Author: mkcrl120
Disclaimer: All the characters mentioned in this story belong to Joss Whedon or Mutant Enemy or some other people. I own nothing and wrote this just to get it out of my system.
Summary: Set two weeks after the events in Explaining Africa 3
Authors Notes: I have no clue about Africa. Which is probably always a good place to start writing a story. So if details I've used for place names, and tribal names and whatever are wrong then just (correctly) assume I have no idea what I'm doing.
Rating: 15 by English standards (mainly for language)
Chapter 13b:
Back in the cave
"They were just normal ordinary people." Brouhm explained. "But a lot of them saw potential opportunities with their newfound gifts... not all, but enough." He continued. "Even those that didn't want to use their powers for morally questionable reasons, well by today's standards anyway, why would they want to risk their lives working for a bunch of people that intended to send them to their deaths."
"Now it's beginning to sound like the Council." Xander grumbled to himself.
"It was at this point that those in the Council who were still aware of the truth about the Weapon and it's Guardian sought out Merkak in her most recent incarnation."
"Where were you..?" Xander asked.
"Some of the time we worked alongside the Council, but for most we stayed with the Slayer and her Watcher. Fought proudly alongside them, giving both Slayer and their field Watcher the benefits of our longevity." Brouhm paused. "A lot of Watchers simply thought we were a powerful magic user, with their memories not what they once were, some of the Slayers thought the same. The Slayers all had some memory of the Weapon though. Some believed it called out to them, that they could sense it. Merkak thought they were sensing the original Slayer, well the small part of her that existed within the Weapon."
"Not really answering my question."
"With the Slayers separated from the Council, we chose to stay with the Slayers. Trying to persuade them to take up their calling, to follow proudly in their lineage." Brouhm replied. "The Council knew we'd either be close to the current Slayer or it would be one of those times when we simply weren't there."
"When they found us," Brouhm continued on. "They questioned whether it was time to end the Slayer line once and for all."
"You mean..?"
"Yes." Brouhm expanded further, "We debated whether the Slayer had simply outlived their usefulness, we debated whether the current Slayer should die at the hands of the Weapon."
Xander looked on in disbelief, having severe issues with what he was hearing.
"You have to realise that the Slayer at the time was using her gifts to cause others harm." Brouhm explained. "Even before she died and I received her memories, there were known to be at least five human deaths by her hand."
"But you didn't... I mean, Buffy and Faith and the others." Xander stopped as another possibility occurred to him. "You didn't kill them and then restart the line did you..?"
"No." Brouhm responded immediately, gesturing around them. "These rooms have only been created when the first of the line dies. If another line had been created, you'd be standing in the scenario surrounding their creation."
"So what did you do..?" Xander asked confused.
"Myself and Merkak spent time working out how to stop the Slayers who'd gone bad. We wanted to come up with a way to stop their gifts from hurting others."
"It took two years in total." Brouhm replied, Xander noted some sign of hesitation in his voice. "But we created it... a serum capable of nullifying the Slayer's powers."
"Nullifyi-" Xander drifted off, before responding in an angry tone once realisation dawned. "Nullifying..? Like on Buffy's eighteenth..?"
Back in the apartment
Amy felt the pressure on her back as Roger attempted to protect her from the imminent attack.
"Gannh." Came the voice of Shote from somewhere behind them, followed by further sounds of straining. "Hhhnnnnhhh."
'He's fighting the beast..?' She thought to herself, part of her desperate to turn around and see what was going on, another part of her frightened as to what she might discover.
The pressure increased and she could feel Roger lean more heavily into her. Bracing her own hands on the floor, she strained as hard as she could.
Idly noting Roger's hand where he was pressing against the wall, obviously trying to raise himself back to his own feet.
Amy pushed harder, part of her in disbelief that even their own combined strengths would be able to hold the demon back for any reasonable length of time.
Amy was surprised when a second hand of Roger's joined the other on the wall in front of her. Roger had obviously managed to force himself partially off of her, and attempt to stand up.
But she could still feel a small pressure spread out uniformly across the rear of her body.
"Yaaaaghhhhhh." Came the sound of the creature's call. Then another, seemingly further away. "Yrgggg."
Then suddenly most of the pressure was gone and Amy dropped to the ground in relief. Feeling the sting in her triceps and shoulders. Now it was only a light pressure, no more uncomfortable than wearing clothing, simply reminding you it was there.
Suddenly she could hear Roger's voice, "Shote..?"
'It sounded high.' She thought to herself, suddenly feeling the last of the pressure disappear. She blinked a few times as the room suddenly appeared to change colour slightly.
Before she could shake off the thought, or stand up and face the others, she heard the sound of footsteps heading away from them.
"Shote..?" She heard Roger shout out again, his voice a little stronger this time.
Unknown location
Tu'ron was fifteen when the group arrived in their camp.
This group was practically legendary.
Everyone had heard of them, Tu'ron herself had heard many tales when sitting with Bee'ka's family. Ga'nav had met many people, all of which had their own tales to tell of the ones that could give you the powers of the man-demon. There had been many nights around the fire where he'd tell the latest stories.
And now they were here, it was a big deal amongst Tu'ron's adopted family. Faith noted to herself with interest.
She'd never heard of such a thing herself, all of her information had come via Tu'ron.
It seemed that the group had arrived in this part of the land only in the last few years. Seemingly before that, they'd come from so far away that no-one in the camp even had a name for the area.
According to rumours many were going to ask for their help.
Bee'ka had even joked about asking for it herself. Privately, Faith thought that it didn't seem like the kind of help she was interested in. Sounded far too risky.
