Ezekiel
Disclaimer: Do not own Buffy.
Tara sighed contently as she finally finished her book. It was about two weeks after all that badness had been done with and life was beginning to look up. She hadn't heard anything from her father, which was good in itself. However, her brother Donny was in a coma and might be that way for the rest of his life, and that man, Renaldo, was dead. His funeral had been last week, with only Ezekiel and his friends in attendance, and only to pay respects to a man who had got involved in something he shouldn't have.
She patiently awaited the bell and, when at last it came, she stood up and walked out the room. She made her way through the throngs of students to the quad, where she was planning to meet her friends: Adil, who was already fully recovered from the bullet wound because it hadn't touched any of the bones or nerves, and from her intervention, of course; Ezekiel, who had taken up the role of protector for her; and last, though most certainly not least, Edana. Tara's relationship with the elemental mage was growing by leaps and bounds. The two were undeclared girlfriends, though everyone practically already knew it. They just, more like she just, wasn't ready to admit it. She was actually forming a relationship with a girl. To the white witch, it was both exciting and terrifying.
As she walked in anticipation, she never noticed the eyes watching her.
"Zeke," called out Adil as he ran towards the Warrior, "How you doing, bro? Any more monsters to deal with?"
"Not as of late," said Ezekiel as he packed up his van, "We all set up for tonight?"
"Got every kind of movie one could want," said Adil as he helped the hunter lift the last case of equipment into the van, "Got chick flicks, action, adventure, horror, mayhem, and, of course, lesbian porn!"
"You know what's so odd about this," said Ezekiel as he closed the back of the van up, "It's that there is not a single friend of ours that would condemn us for watching it. Instead, they'd insist on joining us and then possibly mimicking what they see."
"If they do it in front of me and I got a video camera, I'm down with it," quipped the Yemenite, "Speaking of technical crap, what the Hell is all this you got here?"
"This, my friend," explained Ezekiel as he sat down on the sidewalk, "Crap, as you call it, is a highly sophisticated Dolby Surround Sound system and a 24 inch plasma screen TV, all for our viewing pleasure. Pam gave me the money to pick it up, but I know a friend in one of the tech classes that makes this stuff and sells it for real cheap prices. The rest of the money will be spent wisely, of course."
"Let me guess," said a voice above them, "Liquor, beer, and more hard liquor?"
"That would be correct, Edana," said Ezekiel to the two mages as he stood up, "And how would you two beautiful ladies be doing today?"
"We would be fine," answered Tara, "I'm just so glad that the weekend's here."
"Yeah, this is the first week that I've actually come for school each day," commented Ezekiel as he opened the van doors to let everyone in.
"Where's your car, Adil," asked Edana.
"It's on the fritz," he said in a huff, "I blew one of the…something or other. I don't know much about cars."
"Just how much to pay for them, right," guessed Ezekiel.
Adil shook his head and smiled as he got into the passenger's seat. Ezekiel laughed at his friend, then got into the driver's seat. Edana and Tara climbed into the back and fastened their seatbelts, and closed the door. Ezekiel started the van and began to drive down the street.
"Where exactly does Pam live, Tara," asked the Warrior.
"She lives downtown near the police department," supplied the witch, though she was being distracted by Edana's hand slipping underneath her 'clothing.'
"Girls, despite how much Zeke and I would love to see a show," grinned Adil, "Remember what Pam said about you two doing the 'naughty thing' inside her house?"
"Can we do it back here," asked Edana, half-playfully, earning a blush from Tara, a perverted grin from Adil, and a chuckle from Ezekiel.
"Sorry, ladies," said the driver, "But, I don't want to have to clean the van out and explain to Pam why her new TV and amps smell interesting. Aside from that, you two start and I'll end up causing a wreck."
"…Spoilsport," scorned the mage.
Detective Daniel Cohen walked into his office with a spring in his step. Ever since he and Pam had found out who the vigilante was, things had been getting better and better for the Dynamite Duo, as they were beginning to be known as. Supernatural shit was down to an all-time low, though no one really knew why. Or cared. If it meant a lapse in the deaths, then it was ok by Daniel. The only thing that truly worried him was the latest in the MaClay case. Jacob was being consulted by Wolfram and Hart, one of the most foul law firms in the history of the Earth. Already, the bastard had been let off on bail and was preparing to have a custody battle for Tara. The only thing that had been stopping him was the charges against him, however, all those charges were dropped suddenly by the DA. That fucker was being used by Mancuso, who was just officially sworn in as Commissioner. And, worst of all, Mancuso has a brother who works for that damned law office! Things were rapidly going from good to bad, and it almost seemed to be beyond their abilities.
