Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Author's note: So it's been a while since I last updated this particular story because I've been trying to build up to certain ideas. Those will come to fruition soon enough, so I ask that everyone reading my stories to continue to be patient with me. As I continued writing these stories, I realized that this entire multiverse I created with these stories have become like a comic book universe, except, I'm doing my best to keep things consistent, as far as the timelines of the original Hand of Fate timeline, the Lords of Shadow: Sunnydale, world, and now the Into the Void storyline. At any rate, a big part of this particular story is that the main characters of this story will face a big threat, big enough to rival that of the Prince of Lies coming back to Earth. So for the most part, you'll find out things about what happened years before this particular story. But I can say that what happened in the past will hopefully be much more satisfying. Anyway, here's the next chapter.
Freddie Benson's Room
Sheraton Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Freddie sat in his room, playing an online game to calm his mind as the events of the week had finally caught up to him. After calling Jenny Calendar, he had practiced with his power from levitation, to setting pieces of trash to explode, and even lunching small blasts of power. He had to be careful about the fires he created as he didn't want any alarms going off. Freddie's mind drifted off the video game he was playing as he thought about the implications of the acquiring and the awakening of his powers. What his mother called his short lapse of her version of perfect health seven years ago, he knew was actually the complete opposite. He remembered in 2005, two years before he and the girls started iCarly, how he suddenly felt overwhelmed and passed out. His mother thought he had been lulled into a coma, despite being perfectly healthy. As the tech wiz thought back on the memory, he realized that there was a flash of something in the darkness. He saw flashes of a beautiful yet familiar woman. He shook his head of these thoughts, paused the game, and picked up his cellphone. After dialing the number he needed he waited.
"Hello?" came Jade's voice over the line.
"Hey. Are you busy?" Freddie asked one of his potential interests.
"No. I'm just hanging out and talking with Tori. Is everything alright?" the dark brunette asked.
"Everything's fine. I've just been thinking. If what Ms. Calendar said is true, and she's given us no reason to think otherwise, maybe she can help us. Help all of us," Freddie suggested.
"I don't see why not. What do you mean all of us?" Jade asked.
"You might not believe this but I think Sam might have a power as well, aside from super strength. I'm just not sure what it is. Anyway, I just think it'd be a good idea," Freddie said.
"Okay. We can go tomorrow if it helps-TRINA!" Jade shouted. Freddie's face scrunched in confusion as he heard some crashing noises in the background.
"Is everything alright over there?" Freddie asked.
"Sorry. Tori was practicing her power when Trina came in with this training dummy. Tori told me about her fighting skills. But I wouldn't have guessed she was this good. She literally kicked the dummy across the kitchen," Jade explained. Freddie sat up straight from hearing this.
"Did she happen to look any different when she did this? Like a strange aura?" Freddie asked. There was silence for a few seconds.
"Now that you mention it, she's got this indigo aura surrounding her. I think Trina might have to come with us. If she's anything like us, it might come in handy for her," Jade said, as more crashing sounds were made on her end of the line.
"Alright. I'll call Sam and Cat and let them know what's going on. I'll see you tomorrow. See ya Jade," Freddie said. Jade replied in kind and disconnected the call. Freddie dialed Cat's number, which she gave him at the drop of a hat before he and two brunette girl's left the apartment the other night.
Cat answered the call and spoke with Freddie and listened as he explained what he had in mind. The faux redhead listened attentively and relayed the conversation to Sam. Both had readily agreed and decided to accompany them to see what this was all about. The young man ended the call after everything was agreed on and hung up. As he sat in concentration, he realized that whatever was going on now was affecting him and the girls. He couldn't help but think on how odd it was that every crazy thing he had been threw involved him and girls he had been close to. Shaking his head and laughing at the thought, he resumed his game to ease his mind.
The next day...
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Freddie and the five girls accompanying him stood at the entrance of the old hotel feeling an odd sensation of being there. Cat and Sam took the blonde's motorcycle to Sheraton to meet up with the tech producer and then were met by the three brunettes. After getting past Trina's advancements, Freddie and the girls left to the location Ms. Calendar had given him. The gates of the entrance opened, beckoning the visitors to enter. They looked to each other and cautiously entered. As they made their way into the building, they were surprised to find that the interior was much more lavishly re-designed, but has symbols that didn't look familiar to the youths. Looking at the people, they found that were going to and from and walking all over the place. Everyone could sense something from most of them. As they continued looking around, Jenny Calendar approached them with a smile on their faces.
