CHAPTER TWO -
A GATHERING OF FORCES
Drusilla cleared her throat demurely. She felt very professional standing on the podium. She stood before an assemblage of high ranking police officials and some of her fellow FBI agents, who were also called in for this important liaison of American and British law enforcement techniques. The location was Bramshill, the leading British police college. Drusilla's very own immediate superior was in attendance, so Drusilla felt she must be on her best behaviour.
"Now if you just look to the next slide, dearies, I'm sure you'll see me working on the case of the Massachusetts Torso Collector. Here, I aided local law enforcement in-"
Drusilla glanced round at the projection screen and recoiled in horror at what she saw. An involuntary whimper made her feel, for a moment, more like a little wounded deer rather than the fearless and exceptionally brilliant Special Agent she was now hailed as. "Mmmmm....nnnn...rrrrr! This is all so horribly wrong! Everything's gone upside down. Just like Acathla had decided to suck us all into a portal after all, only he won't sing to us anymore. He's shy and ooooh!"
Drusilla here turned and stood with clenched fists, fuming at that horrible no good girl. "Oh sorry!" Harmony bashfully apologised, realising her mistake with the projector. "Ooops, silly me! You probably wanted that the other way around."
"Silly little assistant!" Drusilla hissed venomously, at her supposed protege.
Harmony started fiddling with the projector slides. She put the current slide back in the proper way, getting it all sticky with her fingerprints! Not quite finished yet, she picked out another slide and looked confusedly at it under the light. "Er, I don't think this was supposed to be in here, but does anyone want to see a picture of Antonio Banderas as the next slide?" Harmony looked around at the assembled stuffy audience members.
Beginning to feel all flustered and light headed, Drusilla turned her attention back to the audience. "Ooooh, I've gone and felt all funny. Like little sparrows being eaten in the woods and the children won't come out to play!" Drusilla beamed as she observed that some of the assembled officers were taking notes. How attentive they all were. Wanting to grasp at all the knowledge.
Drusilla rubbed her brow. Oh how it throbbed. "Would-would someone from the audience just like to follow me behind this curtain for a moment? Won't take long lovies!"
A handsome young police officer got up from his seat to comply right away. How friendly this audience was. Drusilla smiled sweetly and held back the curtain for the officer, letting it fall back behind them. A few slight suckling and tearing of clothes sounds followed and soon Drusilla was back. Alone. The Special Agent looked very confident and quite cheerful with herself once again. "The young officer's come over all faint. Don't worry though dearies." Drusilla smiled evilly. "He'll be back on his feet in no time! Now where were we my loves?"
It was assistant Harmony's turn to fume. Why the nerve. Leaving me out like that, Harmony thought. Just for that, all the slides were going to end up the wrong way round!
****
"Drusilla's an FBI Agent?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"And apparently very excellent in her field!" former watcher, Wesley Wyndham Price informed the surprised group. Buffy, Dawn and Willow had visited Angel Investigations, on what seemed to be a matter of some urgency. Once again Wesley had relished the chance to put his research skills to good use. "She personally solved seven of the most difficult and puzzling Federal crimes of the last few years. All in the last three months. Everything from kidnappings to serial killings and even alleged reports of alien abductions and weird cult rituals. From what I've learned from hacking into private FBI websites, Drusilla really must possess the most brilliant and deductive mind. What an opportunity it must be for the agents who work in the field with her."
Buffy's glare and Angel's jealous protests of "beginner's luck" brought Wesley's glowing appraisal to a halt.
"Okay, I'm ready." Willow got up from the intricate pentagram she had been painstakingly creating on the floor. She checked to see that all the necessary ingredients were on hand. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Buff?"
Angel grimly stepped in. "It seems like the right thing to do. I still feel responsible for all the torment I inflicted on Dru and her family. All her victims are really all on my hands. If this spell can restore her sanity and her soul then we have to take the chance." That sounded noble enough, Angel thought. No hint at all that deep down inside he was just trying to get rid of a rival close to his own line of work.
"Never mind that!" Buffy interrupted Angel's thoughts. "Miss Edith has taken someone from the Summers family. Again! I just want her to feel the hurt and loss she's inflicted on us. And if getting to her through her crazy mistress is the way to do it, so be it. If Miss Edith wants her life back to reliable normality, she'll have to agree to never see Mr Gordo ever again. Start the chanting, Willow."
