Tobias frowned slightly as he arrived on the campus, breathing slightly heavier than normal from running at his full speed from home to the back of one of the buildings, currently devoid of people. He looked at his hands and flexed them a few times, feeling a slight burn in his muscles as his heart rate started to settle.
"I'm out of shape." He muttered to himself. A run like that shouldn't have even winded him, yet he felt like he'd run several times the distance he'd actually gone. Then again, he'd been in Sunnydale for a few months dealing with much weaker threats than he normally did, so the decline in strength was to be expected. It just slipped his mind between learning about the town, his astral form, and whatever new threat popped up every other week. Still, he refused to let himself go soft while he was in town, only to have to work back to his normal fitness back home. "Need something to get my strength back. Air resistance, maybe? No, too much concentration to keep the pressure constant. Weights might work, but they'd have to heavier than what most stores carry..." Tobias kept tossing ideas around as he started walking towards the dorms.
Both Kazehana and Yahan hadn't been happy campers when he told them he and Buffy were going to the Initiative base and only the promise that this wouldn't derail their plans for tonight had stopped them from being sullen. He could deal with a lot of things, but them being sullen normally meant he was sullen due to that and their bonds and that was not fun for anybody. Still, he couldn't blame them. He was stomaching a lot of bad memories when dealing with these people, putting on a pleasant face when in reality he'd like nothing better than to ignore them, or, if they proved to be a problem, burn the entire organization to the ground... Or under the ground as the case may be. Reily he didn't mind, actually liking the big guy, but Walsh made his skin crawl and bile creep up his throat every time she looked at him with that reserved yet analytical gaze. It reminded him too much of another woman that was disturbingly like her, making it hard to not simply snap her neck with a thought and be done with her. The only reasons he didn't was because it would cause more problems than it'd most likely solve, plus he liked Sunnydale and the Scooby Gang too much to have the government after him for murder. So he'd keep a friendly appearance until he knew more about the Initiative in general. Who knew, maybe they'd be one of the few groups that fell under the good secret organization category, minus the bitch leader.
OK, maybe he was being a bit judgmental. So sue him.
He was just coming up to the dorm and about knock on the door when he heard someone behind him call, "Tobias!"
Buffy came jogging up the wall and stopped next to him. "Hey."
"Hey. Thought you'd be already inside." Tobias said, knocking on the door.
"Had to catch up on some homework. The fourth bane of my existence, right after apocalypses, demons, and bad hair days."
"I was half expecting bad hair days to be at the top of the list."
Buffy shoulder bumped him. "Ha ha."
The door cracked open, Riley poking his head out before opening it fully, smiling. "Hey."
"Hey." Buffy smiled back. Tobias nodded politely as they stepped into the dorm.
"So, Riley, how are you feeling this morning?"
"Good, thanks for asking." The taller teen nodded. "You?"
"I was in the middle of making breakfast for two when Buffy called and told me we're finally seeing the base today." 'At least with my real eyes.' He added in his head. Now that he thought about it, why did he never use his astral form to see it? Oh well, no point in thinking about it now.
"Two? You have a girlfriend or something?" Tobias just shrugged. When it was clear he wasn't getting an answer, Riley cleared his throat and gestured down the hall. "Well, shall we get going? We need to scan your retinas for the retinal scan."
"Retinal scans? How'd you get that in here? Heck, how did you hide a base on campus?"
"I could tell you, but..."
Tobias pointed at Riley. "If you say I'd have to kill you, I will smack you."
"I was actually going to say I'm not authorized."
The trio went down the same hallway Tobias had wandered down during that party a month ago, stopping in front of the same mirror. After a few seconds of staring at his reflection and nothing happening, he looked at the couple to see they were holding hands, with eyes only for each other. It almost looked like they were about to jump each other.
Having no desire whatsoever to see that, he coughed. "If you're planning to go at it, at least let me go away so I don't have to hear or see it."
Buffy went atomic red and dropped the hands of the equally red Riley. He coughed into his hand before saying shyly, "Uh, I'll just-" he awkwardly flipped open a hidden compartment next the mirror and pressed a button inside. He closed it and stepped to the side as a horizontal green light started from the top and moved down the mirror, scanning Buffy and Tobias.
"New retinal scans recorded." A digitized female voice intoned. "Summers, Buffy. Song, Tobias."
The mirror slid to the side and another slid the other way, showing a clean white room with lines making cubes in the wall. Riley took Buffy's hand and led her in while Tobias looked over the space, noting small details. The room was big enough for four people to get in at a time, maybe five if they squeezed in. Above the door on the opposite was a small hole, probably for a camera. Closing his eyes, he fired three quick Air Pulses and spotted hoses that led into the box, all hidden by small, motor controlled doors. Probably for some kind of gas, but he couldn't tell if it was the lethal kind. Another feature was a number pad on his left, hidden behind a panel that was balanced on a hinge. All in all, very paranoid and high techy. He felt them start descending and opened his eyes, waiting for the trip to finish.
The doors in front slid open, letting them step out onto a car walk that overlooked the space. Tobias whistled lowly while Buffy went wide eyed. "My god. You said it was big. You told me, but you never said it was
huuuge!"
"Well, I don't like to brag." Riley said offhandedly. The blonde looked at him and smiled.
"I had no idea." She said looking back at the scene. "This is incredible. But not that I thought it was some fly-by-night operation. She suddenly looked excited and turned back to Riley. "Unless it is! I mean, can you guys fly? At night. With those jet-pack things, do you have those?"
Riley smiled, coy. "I'm can't really talk about it."
"I repeat my earlier question, how the hell did you hide this?" Tobias asked, sweeping his arm to encompass everything. "This is not something you throw up on a weekend; this is months or maybe years of construction. You don't just make something this big and keep it secret. How big is this place?" He already knew it was huge, with a few tunnels that stretched for miles, but he had to put up the act.
