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 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 14 - It's Always Got To Be Blood
In a warehouse district by the Cleveland lakeside, dark forms moved quickly through the cold February night. Their leaps and foot-falls were so silent, they may not have been there at all. The swift specters effortlessly made their way up walls and onto roofs. Beneath cloud cast shadows, they were nearly invisible. Four of them converged on a rooftop corner.
The breath of four slayers came out like steam as Hanna and Emma regrouped with their squadmates Denise and Jessie to give their reconnaissance of yet another infested dock warehouse. The teens huddled by a corner lip of the building keeping their tones hushed, cloudless skies of deep blues dark and dark purples let starlight and moon-glow cast a soft light onto the warehouse rooftop.
They were dressed for the weather. Heavy winter coats, thermal gloves, and scarves in dark colors and various styles were worn among them. Beneath knit hats, balaclava masks were worn, just in case. Crossbows were strapped to their backs, blades were sheathed and all their gear was strapped so they would not rattle.
"So, ladies, what's the score tonight?" Jessie Miller asked, a shock of frizzy hair escaping her knit hat. A jet of frozen air escaped her lips as she spoke.
"Stop talking like that." the squad's senior slayer, glared at the small teen near shivering. A naitve Floridian, it seemed to Denise that no matter how many layers she wore, it never felt like it was enough. She turned her attention to her two newest junior slayers.
"What'd you guys see?"
"Like, definitely six. We hung out for like..." Hanna stoped and made a face looking at the bottom of her right shoe. The February night air gave her nose and puffy cheeks a rosy hue. "I think I stepped in something." Hanna whined.
"Must've been an hour by my count." Emma finsihed for Hanna as she removed her gloves, letting them dangle from her sleeve and produced her smart phone with her exposed reddening slim fingers. "Three ground floor exits, a couple good breach points." The first step in clearing out a vamp nest was to check it out; an aware slayer was a dead vamp.
"Did you try to hear anything they were talking about? Like, plans or whatever?" Denise recited points learned from the handbook since the slayer was young.
"That one sitting on the couch? I overheard him ordering another one of them around, he might be the sire." Emma supplied, pointing to one particular figure in the little scree.
They watched the video playing on the skinny blonde's phone of a semi-furnished space over a concrete floor. An unidentifiable light-source let off a soft yellow glow covering the area well. As the recording panned back and forth over the vampire nest, they saw one of the half-dozen lounging on a slightly soiled couch, sitting on it like a king.
"I couldn't really hear anything, but one of them kinda looked like my cousin." Hanna offered. "It's probably not him though, he's still in L.A. playing violin or something." Emma rolled her eyes at the chubby faced girl.
Denise and Jessie did their best to memorize the layout of the space in the recording. Their squad-leader nodded, taking in the information. A slayer who can deal with the unexpected was a dead vamp, but a slayer with a plan was a live slayer.
"Damn, too bad we don't have a decent skylights to work with." Jessie complained.
"It's either that north door which is gonna be noisy and fast or an east second level window. That one's quiet and long." Hanna explained.
"Quiet and long." Denise decided after a moment of thought. "When we start the fight, me and Jessie will go in first, you two hang back and circle just in case. Jump in if we need it." The older blonde ordered, a pair of them could easily handle the half-dozen monsters, having another two hanging back as reinforcements was just precautionary.
Emma described the small office the east window would lead to the second level to the two story secretarial area. From there, a metal staircase would take them down to the first level to find a good position to attack. A text was sent to Wendy who was in the car watching the front side of the building and to Jacob who was monitoring remotely. The four, wearing balaclavas that left only eyes and mouths visible, breached the building. Winches, ropes, harnesses and glass-cutters were implemented to allow maximum stealth; a slayer's natural prey had keen ears that were always alert, she had to be silent to kill it.
The office was easy enough for even a potential to break into, and the steady thump-thump of inadequate sound equipment the vampires played music on ensured that their entrance was unheard. The stairs were simply avoided by a leap and a soft landing. The ground floor had rows and rows of heavy, tall metal shelves filled with boxed wares running down its length, a break only in the small living space the vampires had made for themselves.
The vampires were noisy; their music blared and sharp laughs could be heard from their area. They looked like anyone you've ever met, a pretty girl, a young guy in fashionable clothing, a middle aged-man in a suit, but there was something predatory in the way they moved and in the way they smiled. The older ones would listen to the younger ones brag about kills and boast their promises of more.
A floor lamp lit the space in a soft fluorescence. The yellowish light cast long shadows in the tall shelves. The squad of slayers pressed themselves in that darkness as they edged closer, with the vampires' raucous gathering and the darkness of the poorly lit space staying hidden was going to be easy.
A sudden light passing over windows made Denise tense, a car had pulled up outside. The music died down and vampires starting congregating by the couches at the center of their nest. The slayers held their positions staying hidden in the shadows. They could hear the sounds of three car-doors opening and closing. The north door burst opened with a trio of vampires entering. The first one seemed to swagger froward as he was followed by two more holding two struggling girls tightly, hands were clamped over their mouths to prevent any screaming.
The situation had changed, hostages meant that they couldn't hold back. Denise took a deep breath, she knew what to do, she's trained for this before.