"Hey, Danny," said Pam MaClay as she walked into his office, "Just coming to check in. Anything new?"
"Nothing aside from the shit that hit the fan," commented Daniel as he sat down, "I'm sorry, Pam. I thought we had the bastard nailed down. Instead, the SOB used his own comatose son to explain away the charges. If only it hadn't been for the roadblock. It stopped us from testifying and gave him a golden opportunity to get the case dismissed."
"At least the super stuff has begun to go down," said Pam with a slight smile, "And, aside from that, Jacob will not win custody of Tara. I won't let him."
"If only Orimoff hadn't let himself be conned into dropping those charges," growled Daniel, "I swear, first it was Wilks and Orimoff, now it's Orimoff, Mancuso, and Wolfram and Hart."
"Ezekiel mentioned something about them once," said the young detective, "He said that they rang a bell somewhere in the back of his mind, but he couldn't explain it. I just hope we can do something about it."
"I just hope it doesn't lead to any more death defying situations," quipped Daniel, "Enough of that. Plenty of time to worry later. What are you doing tonight? I'll take you out to eat."
"Sorry, Danny," smiled Pam, "The kids are coming by with my new TV. They're going to play movies. I would leave them alone, but…I don't trust Edana. She's a bad influence on Tara."
"I don't blame you for that, either. But, you know that Tara will stand up for herself if she doesn't want to. From what you've told me, I could guess that much, at least."
"That's the problem, though. I think she does want to."
Matthew Hodge sat down at his desk, drinking his imported beer in his crystal mug and reviewing the MaClay file. Wolfram and Hart had a profound interest in the timid white witch known as Tara. She had very great potential and would shine bright within the firm. And it would make him look very good as well.
He didn't look up from his work as he heard someone knock on his door.
"Come in," he called.
The door opened to reveal a short man with dark skin and platinum blonde hair, dressed in a wild, red suit with a case of cigars in his hand.
"You busy, Matt," asked Jacky Mancuso as he walked into the office.
"Not at all, Jacky," said Matthew as he put away the file, "Care for a beer?"
"Not right now, thanks," answered Jacky as he sat down and put the cigars on the desk, "Cubans. In anticipation of our success in the MaClay trial."
"Remind me again why you're involved, Jacky," asked Matthew as he pulled out one of the contraband cigars and lit a match.
"I convinced my brother to have the DA lay off on the case, giving you a perfect opportunity to engage in legal proceedings over the custody of the girl," Jacky said as he too pulled out a cigar, using the same match as Matthew to light it with as he did so.
"Exactly," began Matthew as he pulled in a long breath of the cigar smoke, "And it is through this that we shall obtain the witch. You and I are going to go far ahead in this company if we nail this one, my friend. And, if we don't, we will have Miss MaClay kidnapped and brainwashed into our services."
"She might be resistant, however, due to her magic. You know this very well, Matthew, considering the last time you tried to pull this off," commented Jacky as he leaned back in his chair.
"True enough, Jacky," responded Matthew, keeping his anger at being reminded of his worst failure down to a minimum, "However, this is different. Catherine Madison was insane. From what our sources say in Sunnydale, she has, fortunately, been vanquished for a hopefully long time. I do not wish to have to deal with her ever again."
"I fully agree," huffed Jacky, "However, I must ask you once more. What should we do if they become involved."
"Then, I shall beat them in court," answered Matthew, "I am the only tort lawyer to ever defeat them in the courtroom."
"Here," reminded Jacky, "Holland Manners did defeat our enemies in LA. It was because of him that they moved here to Paradise, or so claims Holland himself."
"Yes, I dimly recall," growled Matthew, "It was because of that victory that the firm in LA became so important to the Senior Partners. And how Holland gained the status he enjoys now. Nevertheless, I am the only other lawyer in the history of Wolfram and Hart to defeat them in court. Fortunately, they do not often get involved with our affairs." I hope they don't this time, either.
"What movie should we watch now," asked Adil that night as he took out Independence Day and put it back in its case.
"Why don't we let Tara pick the next one," asked Edana.
