Part VII
BLEYS
Fiona and Willow sat next to the mystic circle, chanting softly. The energy matrix that would sever the connection between the Logrus and the Hellmouth was visible now, and rapidly growing in intensity. Unfortunately, Fiona would soon have to cease in order to prepare for Brand's arrival, and even with the time she saved us with her superior expertise, we would still need to hold off Brand and his minions for twenty minutes before the matrix was completed and the connection severed. . .it would not be easy to hold off my mad brother for that long.
I looked at the wall clock: Brand would be here in thirty minutes. I looked around to see what the others were doing. Buffy appeared to be lost in thought: she was clearly gathering herself for the trial to come. Faith was honing a wicked-looking broadsword: she noticed me and winked, then went back to her task. Giles and Angel were discussing melee tactics to be used against the Chaos creatures. . .wise, since they and Faith would be bearing the brunt of the fight against Brand's allies. Oz was preparing a crossbow and had two long knives at his belt: he would be the last line of defense to prevent Fiona from being distracted from her primary task of neutralizing Brand's dangerous teleportation and Logrus abilities. Xander finished loading the duffel bag with the items that he and Giles had procured while Buffy was on her Pattern walk, and nodded to everyone before walking toward the doors. I followed him out and called out to him, "Xander."
The young man turned to me and replied, "Yeah, what's up, Bleys? Going to give me a pep talk from the grandmaster of combat himself?" I smiled at his ability to be humorous in nasty situations, and replied, "Not really, Xander. . .from what I hear and from what I saw today, you're more than capable of handling this job. . .just be careful. You've got a lot of friends who don't want you to die out there. . .and I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my daughter's life." I clasped his shoulder and nodded at him one more time. "Good luck, Xander." I then turned and re-entered the library. Buffy had told me that Xander's confidence had been shaken this year, and I thought that the talk would help keep him focused. . .not to mention that I didn't have to lie in order to do it. . .strange thing, that.
As I walked back in, Fiona called out, "It's time, Bleys." I nodded and took her place, beginning to chant where she left off. It would only be a matter of time now.
XANDER
I finished fastening myself to my perch with the cables and looked out into the darkness towards the spot where my targets would appear. Far too dark for me to see, as expected. I reached into the bag and pulled out the nifty low-light goggles that I appropriated when Cordy and I got the rocket launcher last year. . .all right, "stole" would be more accurate, but it certainly was called for under the circumstances, and as long as we were there, I figured that we could use the nifty hi-tech gadget for something useful later on. . .I hated being right-at least in this case.
I looked at my watch: three minutes to go. Just then, the world went utterly silent. I still breathed, but I could not hear it: my hammering heart was silent. * Thank you, Fiona. . .right on schedule. * I looked through the goggles and this time was rewarded with a relatively clear view of the parking lot. I checked the sniper rifle and made sure that its five shot clip was fully loaded. After that, I watched the lot intently, but my traitorous mind began to wander.
* Buffy's become this. . .goddess person. Bleys says that Amberites are immortal unless killed, and that they can go anywhere they want, real or "fantasy", since all things exist in Shadow. Damn, with all of that. . .what do we have to offer her? More misery and death, worrying about us all of the time. . .she'll probably leave after this. . .she knows we care, but will that be enough to make her stay? I didn't know for sure how I felt about her before, what with me making her miserable over the whole Angel thing, and I'm even more uncertain now. I know I love her, but is that all, or am I just lying to myself? Way to be self-aware, Xander. Maybe Cordy was right after-HELLO, target acquired. *
I saw those slimy looking Chaos demons begin appearing in the parking lot, just where Fiona's spells indicated they would. They moved to the side, allowing new ones to come in. I sighted in on one at random and waited for the fifth demon to appear. When it did, I pulled the trigger and was satisfied to see the demon's head explode in a pink mist from the explosive .50 caliber round. As it fell, I was sighting in on the next target. I was at the highest point in the school; specifically, the roof of the bell tower, and they would have to move quite a distance to get out of line of sight, not to mention that the fact that I was not emitting any sound would delay their spotting me. I squeezed off four more rounds rather quickly and took out two more. As I frantically reloaded, I could see more demons coming in, and they quickly scattered. I began firing again, and by the time that the gun was empty again, three more demons were down.
