The Late General Hughes
Chapter 3: Conflict
By Claudius
I don't own any copyright to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, or Fullmetal Alchemist.
It happened in perfect force-bend-bright-light-voom! fashion.At one side was the Magic Shop. At the other was a grassy area of trees. Via magic, the four travelers entered the latter. They stood together, on their feet, unaffected physically, and completely freaked out mentally.
"Anyone got the license of that vortex?" was the first word from this party.
"Not again!" was the second, cried by Cordelia.
"Ditto," said the first speaker, equally anxious. He differed from the rest in gender and species. Right now Lorne was in complete rue. He should have never let Cordelia persuade him to sing at Buffy Summer's funeral.
"Where are we?" said the youngest. Dawn found the cruel realization of their new distance sinking in. As if being 'tombstone girl' wasn't bad enough!
"S-Somewhere," Tara was the calmest. She knew Willow's plan was a bad idea.
Cordelia looked around at their whereabouts. Hopefully no dark hellbeast would come out and enslave them. Too bad Dawn lacked the adventure of being in a different dimension. Because of that, she was the one arousing the attention. "Hello! Anybody or anything there?"
There came some noise from afar. Ignoring Cordelia's warnings- as if she ever listened to her- Dawn ran to the bushy barrier where the noise came from.
Cordelia's conclusion was slow and disappointing. Well, disappointing only because she was proven wrong. For before the travelers' eyes was no medieval town but a somewhat 20th century neighborhood. There were people in vintage garb. Old style cars with tubes on them passed through the street. Very 1950ish, was Cordelia's description of this new world. "1910's is more like it," Dawn pressed her superiority in knowledge.
"Well, at least we're in a civilized place," added Tara. "That's a good thing."
"I guess…" Lorne added a dose of pessimism. "Green-skinned demon, remember?" He pressed his hat and shades upon his horned head. His thoughts were on the defensive, ready a bunch of excuses should someone ask.
Rather than stay at this spot, the four left what was actually a park and walked along the neighborhood. A newspaper from a vendor's stand gave clues of their whereabouts. Terms read were 'Central City,' 'Amestris' and '1915.' None, however, fit for a familiar idea of where they were.
Meanwhile, Tara explained to Lorne, Cordelia, and Dawn the possible cause for their transportation. Part of that cause was by their interruption. "Although Buffy's body was dead, Willow thought that her spirit was somewhere not in our world. That it could be in a different dimension, maybe a parallel reality."
Cordelia was amazed. "Willow's gone pretty far in the magic biz."
"Yeah," Tara's confirmation was not entirely a comfortable one. "So she attempted a spell to locate Buffy's soul. See if she was okay."
"Then Lorne, Dawn, and me entered, blew things, and that's why we're here?" Cordelia asked. Her admission caught Dawn's eye. Cordelia actually playing the blame game on herself? It was the apocalypse…again.
"Too bad she couldn't do it right." Cordelia was never wholly to blame in her own view.
"I tried to convince her." Tara's words dissolved to a whisper toward this impressive young woman.
"Let me guess," Cordelia predicted. "Resolve face."
Tara's sad face gave the proof. That was always Willow's trump card.
"You should have told me about this," Cordelia felt the stung of ignorance. How could the Slayerettes keep this from her? Maybe that was understandable, with the 'time flies' thing. But Angel's own omission of this plan was harder to believe.
"Lay off Tara, Cordy!" Dawn was ever on the defensive for the witchy duo.
Tara attempted to change the priority. "The main thing is we have been transported to this different time and place."
"We kinda know that!" snapped Cordelia.
"Well…uh…don't worry," Tara's assertiveness dwindled more. "We'll get rescued as soon as Willow finds us."
"We're not worrying about that," said Cordelia. "The problem is in the meantime. We're stuck in a different time and place, with no food, money, makeup, hair gel."
"No sea breezes," added Lorne. That scared him more than anything.
"So unless the inhabitants of this world are going to worship me as their queen," Cordelia continued, "we're so in the worry."
Dawn and Tara just stared at Cordelia.
"Long story," was Lorne's explanation.
Cordelia led the group along the neighborhood. "Anyone got any other ideas besides Willow coming to the rescue?"
"Like what?" Dawn talked back. "Click my heels and say 'There's no place like home'? Excuse us for not being idiots, Cordy!"
Cordelia's experience denied Dawn a response to that. Before her guilt of doing such a thing was suspected, Her legs collided with a tricycle.
"Excuse me?" Cordelia awaited the courtesy from the brat. She got no response as the girl wheeled away to the opening of a stone fence. So she beat her attacker to the path. "Forgetting the 'excuse me' part, kiddo?"
The child ignored her completely, kicking her tricycle foot pedals. Cordelia grabbed the steering handles. "I take that as a 'No" right?"
"Cordelia…" Tara winced.
"Leggo, old lady!" The child shouted without a faceoff.
Cordelia smarted from the insult. Sure, she had changed a lot in the three years since she was Queen of Sunnydale High School (before she pulled an Edward VIII for Xander Harris), but there still were some limits. The causes of war had far less reason than this child's motive in pissing off Cordelia Chase. Child or no, the brat would pay the consequences. "Okay, it's Mommie Dearest time, you little…"
"Hold it!" Dawn grabbed the behemoth. Actually, she sympathized with the girl and her resistance to the Sunnydale Bitch. She knelt to the child. "It's okay. What's your name, kid?"
The child still was on the resistant side. Instead she looked at the small photograph on the axle of her steering handle. Dawn took a closer look. The tattered and wrinkled picture showed a man. "Is that you and your dad?"
The child bowed her head lower. Dawn understood the reason, almost mimicking the child's sad expression. Good for her, she thought with a bitter sarcasm. Cordelia calmed down with sympathy and guilt. She wasn't really going to hit the kid or anyt-
As the child screamed, "Leave me alone!" Cordelia suddenly had other problems. Another message from The Powers That Be! As usual, the message came to her mind with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. She collapsed, grabbing her head and face in intense pain.
Tara and Dawn just stood there, witness to their first encounter with Cordelia's visions. This left Lorne to take some action. He knelt to the suffering woman, grabbing her arms so she didn't make her body worse than it already was.
Finally, Cordelia eased from her painful contortions. Tara knelt down. "Was that-"
"Yes," Cordelia interrupted with a tired reply. She shook her head, looking around. Her companions did the same. Fortunately, the neighborhood looked pretty vacant of anyone. As relief was around the bend, the group spotted the child. She looked terrified. The brat had become a sad little girl, crying with tears on her face. "I'm sorry!" She charged off her tricycle, heading pass the stone fence before them.
"Oh no, no, no," Dawn apologized, nervously dancing to the girl. "Cordelia just fell. Clumsiness is her specialty."