"I'm afraid that's classified." They ask looked as Walsh walked up them, holding a clipboard and wearing a white lab coat. "But I take it you like our little operation?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Yes. It's very...clean." She finished lamely. Tobias just nodded.
Walsh held out two plastic, clip on badges. "Your visitor passes, and I've assembled some reading material to bring you up to speed."
They both clipped the badges to their front and took the papers Walsh took from her clipboard. Buffy made a face as she did. "Oh. And I thought I was never gonna get homework from
you again."
"You can't take that home. That's classified material. Highly sensitive. When you're through reading those pages you'll have to eat them." Walsh said, looking serious. Buffy gaped at her, speechless, while Tobias was flipping through the papers. All that seemed to be on here was warnings, like possible repercussions to revealing to the Initiative to unfriendly organizations or countries that included life in prison, severe fines, blah blah blah, all the bureaucrat crap. Then he got to the things related to demons, or as they called them, sub-terrestrials. That he paid closer attention to.
"She's joking." A grinning Riley told Buffy.
"Don't worry. It doesn't happen very often. Shall we?" Walsh asked. The group walked down the catwalk, Tobias stopping his reading for a moment, and they went to the metal railing surrounding the rectangular hole in the ground. "Much of our hands-on research with the HST's is performed here. We call this 'The Pit.'"
"What kind of research?" Tobias asked, eyes narrowing as he saw that there were two green, squid faced demons strapped to tables with a group of people around them, dressed in medical scrubs. "Biological, physiological? Also, what are those?"
"Tough." Riley said simply. "It took eight guys to take down those two."
"They'll be under our control soon enough." Walsh said. Nobody noticed Tobias's eyes turn white and his hand twitch. "Dr. Angleman!" She called into The Pit.
One brown-haired man in a white lab coat looked up from a conversation he was having with one of the surgeons, nodding in acknowledgment before continuing his conversation.
Walsh looked at the two newcomers and explained. "Head of our science team. He's a leader in the field of xenomorphic behavior modification."
"Behavior modification?" Both said, Tobias sharply while Buffy was confused.
She nodded. "We've made significant advances in reconditioning the sub-terrestrials. Bringing them to a point where they no longer pose
a threat."
"So I've seen." Buffy said quietly, looking down. Tobias knew she was thinking about Spike and his new inability to hurt or eat people. Then he sees both Riley and Walsh are looking at her.
"How do you manage that though? Demon physiological might be a typical humanoid shape, but they're biological systems are probably substantially different. I mean, vampires for instance don't have a working respiratory or circulatory system, but they still behave as if they have one and have sentient thoughts, despite not having oxygen transported to the brain." He asked, thinking that complicated questions would take their minds off it.
Walsh turned he look to him. "You seem to be familiar with the subject." She said mildly.
He shrugged. "When I was younger I wanted to know basically everything and Biology was one of the things that caught my interest. I learned everything I could about it from books, but I never officially studied it."
"Hhmm." Walsh didn't look entirely convinced but let it drop. "Well, I can't give you the specifics, but it involves electrical impulses, which all multicellular creatures have."
Tobias raised an eyebrow. That was actually quite clever. It didn't answer the question on what they did to Spike or how they kept doing it, but he could probably piece it out later. Just the fact that it involved electrical impulses had a few theories running through his head.
"What's that?" Buffy pointed towards a large area that had chain linked fences set up. Walsh gestured to them and they followed. Once they got close enough, they saw that the inside of the cage was covered in guns. Hand guns, automatic guns, the special stun guns and some they didn't recognize. A commando was inside, cleaning a taken apart gun at a table. Boxes of ammunition sat on the floor.
"The armory. You'll have to be cleared of use for each of these weapons."
Buffy, however, had already lost interest and her gaze wandered to a table set up near them, an open case on it and holding something that was set in soft foam packing. She went over to take a closer look, picking up the small device. It was an odd looking piece to her, a plastic curl to go around the ear, a lens and long tube, plus a thin stick like protrusion.
"The more advanced arsenal can be
complicated, but I'm certain, in time, you'll pick that up." Walsh said, until she looked over her shoulder and saw what Buffy was doing. "Don't pick that up." She quickly walked over and took it, gingerly placing it back on the foam.
"What is it?" Buffy asked.
"About twenty-thousand dollars."
Riley explained. "It's a prototype for a com-cam." He pointed at a monitor behind them, showing a sideways view of the box with a heart rate monitor that read zero at the bottom "Communications camera. Soon to be standard issue. Gives us a direct comlink to Control when we're out in the field."
"Also monitors the heart rate of the wearer. A valuable tool
for research in stress in combat condition." Walsh nodded.
"Impressive." Tobias muttered, leaning in for a closer look, but he didn't attempt to touch it. "How did you make the signal strong enough to transmit while being so small? How accurate is it with the heart monitor? Can it also tell you position in the field or is it strictly video and sound?"
"Classified, accurate enough for our purposes, and classified." Walsh said, eyes narrowing at the teen. He pointedly ignored the look. After a few second, she added. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the SHT containment area."
The group started walking, Buffy mouthing a silent sorry at Riley, who just smiled and nodded. Walsh pushed open one of the metal doors and lead them down a few hallways.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Tobias looked at everything he could while being discreet, noting that cameras were placed so there was no blind spot big enough to hide anything bigger than a young child in. Guards were walking by, not paying them any attention or posted outside certain doors. All in all, very hard if not impossible to get in unnoticed.
Walsh swiped her ID card at a heavy door, causing a beep before the door open, letting them in. This part of the base was pure white, like a hospital room, and had cells with glass walls set up in neat rows on either side. Tobias sent to the first one of the right and looked in. A vampire was sitting in the corner, arms around its knees and dressed in a dirted suit. He figured it was probably a fledgling, only just risen from the grave before it'd been captured. As he stood there, the demon looked up and snarled at him, fangs bared in anger.
