1. The characters from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer show belong to WB
(and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and Joss Whedon. The
Highlander characters belong to Rysher Entertainment. The Kung Fu: The
Legend Continues characters belong to Michael Sloan and Warner
Brothers. The others are original characters created by myself.
Immortal in Residence 2 - Revenge
by Scott R. Barnett
Sunnydale, CA December 5, 1997
It was December of their junior year in high school and the Scooby gang were sitting in the library and talking about their plans for the holidays, and what had happened to them two months ago. Just two months ago the whole group got the shock of their lives. This was even bigger than when they first learned about vampires and demons. They found out that they were all immortals. Just as shocking, they found out that the librarian of the school, someone that they all looked up to, was over eight hundred years old. He had been a knight of the first crusade under the reign of King Richard I of England.
Buffy had died a year earlier at the hands of the Master and the rest of the kids had died at the hands of some demons. Their computer teacher was also an immortal that had died about a year and a half ago in a car accident. None of them had known what they were until Giles had told them. He then proceeded to train all of them in the ways of immortals. This included how to handle yourself in a sword fight. They were all turning into decent swordsmen and women. The best one of the kids was Buffy, but that was because of her being the Slayer. Even with that though, none of them were good enough to beat Giles in a fair fight. Considering he had over eight hundred years of experience, this was not too surprising. The next best after Giles was probably Angel; of course he was a 240-year-old vampire immortal. For the kids, it appeared that Xander was coming in next after Buffy. Giles had also taught them a little magic. He taught them how to mask their telltale buzz that marked them as an immortal to other immortals. They didn't tend to use this spell, though. Giles had told them that there wasn't a large amount of immortals that came through this town. He also taught them glamour, which was a type of disguise magic. This would allow them to appear older as the their peers aged, so that they wouldn't stand out. As for Willow and Jenny, he was teaching them more, but they were witches whereas the others were not. Giles, as well as being an excellent fighter, was also a master mage.
"So, the end result is that we're all staying in town for the holidays?" asked Buffy.
"Yep." said Xander.
Giles and Jenny walked in at that moment. They walked over and dropped some cards on the table.
"What are these?" asked Cordy.
"They're invitations. You are all invited to a Christmas party at our place." said Jenny.
Giles and Jenny had been dating for over a year now and had recently gotten engaged. Jenny had moved into his place about a month ago.
"Wow. Thanks." said Willow.
"You're welcome. Did anyone see the fax that I had left on this counter?" asked Giles.
"Yeah. I put it on your desk. What is it? It looked like a vase." said Buffy.
"It is a vase. It's a five hundred-year-old vase from China. I was asked to authenticate it. The actual vase is arriving today." said Giles.
"I didn't know you dealt in antiques." said Cordy.
"I don't anymore. That was an old identity. I may do so again some time though. However, I do hire myself out to authenticate items. Certain people in the business know how to get in touch with me." said Giles.
*********************************************************************
School was over for the day and the whole group was once again in the library. They were looking over some prophecies that Giles had come across. Suddenly the doors opened and most of the kids put their hands to their heads. They all felt the buzz of several immortals.
When the buzz was felt Giles, who had been in his office, grabbed his sword and walked out with it at the ready. He positioned himself in front of everyone else. It was understood that Giles would handle any immortal that came. He had the experience that the others did not. He did notice though, and approved of it, that they all had gotten up and had taken out their swords.
Giles looked at who the visitors were and then walked up to them.
"I am Lord Rupert Giles, Duke of Kent, Knight of the Order of the Lion." said Giles.
The immortal in front stepped forward with his sword drawn.
"I am Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod."
With that they stepped forward, and much to the surprise of the Scoobies, they just grabbed each other in a big friendly hug.
"Duncan, how are you doing?" asked Giles.
"Great Giles. Allow me to introduce my friends here. This is my kinsman and mentor Connor Macleod of the Clan Macleod and this is Adam Pierson." said Duncan.
Giles shook hands with each of them.
"It is an honor to meet another student of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez. He was also my teacher, about four hundred years before you met him." Giles said to Connor.
He then turned to Adam and said, "So how is the great Methos doing? Still feeling your five thousand years, Death?"
"How did you know? I like to keep that little fact hidden." asked Methos.
"I have many resources through out the world. I can usually find out anything I want to. You don't stay alive long in my business if you don't have the right information."
Methos and Duncan just stared at him. Connor on the other hand just started to laugh.
"You find this funny, Connor?" asked a pissed off Duncan.
"Yes I do. I have heard of Giles many times. Especially from Ramirez. He had told me that the man was almost fanatical about gathering information. He also told me that he was one of the best swordsmen that he had known. So I wouldn't piss him off. Eh, Ripper?" said Connor.
