From : Chihuahua
Date : 18th March 2003
Disclaimer : I don't own any of the TRA:JQ characters and neither do I own any of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No money is made out of this fic. Don't sue me as I'm not sure I can afford Ally McBeal.
Category : A, JJ-HR, DBN-HR, F, E, JQ/Buffy Crossover
Rating : Parental guidance is advised.
Author's note : This takes place after Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is my account on what happens and is based fully on my own creativity.
Archiver's Permission: Granted to those who want it. Just inform me on where it can be found.
CHAPTER 3: BONDJonny approached the abandoned shack stealthily. It had been two nights since his last patrol, and his injuries were completely healed. His jaw set with determination, he clutched his spear tightly. The steady weight of a scimitar rested securely across a shoulder, while several sharpened stakes were stashed in his boots and in his belt for easy access.
The grim darkness ahead loomed closer as he crept along the perimeter. He sensed the vampire even before he saw it. Thankfully, he saw it before it had seen him, and with a well-aimed strike, the vamp was dusted, its head turning to dust a second after its body as Jonny's scimitar swished silently in a perfect arch. A grim smile stretched on his face as he proceeded.
The night was eerily silent, as if the place was devoid of any living creature. His acute hearing couldn't even pick up the scamper of mice. There weren't even the chirping of crickets and cicadas. There was absolutely nothing but quiet. It was as if everything had learnt to fear the dark presence that haunted the darkness. Jonny could practically smell the pungent odour of evil permeating through the mist. It was however easier to just follow the rotten stench of decay in steady progress.
His boots crunched softly as he took yet another step towards the shack. He cringed at each sound he made although he knew that it couldn't be helped, as the ground here was gravel and stones. His entire body tingled with the anticipation of the fight to come, and he repositioned the spear once again in his hands. He realised that the stainless steel head was only good for injuring vampires, not killing them. However, if the spear was shoved deeply enough, the wooden handle would penetrate the dead heart beneath and do the job.
Jonny wanted revenge. Plain and simple. He just wanted to destroy the vampires who had humiliated him a couple of nights ago. He prided himself for being able to destroy any vampire, and these vampires had defeated him. They had launched their minions at him, and left, cackling into the night. There must have probably been more than a dozen vamps. He had been ill prepared, armed with only a couple of stakes. Not tonight however, he was prepared for the worst. He even wore a small vial of holy water around his neck.
While in recovery, Jonny had mapped out several possible places that might serve as a hideout for the vampires. He had come up with about five highly possible sites. The old shack had been third on his list, the previous two were already staked out. As he neared the shack, his instincts told him that he had found the right spot.
Suddenly, they were all upon him, snarling and salivating all over themselves. The attack was sudden, but not enough to give them the upper hand. In a second, the spear had found itself embedded in the skull of a female vampire. As she shrieked in agony, Jonny whipped out his scimitar and lobbed off the head of a stocky male who tried to attack him from the rear. Using clean sweeps of the ornate sword, he hacked his way through the crowd.
Jonny grunted as a huge male slammed him onto the ground. Its eyes glowed feral yellow as it leaned down to repeat the feat. Jonny cursed loudly, there were more tonight then in the last battle.
"I take a couple of nights off, and those two just go out there and do the Pied Piper!" he exclaimed, rolling out of the way as a huge foot landed where his head had been a moment ago. Using his upper boy strength, Jonny pushed himself into a handstand and dropped his legs around the vampire's neck, before giving it a vicious twist. Using the momentum generated, he flipped back onto his feet, a stake in his hand.
"Is it just me, or are you people ignorant of the fact that dental hygiene has developed over the years?" he taunted a vamp, before driving the stake home. Sensing a rear attack, he bent his knees slightly, before launching himself into a massive back flip. He plunged the stake with deadly precision as he landed, his boots kicking up the freshly settled dust as he landed. He reached out and collected his spear before it fell. "At least you're out of your misery," he retorted.
The huge male with the broken neck lumbered clumsily up to him. Jonny decked him several powerful punches, finishing his attack with a shattering kick to his patella and a quick stab through his heart. He barely made it out of the way when his scimitar came swishing past his head.
"I believe that's mine!" he yelled, dodging yet another swipe from the deadly blade, and countering with a perfect roundhouse, followed by a quick snap kick. His sword landed near his feet. Using his spear, Jonny flicked the scimitar upwards, and caught the carved handle. With a quick flick of his wrist, another vamp lost its head and one more was reduced to dust as his stake found its target.