I was pleased with the results, but there were still five more Chaos demons left, and who knew how many more would arrive. I was reloading again when I saw a new figure appear. It was not a Chaos Demon. . .it looked human. . .no, wait, the sniper scope showed features that were obviously demonic. . .it had to be Brand AKA the fake Master. I ignored him and finished reloading, after which I squeezed off five quick rounds, taking out another Chaos demon, after which I turned the scope back to where Brand was and OH God, he was looking right at me. His hands were moving in a complex pattern, and I had only time to think an apologetic goodbye to all of my friends before he unleashed a hellish bolt of fire my way that I couldn't dodge for the life of me. . .
. . .only to feel myself yanked backward by the seat of my pants into a fully lighted area. After a moment, I recovered enough to pull off the low-light goggles and look up at the concerned face of Buffy. "You okay, soldier boy?" she joked, pulling me to my feet without effort.
I nodded and replied, "A-OK, ma'am. All part of the service." I hoped that I would not faint, and a moment's hesitation confirmed my hopes. I looked over at Oz and called out, "Need some backup, buddy?"
Oz seemed to think a moment, then replied, "I could stand some company here. Welcome back." I walked over to him and called out, "Four nasty looking Chaos demons coming our way, along with someone who looks an awful lot like the Master's description." As I grabbed some weapons and prepared to fight to the death, if need be, a single thought pierced the confusion:
* Zeppo my ass. *
BUFFY
I watched the shadowy figure of Xander from one eye while concentrating on the view through his eyes in my other, closed eye. It was tricky, but Bleys had told me how to do it, and it was crucial that I do so. Xander knew that I could see him, thanks to the Trump of Xander rendered by Bleys while we prepared, but what he didn't know is that I could hear his surface thoughts through the connection. I was genuinely moved by what he was thinking. * I haven't been thinking about what impact this will have on my friends. . .not to mention Mom. She'll be glad that I don't have to be the Slayer anymore, but what will I do if I'm not Slaying. . .and what will it mean to the people I care about? *
My musing was interrupted by the appearance of targets in Xander's line of sight, and I watched intently as he picked off several of them with the sniper rifle. I could feel that he was nervous, but he kept his composure and kept reloading and shooting. . .then it happened. The figure who stepped through was unmistakably the Master. . .meaning it was Brand. Xander kept shooting, but Brand began moving his arms around with mystic gestures, and I knew it was time to get Xander out. I reached through the Trump connection, grabbed Xander's belt, and pulled him right into the library through the link at an angle that would have looked to any observer as if he passed right through the roof. . .which in a sense, he did.
He recovered quickly, and my joking comment to him snapped him out of it and had him replying in kind. He moved over to help Oz, reporting as he did so that there were four of those nasty Chaos demons left, not to mention what looked like the Master, headed our way. We had blocked off all of the alternate routes: they would have to come in the front doors or not at all. Xander had suggested that he find a spot back in the stacks to pick off more targets, but Fiona had vetoed the idea: Brand would be prepared for such tactics now that he had seen them used once, and the danger of friendly fire casualties was far too great. Fiona was deep in concentration: at least we wouldn't have to worry about Brand teleporting or using those creepy sounding Logrus tentacles on one of us. Fiona had cast protection spells in the room, so nasty surprises like that flame bolt wouldn't be a problem. Still, Brand was supposed to be a formidable foe, and he would also be wielding the powers of my dead enemy. I had to admit. . .I was more than a bit scared. . .but I wasn't totally screwed up like I was the last time I thought he was coming back. I knew that I was more powerful than I had ever been, and that this man was the greatest enemy of my newfound family. I was damned if I was going to fail now.
The doors abruptly swung open, but no one was there, though we heard footsteps. After a moment, four Chaos demons, nastier looking then any we had seen so far, strode into the room. Oz and Xander leveled their crossbows, and the four of us on frontline combat duty tensed, but they merely paired off in an honor guard position alongside the doorway as. . .he walked in. The Master. Confident and arrogant as always, but even in the unholy red eyes I could see a sense of something that had not been there before. . .an aura of timeless power that the Master could only have dreamed of. If Fiona's explanation hadn't been enough, I knew now that this being was something far beyond the Master. I glared at him with all of the anger I could muster and commented sarcastically:
"Wasn't dying in this room once enough for you?"
