Chapter Sixty Four: Back on the Streets
Dawn didn't think Vala was lying, why should she? But what she had said about Kallistien, this Kallistien, didn't make sense. According to what Vala had said Dawn thought she might be in the future, but if so it was a future with a different past to the one she knew about.
Could it be she had done something in the past to change the future? Or perhaps Faith and the Halliwells had done something in the past to change things around in the present? Have we messed things up between us? Am I to blame for the destruction of the Earth? Is there anything I can do to put things right? There must be something, Dawn told herself. Surely if things have been changed once they can be changed again.
Not for the first time in the past few minutes Dawn shied away from thinking about what the destruction of the Earth meant for the people she knew and loved and all those millions of others. If she could find some way to put things right they would never really have died, the world would not have been destroyed.
Dawn had seen no reason not to tell Vala everything she knew about what was happening. Well everything except about the Key. For the moment Dawn decided to say nothing about that. It was not the sort of thing you told to strangers, no matter how helpful they might be.
The possibility that her actions, however well meant, might have caused the destruction of her home planet naturally distressed Dawn. But Vala was having none of it. She rejected Dawn's attempted explanation.
"I refuse to believe it," said Vala. "I refuse to believe my whole life and all my memories only came about because somebody changed things in the past. That goes against everything I ever learnt about the way the universe works. I've lived my own life up to now. I'm not the creation of somebody messing with history."
Your whole life and memories the creation of somebody else's meddling? Now doesn't that sound familiar thought Dawn. But then again was I really created like that? We only have the word of a dead monk and we all just accepted it was true. But was it? Was it a lie by the monk or was the truth more complicated than even he knew?
But Dawn said nothing of these thoughts aloud. She couldn't without explaining her own background and she wasn't ready for that now. Maybe she never would be ready. Glory had tried to use the power of the Key for her own benefit. Who knew how somebody else might react if they thought Dawn was the way to access so much power. Instead she tried to find out if Vala really did have some idea of what was going on or if she was just objecting in principle.
"Did your understanding of the universe include the reality of witchcraft and time travel?" asked Dawn. "Most scientists and teachers think that's a load of nonsense so they don't allow for it."
"Well I'm not most scientists," said Vala. "I'm quite familiar with witchcraft and time travel, thank you very much," she added.
This last comment was a complete lie but Vala never let the truth stand in the way of impressing the impressionable. Besides Dawn obviously needed cheering up and there was another way of looking at what had happened.
"I don't thing you've changed the future and I don't think you're in a different future," said Vala. "Have you ever heard about the theory of the Multiverse?"
"You mean I'm in another universe, a parallel universe?" asked Dawn. "The Earth that's been destroyed in this universe might not be my Earth?"
"Exactly," said Vala. "And what you think of as time travel might not be time travel at all. When you think you travel in time you might just be going to a different universe that looks like your universe in the past or maybe the future. Those who think that time travel is impossible, might be right."
"I don't know about that," began Dawn. "I'm pretty sure time travel, real time travel is possible. I know some people who have done it."
"OK, fair enough, but that doesn't mean you've travelled in time," said Vala. "It doesn't mean you've changed your own future. You might..."
At that moment the two women were interrupted by the opening of the cell door and the entry of a police officer.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So who do you think it was," asked Gwen. "The Governor or somebody even higher up?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't think it was anybody as visible as that. People in positions like that are either told nothing or they make it clear they want to know nothing about things like this," she said. "My bet is some high government flunky or secret service chief. Some sort of official unofficial agency that knows about demons and such like. There was a military unit like that in Sunnydale a few years ago according to what I've heard."
Gwen and Kate were talking about why the Sunnydale police force had been ordered off the street and told to take no action that night whatever happened. The orders had come from the mayor and the police chief but Kate knew they had not originated with them.
Everybody on a lower level had been told that the recent quakes were building up to a really big one. The police and other services, everybody at all if possible, should stay at home and out of the way until they received orders about what to do.
For those who worked out the illogic of having everybody inside buildings which might be shaken down on top of them, there was a second cover story which was going around in the form of a rumour. The word was that it was all a matter of national security and involved terrorists and maybe UFO's.
Kate Lockley, who was now a lieutenant in the Sunnydale Police, had explained all this to Gwen who had arrived at her door earlier that evening. Kate and Gwen were old acquaintances from when they were both in Los Angeles. Gwen had explained why she needed Kate's help. Kate was now driving the two of them across town.
"I happen to know that at least one Secret Service agency has people on the ground in Sunnydale tonight," said Gwen. "So you're probably not far out."
"Don't tell me, let me guess," said Kate. "Colonel Maybourne and his not so merry men from the NID are back in town."
Gwen nodded and smiled. "Oh yeah, but he's just the front man. I don't think he knows what's really going on. If he did he wouldn't come within miles of this... Don't stop!" she ordered sharply.
A large, solid looking demon-like thing had strolled out into the road in front of them. It was many colours but mainly green and it had a large horn coming out of the top of its head. It leapt at the car but Kate skilfully swerved around it and continued on her way. Gwen put her hand out of the window and gave the creature an electrical blast to discourage it as they went past. Once clear of the creature Kate gave Gwen an inquiring look.