Ezekiel and Adil were sitting on the floor, nursing a huge bowl filled with butter popcorn and a gallon container filled with spiked punch. Interestingly enough, it was Pam who had spiked the punch. The lady herself was sitting in a love seat near the couch, where Edana sat with a blonde witch named Tara in her lap.
"I want to see Goldeneye," admitted Tara as she sipped on her Coke.
"A Bond fan," smiled Ezekiel as he reached over into the basket filled with movies and began to fish around for it, "You got it, Tare."
"'Tare,'" asked Pam with a slur in her voice, "What is that?"
"A nickname I just made up for Tara," supplied Ezekiel as he found the movie, "Ladies and Gentle…Ladies and Men-"
"Hey, are you saying I'm not a gentleman," asked an angered Adil.
"Yes," the Warrior answered immediately.
"…It's fair," admitted Adil as he took another sip of his punch, "Who put vodka in the punch? Zeke?"
"Not me," answered Ezekiel honestly, "I think it must have been Edana."
"It was me," giggled Pam as she leapt up from her seat.
"…Good for you," said Ezekiel as he shook his head.
"Why," asked Tara, for she was worried about what might cause Pam to become desperate enough to drink.
"Because, I don't feel like worrying," slurred Pam as she began to shuffle to her room, "You kids can stay here for the rest of the hic night. And you two," she pointed at the couch where Tara and Edana were sitting, "If I hear anything, I will…throw up."
With that, Pam ran away from the kids and down the hall to where the bathroom in her bedroom was.
"Well," stuttered Ezekiel, "That was surreal."
"I need some air after that," quipped Adil as he stood up and walked from the living room to the balcony, which was basically just next to the living room itself, blocked off by a glass wall. It had some furniture on it, but nothing fancy.
"Remind me to never let Pam drink again," muttered an embarrassed Tara, "I'm sorry, Eda, I didn't know she would get drunk."
"It's alright, Tara," said Edana with a small smile, "I get worse at home."
"…I think that's my cue to go find something to do," said Ezekiel as he walked out to the balcony.
"He's letting us have a moment," figured Edana, "He knows what I want to do."
"He knows w-what I want to do," whispered Tara.
"Man, it's chilly out here," said Adil as he heard someone come onto the balcony.
"Yeah," agreed the Warrior, "It's weird. It's way too chilly out here tonight."
"At least it's not blistering hot," said Adil with a grin, "So, are they…"
"They will," said Ezekiel, "And we're not watching."
"What," whined the teenager, "Why not?"
"Because, it's wrong right now," said Ezekiel as he sat down, "They're trying to form a relationship and they don't need either one of us trying to force our way into it, or Pam, or Daniel, or anyone for that matter. We can make jokes and imagine it, but we can't do it. At least not yet."
"…What's going on with Pam, man?"
"I wish I knew. I've heard rumors that something is going down involving Wolfram and Hart, but…nothing solid yet."
Adil was about to comment when they heard something buzzing nearby. As the sound grew louder, they could see a helicopter coming their way. It zoomed closer to the twentieth floor apartment. As it came closer, they could barely see the emblem on it: W&H.
They could also see the barrels of automatic assault rifles as it came closer. The two simultaneously turned and ran back inside, and proceeded to jump up over the couch as the sound of gunfire exploded in their ears. They hit the floor and dove behind the couch for cover.
"THAT SOLID ENOUGH," shouted Adil.
"What the Fuck are you doing, Jacky," shouted Matthew Hodge as he stormed into his fellow lawyer's office, "I just got informed that one of our choppers and a team of Spec Ops was sent over to the address of one Pam MaClay! Mind explaining yourself?"
"You said that we would obtain the witch with or without the court's approval," said Jacky smoothly, "I'm just escalating things to a…more deadly speed."
"Just what are you doing," growled Matthew, "If the team you sent kills her, then we're both dead."
"But, see, that's the interesting thing," said Jacky as he stood up, "The plan is that they kidnap the witch. Her father comes onto the news with a statement for the kidnappers and claims that he will never rest until he finds her. Then, two days later, she's found by Jacob. Brainwashed, of course. She loves him, he loves her, blah, blah, blah, we win the custody case, and we get the witch for our assassin."
"…Next time you try a stunt like this, you fucking inform you, you prick! And you'd better hope that this doesn't blow up in our faces. If it does, I am going to rip your tongue out and make it into bait next time I go fishing, and toss the rest of you to the boys downstairs."