"Hey. I'm glad you all could make it. And I see you have another friend," Jenny said with a knowing smile.
"Yeah. This is Trina Vega. She's Tori's sister," Freddie said. The elder Vega sibling stepped forward.
"Hi. Freddie said you could help with my...condition?" Trina said carefully.
"It's okay to say superpowers Trina. In this group, you'll find that we're no strangers to the unusual. In fact, you could say we're apart of the unusual ourselves," Jenny said. She turned to see the man and woman that Tori and Jade saw earlier approaching.
"And now, to give you the pleasure of having your mind blown, here are my good friends, Alexander Harris and Faith Harris," Jenny said, stepping aside for the couple.
"Hey, we saw you guys the other day," Tori said as she recalled their appearance.
"Yeah. What were you guys doing here? You weren't spying on us, were you?" Jade asked threateningly.
"Nice to meet you guys too. And for the record, we weren't. Faith and I have been living here longer than you guys. Well, I've been living in the state longer. But that's besides the point. You're here because of the powers you guys have manifested at different points. We can fill you in on everything you need to know. But what you decide to do when we're done is up to you," Xander said.
"Okay, Mr. Harris. Maybe you can explain how and why we have these powers?" Freddie said.
"I can do that. And please, call me Xander. Or Alex. Whichever suits you. Now, if you'll follow me and my lovely wife," Xander said as he led the six youths through the hotel. As they moved to the back yard of the hotel, they found a group of people some years older than them in what appeared to be martial arts exercises, being led by six adults comprised of three males and females. The males in question appeared to have been built for the military.
"Team Finn. Team Gates. Team Miller. Looking good," Xander said, receiving waves from the coaches.
After passing by that area, they arrived in another part of the hotel, which held what appeared to have once been a ballroom, and was converted into a conference room with a large circular table. At the table sat a redheaded woman, another man with a similar appearance to Xander, and a woman with honey blonde hair. There were also two men who had long dark hair, with one wearing a red coat, and the other wearing a green coat. The two men just so happened to resemble each other. Xander and Faith turned back around to face the young adults.
"Before we get down to business, we'd like to introduce you to our friends and partners. The redhead is one of our resident magic users, Willow Rosenburg. The other lovely lady is Sandy Weissman. The guy in red is Gabriel Belmont. And his look-alike is his son Trevor," Faith said. The young adults looked to the two warriors perplexed about them being father and son.
"It's a rather long story, and one you may hear about later. But not now," Trevor said, smirking at the expressions on their faces.
"Anyway, these guys here volunteered to give you a better understanding and what you're capable of and why we invited you all here. So take a seat and feel free to ask any questions," Faith said. Freddie and the girls took a seat, with Tori and Jade each on one side of Freddie while Sam, Cat, and Trina took seats to their right.
"Okay. I'll bite. Just where did you guys come from? And how long have you known about this kind of thing?" Freddie asked.
"Well, most of us have been waist deep in the supernatural for a number of years. Some of us, it's been our whole lives, like Gabriel and Trevor. Then there's me, Xander, and Faith who didn't get drawn in until we were teenagers. Our friends you saw training; Buffy, Kendra, Tara, Riley, Graham, and Forrest were drawn in much the same. For Tara, she's more or less a witch, like me. And we're not the only ones. All of us have been affected one way or another by the supernatural. For me and my friends, the ones you saw on the way in, meeting Buffy changed things and we found out things about ourselves that drew us in further. Things would've gotten worse if not for some...interference," Willow explained.
"Wait, did you say supernatural? As in monsters and fairy tale creatures?" Trina asked with a hand raised.
"As a matter of fact there are. But unfortunately there's more to it than that. There's also pagan deities, angels, demons, reapers, ghosts. Things you hear about in stories are more real than you can imagine. Just not int the way they're depicted," Trevor replied.
"You seriously expect us to believe that all of this stuff exists?" Sam asked. Gabriel looked hard at the blonde, wondering why she had to be there with them. He would've preferred that she be left behind but it was explained to him that her presence was necessary. The warrior closed his eyes and began praying. A few seconds later, Raziel appeared in the room, after the sound of fluttering wings were heard by everyone.
"Alright Gabe, I'm here. So what's...why is the half-breed here? And where is her sister?" Raziel asked looking at everyone present in the room.
"All we know for sure is that Melanie is on her way here. They'll continually be drawn to each other one way or another. And with everything that's happening, she and Sam need to know," Xander said.
"Know what?! What are you guys talking about?! And how did this guy get in here?!" Sam demanded.
