Disclaimer: Any character that you've seen on the show is owned by Joss, not me.
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Colleen |
The new slayer |
|
Jordan |
Psychic who receives The Visions |
|
Dawn |
The Key |
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Aaron |
Currently Exploring Magicks |
*****
"Maybe I should get like a golf bag or something," Jordan said as he walked with Colleen on patrol. "That way I could be like your slay-caddy or something."
"Too bad all of my weapons would just sit at the bottom of the bag," Colleen said. It had been a very slow night of patrol. They hadn't seen a vampire since they started tonight.
"At least it would give me a reason to be here," Jordan said. "I mean at first you need a helping hand every once in a while. Now I'm just here for moral support."
"Are you saying that's a bad thing?" Colleen asked him.
Jordan thought about it for a moment. "No, I guess it's not."
"Well there's a vampire right there," Colleen said pointing out the vampire that had just noticed them. "Do you want to take him or do you want me to?"
"I'll let you handle this one," Jordan said with a smile.
"Gee," Colleen said as she ran over to the vampire and began to trade blows with him. "Thanks." They fight was definitely one sided. The vampire was newly risen and not even a challenge. Colleen, after playing with him for a little bit, grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground in front of Jordan, who bent over and dusted him with his stake.
"At least we finally got some action tonight," Colleen said as they started walking again. "I thought tonight was going to be a waste."
They walked along in silence for a while without really saying much. Colleen knew exactly what she wanted to say to Jordan but didn't know if she really wanted to say it. She knew that she should probably get it off of her chest but for some reason she didn't want to cause a conflict between her and Jordan.
"Just say it," Jordan said as they kept walking. "I know that there's something on your mind so just tell me."
"I keep forgetting to think softly," Colleen said with a smile. "Although I guess you can't even really do that."
"So spill," Jordan said. "What's on your mind?"
"You don't already know?" Colleen asked.
"I have an idea," Jordan said. "And if you wanted to I would probably be able to pick your brain and know exactly what it is but I think that might be a little rude."
"It's just," Colleen started. "That time when you agreed to hand over the Omicron in order to save Gold Chick. I mean, I'm not trying to say that it wasn't without good intentions, but I don't know if it was the smartest move to make."
Jordan stopped where he was walking. "What are you trying to say? Are you saying that we should have just let Martyr kill Gold Chick?"
"No," Colleen said. They started walking again. "But, look at it this way. What if they had been working together? What if it was just one big plan between her and Martyr. I mean, we don't really know anything about her."
"But she wasn't," Jordan said. "We'd all be dead right now if it wasn't for her."
"But she could have been," Colleen said. "We didn't know then. We had no way to be sure."
"If Gold Chick was working for Martyr then why would she have helped us back at the museum?" Jordan suggested. "She could have easily just taken the book back then and handed it over to him but instead she risked her life fighting Martyr and stayed up all night making sure that he didn't kill us while the rest of us slept."
"But still," Colleen continued, "Maybe she was just trying to set us up. Maybe it was all part of some huge plan to gain our trust so she could set us up later down the road."
"If that was true then why would she refuse to work with us closer?" Jordan shot back. "Why wouldn't she let us take her into the circle so she could get all of our secrets?"
"Maybe because she didn't want to get too close because maybe then we could trace her back to Martyr," Colleen suggested. "For all we know she's been trying to set us up the whole way to help create Phoenix."
"Then why did she save you?" Jordan said. "Phoenix could have easily killed but Gold Chick saved you."
"She saved me a little too easily," Colleen mused. "Did you see the way that she manhandled him? I could barely lay a fist on him and she tossed him like a rag doll."
"Well maybe she's stronger than you?" Jordan suggested. "Or maybe there was some glitch with his demon physiology that we don't know about. Not that we even know anything about him at all."
"I just don't get why you are so ready to just blindly trust her," Colleen said.
"First of all it's not blind trust at all because she has saved our lived," Jordan said. "Second of all, I'm psychic remember? I think I would be able to figure it out if she was planning on betraying us. And I never got a vision about her either. Don't you think The Powers That Be would warn us if there was a danger so close to us?"
"Now it's my turn to be psychic," Colleen said. "There's something your not telling me isn't there."
