SotW--- 5
SUNNYDALE: T - 8 MINUTES
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"The weapons are secured close by." Willow informed Piper as she and Xander moved nervously back into the living room.
"Good. Where are the other three?"
"Still upstairs researching, I guess."
"Well, we've got eigh.... no, seven minutes left before this house implodes, so if one of you would be willing to...."
"I'll go get Spike." Xander volunteered gleefully, before being overruled by Willow.
"Oh, no you don't Xander Harris. For the hundredth time, turning poor Spike into demon chow isn't the answer. *I'll* bring him down."
"Poor Spike? Since when did he become poor Spike except in the sense that he's always broke?"
"Go sit down, Xander."
"You never let me have any fun...."
"Sit, whiny boy! I have to go get the others back down here before time runs out for all of us!" Willow admonished Xander, turning and running up the stairs.
"I just hope the three of them came up with some kind of answer." Paige murmured in a less than hopeful tone of voice.
"Your mouth to a white-lighter's ears." Piper responded grimly.
"Leo! I can't believe I forgot.... Call him, Piper. Maybe he can help..."
"There's nothing he can do, Paige. If anyone would be useful here, it's...."
Abruptly, Piper's face lit up.
"Piper, no. You can't. Phoebe would never forgive you if..."
"If they can't find the 411 on this demon, Cole may be our only chance. I'm so glad they haven't found a way to charge for this kind of long distance call...."
"Piper, at least wait until we know what they found."
Though Piper's expression clearly showed her annoyance, she was forced to agree.
"Fine. As long as they show up and can verbalize the information in the next.... four minutes. One second longer and we're all gonna be buried alive."
"At least for the first couple hours anyway."
"Paige!"
"Sorry."
Just then, the research trio came trooping down the stairs and trudged into the room, followed by Willow. "Well? Did you find anything?"
"Nothin' you'd wanna hear at this juncture." Spike announced gloomily.
"Tara?"
"The books didn't say much. Just that this demon is pretty much... indestructible."
"Did they at least say what the tribute is?" Paige asked.
"Yes. Well... we were.... trying not to think about that." Anya commented sourly.
"That can't be good. Go on. The situation can't get much worse and we're short on time. What's the tribute?"
"Me." Spike replied, looking for all the world as if her were about to burst into tears.
"Cole!" %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Where... is... my.... sister? I won't ask a second time. You take me to her *now* Tinkerbell, or, pixie dust or no pixie dust, I will hurt you...."
"Look, lady, put him down! He tried to explain...." Pheobe yelled, to no effect, as Buffy persisted in holding Leo several inches off the floor. To his credit, Leo didn't simply orb out of her grip, realizing that such a move would only increase her fury.
"Yeah, well it didn't do much for me." Buffy shot back, her eyes never leaving the man dangling in front of her. "However it is you do what you do, wherever it is you lost Dawn, you take me there so I can find her."
"I.... I can't! I tried to... tell you.... I didn't lose her! The elders took her.... They won't let her go..... and there's nothing you.... or I... or anyone can do about it!"
"Tell me something." Buffy asked Leo, a smile creeping onto her face that he instantly sent fear shooting through his heart. "These "elders" of yours.... they ever met a Slayer before?"
"N... not that I know of."
"They're in for an unpleasant surprise. Let's go. I mean it. There's at least one of you in this room I know I can do damage to. I won't like it, but for Dawn.... I will do it."
Seeing in her steady, determined gaze that the Slayer meant every word, Leo surrendered.
"Fine. I'll take you. Just... put me down first?"
"And watch you vanish like Glinda the Good Witch of the North? Don't think so."
"I could have done that any time in the last few minutes." he reminded her.
Her smile transforming into tight-lipped acceptance, Buffy dropped Leo abruptly to the floor.
"So? Are we leaving?"
"We're leaving." he replied, dusting himself off as he regained his feet. "I should warn you that the Elders aren't exactly the best listeners and they can throw us both out whenever they feel like it."
"They can't be any worse than the PTB's. Arrogant, riddle spouting idiots. They'd make anyone nuts."
"You've petitioned the Powers That Be?" Leo asked incredulously.
"Not personally, but someone close to me has and they've interfered in my life a couple times. Best buddies, we're not."