"Why are the doors made of glass?" He asked, looking at the edges. A number pad and another card swipe sat in the wall next to all the cells. "Doesn't seem very effective at keeping them in."
"You'd be hard pressed to break that glass, it's ballistics glass." Walsh said. "It's also coated with a special material that allows us to electrify the inside."
OK, they had more toys than he expected them too, some of them way more advanced than should be possible in this time. "Huh. What do you run, ten, twenty thousand volts?" He asked, moving to the next cage as Buffy checked the other side.
"Fifty actually. It serves to deter them quite effectively." Walsh said.
"What about feeding the vampires?" Buffy asked, scowling at one she was currently looking at as it hissed.
"Animal blood we get for the slaughter house." Walsh pointed at the ceiling of the cells. A small hatch was set there. "We drop them in once a week, sometimes sooner with a sedative if we have a new experiment to try."
Tobias had to take a few deep breaths before he could unclench his hands and turn his eyes back to "normal". Walsh was showing classic signs of being a control freak, with no regard to the cost in obtaining whatever she wanted. He had to keep reminding himself that killing her now would be stupid and impractical.
He suddenly felt soothing and calm feeling flow through his bonds with the girls and sighed, his anger cooling under the new influence. He sent back grateful feelings in thanks before looking at Walsh. He had an idea for blowing off the rest of his steam and keeping her wondering about him. "Do you have a training area at all? I can't imagine that everyone trains in the campus gymnasium to stay in shape."
She blinked, looking a bit surprised. Buffy and Riley both looked at each other than him. "Um, yes, we have a dedicated area where our troops train between missions."
"I'd like to see it, if that's OK."
"Follow me."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Buffy was wondering exactly what her friend was up to as she walked alongside Riley, watching the back of Tobias and Walsh. She was also trying to sort through this new side he was suddenly showing.
She knew he wasn't dumb, but the instant he'd set foot in the Initiative he seemed to know more about the place than she did, asking questions she understood, yet at the same time didn't. It was like someone had flipped a switch and brainy Tobias had taken the wheel. It suddenly drove the point home that she knew him, but she didn't really know anything about him, aside from the superpowers and his questionable relationship with two women that he was...intimate with. God, she was never going to forget that morning they went over to his place out of her head.
"Hey," Riley gently shoulder bumped her out of her thoughts. "You ok?
"I'm fine. Just thinking too hard."
He grinned. "I know. Your brow was all scrunched up and you had that little frown on your face."
"I don't frown." She said indignantly, but with a smile so he knew she was kidding. They intertwined their hands and she felt her heart tense up, but it was a good tension. Riley had been a very thoughtful boyfriend, a perfect gentleman, and she couldn't be happier. She had bad experiences with relationships (case in point, Angelus and Parker), but this was different. Just having him close made her feel good, and him knowing what she did and her world made it easier, since she didn't have to keep secrets from him.
She was again shaken from her happy thoughts as something clicked open. They'd just arrived at a pair of large doors and were walking through into a large, gym like space. She cast her eyes over the space and saw it was set up like a fitness center- overhead lighting, exercise equipment of all kinds everywhere, some mats set up with a couple pairs of people practicing hand-to-hand. Tobias seemed to lock right onto that since he started walking towards that area, stopping at one particular fight.
Buffy noted the fighters, Forest and Graham, both dressed in heavy pants and a light shirt, as they circled each other, fists up and shoulders hunched, like boxers. They exchanged a few jabs, but neither seemed willing to take more action.
Then Graham took a step forward and tried a left straight. Forest ducked under and hooked his foot behind Graham's extended ankle, then punched him in the gut. The result was Graham unsurprisingly hitting the ground back first before a Forest put his forearm across his throat, other fist cocked.
"I give." Graham said. The arm was removed from his throat and used to help pull him up. "Nice job, didn't see that ankle coming."
Buffy actually thought that had been a little sloppy. The ankle trick could work in the right circumstances, but against something that was stronger and faster, like a vampire, it was unlikely to work without seriously backfiring. For example, getting down that low left you open to a knee to the face, or a stomp on the knee to shatter the bones. It didn't even require much force to do it, since the leg was fully extended.
As she was thinking this, Tobias stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Mind if I have a go with the winner?"
Graham looked at Forest, who shrugged in response. The former quickly left the mat and let Tobias take his place. Buffy noticed that he had a certain glint in his eye, one he occasionally got on patrol. What normally followed was him playing with it before staking it.
"So, I'm thinking first to step out of bounds loses, but otherwise no holds barred. Sound fair?"
Forest nodded before getting a mean smile on his face. "This won't take long then." He got into his boxer stance again.
"No, it won't." Tobias said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He went into a stance Buffy had never seen him use before; he lifted his right hand until it was slightly below shoulder height, higher and farther out then his left hand, which was level with his rib cage. His feet were shoulder width apart and slightly up off their heels, making his steps lighter than she thought he could make them. All the tension left him as he opened his eyes, which were glazed over and staring at nothing.
'What're you up to?' she thought to herself.
Forest tested Tobias, making quick movements like he was about to rush him, then small jerky steps and fake punches, but it almost seemed like Tobias had zoned out. Snorting and dropping his guard, Forest took a real step forward and threw a punch towards the chest. He found his fist striking nothing but air as Tobias suddenly moved, spinning around the punch and moving until he and his opponent were back to back, then slammed his elbow to send Forest flailing forward, grabbing his belt without looking before he fell out of bounds and pulling him back so he hit the ground back first, never once losing that blank look on his face. Buffy blinked.
'Oh. That's what.'
Forest snarled as he got back to his feet. "You're gonna pay for that."
