Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Warehouse District – Cleveland – June 2004
Berith had personally chosen his shell and it was certainly less of a pain in the ass than the one Illyria was wearing, it was relatively free from emotional baggage being currently single with both its parents dead and it wasn't overly skinny. On the other hand some of the memories it did leave him saddled with were still nonetheless confusing although to an extent they did provide some truly great lines he decided as he watched Buffy tighten her grip around the handle of her weapon and tense for action.
'So' Berith began as he folded up his sunglasses and put them in a breast pocket, 'are you going to swing those scythes or whistle Dixie?' he asked completely deadpan, before breaking out into a grin. 'Sorry I couldn't help it he apologised before suddenly reaching out his left arm in a blur of speed and grabbing Stephen around the throat. 'I could snap his neck before even my cousin there could reach me' he said. 'Let's not make this unpleasant' he added as Stephen struggled in a futile attempt to break Berith's grip which was half-choking him.
'Let him go' Buffy ordered, getting up brandishing her scythe, others following suit albeit slowly and cautiously.
'I'm sorry, you seem to mistaken me for someone who takes slayers seriously' Berith replied with a smirk. 'I could take you all out before you could blink' he declared seriously.
'Not all' Illyria responded flatly, 'release the human' she commanded, taking a step towards the other Old One, morphing into her armour as she did.
'After giving it some thought… no' Berith responded, 'I won't be doing that, but if you take one more step, or start to play with time, I might see what happens if I change the iron in his haemoglobin into something else, I bet it would suck to be him wouldn't you think?' he asked rhetorically. 'Same thing with you Glorificus, keep right where you are' he added, addressing the only other one present with the speed to be much of an immediate threat.
'What do you want?' Buffy asked coldly.
'World peace' Berith responded, 'no not really' he continued. 'Maybe a world in pieces…'
'Oh great just what we need,' Faith interrupted, resting her own scythe against her shoulder, 'another prehistoric demon that thinks they're funny' she added. 'You kill the boy and we'll see how fast you are' she vowed.
'You'd see a blur' Berith told her.
'Unless I warp time around them too' Illyria pointed out.
Buffy smirked at Berith, Illyria had taken her on a ride like that before. 'If we're moving at the same speed then you're going to have trouble dodging all the weaponry in here' she said.
'He'll still be dead' Berith noted, indicating Stephen.
'Want us to grease this prick D'Artagnon?' Faith asked.
Stephen gave a thumbs up
'That's what I thought' Faith said. 'Ball's back in your court asshole' she told Berith, 'Stevey-boy's the old fashioned type that would die for the cause and we'll cut you to pieces if he does' she promised. 'Slowly' she added darkly.
'Let him go' Kennedy practically growled.
'Willow can you take him?' Buffy asked.
'If I throw a fireball he's fast enough to dodge or use Stephen as a shield' Willow replied.
'Wouldn't need to do either' Berith responded smugly. 'You're out of your league witch' he told Willow, 'like the hair though' he added then sighed. 'You know you might try asking why exactly I've turned up at your door and knocked instead of coming in all guns blazing' he suggested to the group.
'Cocky would be my guess' Buffy replied. 'Delusions of invincibility.' she continued, 'Or is it just egomania maybe?'
'A little of all three but that's a racial characteristic not the specific reason' Berith told her. 'Oh come on you can't be this dense.'
'Shit you're just a lackey of Wolfram Hart doing their dirty work' Faith offered.
Berith shook his head and looked into Illyria's eyes, his red meeting her blue. 'What do you think cuz?' he asked.
'He is no lackey' Illyria stated, 'my people would never kowtow to the likes of them' she declared. 'What is your purpose here?'
'I'll be honest, even though I know it's not my reputation' Berith replied. 'I have been doing their wet work for a few millennia now' he admitted, 'sorting out the shit they couldn't, they're not hands-on like our people' he told Illyria, 'no appreciation of violence, but sometimes you do need to bust heads instead of fucking with them and that's when they call me in.'
'How could you allow such a situation to occur' Illyria demanded to know. 'Following the orders of our inferiors? You should be ashamed' she declared, 'I am ashamed for you.'
'Well I can't say it fills me with joy but a god's got to earn a living' Berith replied with a shrug. 'I fell in with a bad crowd, ended up doing the occasional job for them and one day they told me it was sign on the dotted line and join up or they'd kill me.'