And then a woman appeared. It was this woman the child ran toward. She was older than any of the three females, so it was concluded that she might be the mother. It has to be said that such analysis was difficult, considering that all thoughts were stuck on the fact that this woman looked like Cordelia! Even the source of imitation was struck by the resemblance. Okay, Cordelia admitted to herself, she wouldn't have that short hair, and she wouldn't be caught dead wearing that dress! Ugh, maternity clothes had more style…
Anyway, Cordelia calmed her private views. What is important was the child's trouble. And the child clearly showed this by embracing her mother, burying her face into her legs. "I didn' mean it, mommy! I didn' mean it..."
The mother believed in her daughter's innocence. Still, she wanted to see the other side of things. "What happened?"
"I fell," Cordelia mumbled. "I'll be…okay." Quickly, she bent her leg as if she was crippled.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the mother gave a cool respect. Despite the calm demeanor, the mother was kind, coming toward the ailing Cordelia. "Please, come to my house."
"Really? You're so kind!" Cordelia grinned. She than made a few more groans. Dawn and Tara kept straight faces. Their best under such wince-inducing melodramatics.
Lorne than expected the woman's stare. He got it. Time for the old story. Taking off his glasses, he explained. "Oh, worry not. It's makeup for a play."
The mother calmed in her stare. She helped Cordelia to the house. Elysia was at her side. The others followed.
The four were greeted to a nice living room. The benefactor, Gracia Hughes, treated them to some tea and cakes. She also asked about their identities. As the others spoke their names (Lorne added the surname 'Green'), the ailing Cordelia had memorized her own delivery:
Hello, I'm Cordelia Chase, ex-Queen of Sunnydale High School, ex-Queen of Pylea, now psychic girl for a detective agency. I went back to my hometown to pay my respects for a dead classmate who saved my life a couple times. However, thanks to said classmate's boyfriend-stealing-lesbian-best friend (not with each other of course), I'm stuck in this bizarre world with a Pylean lounge singer, the lesbo's real girlfriend and the dead classmate's pest-of-the-decade sister.
Once upon a time, Cordelia would have given that thoughtful explanation in words too. But she just stopped at the name part. It was a little sneaky to use her premonition spat to get sympathy, but any desperation concerning her was always for the best. Besides, it benefited Dawn, Tara, and Lorne.
Despite the obvious resemblance, it seemed Mrs. Hughes had her pupils locked on Lorne. "So are you with these girls?"
"No, never saw them in my entire life," Lorne denied. "I was just fooling around, seeing if I give anyone the willies when I saw Cordelia here collapse."
Gracia nodded, astounded by the 'make-up.' "That's a very lavish…costume."
Lorne grinned. "Easier to see it than to wear it, I can tell you that. Took nine hours to get it all on. These red contact lenses are such a pain."
"Very convincing," Gracia applauded with a calm nod. "More convincing than Cordelia's sprained ankle."
Cordelia froze.
"Oh don't worry." Gracia softened. "Although I don't buy that injury, you still look like somebody hit you with a truck. I was a former nurse."
A relieved Cordelia lay back on the sofa, with a handkerchief on her head. "Kudos for the sympathy! You've described my headaches so eloquently!"
While Dawn ate the cakes (didn't like the tea), Tara sipped her cup. "W-We appreciate this," She attempted some levity. "I hope we haven't…"
"Don't think anything of it," Mrs. Hughes was cordial. "I've always enjoyed having guests. At one point my daughter's birth was dependent on them."
Speaking of which, that daughter, Elysia, was upstairs.
"Mrs. Hughes," Dawn looked down at the tray as she spoke. Then she lifted her serious eyes. "I don't see your husband."
Gracia' smile fell. She didn't break down crying or anything, holding things together with a cool face. But that didn't make her insensitive to the apparent loss. She couldn't hide it that well.
"I'm so sorry!" Dawn apologized as best she could. Her mouth should be screwed with a foot to slide in.
"It's all right," Gracia lifted the tray from the table. "You must be new to this city." She went to a wall table, where a picture stood. "Maes enjoyed guests too." She returned to the guests with the picture. "He was a Brigader General of the Fuhrer. He was a great and kind man. An even better husband and father."
Tara looked at the picture nonchalantly. Dawn stared at it. When Cordelia got the picture, her eyes ballooned. Her 'ailment' faded as she sat up on the sofa. The late Mr. Hughes looked like a whiskered, four-eyed, smiling Angel! And there were other similarities...
"You were a lucky woman!" Cordelia masked her real feelings with praise. "Hello…salty goodness." She snickered nervously.
Gracia was solemn to the compliment, though some pink flushed on her cheeks.
"Where's Elysia?" Dawn attempted to change the situation.
"She's in her room." Mr. Hughes spoke sadly. "I'm sorry if my daughter caused anything…" Her apology was overwhelmed by a flood of denials by the guests.
"These days have been especially hard on Elysia. She worshipped her father. She didn't know anything about…death. Maes and I didn't want to traumatize her at her age. We hoped to inform her later."
"Would've changed nothing." Dawn starkly added.
Gracia read Dawn's remark as having other sources besides rudeness.
After a moment of silence, Dawn spoke again. "Can I speak to her?"
Gracia nodded. As soon as Dawn disappeared from the room, she asked the others. "Is there something?"
Tara was solemn. "Her mom just died."
Gracia bowed her head. She understood.
Lorne than made an attempt to kill the dour mood. "Can I have more of your delicious cakes? What's the recipe?"
It was a heavy trudge up those stairs for Dawn. Hidden under her tough behavior was guilt. One more to the list. It was her fault they were all here. If she stayed at home with Cordelia and Lorne babysitting her, she wouldn't have gone to the Magic Shop and interrupted Willow's spell. Oh well, what's done is done. Such accepting words had been repeated a zillion times in her head. One day she'll believe them.
She was already feeling guilty about the medallion hidden under her shirt. She 'borrowed' it from the Magic shop. It looked nice. Anya said something about it containing a bone shard of some 15th century Alchemist. It was one of a million such pieces. Hopefully it wouldn't be missed, like the other stuff she 'borrowed.'
Dawn knocked at the door. "May I come in?" Silence. The door was unlocked. She opened it. Before her was a room full of toys and dolls and stuffed animals. At the window sat Elysia, gazing outside. In Dawn's view, the colorful display of her surroundings contrasted with Elysia big time.
Dawn sat on the bed. "My! I see you gotta a lot of stuff here! Bet you're the envy of the neighborhood."
"My daddy gave them to me," was Elysia's sad toned answer.
Dawn calmed herself to a normal tone. Like she really needed to be the peppy consoler! Doubt of her own abilities festered. What right did she have doing this? Elysia was going to live the rest of her life without her father. She might even forget him. The fear ricocheted. Would she forget about Mom and Buffy? Did she want to?
