Title: Plans
Author: Airawyn
Summary: What could have happened after Warren got the Orbs of Nezzla'khan. This is a Might-Have-Been that takes place during the time of "Seeing Red".
Notes: PG, but dark. Thanks to Lor and Laurithrie for beta reading this.
* * * * *
Warren was standing at his workbench, modifying the directional controls on the second jetpack when Jonathan returned. He had sent Jonathan out for spell components after they had returned from the caves that afternoon. Warren's plans hadn't included Jonathan. Now his plans needed to be changed, but that was okay.
Warren hated to admit it, but sometimes it was fun when things went wrong. Because he always found a way to fix it. Like that business with Katrina. Jonathan and Andrew had started to freak out. They would have given up and turned themselves into the police, if not for him. But Warren had kept his cool and found a way to fix things. In the end, Katrina's death had been ruled a suicide.
"What are you working on?" Jonathan asked suspiciously.
"Got a surprise for you, Sparky. Did you get the stuff?" asked Warren. He'd also fixed the whole camera debacle. The Slayer and her gang had almost traced the remote camera signal back to the lair. Jonathan and Andrew had been paralyzed by the image of Spike and Anya having sex. Not Warren. He'd managed to redirect the trace to the University computer labs. Then he'd shut down everything. The Slayer and her friends would be able to find their lair eventually, but not today. And after today, it wouldn't matter.
"Yeah," Jonathan said, setting the bag of herbs on the workbench. "Where's Andrew?"
"Sent him on an errand. Here, try this on." Warren handed Jonathan the jetpack he'd been working on. Jonathan held it at arm's length, as if it might bite him.
"What is it?" asked Jonathan.
"Jetpack. After we hit the armored truck, we'll make a vertical escape," said Warren. "It goes on like this." He picked up his own jetpack and demonstrated. Jonathan looked impressed, in spite of himself.
"That's pretty cool," he said. "How does it work?"
Warren showed Jonathan the switches, and how to steer it. Warren was extra careful with the switches. He wasn't used to having super-strength yet, and if he didn't handle things gently, they'd break. He'd learned that the hard way. It was a minor adjustment to make. The Orbs of Nezzla'khan were worth the effort.
"You ready to go?" Warren asked.
"Almost. I need to get the Occulan icon for the misdirection spell. The other ingredients are useless without it. But I don't know where it went," said Jonathan.
Warren thought for a moment. "Is that the weird wooden eyeball?"
"Yeah. Do you know where it is?" asked Jonathan.
"I think it's with Andrew's D&D miniatures. He was using it as a Beholder," said Warren.
Jonathan rolled his eyes, and turned toward Andrew's room. Warren grabbed his shoulder (gently) and stopped him.
"I... I'll get it. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where it is," said Warren. "Why don't you go put your stuff in the van? Mine's already loaded."
Jonathan picked up his suitcase, and paused, noticing there was still a suitcase waiting by the stairs.
"What about Andrew's stuff? Is he going to be back in time?" Jonathan asked.
"Oh... can you grab it? He's going to be meeting up with us later," said Warren.
"Um, sure," said Jonathan. He gave Warren a funny look, and Warren did his best to radiate innocence. It must have worked, because Jonathan picked up the luggage and carried it up the stairs.
Warren went into Andrew's room and found the Occulan icon on the shelf. As he was leaving the room, he paused with his hand on the doorknob, and looked back. He slipped the icon into his pocket, and came back to sit on the edge of Andrew's bed. He pulled back the sheet for a final look. If it weren't for the bruises, he could have imagined that Andrew was just sleeping. Then again, Andrew was never that still, not even in sleep.
Warren reached out and ruffled Andrew's hair one last time, ignoring the dried blood that turned blond hair to brown. He pulled the sheet back over Andrew's face. He felt like he should say something, like "Goodbye", or "I'm sorry", but what was the point? The boy couldn't hear him now.
He really was sorry, though. He hadn't meant for things to end like this. He wished he'd been more careful. Turned out there were some disadvantages to super-strength.
Now he was going to have to keep Jonathan around for a little while longer so he could pull off all of his plans. The hobbit was already suspicious of everything Warren did. Warren would have to think of a reason why Andrew didn't join them. He'd tell Jonathan that Andrew chickened out, or got caught or something. Didn't matter now. He'd have time to work out the details later.
Warren left Andrew's room and closed the door. Before leaving, he set the trigger for the booby trap they'd built into the lair. He'd thought of that, too. Okay, it had been after watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for, like, the hundredth time. But he'd figured out how to make it work. When the Slayer finally found their lair - and she would, he knew that - she'd be sliced and diced. Her friends would probably find her body, and Andrew's, but by then he'd be out of the country. And if anyone did find him, he'd figure out a way to deal with it. He could figure out a plan for anything.