He charged again, slower this time, and tried a variety of different punches. Left straight, right hook, hay maker, rib shot, and everything in between. Tobias never got touched, but moved around the blows like he was dancing, spinning and changing direction at a moment's notice. Buffy had never seen him use this style of fighting, since he normally preferred a more direct and effective approach, but she saw some merit in it. Using this style probably got the other guy riled up when he kept missing, causing him to put more energy into his attacks, then even more riled when they still kept missing. It was a viscously self-destructive cycle that left them tired and unable to think straight while the dodger was still fresh and clear headed. She wondered if Tobias could and would teach it to her, just so she had something to fall back on of hitting things failed to work, as it occasionally did.
The fight was drawing attention as it dragged on, a small crowd forming around the mat when more and more people have in to their desire to see what was happening.
Tobias ducked under another wild punch and smoothly spun away until he was standing a few feet of space between them, breathing heavier than he had at the start, but still with the blank look on his face, while Forest was panting and sweating like a pig.
"Fight back already!"
"Hhmm?" Tobias said, losing the blank look. "Sorry, did you say something? I was considering what to make for dinner tonight, I can't decide between Italian or Mexican. You have any input?" The question finally made Forest snap.
Yelling, he charged like a bull with his arms outstretched and slightly lowered so Tobias couldn't spin or duck his way out like he had previously. Buffy saw his eyes flash before he suddenly dropped and spun, knocking out the knees. He slammed one fist into his solar plexus and placed the palm of his other hand over the heart in Forest's chest, then threw him, his own momentum carrying him through the air. The crowd scrambled out of the way, letting him hit the ground and roll to a stop, wheezing, five feet away. All eyes went back to the teen who had just thrown the man a good five inches taller and about forty pounds heavier then him.
Tobias just straightened and nodded. "Good idea, I'll go with Mexican. Little spice would be good tonight." He stepped off the mat and went back the baffled trio, the crowd parting to let him pass. Riley was blinking and looking between the teen and his friend as he was helped to his feet. Walsh was looking at him like he had just upset something she knew to be fact, and Buffy...well, she was doing her best to not let her head explode from the questions crowding inside.
"So, anything else on the tour?"
After the excitement in the gym, the rest of the tour seemed to pass quickly. Of course, that also might have to do with the fact that most of the other things they saw were things like the motor pool, some empty containment cells for humans, things that weren't classified or that you needed clearance to see. Tobias asked about some rooms they passed and Walsh explained that they were mostly laboratories, running experiments on things like demon tissue and blood samples, trying to figure out exactly how they worked. After about twenty minutes, they were back in the main room.
"We have a few more things to give you."
"What's in there?" Buffy asked, pointing towards a door they hadn't gone through as a scientist swiped his card and went through. Walsh looked in the direction.
"Research area. Very restricted for security reason." Walsh held out two cards and pagers. "Here are your security cards and pagers."
Tobias smiled slightly as he took his while Buffy studied her own pager. "Been thinking about getting one of these."
"We're the only ones with the number, and it stays that way."
They both nodded.
"Lose either one of them and there's hell to pay, and down here we mean that literally." She offered her hand and actually smiled as she shook Buffy's, then Tobias's. "Again, welcome to the team."
"Pleasure is all ours." Tobias smiled back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tobias sighed as he sat down at the Espresso Pump coffee shop after ordering an espresso. He normally didn't drink coffee, but he found that the caffeine helped him think when he was annoyed or aggravated. He took a sip of his coffee, set it down, then pulled out the pager he'd been given and turned it over in one hand.
"Oh, River would get a kick out of this." He muttered to himself, feeling amused. He hadn't seen a pager in...well, frankly he didn't remember the last time he'd seen one. Still, it could prove useful once he looked it over more closely and disabled the tracker that was no doubt hidden inside, as it was military property. Even if that wasn't the case, Walsh would be looking for more information on him, including place of residence.
Tobias pocketed the device again and took another drink, trying to sort through what he'd seen and learned. The place wasn't anything new, aside from the research division he'd have to nose around later. Walsh, however, had been far more telling. She was smart, no doubt about that, and her degree in psychology meant she knew how to manipulate people, get them to trust her and her judgment, but she had shown signs of needing to be in control. The squid demons she'd said would soon be under "their" control, the lack of concern over her treatment of vampires and various other demons in the holding cells, and frankly her whole bearing just screamed megalomaniac. Granted, vampires didn't really deserve pity, but they also didn't deserve to be used as lab rats for science experiments. Either way, he was going to get out and stay away from the Initiative once he found out what their research division was up to.
But later, maybe tomorrow or two days from now. Today was too nice and he had a fun night with the girls to look forward to ruin it with thinking about the Initiative's hidden motivations. Tobias finished up his coffee and tossed the cup into a trash can as he left, heading for the graveyard that was only a few blocks from here. He had a tracer to disable before going home.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back at the Initiative base, Walsh was thinking about the tour and what she'd learned during it. Buffy had been easy enough, all bounciness and excitement to be there, which she expected from the girl. She didn't, however, like how much Riley seemed to pay attention to her and listen. If his loyalties were swaying, then she needed a way to put them firmly back with them, especially considering the time and effort she'd put into him.
Tobias had been more complicated, not that she expected it to be simple. Finding out anything on him was akin to pulling teeth and normally just left her with more questions. The level of sophistication he'd shown earlier, asking about how they kept the HST's under control, vampire physiology, how they'd gotten the base set up, even their prototype comcam and its capabilities. She would buy the biology explanation if he had school records to verify that, but there was nothing in that regard or any other. Another possibility was he was a foreign spy, but there would still be a false trail, not nothing at all. Too many possible explanations, not enough constants, other than he was very, very smart.
The fight had been equally puzzling. She'd never seen anyone with that kind of look in their eyes use that style of fighting or manipulate their opponent like he had. From a purely professional standpoint, it was disturbing at how easy Tobias had dismissed Private Forest, one of the better fighters in his unit, so completely he didn't even fully register in his consciousness until he was attacked, and even then Forest had let himself be manipulated so subtly he lost control of his emotions. That showed physiological sophistication on par with her own, only twisted to be used in a fight. And this was still with no idea on what other abilities he had besides the ability to fly that agent Riley had reported on.
