Chapter 14: Revelations Part 2
Arcadia Oaks, January 14th, 2017
"Ben the intern?" Buffy Summers frowned. "You know the guy?" She narrowed her eyes and looked at the man currently walking towards the hospital's entrance. He was young, quite attractive... "Wait! I know the guy! He works at Sunnydale Memorial! He treated Mom!"
"He also treated Tobes," Jim added. "Just today. But what is he doing in Arcadia Oaks?"
"And why is he naked?" Buffy grimaced - she could see the guy's nude legs and bare feet, and the way he wrapped the blanket around himself… it wasn't really cold enough for that! Ew!
"I don't know," Jim replied, shaking his head.
"It's suspicious," Claire whispered with a deep frown.
Well, doh! Of course it was suspicious. Pretty much everything from Sunnydale was. Wait… "Nude? What if he's a time-traveller?"
"I doubt that time-travel works like in an American movie," Giles commented. "But I do agree that his presence here, especially at this time, does lend itself to ask certain questions. Was he abducted? Or is there a more sinister reason for his presence?"
Buffy clenched her teeth. "And what is he doing in the hospital?" Where Xander was, presumably helpless. "We can't leave him alone in there!" Well, Willow was there, but still!
"I agree," Giles said. "Given the circumstances, we cannot take that risk."
"I'm texting Willow!" Buffy announced, already typing out a message to her friend.
"If he's working for Glory, then we can't leave him there," Claire said, hefting her staff.
"We can't bring him into the portal space!" Buffy protested. "Glory isn't allowed to know about Dawn!"
The girl frowned at her. "I wasn't planning to take him there!"
Buffy sniffed at the attitude. "Hey, you did it with Spike!"
"That doesn't mean I would do it again!"
Ah! Spike had been his usual charming self. Buffy grinned - briefly. "So, you can't be seen. I'll sneak in and check on the intern guy."
"Buffy…" Giles shook his head. "Be careful."
"I'm always careful!" she assured him. Then she frowned at his grimace. She was still alive, wasn't she?
"You don't know the layout," Claire told her.
Buffy sniffed. "Seen one hospital, seen any."
"That's not how the saying goes!" Giles tried to correct her.
"But it's how I go! Watch my hammer!" She grinned and quickly made her way to the back of the hospital before there were more stupid objections. Giles couldn't fight off a demon, and the kids couldn't be seen without ruining their lives. So, it was clear that this fell to Buffy.
She saw the backdoor and smelt the lingering stench of stale smoke. As she had expected - this was where the staff went out to smoke so the patients wouldn't call them out as hypocrites.
She had no trouble opening the door - she didn't even have to break it. Just had to slip her credit card into the small gap, then press a little and presto! Clearly, Arcadia Oaks didn't have any problem with blood thieves. Then again, knowing what trolls ate, perhaps their laundry shops and pet shops were more secure than Fort Knox.
She stepped inside - the stench of stale smoke was replaced by the smell of disinfectant - and now she just had to find Ben the intern guy and Xander and Willow. Easy.
Or it should be - Arcadia Oaks' hospital wasn't too big, either. So… the surgery rooms - or whatever docs called them - were in that wing; she could hear the frantic calls for blood and plasma and whatever other stuff they needed. The other wing was the mostly silent one, so that was probably where the patient rooms were. Then again, Xander might be in surgery.
She pressed her lips together and texted Willow for Xander's location. After a moment, she received the answer.
Still in surgery.
Damn. She cursed under her breath. That meant that Xander was hurt worse than she'd thought. Not as bad as the two cops, though - surely not. And Willow would be…
Buffy clenched her teeth. She couldn't go comfort Willow - and get comforted. She had to find Ben the intern, first. He hadn't looked as if he had been hurt much, if at all - he hadn't been on a gurney. So… She looked to her left. Perhaps in one of the rooms? She sniffed the air. She didn't know his scent, alas. And there was too much cleaning agent and disinfectant in the air, anyway.