"Fuck," whispered Adil as he and Ezekiel heard the sound of soldiers being unloaded off the chopper, "How many and what do you have?"
"Seven daggers and the Blood Sword, but it's in the back hallway near the front door," remarked the Warrior of God as he drew out his weaponry, "And there are…ten troops coming our way."
He handed a dagger to Adil and the two lay in wait. Only Ezekiel could hear where they were, that is, until they heard the crunch of glass. The two leapt up and flung their daggers at two of the soldiers. The daggers landed with a satisfying thud, however, both soldiers pulled the triggers of their weapons. As they fell backward, the bullets from their weapons took out three more soldiers, and nearly clipped Ezekiel in the ear.
The two ducked back down to avoid the hail of gunfire that came their way. Ezekiel ducked his head down and grabbed two more daggers, then heard an odd sound. He looked down at his leather jacket…which now had a steaming hole in it. Fortunately, it had missed his body. He handed one of his daggers to Adil and the two prepared to for another assault.
Before they could move, however, they heard the sound of thunder.
Edana slid her hand underneath Tara's shirt, gently massaging the white witch's stomach. She could hear the slight moan which her action elicited, and decided to test the limits of her girlfriend. She slowly drew a line from the witch's stomach up the girl's body. As she moved her hand up towards Tara's ample chest, she could hear the moans become longer and deeper.
She took her hand away from her, causing Tara to look at her pleadingly. She wanted more. Edana obliged and kissed the witch's neck, right along the collarbone. She made her way up, planting gentle kisses along her skin before reaching her lips. The mage licked her own lips in anticipation, and proceeded to plunge kisses around Tara's own lips, some soft as a feather, others hard and bruising.
She felt the blonde move up and begin to nibble her earlobe, and Edana allowed a purr of pleasure to escape her throat. She backed away and looked directly into Tara's eyes, and what she saw touched her in a way that she had never truly felt before. She saw love and faith, not just for her, but for everyone. She leaned in and kissed her.
The two were about to get more intimate, however, they stopped when they heard the sound of gunfire.
"What the Hell is going on," cried Edana as she stood up.
The two mages waited for a moment, and then they heard the sound of footsteps. Edana shared a quick glance with Tara, then began to slowly move down the hallway towards the living room. She stopped in mid-stride as she heard Tara suddenly go back into her room. Edana turned around and waited there, not really knowing what to do. She received a shock when Tara walked out with a white gun that had odd markings on the handle and barrel.
"What are you doing," whispered Edana.
Tara didn't answer, but simply walked ahead of her. Unlike her usual, shy and reserved features, her face was covered in a mask equal in either rage and indifference, or calm fury. It was, however, her eyes that made Edana back up a step. Her eyes, which ad just a moment ago held love and devotion, now held nothing save pure and unrestrained determination. She was going to do what she was going to do and if anyone got in her way, then…who knew what would happen to them?
Edana watched on as Tara silently stalked forward, her weapon facing the floor, the barrel never once crossing paths with the witch's bare feet. She held her pistol with an odd grace and skill which seemed all too natural, and simultaneously unnatural for the shy girl. It seemed born, and yet, unborn.
Edana felt that she had to stop her before she did something stupid, but she also felt that if she tried, then she would get hurt as well, though she liked to think that Tara would never intentionally hurt anyone. She moved up against the wall as Tara came forward, allowing the witch room to pass by. She followed her with her eyes and watched as Tara walked along the corridor. Edana silently began to follow, praying nothing bad would happen.
Both stopped, however, upon hearing a thud. It was followed by a series of gunfire. They stayed still for a moment, and during that time, yet more gunfire was heard. Tara then moved forward and came out to the hallway. Edana watched on as Tara gripped her weapon with both hands, then slowly lifted it up to eyelevel. Edana covered her ears, not knowing how loud the blast would be when it occurred. When she saw Tara pull the trigger, it sounded as though a bolt of lightning had struck right in front of her face.
Tara drew her Desert Eagle up and lined her shot up with the farthest soldier. There were only five, and the nearest one was directly in front of her, with his back turned to her. Her shot would cause him, along with another soldier and the farthest soldier, making it a total of three soldiers, an extremely great amount of pain. She took a breath, then slowly let it out and, in the middle of that breath, gently squeezed the golden trigger.
