Author's Note: I added a scene to the chapter before. Nothing special -
just some more characters talking & meeting.
***
"Willow, we have to leave now!"
Willow stared at the body, the blood forming a sticky pool. The eyes were glassy and wide open in death; the mouth slightly open, as if to take in a breath. But this one would no longer breathe. Or do anything but lie there in the blood.
It was always the blood that bothered Willow.
Blood had decorated the student lounge on that fateful day, sophomore year. Bloody handprints as the dying fought for life; blood left behind as the killers laughed and played. Blood was what her doppelganger had feasted on with such joy. Blood had been stolen from that nameless boy just this year; stolen from him while they desecrated his corpse.
And now Willow was stealing the blood. Blood for a spell of justice, true, but blood still stolen from the dead. And hadn't that girl lost enough already?
"Willow!"
She jerked up, startled from her reverie. Erik was shaking her, trying to get her to respond.
"They're dead," she whispered numbly. Now that her focus was taken from the dead girl, she concentrated on the other three bodies. They didn't look like they even had a chance to fight for life and leave bloody handprints. Their killer had been one they trusted.
"Yes, they are," Magneto said, his patience with her ebbing. "Haven't you seen bodies before?"
"The last time I saw senseless death like this was four years ago," Willow said softly. "Vampires. But this, this was a human killer. She may have been influenced by a demon, but an empathic manipulator can only bring potential to the surface. It can't cause unnatural behavior."
She turned to her cousin.
"Is this NATURAL?!"
Magneto stared into her confused, pained eyes. Despite their frequent disagreements, he found himself growing fond of her. It saddened him that she was learning what he knew all too well - that not all evil wore the face of a demon.
"Come on, Willow. We have to leave."
"What about the bodies?"
"The authorities will be here shortly. The survivor will be fine until they do; the murderer is safely locked up. We've done all we can do. Do you have the blood?"
Willow held up the vial. The red, viscous liquid glided within. Tomorrow night, with the new moon rising, it would be used to cast a spell that would hopefully stop the chaos and massacres.
Magneto nodded and took her by the hand. Pulling gently, he led Willow away from the scene of blood and death.
***
Later that night, Tara held her girlfriend close as Willow sobbed. In turn, she began to cry, remembering the little boy sacrificed to bring such evil about.
They cried for deaths that shouldn't have been, for innocence slipped away, for shades of evil too dark and gray to see.
As the sun rose for another summer day, they finally slept, spent from their outpouring of grief.
***
At the same time, the Slayer prowled the streets, wearing herself out as she kept the town from self-destructing. Even the minimal help the police would give was taken from her in the first blow.
Stopping for a moment, she yawned and wished for sleep, but continued on to break up the riot that was brewing in front of a barbecue restaurant between the vegans and the owners.
***
That same night, Giles began to study the parchment prophecy anew.
And chaos shall spring from the keepers of order Blood fallen and taken Light is shown dark; Dark is shown light All glory to chaos All glory to order All glory to -
Giles studied the last phrase intently. He felt that the first part of the stanza was accurately translated - the only other option was chaos springing from strawberry marmalade. But that last line - it used the Tamarian dialect, which often employed metaphors in place of words. Except when an outside speaker of Tamarian used it. Therefore, it was either "All glory to the fields running with blood", or "All glory to life in its fullest beauty".
He spent a moment cursing bad copyists and vague seers before diving back in. Perhaps a cross section of some of the vocabulary would clarify?
***
"Commander!"
"What is it?"
"We have a lead, sir, on the escaped prisoner. There is a report of a man being rescued by someone who manipulated metal. The description fits the prisoner."
"Well, where is this report from?"
"A town named Sunnydale, sir. If you recall, we had a unit there just this last - "
"I'm well aware of our connection to Sunnydale. Prepare a detachment to retrieve the prisoner."
"I'll do that right away, sir."
***
"Willow, we have to leave now!"
Willow stared at the body, the blood forming a sticky pool. The eyes were glassy and wide open in death; the mouth slightly open, as if to take in a breath. But this one would no longer breathe. Or do anything but lie there in the blood.
It was always the blood that bothered Willow.
Blood had decorated the student lounge on that fateful day, sophomore year. Bloody handprints as the dying fought for life; blood left behind as the killers laughed and played. Blood was what her doppelganger had feasted on with such joy. Blood had been stolen from that nameless boy just this year; stolen from him while they desecrated his corpse.
And now Willow was stealing the blood. Blood for a spell of justice, true, but blood still stolen from the dead. And hadn't that girl lost enough already?
"Willow!"
She jerked up, startled from her reverie. Erik was shaking her, trying to get her to respond.
"They're dead," she whispered numbly. Now that her focus was taken from the dead girl, she concentrated on the other three bodies. They didn't look like they even had a chance to fight for life and leave bloody handprints. Their killer had been one they trusted.
"Yes, they are," Magneto said, his patience with her ebbing. "Haven't you seen bodies before?"
"The last time I saw senseless death like this was four years ago," Willow said softly. "Vampires. But this, this was a human killer. She may have been influenced by a demon, but an empathic manipulator can only bring potential to the surface. It can't cause unnatural behavior."
She turned to her cousin.
"Is this NATURAL?!"
Magneto stared into her confused, pained eyes. Despite their frequent disagreements, he found himself growing fond of her. It saddened him that she was learning what he knew all too well - that not all evil wore the face of a demon.
"Come on, Willow. We have to leave."
"What about the bodies?"
"The authorities will be here shortly. The survivor will be fine until they do; the murderer is safely locked up. We've done all we can do. Do you have the blood?"
Willow held up the vial. The red, viscous liquid glided within. Tomorrow night, with the new moon rising, it would be used to cast a spell that would hopefully stop the chaos and massacres.
Magneto nodded and took her by the hand. Pulling gently, he led Willow away from the scene of blood and death.
***
Later that night, Tara held her girlfriend close as Willow sobbed. In turn, she began to cry, remembering the little boy sacrificed to bring such evil about.
They cried for deaths that shouldn't have been, for innocence slipped away, for shades of evil too dark and gray to see.
As the sun rose for another summer day, they finally slept, spent from their outpouring of grief.
***
At the same time, the Slayer prowled the streets, wearing herself out as she kept the town from self-destructing. Even the minimal help the police would give was taken from her in the first blow.
Stopping for a moment, she yawned and wished for sleep, but continued on to break up the riot that was brewing in front of a barbecue restaurant between the vegans and the owners.
***
That same night, Giles began to study the parchment prophecy anew.
And chaos shall spring from the keepers of order Blood fallen and taken Light is shown dark; Dark is shown light All glory to chaos All glory to order All glory to -
Giles studied the last phrase intently. He felt that the first part of the stanza was accurately translated - the only other option was chaos springing from strawberry marmalade. But that last line - it used the Tamarian dialect, which often employed metaphors in place of words. Except when an outside speaker of Tamarian used it. Therefore, it was either "All glory to the fields running with blood", or "All glory to life in its fullest beauty".
He spent a moment cursing bad copyists and vague seers before diving back in. Perhaps a cross section of some of the vocabulary would clarify?
***
"Commander!"
"What is it?"
"We have a lead, sir, on the escaped prisoner. There is a report of a man being rescued by someone who manipulated metal. The description fits the prisoner."
"Well, where is this report from?"
"A town named Sunnydale, sir. If you recall, we had a unit there just this last - "
"I'm well aware of our connection to Sunnydale. Prepare a detachment to retrieve the prisoner."
"I'll do that right away, sir."