Chapter 35
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Xander was just climbing into one of the twin beds in the hotel room he and Harry were staying at in Morocco. Xander had said he would prefer to make this their base of operations as it was one of the more civilized places in Africa and kinder to foreigners. Harry had to agree. The further they traveled away from the country the worse it seemed to get. But maybe that was just the places that the real-estate agent had shown them that made him think that way. Xander was just nodding off when he noticed a bright glow from behind his eyelids. He opened his eyes and jumped to his feet on top of the bed with a stake in his hand and yelling for Harry to awake. Harry who was facing the wall awoke. He had his wand in his hand and pointed at the room in general before he noticed what must have startled Xander awake.
"Porcupine ghost!" Xander yelled pointing to the thing crawling up to Harry's bed, before sitting up on its hind legs looking at Harry. Even without his glasses he knew what it was and looked to Xander.
"Relax Xander, it's just a patronus."
" Oh… is that all! What the hell is a patronus!" Xander said not calming down at all.
"A patronus is a Charm that has two uses. It can ether chase away a particular nasty demon called a dementor or it could be used as a messenger. The animal is unique to the witch or wizard. This one happens to belong to a friend of mine, Draco Malfoy." Harry explained and then turned his attention to the patronus before saying "report."
It was then that the Porcupine spoke.
"I'm in Morocco. I've been here for a month. It's the only place I can think of that the bastard might be which would suit his life style. But I haven't heard anything. Ether he must be keeping as low a profile as possible or he isn't in the area. If I haven't found anything by the end of the week I'll be moving on. Maybe one of the magical communities, I don't see him showing up there if he is laying low but he is an arrogant ass so it may be possible. I'll let you know where I am when I next move so I'll contact you next week then." With that the Porcupine faded away.
Midway through the message Xander relaxed jumping off the bed to sit on it.
"Not that it isn't cool, but couldn't he have sent that earlier. I was just falling asleep when that thing scared the hellmouth out of me."
"He sent it the same time he always does but that was when I was in a different time zone. Tomorrow is Sunday, since we don't have any real-estate to look at, I'll set up a meeting with him to have breakfast and I'll introduce you."
"Who is he one of your police buddies?"
"We're called Auror's but Draco isn't one of us. He's been working for me as kind of a private investigator. He's working for free on this one because the person he's looking for isn't just any escaped prisoner but he's also Draco's father."
"How do you know he isn't going to turn around and help his father?"
"Because he tied Draco down and slowly killed Draco's mother right in front of him in one of the most unimaginably disturbing ways. Draco's fueled by hatred and revenge. I couldn't stop him if I tried and I wouldn't want to. I liked his mother but it's something he needs to take care of."
"Okay, I can see your point. If we weren't involved with this real-estate hunt I'd probably volunteer to help him. Hey, maybe during our search we can ask questions of the people around those areas and leave a wanted flier with them." Xander said.
"That's a terrific idea we can cover a lot of ground for him that way.
We'll just need a way for people to contact ether Draco or me." Harry replied
"That's what our cell phones are for." Xander explained.
"That's another great idea. Can we get a phone to him before the end of the week?" Harry inquired.
"Sure I can call Willow, right now; and have one here by morning I'm sure."
"Great, you do that and I'll arrange our breakfast meeting." Harry replied.
With that Xander pulled out his cell phone to call Willow when Harry raised his wand and produced his patronus. Xander nearly dropped his phone seeing the huge stag.
"Draco I'm in Morocco as well, I'm with a friend and we have a few ideas about how to help you. We suggest meeting for breakfast at Le Grand Casino La Mamounia. We'll see you then. With that the Stag ran off through the wall."
"You can go to sleep after your phone call he won't reply but he will be here tomorrow."
Xander nodded and made his call. At least they would feel better now that they could be doing something other then waiting for real-estate agents setting up dates to look at property.
/Scene Break/
The next day somewhere else in Africa under a Fidelius Charm Lucius Malfoy sits in the former residence of the now deceased Nott family looking over what the former family saw as literature in disgust. Not that his taste in books was any better but at least his choice's were always better then anyone else's.
He tossed another book into the bottomless bag to be sold and sealed it. He called for his new house elves.
