Chapter 5



The Magic Box stood quite, with lights flickering, trying to stay on. The floor was cover in a layer of ice, with books frozen in the floor. On the far side of the shop, books were piled all strung out looking as if someone had violently threw them down. The glass windows had blown out, with such force, that they land acrossed the street in pieces. The round table that was in the shop, stood on end, Broken through the middle and laying on the floor in two. In the center of the room stood Donavan, with someone laying acrossed his feet. The old man had his hands raised into the air, and his head lowered back. Small sparks of electricity lepted from his fingers, fast and furious at first, but, then began to fizzle and stop, as he lowered his hands. Donavan leaned his head off to the right and then forward, as he brought his left hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Willow began to stand looking at Donavan in shock, as he leaned against the counter, just staring with her mouth wide open. She tried to move closer, but, for some strange reason, her feet were glued to the floor. She struggled for a moment, then felt something give. Her foot broke from the ice and then landed back to the floor, where she felt the cold ice covered floor, that was right before her foot slide from underneath her, and she fell to the floor landing swift and hard on her rear. "Oh my God, are you okay?" Donavan asked, as he ran around the counter. Gliding acrossed the ice. "I'm not to sure..." Willow answered, looking at the floor around her all confused. "What happened?" "Well... thats kind of hard to explain, but, I can give it a try." Donavan held his hand out, waiting for Willow to take it. "You see... I used a pretty powerful spell, and to keep it from completely destroying the building, I merged a type of freeze spell with it. Willow grab his hand in disbelief, she had always read that merging magiks were impossible. "You merged magiks?" Willow whispered, with her eyes wide open. "Yes, thats exactly what I did." Donavan answered nodding his head, "Your pretty smart for a witch, you know that." "But.... you merged magiks." "Yes I did, your point being?" Donavan looked at her puzzled. "It's impossible to mix...." "Magiks!" Donavan finished her sentence for her. "Yeah, magiks." Willow said, kind of startled by the whole thing. It just raced through her head, mixing magiks, the building covered in ice, but the whole magik mixing grab at her more then anything. Even Anya said that was impossible she thought to herself, and she was a Vengence Demon for a while. Donavan stood there shaking his head, as he slowly raised his other hand in the air, then lowered it, just as the ice started melting, and then quickly evaporating. "Witchs and there damn impossibilities." Donavan said shacking his head. "Women, I'm a Wizard, not a witch or a warlock, or any other kind of limited creature thing." he paused to let it sink in, "Do you understand? A Wiz-ard." Willow just shock her head as she got back to her feet, still stuck on the magiks he had worked together. "I'm guessing, you don't know anything about the Wizards War then?" Donavan asked, already knowing the answer was no, and so continued. "I'm one of the 9 wizards in the world, and I think it best to have Giles explain everything else about us, he does after all know more then most, and that include 6 of the 9 wizards." "There's only 9 wizards?" Willow said, thinking about how there were so many witch's and such that they had a council. "Well.... yes. It's part of the non-aggression pack with the damned witch council." Donavan explained to Willow, as he walked over to the Body laying on the floor partially wet. "Non-aggression, whys that?" Willow asked. "Well, it's because of the war, Wizards are far more powerful. So by limiting us, if another war broke out, your witch council would have a chance in hell to win." Donavan said, hoping she understood. "Then who won the war." Willow asked not really thinking. Donavan missed the question as he started lifting the person off the floor, helping to stand him back up. "Well who won?" She asked again. "Isn't it pretty odvious Willow, the wizards lost." A familar voice rang out to her ears from the person. "Giles, is that you?" Willow asked watching as the lurching body, slowly turned around. Showing his face, with the same smile. "Giles!" Willow cried out as she wrapped her arms around his wet body, just glad to see him again. "Willow it's nice to see you to." Giles let out, as he wraped one of his arms around her to return the hug. "Well now that the reunion is over, I need your help." Giles looked over at Donavan, with a look of distaste upon his face. As he let go of Willow, and pushed her slowly away. "Why are you here." Were the only words, that came from Giles mouth. "Well thats kind of hard to explain..." Donavan