Buffy groaned as she looked at all the company gathered in her house. She literally almost cried again when she heard something break and the large zombie Ernie say "sorry". It was quite the gathering. Thanos, Warlock, and Gamora were in the center of the room, with the giant Titan getting most of the attention. Ernie tended to get a fair share of it too, from Riley and Sam, who were conversing with Xander and Anya. It seemed Riley was skimming the room, seeing so many demons in one place at one time. It unnerved him.
It also unnerved Ernie being looked at, but Tara managed to calm him down with a smile as Willow spoke to Oz. The werewolf smiled and nodded as he strummed his guitar soothingly. Poe squawked at Gaira, who was pitching a fit at Andrew. Faith chuckled at that as she spoke to Wesley. It also seemed that she was checking out Gwen's ass (but no one could be sure, but then again that's vintage Faith. Keep 'em guessing). The rest of the Angel Investigations crew were somewhat relaxed, though Kennedy HAD attacked Lorne when she saw him calling him a "freaking demon bastard". Giles, Principal Wood and Doctor Strange were speaking, expressing concerns about Thanos and hoping the Titan could not hear. The Potentials were all over the place, trying to get information on everyone to gossip with. But the thing that bothered Buffy the most was the fact that Spike had just come up from the basement, and walked into someone she wished he hadn't.
Spike smirked and Buffy knew all hell was about to break loose.
"Well, well, well. Figured I'd run into you soon Peaches." Spike grinned evilly.
"Spike." Angel growled lowly.
Cordy looked over at Buffy with a worried expression.
"Say, that a new hair gel you're using? Still makes you look like a poofter." Spike said.
"Don't test me William." Angel said.
"Wow, that almost sounded threatening." Spike said, eye-to-eye with his Grandsire.
"Spike, I'd really hate to have to kick your ass in front of all these people." Angel whispered.
"Just. Go. Ahead. And. Try. Mate." Spike said shifting to his game face.
Angel did likewise, "Been meaning to talk to you anyways. You smell of Buffy. I don't like that. You hurt her in any way, and I'll make sure that your life is hell."
"Don't worry Peaches, I'm in your club now. Got myself a soul." Spike said.
"Then I guess I don't have to worry about you hurting her. Unless you write her poetry." Angel replied.
That would have been it right there except that Buffy and Cordy each got in the way.
"Angel sweetie, let's go to the kitchen." Cordy said grabbing the vampire by his ear, even with his protests.
"Spike, act like you have a soul." Buffy sighed.
"He started it." Spike said.
"Spike I was right across the room. Don't lie." Buffy groaned.
"It was worth a shot."
"Man, I can't see what she saw in either of them." Riley said to Xander.
"Welcome to my world. Dead Boys One and Two are a handful. Though Spike's less of a jackass lately." Xander admitted.
"Wow. I just can't believe that one." Riley said, "Spike not a jackass? That's a big change."
"I said less of a jackass. And a lot of people have changed around here. I mean you never met Wesley right?" Xander said.
"No. Which one is he?" Riley asked.
"Guy talking to Faith." Xander said motioning, as Wesley looked their way from across the room, "I swear it's a totally different person. Four years ago he was nothing like that. Imagine Giles if he had a prissy son. Take away the five o'clock shadow, the cool hair, and the cool clothes and then slap some tweed and glasses on him and you have who I affectionately refer to as Wussy Wesley. I wonder what made him change?"
"I had my throat slashed and my friends hate me for several months." Wesley yelled, "I also know how to read lips."
Xander swallowed and looked to Riley, who was walking away.
"You're on your own." The soldier smirked.
Xander looked betrayed and then smiled, waving at Wesley.
"Seriously, I hold you in the highest respect really!" he gulped, "We were talking about…umm…stuff. But not you. Seriously."
"Buffy, I have to get out of here. It's too crowded. I just need to get some peace." Dawn pleaded with her sister.
"Front porch. No further." Buffy ordered.
"Well I was actually thinking the Bronze…" Dawn explained.
"Front Porch. No further." Buffy commanded again.
Dawn sighed, "I got you."
She walked outside, hoping no one would follow her. She sighed and went to sit on the front steps and looked up at the night sky. Or blackness would be more appropriate. The darkness covering the earth blotted out the stars. Dawn frowned. It was black as pitch outside except for the streetlights. The world was a scary place now….well scarier. It was probably going to end for real, and she'd never done a lot of things. Never went to prom, or graduated from high school, never…done things with a guy. She sighed.
"Life sucks." Dawn stated loudly.