Taken together, the need to find a control for him was more and more pressing. Hopefully with the bug in his pager they could at least find where he lived and build up from there. For now, she had check her pet project.
Walsh swiped her card through the reader and opened the door, stepping into the clean white hall ways of the research division. She followed the familiar path to the door marked 314 and swiped her card again, being careful to only open the door enough to enter and make sure it closed behind her. She turned around, taking in the operation room and Angleman was washing his hands at the sink, dressed in blue scrubs. He turned to look at her as he dried his hands.
"How'd the tour go?"
"I'm not sure. Ms. Summers is unpredictable and Mr. Song is an enigma." Maggie said, looking at something as she crossed the room.
The man shook his head. "They're unnecessary risks."
"Probably. How's our baby doing today?" She asked, consulting some papers on a clipboard.
"Adjusting nicely. Reflexes, motor functions, all off the charts."
"That's what I like to hear." She looked down at the operating table. "Almost time to wake up Adam."
Lying on the table, underneath a blanket, was a real life Frankenstein. It was about the age of a young man, only his chest and head visible under the blanket. His brown hair was neatly trimmed, the most normal feature, while more than half of his face was covered in dark green skin, the rest of his face a human pale. There was also metal plating on the green left side of his face, from jaw to temple. Most of his chest was also green as well as is his right shoulder, there was also patches of other different types of skin. Wherever the skins met was a line of
sutured or welded-on scars like a grotesque, demonic jigsaw. Numerous IV lines and monitoring connections disappeared under the blanket.
Walsh whispered, as soft and loving as a mother to her child. "And take your first look at the world. I know you're going to make me proud."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It'd almost be cute if it wasn't annoying at the same time." Kazehana said as she looked at the pager in her hand before tossing it to Yahan. "They really thought a bug inside a pager would work?"
"To be fair to them, they have no idea we were expecting them to try and trace where I went." Tobias shrugged. "Plus, after seeing a bit more of Walsh it became even more obvious they'd try to find out where 'I' live." He said, putting up quotations.
Both girls looked concerned, Yahan setting down the pager as she asked. "We felt you earlier; what happened that got you so angry?" Tobias was silent for a few minutes, but neither girl pushed him, knowing he would talk when he was ready.
"Walsh was just like her." He spat out the word bitterly. "Vampires and demons might not be human, but she's treating all of them like they're nothing but things for her to play with. She might not get her hands dirty on all the projects, but she is tearing those creatures apart just so she can play God. She does anything, everything to get and keep something under her control." As he spoke, his anger grew, his voice turned more and more bitter, and his eyes turned white, expressing better than his "normal" eyes did. Taken together, he made a terrifying picture to anyone.
Kazehana and Yahan didn't feel threatened though, they just felt sad as they looked at him. The woman he was talking about was incredibly touchy for him and for very good reason, but they never liked seeing his hatred out in full force like this. His face and eyes just didn't look like the man they loved.
Tobias shuddered as he reigned it in. "I'll figure out what Walsh is up to, but after that I'm done with them, and I'm making sure Buffy gets out too."
"You really care about them don't you? Buffy and the others." Kazehana smiled sadly.
He chuckled. "You know about me and the rest of the family Kazehana. We don't walk away from friends. And yeah, I like them." He took a breath. His anger at Walsh and the Initiative could wait for another day, one where he wasn't going to the Bronze with his girlfriend's. "So, can I ask what you plan on wearing to the Bronze later?"
Both girls smirked. "Let's just say we plan on turning a few heads." Yahan said.
"Am I going to need to beat back people with my sword?"
"Not tonight." Kazehana said, shaking her head. "But we are going to leave an impression."
"In that case, I look forward to tonight even more than I was." He said, kissing them both before checking the clock. "When do you want leave? It's 3:32 right now."
They looked at each other before both girls said together. "Seven."
"Seven it is then. I'll make an early dinner before we go. How about... Mexican?"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Half an hour before seven, Tobias was kicked out of the apartment so the girls could get ready in private. He didn't mind and he knew that they could find the Bronze by honing in on his emotions. It was one the welcome side effects of their bonds, knowing they could find each other no matter what. So with nothing else to do and the sun down, he made a round through the graveyard only a few blocks from the club. It was early in the night so he only managed to dust one vampire, but it killed time and made him feel good knowing there was one less killer in the world. Once ten minutes were left until it was time to meet at the Bronze, he made his way over and went inside. The place was relatively empty, but would probably fill up quickly as the night aged.
He headed up the bar and got the bartender's attention. "Coke please, no ice."
"Here you go."
"Thanks. Also, can I start a tab for the night?"
Once that was sorted, he found an empty high top table and sat down, fully expecting the next few minutes to be boring. The music was good and everything, but sitting alone was never...
"Tobias?" He looked up, surprised to see Willow, Xander, and Anya walking towards him
Scratch that last thought apparently.
"Hey guys." Taken by surprise, it was the best he could come up with. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh, kinda a core Scooby social meeting tonight." Willow said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I guess Buffy told you about it?"
He shook his head. "Didn't hear a word about it. I'm actually here with Kazehana and Yahan tonight."
"Really?" Xander looked around a little too enthusiastically. "I don't see them."
The teen gave a long suffering sigh. "Alas, I was thrown out of my own home so they could prepare without me watching them." He added more seriously. "They had a half hour to get ready, and I killed a vampire when I did a quick patrol, so it was good all around. They should be here in a few minutes."
"Uh, question. Have they ever been here?"
Tobias soon his head at Xander's inquiry. "No, but we always know where to find each other if we need to. So, where's Buffy anyways? If you're having a core Scooby night, shouldn't she be here?"