* * * * *
A/N: Inspired in part by "Sex and the Single Supervillain" by AK. (http://dwts.bitterbitcas.com/sexandthesupervillain.html)
Author: Airawyn
Summary: What could have happened after Warren got the Orbs of Nezzla'khan. This is a Might-Have-Been that takes place during the time of "Seeing Red".
Notes: PG, but dark. Thanks to Lor and Laurithrie for beta reading this.
* * * * *
Warren was standing at his workbench, modifying the directional controls on the second jetpack when Jonathan returned. He had sent Jonathan out for spell components after they had returned from the caves that afternoon. Warren's plans hadn't included Jonathan. Now his plans needed to be changed, but that was okay.
Warren hated to admit it, but sometimes it was fun when things went wrong. Because he always found a way to fix it. Like that business with Katrina. Jonathan and Andrew had started to freak out. They would have given up and turned themselves into the police, if not for him. But Warren had kept his cool and found a way to fix things. In the end, Katrina's death had been ruled a suicide.
"What are you working on?" Jonathan asked suspiciously.
"Got a surprise for you, Sparky. Did you get the stuff?" asked Warren. He'd also fixed the whole camera debacle. The Slayer and her gang had almost traced the remote camera signal back to the lair. Jonathan and Andrew had been paralyzed by the image of Spike and Anya having sex. Not Warren. He'd managed to redirect the trace to the University computer labs. Then he'd shut down everything. The Slayer and her friends would be able to find their lair eventually, but not today. And after today, it wouldn't matter.
"Yeah," Jonathan said, setting the bag of herbs on the workbench. "Where's Andrew?"
"Sent him on an errand. Here, try this on." Warren handed Jonathan the jetpack he'd been working on. Jonathan held it at arm's length, as if it might bite him.
"What is it?" asked Jonathan.
"Jetpack. After we hit the armored truck, we'll make a vertical escape," said Warren. "It goes on like this." He picked up his own jetpack and demonstrated. Jonathan looked impressed, in spite of himself.
"That's pretty cool," he said. "How does it work?"
Warren showed Jonathan the switches, and how to steer it. Warren was extra careful with the switches. He wasn't used to having super-strength yet, and if he didn't handle things gently, they'd break. He'd learned that the hard way. It was a minor adjustment to make. The Orbs of Nezzla'khan were worth the effort.
"You ready to go?" Warren asked.
"Almost. I need to get the Occulan icon for the misdirection spell. The other ingredients are useless without it. But I don't know where it went," said Jonathan.
Warren thought for a moment. "Is that the weird wooden eyeball?"
"Yeah. Do you know where it is?" asked Jonathan.
"I think it's with Andrew's D&D miniatures. He was using it as a Beholder," said Warren.
Jonathan rolled his eyes, and turned toward Andrew's room. Warren grabbed his shoulder (gently) and stopped him.
"I... I'll get it. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where it is," said Warren. "Why don't you go put your stuff in the van? Mine's already loaded."
Jonathan picked up his suitcase, and paused, noticing there was still a suitcase waiting by the stairs.
"What about Andrew's stuff? Is he going to be back in time?" Jonathan asked.
"Oh... can you grab it? He's going to be meeting up with us later," said Warren.
"Um, sure," said Jonathan. He gave Warren a funny look, and Warren did his best to radiate innocence. It must have worked, because Jonathan picked up the luggage and carried it up the stairs.
Warren went into Andrew's room and found the Occulan icon on the shelf. As he was leaving the room, he paused with his hand on the doorknob, and looked back. He slipped the icon into his pocket, and came back to sit on the edge of Andrew's bed. He pulled back the sheet for a final look. If it weren't for the bruises, he could have imagined that Andrew was just sleeping. Then again, Andrew was never that still, not even in sleep.
Warren reached out and ruffled Andrew's hair one last time, ignoring the dried blood that turned blond hair to brown. He pulled the sheet back over Andrew's face. He felt like he should say something, like "Goodbye", or "I'm sorry", but what was the point? The boy couldn't hear him now.
He really was sorry, though. He hadn't meant for things to end like this. He wished he'd been more careful. Turned out there were some disadvantages to super-strength.
Now he was going to have to keep Jonathan around for a little while longer so he could pull off all of his plans. The hobbit was already suspicious of everything Warren did. Warren would have to think of a reason why Andrew didn't join them. He'd tell Jonathan that Andrew chickened out, or got caught or something. Didn't matter now. He'd have time to work out the details later.
Warren left Andrew's room and closed the door. Before leaving, he set the trigger for the booby trap they'd built into the lair. He'd thought of that, too. Okay, it had been after watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for, like, the hundredth time. But he'd figured out how to make it work. When the Slayer finally found their lair - and she would, he knew that - she'd be sliced and diced. Her friends would probably find her body, and Andrew's, but by then he'd be out of the country. And if anyone did find him, he'd figure out a way to deal with it. He could figure out a plan for anything.
* * * * *
A/N: Inspired in part by "Sex and the Single Supervillain" by AK. (http://dwts.bitterbitcas.com/sexandthesupervillain.html)