"Yes sir, wees is ready for your commands sir." Fizzy announced.
"I've finished sorting through another shelf of book. I'll need two of you to take it to be sold for a better than fair price. We may need to fill our stores before it's too late."
"Too late for what sir?" Fizzy asked.
"Never you mind. It's for me to know." Lucius snapped.
"Yes sir, sorry sir. Tocking and I will get right on it sir."
"I need Tocky here to make dinner. I like the way he prepares roast beast better. Let Bang deal with the selling while you do the buying."
Fizzy looked at her master and audibly gulped. Lucius herd this and with a frustrated sigh he looked towards Fizzy and asked. "What is it now?"
"Begging your pardon sir but it is completely impossible for Bang to deal with the buyers. He is incapable of speech."
"What!" Lucius couldn't believe his ears. An elf in his employ being defective was unheard of. That he would have a handicapped employee in his household would be scandalous among the other dark wizards. He had been with these elves for months and never realized that Bang had never spoken. "How the hell did this happen? He growled.
"It was our former master sir. Bang was always eager to please. He would ask to do and fetch thing whenever he saw the master. The master began disliking the sound of Bangs voice, but never punished him for his constant begging. Instead he told all his elves that he needed a special ingredient for one of his potions. Bang pleaded to be the elf to fetch the ingredient. The master let him beg and beg for an entire day. He made him make unbreakable oaths and promise not only his magic but the very life of his first born if he failed to obtain it for his master. Only after Bang agreed did our master reveal his need for the tongue of a house elf of the exact age and named Bang before the end of the day. Bang had no other choice, he made an oath, he couldn't refuse. The master made him cut out his own tongue while the seven of us elves of the staff watched. It was a lesson for us all. From that day on we were to never be seen, never to be heard unless answering our master's call. Bang has been a bit around the twist ever since."
Lucius sneered at the image in his mind of the elf handing over his own tongue to his master on a silver platter. He composed himself and said. "He was quite right to do so. I abhor over zealous help. In any case I need the stores filled enough to last the year at the very least. Two or three would be much better. I have reason to believe that things such as food will become quite expensive and hard to come by in the future. You are to continue to keep our stores filled beyond capacity until there is a significantly large increase in price. I will continue to sort through the Nott family belongings for more things to sell. I suppose Tocky can make roast beast for a late supper instead of dinner tonight. And Bang will be responsible for using most of the acreage of this property for growing vegetables that we will eat or sell in the future. Start uprooting those loathsome flower beds."
"Yes sir we'll get right to work." Fizzy replied.
After the elves had left, Lucius looked out the window at the small property that surrounded the manner in which he now resided. One hundred and fifty acres was very small in his opinion he didn't know if it would be enough to support the voracious appetite he developed since leaving Azkaban let alone be able to grow enough to sell to others. The small manor itself was built upon another ten. The manner being as small as it was he wouldn't think of demolishing even a part of it. If anything, he felt it should be expanded out a few more acres. He didn't like the cozy vibe four hundred thousand square feet gave him even if it was on each floor. Perhaps this was a remnant of Azkaban as well. He wanted to be outside badly but the Nott's had only put the Fidelius Charm on the manor not the property. Actually it would be better to make the property unplottable but still it meant that he couldn't step outside without appearing on someone's magical radar. He was stuck behind the walls of this place. His self imposed prison, a gilded one but still a prison, at least until the destruction of the world starts. Lucius watched as Bang started clearing the flower beds, flowers that were undoubtedly there for generations. Taken care of, pruned and fertilized by ether the ladies of the house or their elves. It didn't matter to Lucius; they were all weeds as far as he was concerned. Dig them up and move onto the future, Lucius Malfoy needs to eat.
/Scene Break/
A few days later in London Mycroft Holmes who was the typification of what it was to be the man of British government, sneered at the CCTV images of his brother and his companion John Watson. Somewhere in the last few months after his brother's return from the dead Mycroft somehow got it into his head that the two of them were a bit too close, perhaps uncomfortably too close. In his opinion they could start snogging at any moment and if it happened in public the name Holmes would suffer a huge blow to its esteem. This would be unexcitable. He would need to have words with Sherlock before this went any further. Otherwise more drastic measures would need to take place. Knowing Sherlock he'd be taking the measures anyway. Maybe having a talk with him was a useless option if it could be considered an option at all. Maybe he should just mobilize a strike team and be done with it. Quick, clean, and efficient, just the way his government was meant to work. No he would wait and see what develops. He just hoped he was able to jump in before it got out of hand.