"Oh, yeah, actually," Willow checked her watch. "She should be here in a few minutes too".
"Well, since we have time to kill, what's new with you guys? I heard from the girls that last night's poker game turned into a massacre." He said, nodding at them to sit.
Anya looked annoyed. "I can't prove it, but I know for a fact that both of your girlfriends cheated. I lost all my fake money."
Tobias laughed. "I heard about that. Sorry, but I don't think they cheated, they've just got insane luck when it comes to card games. So with that in mind, never play Uno, go fish, or any such games with them if you want to win." The ex-demon apparently didn't believe him, if her huff and crossed arms said anything. "Willow, anything new with you?"
"No, not much. Kinda, been living the college life. You know, classes, homework, dorms, all that." She babbled.
"What about Wicca group, you still going to that?" Tobias noticed Willow shifted and look the tiniest bit uncomfortable.
"No. After a few meetings it kinda lost its witchy charm."
"Sorry." He gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "But hey, it's Sunnydale, home of the big brewing evil. You'll never be bored for long."
"I totally said that a few years ago! You've taken one of my quotes!" She said, puffing out her cheeks.
"Then great minds think alike." Tobias smiled. "Xander, how about you? New job or anything?"
"Actually I do." He dug through his pocket before pulling out one of the Boost Bars he was now selling. He said in a sales pitch tone of voice, "I'm selling..."
"No."
He blinked. "What?"
"Xander, I have seen and tasted the crap they put into bars like that and I'm telling you right now I am not, nor will I ever, buying one of those things from you. If I want a healthy snack for on the go, I'll take an apple or a bag of homemade trail mix." ned his mouth again. "And no, the fact that we're friends does not have any impact on this decision."
"Are you psychic or something? Maybe you have some mind reading power you haven't told us about that goes hand in hand with your little wind powers?"
"Dear god no. You have any idea what it's like having that many voices in your head? I'm just very very good at predicting people I know."
"Actually, Buffy got psychic powers once." Willow spoke up.
"You're kidding!"
They passed the next few minutes with the two core Scooby members recounting that particular adventure, where Buffy had gotten the power to read minds from a demon she'd killed. Apparently it had been fun at first, with her using it to do small harmless things, but the ability had grown until she couldn't bear the thoughts of so many people in her head. She'd almost died from the overload until they found the cure and got rid of it.
Tobias opened his mouth, about to ask something when he felt his bonds with the girls pulse. "They're here." He said, looking towards the door.
"Ok, that's another thing." Xander said, pointing a finger. "How do you know where they...they..."
Tobias could not blame the guy for losing his train of thought. The girls always looked good, but now they were dressed in casual sexy wear. Kazehana was wearing a tight purple top that matched her now light purple/violet hair, exposing her navel while curve hugging jeans outlined everything, stopping halfway down her calves. Her hair was up in a bun with some strands hanging next to her left eye, light black eye shadow making them stand out more. Yahan was dressed similarly, only her eye shadow was a dark shade of purple and she was wearing light red lipstick, with her hair in a ponytail. Both wore shoes that were fashionable yet practical.
A few guys wolf whistled as they entered, but the girls ignored them, instead looking and finding the table with Tobias and their friends. Both smiled and made their way towards them as Tobias stood.
"Hello beautiful." He said, casting an appreciative eye over them both. "Did you already have the outfits picked out or is this just something you threw together?"
"Had them picked out." Kazehana said, wrapping her arms around his neck before kissing him. "Glad you like them though." She whispered when they separated.
"I'd like to see them off you to be honest." He murmured into her ear. She shivered.
"Maybe later."
"Hey," Yahan tapped Kazehana's shoulder. "I still need to get my hello."
Tobias rolled his eyes, but put his hands on the dark skinned girl's hips and pulled her close. "Hello vixen."
"Hey, how come she's beautiful while I'm vixen?" She said, pouting slightly.
"I have many reasons, most which shouldn't be mentioned in public and that you scream at the top of your lungs." He kissed her firmly before she could reply.
"Cheater." She grumbled, looking slightly mollified.
"I thought you liked it when I fought dirty." Tobias said. He quickly glanced around, noticing that people were staring at them from the little double kiss. He did not care at all, and people were going back to their business anyways. "So, want something to drink first or hit the dance floor?"
As they considered it, the band started playing a fast song that had an excellent beat. Both girls grabbed one of his hands and started pulling him towards the dance floor. "Dance."
"How does he do it?" Xander asked as they watch the trio walk away. "I mean, most guys would be a mess after seeing those two, but he just takes it all in stride."
"Well, to be fair, it sounds like they've been together for a while now. Uh, also, you got a little something there..." Willow pointed at his chin. As Xander quickly wiped the small amount of drool away, she watched the dance floor. The small group looked like they were having fun, the girls much more at ease with their attire than she would've been without something to lower her own inhibitions, but the real change she noticed was in Tobias. He looked happier and more carefree than they'd ever seen him, and it was a startling change. She wondered what Buffy would think when she got her and saw them
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Whew!" Yahan slammed her shot glass back to the table, shaking her head as the whiskey burned its way down her throat. "Strong stuff, but it's good."
"That's also your fourth shot." Tobias said, noting her slightly rosy cheeks. "I know you can handle your alcohol, but maybe you should tone it down a little Yahan. I don't want a repeat of our first night."
"Oh, but that was so fun." She said, running her fingers up his arm. "Besides, Kazehana has had six."
"She's also more experienced in drinking and has a stronger tolerance. Now, I'm cutting you both off." He said, ignoring the tingles going up his arm and taking her glass from her other hand.
They'd been in the Bronze for an hour, dancing and having a care free time before taking a break and getting a few drinks of some fairly strong whisky. Well, the girls were having a few drinks, he was sticking with his soda. His last experience with alcohol mixing with his powers had resulted in minor property damage, putting him off the stuff forever. Willow and Anya were both having some light beers while Xander was going around the club trying to sell his Boost Bars with minimal success.