BRAND
I emerged in the open parking lot and immediately realized that there was a problem. Several of my minions lay dead, brains and blood splattered everywhere, and as I scanned the dark school for the source, another demon took several hits and went down, dying from head and chest hits. I spotted the muzzle flashes of a high-powered rifle and wondered briefly at the lack of sound. * Ah, dear sister. I recognize your handiwork. * I quickly wove a spell and hurled a bolt of fire at the sniper. The flame splattered across the spot, but when the flame died out there was no body: someone had pulled him away, presumably by Trump. I surveyed my forces and saw only four demons had survived. * Perhaps I should have waited. . .no, the signs indicate that someone is trying to sever the connection between the Logrus and the Hellmouth, and time is short. . . and I will be prepared for further use of firearms. * I took a moment to weave a boomerang spell around the five of us: bullets would now reverse on the gunman who fired them at us. I waved at the demons and we marched into the school. After traversing some mundane corridors, we approached the room that contained the nexus of the Hellmouth; apparently, it was the school library. I could feel a damping force fall upon me, and experimentation proved that my teleportation and Logrus abilities were unusable. No matter, that would tie Fiona up, and Bleys would be needed to help weave the spell to sever the connection, and I had entangled the others in their own problems, meaning that I would only have to deal with the pathetic inhabitants of this shadow: what possible obstacle could they pose to my plans?
With a gesture I caused the doors to open: my demons moved into position to give me an honor guard. I strode into the room as if I owned this place; which, in a sense, I did. I took a moment to scan the room. Bleys was sitting next to a mystic circle along with a lovely young girl who reminded me of Fiona: they were chanting softly, and I could see the energy matrix that would sever the link growing in strength. . .how unfortunate for them that it would never be finished. Fiona was glaring at me: I could feel the awesome force of her will damping my greatest powers * but that won't be enough this time, dear sister. * Two teenaged boys stood guard over the circle, leveling crossbows at my demonic honor guard. Two men. . .no, that one was a vampire, wasn't he?. . .stood with drawn swords. I sensed fear in both of them, both from facing this foe again and from the additional problem that Bleys and Fiona had undoubtedly informed them of. A dark-haired beauty holding a wicked broadsword stared contemptuously at me: she reminded me of Deirdre. . .alas. Her aura whispered deception and treachery. . .perhaps I could recruit her. . .the need to survive does tend to remove little compunctions about switching sides, didn't it? And in the middle. . .who was this? She was so delicate, much like the porcelain figurines that Eric loved to collect before his unfortunate demise. Yet I could feel the power radiate from her as if she were a sword blade thrust into a furnace: this one was not to be underestimated. Still, she was of Shadow, and as such was not to be taken seriously. I was pondering this when the girl occupying my thoughts curled her lip and snidely commented, "Wasn't dying in this room once enough for you?"
For a moment, I was puzzled, and my mind involuntarily wandered to the moment when Caine's arrows pierced my heart and throat, and I tumbled helplessly into the Abyss of Chaos. . .then I remembered the history of the creature whose form I had taken. This had to be Buffy. . .the Slayer who had ended his existence. No wonder she looked so smug, but I was something beyond her experience. For the moment, I ignored her and called out, "Brother, Sister! How lovely to run into family so soon after my emergence. . .such a shame that I will have to kill you, along with your new friends."
Fiona smiled, and replied, "I see you haven't changed a bit, Brand. Your reach will always exceed your grasp. . .for you underestimate your opponents. . .just as you did with Corwin."
For a moment, the nature of the creature whose form I had assumed asserted itself as my burst of anger caused me to snarl involuntarily. After a moment, I laughed and replied, "I see no brooding Prince of Amber to face me this time, dear sister. You and brother Bleys are quite preoccupied. . .and one man, a vampire, and a few children are not much of an obstacle, I fear." I turned my head and nodded, and the demons moved forward. The three sword-wielding figures interposed themselves between the demons and the mystic circle, while the crossbow wielding youths kept their crossbows leveled, apparently waiting for one to break through. As for the young woman who had spoken. . .she avoided the oncoming demons with an impressive acrobatic move and landed three feet in front of me. I laughed and commented, "Impressive, Buffy. But I am not the Master. I am something far beyond your mundane experience. I will destroy this shadow and drink from its corpse. . .and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."
Buffy grimaced, then smiled coldly as she replied, "I would think that someone with your rep could come up with a better line than that. . .Uncle."
Taken utterly aback, I actually dropped my guard for a moment, and found myself sprawled on my back from a well-delivered right cross. The force behind that blow convinced me that she was not lying. . .this might take some effort after all. I got to my feet and smiled. "So, you're my niece, eh?" I kicked her in the jaw, sending her sprawling. I laughed and concluded, "Well, welcome to the family!" The battle raged on in the rest of the room, but for now, I only had eyes for my newfound relative. . .and the thoughts of what I would do to her when she was helpless.
As always, comments are welcomed and desired.