"I got food!" was their sire's happy announcement. He was tall and muscular, his winter wear added to his mass. "Okay guys, this how it's gonna work. We drink," he turned, gesturing to the young victims, still doing their best to fight free from their captors who had their focus on the weeping prisoners, whose cries for help were muffled, "but we don't drain." He turned back to a room full of vampires, their demonic visages revealed. The leader reflexively switched over to his own game face and gave a bewildered "What's up?"
The lounging vamp pointed and before he could say "Behind you, idiot." their sire was dust along with the two minions behind him, revealing a slayer behind each as they died. A slayer grabbed the two girls disappearing from the fray, but was replaced by another jumping out from the shadows into the group of six other vampires, her gladius swinging. She decapitated a pair of vampires as crossbow-bolts sang through the air killing another two. The short sword flickered as the slayer hopped backwards from a grab and arms were chopped away, a second swing and her attacker's head came clean off. The slayer then leaped at the last vampire, her short form tackling it from behind. After falling to the dust covered ground, she flipped the vampire on to his back and started speaking in a low gravely voice.
"You will tell us what we want to know or you will end up like you're friends. Now, answer me!"
The vampire made an incredulously concerned face. "Jeez, is that your voice? Is that how you normally talk?" The slayer paused but then continued using a close approximation of Christian Bale's Batman.
"Uh...yeah! Totally! Like, all the time."
"Dammit Hanna, what's with you guys and talking like morons?" remarked an annoyed Denise who was approaching from behind her, Jessie followed close.
"Hey!" cried the indignant slayer holding down the surving vampire while maintaining her low baritone. "Name calling's not cool."
The vampire looked around and saw his attackers removing their balaclavas to reveal four girls. "Jeez, are you all slayers?"
Hanna, grabbed the vampire and maintained her intimidating voice, which was blunted by her young, chubby face. "That doesn't matter, what matters is that you ANSWER ME!"
The vampire gave her a look of awkward concern. "You know, that can't be good for your throat." he advised.
Denise pushed Hanna away and drew out a short machete sheathed to her lower back. "If you don't lie to us, we'll let you go, okay?" Her voice was sincere and calm but still threatening.
"Yeah, I won't lie." The vampire gave a nervous nod.
"Are there more than the nine of you?" the slayer asked.
"No, it was just us and Jerry, our sire, the guy you...he was talkin' about makin' more later."
"Did he know that turning's not allowed anywhere near Cleveland. Been that way for almost ten years."
The vampire near cowered as he chose his words carefully. "Yeah, when we met up with the others Jerry kept goin' on about it. How some uh...people thought they were better than us, and that they would learn their places soon." the vampire admitted. "He said that there was a storm coming and that if we were on the right side of things, we'd all be on top."
"What do you mean?" Denise pressed the machete deeper in to the vampire's neck.
"Okay, okay!" The fear in it's monstrous face was clear. "He wanted us to start prepping, for...something, I dunno! Said we hadda start gathering people soon. That's all I knew, I swear!"
Denise pulled her blade back a little, Hanna and Jessie leaned in. The two slayers gave the vampire an examining look. While on the floor, the teen-aged girls' eyes were a terrifying thing to the demon.
"What's your name?" one girl asked cheerfully, her black hair was frizzy.
"Uh...Mark."
"How were you turned, Uhmark?"
"I met Jerry in a bar, we got talkin' about some deep stuff about life or whatever, he asked me if I wanted in on something, kinda old, but new-agey. Said that it had great perks, I thought it was a some kinda job!" the vampire near panicked.
"Uhmark, have you killed anyone?" her tone was still sunny but her look was dark.
"No, I was just raised last night, I haven't eaten anything at all!" Another blade was pressed against the terrified vampire's neck. The chubby faced one, the one making the stupid voice earlier, pressed her gladius harder against his undead flesh and Mark's breath hitched.
"Are you lying, Mark?" Hanna asked and the vampire shivered, almost violently as the short Roman sword marked his neck, cutting in just enough to let out a single tear of blood.
"Please, God! I didn't kill anyone, I swear!" he pleaded in a sobbing yell.
"Hanna, back off and do the thing."
The round faced girl narrowed her eyes. She eased pressure on the blade and the vampire let out a long relieved breath. The small Korean girl sheathed her gladius while taking a step back, then turned her back to the others, her hands now unseen.
"There's butcher shops all over Cleveland that cater to vamps, Mark. You can buy animal blood off of them. There's also a bar in a Hitlon by Innerbelt freeway and route Eight that serve to demons and vamps. You can eat there too, you don't have to kill anyone at all. If you can live like that, like a normal person and not a monster, we leave you alone, Mark. Do you understand?" A furious nod from the vampire, indicating a yes. Denise's tone was urging, "If you can get a job, you can buy blood in bulk and you never have to hurt anyone for anything, okay?" More nodding and then the slayer's voice became edged, "But if you slip up, Mark? Just once?" The blade patted Mark's face, it's metal was cold on his cheek and his interrogators point clearly.
"The rule is, if you leave humans alone, we leave you alone. If you hunt humans, you become prey. Repeat that last part for me, Mark." Denise oredered.
"If I hunt humans, I become prey." obeyed the vampire
"That's good. You're being watched now, okay? We're going to know if you follow that rule." Denise warned.
"Okay! No people, that's totally cool!" the vampire assented with a scared cry.
"Run, Mark." Denise told him and the demon fled, leaving a slamming door behind him as he ran out the building.
