Chapter Four—Halloween
"High Street Exporters. How may I direct your call?"
"Reginald Nottingham for Quentin Travers."
"Please hold for a moment, sir, while I connect your call."
After a moment, the call connected and a civilized voice came over the line. "Reginald, it's good to hear from you. How is the grand experiment going?"
"If you mean that balderdash with Kennedy and her band of miscreants, then I'm afraid it's a disaster." Damn the man, he knew this was utter chicanery, Notty thought moodily.
"Come, now, Reginald, I'm sure it's not that bad. How many has she recruited?"
"Three or four, depending on whether you consider the girlfriend of one of the young men to be involved. Quentin, I'm not happy with this. I consider it a complete waste of time."
"Well, that can't be helped, Reginald. If you would be patient, I'm sure you'll eventually come to the see the value of the relationships Kenn-"
"Doubtful. If I could just see how effective this has been in the past. All you've told me is that another recent Slayer did this and was very successful. I still don't understand why I can't see her Watcher's diaries. That's the purpose of the damn things, after all." And to find out what happened to that Slayer, how she died. Notty knew that would make him feel better. After all, it is the unknown dangers that fuel our fears.
"I'm sorry, Reginald, but right now that's... not possible. Perhaps if circumstances change, they can be made available."
"I am very unhappy with this situation, Quentin."
"Well, it's not as if you have much of a choice, Reginald."
"I wondered when you would bring that up."
"I have the support of the Council. You're lucky to still be a Watcher, Reginald. Blind chance made you the Watcher of a active Slayer. If you want to remain so, I would be very careful."
"Don't threaten me, Quentin. It's not a good idea." Especially after what happened to... Notty stopped, not even allowing himself to think that name. Never again.
"I'm not threatening you, Reginald. Heaven forbid. I'm merely reminding you of your duty. You do remember you have one, don't you?"
"Quentin, you can go sod yourself." With that, Notty slammed down the phone. I'm going to kill him, he thought absently. Perhaps not today, but definitely one day soon. It was a curiously liberating sensation...
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Kennedy walked into her Watcher's apartment. "Notty? Are you here?"
He called down from the upstairs bedroom, "One moment, Kennedy, and I'll be right down."
As good as his word, Notty came down in less than a minute. In the meantime, Kennedy had sprawled on the couch. "Thank you for coming, Kennedy."
"Sure. So, what's up, Notty? Did you find out that despite Halloween coming up there are nefarious doings afoot?"
Notty frowned. "Of course not, Kennedy. As you well know, Halloween has become a night where almost all demons and vampires take the night off."
"So, you won't mind if I take the night off as well?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Warren says there some kickin' parties going on Halloween night. I thought I might go by a few."
Notty sighed. "I suppose that would be fine. Your senses are sharp enough that you'll know if there are any vampires who are crass enough to go out on Halloween. Now, do you know why I asked you here?"
Kennedy started to shake her head, then stopped. Maybe... She ventured, "You want a report on how my friends are doing?"
Notty nodded in approval. "Excellent. Yes, I do."
Nervously, Kennedy stared at her hands. "Notty, I'm not sure..."
"Kennedy."
Kennedy blinked. Notty's tone carried a warning, one that made it perilous to disobey. Kennedy had only had that tone used on her once before, after a particularly stupid practical joke she'd played on Notty. He had not been amused. He'd been less amused when she'd told him to screw off. Notty had proceeded to take his belt and give her the beating of her life. The only beating of her life up to that point. Kennedy had been twelve at the time and gone up to her room and cried for hours. But she'd never openly defied her Watcher again.
Notty was a bit of a conundrum to Kennedy. Ever since he'd shown up at her home in Westchester, New York to take over as her tutor, she'd been curious about him and his past. But he was almost as much of a mystery now as he'd been then. Kennedy had only learned a handful of facts about him. But by the far the most important was that he was the most menacing man she'd ever met.
She still remembered a conversation she'd overhead following her beating. Her father had confronted Notty in the library that evening. Kennedy had crept down the stairs, attracted by the loud voices.
"I won't stand still while you assault my daughter! Get out of my house!" The rage in her father's voice made Kennedy nauseous. He seldom raised his voice in the house and never at her or her mother. Still, she was aware that he was considered a dangerous man by the way other men treated him.
"Mr. DaSilva, sit down. Sit down or you'll certainly regret it." The cold menace in Notty's voice had been a revelation. Even when he had beaten her, his voice hadn't contained anything like the sense of danger it did now.
"That's better. Mr. DaSilva, should you be so foolish as to inconvenience me, you will have seen the last of your daughter."
"How dare you? Do you think you can hide her from me? The Council can't-"
"No, the Council can't. I can, however. The Council has handled you with kid gloves, allowing Kennedy to stay here with you and your family. Perhaps you could even find her, if the Council removed her. I am not the Council, Mr. DaSilva. I do not employ their methods. Mine work much better. Should you cause me to need to remove Kennedy, none of you will be alive to look for her. Do I make myself clear?"
"How dare you. You're a monster. I'll stop you. I know Blue Lou and..."
Notty's voice hardened even more. The sheer menace made Kennedy shake. "I am aware of your family's ties with Mr. Cipriani. However, don't be fooled into believing sentimentality will overcome self-interest with him. I have already made arrangements with his organization. Should I require it, they will deal with you and your wife. Feel free to call him if you like. No? Then, unless you have more questions..."
Her father's voice, once so strong and vibrant, sounded dead, defeated. "Just one. Why are you doing this? What do you want with my daughter?"
Notty's voice went from menacing to silky as he spoke, "Your daughter has a destiny. Whether she will fulfill it or not, I cannot say. I will do everything within my power to see that she has every possible advantage when it comes time. That includes preventing you from interfering with her development. I did not touch your daughter lightly, nor capriciously. She needs to learn discipline, a difficult task so long as she remains here. But as the Council has given its word that she is to remain here so long as you don't interfere, then I'll honor that word. I won't strike her again so long as she acts with dignity and honor. Do you understand me, Kennedy?"
Kennedy bolted back up the stairs. How had he known she was listening? Hiding under the covers of her bed, she felt even more scared.
Staring into Notty's cold eyes, Kennedy relived those feelings from four years ago. He'd never hit her again. He hadn't needed to. "All right, Notty, what do you want to know?"