"Short version. My name is Raziel. As for what I'm talking about, I'll say this: Freddie, what was the nickname you gave to Samantha when she treated you particularly horribly?" Raziel asked the tech producer. Freddie shrank in his seat slightly as he easily thought on the answer.
"She-demon?" he said, ashamed. Raziel gave him a knowing look at his answer. Freddie's eyes widened as Raziel's stare and the implication of his answer hit him.
"You mean...she's...you can't think...really?!" the tech producer said coming to terms with the idea. Before he could be answered, Sam flew across the table, charging the newcomer. She rammed him into the far-wall but noticed that he barely even flinched at her strength. As he took in her appearance, he noticed that her eyes were glowing red and black-feathered wings had sprouted from her back. The remaining youths looked at her in fear as they realized what this meant. Freddie began regretting ever calling her a she-demon considering the sight before him.
"Sam?" came an oddly familiar voice. Everyone looked at the door to see another blonde looking exactly like Sam, only dressed more conservatively. Sam turned her glowing eyes to her twin sister and growled in her throat.
"Sam, don't. You don't want to do this. I'm not your enemy," Melanie said as she grew white feathered wings from her back. The two half-breed sisters began glowing, with Melanie having a blue aura and Sam having a red one. Sam made the first move to charge only to be stopped by Freddie with his aura surrounding him and managing to block Sam's attempt.
"Sam. Please," Freddie pleaded with his ex-girlfriend. The blonde former web-star looked into her ex-boyfriend's eyes. Realizing that just like many other times, he was trying to keep her going too far. Her eyes softened before the glow faded from her eyes and her body, followed by her wings receding into her back. Freddie glanced back to Melanie and saw her doing the same.
"Okay. I don't suppose you have a way of explaining what just happened Raziel?" Tori asked meekly. Raziel exposed his own wings to the youths, yet not surprising the adults in the room.
"It's rather simple to explain. Genesis, chapter 6, verse 4," Raziel said.
"Nephilim?" Jade, Tori, and Freddie replied.
"Indeed. A third of us in the Heavenly Host fell to this planet after my big brother's insurrection. While he was locked away, there were those of the fallen who followed Lucifer into Hell. But then there were those who were against him after the fall. They hid themselves away from man until there were enough human women to populate the planet. Even my low-level brothers and sisters, whom most of this group called the Old Ones, followed that example, which is how you got the number of half-breed demons that roam the planet now," Raziel stated.
"Wait, they're all over the planet?! I thought the flood wiped them out?!" Freddie asked.
"The ones that were on Earth yes. But many fled to other pocket dimensions that exist alongside this universe. One of our allies was thrown into one of them called Pylea. During her time there, she met a number of half-breeds that treated pure humans as slaves and demeaned them to a point of death. Thankfully, Trevor managed to free them and the oppressive government set up there, rescuing her in the process," Raziel said with a smile, which was mirrored by Trevor.
"Can you tell me who exactly our father is?" Melanie said as she began trying to comfort her sister.
"Melanie how much do you know about...your uncles and aunts?" Raziel asked.
"Not much. All I know is that a number of them fell to earth. And one of them met our mom. But I don't know who it is because it's so many of you guys walking around. Besides, you guys can appear as whatever you want, so how would I know?" Melanie said desperately.
"Your father is the one who led many of my brothers and sisters to mate with human women. You know him as Semyaza," Raziel said.
"WHAT?!" Freddie, Melanie, and Jade shouted simultaneously.
"I'm assuming you three know my little brother?" Raziel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Only the most common details. Although for some reason he's been confused for Satan," Jade said.
"So I understand. At any rate, he and my brother are not one in the same. But he is still very powerful. More powerful than the one who attacked Samantha and Caterina," Raziel said.
"Before we go into that, what's the deal with Sam and Melanie's powers? Why did their abilities seem like the opposite of each other?" Freddie asked.
"I would've thought that was obvious," Raziel said. Freddie looked at him a bit dumbfounded.
"Think about the girls' personalities. And think about the way the auras presented themselves," Raziel said.
"Are you saying that Semyaza's power was split between them?" Trina threw in, having been too shocked from Sam's outburst and the would-be conflict with her twin sister.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. In their time, Gabriel and Trevor utilized energies that we know as Light and Shadow magic. After the rebellion, my brothers in the lower ranks lost their light. As for those like Semyaza and Lucifer, they're still powerful enough to retain their original powers. In the case of the twins, well, their personalities tell you everything about their powers. As for Semyaza himself, I would imagine that his balance between the two powers lies in the fact that he rebelled but chose not to cause any trouble. Though why Turiel and Ananiel are here I haven't quite figured out, neither has Gadreel, Sachiel, or Ariel," Raziel said thoughtfully.
