Methos entered Joe's, feeling slightly nervous as he did so. He had called Joe before he left to let him know he was heading over, when Joe had informed him that he had found out more than he thought he would on the slayers and this legend. He said he knew what was going on and that Methos wouldn't like it.
After his previous night with Anne, he was even more worried than ever before. She was not ready to fight, and from the look in her eyes every time he brought it up, he wondered if she ever would be. If this legend was true and this immortal could only be stopped by her, how could Methos convince her it was her duty? Why should he even have to? Since when was the life of a slayer, ever fair to the slayer?
Taking a deep breath, he entered the bar and smiled at Joe who sat at the counter, pouring over his books. He barely looked up as Methos entered, clearly pre-occupied in his research.
"I'm glad you're here," Joe said as Methos took a seat. He couldn't help but smirk.
"Never thought I'd hear you say that Joe," he clucked his tongue at the watcher. "Are you getting soft on me?"
"Very funny old man, this is serious." Joe looked up at him again.
"Yea?" Methos was interested now. "What did you find?"
"You know anything about how the watcher's council started?" Joe asked. Methos shrugged.
"To be honest, not really. I've been through the academy training quite a few times now over the centuries and every time I do, the story changes. I don't think anybody really knows. History is like a game of telephone in most respects Joe. You keep telling a story over and over again and pretty soon it's nothing like what you started with. Look at the Bible for example."
"Yea, well Old Testament aside, there is a definite history to the origins of the council." Joe replied seriously. "And it's not something that they want everyone to know either."
"If it's that big a secret, how did you manage to get your hands on it?" Methos narrowed his eyes. Joe shrugged and averted the look.
"I know where they keep the top secret volumes." Joe admitted. "And I know a few guys who were with me in Nam, that know how to steal sensitive information without being detected. I simply called in a few favours, that's all."
"And these favours," Methos prompted. "What did they uncover?"
"Immortals and slayers have more in common than you think," Joe began. "Originally, the world was over-run with demons. When the first humans began to carve out a world for themselves, they had very little chance of succeeding against them. At that time, it was normal for some to be immortal, and some not to be. They still don't know the reason for immortals, only that they weren't demons or vampires and therefore they accepted one another. Eventually, a small group of humans and immortals stumbled across a bunch of prophecies, written for them by a mysterious people that called themselves the Guardians. They knew they had to protect these prophecies, so they formed a group and entrusted the job to them. They called the group the Watcher's Council."
"The Guardians?" Methos interrupted. Joe nodded.
"What?"
"Nothing, I've just heard stories of them that's all."
"What kind of stories?" Joe sounded impatient.
"Vague things about an apocalypse and their roll in it." Methos shrugged. "I always wrote it off as nonsense, but the rumours themselves are ancient."
"Yea, well they are also pretty good with prophecies." Joe muttered. "According to these sources, the newly found council couldn't fight the demon war all alone, even with the help of immortals. The prophecies told of a game that immortals would wage between themselves, in order to weed out the strongest one. It told of the prize and warned that whatever immortal became the last would receive unparalleled power. They already had enough problems with the demons of the world, the idea that they may have to face an immortal tyrant did not appeal to them."
"I'll bet," Methos commented.
"The council decided that if such a prize did exist, someone in the council should win it. They decided to choose their strongest fighter and have the others sacrifice their lives to him. This person would be their hope in the upcoming gathering." Joe flipped through a few more papers before continuing. "In the meantime the demons were getting stronger and stronger and immortals were spending more time killing each other, than fighting the demons. Vampires were some of the most difficult to defeat, and they wouldn't go anywhere near the immortals on account of their poisonous blood."
"This is quite the history lesson."
"It gets better," Joe continued. "They consulted the prophecies again in the hopes of finding a way to fight the vampires and other demons. The prophecies told of a….procedure…a way of creating a weapon to fight the demons, but it was not without a price."
"A weapon?" Methos echoed, puzzled. "What kind of weapon."
"Not what," Joe said heavily. "Who. The weapon was the slayer."
"What do you mean?" Methos asked, not liking the way Joe was looking at him.
"They captured a girl, and tied her up. They…did a spell. They put some of their power, and some of a vampire's power into her. And then they made her fight for them. They created the slayer out of immortal and demon strength."
"You mean they…" Methos trailed off, hating the sound of what Joe was saying.
"Forced it onto her." Joe sounded disgusted. "The poor girl didn't have a choice. They assigned her a watcher to train her…someone mortal. The immortals were growing more and more distant from the mortal watchers. They could see immortals killing each other in the game, and knew they would have to choose their warrior to fight for them. But they couldn't decide who would live, and who would die."
"I don't suppose they were clamoring to give up their lives so that someone else could have their power," Methos surmised. Joe shook his head.
"Give the man a cupie doll." He replied. "The mortal watchers began to lose trust in the immortals of the council. They came to see them as selfish…only caring about the game and not about the new slayer they had created. Eventually they separated and took the prophecies with them. The immortal watchers didn't last long."
