Ask Me No Questions & I'll Tell You No Lies

Guts did in fact refuse to come with her. Then she mentioned the pendent. " It had eyes, a nose and a mouth on it but they where all out of place scattered across the surface randomly. And one of the eyes actually looked at me. I mean opened its eye looked around and then stared at me awhile. "

"a Behelit " Guts growled his voice filled with venom. After that he demanded to shown to the Old Lady.

As they headed into town, Buffy watched him remove a pendent similar to the one the Old Lady had. It was on a chain around his neck and as he looked at it Buffy heard him whisper the name Griffith over and over the hate in his voice was like a pliable thing.

Arriving at the Old Woman's home, Guts didn't even wait to be admitted he just shoved open the door.

"Where did you…" he began

"The same place as most others Gattsu." The old lady sneered "The Eggs Of The King always find their way to their appointed person in their time, including this one."

"Well then give it to me old woman."

"Arrogant boy, the Girl is the one who gets this one." The old lady tossed the pendent to Buffy who caught it reflexively.

"What does she need it for?" Guts snapped

She will need it to fulfil her place in the wheel of destiny. She is destined to meet the GODHAND to do that she will need to have a Egg Of The King with her."

"Tell me something I don't know." Guts Sneered

" Gattsu, What you do not know of your place in the chain of destiny could fill volumes all on its own."

"Well I don't do prophecy" Buffy stated

The Old Lady turned to Buffy. "Even ones about the fate of the redeemed and Fallen Angel, Your Undying Lover." The old woman smiled wickedly at her startle "Both you and Guts have survived trials that would kill others. Now a test comes that you must face as one." She turned back to Guts. "Succeed and the girl will find her way back home and you will score a victory against your enemies."

"What?" Guts asked

"She will give you the chance to avenge yourself against the GOD HAND , the blow that she can help you deal them is greater then any strike you might plan on your own."

Back at the caravan, Bilbus adjusted Guts' arm. Buffy watched him unhinge the hand portion and load some kind of shell into the hallow chamber inside. He seemed lost in thought. Normally Buffy was all about giving people space but if she was supposed to back this guy up she needed to know what side she was fighting on.

"Look I've done the Prophecy thing Guts it's a crap shoot at best. At worst, well let's just say I wouldn't mind knowing why you want to nail these God Hand guys so bad "

"They are vile manipulators "

"So you say I don't know you or them "

"You have to trust me "

"No I don't, trust is absolutely not needed until I know who I'm fighting against …or at least who I'm fighting with. "

"Then…"

"Just tell me why "

"It's a long story "

"Am I going somewhere, without you, I mean "

"Fine, if it started anywhere then it started the day I met Griffith."

"Huh "

"He defeated me in combat

"You lost a sword fight?"

Guts nodded. He sat at he window and told the story as he remembered it.

A/N --- If you haven't seen Berserk and don't know the story then just realize that Guts didn't lose his arm, He cut it off because there was someone just beyond his reach he needed to kill very very badly.
Kickin' It Slayer Style
The candles had burned low and Buffy was looking at a darker world.

With Her Time On the Hellmouth she should have been ready for the story Guts told but still its was shocking, the things he had seen and done and the things he had endured. There was little doubt on a certain level Guts was insane but it was an insanity that clarified and sharpened him. That much was clear.

She ventured into the town, when was the last time, she thought I just walked through a town after dusk no vamps, no demons, no bug eyed things, just walking. Of course, they were out there, drawn to Guts, as he was attracted to them. Were they waiting outside, sensing The Brand yet staying clear until there was enough of them that their cowardice would allow them to attack.

IN a tavern, she saw more of the Sisters Of The Hawk keeping to themselves. She wondered if these women had any idea of the real fate of the woman they admired as a kind of Joan Of Arc.

Buffy heard a tinkling that announced that Puck had followed her. The fairy landed lightly on the edge of the table she was sitting at and leaned casually next to the mug she had appropriated from another table. In his current pose, she reflected, he looked a lot like Xander.

The brief thought of home brought a welling of emotions she had been pushing to the back of her mind. But to Puck her emotions were like a smell or a sound that he alone could sense. Then he looked at her "What's wrong?" Puck asked sympathetically

"Thinking of home not a good thing since I may never see it again."

"According to the Old Lady, Guts can get you home."

"If I help him face these God Hand guys, what do you remember about them Puck.

