I know that it's been a long time, again. Hopefully this time I shouldn't get too distracted. Uni, for what it's worth, is finally over. I just have a year long project to complete at work between 9-5 three days a week, and that's all my uni commitment except for a couple of assignments due in the next two months or so, so hence, more time for this. One thing for sure is that there won't be a 6 month + long break between updates from now on, to anyone who's still following this.
If there are continuity errors and differences in writing between my previous chapters, forgive me, i'm re-reading bits and got to develop my novel-writing skills up again.
And, unlike other breaks i've had where i've come back and taken the story in a different direction (but it still works out overall in the end), this time, i've kept the following set of ideas in my head right through the break, so this is the original direction of the story.
Chapter 43 Wavering Morality
Night - Sunnydale – California
The entire group had been out searching for Willow for most of the night. Skye, Nicola, Oz and Daniel, Rhonda, Connor, Cassia and three of Amanda's group had all headed back to the base camp for rest and recuperation, and to hold down the fort as well. The rest, were out in the town, searching. There had been no clue as to the whereabouts of Willow since she disappeared, and the morale of the crew was getting low. Xander knew Willow though; he knew, or rather hoped, that she was smart and had planned that out and she had somewhere safe to hide. Still, he wouldn't stop looking until he couldn't look anymore.
Somewhere beneath Sunnydale
Willow was unconscious, surrounded by rock in a magickally carved out hollow, supported by a magickal barrier which protected her. She had set it up prior to attacking The First in case this very event happened; she completely exhausted herself and got her ass handed to her. This was her safe haven where she could recuperate. Little did anyone know that she was also located beneath the Summers' Residence, and the barrier around the 'base camp' as they now came to call it encompassed the area that she was within as well, further adding to her protection.
There were no thoughts racing through Willow's mind, except for the ones focusing on regenerating her body, rest and drawing some energy from the Earth. Before she lost consciousness, she knew what needed to be done after she left this chamber, and it was going to take all of her willpower and strength, as well as the help of others within the resistance group, to accomplish it. She knew that many wouldn't like it, and that she'd have to fight everyone to accomplish the actions, but it was what was needed. It was going to happen anyway, whether it be by Willow or the military or some other witch game enough to try to take on such a task. Willow just knew that it was better that it happen on their terms, while everyone in the resistance in Sunnydale was out of town.
Night - Summers' Base Camp – Sunnydale, California.
They both stood looking straight ahead at the number of houses before them. They were both rigid and silent, just staring straight ahead. What they needed was within the central house, the kingdom of the human fighters, led by the Slayer, as the humans called her. That said Slayer was not at the residence at the moment, but a few other, less powerful slayers were, and that was exactly what Illyria and Inanna wanted. Still bloodied and weakened from the encounter with the corporeal version of The First, they knew that they were not in any shape for a fight. Illyria also knew that the humans, save for the red haired witch, could not put up any resistance to them.
"Two vampires are watching us from a nearby dwelling," Inanna said to Illyria, still not moving, using her senses to detect any life within a two block radius.
"They are more interested in what lies inside the barrier than us," Illyria replied. "Come, we need these Slayers." Illyria stepped forward, and the air in front of her rippled and pulsed with energy: the barrier that surrounded the Summers' Base Camp. Slowly, Illyria moved through the energy as it appeared to shift to a watery like substance to her touch. The barrier appeared to reverse back to it's original form once Illyria had passed through. Inanna followed in the same fashion.
"Powerful magicks for humans," Inanna commented. Illyria just huffed and continuted walking towards the Summers' Residence.
Same Time – Summers' Base Camp, Sunnydale, California.
They had arrived back at the base camp roughly fifteen minutes ago, and everyone was going through the processes of recuperating. The group had encountered a rather nasty group of demons after beginning the search for Willow, and most of those who returned to the Base Camp had suffered some kinds of injuries. Connor had travelled back to base camp because his injuries from the recent encounter at Sunnydale Highschool were still playing up on him. He was currently going through what was left of their weapons cache in the lounge room, and quite frankly, it was pathetic. They had an axe, one short sword, one large dagger and one crossbow left from what everyone had taken out on the search for Willow. Connor was thinking about going out and raiding some of the surrounding homes for some guns or more axes or other weapons that they'd missed when he heard a ripping and splintering sound behind him. He turned around in time to see two bloodied corpses come walking through the doorway, one looking like Fred, and the other like Michaela. It threw him for a second, that Fred had come walking in through the front door, but then it hit him, it wasn't Fred. It was an Old One which had hollowed out her body, and it was very, very, very dangerous. He looked at the bodies standing before him, and they were both covered in blood from head to toe. He didn't know whose, or what's, blood it was. Illyria and Connor's eyes met for a few moments, and in one of those moments, Connor thought he saw something, different.