She'd have to do this the old fashioned way. Sighing, she started down the hall, listening at each room - and for approaching nurses and doctors. Not that she expected many of those to patrol the hallways - not in such a small town, at this time of the night, and with two or three emergency cases to treat.
The first door was quiet. She opened it a gap wide and peered inside. An older woman was asleep in the bed. No Ben.
The next two rooms were actually empty. The fourth down the hallway had a kid in it playing games on his phone with the lights out - she could hear the sounds and his cursing and saw no light shine under the door.
Chuckling, she sneaked to the next door.
Nothing… wait! She narrowed her eyes. Someone was mumbling inside, but she couldn't quite make out the words. She licked her lips, checked once more for nurses, then opened the door slowly and silently until she could peer inside…
...and found herself staring at Ben the intern. Who was sitting on the bed, wearing one of those ugly skimpy hospital paper gowns. And looking directly at her.
"Miss... Summers?"
He sounded shocked. And nervous.
She pressed her lips together and slipped inside. "What are you doing here?" she blurted out.
"I… What are you doing here? Did something happen to your mother?"
"No." She frowned. "We drove up here after we heard about the massacre in the park."
"You left your mother in the hospital?"
It wasn't like that. "What are you doing here?" she asked instead of answering. She glared at him. Trying to make her feel bad for leaving Mom in the hospital?
"I don't know," he said. "I woke up naked in an alley next to a wounded man."
Oh. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"I was in the hospital in Sunnydale."
He had been kidnapped, then. Probably by Glory's minions. "Have you seen anyone who could've done this?"
"No." He pressed his lips together. Had he seen a demon and wanted to keep silent so he wouldn't be sent to the asylum? Buffy could understand that. "But what are you doing here in my room?" Now he was glaring at her.
"I'm looking for a friend of mine. He got hurt." A good cover story was close to the truth, or something like that.
"Didn't you ask at the reception desk?"
"They were swamped with those emergencies. Anyway - I'll be going now. Good night."
He didn't call after her. Probably wanted her gone. Probably thought she was a weirdo. Story of her life, really. Not that that would stop her.
Outside, she texted Willow again. Ben the intern is in 1-5.
Xander's out of surgery.
Great!
He's OK.
Buffy sighed, relieved. Can we move him?
No!
And there went her relief. Damn.
What was taking the Slayer so long? James Lake Jr pressed his lips together.
"Xander's probably being treated," Claire said. He looked at her - had he spoken out loud? "I know what you're thinking. Your expression is always the same when you're worrying and waiting."
"Oh." He felt foolish. And in front of Mr Giles, too!
Although the older man wasn't really looking at them, he noticed - he was looking at the hospital as well. "It may be smaller than the one in Sunnydale, but I doubt that you can just walk in and immediately find whoever you're looking for. Bureaucracy doesn't work like that."
"It's a decent-sized hospital," Jim said. Mom worked there.
"For this town, yes." The man sighed. "Although without a Hellmouth, I presume you lack the same need for extensive medical facilities Sunnydale has."
"Probably," Jim agreed. "That doesn't mean that they're worse."
"I didn't say that."
"Detective Scott's coming," Claire told them. "That's his car."
They watched the detective enter the hospital. He looked ragged. And angry. Well, he had lost three of his colleagues to Glory. "He must have been looking for Glory until now," Jim said.
"Foolish, yet understandable. I've done something similar, in similar circumstances," Mr Giles commented. "I was fortunate to survive the consequences."
His tone clearly implied that he didn't think the detective would be as lucky.
"What did you do?" Claire asked.
The man hesitated for a moment, then snorted softly. "I attacked the Whirlwind by myself in an attempt to avenge my charges."
"Oh." Claire looked impressed. Wait… she had mentioned the Whirlwind. That had been the group of William the Bloody!
And speaking of… "How exactly did William the Bloody become your friend?"
Mr Giles glared at him. "I wouldn't call him a friend. Merely an occasional ally of circumstances. Perhaps a co-belligerent."
