Part 33: Field Tests, Reinforcements, and Observations
#
"So this is the situation as it presents itself," Burke concluded the first part of the briefing. His eyes swept across the nearly three dozen men and women sitting in front of him. Many of them were still looking somewhat skeptical, only having been told about the actual reality of the supernatural until a few hours ago. Burke knew from experience that the only thing that would actually disperse that skepticism was a first-hand personal encounter with the unearthly. That was something they would all get much sooner than any sane man would care to.
He pressed a button on the laptop and a new slide appeared on the wall. Five faces were shown.
"These are the only photographs we have of the targets," Burke went on, "and they were taken nearly twenty years ago. Keep that in mind! Final sanction has been authorized and we will move the moment we learn their location. The plan is for us to take them out from as great a distance as possible. Believe me, you do not want to get in close and personal with these ... things."
The few veterans sitting among the new agents nodded without hesitation. Many of them still carried the scars of that first encounter. Many of their fellow agents were still down with injuries. A few would probably never get up again.
"Sir," one of the new agents raised his hand. A guy called Miller, if Burke remembered correctly.
"Yes, son, what is it?"
"Sir, the briefing documents we received mentioned one Buffy Summers, the Slayer. Will she be fighting with us?"
Many of the new agents were curious about Ms. Summers, that much was obvious from the looks they gave him. He could hardly blame them. If he had heard about a young girl with super strength that had been hired to give the country's best special operatives lessons in demon fighting he would want to know more about her, too.
"Ms. Summers is currently ... not part of our operations. That situation may yet change before we actually make our move, but for the moment we have to plan for worst case. Meaning that she will not be here and it will be up to us mere humans."
Some chuckles went around the briefing room, but most of the faces Burke could see held grim looks of determination. Most people did not react well to the news that humans were not the top of the food chain on this world. Humanity in general did not react well to beings that preyed on it, as most large animal predators on Earth had found out by becoming nearly extinct. It was hard to retain the self-image of dominant species of the world when faced with vampires and other demons, even more so when the only thing capable of bailing one out was a young girl with powers every bit as supernatural as the creatures she was fighting.
They were all humans here, Burke mused. Not magically enhanced, not possessed by some kind of warrior spirit, not changed by a black ops experiment. Just humans. It was time to prove, to themselves if no one else, that that was still more than enough to handle any given job.
"We are confident that Team 666 is still here in Sunnydale," Burke concluded. "We have scouts out looking for them. Be ready to move at a moment's notice and be ready for the fight of your life! That's all!"
The men and women quickly rose and dispersed, either returning to the cover identities they had assumed here in town or the work-out area they had set up in another part of the small office building.
Burke grumbled as he picked up his papers. One face had been conspicuously absent from this briefing, one he had gotten used to seeing at his side. Riley had quickly become his second-in-command here in Sunnydale due to his stellar performance, not to mention being the one who had recruited the Slayer. Burke had not put Riley on one of the scouting details, so where was he? His absence disturbed Burke.
He just hoped Riley was not out there doing something stupid.
#
No one was really sure that this was a good idea, least of all Buffy and Angel themselves. Barely a week had passed since they had both changed and their emotions were still in turmoil. They both thanked all the gods in heaven that the last few days had been quiet, neither Team 666 nor any assorted demon or monster disturbing the peace. It had left them time to get used to their new connection, as well as their increased powers.
Enough time, though? There was really but one way to tell.
"Ready?" Buffy asked, her body almost humming with anticipation. Ever since the bond between them had closed she was at all times filled with tension, a burning need to go out and do something. Hunt something. Kill something. Slaying vampires had always been a great stress-reliever for her, but never before had she felt the need this strong.
"Ready," Angel answered. For him this need, this anticipation was nothing new. Oh, the need was directed at something different now, but it was not too unlike a vampire's hunger for blood and the thrill of the chase. Even as a vampire with a soul he had felt it at all times, the yearning to sink his fangs into human flesh and drink deeply. He had denied that need, then redirected it to hunt down his own kind. Now there was no need for denial or redirection.
Only restraint, they both reminded themselves. They needed to know, needed to be certain, that they could restrain this need, this burning intensity they both felt. It had been an issue even before Willow's friend Tara had told them what she saw in their auras. Now it was all the more important.
To everyone's surprise Giles had brought Wesley along when they had gathered to hear Tara's explanation for her near faint in the cemetery. The former Watcher was apparently operating as a freelance demon hunter now (or rogue demon hunter, as he called himself) after being fired from the Council. While in Los Angeles he had come into possession of some documents he needed help translating, which was one of the reasons he had stayed in Sunnydale for the time being.
