CLASH OF THE TITANS 2
Author: Dampyria
Fandom: M7 / BtVS crossover
Summary: Buck gets hurt trying to help someone from the Watchers. (part 2)
Rating: PG13
Paring: JD/Xander (slash)
Spoilers: BtVS (Post season 7 – Pre Comics season 8), M7 (ATF universe)
Disclaimer: I do not own Magnificent Seven or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
My internet connection broke so I wasn't able to post a chapter the previous week. To make up for it here is the second part.
Man this should have been a short 3 part story. I don't know what is wrong with me. I seem to be unable to produce short stories; they just go on and on and on.
JD slammed the drawer closed violently. As much as he searched the net for answers, for the first time in his life, the net remained silent. He found Robin Wood all right, but apart of his school records and employment history he couldn't find out anything more.
Getting frustrated he tried to check out Xander. Same thing. School, employment, other than that his life was a black hole. The only new thing that he found out about his friend was his middle name – LaVelle. At least now he knew why Xander was hiding it from him.
He leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. What was Xander involved in? He had never seen this kind of security. Not even the FBI or the CIA had that kind of on-line protection. Not that he ever tried to hack in one of those.
He looked at the watch on his wrist and swore. His time was almost up and he didn't have anything to show for it. He was letting the team down, worse of all he was letting Buck down. His eyes stung from unshed tears of frustration and desperation. Buck was running out of time and he couldn't find anything to help him.
"Are you feeling quite all right Mr. Dunne?" come a southerner drawl from a nearby desk.
"Am I all right? Am I all right! No I'm not all right. I spent the last two hours searching for information and I haven't found anything, nul, zip, nada, niente!! I always find something. It may be unimportant, but I always find some tidbit of info that the others missed! Who the hell are these people?" hissed JD slamming his hands on the surface of the desk, causing his half empty can to stager and fall to the ground, spilling the remaining drink. "Damn it!"
"There is no need for violence, Mr. Dunne. I too failed to acquire any information regarding the organization in general and Mr. Wood in particular," he tried to pacify his young friend.
"It's not the same! This," he said, pointing to the computer. "is my thing! I should be able to crack that stupid firewall."
"I am sure you made the utmost effort to retreat the information Mr. Dunne, but I am afraid that our time is running out. We should gather all that we learned and go meet our fearless leader in the hospital."
"Yeah, let's go. I tried every trick in the book that I had anyway," exhaled JD, lowering his head and collecting his papers before heading to the door. Ezra followed him with the same dejected pose, hoping to hell that the others had more success with their end of the investigation.
Hope that was downtrodden as soon as the elevators door opened to Chris' angry shouts.
"How the hell could you let this happen?!" he roared making the doctor pale more than he already was.
"Calm down Chris. Let the good man explain what happened," Vin interjected, stepping between the two and putting a calming hand on Chris' shoulder.
The doctor relaxed a little that is until the full force of the ATF leader glare hit him. He looked around himself in search of help but all he got were the intense looks of the remaining three agents. There will be no help for him on that end. If Larabee decided he wasn't satisfied by his answer and wanted to kill him slowly and painfully nobody is going to step in his way.
"What is going on here?" asked a new voice. A ray of hope begun to bloom in the doctors heart but was squashed the next moment when he recognized the last two members of team seven. He was so dead!
"The good doctor here lost the body of our vic and he was just going to explain how that happened, weren't you?"
"Yes, yes of course. Soon after you left this afternoon I got a call from our mortician Mr. Camier, that a gentleman wanted to retrieve the body of one Robin Wood from the morgue."
"And you just let him?" Nathan asked incredulous of what he was hearing.
"Of course not, as you can imagine I hurried down to check what all this nonsense was about. When I got there, a gentleman from a military was waiting for me, a certain colonel Riley Finn. He showed me a special order to release the deceased in his care," he shuffled through his packets, producing a crumpled piece of paper and handed it over to Chris.