"Two other fallen angels. What do they have to do with this?" Jade asked.
"It's funny you should ask. Because an associate of yours is involved, and you're about to be thrown into the middle," came another voice. Everyone looked to the entrance, which led to the youth's shock as they saw a lovely woman who resembled Jade but was older than them.
"Whoa," Jade said.
"Right back at ya. Luna Lehane. Faith's sister. But let's focus here. When we realized that those two had shown up, we did everything we could to follow any trail that led straight to them. These guys popping up here of all places isn't the trouble. The trouble is Turiel having regained his power years ago. And he's now one of the strongest enemies we have to face. And his associations here are part of why Jenny had to reach out to you guys. You're about to get caught in crossfire without knowing how to defend yourselves," Luna explained.
"You said associations of mine. Someone we know is involved. But who is it?" Jade asked, feeling dread.
"He was your first love," Luna said. Jade's eyes widened in fear, while Tori's widened in shock.
"No. NO, Beck wouldn't do that," Tori replied.
"Tori's right. Beck may have been a selfish jerk, but siding with fallen angels?!" Jade said in agreement.
"Jade, as much as I can understand your feelings, sometimes people do things because they're caught up in what they want. Haven't you ever known him to want something and do almost anything to get it?" Luna asked. Jade already knew the answer and thought back to the PMAs, when she had replaced Tori. The memory of seeing him charm Tori into giving herself into him appeared vividly. She remembered how Beck had talked down about her to Tori, and then remembered everything he said about her in general. When Alyssa Vaughn came knocking, instead of understanding her side, he thought her to be what others would see as a jealous bitch. When Tori had gotten her performance canceled, he didn't even bother showing any support. When they had broken up a second time, he had made it clear to everyone present at the time that he was ready to end the relationship if they kept fighting, making it clear that he blamed her. She would continue to regret ever taking him back, especially when he got a chance to date someone else, because nothing had ever really changed.
"How do you guys even know about Beck?" Jade asked.
"As you can likely understand, we've had to keep an eye out for anyone who develop abilities beyond normal understand for the last nine years," Xander began.
"Right around the time that town Sunnydale disappeared, right?" Freddie asked. The members of the organization looked at the young man in surprise. The battle that closed the hellmouth had been one of the most difficult for anyone to face. They lost allies, and there were people that they could not save. But together the group had worked through the hardships, especially in light of what happened tow years later.
"That's not exactly what happened. The thing is, Sunnydale was known for being the town with the highest death rate in the country, and probably the world. The town was built on top of what we call a hellmouth," Xander began.
"I thought the hellmouth was something that the Leviathan was capable of," Melanie threw in.
"There are stories that are true. But there are others that have been altered in detail. The hellmouth that was in Sunnydale was not as you think. It was one of many back-doors that the fallen attempted to utilize to return to this plane. During the earliest days of humanity, it seems that someone had planted something called the Seed of Wonder beneath the town, which not only kept the portal open, but gave more power to magic users, which made it easier to corrupt them when they called on the darkest magics. We destroyed the Seed, ad the town sank into the earth, as well as shutting down the inactive hellmouth in Cleveland. It wasn't until the next crisis that we learned who was responsible and why. But those details are for another time. During the crisis that came after destroying the Seed, we believed that the entire could never fully defend itself form the constant threats that kept coming. So with some guidance, we made a plan to not only awaken the spiritual gifts of others. But to give them more strength in the coming days. That's where you all come in," Gabriel explained. Trina raised a hand, having been enthralled by the warrior's deep voice and Scottish accent.
"Maybe you can explain why I got my powers two years before my friends?" the eldest Vega sibling asked.
"Now that is an interesting tale. When there were demons, there was also the vampire slayer. One girl in all the world chosen to fight the forces of evil and save the world. Or at least that's the original bullshit company motto that the watchers council tried to feed people," Jesse said, finally speaking up.
"What do you mean bullshit? Sounds plausible," Melanie said.
