Twist of Fate: Chapter 6
by Lisette
Legalese: See Chapter 1 for disclaimers and ratings.
"Whoa, hold up," Xander quickly protested as he pulled up short, Giles and Willow freezing before them, all throwing shielded glances to Buffy as if looking for a cue.
"Miss Parker," Jarod responded, warily taking in her smug expression before turning to see Broots, Sydney, Lyle, and Sam flanking her on either side. Soon, both Lyle and Sam had their guns drawn and focused on him and the others as well. They were too late.
"Jarod, are you alright?" Sydney asked, concern tightening his features as he took in the man's pale pallor and the dried blood that stained his white shirt.
"He's alive, and that's all that matters to me and the Triumvirate," Miss Parker interrupted, her smile growing as she idly glanced at the others that were with him: an older man who looked more bookish than trouble, a young man, tall and lanky and helping to support Jarod, a thin redhead that looked so frightened that she might faint, and a petite blonde, also helping to support Jarod, that looked so tiny that a small breeze might blow her away. All in all, as long as the boy didn't try anything stupid, none would be a threat. "Jarod, it's time to come home," Miss Parker continued, gaze turning full circle until they met his tired brown eyes.
Sighing, Jarod briefly closed his eyes as his weariness multiplied with those familiar words. How many times since his escape in the past four years had Miss Parker said those very same words to him? And yet as her statement never changed, neither did his response. "I'm never going back," he gritted out wearily, lifting his tired eyes to meet hers.
Feeling her smile tighten, Miss Parker's gaze locked with Jarod's. "We shall see about that," she murmured as the short blond shifted beside him.
"These your 'friends'?" Buffy asked as she finished assessing the threat that the five people posed. The guns would be an issue, especially since all three seemed trained in the weapons and ready and able to use them. On the other hand, the older man and the nerdy guy, Gramps and Baldy as she quickly dubbed them, both seemed content to stand by and watch what would transpire. In other words, the threat came only from the other three. And just by glancing into the woman's cold eyes, Buffy knew where the weakness was.
"Yes," Miss Parker spoke up before Jarod could. "And it's time for him to come home," she continued as her eyes drifted to the petite blonde. "Sydney, Broots," she commanded, nodding her head towards the other group. "Get Jarod."
"Giles," Buffy countered at the same time, her Watcher reading her mind as he slowly stepped back and took Buffy's place beside the stranger, helping Xander to keep him from falling to the ground and thus freeing up his Slayer to do what was needed.
Moving quickly, Buffy shifted to stand between the two groups as Willow melted back with the others. As Gramps and Baldy stepped towards her, she stopped them cold with one steely look. "Sorry, but Jarod doesn't seem interested in joining your... little group," she finished as she eyed the woman's skin tight mini-skirt with skeptical eyes. "Try another street corner," she finished with a small smirk as the two men stopped in their tracks, trying to hide their snickers as the brunette's eyes grew wide and then narrowed.
"Well," she murmured, her smile turning pencil thin as she reevaluated the short blonde. Spunky - but still, no threat. "Jarod, what have you found this time? A girl to fight your battles?" she asked as she stepped forward until the muzzle of her gun was inches from the girl's red tank top. "So, what devastating wrong is Jarod trying to fix for you this time? Did someone get you pregnant and then throw you out on the streets? Is that your pimp?" she continued icily, nodding at the older man that looked preposterously scandalized by her taunts.
"Parker," Sydney called out, his voice showing his dismay as his eyes shifted from the brunette to the small blonde.
"Miss Parker, leave them out of this," Jarod added, trying to intervene, only to have the older man and the wiry teen easily pull him back.
"Oh no, I think that we're definitely involved in this now," Buffy murmured, trying not to laugh at the woman's weak come-back. "And if that's the best insult that you can hurl, you better hope that your aim is better. The dead have given better come backs than that," she laughed, her expression unchanging as the woman's icy stare bore into her own light green eyes.
"Oh, don't you worry about that, little girl," Parker hissed, "my aim is-" she broke off as the girl's arm launched forward so fast that her body became a blur of movement.