"I'm very sorry," Dawn spoke again.
"I didn't mean to!" Elysia exploded.
"It's okay. The…old lady's okay."
"I didn't mean that either."
Dawn took this slip of words. There was a different meaning to this. "Did you do something about your dad?"
"My daddy went away because of me. I was mad at him. I made him go away!"
"Don't!" Dawn shouted in a crazed snap. The child was freaked. Dawn controlled herself. She rolled the knob of her level-11 emotions back to 1. "Don't…blame yourself." She hushed. "It's not your fault." Her words were cool. Only her thoughts showed her rage. It's all daddy's fault...
More silence came from Elysia. Any chance of a rapport was now blown. Dawn saw the futility of her comfort. Clearly the wall was too big for her. Make the kid feel better? Forget it. She also needed some consolation. Dawn slowly arose and left the room.
Dawn's return to the downstairs saw Lorne charming the hostess. By then, Cordelia was pressing for a departure. "We have to be on our way."
Gracia was at the door, ever hospitable. "If you need a place to stay for the night..."
"We'll manage," Cordelia beamed her thankful grin.
Still, Gracia gave them some money for food and board. She looked up the stairs. "Elysia! Say goodbye to these people."
But there was nothing that answered. Gracia was apologetic. "My daughter always said goodbye to anyone who left here." "It's okay," Lorne accepted. "The kid is probably scared of goodbyes nowadays." Gracia nodded in agreement. "I guess so. You're very intuitive." "It's my profession," Lorne smiled.With some hand waves, the four left the house for the sidewalk. A few houses passed along the way, at a deserted side of the street, some questions were asked.
"So what was the premonition?" Tara asked.
Cordelia was cool in her answer. "I saw Elysia's daddy. He had a grrr face."
Tara, Lorne, and Dawn were stunned. "A grrr face?" asked Dawn.
"Demon eyes, heavy brow, fangs. What do you think?" Cordelia was angered by the ignorance.
"Calm down," said Dawn. "If Mr. Hughes is a vampire, then we gotta think about his family. It's up to us to take care of daddy."
Cordelia understood too well. Angelus' first victims were his family.
"Now wait a minute!" Tara pressured some thinking over this 'kick ass' plan. "I see we're missing a few important people, like your boss?"
"Employee," corrected Cordelia. "And we didn't need him a few times. Or a slayer."
Dawn stopped in her walk. Tara touched her arm. Cordelia just stared at her mistake.
"It's okay, little britches." Lorne patted Dawn on the back. "Cordelia needs a foot in the mouth."
"Yeah, sorry," Cordelia turned to Dawn. "You should see the Manolo Blahniks I swallowed the other day." Her sympathy was genuine for Dawn, brat that she is. The best thing to console her is to shut up on anything Buffyesque.
Dawn's face turned brighter face. "We can still kick ass, for Buffy."
"You're not a slayer, Dawn," Tara urged some warning.
"I was made from one."
"That doesn't mean anything," said Cordelia.
Dawn responded with strength. "Look, you saw that mother and kid. You don't want to see them made into vamp food?"
With a sigh, Tara showed her support with a pat on the shoulder. "Look, I didn't say I won't help. But we gotta think of the 'careful' part."
"Don't worry, we'll be. Just wait 'till that vamp gets a load of us!" Cordelia expected some cheers, but the gang before her eyes remained silent. Not the reaction she was expecting. It was in this disappointed glance that she spotted a car slowly moving behind them. Following them was a better word. It had very dark windshields. Alarms flashed inside her head. Pretending unawareness, she whispered to Tara.
"So, Tara, can you do that pencil trick like Willow?"
Tara shook her head. She didn't abuse her powers like that.
"Allow me," said Lorne, also aware of things. He hummed very loudly. Then he turned to the car. With a great sound, the windshield shattered. There was a gasp from inside and smoke. The car made a huge U-turn. It sped away from them and the sun.
The spectacle was not lost to the group. Any doubt that a vampire was around the neighborhood had now got pixie dust and went Mary Martin out the window.
"Nice trick," Cordelia smiled at her Pylean friend.
"A reminder of my singing education," Lorne joked about his awkward past. "But we've got one angry vampire now."
"We'll manage," Cordelia was optimistic. "I got a plan!"
Now did Dawn's confidence fall! "We're dead."
As night fell, Cordelia sat at a bench in the park. She sat there, admiring the neighborhood, smiling at people, flirting, and laughing. So far so good. The young woman was in high confidence. The vamp Hughes will no doubt be attracted to her (what with her sex appeal, though the resemblance to his widow was not a bad thing too). She had her holy water, her cross, her taser. And if those failed, she would run to any alley where Lorne or Tara and Dawn will attack. Then she'll stake the vamp off guard. Good plan.
This caper was something she could put her brain on, thought Cordelia with relief. That way she could forget the little detail that she was lost in some alternate dimension again. That detail was itself a distraction of a grimmer nature. Even though she had no control of it, Cordelia felt guilty over Buffy. If she didn't get stuck in Pylea, Angel wouldn't have rescued her while Buffy sacrificed her life to save the world again. Sure, Cordelia knew she was never a close friend to Buffy, despite the constant get-togethers with the gang, planning, demon hunting, and the like. But she had some great respect for the girl. After all, getting rescued deserved great respect. She should have predicted this, literally.
Still, Cordelia couldn't think about herself. The person she worried about more was Angel. The guy was in a real low of unhappiness, which had to be something considering he made grimness an art form. Now, Angel being happy was probably more bad than good, but even he deserved less depression. They both needed it, considering the whole Darla mess they both went through this year.
That was enough with the angst. Cordelia succumbed back to the present plan to dust Hughes.
Lorne was told to stay at one alley, while Tara and Dawn watched from another. He had trouble with the agreement. Frankly, his role in this trap was a major piece of miscasting. But he had no choice. Right now, that old 'I just remembered something' excuse was as convincing as Keanu Reeves' British accent in Bram Stoker's Dracula. So he had to play a part in the action and wait for another dead boy.
Which happened right now. Lorne could have heard the attacker yards away, but he was never the 'on-his-toes-badass' type. He did have time to face his foe. That was no advantage though. "Oh hi!" He slowly assured those words, best to reflect his friendliness. "You know, I love that Dark Avenger look. Speaking of which…"
The shadowy figure smacked him to the ground. Lorne's hat and shades went flying, displaying his horns.
"You're not human," was the vampire's greeting, plus a kick to Lorne's face.
The Pylean staggered. "Well, neither are you. Can't we get along?" Lorne reacted with a smile and absolutely genuine motivation to preserve his life. A knife bit into his throat. The vamp was severing his head from his body!
"You don't think we can talk about this?" Lorne pleaded with a mouth pouring with blood.
"Guess not," was his last words before the beheading.