"Hmmm.... guess you're better prepared for the elders than I thought."
Gripping Buffy's hand tightly, Leo orbed them both out. A moment later, Cole cocked his head as if listening, spoke to Pheobe then left as well.
"Gotta go, honey. Piper's yelling for help."
"Are she and Paige alright?"
"For the moment. In a couple minutes... who knows."
"I'm coming."
"No. If the power of three is necessary I'll come back and get you. For now, someone has to keep watch on the house and the Book of Shadows. Stay. We'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to them, alright?"
"Okay. The second it gets out of hand, and knowing us that's a guarantee...."
"I know. See you soon."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Coal? If you want a fire, just wait a minute. You can make one outta the rubble if anyone's left who's in shape to flick a Bic!"
"I didn't mean coal for a furnace. I was trying to...."
Cole shimmered in next to Paige a moment later and Piper abandoned her attempted explanation. "This is Cole. Thanks for getting here so fast."
"No problem. What's up?"
"We've got a demon threatening to drop the house on us if he doesn't march outside and present himself as tribute." She told the new arrival, indicating Spike with a wave of a weary hand.
"Name?"
"Mychnederus." Spike provided right on cue.
"Oh, boy. How did you ever get mixed up with him?"
"Don't ask." Piper growled. "Any idea at all how we can stop this thing?"
"I take it you're not keen on being a tribute then?" Cole addressed Spike.
"Not as such, no."
"Good idea. Mychy's idea of a tribute.... very messy and very painful. The pain only lasts until he swallows of course, but he really believes in chewing his food well...."
"Cole! Could we possibly dispense with the graphic descriptions and get on with a plan for him *not* suffering a horrible death?"
"Oh. Yeah, sorry. Got carried away. How much extra magickal power do we have in house?"
Willow and Tara raised their hands. "Okay. Over here you two. The rest of you, find a coffee table to duck under or a major appliance to hide behind. For the next few minutes the middle of this room is going to be a slightly dangerous place."
Turning back to Piper, Cole reassured her, then shimmered out. "I'm gonna go get Pheobe. We need all the help we can get."
"It's that bad?"
"Worse. Be right back."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
TBC.....
SUNNYDALE: T - 8 MINUTES
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"The weapons are secured close by." Willow informed Piper as she and Xander moved nervously back into the living room.
"Good. Where are the other three?"
"Still upstairs researching, I guess."
"Well, we've got eigh.... no, seven minutes left before this house implodes, so if one of you would be willing to...."
"I'll go get Spike." Xander volunteered gleefully, before being overruled by Willow.
"Oh, no you don't Xander Harris. For the hundredth time, turning poor Spike into demon chow isn't the answer. *I'll* bring him down."
"Poor Spike? Since when did he become poor Spike except in the sense that he's always broke?"
"Go sit down, Xander."
"You never let me have any fun...."
"Sit, whiny boy! I have to go get the others back down here before time runs out for all of us!" Willow admonished Xander, turning and running up the stairs.
"I just hope the three of them came up with some kind of answer." Paige murmured in a less than hopeful tone of voice.
"Your mouth to a white-lighter's ears." Piper responded grimly.
"Leo! I can't believe I forgot.... Call him, Piper. Maybe he can help..."
"There's nothing he can do, Paige. If anyone would be useful here, it's...."
Abruptly, Piper's face lit up.
"Piper, no. You can't. Phoebe would never forgive you if..."
"If they can't find the 411 on this demon, Cole may be our only chance. I'm so glad they haven't found a way to charge for this kind of long distance call...."
"Piper, at least wait until we know what they found."
Though Piper's expression clearly showed her annoyance, she was forced to agree.
"Fine. As long as they show up and can verbalize the information in the next.... four minutes. One second longer and we're all gonna be buried alive."
"At least for the first couple hours anyway."
"Paige!"
"Sorry."
Just then, the research trio came trooping down the stairs and trudged into the room, followed by Willow. "Well? Did you find anything?"
"Nothin' you'd wanna hear at this juncture." Spike announced gloomily.
"Tara?"
"The books didn't say much. Just that this demon is pretty much... indestructible."
"Did they at least say what the tribute is?" Paige asked.
"Yes. Well... we were.... trying not to think about that." Anya commented sourly.
