*Chapter 101: Interlude - Marcie Ross*

I twirl my invisible dagger around and clamp down on the impulse to run it through all these freaks. God, I despise them so much, it pissed me off. I heard them say things. Things no-one should be saying out loud. Don't they know?

Don't they know this is our home? That they are the interlopers?

It doesn't matter. We'll teach them.

I had just finished my mission for Nick and now I simply trailed behind him as he made his way through the crowds. I don't know how he does it. How he's able to look at them and smile for them. How can he shake their hands, speak their tongue, and not want to throw up?

A little less than two months ago I had no clue. Some would say I was blissfully unaware. I know better though. I was ignorant... but I don't like dwelling on that. On the fact that the only reason I survived up until now was luck...

Instead my mind drifts off to Nick and the way we met as it does so often.

I've been watching him ever since he first set foot in Sunnydale High. He saw me and came up to me! Me! Nobody did that. I didn't know him but I already felt deep in my bones that he was special. Over the course of the first few days I followed him around and simply looked at him.

I didn't want to jinx it.

What if he didn't see me anymore?

What if it all was a mistake?

Then it happened. I started drifting away from everything and everyone. It didn't happen gradually either. I just woke up one day, went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and saw that I was disappearing in the mirror. One minute I was there and the next... I wasn't.

I don't like thinking about the panic I felt then either. It just... it made me feel small. I didn't like feeling small.

The worst thing was that nothing had changed for me. I may have turned invisible but effectively I was just as alone. The only real thing I lost was my reflection on certain surfaces. I would go to the kitchen to make some toast but there was no reflection on the shiny toaster.

It was as if the world was sending me a message.

This is how it's supposed to be.

Don't you see stupid little Marcie?

Nobody cares.

I didn't question why that small voice in my mind sounded suspiciously like Cordelia. Who else would it be?

The next week or so passed in a haze. I witnessed so much. I saw my mom cry once for all of ten minutes before she grabbed for her phone and started calling her fucking friends. I sat there as she whined and bitched about unfair it was to her.

When her fucking friends came over to console her... they all praised her. Her strength in the face of this ordeal... as if I couldn't feel their slimy thoughts...

Maybe she can try over now with a better daughter.

She must be so relieved.

It'll only get better from here on out.

Even those thoughts slammed around in my head with Cordelia's nasal and oh-so-superior fucking voice. When I heard Nick cut into her, turn her cruel words back on to her, I was so happy. I saw her face crumple, I saw her friends laugh at her, and I saw her pull back together for round two.

Why couldn't I be that strong?

A few days after that something changed.

Nick changed.

I didn't really know what happened but I didn't see him smile all that much anymore. When he did it was wonderful but it didn't happen as frequently anymore. His entire bearing had changed and from somewhere he acquired this hard edge.

His cutting remarks at Cordelia weren't just about turning her words around at her anymore. They became cruel in their own right. His laugh turned cruel as well but I wasn't fooled. I knew there was still that nice boy somewhere inside him.

Unfortunately back then the nice part only came out for Jonathan and Andrew. I could deal with that. I couldn't deal with it when it came out for Harmony of all people. What did he see in that miniature Cordelia?

I could understand him being nice to Jonathan and Andrew but I didn't get why. That didn't mean I liked them. Not then at least; that came much later. I followed the boys around and listened to their complaints. Andrew was bullied by everyone who cared to pay attention to him and he dealt with that by disappearing into his comics and videogames. Jonathan... less so but it still wasn't a cake walk for him.

Jonathan had a particular bully. One really large and really stupid bully who went out of his way to find him...

I wished back then that I had someone who went out of their way for me... even if it was just to bully me.

That went on for a while... until I realized something. I followed the group out of school and I saw it. Nick was teaching themmagic... I could hardly believe my eyes back then.

He was making them strong.

Everything fell into place right then and there. Clearly he saw something special in them... like he saw in me. I just knew it like I knew the sky was blue and my father's hugs were empty... perfunctory. He was remaking them in his imagine... as heroes.

I kept following Nick and saw him do incredible things. I was scared out of my mind when I saw him fight that blond freak who almost killed him. I wish I knew back then how to kill them but I couldn't do anything.

I didn't know how just a little tiny poke with a wooden stick in the right place would make them go poof. I didn't have a large enough blade with me to cut through the freak's neck. I know better now though. I don't go anywhere without my short sword. My little Cleaver.

And then it happened.

Nick found me again. Sure... I had to cut through a freak's neck to get his attention again but that didn't bother me. The first thing, the very first thing, he did after finding me again was making me visible. He made me a priority then and even after this scary teacher was hesitant he looked out for me.

It felt... incredible.

Incredible.

Difficult to believe.

Extraordinary.

I had made a decision that night as I sneaked into his room and watched him sleep. Marcie Ross was dead. Marcie Ross was to be remade... however he needed me.

I think he knows about the way he makes me feel inside but that's not important. It was a stupid crush... I know that now. We didn't talk about it but he made it abundantly clear.

One day he found out about my past times. About how I would back to my parents house to move things around. To scare my mom and irritate my father... he knew about my trips to the cheerleader's houses and the notes I left for them.

He took me out to the fields behind his parent's villa and I thought... no I didn't think. I was afraid and scared out of my mind with worry. He immediately calmed me down though. I think... I think that conversation was the best moment in my life.

I have it memorized and replay it over... and over and over and over and over.

"Marcie... you can't do that anymore sweetheart."

"I know... I'm sorry! I know it's bad but they all just make me so angry! I just... I just wanted to do something, anything, against them."

Then he smiled that wonderful smile again and said something that changed my entire world.

"Sweetheart... I don't care about them. I don't give a flying fuck about what happens to them... I'm just worried about you."

My breath was briefly stuck in my throat but I didn't have time to reply. He cupped my face between his hands.

"There are organization's out there, Marcie, which look for special people like you. If your parents or even these cheerleaders's start complaining to the authorities they might come for you."

I wanted to reply... to say something but I still couldn't get a word in because he wrapped me up in his arms and whispered in my ear.

"And then when they do I'd have kill the lot of them to get you back."

That's when I knew for certain.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, freaks deserve to die, and Nick will always come for me.

What else matters when you have such certainty in your life?

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*Chapter 102: Interlude - Andrew Wells*

For the umpteenth time Fred and I went over the diaries of the crazed genius who breathed life into a robot. Our initial estimates were way off. This robot was running mostly off of magic instead of the original fifty percent we thought it was. That didn't mean we didn't have boatloads to learn from the robot... .the whole thing was amazing really.

Unfortunately that makes Fred's involvement fairly redundant. The only parts where I really need her help is with the coding. In a perfect world I'd get Willow here to come help us but... I don't see that going over well with the others.

"Andrew? Can I ask you something personal?"

Like every so often I was struck by the difference two and a half months have made for me. It almost feels like there are two Andrew's. One of which was the butt of every joke, barely tolerated at home, and even less popular in school.

Then there's the other Andrew. The one I actually like being... the one who people want to know about.

"Shoot, Fred."

"How do you feel about this dubious Mayor character? I mean... about Nick being involved with him?"

Nick taught me a few things about how to talk to people. When I came up to him and asked for his help I saw his face light up with a wide smile.

One of the first he told me was that people always have ulterior motives. These could be good, or bad, or simply self serving. Most of the time people were self serving. I could tell Nick wanted me to ask about his ulterior motives but I simply wouldn't.

I couldn't quite place Fred though. Sometimes she feels like the kindest person in the world. At other times her hard core of darkness bleeds through.

What was her reasoning for asking this?

"Why do you ask?"

I wouldn't ever have had these types of thoughts on my own. I feel sometimes like I've lost a piece of myself. An essential piece of Andrew...

I still don't know how I feel about this.

"I'm worried about him. I... I've seen him do terrifying things with such ease. I don't, really don't, mean to judge him but I know he doesn't have the firmest grasp on good and evil already."

Ah.

She made a fair point but she missed the most pertinent one. Do any of us care?

Now it's time to get her to offer up for more information though. How did Nick put it? Stay quiet and when you absolutely can't get away with that... say little.

"Oh?"

I looked over at the Texan women and our eyes met. I carefully school my expression to show curiosity.

"You must have seen it, Andrew. Nick has a hard edge that is more than a little disturbing."

I'm not as good at this as Nick is though. I'm sure he would have blithely ignored such comments and kept milking the conversation for all the information he could.

"It's disturbing to you."

Fred was obviously taken aback. Before she could speak up and I'd lose my nerve I continued.

"Have you seen the world we live in Fred? Who am I kidding... of course you have. You've seen worse too."

"Y-yes! I know, Andrew."

Why did she pick me for this conversation? Does she see me as the weak link? Is it so obvious I'm desperately trying to put up a brave front?

Is it obvious I need Nick's script to keep a hold on things?

"Then you should know just how hard of an edge we all need Nick to have."