Dawn and Tara stood at their alley. Their hands held stakes and makeshift crosses. Tara was a little pleased Cordelia left them alone. She can actually talk again. "Is Cordelia always like that?" She asked Dawn.
"Actually, that was the Cordeliator 700," Dawn joked. "Back when she was in high school, she was the Cordeliator 1000."
Tara absorbed this note with sympathy. Cordelia was so confident, so bitchy. Poor Willow! No wonder she was so shy in high school. She too was reverting back to 'quiet shy girl' under that girl's presence. Suddenly, Tara put a lid on the self-pity. She remembered Dawn being affected by the Hughes family. "It's sad about Elysia."
"Really? Why?" Dawn got testy. "Because she has the rest of her life before her and it will be without her father?"
Tara didn't disagree to the horrible situation. "I know it's bad right now. But she'll get better. When my mom died, you know what happened afterwards? I met Willow. I met you. I met friends who accepted me."
Dawn just darted away. Not entirely hostile though. "Look, I know you're trying to help, and that speech could win you the Pulitzer Prize. But am I supposed to think things will get better without my family? That I can get on without them?"
Tara found an uneasy block to her consoling. Her response was interrupted by a sound. "What was that?"
"Not good."
For an hour, Cordelia stayed at her spot. Nothing. She faced nothing. Was attacked by nothing. This plan was turning out to be, well, nothing. "Okay vampire…" Her slow moan showed the weak attempt to be civil. "Take your sweet time."
Then she heard the cry of her name. Tara had come looked slightly bruised.
Cordelia reacted to this without a question on the obvious.
"We were attacked. He got Dawn!"
Conflicting emotions ran inside Cordelia's brain. Though most of it was filled with compassion and concern, insult made its way as well. "Why Dawn?" She complained. "I'm supposed to be bait girl!"
"Cordelia!" shouted Tara at the thoughtless response.
"Sorry," Cordelia got her act together. "We gotta save her! Let's get Lorne."
The two ran to the alley where the Pylean stood guard. That's where a new problem came.
"Where is he?" asked Tara.
Cordelia looked around with some pessimism. "Who knows? Chances are he went all the way to...whatever is the farthest place in this country."
"I'm really not uncomfortable with that idea," said a voice from a trashcan.
Cordelia smugly took the evidence of her friend's cowardice. Tara came to the lid first. She gasped. Then Cordelia looked. She just stared at the disembodied head of Lorne. Not that she wasn't creeped out too. Just that she was already creeped out about it before. "What are you doing there?"
"My apologies." said the head, perfectly well under the circumstances. "I was just stupid enough to get decapitated again."
Cordelia pulled the head out of the trash. "So you met the vampire."
"As my present situation shows," Lorne dangled uneasily by his pulled follicles. "Watch the hair!"
"I met him too," Tara added.
"Lucky you," Lorne bore his irritation to his kindred victim's less battered condition. "The vamp did a job on me. He cut my head off and separated it from my body. I decided to keep quiet, hoping he didn't mutilate my body. Since I'm still able to sing "I've got no body," things look good for the rest of me."
"Here's some worse news," said Cordelia. "Dawn's been kidnapped. We got to look for her."
"'What about my body?" Lorne's head protested. "I didn't speak that last point just for a flashback narrative."
"Not now, Lorne," Cordelia yanked the head along in her run. "We've gotta find Dawn first. Keep…your head on."
Dawn was blinded and bound. Once both restraints were removed, her eyes saw a big dark place. A warehouse. How original.
And before her venomous eyes, was the vampire Maes Hughes. This man no longer resembled the photographs. This Hughes looked more like Angel with long hair and an earring. He sat with planted feet and bent knees, looking friendly. "So your name is Dawn." the vampire beamed a big smile. "Is that short for Donna?"
"Dawn as in Dawn," the namesake was blunt and to the point. "As in a time that makes you go ashy."
The vampire paused in a stare, then continued with his cheerful expression. "Touche. Looks like you're in a really bad situation now. Scared?"
Dawn faced the demon with a petulant face. Why was she always hostage girl? The school yearbook will call her 'Student most likely to be kidnapped!' Why couldn't the plan work and have Cordelia take her place? Right now fear was not Dawn's mood. She was too angry to be so.
Hughes continued. "Let me disappoint you. I'm not going to harm you."
"That's funny," Dawn spoke in disgust.
Hughes scratched his smooth chin. "You seem a very smart girl."
"Cut the patronizing."
"I'm not kidding. You must have experienced a lot of…what I am."
"So?"
"Well, I haven't." The vampire betrayed some confusion. "I just found out what to call myself today."
"Oh yeah," Dawn smirked. "Enjoyed the sun?"
Dawn saw Hughes' smile fall. This expression of uneasiness was surprising. "You're kidding? Are there more of you around here?"
"If so, guess I'm not that popular."
"What about the vampire that sired you?"
"Fathered you mean?"
Dawn took this with thought. This vamp was seriously literally in the dark! "Turned you into one. Y'know, made you into a big blood slurpie and made you slurp him?"
An expression of discovery filled Hughes' face. "Nope. Am I convincing you at all about my lack of knowledge?"
Dawn shirked. The guy was trying to be charming. Too bad it was working.
Discomfort grew on the vampire's face. He touched his scalp. "Look, if you're scared that I'm going to hurt you, than I'll come to the quick and say I won't."
"Sorry, but you seem to be performing the mystic ritual of being dangerous. Kidnapping me and all that."
"How can I convince you?"
"Let me go?"
"Sold," Hughes was quick to respond, giving his hand as an offering of agreement. "But first you have to give me something."
"I'm very anemic."
"Not that," Hughes moaned. He looked a little tense at the idea. Or was it temptation? "I want you to tell me more about who I am."
"Simple. You're a vampire. Ever look at the mirror? Get major sunburn?"
"I'm being serious."
"About what? Letting me go? It's vampirism 101 that they don't let their prey go."
"Well, I didn't know that."
"Really?" Dawn's tone was hardly surprise. She couldn't take this supposed naivete. "Right now you must be thinking about how good I look to eat...and I'm talking way too much to the point of endangering my life, right?"
She saw Hughes tense even more. Not a good sign. But he looked like he was fighting the discomfort. He backed away, rising to his feet. "I'll let you go. Okay?"
"Oh sure," Dawn fought against this possible truth. "You'll let me go, then when I'm all calm and safe, you attack me."
"I promise you."
"Whatever. 'Oh, I swear by my life.'" Dawn was mocking. "You have an unlife! 'On my word as a gentleman?' You're a demon! Anything you say is going to be so full of loopholes, I'll be eaten before I realize which one!"
Hughes became more serious, staring at Dawn with intense eyes. "I swear on...my daughter's life."
Dawn crushed her face in disgust. "You slimy bastard. You're so gonna break that one!"