"Please Don't make me remember Buffy" The Elf Pleaded in a tiny nervous voice. "I have enough trouble with the things I've seen in this world since I met Guts. Don't make me talk about what I saw, in that place. It was horrible like Hell opened wide, showing all evil that could ever be and will ever be."

"I know how you feel, Sunnydale has a place, kind of like Gut's Brand. My friends and I we fight against the things that come looking to use its power. Sometimes I wonder if the fighting was changing us. Changing me."

Suddenly the door banged open and four men came through the door. At their head was the drunk who had been bothering Chiana.

Seeing Buffy the man gestured to his friends. "There she is like I said Uppity wench sitting there like she was better then us cause she has those sister bitches at her back. "

"Guys I'm just having a quiet drink just leave me in peace and …"

"What's wrong with drinking with us honey, we not good enough for you and your shrews."

The women at the far table rose but Buffy silently waved them back. "I'll take care of this." She snapped

One of the drunks moved menacingly toward her. Buffy swept the mug off the table, slamming it into his face smashing both in a shower of booze and blood. She stepped back as his body collapsed.

His friends surrounded him one of them growling "You'll pay for that, witch."

Buffy snapped out her foot. Her vicious kick sent another man crashing into a table she rushed forward and bounded overtop of the group to land amid the wreckage and snatched up two table legs.

As the men came at her she used the table legs to deliver a beating to the remaining three thugs.

Suddenly the odds were totally different Buffy had at least three women ready to come to her aid and the drunk was looking at his friends lying on the ground in various stages of unconsciousness.

A cool breeze announced the tavern door opening. Guts strolled in to the place as though three unconscious bodies on the ground were an everyday thing. The man looked around. "You have to help me, she's mad, beat my friends for no reason."

"That's a…" one of the amazons shrilled loudly

Guts held up his hands cutting off her protest. " You expect me to believe that the four of you were unable to overwhelm one slip of a girl. " He snickered cruelly. "Seems t me that you might want to just consider yourself lucky that she feels like letting you live."

"It's not right, women fighting and the like, it dishonors fighting men every where."

Guts shuddered and a dangerous tone crept into his voice. " You might want to shut your mouth before you say something you'll regret."

The man was too drunk or stupid to take the hint "like these sister bitches, every one knows that the Hawks were Thieves and Bandits and this Caska. I hear she was nothing more then Griffith's Personal whore."

Buffy reacted almost instantly, and still she was almost too slow to stop Guts.

She was moving by the time His hand was reaching toward his back and he was spinning around. She was at his side by the time the sword was off his back. As it was moving in the air, she lashed out with the table legs diverting the deadly course of the gigantic blade. The floor right next to the drunken bravo shattered under the weight and power of the blow. If the slash had connected, the Sword would have cut him in half.

"I said Shut your danm mouth." Guts screamed his eye flashing with rage. The man sunk to his knees pissing himself in fear.

"Get out and stay away from me and from my friends for your own damn good. " Buffy snapped

The man's Friends had woken by then and dragged him from the bar. The owner screeching after him about being banned for life.

Buffy watched Guts slowly calm himself stowing his huge weapon on his back.

"What the hell was that about." She shrilled angrily

"What do you mean? " Guts growled

"You don't kill drunken jerks because they call you names or piss you off

"Why do you kill?"

"I don't kill, people anyway. I just kill demons that are dangerous to humans."

"Well I'm a soldier and I do kill people, and demons… and anything else that gets in my way. If that bothers you, then maybe all this fighting for one's life is too much for your weak spine."

"Unsheathe that Sword big boy we'll see who's spineless." Buffy snapped dropping into a defensive crouch, "I will do what I have to, to survive. But, if my ticket home comes by standing aside while you massacre innocents, then maybe I don't deserve to go home."

It was such a Giles thing for her to say. She had a flash of all the times the Brit had tried to teach her that being called the Slayer didn't make you a killer, you had to make that choice on your own.

She shook her head and tossed the table legs away. " The Midland war is over, and the Hawks are gone, if you want to keep fighting for them then do it on your own time. If I'm going to get out of this place then I have to depend on you. Start thinking with your head as opposed to your sword you Big Ape."

The Sisters of the Hawk waved her over. "You and your friend were amazing."

"Any defender of Lady Caska is a fellow Sister regardless of gender." Said another looking at Guts as if he was a saint.