The vampire hadn't acted like a mere ally, in Jim's opinion. And he didn't think everyone thought that. Yet… this probably wasn't the moment to pry. "So… how's the weather in Sunnydale?" Jim asked.
That at least made the others laugh. But it didn't make the waiting any better. At any moment, Glory could arrive. And if she caught them, with the portal open… the hell-goddess didn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she knew that Claire was responsible for the portals - and she would take out Claire first. Try to take her out - she would hurt Claire over his dead body. But Jim knew the odds were against him doing anything to Glory before…
He shook his head. He couldn't think like this. That way lay defeat, as he had been taught. "Is there a way to call someone from portal space?" he asked. "Can we get a signal through an open portal?"
"Oh!" Claire smiled. "We need to test it. If I can get a signal through a portal, we can be safe and still communicate - I could open a portal into the air, far above Glory's or anyone's reach!"
Jim nodded. Not that Glory could pass through a portal. But her minions probably could.
"That would be quite useful," Mr Giles commented - which probably meant it was a really good idea. "Although we might need to be on the lookout for aeroplanes or helicopters."
"Not that high," Claire clarified.
"High enough to be out of reach - or, more precisely, sight - for a flying demon could easily be at an altitude at which helicopters and smaller planes travel," Mr Giles told her. "Although the odds for a collision are low, it behoves us to be cautious."
"I can vary the size of the portal as well," Claire told him. "I should be able to make them small enough so none of Glory's allies can pass through."
"Some species of demons are quite small. But overall, it's a good idea which will render us safer than we currently are."
Claire nodded. Jim was about to comment further - they still had to test it - when his phone vibrated. He pulled it out. "Tobes!"
"Your friend is awake?" Mr Giles asked.
Jim didn't answer - he accepted the call, with Claire at his side, tilting her head to look at the screen and listen in. "Tobes!"
"Jimbo! What's going on? I'm stuck at home according to AAARRRGGHH!, and I have no idea what happened! The news is talking about an attack on the police!"
Jim winced. That might take some time to explain.
Buffy Summers was hiding in a cupboard in the hospital, waiting for Xander to be transferred to a regular room - Willow had texted her that he would be under observation until he woke up from surgery - when she heard a familiar voice. Familiar and annoying: Detective Scott.
"Detective! The patient was just admitted!" she heard a woman - a nurse or a doctor - say.
"He helped save another victim, didn't he? He might've seen something that can help us with the investigation, Dr Lake."
Dr Lake? Jim's mother? "He was naked, probably kidnapped, and almost certainly under shock. If he hadn't been a doctor, I doubt that he would've been able to function."
"But he did. Doctor, two police officers were killed, and one is in critical condition, as you told me yourself. This man is one of our only leads. Unless we stop this woman, she'll attack more people."
Yeah, that sounded like the Detective who had been talking to her. And it seemed that he was ignoring the fact that he was totally outclassed and trying to arrest a monster that could tear through any cell he had available. The guy would've fit in well in Sunnydale. Or not - Buffy doubted that any cop who actually tried to arrest demons would survive for a week in her hometown.
"I want to examine him first, to ensure that your interrogation won't do any harm."
"I'm just asking a few questions."
"The man has been through a traumatic ordeal. Making him go through it again is not generally helpful for a speedy recovery."
Well, now Buffy knew where Jim got his stubbornness from. She grinned at the grumbling she heard from the cop.
Then she heard the door being opened. "Mr Wilkinson? I'm Detective Scott. I have a few questions for you."
"After I have determined whether or not you are fit to be interrogated," Dr Lake cut in.
"Interrogated?" Ben sounded nervous.
Then the door closed. Buffy clenched her teeth. She could barely make out the questions Dr Kale was asking about how Ben felt. Why would anyone make such thick cupboard doors? She shook her head and opened the door. The coast was clear.
A moment later, she was at the door to Ben's room, listening - knowing what exactly had happened to Ben would be very useful. Though it would probably take a while for Dr Lake to finish examining the guy. And Glory could arrive at any moment, tearing through the hospital...