Notty smiled. "Anything that has stood out about any of them. Start with Mr. Mears. He's the one I'm most interested in just now..."
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Kennedy opened the door of her apartment. A blast of sound hit her as soon as she stepped inside. What the hell? Then she saw the culprits. Warren, Andrew, and Veruca lay draped over the couch and two recliners she'd bought, watching a movie. One in which the soundtrack seemed to be the most important part of the movie.
"Turn it down!" Kennedy shouted, trying to be heard over the din. As one, three heads turned to her, near identical looks in their eyes. Rolling her eyes, Kennedy walked over and grabbed the remote, lowering the volume to a reasonable level, to the groans of dismay of the audience.
"Kennedy!"
"Come 'on, roomie."
"It's The Crow! It has to be loud, babe."
"I thought we were making costumes tonight?" Kennedy asked.
Warren gave her a lazy smile. "Sure thing, just as soon as the movie's over. Hey, can you move over a little? I'm don't want to miss this scene."
Kennedy moved out the way and went into the kitchen. She made herself a couple of fat sandwiches, the headed back into the living room. She picked up Veruca's feet from one end of the couch, and sat down. Veruca curled up into a shorter ball, but that still left her feet too close to Kennedy and her sandwiches for comfort. Casually, Kennedy reached over and rubbed her hand lightly over Veruca's instep. Ha, take that. The werewolf sat up instantly, giving Kennedy a startled look. Kennedy gave her an innocent look back and took a bite out of her sandwich. Settling back, Kennedy began to watch the movie.
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"I still say you can totally see where Brandon Lee gets it." Veruca said, as she cut more material for her costume.
"That's utter BS, babe. The director cut that direct footage. If you watch the commentary on the director's cut, you'd know that."
"Pardon me, Warren, if I'm not a nerd like you." Veruca's voice dripped disdain.
"Excuse me for living, fido." Warren upped the ante.
Veruca shot to her feet. "What the fuck did you just call me, shithead?"
Kennedy sighed. "Sit down, Veruca. Warren, stop being a dick. Please?"
Veruca sat. Warren opened his mouth, thought better of it, and shut it again. Much better, Kennedy thought smugly. "Andrew, how's your costume coming?"
Andrew grinned excitedly. "I'm almost done. Then I'll put it on and you can tell me how cool it is." He seemed to be enjoying the idea of his costume being a secret.
"Okay. Warren, are you sure that the sororities are going to be well represented at these frat parties? Cause I'm not exactly a fraternity kind of gal, if you know what I mean."
Warren shrugged. "Kennedy, all of the parties are going to be hosted by frat houses. None of the sororities want to have their houses screwed up by these kinds of parties. So they team up with a frat and go in together."
Veruca asked, "What are you going as, Kennedy?"
"Sailor Neptune. She's one hot, tough, sexy lesbian girl. With green hair no less."
"That's hot, babe. I can see it now, you strolling along arm in arm with Sailor Uranus, about to make some-"
"Down boy. Veruca, what are you going as?"
"It took me a while to think up something. I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was like six. But I finally decided on the Devil." She held up her costume, which was mostly complete.
It consisted of a tight red leather-looking body suit complete with a tail. There was a set of horns and a spiked collar that went around her neck.
"That's pretty cool, babe. But where's your costume?"
Veruca flipped him the bird, which made him laugh. Kennedy laughed too. Andrew looked like he didn't get the joke. Too bad for him, she thought.
"So where's Anya? I thought she was coming tonight?"
Warren shrugged. "Beats me. She said something about conflicting feelings about her former almost-boyfriend making her want to vomit, then disappeared."
Veruca shook her head. "There's something majorly off about that girl."
Warren mock scowled. "Just because she's going out with me."
"Exactly." Veruca made a basketball shooting gesture. "She shoots! She scores!"
"Touché." Warren saluted Veruca with a grin.
Andrew burst out with, "What are you going as, Warren, oh great inventor of the blaster?"
Warren slowly grinned. "I'm finished. Let me just try it on." With that, he disappeared into Kennedy's bathroom.
Kennedy called out, "You'd better stay out of my underwear drawer, Warren! I know someone was in it recently."
Uneasily, Andrew shifted in his seat, staring at Kennedy. "Huh?"
Kennedy sighed. "Never mind, Andrew."
Veruca nodded. "All guys are pervs. No offense, Andrew."
Jerkily, Andrew nodded back. "None taken, oh hunter of the night. With the exception of the great Luke Skywalker, I cannot say nay unto you."
Kennedy exchanged an eyeroll with Veruca. Then Warren came out. He was dressed as Han Solo. "Where's Princess Leia?"
Kennedy had eyes for only one thing. "Is that a blaster, Warren?"
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Or maybe I'm just happy to see you-"
Kennedy held up her hand imperiously. "Stop! Answer the question."
Andrew erupted. "You have a real blaster as part of your costume? That's sooooo coool! I want one! Please, Warren. I'll iron your clothes for a month, even your under..." He stopped at he odd looks he was getting from everyone.
Warren laughed. "Sheesh. Relax, people. It's a fake. I haven't made another blaster yet. I will have one ready by tomorrow though. Andrew swears on his Luke Skywalker action figure that it'll hold for at least five shots this time."
Kennedy sneered. "I'd feel better if he swore by his Boba Fett figure... and I'm becoming as big of a nerd as you both. That sucks. I'm going to try on my costume."
Veruca got up as well. "Me, too." They headed towards opposite bathrooms. Kennedy closed her door and quickly got dressed up. She just threw on the wig, but would fix it better for the real parties.
Emerging from her bedroom, she stopped and struck a pose. "Oh, sir, my name is Michiru Kaioh, but you can call me Sailor Neptune, Soldier of the Deep Waters." Her costume consisted of a Japanese "sailor fuku," a schoolgirl uniform... out of a teenaged boy's wet dream. Its base was a white cap-sleeve leotard with an attached jade green sailor collar and extremely short pleated skirt, also in the same deep jade green. Accenting the collar and skirt were huge deep blue-green bows with trailing ribbons. She wore white gloves that extended halfway up her forearms, trimmed with jade. A green choker ribbon necklace with a gold star was around her neck. On her head, Kennedy wore a green wig. Covered mostly by the wig, but visible at her forehead, was a gold tiara with a green gem. On her feet were green pumps with green ribbons crossing over her ankles.