Giles just smiled at this and said, "Allow me to introduce you to my friends. Everyone here is an immortal. Starting on the left is my fiancé Jenny Calendar, Buffy Summers, Angel, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Willow Rosenberg and Daniel 'Oz' Osborne." He then turned to the Scoobies and said, "This is my old friend Duncan Macleod. He's over four hundred years old from the highlands of Scotland. His cousin is Connor Macleod who is around five hundred years old. This is Methos who is the oldest living immortal, at five thousand years old. He likes to go by the name of Adam Pierson for disguise purposes. He pretends to be a mortal. He is a member of the Society of Watchers and is ridiculously assigned to watch Methos. Nice cover that is. Before you ask, the Society and the Council are two different groups. The Society of Watchers is a group of mortals that watch and record the lives of immortals. They do not interfere, they merely watch."
"Do we have watchers assigned to us?" asked Buffy.
"I don't know. I am just a field Watcher for the Society, I am not in the leadership." said Methos.
"Oh. What do they watch?" asked Willow.
"They merely watch your day to day activities. They do not watch personal things. They chronicle your lives for history's sake." said Methos.
At this point everyone had sat down. Giles had offered tea and both Duncan and Connor had accepted.
"Do you mind if we ask you some questions?" asked Jenny.
"Not at all." said Connor.
"Do you play the Game? We know Giles does not and all of us really have no interest in it either." said Jenny.
"No. Neither Connor nor I play it. We have all had to take heads in the past, but we try to avoid it." said Duncan.
"Just as I have had to take many heads. I do not like to, but sometimes it is unavoidable." said Giles.
"What about you Methos? Do you play?" asked Buffy.
"No. Not anymore. When I was younger I did. I was actually quite feared for my use of the sword. I used to belong to a group two thousand years ago called the Four Horsemen. I was Death. We reigned terror across Europe. Since then I have changed my ways. I now regret my actions of that time. Four years ago I was forced to take the heads of two of my former group members. Duncan took care of the third." said a sad Methos.
"I know how you feel." said Angel.
"You do, do you? How do you know that youngster?" asked Methos.
"I know this because a hundred years ago I was known as Angelus, the Scourge of Europe." replied Angel, who had now put on his game face.
"Ah. I thought I recognized you. I heard about the curse." said Methos.
Duncan and Connor looked confused.
Giles turned to them and explained, "Angel had a curse placed on him by a clan of gypsies. They gave him back his soul. Thus he now regrets his actions. He has been helping us a great bit in our crusade against evil. While at one time I would have hunted him down, and actually did try to, I now consider him a friend and ally."
"You hunted me?" asked Angel, surprised.
"Yes, I did. I came close to killing you three times before you got your soul back. Each time you would manage to get away at the last second. I was going by the name of Dr. Charles Keating at the time." said Giles.
"I remember hearing about you now. I understand why you never said anything before. You were quite the hunter. You took out many of my brethren." said Angel.
"Quite." said Giles.
"Well now. Here is the vase that I wanted you to look at." said Duncan, producing a vase.
Giles took a good look at it. He turned it around and upside down. He closely studied the lip of it and the stem.
"In my professional opinion you have a genuine Ming vase from the 1530's. I'll write up the documents later and give them to you." said Giles.
"Thank you. Here's your check." said Duncan.
"A pleasure doing business with you. How long are you staying in town?" asked Giles.
"A couple of days. Then Connor has to head back to New York and we have to go back to Seacouver." sad Duncan.
"Good. You must join Jenny and I for dinner tonight." said Giles.
"Sounds good." said Duncan.
"Excuse me, but what did you mean earlier when you called Giles, Ripper, Connor?" asked Jenny.
Giles just grimaced slightly at this. Connor laughed.
"Back in the 1800's he had somehow picked up the nickname Ripper. Your fiancé had a bit of a wild streak to him then." said Connor.
"You don't mean Jack the Ripper???" asked a suddenly scared Jenny. The rest of the gang was looking scared as well.
Giles just sighed. "No, he does not mean Jack the Ripper. Though I do know what really happened with those White Chapel murders. Jack the Ripper was a doctor who was an immortal. He used to kidnap these prostitutes so that he could study them in the name of science. I put an end to that. I challenged him and took his head. Actually the nickname is older than the 1800's, a particularly nasty master vampire that I was hunting gave it to me back in 1430. He gave me that nickname after he saw how ruthlessly I killed off all of his lackeys. I was, and still am, rather intolerant of those that commit acts of evil. This does not matter whether they are human or not. This is probably due to my time as a knight. Remember, I grew up during times when things like Honor and Chivalry were common and expected. I still hold closely to those ideals."
"Oh. Ok." said Jenny, looking relieved. So did the rest of the group.
