"Tales of D'Hoffryn…"
Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...
Summary: While saddled with the job of tending the discombobulated First Evil, the Lord of all Things Vengeful tells a few tales of his (well, his people's) exploits with some old friends…
"Sunset…"
Part V…
"All right…" William looked over the group as he stood on top of a parked car…The crowd now slightly expanded with the arrival of several wanderers who'd been roaming blindly in shock around town…Drawn by the scent of their fellow otherworlders now assembled in the street outside the famed…Or infamous underworld watering hole of Willie the Snitch's bar…
And like most of the refugees Willie had taken in, eager to join up. Heartbreakingly so, Dru had noted with sigh to Will…Given their likely fate…To do what could be done for their erstwhile victims…
If the Slayer had had this kind of support from the living, William wryly had noted…None of this might be necessary…
"Has everyone got their cow's blood?" he called. "Willie?"
"Think so…!" Willie shouted from where he stood, passing out bags…
Well, so much for my profitable trade in emergency supplies…He thought.
Still…Only one of several such profitable trades…And I do stand to do well by anything I can pick up once the downtown is secured…
Once the grave danger to Humanity's settled and all that, of course…Be a shame to leave all that looted stuff lying around, a danger to life and limb…
"It's essential you be satiated before working with the people…!" Dru, beside Will on the car roof, called. "Especially you newborns…You may find it difficult to control your bloodlust otherwise! The last thing any of us wants is to be at risk for doing harm. Each of you has your partner…If you find yourself losing control…Or any sign of reversion, let them know at once! Will?"
"Right! Now, teams one and two…Albert, you lot will take the group around the Macy's complex. It seems to be the biggest, so Dru will be leading team two. You'll focus on the humans who seem to be leading the looting…Persuade them by suggestion and the physical that there's much more enticing stuff down by the city hall plaza and Armory and lead them there. Team three, Angela…" The black female who'd spoken earlier nodded… "Your folks will do the same around what's left of the boutique shops and meet the others at the plaza. Team four, Sidney…" Will eyed a well-dressed, professorial type…In fact a former biology teacher at UCal/Sunnydale. "You've got our most sensitive people besides Dru. You'll make the sweeps of the streets of homes around downtown and see no one is wandering about, particularly any children or elderly folks. And team five…" He looked at the young male drinking from his pack of blood… "Michael, lad? Some attention?"
"Sorry…" Michael, a tall blonde athletic type, sheepishly put the pack down…
"You lot will patrol the streets heading out of town, particularly the main highway to see no one leaves town in their current state…Dru?"
"Everyone stay in communication with Willie…Using cell phones…" she held up a phone. "If you're not familiar with modern technology, one of your team is and will assist you. It's essential we keep in touch and report any special problems, so we can focus our efforts there once the bulk of the populace is safe…"
"What about the Slayer?" a heavily made-up female, in rather Gothic style outfit…
Kinda nice my old stuff has come back after ninety years…Asked…
"Contact Willie immediately, withdraw, and take shelter if you can. Don't try to reason with or engage her…Or any otherworlders not souled whom you may encounter if they behave violently and aren't human…" Dru, intently. "Remember your job is to save lives. Focus on the people under your care…"
"Right…Leave the Slayer to me and team six…" William nodded. "It's me she'll be seeking. So long as you don't engage, I doubt she'll waste time on you…"
"You and Miss Rosenberg?" Angela called. "Some of us should go with you. If we could find something to drug her with or…"
"It would only antagonize her…Believe me…" Will shook his head. "Besides, once Dru has helped get the bulk of the people herded safely, she'll join me. Miss Summers would like a word with her as well, after all…" he gave Dru a wan smile. She returning…
"What about…Sunrise…?" Albert asked. "We won't be able to help the people then…"
"We'll have a command center in the city hall by then…" Dru replied. "Hopefully, the people from the Watchers' Council will be here by then or sooner but if not, we should be able to keep the crowd herded there through the day. Any especially violent types can be brought in and confined under our care…"
"And then?" a brunette female looked up… "We'll revert in nineteen hours, if that vengeance bitch wasn't lying?"
"Then…If the Council hasn't arrived to help…We've done our duty and we try to help each other…" Dru replied. "Though no one will be forced to it…" she eyed the group.
"Angelus got his soul back…And kept it for a long time…" the brown-haired female in gown who'd declared her emancipation from her siress earlier noted. "Could that work for us? Could this be made permanent?"
"I don't know…" Dru shook her head. "Perhaps if the Council is willing to help us. We can try and speak to them when they come. Or if we could capture William's vengeance demon…But…" her voice faltered…
"And if they don't help…We go back…?" Sidney called. "And no one knows? We're just monsters again?"
"What matters is what we do in the time we have…" William called, firmly. "If things work out well that way with Angelus' curse or some other solution, well…Those who wish may try it. But if not…We'll know what we did. That we took our chance to help and fight like human beings against this Evil, not sit as hapless victims. As your President…Well, for some of you…Teddy Roosevelt said, to H.G. Wells once… 'The effort's worth it' And it is…No matter what happens afterward…Our souls will know…"
"That's the stuff!" Angela called…Fist raised…
"Yeah!..." fists risen…