'I would have sooner died' Illyria told him.
'No wonder your branch of the family tree vanished' Berith responded sardonically.
Wesley coughed. 'You're not defecting?' he asked. 'Thinking we can protect you?'
'Are you really screwing this moron?' Berith asked Illyria.
'They do not think in our terms' Illyria replied, 'they are naïve not stupid, well not all of them anyway' she told him. 'He would not wish to be vassal or beholden to us either' she told Wesley.
'So whose side is he on?' Buffy wanted to know.
'Mine of course' Berith responded. 'I agreed to stop you but they showed a rare glimmer of stupidity themselves' he explained, 'because they gave me carte blanche on how to do it' he said. 'They thought I'd kill you, bring in my troops, have the streets of Cleveland run red with slayer blood but if I did that then where would I be?' he asked rhetorically.
'Back to square one, hired thug for people you probably think are scum just like Illyria does' Buffy responded.
'Now you're getting it' Berith told her with a nod.
Illyria relaxed and crossed her arms. 'Your value to the Wolf, Ram and Hart, and hence your influence depends upon us existing as an enemy that they need you to counter' she said. 'You will merely seek to keep us in check indefinitely and therefore guarantee that they cannot ever move against you.'
'Not just my influence, my survival' Berith told her. 'It was only a matter of time before they decided I was too dangerous to have around, just as they think the same of you' he told her. 'I couldn't match them, collectively they're too strong and with too many allies, but now I'm untouchable.'
'Your loyalty is commendable' Wesley told him sarcastically.
'In our day betrayal was a word as neutral and unjudged as water' Illyria stated. 'They were foolish to trust you to do what was best for them not yourself' she told Berith.
'The evil one's are nearly as bad as the good one's for assuming others see the universe the way that they do' Berith replied.
'And like you're not evil' Faith said with a snort.
'No he is not, we are beyond such labels' Illyria responded to her. 'I offer truce' she told Berith. 'Let the human go, he is starting to change colour and blue suits me better than him.'
Say's you, Berith thought. 'Offer it properly' he replied.
'How?' Illyria asked. 'Neither of us are so equipped in this form.'
Berith held out his free arm. 'Okay so we're missing the tentacles but this is close enough' he said.
Illyria held out her own arm and moved towards him again, they touched fingers and then slid their hands up against each other to clasp each others wrists at which point Berith released Stephen who half collapsed choking. Kennedy move to help him, keeping one eye on Berith and her scythe ready.
'What the fuck is this shit?' Faith asked nonplussed.
'Our race had to be able to trust each other sometimes or we could never cooperate or even procreate, we would intertwine part of our bodies as a symbol of truce, it was something none would break or else all would declare the transgressor an enemy' Illyria explained. 'It would not hold for other species of demons, they are vermin, but for us it is binding.'
'So can we kill him?' Kennedy asked, helping Stephen to a chair, he was coughing gently but seemed okay.
'If you move against him now I will defend him' Illyria told her. 'I would however only use sufficient force to disable not kill.'
'I haven't done this in a long time' Berith said. Even in the armour her wrists were unbelievably skinny he noted.
'Nor I even longer' Illyria replied. 'It was only your essence that came to this world' she said, 'you inhabit a shell as I do but yours feels different' she commented.
'Using magic to keep it stable' Berith explained. 'My clan was stronger in that than yours' he told her. 'I've got to ask does the smell get any better?' he queried, turning his head and sniffing the air with some distaste.
'No' Illyria replied, 'and you do not get used to it' she told him ruefully.
'I was afraid you'd say that' Berith replied glumly. 'You smell very good' he added.
'As do you' Illyria told him, even in the shell they maintained an element of their original odour which was why the vampires could tell Fred from Illyria.
'I don't believe this shit' Faith declared, looking from one to the other.
A flash of light next to her caused everyone to blink. 'Neither do I' growled an exact duplicate of Buffy.
'Son-of-a-bitch' Buffy swore looking at her doppelganger.
'It is the First Evil' Illyria stated, half turning to face it.
'You backstabbing weasel' the First snarled at Berith, pointing a finger accusingly. 'I helped arrange all this crap, got my Harbingers to abduct the guy you wanted as a shell, helped bring your red ass here and instead of ripping their fucking heads off you're bonding' it said in aggrieved astonishment. 'Fucking bonding' it repeated.
