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Chapter 7- Two is better than one
The gang was cleaning up the living room from the aftermath of when Joyce visited Dawn.
Peter and Xander were working on the large picture window behind the couch, covering the hole with plastic.
Spike and Anya were replacing the home decor items on the mantle. Willow and Tara were sweeping off a table, when Dawn came down to talk.
"So the basement was filled with bodies?"
"Yes, and all of them turned into human-sized Lizards because Curt had bitten them", Peter told her.
"And Curt would have done that to many people around town and buried them, what are we waiting for exactly?" Dawn now wondered.
Willow sighed. "It's not that simple."
Anya inquired. "Shouldn't we stab him through the chest? Isn't that what we do when these things happen?"
"Once upon a time, I'd have agreed with you, now I try to see the bigger picture at least", Spike said. "Buffy has a plan."
Willow agreed. "Yeah, Buffy knows what she's doing."
"Yeah, just hope what she knows is enough", Tara added. "Because while I want to help Curt, he is dangerous."
"Well, we have me, Buffy, Spike, Willow and Tara to keep him in line if he does anything", Peter pointed out to them all. "Nothing to worry about."
"I hope that's true, because I don't want to repeat this process", Xander said about cleaning up and fixing this room.
Anya sighed. "Fine. You guys keep your heads buried in the sand, but I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that the giant Lizard can come after all of us now."
Buffy was tying Curt's wrist to a chair he was sitting on.
Buffy sighed. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this. We just can't take any chances."
"Don't..." Curt then requested. "Make it tighter—the knots will give. If I get free, someone is gonna die."
Principal Wood was sitting at his desk, interviewing two teenage boys seated in chairs in front of his desk.
"Now, guys, look, we can settle this one of two ways. You can repaint the walls, or I can suspend you and report this little incident on your permanent record."
One punk said. "Fine. Do that."
Wood sighed. "OK, I was bluffing. I hadn't really thought that one through." He leaned forwards. "Listen, this whole permanent record thing is such a myth anyway. Colleges never ask for anything past your SAT scores, and it's not like employers are gonna be calling up to check to see how many days you missed back in high school. So, listen, I-I could suspend you", he stood, walking around the desk, "but that would mean calling your parents, alerting your teachers, filling out paperwork, and, quite possibly, having to talk to the school board—" he sat on desk in front of them, "all of which sounds positively exhausting to me. No. No, I think it would be much easier if I just called the police, let them deal with it." He looked in their eyes. "Oh, and, in case you're wondering, this is the part where I'm not bluffing."
The punks looked at each other. "We'll repaint it."
"Good job."
There was a knock at his door.
"Excuse me", he opened the door to reveal Peter and Dawn. "Mr. Parker, Miss Summers. I'm with students."
Dawn informed him. "I just wanted to tell you that Buffy won't be coming in today. She's really sick."
"And I wanted to tell you the same on Professor Connors, I went to visit him last night over some of his research", Peter told Robin. "He would have told you but decided I could."
"Oh, no", Robin sighed.
"Yeah, sucks both are sick at the same time", Peter agreed with him.
Dawn told Wood. "Last night she was vomiting, and then this morning she was vomiting some more, and then, just when we thought she was done, she was vomiting again."
Wood agreed. "Yeah, we got that stomach flu going around."
Dawn told him. "Her exact words were, "I've got stuff coming out of both ends.""
Peter covered his face and lowered it, trying hard to not burst out laughing.
"Thank you. That's very helpful."
Dawn smiled. "Sure. No problem." She asked the punks. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"
"Pretty good."
"Um, tell your sister not to worry about it. We'll soldier on without her here. Just, um, tell her to concentrate on getting better", Wood said and turned to Peter. "You do the same for the Professor."
Dawn nodded. "Yeah, she'll be fine. She just needs to get some stuff out of her system."
They walked out when Peter bumped into Felicia again. "Oh hey, Felicia!"
"Peter, hey!" Felicia greeted him. "Dawn!"
For some reason, she looked jumpy as Peter asked. "Everything okay?"