Jonny was exhilarated. Adrenaline coursed rapidly through him, his skill using the added burst of energy and strength to his advantage.
And suddenly, the fight was over. The vampires simply seemed to back away, their bodies still tensed in caution.
Then he heard it, clapping.
Enraged, Jonny spun around, scimitar perfectly poised for another vicious attack. And then, his body sagged.
Icy cold fear washed over him as he witnessed his worst nightmare in slow motion reality.
The laughing vampire grinned sardonically at him, a female by his side. And in between them, stood Jessie, struggling valiantly to get away.
"Look who came to join the fun, Slayer!" the male hissed. His face was a striking resemblance to Jonny's. In fact, they were nearly identical. He had chosen not to vamp out, giving Jonny the full benefit of seeing his face for the first time. "It was rude of you to run away just like that, the other night," he taunted, his smile widening as Jessie struggled even harder to free herself.
"You ran away. I just wasn't interested in the company you left me with," Jonny said, hoping to sound nonchalant.
The vampire was silent, but he tightened his iron grip on Jessie, causing her to wince slightly from the immense pressure placed upon her arm.
Jonny's heart froze. He didn't dare move in case the loony would hurt her. His fingers clenched the wooden stake in his hand hard, the splintery surface digging hard into his palm. He hoped that they couldn't sense his fear, but he knew enough otherwise.
"Let her go," he tried negotiating, keeping his voice as level as possible. He was still very aware of the salivating vampires all around him, and he had to suppress the urge to strike out brutally.
The vampire shook his head mockingly. "Let's talk first shall we. Then we make the bargains."
Jonny took a deep breath, and then sheathed his stake in its usual place. He felt unarmed, but not defenceless. "Okay, let's talk." He relaxed his pose, so as to not intimidate his foe, although anyone who knew him well enough would know that he had trained enough to leap into the offensive in a flash.
The vampire who still held Jessie captive smiled, and waved his hand, signalling his minions to retreat, at least temporarily. "Brave you are, young Slayer," he mussed, his tone not hiding the amusement he found in torturing Jonny. "But also foolish."
Jonny gritted his teeth in silence, wishing that he could wipe that smirk of the vamp's face. But he kept his cool, focusing on analysing the situation. He realised that he had totally overlooked the fact that he was dealing with a foreign vampire, as his accent gave him away. It wasn't heavy, but it was evident enough to be noted.
"Cut to the chase. You know what I want, state your claims!"
The vampire tsk-tsked in that maddening fashion of his, as if taunting Jonny. "Impulsive aren't you?"
Jonny refrained from coming back with a cutting remark.
"Since you're so inept at starting up conversations, I'll start," the vampire said. He flicked a glance over to his companion, who had been idly checking her nails. "Fun isn't this, love?" he asked, and grinned when he saw her mischievous nod.
He turned abruptly and looked straight at Jonny, stilling him right way with a piercing gaze. "She means a lot to you doesn't she?" he asked, ticking his gaze at Jessie. He smiled as he saw the Slayer squirm involuntarily. "The strong and silent type, huh?" he commented, squeezing Jessie's arm violently when Jonny did not respond. The girl's pained gasp brought the desired effect.
"Please, let her go." Jonny realised that he was pleading, but he didn't care. His pride was the least of his worries right now. In fact, it wasn't even on his mind.
"You would like that, wouldn't you?"
"Go to Hell!" Jessie suddenly said, her voice even. Before the surprised vampire could react, she slammed her head backwards; smashing what she hoped was his nose. As she felt his grasp give a little, she wrenched her wrists free, and in one fluid motion, whirled around, driving her knee hard into his abdomen.
"Fight!" That single word released Jonny from his stillness. The scimitar swished in broad deadly arcs, dismembering, decapitating foes as it whooshed from side to side in well-trained swings. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Jessie once again in the grasp of a vampire, this time it was the trampy female. Flipping out of the way of a rear attack, Jonny drove his stake into the hear of another, before delivering a stunning aerial crescent kick to the one which had attacked him, and lobbed of her head with a single clean sweep of the ornate sword.
A cry of anguish echoed in the night when he saw Jessie struggling under the fangs of the vampires. Without a second thought, he threw the stationary spear on the ground at the last of the vampires before dashing towards the feasting vampires. His fury clouded his mind, as tears blinded him.