I could see the faint flush creeping up her cheeks. I guess I did something right.

"It's not right, Andrew."

Slowly breathe in deep, Drew. Don't say something you might regret. Think. Think. A moment passed... and another.

"I don't understand you, Fred."

Lesson two was another interesting piece. Whenever someone makes a value judgment... turn it around on them. The same goes for appeals for morality.

Jonathan never really took to these lessons and Marcie... she just wants to stab things. I guess it falls to me... I couldn't let Nick be alone in this as well.

"What do you mean?"

"I look at you... and I see you've so obviously had a nice childhood. Probably thought everything was sunshine and cuddles. Then you got thrown into hell. How right was that?"

I felt bad when I thought of this line of attack. I felt worse when I actually went through with it. It didn't matter though... we needed Fred. Her alterations to our new shotguns alone will save our lives many times over.

If I have to channel a fraction of the darkness Nick perpetually has to... so be it.

Fred dropped her tools and the sounds they made clattering on the ground echoes throughout the massive basement. She pinned me with a hurt gaze that shattered my insides. I knew I went to a dark place too quickly but this was necessary.

"To answer your question, Fred, I'm not afraid of Nick sliding into darkness because of the Mayor. He's not the type."

The next few moments were tense. If she walked out of the basement now I'd have to give her a wide berth for the next few hours. I didn't want that... Fred was nice to be around.

"How do you know that for sure?"

This would be a pivotal point. Lesson three was establishing your own reality and drawing the other person into it. Usurp their position, slightly alter it, and watch them try to shift their stance.

"I'm certain because I know him, Fred. Nick is already not a good person. He won't slide into darkness because he already lives there."

Fred's eyes widened significantly and I swear I could hear her faintly gasp. Then her eyes narrowed and she furiously replied.

"How can you say that?! I thought... "

And there she already went. Now it was my turn to slightly alter it again... to illustrate her fear and worries... to make her defend Nick.

"Why do you think he's a good person, Fred?"

The Texan lady spluttered for a moment before she rallied and replied.

"He saved me. He saved all of us. I... how can you doubt that? I was just worried, Andrew, about the future... not about how he is now!"

No no Fred. I can't let you shift back.

"What he is... " I dramatically sighed and continued, "One of us got kidnapped a while back by a weird cult. In the process of saving the kidnapped friend... he fought his way through the acolytes. I think a few of them ended up dead but I'm not quite sure."

If I didn't see it I would have believed how much wider her eyes got. Before she could think things through I continued. I needed to shift the conversation slightly.

"One thing I know about him, Fred. One thing I know for a fact, capital f... is that if Nick is ever faced with the choice of protecting his family... or choosing to be some arbitrary level of 'good'... .it's not going to be the latter."

Fred breathed in deeply and pinned me with a glare.

"Sometimes things happen! Look, I see what you're doing Andrew and I respect it. I... get it alright?"

Do you? Do you really?

Or am I going to have to have this conversation a few more times?

It's out of my hands though. I've followed the script and I don't dare deviate. Not before I have more experience in this. All that's left to do is follow it to the end.

Lesson number four was about leaving people feeling good, or at least as good as the conversational topic will let you, when they finish talking to you. This could mean anything from a compliment, to sincere appreciation or even an appeal to someone's superiority.

Words do not cost a thing.

"And I see what you're doing, Fred. I... I appreciate that you're looking out for Nick. For all of us, really I do, but I hope you understand that not all of us are as smart as you are."

I saw her lip quirking minutely but she forcefully clamped down on it.

"You shouldn't be so down on yourself, Andrew!"

And that brought us to a strong finish.

"To me, and I believe I speak for Marcie and Johnny as well, things are very simple. Nick is good to us and we are good to him. We're family, Fred, and frankly speaking... the rest of the world means very little compared to that."

"Oh... "

I nodded and continued, "I could tell you about how broken each of us was and how Nick helped us fix ourselves... or a myriad of other things. I'm not here to convince you though Fred. I don't think I could and I hope I won't ever have to. I can tell you one thing though... we all need a lighter heart around here and I think you fit the bill."

And there was the blush creeping up on her cheeks again. One of these days I'd ask Nick about his ulterior motives.

Perhaps.

Maybe.

Probably not.

The phone rang and Fred ran off to answer it.

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*Chapter 103: Interlude - Liam of Galway*

Rupert is just about finished running Buffy through her drills, the annoying boy is trying to glare me to death, and the redhead is engrossed in her global connection device. She tried explaining to me how it works but I couldn't quite get a handle on it. It didn't interest me in the slightest until she showed how to acquire literary masterpieces, any one I wanted, from the device Rupert calls the dread-machine.

"Keep your guard up, Xander."

The child was getting better but he still lacked the confidence a fighter needs to come out ahead in conflicts. That is something only time can give the boy. Until then I have to help him become less defenseless. I admit a fair amount of selfishness is involved with my decision to train Xander. If I can turn the boy into a fighter of some modicum of skill I might not be rendered useless once I gather the courage to bathe in Mohra blood.

"Alright. Take a breather, Xander."

I heard the phone ring in Giles' office and the man headed off to it with as much speed as his winded boy could muster. Buffy had barely even worked up a sweat and gave me one of her looks. It was the kind of look that both excites and terrifies me.

Buffy was a shining bright ray of hope for and simply orbiting around the girl had done wonders for my disposition. She was... full of life, hopeful despite the sheer weight of evidence to the contrary, and so headstrong it didn't leave any room for doubt in the people she surrounded herself with.

She was a direct contrast to Nick. His clique of friends was tied to him by their affections for the boy, just like Buffy's, but beyond that there was no overarching goal uniting them. Buffy's circle of friends believes they are in a quest against the forces of darkness.

Nicolas correctly understand his are in the murky contested lands upon which eons of war has been waged... and mostly is still being waged. Buffy correctly understands that there is more to life then this struggle.

Two headstrong young warriors with conflicting views on the way the world works. In the past I would have sat back and watched this inevitable train wreck from afar. Now though... I had more skin in the game. I wished to preserve Buffy's optimism in the future... and I wished to push Nicolas to actually sit back and live his life for a change.

Both of them would deride me for the sentiment.

Rupert's head peaked out of his office door and he exclaimed, "Liam; phone for you."

I made my way to the device and was mildly surprised to hear Andrew's voice on the other side.

"Liam! We have the locations of the Aurelian hideouts. We're going to raid them at daybreak and I thought you and Buffy might like to join."

Perhaps my ties to Nick haven't completely atrophied?

"Why don't you explain from the start, Andrew?"

The boy sighed and replied, "Nick ensnared the Anointed One and will be using him to order the Aurelian to gather up. He's going to send the mini vampire in with enough firepower to burn them all to a crisp. We're going to hunt down the fledglings that will be left out of the meeting when they go sleep at daybreak, savvy?"

"I understand. I'll pass the message on to Buffy."

There was a moment of silence before the voice continued, "And... are you coming?"

Has it really come to this?

"Yes, of course I'm coming, Andrew."

Another of silence and then came the second shock of the night.

"Nick accepted the Champion gig from the Powers. You're off the hook for that."

Before I could get a reply in the line went dark. Rupert looked at me questioningly but I couldn't find it within myself to satisfy his curiosity just yet. I needed to consider this and figure out what it meant for me.

I've lived through centuries of bloodshed, strife and then at the end loneliness. I thought I'd witnessed everything there was to experience. I've looked upon the rise of nations and their subsequent fall with a disinterested eye. I've met greatest of people and I've met the worst of them. Neither of them impressed me at the time.

All that changed when the gypsies bestowed their curse on me and breathed a soul into my very being. Suddenly everything was real and I felt all of it. The experiences of multiple lifetimes of wanton slaughter and debauchery caught up with me. Everything that gave my life, such as it were, meaning at the time fell into... nothingness. After that my existence consisted of pain, restrain and an iron control that at best held a tenuous grip on the beast within.

Another handful of decades of loneliness that were only punctuated by my mistakes followed. At least until I met Whistler. The balance demon plucked me out of the gutter and put me on my path. He gave me a semblance of hope, a sense of direction and the feeling that perhaps I could make up for my past. I didn't believe him, not really... deep down where it counts, but I had nothing else.

I couldn't afford not trying... because despite the wretchedness of my existence I kept going. I kept trying to continue, to hang on to my life, with the tenacity and desperation of farmer trying to haul in his yield before the storms hit. It was getting harder every single hour of every single day. If Whistler hadn't come... that didn't bear thinking about.

Just a few months after meeting Whistler and I already stumbled off the path the balance demon tried to set for me. I met Nick and I let the boy convince me that redemption isn't earned. That it's taken with a single decision to be better.

The last of my ties was gone now. The nebulous string that Whistler still partially had me on was gone now. Nick had taken that burden for reasons I couldn't guess at without talking to him.

"Anything we should know about, Angel?"