"Thanks, and thanks for staying back, I wouldn't have wanted to cause you any problems. At least no one can say that we ganged up on him."

"But they can say that the Sisters brawl in taverns like common bar whores." The one-eyed commander Valkis said coldly from the door.

The women at the table leapt to their feet. "Ma'am, we were just."

"I don't want to hear it. Return to barracks, you are on clean up duties for the next few nights a far better use of your free time I think."

"But it was amazing, the girl fought off five or six on her own and then the giant one came along and unleashed this huge sword as big as he is tall and then…"

"One swipe but the girl was lighting fast and diverted the blade, in the end, she saw that there was no honor in shedding…"

"I said back to base, I'm sure you'll embellish the tale further by the time you have reached it. " Valkis snapped

Once the fighters were gone, Valkis turned to Buffy. "You and your friends seem to be everywhere lately."

"We don't go looking for trouble

"And yet it seems to find you quickly enough." She gestured to the suddenly absent Guts, Buffy had not heard him leave. "You should catch your friend before trouble finds him again. In the mood he is in he'll bring more trouble upon you then you'll know how to handle."

"I'll catch him." Buffy said Heading for the door Valkis stopped her though. "Is it true what they said about the fight"

"There was only four guys and I'm betting they were already drunk."

"How forthright of you, I was referring to your friend. He really wielded a giant sword?"

Buffy nodded "Someday I have to ask him how he ever manages to swing that thing around like it wasn't the huge slab of metal it is."

"I imagine he has had practice lots of practice." Valkis said sadly, "The Sisters have an encampment outside of town I set us up near to the caravan that brought you here come visit us

"Thanks I'd like that "

"As would I "

Buffy headed off into the night at a brisk run. Valkis looked at the damaged bar. the owner was already calling it atmospheric and had raised prices on the watered down hooch."The Black Swordsman was also Guts the Hundred-Man Slayer, the Hawks Raiders dark Commander." Valkis thought to herself. It meant that he alone knew the fate of the Hawks. Could she let him live once he had revealed the truths that only He knew.

Wisdom Of The Kill Crazed Lunatic
Buffy caught up to Guts outside the city walls. She watched him gather rocks, tying them to his already heavy blade. He began slashing at the air counting softly to himself.

Buffy rubbed her hands, still hurting from the force of stopping Guts' killing strike.

Without Her Slayer Strength to stop the blade. That drunken boob would be dead right now.

Mortal or no, with a sword his hand, Guts was deadly in battle. Hell, he seemed to be a phenomenally skilled warrior even without one.

She watched him slash the air several hundred times until at last he seemed satisfied at the amount.

Finally he spoke to her "You know when I was with the Hawks I fought to survive plunging myself into battle after battle letting anyone else find a reason for me to be there."

"Anyone, meaning Griffith, or are those Sisters right. Was Caska pulling the strings?"

"Caska was rescued by Griffith she wanted to be …everything to him, in the end."

"What did he rescue her from?"

"Being an ordinary farm girl and eventually a fat farm wife, a life of meaningless drudgery, Rape. "

"I get the picture, a life less ordinary. I know the feeling well."

:"You should join them."

"Join who; The sisters of mercy? I already have back up and you are my ticket to rejoining them."

"You still want my help?

"Guts I …don't want to become …I kill to survive and to protect, never for convenience."

The big man winced at her words. Dropping to the ground, he slid a whetting stone along the seven-foot length of blade, a job that required both his hands.

Buffy tried to figure out how he was manipulated the iron arm as if it were flesh and blood. The simple repeated movement seemed to calm his ever-present rage. "The first life I took in battle was defending myself in the midst of combat. I was barely half the age you look now." Guts then turned to face her. "The first time I ever killed someone outside of battle was the man who paid to steal my innocence."

Buffy paled as she looked into his eyes and saw his veiled meaning.

"I remember them all, every life. No one has died by my hand that I do not recall sometimes." Guts stood slinging his monstrous blade back over his shoulder, pulling his cloak closed. "I kill for all sorts of reasons, some better then others. Trust me Girl, Killing is never convenient."

Dark eyes looked out into the night, a servant knelt waiting for orders. "Send word by the usual means, " The dark eyes dismissed the night vista. "Tell them... tell them that the stranger arrived with The Black Swordsman. Await their response."