"Fine," Kazehana pushed her empty shot glass towards him. "But I expect to be compensated when we get home."
"I think I can live with that. I'm going to return these to the bar." He stood and made his through the crowd, half wondering where Buffy was since she was an hour late. Maybe she just got sidetracked hunting a newbie vampire. It'd happened before on their patrols. After dropping off the glasses and paying for the shots, Tobias went back to the table, catching the end of a conversation between Xander and Anya on why he was trying so hard to sell the bars. The logic went something like, "sell bars, make money, take Anya places and buy pretty things." The vengeance demon gave her ok, told him to go sell more bars, only for him to say he only had the one...which he was currently eating.
"Xander, you're selling methods leave much to be desired." Tobias shook his head, taking his seat between Kazehana and Yahan before putting an arm around their shoulders, following reflex.
"Yeah, I didn't fully think this through did I?" Xander checked his watch. "It's getting late anyways. Maybe we should go."
"Go? You can't go. Buffy hasn't gotten her yet." Willow said, sitting up straighter.
"Let's face it, Will. She's an hour late. She's probably off living the life with Riley. I don't think she's coming."
"She is!" Willow said, not sounding very convinced. "She was looking forward to spending quality time with just us."
"Uh, should we go then?" Yahan asked.
"Too late, here she comes." Tobias said, craning his neck as he saw her walk through the door, all dressed up. He was about to raise his hand to catch her attention when Riley walked in behind...followed by Graham...and Forest...and a bunch of other guys...
"With Riley...and some other guys." Willow said, sounding crestfallen.
Tobias barely heard her, since he was focused on keeping a calm face. Inside his head, however, his thoughts were somewhere along this line: 'FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUCK!'
This timing couldn't possibly be worse! He had made sure that he wasn't seen by the Initiative with Kazehana and Yahan with him, now Buffy was walking towards their table with Riley and a bunch of guys from the organization in tow! He knew his luck sucked, but this was a whole new level of bad! Did he somehow offend The Powers That Be or some other universal power recently?!
"Hey guys. Sorry for the late-itude." Buffy said, grabbing the last available seat.
"Late? Huh. Didn't notice." Xander said easily.
"We did." Tobias said. "Didn't know you were bringing company either Buffy." He put emphasis on her name, almost hoping she'd feel how pissed off he was at her. Considering how she paused and looked at him, he think she did. "Riley, good to see you." He added, this time more friendly.
The girls stayed quiet during the exchange, watching the rest of the crowd and judging them. They noticed some of them were checking them out and scowled at them, possessively grabbing one of Tobias's hands to show they were taken. Regular people could be easily handled, but they found that military trained men had a hard time understanding the word's no and taken.
"Hope you don't mind us tagging along." Riley said.
Willow skilled forcefully. "No. No, of course not. The more, the...more."
"This is Graham. This is Forrest. That's Kevin. And that's Jay in the back." Riley said, running through introductions for Willow, Xander, and Anya's sake. Each guy made some gesture to show where he was, Graham politely asking how the group was doing and nodding at Tobias, which he returned.
"We're going to get some drinks. Anybody want anything?" Riley asked.
"I'm covered thanks." Tobias said, nodding at his half full soda.
"Coke, please." Buffy requested.
Willow and Xander both declined. Anya scowled when Riley looked at her and stood, grabbing her boyfriend's arm. "We're going away. To dance. Over there." She dragged them away from the table, ignoring Xander's confusion while the Imitative guys drifted towards the bar, and Buffy changed seats so she sat next to Willow.
"Anya seems a little on edge."
The witch nodded. "She's a little angsty around commando-types. Ex-demon issues."
"She's not the only one." Tobias said, struggling not to yell his next question, but it still sounded harsh. "What the hell Buffy!? Why are they here!?"
The blonde looked shocked at the venom in his voice. "What's wrong with it? Riley and the guys were throwing a little impromptu celebration in our honor and made it, like, impossible to not invite
them."
"What's wrong with it? I'll tell you what's wrong with it, you didn't tell anyone, you didn't tell me! If I knew they were going to be here, I wouldn't have brought Kazehana and Yahan! No offense."
"None taken, totally see where you're coming from with this." Kazehana said, Yahan nodding in agreement.
Buffy looked irritated. "Look, I don't see what the big deal is. So Riley and a few guys know you have two girlfriend's."
"Buffy, I am fine with Riley finding that out. I like him, I like Graham, but I hate Forest and after the fight in the gym, I would be shocked if he didn't loathe me. And it's not just a few guys, they're soldiers, who report to Walsh, who I do not trust! Have you heard me specifically mention either girls when we're in the company of the Initiative?"
"Well... Not really, but..."
"It was exactly for the purpose of them not knowing I was in a relationship with them, or that they even really existed! And now, eight guys plus one who hates me knows about them. So, thanks a lot for that." He suddenly stood up. "I need some air."
Both girls stood up. "And we need to get home." Yahan said, frowning. Tobias could feel she was angry that the fun night had been interrupted, and slightly irritated at Buffy for her actions. Kazehana just felt a little disappointed.
"OK, but use shadows once you're out of sight to get there. I'm staying here for the time being." The group walked out, not even casting a backward glance.
"That was rude." Buffy huffed.
Willow looked torn. On one hand, she was supposed to support her best friend, but she also agreed with Tobias on some points. Plus she was annoyed Buffy had invited the guys too, but only because she thought that she could've invited Tara if this wasn't a core Scooby night. She really liked the other witch and had declined a night with her for the Bronze. Deciding to play it safe, she settled for asking a neutral question. "So, uh, what's the celebration for?"
Buffy looked surprised. "Tobias didn't tell you?"
The witch shook her head.
The blonde now looked excited as she leaned in. "We're in. The Initiative. Professor Walsh gave us the grand tour and we're talking Grand as in Canyon! You'd never believe the size of it."