Buffy swung her scythe around but it went right through the First. 'Damn' she said, 'thought it might have worked' she said sadly as the First turned and glared at her.
'Oh no I screwed over the First, guess I'm in real trouble now' Berith said sarcastically. 'The Wolf, Ram and Hart told me you screwed them in Sunnydale too and now I've screwed all of you' he said. 'What are you going to do?' he asked. 'Pester me? Walk through me a few times? Read over my shoulder?'
'When my army comes forth and I become corporeal…' the First began.
'You'll find me, and my Legions waiting for you' Berith interrupted. 'I come out ahead as long as nobody comes out ahead' he stated, 'I'm going to keep the cousin and her groupies in line, and I'm going to keep you down too' he announced then paused. 'Shit! I'm a balance demon' he said, 'how the hell did that happen?' he asked rhetorically. 'The Powers-That-Be will be offering me the keys to the executive dimension' he moaned.
'I am not a groupie' Buffy declared with an obvious pout. Illyria might be stronger and faster, maybe smarter, but the Old One wasn't the boss of her.
Wesley remembered a quote from Edmund Burke which Buffy had borrowed for one of her speeches, paraphrased it fitted the situation quite well he thought. 'All that's required for evil, or good, to triumph is for self serving amoral bastards to do nothing' he said looking at Berith who gave him an appreciative nod in return.
'This shit is getting way too complicated' Faith commented. 'I thought we were getting a stand-up fight, not Smurfette's smart-ass relative with an agenda' she said.
'She's feisty' Berith told Illyria. 'I can see why your boyfriend there has the hots for her' he added.
'What?' Illyria responded quizzically.
'I'm a Seer' Berith reminded her. 'Scruffy there and the sassy one get together' he told her. 'He knocks her up too.'
Illyria smirked. 'Do not think I can be so easily misled as these creatures' she told him.
Berith leaned forward and looked her directly in the eyes. 'Wesley and Faith, together, soon' he said slowly. 'Now am I lying?' he asked rhetorically as he released his grip on her wrist. 'Well this was fun' he said reaching into his pocket and putting his sunglasses back on, sowing discord was much less hassle than hitting people and fun in an entirely different way. 'It was nice to meet you all and I guess I'll see you in LA' he said, 'oh yeah, Pylea is a Covenant world, it's mine' he declared forcefully, 'you can't have it and I'm going to make sure you don't' he declared
The Lord of the Covenant stepped back from Illyria, his clothes morphing from the military fatigues into an expensive looking business suit and his hair to a more human looking shade of red. He gave an ironic salute then simply disappeared in a flash of light, unlike Illyria Berith could apparently still teleport in human form which was more bad news as far as everyone was concerned.
'I'm going to see the Senior Partners' the First hissed and disappeared itself.
Illyria turned slowly to face Wesley and Faith, her expression initially unreadable.
'Not the stand-up fight I was expecting' Faith said with a grimace as Illyria narrowed her eyes and glared at her.
Wolfram and Hart Building – Los Angeles – June 2004
The receptionist didn't look up from her monitor as the man approached. 'You might want to notify Lilah Morgan that I'm here' he told her.
'Do you have an appointment?' the receptionist asked looking up.
'No but she'll see me' he told her.
'Not without an appointment I'm afraid' the receptionist told him. 'If you give me your name I'll contact her PA and see if it's possible' she told him professionally.
'Ba'al Berith, but you might find me in your rolodex under Covenant, Lord of the' the man told her, removing his sunglasses to reveal his crystalline red eyes. 'Unless you've got me indexed under "Gods" maybe' he added.
The entire lobby went totally silent as everyone froze to the spot and turned to face the visitor who had just walked through the front door like anyone else. The receptionist's jaw dropped before she had the good sense to avert her eyes. 'I'm sorry, oh God I'm so sorry…' be began to babble. 'Please don't kill me' she pleaded. 'I'll telephone Ms. Morgan directly' she told him.
'Not a problem' Berith told her. 'I don't look as awe inspiring at the moment as I do normally, even with the suit' he continued, and turned to look around the lobby. 'How are you all doing?' he asked, trying not to laugh. He had a sneaking suspicion that the shell he was wearing had been kind of an asshole and it was rubbing off but he was getting a kick out of the situation anyway.
