ÒRevelations, Repercussions and Robots Oh My!Ó By Ryley Breen AKA Shadow Master
email: rybreen@ the berries.ns.ca
Buffy, Dream StateO-kay! This is weird! Buffy thought to herself as she continued to walk down the stone hallway.
She felt as though she were walking along the bottom of the ocean as each of her movements seemed sluggish and impeded by some unseen force. However when she looked around herself she saw nothing but what appeared to be open air and so that aspect of her current situation remained little more than a nagging feeling. She tried to remember how she had gotten here or where she had been before but all she could produce were vague impressions and sensations instead of clear cut answers. Deciding that she didnÕt really have anything better to do she decided to do a little exploring and see if that jogged her memory. As she continued she noticed that the walls seemed to have banners hanging from them with weird symbols and writing on them. It kinda reminded her of those coat of arms things she heard were hung inside English Parliament and she sensed that this was somewhat the same. Just then she noticed a big man walking down the hall in the opposite direction that she was headed in and it a manner that immediately hit her as military. He was dressed in some sort of cross between animal skins and metallic body armor as well as a funky pair of glasses. When they got within a few feet of each other he stopped and gave her some kind of closed fist salute before proceeding. She was a bit confused for a moment, not because he had saluted her but because it seemed to feel natural to her, as if she expected him to salute.
She dismissed the uncertain feelings she was experiencing and continued down the hallway until she came to a fork in the proverbial road with only two directions for her to go, left or right. While her mind didnÕt seem to have an idea of where to go her body as it immediately went to the right as if it were on auto-pilot. Continuing on her way she eventually came to a stretch of hallway that had windows on either side and that made her curious as to what was going on outside. Fortunately her body seemed to agree with her since once they were within range she changed course and headed for the nearest window. Outside the landscape was an odd mixture of shiny technological looking buildings and crude stone buildings that seemed to be a couple of hundred years behind the times. She could see people walking and flying about all over the place with the same type of clothes as the man she had encountered a few minutes earlier. Then without warning her body seemed to decide that it was time to resume walking and so she resumed her march down the hall. Her mind was beginning to get a little bored with all this walking and wished things would get a bit more interesting soon. Not that she wasnÕt fascinated with the whole grand tour deal but youÕve seen one big castle then youÕve seen them all. It was then that she heard yelling echoing down the halls and that for some reason worried her and caused her to quicken her pace. It took a few near misses and wrong turns but eventually she got to the source of the yelling and peeked around the last corner to see what was going on. What she saw were two men one fairly tall with bulky muscles and the other was a bit shorter with better proportioned muscles but no less impressive. One thing that she noticed immediately was the difference in wardrobe that the two men had as well as the demeanor in which they talked to each other. The Tall Man while adorned with some medals and decorations seemed to be a soldier, one of the higher ups to be sure but he acted as though he was under the Shorter Man. The Shorter ManÕs clothing seemed to scream importance as did the way he carried himself and spoke to the Tall Soldier. As for their demeanor the Tall man seemed to disapprove of something that the Short important Man had planned and was trying to talk him out of it.
ÒWith all due respect Verdune there is no way that your father is going to allow little Vera any sort claim!Ó , Tall Soldier said to the short Verdune, ÒIf she were more powerful like you your dad might be willing to listen but she has too much of her mother in her.Ó
ÒYouÕre wrong Nacra!! My daughter has the potential to become the most powerful warrior among us, just you wait and see!!Ó , Verdune said angrily as his right hand closed into a fist, ÒI donÕt care what those imbeciles say down in the lab, I know what my own flesh and blood is capable of and thatÕs the end of it!!Ó
ÒLook IÕve been with you this far out of gratitude for what youÕve done for me in the past.Ó , Nacra said with resignation, ÒStill, itÕs only a matter of time before her true heritage is discovered and thus the connection between you, Barda and Vera. You know the rules of the empire as well as I do and what it will mean if all of this is disovered by someone. If it comes to a battle my troops and I will back you all the way but I would prefer it not come to that my friend.Ó
Verdune seemed to have come to his senses and nodded in agreement with his friend before saying ÒI agree my friend. We should do all in our power to make sure this doesnÕt come to civil war. However I will not simply toss aside my family to save my own hide.Ó
It was then that Buffy moved from her hiding place and began to walk towards them, almost skipping along down the hall. It didnÕt take long for them to notice her and naturally they put their figurative masks on to hide the seriousness of what they had been talking about. It was only natural that this Verdune wanted to protect his child and wife but in BuffyÕs opinion it wouldnÕt work out in the end. If this guy was half as important as he looked it was only a matter of time before someone put the pieces together and revealed the truth to everyone.
