Chapter 28: The Forge
Arcadia Oaks, January 22nd, 2017
Walking through the streets of the town, Buffy Summers felt frustrated. She should be patrolling, not… walking to a meet-up with some soldiers. Which included her stupid ex-boyfriend, Riley 'I can't handle a girlfriend who's stronger than I am' Finn. Whose unit of 'special demon-hunting forces who are totally not the survivors of the old Initiative' had finally arrived in town.
"This sucks," she muttered.
"Huh?" Jim asked, cocking his head.
"Nothing," Buffy forced herself to smile. "Just… woolgathering."
"'Woolgathering'?" The boy blinked at her.
"Yes, woolgathering, Having stupid thoughts about irrelevant stuff." She was a college student; she could talk like one, too.
"Oh." He nodded. "I thought you were worried about the soldiers."
"Why would I be worried about the soldiers?" she asked.
"Because the other soldiers shot at us when they caught us out after curfew?"
"They tried to catch you; they didn't succeed," she corrected him. "And those were totally different soldiers. And I don't worry about them." Absolutely not.
"Yeah. Buffy once curb stomped them in an exercise," Willow chimed in.
"And that was without my baby here!" Buffy patted the Scythe on her back. The holster the trolls had rigged up was working well so far. If only it didn't clash so much with her best top...
"Ah." Jim nodded. "And they don't resent you for that?"
"We also saved the butt when their cyborg demon hybrid thingie ran amok." Buffy shrugged. "So, yeah, we've got some history with those soldiers." She sighed.
"It's not set in stone that Riley will be there," Willow told her.
Buffy tilted her head and gave her a look. "Of course he'll be there. He's probably in command by now. And they know that he knows me."
"Oh. Your ex." Jim nodded. "I mean, your other ex."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at the boy. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing, I just…" The boy blushed. "I mean…"
Buffy sighed and turned to Willow. "Really? You talk about my boyfriends now?"
"Uh… just when it's, well, relevant." Willow had her 'I'm feeling really guilty about this' smile on, Buffy noticed.
"Great. Instead of finding a way to beat Glory, you've been talking about my love life." Past love life.
"We are trying to find a way to attack Glory, but…" Willow bit her lower lip. "I mean, if we attack her to test the Scythe and Eclipse, we should have a plan ready to deal with her once and for all as well, so we don't waste the, ah, element of surprise?"
"I know," Buffy spat. That didn't mean that she liked it, of course. She wanted, needed to take out Glory right now. As soon as the skanky hell-goddess made an appearance, at least - she hadn't done anything for days now. They weren't even sure if she was still in town. Though there had been some suspicious cases of people losing their minds...
"Well, anyway, we're almost at the meeting spot," Jim said.
"Indeed," Giles spoke up for the first time since they had left the camp. "Buffy?"
She rolled her eyes. "Alright. Going to check for a trap."
"I was merely suggesting to, ah, prepare yourself for the meeting," Giles corrected her.
She scowled in return. "Well, scouting for an ambush will do that." With a nod, she sprinted across the street and up the small slope there. Time to make a sweep through the area.
She blinked. Damn. That was Riley-speak. And she had been doing so well.
She scoffed and started a quick run around the blocks - well, houses; Arcadia Oaks didn't really have blocks like L.A. - surrounding the small patch of forest on the hill on which they'd be meeting the soldiers.
She didn't spot anything suspicious. Of course, they could be hiding inside a house, totally silent and not moving… Well, in that case, they probably had some advance warning. Enough to take out whatever stooges were at the meeting and escape through one of Claire's portals.
By the time she caught up to the others, Jim had changed into his shiny armour, and they were at the foot of the hill.
"Nothing around us that I could spot from the outside. About six people up top." Buffy nodded.
"Very well. Let's go on, then."
"I've got Claire on the line," Willow said, patting the pocket with her phone. "If anything happens, we'll be gone in a second."
One soldier was covering the path; Buffy saw him before she heard him whisper into his radio: "Four people approaching."
She was so tempted to yell: 'It's me, Riley!'