It had been years since she had felt the recoil of this weapon, and yet, her arm remained unmoved. Her ears picked up the highest degree of the thunderous blast, and yet, she remained unharmed. She watched the brilliant red glow of the blast from the barrel, followed by the magically enhanced bullet as it careened past the first soldier. The sheer force of the air as the bullet came forward sent the soldier to the floor, his neck bent at an odd angle that provided a silent testament to the weapon's power.
The bullet continued along its path, striking the next soldier in his right shoulder. She could hear the bones snap as though they were twigs against the relentless mass of led and magic. She watched on as his arm was disconnected from its socket and fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. The soldier screamed in shock, then fell to the ground as the bullet continued along its path.
The mass of led met its final target, at long last. It struck the final soldier directly in the chest, in the very center, in fact. She watched as a gaping hole became a part of the poor soldier's anatomy. She saw bones, organs, and a thumping mass that was once a heart. The hole appeared to be the size of a barstool, at least. The bullet continued along its path of destruction, or would have, had it been allowed to.
As it finished its campaign against the soldiers, Tara thought one single thought: Stop. The bullet paused in midair after it crashed through the final soldier, then it dropped unceremoniously to the ground, a slight pinging the only evidence that it ever existed.
Ezekiel and Adil saw the chaos caused by the bullet, saw it stop, saw it drop. They saw the three soldiers fall to the ground. They heard its horrifying clash and felt as though they might never hear again. They looked up to see the other two soldiers. They had dropped their weapons and were clutching their ears in pain, for they had been much closer to the three dead soldiers and on the same elevation as them, while both Ezekiel and Adil had been ducking down.
They shared a quiet look, then silently stood up, their ears still ringing from the blast. They walked to the two soldiers and stood before them. Ezekiel acted first, thrusting his fist into the soldier's head, sending the poor soul into unconsciousness. Adil followed his example by slamming his right foot into his soldier's neck, forcing the man to flip over and land on his back in a crunch.
Ezekiel sighed, though he did not hear it. He reached up around his shoulder and silently prayed that this would work. He touched his branding and, just as suddenly as it had occurred, the ringing deafness came to an end. He could hear again. He heard shouts, screams, and the whirring of the helicopter as it made its escape.
Edana watched as Tara dropped her arms, still not letting go of her weapon as she did so. The mage walked forward, frightened over what had just occurred. She moved slowly, so as to not startle Tara.
"Tara," she whispered.
The witch looked at her sharply. The cold eyes were gone, but they still held determination. She silently walked over to Edana and placed the weapon on the floor, then enveloped her in her arms. Edana returned the favor, wrapping her arms around the blonde's back, gently squeezing her. She whispered comforting words into her ear, and Tara heard them. She listened thoughtfully, silently. She knew that those words were more for Edana's sake that for her own.
"What the Hell happened in here," asked Daniel as he walked into what looked like a miniature war zone.
Pam, Edana, and Tara sat on the kitchen counter, all three staring blankly ahead. Pam had both her arms wrapped around Edana and Tara. Edana gripped Tara's hand as though it were her last link to life.
"We got attacked by some of W&H's boys," said Ezekiel as he and Adil walked up to Daniel, both with their arms filled of debris, which they then handed off to a few officers that were there, "They brought in a chopper. Unloaded a few clips into the walls and the couch. We killed five of them, then…"
"…What," asked Daniel.
"…I finished them off," explained the tiny voice of Tara.
Daniel turned to look at her.
"…Who did that to those three invaders," he asked.
"I did," she stated, "W-with my gun."
"That Desert Eagle I saw," questioned Ezekiel, "It did all that?"
"Yes," she whispered, and Edana got out of Pam's embrace and got on the other side of Tara and the three embraced each other.
"How," asked Adil, "I'm not exactly a gun expert, but…I don't think it could have caused all that damage and I know it couldn't have stopped in midair."
"…I'll tell you later," she answered, "After they're…"
She gestured to the crew around them.
"Wonderful," screamed Matthew as he slammed down the morning paper onto Jacky's desk, "Your little cowboy stunt just screwed us over, Jacky! They're on the lookout now! They'll be more than ready if we try that again, and considering that they had absolutely no idea this time, think about how they'll do the next time when they're prepared!"
"I know it's a setback," admitted Mancuso, "But, this still doesn't mean that we can't win the case."
"Yes, it might," screamed Matthew, "Now, they're definitely going to take the case in the custody charge! They're going to come up against us and we're going to have to go into court with them!"
"You've beaten them before, you can do it again."