Hughes' face collapsed. Dawn saw she really knocked him in the stomach with that one! "How dare you..." The serious factor increased to his face and voice, taking a frightening degree. "I'd never lay a hand on Elysia."
"Don't fool me. You're an evil demon without a conscience."
The shock strengthened on Hughes' face. "I-If I wanted to do such a thing, do you think I'd have done…that sooner?"
"C'mon! Vampires can't enter houses uninvited. No way can you go to y...your house...which you probably still own." Dawn found her way of thinking suddenly knotted. It was having a bad affect on her distrust.
Hughes' left eyebrow made a rise of confidence. "Do I take that as a sign that you're starting to believe me?"
Dawn sulked.
Hughes had gained confidence. "Well?"
The three (or the two and a half) persons returned to the spot where Dawn was kidnapped. So far Tara said nothing. It was hard to speak in front of such a dominant woman as Cordelia. She better do it soon, or she'll keep on hearing Cordelia's rant about how Hughes didn't kidnap her instead. The tone of her words showed nothing guilty about the complaint. "I mean c'mon! I'm the girl every demon makes a prisoner! That fraternity with the snake demon, the kid who wanted me as spare parts, the invisible Marcie, that demon baby clinic. Those Pyleans...nothing personal Lorne!"
"No complaints," said Lorne's head.
"Am I losing my touch?"
"Of course not!" The head f Lorne put up his best comfort power. "But you've got a new protégé now. I have to admit, being chased by a goddess and getting sacrificed to bring on Armageddon is a class of its own."
"Helping, please?" Cordelia complained.
"C-Can you just stop being in your 'me!' party for a moment?" Tara shouted.
"About time you said something." Cordelia took Tara's outburst at heart about her behavior. Guilt filled into her. Guess being with the Scoobies again led to a regression to her vain-and-vicious-bitch persona. "So how do we find Dawn?"
Tara almost quieted down. It was sometimes uneasy to declare something when strangers put her on the spot. "I-I can use a location spell."
Cordelia was ready to try anything. They had to rescue Dawn. If they failed, how can she face Xander and Willow? How can she face Angel?
Tara knelt down and called for Arcadia.
Dawn gave a face of shock, as if in final regret. Then her eyes glowed victory with her winning hand. "Gotcha!" she spoke somberly with the aces she revealed.
"Hmph!" Hughes playfully sulked, rejecting his five cards to the table. "You cheated."
"Hey, you're not the first vampire I've played cards with." Dawn combined the cards, gleefully reshuffling them. It was a good thing Hughes had a deck of cards so she can play jim rummy with him. That way she can stall him before Cordelia comes to the rescue. That idea didn't sound right.
"Or defeated," Hughes smirked at Dawn's cocky remark. This was the first time he actually talked to someone since that night. It was nice. He knew he chose the right girl to kidnap. Overhearing Dawn's sob story in the shadows clinched it. He felt sorry for her. That meant he couldn't bite her, right? "You smiled. You haven't showed it much."
Sure enough, Dawn dropped her lips. "Nothing," she got defensive. "I can be unhappy when I want to."
Hughes studied her mood. The girl must have one real big chip on her shoulder. But what could he do about it? Nothing seemed the desirable answer. Suddenly, a tiny speck of light came flying about his face.
Dawn stilled at the sight. Stalling time. "Nice firefly."
"No fireflies in a city," Hughes looked on with confusion. The speck then darted away.
"Trying some psychological warfare on me?" Dawn feigned ignorance for distraction.
"If I did, you wouldn't know it," Hughes resumed his playing.
"So you really don't know what you are?"
"You know more about me than me, evidently." Hughes kept his eyes to his dark surroundings.
"What were you before you became one?"
Hughes' voice hit the level of whisper and audibility. "I was a Lieutenant Colonel, in charge of Internal Affairs in the Military. Now I'm…was a Brigadier General." He found some humor in the promotion.
"Do you remember how you became one? A vampire I mean?"
Hughes' face turned very serious. "I don't really know, apart that I got killed."
"The vampire killed you."
"No, it wasn't a vampire."
"So a human killed you?"
"What killed me was not human," Hughes' voice was cold. He was slipping into memories. More than he wanted.
"So it was a demon?"
Hughes sighed with some censoring. "Let's just say that I went a little over my head. Someone had me removed for knowing too much."
"Oh, some corrupt government conspiracy, right?" Dawn teased.
Hughes was motionless in that accurate remark. This girl was smart. "You can say that. I ended up with a bullet through my heart." His heavy, but human, brow spoke volumes for Dawn on the experience. She saw Pain. Betrayal. Regret. It was like looking at a mirror. "Do you remember anything else?"
Hughes nodded. "As I lay dying, someone came over me. I think he was trying to help me."
"Bet he did," Dawn was icy. "So, have you made any of your own?"
"My own?"
"Vampires."
Hughes shook his head.
"You haven't eaten anybody?" Dawn spoke with hope.
Hughes hoped not.
Dawn grew antsy about this lack of an answer. "Not human?"
"Right now animal blood," Hughes quickly answered. "From the butcher' shop."
"And you never went to your family since?" Dawn got no answer. She didn't like that. The possible confirmation hit hard, as if it touched some inner bruises. "I guess you can't, what with you being an immortal demon. They'll age and you won't."
Hughes tensed in his smile. That was something he didn't want to know. "Are you being helpful, or insulting?"
"Take your pick."
Hughes glared at the girl, changing the subject. "You must have seen a lot."
Dawn paused for a moment. "Yeah…my sister did."
Hughes recognized the possible cause of Dawn's pain. He decided not to try retribution on hitting tender spots.
Too bad Dawn didn't feel the same way. "So what kind of demon killed you?"
Hughes was finding it hard to concentrate on the cards. "Let's not talk about that."
"I can handle it," Dawn showed her cockiness. "I've seen vampires turn into dust when they get staked through the heart."
Hughes kept that smile going, despite the inner discomfort. "It was a Homunculus. Ever hear of those?"
"Not from my world." Dawn went silent.
"Your world?"
Dawn decided to let the truth be known. "I guess it won't hurt to tell you. But if you go skeptic, remember: you're a vampire." So Dawn revealed that she came from a different universe. A different earth that looked like his world but was very different. Different in place, time, all that stuff.
Hughes kept his smile. "So how did you get here?"
"Magic."
"So are there any pixies in your world?"
Dawn moaned in insult. "So are you gonna show me your cards or not?"
"Coming to that." As he looked at his flush of cards, Hughes' mind was ever on Dawn. Did he believe in her story? She didn't appear to be lying. Or did this trust run a little deeper than that? If what she said was true, then this meant no one here knows her. She was a total stranger. No one would miss her.