"Yes, it's all good", Felicia assured, and then walked off, though Peter knew there was something more to it.
Buffy was talking on the telephone. "I need to find him as soon as possible. He's not answering any of his numbers."
At the Council Headquarters, Mr. Travers was sitting at a desk, talking on the phone. He told Buffy. "Miss Summers, the Watcher's Council does not keep track of our employees all the time. We have not made it our business to follow every move of his."
In her kitchen, Buffy said to the Travers on the phone. "You don't have to get all British and dodgy, Mr. Travers. I know you have ways of finding him."
Mr. Travers was actually sitting at a long conference table, surrounded by members of the Watcher's Council, and he said to Buffy on the phone. "Well, I suppose if you feel the matter's urgent, we can look into it.
"I'd appreciate it. Thank you", Buffy said to Travers on the phone from her kitchen.
Travers assured Buffy from the Headquarters. "Not at all. Good day." He hung up and sighed, and then addressed everyone else who was on the table. "The girl knows nothing." He stood up and walked around. "And we need to find Rupert Giles, since we haven't seen him after he tried to get information out of me." He said urgently to all of them. "As soon as possible."
At the house, Curt was still tied to the chair. He was shivering and gasping. Buffy was there, and sat on the bed near him.
She inquired. "Can I do something?"
Curt told her. "I think you should probably go—"
Buffy stood up, turning to get something for him. "Here."
As her back was turned, Curt's eyes rolled back and he grunted, his tongue suddenly getting longer as it slithered out of his mouth.
When Buffy turned back to Curt, he'd turned green with sharp teeth as he struggled against the binds on him.
Buffy later talked to Spike, Willow and Tara. "He's trying to control it, but I'm not sure for how long he can."
"And until then, I don't think we're getting much useful out of the poor sod either", Spike said with a sigh. "This is all sorts of messed up."
"Tell me about it", Willow muttered.
"Well, let's just try to make sure he gets better, and then ask him", Tara said when there was a knock on the door.
"Who'd that be?" Buffy wondered as she went to get it, and opened the door to reveal Faith on the other end, surprising her.
"Faith?" Buffy finally managed to let out.
"Hey B, got room for me here?" Faith inquired, before looking over Buffy's shoulder to see Willow, Tara and Spike, and waved to them. "Hey guys!"
"Hey!" Willow waved happily to her as she and Tara got up, and hugged Faith, which she returned.
"There we go, gal pals", Faith reminded as chuckles rang out between them.
"Gal pals?" Buffy asked confused.
"Yeah, the three of us and Dawnie are all gal pals", Tara revealed, and Buffy narrowed her eyes at them.
"And you didn't invite me?" She asked in mock outrage.
"Sorry?" Willow half-asked, half-said lamely.
"Come on in", Tara said to Faith, who walked in, and shared a hug with Spike.
"Hey blood boy", Faith quipped, as Spike chuckled.
"Slayer 2.0", Spike joked back, and Faith chuckled as well.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but any reason why you're here?" Buffy asked as they all sat down.
"Yeah, not a social visit", Faith confirmed with a nod. "I had these dreams, of men in robes killing these girls with knives, then a guy attacked me in the park with that same knife, and for some reason, I've a feeling its all gonna go down here."
"Well, you're not wrong, stuff is going on here", Willow told Faith. "We basically have something coming after us which takes the form of our loved ones. It came to me as Tara."
"And to me as my mom", Tara added. "And to Dawnie too, in the form of her mom."
"I saw it as Dru", Spike added too.
"And Peter saw his uncle", Buffy said. "I haven't been visited….yet."
"It may have visited me in my dreams then, since I had one of you two", she pointed to Buffy and Spike, "a bunch of other girls, Peter, Matt and me in a fight somewhere, and it came to me as the Mayor."
"So this thing did draw you to Sunnydale", Willow said in realization. "Whatever it wants, it needs all of us here for it."
"Where's Matt?" Tara inquired.