Warren whistled shrilly. "Hubba hubba!"
Then the other bedroom door opened. Warren's jaw dropped. Kennedy stopped and stared. Holy shit! With Veruca dressed like that, Kennedy just knew the parties were going to be fun.
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Kennedy stopped the TA for her Pop Culture class. "Bill? Can I ask you a question?"
The tall, solidly built young man turned with an inquiring look on his face. "Sure thing. Uh, Kennedy?"
Sometimes, it helped to have an unusual name, Kennedy thought. "That's right. Do we have to actually watch those episodes of MacGyver this week?"
Bill nodded. "Sorry, but Professor Jackson's kind of a stickler for the rules."
Kennedy sighed. "It just sucks how he can turn what should be the most fun class into such a snoozefest."
Bill laughed out loud. "Just don't tell him that."
Remembering how he'd yelled at that girl, Kennedy grimaced. "I won't. Thanks, Bill."
"Sure thing. Let me know if there's anything else I can do."
Kennedy grinned and nodded. She headed out for her Psych 105 class with the 'Bitch Monster of Death.'
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Kennedy listened to Professor Walsh as she commented on their papers. "Most of these were garbage. I want to see much better work or those of you that can will be lining up to drop this class."
Kennedy got her paper back and looked at her grade. A minus. Not bad, but she thought it would score higher. Thanks, Maggie, she thought sourly.
Kennedy caught the TA, Riley, giving her a stare. She still didn't know what his deal was, but there was definitely something off with him. The other day, when he had made his statement about wanting to know in the name of the United States government, Kennedy hadn't given it much thought. But Notty had pointed out that it was unlikely he would say something like that unless he had some kind of official standing, possible law enforcement, but more likely military, possibly as a reservist of some kind.
Riley did stand kind of stiff, Kennedy thought, like he had a ram rod up his ass. She shook her head ruefully. Be nice, Kennedy, she told herself, he did quite possibly save your life. And he hadn't gone shouting to the authorities, but she wasn't sure how much of that was fear of being called insane. Sunnydale seemed better than most places at hiding its head in the sand when it came to the supernatural.
Saved by the bell, she thought. Getting up, Kennedy headed out.
"Kennedy, wait up!"
She stopped as Riley jogged to catch up to her. "What's up, Riley?"
He appeared nervous. "About the other day..."
Kennedy shrugged. "What about it?"
Riley went on, "I haven't told anyone about what happened."
Kennedy gave him a steady look. "Good. That way no one thinks you're a nutjob. Don't worry about it, Riley, it's covered. And thanks for saving my life. That SOB was pretty nasty."
"Yeah, I saw. Why was that?"
Kennedy shook her head. "Need to know, Riley, need to know. I'll see you later." She felt his eyes on her back as she walked away.
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As Kennedy walked down the quad, heading for the cafeteria, she saw a familiar face. Sara? Terry? Tara. That was it. She was talking to the hottest girl. Deciding to test the waters, Kennedy walked up to say hello.
"Hi, Tara. Remember me?"
The poor girl stuttered out her name. "K-k-kennedy. Of course, I remember."
Kennedy prodded. "So, who's your friend?"
Tara blushed. "This is Michelle. She's in my Wicca group."
Kennedy gave Michelle the once over. Almost perfect. All she needed was amber eyes, and she would meet all of Kennedy's requirements for the perfect woman. "Hi, Michelle."
The girl, who had been looking at Kennedy with interest, smiled. "Hi, Kennedy. How goes it?"
Kennedy gave her a slow, lazy smile. "It's going pretty good right now. You doing anything for Halloween?"
Michelle nodded. "We're doing a bake sale this weekend to raise money so that we can get the message of sisterhood out."
Kennedy nodded as if she were interested. "No running around naked in the moonlight or anything?"
The girl smiled flirtily. "Well, not for Halloween. We'll probably do a blessing on Sunday. It sounds like you're interested in Wicca. Let me give you my number and you can call me."
Kennedy smiled and nodded. "That sounds great. I'll definitely give you a call. Maybe even tonight."
"Sure, that would work."
Kennedy's mission was accomplished. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Michelle. Nice to see you again, Tara." As Kennedy walked off, she was exultant. Finally! I'm finally getting some action, she thought.
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Tara watched Kennedy walk away. She felt like a fool. When Kennedy had come bounding up, so full of energy, to say hello, Tara's heart had sped up. The girl was just so attractive. But Kennedy didn't want to talk to her. It was Michelle she was interested in. Watching them flirt had been like getting pricked by thorns. That's what you get, she thought. You're a demon. You shouldn't even think about getting involved with someone.
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Kennedy dreamed...
Several dark forms slid through the night, undergrowth parting before them. They were hunting. Hunting dangerous prey. Prey which in turn, hunted them. Then they saw it. A demon.
Kennedy turned to her squad. She could see them clearly through the light magnifying goggles she wore. Making two quick gestures with one hand, she let them know to split up and circle around, so it would be surrounded. She waited, giving them time to get around to the thing's other side.
Then she stepped forward, firing her gun The blast hit the great beast. But it shook it off. Driving forward, it raced towards her. Futilely, she fired again. Other blasts joined hers. Then, just before it was going to hit her, she was pushed to the side, out of its path. The crunching sound that followed told her that someone had paid the price.
Scrambling to her feet, she pulled her pistol and fired repeatedly into the head of the thing, looking for a soft spot. She must have hit something, because it was down. Not taking any chances, she drew her blade and severed its spine. Only then did she check her fallen teammate.
Dragging the demon back, Kennedy flipped the body over. Bill's dead face looked up at her...
Kennedy sat up in bed. "Mother fucker!" What a crazy dream. Well, at least it probably wasn't a Slayer dream. TA's weren't exactly commandos.
Kennedy flew through the air down a hallway. Mattresses lined the floor beneath her. More were piled up against the walls. She knew she was going to fly the furthest of any of the dwarves. She hit the mattresses and bounced around. Standing up in triumph, she held up her arms to her cheering comrades...
"Son of a bitch! Goddammit! Stop making me dream! I have to be up in two hours!" Grumpily, Kennedy plumped her pillow, then settled back down to try to catch at least a lttle sleep. Fuckin' dwarves, she thought sleepily. What the hell was that all about?
