Welcome to the Hellmouth Ch. 8 – Saving and Vanquishing
Summary: Members of the Veritas Project investigate weird occurrences in a certain town called Sunnydale, California. Once there they find themselves up against their greatest fears and uncover the ancient legend behind the city of Sunnydale.
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
A/N: it has come to my attention that I have miss numbered the chapters starting at 4, so how it should play out is 4 – Emicia, 5 – Investigating, 6- Lost, 7 – Crap x2
Conlan awoke with serious pain coursing through his body. He saw Willow and Tara come to beside him. He heard Buffy, Elisha, and Giles gasp awake.
"Uh, what the hell happened?" Willow groaned.
"Those men in suits must have done something." Elisha said gasping.
"Where are Dawn and Elijah?" queried Giles.
"That's a good question. We need to split up and look around." Buffy ordered.
The group followed Buffy's orders and searched the shop. Shortly after they left, they all returned without the two missing teenagers.
"Great, where are they?" wondered Tara.
"We need to find out who those guys were." Conlan indicated.
The group acknowledged this and switched automatically to research mode, and they began looking for the suited men. Conlan looked around for the Book of Shadows, but he didn't see it, "Do you guys see the BOS?" he asked worried.
"No, isn't it on the table?" replied Willow.
"It was there when those guys knocked us down, but it's not there now."
"Could the suits have taken it out?" Elisha speculated.
"No, evil can't touch the book." Conlan replied sitting down at the table.
"So then where is it?" Buffy asked
"I don't know." Conlan admitted defeated.
"Could you try and call for it?" Tara suggested.
Conlan nodded and closed his eyes. He held out his hands and called for the book. He felt the familiar tingling of the telekinetic orbing, but nothing came. "That's not good. I should be able to call for anything, some how they must have gotten the Book someplace where my powers can't reach."
"What should se do then?" Elisha asked as she walked up to Conlan and took his hand.
"Should you try scrying for Dawn and Elijah?" Willow offered, pulling out the crystal and map, "Tara and I'll try a locator spell."
Conlan took the scrying materials and began scrying for the teens, while Willow and Tara began prepping the spell. As they did this, the slayers paced to and fro across the Magic box floor.
Quarter of an hour later, neither method had resulted in finding the couple. "So what should we do?" Elisha asked sitting down on the step.
"I think it's time I introduce you to the demon bars, and how to get information from the patrons." Buffy indicated.
"Why would we need to investigate their bars?" Elisha asked as they rose and got weapons.
"There are always people at the bars who are willing to spill secrets if we pull the right strings." Buffy explained, leading her sister slayer out of the store.
They walked down the street towards one of the more notorious demonic bars. "Just keep in mind that they don't like us." Buffy commented.
"Really, I couldn't have guessed that." Elisha coyly responded.
They entered the bar and their nostrils were hit with a rancid smell, a mixture of week-old road kill, blood, and viscera. "Oh, god does it always smell this bad?" Elisha gaffed.
"Sadly yes." Buffy replied.
"Slayers, you're not welcome here." spat a demon sitting at the bar.
Elisha noticed it had two long horns, brown skin, and red hair.
"That's too bad, we're here and looking for information." Buffy retorted.
"What kind of information?" asked the bartender.
"Earlier today, three guys came into our store and took something of ours, and we want to know if any of you know where it is or who they are." Elisha explained.
"Must be pretty important stuff." scoffed the brown demon.
"How do you figure?" asked the demon to the right of him.
"Why else would they come here?"
"So do you know anything? Or do you want us to start with the beating?" Buffy asked drawling her sword.
"We don't know anything, leave now." the brown demon spat.
"Then why do I feel like you're lying?" Buffy reasoned.
The demons in the bar then assailed the slayers, forcing them to retaliate. Swords and claws flashed in the ensuing bloodbath. Demons fell as the slayers worked their way towards the bar stand.
Soon all the demons were either dead or dying, and the slayers only had a few cuts and scrapes on their bodies.
"Slayers, if you wanted information, all you had to do was ask, not destroy all my regulars!" the bartender roared.
"Alright, who were those men in suits who attacked the Magic Box earlier?" Buffy demanded.
"They're this new power in town. They travel from town to town abducting people, and then sacrificing them to bring back the Master." The bartender explained.
"Where are they hiding out?" Elisha inquired.
"Not sure, they don't associate much with outsiders. I only know their workings by reputation." The bartender countered.
"Do you know who we can talk to in order to get more information about where they are?"