"Nick has an offensive planned for daybreak. I think we might be able to break the Aurelians in a single stroke."

"Oh dear. Do you think it'll work?"

I simply nodded.

The librarian replied, "I see. Was that everything?"

I pinned the man with a gaze before deciding that Rupert might need to know about this.

"Nick has accepted the mantle of Champion of the Powers That Be."

The Watcher breathed a sigh of relief and I had to resist the urge to call him to order.

"If that's all... I'll go tell Buffy about the assault."

The Watcher turned librarian sighed and eventually said, "Have you reconsidered my request?"

I pinned the man with a glare and replied, "No, and you know why Rupert. I will not break his confidence. Please... do not ask that of me."

"Fine! Anything else? Anything you can share that doesn't directly pertain to his deal with Wilkins?"

I thought it over for a moment and replied, "He dreams while he's awake, Rupert."

I ignored the man's stricken look and left his office.

When I got back the main area of the library I heard Xander furiously whispering with Buffy. One of these days he'll grasp just what enhanced senses mean but... not today.

"He bought an apartment complex. Not just an apartment... he bought a building. He's making a superhero base, Buffy. Why don't we have a superhero base?"

"I'm sure he's not, Xander... "

"Slaying apparently pays if you're Nick."

The Slayer crossed her arms and replied, "Do you want to steal from demons too?"

"It's not stealing if their stuff is already... you know... stolen."

A few heartbeats of silence passed before Xander continued, "You know what I mean and don't glare at me! Who knows how many people died for the vampire's stuff? I don't see what's wrong with taking it."

"I just don't feel comfortable about it, Xander."

"Just like with the shotguns? We've seen how easily vampires die from them and Nick offered them to us. Why did we refuse them again?"

"Guns are dangerous, Xander, and they're... bad."

"I feel safer having one, Buffy, and if you're worried about me screwing it up... don't worry. Nick won't let me have one until Fred teaches me how to use it properly."

Sometimes I have these uncharitable thoughts towards Nicolas. Did he know this would cause a rift between them? I didn't know and I couldn't say for sure. What was entirely certain to me though was that he would never hesitate in turning this to his advantage. I had no clue how his mind works...

I had gotten my first real insight when Nicolas parlayed with the Mayor. I couldn't follow most of their conversation but I knew enough to grasp that they were playing for high stakes. Wonder above wonder the infuriating boy didn't seem to be losing. With dangerous men like the Wilkins though... that was when they were at their worst. The only thing clear and certain about that... was the understanding that less people would end up dying on Sunnydale's streets.

Is that good... good enough to justify dealing with the devil?

It was just another question I didn't have enough information to answer.

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*Chapter 104: Interlude - Robert du Blanc*

The Mayor provided a cloaking spell for the both of us. We kept a decent distance away from Nicolas but stayed near enough to follow his conversations. I knew why Richard was doing this; Nick is unpredictable and Wilkins can easily benefit from the chaos he'd cause. That was the easy part.

The hard part was sitting through Wilkins attempts at geniality.

"Well he certainly derailed my plans for tonight. I doubt he's going to let me kill the undertaker's boy now he has proof."

"What exactly did you expect from him?"

"I want to see more of his cold bloodedness. Do you know that I have the vampire he cut up and dropped off in Willy's bar for the local degenerates is safely stowed away in my basement? Someone needs to tell the boy that dramatic actions don't have to end with your enemies still walking around. In a manner of speaking anyways... "

The man had a point but did he really have to be so amused by himself?

"Oh my, he really is rough around the edges, isn't he Robert?"

Wilkins was providing a steady commentary on the boy's handling of tonight's notables. The soulless sorcerer clearly knew more about the circumstances the boy was alluding to constantly then I did. This... complicated matters.

"Indeed. He'll learn or he'll die."

Richard gave me a sidelong glance that seemed to imply he didn't quite buy that.

"I wouldn't quite call it that dire, Robert. He'll simply have to track down the women and extract the information he desires from her."

The man made a fair point. What exactly was my boy thinking dealing with miss Page in such a flippant manner. He gave up so much valuable information in return for the vaguest possible interpretation of his question. I really have been remiss if even Wilkins can spot this deficiency in the boy.

"At least he handled D'Hoffryn fairly well. I think he impressed him."

"I do get that sense old chap but do you know what he meant to do with Anyanka?"

I sighed and replied, "You know the boy likes to collect broken toys. He thinks she's going to break soon."

The Mayor fell quiet for a while, apparently taking the time to digest that information, before he finally responded.

"I like that about him. It implies he's more than a flash in a pan."

I pinned the man with a curious gaze inviting him to continue.

The Mayor's damnable cheerful voice obliged, "He's looking ahead to the future which isn't something many of our youths are known to do these days. Did you catch his clumsy, but admittedly effective, attempt at acquiring the Oden Tal female's as his allies?"

I let a small grin form before I replied, "I have. I especially enjoyed the price he asked."

"Quite! If the Princess accedes to those terms... she'll be locking herself and her people into endless conflict. All for the handful of deaths it would take for the Vigories to give up."

Was the Mayor thinking that my boy simple stumbled upon that? I had no doubt there was a cunning and devious mind in him but there was no way he'd have thought of that on the fly. Perhaps he...

Did the boy plan for this type of meeting? Or did he see this in one of his terrifying visions?

I couldn't quite tell and the only consolation I felt was that this would certainly lower the Mayor's estimation of him. If he didn't comprehend that Nicolas works best when he's visualized the situations he finds himself in before... he won't be able to exploit that.

"Do you think he'll see through the bribery?"

"Obviously, Richard, he will. To what extend will he though?"

"Hmm, I'll bet the Duke Heinrich's Compendium that he'll know something is afoot but can't take advantage of it properly."

That infuriating man knows I was looking for that reference work. It held one the few detailed descriptions of ancient Primals and their avatars. Rumor has it that the Wolf, Ram and Hart started out as little better then Primal parasites and somehow managed to hang on long enough to bootstrap themselves into power.

I wasn't quite sure I bought that.

I pretended to consider it for a moment and replied, "I still have a Flesh Magick tome you didn't manage to win."

"Pish posh, I wasn't trying to win that one. No-one but the boy and you can read them. Has he figured that out yet?"

"I'm sure he has."

He hasn't. I don't know what exactly is stopping him from trying to share his blood magic spells with his circle of broken toy's but it effectively kept him from realizing there was something more going on on with his magic. He grasped that it had a cost but he still didn't understand. Perhaps if he caught of glimpse of how out of place and time our magic is...

He has to do that on his own.

Until then his incidental killings will cover the interest.

"Oh, look, he's about to futilely negotiate with the blues."

I didn't respond beyond a grunt. Why does Wilkins persist with these ineffectual pokes?

"I see... and you're willing to let me state my own price, your Highness?"

One of Prince's flunkies turned to the Prince, "It's working, my Prince, he likely believes he is taking advantage of us by naming a high price and perhaps not question our motives. We can easily discharge anything below a handful million of their dollars."

"Go on then."

"That is true. We will pay you whatever you reasonably request."

My boy didn't hesitate before replying, "The payment for the mercenaries goes through me. Beyond that I want fifteen million dollars."

Richard snorted and slapped me on the shoulders. I had to let the soulless sorcerer do that. It took some doing but I managed to not kill him.

"He's trying to subvert the loyalties of the mercenaries isn't he?"

"I do believe that means I win, again, Richard."

The Mayor laughed his throaty laugh and replied, "I'd say we're both winning here but yes... the compendium is indeed yours. Funny isn't it? He has no clue why they want to go through him but he still manages to assert enough influence over future negotiations... to keep him in the loop so to speak."

I sagely nodded and said, "Nicolas has a way... of resolving issues in his favor."

"Oh! I can see that! Trust me on that, Robert. I am a little curious about his involvement with the Illyrian's though. What could Sparrow possibly want from him?"

"I'm not quite sure. Perhaps we should follow him."

Wilkins clasped his arm through mine and I was once again forced to fight back the part of me that wanted to rip his spine out through his navel. Instead I just smiled and let myself be guided towards the Illyrians. We weaved our way through the throngs of guests but I noticed Richard was taking special care to widely go past Hainsley. Perhaps there is something there with the Necromancer?

I'd need to meditate on it.

We followed the group out of the main hall and into one of the many side rooms Wilkins keeps around for 'private' conversations. Anyone who fell for that might by Wolfram & Harts safety guarantee for their Halloween parties as well...

"So... what can I do for you, Dr. Sparrow?"

"? ? ? ? ? ?"

"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?"

"? ? ? ? ? ?"

"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?"

"Well... isn't that disappointing?"

There was something about the smug way he put that. The bastard knew whatever ancient tongue they were speaking now. I'd need to use another memory ritual to study on them...

I turned to Richard and stage whispered, "Now you don't have the infant to butcher... are you going to settle for your Confirmation?"

