Humanitas | Simon looked up from the floor at the people dressing in black robes around him. Several were assisting each other, and one was handing out sheets and speaking quietly with each while pointing to various points around the circle over Simon's head. Beyond them, he could hear his abductor's voices, raised in argument. For people on the same side, they sure do fight a lot, he mused, as he mentally checked himself over for injuries. His head and back hurt, but nothing felt broken. He was bound at his ankles with rope, lying on his side, and his wrists were tied in front of him. His shirt felt matted and wet. It took a few seconds for the strange pain radiating from his back to make sense in his foggy brain. Feels like paper cuts from hell, he thought, wincing at the stinging sensation every time he moved. On the floor around him, he could see strange symbols scratched into the floor in black chalk, with larger circles radiating out from him. Large candles sat at regular intervals along other lines intersecting the circles. A woman's leather pants and thick-heeled boots came into his line of sight. With a fast turn as she spoke, she paced out of his sight as the man approached him. Simon let his eyelashes drop again, and kept his breathing steady as he listened intently. "This is stupid. There's no way this is going to convince our beloved cousin." Talia's voice dripped with sarcasm. "He's refused, already." "You still don't get it." Aeralyus was rapidly losing patience with his sister as he checked over the preparations and nodded to one of their relatives, who had just finished marking the circle. "Who cares about Marcus? The point is to end the line of Slayers. That is what the prophecies demand. Gaining a tame Slayer is a bonus. If that idiot won't play along, so much the worse for him. We have an... alternative candidate." He smiled down at Simon without warmth. A voice came from the doorway of the ruined library. "Oh, God. Not another election! We just had one, and it took forever." The twins whirled. Buffy was standing in the door if the burnt-out library. Aeralyus's eyes narrowed and his voice dropped to a growl. "Slayer." "What originality. Just once I'd like to run into a creative Big Bad." Talia was no more impressed. "This sarcastic little tramplet is the Slayer? You've got to be kidding me." She sniffed the air. "And she's brought us a friend." Marcus stepped into the room as Buffy moved aside. "Family, Talia. Not friend." Aeralyus barred his teeth at Marcus. "This is your last chance, cousin." "If you say 'join us or die,' I'm gonna have to point and laugh," interrupted Buffy. "Don't be ridiculous. Too late to join us. Now your options are die slow, or die fast." "That still gets a snicker." Her face became serious. "Let him go." "Or what, you'll quip us to death?" Talia was bored. "Come on, little Slayer." "I'm not just the Slayer." The twins glanced at each other, confused. Talia looked back at Buffy. "What else are you?" "Find out," Buffy replied as she launched herself across the room at the woman, slamming her into the wall next to where Simon lay on the floor. She landed a couple of punches, before Talia swiped upwards, claws extended. Buffy jerked her shoulder back just in time to avoid the cut, and was caught off-guard by Talia's shove. |
| "How many?" Willow asked as the three tucked themselves behind the wall that used to be Giles' office. "At least twelve, I think." Giles dug out an ax and a spellbook from the bag, giving Willow a grim look as he handed her the book. "They're busy starting the ritual. Spike can take out some." "You sure that's the start?" Willow couldn't make out the words. Peering over the wall, she squinted through the flickering candlelight, trying to determine the ritual's progress. "I can't tell." |
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"Spike, wait..." said Giles, but it was too late. The blonde vampire was already engaged with a pair of wolves. "Idiot." "What were you expecting," Willow asked, shrugging. "Come on, if we can take out those two already in the circle, it'll save us some time." Willow grabbed the spell book and Giles tightened his grip on the axe. |
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"Dammit," she muttered, "the lighter. Giles, do you have a lighter?" "For the love of all that's holy," Giles shouted in exasperation. The first Marcul had gotten back up and was heading for him. "Use one of the lit candles!" Willow made a face, ducking as Giles punched the Marcul square in the face. "Right, my bad." She grabbed the candle, whispering to herself as the wick finally caught, then stood up straight. The witch took a quick measure of the chanting Marcul outside the circle's rim and cried in a loud voice, "Lord of Shadows, I summon thee with this candle. Bring thou the power of chaos." Dawn, watching from her spot in the old office, waited for a flash or an explosion, but nothing happened. The other Marcul seemed to be confused, and a few even seemed to be laughing as they continued to read the ritual from their books. The Marcul glanced at each other and closed ranks about the circle. Anxiously, Dawn craned her neck to see Willow poured some of the wax into the cup and set the candle on the ground next to Simon. |
| Marcus looked at his cousin as Buffy attacked. "What're you waiting for, Ari? Tired of picking on your little cousin?" "Never." Aeralyus closed with Marcus, claws extended, and slashed at his chest. "We no longer need you anymore, boy. That makes you expendable." He easily dodged Marcus' uppercut. "I've been waiting for this a long time." He flicked his wrist, sending his talons at Marcus' face. "It's mutual," Marcus replied. He put a hand to his cheek, the gash from his cousin's talons already dripping blood down the side of his face. He extended his own claws, for once savoring the feeling. This is what I was meant to do. The two men circled each other warily, claws extended, each looking for an opening. Marcus felt the Slayer rise within him and knew it was responding to the demon before him. His familiar companions of shame and worry were finally gone, and he savored what he knew he was going to have to do. There was a short scream from across the room, and he immediately glanced over at Buffy, who was herding Talia away from Simon. Buffy had scored a brutal hit on Talia, but Marcus' momentary inattention gave Aeralyus his chance. Aeralyus darted forward, and left a thin cut on Marcus' side. Marcus hissed at the pain and grabbed his cousin's wrist and twisted, at the same time kicking Aeralyus' knees out from under him. Aeralyus fell to the floor painfully, and rolled over, only to find Marcus already landing on him. Marcus rained blows down on his cousin's face, remembering all the beatings he'd sustained growing up. Aeralyus swept both hands in the direction of Marcus' face, forcing him back, then doubled both hands into a single fist and slammed them into Marcus' solar plexus. Grabbing his cousin's arm, he rolled to his right, pulling Marcus off of him.