Well, she couldn't do anything else right now. Not until Xander was fit to be transported.
"I woke up naked in that alley, next to a bleeding man. I immediately started to render first aid and treat his wounds - I'm a physician."
"How did you end up there?" The detective sounded a little sceptical, at least to Buffy.
"I don't know. The last thing I remember is walking home in Sunnydale." And Ben sounded a little… well, more than a little nervous.
"Sunnydale."
"Yes. I'm working as an intern there, at Sunnydale Memorial."
"There's been a massacre today at Sunnydale. Dozens of victims. Weren't you called to work for such an emergency?"
That was actually a good question.
"When was that? They might've called me when I was already unconscious," Ben replied.
"When did you walk home?"
"A little after six. My shift ended at six."
"Ah. And where were you kidnapped?"
"I remember entering the street leading to my home, and then… nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"That's not unusual for a traumatic experience," Dr Lake cut in. "People suppress such memories."
"I'll need a full report of his injuries," the detective told Jim's mom. "Including bloodwork."
"File a request." And she didn't like the detective, either.
"What about my privacy?" Ben asked.
"We're investigating a double murder, possibly connected to a gang war in Sunnydale," the detective told him. "We need every information about this we can get."
"What about a lawyer?"
"You aren't under arrest."
"That means I can leave?"
"The murderer is still out there. You are a witness."
"But... I need to return to Sunnydale. I need to at least call the clinic."
"I'll inform them," Dr Lake said. "And you're not going anywhere until we've finished examining you."
"You might be taken into protective custody, depending on the results of our investigation."
"But… I didn't see anything!"
"The murderer might not know that."
Buffy heard steps coming towards the door and quickly dashed across the hallway, back into the cupboard.
"What was that? That wasn't… What were you thinking, Detective Scott?" Dr Lake said in a low voice.
"I've got a monster loose in town. And he's the only witness I have available until the other survivors wake up. I know this wasn't exactly proper, but I need more information before more people are killed."
"He said he didn't see anything."
"He said so, yes."
"You don't believe him."
"He must have been unconscious for several hours if he was knocked out at around six and then woke up here half an hour ago. So, he must have been drugged."
"That's why you want the blood test."
"Yes."
"We're working on that."
"Work faster."
Buffy rolled her eyes, as she was sure the doctor did as well. The detective was… well, not as bad as Snyder. But certainly far grumpier than he should be.
And he didn't realise that he was in way over his head.
"...and now we're waiting until we can recover Xander from the hospital," James Lake Jr finished.
"Wow. This is… We're in deep trouble." Even through the phone, Jim could easily tell that Toby was concerned. "A hell-goddess?"
"Yes. But she can't go through a portal. So, we're going to evacuate everyone to the space between portals," Jim explained.
"Everyone? Nana too?"
Jim winced. Toby's grandmother didn't know about trolls. Like Jim's mom and Claire's parents didn't. "Everyone involved who knows about this," he replied. And tried not to feel too guilty - they couldn't tell their parents about this.
"But… what if the monsters try to take her hostage? Or your mom?" Toby asked.
"We have no reason to assume that your identities are known to Glorificus," Mr Giles cut in. "Though we also have no guarantee that this isn't the case. It might be advisable to inform your parents and guardians."
Jim gasped. "But…"
"It's obvious that Glorificus is aware of Buffy's identity. We need to move her mother from the hospital in Sunnydale to a private clinic in Los Angeles," Mr Giles went on. "If she weren't aware of the supernatural, this would be a lot harder - especially with us being away from Sunnydale."
"But we can't tell my parents! They'll… if they find out about Enrique…" Claire shook her head, sniffling.
Jim reached out and pulled her close, carefully hugging her.
"But if they don't know…" Toby trailed off. "And what about the others? Darcy? Eli? Mary? Steve?"