"Well, he went off to LA, something is going down there too, and he too had weird dreams about it, so we've parted ways for now, he handles LA, I handle Sunnydale", Faith explained to them all, and they nodded. "Anything I'm missing?"
"Well, Spider-kid and nibblet have a new science teacher who can turn into a Lizard due to a formula, basically cheap Godzilla", Spike explained to her.
"And he is being manipulated by this thing too, so we have him down here to help him, but not sure what to do", Tara finished.
"If he turns here?" Faith inquired.
"We're trying to prevent it", Buffy assured.
"Maybe you should talk to him again", Willow suggested.
"Yeah", Buffy said in agreement.
Buffy went back into her room where Curt was tied up. She shut the door behind her.
"Better?" Curt nodded. "Good." Buffy sat on edge of bed.
Curt said honestly. "I don't remember anything."
"Well, you almost did transform", Buffy reminded him.
"No, not that. I don't remember... what I did", Curt then sighed.
"Nothing?"
Curt confessed to her. "It's all flashes here and there. It's like I'm watching someone else...do it, kill people. I've been losing time for a while now, waking up in strange places."
"When did you start transforming?" Buffy asked.
"A little while before I came here", Curt revealed. "I thought I could control it, I failed. I just wanted my arm back, this technology could have helped people."
"But playing God never ends well, Professor", Buffy told him honestly.
"I wasn't aware of that before I tried it, or guess I just didn't care", Curt said with a sigh. "And these blackouts too, I become Lizard, then I wake up wherever, though I've started remembering now. Oh God those poor people."
"You didn't do anything, Professor. Well, you did, but you weren't in control", Buffy pointed out to him.
"But I did those things", Curt sighed. "It's not just going to go away, as much as I wish it did."
Unseen to her, at that moment, the other Peter was in the room, and told Curt. "So, another Slayer is here, let's give her a welcome."
He then sang to Curt. "Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen. Give him the word that I'm not a rover. Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over."
Now Curt sang further. "Sandman, I'm so alone. Don't have nobody to call my own. Please turn on your magic beam. Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream."
"Professor?" Buffy inquired, when suddenly he partially transformed, into a human-sized Lizard rather than giant one, and broke his restraints, then punched Buffy down.
He then rushed into the opposite direction, and rushed into the main room, pushing Xander and Anya down too, then lunged at Faith, pinning her to the ground, but she managed to kick him back.
He charged again but Spike grabbed him in a chokehold and as they struggled, Tara put a hand on his head and chanted a spell, calming him down as he fell down, knocked out.
"You okay?" Willow asked Faith.
"Five by five", Faith assured as the other Peter looked at Curt in disappointment.
Later, Peter and Dawn were with them too as Peter asked. "So, how is Curt?"
"No idea, haven't talked to him since then", Buffy told her.
Dawn was happy to see Faith again and was chattering away with her, Willow and Tara.
"How did it happen?" Spike asked.
"Me and him were talking, then he suddenly sang, and then became Lizard-man", Buffy shook her head.
"Maybe its another musical", Anya suggested and got a glare from Buffy. "A very crappy musical."
"A trigger maybe?" Xander wondered. "Like those sleeper agents there."
"Well, Curt did say he was seeing things back in the basement", Peter reminded them all.
"How do we make it stop?" Buffy now wondered.
"Well, operative will have to complete his task then", Xander pointed out.
"I need some information then", Buffy said with a sigh.
Curt was lying on the floor in shackles, both hands and feet chained to the wall. His eyes were closed. Buffy and Peter walked downstairs with a bowl of water and went over to him.
Peter shook him and he woke up, and asked. "Did I hurt anybody?"
"You did lunge at Faith", Buffy said.
"Who?" Curt asked.
"Another Slayer", Peter told him.
"Oh."
"She'll be fine, she's faced worse", Buffy assured.
"I don't remember", Curt confessed.
"It's okay", Peter told him.
"I don't know why though", Curt said.
Buffy told him. "We think we do. Something's playing you. Some ghost or demon has figured out how to control you. Got the gang researching it right now." Curt pulled himself up into sitting position using the chain. "Xander has this theory that you're being triggered."