I'd seen the rows and rows of demonic, and some not so demonic, heads of creatures and people that foolishly tried to usurp the power of the Hell Mouth over the past year. It sent quite the message of power through the East Coast supernatural community.

Nobody would be able to claim the Hell Mouth is being left unattended.

"No, no, no Robert! That just wouldn't do. Well... it might. It might have to. I'd be cranky though."

Oh for heaven's sake...

"Tell me Robert... if it came down to a slug match between you and Magnus. Who'd remain standing?"

I'm not the soulless one, Wilkins.

"I don't quite know. The only dead worshippers I've dealt with where the zombie lords in New Orleans."

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*Chapter 105: Interlude - Jonathan Levinson*

I carried the diary I've been keeping for the past three years as I walked out of my bedroom. The habit of recording my days started around the end of middle school and I've been keeping it up ever since. I'm sure other people cringe when they read their own early diary writings... but it carried quite the added punch for me. The contrast between the past two and a half months... and everything that came before was jarring to say the least.

I had changed.

Substantially.

My mother was of the same opinion, "Don't you dare walk out the door Jonathan Mosha Levinson! I didn't raise you to be... to be... this!"

"How very eloquent of you, mother."

She sped ahead of me and tried to bar me from the front door. She wasn't an imposing woman to begin with and this frantic panic attack of hers should have made me feel at least somewhat sad about this. All I can muster is a vague sense of discomfort. She never really paid any attention to me... not beyond the barest minimum she could get away with.

Why was she trying to keep me here?

Why was she trying to keep me weak?

"You can't just leave your mother Jonathan!"

"Oh? Would... the neighbors start talking?"

"What?"

"That's what has you in a tiff isn't it? What if the neighbors find out that little chubby Jonathan fellow left his mom... I wonder what's wrong with her?"

"N-no... "

I sighed and decided not to waste any more time on this.

"I can't go through this anymore. I'm not going to sit here and pretend the scraps you're offering me are enough. I'm tired of you forgetting me, I'm tired of not being a priority and I'm especially tired of your constant disappointing... you-ness."

"No... we can talk about this, little Mosha, can't we?"

"Fine. Tell me, mother, have you picked up my prescription today? Did you sign my report card for the year's end? Have you called the summer camp I was trying to get into? Did you do anything at all... anything I needed you to do at all?"

Her mouth opened and closed but I already knew the answers. As always... these things fall to me. They always have but I just never had the strength to look at my surroundings... my life and simply judge it.

I'm not happy the way things were.

I'm not pleased having to carry around that empty feeling inside when she just... dismisses my wants and needs.

I am entirely willing to change as much as it takes.

Ergo... I need to get out of this environment.

I walked past my frantic mother and didn't even look back once as I made my way to the truck. I had already collected all the irreplaceable stuff from my room and everything else could be handled by the bundles of money I had access to now. I wasn't stuck anymore and good god did that feel amazing.

Mica gave me a curious look once I got into the truck and fired up the engine. I starting giggling uncontrollably but it wasn't purely out of a sense of relief. There was the stark realization that if I stopped laughing I'd definitely start crying.

I was done.

I was scared.

"Are you alright friend Jonathan?"

It took a while before I had a handle on my out of control elation and despair. I breathed in deeply, slowly and as often as it took before the tears stopped threatening to fall.

"I'll be alright soon, Mica."

"May I ask what's going on? I was under the impression you were simply gathering supplies?"

"I was... I was getting rid of some dead weight. Don't worry about it."

The man nodded and replied, "If you say so you friend Jonathan."

I drove off and a few minutes later we arrived at Nick's house or I should remind myself our temporary home. Within a few days the new apartments will be done and we can all move in. We'd still have a bunch of work to do but at least the first floor would be livable by then. If everything goes according to our plan we can have an apartment set aside for Mica and Lib. Fred and Kar will get their own apartment while Marcie, Drew, Nick and I would stick together in yet another apartment.

We all knew why even if no one wanted to vocalize it.

Nick gets antsy, mildly hysterical, and increasingly jumpy whenever we're too far from him. None of us really brought up with him but Marcie certainly makes it a point to stay in extremely close proximity to him. Andrew and I seem to orbit around him naturally but on occasion I have to remind myself to reach and touch him.

A simple squeeze of his shoulders as we brush past him works wonders. He immediately calms down and the magic in the room that perpetually follows him around stops crackling. In fact... it starts faintly humming to the tune of his heartbeat and that in turn both calms and centers everyone else in house.

I'm not sure when exactly I turned into the house mother but it simply happened somewhere along the way. I already had a lifetime of experiences taking care of myself and my infantile mother. At least this way I'm taking care of people who would do the same for me, albeit in differing areas.

Marcie will go miles out of her way to do something nice to cheer me up. Andrew routinely drops everything just to come over and talk to me. Nick...

Nick can't really be quantified. Usually he's fairly involved with himself and seems to get lost in his thoughts. Many times I've caught him simply frowning while staring at a blank wall. It's not just that though...

When we watch our favorite shows together, or play boardgames, or do anything purely social he seems to tune out. I don't quite the sense that he's simply bored but that he's actively planning for future threats.

When he isn't calmly detached and daydreaming though is when I start shaking.

Nick is scary, deadly, and utterly uncompromising at anything that threatens us. I can't quite put into words how I feel about that. On the one hand I love it. On the other... I'm worried about what he'll do if some of us get hurt too badly.

All I know is that it won't be pretty.

Mica went off to find Lib. Both of the Pylean born men had work to do. Fred had designed a fairly impressive syllabus to help them, and Kar whenever she feels like it, come to grips with the differences between our worlds. The hardest part was getting them started on the alphabet but certain memory rituals assisted us greatly. I couldn't imagine having go through all of that without some magical support.

I know the men want to go back home in a quest for liberation but I can't help dreading the moment they'll turn to Nick for help.

I have no doubt he'd go back to hell to free all those people.

I have even fewer doubts he'd come back at the head of a hardened army.

"Anyone home?"

No reply.

Andrew and Fred must be in the basement fiddling with the robot. Kar is wherever she damn well pleases and that leaves me pretty much with the run of the house. I briefly contemplate bitching about my day to Andrew but that can wait. Now I have a ritual to complete.

I'm a little worried but I've run through all the steps together with Uncle Bob and he assured me that from a magical viewpoint... there shouldn't be any issues.

"Don't fuck it up, pet. Nick would be upset if you fry your brain out of your skull and I don't do consoling."

At least I he makes clear where his priorities lay.

I gathered the supplies I needed, clutched my diary again, and make my way out back. A few minutes later and I stood over an open fire in the backyard of Nick's family mansion replaying the day's events in my mind's eye. All the while I kept up a steady low buzzing by saturating my magic within the flames.

I felt them cleanse it and the magic I pulled back from the flames felt more... simply felt better. I gathered up the cleansed magic and redirected it back towards me. A few more times and I was fairly certain I could keep the perpetual cycle going. Once I was confident I had cycled through enough reserves I started chanting.

"Hear my plea oh great Ēostre! I beg of you sanctuary and guidance. Hear my plea oh great Ēostre; Goddess of Rebirth."

I kept up the chanting until I felt a change in the air and that was the moment I had been waiting for. I reached for the diary, grabbed hold of all the pages before May, and ripped them off with a magic assisted pull. I threw the remaining pages behind me and slowly floated those I had ripped off into the fire. I lost myself in the vision that came as a side effect of the ritual.

I'm not sure how much time passed but a while later Andrew yelled for me from the backdoor porch.

"Johnny! Nick made a stupid plan we need to fix. Hurry up!"

I slowly turned, let a lazy grin form, and replied, "I'm on my way, Drew."

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*Chapter 106: July 1st, 1997-K*

"Erm, how about you make the kid grab the phone when you leave. We can direct the questions while you go back to your politicking."

Huh.

"Alright. Anything else, Drew?"

"Yeah, tell the mini vampire to obey me. I think we can come up with a slightly more destructive plan, Nick."

"Oh?"

"The little creep can be our suicide bomber. We can order him to order Drusilla to start gathering up the higher ranked vampires together. We'll be able to just sweep up the fledglings in days."

"That... sounds a lot better than what I had in mind."

"Good! So uh... we'll probably not be able to salvage Drusilla's eyes or fangs... "

Did I really need them?

"Fuck it, it doesn't matter. Run this past everyone and get Liam and Buffy in on this. "

"Alrighty bossman! Now hand over the phone to the kid."

This was a little concerting and I considered this latest development as I handed off the phone to the undertaker's son. I wasn't concerned about Andrew stepping up like that. In fact I was pleased as peaches the boy caught my glaring oversight. I was upset about my focus on personal trophies over a potentially decisive victory. I really needed to start thinking things through.

"Obey the person on the other end of the line."