"I should hope so Master Giles. You would not be the force for good that you are if you did not hold so closely to those ideals." said a new voice.
At the same time that they heard the voice they felt the buzz of an approaching immortal. When they turned around they saw a tall Asian gentleman with a baldhead standing by the doors of the library. He had a small friendly smile on his face.
Giles got up and walked over to him. He then balled up one hand and placed it into his other one and bowed to the man before him. The man returned the gesture.
"Master Khan, thank you for coming. I am pleased to see you again." said Giles.
"It is good to see you again as well Master Giles. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your friends here?" said Master Khan.
"Certainly. This is my fiancé Jenny Calendar, Buffy Summers, Angel, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Daniel 'Oz' Osborne, Willow Rosenburg, Connor Macleod, Duncan Macleod and Adam Pierson." replied Giles.
"Master Khan knows who I am Giles. There is no need for cover identities. I met him about a thousand years ago in China with his teacher. How is Master Ping Hi?" asked Methos.
"He is well. He is going by the name Master Lo Si now." replied Master Khan.
"Why did you ask this gentleman to come here Rupert?" asked Jenny.
"I asked him to come here to possibly help Oz. He thought that he might have a way to help control Oz's inner wolf." replied Giles.
Oz got up and walked over to Master Khan. He repeated the gesture that Giles had done earlier. Master Khan returned the gesture.
"You are a Shaolin Priest, are you not?" asked Oz.
"Yes I am. How did you know?" asked Master Khan.
"I have studied many of the eastern religions and cultures. I recognized the Shaolin greeting. Do you believe that you can help me?" asked Oz.
"Yes I do. I can teach you some Shaolin techniques that should help. I did this for a werewolf once before about four hundred years ago and it worked for him. It will not be easy though. There is a lot of work for you to do to achieve this. If you are willing I will work with you." replied Khan.
"I am willing. I am prepared for any amount of work to achieve this." replied Oz.
"Excuse me, a werewolf?" asked Duncan.
"Yes, Oz is a werewolf." replied Giles.
"Ok. What other surprises do you have for us?" said Duncan.
"Well, Buffy here is the Vampire Slayer, and Willow and Jenny are witches. You already know about Angel, and Xander and Cordelia do not have any such secrets. Does that help you?" replied Giles.
"Yes, thank you." replied Duncan.
"Khan, will you join Jenny and I for dinner tonight? We also have Duncan, Connor and Methos over as well." asked Giles.
"Certainly." replied Khan.
************************************************************************
It was about ten o'clock that night. Giles, Jenny, Duncan, Connor, Khan and Methos were all sitting in the living room of Giles and Jenny's house. They were relaxing and talking after having gotten back from dinner.
"That restaurant was great. Is it new?" asked Methos.
"Yep. It just opened about a month ago. To my thinking they do the best souvlaki this side of the Atlantic. I've only had better in this little restaurant near the Parthenon in Greece." said Giles.
"I would have to agree with you. Having grown up in Greece I would consider myself a pretty good expert on their food." said Methos.
There was a knock on the door at that point and all of the immortals felt the buzz of another immortal. Giles got up to answer the door, grabbing his sword on the way. He opened the door to find Buffy standing there. She looked scared.
"What's wrong Buffy?" asked Giles.
"I was out on patrol when I felt the buzz. I didn't see anyone else at first. Then there was this man standing about ten feet away. He just smiled this evil smile at me and told me to say hello to you for him. He then walked away." said Buffy.
"Can you describe the man?"
"Yes." She gave a description of him.
"Damn. He's back. I was wondering when that bastard was going to show up next."
"Who?" asked Duncan.
"Martinez." said Giles, through clenched teeth.
"Who's Martinez?" asked Jenny.
"He's a sick, twisted, demented son of a bitch. He's originally from Spain. He's an immortal that enjoys torturing people, especially little kids. I learned about him back in the 1600's. I had been hunting a black mage by the name of Kyrster. After I finally found him and killed him I received a message from Martinez that said he was going to hunt me down for the death of his friend. He even went so far as to have two of my mortal students accused of, and burned at the stake for witchcraft. I swore then that if I ever came across him that I would take his head. I've even heard that he has allied himself with vampires and demons at times. Buffy, I'll drive you home. Please contact the others after you get home and tell them to use the spell until I find this bastard. I don't want any of you to face him. He's just too good for any of you to survive. I will take care of him myself."
With that he drove Buffy home and his guests left for their hotel. After dropping her off he took a quick drive around town to see if he could spot him. He had no luck.
He arrived back at his house. Just as he was about to go inside a vampire attacked him.
"Martinez says hello." said the vampire.
Giles pulled his sword and lopped off the vampire's head. It turned to dust. He put his sword away and went inside.