"It'll be taken care of," said Gwen. "Don't worry. That's just part of the riff-raff that's floated into town. The Slayers will take care of that sort of thing."
"They're back?" asked Kate. "The Slayers are back in town? They're not just on the way sometime, somehow?"
"They're here now," said Gwen. "They're ready to go. As soon as we get to the electric station and turn everything off they go into town and take out the demons and the vampires."
"All of them?" asked Kate. "If what you say is right the streets and the sewers will be crawling with all sorts of low-lifes tonight. Even three slayers won't be able to get them all."
"Don't worry. It's not just the slayers," said Gwen. "Anyway once the word goes round that there are three slayers on the hunt a lot of those things will be gone. Most of them don't like a fair fight and they definitely don't like it when they're up against somebody stronger and faster."
Kate continued to drive towards their destination in silence for a few minutes, being careful to keep a close watch for anything or anybody dangerous before she spoke up again:
"I get that you want to turn off all the electricity," said Kate. "But won't the darkness make it easier for the demons and vampires?"
"Not really," said Gwen. "The Slayers are used to operating in the dark. They don't need much light and without electric lighting they won't have to worry about being picked off by trigger happy security agents."
"Unless the agents have night vision glasses," said Kate.
Gwen glanced at Kate and shrugged. "We can't think of everything," she said. "I'm sure the Slayers will be able to cope."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Xander was not happy, not happy at all and worst of all there was nothing he could do about it. Normally when Buffy refused his help he tagged along and helped anyway. But he couldn't do that when she was orbed away by Tara. He had had to accept that the Slayers would be doing their own thing and he was stuck with helping out the rest of the crowd.
Xander had never been comfortable working with Angel, or with any vampire come to that. Yes, Angel and Drusilla had souls but Xander had always thought that was something of a technicality. Angel had done all those crimes, and Drusilla had done her share as well, including killing Kendra. He was never going to be able to forget that in the way some people seemed able to do.
Like the others in the group Xander was presently dependent on Angel and Drusilla for guidance as they led the way through the smelly sewers of Sunnydale. As part of the grand plan, the non-Slayers and non-witches were on their way to the Sunnydale Slayer HQ by the underground route with the aim of getting as close as possible, all the way if possible, without anybody or anything spotting them.
What they would do when they got there hadn't been decided. But on general principles it had been agreed that it would be best if they were on the spot in case they were needed because whatever Wolfram and Hart really planned would be going down there. And that was also where the new Hellmouth was due to be opened.
Angel led the single file of people with Drusilla right behind him. Then followed Xander, Wesley, Giles and Connor. So far they had not had any encounters. It was just as if the present day Sunnydale sewers were now just like those of any other town. But Angel had called a halt and hissed for silence twice now so he presumably had detected some other activity in the area. Angel now stopped for a third time and signalled the others to remain stationary while he scouted ahead once more.
"Maybe we'll be able to get as far as the Slayer HQ before anybody spots us," said Giles quietly. "I didn't think it was possible but we've come a long way. Maybe Wolfram and Hart still think we're back on Kallistien. Maybe they're not prepared for us."
"It we come up within the grounds, I'll lead the way to the front door and inside," said Xander. "Just as if I lived there, which of course I do some of the time." Unlike anybody else amongst present company he added quietly to himself. Willow's defences will recognise me he thought. I wonder if they'll recognise Angel and Drusilla?
"We won't get that far," said Connor. "Wolfram and Hart won't want us inside that building now. Even if they don't expect us they'll be prepared for somebody to attack them. That's they way they think. They'll have their own security cordon in place. I expect there'll be a few demonic guards we have to take down before we get there and there'll be humans waiting for us like those security agencies."
Connor didn't sound worried at the prospect of meeting opposition. Indeed everybody knew Connor well enough to know that he would be disappointed if they had a clear run all the way to the HQ.
"Yes, what about those NID people?" asked Wesley. "They're human so they'll be armed. The vampires might be OK against bullets but the rest of us are not bullet proof, well not completely even though these vests will help." The group had been given protective jackets by General Hammond before they left the SGC. Well all but Angel and Drusilla who had refused the offer.
"We'll be alright against guns so long as we can get inside the grounds," said Xander. "Guns don't work there. Willow's made sure of that." Not even Wolfram and Hart's evil little sorcerers will have been able to undo her spells he thought confidently.
All at once the sound of fighting could be heard from up ahead. Angel had it seems finally met something hostile. Perhaps their approach via this route was not so unexpected after all thought Xander, or perhaps all routes were covered whichever way they went. Or maybe Angel has bitten off more than he can chew he thought cheerily.
Drusilla immediately started forward at a run followed quickly by Connor and they disappeared around the corner up ahead. Giles and Wesley pulled out their swords and wooden stakes also hurried after the others. Xander took a little more time and brought up the rear.
Yes, if there was fighting Xander would help, but helping Angel wasn't something that he treated with the same urgency as helping Buffy or Willow. He would stay near to Giles he thought and cover his back. Giles was the one most deserving of his help.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Don't look at me. It was your idea," said Vala. "You're the one who knows all about witchcraft."