With that said I left the ruined little office and walked back to the main hall. Once again my eyes were caught by the runes etched into the walls of the corridors. I came to an abrupt stop once a light flicked on in my mind and I realized why I skipped over this before. The runes spelled out a fairly massive spell.

I metaphysically scratched at the edges hoping for a reaction. The Mayor had opened his home for a variety of guests, most acquainted with and saturated by magic, which led me to believe the magic wouldn't be overtly dangerous. It was designed to be prodded by observant guests and if my guess was right...

It was an opportunity for the Mayor to brag once the guests failed at piercing the veil.

My poking and scratching returned absolutely zilch and I was forced to leave the spell's structure behind. Maybe I could get Richard to explain it later?

"Ah, Mr. Blackwater, could we have a moment of your time?"

Dr. Sparrow and his demonic escort waylaid me before I even reached the ball room. I hadn't had any time to consider what they might have wanted from me. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to have future dealings with the man if his drug panned out.

"Of course." I said as I gestured to an alcove that led a faintly lit open plaza.

When got there Sparrow immediately came to the point.

"We require your assistance in a delicate matter, Mr. Blackwater. Our circumstances prevent us from reaching out to others who aren't... in the know... if you will."

Well that certainly explains why they came to me, a relative upstart in our circles, instead of one of many already established factions. I was, of course, intensely aware of the bargaining position this put me in. The Illyrians couldn't afford anyone else poking their heads into their business. They couldn't afford turning against the singular faction that might not object to their aims.

Nobody in their right mind wants Illyria back. Especially not in a world so thoroughly dominated by the Wolf, Ram and Hart...

"I'm all ears, Doctor."

"As you know we have... investigated your claims concerning one of our own. Somehow the party has gotten word of our efforts and disappeared with the regalia we need. His own people are sheltering him and accuse us of dreadful things. It's a delicate balance for now but we absolutely must have the regalia back."

Religion fucking infighting...

"How do you foresee my being of use in your... schism?"

The two glanced over at each other before the demon nodded to Sparrow.

"Our organization cannot bring any force to bear nor can we be allowed to come to the attention of certain parties. Where we shine is in information gathering and enduring the chaotic ravages of time."

Which likely meant that they knew where Knox was and wanted me to take him out? No... that didn't seem to fit. Perhaps they wanted me to somehow just get the religious artifacts they needed out of Knox and into their hands? In any case I doubted that they couldn't go after him.

They likely just wanted to use me as an opening bid. A fairly painless way of potentially getting rid of one threat by using another...

"I see."

The doctor smiled a brittle smile and continued, "We have located the traitor and his clan. They seem to have absconded into a self contained dimension of some size. We're willing to pay you whatever you need to go in and extract the relics."

"How have they managed to acquire a pocket dimension?"

"Ah, that is one of our other specialties. Our glorious lord has blessed us with a small measure of access into dimensional magics. Nothing large scale but we can fold areas into themselves and direct their flows."

I notice you didn't mention that before... or perhaps that was how they survived the 'ravages of time'?

"And you're willing to pay for me to go in and grab him?"

"Indeed. No price would be too high. We must have the relics back."

I wonder if it would blow his mind to know that Illyria doesn't give a flying fuck about it.

"Hmm. Let's say I was interested in acquiring your services in bulk? Could you realistically upload enough knowledge in an illiterate subject to turn them into a competent... let's say engineer?"

The man's grin became utterly predatory when he replied, "Certainly. It'll take multiple sessions for each but I am not the only one skilled in such matters. We can have a few of my apprentices handle the details while I sketch out the rituals."

"Dependent on my associate's feedback... I can only say I'm interested."

"Ah, I'm disappointed, but I can't fault you for taking your time. Until then all that remains is our previous agreement. I have the chemicals ready for you and I believe they will prove useful for your purposes."

Is he claiming to know why I want them?

"I can see your confusion. Permit me to explain? My people have long memories and on occasion we hear of Slayers that are fed up with the Watchers Council's antics. They used similar means to fake their deaths and rid themselves of the Council's gaze."

Well well...

"Are you claiming the Council is aware of the possibility?"

"Indeed they are. As far as they are aware though... it's a needless risk that's made pointless by the passage of time. Of course... they don't have the foresight to consider the safety measures modern medicine can put into play."

It wasn't perfect but it beat having my hard won drug be utterly useless.

The demon reached into her robe and pulled out a smallish case. She extended it to me and I tried grabbing it out of her paws. Just as I got my hands around in the demon lashed out and grabbed them by the wrists.

"Good. Good strong magic. Fare well little Primal."

"Thank you for taking the time to hear our offer. Enjoy the rest of your evening!"

I watched the Illyrians head back to the main hall and once they had a decent lead on me I followed them. I was practically salivating at the thought of my plans coming together.

Well... plans.

More like well aimed hunches.

If Grimmar pulled through and got me a decent amount of slaves I could free them and realistically count on at least a fourth to stay and fight. With both Mica and Lib around to sniff out potential agents of the Pyleans and Fred working on getting the new imports settled into this world... the possibilities were staggering.

At worst I might count on an increase of forty to a hundred new fighters. What's even better is that if I had Sparrow as a longer term ally... I could potentially turn each of them into competent engineers and soldiers... in hours.

Just as I reached the massive ballroom I noticed Mr. McNamara walking out of the hall. The man looked furious and his posse was right on his heels. I had hoped to negotiate a deal with the man but perhaps I shouldn't poke him while he's so obviously unbalanced.

Or perhaps this would be the best time?

"How dare these fuckers? I'm going to find another freak just like him... just out of spite. I don't care how small and skinny they are."

Yup.

Not tonight.

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*Chapter 107: July 1st, 1997-L*

"You've handled yourself reasonably."

Richard Wilkins has suddenly appeared behind me looking exceptionally smug about something. I could vaguely smell blood on the man and there was a sense of power crackling all around him. He obviously spent his time secluded doing something but I couldn't quite guess at what it was. Perhaps he made another deal with a demon?

"Thank you."

The man came up to and ran his hands over the cut I had in the sleeve of my shirt and mumbled a few hastily exclaimed vowels. The sheer force of the magic emanating from the man was staggering. I reached out the Mayor and grabbed him just in time to stop myself from being bowled over from it. A few seconds later and I witnessed the curious sight of the lose threads on my sleeves slowly mending back together.

What kind of a person uses that... amount of power for a clothes mending spell?

"I'll be mingling for the next handful of minutes after which I'll be undergoing the Confirmation. Until then... I want you to focus on removing cloaking spell. Robert assures me a blood mage like yourself can unravel them and well... you don't need me to tell you what that man is like when he's proven wrong about something."

Oh...

Oh god.

Is he being serious right now? I could barely get a reading on the spell let alone break the spells hold. This wasn't like upsetting the balance of a regular spell and watching it implode. This is more akin to crashing through the defenses on an ancient crafted artifact...

"Shouldn't you be getting started?"

Bastard.

I knew he was keeping me away from watching him capitalize on... whatever chaos I had sown throughout the night. I also found it fairly likely he's keeping Robert close around me to safeguard my scrawny self. Or... more likely stop me from destroying his lovely home.

That being said... none of it meant I had any other palatable options.

I mustered up a smile for the Mayor and headed back into the corridor. This time I ignored the wonderful works of art lining the walls and focused on the little carvings. The pattern snaked all across the wall and the only thing it reminded me off was bastardized hieroglyphics. I could see a shape that vaguely resembled a four footed animal, another one that looked like an unusually longheaded bird but the most interesting piece was a carving that gave off a sense of death. It didn't look like anything but it invoked the strangest feeling of bloodshed... but I just couldn't place it. The hum they all gave off was barely perceptible but fairly persistent. It reminded me of something but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I jerked my foci bracelet and directed the flow of the released magic towards my hands. There I kept it swirling around my fingers while allowing it to remain unformed. Slowly, ever so slowly, I withdrew my forced directions from the swirl of magic and watched as it only continued moving by virtue of inertia.

The swirl of magic was slowly winding down and just as it was about to collapse unto itself I moved my hands across the etchings on the wall. I could feel the unformed magic pooling into the runes and slowly seep into the enchantment. Where the enchantment had rebuffed my forceful poking earlier it seemed to make way for the slow infection of its spell structure with my magic.

The spell structure greedily sucking in the magic was the first sign of trouble I had. The next was the freight train that ran me over and threw me clear across the corridor. The feedback for such a horrendously misfired spell was painful.

No... that wasn't quite the right word.

Painful was when you broke a leg and had to hobble back to the road to get out of your nasty situation. Painful was being thrown around by a vampire with sadistic tendencies who you've spent the night antagonizing. Painful was taking over enough damage to incapacitate a Slayer.

This was something more. I felt it on a level regular pain just didn't reach me anymore. I routinely sliced myself open and welcomed the infusion of power, of strength. This was beyond me, far beyond my ability to control; I couldn't hope to rein the magic in.

I just had to ride it out. Wait out the magic coursing through my body.