"Actually it wasn't. It was a lie that was thousands of years old. What really happened was that some men who were powerful in magic managed to snag a demon and take away the bulk of it's power. Then they took a young teenage girl, a not too much younger than you guys, chained her to the earth, and forced the demon's power into her, turning her into a fighting machine, and gave her a weapon to fight them off with. Problem was, the power made her less than the human she originally was. She wasn't chosen by higher forces to fight. She was forced into it. The power of that demon would jump from one girl to another down through the generations. And they always died within the first year of using the power. Eventually, the power came to our friend Buffy, the blonde you saw helping train the students outside. She had died clinically, but our boy Xander brought her back. But then our friend Kendra received the power. She suffered something similar, but came back as well, and then Faith got the power. As you can imagine, the power was split between them. And it would've led to some nasty business with a demon named Lilith, if she hadn't gone all gung-ho and tried to take us out first," Jesse explained.
"You mean the mother of all demons?" Freddie asked.
"The very same. Contrary to popular belief, she was not Adam's first wife. At any rate, the friends here eventually united to become most of the group that you see now. But before now, they were split into two factions, fighting evil on separate fronts. Xander and his friends managed to route a number of evils that attempted to take control of the hellmouth. Meanwhile, Trevor and his group managed to route the machinations of Wolfram and Hart. After uniting into one unit, the group managed to destroy the Senior Partners as well as their cohorts from ruling the world. Lilith was sent back to the Underworld where has remained silent. But now we have other problems on our hands," Raziel said.
"What does Turiel have to do with this?" Melanie asked, still comforting her twin sister.
"After the hellmouth over Sunnydale was closed, and the Seed was destroyed, he managed to regain his power. The magic users of the group performed a spell that would take the demonic power away from the active slayers, making it impossible for any girl to be subject to the horrors, as well as being one of the main targets that having that power brought with it. The spellcasters had trapped the power inside a jewel to keep it from falling into the hands of anyone else, and it should've remained buried in the ruins of Sunnydale. But Turiel had retained enough of his power that he could dig the jewel out, and reabsorb his power. He was the demon who had his power taken away from him. And now that he and Ananiel are teamed up, well, it could be problematic," Raziel said.
"And when an archangel tells you that, it's cause for alarm," Xander threw in.
"Why is Beck throwing in with these guys? I can't imagine that they didn't tell him who they really were," Jade theorized.
"That's exactly what Ananiel did when you, Freddie and Tori were practicing your new powers. Ananiel had been following you three since the night you took out those six demonic vamps. And Turiel had his eyes on Sam and Cat. Sam for obvious reasons, and Cat because of her particular power. But Ananiel had appealed to Beck's basic desire. It was to have both you and Tori," Luna said.
"What do you to have us?" Tori asked. The humans of the group gave the two brunettes a knowing look as Luna had filled them in on what she had observed, even if it was brief.
"What?" Tori asked feeling exposed.
"It's only been a few days, but the three of you have formed an...interesting bond. You, Freddie, and Jade are starting to care for each other in ways that normally occur with only two people. Ananiel is playing on the fact that he wants Tori but would still want Jade around. Jade, you probably understand what we're saying here," Willow spoke up.
"Only too well. He was always like that even when we were together. Feeling like you're the one responsible, not just for keeping it afloat, but having to take the blame for the problems eventually weighs down on a person. Being with Freddie, and Tori, it feels like we're in something special together," Jade said with a ghost of a smile on her face.
"And with this group, you never have to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. But that's only if you choose to work with us. We've helped out anyone we found come to terms with their powers. Working with us can help you in learning how not only to work with others like yourself but also how to deal with various threats you'd likely encounter. But if you choose not to be a part of the unit, we won't hold it against you. But if you need any back-up, we'll come running at the first call. And you have people with unique gifts to help you. But it's your call, guys," Xander said. He noted how Trina took out the same amulet that Faith, Buffy, and Kendra had used when they fought to close the hellmouth. He could feel the power coming from the gem, even though the indigo aura was calm in the presence of everyone else.
"I think we'd need a little more time to think about this," Freddie said.
"That's alright. At the very least, maybe you guys want to take a look around, see what we have to offer," Xander said. He went to stand by Jade and Freddie. Willow offered to show Tori around, while Faith led Trina back to the training ground. Sandy stood and held out a hand to Cat.
"I can help you understand your power. You might find you like it's uses," Sandy said with a smile. Cat took the hand and they walked away, leaving the Puckett twins with the Belmonts, the archangel, and Jesse.
"I think I'll go help Xander," Jesse said as he stood up and walked out.
"I'm going to help the Guardians with close-range weapons training," Gabriel said.
"I'll join you," Trevor said, following his father out. Raziel was left with his nieces, with the lighter twin still trying to get through to the twin with the darker nature.
"Is there anything you can do?" Melanie asked her uncle.