Spike is so brave. Dawn peeked around the edge of the doorframe as the blond vampire squared off against the two demons in the black robes standing over Simon. And Buffy, taking on that big skanky ho like that. Now I've just got to get to Simon. Spike had taken out one of the chanting Marcul already, but a second one was putting up a bigger fight. Giles and Willow were standing on either side of Simon, their backs to each other. Simon was struggling to sit up, but Willow and Giles were too busy defending themselves against the Marcul. Omigod. What's happening to him? I have to help him. Dawn brought up the crossbow in her right hand, trying desperately to steady it enough to get a clear shot at the Marcul. Her hand kept shaking. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, as Spike had taught her. Come on, she thought, they're counting on me. Dawn set down her other weapon, and brought her left hand up under her right. Looking down the length of the shaft, she stared at the Marcul as it swiped its open hand at Giles' chest. Giles ducked, and she saw her opening. She squeezed the trigger and felt the string release. The bolt caught the wolf full in the chest, and he started back in surprise. Looking up, his eyes fixed on Dawn, and he let out a howl of rage. His outcry was interrupted by the blade of Giles' axe sinking into his throat. Dawn heaved a sigh of relief. I got him! She reached down for her other crossbow, and moved towards the ritual space. She'd gotten halfway across the room when another wolf suddenly reared up behind her, snarling. Dawn spun in place at the sound, and screamed. She jammed her remaining crossbow into her attacker's belly, pulling the trigger. Backing away from the wolf in horror, she tripped, and landed with a solid thud almost on top of Simon. Distantly, she heard Spike shouting, and Willow's responding cry. The wolf leapt after her, the bolt sticking out of his stomach, and was halted in mid-leap. He hung there, confused, and Dawn saw the redheaded witch standing on the other side of the circle, her arm raised. She gave a flick of her wrist, and smashed the Marcul against the wall headfirst. He slumped to the floor, leaving a dark stain on the wall behind him. Dawn looked up at Willow. "Thanks." "No problem, kiddo." The witch smiled, her irises coming back into view. "Now come on, we've got a ritual to do." Dawn smiled and sat up as Willow handed her a small knife, jerking her head in the direction of the ropes around Simon's wrists and ankles. Dawn set to, shutting out the sounds of her sister fighting as she tried to get the knots undone. |
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| "Ooh, a little push? Is that the best you can do? Or don't they teach you to fight in Skanky Demon School," Buffy taunted Talia. Got to get her away from Simon - and Dawn, Dawn! What's she doing? Talia snarled in response, and slashed at the Slayer. Buffy easily caught Talia's wrist and pulled her arm over her shoulder, throwing the Marcul into what had once been Oz's cage. The metal mesh gave easily, and Talia sailed right through. Buffy followed, climbing over the wreckage. "Wow, that's a nasty gash you got there. That's gonna put a cramp on your streetwalking." Talia struggled to her feet. "I'm going to slit you wide open." She flexed her fingers, extending her claws. "Not too smart, are you," Buffy filled her voice with mock regret as she picked up a broken board. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that a girl with a stick beats a girl with a knife?" She swung the board at Talia's head. Talia ducked, and swiped at Buffy's side, cutting her jacket. "Not if the girl with the knife is quicker." |
| "You want me to what?" Dawn scanned the book quickly. "Read the verses on these two pages." "I don't get it," Dawn replied. "Why can't we just leave now?" "I don't want to risk it," Willow snapped, then softened. "I don't know where in the ritual they are, and if we just halt the ritual then... bad things could happen. So we've got to undo what they've done. Just read each word, out loud. Don't skip anything." "That's the ritual?" "Well, kind of," Willow said. She spoke fast, her attention divided between Giles struggling with another Marcul and Dawn's uncertainty. "Mine couldn't work because their magick is too strong. Your part will neutralize their ritual, and create a hollow space. Then I'll be able to complete my ritual, drawing out the extra energy so Simon's not a vessel anymore. Got it?" |