Moving on instinct, Buffy quickly reached forward and twisted the woman's wrist to the side, loosing her grip on the gun and wrenching it from her hand. As the woman stumbled back in surprise, gripping her wrist in pain, Buffy cocked the gun and aimed it at her chest. "Normally, I don't enjoy playing with guns," she began, arching an eyebrow at the pale woman, "but you didn't leave me a whole lot of options," she continued as she lifted her eyes to the woman's companions. "Now, if you guys would be so kind as to hand your weapons over to my friend here," she added, nodding back towards Willow who dutifully stepped forward, her face pale, "before the She-Bitch gets hurt," she finished, smiling innocently at the two goons dressed in impeccable dark suits.
"Well," Lyle muttered, his smile faltering as the small redhead meekly stepped forward and took his gun from his hands, "this is certainly an interesting twist, isn't it Parker?" he asked, a malicious twinkle darkening his eyes as Miss Parker scowled at him. "And who exactly are you?" he continued, turning empty-handed to face the petite blonde. Pretty, perky, and fast - an interesting combination.
"No one that you need be concerned with," came Buffy's quick retort as she briefly shifted her glare to include the oddly-smiling man, a.k.a. Wonder Boy.
As Willow hurried back to her friends' sides, Xander and Giles finished the distance to the car and gently lowered Jarod's tall frame into the cramped backseat. Once settled, the teen quickly followed the pretender, squeezing into the small backseat, allowing just enough room for Willow to follow him in, settling onto Xander's lap. Once settled, Giles followed the others and quickly slipped behind the wheel, the car backfiring into life as it backed away and then pulled beside the Slayer, the others powerless to stop it as Giles pushed the passenger side door open from within.
Smiling, Buffy moved lithely back until she was standing beside the open door. "Next time," she added as she made a great show of raising the gun that she held and slowly crushing it in her small hand, "make sure to stay out of my town." As her opponents eyes widened, Buffy nodded in satisfaction. Her point had been made. Smiling, she slowly turned towards the door, only to freeze as she sensed movement from behind her. Turning quickly, Buffy dove and rolled to the side, just in time to avoid the larger man's fumbled grasp. Grinning, she finished the roll to her feet and launched a lightning quick side kick that sent him to the ground like a massive bag of flour. Not even out of breath, she ducked as she felt another attack graze by her ear. Dropping to the ground, she quickly swung her leg out, catching her attacker behind the knees and sending him to the ground. Smiling, she stood slowly to admire the damage.
Since her attackers were obviously human, death wasn't an option. Then again, her training left her with many ways to disarm and immobilize any human attacker - such as the present case. Her defense and attack had been so quick that both men - the large and lumbering body guard, the Gorilla, and the smaller, more trim and immaculately dressed man, Wonder Boy - were both on the ground, the first unconscious while the other was groaning and nursing his wounds. Straightening, Buffy redirected her gaze to the woman and two other men, all frozen and in apparent shock.
"How did you-" Parker broke off, her mind busily trying to process what she had just witnessed - unable to comprehend the speed and apparent ease that the girl had dispatched Sam and her brother.
"Now get out of my town before I really get angry," the girl interrupted, her tone even as she casually walked towards the idling car and settled in the vacant passenger seat.
Shaking her head, Parker did nothing, could do nothing, as the car sputtered into life and jerked away, the red twinkling of its tail light slowly disappearing out of the parking lot and into the empty residential street beyond. "What in the hell just happened?" she muttered, slowly massaging her aching wrist.
"I am not sure," Sydney replied, idly watching as Broots comically tried to revive the unconscious sweeper, "but whatever it may be, you can guarantee that we will not be finding Jarod again this night."
In reply, Parker could only flex her aching hand once more. "Jarod," she whispered, her tone venomous as she finally turned away, angrily stalking towards their parked car.
Meanwhile, Lyle slowly climbed to his feet, his eyes locked on the street where Jarod and his mysterious friends had disappeared to. Nodding slowly, a thoughtful expression clouding his features, he pulled out his cell phone and moved away from the others. "Willie?" he murmured into the tiny device. "I've got some plates I want you to run."