Buffy was surprised how little enmity she felt regarding her former Watcher. Wesley had been a wimp and a coward, yes, but he seemed changed now. Thinking back, he might have changed as early as the night of her Graduation, when he had gone against the wishes of the Council and continued aiding her, however ineffectually. Wesley had not told anyone what exactly had happened between him and the Council after that, but there was a shimmer of self-confidence in him now.
Forcing her mind back on track, Buffy remembered what Giles and Wesley had said about Tara's revelation.
"Absolute good," Giles had muttered. "Yes, I can see how that might be dangerous."
"It would explain a great deal about the former Huntsmen's inability to show restraint," Wesley had added, drawing curious stares from everyone listening.
"None of us are angels, Buffy," Giles had explained. "We all have our faults, our sins. Humans are imperfect creatures and I think we always will be. If one looks closely enough one will always find something to condemn even the purest person for."
"If the Huntsman and the Slayer combined," Wesley had taken over again, "are as Tara describes them then ... well, I fear that the light within you is so bright that it could blind you to the gray areas."
"Next to a star everything else is blackest night," Tara had whispered.
It did explain things, Buffy thought, at least to a certain degree. The Slayer and the Huntsman were a primal force of good, created for one purpose and one purpose only: To destroy evil in whatever form it might appear in. Only the benchmark had been set too high. The standard was impossible to measure up to for anyone merely human.
Buffy and Angel understood that, unless they were very careful, the power they both carried would cause them to see evil everywhere. Even the slightest taint, the smallest possible sin, would be enough for the Slayer and the Huntsman. They had to remember that they, too, were human. They had to remember that humans were fallible, imperfect. That did not make them evil.
Perversely enough this entire situation almost caused Buffy to develop sympathy for the Council of Watchers now. Almost. They had probably been right in laying down their strict rules all these centuries ago. The Slayer needed to be given a clear definition of what to fight and what not, otherwise it might well turn on everyone. Maybe it had even been the Watchers who had first locked the Huntsman away in the distant past, looking to control a force that would otherwise be a danger for all those it had been created to protect.
It made some of their other policies all the more senseless, though. Now, more than ever, Buffy and Angel needed their friends and family. If they detached themselves from humanity, as the Council had always tried to do with the Slayer, how much easier would it be for them to judge the ones they were to protect? How much easier to find faults in all of them when they were not close enough to see that those very faults were what made them human to begin with?
The Council had been told about what had happened in Sunnydale and would be sending an observer to assess the situation. Buffy intended to have a long and thorough talk with him or her.
Right now, though, she and Angel had something much more important to do. They knew they had to restrain their power, the spirits they carried within them. They knew they had to be the ones in control, especially in a combat situation. Now it was time to see whether they could actually accomplish any of these lofty goals.
It was time for the Slayer and the Huntsman to go into combat.
"Okay, let's go," Buffy whispered, moving forward. Angel followed like a shadow, neither of them making any sound as they crept closer to the building in front of them. It was a large vampire nest, located with some help from Willy. It was close to dawn, so most of the residents were probably home by now, tucking in for the day. According to Willy there would be at least ten vampires in there, maybe more.
Even better was the fact that the building was on the outskirts of town, far away from most warm-blooded citizens of Sunnydale. If Buffy and Angel found they were unable to stay in control during the battle it was better if there were no civilians around. That included their friends, all of whom were staying home tonight.
Thoughts of their friends ceased as their senses reached out, reaching through the stonework and zeroing in on the evil inside. Some part of Buffy realized that her Slayer senses had expanded, the range almost double what she was used to. Most of her was focused on the upcoming battle, though. No, not a battle. A hunt. Those who were inside, bloated on the blood of innocents, were the prey. They would leave no doubt about that.
She was hyper-aware of Angel's presence by her side as they edged closer to the side entrance of the house. They needed no words to communicate now. Slayer and Huntsman had been made to fight side by side and moved in synch by sheer instinct. Added to that was all the many nights they had fought together in the past, the familiarity with each others' styles and strengths. They flanked the door, their senses easily picking up the single guard standing just behind it. Then they sprang into action.
The vampire guarding the door never had a chance. The wooden frame exploded inwards and two blurred shapes were all over him a heartbeat later. He barely felt the pain of his neck being snapped, shortly followed by a sharp wooden object stabbing into his chest. He crumbled into dust before completing the thought that had entered his head a moment earlier, starting with "What the ...?"
