Title: Love Squared (7/9)
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966
Rating: I'm gonna go say R.
Spoilers: Up to Villains.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the almighty Joss. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Sequel to Dancing Around Love. The Scooby Gang comes to grips with the recent events and deals with the Trio.
Author's Note: B/W/T/X, along with hints of X/Amy and Jonathan/Amy.
* * *
"This'll get me all the way to the border?" Warren asked, accepting the ticket folder.
"You'll have to change at the city bus," the clerk replied. "It's all in the folder."
* * *
"Is he gonna be all right?" Willow asked anxiously.
"He's very lucky," the doctor said. "The bullet didn't hit any major organs. He's going to be fine, but he'll be in here for at least a couple of weeks."
"No permanent damage?" Buffy asked worriedly.
"No permanent damage."
Willow and Buffy both sighed in relief. "Can we see him?" Buffy asked.
"Yes," the doctor replied, "but try not to wake him."
* * *
Tara stood in front of the bus on the deserted and dusty highway, even as the driver struggled to control it. It screeched to a halt mere inches from striking her.
She calmly walked around the bus and gestured. The doors slammed open, and she ordered, "Get out."
None of the passengers were inclined to argue, and they began to file out fearfully.
None, that is, except one.
Bolting out the emergency door in the rear, Warren made a run for it, looking over his shoulder in fear.
Tara whirled around and threw one hand up. The asphalt highway curled up in front of Warren, and he ran right into it. Sprawled on the ground, he shook his head, then scrambled to his feet and turned to face Tara, who walked toward him with calm, measured steps.
"H-hey," he said, searching for something -- anything -- that would save his life. "Look, I know you're mad, but... come on! You're one of the good guys! You can't _do_ this! I-I'll do anything. N-nice hair, by the way."
"You killed him. All I want you to do... is die," she said calmly, jerking her hand back swiftly.
Spikes of stone shot out from the wall of asphalt behind Warren and skewered him. Sparks flew from the injuries, and Warren slumped, hanging from the spikes.
But there was no blood.
"Another robot," she hissed to herself. She had _felt_ his essence.
*So the geek has help,* she thought. Well, no matter. She'd find him anyway. He was only delaying the inevitable.
And when she found out who tried to help him...
* * *
"Amy? Yeah, it's Willow." The redhead's eyes widened. "He's hurt? You're sure it was her? Oh, God. We'll be right there."
"What is it?" Buffy asked.
Willow looked up, a haunted look in her eyes, "It's Tara."
* * *
"Okay, Amy, you sure you can do this locater spell?"
The pregnant witch bit her lip uncertainly, but before she could reply, Jonathan spoke up, adjusting the cold compress on his head. "Uh, I can help."
Buffy hesitated... then nodded.
* * *
Tara sauntered through the woods confidently, looking around. "Oh, come on, Warren. You know you can't run forever. Why don't you just save us both some trouble and come out where I can kill you?"
She suddenly whirled around and caught the handle of Warren's axe as he swung it down. She smirked and backhanded him to the ground, "Strike one."
He scrambled to his feet and stumbled back. She smiled, "You've got balls, I'll admit that. We'll fix that soon enough."
She hurled the axe at him, and he jumped. The axe barely missed his crotch, and he turned and ran. She waited for a moment, then began to follow him... or rather, the trail of his essence.
Suddenly, she heard a fluttering sound, out of place in the otherwise eerily silent forest. What...?
There.
The tiny metal box flitted and hovered in front of her for a moment before it detonated. The explosion threw her off her feet, and she shook her head dazedly.
Eyes blazing as the magic worked overtime to heal her wounds, she snarled, "Strike two."
* * *
Warren ran, looking over his shoulder, but there was no sign of the witch. The flying bomb trick seemed to have worked. *Good,* he thought. *Wouldn't want to rely on Rack's little gizmo. His other thing sure as hell didn't keep her off my back for long.*
He burst out of the woods and turned, backing away and watching the edge of the forest. Nothing emerged. *Made it!*
He backed into something and turned, sucking in a breath.
It was Tara.
He let out a nervous laugh, "Cute. That's a cute trick."