A job? Sure why not? He could probably get a night shift somewhere. He also knew how to get to that bar the slayer mentioned, it wasn't too far off from the lake shore. He had a little cash in his pockets, and now he had options too. That bastard, Jerry never said they had options.
Denise whipped out her smartphone and started a text on what they had been just told. The girls heard the words, key phrases that Mark used. It could mean a whole heap of things, but one indication was sure; a big-bad may be heading to Cleveland. Despite that, Jessie couldn't have been more impressed with their work. She smiled to herself. Eight vamps dusted, two hostages rescued a possible snitch to follow up on later. Then, a sudden thought occurred to the young slayer.
"Hey where's Emma?" Jessie asked just realizing they were missing their fourth.
"I dunno." replied Hanna, making a confused face turning her head back and forth scanning the dark space. Something heavy feel at her feet, it was wet and moaning. A moment later they realized that it was Emma's skinny battered body. She was covered in blood, it gushed from her stomach. Suddenly, the tall storage shelves started tilting forwards and down around them. Metal screeched as the old, empty racks collided with one another, spilling boxes and sending their contents crashing on to the four slayers.
Five months and three weeks prior...
Buffy fired her .50 cal revolver three times; head-shots, all of them. The top half of paper target's head was obliterated.
"I hate guns, Jake." Buffy admitted easily. "They're the complete opposite of life itself, all they do is destroy. If the invention of the gun isn't a sign of the impending fall of civilization, then I just don't get it."
The little blonde wore a lilac cardigan over a pretty floral dress and fashionable low heeled sandals. Standing besides her, Jacob sported his now usual tailored suit, oxford shirt and brightly colored tie. His belt matched his shoes, which were formal but could be ran in. Both wore bright orange ear-mufflers and had to speak up to hear each other's words. They were both using a single lane at a Council owned range. It was a popular spot for slayers, watchers and even some witches and hired demons to come and do some shooting. Few lanes were occupied at the moment but it was the morning so the crowd wouldn't start showing up till around lunch. The constant sound of gun shots were still a little jarring to Jacob, but he'd gotten used to it over the week of weapons training.
"Pope Innocent III said the same thing about crossbows." Jake countered lifting a single ear-muff.
"Well, me and ol' Popey Innocent the whatever, should talk 'cuz he was close, but it's not archery. It's the gun." Another three shots were delivered into the dummy's chest. "I hate them."
"Then how come I'm training with one?"
"Because, I'm not an idealistic kid anymore." Her voice was tinged with frustration and regret as she spoke. Buffy began firing off more reasons. "Because, my personal opinions shouldn't be forced on anyone. Because, teaching my girls how to use them keeps them alive longer and no matter what, the most important thing is preserve rule number one."
Jacob downloaded the slayer handbook last night and read it on his cellphone. Rule one was pretty straightforward. The tall young man watched the small blonde empty the last round in the rotating cylinder of the revolver dead center in the dummy's mass. He perked his eyebrows at the little blonde.
"You're a pretty good shot for someone who hates guns."
"I don't really like scimitars either, but I could still take a head with one ." Buffy explained modestly.
"What's wrong with scimitars?" the young watcher asked.
"I dunno" Buffy replied with a shrug, "I guess I'm more of a khopesh kinda girl." Jacob blinked trying to remember what a khopesh was. He felt good having to do that, he memorized a near encyclopedia worth of knowledge on bladed weapons recently.
"That's the sword that looks like a question mark right?"
"Yeah, it's Egyptian and falls under sickle-type. You're up." She handed the sidearm to Jacob who knew the procedure; maintain trigger discipline, empty cylinder, reload cylinder, lock cylinder in place. Buffy stood aside as Jacob went into a shooting stance. The first time he fired one of these things he fell on his ass to the delight of Faith and Xander, who made sure to be there when he went shooting for the first time. While the new watcher was at first appreciative of the support they brought, he realized after hearing their peals of laughter when his butt hit the floor, that they were actually sadists that enjoyed watching him suffer.
With Buffy handling most of his weapons training this week, suffering was a regular occurrence; it was also a good teacher.
His stance grew solid and the recoil didn't rock his tall lanky frame like it used too. Squeeze the trigger, don't pull. The gun was warm in his large hands. The barrel boomed twice joining the chorus of other shooters down the lanes. One miss and a hit low and right, Buffy made a nod. He was at least hitting the target now. They had had made up at the manor and afterwards, despite the Slayer's misgivings on Jacob joining the Council, she decided to train him herself. She was still kind of annoyed at him.
The young man could do anything he wanted with his two fancy degrees and his big dumb brain of his, and what does he decide to do with it? He joined her war. Watta mook. But he made his decision and stuck by it, even after seeing how bad it could get. Some people quit on the Council after witnessing the true horrors of what they faced, Jacob did not. In fact, the skinny kid next to the slayer killed an Old One, something even she's never accomplished. She saw the kind of man he really was during that moment and Buffy did her best to channel her mother after the fight with Spike at Sunnydale High. Though Joyce Summers was angry with her daughter that night, she was proud of her. Buffy felt the same way now, angry but proud. Four more shots ran out with only two hitting the dummy, though the grouping was decent.
"You're getting better." She stated to the watcher. He grinned, happy to hear the compliment, but then he looked down at the gun and winced a little.