"Kill me."
"What?"
Curt begged. "Buffy, Peter, you have to kill me."
"But why?" Peter asked.
Buffy tried to reason. "You don't understand. When I left the room earlier, I heard you talking to someone—"
"Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?"
Buffy reminded him. "I was in the cellar with you. I saw what you did."
Curt confessed. "I'm not talking about the cellar. The people in the cellar got off easy. I'm talking about what I did before, I have killed many people, hurt innocents, even punched my own therapist."
"Bad things happened to you, and they affected others", Peter assured Curt. "Maybe you're doing this due to being controlled. Who knows, now that you remember, maybe you can use the Lizard for good too. After all, Bruce Banner used Hulk for good. A friend of mine can become a Demon, and he used it for good as well. You can too, Professor. You can be a good man, a hero."
Curt now looked at Peter with some hope and amazement. Just then, the lights flickered and went out. Someone burst into the basement and pushed Buffy away from Curt, though Peter's spider-sense warned him and he pushed another gut down.
Xander and Anya were in the living room. Willow, Tara, Spike, Faith and Dawn were in the dining room. Robed men broke into the house from all angles, smashing windows and breaking down doors. Covered head to toe in long, black, hooded robes, these people had wooden staffs and no eyes.
Willow pushed one of the robed men off of her as Tara manged to throw another down. Spike spin kicked one away and grabbing another by the collar, slammed him into the wall, as Faith elbowed one out and punched another down, then leapt and kicked another away.
Dawn pushed one back and hit him multiple times.
Buffy and Peter came up and joined as Buffy flip kicked one away and Peter threw another off, and then Buffy slid and kicked one's feet from underneath him.
Dawn was on the floor and weakly stood, grabbing a wooden staff. A robed person was lying still on the floor in front of her. She inched closer to him, holding the wooden staff defensively. He swung his leg at her ankle, tripping her. He climbed on top of her and pulled out a silver dagger, aiming for her chest.
Peter then fired a web-shooter and pulled the person away, throwing him off into a corner.
A robed person came at Buffy with silver curved daggers in both hands. She grabbed his wrists, kicked him back, and grabbed the daggers. One robed person lunged at her, and she stuck the dagger in his belly. When the other robed person came at her, she did the same. They screamed and collapse.
Xander pushed one down as Anya knocked one out from behind too, and Faith slammed one's face on her knee, and this was the last one.
"Is this it?" Xander wondered. "I thought there was more of them."
"Curt", Buffy remembered, and she, Xander and Peter went down, only to see the shackles were now empty.
"Oh boy!" Peter said in realization.
Willow and Tara entered the living room carrying a First Aid kit. Anya and Dawn were sitting on the couch as Spike and Faith stood in a corner. Willow sat in a nearby chair. Buffy, Peter and Xander came into the room together.
Xander noted. "They were so fast. And organized."
Buffy informed the rest. "They were after Curt all along."
"And we were in the way", Peter noted.
"Why'd they want the Professor though?" Spike wondered.
"Maybe they want the Cheap Godzilla", Faith pointed out to Spike.
"Yeah, that'd be what they want", Tara agreed, and the implications were not lost on any of them.
Buffy kneeled to inspect one of the robed people who was lying face-up on the floor, and realized what was going on at last, her mind putting the pieces together.
"I know these guys. I fought them before. We aren't being haunted. This isn't some demon. It's all the same thing. Curt's ghosts, the people you guys saw, from beneath us, it's all the same thing. I know what we're up against."
She revealed its name finally.
"The First."
The Council headquarters was buzzing with activity. People were all busy on the phone, reviewing reports, and talking to each other. One man was reporting to Quentin Travers.
"They took our files, wiped out our records. We've lost contact with operations in Munich, Switzerland and Rome. We've got casualty confirmations coming in from as far away as Melbourne."
"Sir, we are crippled."
Travers walked in. "It's all right, Lydia. We are still masters of our fate, still captains of our souls."