"You figured that out too?" a voice said. Dawn turned her head and saw Connor sitting on the porch swing.
"You know, it's considered rude to sneak up on people." Dawn said sarcastically.
"I didn't. I was sitting out here when you came out." Connor explained.
"How come you didn't say anything then?" Dawn asked.
"Didn't think I had to." Connor replied.
There was a long silence, before Dawn broke it.
"You're Angel's son right? Connor?" Dawn asked.
"My name's actually Stephen, but everyone calls me Connor." Connor explained.
More silence. Dawn looked at him. He was like the quiet guy you'd see in the back of class at school. Silent, but smart and completely sure of himself. Dawn also thought he was kind of cute.
"I'm Dawn."
Connor nodded, "Yeah."
More silence.
"So uh, why you out here by yourself?" Dawn asked.
"More people in one place than I'm used to."
"I know how you feel. Crowds get me nervous too." Dawn said, standing up and walking over to sit on the porch's railing.
Connor observed her carefully. She was pretty he thought. She was no Cordelia mind you, but she was attractive. Her eyes were by far her best attribute. They were good eyes.
"So this is the Hellmouth?" Connor asked.
"Yeah this is it." Dawn said motioning around.
"It seems tame." Connor said.
"Anything but. I've been kidnapped so many times its unreal." Dawn said.
"Why?" Connor asked.
"My sister's the Slayer. You want to get her mad, you go through me I guess. As if that's not traumatic enough for my young life, then there was that whole being a primal energy Key thingy." Dawn explained.
"Huh?" Connor asked.
Dawn sighed, "It's kind of complicated. I'm not really Buffy's sister. I was some weird energy source called the Key that this Hell goddess called Glory wanted to open up the walls between dimensions so she could get home. But these monks harnessed me and made me from Buffy and gave everyone who would know me some fake memories of me to make it seem like I was always here. I'm seventeen, but technically I'm only two and a half years old."
There was more silence.
"Technically I'm only a year old."
"Say what?" Dawn asked.
"I was born last year in this dimension. Then the man I see as my father stole me from Angel and raised me on another world where time moved faster. Then I came back to kill Angel." Connor stated.
"OH! Wow. We should both just be in diapers." Dawn laughed.
"Yeah. I get that a lot." Connor said, remembering the harsh words of Angelus.
Dawn smirked, "So did you see Angel and Spike almost fight?"
"Was Spike the blonde guy?" Connor asked.
"Yeah. I always wondered who'd win if they fought." Dawn almost squealed.
"He's a brave man to try and fight a vampire." Connor mused.
"Oh Spike's a vampire too." Dawn said.
"And you just let him in your house?" Connor asked.
"Oh he has a soul. He's a good guy like Angel." Dawn explained.
"Angel's no good guy." Connor said, bristling at the mention of his biological father.
"Well, he is most of the time. Spike's okay though." Dawn said, before smirking, "Technically I guess he'd be your brother."
"Huh?" Connor said again.
"Angel made Drusilla, Drusilla made Spike. But Dru couldn't properly teach Spike how to be a vampire, so Angel did it. He's like a son to Angel. A rebellious son who hates Angel with a passion, but a son nonetheless." Dawn explained.
"I like him already." Connor replied.
Connor smiled and then was a blur. He leapt past Dawn and tackled something on the lawn.
"DEMON!" Connor roared as he pounded the creature, which yelped at the attack.
Dawn ran down the steps and grabbed Connor, "Leave him alone! Leave him alone!"
"Are you crazy? It's a demon! It's going to try and eat you!" Connor growled.
"Wait! I don't eat people! I eat cats! Just cats! Not in the face!" the wrinkly demon whined.
Connor cocked his head and repeated the phrase of the night, "Huh?"
Connor stood up off the demon as Dawn helped him up.
"Overprotective boyfriend?" the unholy abomination in the eyes of Connor said.
"Nope, just a houseguest." Dawn said hugging it, "How have you been Clem?"
"Eh better considering I'll probably bruise." Clem said, examining himself.
"You know him?" Connor asked.
"Yeah, he's a friend of ours. Haven't seen him around a lot lately though." Dawn explained.
"I was visiting relatives." Clem said.
"Oh really? Where?" Dawn asked.
"The Realm of Eternal Madness." Clem said cheerfully.
"Oh." Dawn said in slight unease, "How was it?"
"Pretty good actually. Air was nice." Clem said, "Was in the neighborhood and saw you guys were having a party and wondered if it was human exclusive."
"Well it's not exactly a party, but go in if you want." Dawn said.