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"Wow, Kennedy, you look beat."
"Gee, thanks, Veruca. That's exactly what I need to hear when I have a date."
"You have a date? Who's the lucky girl?"
"Her name's Michelle. She's a friend of a girl I met the other day."
"I'm surprised you didn't go out with the other girl, too. You haven't exactly been partying hard."
"It's not like that with Tara."
"So, Michelle's gay, but Tara isn't?"
Kennedy paused. Was Tara a member? Maybe. There hadn't been an overt vibe, but she'd definitely seemed jazzed yesterday when Kennedy had stopped by. I wonder if it bothered her when I picked up her friend, Kennedy thought. She shrugged.
"I'm not sure. I'm ready for my lesson."
Veruca paled. "Umm... okay. Let me get my keys."
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"Watch out for that car! Oh my God, we're going to die!" Veruca shrieked from next to Kennedy.
"Zip it up, wolf girl. I missed that car by two inches. At least! And we were only going... okay, maybe we were going a little fast, but we have seat belts. And airbags."
"Please don't kill me, Kennedy. I don't want to die. My life's not that bad."
Kennedy flipped her the bird. "Look, I'll just go down and turn around. See? Nothing to worry about."
"Motherfucker!"
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Kennedy finished her make up. She looked... damn good. That nap had done wonders for her bags. She gave a final shimmy, tugging up her tube top, then got ready to head out. She was meeting Michelle at the local coffee shop, then they were going out for dinner...
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"And some skank dripped her scented candle all over my woman power shrine. That totally sucked. I love how we are getting the message out to all of the sisters. We have to work together to reform this world..."
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"Yes, my daddy thinks that money makes the world go around. I tried to tell him last week about the deeper meaning of life. You know? Not everything is about corporate greed and the destruction of the natural world..."
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"I would never wear the skin of an animal. Well, except for my shoes, but those are from cows, who are at least being eaten. Imagine wearing fur though. I just shudder to think about all those cute little minks being murdered for their furs..."
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Kennedy slowly walked back to her apartment. Talk about a bust. Tonight had been the worst date she'd ever had. Including that time when she was fourteen and got caught playing naked twister with her second cousin Shellie by Notty. Although she wasn't sure that would qualify as a date. But tonight was still worse.
Michelle had been the most spoiled, liberal, opinionated, airheaded bitch that Kennedy had every met in her entire life. She was so divorced from reality that if she had to earn a living after graduation, she was completely doomed. Kennedy decided with a bitter laugh that Michelle was one of those lipstick lesbians that would switch back as soon as things got tough. She'd probably end up married with three kids, fat by the time she was thirty.
Maybe I should have gone and talked to Tara before I called Michelle, she thought absently. At least she could have clued me in about what a loser she was.
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"So how'd your hot date go?"
"My hot date turned out to be ice cold. The only hot part was the air that was filled her empty head."
Veruca laughed out loud. "Okay, now you sound like a guy. Did you at least get laid?"
Kennedy shook her head grumpily. "Fuck no! After I told her she was a complete idiot and that she needed to get a job, the chances of getting laid were slim to nil."
"You didn't."
Kennedy nodded. "Oh, I did. And I told her about the fur coat I have at home made with dozens of matching minks."
"Crap, Kennedy. Wait, you have a fur coat?"
Kennedy shrugged. "I inherited it from Granny Bettis. She died a couple of years ago. She must have been a hundred and something. Anyway, I think the coat is older than she was. I've never worn it. If I did, and one of those paint-throwing psychos got near me, I'd probably kill them. Come to think of it, maybe I'll have it shipped here."
Veruca shrugged. She started to fidget.
Kennedy asked, "Okay, what's up? You're acting awfully antsy. Not going to miss the parties tonight, are you?"
"And miss out on the chance to show my tits off to a bunch of horny frat guys? It's not that, I just..."
"What is it, Veruca?"
"I had the oddest feeling that someone was following me the other night. Seeing how this is Sunnydale, that's not exactly uncommon. Still, it felt like personal interest, not random violence. Know what I mean?"
"Maybe. You see anyone?"
Veruca shook her head. "No. I'm not exactly a professional at this, you know."
Kennedy put her hand on Veruca's shoulder. "Look, tonight, we'll stay together and make sure to be safe. Besides it's a dead day for the supernatural."
Veruca smiled and said, "That sounds good. Thanks, Kennedy."
Kennedy flashed a smile. "No need. I owe you for risking life and limb teaching me to drive. So you think I'll be able to get my license by next week?"
Veruca's smile dimmed. "Well... umm... we'll see."
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Cain stood there, watching the apartment. The blonde girl was the wolf. He'd missed her last time because of her friends, but he wouldn't next time. And if her friends kept her in a cage, well that would just make it that much easier. Her pelt was worth big money. The market was only going up. He would keep a low profile for now. It was nearly a week until the full moon. At least accommodations were cheap in a town like Sunnydale.
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Kennedy went inside. So this was Willy's place, she thought. Pretty unimpressive. Demon. Demon. Vampire. Demon. All of them stared at her when she walked in. There were several sneers and jests about how she'd taste. And they weren't talking about eating her. Yuck. Well, let's get this over.
Walking up to the bar, Kennedy pulled a short sword from under the long leather duster she wore and laid it on the bar. The bartender, a slimy-looking little guy gave her a wary stare. "Can I help you?"
"Give me a vodka tonic."
"Got any ID?"
Kennedy picked up her sword and cut off the head of the vampire that was sneaking up behind her. It turned into dust, coating the occupants of the nearest tables.
Turning back to the bartender, she saw that he had a drink on the bar. Picking it up, Kennedy took a long drink. Oh my God, that's good, she thought. Then she set up to make her announcement.
"Hello, everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kennedy, the Vampire Slayer. Any of you thinking that you can just snack on the locals, think again. I catch you out hunting, I'll stake you or worse. Just like I did Spike."
One of the demons, a yellow one with spines on his head and arms, shouted, "That's bull. You didn't kill Spike. He'd rip you to pieces."
Kennedy whirled around in the coat. "Anybody recognize this? Spike took it off a dead Slayer. I took it off of him right after I stabbed him in the crotch with a knife. Then I tossed him into the sunlight. Too bad for him, having that sun allergy and all."