And there he was. Standing next to some old but still pretty guy with the ugly buzzcut soldiers had, just with a bit of salt and pepper. Two soldiers behind them, in camouflage better suited for the jungle, with night vision gear hiding their faces. With another watching from the treeline and the one who had announced them, that made six.
Someone was feeling insecure, she thought with a grin.
"Miss Summers," the old guy spoke up. "Mr Giles. Miss Rosenberg. Mr Lake."
Jim twitched a little at them knowing his name, but Buffy wasn't really concerned. That had been expected - the US military was good at the sneaky CIA stuff. They just sucked at actually hunting demons unless they could shoot them.
"Major Ellis," Willow said with a smile. "Hi, Riley! Hi soldiers I don't recognise."
Buffy grinned. "I'd say it's been a long time, but it hasn't."
Riley winced at that. Point Buffy. "Buffy." He was frowning. As usual. No humour.
"Riley." She bared her teeth. "How's life in the jungle?"
"Good." And here came his teeth.
But the Major frowned. "We here to discuss the situation in this town."
Riley straightened. "Yes, sir!"
"Quite," Giles said. "Have you been informed about Glorificus?"
"We've been briefed," the Major replied.
"But not about everything going on here, and not with the latest information," Giles told him.
Willow nodded. "We know it because we know what those who briefed you know, which isn't all they should know, so…" she trailed off.
"We have acquired weapons that should be able to harm Glory."
"We have weapons of our own which have proven to be effective against demons," Ellis said.
"What kind of weapons?" Buffy asked. "If it's those taser thingies, they won't work."
"We have special ammunitions." The major started to look a little annoyed.
"Do you have a holy hand-grenade?" Willow asked. Cringing, she added: "I'm not joking. Not completely. You need divine weapons to hurt Glory."
"Powerful divine weapons," Buffy added, patting her Scythe. "Blessed by a priest won't do it - we tested that." All weapons of a Slayer were blessed or had been blessed at one point, after all.
"What?" Riley stared.
"Yes. We've fought Glory. Couldn't even scratch her with anything else," Buffy explained. "Bullets just bounce off her skin."
The Major and Riley exchanged a glance.
"If you have planned to engage Glorificus, then you might have to reconsider your plans, sir," Giles told them. "The hell-god is nigh-invulnerable to conventional attacks."
"They just ruin her cheap dresses and make her mad. But if you shoot one of her shoes off, it might slow her down," Buffy helpfully added. "Basically, keep an eye out for her and evacuate people."
That didn't please the Major guy. Or Riley. Buffy could tell. Tough.
"How do we acquire divine weapons?" the Major asked.
"Good question!" Willow piped up. "As Buffy told you, blessings by a priest of any faith won't be enough. You need magic and some sort of powerful divine blessing. And, well… there's not much of either around these days." She shrugged. "But there're some other demons around you can hurt, only…"
"...there are also non-humans you can't hurt because they're the good guys and fighting Glory," Buffy took over. "And one who isn't a good guy but still on our side. Two, actually, counting Spike."
"Spike?" Riley snapped with a glare. "Hostile-17," he told the Major.
"You've got a vampire working for you?" The Major didn't like that.
"We've got Spike working with us. And he can't hurt humans," Buffy explained. "So, no staking him. Or capturing him or experimenting on him." If anyone staked Spike, it would be her. She cleared her throat. "But we're talking about the good guys here. The trolls."
"Trolls." The Major had narrowed his eyes. As had Riley.
"Yes, the trolls." James Lake Jr took a step forward. "Below Arcadia Oaks is a troll settlement, Trollmarket." He nodded at the Major and Riley. Or Finn. Probably Finn. "I'm the Trollhunter. I protect trolls and humans against demons and evil trolls." The two soldiers looked him over, and Jim straightened. He was the Trollhunter, chosen by the Amulet of Daylight. Judged worthy by Merlin himself. So to speak. He had no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
He was still glad that his helmet covered most of his face.
"You don't look like a troll," the Major growled.
"I'm a human," Jim replied. "The first human Trollhunter."
"And where are the trolls?"
"Not here. They're not supposed to head out while Glory is around," Jim told them. "I speak for them, though."
"If they won't come to the surface, we won't have trouble with them."