"I hope, I don't gotta use this much."
"You're gonna scooby for Wes' girls for a while. I'm not letting you on the field for a long time, Jake." The young watcher became a little indignant, but nor was he eager to head back into the thick of the fray either. He was just happy that Buffy was sorta mostly kinda okay with him on the council. Besides that, his quota for excitement has been met for the next decade. His thinking was derailed by a word he did not recognize.
"Scooby? Like, the the dog?"
"Yeah, anyone who did the research and stuff I called my scooby gang." She received a blank look from Jacob and Buffy explained further. "Y'know cuz they solved mysteries and junk. Now it's our word for non-combatant researcher, especially new ones. But it's also for people who aren't officially with the council but still regularly do booky stuff for us."
"So, I'm a scooby?" Jacob tried the word out and nodded liking the sound it.
"Yep, Willow and Xander were my scoobies." A wistful smile drifted over Buffy as the volley of guns kept their constant firing. "The first ones."
"And Giles was your watcher."
"Yep." She took the gun from Jacob and began emptying the shells into a tray.
"How old were you when you met Faith for the first time?"
Buffy knitted her brows and pursed her lips. "I was seventeen and she was about to turn sixteen. I ran into her in an alley way fighting a vamp, she grabbed my stake to kill it." she remembered as she reloaded the pistol.
Jacob snorted, amused. "That's the most slayer start of a love story ever."
Buffy chuckled. "It was hardly a love story back then, I kinda hated her at the start."
"Really? I would have thought it was an 'at first sight' kinda thing."
A small sad smile escaped from the little blonde, "Nah, it more like a lot of jealous angsty teen stuff, then add in a bunch of apocalypses and raging hormones. You can see where it can all just go wacky on top of crazy ." Six shots made a tight grouping center mass in a second paper target. "Then, people ended up trying to kill each other." She narrowed her eyes, examining the target, satisfied with her marksmanship then looked down at the weapon in her hand and made a frown. She really hated guns.
"Another turn and we'll head up to the gym." She announced to Jacob as she handed him the firearm.
"What's there?" Inquired the watcher.
"You'll see."
The newly appointed scooby fired off his rounds, four out of six hit this time, though with poor grouping. Afterwards, they returned the pistol and the headgear, and then turned in their used cartridges. They exited the shooting range up a set of stairs and entered a small lobby area with a pair of armed guard with several shotguns sat behind a desk. Buffy gave them both cheerful greetings and they simply nodded and threw her a "Mornin' chief" in return. From there, a shorter staircase led to a grander, much larger space with high ceilings and huge windows that flooded everything with soft morning light. It was wide and covered in a dark marble, a reception area was positioned in between two enormous pillars of matching marble and faced multiple glass doors. A light crowd of people were trickling through, heading to banks of elevators heading up the tall office building in downtown Cleveland. Chatting as they went, the pair took one up.
The door chimed and opened, from the clothes people were wearing, the place seemed like a gym. The two walked passed a glass walled greeting area with a wave and a smile from Buffy to the concierge and entered. Elliptical machines, treadmills, and weight benches in rows filled the next area, it was definitely a gym. Their conversation, as they went in a strolling pace was light and simple putting Jacob at ease, but arriving on the floor, the young watcher's spider-sense began tingling. A moment later he caught sight of a pair dark figures appear from behind a corner giving Jacob Cheshire grins. Xander and Faith wore their eager expressions plainly; the sadists had returned.
"We start your physical training today by setting a benchmark." Buffy informed casually to a nodding watcher, she had not noticed her best friend or her wife. The young watcher silently but emphatically mouthed angry obscenities at both of his superiors, Xander and Faith made taunting faces in return as the tall young man walked behind an obliviously chatting Buffy.
After changing into gym clothes given to him by a small teen-aged girl, he stood barefoot in a matted room. Xander and Faith were leaning against a mirrored wall, with Buffy and the girl who gave him his change of clothing stood before him. Her hair was brown and tied back into a ponytail. Her small hands were held behind her and looked a little unsure of herself. She was maybe a preteen, and compared to Jacob's six-foot-plus towering frame, the girl was definitely tiny. She and Buffy matched Jacob in exercise wear.
"Jacob, this is Melanie. She just turned twelve." Buffy introduced.
"Hi." Melanie gave a shy smile and a small wave. Jacob gave her a big friendly smile in return, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
"Hey, I'm Jacob Turner, nice to meet you." He extended his hand out expectantly. The little girl looked to it and then to Buffy who gave her a nod. Melanie stepped up to the tall young man and solidly, shook his hand in greeting. When she stepped back Buffy continued.
"Melanie, throw Jacob across the room as softly as you can."
"What?!" the young watcher exclaimed and Melanie lunged. The little girl knocked him down easily, then grabbed him by his right arm and leg, used her heel as an axis and spun. One full rotation and she let him fly. Jacob's lanky form landed on the matted floor in a painful, moaning heap. Xander and Faith let out loud hoots as they applauded from their places by the wall.
"You show 'em, Mel!" Faith cheered.
"Bad form, Jake. Poor landing!" Xander criticized his fellow watcher who was now on his back softly groaning. Buffy and Melanie made their way over to him, the girl had a distraught look on, while the Slayer made a smug face.
"That really sucked." the young watcher stated wryly. Another lesson learned.