I spent the next few minutes castigating myself; I basically gave the defenses on the enchantment a key to my magical layout. It handily turned the unformed magic into a Trojan that wouldn't set off any of my defenses. Once I finally got myself back under control I pushed myself off the floor and stalked back to the carvings.

If that trick failed... then I only had a single recourse left. The Mayor might have slipped up when he specifically mentioned that a blood mage could tear this spell apart. I was foolish in thinking no other magic user present at the Mayor's soirée couldn't have done what I tried... I had to play to my strengths.

I pulled out my keys from my trouser pocket and ran it across my index finger. The blood gushed out of it and I traced the squiggles on the wall with it. The moment just before I finished with the last rune I jerked my foci and rolled out a Bank Safe. I felt the rejuvenating magic kick in just as I completed tracing the final rune. The spiritual connection between the enchantment and me was complete but this time I welcomed the onslaught.

The intensely organized and pressurized magic spewed forth but I was prepared for it. The onslaught utterly wrecked my body but my trusty healing spell kept the damage to a minimum. Rends opened up all over my skin but were healed near instantly. I doubled open from a sharp pain that originated from my gut but even as I reached for it with my hands it receded.

The pattern repeated itself for long seconds before I finally felt the last spasm of the enchantment. The entire structure just collapsed onto itself and the corridor suddenly became a lot brighter. I half expected the artworks on the walls to have disappeared along with the cloaking spell but apparently the man did actually posses excellent taste.

Bastard.

I made my way back to the main hall, again, and was met by the sight of the entire audience being entranced by the Mayor's performance on a raised dais. The colorful crowd stared at the man as he gestured and spoke his greetings in a variety of languages. Absolutely none of them looked the walls.

The high ballroom walls that were decorated earlier by the network of growing and shifting red and green vines suddenly carried more... adornments. The vines had retreated away from certain areas and when a few seconds later those same spots opened up into shadowy holes. The tendrils out of the holes swayed lightly as if caught in a breeze but I couldn't quite focus on them.

Perhaps yet another cloaking spell?

"Before we get started my deeply honored and cherished guests; I would like to introduce someone very dear to me. You all must have heard about the various rumors that suddenly put Sunnydale on the map. One might even say that's why my party on this fine evening has been so gratuitously patronized. It's enough to make a man blush with joy and weep with insecurity!"

A loud laugh pierced the muttered comments of the crowds. Magnus Hainsley was apparently the only one with brass balls big enough to laugh out loud at the Mayor's weak joke. The tension in the room racked up and for perhaps the second time ever I could see Richard struggling to hold on this his temper. Veins bulged all across his forehead and when he caught my eyes with a glare I felt like the man sucker punched me in the guts.

Holy fuck.

He's scary when he's pissed and I wasn't the only one who suddenly started exhibiting signs of fear.

"My newest member of my household stands proudly over in the doorway behind you! Tonight I have the honor of introducing the Apprentice of the Terror, the acclaimed magical Lord of Sunnydale, but he's best known as The Young Warlock and the Little Primal. Without further ado; meet Nicolas Blackwater."

All the gathered demons and people turned around as one. The sudden weight of their attention threw me for a loop but I couldn't help but dread what this meant. Somehow... somehow I knew the Mayor just threw me for the wolves.

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*Chapter 108: July 1st, 1997-M*

"My newest member of my household stands proudly over in the doorway behind you! Tonight I have the honor of introducing the Apprentice of the Terror, the acclaimed magical Lord of Sunnydale, but he's best known as The Young Warlock and the Little Primal. Without further ado; meet Nicolas Blackwater."

All eyes were on me as if they were expecting something. I clamped down on the sudden urge to just get out here and instead took a deep breath. Richard had just painted a giant fucking target on my back. In one fell swoop he spilled the beans on the Primal within me and the type of magics I would eschew as incompatible to me. That wasn't even the worst of it.

The fearful and mad uttering of a vampire landed me the title of magical Lord of Sunnydale and that could never be good for me. I had visions of Rack trying to disabuse me of that notion, of being swarmed by the magical community of the little town atop the Hell Mouth, and the eager eyes of anyone who can rub two foci together and make it spark. I so did not have the time for that nonsense.

For now though... I needed to not disappoint my current audience. On second thought though... fuck them. Fuck all of them. I'm not here to kowtow to a bunch of demons. I'm certainly not here to conform to their expectations.

I smiled widely, pulled my Primal to the surface and let out the loudest roar I could manage. This was the first time I tried that while not in combat and I was surprised by the effectiveness of the roar. Unlike roaring in battle I had a clear view of how it impacted the audience. The vampires that worked for the Mayor, obviously fledglings in retrospect, retreated out of the room. The majority of humans who heard it starting mildly smelling of fear and the demons... had a mixed reaction.

A handful of them shuffled backwards, a few of slowly inched off the sides, but the majority were clapping. As if I had just entertained them... the bastards.

I calmly strode through the crowd and watched in pleasure as they parted to make way for me. Despite my readiness for anything really... not a single one of them tried to start anything with me. I reached the dais the Mayor stood atop without much ado and simply took up position next to the man. Wilkins grabbed me around the shoulders and pulled in close.

"Isn't he wonderful?"

The scattered applause died down and the Mayor casually regained control of his audience.

The man grinned dangerously and said, "To your left and your right you'll find that our Ester Vines have receded. In their place you'll see a vaguely menacing shadow. Don't worry; it's basically harmless. Unless you touch it of course... then you'll wish you were stuck in Quor'toth."

The crowd started muttering amongst themselves again and Richard took advantage of their distraction by snapping the final threads of his enchantment. The shadows slowly dripped away and made way for the mounted heads of a variety of demons. I saw a bunch I recognized, including a Kungai demon, and a whole bunch more I didn't. The most striking however were the lines and lines of human heads. I fervently hoped they were just a bunch of cultists but... I couldn't really be certain about that could I?

"Foolish creatures and silly humans alike have attempted to assault the Hell Mouth. Why they believe they'd be more successful this year is unclear to me but then again... not everyone has a healthy sense of self preservation. But... I don't need to teach you people that do I? Regardless; this brings us to the main event of the night!"

The Mayor snapped his fingers and my attention was instantly drawn to the heads lining the walls of the ballroom. Each and every one of them suddenly started moaning and screaming intensely. The sound was utterly deafening and that made picking out the actual words they screamed fairly difficult. It took a few seconds before I had gotten used to it enough to do grasp the words.

"Sorry! Wilkins! Please! Wilkins! I beg of you! Wilkins! Please!"

Oh...

God...

I couldn't be certain but I had a firm suspicion... The creatures and people stuck on the wall were trapped in their final moments. All of them were reliving or perhaps... re-dying their last moment alive when they broke and snapped. That final instance where they gave up and begged the Mayor for death...

They all begged for a death which he would not grant them.

Wilkins obvious savored the looks on the assorted crowds faces when he unveiled his 'artwork' but didn't let himself get side tracked by it. The man tightened his grip on me and whispered in my ear.

"That concludes your part of the evening. Go execute your offense tonight. Oh... and before I forget; go feed the Anointed One again. There's no point in wasting such a fine opportunity by laxness."

I warily nodded, gestured for Landokmar to follow me, and once again made my way through the crowd of demons. The moment I cleared the hall I made a break for it to the nearest bathroom. I tried to hang on as best I could but some things got under even my skin. I emptied out my stomach in the sink and held on to the wall for all I was worth because my knees were shaking and I started to shiver all over.

If I ever started to underestimate the Mayor... all I needed to do to get over that was remember this night. This was simply horrendous, perhaps I was a tad hypocritical, but I just couldn't get over it.

"Are you alright, my lord?"

I washed my face a few times and turned back to my Pylean.

"As well as I can be in the light of that... show."

Landokmar nodded and replied, "It was not very pleasant to survey, my lord."

Wasn't that just a terrific understatement?

The two of us made our way to the office we kept the Annoying One in. The kid was still scribbling down the answers he was wrangling from the miniature vampire. He was fairly started when I barged into the room with a green skinned demon on at my side but I didn't have any time to coddle the kid.

"Have you asked him all the pertinent questions?"

"Y-yes, I have! I'm just trying different angles... just to see if he's trying to hold back things."

Good boy.

I stalked past the boy after jerkily nodding at him to reach for the phone. I called my home-line and within seconds Andrew answered.

"Hello?"

"Andrew. Gather up everyone and meet us at the library."

"Okies bossman! I'm assuming this is to keep the 'Scooby's' from walking into our lines of fire?"

"Yeah. It's probably easiest to send them to separate locations though."

"Alrighty. See you there."

"Good. We're leaving now." I turned to the vampire and snapped off, "You, come here and bite my arm."

The creature darted across the room and sank his teeth straight into my lower arm. I rolled out a Bank Safe to mitigate the damage he was doing and once again felt that curious feeling. I was losing blood at about the same pace as I was regenerating it and it felt... tickly.