Kennedy heard the murmurs talking about how that sure did look like Spike's coat. Then she heard something that made her move forward. She stuck her sword under the green horned demon's chin. "What did you say? Repeat that please."
He gave her a sickly smile as she pressed harder. "Uhh, I just said that even the Slayer wasn't able to kill Spike."
"What Slayer? Was there another Slayer here?"
He nodded. "Sure is. Ain't seen her around much lately, but she's been hell on wheels since she got to Sunnydale three years ago."
The other Slayer had lasted three years? And was still around? Yikes. Kennedy gave the room a menacing stare. "Anyone else know about this Slayer?'
One of the vampires started to sneak out. Kennedy threw a stake left handed and dusted him. "Anybody else?"
She walked back over to the bar. The bartender gave her an obsequious smile. "What's your name?"
"Willy. This is my place."
"You must be so proud."
He shrugged. "It's a living."
"Whatever. Anything going on, Willy, that I should know about?"
"Nope. It's been pretty calm."
"What do you know about the other Slayer?"
He looked paler. And scared. "She's not around much anymore. Truth is, I ain't seen her in months, not since this summer. She busted up the place back in June. I heard she was off at college or something. Shouldn't you know more about her than I do?"
Kennedy shrugged. "Just checking that you're telling me the truth."
Kennedy turned and headed out. Well, that had been a bust. Even this bar, which Notty had identified as a hotspot, didn't have anything going on. The town was just dead. Probably a good thing too, or Notty wouldn't have wanted her to party tonight. Which would have been a damn shame. Now, though, she could go out and have fun with a clear conscience. Of course, there was also the mystery of the other Slayer.
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Kennedy let herself into Notty's place with her key. She had on her Sailor Neptune costume, which had drawn a fair number of whistles and catcalls on the way over here. She was meeting the rest of her friends over at the quad before hitting fraternity row.
"Notty? You here?"
"What is it, Kennedy?" He came out of the bathroom, wearing a robe. He was drying his hair with a towel. "What on earth do you have on?"
"It's my Sailor Neptune costume. You know, for the parties tonight? I'm sorry to interrupt your shower."
He gave an impatient shake of his head. "It's fine. Did you find out anything interesting at Willy's Place?"
"Maybe. Nothing was going on. But I heard there was a Slayer here."
His gaze sharpened. "When? How long ago?"
Kennedy shrugged. "As recently as last June. She busted up Willy's bar, according to the man himself"
Notty looked thoughtful. "That doesn't make sense. You were called in May. That means the former Slayer died then. How long had they been in town?"
"Three years or so."
"What! That's impossible. I haven't heard anything from Qu... I haven't heard about a Slayer being here, certainly not for that long."
"Notty, they were acting pretty scared of her. I mean, I went in there and laid down the law, but I think the only reason I didn't have to kill a lot more of the vamps and demons than I did was because they were already pretty intimidated."
"Did anyone say where she had gone or what her name was?"
"Willy said he'd heard she'd gone off to college. I didn't think to ask for her name."
Notty looked thoughtful. "I wonder. Could she be on campus? Here?"
Kennedy shrugged. "I haven't seen anyone while patrolling. But it's only been a few weeks. And it's a good-sized campus. Plus, if she's been mostly concentrating on the town..."
"Keep an eye out. We need more information."
"Notty?"
"Yes?"
"Can't you just call up the Council and ask about the Slayer that was here?"
Notty shook his head. "For whatever reason, the Council is keeping me in the dark. I have not been able to elicit any information either official or unofficial. They are keeping a tight grip on things."
"Is that normal?"
He gave her a sharp look. "No, it's not."
"Do you want me to-."
"Go have fun, Kennedy. Take tomorrow off. Monday is time enough to find out more about this."
"Night, Notty."
"Night, Kennedy."
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Notty slowly gathered materials for research. A Watcher's duty was never done, after all. He was thinking about the information that Kennedy had provided. So, Quentin did lie to me, he thought, unamused. There was another Slayer in town, or at least had been until recently. One who had been alive even after Kennedy had been called. How that was possible, he didn't know. But he would find out. Oh yes, he would indeed. Notty decided to keep his knowledge to himself for now. But eventually, he would have another little talk with Quentin. One that the man wouldn't enjoy half as much as their previous one. Sitting down, Notty began to ponder the mystery of two Slayers existing at the same time.
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"So which place is first?" Kennedy asked.
Warren grinned. "Well, because I still sense your doubt, I figure we'll swing by Tri-Delt. They should at least have someone manning the phones there."
"Sounds good. Still no Anya?"
Warren shook his head. "She doesn't get the entire Halloween thing. Plus you have to spend money on a costume, something she's firmly against. I told her it was about dressing up as cool heroes and hot chicks. She did say she would think it over and maybe meet us later."
"You look good, Veruca," Kennedy commented. Just nothing like the devil, she thought silently. The red leather body suit that Veruca wore was cut a bit lower than it had first appeared, accentuating the girl's bust a lot. Add to that how high cut it was, and the fish net stockings and boots she wore, and she looked more like a dominatrix than a devil. The spike collar and wristbands only made it worse. I should have gotten her a whip, Kennedy thought absently.
The girl grinned. "Well, all the guys seem to like it."
Kennedy smiled at Andrew. "So how's it going, Jedi Skywalker?"
Andrew burst out with, "Noooooo! I'm Padawan Skywalker! I haven't made Jedi Knight yet! Everyone keeps making that mistake!"
"Except me."
"Except Warren."
Kennedy just shook her head. Nerds will be nerds, she thought. Oh well, bring on the sororities!
They group was strolling along a walk way towards their first stop, Delta Delta Delta. Walking up to the front door, Kennedy rang the doorbell. A blonde girl opened it up, dressed in a medium length skirt and a sweater. She was pretty in a Susy Homemaker kind of way. She said, "Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya, help ya, help ya?"
Kennedy stopped, dumbfounded. Was she for real?
"Just kidding, guys. I'm Mandy, by the way. We do have a sense of humor about that."
Warren smiled at the girl. "Just wanted to show my friends one of the best sorority houses on campus. Which frat are you partnered with tonight?"