"We can't guarantee that," Jim said. "Things change. And if we're fighting Glory, they might help." Unlikely, for most trolls. But Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! would help.
"So… don't shoot everything that looks like a moving stone statue."
"We need a description, preferably with a picture, to show the soldiers."
"Trolls have very diverse appearances," Jim told the Major. "Some have six limbs, some have four. Some have horns, multiple eyes - mostly two, though."
"Great. Rules of engagement will be a bitch."
"Welcome to my world." The Slayer smiled, baring her teeth. "Oh, wait - I can sense demons. So, guess you have to be careful."
"The trolls need to be careful. This is an American town," Finn said.
"The trolls were here before there was a town," Jim corrected him. "Before the USA annexed the area. And they are a sovereign nation." Jim didn't actually know if most trolls would agree, but they would agree that they were not citizens, much less subjects, of the USA.
"We were thinking of arranging a meeting between your troops and the trolls at a later date," Mr Giles spoke up. "To prevent misunderstandings."
The Major growled again. "Let me be clear: We won't let anyone endanger American citizens."
"And residents!" Willow piped up. "Not everyone is a citizen." She cringed a little when the Major glared at her.
"If we see someone attacking a human, we take them down."
"Or try to," the Slayer said. "But that's fair.
"Just be aware that there are evil trolls who can take human shape," Jim pointed out. "And they will have been inserted into human society as a child, replacing a human child, so they will have a paper trail and a legal identity."
All the soldiers were now staring at him.
"They're called 'Changelings', like in the legends," Jim added.
"That's… you're telling us that trolls infiltrated our society?" The Major looked struck.
"Changelings - trolls that have been kidnapped as babies and altered, to be able to take human forms," Jim corrected him. "And they are working for Gunmar. The trolls of Trollmarket have nothing to do with them."
"And how can we find those 'Changelings'? Do they turn to stone in sunlight?"
So they knew something about trolls, Jim noted. Or they were guessing based on the myths. Either way, they were wrong. "No, Changelings can resist the sunlight. But if you touch them with a Gaggletack, they resume their troll form. That's an enchanted iron horseshoe," he added. "And if you rescue the baby who was kidnapped and replaced from the Darklands, they cannot take their human form any more."
"The babies are still alive?" Finn asked.
"Yes. They, ah, don't age while they're in the Darklands," Jim explained. "So, as long as the Changeling is alive, they are kept alive."
"And if the Changeling dies?" the Major asked.
Jim pressed his lips together for a moment. "As far as we know, the baby gets killed." And probably eaten. Gunmar had only one use for humans, after all.
The soldiers looked grim. "We need those Gaggletacks. If there's a Changeling in the government…"
That would be bad. They could send the army after the trolls. But revealing a Changeling meant dooming their familiar. And yet, the thought of having a Changeling so close to the President… Jim frowned. He didn't like doing this, but there was no choice. "They're not too common, but I'll get you one." Somehow. Even if he might have to ask Merlin for help.
"One? We need more."
"I'll see what we can do about that, but we need them as well to battle Gunmar and his followers." Without him, the Changelings wouldn't be as dangerous any more - and probably revealed. They would have to save the kidnapped babies at any cost in that case. Jim shuddered at the thought of what the goblins would do if Gunmar was dead.
But first, they had to deal with Glory.
"Remember that they were kidnapped as babies as well," Willow pointed out. "Not all of them are evil."
"But they were raised under Gunmar," Jim retorted. "We've found two defectors, and one of them we pretty much had to force to change sides." And he still didn't trust Strickler.
"We need access to them - we have to interrogate them. If they know the identities of more infiltrators…"
Letting the army interrogate Strickler? Part of Jim smiled at the thought. But they had a deal with him. "We can ask him. But he's not a prisoner we can hand over to you," he explained.
The Major didn't like that. Not at all.
"Well, that's troll stuff," the Slayer cut in. "You can handle that once Glory is dead. We have to focus on saving the world from her."
"Gunmar wants to conquer the world as well," Jim reminded her. "And he wants to turn day into eternal night so his Gumm-Gumms can hunt and eat people as much as they want."