Buffy and Angel moved on, unconcerned that the inhabitants of this house would now be aware of their presence. The narrow corridors favored them, preventing the vampires from simply overwhelming them through sheer numbers. Their heightened senses had no trouble immediately locating every single demon inside this building.
They moved without word, without thought, allowing instinct to take over for the duration of the battle. Demons screamed left and right as they tore through the house like a whirlwind, outmatched vampires crumbling into dust in rapid succession. The few blows they managed to get in barely even slowed the deadly pair down.
It was a sensation unlike anything Buffy had ever felt during her years as the Slayer. The pumping of adrenalin was addictive, that much she knew. The snap and pull of her muscles as she fought, the exhilaration of besting an opponent in battle, the burning energy that seemed to flow in her limbs, making them stronger than they had any right to be.
All of that was now amplified tenfold. She moved through the building like a dancer on stage, a lethal rhythm that annihilated everything that stood in her path. Angel was like a second body to her, their minds working as one, and nothing could possibly stand against them. A feeling of omnipotence flooded her system as these creatures, whom she had beaten before but never this easily, just fell into dust.
A moment later she clamped down on that feeling, shoved it away. Oh, it was so seductive, so incredibly attracting. No doubt it was this very feeling that had corrupted so many Slayers and Huntsmen before them. The power, the absolute certainty that they did good, that nothing they could do would be anything but right. It was such an easy trap to fall into. Abandon all self- doubt because hers was the power of light, the ultimate good.
Buffy refused to fall. The power of the Slayer and the Huntsman combined flowed through her veins, moved in her limbs, destroyed the enemies around her, but she did not allow it to control her. She had never ridden a horse in her life, but this was what it had to be like. Riding a creature so much stronger than herself, yet staying in control without being thrown off. Allowing it to run, but being the one to decide in which direction. Telling it when to stop.
The last vampire in the house met its end as they tore its head off with their combined strength and crumbled into ashes. Buffy and Angel stopped moving, their senses sweeping the building to make sure that it was clear. Their eyes locked with each other as they realized that they were alone. They had won the battle, easy as it had been, and achieved a victory much more important than the mere destruction of a dozen or so vampires.
"We did it," Angel whispered. He did not mean the vampires, either.
"Yes, we did," Buffy answered, a smile spreading on her lips.
Moments later they were in each others' arms, the excess energy of the battle needing an outlet. Their bodies were covered with sweat, their hearts beating almost in synch. Slayer and Huntsman howled with satisfaction. The battle was won and the warriors' passion would be sated.
#
Riley sat beneath a tree about a hundred meters away from the house and lowered his infrared goggles, not quite believing what he had just seen. It had been a strange sight, seeing two heat signatures moving around a house that seemed empty, fighting invisible opponents. The advanced motion tracker incorporated into his goggles had shown him the rest. Creatures that held no body heat, yet looked and moved like human beings.
A dozen vampires, maybe more. Buffy and Angel had annihilated them all in a matter of minutes. He had seen Buffy fight before, though never this effectively, but Angel? Granted, he had only seen him in a fight once, but despite his obvious skill he had seemed thoroughly human there. No super strength to be found.
What was going on here? First Angel appeared all whole and healthy barely two days after Riley had seen him in the hospital, hanging onto life by a thread, and now this. There had to be some kind of explanation for this. Riley had seen Angel in the sunlight, so he could not be a vampire. Hell, if he were any kind of demon then Buffy would certainly not be his girlfriend. She was the Slayer, after all. The only non-demon aside from Buffy whom Riley had ever seen with moves like that, strength like that, was Jackson King and King was ...
A light bulb went on over Riley's head. The Huntsman! Of course! Giles and Buffy had told him the lore. Just like with the Slayer, if one Huntsman died then another was called. Could it be ...?
Riley would not go so far as to consider Angel a friend. Their shared attraction towards Buffy pretty much prevented that from ever happening. They had reached an understanding, though, about five minutes before King had nearly killed the other man. Angel was a good guy, that much Riley knew. If he had really been possessed by this Huntsman spirit, though, would that really matter? By all accounts Jackson King had been a good guy once, too.
He had to do something about this. The Huntsman had almost killed him and only Buffy's intervention had saved his life. If Angel followed in King's footsteps, if he flipped out as well, would Buffy be able to stop him as well? Would she even want to, considering who he was, what he was to her?
He did not know. He just did not know. He only knew that he had to find out. And fast.