"Are you ok honey?" asked Jenny.
"Yes. Martinez sent a vampire to greet me at the door. That means he knows where we live. I want you to activate your spell as well. I don't know if he knows about the rest of you, other than Buffy, but I don't want to take any chances. I will look for him tomorrow." said Giles.
They then went to bed. Giles placed his sword next to his bed where he could grab it quickly.
********************************************************************
The next day he met up with Khan, Duncan and his group and went to an auction in the next town over. On the way back they were talking.
"So what are you going to do about Martinez?" asked Connor.
"I'm going to hunt him down and take his head." said Giles.
"Need any help?" asked Duncan.
"Sure. Why don't you guys join us tonight on a patrol? All of the kids will be out and I wouldn't mind having some expert swordsmen to watch over them in case Martinez decides to hurt me by coming after them." said Giles.
"No problem." said Methos.
They arrived back at the school and went inside to the library. Giles had taken the day off from work.
"They'll all be here soon. Schools over in ten minutes." said Giles.
***********************************************************************
That night they all went to the park. They were starting to get organized into teams when they were set upon by 20 vampires.
"Which one of you is the one known as Ripper?" asked the lead vampire.
"Why do you want to know?" said Giles. He stepped forward with his sword drawn.
"You have killed many of our brethren through the ages and we were told you could be found here in this town. The rest of you can go, we only want him." said the vampire.
"I don't think so. You will face the Slayer as well." said Buffy. She stepped up next to Giles with her sword drawn. The rest of the group also drew their swords.
"It looks like we will feed well tonight brothers. Kill them all." shouted the vampire.
"Are all vampires that stupid?" said Buffy.
"I have rarely met a smart one." replied Giles.
They quickly started cutting off vampire heads. Within five minutes all of the vampires were dust. Ever since they began the sword training all of the Scoobies had become rather accomplished vampire hunters.
They suddenly heard someone clapping. Giles turned around and saw a man sitting at a bench about thirty feet away.
"Martinez!" Giles mumbled.
"Bravo Ripper. I see you still have it. I like your fighting companions. They look like they would be fun to torture." said Martinez.
"Martinez, I am Lord Rupert Giles, Duke of Kent, Knight of the Order of the Lion. I challenge you." said Giles.
Martinez walked forward with his sword drawn. "I accept your challenge Ripper and look forward to having some fun with your playmates after I have taken your head."
"It is your head that you should worry about." smiled Giles.
They saluted each other and started fighting. Everyone else moved out of the way. Martinez swung his sword at Giles's right arm, in an attempt to disarm him. Giles easily blocked it and started up a rhythm. He attacked Martinez's head, then his gut, and then his legs. He kept repeating it. As soon as Martinez was locked into the rhythm Giles slashed him deep across the gut when he should have gone for the legs per his rhythm. When Martinez went down trying to hold in his intestines Giles raised his sword for the killing blow.
"This is for Ingrid and Hannah whom you condemned to the stake in 1650." said Giles as he swung his sword down.
Martinez's head rolled away as the rest of the body dropped where it was. Giles brought his sword up and saluted the body. Then the lightning started. First just a few bolts came out of the body, then more and more. They all hit Giles. He just stood there and accepted them. When it was over he fell to his knees. Duncan and Connor came forward and helped him stand. He cleaned off his sword and put it back in his jacket. He then walked over to the bench and sat down. The rest of the group came over to see if he was all right.
"Now my friends you have seen your first quickening." said Giles.
"Are you alright honey?" asked a worried Jenny.
"I am fine. You get used to them after a while. He was not the first one by far, and probably will not be the last either. It does hurt some, but in a way it is also pleasurable." said Giles.
"It was a pleasure to see a true blade master at work, Giles. I hope to never have to face you myself." said Methos.
"I take it Ingrid and Hannah were the mortal students that you told us about?" asked Cordelia.
"Yes they were. I had been teaching them magic. At the time there were a lot of witch-hunts, but I had thought that they were safe where we were. I was wrong. I had not counted on Martinez. I had to bury their charred remains. The mob had just left them there tied to the stakes. I found them like that when I had returned. It was not a sight that I wish to see again. I buried them and then prayed for their souls. Afterwards I hunted down the mob leaders and killed them. I left their bodies at the sight of the burnings. I then simply left the town and the country. This had been in Germany. I did not return to Germany for over a hundred years. I still have not returned to the area where this took place. It holds too many sad memories still. One day I will return there, but not yet. The girls had been more than students, they had been like daughters to me."
Everyone just looked at him with understanding in his or her eyes. The kids especially understood. That is one of the main reasons that they all looked up to him. He cared for all of them and treated them like his own children. He may not say it, but they knew. Jenny just sat down next to him and hugged him. This was one of the main reasons that she loved him so much. He was like a father to these children and loved them as such.