"Here. Now if you would excuse me, I have patients to attend to." Very slowly, no he wasn't running, he departed from the group while they were intent on studding the document.
Once Chris read the document through, he handed it over to JD. "Found out this Finns contact number and then try to sniff out who is he working for and why is he so interested in this case."
"How is Buck doing?" asked JD.
"He is still in coma. His vital signs are stable for the moment, but his body is slowly but surely degenerating at the predicted rate. If we don't find an antidote soon his condition will become irreversible, I am afraid." Nathan filled them in.
JD nodded and went to find a computer with an internet connection. The others gathered in a small waiting room and started comparing information's.
"The crime scene is an isolated back alley near the residential area. It isn't situated in a particularly bad neighborhood and at the time of the attack there were several people around the area. We interview them all, but unfortunately nobody saw anything."
Chris stopped talking and let Vin take the lead: "I checked out the area. The alley has a dead end and excluded the possibility that the perpetrator knows how to fly, he had to leave through the same way he came in. Considering the amount of blood on the scene our unsub must have been covered in it. I'd say that it's almost impossible for people not to have noticed something."
"There was some strange orange substance left at the scene. We scooped some of it and sent it to our lab. Nathan?"
"As I just said there is no change in Buck condition. The doctors found orange goo in his wound; I'm guessing it's the same substance that you found on the crime scene. They send it to toxicology. We are still waiting on the results."
"What about the body, did they get something out of it?" wanted to know Chris.
"Unfortunately they took the body before they started the autopsy. So nothing on that end."
"Anything else?" asked Chris.
"The wounds appear to be made by three parallel long curved blades. The attacked must have had some kind of contraption on him that allowed him to leave this kind of marks. It must look something like the claws that Wolverine has," added Josiah.
"From bad to worse," murmured Chris, then turning to Ezra. "What about the NWC?"
"We weren't able to ascertain nothing conclusive. The New Watchers council is a fairly new company, but they were born from an old British enterprise. They were a very old, powerful and mysterious congregation.
Nobody knew exactly what they were doing but they were very well connected politically and militarily. Then, out of nowhere, their HQ was blown up a couple of years ago during an important meeting. Most of the executives of the company were killed in the blast.
A year later a new company surges from their ashes, the NWC. As their primary source of income are listed a string of schools for talented youth. Then we have secondary activity such as archeology, research of folklore and myths, translations, charity institutions in Africa, Russia and Asia… well you get the idea."
"And Robin Wood was a researcher there?"
"Yes and no. His main occupation was that of headmaster of one of the schools and was doubling up as a researcher.
His mother died suddenly when he was young. He spends his youth with a family friend, he is a good student and after high school he goes to the university in Philadelphia where he graduates in English literature and medieval history.
After that he spends the next seven years as a teacher at the local high school until a spot opens in Sunnydale high school as a headmaster, where he remains until the whole town is sunk into the ground.
Is in fact one of the last ones that leaves the city a little before the sinking, with a group of people. Interestingly enough all of the leaders of the NWC were on that bus. Then he roams around a bit until he settles down in England as the headmaster," concluded Ezra just as Chris' phone rang.
"Yes?" barked Chris and after listening for a bit left the room.
The other members of the group were left in the waiting room, wondering what all that was about. Soon after the bosses departure JD resurfaced with a deep frown on his face.
"Where is Chris?" he asked.
"He left after receiving a call." Vin informed him.
"That was me. I gave him the number of that Finn guy, must be talking to him."
"What did you found out?" inquired Nathan.
"Two words – top secret. All that I found was blacked out documents. It's freaky! I never saw anything like this. Then again this whole case is like this. Damn it!!" he screamed kicking a near-by chair, drawing the attention of a passing nurse.
"Calm down. We are going to figure this out. We always do," tried to reassure him Josiah.