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| Aeralyus got to his feet and kicked Marcus savagely. Marcus rolled away, wincing from the impact as he clambered to his feet. Despite the pain, he felt better than he usually did after a confrontation with his cousin. He even managed to smile a little as he waited for Ari to attack. Aeralyus lashed out with a powerful spinning kick. Marcus sidestepped the kick and gave his cousin's foot a little extra push as it went by. The momentum sent Aeralyus off balance, and Marcus rushed in, slamming his shoulder into his opponent's side. Giving him no time to recover, Marcus wrapped his arm around Aeralyus' back, set his hip, and heaved, slamming him heavily to the floor. Getting up, Marcus delivered a kick of his own to his cousin's ribs. "See how you like it, cousin." He spat the words as he leaned over his older cousin. Aeralyus' only response was a straight jab to the nose. "Hey, this jacket is new!" Buffy swung the board again. This time, Talia wasn't quite quick enough, and it caught her in the stomach. She doubled over. Buffy raised the board for a second shot, and was surprised when Talia rolled forward. The end of the board hit the floor with a sharp crack. Talia rolled to her feet, and turned, just in time to block the upswing of Buffy's next attack. She wrapped her fingers around the board, and pulled, causing Buffy to stumble. Talia lost no time in twisting Buffy's weapon out of her grasp. "Now I've got the stick," Talia said as she blocked a punch with it, "and the knife." She swept her hand down in a diagonal arc, cutting deeply through the jacket and into the flesh of Buffy's arm. Buffy grabbed the wound instinctively, and aimed a kick at the hand holding the board. Talia was so surprised at the speed of Buffy's attack that she was unable to get her hand out of the way, and the board went flying through the air. |
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Dawn laid down the book as Willow's words sunk in. Simon noticed her expression, and gave her a curious look. She fingered the edges of the book, reluctantly scanning the ritual's verses as her eyes began to fill up with tears. "What?" Simon reached out and took her hand. "She's going to take away the extra parts of you - the monk memories. But she can't! I need you to tell me about... stuff nobody else can." He squeezed her hand gently. "You don't need to know that stuff to be you." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I do!" "No, you don't. You're Dawn. It doesn't matter now that you've only been... here for a little while. You have people who love you," he gestured to Buffy, Spike and Willow, "for who you are. It doesn't matter where you start, only where you end up." Dawn had a weird sense of déjà vu for a minute, then remembered Spike's words. Seems to me it doesn't matter what you start out as, it's where you end up that counts. |
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Dazed, Marcus stood up quickly as the blood ran down his lip. His wondered vaguely just how much blood the body can hold. Aeralyus was getting to his feet, watching his younger cousin's momentary confusion as a board landed by his feet. He scooped it up, and without hesitation swung it hard against Marcus' jaw. Marcus could taste the blood in his mouth as the first blow fell. He had no chance to defend himself against his cousin's rage. As he tried to bring up his arms to ward off the hail of blows, the board cracked against his skull. The pain resounded through his head, and Marcus stopped moving. |
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Dawn's eyes were closed as she tried to convince herself that Simon was wrong, but deep inside, she knew he was right. She realized he was calling her name. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes to stare into his. Simon's green eyes were flecked with gold from the candle flames. "Dawn, please, listen to me. I can't remember anything about where I came from, who I was, and that's okay. I don't need to know that stuff to make a place in this world." "But what if..." her voice trailed off as she gathered her courage. "What if, when it's over, you don't like me anymore?" He smiled at her. "My liking you is non-negotiable," he joked. "Willow had better leave that part in. Besides, this is important. Buffy needs this." "Screw Buffy," she muttered. He shook his head. "Your sister's a Slayer. I don't know what that means exactly, but in my book, she's a hero. And if they get their way, it'll will get rid of Slayers, right?" Dawn nodded slowly as Simon kept speaking. "And the world needs all the heroes it can get." He paused, and she shrugged her agreement. He continued, "So we need to stop them. It's something that has to be done, and we're the only ones who can do it." He looked at her despairing face and added, "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go out and do something fun." "Okay, just no more raves." She smiled at him, shyly, then glanced up at Willow. "We're ready when you are." "Go for it," Willow replied as she noticed Marcus' body curled up at his cousin's feet. Swallowing hard, she focused on Dawn and hoped the girl didn't look over to see how things were unfolding. Willow glanced over at the Marcul about to slice Spike, and nodded her head once. The wolf was thrown backwards off Spike. Willow ignored Spike's indignant shout. |
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Aeralyus was startled by the vampire's yell and turned in time to see one of the Marcul flying into a wall. "Keep chanting, dammit," he yelled at the remaining Marcul. "Finish the ritual, we'll do the fighting!" Four had laid down their parchments and were forming a circle around Spike. The tallest of the four snarled at the vampire, but obeyed and moved with the rest, away from the circle. Spike, confused at the unexpected reprise, began to follow the group, but stopped short, distracted by the site of Buffy and Talia fighting. With a low growl in his throat and his eyes flashing, he moved towards them, tackling the first Marcul in his path. |