Jordan sighed. "It's just...I don't know how to describe it. I just feel this connection to her. I can't describe it. It's like just this bond that I can feel between us."
"You don't think it might just be that you have feelings for her?" Colleen offered.
Jordan shook his head. "I've thought about it but I don't think that's it. I would admit it if it was, but I really don't think that's what it is."
"Maybe she's controlling you somehow?" Colleen suggested. "Maybe she's psychic too."
Jordan stopped again. "Why are you pushing this? Why are you trying to make her evil?"
"I'm not trying to make her out to be evil?" Colleen tried to act shocked, and then attempted to laugh it off. "I think your just being a little too sensitive."
Jordan looked at her a little strangely. "I know what this is about."
"It's about a potential evil demon that we've been tolerating," Colleen said.
Jordan shook his head. "You're pissed because I went over your head. You're just mad because I made the decision and not you."
"I can't believe you would say that," Colleen said.
Jordan shook his head slightly again, as if not even really being able to believe it himself. "That is it. You think that you're the leader and that I had no right making that decision because you're the slayer and I'm not."
Colleen looked frustrated. She didn't want to say it, but she did anyway. Her expression changed as she started to speak. "What if it is true?" She looked sad, disgusted with herself. "It's just, I mean, I get all these super powers. And all of the sudden I go from being anybody to having to save the world? It's just so much. And I'm trying to keep it together and I'm trying to save the world when I only just turned fifteen two weeks ago?"
"But you're not alone," Jordan told her. "You have me remember? I have to save the world too."
Colleen shook her head. "You have to tell me what to save. I have to do the saving."
Jordan looked hurt. "I just tell you what to save? I can't believe you would say that Colleen. After everything that I've done? And what about that spell Aaron did? If it weren't for that then we would be up to our eyes in demons right now. How can you say that it's just you?"
Now it was Colleen's turn to look hurt. "I...I know what you guys do is important. I'm sorry, it's just this has been an adjustment. I'm just trying to keep everything together, you know? I'm just trying to keep everything in control."
Jordan had enough. "Well that's just great. You know what, that's fine. You can have it all. You can do it all on your own. That's what you want right?"
"Jordan" Colleen said as Jordan started to walk off, "wait."
"No," Jordan said as he continued to walk away. "This is the way you want-" Jordan stopped talking as a vision came over him. He yelled in frustration. "Bad fucking timing!" Jordan yelled at the sky hoping The Powers That Be would hear him.
*****
"How about this one?" Dawn suggested as she handed Aaron a magick book opened to a page about glamour. Aaron looked at it.
"It's worth a shot," Aaron said. "It could be good practice." He kept reading. "It looks really easy too."
Aaron sat cross legged on the floor in front of Dawn as she sat down as well. He concentrated at the task at hand. He then lit a few candles around him and began the spell.
"Powers around me come within. I summon thee into my vessel. Allow me to appear without as I do within. Allow my will to be done." Aaron finished the spell and opened his eyes. He waited for Dawn to respond.
"Well?" Aaron said after Dawn didn't answer.
"What?" Dawn asked in response.
Aaron sighed. "My eyes," he said as he pointed to his eyes.
"Oh wow," Dawn said. "They're blue." She thought about it for a little bit. "I liked them better green."
Aaron looked a little confused. "My eyes are green?"
Dawn laughed. "Yeah of course. You didn't know what color your eyes were?"
"Well," Aaron said. "I always thought they were just brownish or something."
"Guys," Dawn said with a laugh.
*****
"Are you sure that there's nothing going on?" Colleen said. "I mean are you sure that he's not going to attack or anything?"
"Yes Colleen," Jordan said. "Believe it or not even those of us who aren't the slayer know how to deal with demons."
"Jordan," Colleen started, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to-"
"Let's just go," Jordan said as he started walking in the direction of a large mansion on the other side of town. "The Powers That Be obviously wanted us to see something here so let's go get it over with."
Colleen sighed and tried to keep up with Jordan. The Powers That Be had sent him a vision of Phoenix's hideout. Apparently there was something that they needed to see on the bedroom wall of the old mansion that they were going to. They went around back and found a way to climb up to the second story. From there it was easy to break in through a window and make their way to the bedroom in question.
"Wow," Colleen said in a low whisper. "I can't believe no one lives here."
"Quiet," Jordan said.