END
Immortal in Residence 2 - Revenge
by Scott R. Barnett
Sunnydale, CA December 5, 1997
It was December of their junior year in high school and the Scooby gang were sitting in the library and talking about their plans for the holidays, and what had happened to them two months ago. Just two months ago the whole group got the shock of their lives. This was even bigger than when they first learned about vampires and demons. They found out that they were all immortals. Just as shocking, they found out that the librarian of the school, someone that they all looked up to, was over eight hundred years old. He had been a knight of the first crusade under the reign of King Richard I of England.
Buffy had died a year earlier at the hands of the Master and the rest of the kids had died at the hands of some demons. Their computer teacher was also an immortal that had died about a year and a half ago in a car accident. None of them had known what they were until Giles had told them. He then proceeded to train all of them in the ways of immortals. This included how to handle yourself in a sword fight. They were all turning into decent swordsmen and women. The best one of the kids was Buffy, but that was because of her being the Slayer. Even with that though, none of them were good enough to beat Giles in a fair fight. Considering he had over eight hundred years of experience, this was not too surprising. The next best after Giles was probably Angel; of course he was a 240-year-old vampire immortal. For the kids, it appeared that Xander was coming in next after Buffy. Giles had also taught them a little magic. He taught them how to mask their telltale buzz that marked them as an immortal to other immortals. They didn't tend to use this spell, though. Giles had told them that there wasn't a large amount of immortals that came through this town. He also taught them glamour, which was a type of disguise magic. This would allow them to appear older as the their peers aged, so that they wouldn't stand out. As for Willow and Jenny, he was teaching them more, but they were witches whereas the others were not. Giles, as well as being an excellent fighter, was also a master mage.
"So, the end result is that we're all staying in town for the holidays?" asked Buffy.
"Yep." said Xander.
Giles and Jenny walked in at that moment. They walked over and dropped some cards on the table.
"What are these?" asked Cordy.
"They're invitations. You are all invited to a Christmas party at our place." said Jenny.
Giles and Jenny had been dating for over a year now and had recently gotten engaged. Jenny had moved into his place about a month ago.
"Wow. Thanks." said Willow.
"You're welcome. Did anyone see the fax that I had left on this counter?" asked Giles.
"Yeah. I put it on your desk. What is it? It looked like a vase." said Buffy.
"It is a vase. It's a five hundred-year-old vase from China. I was asked to authenticate it. The actual vase is arriving today." said Giles.
"I didn't know you dealt in antiques." said Cordy.
"I don't anymore. That was an old identity. I may do so again some time though. However, I do hire myself out to authenticate items. Certain people in the business know how to get in touch with me." said Giles.
*********************************************************************
School was over for the day and the whole group was once again in the library. They were looking over some prophecies that Giles had come across. Suddenly the doors opened and most of the kids put their hands to their heads. They all felt the buzz of several immortals.
When the buzz was felt Giles, who had been in his office, grabbed his sword and walked out with it at the ready. He positioned himself in front of everyone else. It was understood that Giles would handle any immortal that came. He had the experience that the others did not. He did notice though, and approved of it, that they all had gotten up and had taken out their swords.
Giles looked at who the visitors were and then walked up to them.
"I am Lord Rupert Giles, Duke of Kent, Knight of the Order of the Lion." said Giles.
The immortal in front stepped forward with his sword drawn.
"I am Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod."
With that they stepped forward, and much to the surprise of the Scoobies, they just grabbed each other in a big friendly hug.
"Duncan, how are you doing?" asked Giles.
"Great Giles. Allow me to introduce my friends here. This is my kinsman and mentor Connor Macleod of the Clan Macleod and this is Adam Pierson." said Duncan.
Giles shook hands with each of them.
"It is an honor to meet another student of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez. He was also my teacher, about four hundred years before you met him." Giles said to Connor.
He then turned to Adam and said, "So how is the great Methos doing? Still feeling your five thousand years, Death?"
"How did you know? I like to keep that little fact hidden." asked Methos.
"I have many resources through out the world. I can usually find out anything I want to. You don't stay alive long in my business if you don't have the right information."
Methos and Duncan just stared at him. Connor on the other hand just started to laugh.
"You find this funny, Connor?" asked a pissed off Duncan.
"Yes I do. I have heard of Giles many times. Especially from Ramirez. He had told me that the man was almost fanatical about gathering information. He also told me that he was one of the best swordsmen that he had known. So I wouldn't piss him off. Eh, Ripper?" said Connor.
