Chapter nine - War

" So let's try to figure out what we know and what we don't know. " Angel announced pacing in front his large entertainment system.

I settled into my seat on the couch and looked to Andrew and Willow who were sitting in chairs on either side of me. Andrew was still eating his sandwich and Willow was sipping on a cup of coffee that still had steam rolling off of it in waves.

" We know that he calls himself the Avenger. " I offered.

" And we know that he has a special interest in You, Spike, Willow and Andrew. He asked for the three of you. " Angel added. " Which means it has to be something you pissed off in the past. "

I looked to the ceiling. " My God, Angel. It would be easier to get the phone book and pick a name at random than it would be to narrow down my list of enemies. "

Willow sat her cup down on the small table beside her and nodded. " I agree. We shouldn't use Buffy to figure this out. And Spike is probably not a good idea either. He has almost as many enemies as Buffy if not more. " She picked up her cup again. " But maybe if we look at Andrew or me, we could figure it out. I mean I haven't made that many people angry and I know Andrew hasn't. Besides, Andrew has been with us such a short time. That should narrow it down a bit. "

We watched her intently and followed her train of thought. It made sense.

" What else do we know for sure ? " Angel asked.

" He's in Nevada or at least he's going to be tomorrow night. " I piped up.

" Why Nevada ? " Andrew pondered.

" I've never been to Nevada in my life. " Willow said.

" Me, either. " I added.

" There are parts of Nevada that have some incredible power sources, maybe he's drawing off of them. " Angel offered.

" Let's get off the where and go back to the who. " I said. " Spike was trying to tell me something before the phone got snatched away. He said it was war. "

" War ? "Andrew asked, " What is that supposed to mean ? "

" What do the three of you and war have in common ? " Angel said. " It can't be the First that was taken care of. And Andrew wasn't around for Glory. "

" But he was around when my arch nemesis were. " I answered and the thoughts were coming to me so fast then that I bet I had a light bulb shining over my head. " That's what Spike was trying to say. " I muttered. " It wasn't war. He just didn't get to finish. "

Everyone looked at me with three very different expressions, all ranging from, confused from Angel, terrified from Andrew and understanding from Willow.

" It's Warren. " she breathed. " That's why he wants all of us. Buffy, because she's the slayer and she ruined his life in his mind. Andrew because he betrayed him by going over to the enemy's side and me... " she trailed off and her eyes got a far off, unfocused look.

" What did you do to him ? " Angel asked, eying her curiously.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as her eyes came back into focus. " I tortured him, skinned him alive then killed him for what he did to Buffy and Tara. "

Everyone was silent, staring at the ground. I don't think any one of us knew what to say to that. I knew it was the most awful thing that had ever happened to her. She still lived with the memory of it everyday. I had seen her struggle. That had been the moment that she saw what kind of power she held inside her. She felt guilty and ashamed. She had never recovered from what happened that night, she probably never would.

I got up and went to her. She was sobbing now, with her legs folded tightly into her chest, resting her head on her knees.

" It's okay, Willow. It's over now. " I whispered.

The men were shifting uncomfortably.

" It isn't over. He's come back for us because it isn't over. I deserve whatever he wants to do to me. " she sobbed.

" Willow, he was an evil man and you lost control. " I told her. " Don't you think losing Tara was payment enough. "

" What did he do to Tara and Buffy ? " I heard Angel ask Andrew quietly.

" He shot them. " Andrew answered. " He killed them both. "

Willow calmed down after a few minutes but there was still an uncomfortable tension in the room. Angel was watching her like he was afraid of her. Andrew was looking guilty for his part in the whole thing and I was trying to be everyone's friend at once.

We went on like that for a while, no one saying anything and everyone avoiding everyone's eyes. Then I had finally had enough.

" Okay, we aren't getting anywhere like this. " I announced, standing and going back to my place on the couch. " We need to find out how the hell Warren managed to come back to begin with. I mean, I see that this isn't the usual pattern of things around here, but in most cases, dead is dead. "

" Obviously not. " Andrew muttered, throwing me a look.

I had died twice. He was right. And Spike was supposed to be dead and wasn't and now we had a newly arisen Warren. This was getting ridiculous. If things kept going this way, cemeteries all over the country were going to go out of business.

" There are a number of ways it could have happened. " Angel reasoned. " Did he get bitten before he died ? " he cast a cautious glance at Willow when he said it.

" No, " I answered. " Magnus said he was a demon, not a vampire and if he was a vampire, I mean I know Spike is a little rusty, but do you really think a fledgling could have taken him ? "

Angel shook his head. " No, he seemed in pretty good shape when I saw him. And when I came home, there was stuff everywhere. He put up a fight. "

" What could have made him a demon ? " I asked, to no one in particular.

" Another demon could have right after he died, I mean. " Andrew offered.

" What do you mean another demon ? How ? " I asked.

" Well, there are several forms of demon that can bring those with truly black souls back to life in there image. If there had been another demon around and he saw what happened, if he was at the right place in the right time. He could have done it. " he explained.

" I've heard of that happening before. " Angel agreed.

" So another demon happened upon him and turned him into something like himself and now he is trying to get revenge on us. " I summed up.

" He would need help right now though. " Angel said. " Even with demons, fledglings don't have the kind of power we are talking about this guy supposedly having. How long ago did this happen ? "

" About a year. " I answered. " Maybe a little longer. "

" Thursday will be the one year anniversary. " Willow answered, quietly.

Angel looked at her. " Thursday is tomorrow. "

" What does that mean ? " Andrew asked.

" Well, if he made a contract with a demon, which is another way of becoming one, most of them have clauses. If the clause said, for instance, he had a year to tie up any lose ends he left while he was alive, then the day could be important.

" Well, then we should be getting ready to get to this Las Venero tonight. " I announced standing.

" We aren't supposed to meet him until tomorrow. What if he isn't there yet ? " Andrew asked.

" Warren was never large on the common sense. " I explained. " Most likely he just told us exactly where his hide out is and exactly where Spike is, too. "

" And since we won't be expecting us until tomorrow, we are going to surprise him tonight. " Andrew said, following my line of thinking.

" That's the plan. " I confirmed.

" Sounds like a good one. " Angel agreed.