft as a teen, the works of horror and words of otherworldly demons had always intrigued him. When Nicky had called her that before, Jacob hardly made the connection.
"Aye, when we felt the presence of The Shaper of Things, we thought that was the final sign of an assault to liberate our charge. The child of Yog Sothoth must stay dreaming." Her voice was steely as she spoke the last sentence, contrasting her airy tone before.
"There is no intention to for that, I swear on my life." was Giles emphatic plea.
"And who art thou that wouldst speak for many?" the flower girl asked.
"How rude of me." Giles seemed genuinely pained over the impropriety. British to the last, Jacob thought. "I'm Rupert Giles, we are The New Watcher's Council."
"Watchers?" surprise was obvious on her face. "Pray tell, where art thy slayer?"
A pained expression was painted on Giles's face. "She went underground, using a fissure that your monsters tunneled out of."
"Oh dear." Was The Emissary's startled reply. "The Slayer cannot assault The Copse! Any disturbance may free the prisoner."
"I can not contact her, she is well out of range now. Is there a way to reach your people quickly?" Giles admitted glumly.
"Nay, not at distance. If thou wouldst brook my magicks, I may take thou and two of thy own to to the Copse. Thou must dissuade thy slayer from her quest, it would be tantamount to catastrophe!" the green girl pleaded. Giles gave sideways look at the small figure.
"I hesitate to take your offer, Emissary." Giles replied. "I am sure you can understand why. Can you guarantee me and my people's safety?"
The Emissary's eyes turned hard as they met the old watcher's. "If thou needst an accord, I shall provide to thee, shadowman." She placed a dainty hand over her heart and a glow came from beneath it.
"By the sun, the wind, the ash and the the water." The glow became brighter and harsher. "By the seed, the bloom and the wilt." Rays of light erupted through her slim green fingers as her hand sunk into to her chest. Astonished and very disgusted gasps came from behind Giles. Jacob could no longer help himself from almost yelling unintelligible sentences
"Aw, what the fu...it's just all up in her...Yo, that's-!" the young watcher clapped both hands over his mouth, quieting himself.
The flower girl showed no sign of pain she pulled out her hand, her gaze never leaving Giles's eyes. Dripping a viscous fluid, she made an offering gesture to the old watcher. Within was round and small, the size of a tangerine. It radiated a soft green light.
"That is so nasty." Jessie sputtered. Most everyone else in the room agreed.
"Holy shit, that's her..." Joey almost cried out.
"It is my heart-seed." The Emissary finished for the warlock. The shimmering barrier the warlock had created faded and the diminutive green girl raised her offering to Giles's face. "Whilst in thy possession, a hard squeeze would be all thoust might need to crush it." The old watcher extended his hand palm up to accept and The Emissary placed her life in his hand.
"Is this acceptable?" she asked with an upraised eyebrow.
"More than." Giles's answered as he gave her a deep nod. "Emissary, I accept." He turned to Denise and Wendy. "Ladies, if you would please accompany me?" Jessie and Joey erupted in protest and Giles, with a loud voice called them to a stop.
"Enough! It has been decided. Joey, Jessie, you are you stay here and watch Nicky. Mr. Turner, contact the senior watchers and inform them of where we are going and return. Is that understood?" His voice indicated it was not a question. Jacob nodded. Joey did the same, though sullenly.
"Do you hate J names or something?" Jessie muttered under her breath.
"I'm sorry Ms. Miller?" challenged Giles. The young slayer straightened and spoke seriously.
"We'll keep Nicky safe, Headmaster." Jessie told the old watcher snapping to, understanding the gravity of her task. The Chief's son would be safe in her care, no matter what. Giles gave her a single satisfied nod with her answer.
"Ladies? If you please?" Giles called to Wendy and Denise and they gathered near the diminutive green sprite. "What needs to be done, Emissary?" The Englishman asked.
"Simply clasp thy hands betwixt one another, then hold mine own." Her voice was warm and devoid of any malicious intent from what Giles could glean.
After the three took each other's hands in their own, Giles proffered his to The Emissary. She took it daintily and began a quiet chant under her breath. Giles gave a quick look around the room at his former students and charges. A watcher's power is to observe and with his keen eyes, Giles noticed the revolver on the table he saw earlier was missing. A glance at Wendy and he saw a slight bulge in her back waistline. Before he could even he could make a comment, The Emissary took a step into the effulgent flower she sprang from and they vanished.