Giles just smiled at this and said, "Allow me to introduce you to my friends. Everyone here is an immortal. Starting on the left is my fiancé Jenny Calendar, Buffy Summers, Angel, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Willow Rosenberg and Daniel 'Oz' Osborne." He then turned to the Scoobies and said, "This is my old friend Duncan Macleod. He's over four hundred years old from the highlands of Scotland. His cousin is Connor Macleod who is around five hundred years old. This is Methos who is the oldest living immortal, at five thousand years old. He likes to go by the name of Adam Pierson for disguise purposes. He pretends to be a mortal. He is a member of the Society of Watchers and is ridiculously assigned to watch Methos. Nice cover that is. Before you ask, the Society and the Council are two different groups. The Society of Watchers is a group of mortals that watch and record the lives of immortals. They do not interfere, they merely watch."
"Do we have watchers assigned to us?" asked Buffy.
"I don't know. I am just a field Watcher for the Society, I am not in the leadership." said Methos.
"Oh. What do they watch?" asked Willow.
"They merely watch your day to day activities. They do not watch personal things. They chronicle your lives for history's sake." said Methos.
At this point everyone had sat down. Giles had offered tea and both Duncan and Connor had accepted.
"Do you mind if we ask you some questions?" asked Jenny.
"Not at all." said Connor.
"Do you play the Game? We know Giles does not and all of us really have no interest in it either." said Jenny.
"No. Neither Connor nor I play it. We have all had to take heads in the past, but we try to avoid it." said Duncan.
"Just as I have had to take many heads. I do not like to, but sometimes it is unavoidable." said Giles.
"What about you Methos? Do you play?" asked Buffy.
"No. Not anymore. When I was younger I did. I was actually quite feared for my use of the sword. I used to belong to a group two thousand years ago called the Four Horsemen. I was Death. We reigned terror across Europe. Since then I have changed my ways. I now regret my actions of that time. Four years ago I was forced to take the heads of two of my former group members. Duncan took care of the third." said a sad Methos.
"I know how you feel." said Angel.
"You do, do you? How do you know that youngster?" asked Methos.
"I know this because a hundred years ago I was known as Angelus, the Scourge of Europe." replied Angel, who had now put on his game face.
"Ah. I thought I recognized you. I heard about the curse." said Methos.
Duncan and Connor looked confused.
Giles turned to them and explained, "Angel had a curse placed on him by a clan of gypsies. They gave him back his soul. Thus he now regrets his actions. He has been helping us a great bit in our crusade against evil. While at one time I would have hunted him down, and actually did try to, I now consider him a friend and ally."
"You hunted me?" asked Angel, surprised.
"Yes, I did. I came close to killing you three times before you got your soul back. Each time you would manage to get away at the last second. I was going by the name of Dr. Charles Keating at the time." said Giles.
"I remember hearing about you now. I understand why you never said anything before. You were quite the hunter. You took out many of my brethren." said Angel.
"Quite." said Giles.
"Well now. Here is the vase that I wanted you to look at." said Duncan, producing a vase.
Giles took a good look at it. He turned it around and upside down. He closely studied the lip of it and the stem.
"In my professional opinion you have a genuine Ming vase from the 1530's. I'll write up the documents later and give them to you." said Giles.
"Thank you. Here's your check." said Duncan.
"A pleasure doing business with you. How long are you staying in town?" asked Giles.
"A couple of days. Then Connor has to head back to New York and we have to go back to Seacouver." sad Duncan.
"Good. You must join Jenny and I for dinner tonight." said Giles.
"Sounds good." said Duncan.
"Excuse me, but what did you mean earlier when you called Giles, Ripper, Connor?" asked Jenny.
Giles just grimaced slightly at this. Connor laughed.
"Back in the 1800's he had somehow picked up the nickname Ripper. Your fiancé had a bit of a wild streak to him then." said Connor.
"You don't mean Jack the Ripper???" asked a suddenly scared Jenny. The rest of the gang was looking scared as well.
Giles just sighed. "No, he does not mean Jack the Ripper. Though I do know what really happened with those White Chapel murders. Jack the Ripper was a doctor who was an immortal. He used to kidnap these prostitutes so that he could study them in the name of science. I put an end to that. I challenged him and took his head. Actually the nickname is older than the 1800's, a particularly nasty master vampire that I was hunting gave it to me back in 1430. He gave me that nickname after he saw how ruthlessly I killed off all of his lackeys. I was, and still am, rather intolerant of those that commit acts of evil. This does not matter whether they are human or not. This is probably due to my time as a knight. Remember, I grew up during times when things like Honor and Chivalry were common and expected. I still hold closely to those ideals."
"Oh. Ok." said Jenny, looking relieved. So did the rest of the group.
"I should hope so Master Giles. You would not be the force for good that you are if you did not hold so closely to those ideals." said a new voice.