****
Noone was more surprised than Drusilla herself, at how long she had been able to keep her current career going. Neither her FBI colleagues or various law enforcement agencies, in the various states her job had taken her, suspected anything at all unusual about her methods. Even her habit of "sleeping late" during daylight hours and the dead bodies, that inevitably followed her every assignment, just seemed like her own peculiar eccentricity. Much like Sherlock Holmes and his infamous cocaine habit. As far as her trainers at Quantico and the fellow officers (those still alive) were concerned, Drusilla was a complete natural in her field with an original and keenly developed sense for the job.
Drusilla sighed. Just as she'd feared. Harmony had gotten bored and started making shadow animals using the light of the projector. Drusilla tried to ignore it. "And this slide shows the cabin where I found the two missing Farley sisters, who strangely turned pale and died just soon after being found. Poor dears." Oh for goodness sake! Getting impatient Drusilla realised that it was impossible to continue under these unprofessional conditions. She had to find a way to occupy Harmony's mind. And there was only one way to do that at the moment. "And if you excuse me, I really must have a word with my naughty little assistant." Drusilla apologised. "Harmony!" she hissed. When her assistant looked up, Drusilla whispered for only her ears. "Be a dear and lock all the doors for me. There's a good girl."
This plan seemed to work. Harmony got all excited with glee. Now they were going to do something fun. Dru was the best boss ever. Just as Harmony was about to get up though, she noticed something unusual about Drusilla. Something really odd, even for her. The audience members seemed to notice it too.
Drusilla was all of sudden feeling quite poorly. She could hear an unpleasant chanting from some far off place. Such horrible words that were being said. And then it seemed that something special was being taken from her head. Drusilla reached out to clutch it back but it was too intangible. All the sounds in her head, telling her fun things, seemed to just disappear. All the sing-songs, all the whispers. It was like the stars had all died. Except now that didn't make any sense to her. Nothing did, except a horrible realisation and feeling of revulsion.
"Oh no!" Dru began to sob frightfully. "It was that horrible man that's been following me in dreams. I can't shake him. He hurt everyone and then just when I thought I was safe he...." Drusilla wracked with sobs and felt like she was going to be sick. Gradually, she felt something coming back to her though. Pleasant whispers. Shadows dancing on the wall. Almost as sudden as the change had come over her, Drusilla began to feel all normal again. But everyone was staring at her.
****
"Did it work?" Buffy asked expectantly.
Willow seemed to concentrate on something. She shook her head. "No. Just for moments. And then it was as if something interfered. Like...." Willow shook in horror. "Buffy I think something's gone really wrong. I felt something else there. I think we accidentally opened up a portal. I think something really bad is stepping through!"
The walls of Angel's office shook. A tangible ripple ran through the plaster. From far off, something screeched.....And laughed!
A massive explosion of energy erupted in downtown Los Angeles. A great and terrible demon was unleashed.
****
Drusilla felt all better now. Just a little weak from the fright was all. She really didn't see what all the fuss was about. But now the whole roomful of people were staring at her with concern. They had seen something else in Drusilla a moment ago. Something wrong.
Drusilla's boss came forward. He nodded with a grim understanding and spoke softly, but very, very firmly. "Special Agent Drusilla. It is with great regret that I now must relieve you of all your FBI duties. That change that came over you. We've seen this sudden change come over our most exceptional agents before."
"I'm fine!" Drusilla protested. And she was. But she could see that it was too late. They wouldn't trust her now.
"It's not your fault." Drusilla's superior spoke tenderly, almost fatherly. "It's the stress of your job. All the unimaginable horrors of hunting serial killers and examining first hand, the scenes of ritual murders. You were one of the finest pupils to ever come out of Quantico. Perhaps we pushed you too hard. I hope someday you can forgive us. Maybe it's just rest you need."
"No!" Drusilla's eyes flashed. Her face morphed into predatory mode. Another sign of stress? Drusilla had loved her job. Had loved the challenges. Laughing at the silly cattle as she worked and played in their world. This was something she had done on her own, without Spike, Angelus or her domineering Grandma. Drusilla wasn't just willing to give it up. "The reports of the illegal cloning factory at Freeserf!" Drusilla hissed at the fools. "The British police asked for me!"
"Your assistant Harmony can take over your current assignment." the big boss assured. He looked to Harmony, with respect and awe. "As your personal assistant for all this time, I can only imagine the breadth of knowledge and insight that she must have picked up from your exemplary example."
Harmony was over the moon. "Me? Really? My own assignment? Woo Hoo!"
Drusilla was enraged. "Restrain her!" she heard someone shout, as she flew into a fury. In the end it would take over twenty of the police officers and FBI agents present, to do just that.