"We can't tell everyone," Jim said, clenching his jaws. That would expose the trolls to the government. And while he didn't know exactly what the Slayer had done for the government, what he knew made him doubt that the government knowing about trolls was a good thing.
"But if I go away, Nana will worry."
"If Glory doesn't know about us… She hasn't seen us. She only saw me in armour…"
"She saw me," Claire said. She was pressing her lips together, trembling slightly. "Without a disguise."
Damn.
"So Glorificus will be able to recognise you." Mr Giles sounded grim. "Which won't take overly long in this town, with only one school to attend, I gather."
Claire shook her head, and Jim saw that her lips were pressed together so much, they formed a thin, pale line. "And if they find you, they find us," he said. She wasn't alone in this!
But instead of being comforted, she looked as if he had struck her. Oh, no - he was such an idiot! "It's not your fault - you had to save the two cops. And Dawn and the others."
"Yes," Toby valiantly, if not quite successfully, chimed in over the phone.
"I should've worn a mask or something - I should've thought of this!" she retorted, almost wailing.
He took her into his arms again. "No. None of us thought of that."
"And if you had been wearing a mask, I presume that this would've caused more trouble with the local police," Mr Giles cut in. "Nevertheless, what's done is done. Recriminations won't help anyone except for Glorificus. We need to look ahead - and that means finding ways to keep your families safe."
"But my parents will want to keep me safe!" Claire protested.
"A very understandable and laudable stance, I have to point out," Mr Giles told her.
"No! They won't let me fight Glory! Or Gunmar!"
But would that be a bad thing? Jim didn't ask that aloud, of course. But to know Claire was safe… It was selfish of him, but it had a certain appeal.
"I would dare say that your parents will attempt to do so," Mr Giles said. "However, as Joyce found out, to her chagrin, I have to add, certain circumstances are beyond a parent's power to control."
"What do you mean?" Jim asked.
Mr Giles's smile looked rather sad. "Leaving aside the question of whether or not either of you would let your parent's wishes keep you from protecting people, there's the fact that Miss Nuñez is crucial for our struggle with Glorificus." He looked at Claire. "We need you to keep Dawn safe. Trying to keep you safe by keeping you from fighting at Mr Lake's side would endanger the whole world. And since said world includes you, any such attempt would defeat its purpose."
"Oh." That made sense, Jim found, But it might not make sense for parents. They were often unreasonable.
Claire slowly nodded, her expression turning more determined for a moment. "Yes. But they might not understand or even believe me!"
"I dare say that I and the others can help with that," Mr Giles said. "I have some experience explaining the facts of the supernatural to others."
"But…" Jim hesitated. "My mom's tied with that curse to Strickler. If I try to tell her - or take her to safety - then he'll…"
Mr Giles nodded. "I'm aware of that. We shall have to endeavour to find a solution for this particular problem."
Sometimes, Jim found, British understatement felt a little dismissive.
"Psst!" Buffy Summers whispered as she sneaked into Xander's room.
Her bestie, Willow, jerked, almost falling off the chair she was sitting on. She recovered quickly, though. "Buffy!"
Buffy nodded at her, then looked at Xander. "How is he?" It was a dumb question - Xander had bandages and another cast, this one around his foot. And he looked battered.
"He's sleeping off the anaesthetics," Willow said. "But he's going to be alright. Cracked ribs, broken ankle - he landed on the wrong foot, I guess."
It was a poor attempt to joke, but Buffy still chuckled. Once. "He'll be more annoyed that he's out of the fight than about the wounds, I bet." And about the pain. But that was normal for Xander.
Willow nodded. "But we can't move him until he wakes up - if there are complications and we don't have a doctor…" She hunched over and looked away.
Buffy gritted her teeth. That complicated things. If Glory showed up here… The hell-goddess was dumber than Harmony, but she had known to go to the police. Going to a hospital wouldn't be too much of a challenge for her, although she might need to be told about… She blinked. "Maybe that's why she kidnapped Ben the intern!"
"Huh?"