trailed off. But Giles just repeated the same thing. "I need your help." Donavan just said again. Willow looked at the two wondering what was going on. "Whats wrong Giles?" Willow asked, but, didn't get any answer. "Giles this is serious, I really need your help." "Your not aloud to be anywhere, where a slayer is present, you know that Donavan." "Yeah I know, but I had no choice..." Donavan began to trail off again. "What was that?" "Were all in trouble, all of us." Donavan answered. "What do you mean by that?" Willow asked getting in the middle of the two. Giles slowly pushed her to the side as he step forward waiting for Donavan to answer. "Well, answer the question." Giles began to order. "I mean were all in trouble, you, the rest of the Watchers, the blasted Witch Council, your Slayer, every other normal person in the world." Donavan said just looking at Giles, not taking his eyes from him. "The Hell mouths have all been destroyed." Giles took a step back, when he heard that. "What?" Came from Willow. "The Hell mouths have all been destroyed." Donavan repeated. "Thats impossible Donavan, no one has the power to do that, no one at all." Giles said steping back over to Donavan. "Theres that damned impossible word again, can't you people ever realize somethings are very well possible." Donavan said as he walked over to a fallen chair throwing his arms in the air, picked up the chair and then sat in it. "Dammit, you didn't..." Giles began to rant. "No I didn't, we don't even have the power to do that." Donavan asnwered. "Then how the hell did they get destroyed?" Giles asked. "We don't know, but, thats not the only problem. We found someone we want you to meet." Donavan said as he slowly put one leg over another. "Your telling me the most powerful beings of are very own world don't have any clue to as whats been going on?" Giles asked, just looking as Donavan shook his head. "And you also want me to meet somebody?" Donavan just nodded. "Then were is he?" Donavan just looked at the two, and swallowed a lump in his throat the size of a baseball. "Hunting." Donavan answered looking at both Willow and Giles. Willow and Giles looked to one another wondering what Donavan meant.

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The warehouse was cold and damp, the tin sidings were rusted and broken. The windows were covered with an inch of dust and dirt, with a few of them broken. The garage door was slightly open about 3 feet on one end, while just barely off the ground on the other. Broken glass bottle just lay around, while a few crumpled up cans just sat around. On the inside giant crates loomed over shadows. Spiders in every corner spining their webbs, creating weird designs and structures. As 2 people stood on one end. One standing in wait for the other, just watching with his blue eyes, and short black hair. On his left arm, a gash about half an inch deep, with blood seeping out from it. His green t-shirt barely held together, with all the large claw marks through it, as with a few tiny scratches acrossed his abs. As a torn off leather wing lay at his feet. The other just stood hunched over, with one large hand, with long seraded claws on the ground, as it held the other up in the air, with its fingers waving its claws. Its head had long bunny like ears, with giant horns pertruding from the back of it's head and turned up into the air. The mouth of the beast lay open, looking broken, and just holding on by a few threads of stringy muscle. Bruise's covered the body from head to its claw covered toe. While a single wing spazed around crazy, next to a bloody nub. The two just stared watching one another. The creature with his size and shear strength would have merely destroy any normal person, but, for some reason this man, this being, was taking everything it dished out. The beast lowered it's head, as it sprited off toward the man. The beast howled with rage, as it became faster and faster. It became a blur, but, the man just stood his ground, waiting for the terrible beast to get closer. And the beast did just that. Just as the roaring beast lifted his giant arm, to swipe its dangerous claws at the man. He smiled, the man smiled, this confused the beast for just a second, but it didn't matter, it's long arm was about to hit it's mark, smile or no smlie this man was finally dead. Just as the beast was about to hit, the man with unbelievable speed, grabbed the giant arm, holding it still, as he began to squeze. The monster stood there in pain watching, as this man crushed his arm without even breaking a sweat. It finally broke into the mind of the creature, as well his arm. This man, this person, toyed with him the entire time, as the man finally broke into a smile. The large gash the beast had made in the his arm was simply gone, only a thin scar remained. The beast felt the pain in his