WE searched for Uncle Otto for a week. Willis was upset and worried so of course that was when Oz decided to return with Veruca in tow and our happy little life took an express train straight to hell.
With everything going on, Oz's return to Sunnydale with apparently a new girlfriend in tow didn't rank as high on the list of things to be concerned about as it should have. Maybe due to the hundred little emergencies that cropped up around about then.
Uber-nerd Jonathon Levinson got a hold of some old mojo that would unleash your untapped potential. He was hoping to become stronger and smarter. If he got ripped abs, bulging pecs and the love of sinfully attractive women as well, ... what was the harm right? To say he got the raw end of that deal would be a huge understatement. The hulking thing he changed into whenever he lost his temper, went on a spree of destruction across the city. The Hulk was well beyond Xander's ability to stop or slow down and even Buffy had no luck either. Willow came to their rescue however, As a proud card carrying member of the geek squad she was still able to get though to Jonathon and calm him down. If Xander never heard the words "Hulk Smash!" again for the rest of his life it will be too soon.
Reilly and Buffy were making a go of the boyfriend girlfriend thing and in the spirit of that new relationship he told her about the secret lab under the school. That was where Jonathon was living now under constant supervision. They wanted him because as almighty strong as the Hulk was Jonathon had become as intelligent. His smarts were so off the charts that school was a joke for him now. It was weirdly ironic He had cast the spell in hopes of becoming the Big Man On Campus, The center of attention. He had gotten both wishes at the cost of his freedom and the ability to socialize.
Hellmouth Rule number One - Be very, very, careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Team Scooby would have visited Jonathon in his new home but Reilly refused to take them down there though, apparently needing Professor Walsh's permission for that and Walsh had been missing for a while. but he confirmed that this was the source of the masked guys who seemed to like rounding up random demons though what they were doing with them Reilly was unsure ...he assumed the goal was study for the purposes of defense, but the recruiting of so many brilliant people like Doc Connors and Poor Otto wherever he was, hinted at deeper nastiness.
Then there was the other-other mask guys, strange people who seemed to have a need-nay-passion for killing of demons. Both Xander and Buffy had separate encounters with their gruesome handiwork, Xander's during the hunt for The Hulk. He had bad flashbacks of trying to keep the gun toting demon hunter from killing him while also trying to save the both of them from the rampaging Hulk. Reilly claimed to have no knowledge of who they might be or why they were less into the hunter-gatherer thing, preferring more of a hunter-ritualistically slay. approach.
Xander suddenly had issues of his own, his Spider-sense was firing off randomly producing a mind numbing pain that felt like a migraine with the volume turned to eleven. Oddly it wasn't danger it was reacting to, not specifically, more like a hysterical desire to run, escape, flee from ... something. He searched in vain for the source but could find nothing. Though it seemed to happen a lot near the school. Of course if Reilly was to be believed, there was vast subterranean complex chock full of all the beasts and demons normally drawn to the hellmouth. Finding one that could make his Spider-sense go all overdrive was an iffy thing.
If that wasn't bad enough, there was Cassie, the coffees, lunches, and inviting out to group activities during which he had to save her life from supernatural threats had apparently left her thinking they should be dating. Xander had no problem with this idea in theory, but even he was all too familiar with the life cycle of Scooby relationships. His web-slinging seemed to only complicate matters. Still she made no heavy demands on his time ... but her reasonable behaviour just made Xander feel even more guilty every time he had to ditch her to deal with some crisis.
He kept hoping something would break, that they would get a clue or hint or something when one night he got a clue ... a big, big clue, as to what they were up against.
Xander was on his nightly patrol when police sirens caught his attention. The sirens led him to a slaughterhouse, dozens of bodies in a house with the military guys controlling the site. Spider-man used a vent to gain access to the building. He saw Connors creeping around doing some kind of test so he waited until the man was on his own before descending on the web-line. He had developed a sadistic thrill in creeping up on people in this way.
"Doc, what going on?" he said to Connors who reacted as if he was going to die of heart failure.
"More bodies, dead demons and not shot though the head like the ones at that Willie's Bar place."
"Wait, what? Willie's Bar?"
"About two-dozen demons where found shot to death there." Connors explained, "The only one to survive was the owner who left town as soon as he was able. He seemed scared he claimed it was a masked woman who gunned them all down."
"So the person who did that wasn't here?" Spider-man asked, "How do you know?"
"The absence of shell casings for one. The Bar looked like a war zone this is just a charnel house. No obvious signs of method aside from some bruising at the head and neck like they were being held forcefully then there is the condition of the bodies they've been drained."
"Like a vampire?"
"No, like fruit left in the sun too long -shrunken and desiccated."
Spider-man looked at him. Connors had apparently been a teacher long enough he could read from body language alone when he had said something that went over a students head.