"Ben the intern. A doctor from Sunnydale. Was knocked out on his way home and dumped naked in an alley here. It must have been Glory!" Buffy explained. "That means she's aware of hospitals. And she has our names! We need to evacuate Mum and the others!" She quickly pulled out her phone - Dawn's, she reminded herself - and dialled Giles's number. "Giles! We need to evacuate Mom!"
"I've already taken steps to that effect," he replied.
"You have?" Doh, of course he would have - planning and being responsible was his thing! "Good. Now we just have to wait for Xander to wake up so we can evacuate him without risking his life."
"And we have to contact and convince the parents of Miss Nuñez, Mr Lake and Mr…"
"Domzalski," Buffy heard Jim add.
"...Mr Domzalski that, for their own safety, they have to enter another dimension for an indeterminable period of time," Giles said.
Buffy winced.
Willow, though, perked up. "Oh! That means we have a doctor with us who can monitor Xander!"
Buffy tilted her head at her bestie. "Willow! That's not the point! And convincing anyone that magic is real takes a long time!"
"It didn't take a long time for us!" Willow retorted.
"You were abducted by vampires and saw me slay them," Buffy pointed out. "That's not the same as listening to Giles drone on about the forces of darkness in your living room with a cup of tea."
A cough sounded from the phone's speaker. "I dare say we will have a slightly more lively demonstration, thanks to Miss Nuñez's portals and the availability of cooperative trolls."
"But that doesn't teach people the dangers!" Buffy protested. They wouldn't realise how dangerous demons and skanky hell-goddesses were by talking to Blinky - the troll sounded as dangerous as a walking teddy bear. Well, those could be dangerous, of course, if possessed, but still! And she wasn't quite sure if the other troll could speak more than a few words.
"Uh… Buffy?" Willow pointed at the tv screen in the room.
"What?" Buffy turned, "Oh." She saw a reporter in front of a familiar park - even at night, she could make out the trees perfectly well.
"...the site of a massacre of unprecedented scope! Dozens of people were literally slaughtered in an orgy of violence! The perpetrators are yet unknown - the Sunnydale Police Department has yet to release even a description of any suspects!"
"I think that should serve nicely to show how dangerous Glory is," Willow said in a small voice.
Buffy nodded. "Then let's go round them up. If we're lucky, Xander will be up and joking by the time we get the last of the parents." Or they'd have a doctor with them who could tell them how to safely move Xander by then.
"We can't just get Mom! She's working in the hospital!" James Lake Jr protested.
"We totally can take her. I think you mean we shouldn't," came the Slayer's reply. "But alright, let's start with Claire's parents. And Toby's gran."
"Nana," Jim said out of reflex.
"Her first, then."
That hadn't been what Jim had meant, but correcting the Slayer felt pointless. "She's old. We need to be very careful." And she hadn't noticed that AAARRRGGHH! was practically a houseguest in her home, which said a lot about her.
"Very well. Let's proceed - the longer we wait, the greater the risk that Glorificus might appear on the premises," Mr Giles said.
"Wait!" Claire spoke up. "You want to just… show up and take them with us? Through a portal?"
"That's the idea, yes!" the Slayer replied through the phone. "Just punt them into your pocket dimension and let us sort things out later!"
"I do believe a little more finesse and caution is called for in this instance," Mr Giles pointed out.
"Fine, it's your job - I'm just the bodyguard girl right now."
Jim sighed. He had a bad feeling about this - the Nuñez would likely want to kill him for endangering Claire - but he didn't see any other way out of this mess.
"So, let's go. But best refrain from using portals, in case that Glorificus might react to them. He has not, so far, but that is no guarantee," Mr Giles said. "And while a hell-god invading your home would be a quite suitable example for demonstrating the dangers awaiting your families, I would rather avoid such an incident."
Yeah, Jim reminded himself, he didn't like Mr Giles's brand of joking about the dangers any better than the Slayer's.