One of the closer Wolfram and Hart employees sprinted over and dropped to his knees head bowed provoking several others to do likewise as the receptionist started to make the call trying not to let her voice tremble too much not to be understood.
'If I wanted you on your knees I'd have told you to get down there and I don't' Berith told the increasing number of supplicant lawyers and ancillary staff. 'Maybe you later' he added after a pause, addressing one of the female lawyers directly. He had the shells memories of several things he was planning to try out and she was a redhead which helped.
'Ms. Morgan is on her way down to greet you personally Sir' the receptionist told him, 'I mean My Lord' she corrected herself, 'Um… Your Worship?' she queried.
'Anything but Berry' the Old One told her. 'Make a note' he added. 'We're getting the Lobby re-done in Rouge de Rance Marble' he declared. 'Get off your damn knees and get back to work' he ordered sharply sending everyone scampering away in a hurry.
The elevator opened and Lilah Morgan stepped out trying to look cool, calm and collected, which she managed but felt anything but. 'My Lord Berith' she began, 'we weren't expecting you' she told him.
'Don't have any of your psychics boiled in oil on my account, they can't see what I'm about to do unless I let them' Berith replied, holding out his hand, which Lilah took not knowing if she was meant to shake it or kiss the gold ring he was wearing. Fortunately he shook hers which saved her from a very bad social faux-pas. 'If you'll excuse me in around five seconds I'm about to get verbally abused' he told her and turned towards the next elevator the doors of which slid open to reveal a livid Marcus Hamilton.
'You traitorous…' Hamilton began angrily, clamming up immediately when Berith held up a fist and looked at it meaningfully before directing a look his way. The conduit to the Senior Partners knew that the Old One could punch a hole through him as easily as could do so through a mere human, and he took a quick breath and forced himself to calm down before he said something that caused a result that the cleaning crew would regret having to mop up. 'The Senior Partners demand an explanation, an apology and that you immediately do the job you were sent here to do.'
'The explanation is self-evident, they can kiss my scarlet ass regarding the apology and as for their interpretation of the job, no' Berith replied then grinned. 'I've been wanting to say something like that for three thousand years' he added happily.
'What's going on?' Lilah demanded to know.
'Betrayal' Hamilton replied.
'Like the Scorpion it's in my nature' Berith responded. 'Just tell your bosses to suck it up and I'll take over the operation around here for them' he said. 'Do it right, just not too right.'
'Not following' Lilah admitted, she was usually a couple of steps ahead and disliked being in the dark.
'Instead of killing Illyria and her allies Berith here decided to play his own game' Hamilton told her.
'And damn but didn't I make the right opening moves?' Berith responded smugly. 'Tell the Senior Partners I'll stop Illyria coming after them and remind them that if I'm not around I can't do that' he said. 'They'll bitch but it's a fait accompli.'
'You double-crossed the Senior Partners?' Lilah said to Berith aghast.
'Tell me you don't admire the hutzpa' Berith replied with a wink. 'That's right universe, The Lord of the Covenant is off the leash' he declared triumphantly. 'I'll take the penthouse apartment and find another office I'm taking yours' he told Lilah making sure to use a tone that meant it wasn't something she was going to argue with.
Berith addressed the receptionist again. 'That was Rouge de Rance Marble from Belgium for the lobby' he reminded her before turning back to grin at Hamilton. 'Cheer up' he said, 'they don't always shoot the messenger' he told him. 'Oh and tell them I'm keeping Lilah here, she's the only other one in the organisation that's got any brains' he added.
My life was so much less complicated before I died, Lilah thought to herself.
Warehouse District – Cleveland – June 2004
'Illyria I know you're pissed, and grabbing people by the throat looks like it's a genetic thing, but could you please put Faith back down now' Buffy requested of the Old One that was holding the other slayer off the ground looking like she was deciding whether or not to squeeze just a little bit harder.
'This is not your concern Buffy' Illyria replied coldly. 'This one seeks to steal my mate' she said as Faith tried in vain to break her grip.
'Yeah I get that and I might feel like slapping her around too in the circumstances' Buffy replied, 'but I can't let you kill her.'
'You would use a scythe upon me?' Illyria questioned.
'If I had to yes' Buffy told her.
'Go ahead, I would sooner not live than lose my Wesley' Illyria responded, surprised at her own words and the fact she meant it.