"If I told you what I know, what will you give me?"
"We won't hurt your patrons as long as they're on your premises." Buffy swore.
"Fine, there is this man in the oldest cemetery who might know some things."
"Thank you." The slayers responded as they headed out.
"Do you think we should bring backup?" Elisha wondered.
"Yes and no, you'll be taking Conlan to the cemetery while the others and I start investigating old manors in the city." Buffy remarked.
"Why?"
"It's time to see what you can do solo."
"Oh, how'll Conlan and I get away?"
"You'll see." Buffy stated as they walked into the shop.
The others turned and looked at them, "Did you find anything out?" they asked, as the two slayers walked over.
"Yeah in a way, Conlan and Elisha will investigate one lead, while we look into another." Buffy dictated.
The others nodded and walked over to the counter and gathered weapons. Conlan strode over to Elisha, "So where're we going?"
"The old cemetery, there should be a man there who might tell us what we need to know."
Conlan nodded and he orbed out while holding onto Elisha's hand. They appeared in the cemetery and looked around.
"Any idea where this man's located?" Conlan asked walking in a direction.
"No clue, do you think you can orb to wherever he is?"
"I don't know, I've never tried orbing to a person I've never meet."
"Maybe it'll work, you want to try?"
"I guess so." Conlan said as he focused on trying to find a man in the cemetery. He orbed to what he thought was his location, taking Elisha with him.
They appeared in front of a crypt in the darker corners of the place.
"I guess we try the crypt?" Elisha stated.
"Sure."
They walked over to the door and tried the knob. It turned slowly and creaked as it opened. As they descended the steps, they heard voices.
"I can't help you miss. Leave my home, I have customers." One voice ordered.
"But." began another but it was cut off.
Elisha and Conlan reached the bottom of the steps and saw Maria talking to the man.
"Maria what are you doing here?" Elisha demanded.
"This is my uncle." She replied.
"No I'm not. Leave girl, before you die." The man seethed.
Maria sighed and shoved past Conlan and Elisha to leave the crypt. The couple walked up to the man. "We heard you could help us." Elisha began.
"Perhaps I can, perhaps I can't."
"I feel that you should start talking, or I'll start combusting." Conlan stated as he raised his hands.
"Please, I'm not stupid; I have this place protected from witch's powers. So even if you attempted anything, it wouldn't work." The man sneered.
Conlan looked skeptically at him and tried to freeze him. When he didn't freeze, Conlan sighed. "What do we need to get an answer out of you?" he asked.
"Well, first off I need to know exactly what type of information you want." The man replied grinning.
Elisha explained the situation to him and awaited his answer.
"The Suits, they've come to Sunnydale… it's about time." He muttered before he was cut off by Elisha placing her sword on the table.
"Where are they?" Conlan asked.
"I don't know." He replied as he began to turn around.
"For those who want the truth revealed, opened hearts and secrets unsealed, from now until it's now again, after which the memory ends." Conlan chanted looking at the man.
A glow washed over him and Conlan asked again.
"Some demons have said that there is a new presence in the old manor off of Main Street." He replied monotone.
"Thank you; by the way, what type of demon are you?" questioned Elisha.
"I'm a Bunyip, I exist to help myself and the occasional passerby."
"What did that woman ask you?" Conlan asked before leaving.
"She wanted to gather information on the suits as well." The man answered.
Conlan nodded and led Elisha out of the crypt. "We should round up the cavalry. Then we can attack them full force." Elisha stated.
"I concur, we should also tell them what the man said about Maria." Conlan replied, before calling out to the others and telling them to meet him and Elisha back at the Magic Box. He then orbed back over there and told everyone what they learned.
"We should head over there now." Buffy commanded.
"I think we should find out more background information about these Suits, find out exactly what their powers are." Giles countered.
"But Giles, Buffy's sister and Elisha's brother are in danger!" yelled Xander.
"I think it should be obvious why Giles wants us to research. You all saw how quickly they took us all out." Willow stated.
'If we don't learn some things, what's to stop them from doing what they've already done all over again, and as the saying goes, 'the best offense is a good defense.'" Conlan pointed out.
"That's true." Elisha concluded.
They then all tore into the books and they didn't find anything on the Suits.
"Great, we've gone through every book and found nothing." Tara muttered.
"There is probably an entry in the Book, but I can't call for it." Conlan stated.
"Let's combine powers and see if we can get it." Willow suggested.
The witches joined hands and called out "Book of Shadows." They felt the tingling sensation and the Book slowly appeared in their hands.