"Let me guess, they killed each other?" It wasn't really a question, but Joe nodded nonetheless.
"Until only one was left. By this time the mortal watchers wanted nothing to do with immortals. They feared that no matter who one the prize, they would ultimately be a tyrant. They hoped that the slayer would be able to take care of them when that happened. In the meantime, they decided it was necessary to take care of the only immortal left that knew of the watcher's council and the slayer's existence."
"The immortal watcher that was left." Methos muttered. "They killed him?"
"She killed him." Joe told him with a shake of his head. "They sent the slayer to take his head. And with him gone, there were no immortals left that knew of their existence. They decided to split the council into two branches. One would watch and train the slayer and her successors and the other would watch and chronicle the immortals so that when the time came…"
"They could use the poor girl as an assassin again!" Methos exclaimed. "That's sick."
"Yea, well I'm not terribly proud of it either." Joe muttered. "But that's not important. What's important is the connection between slayers, vampires and immortals."
"What
do you mean?"
"Well, you remember I told you that creating
the slayer was not without a price?"
"I should hope not." Methos said darkly.
"Well the penalty for that was pretty steep. Since it took all three essences to create the slayer, they are all very powerful when combined in a pure way. That's why immortal blood is poisonous to vampires. If vampires were to become immortal, then kill and drink a slayer…"
"Then they would have all three power sources." Methos finished for Joe, suddenly understanding the enormity of what he was saying. "But they took steps to make sure it didn't happen. Immortal blood is poisonous…or was. What changed? And why does Anne feel like she's immortal?"
"Well just like a vampire or immortal could somehow combine and reach total power, so could the slayer. The prophecy warned that if the slayer were to receive the immortal essence in its pure form through death, then she would have to face an immortal who managed to gain the power of a vampire to counter it. The immortal/vampire would only be possible if the slayer were to transcend mortality and tap into her immortal heritage."
"Anne died." Methos murmured to himself. "That's how she did it. That's why I can feel the quickening inside her."
"Yea, well that's not all that's inside." Joe said darkly. "Because she has managed to tap into the immortal essence within, the vampire darkness inside her has also been heightened. It was only logical that a vampire/immortal be created, and even more logical that he should be drawn to, and target the slayer. He can feel her blood calling to him."
"So what happens if he kills her?" Methos didn't want to ask the question, but knew the answer was crucial. Joe frowned.
"Then he becomes the most powerful immortal in existence." He said simply. "Nobody will be able to stand against him. He will almost certainly win the prize and when he does…."
"Eternal damnation, tyranny, the whole drill, I get it." Methos sighed. "Who is this guy? I mean, what's his name? How did he get picked to be the one to go after Anne?"
"I don't know his name," Joe replied. "But whoever he is, he was most likely chosen by a very old vampire. A vampire old enough to know the legend and believe in it enough to overcome the poison and transfer his power to an immortal somehow. That part itself I'm fuzzy on. What I do know, is that he won't stop. Her blood will call to him and he will go after her again."
"What happens if she beats him?" Methos wondered. "Did the prophecy say anything about that? I mean, if she takes his head, then she'll get his quickening…will the power corrupt her?"
"I don't know." Joe said heavily. "I wish I had the answers to that, but the Guardian prophecies either didn't say, or the answers were lost somewhere. It's a chance she'll have to take. What I do know is that if he kills her, he will become unstoppable. I'd say it's worth the risk."
"The Guardians knew this would happen and still they let those foolish men transform that poor girl." Methos growled angrily. "They knew that someday she would have to fight this creature, possibly be corrupted if she wins…she's not ready Joe!"
"Still refuses to fight huh?" Joe sighed sadly. "What should we do Adam? Call the slayer branch? Maybe her watcher can…"
"No," Methos said firmly. "She would never forgive me if I betrayed her trust like that."
"This isn't about weather she will still like you man, this is about her life!" Joe exclaimed. "We don't know her. We don't know what she's gone through. How can we convince her it's the right thing to do?"
"We won't convince her of anything if we call her watcher. Believe me Joe." Methos searched his mind trying to think of a way to convince him. "I've gotten to know her over the last few days and I know that she will only run if we call them. If she does, the guy will follow her and we won't be able to help her. We have to play this safe. We can't scare her off."
"Well we have to do something!" Joe insisted. "This isn't about her anymore, this is bigger than her problems."
"I know that Joe." Methos replied through gritted teeth. "And I will make her see reason, I promise you, but we can't call her watcher or pry into her old life."
"How much longer are you going to keep protecting her?" Joe wondered. "How much longer are you going to pretend she's your responsibility? You're not her watcher Methos!"
"No I'm not," he said angrily. "But I am her friend. Look I said she'll be ready and I mean it, but you have to promise me you won't sell her out."
"You already know I won't." Joe said with a wave of his hand. "But you gotta do something old man. I know what happened to her wasn't fair, but this isn't about that anymore."
"I know." Methos stood up and headed towards the door. "I'll get her to fight Joe. I will. I won't fail her."
