Chapter Twelve

An ear piercing howl echoed throughout the mansion. A shrill, banshee scream rose into the air. A cry of rage pounded against the walls. A deafening shriek reverberated through the air. A chilling symphony of raw, animalistic calls spiraling into the air and blending together.

          Willow was on her feet immediately and rushing towards the mansion's front terrace balcony. Spike and Drusilla were only steps behind the redhead and the 3rd Division squad leader met the threesome halfway to the terrace.

          "What the hell is that?" Willow snapped.

          "The subjects, ma'am," the squad leader answered. "Four of them at least."

          Drusilla eyed the leader and asked, "Four? There are five subjects."

          "Yes, ma'am, but the Watcher seems unaffected by whatever is bringing on this, this episode."

          Nodding curtly to the squad leader, dismissing him, Willow stepped through the open terrace doors and stopped short. Oz had transformed into his werewolf visage, regardless of the fact that the full moon wasn't for another week and a half, and stood howling and clawing at the bars of his cage. Cordelia kneeled in the corner of her cage, ripping at her hair, screaming like a banshee. Xander was throwing himself against the bars, crying out in rage and Buffy stood pressed against the bars of her cage, bloody nail marks across her arms and face, shrieking at an inhuman pitch. Poor Giles cowered in his cage, clutching at his ears trying to drive the sound away.

          "Release him," Willow barked. "He's in shock," she sighed, shaking her head. "Take him to sick bay and have the medic check him out."

          Gripping Giles on both sides two agents nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

          "Would you please shut them up?"

          "You heard Commander Rosenberg," the squad leader shouted picking up a tranquilizer gun from a case at his feet. "Let's put them to sleep."

          Eight gun shots echoed one after the other and the four in cages yelped and whined as the darts pierced their skin then collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

          Sighing, Willow shook her head trying to get her full hearing back. "Thank god," she muttered.

          "No bloody kidding," Spike smacked the side of his head.

          "Everyone okay?" Willow asked, facing the 3-D squad team. There were muttered responses as the men tried to stop the ringing in their heads. "Take the rest of the night off they're not going anywhere," Willow said. "And I want all of you go see the medic before turning in. That's an order 3rd Division."

          "Yes, ma'am," twelve men saluted before filling from the terrace balcony.

          Hope shuffled from her room, rubbing her eyes and shaking the ringing sound from her ears. "What's going on? Sounds like a bloody B-movie horror flick out here."

          Smiling, Willow tucked a strand of the young Slayer's hair behind her ears. "Just another Shaman attack," she said. "Nothing to worry yourself over."

          Peering over the redhead's shoulder Hope's jaw dropped opened. "You tranquilized them?"

          "Had to love," Spike responded.

          "Boy," Hope grinned, "are they going to be angry in the morning."

          "Which is why we have them in cages," Drusilla commented.

          "Go back the bed, sweetie," Willow instructed Hope.

          The next morning Cordelia, Oz, Xander and Buffy awoke with immense headaches and sore limbs, not to mention the tender spots of their bodies where the tranquilizer darts struck. Groggy, and grumpy, the four Scooby's demanded to know what had happened and Willow obligingly told them.

          When she was finished Willow was glad she'd decided not to release them right away because the four caged individuals were furious that Willow had actually shot them and didn't seem to carry the slightest hint of guilt in doing so. After ordering one of the 3rd Division squad agents to find some proper attire for Oz, who was suffering from a slight case of nudity seeing as his transformation had shredded his clothing, Willow turned on her heels and left the enraged Scooby's to scream out their frustration.

          "How are you feeling?"

          Groaning slightly at the pounding in his head Giles pushed himself into a sitting position. "Like I've been hit by bus."

          "Then feel lucky because most hit by RM report excruciating pains much like being burned from the inside out."

          Giles looked puzzled for a moment. "RM?"

          "Residual Magic"

          "Oh." Looking around his face grew even more puzzled. "Where am I?"

          "Med Quarters," Willow answered placing in Giles' hand a couple of pills to relieve his pain. "Take these," she said handing him a glass of water. When he had swallowed the pills Willow explained, "The shaman hit again last night, as I'm sure you're aware."

          "Unfortunately."

          "If last nights activity proves anything it's that you're not a target, which does answer quite a few of the questions I have."

          "How so?"

          "According to every test we've given the five of you your tests always came back negative for subconscious deterioration and I had begun to suspect that you weren't a target but I couldn't be sure. Not until last night, at any rate."

          Nodding, Giles asked, "Not that I'm complaining but why aren't I a target?"

          Willow shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue. The Council is under the assumption that the Alliance is targeting Hope but," Willow smiled to herself, "they can't touch her. Not directly."

          "Why?"

          "When Hope first came under my guidance I knew that she was destined to something great, whether it meant Slayer or Agent or Watcher, but I also knew she would be pursued because of that. Just like I am. Enemies, demon and human alike, would look to destroy her because they would see she was a threat."

          "Understandable."

          "So I cast a Barrier of Protection around Hope. So long as I live she will be protected against magical attack. Nothing or no one of any dimension will ever pose a threat to Hope in any way magical."

          For the first time since she'd arrived Willow saw Giles smile. "You always did think of others first, Willow."

          Attempting to return the smile Willow's face fell instead as she responded, "And we can see where that got me."

          "So I'm assuming," Giles quickly moved the conversation, "that this Demon Alliance is attempting to kill Hope via her guardians."

          Nodding, Willow sighed. "But it's only a matter of time before they realize their current attempt has been thwarted and switch directions. There are other ways to kill a Slayer."