"Which will rapidly render humans extinct," Willow commented, "as well as many other species. But I guess sustainability isn't a big thing for evil trolls."
Sometimes Jim wondered about her priorities. And he didn't seem to be the only one - she blushed and mumbled: "I'm just saying…"
"Anyway," the Slayer went on - in a slightly patronising tone, Jim thought. "We know you need to be seen patrolling so the government can save face. Just keep an eye out for a blonde skank in cheap dresses and shoes, and call us as soon as you spot her. We're working on a plan to kill her once and for all."
"We have visual documentation on the threat," the Major said.
Jim blinked. 'Visual documentation'? Ah! The man meant pictures.
"Good." The Slayer nodded. "Willow, can you give them our number?"
"Yes, of course!" Willow handed out a slip of paper. "That's going directly to my relay, so even if we're not connected to the internet, we'll receive the message as soon as we do."
"You don't have permanent communication channels?" Finn asked.
"That's classified," the Slayer told him with a toothy smile.
Finn scowled at her, and the Major looked annoyed. "Is there anything else?" he asked.
"Nothing I can think of right now. We'll stay in touch." The Slayer waved her hand. "Be seeing you."
"Well, I've got a list of creatures you can safely shoot. And probably should shoot," Jim said. He pulled out a sheet as everyone turned to look at him. "Goblins, for one. But there are other monsters you need to be aware of. Like Stalklings. Those are flying trolls that are immune to sunlight and generally act as assassins."
"Flying trolls… Like gargoyles," Finn muttered.
"Not exactly," Giles corrected him. "Gargoyles are an entirely different kind of creature, although the myths might have mixed them up since the similarities are obvious."
Judging by the expression on the soldier's face, Jim didn't think he had been aware that Gargoyles existed. Well, Jim hadn't been either. But he wasn't a demon hunter - he was the Trollhunter.
"That went well," Buffy Summers said as they walked down the hill.
"For a certain definition of 'well', I suppose, Giles commented.
She pouted at him. "They won't shoot us - or so they said - and they will call us if they see Glory. What else did you expect?"
"I expected worse, actually," Giles replied. "But I hoped for a more coordinated response to the threat posed by Glorificus than just staying out of each other's way."
She scoffed at that. "With the Military? It's their way or the highway. They would have to follow our orders to be anything more than target dummies, and can you see the Major listen to me?" Or Riley, Mr 'I can't handle having a girlfriend who's better at my job than I am'.
Giles cleared his throat. "I would assume that Major Ellis might be more receptive to following your directions if you had acted a little more…"
"..professionally?" She scoffed again. "I'm a young woman. I could have arrived in camouflage fatigues and talked all military-like, and he wouldn't listen to me any more than he has been. That's how the military works. I'm just a civilian to them."
"We're all just civilians to them. The Initiative didn't really listen to us, either, until they had no choice," Willow pointed out.
"And you're just a foreigner," Buffy added, nodding at Giles, then looked at Jim. "And you're a kid." Which was, well, true, but mentioning that would weaken the point she was making. Which was that the soldiers didn't listen to her.
"Well, they did listen when I told them about the trolls," Jim said.
"And demanded one of your magic artefacts," Willow retorted. "So they could do things their way. And wanted to interrogate Strickler. Who is, technically, not our prisoner, anyway."
"To be fair," Giles spoke up in his 'I am being so reasonable, and you're not' tone, "expecting a member of the American Military to trust the safety of their government to a foreign organisation seems a bit much."
"Well, are we actually doing that?" Buffy asked.
"No. The Secret Service has specialists ensuring that the government isn't unduly influenced by magic or demonic forces," Giles replied.
"See? And as their Demon-hunting - or baiting - commander, he should've known that."
"I doubt that, given his tasks and the risks he takes, he is privy to what measures have been taken to protect the government against the very forces he fights."
Jim cleared his throat. "Well, giving them a Gaggletack shouldn't do any harm. It might even expose more agents of the Order of Janus before they can use their position against us."
"Or threaten them into acting in haste against us before being exposed," Giles pointed out.
Jim's face fell, Buffy frowned at Giles, then smiled at the kid. "Well, they would do that sooner or later anyway. And if they're forced to step up their plan, they'll make mistakes." Probably.