Nacra got down to one knee and said ÒGreetings Princess Vera! How are you today?Ó
ÒQuit kissing up Nacra!Ó , she said with an annoyed tone in her voice, ÒYou know I can see through your pleasantries so why you even bother is beyond me!Ó
Verdune seemed amused at this as a light chuckle escaped his lips.
ÒDonÕt be too amused father, I heard everything you said and personally I think you should just kill grandpa if he doesnÕt see things your way!Ó , Buffy said as she crossed her arms across her chest, ÒYouÕre much stronger than he is and only the strongest should rule! The others will see this soon enough and if they donÕt then weÕll just have to make sure they donÕt have the time to do anything about it!Ó
This only made Verdune laugh even harder to the point where it echoed up and down the hallways. Nacra seemed pleased by this response as well but for a decidedly different reason if she could tell from the look in his eyes. He reached up to his scouter and tapped the activation button twice before his laughter changed from respectful to one of victorious. It was then that it all happened, from every opening around then soldiers of various ranks landed and surrounded them on all sides. Verdune seemed almost paralyzed with shock as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and his feelings turned into hatred. Buffy was only slightly behind him as she realized what had happened and then she too felt the urge to hurt someone. Nacra had betrayed them, that was what the tapping of his scouter was for, he had used it to signal these troops to appear. NacraÕs smile only got bigger as he took in the looks coming from Verdune and herself.
ÒThanks kid! Those little words were all I needed to earn me a big fat promotion!Ó Nacra said arrogantly.
For a moment it seemed as though Verdune would disregard the soldiers around him and attack Nacra head on but instead he closed his eyes and all the anger in his face seemed to evaporate. When he opened then he seemed completely at ease, as if nothing had happened and as if the soldiers were not there.
ÒSo tell me Nacra, when exactly was it that you decided it was more valuable to betray me than to remain loyal?Ó Verdune asked in a calm and civil manner.
ÒIt was the time you started giving that low class dog of a woman more than a momentÕs glance after that first night!Ó , Nacra replied as he gave voice to his grievances, ÒHer class and our class have no business associating with one another in any way! We are the elite, the best our people have to offer, and those low class fools donÕt deserve to lick the mud from our boots much less rule us like you planned with this weed!Ó
This provoked a reaction but not the one that Nacra was expecting because instead of grabbing his kid and trying to make a break for it he did something completely unexpected. With speed that surprised everyone there Verdune raised his right arm and before anyone could stop him he unleashed a massive energy blast at Nacra vaporizing him in an instant. By the time that the light died down and everyone else could see again there was nothing more left of the traitor Nacra than a pile of ashes. This scared the wits out of the guards and caused them to raise their weapons and aim them directly at Verdune as if they expected him to begin attacking them at any moment. Needless to say they werenÕt all that confident about their chances from the way their blasters were shaking in their hands. However Verdune was not about to waste time with them because he never condoned, whether it be in war or an argument, fighting a lost battle.
ÒWe surrender.Ó Verdune said as he held out his hands in front of himself.
Capsule Corps, Living Room, 6:45p.mÒPierce! What the bloody hell happened to you!?Ó , Giles asked in an agitated manner as he helped his friend into the a chair, ÒWhat do you mean you can answer our questions?!Ó
Pierce only chuckled a bit at this as once he got to a certain degree of laughing his ribs flared up and he gripped his right side. Frowning an obviously mentally chastising himself he took a moment to compose himself and settle down so as not to aggravate his injuries any more than they already were. At least that was how Giles saw it but then he could be reading too much into it as his currently state did make any observations somewhat subjective. Still it was something of a small shock to see his old Watcher comrade Donald Pierce here in Future City and looking like he had just survived World War Three. What was even stranger was the box that Pierce seemed determined to make sure never left his side or sight for that matter. Rupert could already tell that it was very old from the overall design and the obvious signs of wear and tear on it but the few markings that were on it were a complete mystery to him. Pierce seemed to notice his intense scrutiny of the box and almost went into another fit of chuckling but this time managed to stop himself.