"That's the sort of thing you're going to have to expect, Jake. All watchers are paired with young slayers during training to reinforce the reality of things." Buffy held out her hand to the young watcher. He took it and small blonde easily pulled him up to his feet. "Even the smallest thing you're going to go up against is probably going to be stronger than you. Never equate size with strength." Melanie's eyebrows knit, she looked a little insulted. Buffy noticed and hastily corrected herself. "Not that you're a thing, you're a pretty little slayer." The child beamed happily hearing the compliment and gave the older woman a toothy girlish grin.
Jacob swayed a little and Buffy gave him an arm to steady himself. A couple breaths later and Buffy gave him a worried look. "How are you feeling, can you stand?" the little blonde asked sincerely concerned.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Jacob nodded unsteadily.
"Good." Buffy nodded back. "Mel, throw him again."
"What?" was all the tall watcher could say before Melanie's tiny form tackled him to the ground once more.
The sadists cheered again.
Three months prior...
Wendy carefully closed the bedroom door behind her. The morning sun shined through slim windows letting long thick rays onto walls. Briefcase and shoes in hand, she used what years in the bush taught her to deftly creep through the hallway and down the stairs. She heard voices below in the kitchen but pressed on through the living room to the front door. She spent a total of six grueling years in the jungles of Pakistan and Bolivia, her den would be no challenge. She crept through the space knowing that her years of military service would allow her to stealthily...
"Mom?"
Wendy turned and plastered a nervous smile onto her face. "Morning guys." She greeted all three of her kids casually as they stood at the kitchen threshold. Sunlight hit her children's hair given them an almost halo effect. Her son was visiting from his dorm and her daughters were getting ready for a day in high-school.
"What are you doing here?" Maggie, her youngest daughter, wearing a bright blouse and light denim asked. Her hair was long, loose and blonde.
"How come you were trying to sneak out?" Her eldest, Peter added, he was still dressed in his sleeping clothes and his brown hair was untidy.
"Mom and Dad have been sleeping with each other for the past couple weeks." revealed her middle-child who was also dressed for the day but in nearly all black. A dirty blonde, she kept her hair tied back which gave her a severe look.
"Jane!" Wendy admonished her older daughter .
"OHMIGAWD, are you getting back together?" A gasp and a look of happy astonishment was painted on Maggie's childish face. The look on her mother's was all she needed to se to know she was wrong and the girl's enthusiasm died instantly, a tearful sadness threatened to replace it. Jane immediately looked guilty.
"We're..." Wendy began, but was interrupt.
"Jesus, Jane." Peter admonished his younger sister. "Why can't you just think before you talk for once."
"Shut up, just because you think..." Jane had raised her voice with her retort but was cut short by Wendy.
"Your father is still sleeping!" their mother shortly reminded her three children in a angry hissing whisper, which received all three of her children's attention. Each child snapped silent, even Maggie's tears seemed to ebb at her mother's forceful words. "He has work today, so, you will let him rest!" Wendy let out a strong breath to focus and continued. "Your father and I have been seeing each other for the last two weeks, but..."
"It's just sex." Jane finished defiantly to Wendy's consternation.
"Some of it is just physical," the mother's tone was hard as she glared at her middle child, whose eyes had locked onto her own. Jane's eyes burned with an angry intellect, and though it was the cause of so many fights between them, Wendy could not help but respect it. Peter rolled his eyes bored of oft repeated antics between the two. Maggie blushed at the underlining of the fact that her parent have had, and now continue to have sex.
Her mother's tone became softer as she continued. "and some of it is because we'll always love each other," her face was sincere and her whole body became more relaxed, "and we miss each other." Wendy saw a glimmer of hope in Maggie's eyes as she heard the words. "We didn't want to tell you because we didn't want to disappoint you if things didn't turn out well." Jane made a reluctant nod.
"Are you going to show a house?" Pete asked, deftly shifting subjects.
"No, I quit the agency a few months ago, I've got a new job now." Wendy made known.
"What is it?" Jane asked trying to maintain her civility.
"I chaperon girls for a a specialized school downtown. Which means I'm close by often." Her cellphone in her jacket pocket chimed. "That's my ride, I asked my coworker to pick me up." She said apologetically. "I...listen, your father and I, we never stopped loving each other, and with everything that happened it's just..."
"Mom, we got it." Pete soothed. "It's okay." He approached her for a hug and the girls followed his lead.
"I missed you, mom." Jane admitted. Wendy smiled as she embraced her kids. She kissed softly Jane on the forehead, getting a surprised look from her older daughter.
"I know I don't say it enough but, I love you." Wendy told her middle child, a hitch in her voice. "I love all of you." She held her children tight. Her cellphone chimed again. "I really have to go now, I'll see you guys later." She untangled herself from her kids and slipped her shoes on. A quick look over her shoulder and she threw a smile at her kids, Peter and Jane were both frowning slightly and Maggie gave her a sad smile and wave as she went through the door.
Exiting the house, she saw a familiar and ugly green, European sedan waiting at the driveway. She gave a hurried wave and quick stepped it to the car. She practically leaped into the front passenger. She gave the driver an apologetic smile as she closed the door and buckled up. Jacob Turner was generally well dress and well groomed, today was no different. A pinstripe dark-blue suit with a red white and blue tie was worn.
"Sorry, my kids caught me trying to sneak out."