Faith's only real wish was that just once she'd be able to speak through Tu'ran's mouth so she could ask them where they were.
She'd overheard her adopted father talking to Dig'na. D'gan was going to ask them to bestow their gifts upon the camp's future leader.
Dig'na had seemed proud of the suggestion, Tu'ron had been a little jealous when she'd seen him discussing it with his future wife.
Faith smiled at the memory, more appreciative now that he'd gotten to an age she'd have considered fair game. 'But fuck, they're a hot couple.' She commented, thinking on Dig'na and his fiance. 'Shit Tu'ron, if I thought you had a single inclination in that direction I'd have suggested joining them as a wedding present.'
That said, a deep friendship had formed between Tu'ron and Fy'vaar. That was something Faith was jealous about, she'd only had one real friend in recent years. 'And that was Angel, its not like I hadn't been trying with others but they're all gonna be middle-aged now.' She realised, 'Least Angel should be the same, assuming he's not dust.'
'Mind you, if they're middle-aged I guess I am too.' She thought to herself. 'Don't feel like I'm in my thirties.' She paused as though rethinking the comment. 'But considering I'm living in the body of a fifteen year old, I'm not surprised by that.'
'Wonder if any of them will remember me..?' She thought bitterly. 'Is my body in another coma, or is it dead... maybe it's lost inside the swirling vortex..? Hell are any of the others left, or is it just the newbies..? Maybe I'm just another dead Slayer's name in some Watcher's diary..?'
That last thought upset her a little, 'Not that I ever really had a Watcher anymore. Not since...' She fought to hold back imaginary tears as she tried to get control of her emotions.
'A lost Slayer that's me.' She thought, for once glad that she didn't have control over any part of this body. 'Seems an apt description in life, so why not in death..?'
Forcing herself onto cheery thoughts, she came up with another option. 'Maybe I'm frozen in time in here, maybe I'll come out of the vortex and they'll be old and I'll have stayed just as hot.'
It was only at this point that she paid attention to what Tu'ron was doing. She was being led by Dig'na towards where the group were staying.
'What do they want us for..?' She wondered as the two walked on in silence. 'Come on speak, I wasn't paying attention earlier.'
They led her to the front of the group. Faith noted that quite a few of the camp's more senior personnel were here. Ga'nav met her eyes with a silent nod as Tu'ron made eye contact with him. She could sense that Tu'ron seemed to be slightly worried.
'What..? What the fuck is going on..?' Faith wanted to scream, as her eyes scanned over all of the new arrivals, Faith swore she'd recognised them from somewhere. But there was no such familiar feeling coming from Tu'ron.
D'gan nodded that she should stand in front of the newcomers.
They asked her name. Tu'ron immediately responded. "Tu'ron."
"Is this the girl..?" One of them asked another.
"Yes." Two people had answered the question on her behalf. D'gan and one of the strangers. The two strangers looked at one another in confusion.
'Seriously, you need to start explaining this shit now.' Faith inwardly shouted.
D'gan however seemed not to have noticed. "We're surprised how you heard." He began, "We've been very careful to keep her identity a secret."
'Too fucking right they have too.' Faith growled, as Tu'ron bowed her head sheepishly. 'It's already cost her both her parents.'
"We did not hear." The stranger who'd also answered the question informed them. "I saw this girl in a dream many years ago."
"There is a Seer amongst you..?" Ga'nav challenged.
D'gan waved him to calm down. "Of course, that would explain much about your success. You already know who to pick."
Dig'na sighed somewhere behind her, obviously disappointed.
'Look he wants it.' Faith tried to point out. 'Choose Dig'na... he's willing to take the risk. Leave her the fuck alone.'
The strange man who'd answered the questions came over to them. "I saw you many years ago... long before I saw them, long before I met my wife Merkak."
Tu'ron's eyes flicked across to the only female in their group.
"I've dreamt of you for most of my life." He continued on.
'That's a fucking line.' Faith attempted to inform Tu'ron. 'Says he's married, and his fucking wife is right there... this doesn't mean they might not be up to something.'
"Tu'ron." Dig'na called softly. "These men wish to place an Aspect of a Demon within you... as much as you currently are, this could make you so much more..."
Back in the cave
"That Crucial-lee-um thing. That was you..?" Xander asked in an overtly angry tone.
"The serum would eventually be used for that, yes." Brouhm answered with a sigh. "But to begin with it was purely used to deal with troublesome Slayers."
Xander could hear the sadness in the other man's voice, but unfortunately he was running on pure instinct by this point. "I've heard the Watcher's definition of troubl-"
"It wasn't like tha-" Brouhm attempted, only to be interrupted himself.
"You said deal with." Xander challenged. "What exactly did you mean, if it's not what I suspect it means."
"It's not." Brouhm began, before correcting his statement under Xander's stare. "It wasn't."
"When it was used on the first Slayer, it was simply done to remove her powers... the intention was that we'd wait for her to die-"
"You'd wait for her to die..?" Xander quickly interrupted. "I bet you did."
"She'd killed many people." Brouhm began, "Once her powers were removed, her actions simply caught up with her."
"And then..?" Xander stood firm.
"In time the responsibility was passed onto the Watchers." Brouhm confessed. "Once the Slayer was de-powered... some of them chose not to wait."
"Didn't you do anything..?" Xander practically screamed.
"We couldn't... we had to give the serum to the Watchers as Merkak was coming to the end of that particular life. By the time he was back..." He drifted off, letting Xander fill in his own blanks.
"This was completely out of our control now, they knew how to make their own serum. It didn't have the strength of ours, but it did work fine on a more temporary basis. So we came up with something new." Brouhm answered.
"We created the box you used to get here."
End chapter 13b