Willow turned in place, keeping the Marcul at bay. The demons had surrounded the ritual space, trapping Giles and her into the circle with Simon and Dawn. They continued to chant, and Willow could see flickers of power running through the lines and circles drawn on the floor, but her vigilance was focused on keeping the Marcul from moving in closer. She looked over as another wolf sprang at Giles, transforming from human to demon and back again as it slammed up against him. Behind the two figures, Willow could see several more Marcul chanting. Furious that she hadn't noticed them hidden there before, she pointed her hand at them, her fingers outstretched, her palm facing down. "Lapis, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire," she shouted. "Bring forth flame and set in fire!" She was satisfied to see the Marcul drop their now-burning ritual sheets. "The good ones memorize beforehand," she said smugly to no one in particular. | |
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Aeralyus turned around, his ears caught by the sound of a female voice drowning out the Marcul. He glared at Willow from over Marcus' huddled body, the broken board in his hand. "Oh, no, we can't have that," Aeralyus retorted and threw what was left of the board as hard as he could, aiming directly for Willow's head. Seeing it fly towards her, the witch flung up her hand and shouted something in Latin. The board rebounded, arcing toward the ceiling. A frown crossed Aeralyus' face. Very well, witch. I can play that game, as well. His eyes went black as he raised his hand. "Conquasso!" Flashes of purple lightning lit up the room as Willow's temporary barrier bore the impact of his will. Dawn, at Willow's feet, glanced up at the shout. Simon's face was drawn and gray, and he tugged at her hand to remind her to keep going. Steeling herself, she continued to read the ritual's nonsense words one at a time. This seems silly, but whatever, she thought. If it undoes what the chanty guys were raising, that's good. She glanced at Simon, whose eyes flashed in an encouraging smile. Heartened, she concentrated on the words again, her voice getting stronger. Willow cried out as she felt the attacking mind crash against hers. Giles looked up from his task at the flash of conflicting energies. He raised his arms to ward his face as the circle collapsed. It buckled in on itself, and the air was clear. Willow's head snapped up. Her eyes were entirely black, not a trace of iris or white. "No." Her voice was cold. "What I have wrought shall not be put asunder." She raised her arms, and set the circle's energies back in place, falling to her knees from the effort. "Dear God, Willow!" Giles leapt across the circle, the still-uncompleted ritual forgotten for the moment. |
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"Hey, Wolf-boy!" Buffy charged across the room towards Aeralyus. "You wanna dance? My card's open." She grimaced inwardly at her accidental Spike-ism as she barreled into the demon. The impact bore Aeralyus backward, causing him to stumble over the remains of the office wall. He fell to the floor, the Slayer on top of him. He snarled, pushed her off of his chest, and aimed a murderous stroke at her neck with his talons. She rolled sideways, barely avoiding the attack, and got her feet back underneath her. Talia lifted herself up from where she'd come to rest against the wall. Across the room, she saw her brother fighting with the Slayer. The girl faced her opponent, her back to Talia. Talia smiled, even as she winced in pain. Two to one. I always did like those odds. She started across the room, but came up short as Spike stepped directly in front of her. "Hello, love." He cocked his head at her and leaned casually against the wall. "I been thinking about our last date, and we really ended on the wrong note. Want to give it another go?" She glanced over at the Slayer's back. The little bitch can wait. Besides, my brother can take care of himself. She smiled. "Sure." |
| "I'm up, I'm up," Willow replied as Giles helped her to her feet. "Just surprised me." |
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"Can't stop now, can we," Willow remarked to Dawn, who had looked up quickly at Giles' question. |
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"What's happening?" she cried, frightened. "You're the one with the directions," he said, trying to crack a joke. "I think it's finishing up or something. Doesn't hurt, but feels weird." Dawn scanned the page. "Can't be me," she replied. "I'm not done with the last verse." "Well, keep reading then. I think you're doing something right. I don't know why or how but it feels like it's working." |
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He smiled at her, a weary expression. "Don't worry – if it starts hurting, you'll know about it!"
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