"I can only guide her. What she does with my advice, she has to do herself. She has to accept what she is just as you did. However, for Samantha, it will be harder as her predisposition towards the shadow energy makes it more difficult for her. You'll have to help her in that regard as well. Truthfully, you need each other. She can help you to learn to stand up for yourself. You can help her follow the right path. But you both have to work together," Raziel said.
At the training ground, Faith brought Trina to her fellow Guardians to give the Vega daughter a taste of what their power was capable of. Trina looked at the other students and felt a bit intimidated.
"Buffy, Kendra, meet Trina Vega. One of the many good folk who had the potential to protect the world," Faith said.
"Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you," Kendra said with a smile.
"Likewise. So I have to ask, when did you start to use your powers?" Buffy asked.
"It happened after I graduated with my sister and her friends. I stayed at Hollywood Arts to gain more experience in performing. I had this amulet ever since it appeared to me in a dream when I was thirteen. I never understood how it happened, just that when I woke up it was still there. Anyway, I was out by myself when these guys tried to jump me. With my normal skills, I could lay them all out no problem. But them none of them stayed down. And then their faces changed. The next thing I know, we're duking it out again, when this instinct to get something sharp and wooden kicks in and I stake all of them, and they turn to dust. I took the amulet out and it was glowing, then it died down. I had to keep it to myself, but then it wouldn't have mattered to anyone really," Trina explained.
"What do you mean?" Kendra asked. Trina let out a sigh as the memories were ready to tear at her.
"For as long as I can remember, I had been second fiddle to my sister Tori. Everyone always awed over her, and I was just around. I finally got into Hollywood Arts to show the world that I could be special. As it turns out I did find it. But I was so busy trying to be like everyone else that I failed to see it. But even when I found my niche, it didn't help because I still laughed at, not because of my talent. It was always Tori who got the attention, the praise, the compliments. All I got was a reminder of how I didn't matter, even from my own parents," Trina explained. Willow and Xander were passing by with their own charges for the day, while Jade and Tori had listened in. Tori could only feel pity and regret at the fact that her own sister was so deep in her shadow that she was practically non-existent. Jade, on the other hand, felt disgust well up inside her as she recalled how many times she had called out how no one liked Trina, or how Trina was the talentless one. She recalled the looks of shock and sadness on the older sister's face. She thought Trina would just bounce back and go back to her regular habits, not knowing that Trina had felt the same about how others came to view her, only worse.
"Well, now you are among friends. So why don't you show us whatcha got?" Faith asked, as she and the other former slayers dropped into fighting stances. Trina assumed her own stance and waited as the other three circled her.
Kendra lunged first with a straight kick from below, which Trina promptly blocked. The Jamaican warrior followed with a jab to her abdomen, only for Trina to grab her arm. Faith charged and launched a spin-kick, which Trina caught. Buffy took that as her chance to charge into the fight. However, Trina's instinct kicked in. Before anyone could guess, Trina's eyes glowed indigo and she threw the captured Guardians away from each other, clear across the pavilion away from her. Kendra was thrown in Buffy, who caught her, while Faith flipped in mid-air, landing on her feet but skidding away with her metal soles of her boots creating sparks. Faith looked up with a wiry grin on her face.
"Damn girl. With those skills, you can take on almost anything," Faith said, impressed. She looked at the glow of the amulet coming from Trina's pocket.
"I don't think that was all me. That amulet helped me somehow," Trina said as she pulled it out.
"Trust me. The amulet supplies the power, but the power is controlled by whoever wields it. It happened to us when the hellmouth was ready to spew out a powerful fallen angel. All those damn vampires," Buffy said as if she were reliving the horror of the enemies that swarmed them.
"So where are your amulets?" Trina asked confused. The former slayers simply smiled and formed the indigo aura around their bodies while their eyes glowed.
"So you guys don't need them?" the eldest Vega sibling asked.
"Not only that, the power became one with us. That you can summon it on command now that you're more aware is a sign that you're a step closer becoming one with it than we were when it happened for us," Kendra explained. Trina smiled as she listened to the words compliment her ability. Trina began thinking that she could like it here.
In the basement of the former hotel, Xander led Freddie and Jade to a rather large computer where Jenny was standing with a younger brunette woman with glasses. They looked up and smiled, with the glasses wearing woman wearing a 100-watt bulb smile.
"Freddie, you remember Jenny Calendar. Now I'd like you to meet our other resident tech-wiz, Winifred Burkle," Xander said.