Hughes' fingers bent his cards. He shuffled them into a deck and smacked them to the table. "Go," he declared in a rise from the table.
Dawn was struck at this sudden change of mood.
"You told me enough." He turned his back to her with a growling voice. "Now get out!"
Dawn was alerted to the words. "Get out was Buffy-nese for danger. But this time she heeded the warning. She walked a few steps, growing more scared. Then she turned around. There was no one at the table. The growing fear exploded for Dawn in her moment of confusion. It was the perfect time to die now. And then the time of imminent death passed by. She was still alive. Did a non-Spike vampire keep his promise?
Dawn's ears heard noise. She looked up. In the background above her, Cordelia and Tara were facing Hughes.
Cordelia came to the door to see the vampire opening it. She could have explained to him the trouble she had climbing to the top of this building rather than taking the direct approach of going in front. However, the danger before her was a more different reason than maturity.
"Hello," Cordelia greeted with a smile, "Want to join God's mission?" She rammed her cross outward. "Feel the love!" It was one of those action-before-thinking moments. For Cordelia was uncertain of this target. Her premonition clearly showed Maes Hughes go vamp- the whiskered four-eyed Maes Hughes portrayed in those photos. This man looked like Angel without the hair gel. The doubt ended when this opponent went vamp face. Easy time. Hughes or not, a vamp was a vamp.
The vampire was antsy to the weapon before him. He was even more stunned when Tara followed with Lorne's head. "That's him officer!" The head spoke dispassionately. Tara walked aside Cordelia, bearing the stake. But the vampire threw his arm behind himself. Then he snapped his hand back forward. Out came a flying knife. Tara flinched to the attack. The knife made a collision to her hair. Nothing about her body was hit, though the blade's real target pinned her to the wooden pillar behind her. Lorne's head fell and hit the floor in a roll. "Ouch!"
Cordelia took no time to see her ally. It seemed Hughes knew the Angel vampire art of kicking ass. Couldn't she face some incompetent who could fall on a stake? She plunged the cross as far as her arm can stretch. The vampire showed more retreat. He fell to his hands. But that new support allowed him to swing his body at her. His hurling feet de-crossed her. Cordelia's free hand ran to her pocket for the taser. Not enough time, as she saw the vampire yanking his arm. Another knife slipped out of his sleeve into his fingers.
Cordelia saw the metal shine. She froze. Dying time.
But the vampire was still as well. His monstrous face hesitant, his fanged teeth gritted. What was he waiting for? Oh well. Cordelia clicked on the taser. One poke and the electrical energy sent the vampire staggering back. He fell to his knees, quivering to himself.
She then heard Tara yell her name. The girl flung the stake into Cordelia's awaiting hand.
"It's dust in the wind time!" Cordelia raised her stake triumphantly.
"Stop!"
Cordelia's triumph moment was shattered. She turned to see Dawn. This distraction would be the fatal mistake in her life. Except that the person who was going to show her that error in a very fatal way remained at his spot.
Dawn ran to the action. "Hold it, hold it, hold it!"
"Dawn!" Cordelia's call was disapproving.
Dawn walked in front of the vampire. Cordelia took that to mean something was going on. Well, Dawn is Buffy's sister after all. What is it with Summers gals and vamps? Then a more uncomfortable feeling sunk into her brain. "You're a vampire!"
"No I'm not!"
"She's not!" cried Tara.
While Cordelia heard this, Dawn turned to the vampire. "Sing, Hughes."
Hughes tried to rise, shaken from the taser attack. "What?"
"Just sing! Anything!"
After a moment's confusion, Hughes took this plea. "How can I repay you, Brother mine? How can I expect you to forgive?"
"Stop!" Dawn interrupted with a fury in eyes and voice. "Lorne!"
The head's face lay at a different direction. "Somebody turn me!" Dawn ran to the head and obeyed his wish.
"Thanks," he said.
"Well?"
Lorne was amazed. "Wow. Ever do Karaoke?"
"Lorne!" grilled Dawn.
"Okay, okay! He's legit, gals. We got a soul man…pire."
"A soul?" Cordelia had her mouth open.
Even Dawn was amazed. She didn't know that!
"Okay, moment of truth over," Lorne was nonchalant to the big news. "Can we go back for my body now?"
A shirtless Hughes arose from the waters of the river. A headless body was cast over his shoulder. He pulled himself to the cliff, hoisting the wet body before the watchful eyes of his companions. "I don't see why I have to do this."
"You can't drown, freeze, or suffer infection," Cordelia grinned. "Very simple reason to me."
The head of Lorne had his own axe to grind. "And you did dump my body here."
Hughes glared at the head. He could see the faces of the people he killed in his mind. First time he saw one in reality. Dropping the body (which got a protest from Lorne), he got to his shirt under their sight. The guy was something to see for two of the females, and then some. Maes Hughes was ripped, in both meanings of that word. Despite the sculpted muscles and abs, that physique was full of scratches and scars. Since vampires heal, it was evident Hughes had gone through the wringer before he became living impaired.
"So your kind can survive this way?" asked Hughes as he buttoned on his shirt.
Lorne couldn't nod. "Believe me, getting decapitated twice is enough for one lifetime."
Cordelia planted the head into the stump of the body's neck. Quickly a union was made. The stiff body was now as alive as the head.
"Need help?" Hughes asked, noting Lorne's slow rise.
"Haven't you done enough?" Lorne made his view of this invitation clear.
"Hey, you aren't human," Hughes defended his action, suddenly realizing the stupidity of his words.
"Thanks for being exclusive," Lorne caressed his neck. "Knife-happy with demons? Understandable, after what happened."
Hughes' eyes stilled at that remark. "You know that too?" He spoke with a suspicious awareness.
"You mean the Ho-monkey that killed him?" asked Dawn.
Lorne glanced at Hughes, getting the fill of his discomfort. "It's confidential, kid."
"Got that right," Hughes pulled on his coat.
"Okay, so this Ho-monkey demon killed you," Cordelia spoke her own stupidity. "Big deal." Then she found herself under his glaring eyes as well. Hughes turned away, speaking about another subject. "So are demons and humans friends in your world?"
"Hell no, but this demon is our friend," said Cordelia. "My friend." She emphasized the last point.
"So I made a mistake! You must have done it before."
Cordelia's thoughts ran to past times. Doyle. "No!" she denied.
"Hey, Lorne survived okay?" Dawn attempted to be mediator. "And Hughes didn't kill Tara."
Tara was not thankful. Nor was Lorne. "Nothing's forgiven," he complained. "You ruined my favorite shirt! It's all covered with blood and sewer water. I can't wear this."
Hughes shrugged, remembering the acid taste of Lorne. "Okay, let me atone. Come to my place. I think I got a shirt like that."
"Where?" cried Cordelia. "To your fortress-like lair?"