"Calm down? Buck is dying and everywhere we turn we find closed doors. We won't be able to save him. He…he will die." He whispered at the end and slumbered on a chair like all the fight has been drawn out of him.
"We will find something. I promise," said Nathan, his voice low and not sounding at all convinced of his own words. And neither were the others. Solving a case in a day was hard, solving one when all the doors are locked for them was impossible and worse of all the doctors seems to be still unable to indentify or counteract the poison.
The only hope that they had was that the assassin had an antidote with him.
JD was still sitting on the chair with his head bowed in dejection when the door to the room slammed open and shut. Startled he looked up in time to see Chris storm in with a furious expression on his face.
"God damn military and their secrets!!" he spat, before starting pacing. The others were smart enough not to ask questions.
After more than five minutes Chris calmed down enough to retell his conversation with Riley Finn.
"…. And then he says that the lead investigator on this case will contact us shortly and that we are to follow his directions."
"And who, pray tell, is this investigator?" wanted to know Ezra.
"That would be me," said a new voice. As one the six men turned toward the new arrival. What they saw surprised them. The man in the door was young, much too young to be in charge of this kind of investigation. Quickly the surprise turned into anger.
Chris surged forward and slammed the young wanna be against a glass wall: "Are you kidding me? You are not even old enough to shave. Is this a joke? My best friend is in a hospital bed, dying and they send a kid to be the lead investigator?"
Josiah and Vin grabbed Chris and dragged him away from the stranger. The letter didn't appear to be shaken from the ordeal. He calmly rearranged his clothes and stepped away from the wall.
"Believe me, I understand how you are feeling. I have been there more times that I care to count, but you have to accept the fact that I was put in this position for a reason. I may not be old enough to shave, but this is a special case that needs to be handled in a special manner and apparently I am the man for the job."
"I can't believe this! You may have been given this position, but the investigation is still ours. I won't let Buck die because they put a child in charge!"
"You may be surprised, but I agree." said the stranger.
"What?" Chris whirled around to face the child. Was he mocking him?
"I understand your feelings and even before coming here I knew that you would not relinquish your job as a lead on this. So I will make you a deal. The investigation is still yours under the condition that you keep me informed of all the progresses."
Chris studied the kid for a moment searching his face for any sigh that will tell him what this was all about. What he found was a scared but open and sincere face. There was something here that he was missing. Someone was playing a game to which he still didn't know the rules. Yet! Deciding that he had more important things to do at the moment he let it go.
"What about the body? Can we have it back?"
"That will be a no. The military scientists are still studding it," he said, his face becoming suddenly grim.
"This is unacceptable!" begun shouting Chris, but the stranger interrupted him with a shout of his own: "No it's not! The military has a much better chance to find out the antidote then the hospital. They have better equipment and more importantly knowledge. If you think that his is easy on me, or that I don't care about the results you are wrong!"
Xander drew himself back and took a calming breath before continuing: "Robin Wood was a good man and a valuable colleague. His girlfriend just found out that she is pregnant; she didn't even have the time to tell him the good news. So don't think for a moment that I won't do anything in my power to avenge his death."
The room fell silent after that until a quiet voice asked: "How is Faith holding up?"
Xander turned to JD and tiredly run a hand through his hair: "She still doesn't know. I didn't want her to fly down here and do something stupid or dangerous for herself and the baby."
"You know him?" Chris glared at JD with glacial eyes.
"He is my contact in the NWC," confirmed JD.
"He didn't know that I would take over the investigation," Xander interjected before another fight broke out. He had seen the look that Chris directed at the young agent and didn't like it one bit.
The tension in the room was broken by the opening of the door and by the entrance of a young redhead girl.
"How it went?" asked Xander. They stared at each other for a while, like they were having a secret conversation, then he nodded his head, which was curious seeing as he was the one to ask the question, and as one they turned to Chris.
"We injected Mr. Wilmington with a special broad spectrum antibiotic. For the time being it seems to be slowing down the poison, giving us time to find a proper antidote."