I supercharged the connection between us and once again fully dominated the blood demon.

"Follow me quietly. Do not attack anyone. Do not speak to anyone but myself."

I jiggled my foci bracelet and hijacked the magic that regulated Marcie's glamour. I didn't just make her visible but instead I extended my senses and tracked the girl's whereabouts through our own connection.

"I'm here bossman!"

The girl had reasserted control over my spell and because visible inches off to my right. She came a little closer and handed me a note. I unfolded the tiny piece of paper and read the screwy handwriting of Robert.

"I gave your pet a book about Primals. Read it and then confirm it with the First Slayer. The implications are... staggering. If I read the Mayor correctly... he wants you around after he sheds his humanity. You're to be his eternal and immortal attack dog... "

Oh for fucks sake.

Why can't he just be run of the mill evil?

"Alright. It's time to go."

She simply nodded and popped out of existence again. Our entire group headed out the main entrance where a servant called ahead to have a limo waiting for us. We didn't waste so much as a second and all piled into the car.

"Where do you live?"

The kid told us his address and within fifteen minutes we had dropped him off after making sure the hostage keeping vampires were actually gone. He tried to thank us but I simply waved the kid off.

"Don't get involved with vampires."

"Yeah... I think I got the message."

We all streamed back into the limo and quietly enjoyed the trick the school library. I was intensely curious about what Marcie found out but it could wait. Keeping a secret from the Mayor in Sunnydale seemed like a fool's errand but we certainly didn't have to make it easier for him. We reached the library a little while later and found Liam locked into battle with Buffy.

The Slayer had obviously improved over the past few days and Liam seemed to genuinely have issues keeping the girl from pinning him down.

"Hello Slayerette's."

Buffy turned to me first, "Hey Nick! Nice suit, it uhh... suits you!"

Ok...

"Thanks! So... can I borrow you knife for a second?"

The girl frowned but did hand over her sharp implement without a second thought.

"Good, now I need to cut you up a little."

Hey eyes widened comically and she yelped out, "What!"

"No worries, Buffy. I just need to speak the First Slayer again."

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*Chapter 109: July 1st, 1997-N*

"Again I say... what?!"

Oh... I didn't tell her did it?

"Whoops. Uhh... I thought I explained it when Giles, I and you discussed the vision about the First Slayer?"

The blond girl huffed and exclaimed, "No! And you're still not making any sense!"

I let a slow grin appear when I replied, "The First Slayer is in each and every subsequent Slayer. When I first tried to heal you, and afterwards when I negotiated your return, I was transported to a spirit realm where she kind of... lives."

Her startled expression was wonderful.

I quickly glanced over to Xander, Liam and Willow. Each of them was locked into a state of confusion. This was the first time I'd seen Liam since the vampire stayed behind in Robert's locker after the tense negotiations. Since that afternoon I slowly drifted into the conclusion that I'd have to find a Mohra demon for him soon. If the dangerous vampire didn't want to be firmly planted in my camp... I'd rather send him off packing as a human.

My gaze drifted back to Buffy and I noticed something incredibly interesting. Around her neck hung a necklace that was adorned by a cross... and two vampire fangs. Did I have such an impact on the girl? Is this a sign for her improved viciousness... then all I can say is; well fucking done. A scary Slayer in Sunnydale is going to make everything so much easier.

Her reply finally kicked me out of my reverie, "That's... kind of a big deal to just casually mention, Nick!"

"Sorry."

The Slayer's eyes narrowed when she continued, "You know... you're making it very hard to like you."

I widely smiled and replied, "And in turn, Buffy, you're growing on me. I like your fangs by the way."

Her scrunched up expression turned less sour when she said, "Thanks. I went back to the cave... you know... for closure."

"Did you find it?"

"Kind of I guess."

The girl was about to reply when Marcie and Landokmar walked into the library. Landokmar had insisted on tying up the vampire despite my own assurance that it wasn't necessary. While I wasn't sure such a precaution was necessary I was impressed by Lando's improved assertiveness. To that effect I simply nodded to the Pylean and let him have his way. Marcie stayed behind just to keep on eye both demons.

The invisible girl had simply never truly warmed to the demon.

Giles finally showed his face when he came out and said, "Nicolas... perhaps you could explain why you brought a vampire here?"

Marcie snarled in reply, "Nick spelled him. We're going to use him to blow up all the other vampires."

Giles was mildly taking aback at the malice in her words and I was tempted to wave the girl down. I didn't want to just confirm we knew about Giles' meddling though so I simply waited it out. Hopefully my Marcie wouldn't fly off the handle again.

"Ah, I see. How will you be getting them all together?"

I cleared my throat when Marcie inhaled to answer again and thankfully she caught the message. I turned to Giles, smiled a lazy grin, and replied.

"He's already ordered Drusilla to gather his lieutenants up in a warehouse nearby. If everything goes as planned; Jonathan will have already cast a spell over the area while he's on his way here."

I didn't let the man speak up and continued, "After which we'll send the little bugger off with rows and rows of grenades under his clothes. He'll pull the strings connecting them after he makes his vamps... lean in to hear his grand plans."

Having said my piece I walked up to Buffy and asked her if she was ready.

She hesitantly raised her arm towards me, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I chuckled light, carved a small incision on her arm, and jabbed my finger in it. This time I didn't bother slowly infusing her and just supercharged my draining spell. I immediately felt the knot and simply fought my way through it.

The moment I felt the metaphysical dam give was the world shifted. Once again I found myself transported to that rocky desert. The air was just below scorching temperature and the sun was so fucking bright I couldn't stand looking up. Instead I glance around expecting to find Sineya creepily staring at me.

I look down and notice that this time I didn't appear to be naked. Instead of my suit however I wore my combat outfit. My leather duster over a leather pair of heavily worn pants... every inch reinforced with hardening spells to dampen any blunt impact. My foci and other assorted magical jewelry hung in all their right places as well.

Was this simply a sign of trust?

Or has how I look at myself changed so very much?

I cast my senses as far as I could and was almost immediately rewarded by the sound of faint scraping. I turned to the direction of the sound and saw Sineya move out of the bushes. The girl looked faintly amused and I didn't catch any whiff of residual resentment for my earlier encroachment on her turf.

I pulled up my Primal to surface and growled out, "You were right."

Sineya quirked her head and replied, "Of course I was." She continued a heartbeat or two later, "What was I right about?"

I chuckled lightly and said, "The Shadow Men are not to be trusted. One of them tried to ensnare my mind to his wishes."

The First Slayer dashed across the distance between us and came to halt inches in front of me. She sniffed in deep and started chuckling with me.

She grabbed me by the arm and said, "They will always remain the same. It is their folly. Did you suffer much?"

I shook my head and softy replied, "It was bearable. Thank you for asking."

Sineya smiled and her attention seemed be pulled towards my neck. I looked down and saw that the necklace bearing the fangs was rather exposed. The girl grabbed it and started playing with the vampire teeth. Her smile brightened significantly a moment later and I could tell she understood what they were. She withdrew her bone sword and presented it to me.

She adopted a teasing tone and said, "I too have a trophy of my kills. I'd venture mine is more useful though..."

Was she actually teasing me? Isn't this quite the turnabout from our last encounter? At least this time I wasn't sprawled naked across some very uncomfortable rocks and incredibly hot sand.

"True, but mine warn me of nearby vampires."

She then actually scoffed and said, "So does my hearing."

I glared at the girl but couldn't quite keep it up and just starting laughing. My amusement was apparently infectious because Sineya was right there with me. It was a few moments later when I stopped laughing and caught her gaze.

"I have a few questions for you, Sineya."

"Speak; and I shall answer them."

I nodded and continued, "What can you tell me of Primals?"

The girl adopted a thoughtful expression and seemed to think things over for a while. She spent the next few minutes lost in thought and all I could do was wait it out. I had less than zero inclination to piss the super powered spirit off.

"They were wild, cruel and rapacious. That was the only thing they all had in common. Most of them were arrogant and far too certain of their strength. Those died easily."

The girl took in a deep breath and finally let go of the fangs but firmly kept her grasp on my arm.

"Others were more cunning and slipped around the edges. They scavenged souls and only took those who wouldn't be missed. They flared up briefly and departed their hosts rapidly after using them up. Those were harder to kill."

She calmly fixed me with a stare and continued, "A small number of them were intelligent on top of that. Those... assimilated, I like that word, with their hosts and gained the ability to plan. They took control of entire tribes and promised them protection. In return they were worshipped. Those were difficult to kill."

She stepped a little closer and spoke a little softer, "An even fewer number amongst them, entirely comprised of pack animals, were able to thrive in those conditions. These could plan for the future, cease their predations on their worshippers, and direct their cruelty to the world outside of their packs."