'Please Illyria don't do this' Wesley pleaded.
'You have already admitted feelings for this one' the Old One replied. 'Your betrayal make's your pleas meaningless.'
'I thought that was a word as neutral as water' Wesley replied.
Illyria paused for thought. 'Apparently not' she said eventually and continued to hold an increasingly flailing Faith off the ground one-handed.
Buffy turned her scythe over in her hands, she had already sent away almost everyone else in the hope that this domestic problem might be best dealt with in a more private situation but now she wished she had a dozen slayers on hand to subdue Illyria by force without having to actually hurt her, even Glory might have been handy to have around but the God-King had sent her away not wishing her slave to witness her humiliation. 'If you kill her do you think you'd keep him?' Buffy asked softly. 'If you really wanted to kill her she'd already be dead' she continued. 'Something is telling you it's not the right thing to do.'
'You use logic but it is like mere steel upon my flesh' Illyria responded.
'You're not exactly the first girl this has happened to' Willow told her. She was trying to come up with a spell to put Illyria down if necessary but nothing she could think of was either quick or powerful enough.
'You cannot compare my situation with theirs' Illyria replied. 'They can get over the loss and despair in time, I cannot.'
'Illyria's attachment to me is intrinsic to the shell' Wesley explained, 'she can't fall out of love with me, it's imprinted on her.'
'You know this and yet you would leave me for this one' Illyria replied, she actually looked like she was starting to cry. 'How could you treat me this way?' she asked. 'I have tried to be as good a girlfriend to you as I could be, tolerated your imperfections, annoying habits and bizarre behaviours' she said. 'Why would you hurt me like this? You said you loved me?' she asked starting to sob.
Wesley grimaced. 'I do love you' he replied. 'It's just… it's just there's always something missing' he said. 'I can't relate to you, our perspectives are too different.'
'Bullshit' Illyria snapped back, her expression shifting from sorrow to fury in a split second. 'You merely lust for this one' she declared. 'Is it because her form is less slender than mine?' she asked.
Faith would have made a wisecrack if she could either breathe properly, or didn't think would result in getting her head ripped off, as it was she stopped trying to break free and hoped they could talk the blue bitch out of killing her instead.
'If that was an issue why would I have pined for Fred so long' Wesley replied evenly.
'Pheromones' Illyria suggested. 'I do not smell like a proper mate and this effects your response to me?'
Wesley blinked. 'Well how the bloody hell would I know that either way?' he asked reasonably. 'In any case my feelings for Faith just sneaked up on me' he said, honesty was the best policy with Illyria, her ability to see changes in body heat made a surprisingly effective lie detector. 'I didn't know she felt the same until earlier today it's not like we've been having an affair behind your back, for one thing I don't think we even could.'
Illyria muttered something in the old tongue under her breath and let go of Faith who dropped to the floor, and slumped into a chair taking several deep breaths. The slayer felt the desire to retaliate but a sense of self-preservation intervened. 'I will not give up my Wesley' Illyria told her then paused. 'Berith said you will have a child together' she continued. 'Is a desire to procreate an issue?' she asked Wesley. 'I cannot bear your offspring so you seek one who can?'
'I've never put much thought into it' Wesley told her.
'Again consciously not perhaps' Illyria countered. 'I am too emotionally confused to think clearly and I may commit violence in the heat of the moment that I would regret later' she told him. 'I will see you at the Hyperion' she stated and raised her hand to open a portal vortex beside her which she stepped through before it vanished.
'Guess the rest of us get the plane back to LA' Willow said. 'Well not me obviously' she added. 'I'm going to the Hyperion, let them know the full story' she said and teleported away in a flash, she didn't think Wesley or Faith wanted her there anyway.
Five minutes later as Faith and Wesley finally started to talk Buffy's cellphone went off with Xander on the other end of the line asking why Illyria had turned up at his trailer crying and wanting to see Anya.
All things considered it was a good thing Anya couldn't cast vengeance spells any more Buffy decided, because Illyria was bound to be imaginative as hell in that department.
Note from the author:
This fanfic runs on reviews and I very much appreciate them.
The reason for the only once-a-week updates is because I've got two different fanfics on the go at the moment. If you're a fan of Stargate, and familiar with the X-COM computer game series, you might like XSGCOM: Mirror Image which is now up to chapter three.