Chapter 10: A New Player in Town

*****A Week Later*****

Felicity watched Laurel spar with Sara from her normal perch. Laurel spent three days holed up at Sara's trying to come to terms with her new reality. Felicity wasn't sure how anyone could ever truly come to terms with being a vampire with a soul and learning that you'd murdered your father, but Sara's support seemed to help. Felicity guessed that maybe for the first time, Sara actually had something to teach her sister—she knew how to carry the burden of guilt. She knew what it was like to have blood on her hands.

It was good to have Laurel back. The void of Oliver could never be filled. However, they got Sara back and now Laurel. She heard her sister's familiar footsteps and turned to greet her.

"Good morning!" Felicity said.

"I think it's afternoon," Willow said with a knowing smile.

"Seriously?" Felicity, turning to look at the time on her monitors. Looking sheepish, she shrugged. "I guess, I lost track of time. It's a Saturday."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping in or something?" Willow asked.

"I was worried about Laurel," she admitted.

The computer beeped, and she turned to look at it. "Looks like the alarms are going off at Star City National bank," she said. Two more beeps. "Also, the Chase bank on third and the First Bank of Star City."

"That's odd," Willow said. She sent her thoughts to Xander. Robberies in progress. Get girls ready to go.

"Dig," Felicity said, calling him. "Can you suit up and head to Star City National Bank? Robbery in progress." She sent a text to Roy at the same time since he was already out on the streets.

"I'll head to Chase," Sara said.

"I'll go with you," Laurel said.

"You can't—the sun," Sara reminded her. Laurel looked upset but turned away to beat on the wooden man.

"Xander's bringing the girls in," Willow said.

"It'll be over before they get here. They're too far away," Felicity said.

"Well, I'll go to the last location," Willow said. Then she teleported away.

When she made it to the bank, three guys were running out with bags. She immobilized them as the sirens got louder. Since they were literally holding the money in bags, she figured the cops could handle the rest. Then she teleported to the bank Sara went to.

Sara was fighting a robber while another looked to be unconscious at her feet. Willow admired her skills. She was about the same size as Buffy but a bit more buxom. The fact that she could fight like that without any type of supernatural enhance was extraordinary. Willow clapped when the last guy went down.

Sara turned and spotted her. "I didn't know you were here," she said. The cops pulled up, and she quickly grabbed Willow's outstretched hand. Willow teleported them to the top of the building, so they could watch the cops make the arrest.

"That's so amazing!" Sara said as she realized where they were. "You have such incredible power!"

"It's nothing," Willow said with uncharacteristic shy smile. It'd been too long since she'd been so attracted to another woman. Sara was a potent package.

"Oh, it's something," Sara said, squeezing her hand and then letting go. She wasn't immune to the witch's appeal, but witchcraft was still new to her. Not to mention, she was still smarting over Nyssa's abandonment.

"You're pretty amazing yourself," Willow said, giving her an admiring glance. "I've never seen any girl that wasn't a slayer fight the way you fight.

"I've had practice," Sara said with a shrug.

"Is this many bank robberies at once a normal thing for this city?" Willow asked her.

"I don't think so. I mean the criminal element has picked up majorly, but the timing is too perfect to be coincidental," Sara said. They watched the happenings for several minutes. Willow admired the view. The lights in the city were very appealing.

"It's hard to imagine the darkness in this city from up here," Willow remarked as she gazed out.

"Yea," Sara agreed. "I missed the lights when I was away. There was too much darkness where I lived."

"You never got to any cities?" Willow asked, curious about her.

Sara shrugged. "Sometimes, but usually, it was to assassinate someone. I never felt like sticking around to check out the sights," she said.

Willow winced, unable to imagine. "How could you just kill people? I don't understand," she said.

"The League saved my life. They gave me a purpose, an identity—I owed them everything," Sara said, trying to explain. No one, not even her father had come out and asked her that. "My life here in Starling seemed like a half-remembered dream. The more time that past, the more I forgot the person I used to be. Only the killer remained. When I came back here, Oliver reminded me."

"I wish I could've met him," Willow said.

"You probably would've hated him. He was really an alpha male—very different from Xander," Sara said with a smile.

The cops seemed to be done with the scene.

"Let's get back to Felicity," Willow said, holding out her hand again.

When she took it, Sara felt the pull of attraction and locked eyes with the witch. Their eyes were still locked when they appeared suddenly in their headquarters in Verdant.

Dig jumped back when they appeared in the middle of the room.

"Damn it! You scared me half to death!" he exclaimed.

Roy laughed. "That was the funniest thing I've seen all week!' he said gleefully. "The look on your face was hilarious! I wish I had a camera!"

"It's a good thing I do!" Felicity said gleefully. She turned to her monitors and tapped a few keys. "Shall we see it again?"

