Author's note: I'm so hellishly sorry
for not being able to get this next part up in time. Been too busy looking for a new place to work since the present
locale is beginning to wear me out. - That, and a long spell of writer's block
which happened to also be a result from the shock over the events of September
11. Hope you like the new addition to
the place of the weird. Heck this story
is getting weirder every chapter! I
know the updates have been horribly slow, but I promise that I won't give up on
this and see this little project of mine to its end.
New added Disclaimer: Everything
Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon and Company, The Panday (pronounced "Pandai")
belongs to Fernando Poe Jr. and his movie production company and whoever owns
the rights to the character now. The
rest of the ghouls, gags, and the other unmentionables are mine – all MINE!
Chapter 9: "With friends to help, its harder to find enemies! (No matter in what company always be prepared with lots of C-4!)
Spike was not a happy camper. Two of the mystery tablet's pieces have been
found – and they still don't know what it meant. The prophecy was too vague this time to pin down in one
event. It was as if there's a lot
missing in between. All this made the
vampire's head hurt thinking about it. Bloody hell! He swore this was
worse than watching the X-Files on a plot twisting binge.
Picking up were the Eternal Champion
left off, he shot him a question. "And
just whose help are we going to get with something we even vaguely know
about? I mean; it's fine when you
mentioned a real mess is coming – and that the leader might be a fallen Angel
this time around, but whom can we call? It's not as if we just pick up a phone and ask for the Ghostbusters or
the Justice League, mate."
"Well," Max began, "Last I heard of
Ja'Redd was that he was supposedly still out in space. So he's out of the present picture for
now." Spike snickered, completely aware
of just where EXACTLY the Cosmic Protector was – and with whom. No need to tell the rest of them yet for the
meantime.
"Then who?" The peroxide-chipped vamp asked.
"Have you ever heard of the legend of
the Panday?" Max Quaylen said, face
smiling at the vampire.
"Huh?" Spike blinked. "If you're
talking about an enchanted sword-wielding yahoo from a small country called the
Philippines; then legend has it that he fought and died around seventeen
hundred A.D. So what can another dead
bloke do to help us?"
Giles was just listening on the side
and gaped at Spike's knowledge of the said legend. The Watcher shook his head; this was one of the rare times when
Spike really showed an aptitude towards real intelligence. An obscure legend such as the one Spike knew
of was not common know-how. Even the
Council had only one account of the tale Spike described; in fact it was almost
a direct quote since the book in question had only a one-paragraph description
of the Panday. The Council thought
nothing more of it, a "case closed" archive to sure. If Max was right, then someone had better update that legend as
truth – and not a fairytale.
"Right." Max replied, "And you're the
right guy to meet him once he gets off the plane in L.A.X. tomorrow
night."
"WHAT!" Everybody in the room
exclaimed in unison.
"Come one, William!" Max continued, looking the vampire in the
eyes. "With a little crash course
training, you'll be able to stand toe to toe with him even with your chip. Wish
I could go and get him myself, but Faith is still slightly wobbly from that
beating she took a fortnight ago. Plus
I have a hunch the two of you might hit it off right nicely."
"And why is that?" Asked Giles.
"The Panday will instantly recognize
him for what he is, Rupert." Max said, "And with that said, he'll more likely
challenge Spike here before he starts believing what this vampire tells him to
see if he really IS telling the truth. And I'd rather not have William the Bloody fall to pieces on me right
now since I have a feeling that his fate is somehow tied up in this damned
prophecy."
Then Willow suddenly screamed as the
front doors of the shop burst open. Outside, they could see an untold number of vampires amassed behind
three hugely grotesque parodies of human beings. Max's eyes narrowed as he recognized one of them, feeling the
blood drain from his face as he remembered all the suffering the creature
before them had caused over the eons.
Spike himself was scared shitless as
he saw some of the Scooby Gang's formerly dusted enemies live again behind The
Fallen Ones. He quickly scooted over to
Dawn and placed himself in front of her to protect her from whatever might
happen. Oh shit, Spike thought, it couldn't
be – could it? Behind them is the
revived Master Buffy destroyed!
The fallen in the middle merely
looked amused and turned his attention to Max Quaylen and spoke. "Well met, Champion! I believe those belong to me!" He points at the broken pieces. "Hand them over, and I might let you suffer to
live a little while longer!"
Max Quaylen's eyes started blazing
white as his angelic sword appeared in his hand, bathed in holy fire. Feeling all the fury of heaven, he screamed
the traitor's name in full rage.
"XARANON!!"
. . . . . . . . . . .
TBC