A beat was awaited as Hughes stared at her confused. "It's a small boarding house nearby. Looks like you might need some lodgings too."
Cordelia took the offer. "Okay, but remember. I'm a slayer. I'll kick your ass so many times before you show me those nasty whites."
"Whatever," Hughes instantly departed.
The three girls followed him, with Lorne the last. "Not going to slice my head off again, are you?"
Through the streets, the four followed Hughes through the alleys and streets. They kept a few feet distance from their guide, with Cordelia having a cross in hand. "So some demon shot him, then he got sired?" Cordelia repeated Dawn's story to her group. "Pretty redundant."
She saw the backside of Hughes tense.
"Oh don't go vampy on me!" Cordelia snapped back. "I bet right now you're feeling really guilty about it."
"I can always make room for another ghost," Hughes' voice was threatening.
But Cordelia was cool. "Suuurrre."
Hughes ignored the slight. He turned his head a little. "So Lorne, you're a what demon?"
"Pylean, from the world Pylea."
"Another dimensional world, I bet?" Hughes surmised.
"Yeah," Lorne confirmed. Dawn smirked.
"I was a Queen there!" Cordelia put her addition with a smile. Got no reply, though.
"Speaking of which, what's this place, anyway?" Dawn asked.
Without facing them, Hughes explained by voice. "This is Central City, capital of the country of Amestris. Number one nation of the world, thanks to invasions and conquests."
"Very creative name for a capital," quipped Cordelia.
"Militaristic society right?" Dawn spoke a more civil question.
"Under a Fuhrer."
The term stunned the four. "Really corrupt tyrannical government, no doubt," Dawn put her view forward.
"That's mankind for you," Hughes spoke with a cynic's tone. "Since you guys deal with weird stuff, this place also specializes in alchemy."
Tara lit up. "A-Anything about magic?"
"Alchemy is the only magic around here."
Shy or not, Tara didn't like this misconception. "No it's not. Alchemy isn't really magic. Alchemy is more scientific. Magic works because you can't really explain it."
"By the way," Dawn eplained. "Tara's a witch."
"Actually, I'm a wicca…but 'witch' is okay."
"Is that so?" said Hughes in a friendly tone. "Nice voice."
Tara smiled.
"And I have premonitions!" Cordelia jumped in. "See the future through side-splitting headaches."
Hughes didn't respond to that.
Tara continued on this interesting point. "So is…Alchemy the thing here?"
"Yep. We got an institution. The army uses Alchemist for war."
"You mean people can turn lead into gold here, with no problem from anyone?" Dawn was curious. "No burning at the stake?"
"That's good," Tara was more assured at the lack of persecution. "Not that I do that kind of thing. Transforming stuff. Goes against the flow of nature."
"Smart girl," said Hughes.
"Believe me, I know what happens when someone hits the flow." Cordelia interrupted again. The response was the same. "I'm invisible!" She complained.
"Nope," Hughes' answer was direct and quick. Nothing else.
Cordelia's ego received another hit. It started with the bait girl failure. Now the ignorance made it evident. "Is this because I tried to stake you? Look, I'm sorry about that. It's not every day I meet an ensouled vampire." Cordelia gave her best friendly face. But the realism crept in. "And nothing I say or do is going to get you to talk with me?"
Hughes' silence was his answer.
"Fine." She huffed.
The silence followed as they entered the small boarding house. The group were able to get a room. "Thank your wife for the money," said Cordelia.
Hughes just grimaced in secrecy. They soon followed Hughes to his room. After the unpleasantries, like Hughes mouthing down a bottle of blood, Cordelia dealt with the other unpleasantries. "Nice place. Guess the roaches had accommodations." Everyone glared at her. "Hey, I know what I'm saying. I was in a cockroach suite before I got my apartment."
"Couldn't you try a crypt, Hughes?" said Dawn.
"I live okay."
"Compared to that house you used to live in? You had to have enough as a General."
"I got that title when I died. Nice people, the military."
"Oh," Cordelia apologized. "You had to have saved something-"
"It's for my family," snapped Hughes. Cordelia decided to let the matter lie dead.
Hughes presented Lorne with his wardrobe. He looked like a kid in a candy store. Well, a green demon kid actually. "Hughes, you are truly a man of style!" His hands took advantage of the nice wardrobe.
"Thanks."
The demon's green fingers danced upon the shirts and coats. "Oh, orange shirt and brown coat!" Lorne touched the materials with glee."Everything okay?" Hughes asked, getting no complaints. "So I'll leave you to your…"
Cordelia's mood changed really fast. "Not so fast, dead daddy."
Hughes turned to her. Cordelia bore the sort of face that stated she wasn't going to be ignored this time.
Any chance Hughes believed in an alliance with these people submerged with his present position. He was tied shirtless to a chair. His hands and legs were trussed to the hands and legs of the chair, his stomach and chest tied to the back.
"Sorry," Cordelia apologized. "Just a little bit of caution."
Hughes looked at her with disdain.
"Look Hughes. It's past midnight, and I want my beauty sleep. Tying you here is the best way I can enjoy my sleep. And keeping you shirtless removes any chance of having any more knives." Cordelia could also point out that it showed his physique more, which was nicely ripped, no matter how many rips were on it. But admitting drooling over the enemy would damage her credibility as a serious adversary.
"Lorne will have first guard duty."
"Great. Need I remind you he beheaded me?"
All complaints were ignored as the three left the room. Once the door was shut, the girls headed to their room.
"I'm bushed," said Tara with bags on her eyes.
"You look deader than him," Dawn spoke with concern.
Tara strained to keep thought in her sleepy mind. It was that tracking spell. She never got tired on doing such an easy spell before. From her experiences, this was not a coincidence. Something in this world was making it hard to call forth the magical energies. Fortunately, they were all safe right now, thanks to the no-invite rule for their room. Dawn wasn't happy with Cordelia's dismissal of Hughes. She recounted Hughes' free pass to his own house, and his failure to take advantage of it.
Cordelia wasn't won over. "Well, forgive me if I don't subscribe to the Maes Hughes fan club just yet."
Dawn smarted from that label. Whatever her own interest with Hughes is, it was no crush. Genuinely, definitely, vindictively not. Big emphasis on the last adjective. Still, she was not going to dust him simply because she had issues. "Lorne said he was okay."
"Lorne also encouraged Harmony to follow her path, which meant trying to kill me."
Cordelia was not entirely acceptant to letting him be. "And there's my vision. Hughes wasn't in there just for an extreme close-up."
"So, what did you actually see?" Tara yawned.
"I saw a close-up of a bearded, four-eyed Hughes going vampy. Than he was fighting something."
"No eating?" Dawn added with smart-alecky sureness.
Cordelia couldn't reply. "Look, right or wrong, at the moment the verdict's up in the air. We'll see how things go."