But they walked towards Toby's home anyway, at a brisk pace. Jim called ahead. "Tobes? We're coming. Is there anything we should consider when telling your nana about, well, trolls and demons and hell-goddesses?"
"Uh… what?"
"Alright," James Lake Jr said as they reached Toby's house. "Careful, and don't shock her."
"I shall try my best, but in my experience, most people do not react to the very foundations of their lives and beliefs being upended without being shocked."
"Just don't, you know…" Jim trailed off.
"Don't be rude or condescending," Claire said.
Mr Giles actually looked offended.
Jim rang the doorbell. Toby had been supposed to wake up his nana, so they wouldn't disturb her in her sleep, but it still took a minute until the door opened a gap, and Mrs Domzalski peered at them through her thick glasses. "Yes? You're Toby's friends, here for an emergency?"
"Yes, Nana," Toby said from behind her. "Please let them in."
"I know Jim and Claire, but not the man."
"I'm Rupert Giles, Mrs Domzalski. I'm a librarian."
"Oh. Toby-pie didn't forget to return a book, did he? Did you?"
"No, Nana, I didn't. But please, let them in - it's important."
"Alright, come in. I don't have any snacks available, though - it's a little late to make any."
Jim didn't know whether it was a good sign or not that she hadn't commented on his armour.
"Thank you, Mrs Domzalski." Mr Giles sat down on the couch. "Now, you might wonder what this emergency is about."
"Is it about Toby-Pie hurting himself?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Mr Giles replied. "Your grandson is involved in an important affair, which has caused some consequences for you."
"I don't understand."
"Well, this requires some background. The world is older than you know…"
"...and ever since that day, the Slayer has been fighting demons," Mr Giles finished. "I presume that you would like proof that magic is real."
But Mrs Domzalski didn't look at him - she turned towards Toby. "Toby-pie?"
"It's the truth, Nana!" Toby told her. "I've got a magic hammer!" He reached into his bag to pull out his war hammer, showing how it ignited.
"And you've been fighting demons with this Slayer?" Toby's grandmother seemed far too calm, in Jim's opinion, for such an earth-shattering revelation.
"No, I've been fighting with - well, fighting evil trolls with Jimbo here. He's the Trollhunter."
James Lake Jr cleared his throat. Mr Giles was a tough act to follow, as Claire would say, but Jim would do his best. "I was chosen by the Amulet of Daylight," he said, touching his armour. "It was made by Merlin, centuries ago. And my duty is to defend trolls and humans alike against the evil trolls under Gunmar." He quickly unsummoned and summoned his armour.
"Oh." Toby's nana shook her head. "I would have never... " She trailed off. "And you got hurt fighting trolls!"
Toby hunched over a little. "Not exactly, Nana. It was a… misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Jim drew back a little at Mrs Domzalski's expression. He had seen her frown before, when a batch of cookies didn't come out to her standards, or when she passed on some piece of gossip old people cared about, but her current frown...
"Uh…"
"They had incomplete information and posed as demons to fool the Slayer's friends in order to recover a troll relic," Mr Giles said before taking a sip from his cup. "In turn, your grandson was hurt by the Slayer's little sister."
Jim opened his mouth to protest - that made light of Toby's wounds; Jim's friend had almost died! - but reconsidered. The old woman looked angry already. At least it also wiped off the Slayer's grin at hearing this.
"I see. So, you travelled by magic from your room to… Sunnydale?"
"Uh… we took the bus there. Claire hadn't been there before, so she couldn't open a portal to the town," Toby told her. He looked down. "And we had some friends of us fool you into thinking we were in my room. Sorry."
"Friends of yours? That Pepperjack boy?"
"Eli? No," Toby said. "It was my wingman, AAARRRGGHH!"
"Argh?"
"He's a troll. But a very good one. AAARRRGGHH!?"
"Wingman?" AAARRRGGHH! slowly appeared on top of the stairs and peered down.
"Nana, this is AAARRRGGHH!, my wingman. AAARRRGGHH!, this is my nana."