She got even closer and continued, "All of them died in the end. At least; I thought I caught all of them. I can feel the Primal who has taken up residence inside your soul, little pack predator. I can't tell which one... its presence is muted even beyond the strongest of those of I met."

I cleared my throat and replied, "It's the Hyena Spirit. I killed it and subsumed its strengths for myself."

She nodded slowly and kept her intense gaze, "Good. I never managed to shake off my shackles. Keep my... descendants safe?"

I nodded and gave the First Slayer my word.

"Tell me about yourself, Sineya. I know far too little about you."

Sineya quirked her head again and smiled lightly, "What is there to tell? I lived and loved. They took that from me. After that I survived and killed."

I was struck by the immeasurable sadness emanating from the girl. She obviously carried enough humanity within her to appreciate what she lost. I didn't quite know how to respond.

I decided to mirror her response, "I'm sorry."

The girl smiled once again and started her story.

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*Chapter 110: Interlude - Liam of Galway-A*

The most infuriating boy I know just passed out from doing something to Buffy. I'm still of half a heart on this particular subject. I can't truly say I trust him; he has spent far too much energy hiding his over goals for me to blindly extend that. Just as I can't claim I trust him... I can't rightly claim he's a bad person. Perhaps I'm not giving him enough credit but I can't quite shake the feeling there's something off about him.

"Liam? I'd like to speak to you alone please."

The curiously intense and occasionally invisible girl simply grabbed me the arm and pulled me out of the library. I let the girl do that and followed to wherever she wanted to take me. On our way through the library though I heard her hiss at the Pylean demon;

"You keep an eye out on Nick, demon."

Ah, trouble in paradise?

The two of us ended up a fair distance away from the school's library when she jerked her hand loose and disappeared from my senses. I turned around trying to scent out her smell but only found the faintest of traces. A split second later and she appeared in front of me with a stake tightly pressed over my heart.

"Did you know demon?"

What?

Why is she suddenly so aggressive? I'm fairly certain I could twist out of the way and grab her stake without dying but I just couldn't be sure. Instead I'd have to try talking her down and experience taught me that keeping young girls appeased is... difficult in the best of circumstances.

"What do you mean, Marcie?"

She pressed the stake a fraction harder and said, "Did you know what your precious Rupert has done to Nick?"

What could have possibly occurred between those two?

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Marcie. Perhaps you could explain? Perhaps even without a stake to my chest?"

Marcie slowly withdrew her stake after taking a moment to judge me. Apparently I passed and I could finally, pretend to, breathe a sigh of relief.

"Rupert threw a mind control spell over Nick. Ever since about a month ago these changes made Nick stop exploring magic. Instead... his energies were channeled towards politics."

My mind came to a complete stop. Did Rupert truly do this? Did he wrap Nicolas' mind into a geas? Why? What could he possibly benefit from alienating Nick?

Good god...

And now Nick finds himself stuck with the consequences? I needed more information.

Nick hasn't responded...

His group is apparently willing to sit on this gross invasion and I needed to know if they were planning a major act of revenge. Not just to keep Giles safe but to keep the relations from critically imploding. Sunnydale faced a united army of vampires of unprecedented numbers... we could not afford any breaches now.

"Why hasn't Nick done anything? Why hasn't he told me?"

The girl actually scoffed at me and replied, "When were you around? You've been dicking around with your precious Slayer so much you forgot about us. What was so wrong with us that made being around us so fucking unbearable Liam?"

I wanted to refute the girl but I couldn't find any words.

Marcie glared at me and said, "Nick hasn't told anyone because he doesn't want to start up trouble right before our biggest fight ever. Trust me though, demon, that when this is all over... we'll be having words with the man."

Her mood was all over the place. One moment she spoke my name in a broken voice and in another she furiously flung my nature into my face. Did I really have this much of an impact on them? Have I so very grossly miscalculated?

I thought I was slowly pulling back from Nick and his circle of broken toys because I felt myself slipping into it. I was upset at how easily the boy had...

No, that wasn't fair. It wasn't easy. I didn't truly believe he planned all our interactions from the start. He simply did his best for his people and I wasn't comfortable being one of them. Despite how alluring his words and actions were. Despite the obvious ties of affection his group has amongst themselves. I wasn't quite ready to be so thoroughly included.

Perhaps I should reconsider.

"I understand. What now?"

Marcie got a dangerous expression on her face when she replied, "Now... now you make a choice, Liam. You take some time to figure out the truth and you make a choice. This... this vacillating between Buffy and Nick has to end. We need to know who we can trust Liam. If you don't want to be a part of that we can deal."

I slowly nodded, decided against asking the obvious question, and asked her, "But you'd like to know for certain?"

Her frightening grin never left her face, "Yes. We'll continue working with them regardless but we won't be close. Other than big offenses like those planned for tonight... we wouldn't even know we're in the same town as the Slayer."

I frowned and replied, "Why are you including Buffy into this? She and Nick seem to get along reasonably."

The girl scoffed again and bit out, "He saved her life and incurred a debt. Not to Buffy, but for her, to the First Slayer. She should feel more strongly about him but she doesn't. We doubt she'd pick Nick over her Watcher even if she knew what he did."

There was a flaw in that reasoning but I was too distracted to reach for it. I made a mental note to go over this at a less chaotic time. Right now I needed to try and defuse the situation.

"I didn't mean to withdraw from you all, Marcie. It just... I had my own issues to deal with."

The girl cocked her head sideways and said, "Who doesn't? At least we deal with it together. We'll want a reply sometime soon. Think it over."

Marcie confidently turned and strode back towards the library. I followed her after a few seconds and when we returned Nick was already up and talking animatedly to Xander. His friends, Jonathan and Andrew had appeared on the scene as well. Mica and Lib came in just after I did and carried a large case in between them. I guessed that Fred and Kar were supposed to hold the fort and weren't present.

"So when can I start?"

The boy's ever present grin acquired a rough edge, "How about tomorrow? Fred can show you the ropes and after a few hours... you should be ready."

"Sure! So... I heard you bought some property. I guess killing vampires isn't like crime huh?"

Buffy mildly glared at Nick and made her way over to me.

The Slayer leaned in and whispered to me, "They're quite the touchy feely types aren't they?"

She was absolutely correct and it was something I had noticed myself. His entire group seems to circle around Nick at all times. Jonathan seemingly goes out his way to walk past the young warlock just to touch him. Andrew glances over to Nick every few seconds and seems to be unsuccessfully fighting the urge to do the same.

Marcie on the other hand simply never ventures very far from the boy. She's in near constant reach of him and now the girl slid down next to Nick while leaning against his chair. Mica and Lib clearly weren't quite as close with him as the others but even they orbited the boy.

Suddenly Nick turned to Rupert and asked, "Giles. I need the hammer, please"

Curt.

Polite.

His words were utterly lacking in any warmth whatsoever.

Even if they were mistaken and Rupert didn't do what they accused him of... each and every one of them believed it and acted accordingly. None of them seemed to engage Rupert beyond the absolutely minimum.

Usually Nick would make some small talk with the man before veering the conversation to a piece of history or demonology he enjoyed. After that... he'd sit back and listen to Rupert's dubbed lecture mode. Jonathan would do the same when Giles start speaking about magic and Andrew positively soaked up every mention Rupert made of humanities early days.

None of them drifted towards the man.

I leaned in towards Buffy and said, "That's not a bad thing, Buffy."

"I know, Angel. It's just... do you sometimes get the feeling Nick and I are living... I don't know parallel lives?"

This was unusual. Buffy wasn't normally this introspective and I wondered what set her off.

"What do you mean?"

"You know... we're both like he said 'drafted' into the war against the dark. We both have a few friends helping us. We both have an old man breathing down our necks to get better. We're kind of similar."

What was she driving towards?

"And?"

Buffy leant in even closer and whispered softly, "I'm not even sure I should be saying this... but Nick's friends are... more useful. I hate myself for even thinking about it... "

She trailed off and I resisted the urge to reach out and comfort her.

"It's alright to feel whatever it is you're feeling Buffy." I distinctly didn't mention that was a nugget from Nick and continued, "He's more actively involved with them... to the point where they don't really have social lives. It's not healthy but objectively... yes his friends are good enough to keep up with him. I imagine he feels a bit safer then you do but you were right before; you are like Nick. In a good way... "

I awkwardly trailed off. Way to go L- Angel.

The blond Slayer pinned me with a glare and said, "Then why does everyone think he's so dangerous if we actually are similar? I mean... I'm the Slayer and vampires don't run from me. Meanwhile he sets foot outside after dark and everything gets out of his way."

Oh.

Is it happening already? Is Buffy going on the same path as Nicolas? I want to stop her; to tell her she shouldn't want to be feared, but I can't convince myself that would be a good idea. Nick does have some rough edges and Buffy does have some soft ones. The world would be a safer place if they could find a middle ground between themselves...

If I can get the two talking, really talking, they'd be good for each other. Strictly as friends of course...

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