"Obtain only the weaker ones, leave the stronger ones remaining," Illyria said to Inanna, and in moments they had split up and were moving through the house. Inanna had almost bolted up the stairs, while Illyria moved through the hallway to the kitchen at the rear of the house. Connor quickly decided that the people at the rear of the house would have to fend for themselves. He knew that Amanda and her group were in the backyard, doing some meditation thing, and that they'd be able to help Cassia, Rhonda Daniel. Before Connor had time to move, he could hear yells and scuffling sounds from upstairs. These Old Ones were damn fast. He bolted towards the stairs and leapt over the handrail and halfway up the stairs. Bounding up the rest of the stairs and rounding the corner, Connor could see a body draped over the shoulder of Inanna as she walked towards him and the staircase. He briefly saw an image of Oz turning into the werewolf behind her, but he didn't properly acknowledge it as he went to engage Inanna. He punched her in the face, but he realised with horror that it didn't register to her, and before he knew what was happening, he was flying backwards along the corridor from a punch from Inanna's free hand. Connor hit the wall hard, and it wasn't until he tried to get up that he realised that he had gone partially through the wall. As he regained his senses and got up, he just saw Inanna at the bottom of the stairs and heading for the door. Connor witnessed Inanna turn around and shout to Illyria,
"Move quickly Illyria." Connor just had time to witness that when he looked down and saw Illyria dashing out of the kitchen with a body draped over her shoulder as well. Connor leapt over the handrail, but it wasn't in time. By the time he hit the ground and recovered, both of the Old Ones were out the door. Connor couldn't let the Old Ones take some of their people, they needed all the people that they could get. It was up to him to try to get them back; he was the strongest fighter out of all of them which were at the base camp. He couldn't fail them, not after it was his uniqueness as the son of two vampires which had cost Fred her life. Illyria was meant to enter him, not her. He raced out the front door only in time to see Inanna wave her hand and a pulse of energy emanate outwards from her and hit the barrier, appearing to change it to a watery substance. He saw Illyria and Inanna, as well as the two bodies they were carrying, move through the barrier. Connor ran like he had never ran before, but it was too late. They all disappeared into a vortex which Illyria had created. Connor knew that they had lost those two people forever, and worst of all, he had no idea who they were. He didn't have time to examine who Illyria and Inanna had taken.
Same Time - Premises next to Summers' Base Camp – Sunnydale, California.
Darla and Druscilla had been holed up within the house for what seemed like an eternity now. They had spent their time, watching the coming and going of the people within the base camp, just waiting for the perfect opportunity for their target to emerge alone so they could grab him. Connor had yet to emerge, and from what they could tell, Spike hadn't emerged. They both knew that William would be within the base camp with the Slayer, but they had yet to even see him. Druscilla had said something about it being likely that he was chained up in the basement, and Darla couldn't disagree with her. They needed Connor so they could go back to Los Angeles. Something had overcome Angelus, something wicked and sinister, even in their view. Darla also knew that he was just being used as a pawn for The First, and that Angelus would be killed as soon as he had fulfilled his purpose. She knew that Connor was the key to his unbeating heart, whether it be Angel or Angelus, and she hoped that if she could convince Connor to face off against Angelus, he'd be lured away from The First. Then, and only then, would they reunite their family and begin to scour the countryside again. She knew enough of Connor to know that he would not let himself be killed by Angelus, but that he wasn't good enough to kill him. Connor would lure him out, and then run.
Night - Outside Summers' Base Camp – Sunnydale, California.
It was just after Illyria and Inanna disappeared and Connor stopped running when he felt the pain. He knew that it would have been from when Inanna punched him. He looked down, only to see a small dart sticking out of his abdomen. He took it out and could see some green fluid within it. Throwing the dart down, he looked around only to see two figures coming towards him from the front yard of one of the nearby houses. His vision began to get blurry and he began to feel himself swaying. Connor took a couple of steps back, attempting to get inside the barrier, but he knew he wouldn't make it. He strained his eyes at one of the approaching figures and recognised the face from some of the photo's Angel and Holtz had shown him: it was the twisted vampiric face of Druscilla. Connor could feel his eyes getting heavy, and he couldn't hold them open any longer. He felt his eyelids close, and felt himself stumble. He began to fall backwards, but he was caught by something. He opened his eyes again, just in time to see a bloodied and bruised Skye sink a stake into Druscilla's heart, dusting her. He could see another figure, a blonde woman or vampire moving towards them, and he only got to glimpse at Skye moving towards her before he was lowered onto the ground. He looked up at the face of the person who caught him and saw that it was Daniel, the other werewolf, in human form, with dried tears coming from his eyes.
"Don't worry Connor, we've got you," he said to him before Connor lapsed into unconsciousness.
Next chapter is coming soon…. Might even be tomorrow. Things are getting set up for some old (and "Old") characters to return. Reviews will make me write faster. Cheers - Aussie