"I thought you said that there was no one here?" Colleen said.
"You can never be too careful, remember," Jordan said back to her.
Colleen decided that she had had enough of this. She grabbed Jordan by the shoulder and swung him around. "Listen Jordan, I'm sorry for thinking the way I did. I was wrong OK. I was wrong and you were right."
"That's not enough Colleen," Jordan said. "You don't really think that. It's not enough to just say you're sorry. You have to really mean it."
"I do mean it," Colleen said.
"Let's just do what we came here to do," Jordan said.
They entered the bedroom that Jordan had seen in his vision. On the wall was a huge painting. The center of the painting was a sun that was shaped like a compass and there were pictures at the north, south, east, and west. The drawing in the south was of a man being killed by a vampire. At the west was a vampire taking in a spirit. At the north was the vampire dying and the spirit leaving his body. At the east was the spirit opening the Hellmouth.
"What do you make of this?" Colleen asked.
"Not sure," Jordan said. He reached out to touch the painting and when he did a purple dust came off the painting and into Colleen and Jordan's faces. There was no time to react. Before they knew it they were both frozen. For a while they could do nothing. They weren't able to talk or to move. It was the same powder that Martyr had used on Colleen and Gold Chick.
Can you hear me? Jordan said without moving his lips.
Colleen looked at him. She nodded her head.
I've only tried this a couple of time, Jordan said into her mind. What are we going to do?
Colleen tried to move her mouth but she couldn't.
Try to think 'at me,' Jordan told her.
Colleen calmed herself down. She focused. We need to find a vase and break it, Colleen thought to him.
I'll try, Jordan said. I can sense it. It's right behind us against the other wall. I'll just push it off the table. Jordan concentrated but nothing happened. It's no use, he said finally. This spell blocks my telekinesis.
Can you try to contact Aaron or Dawn? Colleen suggested.
Jordan shook his head. They're too far away.
For a while there was silence between the two of them. They were both completely unsure of how they were going to get out of this situation. They stood facing the wall in silence for a good twenty minutes before they talked again.
I'm sorry I got us into this, Jordan said. I shouldn't have touched the wall.
You didn't know this would happen, Colleen told him.
But I still feel guilty, Jordan said.
One of us would have done it, Colleen told him. It just happened to be you.
There was more silence.
I think I figured this thing out, Jordan said. I think this is the story of how Phoenix came about. Look, first Martyr was sired. Then he did a spell or something and took Phoenix inside of him. Then he died and Phoenix was released. Then in this last one I think that's Phoenix opening the Hellmouth.
I think you're right, Colleen said. And look at the suns. The bottom one is yellow while the top one is black. And the ones on the sides are half black half yellow. I think that is supposed to be the solstices and the equinoxes.
That makes sense, Jordan said.
More silence.
I'm sorry Jordan, Colleen said. And I'm being serious. I was being so superior and I didn't even realize it. You were right.
I wasn't completely right, Jordan said. I mean, yeah, you were being a control freak, but maybe you're suppose to. You are the slayer.
But I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you guys, Colleen said. I need to count on you guys more and not think that I'm better than you.
Just then there was a large crash downstairs. There was a definite sound of a struggle which got louder and louder as it got closer and closer.
What's going on? Colleen asked.
I can't tell, Jordan said. It sounds like a fight though.
Just then, a very beaten and a very bloody Gold Chick entered the room. She ran for the vase behind them and managed to smash it right as Phoenix came in behind her. Gold Chick fell to the floor in pain and Colleen tried to attack Phoenix but it was pointless. That's when Jordan noticed the other pots on the counter where their pot was and came up with a plan. He forced the dust off of the painting and into Phoenix face. Right as the second pot began to glow Phoenix froze in place, his eyes wide with fury.
"How can we kill him?" Colleen asked as she reached for her stake.
"No," Gold Chick coughed on the ground, "There's no time. He was out recruiting vampires and they'll be up here in no time."
She was right. They could already hear the vampires coming up the stairs. Although she didn't want to leave, Colleen picked up Gold Chick and carried her through the window with Jordan right behind them. As they ran from the mansion Gold Chick passed out, and as she did, she became human.
"Oh my God," Colleen said as she realized who was in her arms.
"Holly," Jordan said, right as Holly's eyes opened up.