ÒIn that order: I narrowly avoided being blown up in my rental carÓ , Pierce replied as he picked up the box and placed it on the living roomÕs center table, Òand all the answers to your present questions are in this box.Ó
It was then when Vegeta got a clear look at the box itself that he seemed to break out of that perpetual frown he seemed to always have and instead looked at the box with a look of shock. That didnÕt last long though as almost immediately after the others noticed the change in his appearance he dashed over to Pierce, lifted him up by the collar of his shirt and looked like he would killed the human if he didnÕt like the answers he received for each of his questions.
ÒWHERE DID YOU GET THIS BOX!? WHERE DID YOU FIND IT!?Ó , Vegeta yelled as he punctuated each of his questions with a shake, ÒANSWER ME HUMAN OR IÕLL DESTROY YOU RIGHT NOW!!Ó
Fortunately before the Saiyan Prince could get anymore out of control Goku stepped in and forcibly took Pierce from VegetaÕs grip and as gently as possible set Donald back down into his chair.
ÒVegeta! Get a grip on yourself! He would be able to tell us anything if you wind up killing him by accident!Ó , Goku said as he stared down his rival, ÒBesides IÕm sure if we wait long enough everything should become crystal clear.Ó
For a moment it seemed as though Vegeta would turn his aggression towards Kakarot but after a moment of indecision he seemed to settle down. He took up a position next to the nearest wall and never let his gaze stray from Pierce or the box. To his credit though Pierce only looked mildly concerned with the instense stare he was getting. Still he decided that perhaps it would be wise to hurry along with his explanation since he had already lost a great deal of time getting here.
ÒWell first I want to say that what I have to tell you will no doubt seem unbelievable but I assure you itÕs all true.Ó , Pierce stated before turning to Giles, ÒI came here under orders from Watcher One himself so that along should tell you how important this is Rupert.Ó
Needless to say Giles did indeed raise his state if attentiveness when he heard that name as well as become deeply concerned at what Pierce was about to reveal to them.
ÒWhoÕs Watcher One?Ó Willow asked curiously as she tried to remember everything Giles had ever told her about the Watchers Council.
ÒWatcher One is a part of an inner circle of twelve within the Watchers Council Willow.Ó , Giles said as he went back into his memory, ÒThe inner circle is the ruling body of the Council and responsible for every major decision that needs to be made regarding policy and courses of action.Ó
Ò É and this Watcher One is like the President?Ó Xander asked from his spot next to Willow.
ÒMore or less but although he is the head of the inner circle he cannot make a decision without their approval.Ó , Giles explained before a realization hit him, ÒYou said One sent you here, donÕt you mean the inner circle sent you here?Ó
ÒNo Rupert IÕm afraid that One went out entirely on his own on this one and is not doubt submitting himself to the tender mercies of his colleagues as we speak.Ó , Pierce replied shaking his head, ÒHe gave me the impression before I left that he had suggested giving you this box but that they had flat out rejected the idea. Obviously whatever is inside this box, the other members of the inner circle wanted it kept a secret.Ó
ÒWhy?Ó Bulma asked as she tried to piece all this strange information together.
ÒWell to put it bluntly they see the information in this box the only advantage they have where the Slayers are concerned.Ó , Pierce said as he tried to remember everything he had been told and had heard, ÒThey see Slayers as unstable commodities that have to be carefully manipulated in order to serve the CouncilÕs needs.Ó
ÒThatÕs preposterous!! The Watchers CouncilÕs duty is to monitor demonic and paranormal activity on Earth and aide the Slayer in combating these forces!Ó , Giles exclaimed in denial of the implications of PierceÕs words, ÒYou make it sound as though the Council sees the Slayers as weapons to be fired and tossed aside when they have outlived their usefulness!Ó
ÒLook Rupert I donÕt know all the answers! IÕm only telling you what IÕve learned on my own and what Watcher One told me!Ó , Pierce said in his defense, ÒHopefully what is contained in this box will clear things up for everyone.Ó
ÒWell then letÕs just open the damn thing instead of tippy-toeing around it!Ó Anya said in a manner that made it clear that she was eager to see what was so special about the box and why the two Watchers were having such a hissy fit over it.