At the same time that they heard the voice they felt the buzz of an approaching immortal. When they turned around they saw a tall Asian gentleman with a baldhead standing by the doors of the library. He had a small friendly smile on his face.
Giles got up and walked over to him. He then balled up one hand and placed it into his other one and bowed to the man before him. The man returned the gesture.
"Master Khan, thank you for coming. I am pleased to see you again." said Giles.
"It is good to see you again as well Master Giles. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your friends here?" said Master Khan.
"Certainly. This is my fiancé Jenny Calendar, Buffy Summers, Angel, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Daniel 'Oz' Osborne, Willow Rosenburg, Connor Macleod, Duncan Macleod and Adam Pierson." replied Giles.
"Master Khan knows who I am Giles. There is no need for cover identities. I met him about a thousand years ago in China with his teacher. How is Master Ping Hi?" asked Methos.
"He is well. He is going by the name Master Lo Si now." replied Master Khan.
"Why did you ask this gentleman to come here Rupert?" asked Jenny.
"I asked him to come here to possibly help Oz. He thought that he might have a way to help control Oz's inner wolf." replied Giles.
Oz got up and walked over to Master Khan. He repeated the gesture that Giles had done earlier. Master Khan returned the gesture.
"You are a Shaolin Priest, are you not?" asked Oz.
"Yes I am. How did you know?" asked Master Khan.
"I have studied many of the eastern religions and cultures. I recognized the Shaolin greeting. Do you believe that you can help me?" asked Oz.
"Yes I do. I can teach you some Shaolin techniques that should help. I did this for a werewolf once before about four hundred years ago and it worked for him. It will not be easy though. There is a lot of work for you to do to achieve this. If you are willing I will work with you." replied Khan.
"I am willing. I am prepared for any amount of work to achieve this." replied Oz.
"Excuse me, a werewolf?" asked Duncan.
"Yes, Oz is a werewolf." replied Giles.
"Ok. What other surprises do you have for us?" said Duncan.
"Well, Buffy here is the Vampire Slayer, and Willow and Jenny are witches. You already know about Angel, and Xander and Cordelia do not have any such secrets. Does that help you?" replied Giles.
"Yes, thank you." replied Duncan.
"Khan, will you join Jenny and I for dinner tonight? We also have Duncan, Connor and Methos over as well." asked Giles.
"Certainly." replied Khan.
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It was about ten o'clock that night. Giles, Jenny, Duncan, Connor, Khan and Methos were all sitting in the living room of Giles and Jenny's house. They were relaxing and talking after having gotten back from dinner.
"That restaurant was great. Is it new?" asked Methos.
"Yep. It just opened about a month ago. To my thinking they do the best souvlaki this side of the Atlantic. I've only had better in this little restaurant near the Parthenon in Greece." said Giles.
"I would have to agree with you. Having grown up in Greece I would consider myself a pretty good expert on their food." said Methos.
There was a knock on the door at that point and all of the immortals felt the buzz of another immortal. Giles got up to answer the door, grabbing his sword on the way. He opened the door to find Buffy standing there. She looked scared.
"What's wrong Buffy?" asked Giles.
"I was out on patrol when I felt the buzz. I didn't see anyone else at first. Then there was this man standing about ten feet away. He just smiled this evil smile at me and told me to say hello to you for him. He then walked away." said Buffy.
"Can you describe the man?"
"Yes." She gave a description of him.
"Damn. He's back. I was wondering when that bastard was going to show up next."
"Who?" asked Duncan.
"Martinez." said Giles, through clenched teeth.
"Who's Martinez?" asked Jenny.
"He's a sick, twisted, demented son of a bitch. He's originally from Spain. He's an immortal that enjoys torturing people, especially little kids. I learned about him back in the 1600's. I had been hunting a black mage by the name of Kyrster. After I finally found him and killed him I received a message from Martinez that said he was going to hunt me down for the death of his friend. He even went so far as to have two of my mortal students accused of, and burned at the stake for witchcraft. I swore then that if I ever came across him that I would take his head. I've even heard that he has allied himself with vampires and demons at times. Buffy, I'll drive you home. Please contact the others after you get home and tell them to use the spell until I find this bastard. I don't want any of you to face him. He's just too good for any of you to survive. I will take care of him myself."
With that he drove Buffy home and his guests left for their hotel. After dropping her off he took a quick drive around town to see if he could spot him. He had no luck.
He arrived back at his house. Just as he was about to go inside a vampire attacked him.
"Martinez says hello." said the vampire.
Giles pulled his sword and lopped off the vampire's head. It turned to dust. He put his sword away and went inside.
"Are you ok honey?" asked Jenny.