"That's an awkward start of the day." Jacob reached into the back seat and offered her coffee in a paper cup. They backed out of the driveway and headed towards the main roads.
"Tell me about it." She blew into her coffee and watched the road. Their partnership had been a little awkward in the beginning, being of different places in their lives, in terms of age, family and experiences, they had little to talk about. Talking shop helped greatly, office gossip helped too. Thus far, they had edged away from talking about personal lives, respecting the boundaries of their new relationship. Jacob made a turn.
"My mom and dad split up too, I was nine." Jacob admitted. "They started sneaking out with each other when I was twelve."
"How did you find them out?" Wendy inquired after a tentative sip from the steamy cup.
"I was up reading in my room and I heard them."
"Did you ever confront them?"
"No way. We didn't have that kinda relationship." Jacob told Wendy. They stay silent for a few minutes and at a red light Wendy switched topics.
"How's Lynn?" the blonde asked.
"Getting used to it, New York City is a crazy place."
"I hear that getting that spot with Gina is a big step up in the Council for slayers, more for bragging rights though."
Jacob knitted his brows as he stepped on the pedal, the light, now green. "They've got no official ranking system, other than age and experience." Wendy nodded, having read her watcher's manual she had downloaded on her cellphone. "Slayer's don't get no pips, no badges or tags to show what they've accomplished. So, I guess all a new slayer's got is bragging rights." And scars and dead friends, though the watchers did not mention that. Having no more justifications to make out loud, Jacob frowned. "I miss her a lot."
"When's she on leave?" Wendy nodded her understanding.
"Another fifty-seven days." Jacob gave his partner a wry grin. Wendy gave him one back and as they approached the expressway. Jacob's hands fumbled with the car-radio turning the knobs for a specific spot. Wendy made a little annoyed breath that her partner pretended not to notice. With him doing the driving, radio right were his, and while his music was lively enough, Wendy was a little sick of having to hear it often. And he played it so damned loud the base in stereo barely accommodated.
"This is my jam!" Jacob told her enthusiastically after finding the right station. As they hit the highway entrance, the overture to Mozart's Marriage of Figaro resounded in the car.
They drove down the highway for a nearly half an hour, trading work gossip and making small talk after Jacob turned down the music. Eventually they took an exit that led them to Angel Investigation's Cleveland office.
"Yo, yo!" Jacob called out as he entered the front office, Wendy was right behind. Hanna manned the desk, her boots on the wood surface and her cellphone in hand.
"Hey guys!" Hanna greeted the two watchers cheerfully. "Wes is in the back, he wanted you guys to see him before you started." Jacob and Wendy both nodded and were about to exit when Hanna stopped them "Oh! Illyria made brownies, they're in the kitchen." The watchers exchanged grins knowing that those brownies would be delicious. She may be a creature with measureless power from the primordial age and sometimes, a real bitch, but Illyria knew how to bake. Wendy reminded herself to ask the demoness for the recipe later.
Before meeting with Wesley the two watchers both stopped by the kitchen first for the chocolaty treats. With a brownie in his mouth they met with the Englishman who was exactly where they imagined he would be, face deep inside a dusty tome, engrossed to the point of being oblivious to the two entering the office. His barely business casual clothes were neatly ironed, Jacob found out the other day that Illyria does it for him.
With the young watcher's mouth stuffed with brownies, Wendy took the initiative and made a polite cough to get Wesley's attention. His head perked up at the sound and saw the two cowokers standing there expectantly, Jacob was doing his best to chew and swallow, the scarred man grinned.
"Ms. Carlise, Mr. Turner!" Jacob's eyebrows shot up in attention, his cheeks stuffed with food.
"Wes, you wanted to speak to us?" Wendy asked, since her partner's jaws were busy at the moment.
"Yes, there's a shipment of books that I'll be needing you two to cross reference specific parts against the database. New York offices say that those sections should be marked clearly. There is, I am sorry to tell you, a good bulk of them and it may take you all day. I'll be with you until I have to leave with the girls."
"That's cool Wes, we got it." Jacob finally managed, a little fudge still on his teeth.
This was generally how their days went, Wes would take girls out on patrol and the two junior watchers would hit the books. Sometimes Wendy would go with them, leaving Jacob behind, which he was totally cool with. Mostly because he'd be able to talk to Illyria, who only left for grocery runs on Wesley's motorcycle. The rest of the time she was on the computer, once Jacob found her playing video games, unsurprisingly, real-time strategy . Sometimes, when the others were gone, the young watcher would pick the demon's brain about her people and her culture, which amused her to tell him.
"I am sure you two are more than capable." Wesley replied, looking at the time on his cellphone. "Last time I checked, they should coming in an hour or so."
The books arrived and the watchers went to work. Illyria was present to see if she could sense anything emanating from the leather-bound volumes. When none was felt, she left to her own devices, Jacob assumed she was playing more games. The humans began leafing through the old books. A flatbed scanner was used to digitize the pages, Jacob noted the glyphs and symbols drawn on the glass that did not appear on the digital images. Wesley explained that the markings prevented anything spiritual to be entered into the machine.
"There was an issue that Buffy's team dealt with her sophomore year, a tome was scanned into a computer and a demon along with it. The thing even managed to access the web. That was in the late nineties, so they managed to deal with the problem quickly enough but imagine that happening now." The Englishman proposed.