"…For your sake…It'd better turn out that way."
"My mother liked to ex-experiment with magic," explained Tara early the next morning in Pam's apartment, everyone was there for her explanation after all the commotion and last night when Daniel had arrived.
"Your mother created it," finished Adil.
"…Yes," said Tara, "She began to work on it while I was in the hospital. She designed it from the rarest metals in some of the strangest dimensions. It can never break…not even a nuclear blast could damage it. The bullets are created from…my own blood."
"What," asked a disturbed Daniel.
"It's how I can force them to stop," explained Tara, "Mom took a sample of my b-blood while I was in the hospital and, from that one sample, she made around…nine hundred rounds. They're all contained in the clip. All I have to do is reload it whenever it runs out."
"What is that gun capable of," asked Ezekiel.
"…It can take out nearly any known being on Earth," said Tara as she looked away.
"Why didn't you tell me," asked Pam.
"It was our…little secret," she said, "I'm sorry, Pam. But, after she died, I…couldn't bare to tell you."
"Oh, Tara," whispered her older sister as she enveloped the distraught witch into a hug.
"Well," began the Warrior of God as he stood up, "That is one powerful piece of equipment. Use it sparingly, Tare."
"Yeah," Adil said in full agreement, "I don't need to completely lose my hearing. Thank goodness for Zeke's branding."
"…Edana," asked Tara to her girlfriend.
"…You scared me," whispered Edana as she took Tara's hand, "Don't ever scare me again."
Immediately, everyone began to feel uncomfortable. It was no great shock then how grateful they were for the knocking on the door.
"I'll go get it," answered Ezekiel.
He sighed and walked out to the front door. He took a look through the peephole and saw a man with brown hair in a gray business suit. He had files in his hand and also had a cross necklace. Wondering if it was some Jehovah's Witness, he opened the door.
"Can I help you," asked the Warrior of God.
"Yes, you can, Ezekiel," said the man as he extended his right hand, "Gregory Plover, Attorney at Law."
"…Who are you," questioned the hunter as his suspicions grew by the second.
"I'm not with Wolfram and Hart," the man defended himself immediately, "I'm actually from the law offices of Lambert and Gabriel."
"…The opposing team, right," asked Ezekiel.
"Exactly," responded Gregory, "If you would just allow me to come inside, I would be more than happy to explain."
Ezekiel weighed his options carefully. This man seemed to be harmless, however, looks could be deceiving. Aside from that, he was apparently aware of what Ezekiel was. That alone made him curious.
"…I will allow you inside. However, if you make one wrong move, then I shall kill you," he stated calmly as he moved aside to allow the lawyer entry.
"That is all I can expect from a Warrior," commented the attorney as he walked inside.
Ezekiel sighed to himself, and closed the door and followed Gregory inside.
"My, oh my," said the lawyer in an awed voice, "Just look at what those Wolfram and Hart brutes have done to this apartment. Such a waste. Ah, good day to you all. My name is Gregory Plover of Lambert and Gabriel, Attorneys at Law."
"What do you want here," asked Pam.
"I am here, Pamela MaClay, to represent you and your younger sister, Tara, in the up-and-coming custody dispute," explained Gregory as he put his files down.
"Why," asked a suspicious Adil.
"Because, Mr. Ansar," said Gregory without missing a beat, "My law firm has taken a unique interest in making sure that Tara MaClay never ever is placed underneath their control. It could mean the end of her life, and the beginning of a folly."
"Whose control," asked Edana.
"Wolfram and Hart's control, Miss Thorne," answered Gregory as he finished getting out his files, "They are using Jacob MaClay to gain access to Tara and they intend on turning her into one of their assassins."
"We won't let that happen," growled Ezekiel.
"Of course you won't, Warrior of God," stated Gregory, "And that is why we are thankful that you have met her. You are our resource just in case we fail."
"…Who the Hell are you people," asked Adil.
"Lambert and Gabriel is the opposing force to Wolfram and Hart," said Gregory, as though this explained everything.
"…Wolfram and Hart is what," asked Ezekiel.
"A demonically run law firm," quipped Gregory.
"…So," figured the hunter, "Lambert and Gabriel is a divinely run law firm? A law firm run by the forces of Heaven?"