TO BE CONTINUED
#
"So this is the situation as it presents itself," Burke concluded the first part of the briefing. His eyes swept across the nearly three dozen men and women sitting in front of him. Many of them were still looking somewhat skeptical, only having been told about the actual reality of the supernatural until a few hours ago. Burke knew from experience that the only thing that would actually disperse that skepticism was a first-hand personal encounter with the unearthly. That was something they would all get much sooner than any sane man would care to.
He pressed a button on the laptop and a new slide appeared on the wall. Five faces were shown.
"These are the only photographs we have of the targets," Burke went on, "and they were taken nearly twenty years ago. Keep that in mind! Final sanction has been authorized and we will move the moment we learn their location. The plan is for us to take them out from as great a distance as possible. Believe me, you do not want to get in close and personal with these ... things."
The few veterans sitting among the new agents nodded without hesitation. Many of them still carried the scars of that first encounter. Many of their fellow agents were still down with injuries. A few would probably never get up again.
"Sir," one of the new agents raised his hand. A guy called Miller, if Burke remembered correctly.
"Yes, son, what is it?"
"Sir, the briefing documents we received mentioned one Buffy Summers, the Slayer. Will she be fighting with us?"
Many of the new agents were curious about Ms. Summers, that much was obvious from the looks they gave him. He could hardly blame them. If he had heard about a young girl with super strength that had been hired to give the country's best special operatives lessons in demon fighting he would want to know more about her, too.
"Ms. Summers is currently ... not part of our operations. That situation may yet change before we actually make our move, but for the moment we have to plan for worst case. Meaning that she will not be here and it will be up to us mere humans."
Some chuckles went around the briefing room, but most of the faces Burke could see held grim looks of determination. Most people did not react well to the news that humans were not the top of the food chain on this world. Humanity in general did not react well to beings that preyed on it, as most large animal predators on Earth had found out by becoming nearly extinct. It was hard to retain the self-image of dominant species of the world when faced with vampires and other demons, even more so when the only thing capable of bailing one out was a young girl with powers every bit as supernatural as the creatures she was fighting.
They were all humans here, Burke mused. Not magically enhanced, not possessed by some kind of warrior spirit, not changed by a black ops experiment. Just humans. It was time to prove, to themselves if no one else, that that was still more than enough to handle any given job.
"We are confident that Team 666 is still here in Sunnydale," Burke concluded. "We have scouts out looking for them. Be ready to move at a moment's notice and be ready for the fight of your life! That's all!"
The men and women quickly rose and dispersed, either returning to the cover identities they had assumed here in town or the work-out area they had set up in another part of the small office building.
Burke grumbled as he picked up his papers. One face had been conspicuously absent from this briefing, one he had gotten used to seeing at his side. Riley had quickly become his second-in-command here in Sunnydale due to his stellar performance, not to mention being the one who had recruited the Slayer. Burke had not put Riley on one of the scouting details, so where was he? His absence disturbed Burke.
He just hoped Riley was not out there doing something stupid.
#
No one was really sure that this was a good idea, least of all Buffy and Angel themselves. Barely a week had passed since they had both changed and their emotions were still in turmoil. They both thanked all the gods in heaven that the last few days had been quiet, neither Team 666 nor any assorted demon or monster disturbing the peace. It had left them time to get used to their new connection, as well as their increased powers.
Enough time, though? There was really but one way to tell.
"Ready?" Buffy asked, her body almost humming with anticipation. Ever since the bond between them had closed she was at all times filled with tension, a burning need to go out and do something. Hunt something. Kill something. Slaying vampires had always been a great stress-reliever for her, but never before had she felt the need this strong.
"Ready," Angel answered. For him this need, this anticipation was nothing new. Oh, the need was directed at something different now, but it was not too unlike a vampire's hunger for blood and the thrill of the chase. Even as a vampire with a soul he had felt it at all times, the yearning to sink his fangs into human flesh and drink deeply. He had denied that need, then redirected it to hunt down his own kind. Now there was no need for denial or redirection.
Only restraint, they both reminded themselves. They needed to know, needed to be certain, that they could restrain this need, this burning intensity they both felt. It had been an issue even before Willow's friend Tara had told them what she saw in their auras. Now it was all the more important.
To everyone's surprise Giles had brought Wesley along when they had gathered to hear Tara's explanation for her near faint in the cemetery. The former Watcher was apparently operating as a freelance demon hunter now (or rogue demon hunter, as he called himself) after being fired from the Council. While in Los Angeles he had come into possession of some documents he needed help translating, which was one of the reasons he had stayed in Sunnydale for the time being.