"You ever drain a drinking box and then keep sucking till the box collapsed?"
"Holy crap you mean someone did that to a demon?"
"To demons, humans, there are even some small animal carcasses. The carnage mirrors what was left behind at the containment facility."
"Facility?"
"The Initiative keeps a secret base under UC Sunnydale. The day of the accident in Poor Otto's lab, I was called down there to supervise a cleanup and investigation. The power loss that destroyed Otto's machine was caused by power surges from the facility's containment being breached by something the demons we captured are calling a Morlun."
"A morlun?" Spider-man asked.
"I don't know who it is, but the fear in the creatures' voices while they died is enough to tell me WHAT it is. A morlun seems to be some kind of dangerous universal predator -like a shark."
"...Like a shark expect on land...and kills demons?" Spider-man asked.
"From its pattern, I would surmise it PREFERS demons but will hunt and kill anything it can get it's hands on."
The news that some dangerous demon was loose in Sunnydale did not sit well with Buffy who voted for immediate search and destroy. Giles checked the record and yes there was such a thing as a morlun.
"They were thought to be extinct or very rare." The Watcher explained, "They consume the essence of Demons and other living beings. Usually feeding off their aura. They prefer demonic but anything...including human will do."
"Great any other good news?" Xander sighed.
"they are fiercely territorial, morlun usually only need to feed occasionally. If this one has gone on a spree it means this one is either nearing the end of it's life cycle or even worse is preparing to mate and conceive."
"Bottom line it Giles, lots of baby morlun ...how bad is bad going to be?"
"There will only be one baby that baby will grow within its mother and consume and kill her, emerging as an adult who will then have the memories of both parents."
"What happens to Daddy - as if I couldn't guess."Xander sighed bitterly.
"The father's body is used for raw materials to create the fetus while the spiritual energy is used to ... i guess teach the child in utero would be the best way to describe it."
"OK Giles Xander and I have got this. We'll put the search for Otto on the back burner and find the morlun-thingy."
"Morlun feed on demon essence Buffy not unlike the source of your abilities. Xander is channeling the power of one of the old Gods. You both will be in more danger then anyone else.
"Well the good news is it won't be hard to find." Xander mused as he looked at the monstrous drawing in the page.
Giles snatched the picture away from him in annoyance. "Xander that is based on records dating back thousands of years like most demons they have bred to adapt and thrive in their environment."
"Meaning it looks human - Great, how do we catch it if it looks like us."
"I'm not sure, and since they are predators they have adapted to hunting demons and the like. They can alter their aura to conceal themselves. "
Xander met Cassie for coffee later that day... the buzz-saw feeling came back once or twice but it had calmed by the time Cassie arrived excitedly talking about her latest assignment.
"Cassie, can we talk a sec, Hun I need you to stick close to home for a few."
"Why what's wrong?"
"You know me and guys we get into some dangerous stuff...well the dangerous stuff is getting really dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt."
"OH aren't you sweet you worried about me. Is this a sign that the ever indecisive Xander Harris is ready to commit to calling us a couple."
"look I know I have been a little scattered brained but with all the crazy in my life you have to admit dating can be a sketchy prospect I mean you never know when some demon from hell is going to show up."
"Hopefully not before we do this." Cassie smirked as she leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. Xander felt weak in the knees. Suddenly he felt that buzzsaw-like sensation tearing though his skull. He tried to focus past the pain - tried to find the source of the danger, but all he could feel was that deep down rear brain need to run and hide and cower safe from a dangerous predator. He pulled away from Cassie.
Suddenly Buffy and Willow showed up. "Something tried attacking one of the teachers it was described as a big dog."
"Crap, it's Oz. It has to be."
Xander you cover the east end of town I'll cover the rest."
Xander, I want to help." Cassie insisted.
"Sorry Cassie, this is too dangerous." Xander said resolutely.
"I'll take her back to campus. Tara's dropping off my assignment for Connors then she can help us track Oz ...our way."
Spider-man hunted along the East side of the city. Web slinging from one building to the next trying to filter though the sensations his Spider-sense was feeding him to find Oz.
"Come On Spider-sense don't fail me now." he pleaded as he landed on a building overlooking the school.
Suddenly he saw Connors making for his car when a wolf-like shape came bounding out of the shadows. Landing on him, pinning him to the ground.
Spider-man dropped out of the sky landing on the werewolf the creature slashed at him but backed away sniffing at the air before howling and bounding away.
"What was that?" Connors asked.
"Werewolf, why'd he drop you?" Spider-man asked "it's like he was tracking something ... something you were near to... was Willow with you?"
"Earlier but she had to leave. Her roommate Ms Maclay was just dropping off her assignment with me."
"Tara?" Spider man jumped to a roof following the lycan as best he could. "Buffy I got Oz he's following Tara." he shouted into his mobile.