"So no stake-y?" Dawn confirmed Cordelia's mercy.
"He has a soul," Cordelia's reply was short and ambiguous. That was her best answer. It seemed the right one. If the difference between killing humans and dusting vampires was as soul, than an ensouled vampire shouldn't be staked. Then again, she could rationalize that having a soul and conscience didn't make a good guy. On the list of examples: Marcie, Faith, human Darla, Lilah, Lindsey. No tears for them if they got knocked off. Just as long as she didn't do the knocking off.
This complexity bothered Cordelia to no end in making a final decision. That this Hughes looked like Angel made the problem worse. She remembered soulless Angelus. And yet, that was a problem too. If Angel lost his soul again, would she go through with her promise to kill him? No matter how evil he was, she couldn't do what Buffy did, even to save the world. The Cordelia of High School would have done it. The Cordelia of today? She would wear polyester sooner than she could ever dust Angel, ensouled or not.
Hopefully she didn't regret sparing Hughes. For all his rude behavior to her, he didn't eat Tara and Dawn. True, he decapitated Lorne, but she would do the same thing if he was a complete stranger to her. She hoped she was right.
Lorne fell asleep quickly. Hughes remained in his seat. He relaxed his tense muscles, causing the ropes to lose their tightness. He could slip his hands free, then work on the rest. It was a skillful work. He didn't become a Major and Lieutenant Colonel out of good behavior, though promotion seemed to be a bargain sale these days.
He should be angry with them, but they had good reason. He was a monster after all, if their words can be believed. And what info! Not only is he demon who can't get a suntan or a reflection, he is going to be this way forever! Guess he'll be making it to that hundredth birthday after all! As usual, Hughes grabbed onto his humor to the point of abuse. Looks like he had better get used to it.
But this was no kangaroo court. The girls' clearly weren't planning to kill him. He'd be dust hours ago if they wanted him dead. The point that saved him was that their claim that he possessed a soul. As usual, new questions barged from answers. Hughes was never a guy on theology, so the matter was very sketchy. He looked to examples for proof. Alphonse Elric had a soul, and he was kinder than any flesh-and-blood child. Did the Homunculus have one? What about his own vampyre kind? Judging by the girls' decision to spare him for having one, he was probably in the minority. The majority must have an easier life.
He thought about the three girls and their help. They looked so innocent, so inviting…
Hughes held back, remembering Dawn's sad life. He used it as a guard against his worse instincts. Dawn was a girl with problems. She was a target for comfort to a part of him, a figure to be left alone by another. He didn't want to think what the remainder of himself thought of her. Tara as well.
Cordelia was a different matter. He shouldn't be so anti-social with her. But he couldn't help it. She filled him with such rage. He almost sliced…nicked her in the arm, that is. Yep, that was what he was going to do, Hughes repeated in his mind. But he hesitated. Again he froze before an opponent. "You're right, Hughes. Maybe this is a more fitting end." If Dawn hadn't intervened he would have finally experienced her word about going dusty. She got on his nerves. But Cordelia wasn't the real problem, was it? It was someone else…
That 'someone else' wasn't Lorne, though. Boy, did he regret hurting him! Best the girls didn't know the true reason why he went brutal on him. The moment he smelled the difference in Lorne, all his dark thoughts found a target for release. At that moment he found something to kill without feeling bad about it. Something inhuman. Lorne unfortunately fit the bill. He regretted it now. Sure, it felt good to let himself go on the demon. But now that he knew him a little, the memory too became a suffering to him. What did this mean exactly? Did it mean that he really couldn't control his new nature? That one day, he'll go brutal on someone…
Hughes ended the deep thoughts. He had to shirk his dark side and what it wanted. After months of loneliness, he had met people who understood his problem. Killing them was not an answer. He had to prove to these girls that he wasn't completely negative. He had to prove it to himself.
The next morning, the Central station received its first train that day. Passengers got off it. Some new, seeing the nation's capital. Some were old, going to work or visiting someone.Among them was someone who belonged to the latter. This person had traveled, but unlike the ways of others. Sometimes he traveled on air, on foot, on train. He was a man, a woman, or an animal. His appearances were as varied as the stations, and just as discreet. No one was the wiser. Same old humans, he thought. Nice and stupid. He had returned home. Soon those Brothers will be here too. Envy was back at Central.
Welcome to Central City. General Hakuro saw this giant sign being lifted before him. He was back to regular authority now. Fuhrer Bradley had made a swift return to Central Command. It was somewhat regrettable. One day, though, he will succeed Bradley.
Now he was back to overseeing domestic matters. One such matter was in a larger room. New direction signs were being designed for Central's borders. All of them had Welcome to Central City in colorful letters The tone seemed a little pacifist for a military society, but the nation of Amestris was beyond any danger from without.
Only from within, Hakuro believed with a bitter insight. His mind was now carrying examples of such traitorous behavior. The Elric Brothers. Hakuro was given dark confidential information: an entire army at Liore was destroyed, and the Fuhrer King believed that the Fullmetal Alchemist was responsible. So Hakuro thought likewise. He felt betrayed. He sponsored Edward Elric into the State Alchemist institution. And this is how that midget repays his country? Fullmetal's reputation now became a tarnished image, blackening every memory the General had of him. Perhaps that rescue from Bald was planned in advance, as a way to win his favor?
All he could do now was wait for Lieutenant Colonel Mustang to apprehend the traitors. Hakuro was excited about that fact. He couldn't wait to try and condemn those brothers.
"So what do you think, General?" said one officer, holding the large signboard with the aid of another.
Hakuro awoke from his inner thoughts. "It appears fine."
And then a car ran over the sign. That was Hakuro's first shocking thought. The car came out of nowhere. It did not appear behind him. Its rear end materialized before him. The safety of his position did not protect Hakuro from the astonishment of witnessing this appearance. He stood there as the vehicle hit the sign. Now free of its two fleeing human supporters, the Welcome to Central City sign went crashing flat down, torn over by the car's wheels.
There was a silence in everything save the vehicle's motor. As the shock quickly subsided, Hakuro's battle-honed mind got to work. Was this some new invasion plot from a foreign country? Soldiers and officers rushed into the room to see this new vehicle. The car had a smooth surface, lacking the propulsion tubes of a regular automobile. Its windows were all black.
The passenger door swung open. A black leg came out, followed by the rest of the passenger. He wore a long black coat, and sported short blond hair. He looked at his surroundings with a wary but confident attitude.
"Kids," he puffed on his cigarette, "we're not in bloody Kansas anymore."
To Be Continued.
As any FMA fan knows, Maes Hughes' song is Brothers, in its translated form.
Next time: Central Command is engulfed by vampires and witchcraft! Dawn confronts her issues with Hughes! Envy meets victims of one of his crimes!