FOUR
"If you're telling the truth," said Phoebe. "Your track record in that area isn't exactly impressive."
"Granted," said Cole. "I haven't always been the most reliable person. But like I said, that Cole Turner is gone forever. I don't have a reason to lie to you this time."
"Unless you're working with The First," said Buffy. "The last time it had this mock priest working for it. He killed a lot of my friends. He maimed Xander. And he tried to kill me more than once. We still have only your word about all this. It could still be a trap set by The First or Wyatt."
"Then why would I warn you?" asked Cole. "Why would I tell you about the Avatars plans? Piper can check out that potion. She can tell you it will do exactly what I've said it would do. If I were working for either of them, I wouldn't have warned you. I'd have just given you the potion and let The First take you over."
"Or it could all be an elaborate plan to draw our attention away from what they're really doing," said Giles. "Buffy and Phoebe have good points. What you're saying is incredible. While it may sound plausible the most effective schemes usually do. Scams, I believe the Americans call them."
"We just have no reason to believe you, Cole," said Phoebe. "There's too much history between us. It can be dangerous to be allied with you as Piper, Paige, and I have found out on many occasions. There's too much at stake here. We just can't take that risk."
"I understand," said Cole. "And I can't say that I blame you. I still love you, Phoebe, but that part of our lives is over. Even if you don't believe me I'm not going to stand by and watch you be destroyed. I'll be keeping an eye on you. And if you need my help, I'll be here."
Cole suddenly vanished from the manor. Everyone looked at each other wondering how much, if any, of what he had told them was true. Finally, Piper said she was going to check out the potion and see exactly what it would do.
* * *
"Do you believe him?" Angel asked Buffy.
"I don't know," said Buffy. "It makes sense. We defeated The First in Sunnydale. It makes sense that it would change its tactics the next time it attacked. That's what I would do. But Giles can't find any information that would corroborate Cole's claim that The First can inhabit a body."
"Maybe the Elders would know something about that," said Willow. "They seem to have a lot of information."
"We do," said Leo. "But we don't know everything. The First was defeated thousands of years ago. We've always believed it had been vanquished. At least to the point where it wouldn't post a threat again. What little we do know from that far back was passed down by word of mouth. And there aren't very many Elders or White Lighters who remember too much from so long ago."
"What if he's told us is true?" questioned Chris. "Even part of it? If it is and we ignore him, we could be putting ourselves in even greater danger."
"Which would also be true if he's lied and we believe him," said Giles. "I'm not a military man but I do know that in order to mount an effective offensive you have to have accurate information. Without it you're just shooting blind."
"And that would put the innocent at risk," said Paige.
"The innocent are always at risk, love," said Spike. "That's why we're in this bloody war in the first place."
"I only meant they're at more risk," said Paige. "If we plan a strategy based on faulty information, someone could get hurt. Not just one of us but the innocent, too. There has to be some way to find out if Cole is telling us the truth."
"You really think it's Cole?" Angel asked Phoebe. "You said this Wyatt could shape shift. Are you sure it wasn't him just looking like Cole?"
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "He certainly looked and sounded like Cole. And I didn't sense any anger or hatred from him like I did when Wyatt was here. Or when we faced The First in the nursery. If it is Cole, he's not the man he used to be. He could never block Piper's power before, even after he came back from the Wasteland."
"What about this Wasteland?" Giles asked. "Is it some sort of demonic burial ground or something?"
"Something like that," said Paige. "It's supposed to be where vanquished demons go. Some kind of beast absorbs their essence."
"Cole didn't suffer that fate because he had a soul," said Phoebe. "It's also how he was able to come back from there. But I know what you're thinking. Unfortunately it wouldn't help us. There are only two beings that inhabit the Wasteland and neither is going to be able to help us. Or rather they won't help us."
"I see," said Giles. "Still there must be a way to corroborate what Cole said. I'll just have to continue my research."
"Let's get to it, then," said Paige. "The sooner we can figure this out the better I'll like it."