"Exactly," Gregory smiled, "And, before you ask, only the Pope himself, aside from those who work inside the firm, and now you, know of this. Wolfram and Hart has been here for ages. While its exact history remains a mystery to members of our firm, it was believed that the firm itself was created by good old Lucy himself. However, due to what little we do know from the Bible and from revelations of prophets, both past and present, we have concluded that it was founded by three of Satan's chief demons: the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart.
"These three began to lead angels away from God and selected several to become their partners, thus creating the Senior Partners. We also have reason to believe that these three demons turned away from Satan and formed their own faction, though whether this is true or not remains to be seen. On the other hand, since W&H are trying to conquer the Earth, we were founded."
"By whom," asked Adil.
"Lambert," muttered Ezekiel, "As in 'The Lamb?' Christ?"
"Right in one, Warrior," grinned Gregory, "Now, whoever guesses who the other founder is gets a cookie!"
"Gabriel, the Archangel," asked Tara.
"Right again," said Gregory, "I'll give you your cookie later. See, W&H were around long before Christ came. And during that time, the forces of Heaven did nothing about it. Then, Christ came, resurrection, the world is saved through his blood. Well, in order to counteract this seemingly unforeseen evil, though I'm sure God saw it coming and chose to do nothing, Christ and Gabriel formed a covenant with all moral practicers of law who chose to join them. They would take up the battle, in court, and fight for the law and for God."
"…What can you do for us," asked Pam.
"Ezekiel," asked Gregory, "I want to talk to you…alone."
Ezekiel took a good look at all those present. So far, everyone was immersed in reviewing the hearing and were basically going over all of Gregory's notes. Everyone else is busy, he thought, Why not?
"Alright," he answered, "Let's go talk in the hallway."
Gregory nodded and led the way outside the apartment, Ezekiel only a few feet behind. Once they were outside, Gregory closed the door and turned to face the Warrior.
"You're one of the oddest figures I've ever seen in my life," said Gregory as he leaned against the door, "You were trained by members of the Vatican, yet you have little to no belief in what you were taught. You do, however, have faith. You have no morals, but you have faith. Granted, most of the time, you think God's screwing with you. Well…He may be."
"What's the point in this," asked Ezekiel as his annoyance began to grow.
"I want you to know that you will very rarely have to deal with these people," Gregory spat out the last word, "They haven't entered their finality just yet."
"Why do you exist if that's true," asked Ezekiel.
"We are here to keep them at bay," answered the lawyer honestly, "We hold them off until the time for the Champion to arise."
"The Champion," asked Ezekiel, "Who the Hell is that?"
"…You'll find out."
"…Look, you help Tara, and then you leave."
"My intent. Our intent. We just want to help you lot out. When we're done bailing you out, we will return to our business."
Gregory reached into his jackets and pulled out a yellow folder. He handed it to Ezekiel.
"That file," said Gregory, "Contains extremely confidential information that the law offices of Lambert and Gabriel obtained from a traitor within a secret organization known as 'Euphrates.' It's set up within Paradise, has many connections with known terrorist cells and suspicious organizations throughout the globe."
"Why are you giving me these," asked Ezekiel.
"Orders from one of our Senior Partners."
"…Which one? Jesus or Gabriel?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter. Do me a favor, will you? If you take any out-of-town trips anytime soon, be sure to be selective about who you leave behind with the stick. If it's the one who's in the most trouble…you should do fine."
"We lost," growled Matthew in Jacky's ear, "Thanks to you, we fucking lost!"
Jacky stayed silent, the first wise move in his career at Wolfram and Hart. Matthew sighed to himself, wondering what would happen now. Their boss would not be happy.
Sighing to himself, Matthew stood up and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a 9mm, lined it up with Jacky's forehead, and jerked the trigger.
Hope that's enough to save my ass.
"Hey, Tara," said Adil after the trial, "There's something that's been bugging me."
"What," asked the blonde.
She, Adil, Pam, Ezekiel, and Edana were leaving the courtroom. Gregory had slaughtered Wolfram and Hart. Their lawyer hadn't even bothered to show up for the ruling. That really made good old W&H look good.
"When you shot your Magnum," began Adil, "You stopped the bullet in midair. How did you see the bullet?"
"My eyes," began the witch, "They can pick up the bullet. It's all got to do with the blood magic."
Ezekiel remained silent. Last night, he had reviewed the information that Gregory had given him. As of right now, his worries were escalating. If those Euphrates bastards did manage to get their hands on what they were after and brought it here, he hoped to God he was around to put an end to it before things got out of hand.