Jim nodded in agreement. "And we managed to get them to agree not to shoot trolls on sight."
"Yes. But better keep them down below anyway," Buffy told him. "What they say and what they do, at night, when they see shadows move, are two different things." Just like what boyfriends said and then did were often two different things.
"At least we're not any worse off than before," Willow commented. "Their predecessors shot at us, after all."
"Yes." Jim frowned. "That's progress, at least."
"I'm in favour of any progress that doesn't get me shot," Willow said.
Buffy grinned at her. "And how long until you've hacked their systems?"
Her friend smiled back. "Well, they don't have the same security as the stupid base had, and their computers have to be mobile - or connected to mobile computers, and I'm already familiar with the Initiative computers from Sunnydale, so… it shouldn't take too long."
"Good." Trust, but verify. The last thing Buffy wanted was another Walsh 'researching' demons.
They reached the first road near the hill and started following it.
"You didn't tell them about the Key," Jim said.
"Of course not!" Buffy knew how soldiers thought. "If they knew about the Key, they would insist on taking Dawn 'to a secure location'. Or kill her. Probably both."
"Oh."
"That's the military for you," Willow added.
Not just the military, Buffy thought. The Watchers had the same view.
"Are we far enough?" Willow asked a minute later.
Buffy looked around. "I don't see anyone observing us, but they might be watching us from the air with drones or something." Even a Slayer's senses had a limit.
"That can't be helped, and they will discover the portals sooner or later anyway," Giles said.
"Claire?" Jim asked. "We're close to the old BMX shop."
"Alright." came the answer through the phone. "Opening a portal."
A moment later, a green portal opened near them. A quick walk later, they were back in the Shadow Dimension.
"Jim!"
"Claire!"
And watching the kids hug each other. Buffy wasn't jealous. Or envious. Not at all.
Well, perhaps a little. Why couldn't she meet a guy like Jim, only older?
And there went Willow greeting Tara.
No, Buffy wasn't jealous at all.
Trollmarket, January 22nd, 2017
"...so they want a Gaggletack. To check the White House for Changelings," James Lake Jr explained, leaning against the table in Blinky's home.
"A Gaggletack. We don't have many of those," Blinky replied, sighing.
"Can we spare one? Or make some more?" Claire asked. "Jim's right - the danger of having a Changeling near the president, or in a position of authority, is too great. If they send the police or the army after us…" She trailed off, her lips forming a thin line.
Jim himself winced. The army had come after him and Toby. Probably not for being the Trollhunters, but he didn't want to repeat the experience. Certainly not against soldiers specifically sent after him by a Changeling.
"That is a very good point," Blinky agreed. Claire smiled in return, still looking a little upset.
Jim wanted to hug her, but… he had upset her as well, with his handling, or mishandling, of Merlin.
"However," Blinky went on, "we truly suffer a scarcity of those items. Truth to be told, for quite some time, we didn't have much use for them, so we didn't keep a lot in stock."
What? "Why?" Jim asked.
"They serve to expose Changelings posing as humans. For centuries, we rarely had any interaction with humans, so why would we worry about infiltration by Changelings in human form? You know how Trollmarket's residents reacted when they saw you for the first time."
Right.
"But that hasn't changed," Claire pointed out. "So you could spare one."
"Unfortunately, that would see us bereft of one," Blinky said. "Vendel wasn't really, ah, happy about us using it before."
Jim narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "You didn't ask him beforehand?"
Blinky's embarrassed smile was answer enough.
"Great. Can we make more?"
"The secret of forging a Gaggletack has been passed on by troll smiths for generations, but, unfortunately, as a result of a past dispute over apprenticing, Trollmarket's smiths are not privy to that knowledge. It was a really minor matter, all things considered, but…"
"I see," Jim interrupted a likely lengthy explanation he knew he didn't need or want. "Then I guess we'll either have to ask another troll settlement - or Merlin." He didn't quite know which option was worse.
Judging by Claire and Blinky's expressions, they didn't know either.