A while later, deep into the research, Wendy stumbled onto an entry that fit nearly all the descriptors they were using to cross reference.
"Jacob, Wes, I think I've found something." she announced. "Here." She got up from her chair and showed the others a roughly sketched picture of a vile looking monster. It was roughly humanoid but its terrible gaping maw went all the way down in to the chest cavity. The teeth were drawn like needles and the claws resembled talons. It stood hunched over and skin flaps hung loosely from its body. Wesley and Jacob both looked over the ancient Syrian text besides it. Jacob identified two key words they were cross referencing within the leather-bound volumes to.
"This looks to be it. This very much looks to be what we are looking for." Wesley confirmed with a frantic look in his eyes. The other two were sure they were missing something.
"What's so important about this thing, anyway?" the younger man asked.
"About two years ago, these demons have literally been appearing out of nowhere to try and kill our girls." Wesley answered gravely. "Usually it would be when they would least expect it, when they were in their homes relaxing or when their backs were turned. They got two that way." The Englishman let out a frustrated sigh. "Up until six months ago, we knew nothing about it, then we captured one and we studied it. We found out its physical limits and vulnerabilities, and now, " he placed a finger on a word in the foreign text, " now we have a name." His fingers traced deeper into a paragraph of words unreadable to Wendy, "Perhaps even a mode of delivery." He read further and a frown grew and deepened on his face.
"What is it?" Jacob asked anxiously, Wendy stayed patient.
An angry sound emanated from the scarred man, "It's always the same damned thing. Spike you sodding idiot, I hate it when you're right." A tired sigh, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. The two new watchers gave each other confused looks and finally Wesley explained. "Blood, those bastard come at us through the blood."
Now...
The slayers did their best to avoid being crushed by the ceiling high metal racks that toppled over, random boxes and objects fell from atop their shelves. Lamps were smashed and the space was plunged into darkness, leaving only weak moonbeams streaming through dirty windows. Hanna carried her friend in her arms. They'd known each other since the start, since they were potentials and Emma just kept bleeding. Hanna leaped into the air, holding on to her barely conscious friend, avoiding the crashing furniture.
"Lights!" Called Denise and Hanna reflexively reached for ceramic flares in pouches on their harnesses. Small and round, two could fit in a palm at once. Still in midair, all three threw two flares each into the dark of the warehouse below. They flickered a soft white luminescence, leaving traces as they fell. The brightness was enough to see the ruined metal shelves on the floor. Monstrous shapes slithered into their view. The things leaped at the slayers as they landed several yards from their origin. More flares and small LEDs attached to their harnesses lit up the dark space, adding to the strategic luminescence.
The sudden lights let Denise and Jessie see that their attackers were the same type of demons that ambushed them half a year ago. Denise vividly remembered these ugly things; grayish skin, huge ugly mouths, long flailing tongues, barely humanoid, and sharp claws like talons that could rip and rend their flesh. Denise felt their strength once before and she had little doubt that if they did not get some back-up immediately Emma would die bleeding and they would follow soon after.A pair, this time, came at them. Claws, curved like knives were held high to slash at their targets. The three landed in between the toppled shelves, Hanna valiantly propped Emma with a shoulder and used her opposite hand to staunch the gushing wound on the skinny slayer's midsection. Denise drew her pistol, the only one the in squad rated to carry one, and emptied her magazine at one of the monsters as Jessie pivoted her body to avoid a slash from the other only to have her attacker disappear into the darkness their flares did not reach.
The demon Denise shot retreated as well, leaving a trail of ooze they assumed was it's blood. Hanna dug into Emma's harness and produced two more flares and flung them in the monster's directions revealing only swiftly moving shades and the sounds of irregular footfalls in the pitch black punctuated by the ever weakening glow from the flares on the ground.
"Run." Denise ordered as she hit a panic button on her harness, alerting the Big Board that they were in serious trouble. Jessie helped Hanna with Emma, draping the injured girl's arm over her own shoulder so the two uninjured slayers could both carry their squadmate easier. The went as fast as they could with Denise hanging back, her gun reloaded and ready. Jessie lobbed another flare in ahead of them and it landed just in time for the slayers to see one of the demons leaping at them again. Jessie blocked a swinging claw with her crossbow leaving the metal frame cracked and bent. The impact left a dull ache in arm and shoulder but that was preferable to the alternative.
"Oh, God. She's bleeding too much." Hanna half cried trying to get her friend to safety. She did her best to stifle her fear and panic. Over and over in her mind she had to remind herself that she wasn't just a scared little girl, that she was a slayer. A feeling came over her then, it was anger, it was frustration, it was clarity. "Jessie take her." Hanna untangled herself from Emma's limp form and threw all the flares she had around her, lighting up her immediate area. Jessie was about to protest but one of the demons suddenly lunged, attacking from the darkness. Her sword drawn, Hanna leaped into them, barely avoiding the first swipe by a hair's width and countered with a slice at its midsection.
"Hanna! Get the hell back here!" Denise called out angrily as she helped Jessie with Emma, who was still bleeding profusely. Hanna stabbed at the attacking demon, the bullet wounds marked it as the one that was shot before. Hanna's blade bit deep into ashen flesh. A shriek of pain erupted from its huge maw and it turned it's attention to the short slayer.