"Yes. Martinez sent a vampire to greet me at the door. That means he knows where we live. I want you to activate your spell as well. I don't know if he knows about the rest of you, other than Buffy, but I don't want to take any chances. I will look for him tomorrow." said Giles.
They then went to bed. Giles placed his sword next to his bed where he could grab it quickly.
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The next day he met up with Khan, Duncan and his group and went to an auction in the next town over. On the way back they were talking.
"So what are you going to do about Martinez?" asked Connor.
"I'm going to hunt him down and take his head." said Giles.
"Need any help?" asked Duncan.
"Sure. Why don't you guys join us tonight on a patrol? All of the kids will be out and I wouldn't mind having some expert swordsmen to watch over them in case Martinez decides to hurt me by coming after them." said Giles.
"No problem." said Methos.
They arrived back at the school and went inside to the library. Giles had taken the day off from work.
"They'll all be here soon. Schools over in ten minutes." said Giles.
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That night they all went to the park. They were starting to get organized into teams when they were set upon by 20 vampires.
"Which one of you is the one known as Ripper?" asked the lead vampire.
"Why do you want to know?" said Giles. He stepped forward with his sword drawn.
"You have killed many of our brethren through the ages and we were told you could be found here in this town. The rest of you can go, we only want him." said the vampire.
"I don't think so. You will face the Slayer as well." said Buffy. She stepped up next to Giles with her sword drawn. The rest of the group also drew their swords.
"It looks like we will feed well tonight brothers. Kill them all." shouted the vampire.
"Are all vampires that stupid?" said Buffy.
"I have rarely met a smart one." replied Giles.
They quickly started cutting off vampire heads. Within five minutes all of the vampires were dust. Ever since they began the sword training all of the Scoobies had become rather accomplished vampire hunters.
They suddenly heard someone clapping. Giles turned around and saw a man sitting at a bench about thirty feet away.
"Martinez!" Giles mumbled.
"Bravo Ripper. I see you still have it. I like your fighting companions. They look like they would be fun to torture." said Martinez.
"Martinez, I am Lord Rupert Giles, Duke of Kent, Knight of the Order of the Lion. I challenge you." said Giles.
Martinez walked forward with his sword drawn. "I accept your challenge Ripper and look forward to having some fun with your playmates after I have taken your head."
"It is your head that you should worry about." smiled Giles.
They saluted each other and started fighting. Everyone else moved out of the way. Martinez swung his sword at Giles's right arm, in an attempt to disarm him. Giles easily blocked it and started up a rhythm. He attacked Martinez's head, then his gut, and then his legs. He kept repeating it. As soon as Martinez was locked into the rhythm Giles slashed him deep across the gut when he should have gone for the legs per his rhythm. When Martinez went down trying to hold in his intestines Giles raised his sword for the killing blow.
"This is for Ingrid and Hannah whom you condemned to the stake in 1650." said Giles as he swung his sword down.
Martinez's head rolled away as the rest of the body dropped where it was. Giles brought his sword up and saluted the body. Then the lightning started. First just a few bolts came out of the body, then more and more. They all hit Giles. He just stood there and accepted them. When it was over he fell to his knees. Duncan and Connor came forward and helped him stand. He cleaned off his sword and put it back in his jacket. He then walked over to the bench and sat down. The rest of the group came over to see if he was all right.
"Now my friends you have seen your first quickening." said Giles.
"Are you alright honey?" asked a worried Jenny.
"I am fine. You get used to them after a while. He was not the first one by far, and probably will not be the last either. It does hurt some, but in a way it is also pleasurable." said Giles.
"It was a pleasure to see a true blade master at work, Giles. I hope to never have to face you myself." said Methos.
"I take it Ingrid and Hannah were the mortal students that you told us about?" asked Cordelia.
"Yes they were. I had been teaching them magic. At the time there were a lot of witch-hunts, but I had thought that they were safe where we were. I was wrong. I had not counted on Martinez. I had to bury their charred remains. The mob had just left them there tied to the stakes. I found them like that when I had returned. It was not a sight that I wish to see again. I buried them and then prayed for their souls. Afterwards I hunted down the mob leaders and killed them. I left their bodies at the sight of the burnings. I then simply left the town and the country. This had been in Germany. I did not return to Germany for over a hundred years. I still have not returned to the area where this took place. It holds too many sad memories still. One day I will return there, but not yet. The girls had been more than students, they had been like daughters to me."
Everyone just looked at him with understanding in his or her eyes. The kids especially understood. That is one of the main reasons that they all looked up to him. He cared for all of them and treated them like his own children. He may not say it, but they knew. Jenny just sat down next to him and hugged him. This was one of the main reasons that she loved him so much. He was like a father to these children and loved them as such.
END