"Well, procuring a spare Gaggletack from an amicable settlement wouldn't be too hard, I think, although they might wonder why we need one - and likely disagree with our reasons. Many trolls are somewhat isolationist with regards to humans, I fear. Also, they might speculate about Changelings being a problem for us, which might result in a few awkward questions for Vendel."
"Who will blame us." Jim shook his head.
"Oh, I don't worry about that. I worry more about the consequences if Trollmarket becomes known as being overly involved with human affairs."
"Don't like." AAARRRGGHH! slowly nodded with a sigh.
"Yes. Your folks, especially, are isolationist," Blinky told him. "But your home is here now."
The big troll slowly nodded.
"I guess Merlin it is." Jim sighed.
Claire nodded with a frown.
"Maybe he'll understand why we need one, and this won't be too bad," he added with a smile.
Shadow Realm, January 22nd, 2017
"You want me to make a Gaggletack."
James Lake Jr nodded, smiling at the wizard. It wasn't hard - there was something funny about seeing a wizard in robes standing in the middle of a camper.
"You already have two known Changelings here - which is foolish to the extreme, albeit you seem to have taken the most marginal precautions against betrayal, at least. No matter how ineffective they would be if tested. So, clearly, you already have access to one Gaggletack. Unless you lost it through carelessness or stupidity, and expect me to rectify that so you don't suffer the consequences for your actions."
Oh, for the love of…! "We don't need the Gaggletack for us," Jim explained. "We need it so the army can check the president and his cabinet for Changelings."
"The president? The leader of this country, I presume."
"Yes. Our elected leader," Claire said.
The wizard scoffed. "A king would have a court wizard."
"I doubt any of the remaining kings and queens have a court wizard," Toby, sitting at the table, pointed out. "It kind of went out of fashion."
"With the knowledge of magic becoming a secret, yes. An unfortunate but necessary development if we are to avoid waking up the Old Ones as mankind's numbers grew. However, not everyone turned ignorant, so it would have befallen them to protect their leaders."
"Yes," Jim agreed, "but they don't have a Gaggletack. Can you make one?"
"Of course I can, even in my weakened state. The question is: Should I?" Merlin cocked his head at them.
"Why shouldn't you?" Toby asked. "If a Changeling makes the president send the army after us, you'll be a target too!"
His friend looked a little better, Jim noted. Despite Merlin's presence in their camper.
"A trifling threat, at most."
"It would also be a way to foster good relations with the army," Claire said. "And we need to work together to stop Glory."
"And you include me in this 'we', I suppose."
"Yes," Claire told him.
Jim nodded.
"One for all, all for one. Or two," Tobes added. "United we stand, divided we fall."
"A mangled saying, I have no doubt. But somewhat applicable. And creating a Gaggletack shouldn't overly delay my other preparations. At the very least, it can be used to ensure there are no other such 'guests' amongst us here. Very well, I shall craft one. Where is the forge?"
"Uh…" Jim grimaced.
"Grand Theft Forge?" Toby offered.
"You not only lack access to a forge, but you plan to steal one?" Merlin didn't sound amused.
"Well, there's a forge in Trollmarket," Jim said, "but it's probably in use. And we can buy one from a hobby shop or something." They should be able to afford one.
"A hobby shop?"
"Blacksmithing isn't much of a profession any more," Claire told him - with a toothy smile, Jim noted. "People do it as a hobby - something to pass the time. To have fun."
"Like crocheting? Reading?" Toby shrugged. "Playing games? Biking? Hiking?"
"Blacksmithing isn't a profession any more." Merlin frowned.
"There are some, but… it's pretty exotic," Jim explained. "It's not as if we need many horsed shoed any more."
"So, those cars of yours are created by…?"
"Factories," Toby said. "Like… big halls where hundreds of people work on those."
"I see."
Jim doubted that. "So, we can go ask the trolls to use their forge, or we can get one from a hobby shop."
"I don't think a 'hobby shop' will have a suitable forge," Merlin said.
Claire scoffed. "You should at least take a look at one before you dismiss it!"
Merlin narrowed his eyes at her - he was still suspicious of her, Jim knew - and then slowly nodded. "Very well. Let's take a look at such a 'hobby forge'."