"Yes!" everyone cried, before Buffy directed them to, "Celebrate later, research now."
They set the book down and Conlan flicked his hand at the pages, telekinetically flipping it to the entry on the Suits, which Willow read aloud, "The Suits are a powerful force of evil. They roam from town to town, collecting blood from young teens, saving it to use in a resurrection ritual for the Master. Little is known about their powers except that they can knock people unconscious with just a glance and they are immune to telekinetic abilities."
"Is that all it says?" Elisha inquired.
"Yeah," Willow stated.
"Is there a mention of a vanquish?" Tara asked.
"No, but maybe with a spell and some potions we might be able to kill them." Conlan stated reading over Willow's shoulder and turning the page.
"So what do we do first?" Giles questioned.
"There are some powerful potions in the Book; you guys can make them while I'll work on the spell." Conlan dictated.
Conlan opened the Book to the potions list before walking over to a counter to begin crafting the spell. The others worked on the potions and a few hours later, everything was ready. "Alright," began Conlan, "here's what's going to happen. Buffy and the others will go down Main Street and get into the manor the man mentioned. Once they're in, I'll orb myself, Tara, and Willow over, as soon as we get there, we'll go after the Suits while you guys go get Dawn and Elijah."
"Sounds good, wait, how'll you know when we have gotten into the manor?" Elisha asked.
"I'll be channeling Buffy's mind. When she sees the inside of the manor, I'll orb on over."
Giles, Buffy, Xander and Elisha left the shop and began their way down towards the manor. Conlan entered telepath mode and began channeling it. Willow and Tara soon joined hands with Conlan entered the channeling as well.
They saw Buffy break into the manor, so Conlan orbed them all over. "Alright, we'll go get the Suits, you guys go get Elijah and Dawn." Willow stated.
They spit off and Willow followed Conlan up a flight of stairs. They walked down a hall and their nostrils where violated by a mixture of dried blood and viscera.
"Oh goddess, what is that smell?" Tara whined.
"Smells like a demon lair," Conlan stated grimly as they rounded the corner and entered a bedroom, where they saw their targets, "Alright, each of us needs to throw a potion, chant the spell, and throw the other three potions afterwards."
They nodded and threw the potions at the Suits, then they began chanting, "Evil forces in business attire, shall now perish by witch's fire, we are haunted by your faces, with these words we them erase." They finished it off by throwing the rest of the potions at them.
The resulting explosion threw them out of the room. Conlan sat up and touched his head where blood was coming out of a small cut where he hit his head.
"Ow, now that was defiantly a vanquish." He affirmed.
Tara and Willow rose with him and went back into the room. They saw three scorch marks on the walls where the Suits had been standing. They looked at the bed and saw Maria on it, with many puncture wounds across her arms.
"She probably overheard what the man told Elisha and I at the cemetery and thought she could take them out because she could take out a vampire." Conlan hypothesized.
"What should we do?" Tara inquired.
"Take her with us." Conlan admitted.
Conlan brought her up with telekinesis and they walked out of the room. 'Lish, where are you?" Conlan called out in his mind.
'We're in the basement. We've found the others. Did you get them?' Elisha responded.
'Yeah, didn't you hear the explosion?'
'No, where do you want to meet us?'
'Out front I wager.'
The witches made their way out front, Giles soon joined them followed by Buffy carrying Dawn, Xander carrying Elijah, and Elisha bringing up the rear.
"Why is Maria with you?" Giles queried.
"We found her in the room we 86ed the Suits in. I'm betting she thought she could take them out."
"Well, we should take her back to the Magic Box and then ask why she was there." Buffy stated.
They nodded and made their way back to the shop.
"How are Elijah and Dawn?" questioned Tara as she sat down between them.
"They're ok; just unconscious."
"So you guys got the Suits?" Elisha asked, walking up to Conlan and touching the bleeding cut on the side of his head.
"Yeah, they went up in an explosion and left behind three lovely back marks." Conlan explained as he took her hand in his.
Three police men walked into the manor. They were investigating a compliant about noise coming from the abandoned house. They scoped the entire house and stumbled into a room and saw scorch marks on the walls.
"What the hell happened here?" wondered one man as he walked up to a scorch mark and touched it.
"Looks like arson of some type, but why didn't anything else get burnt?" asked another.
Suddenly the third man screamed in pain after he touched one of the marks. Soon after, the other two let out unearthly screeches as well.
The neighborhood around the house went on as normal, oblivious to the sounds.