"What the hell are you talking about? Who gave you the permission to administer him drugs?" shouted Chris moving menacingly toward Willow only to be stopped halfway by Xanders frame.
The two were glaring at each other with the all that they have, neither willing to back down.
Willow observed the testosterone show for a while, wondering when and how her Xander shaped friend learned to appear so menacing and manly, then having had enough of the macho show, she stepped between them: "Okay you two, either back down or find yourself a room."
JD had a brief flash back of his boss and Xander going at it and found it hilarious to the point that he was hard pressed not to burst out laughing despite the situation. Then he caught sight of the picture they made, both tall and strong, standing on opposite sides and both determined not to give way.
His mirth disappeared immediately replaced by a fast growing arousal, complete with widening eyes and dry throat and mouth. In an attempt to keep his lips from gluing together he moistened them. Suddenly aware of the fact that he was surrounded by highly observant investigators he cast a quick glance around the room. Luckily for him the others were all to engrossed in the happenings to notice little old JD, unless you count the little pixie redhead that send him a wicked grin before concentrating once again on the two man.
"We had the permission of the hospital administration. If you'd like you can check with them. Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, the new antibiotic is slowing down the poison, so if you want to talk to your friend about what happened earlier this day I suggest that you do so now, before his condition worsens again."
"Buck's awake?"
"I think I just said so, didn't I? Just don't strain him to…much." He finished the sentence to the mostly empty room. "Well that went well." She commented. "What do you think?" she asked turning to Xander.
"It could have gone better, but it also could have gone much, much worse. What did you found out about the demon we are hunting?"
"I got a fairly good description of the attacker from Buck. Now all we have to do is check the database and we should find out what it is and how to kill it, hopefully there will be an antidote listed as well."
"And Buck?" wanted to know Xander.
"He is stable for the moment. The magic enhanced medicine worked like, well magic. It stopped the poison from spreading, for now at least. I estimated that we have gained from two to three days. And before you ask … no, he won't remember his attacker."
"Good," he sighed then noticing the look on Willows face asked: "What?"
"Sometimes I think that we are turning into what we despised all those years."
"Willow I know that it's difficult…"
"Difficult? I just erased a mans' memory, which is in the top ten things of bad magic! Do you have any idea, how dirty I feel?"
"It was necessary. We can't risk them finding out the truth. It will put them in unnecessary danger and it will hinder our movements, preventing us from finding the perpetrator in time to save their friend."
"There is always the lab," she murmured.
"Yes and looking at their success rate, that ATF agent is as good as dead. No, our best chance to help him is to find the source of the poison and fast, our friend doesn't have much time left."
"And neither does Faith," capitulated Willow. "We have to solve this before she finds out that Robin is dead. So, what are the orders, boss?" smirked Willow.
"You find out where he was staying here. Use a locator or what not. In the mean-time I will hunt for clues at the crime scene and go through the police reports. Maybe there is something that we can use."
"What about Kennedy?"
"She will go with you."
"But…"
"No buts. It's better this way. You will have back up while you concentrate in your search. I know how you get while you work magic, a grenade could go of right next to you and you wouldn't notice. As for me, I will have one of the cities finest to accompany me there, after all this is their case."
"Be careful," whispered Willow, hugging him tightly.
"You to," said Xander returning the hug. "One more thing, don't let Kennedy meet the ATF team or the cops. She will be our wild card, should something happen.
"I am sure she will be thrilled with that," Willow smirked.
"Try say it one more time Willow, this time without the sarcasm. Damn, I still hurt from the last work-out she pulled me through."
"I kind of enjoyed it," confessed Willow.
"You are bad bad girl! Real bad!" he said with a fond smile on his face. "Well we better go. You have to check on the 'lab' for any progress while I have a date with a dark and dung alley. See you later."
END OF PART - 2 – Hopefully there will be some X/J angst and love in the 3rd chapter. Fingers crossed.