BLEYS
Fiona and Willow sat next to the mystic circle, chanting softly. The energy matrix that would sever the connection between the Logrus and the Hellmouth was visible now, and rapidly growing in intensity. Unfortunately, Fiona would soon have to cease in order to prepare for Brand's arrival, and even with the time she saved us with her superior expertise, we would still need to hold off Brand and his minions for twenty minutes before the matrix was completed and the connection severed. . .it would not be easy to hold off my mad brother for that long.
I looked at the wall clock: Brand would be here in thirty minutes. I looked around to see what the others were doing. Buffy appeared to be lost in thought: she was clearly gathering herself for the trial to come. Faith was honing a wicked-looking broadsword: she noticed me and winked, then went back to her task. Giles and Angel were discussing melee tactics to be used against the Chaos creatures. . .wise, since they and Faith would be bearing the brunt of the fight against Brand's allies. Oz was preparing a crossbow and had two long knives at his belt: he would be the last line of defense to prevent Fiona from being distracted from her primary task of neutralizing Brand's dangerous teleportation and Logrus abilities. Xander finished loading the duffel bag with the items that he and Giles had procured while Buffy was on her Pattern walk, and nodded to everyone before walking toward the doors. I followed him out and called out to him, "Xander."
The young man turned to me and replied, "Yeah, what's up, Bleys? Going to give me a pep talk from the grandmaster of combat himself?" I smiled at his ability to be humorous in nasty situations, and replied, "Not really, Xander. . .from what I hear and from what I saw today, you're more than capable of handling this job. . .just be careful. You've got a lot of friends who don't want you to die out there. . .and I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my daughter's life." I clasped his shoulder and nodded at him one more time. "Good luck, Xander." I then turned and re-entered the library. Buffy had told me that Xander's confidence had been shaken this year, and I thought that the talk would help keep him focused. . .not to mention that I didn't have to lie in order to do it. . .strange thing, that.
As I walked back in, Fiona called out, "It's time, Bleys." I nodded and took her place, beginning to chant where she left off. It would only be a matter of time now.
XANDER
I finished fastening myself to my perch with the cables and looked out into the darkness towards the spot where my targets would appear. Far too dark for me to see, as expected. I reached into the bag and pulled out the nifty low-light goggles that I appropriated when Cordy and I got the rocket launcher last year. . .all right, "stole" would be more accurate, but it certainly was called for under the circumstances, and as long as we were there, I figured that we could use the nifty hi-tech gadget for something useful later on. . .I hated being right-at least in this case.
I looked at my watch: three minutes to go. Just then, the world went utterly silent. I still breathed, but I could not hear it: my hammering heart was silent. * Thank you, Fiona. . .right on schedule. * I looked through the goggles and this time was rewarded with a relatively clear view of the parking lot. I checked the sniper rifle and made sure that its five shot clip was fully loaded. After that, I watched the lot intently, but my traitorous mind began to wander.
* Buffy's become this. . .goddess person. Bleys says that Amberites are immortal unless killed, and that they can go anywhere they want, real or "fantasy", since all things exist in Shadow. Damn, with all of that. . .what do we have to offer her? More misery and death, worrying about us all of the time. . .she'll probably leave after this. . .she knows we care, but will that be enough to make her stay? I didn't know for sure how I felt about her before, what with me making her miserable over the whole Angel thing, and I'm even more uncertain now. I know I love her, but is that all, or am I just lying to myself? Way to be self-aware, Xander. Maybe Cordy was right after-HELLO, target acquired. *
I saw those slimy looking Chaos demons begin appearing in the parking lot, just where Fiona's spells indicated they would. They moved to the side, allowing new ones to come in. I sighted in on one at random and waited for the fifth demon to appear. When it did, I pulled the trigger and was satisfied to see the demon's head explode in a pink mist from the explosive .50 caliber round. As it fell, I was sighting in on the next target. I was at the highest point in the school; specifically, the roof of the bell tower, and they would have to move quite a distance to get out of line of sight, not to mention that the fact that I was not emitting any sound would delay their spotting me. I squeezed off four more rounds rather quickly and took out two more. As I frantically reloaded, I could see more demons coming in, and they quickly scattered. I began firing again, and by the time that the gun was empty again, three more demons were down.