"That can't be good. Go on. The situation can't get much worse and we're short on time. What's the tribute?"
"Me." Spike replied, looking for all the world as if her were about to burst into tears.
"Cole!" %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Where... is... my.... sister? I won't ask a second time. You take me to her *now* Tinkerbell, or, pixie dust or no pixie dust, I will hurt you...."
"Look, lady, put him down! He tried to explain...." Pheobe yelled, to no effect, as Buffy persisted in holding Leo several inches off the floor. To his credit, Leo didn't simply orb out of her grip, realizing that such a move would only increase her fury.
"Yeah, well it didn't do much for me." Buffy shot back, her eyes never leaving the man dangling in front of her. "However it is you do what you do, wherever it is you lost Dawn, you take me there so I can find her."
"I.... I can't! I tried to... tell you.... I didn't lose her! The elders took her.... They won't let her go..... and there's nothing you.... or I... or anyone can do about it!"
"Tell me something." Buffy asked Leo, a smile creeping onto her face that he instantly sent fear shooting through his heart. "These "elders" of yours.... they ever met a Slayer before?"
"N... not that I know of."
"They're in for an unpleasant surprise. Let's go. I mean it. There's at least one of you in this room I know I can do damage to. I won't like it, but for Dawn.... I will do it."
Seeing in her steady, determined gaze that the Slayer meant every word, Leo surrendered.
"Fine. I'll take you. Just... put me down first?"
"And watch you vanish like Glinda the Good Witch of the North? Don't think so."
"I could have done that any time in the last few minutes." he reminded her.
Her smile transforming into tight-lipped acceptance, Buffy dropped Leo abruptly to the floor.
"So? Are we leaving?"
"We're leaving." he replied, dusting himself off as he regained his feet. "I should warn you that the Elders aren't exactly the best listeners and they can throw us both out whenever they feel like it."
"They can't be any worse than the PTB's. Arrogant, riddle spouting idiots. They'd make anyone nuts."
"You've petitioned the Powers That Be?" Leo asked incredulously.
"Not personally, but someone close to me has and they've interfered in my life a couple times. Best buddies, we're not."
"Hmmm.... guess you're better prepared for the elders than I thought."
Gripping Buffy's hand tightly, Leo orbed them both out. A moment later, Cole cocked his head as if listening, spoke to Pheobe then left as well.
"Gotta go, honey. Piper's yelling for help."
"Are she and Paige alright?"
"For the moment. In a couple minutes... who knows."
"I'm coming."
"No. If the power of three is necessary I'll come back and get you. For now, someone has to keep watch on the house and the Book of Shadows. Stay. We'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to them, alright?"
"Okay. The second it gets out of hand, and knowing us that's a guarantee...."
"I know. See you soon."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Coal? If you want a fire, just wait a minute. You can make one outta the rubble if anyone's left who's in shape to flick a Bic!"
"I didn't mean coal for a furnace. I was trying to...."
Cole shimmered in next to Paige a moment later and Piper abandoned her attempted explanation. "This is Cole. Thanks for getting here so fast."
"No problem. What's up?"
"We've got a demon threatening to drop the house on us if he doesn't march outside and present himself as tribute." She told the new arrival, indicating Spike with a wave of a weary hand.
"Name?"
"Mychnederus." Spike provided right on cue.
"Oh, boy. How did you ever get mixed up with him?"
"Don't ask." Piper growled. "Any idea at all how we can stop this thing?"
"I take it you're not keen on being a tribute then?" Cole addressed Spike.
"Not as such, no."
"Good idea. Mychy's idea of a tribute.... very messy and very painful. The pain only lasts until he swallows of course, but he really believes in chewing his food well...."
"Cole! Could we possibly dispense with the graphic descriptions and get on with a plan for him *not* suffering a horrible death?"
"Oh. Yeah, sorry. Got carried away. How much extra magickal power do we have in house?"
Willow and Tara raised their hands. "Okay. Over here you two. The rest of you, find a coffee table to duck under or a major appliance to hide behind. For the next few minutes the middle of this room is going to be a slightly dangerous place."
Turning back to Piper, Cole reassured her, then shimmered out. "I'm gonna go get Pheobe. We need all the help we can get."
"It's that bad?"
"Worse. Be right back."
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TBC.....