A GATHERING OF FORCES
Drusilla cleared her throat demurely. She felt very professional standing on the podium. She stood before an assemblage of high ranking police officials and some of her fellow FBI agents, who were also called in for this important liaison of American and British law enforcement techniques. The location was Bramshill, the leading British police college. Drusilla's very own immediate superior was in attendance, so Drusilla felt she must be on her best behaviour.
"Now if you just look to the next slide, dearies, I'm sure you'll see me working on the case of the Massachusetts Torso Collector. Here, I aided local law enforcement in-"
Drusilla glanced round at the projection screen and recoiled in horror at what she saw. An involuntary whimper made her feel, for a moment, more like a little wounded deer rather than the fearless and exceptionally brilliant Special Agent she was now hailed as. "Mmmmm....nnnn...rrrrr! This is all so horribly wrong! Everything's gone upside down. Just like Acathla had decided to suck us all into a portal after all, only he won't sing to us anymore. He's shy and ooooh!"
Drusilla here turned and stood with clenched fists, fuming at that horrible no good girl. "Oh sorry!" Harmony bashfully apologised, realising her mistake with the projector. "Ooops, silly me! You probably wanted that the other way around."
"Silly little assistant!" Drusilla hissed venomously, at her supposed protege.
Harmony started fiddling with the projector slides. She put the current slide back in the proper way, getting it all sticky with her fingerprints! Not quite finished yet, she picked out another slide and looked confusedly at it under the light. "Er, I don't think this was supposed to be in here, but does anyone want to see a picture of Antonio Banderas as the next slide?" Harmony looked around at the assembled stuffy audience members.
Beginning to feel all flustered and light headed, Drusilla turned her attention back to the audience. "Ooooh, I've gone and felt all funny. Like little sparrows being eaten in the woods and the children won't come out to play!" Drusilla beamed as she observed that some of the assembled officers were taking notes. How attentive they all were. Wanting to grasp at all the knowledge.
Drusilla rubbed her brow. Oh how it throbbed. "Would-would someone from the audience just like to follow me behind this curtain for a moment? Won't take long lovies!"
A handsome young police officer got up from his seat to comply right away. How friendly this audience was. Drusilla smiled sweetly and held back the curtain for the officer, letting it fall back behind them. A few slight suckling and tearing of clothes sounds followed and soon Drusilla was back. Alone. The Special Agent looked very confident and quite cheerful with herself once again. "The young officer's come over all faint. Don't worry though dearies." Drusilla smiled evilly. "He'll be back on his feet in no time! Now where were we my loves?"
It was assistant Harmony's turn to fume. Why the nerve. Leaving me out like that, Harmony thought. Just for that, all the slides were going to end up the wrong way round!
****
"Drusilla's an FBI Agent?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"And apparently very excellent in her field!" former watcher, Wesley Wyndham Price informed the surprised group. Buffy, Dawn and Willow had visited Angel Investigations, on what seemed to be a matter of some urgency. Once again Wesley had relished the chance to put his research skills to good use. "She personally solved seven of the most difficult and puzzling Federal crimes of the last few years. All in the last three months. Everything from kidnappings to serial killings and even alleged reports of alien abductions and weird cult rituals. From what I've learned from hacking into private FBI websites, Drusilla really must possess the most brilliant and deductive mind. What an opportunity it must be for the agents who work in the field with her."
Buffy's glare and Angel's jealous protests of "beginner's luck" brought Wesley's glowing appraisal to a halt.
"Okay, I'm ready." Willow got up from the intricate pentagram she had been painstakingly creating on the floor. She checked to see that all the necessary ingredients were on hand. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Buff?"
Angel grimly stepped in. "It seems like the right thing to do. I still feel responsible for all the torment I inflicted on Dru and her family. All her victims are really all on my hands. If this spell can restore her sanity and her soul then we have to take the chance." That sounded noble enough, Angel thought. No hint at all that deep down inside he was just trying to get rid of a rival close to his own line of work.
"Never mind that!" Buffy interrupted Angel's thoughts. "Miss Edith has taken someone from the Summers family. Again! I just want her to feel the hurt and loss she's inflicted on us. And if getting to her through her crazy mistress is the way to do it, so be it. If Miss Edith wants her life back to reliable normality, she'll have to agree to never see Mr Gordo ever again. Start the chanting, Willow."