Pierce agreed and began to press down on certain symbols on the top of the box in a specific order. When he was done he simply sat back in his chair and acted as though he were waiting for something and it wasnÕt long before it became clear as to the reason. Seemingly on its own the buttons began to mimic the pattern that Pierce had just pressed them in and then began to go up and down in a pattern completely unfamiliar to them. For a while it seemed as though it wouldnÕt stop for a while and then it suddenly ceased which left everyone else in the room wondering what would happen next. Then without warning the top of the box burst open as though something inside were exploding out but all that emerged from the box was a white light. At first most thought that it might just be coming from some sort of internal illumination device but those schooled in sorcery and magic knew differently. They could feel the magic coming off of the light and knew that a spell of some kind had just been activated by the opening of the box. The light expanded upwards like it was coming from a flashlight but then it seemed to become more focused at the top of the beam. It was as if a invisible force were slowly organizing the particles of light it the pattern it wanted regardless of the laws of physics. Slowly but surely it became clear that the light was beginning to take a distinctly humanoid form, one that was becoming more detailed as time went on. Over the course of the next few minutes the humanoid image was shown to wear a cloak, had a long curly beard and seemed to be a scholar of some sort by the glasses he wore. When the image finally reached completion what floated above the box was an elderly man dressed in clothes that made him look as though he would fit right in at some school of wizardry. However the clasp that held his cloak in place immediately caught GilesÕ eye and he knew that the image that stood before them now was that of Watcher one.
ÒHello Rupert. This is going to be a great deal for everyone to take in at once but must ask you to be patient.Ó , the image said in a grandfatherly tone of voice, ÒI have sent this portion of my soul in order to reveal to you the most heavily protected secret that the Watchers Council possesses.Ó
An Undisclosed Location, 7:15p.m
ÒBOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!Ó
That was the sound made when Glory battered down the door to the warehouse in front of her and when the dented metal door hit the floor the sound continued to echo around the empty room. The Beast looked around the room and seemed to become more and more miffed as time went on since it soon became clear that her prey was not here and that her minions had failed her once more. That of course meant that she would have to kill a few of them in an exceptionally gore oriented way in order to properly motivate the rest to do their jobs. That bit of fun was the only thing preventing her from going on a citywide rampage right now to vent her frustration. It was then that she noticed that the place wasnÕt entirely empty was she had once believed since arrogantly walking towards her were three teenagers and a man that had ÔminionÕ written all over him. She considered for a moment just bursting over there and draining the information she wanted straight from their minds but since it was obvious they wanted to talk Glory decided it might be fun to listen to what they have to say.
ÒIÕm afraid that the object youÕre looking for is not here Glorificus.Ó , the human said in a calm and collected way, ÒIt has been placed in a secure location until the conclusion of our deal.Ó
ÒDeal?Ó Glory inquired though from the look on her face it seemed she was quite amused at this bugÕs delusions of security.
ÒYes. The party that I represent is willing to give you the dragonball so that you may return to your native hell dimension but only if you do a favor for us.Ó The human replied as what little tension existed in his body drained away.
ÒÉ And what would that be little man?Ó Glorificus asked as she began to prowl around the man and his group like a jungle cat.
ÒAs you know the Slayer is in town. She is staying at the home belonging to an enemy of my leaderÕs and causing quite a bit of trouble.Ó , the human man said, ÒDestroy them and all those who get in your way and you can have the dragonball.Ó
ÒIÕll even throw in these three Arcane Androids to assist you since your last attack on Capsule seemed singularly unsuccessful.Ó , the man added while trying to keep an eye on her, ÒSo do we have a deal?Ó
For a moment Glorificus considered what this man was proposing as well as what truly lay beneath his business-like fa