Everyone gathered around and watched Willow and Sara magically appear in front of Diggle, who almost fell, he jumped back so fast. The look on his face, though, was so un-Diggle like. He looked panicked. When he saw it was Willow, he relaxed slightly but the fear was still there.

"Okay, knock it off!" Dig complained from the back of group.

"Hey, it's okay, Dig. Every man has their weakness," Roy teased. "It just so happens we all now know yours."

The group laughed. Then Willow said, "I'm sorry, John. I really didn't mean to scare you like that. I know it takes some time to get used to magic and the ease that I can do things." Once Willow did the spell that activated the potentials, magic just came so much easier to her. The purity of the ancient power in Buffy's scythe seemed to push away so much of the dark magic that she had been tainted with. Now, she could easily access the white magic from the earth.

"It's okay. It's just weird," Dig said.

"Did you get your guys?" Sara asked Roy, changing the subject.

"Barely," Roy said. "One of them was shot by the security guard in the arm and made things a bit easier. Of course, they killed the poor guy for his trouble. I tried to stop his bleeding, but it was too late."

"That's awful!" Willow said with sympathy. She picked the wrong bank. If she'd went to that one, the poor guy might still be alive.

"I take it you got your men, too?" Dig asked her.

Willow nodded. "Yes. Then I went to Sara and watched her clean up," Willow answered. "I think we might have a new player in town."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. This is too organized, so they have to be connected," Felicity said.

"We need to find out about the guys that've been arrested and see the connection," Roy suggested.

"Yes," Felicity agreed. "I'm on it."

They heard footsteps and looked up as a group. Xander waved. "Guess, we missed the excitement after all," he said.

"I think we need to find a place for the girls to hang out that's closer to town," Willow said. "They need to be on hand when something happens."

"They can use the club. It's closed," Felicity suggested.

"Good idea," Dig said. "There's an office on the second floor—or that's what Oliver and Thea used it for. You can put a desk in it and some computers if the girls want to stay connected."

"The kitchen can be stocked with food," Felicity added.

"Works for me," Xander said with a shrug. He looked at Felicity. "Have you had lunch yet? Want to come eat with me?

Willow grinned. She knew that her oldest friend wasn't indifferent to her sister's appeal.

"Sure," Felicity said. She looked at everyone else. "Are you guys coming?"

"I'm going to hang out with Laurel. You can bring me something back," Sara said.

Roy started to say yes, but Diggle elbowed him. "No, we'll pick up something later. We need to go upstairs and make sure everything will be ready for the slayers," Dig said.

"Okay," Felicity said. She grabbed her bag. "Will, are you coming?"

"No, I'll help the boys. We'll need to buy some groceries. We can use John's van," she said.

"Call me if you need me," Xander said.

He and Felicity went to her car. "What are you in the mood for?" she asked.

"How about some Mexican? It's been a while. Any good Mexican places in this town?" he asked.

"I know just the place," she said confidently. They drove several minutes in silence. There was something so restful about Xander. He was the complete opposite from Oliver. It'd taken her almost two years before she got comfortable around him because he'd always made her nervous. Xander, though, didn't. His one-eyed presence caused on-lookers to glance at him with suspicion or concern—some pity. However, once you knew the man, it was obvious there was nothing menacing about him nor anything to pity.

When she made it to the restaurant, he got out. Sure enough, the couple that was walking by them paused to stare.

"Does that bother you?" she asked, feeling bad for him.

He shrugged. "No, not in a long time. I don't even notice the looks. Usually, I'm with slayers and everyone is too busy looking at them to pay much attention to me!" he said with that self-deprecating humor of his.

He held the door of the restaurant open for her. Xander knew that for Felicity this was just two friends grabbing a bite. That was fine with him—every relationship had to start somewhere.

*****Under the City*****

The piercing blue eyes stared at the men lined up. "How is it possible that simple bank jobs were so unsuccessful? Must I do everything!" he fumed.

"Sir, all of them were arrested. Because it's a weekend, they can't see a judge about bail," one of his lieutenants told him.

"I don't want to hear excuses! Get a lawyer in to see them! I want to know what the hell happened!" he fumed.

"It's those vigilantes," one of the suggested. "I heard this city was the home of that Arrow guy."

"He's not been seen in months. He's dead I heard," another said.

"There's a whole group of them," another added.

"This city is ripe with dark magics. That's the reason I moved up my timetable. We're going to remake this city. My venture requires lots and lots of money. If you can't get it for me, I'll find men who will," he threatened. He lifted his hand and broke the closest man's neck.

His men didn't so much as flinch. He smiled in satisfaction—they were ready. Star City wouldn't know what hit it. This group of so-called vigilantes wouldn't be able to stop him—no one could.

*******Chapter End******