****
Noone was more surprised than Drusilla herself, at how long she had been able to keep her current career going. Neither her FBI colleagues or various law enforcement agencies, in the various states her job had taken her, suspected anything at all unusual about her methods. Even her habit of "sleeping late" during daylight hours and the dead bodies, that inevitably followed her every assignment, just seemed like her own peculiar eccentricity. Much like Sherlock Holmes and his infamous cocaine habit. As far as her trainers at Quantico and the fellow officers (those still alive) were concerned, Drusilla was a complete natural in her field with an original and keenly developed sense for the job.
Drusilla sighed. Just as she'd feared. Harmony had gotten bored and started making shadow animals using the light of the projector. Drusilla tried to ignore it. "And this slide shows the cabin where I found the two missing Farley sisters, who strangely turned pale and died just soon after being found. Poor dears." Oh for goodness sake! Getting impatient Drusilla realised that it was impossible to continue under these unprofessional conditions. She had to find a way to occupy Harmony's mind. And there was only one way to do that at the moment. "And if you excuse me, I really must have a word with my naughty little assistant." Drusilla apologised. "Harmony!" she hissed. When her assistant looked up, Drusilla whispered for only her ears. "Be a dear and lock all the doors for me. There's a good girl."
This plan seemed to work. Harmony got all excited with glee. Now they were going to do something fun. Dru was the best boss ever. Just as Harmony was about to get up though, she noticed something unusual about Drusilla. Something really odd, even for her. The audience members seemed to notice it too.
Drusilla was all of sudden feeling quite poorly. She could hear an unpleasant chanting from some far off place. Such horrible words that were being said. And then it seemed that something special was being taken from her head. Drusilla reached out to clutch it back but it was too intangible. All the sounds in her head, telling her fun things, seemed to just disappear. All the sing-songs, all the whispers. It was like the stars had all died. Except now that didn't make any sense to her. Nothing did, except a horrible realisation and feeling of revulsion.
"Oh no!" Dru began to sob frightfully. "It was that horrible man that's been following me in dreams. I can't shake him. He hurt everyone and then just when I thought I was safe he...." Drusilla wracked with sobs and felt like she was going to be sick. Gradually, she felt something coming back to her though. Pleasant whispers. Shadows dancing on the wall. Almost as sudden as the change had come over her, Drusilla began to feel all normal again. But everyone was staring at her.
****
"Did it work?" Buffy asked expectantly.
Willow seemed to concentrate on something. She shook her head. "No. Just for moments. And then it was as if something interfered. Like...." Willow shook in horror. "Buffy I think something's gone really wrong. I felt something else there. I think we accidentally opened up a portal. I think something really bad is stepping through!"
The walls of Angel's office shook. A tangible ripple ran through the plaster. From far off, something screeched.....And laughed!
A massive explosion of energy erupted in downtown Los Angeles. A great and terrible demon was unleashed.
****
Drusilla felt all better now. Just a little weak from the fright was all. She really didn't see what all the fuss was about. But now the whole roomful of people were staring at her with concern. They had seen something else in Drusilla a moment ago. Something wrong.
Drusilla's boss came forward. He nodded with a grim understanding and spoke softly, but very, very firmly. "Special Agent Drusilla. It is with great regret that I now must relieve you of all your FBI duties. That change that came over you. We've seen this sudden change come over our most exceptional agents before."
"I'm fine!" Drusilla protested. And she was. But she could see that it was too late. They wouldn't trust her now.
"It's not your fault." Drusilla's superior spoke tenderly, almost fatherly. "It's the stress of your job. All the unimaginable horrors of hunting serial killers and examining first hand, the scenes of ritual murders. You were one of the finest pupils to ever come out of Quantico. Perhaps we pushed you too hard. I hope someday you can forgive us. Maybe it's just rest you need."
"No!" Drusilla's eyes flashed. Her face morphed into predatory mode. Another sign of stress? Drusilla had loved her job. Had loved the challenges. Laughing at the silly cattle as she worked and played in their world. This was something she had done on her own, without Spike, Angelus or her domineering Grandma. Drusilla wasn't just willing to give it up. "The reports of the illegal cloning factory at Freeserf!" Drusilla hissed at the fools. "The British police asked for me!"
"Your assistant Harmony can take over your current assignment." the big boss assured. He looked to Harmony, with respect and awe. "As your personal assistant for all this time, I can only imagine the breadth of knowledge and insight that she must have picked up from your exemplary example."
Harmony was over the moon. "Me? Really? My own assignment? Woo Hoo!"
Drusilla was enraged. "Restrain her!" she heard someone shout, as she flew into a fury. In the end it would take over twenty of the police officers and FBI agents present, to do just that.