I was pleased with the results, but there were still five more Chaos demons left, and who knew how many more would arrive. I was reloading again when I saw a new figure appear. It was not a Chaos Demon. . .it looked human. . .no, wait, the sniper scope showed features that were obviously demonic. . .it had to be Brand AKA the fake Master. I ignored him and finished reloading, after which I squeezed off five quick rounds, taking out another Chaos demon, after which I turned the scope back to where Brand was and OH God, he was looking right at me. His hands were moving in a complex pattern, and I had only time to think an apologetic goodbye to all of my friends before he unleashed a hellish bolt of fire my way that I couldn't dodge for the life of me. . .
. . .only to feel myself yanked backward by the seat of my pants into a fully lighted area. After a moment, I recovered enough to pull off the low-light goggles and look up at the concerned face of Buffy. "You okay, soldier boy?" she joked, pulling me to my feet without effort.
I nodded and replied, "A-OK, ma'am. All part of the service." I hoped that I would not faint, and a moment's hesitation confirmed my hopes. I looked over at Oz and called out, "Need some backup, buddy?"
Oz seemed to think a moment, then replied, "I could stand some company here. Welcome back." I walked over to him and called out, "Four nasty looking Chaos demons coming our way, along with someone who looks an awful lot like the Master's description." As I grabbed some weapons and prepared to fight to the death, if need be, a single thought pierced the confusion:
* Zeppo my ass. *
BUFFY
I watched the shadowy figure of Xander from one eye while concentrating on the view through his eyes in my other, closed eye. It was tricky, but Bleys had told me how to do it, and it was crucial that I do so. Xander knew that I could see him, thanks to the Trump of Xander rendered by Bleys while we prepared, but what he didn't know is that I could hear his surface thoughts through the connection. I was genuinely moved by what he was thinking. * I haven't been thinking about what impact this will have on my friends. . .not to mention Mom. She'll be glad that I don't have to be the Slayer anymore, but what will I do if I'm not Slaying. . .and what will it mean to the people I care about? *
My musing was interrupted by the appearance of targets in Xander's line of sight, and I watched intently as he picked off several of them with the sniper rifle. I could feel that he was nervous, but he kept his composure and kept reloading and shooting. . .then it happened. The figure who stepped through was unmistakably the Master. . .meaning it was Brand. Xander kept shooting, but Brand began moving his arms around with mystic gestures, and I knew it was time to get Xander out. I reached through the Trump connection, grabbed Xander's belt, and pulled him right into the library through the link at an angle that would have looked to any observer as if he passed right through the roof. . .which in a sense, he did.
He recovered quickly, and my joking comment to him snapped him out of it and had him replying in kind. He moved over to help Oz, reporting as he did so that there were four of those nasty Chaos demons left, not to mention what looked like the Master, headed our way. We had blocked off all of the alternate routes: they would have to come in the front doors or not at all. Xander had suggested that he find a spot back in the stacks to pick off more targets, but Fiona had vetoed the idea: Brand would be prepared for such tactics now that he had seen them used once, and the danger of friendly fire casualties was far too great. Fiona was deep in concentration: at least we wouldn't have to worry about Brand teleporting or using those creepy sounding Logrus tentacles on one of us. Fiona had cast protection spells in the room, so nasty surprises like that flame bolt wouldn't be a problem. Still, Brand was supposed to be a formidable foe, and he would also be wielding the powers of my dead enemy. I had to admit. . .I was more than a bit scared. . .but I wasn't totally screwed up like I was the last time I thought he was coming back. I knew that I was more powerful than I had ever been, and that this man was the greatest enemy of my newfound family. I was damned if I was going to fail now.
The doors abruptly swung open, but no one was there, though we heard footsteps. After a moment, four Chaos demons, nastier looking then any we had seen so far, strode into the room. Oz and Xander leveled their crossbows, and the four of us on frontline combat duty tensed, but they merely paired off in an honor guard position alongside the doorway as. . .he walked in. The Master. Confident and arrogant as always, but even in the unholy red eyes I could see a sense of something that had not been there before. . .an aura of timeless power that the Master could only have dreamed of. If Fiona's explanation hadn't been enough, I knew now that this being was something far beyond the Master. I glared at him with all of the anger I could muster and commented sarcastically:
"Wasn't dying in this room once enough for you?"