"Damn keep on him I'll be over there as fast as I can." Buffy answered.
Tara was running as fast as she could. When the monster had found and jumped at her, she'd escaped and was now fleeing for her life by climbing the Stevenson Hall back stairs to the roof with the were beast in hot pursuit.
She used magic to open any locked door in her way, sealing them again when she could. The beast would just barrel though any door splintering it. Tara had no doubt she would be the next thing to splinter if it got its claws on her.
She burst though the roof access to find herself trapped. The school was doing construction to add more floors to the popular Stevenson building and there was superstructure around them. She back away from the door even as the werewolf smashed it's way through the door and began stalking her across the roof. The beast was getting closer as she was backing toward the roof edge when she heard a rebel yell and the beast was tackled by Spider-man. Beast and webslinger began trading blows across the roof.
"Listen to me Oz, Willow was alone she felt abandoned by everyone Tara was there when she needed someone if you want to blame someone blame me I should have paid more attention. She was my friend and she couldn't tell me what was going on."
Tara didn't know what was more shocking, that the beast attacking her was really Oz or that judging by his words, Spider-man's real identity was Xander Harris.
The werewolf slashed at Spider-man who dodged around his blows with unnatural speed. But then Oz got a lucky blow in that staggered Spider-man leaving him unable to respond quick enough when Oz grabbed him and hurled him into the scaffolding causing it to collapse. Spider-man pulled himself up, glancing over, he saw Tara teetering at the edge of the roof. Summoning all his strength he laid an explosive uppercut across Oz's bestial jaw. The werebeast was knocked clear across the roof to land sprawled on the rooftop.
Spider-man dived to the roof edge grabbing for Tara but he missed. Jumping out, he grabbed her flailing hand, shooting a web line that attached him to the rickety scaffolding. He was now trapped. With Tara in one hand and his web line anchor in the other, he could do nothing as he saw Oz stalking toward them both. Then he looked down and saw a masked figure coming out of the shadows raising a weapon.
"Humanity and Justice are served." the figure called out while sighting down the barrel of a weapon that seemed to pointed right at him.
Xander's spider-sense was screaming warnings at him when a shot rang out taking Oz in the shoulder and forcing him away from the dangling hero. Oz howled in pain even as the figure fired again and again.
Suddenly Buffy was there pulling Oz away from the roof edge. The Slayer dragged the huge scaffolding across the roof to bring Xander close enough to the building he could latch on to it and carry Tara to safety.
"Who was the chick with the gun?" Buffy asked as he regained the rooftop.
"Beats me, she had me dead to rights but shot at Oz instead."
"Good thing to. But still if Oz was following Tara then why has there been reports of wolf sightings across the city." Buffy bent to Oz and leaning over him sniffed at him. "He has old blood in him very old blood."
"Can I get an Oh crap from the pews." Xander sighed.
"Old blood what does that mean?" Tara asked.
"A while back an old lycan who wanted Oz on her side dosed a bunch of people with lycan blood we found out you can cause a were beast to transform randomly or drive a regular person insane."
Tara nodded "I think I can help." She knelt next to Oz and placed her hand on the creature's brow. "Goddess of the hunt one of your children lies before you. Aid me as I drive out the tainted blood that made his rage." her hands glowed and reddish cloud swirled around Oz before dispersing into the air.
Oz opened his eyes. "What happened did I?..." he whispered.
"I'm fine Oz," Tara smiled gently," the lycan blood caused you to change and then you scented Willow on me and that really set you off."
"I guess you hate me now?" misery was thick in Oz voice.
Tara shook her head, "You're off my Christmas card list but being crazy in love with Willow ...that I get."
"I'm glad she has you, " Oz smiled, "maybe when I have the beast under control..."
"Well if your wanting control, you might want to lay off the lycan blood for a start." Tara joked.
Oz blinked, "Lycan blood? why would I use that stuff?" He asked, he seemed genuinely mystified
"You had it in your system," Buffy explained harshly, "I think that's what made you go postal."
"I don't remember drinking anything like that unless ... Veruca." Oz hissed, "We kissed it tasted different like ... blood."
"Clever girl bite the inside of her mouth or tongue and then let you get a taste of the good stuff when your making out."
"She has total control of the beast, she can change when she wants. That's why I hooked up with her, I wanted her to teach me."
"Looks like she decided to give you a lesson alright." Xander sighed.
"Where is she Oz? You got any idea?"
I do " Xander answered, "She's after Willow she wanted us distracted so she would have a clear run at her."
The trio raced across campus with Xander taking the express route of bursting though a window to find...Cassie draining Veruca the werewolf was a dried out husk when Cassie finally let the body drop to the floor.
"You know the best thing about living in Sunnydale," Cassie sighed while smacking her lips, "You guys have the tastiest demons."