He backed away from her, back towards the forest, as she took steady, even steps toward her.
"It was an accident, you know," he said. "A-and besides, he's not dead."
"And I should believe you?" Tara snorted. "Even if I did, do you really think I'd let you off just because you're incompetent?"
"It... it wasn't personal, that's all," he said.
"It is now."
Suddenly, he bolted, and Tara flicked her hand out. The ground erupted in front of him, and he slammed into the earthen wall and fell to the ground.
He struggled frantically out of his backpack and hurled the device Rack had given him. "Capture!"
Tara blinked in surprise as the ball of blue goo struck her in the gut and began to spread, binding her arms to her sides and covering her completely.
Warren scrambled to get away, and Tara's eyes began to burn red with fury.
Even as the last of the goo melted away, Tara's eyes narrowed, and she whispered, "Irretite."
Warren struggled in vain with the vines that bound him as Tara walked up to him.
He opened his mouth, but she waved her hand, and he found his lips stitched shut. She smiled at him and said, "Strike three. You're out."
He watched her silently, whimpering in fear, as she inhaled deeply through her nose. "I'm beginning to see why you like this. The fear, the pain... the power. That's what it was, wasn't it? Ever since you killed Katrina -- oh, don't look at me like that; Jonathan told us everything -- you've been looking for the... rush." She licked her lips, "I can see why. That's why you went after Buffy, isn't it? Slayer, super powers, what better rush than killing the savior of the world?"
"Tara!"
The witch turned and saw Willow stumbling through the woods toward them, with Buffy right behind her. The redhead paused to catch her breath and shouted, "You don't have to do this! Xander's in the hospital, but he's gonna be okay."
Tara hesitated for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "You don't understand, Willow. He does. You did too, once. Back when I was still the same sort of naive, shy, _stupid_ little geek you turned yourself back into... but not anymore. It's not about revenge. It's not about Xander."
She looked at Willow with eyes as black as pitch. With a careless flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of energy from her fingertips that blasted Warren's flesh from his bones, layer by layer.
"It's about power."
* * *
Author's Postscript:
Okay, this one gave me the shivers just _writing_ it...
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966
Rating: I'm gonna go say R.
Spoilers: Up to Villains.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the almighty Joss. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Sequel to Dancing Around Love. The Scooby Gang comes to grips with the recent events and deals with the Trio.
Author's Note: B/W/T/X, along with hints of X/Amy and Jonathan/Amy.
* * *
"This'll get me all the way to the border?" Warren asked, accepting the ticket folder.
"You'll have to change at the city bus," the clerk replied. "It's all in the folder."
* * *
"Is he gonna be all right?" Willow asked anxiously.
"He's very lucky," the doctor said. "The bullet didn't hit any major organs. He's going to be fine, but he'll be in here for at least a couple of weeks."
"No permanent damage?" Buffy asked worriedly.
"No permanent damage."
Willow and Buffy both sighed in relief. "Can we see him?" Buffy asked.
"Yes," the doctor replied, "but try not to wake him."
* * *
Tara stood in front of the bus on the deserted and dusty highway, even as the driver struggled to control it. It screeched to a halt mere inches from striking her.
She calmly walked around the bus and gestured. The doors slammed open, and she ordered, "Get out."
None of the passengers were inclined to argue, and they began to file out fearfully.
None, that is, except one.
Bolting out the emergency door in the rear, Warren made a run for it, looking over his shoulder in fear.
Tara whirled around and threw one hand up. The asphalt highway curled up in front of Warren, and he ran right into it. Sprawled on the ground, he shook his head, then scrambled to his feet and turned to face Tara, who walked toward him with calm, measured steps.
"H-hey," he said, searching for something -- anything -- that would save his life. "Look, I know you're mad, but... come on! You're one of the good guys! You can't _do_ this! I-I'll do anything. N-nice hair, by the way."
"You killed him. All I want you to do... is die," she said calmly, jerking her hand back swiftly.
Spikes of stone shot out from the wall of asphalt behind Warren and skewered him. Sparks flew from the injuries, and Warren slumped, hanging from the spikes.
But there was no blood.
"Another robot," she hissed to herself. She had _felt_ his essence.