He addressed the whole room. "Ladies and gentlemen, our fears have been confirmed. The First Evil has declared all-out war on this institution. Their first volleys proved most effective. I, for one, think it's time we struck back." He paced around. "Give me confirmations on all remaining operatives. Visuals and tacticals. Highest alert." He stood still. "Get them here as soon as possible. Begin preparations for mobilization. Once we're accounted for, I want to be ready to move."
"Sir?"
Travers revealed. "We'll be paying a visit to the hell mouth. My friends, these are the times that define us. Proverbs 24:6. O, by wise council, you shall make your war."
The Watcher's Council Headquarters blew up in a huge explosion, taking out the whole building.
Curt was strapped to a construct of a wooden beam as the First in Spike's form looked at him. "You'll have to excuse the spectacle, but I've always been a bit of a sucker for the old classics." He grinned wickedly at Curt's predicament.
Curt was tied to the wheel-like construct with all four corners of his body pulled in opposite directions. A Harbinger took out a knife and cut Curt with it. Curt moaned in excruciating pain.
"Oh!"
The First scoffed. "Oh, don't look at me that way. I wanted to do this more subtle-like. My Harbingers have a tendency to call attention to themselves."
A Harbinger cut Curt again.
"Oh!"
Curt leaned forward. "You're the one who couldn't hold his end of the bargain. You're the one who couldn't take care of the other Slayer. You're the one who had to make breakthroughs and learn something about himself."
A Harbinger cut Curt again.
"Oh!"
"So now, fittingly, you're the one who gets to do the honors." The First crossed arms and became Buffy. "I have to admit, I'm glad it worked out this way. You actually look good with your shirt off."
A Harbinger cranked a wheel attached to a mechanism that hoisted the wheel Curt was tied to into the air. Curt was now hanging from the wheel about ten feet from the ground, bleeding steadily from his ritualized symbol-shaped cuts.
"To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of subtle. I think it's about time we brought some authority to our presence. Now, Curt, wanna see what a real Vampire looks like?"
Curt's blood was falling on the Seal of Danthazar that was right below him. It was pooling in the grooves and being absorbed into the seal. The seal started to glow. One by one, the pointed tips of the pentagram at its center folded up, forming a pyramid.
Light came out from under it. The pyramid sank into the ground. The remaining pieces of the seal followed suit.
Curt glared at the First, then watched the hole where the seal was. Something stuck it's withered, gray, pointy-fingered hand out of the hole. A monster climbed out wearing black leather.
It had a horrible disfigured face. It was bald with a distinct vampire forehead and brows and trademark fanged teeth. It looked gaunt, with extremely hollow cheekbones. It raised its hands toward the sky and looks around the room, growling menacingly.
Avengers Tower
"Well, they can't talk, so we won't get much from them", Bucky said as he, Natasha, Fitz, Simmons, Bobbi and Hunter sat together.
"So, what do we do?" Natasha wondered. "Don't want to call Wanda, she is still working through her grief with Clint."
Outside of the party, Wanda usually stayed at Clint's farm after Vision's death to cope.
"So Thor is off-world. Tony, Clint and Bruce are retired", Hunter noted.
"What about Carol?" Bobbi asked.
"Rehab", Bucky confirmed.
"And Cap and Sam are off after those Flag Smashers", Fitz noted. "So, what do we do now?"
"Sunnydale."
They turned to see Fury and Hill at the doorway.
"Fury", Natasha greeted coldly. "Hill."
She was still not over the Coulson issue.
"Romanoff", Fury greeted as he walked further in with Hill. "Managed to get some info from my contact at the Watcher's Council."
"So this is connected to them", Simmons realized.
"What is it?" Natasha asked.
"Apparently, these robed people are after Potential Slayers", Hill revealed, as Natasha and Jemma shared a shocked look at that. "And right now, something big is going down in Sunnydale."
And done. Hope all enjoyed.
So Faith is here now, YAY! Poor Curt though.
So these MCU characters shall go to Sunnydale next chapter.
This is how you have someone work through grief MCU writers, not like WandaVision.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.