Karl was bored. An hour into his shift and the only thing on task was general patrol patterns and some secondary surveillance. There was some joke thing that his boss put up around Cleveland but asides from that, The Big Board USA was quiet. He gave a disappointed look to the dry turkey sandwich in his hand.
"You got any more mayo, Sheila?" Karl called over to his coworker. She had a mini-fridge by her desk.
"Clem took it." Sheila, the only slayer in the room looked up from behind her computer screen. Her small desk area mimicked the other dozen computer stations in the office.
The space was dim and windowless. A glass double door was the only exit, and an image of a slow spinning globe was projected on the wall opposite them. It's bright greens and deep blues was the main source of the light in the dark room. A maze of desks in between was manned by mostly human analysts. One of several demons looked away from their flat panel monitor, its low drooping off-white skin swinging as he turned to get up.
"Left it in the kitchen, I'll go grab it." His eyes were pink and his sharp fanged canines showed as he spoke jovially. Karl watched Clem exit. Sheila had already returned to her monitor and he was left waiting for his demonic coworker to return with his desired condiment. A lazy gaze at the projection and Karl watched the turning sphere. Before he could wonder what kind of night it would be, the globe flattened out in to a map and flashed an angry red. All heads turned to its direction. Karl reacted the same.
The office had become a battle station.
"Heads up!" Karl called and the room erupted with fierce typing, it sounded like locusts in flight. The sudden frantic energy filling the room was electric. The map on the wall zoomed in from an orbital to an aerial view south of Cleveland Ohio, then to Robin's Nest Manor. The faux status was replaced by red boxed letters blinking 'Alert' over a grid pattern. Boxes containing names of people separated by council branch opened up around the image in green lettering.
"We got a possible level three assault on the premise." Sheila piped from her desk. Others around her called out.
"There's injured! Three healers and a certified medic on the ground."
"Accessing satellite and building video now!"
A witch at another station had her eyes closed and held her hands over a crystalline glass ball resting upon a cushion. Talismans rested besides it and runes were scrawled all over the the desk surface. Smoke began to swirl from within the ball. "Wicca status incoming, there's a lot of emotional interference." She called out.
Clem burst in the room, a jar of mayonnaise in hand for a now forgotten sandwich. He lobbed the jar at Karl who caught it deftly. The demon made a bee-line to his station. "Head count incoming! Almost there!" The demon notified as he almost jumped into his chair and started loudly reading out data received from the area's cellular activity displayed on his monitor.
"We got council heads on the ground. We have priority alert! Baby-one is on the ground!" The demon's voice shook saying the last sentence. Clem looked up at the map, seeing a picture of Nicholas Lehane and an information read-out besides it. Beneath the skin and past the fangs, a wide eyed distress was clear on his face.
"Going to Code Pink." Sheila commanded sharply.
"All normal reroute designations are on the ground, that means we have to call-" Karl was cut off by a pair of giant eyes, black like obsidian, replacing the projected map on the wall.
The sudden gaze was menacing, the fact that it was only a projection was forgotten. It was though an angry giant was peering in. People gasped in fright. Others prayed aloud to their gods. Any, with even just a touch of magic felt it's gaze on their skin. The sole witch in the room fell from her seat clutching her head crying out from the mystical feedback. A clearly distraught woman's voice boomed from the all available speakers in the room.
"What's going on? I got the code. Where's Nicky?" It demanded through the machines. The eyes spanning the length the wall caused Karl to sputter a moment before regaining his composure.
"This is Big Board Atlantic, please state your designation and pass-phrase." Karl cringed in fear as he spoke.
"WHERE. IS. MY. NEPHEW." The voice boomed again and all in the room cowered, save Clem the loose-skinned demon whose worry matched the voice.
A/N: Did this feel sloppy and rushed? Were the grammatical errors too over bearing? I'm trying to self edit as I go. If you can feel any elements of soul crushing disappointment it was because I couldn't figure out away to get a fight scene in here naturally and not cliche-ish. Either way, I did like how the last scene turned out and I am sure all of you know who it was.
Thoughts and comments are all welcome and I hope everyone's year is starting out well.
And to those who are celebrating it, Kung Hei Fat Choi! Year of the Horse, bitches! DONG MA?! Shiney.