For the first time since Mr Giles had started talking, Toby's nana gaped. "This… this… You're a troll?"
"Yes." AAARRRGGHH! slowly inclined his head.
"And you're Toby-Pie's friend?"
"Yes. Good friend."
Mrs Domzalski leaned back, taking a few deep breaths.
"Nana? Are you OK?"
"You fight trolls like him?"
"Not like AAARRRGGHH!," Toby protested. "He's a good troll!"
"But… trolls his size?" she stared as AAARRRGGHH! Carefully took the stairs down to the living room.
"Well… sometimes. Sometimes we fight goblins. Or changelings. Or flying monsters," Toby told her.
She shook her head again. "And I didn't know. You didn't tell me."
Toby flinched. So did Jim. "We didn't want you to worry," Toby said.
"This is common amongst teenagers suddenly thrust into such a situation and bearing such responsibilities," Mr Giles cut in. "It's often based on understandable, if - possibly - misplaced, fears about their family's reaction to such revelations." He leaned forward slightly. "Though you seem to be taking the revelation about the supernatural better than most, Mrs Domzalski."
She snorted in reply. "I've seen a thing or two in my life. Magic might as well fit. But to hear my dear Toby-Pie has been fighting trolls and demons..."
"We didn't fight demons!" Toby protested. "Well, technically, we did fight a vampire today, but… does that count?"
"It does, if it was Spike," Mr Giles told him in a dry tone. "However, we didn't just inform you about the supernatural world so your grandson wouldn't have to keep it secret from you any more, Mrs Domzalski," he went on. "There has been a concerning development. A hell-god banished to Earth is currently trying to break the seal that binds it to our dimension. If it succeeds, Earth would be rendered open to invasions from all hell dimensions. We oppose this and have taken great strides in preventing such an outcome, but in the process, our identities may have been compromised - which endangers our families." He sighed. "I'm afraid that we're asking you to temporarily leave your home for your and your grandson's safety."
"You want me to leave my home."
"Temporarily," Mr Giles repeated himself.
"Please, Nana! We can't stay - Glory is a monster! She massacred dozens of people in Sunnydale, and she attacked the police here!" Toby said. "The only place that's safe is Claire's portal dimension - Glory can't pass through a portal."
Jim looked at Claire, as did everyone else present. She had been uncharacteristically silent, he realised.
She nodded. "Yes, Mrs Domzalski. I can transport you to a safe place. We're planning to evacuate all our families there."
"Only until the threat has passed. We need more time to organise a response to Glorificus," Mr Giles explained.
"To save the world."
"Effectively, yes. We already keep the key that would open the seal safe from Glorificus."
"My Toby-Pie is saving the world." She was smiling now - though it looked a little sad. "Your parents would be so proud, Toby. I'm proud as well."
"Nana…" Toby smiled at her and swallowed, Jim saw. He was probably surprised - Jim certainly was. But it was a nice surprise. And Claire… wasn't smiling.
Jim frowned and leaned towards her. "Claire?" he whispered.
She was startled. "Oh! Sorry."
"What's wrong?" he asked while Toby and his nana hugged.
"I'm…" She pressed her lips together. "I'm trying to work out how to tell my parents. And how they'll react."
"Oh." Yes, Jim could see how that was… distracting. And concerning. "Don't worry - they'll probably blame me," he joked.
Judging by her expression, it wasn't a good joke. Or a joke at all.
"So… I don't want to be pushy, but time is of the essence. We have to evacuate two more families. If you would collect the necessities - we can return later to gather more of your belongings - and join us in Miss Nuñez's dimension?" Mr Giles asked.
Toby's nana frowned at him, but it wasn't the frown from before. "I'll get the shovel."
"The shovel?" Mr Giles asked.
"My father fought in the trenches. He said a shovel was the best tool and weapon you could have. We've always had a shovel in our home, wherever we lived." She smiled at them, showing her teeth.
It was a little concerning, in Jim's opinion.
The others seemed to share his views - Mr Giles mumbled something about a shovel speech.