"If you're telling the truth," said Phoebe. "Your track record in that area isn't exactly impressive."
"Granted," said Cole. "I haven't always been the most reliable person. But like I said, that Cole Turner is gone forever. I don't have a reason to lie to you this time."
"Unless you're working with The First," said Buffy. "The last time it had this mock priest working for it. He killed a lot of my friends. He maimed Xander. And he tried to kill me more than once. We still have only your word about all this. It could still be a trap set by The First or Wyatt."
"Then why would I warn you?" asked Cole. "Why would I tell you about the Avatars plans? Piper can check out that potion. She can tell you it will do exactly what I've said it would do. If I were working for either of them, I wouldn't have warned you. I'd have just given you the potion and let The First take you over."
"Or it could all be an elaborate plan to draw our attention away from what they're really doing," said Giles. "Buffy and Phoebe have good points. What you're saying is incredible. While it may sound plausible the most effective schemes usually do. Scams, I believe the Americans call them."
"We just have no reason to believe you, Cole," said Phoebe. "There's too much history between us. It can be dangerous to be allied with you as Piper, Paige, and I have found out on many occasions. There's too much at stake here. We just can't take that risk."
"I understand," said Cole. "And I can't say that I blame you. I still love you, Phoebe, but that part of our lives is over. Even if you don't believe me I'm not going to stand by and watch you be destroyed. I'll be keeping an eye on you. And if you need my help, I'll be here."
Cole suddenly vanished from the manor. Everyone looked at each other wondering how much, if any, of what he had told them was true. Finally, Piper said she was going to check out the potion and see exactly what it would do.
* * *
"Do you believe him?" Angel asked Buffy.
"I don't know," said Buffy. "It makes sense. We defeated The First in Sunnydale. It makes sense that it would change its tactics the next time it attacked. That's what I would do. But Giles can't find any information that would corroborate Cole's claim that The First can inhabit a body."
"Maybe the Elders would know something about that," said Willow. "They seem to have a lot of information."
"We do," said Leo. "But we don't know everything. The First was defeated thousands of years ago. We've always believed it had been vanquished. At least to the point where it wouldn't post a threat again. What little we do know from that far back was passed down by word of mouth. And there aren't very many Elders or White Lighters who remember too much from so long ago."
"What if he's told us is true?" questioned Chris. "Even part of it? If it is and we ignore him, we could be putting ourselves in even greater danger."
"Which would also be true if he's lied and we believe him," said Giles. "I'm not a military man but I do know that in order to mount an effective offensive you have to have accurate information. Without it you're just shooting blind."
"And that would put the innocent at risk," said Paige.
"The innocent are always at risk, love," said Spike. "That's why we're in this bloody war in the first place."
"I only meant they're at more risk," said Paige. "If we plan a strategy based on faulty information, someone could get hurt. Not just one of us but the innocent, too. There has to be some way to find out if Cole is telling us the truth."
"You really think it's Cole?" Angel asked Phoebe. "You said this Wyatt could shape shift. Are you sure it wasn't him just looking like Cole?"
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "He certainly looked and sounded like Cole. And I didn't sense any anger or hatred from him like I did when Wyatt was here. Or when we faced The First in the nursery. If it is Cole, he's not the man he used to be. He could never block Piper's power before, even after he came back from the Wasteland."
"What about this Wasteland?" Giles asked. "Is it some sort of demonic burial ground or something?"
"Something like that," said Paige. "It's supposed to be where vanquished demons go. Some kind of beast absorbs their essence."
"Cole didn't suffer that fate because he had a soul," said Phoebe. "It's also how he was able to come back from there. But I know what you're thinking. Unfortunately it wouldn't help us. There are only two beings that inhabit the Wasteland and neither is going to be able to help us. Or rather they won't help us."
"I see," said Giles. "Still there must be a way to corroborate what Cole said. I'll just have to continue my research."
"Let's get to it, then," said Paige. "The sooner we can figure this out the better I'll like it."