When he finally arrived, all that was left was Jessie's still corpse. Her throat had been ravaged, torn at both sides. He dropped the scimitar as he fell to his knees and felt desperately for a pulse. There was none.
A quick shuffle to his left caused him to look up, a fraction of a second before receiving a hard kick to his face. As he rolled over, reeling, another kick landed in his midsection, before a foot was placed firmly on his neck, pressing his face into the dirt. Pebbles cut into his cheek, but he felt nothing but the rage that coursed through him.
"Don't cry, little boy," a sultry voice cooed. "Your lovely baby will be back soon enough, better than new." The foot on his neck eased up, just enough to allow him a slight glimpse of the trampy vamp standing above him. She was showing him her slashed wrist.
Realisation hit Jonny, just as the foot ground his face into the hard earth again. "No…" his whisper was so soft that he could barely hear himself.
"Oh, she put up a good fight. Gave my baby a shiner too," the smooth masculine voice of the male vampire said. "She was strong."
"And fiery. I could taste that feisty South American flavour in her blood," the female said.
"Right then, love. Anyway, you might as well stake your bitch right now, Junior. Either that or you could wait for her to rise again." The foot eased up again, but this time a hard kick to his head knocked Jonny out cold.
When he finally came to, they were gone. Jessie still lay beside him. Picking himself up, Jonny lifted the girl's still form. Then, he stumbled numbly back home, tears pouring down his cheek. She felt so cold. Her luxurious red mane now hung lifelessly, brushing his arm every time it swayed as he stumbled home.
"I swear I'll get them, Jessie. I swear it!" he whispered to her. "I won't stop hunting them until they're ashes in the wind!"
***
Jonny bolted upright. His surroundings were still slightly alien to his still sleepy mind, but slowly, it all began to come back to him. The dream had been so real… vivid. He could still see every detail as if he were reliving the entire experience. He wiped his damp forehead and quietly pulled himself to his feet.
"Jessie…" his voice trailed off. She was close, he just knew it. By some weird twist of fate, or something else, he now felt a psychic connection with her. Maybe it was the guilt, the guilt he felt for letting her die. If he had been faster, swifter… Oh yes, the guilt was strong.
Jonny straightened his T-shirt, before deciding to take an early shower. He pulled the shirt off and tossed it onto his duffel.
The shower was cold, but he didn't mind. It was a welcome distraction to the nightmare. Jonny glanced at his watch, the brilliant blue crystal display reading five in the morning. He stopped the shower, towelled off and pulled on a black cashmere turtleneck sweater and black baggy jeans. A stake and its spare went into the usual storage spaces. The morning was cold, so he threw on his jacket, although it also served the dual purpose of concealing the stake he had tucked into his waistband.
Jonny headed for the wharf, breathing in the heavy salt-saturated air. The wharf was already bustling with activity, with the fishermen bringing in the catch. He perched himself on a desolate spot, and watched the sunrise. And then he saw her.
Or at least he saw a flash of red, like the hair of a person streaming behind as she ran. But it was only a flash, no one could move that fast. It's her, Jonny decided. Next time, Jessie, next time… The rising sun turned the sky a myriad of hues, and for one fleeting moment, the sky was the colour of her hair.
Maybe the sunrise wasn't such a good idea after all, Jonny decided. Everything still reminded him of her. The soft fragrance of fruits reminded him of her hair, how it almost always smelt that way. The heady scents of spicy ginger and cinnamon was vaguely reminiscent of her perfume. Even the salty air reminded him of the nights they spent wrapped in each other's arms, watching the stars. Now, even the colour of the sky reminded him of her hair.
He would find her… he had sworn to never stop until her body was rid of the demon inhabiting it. And then he would kick that vampire's ass all over the place, and if it were possible, he would separate the affected accent from the vamp before tearing off his head. He and that tramp of his.
***
"What are you thinking about?" Benton asked suddenly, startling Hadji who had been staring blankly out of the window for nearly ten minutes.
Hadji recomposed himself before answering. "The same as usual. Where's he? What's he doing? When'll he be home?" He drew a deep breath. I've tried to reach him." When he saw his father's confused expression, he continued, "On the astral plain. I could sometimes do that; connect with him. Understand his feelings. Share his pain. But always only when he allowed me to."
Benton smiled encouragingly. "No luck, I guess."