"In Los Angeles," Jim said. "We don't want to risk encountering Glory."
"That would cut this trip short, I believe." Merlin just had to have the last word, it seemed.
Los Angeles, January 22nd, 2017
"I stand corrected. This hobby forge is a marvel of craftsmanship! The way the heat is controlled and kept at a constant temperature without needing to adjust it… and the size."
Merlin sounded actually impressed, Buffy Summers realised. Who would have thought! She had been sure he'd dismiss modern technology like… like some uber-Giles dismissed computers. "And do you like the colour? It also comes in red," she said with a grin. "Though not sure we can get a green hood to match your threads."
Merlin frowned at her in return. "And as expected, while the technology has advanced, human nature has not." He turned to Jim, Claire and Toby. "I require two of them. And the anvil over there. And a full set of tools."
Jim nodded. "OK, that would come to…" he pressed his lips together as he tallied up the prices.
"Don't worry, I can charge it to my council credit card," Buffy told him. Well, Giles's, but he had given it to her for this trip, so it was hers for the duration. And it wasn't really too expensive - well below a luxury handbag, so that should still leave some new shoes, like those darling Manolos she had seen on the way into the mall...
"And then we shall require materials, of course."
Right. But iron and steel or whatever they needed couldn't cost too much, could it?"
"Material for blacksmithing is in this aisle," the young sales clerk told them. "How much do you need?"
"That depends on the quality. Some refining might be required."
"We only sell the highest quality, sir!" the man insisted.
Well, Buffy knew sales-speak when she heard it.
And Merlin looked doubtful when he went to inspect the iron thingies there.
But again, his expression changed into something that probably would've been a smile on a less grumpy old man. "You spoke the truth - this is pure iron. Almost too pure if we were to make working horseshoes."
Jim cleared his throat. "We should get a few more ingots. Just in case we have something else to forge."
Buffy narrowed her eyes. Jim looked like he was trying too hard to sound casual.
"And what do you have in mind?" Merlin, obviously, had noticed it as well and was giving the kid the evil eye - after sending the sales clerk to get them another shopping cart rated for heavy metal.
"I was thinking that Claire and Toby don't have armour," Jim said.
"Jim!" Claire protested.
"Toby almost died because he wasn't wearing armour," Jim told her. "And Glory will be coming after you - or send her minions after you."
"And as you've said before, you wish me to craft armour for your friends." Merlin's tone could have frozen water.
But Jim met the man's eyes without flinching. "Yes. This is about beating Glory. And we need every advantage we can get."
Merlin frowned even more - Buffy hadn't thought this was possible - and then stared at Claire.
Who also met his eyes with a frown of her own.
"You are aware that I will take precautions so whatever I craft cannot be used against me or mine."
What? Buffy's eyes widened. "You want to slip in a kill-switch?"
Now she got the frown. Or sneer, in this case. "I do resent the implication that I would try to 'slip in' such a thing. I am openly announcing my intention to take this precaution so we do not have to deal with an armoured vessel of Morgana."
"Alright," Claire said.
"Claire!" Jim looked aghast.
She shook her head. "I won't be possessed by Morgana, Jim. So let him build whatever safeguard he wants."
They stared at each other for a moment before Jim nodded. But he turned back to Merlin. "Nothing lethal, though. You can do that, I assume."
Merlin scoffed again but didn't contradict Jim.
And then the sales clerk returned, and they had to load the cart with enough iron to make its wheels creak.
And guess who would have to push the cart through the portal?
Shadow Realm, January 23rd, 2017
James Lake Jr didn't stare at Merlin working the forge. Not really, in any case. And he was too far away to actually bother the wizard. At least now, after Merlin had snapped at him and threatened to turn him into a newt. Which made Jim move, of course, but also wonder if the wizard could do it in his current state. And whether or not he had seen Monty Python somehow.
But Merlin working was a sight to behold. He had both forges running - Jim made a note to stock up on gas - and the tools they had bought were mostly floating around him, holding glowing bits of iron so close to the old man, Jim worried Merlin might burn himself by accident.
Not that he would say that out loud - the wizard had a temper to match his ego, and Jim really didn't want to make him come back at his agreement to craft armour for Jim's friends.