*So the geek has help,* she thought. Well, no matter. She'd find him anyway. He was only delaying the inevitable.
And when she found out who tried to help him...
* * *
"Amy? Yeah, it's Willow." The redhead's eyes widened. "He's hurt? You're sure it was her? Oh, God. We'll be right there."
"What is it?" Buffy asked.
Willow looked up, a haunted look in her eyes, "It's Tara."
* * *
"Okay, Amy, you sure you can do this locater spell?"
The pregnant witch bit her lip uncertainly, but before she could reply, Jonathan spoke up, adjusting the cold compress on his head. "Uh, I can help."
Buffy hesitated... then nodded.
* * *
Tara sauntered through the woods confidently, looking around. "Oh, come on, Warren. You know you can't run forever. Why don't you just save us both some trouble and come out where I can kill you?"
She suddenly whirled around and caught the handle of Warren's axe as he swung it down. She smirked and backhanded him to the ground, "Strike one."
He scrambled to his feet and stumbled back. She smiled, "You've got balls, I'll admit that. We'll fix that soon enough."
She hurled the axe at him, and he jumped. The axe barely missed his crotch, and he turned and ran. She waited for a moment, then began to follow him... or rather, the trail of his essence.
Suddenly, she heard a fluttering sound, out of place in the otherwise eerily silent forest. What...?
There.
The tiny metal box flitted and hovered in front of her for a moment before it detonated. The explosion threw her off her feet, and she shook her head dazedly.
Eyes blazing as the magic worked overtime to heal her wounds, she snarled, "Strike two."
* * *
Warren ran, looking over his shoulder, but there was no sign of the witch. The flying bomb trick seemed to have worked. *Good,* he thought. *Wouldn't want to rely on Rack's little gizmo. His other thing sure as hell didn't keep her off my back for long.*
He burst out of the woods and turned, backing away and watching the edge of the forest. Nothing emerged. *Made it!*
He backed into something and turned, sucking in a breath.
It was Tara.
He let out a nervous laugh, "Cute. That's a cute trick."
He backed away from her, back towards the forest, as she took steady, even steps toward her.
"It was an accident, you know," he said. "A-and besides, he's not dead."
"And I should believe you?" Tara snorted. "Even if I did, do you really think I'd let you off just because you're incompetent?"
"It... it wasn't personal, that's all," he said.
"It is now."
Suddenly, he bolted, and Tara flicked her hand out. The ground erupted in front of him, and he slammed into the earthen wall and fell to the ground.
He struggled frantically out of his backpack and hurled the device Rack had given him. "Capture!"
Tara blinked in surprise as the ball of blue goo struck her in the gut and began to spread, binding her arms to her sides and covering her completely.
Warren scrambled to get away, and Tara's eyes began to burn red with fury.
Even as the last of the goo melted away, Tara's eyes narrowed, and she whispered, "Irretite."
Warren struggled in vain with the vines that bound him as Tara walked up to him.
He opened his mouth, but she waved her hand, and he found his lips stitched shut. She smiled at him and said, "Strike three. You're out."
He watched her silently, whimpering in fear, as she inhaled deeply through her nose. "I'm beginning to see why you like this. The fear, the pain... the power. That's what it was, wasn't it? Ever since you killed Katrina -- oh, don't look at me like that; Jonathan told us everything -- you've been looking for the... rush." She licked her lips, "I can see why. That's why you went after Buffy, isn't it? Slayer, super powers, what better rush than killing the savior of the world?"
"Tara!"
The witch turned and saw Willow stumbling through the woods toward them, with Buffy right behind her. The redhead paused to catch her breath and shouted, "You don't have to do this! Xander's in the hospital, but he's gonna be okay."
Tara hesitated for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "You don't understand, Willow. He does. You did too, once. Back when I was still the same sort of naive, shy, _stupid_ little geek you turned yourself back into... but not anymore. It's not about revenge. It's not about Xander."
She looked at Willow with eyes as black as pitch. With a careless flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of energy from her fingertips that blasted Warren's flesh from his bones, layer by layer.
"It's about power."
* * *
Author's Postscript:
Okay, this one gave me the shivers just _writing_ it...