"That's really...neat, I guess. So what do you mean exactly? You've joined them?"
"No. N-not exactly. It just means that when I patrol I'll have a heavily armed team backing me up" she smiled, adding, "Plus, boyfriend going to work with me: big extra perk."
"Buffy, do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, don't you think you're rushing things a little?"
The Slayer frowned. "I thought you liked Riley?"
"Not with Riley. With the Initiative. I mean, there's a bunch of stuff about them we still don't know."
"Good to see I'm not the only one thinking that." Both girls looked as Tobias came back, looking less angry as he sat back in his spot. "And she has a valid point Buffy, we don't have any real information on them besides the fact that they fight demons and that leaves big questions."
"I know that." After a beat and look from both her friends, Buffy sighed. "Like what?"
Tobias got the ball rolling. "Well, let's start with the behavior modification. They neuter vampires and demons, but then what? Do they keep them for study purposes, reintegrate them into society? What exactly is their ultimate goal?"
"Oh," Willow spoke up. "And don't forget that '314' thing that Ethan told Giles about."
"Well, a man who worships chaos and tries to kill you is a man you can trust." Buffy said seriously. Tobias reached over and smacked her in the back of the head. "Ow!"
"Just because he's a dirt bag didn't mean he doesn't have some sort of information for us to use. Walsh said earlier they have a research division, but why would they need extra security for that section unless they're doing research they don't want anybody knowing about? I don't like it, and I think we need to keep our eyes and ears open around them before we really trust them."
"If you don't trust them, then why did you join?" Buffy snapped, tired of being treated like a child. She knew how the real world worked, she didn't need to be lectured like this.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. That's one of the truer sayings out there." Suddenly their pagers beeped and he heard five more come from the bar as he pulled his out, checking the display. It said they were to report to The Pit for briefing, a situation had come up. "Though it's decidedly annoying when they mess up your night out." Tobias quickly finished his drink as Riley came over, already in business mode.
"That's our cue. Mother wants us."
But not apparently above making a joke.
"Ok" Buffy nodded before looking at Willow, who looked confused and slightly hurt. "Will..."
"I know. Talk later."
Tobias debated something before looking at Buffy. "I'll be right behind you, I got to pay my tab at the bar."
"OK, see you there." The group left the club quickly, not looking back at all while they vaguely heard Buffy say "so what's the big emergency?"
Tobias ignored them in favor of looking at Willow analytically, causing her to shift and look uncomfortable. "Um, don't you have to pay and then, you know, run after them?"
"Nah, I paid when I dropped off those shot glasses earlier and I can probably beat them there if I tried. You, however, look like you need someone to talk to." He sat back. "And I'm still holding the position of Scooby Gang shrink last I knew. So, come on, troubles, give."
"It's just..." Willow sighed, looking around to make sure Xander and Anya weren't coming back. "It just seems like we're all drifting away from each other."
"I take it you're talking about Buffy and the rest of the Gang?"
"Yeah. I mean, me and Buffy see each other in class and in the hallways and everyone gets together to stop big bad evils, but... We just don't hang out as much as we used to." She hesitated for a second. "And Spike... Well, he kinda said that Buffy was just being nice and keeping us around so she didn't hurt our feelings." Willow said quietly. It didn't help that the vampire, like most times when he talked too much, had a point. She and Xander weren't as helpful or needed as they were in high school, and now Buffy had a new boyfriend and they hardly saw each other outside of class.
The teen rolled his eyes. "Remind me to give Spike a giant kick in the ass next time we see him please. And quick question, when did he say this?"
Willow blinked. "Um, when we were looking for the Word of Valois and he tagged along."
"And was this before or after he tried to stake himself and was wearing those horrible clothes of Xander's?"
"After." She said, still not quite getting this line of questioning.
"So, let get something straight. You listened to a previously, now harmless, blood thirsty vampire who messed with your heads when he was your enemy who at the time couldn't fight anything and was feeling spiteful towards Buffy and anyone associated with her due to the fact that she was indirectly responsible for him having the chip in his head? And was wearing cheap crappy clothes that made him look pathetic?"
"Well..." When he put it that way, it sounded kinda stupid.
"Look, Spike is frankly such a pain in our collective asses that I'm not entirely sure why we haven't killed him yet, but he's wrong. Now, can you or Xander fight like me and Buffy do? No, but you do something else that is possibly more important."
"Like?"
Tobias sighed and rested his elbows on the table. "Consider this. Buffy is the Slayer, someone who practically lives and breathes in the darkness, death, evil, all that. And you cannot look into the void without it looking into you, which can... Change people. Left alone, they can turn twisted, be easily manipulated into doing things that they'd never normally do, maybe even relish in causing pain and death." He looked sad as he talked, like he was remembering something hard. "People like that need friends, family, something to remind them that they're still human and that life isn't all bloodshed and darkness. That it can be good. And that is what you, Xander, Giles, Joyce, all of you do that makes you important. You keep Buffy grounded. And it's why, while you might not hang out as much as you once did, you'll always be friends."
Willow blinked. That...was actually a very different way of looking at being the Slayer. She had seen Buffy kill demons before, but they never really considered what that meant when the blonde surrounded herself with that. She had always been pretty happy and upbeat, except for some times when she was understandably distraught or angry. It made her wonder what Buffy would be like if they'd never met her. She also noticed something else.
"You're not just talking about Buffy when you talk about staying grounded, are you?"
He smiled slightly at her question. "No, not really. I'm a complicated person Will, more than you can imagine. But," he said, standing up and nodding at her. "You'll learn about that soon I suspect. I just hope we can stay friends when you and the rest of the Gang see all my sides. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going, but I hope I helped at least a little."
Finished, Tobias turned and left the club. Willow watched his back until he was swallowed by the crowd, wondering if she or any of her friends would ever really figure the teen out.