BRAND
I emerged in the open parking lot and immediately realized that there was a problem. Several of my minions lay dead, brains and blood splattered everywhere, and as I scanned the dark school for the source, another demon took several hits and went down, dying from head and chest hits. I spotted the muzzle flashes of a high-powered rifle and wondered briefly at the lack of sound. * Ah, dear sister. I recognize your handiwork. * I quickly wove a spell and hurled a bolt of fire at the sniper. The flame splattered across the spot, but when the flame died out there was no body: someone had pulled him away, presumably by Trump. I surveyed my forces and saw only four demons had survived. * Perhaps I should have waited. . .no, the signs indicate that someone is trying to sever the connection between the Logrus and the Hellmouth, and time is short. . . and I will be prepared for further use of firearms. * I took a moment to weave a boomerang spell around the five of us: bullets would now reverse on the gunman who fired them at us. I waved at the demons and we marched into the school. After traversing some mundane corridors, we approached the room that contained the nexus of the Hellmouth; apparently, it was the school library. I could feel a damping force fall upon me, and experimentation proved that my teleportation and Logrus abilities were unusable. No matter, that would tie Fiona up, and Bleys would be needed to help weave the spell to sever the connection, and I had entangled the others in their own problems, meaning that I would only have to deal with the pathetic inhabitants of this shadow: what possible obstacle could they pose to my plans?
With a gesture I caused the doors to open: my demons moved into position to give me an honor guard. I strode into the room as if I owned this place; which, in a sense, I did. I took a moment to scan the room. Bleys was sitting next to a mystic circle along with a lovely young girl who reminded me of Fiona: they were chanting softly, and I could see the energy matrix that would sever the link growing in strength. . .how unfortunate for them that it would never be finished. Fiona was glaring at me: I could feel the awesome force of her will damping my greatest powers * but that won't be enough this time, dear sister. * Two teenaged boys stood guard over the circle, leveling crossbows at my demonic honor guard. Two men. . .no, that one was a vampire, wasn't he?. . .stood with drawn swords. I sensed fear in both of them, both from facing this foe again and from the additional problem that Bleys and Fiona had undoubtedly informed them of. A dark-haired beauty holding a wicked broadsword stared contemptuously at me: she reminded me of Deirdre. . .alas. Her aura whispered deception and treachery. . .perhaps I could recruit her. . .the need to survive does tend to remove little compunctions about switching sides, didn't it? And in the middle. . .who was this? She was so delicate, much like the porcelain figurines that Eric loved to collect before his unfortunate demise. Yet I could feel the power radiate from her as if she were a sword blade thrust into a furnace: this one was not to be underestimated. Still, she was of Shadow, and as such was not to be taken seriously. I was pondering this when the girl occupying my thoughts curled her lip and snidely commented, "Wasn't dying in this room once enough for you?"
For a moment, I was puzzled, and my mind involuntarily wandered to the moment when Caine's arrows pierced my heart and throat, and I tumbled helplessly into the Abyss of Chaos. . .then I remembered the history of the creature whose form I had taken. This had to be Buffy. . .the Slayer who had ended his existence. No wonder she looked so smug, but I was something beyond her experience. For the moment, I ignored her and called out, "Brother, Sister! How lovely to run into family so soon after my emergence. . .such a shame that I will have to kill you, along with your new friends."
Fiona smiled, and replied, "I see you haven't changed a bit, Brand. Your reach will always exceed your grasp. . .for you underestimate your opponents. . .just as you did with Corwin."
For a moment, the nature of the creature whose form I had assumed asserted itself as my burst of anger caused me to snarl involuntarily. After a moment, I laughed and replied, "I see no brooding Prince of Amber to face me this time, dear sister. You and brother Bleys are quite preoccupied. . .and one man, a vampire, and a few children are not much of an obstacle, I fear." I turned my head and nodded, and the demons moved forward. The three sword-wielding figures interposed themselves between the demons and the mystic circle, while the crossbow wielding youths kept their crossbows leveled, apparently waiting for one to break through. As for the young woman who had spoken. . .she avoided the oncoming demons with an impressive acrobatic move and landed three feet in front of me. I laughed and commented, "Impressive, Buffy. But I am not the Master. I am something far beyond your mundane experience. I will destroy this shadow and drink from its corpse. . .and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."
Buffy grimaced, then smiled coldly as she replied, "I would think that someone with your rep could come up with a better line than that. . .Uncle."
Taken utterly aback, I actually dropped my guard for a moment, and found myself sprawled on my back from a well-delivered right cross. The force behind that blow convinced me that she was not lying. . .this might take some effort after all. I got to my feet and smiled. "So, you're my niece, eh?" I kicked her in the jaw, sending her sprawling. I laughed and concluded, "Well, welcome to the family!" The battle raged on in the rest of the room, but for now, I only had eyes for my newfound relative. . .and the thoughts of what I would do to her when she was helpless.
As always, comments are welcomed and desired.