Footsteps behind him made him turn. Perhaps… No. It wasn't Claire - it was Strickler. The Changeling hadn't left his tent except to get food since Merlin had arrived, so why was he out now? And he was in his troll form.
"A sight to behold, Young Atlas, isn't it?" he echoed Jim's thoughts.
Jim pressed his lips together for a moment, suppressing the urge to snap at the troll. And trying to remember if he had been taught the expression by Strickler. That would… Whatever. He grunted something and shrugged.
Strickler snorted. "To see the great Merlin, long thought dead, working wonders again. Many would give a great deal to be in our place. Trolls and humans alike."
"Yes." Jim shrugged again. "It's not like there's anything on TV."
The other's snort turned into a chuckle - he would see through Jim's lie - they had Internet access, after all. "Do not worry, Young Atlas. A wizard's word is his bond - or so I've been taught; Merlin was before my time."
"How old are you?" Jim asked before he could help himself.
"A few centuries," the troll replied, his eyes on Merlin.
Jim snorted. As if he could expect the truth from the Changeling! "I thought you wanted to hide from him."
"One does not hide from Merlin, weakened or not. I merely removed my presence so as not to provoke him simply by existing."
"He wouldn't kill you - that would endanger Mom!"
Strickler tilted his head and looked at him as if Jim had given the wrong answer in class. "He is Merlin. King Arthur's court wizard. He knows all about making decisions for the greater good. If he decided that I'm too much of a risk to saving the world, he would see me destroyed no matter the cost - and he would arrange it so I would be blamed for my own demise."
That was… not entirely unlikely, Jim had to admit. But it also was a transparent attempt to throw suspicion on Merlin. "You think he can break the curse on Mom."
"Who if not Merlin could break the curse?" Strickler shrugged, his wings twitching for a moment. "And while we have a deal, and I would not question your word, I do not extend the same trust to your allies."
"Probably wise," Jim admitted. The Slayer probably was just waiting for an excuse to kill the Changeling - Jim had heard Xander joke about her 'going cold turkey' on slaying. And Jim wasn't sure if the man had actually been joking. Some comments he had overhead from the group, and the Slayer in question's complaints about not being able to patrol and the lack of demons to fight… He sighed.
"In my position, caution is the highest virtue."
That made Jim roll his eyes. "We're all facing the end of the world.".
"Indeed. But I am facing more peril should we succeed."
Jim looked at Merlin. Several pieces of glowing metal were now being struck by floating hammers. Jim wanted to record the sight, but… Merlin might take offence. He glanced at the troll. "That's not our fault."
"I could argue the point. Your interference is directly responsible for my current situation."
"Your decision to work for Gunmar brought you to this point," Jim retorted.
"Would you have preferred it if I deserted and doomed my familiar in the process?"
Jim clenched his teeth. As if he'd want to sacrifice the babies. "You could've found a way to fool Gunmar." Strickler had completely fooled Jim and his friends, after all.
"And fake incompetence?" Another snort. "Bular almost killed me a few times merely in response to a setback caused by you. If I had actually failed or faked failing…" Strickler shook his head. "Young Atlas, you do not seem to quite realise just how little Gunmar cares for the lives of those he commands."
"There's always a way," Jim retorted. "And do you think Gunmar would have cared for your lives after he had won? You and your friends should have realised already that he was just using you."
"Of course. But a revolution, which you suggest, of the Order of Janus would have required both bravery and trust. And we were raised to be cunning and treacherous. At least one of us would have sold out the others in a short-sighted attempt to win Gunmar's favour at the expense of everyone else. And a few would have embraced the chance to take over the Order for themselves." Strickler sighed. "But the die has been cast. I can but try my best to survive this. And I should better become used to be restricted to this form."
"Like everyone else," Jim told him. "It's not as if…"
He trailed off as he saw the metal bits - now formed like horseshoes - float towards the basin to the side of the forge, plunging into the water and causing a small plume of steam to rise.
Merlin had finished the Gaggeltack. Or, rather, the Gaggletacks.
That meant he could start on the armour for Claire and Toby.