Mandy smiled. "We're partnered with Alpha Delta. They do a great haunted house." Mandy looked them over, her smile dimming slightly as she took in Veruca's costume. "Were you thinking about pledging?"
Veruca opened her mouth, but Kennedy quickly grabbed her arm. "No, just wanted to stop by and say hello. Bye, Mandy." With that, she took off, dragging her roommate along. Andrew and Warren ran after them.
"Crap, Kennedy, I wanted to tell Barbie back there where to stick it."
Kennedy rolled her eyes. "Be nice, Veruca. 'Barbie' was... okay, not cool, but she wasn't that bad."
"Whatever, let's party! I got to be at my gig in an hour to help set up."
They were walking down another sidewalk towards Alpha Delta, checking the costumes of the various people walking by and having an impromptu judging contest.
"I liked the girl in armor myself. Very bitchin'." Kennedy announced.
Warren laughed. "Sure thing, babe. Me, I'm for that hot little blonde in the cat suit."
Veruca rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I-"
Just then, a group of guys dressed up like commandos crossed their path, breaking out of the bushes to their right. They all wore goggles and ski masks, and carried odd-looking guns.
Veruca looked puzzled. "I wonder what those guys are supposed to be?"
Andrew looked just as puzzled. "Maybe they're Tom Clancy commandos. But I don't know from which book."
Warren grabbed the sleeve of Kennedy's dress. In a low voice, he said, "Those guns were real."
Kennedy stared at him. "What? You're kidding. How would you know?"
"I'm not joking, Kennedy. They're just like my wireless taser, except more polished. Really polished actually. I don't know what's going on, or why guys like that would be out here, but please believe what I'm telling you."
Shit! Kennedy remembered her dream. About being a commando and hunting a demon in the dark with some kind of gun that shot out electricity. And finding a demon that it didn't work on. If any of it were true, then all of it might be true. Remembering Bill's dead face staring up at her, she decided that she needed to act.
"You guys head to the party. I'm gonna follow them."
Veruca grabbed her arm. "Be careful, Kennedy." Behind her, Andrew and Warren both looked worried.
She flashed them a smile. "Don't worry guys. Nothing's going to happen."
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Warren watched Kennedy move off. Should he have given her his gun, he wondered? Maybe. Especially since it was now fully functional, just like a certain Next Generation android. Warren hadn't been lying when he had told everyone that the blaster he had on the other night was a fake. But with Andrew using that spell and casting it on the power source, his current one was not. If Andrew was right, it was good for at least five shots.
Screw it, I'm going to follow her, he thought. She may need my help. "Hey guys, I forgot that I left something at my apartment. I'll catch up to you at your gig at Delta Zeta Kappa, Veruca. Have fun." He didn't give them a chance to argue, but took off back towards his apartment. Once out of sight he would circle back around.
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Veruca stood looking out after the running figure of Warren. Great, he leaves me alone with douchebag. She winced as Andrew began to squeal, "Oh, Mistress of Pain, we should go forth and have fun at yon party-"
"Andrew, shut it. Or I'm going to 'mistress of pain' you. Got it?" Eyes big, Andrew nodded quickly. Mistress of Pain? What the hell is that kid's problem, she thought.
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Kennedy hurried through the undergrowth, trying to be as quiet as possible. Which wasn't as hard as it sounded. While Notty had only given the most cursory training in this area, because of the explosion in population in urban areas since the middle of the 20th Century, as a Slayer, Kennedy already had a natural edge. Plus she'd played hide and seek as a child all over the wooded estate her family owned with various cousins. Kennedy was a fierce competitor and hated to lose, even at a child's game. So at age eight, she'd been working on how to move quietly through all types of terrain. Well, what terrain was available on a fairly well-maintained estate.
She felt rather than saw the darker figure ahead of her. Dropping to the ground with a silent curse as she felt mud under one knee, Kennedy watched him. He was creeping forward, towards a well-lit clearing. Kennedy moved forward right along with him. There was something there.
Then she saw it. It was a Dzunga Beast, one of the most dangerous demons that she knew of. She could tell by the large horn on it's forehead and the even larger... Kennedy decided not to dwell on that particular aspect of the demon. The chances of it finding a mate now were pretty slim. Very uncommon, Dzunga Beasts hunted all types of prey, usually sticking to the more remote regions. They were often the reason behind missing hunters and hikers. What it was doing in Sunnydale, Kennedy had no idea, but she blamed the Hellmouth.
Worst of all, all she had on her was a stake. She'd left the rest of her weapons in her room, including the shortsword she'd carried into Willy's Bar. Right now, having that or at least a nice-sized combat knife, would be a huge plus. Or maybe a boarspear, remembering Notty's lecture.
Kennedy moved forward slowly, until she was even nearer the man. He looked like he was about to make his move.
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Veruca stared at the bowl of grapes that were supposed to be eyeballs. This was supposed to be a bitchin' party? Maybe we're too early. Then seeing Andrew's bored expression, she decided that it was just sucking. "What do you think of the party so far, Andrew?"
He opened his mouth and started to speak, then stopped. Shaking his head, he said, "It's lame."
"I agree. Let's get out of here. I have to be at my gig soon anyway."
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Shit, Warren thought in disgust, I should never have bothered trying to help Kennedy. She's probably back at fraternity row by now, with the others, wondering where I am. That's what I get for trying to be the hero. Warren wondered if there was any way to get more lost.
When he'd taken off back towards his apartment, Warren had been certain that he could easily find his way. After all, he was intimately familiar with the area around UC Sunnydale. At least the areas with buildings and people around them. The wooded areas, he was much less familiar, other than spending the occasional afternoon playing live action D&D there.
It hadn't helped him find his way either back the way he'd come from or towards Kennedy. Hearing a twig snap, Warren jumped. He hoped he didn't run into any of the nastier denizens of Sunnydale's night life. While vampires and certain demons were at the top of the food chain, there were a host of other smaller, but still dangerous creepy crawlies running around Sunnydale. And not all of them were intelligent enough to give a rat's ass over the crassness of Halloween.
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"He can't come in."
Veruca rolled her eyes. "He's with the band."
The hunk crossed impressive arms and looked stubborn. "I don't care. He's a high school kid. And a nerd. He's not coming in."