Buffy was surprised how little enmity she felt regarding her former Watcher. Wesley had been a wimp and a coward, yes, but he seemed changed now. Thinking back, he might have changed as early as the night of her Graduation, when he had gone against the wishes of the Council and continued aiding her, however ineffectually. Wesley had not told anyone what exactly had happened between him and the Council after that, but there was a shimmer of self-confidence in him now.
Forcing her mind back on track, Buffy remembered what Giles and Wesley had said about Tara's revelation.
"Absolute good," Giles had muttered. "Yes, I can see how that might be dangerous."
"It would explain a great deal about the former Huntsmen's inability to show restraint," Wesley had added, drawing curious stares from everyone listening.
"None of us are angels, Buffy," Giles had explained. "We all have our faults, our sins. Humans are imperfect creatures and I think we always will be. If one looks closely enough one will always find something to condemn even the purest person for."
"If the Huntsman and the Slayer combined," Wesley had taken over again, "are as Tara describes them then ... well, I fear that the light within you is so bright that it could blind you to the gray areas."
"Next to a star everything else is blackest night," Tara had whispered.
It did explain things, Buffy thought, at least to a certain degree. The Slayer and the Huntsman were a primal force of good, created for one purpose and one purpose only: To destroy evil in whatever form it might appear in. Only the benchmark had been set too high. The standard was impossible to measure up to for anyone merely human.
Buffy and Angel understood that, unless they were very careful, the power they both carried would cause them to see evil everywhere. Even the slightest taint, the smallest possible sin, would be enough for the Slayer and the Huntsman. They had to remember that they, too, were human. They had to remember that humans were fallible, imperfect. That did not make them evil.
Perversely enough this entire situation almost caused Buffy to develop sympathy for the Council of Watchers now. Almost. They had probably been right in laying down their strict rules all these centuries ago. The Slayer needed to be given a clear definition of what to fight and what not, otherwise it might well turn on everyone. Maybe it had even been the Watchers who had first locked the Huntsman away in the distant past, looking to control a force that would otherwise be a danger for all those it had been created to protect.
It made some of their other policies all the more senseless, though. Now, more than ever, Buffy and Angel needed their friends and family. If they detached themselves from humanity, as the Council had always tried to do with the Slayer, how much easier would it be for them to judge the ones they were to protect? How much easier to find faults in all of them when they were not close enough to see that those very faults were what made them human to begin with?
The Council had been told about what had happened in Sunnydale and would be sending an observer to assess the situation. Buffy intended to have a long and thorough talk with him or her.
Right now, though, she and Angel had something much more important to do. They knew they had to restrain their power, the spirits they carried within them. They knew they had to be the ones in control, especially in a combat situation. Now it was time to see whether they could actually accomplish any of these lofty goals.
It was time for the Slayer and the Huntsman to go into combat.
"Okay, let's go," Buffy whispered, moving forward. Angel followed like a shadow, neither of them making any sound as they crept closer to the building in front of them. It was a large vampire nest, located with some help from Willy. It was close to dawn, so most of the residents were probably home by now, tucking in for the day. According to Willy there would be at least ten vampires in there, maybe more.
Even better was the fact that the building was on the outskirts of town, far away from most warm-blooded citizens of Sunnydale. If Buffy and Angel found they were unable to stay in control during the battle it was better if there were no civilians around. That included their friends, all of whom were staying home tonight.
Thoughts of their friends ceased as their senses reached out, reaching through the stonework and zeroing in on the evil inside. Some part of Buffy realized that her Slayer senses had expanded, the range almost double what she was used to. Most of her was focused on the upcoming battle, though. No, not a battle. A hunt. Those who were inside, bloated on the blood of innocents, were the prey. They would leave no doubt about that.
She was hyper-aware of Angel's presence by her side as they edged closer to the side entrance of the house. They needed no words to communicate now. Slayer and Huntsman had been made to fight side by side and moved in synch by sheer instinct. Added to that was all the many nights they had fought together in the past, the familiarity with each others' styles and strengths. They flanked the door, their senses easily picking up the single guard standing just behind it. Then they sprang into action.
The vampire guarding the door never had a chance. The wooden frame exploded inwards and two blurred shapes were all over him a heartbeat later. He barely felt the pain of his neck being snapped, shortly followed by a sharp wooden object stabbing into his chest. He crumbled into dust before completing the thought that had entered his head a moment earlier, starting with "What the ...?"