"I thought you said you knew about it as well?" asked Dawn suspiciously. She was beginning to realise that just because Vala said something, it wasn't necessarily so.
But at least Vala's ability to be creative with the facts had enabled her to talk the police into releasing them. Vala had done all the talking. By the time she had finished everybody was convinced that Dawn was an innocent bystander and had nothing to do with the disappearance of the other young woman.
Vala herself had only been due to be locked up for the night anyway and had been released with a warning not to take part in any more gambling events in that town. Vala had not divulged details of what that was all about and Dawn had not asked, especially as she soon realised that she was unlikely to be given an accurate account of events anyway.
Vala had proposed to Dawn that somehow she had been displaced, not to the past or the future but to an alternative reality. Dawn had seized on this possibility and suggested that they consult a witch and see if a magic portal could be opened back to her original reality, back to her original Kallistien.
Unfortunately the experiment had not been a success. Finding a consulting witch in this version of Kallistien had proven very easy and the witch had been confident she could do what was asked. But for reasons unknown it had not proven possible for the witch to open a portal, any portal. The 'spheres' were not properly aligned the witch had claimed, whatever that might mean.
"I said I knew about witchcraft," said Vala. "What I meant was I know it exists. I didn't mean I know all the rules and spells and things. That's what witches are for and I'm not a witch."
"So what now?" asked Dawn. "You're from another planet. Don't you have a spaceship or something? Couldn't we fly to some other planet with a Stargate and see if that's working?"
"I did have a spaceship but that... ," began Vala but she did not finish the sentence. "Anyway that doesn't matter now. I don't have a spaceship any more and I don't think there's one on this entire planet. I'm just as stranded as you are."
"But at least you're in the right universe," said Dawn. "I'm not, not if you're right about the Multiverse thing."
"We're both a long way from home," said Vala. "So we've got the same problem, even if the details are a little different. I need to leave here just as much as you do. That's why we should work together."
"OK, the same problem. But we don't have a solution," said Dawn. "The Stargate has stopped working, we can't open a magic portal and we don't have a spaceship. We're stuck here."
"Not necessarily," said Vala thoughtfully. "You seem to be able to move between worlds, even if nobody else can. Is there something about you that you haven't told me?"
Dawn shrugged but said nothing despite Vala's continuing stare.
"OK," said Vala realising that Dawn was not going to volunteer any more information. "I've got an idea. Let's go have another word with that witch."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The three young women had stopped in the middle of the street as if they were waiting for something. One of them was absentmindedly swinging an axe around while the other two looked bored. Not one of them seemed to be aware of any danger or appeared to be in any way worried about being outside in a dangerous town in the middle of the night.
"They look human," said agent Bledslow quietly from his position crouched down within a darkened shop entrance about two hundred yards away from the women. "Which is more than I can say for a lot of the things that have passed down this street in last few hours."
"They're waiting for something, or somebody," said senior agent Gates who was crouched next to him. Both agents were holding their automatic rifles ready for immediate use.
"If they wait there much longer something will find them," said Bledslow. "Something that'll probably eat them. We can't just leave them there."
"Our orders are to keep anybody human out of the area," said Gates. "If they don't come any further they're none of our business."
"You're forgetting why we joined this organisation in the first place," said Bledslow. "I don't know about you but I joined to help people, not just to watch while people get killed because of some orders."
"We don't have the whole picture," said Gates. "You know that. We stay here unless they start moving into town." Or unless something attacks them he thought. He agreed with Bledslow, but he wasn't going to admit it unless he really had to. In the NID you never knew what might get on your permanent record.
At that moment things happened, and happened quickly. And before either agent could decide whether to intervene it was all over.
A dark bulky figure, about the size of a large man, suddenly launched itself out of the window of a nearby building. Whatever it was it intended coming down on top of the nearest woman, the shorter of the two brunets and that is exactly what it would have done had the woman remained where she was.
The leaping creature made no sound at all but something alerted the woman, in fact alerted all three women and they reacted immediately. Instead of coming down on top of the woman the creature landed on the ground.
The creature started out approximately human shaped but by the time it hit the ground it was short of a few pieces and quite dead: Its head, neatly sliced off by Kennedy, rolled down the road to stop in the gutter. One arm, with its clawed hand still holding a wicked looking long knife had been cut off by Buffy. Faith had thrown a pointed stake into the chest of the creature and been disappointed when it didn't turn to dust.
"Don't look like they need any help," said Bledslow. "Maybe they're not so human after all."
"Nothing human reacts that fast," said Gates. "If they come this way we've got to take them down."
"If they're not human we let them pass by don't we?" asked Bledslow. "Isn't that the order? We only stop humans and let the boss's 'other arrangements' take care of the monsters and stuff?"
"Not exactly," said Gates. "What the Colonel said..."
At that moment the lights went out. Not just the street lights but every light in town. But almost immediately the full moon shone brightly down on the streets below. But in the brief instant as the eyes of the agents were becoming accustomed to the different lighting the three women had gone. They had totally disappeared. Either that or they had moved very quickly indeed.