arm, as the man let go. But before the beast could do anything he felt another two hands on his other arm, as he found himself, being whipped around, and around. Spining in a circle for just a few seconds, before the man let go, watching it fly through the rusted tin side of the warehouse. The beast landed just short of the water. The cement felt like a floor full of tiny spike's as this thing, skidded acrossed it a good ten or twelve feet, before it rolled to a stop. The beast slowly stood back to its feet, just in time to see the man jump out from the hole in the side of the warehouse. The monster with all the pain it had been going through, just fell back onto its ass. Wondering how this was possible. This was just supposed to be a normal person for dinner. "Were not done dancing yet." The man said as he marched at a slow pace toward the monster. The beast just sat trying to push himself away, but, it couldn't do it fast enough. "What are you?" Left the lips of the beast hanging jaw. The man stopped and looked at the beast, then chuckled slightly, as he continued forward again, at an even slower pace. "It can talk, well your going to hope you didn't now." The man said, not explaining. "What are you?" The beast asked again, not wanting to fight anymore, now that he knew he was going to die for his stupidity. "Well, I guess I can tell you that." He said smiling, as he kneelt down next to the monster, "I'm Marcus." Marcus paused for a moment, "And you are?" The beast was stunned, why would this man, no not a man, this Marcus, ask for his name. "Well are you going to tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Marcus chuckled as he watched the beast flinch at the though of what he said. "They.... call me... they call me..." The beast repeated over and over until, Marcus slapped his jaw shut. "Tell me later." Marcus stood up and held his hand out, "Hurry, before I change my mind and kill you." The beast couldn't believe what he saw, or was even hearing.

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"Buffy I don't think you understand why were here." Zander said, shaking his head, "We already know were in trouble. We do after all live on a Hell Mouth." He said, just standing in front of Buffy with Terra and Anya on either side of him. "Thats not what I'm talking about Zander, I really need to get a hold of Giles." She said, crossing her arms, while tapping her foot on the ground. "Spike said.." Zander cut here off, before she could finish. "Who cares what Spike says, he's a dead loser." "Actually, an undead loser." Anya corrected "Yeah I knew that," Zander said looking over at Anya, then back to Buffy, "Yeah, an undead loser." Buffy just pushed past them, storming off towards the Magic Box. With hands tightly rounded into fist. "Buffy wait!" Terra said, as she jogged to catch up, with Zander and Anya following right behind her. "Wait for what?" Buffy snapped back in a dead stop, "Well, for What? The end of the world or just until one of you get killed." "Ok, ok," Zander said, "why don't we all go back to the Magic Box then you can call Giles, and find out theres nothing wrong. And then we can all go get something to eat. Buffy didn't really care much about what Zander was saying, well up until he talked about food. Thats when she realized she hadn't eaten in a while. "Ok then, lets hurry up." Buffy said changing her mood as if like a light switch. "What?" Zander said confused by the whole thing. "Lets go call Giles like you said then get something to eat." Buffy told him. Zander just stood there for a moment as the rest started towards to the Shop. It wasn't very often he was right, and it always took him by surprise. "Cool!" Zander said to himself, as he began to catch back up to the others, running. They walked for a bit in silence, the three were wondering what was bugging Buffy, while she walked like a Slayer on a mission. "So what do you guys wanna eat?" Asked Anya, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet to see how much money she had on her. "Lets try that new mexican restraut." Terra answer, "Or how about some chinesse." "Thats good with me, chinesse." Said Zander as he rubbed his hands together, and licked his lips. "What about you Buffy?" Anya asked, holding her wallet up, "My treat." But Buffy didn't answer she just kept marching forward, taking a right turn there, then a left, until they all reached the broken glass acrossed the street from the shop. The store had char marks along the sidewalks around the building. A light post near the shop, was bent over a good fourty-five degrees, along with a car that appeared to be smashed. "Oh my God, Willow blew herself up." Anya screamed as she ran towards the store. "Willow?" Terra whispered as she followed Anya. Buffy just stood in shock for a bit, as did Zander, until they both ran up to the store, and through the door.