Buffy and Angel moved on, unconcerned that the inhabitants of this house would now be aware of their presence. The narrow corridors favored them, preventing the vampires from simply overwhelming them through sheer numbers. Their heightened senses had no trouble immediately locating every single demon inside this building.
They moved without word, without thought, allowing instinct to take over for the duration of the battle. Demons screamed left and right as they tore through the house like a whirlwind, outmatched vampires crumbling into dust in rapid succession. The few blows they managed to get in barely even slowed the deadly pair down.
It was a sensation unlike anything Buffy had ever felt during her years as the Slayer. The pumping of adrenalin was addictive, that much she knew. The snap and pull of her muscles as she fought, the exhilaration of besting an opponent in battle, the burning energy that seemed to flow in her limbs, making them stronger than they had any right to be.
All of that was now amplified tenfold. She moved through the building like a dancer on stage, a lethal rhythm that annihilated everything that stood in her path. Angel was like a second body to her, their minds working as one, and nothing could possibly stand against them. A feeling of omnipotence flooded her system as these creatures, whom she had beaten before but never this easily, just fell into dust.
A moment later she clamped down on that feeling, shoved it away. Oh, it was so seductive, so incredibly attracting. No doubt it was this very feeling that had corrupted so many Slayers and Huntsmen before them. The power, the absolute certainty that they did good, that nothing they could do would be anything but right. It was such an easy trap to fall into. Abandon all self- doubt because hers was the power of light, the ultimate good.
Buffy refused to fall. The power of the Slayer and the Huntsman combined flowed through her veins, moved in her limbs, destroyed the enemies around her, but she did not allow it to control her. She had never ridden a horse in her life, but this was what it had to be like. Riding a creature so much stronger than herself, yet staying in control without being thrown off. Allowing it to run, but being the one to decide in which direction. Telling it when to stop.
The last vampire in the house met its end as they tore its head off with their combined strength and crumbled into ashes. Buffy and Angel stopped moving, their senses sweeping the building to make sure that it was clear. Their eyes locked with each other as they realized that they were alone. They had won the battle, easy as it had been, and achieved a victory much more important than the mere destruction of a dozen or so vampires.
"We did it," Angel whispered. He did not mean the vampires, either.
"Yes, we did," Buffy answered, a smile spreading on her lips.
Moments later they were in each others' arms, the excess energy of the battle needing an outlet. Their bodies were covered with sweat, their hearts beating almost in synch. Slayer and Huntsman howled with satisfaction. The battle was won and the warriors' passion would be sated.
#
Riley sat beneath a tree about a hundred meters away from the house and lowered his infrared goggles, not quite believing what he had just seen. It had been a strange sight, seeing two heat signatures moving around a house that seemed empty, fighting invisible opponents. The advanced motion tracker incorporated into his goggles had shown him the rest. Creatures that held no body heat, yet looked and moved like human beings.
A dozen vampires, maybe more. Buffy and Angel had annihilated them all in a matter of minutes. He had seen Buffy fight before, though never this effectively, but Angel? Granted, he had only seen him in a fight once, but despite his obvious skill he had seemed thoroughly human there. No super strength to be found.
What was going on here? First Angel appeared all whole and healthy barely two days after Riley had seen him in the hospital, hanging onto life by a thread, and now this. There had to be some kind of explanation for this. Riley had seen Angel in the sunlight, so he could not be a vampire. Hell, if he were any kind of demon then Buffy would certainly not be his girlfriend. She was the Slayer, after all. The only non-demon aside from Buffy whom Riley had ever seen with moves like that, strength like that, was Jackson King and King was ...
A light bulb went on over Riley's head. The Huntsman! Of course! Giles and Buffy had told him the lore. Just like with the Slayer, if one Huntsman died then another was called. Could it be ...?
Riley would not go so far as to consider Angel a friend. Their shared attraction towards Buffy pretty much prevented that from ever happening. They had reached an understanding, though, about five minutes before King had nearly killed the other man. Angel was a good guy, that much Riley knew. If he had really been possessed by this Huntsman spirit, though, would that really matter? By all accounts Jackson King had been a good guy once, too.
He had to do something about this. The Huntsman had almost killed him and only Buffy's intervention had saved his life. If Angel followed in King's footsteps, if he flipped out as well, would Buffy be able to stop him as well? Would she even want to, considering who he was, what he was to her?
He did not know. He just did not know. He only knew that he had to find out. And fast.
TO BE CONTINUED