"Everyone calls me Fred. It's a real pleasure to meet you Freddie. I've read your blogs on how you updated the iCarly site. And your camera work on the show was...amazing doesn't begin to describe it," Fred said with such genuine praise, that Freddie didn't know how to respond. Fred caught on and suddenly felt embarrassed.
"You weren't expecting anyone to say anything like that?" the former physics student said.
"Uh, no. Back home, and at school, the only ones who cared about my work with cameras were the guys in the A/V club. And even they were traitorous bastards," Freddie replied thinking about to what is considerably the worst time of his life.
"You mean the whole deal with the Fred guy?" the genius replied. Freddie looked up in shock of her knowledge about the incident.
"I saw how the videos leading up to the whole debacle. Between me and you, he's more irritating than funny. Also, the fact that your opinion had been retracted online for everyone to see and hear sort of pointed to foul play for me. The only way he changed your mind was either he threatened you, or something else," Fred explained.
"Not the best of my life to be sure," the tech producer replied.
"Well, let's not dwell on the past. Here and now, we have something we'd like to show you," Jenny said. She pointed to a table that showed parts of a desert eagle and indigo gem scattered about. As Freddie got closer to the parts, he could swear something was odd about the metal.
"What's this gun made out of?" the young man asked.
"Funny you should ask. During the great debacle of 2005, Xander found a weapon located beneath the city. The information on how exactly he learned of it's whereabouts are still iffy to all of us. But the metal he used was not made of anything from earth. One of our enemies was a powerful half-breed demon with skin made of stone. The only thing we knew for sure about the sword was that it was forged into a holy weapon by a group of holy women called the Svear priestesses. We were able to beat the demon, as well as the bosses it was working for. When we realized it wouldn't be over, we requested that more of the metal be used for weapons to use to defend the world. As it turns out, there was a place where a deposit of the metal was, but it had to be...purified in order to have any effect. So now, we're not only making swords, we're making more modern weapons," Jenny told the young man and woman.
"I didn't think guns would work on demons," Jade said as she picked up the gem.
"Truthfully, for any half-breed demons, guns can actually work just fine, because they bleed every bit as we do. Modern weapons are an advantage for us because the demon clans cling to old traditions. But it's no reason not to learn hand-to-hand combat. Anyway, the metal is used as means of being a catalyst for energy from the gem. When the energy interacts with the metal, it sort of creates a doubled effect. Now, if we can figure out just how to get the gun to use the gem's energy, metal bullets won't be necessary. Instead, it'll fire blessed energy," Jenny explained.
"And that is where you come in Mr. Benson," said a voice that Freddie had only heard a few months ago. As he turned back to the computer, he spotted Carly's father standing next to the computer with a grin on his face.
"Colonel Shay," Freddie said, standing at attention in the military officer's presence.
"At ease son. I'm actually here on an advisory role. It was actually my idea to have this group outfitted with modern weapons to push back the...demon tides," the colonel, still coming to grips with demons existing, especially having seen recorded footage of them from the Initiative.
"What about Carly?" Freddie asked, even as he missed Jade's glare that lasted for a few seconds.
"Carly is safe in Italy, where she needs to be. Or at least until she understands what she herself could be capable of," Colonel Shay replied.
"Sir?" Tori asked.
"For some years, I've long that something was different about my daughter, and my son. When I visited a few months ago, it was partially because my suspicions were confirmed years before by this group. It seems that a number of humans across the world are descended from the earliest people who were...gifted or blessed with certain abilities. After Carly gave me the rundown of life where I was absent, I realized that Freddie's durability had been beyond normal human capacity, given Samantha's strength. And from the stories told by Alexander, it seems he had experienced the same. From certain stories I read about the days of the Old Ones, the biblical days, whatever you call it, I realized that there was divine empowerment involved. Looking at Samson's story it's easy to see. But the supernatural has learned how to hide well among humans, which is how the creatures fall into myth," the officer explained.
"How does that explain the Greek gods and others like them?" Jade asked.
"The way we've come to understand it is that they're figments of great human imagination personified. Some quantum mechanics are involved that make the story longer than we like," Xander explained.
"You mean they think it, then it can exist?" Freddie asked with a smirk.
"Okay, maybe not long. But yeah. That's why the Almighty himself doesn't fall into that jurisdiction because he created the universe and us. The pagan deities are a result of our creation," Xander explained further.
"So that means we can kill them?" Tori asked trying to understand things.