Veruca decided to up the ante. "Look, if you want a band playing tonight, you'll drop the crap. I'm the lead singer and if I don't go in, Shy's not playing."
The guy stared at Veruca, then dropped his gaze to her impressive cleavage. She rolled her eyes. Finally, he said, "Okay, but he'd better not talk to anyone."
"Fine. Let's go, Andrew." Veruca grabbed his arm and dragged him after her.
"Thanks, Veruca, for defending me when that guy called me a nerd-"
"Zip it. You are a nerd. But you're Kennedy's nerd, which kinda makes you my nerd. Just stay out of trouble. Got it?"
He nodded his head rapidly. "Do you think they have any Romulan Ale here, Veruca?"
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As the man stepped out of the underbrush, he fired at the Dzunda Beast. The blast hit it directly in the side, making it jump, then spin around. Roaring a challenge, it took off towards him. Other blasts hit the creature, fired from behind and to the side, but it wasn't distracted from its prey. It was almost to him, and about to trample him, when Kennedy threw the three pound rock she'd picked up, bouncing it off its head at a hundred and fifty miles per hour.
The Dzunga Beast stumbled to its knees, slightly stunned. The commando, who appeared to lack any vestige of common sense, moved forward towards it, apparently to shoot it again. Kennedy grabbed his belt from behind and tossed him back through the bushes behind her. Bill, if that was who that was, was safe. Now to get the other.
Then she saw the Dzunga get up. It was pissed. And apparently, she was the source of that exasperation. Making steam engine sounds, it took off towards her with another roar. Kennedy drew her stake, and waiting until the last minute spun out of its way, while simultaneously planting her stake into its back.
Landing on her feet to one side, Kennedy fingered the rip in her costume. That horn had come way too close to comfort. And the thing was coming back around. She was conscious of black clad figures at her back. Turning to one, she said in her best Japanese-accented English, "Sir, may I borrow your knife, so that I may defeat the beast?"
Mouth open, the man handed Kennedy the requested item. She headed right at the damn thing. One thing she remembered from Notty's lectures was that while the Dzunga Beast was incredibly strong and durable, it did have a weakness, one more easily taken advantage of than its spinal cord. That was the second 'horn' that it had dangling from between its legs. As it flashed towards her, Kennedy dove between its legs, while simultaneously slashing up with the borrowed combat knife. As she stabbed, she thought, What the hell, and shouted, "DEEP SUBMERGE!" Fortunately, the knife was razor sharp, and she had only minimal difficulty in emasculating the rampaging creature.
With a shriek of mingled rage and pain, the thing collapsed. Kennedy didn't wait around for thanks, but instead ran as fast as her feet would carry her back towards campus. The last thing she wanted to do was tangle with a bunch of military types. While she thought she could take them, getting zapped by a taser wasn't fun. Spike could attest to that.
She stopped after a second, and looked over her costume. It was pretty much fucked, Kennedy thought moodily. The rip wouldn't have been a big deal, but between crawling around on her stomach and sliding on her ass, it was covered in mud, grass stains, and something else that frankly she didn't want to know about. Well, I guess I'm heading home to change, she thought moodily.
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Pushing his ski mask up over his head, Graham stared in the direction of the figure that had just killed the nastiest looking demon he had every seen. What was he going to tell Professor Walsh?
"So, Miller, how does it feel to get saved by Sailor Neptune?"
He turned towards his teammate at the joking question. "What do you mean, Gates?"
Forrest's teeth gleamed in his dark-complected face. "I have two nieces who are into anime. That, my friend, was Sailor Neptune, one of the helpers of a teenage anime heroine named Sailor Moon."
Graham's jaw dropped. "You're kidding." Forrest's grin deepened. "You're not kidding?" He put his head in his hands. "Why doesn't stuff like this ever happen to Finn?"
"Cause Finn is too anal retentive to allow it. Tailor, you okay?"
Bill Tailor laughed, then said, "Sure, if you can say getting thrown into the bushes and almost losing my taser is okay. Miller, maybe this is your watch, but you didn't get tossed around by the same anime heroine. I'll never live this down."
Both men nodded in commiseration. Laughing, Forrest said, "I hear you, brother. Well, I think it's time to call it a night-"
RRRROOOOAAAAAAARRRR!
All three men turned as one to the sight of yet another of the enormous reptilian demons facing them. The only difference between it and the last was that this one, based on its lack of distinguishing genitalia, seemed to be female. And probably the mate of the other.
It doesn't look happy that its mate is dead, thought Graham absently. Making a quick gesture with his left hand for his squad to fan out, he drew his automatic with his right. At that moment, Graham really, really wished those Desert Eagles had already come in. Facing something that looked like an upright reptilian rhinoceros with only a 9mm Beretta wasn't good.
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RRRROOOOAAAAAAARRRR!
Holy shit! What the fuck was that, Warren wondered. It had sounded like it was coming from right next to him, but luckily that was just his imagination. And his fear. Don't forget your fear, he told himself. He'd almost peed his pants, making him forevermore unable to give Andrew a hard time. Luckily, he hadn't quite.
Then he heard the sounds of fighting. Bestial growls and snarls were intermixed with yells, curses, and at least one scream. Shots were fired. First a couple, then a flood of them. Hurrying forward, Warren came to a clearing. It was hard to make out, but it looked as if the commandos were fighting a huge demon. There was no sign of Kennedy. Then the moon came out from behind some clouds, flooding the clearing with light.
Warren couldn't believe how big the damn thing they were fighting was. It stood at least seven feet tall and must weigh in at close to three-quarters of a ton, none of it fat. It looked vaguely reptilian, like a huge, squat, upright crocodile with a shorter snout. Not that it had any less teeth than a croc, Warren thought, as it snapped at one of the figures who were dancing around it. An enormous horn, like that worn by a rhinoceros completed the picture.
The figures dancing around it were just making it angrier. Despite being shot multiple times, it didn't seem the least bit affected. Warren started to take a step into the clearing, then stopped. Don't be stupid, he told himself. That thing will kill you. He was smart enough to know that the commandos wouldn't be using pistols if their blasters had any effect on it. Oh, God, I don't want to be a dead hero, Warren thought. There wasn't any guarantee his weapon would have any more effect on the thing than those others had.