"But…. he's a demon." Connor said, confused.
"So's Lorne." Dawn said.
"Yeah…but Lorne can sing…and has suits." Connor said, not understanding.
"LORNE?!" Clem asked suddenly.
"You know him?" Dawn asked.
"Know him?! I'm only the guy's biggest fan. Saw his show in Vegas last year like eight times! No one sings Lady Marmalade like him!" Clem said dreamily.
"What lady? Where?" Connor asked confused.
"I dunno. Christina and the others did an okay job." Dawn replied to Clem.
"Christina? Is that the lady?" Connor asked.
"Not from around here?" Clem asked in regards to Connor.
"Raised in a hell dimension." Dawn explained.
"Oh yeah. I was raised in one of those. Newark." Clem shuddered then laughed. Dawn smiled and laughed too. Connor was left wondering if everyone in this dimension was an immense fool or just these people.
"So let's go inside so you can get Lorne's autograph." Dawn said.
Clem could barely contain his joy as he walked in. Dawn turned around, "You coming or are you going to stand on the lawn all night?"
"At this rate, probably the lawn." Connor frowned.
"Come on. I'll show you the wonder of Popsicles." Dawn said.
"Now those I already know about." Connor replied, walking up the steps.
"You do?" Dawn asked.
"Well Cordelia did live with me for a while. She had cravings." Connor explained.
Connor and Dawn smirked and walked right into a brick wall. Okay so technically it was a near seven-foot brick wall by the name of Thanos, but it was a brick wall nonetheless. Thanos looked down at the two children with a scowl. He then stepped back out of the way and put his arm out to usher them inside.
"Come. Adam is ready to begin explanations." Thanos said, with a voice that automatically put Connor on guard. The two teens slowly walked past the Mad Titan and headed to the living room where everyone was now seated comfortably.
"Huh? But this place was packed a few minutes ago." Dawn said confused.
Buffy was now smiling contentedly at all the space, "Warlock used his Eternity Glove and changed the size of the room."
"Infinity Gauntlet, and bending space is fairly simple when one gem controls that very aspect." Warlock replied.
"So what's the deal?" Angel asked, standing near Buffy, eyeing Spike.
"The "deal" is this. You all know that the First Evil has risen. Currently, it is wary of my presence on this world because it is still somewhat vulnerable. It fears the Infinity Gauntlet and rightfully so. With it, I wield supreme power. Power to do anything. I'm omnipotent." Warlock said, catching everyone's full attention. Anya had even stopped whispering about the things she wanted to do to Xander before the world ended and was listening intently.
"So why not just kick the First's ass?" Cordelia asked.
"Because, it would upset certain plans of mine at a future date. I'm also all-knowing. Looking into all the possible futures, I have foreseen that even greater evil would occur if I would intervene and wipe away the First. There are forces in reality that are in opposition to my own that would attempt to strike me down if I gave them proper cause. It would be a battle that I fear this universe could not bear." Warlock explained.
"Well, no offense, but why should we believe you?" Willow asked squeezing Tara and Kennedy's hands, "I mean how do we know you're any better than the First?"
"Because he has me to vouch for him unfortunately." Doctor Strange began, "While I do not relish any being wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, Warlock has honorable intentions. He has proven himself time and time again in the past."
Strange looked at Warlock, then to Thanos. Warlock could be trusted, somewhat. From Strange's experience however Thanos could not. Strange would not tell the others that though. Not yet anyway. There was already too much on their shoulders.
"Okay, so you can't get involved. How do we stop the Devil then?" Gunn asked.
"Not the Devil mate, the First Evil." Spike said.
"Devil, Evil, I figured they'd be the same." Gunn rationalized.
"And you are somewhat correct, but not entirely." Warlock explained.
"Yeah we met the Devil." Tara replied, recalling an incident some time back. *
"Goddess what eyes…." Willow thought out loud, with Kennedy looking at her oddly. Tara intervened.
"Kennedy sweetie, you'd be thinking the same thing we are if you had met him too." Tara explained. That made Kennedy feel better…well a little anyway.
"So if this guy's not the Devil, not really, then what is he?" Ernie asked.
"I'm glad you asked that." Warlock said with his gauntlet glowing, "Just relax, close your eyes, and I'll do the rest. Stay very calm, because you're about to witness something of great magnitude, the origin of the First Evil!"
* Some of the Scoobies (Giles, Spike, Willow, and Tara to be precise) met Lucifer Morningstar in a story at Superherochat entitled Devil May Cry, by my good buddy Lightbend.