"Yes. And many of us have. Including two friends of ours, who couldn't be here for other reasons. For some of us, we had been dealing with the idea that there were just the Old Ones, demons who existed since the dawn of time. Any pagan entities we knew some thought could help. But when it came down it, the pagan gods were just ready to screw over anyone who calls on them. You call on anyone of them, they will be ready to make you their bitch without a second thought," Willow explained. Xander told her the story of the other Buffy's death years before. And how relying on their power, limited as it was had cost many others.
"So where does that leave anyone who's a witch?" Tori asked.
"Well, it depends on you. You can use your power to help others just as we did. But it has to be you using your power. Not that of another," Willow said.
"And what about the fighting? Is there anyone of you that can teach us?" Freddie asked.
"As a matter of fact, there is," came the deep voice of another man. As he entered the room, the youths could see that he was about as tall as Gabriel and Trevor. He had short dark brown hair, with a beard and mustache. He had a black shirt on with he wore a white hood over, with a green denim, torn-sleeve jacket over. On his left arm was gauntlet, and he wore metal greaves over his boots. In his right hand, there appeared to be a crucifix that was roughly a foot and a half long.
"Who are you?" Freddie asked.
"I'm Victor. Victor Belmont. I'm the last of the illustrious Belmont bloodline," the man said as he introduced himself.
"How can you be the last if Gabriel and Trevor are here?" Jade asked.
"They haven't told you yet? Perhaps they can get on with that," Victor said, looking pointedly at Xander, who rolled his eyes.
"Well, believe it or not, Gabriel and Trevor are much, MUCH older than they appear," Xander said.
"What, are they like fifty or something?" Jade asked. Xander merely smirked at the question.
"No. They've been around since the eleventh century. Gabriel was the one who started the Belmont bloodline. When he had to go on a mission, his wife gave birth to their son Trevor. But he didn't know. The organization that they fought for kept forced Gabriel's wife Marie to keep Trevor's existence away from Gabriel, because they had seen that he would became who everyone believes to be Dracula. Gabriel fought tooth and nail against the maker of werewolves and the non-demonic vampires. The leader of the necromancers had been the one who tricked him into collecting this awesome power so that he could rule the world. But even he was used by Satan. Gabriel fought him and re-sealed him in Hell. But that was merely a shadow of the real Satan. After that, he was asked by the vampire leader's 'daughter' to take out a demon that was escaping from Hell. But he had to become a vampire to survive in their. He took took the demon's power and destroyed it. But it cost him his humanity. Years later, the brotherhood made many attempts to clean up their mess, including sending his own son, who he never knew about until that point. Gabriel had defeated him, but when he was shown who Trevor was, he tried to revive him by making him a vampire. Trevor woke up years later, when his son was old enough to take on the task. They met, and fought Gabriel and won, but it wasn't over. It wasn't until Trevor fought Gabriel again that something turned the tide of the battle, and Gabriel was put to sleep. Trevor himself was defeated but remained alive. Raziel and another friend, Sachiel, found him and put him to sleep until the right time. Sachiel did the same for Gabriel. And nine years ago, they were returned to their humanity, when Sunnydale sank beneath the earth," Xander finished explaining. Freddie and his girls were enthralled by the tale, as they would never imagine being drawn into something this major.
"So, we've got two former vampires and their last descendant, a number of magic users, and a bunch of super warriors all under one roof. IS that about right?" Tori asked.
"Not all under one roof. As I said before, there have been many that we came to, in order to inform them about what happened. We gave them the necessary information to know how to use their abilities as well as deal with the evil that's out there in the world. Anyone that stays does so because they feel that they can bring something to the group. Any others who don't go back to their own personal lives because they have people to protect and other responsibilities. That's why I said it's your decision whether or not you wish to stay. Whatever, you decide to do, you'll always have friends here," Xander said. Freddie thought this over as he listened to the older man's words. He knew in that one night things had changed, but everything had come at him too fast for him to process everything. Still, he needed to do something.
"I'll stay. But I need to know what Jade and Tori think-" Freddie was cut off by both brunettes.
"We'll stay," they both said, smiling at Freddie.
"You guys understand that there are major risks, and that you can't simply turn your backs by this point?" Xander asked.
"We were attacked and would've been killed by vampires. But you guys have been looking out for a lot of people long before we could even think about something like this. Besides, if it can be helped, there are people we'd like to protect too," Jade explained.
Before anyone else could say anything, Willow spoke up.
"Xander, Faith. A psion just awakened. And he's here in the city," Willow said as her eyes glowed white.
"Can you see who it is, Red?" Faith asked.
"Yes. And our new friends know who he is," Willow said.
"Who is it?" Jade asked.
"Andre Harris."