But if he didn't, all of those guys were going to die. At that moment, one of them was struck a stunning blow by a huge, taloned hand and hurled away into the underbrush. Warren made his decision. Pointing his weapon with shaky hands at the thing, he mouthed a silent prayer: Please, God, don't let me die when I've finally got a girlfriend. Then he stepped into the clearing.
The creature knocked another of the commandos spinning. Before it could take a step towards the fallen man, Warren fired. Then he fired again. And again. Each blast lit up the clearing like a bolt of lightning. And apparently blinded the commandos from their curses as they tossed their now useless night vision goggles down.
Holy shit, Warren thought, that thing's tough. At first he thought the blasts didn't have any effect, but as each subsequent blast hit the thing, it screamed louder and louder. It looked like it was being cooked alive. However, it was still moving. Warren fired twice more in rapid succession. The commandos had backed off all the way back by him. One had pulled the injured man away. Badly watering eyes tried to follow what was happening.
Doesn't anything kill this thing, Warren wondered? It's entire body was steaming and the greasy smell of rancid cooked meat filled his lungs. Its mouth opened, and a long tongue slowly slid around rows and rows of razor sharp teeth that would have made a great white proud. Coughing and choking, Warren fired twice more, but it still didn't stop, although it did slow. If he had unlimited shots, Warren thought, he might have been able to cook it alive. Unfortunately, he didn't. He was going to die and never get another chance to spank Anya's hot little... Warren was brought out of his reverie when the blaster began its familiar cycle of self-destruction. Sparks and crackles came from it. Momentarily more afraid of his blaster than the thing in front of him, Warren threw it in the general direction of the demon and ran. Waving his arms wildly, he cut through the startled commandos. "Get the hell back! It's going to blow!"
He made it about ten steps, then fifteen, when the world went white. Warren flew through the air more than twenty feet, narrowly missing a tree, instead landing in a relatively thick patch of tall grass. God, he hurt. And he was lying on something hard. Warren twisted it out from under him. Part of one of the blasters that those commandos had been using. It looked like it had been bitten in half. Warren stuck it into the waistband of his pants.
He started to get up, then remembered those commandos. Warren decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He squirmed on his belly to the edge of the grass, then, getting to his feet and staying low, he ran like the hounds of hell were on his heels. Behind him, fires were starting up.
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Andrew watched Veruca sing. She was probably pretty good, he thought, but it wasn't his thing. However, all of the fraternity guys who were gathered around the stage and staring up at Veruca seemed to like her. Disgruntled, Andrew looked over at the bartender who had refused to serve him after he'd asked for a Cardassian whiskey. Isn't anyone a fan, Andrew wondered?
Andrew was thinking about leaving, when he noticed the drummer. He seemed really good at his job. Staring at the sweaty shirtless guy, Andrew hitched up his pants and decided to stay put for now.
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Graham glanced back behind him Jones and Berman were putting out the last of the fires. He knelt next to a silent form. "Bill! Are you all right?" Graham carefully checked his teammate. Bill had been a little too close to the blast that had killed the demon and was unconscious. At least he has a steady pulse, Graham thought. He started to check Bill's pupils for a concussion, when Bill groaned and opened his eyes.
"What happened?"
Forrest, who knelt on Bill's other side, looked grim. "We had our second 'intervention' of the night."
Bill stared up at them with wide eyes. "Yeah, I remember. He had one of our blasters."
Graham shook his head. "Not one of ours. Not unless someone's souped them up about five hundred percent while making them more unreliable than a muzzle loader."
"It overloaded, didn't it?" Bill asked, still looking groggy.
Forrest answered, "It sure did. Whoever made it doesn't have the polarity right or something. I'm not sure. But it blew like a damn satchel charge. That creature and its mate were both blown to bits. Professor Walsh's going to be pissed."
Graham shuddered. "You think she'll be madder about that, or that we were rescued by two characters out of Sailor Moon and Star Wars?" Neither of his teammates said a word, instead exchanging silent glances full of trepidation. "That's what I thought. We might as well get back and tell her. And Finn. Goddammit, he's going to have a field day."
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Kennedy hurried back towards the place where she'd fought the Dzunga Beast. Something must have happened. At first she hadn't been sure, hearing the faintest sounds in the distance that sounded like gunshots. Then she'd heard that explosion. Now she was kicking herself. She knew Dzunga Beasts traveled in mating pairs during fall. She shouldn't have assumed that just because they're rare, it was alone. She was a fool and just might have gotten all of those men killed.
She was heading around a tree when she stopped, seeing something unexpected. "Warren? Is that you?"
The dark figure that she had heard vomiting staggered to his feet. "Kennedy? Where were you?"
"I killed a nasty demon for those commandos. What happened to you?"
"I killed a nasty demon, too. For those same guys. I guess there was another one."
Warren had killed a Dzunga Beast? Kennedy didn't know how he had d... "You brought a blaster with you!" It sounded like an accusation, which she didn't mean it to, but still, Warren had promised!
"I'm sorry. I wanted to just in case. And it's the one night a year that I could carry it openly and not get any crap."
Kennedy shook her head, disappointed. "Warren..."
"I think I saved those guys lives, Kennedy. I shot that damn thing like five times. But it didn't stop it. It hurt it more than the popguns those commandos were using, though. Then the blaster got unstable and started to overload. When it was about to blow, I threw it at the monster."
Impressed that Warren actually had the presence of mind to do that, Kennedy said, "Not bad. Anybody get hurt by the blast."
Warren shook his head. "I don't know. I had to make a run for it. I didn't want those guys asking me questions. Kennedy, what are those guys doing? I thought no one knew about this stuff?"
"I don't know, Warren."
"The stuff they're using is cutting edge. Real Star Wars stuff." Warren pulled something from behind his back. "Look. I got one of them. Well, part of one. I think that monster ate the rest of it. I won't know how complete it is until I get it back to my lab. I..."
Kennedy interrupted him. "Let's get you back and cleaned up. No more adventures for you. You've been a big enough hero for one night."
Warren looked surprised, then pleased. An embarrassed grin stole across his face. "Me? The hero?"
Kenned threaded her arm through his. "Sure. You saved a bunch of lives at the risk of your own. Sounds pretty heroic to me."
"Kennedy?"
"Yeah?"
"Am I going to get the girl?"
"Don't push your luck, Warren."