Hadji shook his head resignedly. "He's blocking me out."
"I don't think so, Hadji. He wouldn't…"
"He would if he didn't want me to know what's on his mind."
"Maybe it's the distance?"
Hadji shook his head again. "There's a difference. I can see him, and then he throws me out."
Benton could see that this disturbed Hadji a lot. And he didn't blame Hadji for being concerned or hurt. The two boys had always been close, even after Jessie's arrival. After that, Jessie had taken over connecting with Jonny. However the bond between the boys had never wavered.
With a final reassuring pat on the shoulder, Benton left the room, in search for Race. The other man had taken to being withdrawn, no doubt still grieving for his daughter's untimely death. Benton couldn't help feeling slightly drained from his daily task of comforting and reassuring Hadji and Race. He was beginning to understand what an emotional sponge he must have been when Race had first arrived, and for the first time he pitied the man who he once deemed immortal. In a perverse manner, it was disturbing for him to see Race in this state, but how else would a man who had lost his only child react?
He didn't need to search the house for Race. He knew exactly where he was. With long even strides, Benton approached Jessie's room, the room she had lived in. He could hear the muffled shuffling.
"Race?" He peeked into the room.
"How long has it been, Benton?" Race's soft question hit Benton in the gut, hard. "How long has it been since she…"
"Nine days," he replied, hoping to mask some of the emotions he felt. It wouldn't do to have three emotional wrecks under the same roof.
Race let out a tight laugh. "Felt like just last night that she told me she was going out."
"I know."
Race suddenly spun around so fast that Benton jerked backwards. "Know? You don't know anything. Not half of it, old man!" he bit off bitterly.
Benton was silent. This was still new territory to him, he still wasn't sure what was safe ground and what was thin ice. No sooner had he found a new firm foothold did a whole new set emerge.
"What do you mean?" he coaxed gently, deciding that it would be better for all if Race got it off his chest, even if it meant a lot of yelling.
Race looked shame-faced for a second, and then he turned away. "Just forget it."
"No, I will not just forget it. Tell me exactly what you meant when you said that I didn't understand at all!" Benton strained to smother his temper.
"It's nothing that concerns you."
Benton felt himself losing hold of his temper. "What do you mean it's not my business? What's not my business? Jessie dying at the fangs of a vampire? Jonny's fate being a Slayer? What's not my business, God damn it? What the hell isn't my business?" he flared, glowering at Race, his hands clenched so tightly that they felt alien to him.
Race looked at him, his face incredulous. "You knew?"
Benton let out a bitter laugh, before he bit it off sharply. "How stupid do you think I am, Race?"
"When… How…?"
"When I knew about Jonny's destiny? Before he was born, I just failed to acknowledge it till much later. How? It's always been a part of the family prophesies. He was fated to be the Slayer, he is the Slayer. It's his sole birthright."
"Then, you knew about Jessie and I?"
Benton sighed resignedly. "If you meant I knew that you were a Watcher, sent to watch Jonny's progress yes. I also knew that Jessie was your protégé."
Race snickered. "I-1 isn't gonna be pleased. You may be the father of the Slayer, but to them, you're still a civilian."
Benton rolled his eyes. "He doesn't know, does he?"
"He knows. I didn't realize till after her death. He has been slaying for some time now. Jessie kept a journal, she made an entry every night on how successful he had been, a complete assessment of his skills." Race paused. "He has progressed steadily without my knowledge."
"Then Jessie has been serving as his Watcher, not you."
Race simply nodded. "She had been trained by several others other than myself before coming here. We were sent to monitor and guard Jonny, in case he did turn out to be the Slayer."
"There were other candidates?"
"There's another kid in London. He was also monitored."
"So when did you realize that you had the right kid?"
Race snickered. "You remember that incident with the holographic images. Jonny was my handicap, but he ended up kicking my butt with his instincts. The kid was quicker than a starved coyote at the sight of a roadrunner."
Benton's face fell. "All those years we hid this from one another…"
"You could simply have asked me," Hadji's voice said smoothly.
Both Race and Benton whirled around. "You knew?"
"I sensed it."
All three laughed, the first sound of laughter they had all heard in the past week and a half.
"What do we do now?" Hadji was the first to cease his laughing.
"We wait. We wait for him to come home." Benton's voice was grim. "He can no longer fight his destiny."
To be continued…
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