"Get Emma out of here!" Hanna yelled not looking at her squadmates who carried Emma away to safety. A downward slash was dodged and the claw bit deep into the concrete floor causing bits of masonry to fly. The claw embedded itself into the stony surface and the demon tugged its arm trying to free it, allowing Hanna to take advantage of the distraction. A vicious slash at the demon's appendage with her sword severed it from the body, the gray limb fell limply to the floor. The monster screeched horribly , it's long pink writhing tongue whipping about angrily.
Another swing at its neck with her sword caused the monster to leap away defensively. Hanna smiled, these things weren't so tough after all. These demons maybe be fast, strong and fought with the savageness of a wild animal, but no matter how strong these things were, she was destined to kill them. It was her duty. They were her enemy and she was the agent of their destruction; their nemesis. Hanna was a slayer.
A faint motion behind Hanna made her move to the side, narrowly avoiding the full strength of the second demon's attack. It had tried to sneak up behind her for a fatal blow, instead leaving only rips in her lower back. Hanna cried out, but the painful sting only fueled the young slayer. A backhanded swing with her gladius returned the favor to the demon, the blade caught its face. It riposted with another swing from its wicked claws and Hanna blocked it with her sword knocking her back a few steps. More wild swings were dodged and blocked, then Hanna ducked a slash from the other demon coming at her from her side. The pair of monsters came at her once, it took all her years of training as a slayer to be able to hold her own but they pressed their attacks and Hanna faltered.
Razor sharpness caught her across her thigh, another left a slice in her cheek, blood trailed down from the wound down Hanna's face. The demons circled her, looking for an opening, Hanna wiped away the blood unconsciously and they took that moment to attack. She jumped away from one swipe and blocked another, the force from the impact was so strong she barely held on to her short sword. They were so strong, stronger then she was, Hanna acknowledged. A grim focus washed over her and she concentrated solely on defense.
A claw was ducked, a vicious swipe was dipped under and a third slash was dodged, Hanna pushed herself as hard as she could to avoid all their attacks. As long as these things were focusing on her Emma and the others would be safe. The one armed demon moved faster than she expected and a razor sharp talon found an opening and raked downward across her chest, Hanna grunted. Another claw stabbed her right under her shoulder-blade and was ripped upwards, tearing through flesh and bone. Hanna's screamed in agony.
She dropped her gladius as she stumbled backwards, the Roman short sword clattered on the ground uselessly. The deep wound on her shoulder bled freely down her limp arm. Her breath became ragged as she tried to maintain focus despite the pain. The demons had backed away, though they could have finished her off already. Were they trying to savor their kill? Hanna raged at the idea of being toyed with. Her face twisted into a snarl and she screamed her defiance at them.
"You think, I'm scared of you?!" She drew a knife with her good arm and readied it. "Come get some, you fuckin' dickheads!" The two demons reared backed, ready to oblige her. Just as they were about to spring forward, gunshots rang out rocking the one armed demon's head several times. It dropped to the ground and Hanna turned to see Denise. Fresh smoke wafted from her pistol's barrel. The presence of her squad leader emboldened the chubby faced slayer.
"REMEMBER SUNNYDALE!" She bellowed as she threw herself at the remaining gray skinned demon. Her ferocity surprised the monster leaving itself open to her reckless assault. The demon staggered backwards as Hanna pressed her advantage. Over and over, Hanna stabbed into the monster's chest, leaving dark ichor dripping from its wounds. Denise joined her squadmate, flanking the demon. She slashed at it with her machete from behind, it could not defend itself from both sides. A clumsy swing was easily avoided and Hanna's knife was stabbed into its armpit. Denise kept hacking away at its rear. Finally the monstrous thing fell back in a heap, dead.
Hanna fell to her knees finally, succumbing to the pain from her shoulder. She wanted to pass out but looked up to Denise who held her hand out to the younger slayer.
"God dammit, Hanna. Don't you ever do that again." the squad leader commanded, her anger and worry clear upon her face. Hanna grinned at Denise despite the pain.
"You mean my Bat-Man impression? I didn't think it was that -" She did not finish her words as three claws pierced her back and burst out her chest. There was a surprised look in the chubby faced slayer's eyes before they dimmed. The one armed demon, the one Denise thought she had put down, ripped its talons out from Hanna as she fell dead to the floor.
It lunged at Denise, its tongue slick and writhing as the demon sailed through the air. Just barely, the slayer blocked its claw with her machete and roared her horror at the demon that just killed her friend. The weight of it made her fall to her back and she was pinned down to the concrete floor. Denise screamed in frustration
"YOU SONOVABITCH, I'M GONNA FUCKIN' KILL YOU!" She tried to throw the thing off of her but it pressed it's bulk onto the slayer keeping her onto the floor. A boot knife was grabbed and Denise stabbed the demon's side as many times as she could. The thing reared back in pain and raised it's claw for a killing blow. Denise tried to roll out of the monster's clutches but could not dodge the claw completely. Her arm, below her shoulder was sheared off. Blood gushed everywhere and splattered onto the floor. Denise ignored the pain, and continued stab at the monster. Over and over the short blade plunged into demon flesh and finally, the monster fell over her. She stabbed at it more, as she kept screaming. Eventually the blood loss was too much and the slayer passed out beneath the demon's lifeless corpse.
A/N: I am incredibly curious of your opinion of this chapter. Please review.