/Scene Break/
In London at the Powell estate: it's been a few weeks now and she decided it was time. She needed to fix things, Explain things, smooth things over, but most of all she needed information before making the ultimate leap. She was in disguise; she didn't want to be recognized by anyone she knew, at least from a distances. At six o'clock on a Saturday morning she knocked on the door. After a few moments she heard someone approach from the other side of said door unlocking and opening it revealing a very tired and disheveled young black man.
"Yeah what can I do for you?" The groggy man said without really looking at who he was talking to. Why would he care, he just found out two weeks ago that his best friend and secret crush was dead.
She was stunned to see the condition he was in. He was completely a mess.
"Mickey, it's me Rose. Have you been drinking?"
Mickey looked up squinting as he tried looking past the sleep in his eyes and the alcohol in his system. If this was a joke it was pretty damn sick and he was ready to give her a peace of his mind. As he focused past his hang over the shock to his system at seeing his best friend still alive sobered him right up.
"Rose!" He nearly shouted as he flung his arms around her.
She immediately was able to smell the stale beer and other alcohol. At some point he must have threw up as well. Not the best welcome she had hoped for but still better than having been yelled at. She quickly told him that they needed to get inside. Mickey let go of her and backed his way into his apartment never speaking never taking his eyes off her. Once he was inside he waited to see Rose do the same. Without thinking as to why he was acting that way she walked in and shut the door. Mickey immediately wrapped his arms around her once more saying "not a vampire, not a vampire" in relief. It was then Rose realized Mickey had done the test she had taught him before leaving for the Guardian Council a few years ago. Rose smiled and hugged him back.
"You remembered." She said. She could feel him nod as his head was on her shoulder. "To be fair it is midday and I was standing in full sunlight on your door step."
Mickey then jumped out of her arms. "No! No. you don't get to lecture me Rose Tyler. You made me believe you were dead you have no idea what kind of hell you put me through. And Jackie, dear god your mother has been a mess for weeks."
"Please tell me Mickey how is mom." Rose asked worriedly.
"She's been crying nonstop and then she fell into a depression. She puts on a brave face when those Council berks call or show up but I think she lies in bed most days. Recently I think she's stopped eating or maybe she just doesn't eat enough. Rose, why does everyone think you're dead?"
"That's the big question with an even bigger answer. I do plan on telling you what it's about but it's complicated and they still need to think I'm dead."
"Well let me call your mother and you can tell us all about it." Mickey said.
"No, she can't know that I'm alive either. Not yet."
"Do you have any idea what hell you've put your mom through? Rose, she needs to know."
"And I need the Guardian Council to think I'm dead. Mom can't act to save her life. If we tell mom then the next time someone from the Council pays a visit they will know that something's up. Now when was the last time they came around?" Rose asked.
"Two nights ago, It's the same one every time. She called herself Buffy Summers. Isn't she the one you're always writing home about? Isn't she supposed to be the king of the slayers of something?" Mickey replied.
"Oh hellmouth!" She groaned. "Why did it have to be her? And its Queen not king."
"Right whatever; she seems to have taken your death almost as hard as Jackie. I mean she doesn't look anywhere near as depressed as Jackie but the way she talks about you, you might think you were her daughter."
A tear ran down her cheek at hearing this. "That's what makes this so hard. Mom's one thing but Buffy is just as hard on me to have deceived. She took me under her wing and trained me properly because she said she saw something in me. She saw my potential and that I wasn't afraid to work harder than most. They all gave me as much training as I wanted and damn it Mickey I led them to believe I'm dead." She said breaking down in his arms.
"Maybe you should tell me what's going on." He demanded.
"You've got to promise me you won't say anything to Mum. Not that I'm alive and not about what I'm going to tell you. "
"Sure whatever. You know I'll do whatever you say. But why are you running from them if you feel this way. Just who should I be looking at to be the bad guys here?" He asked.
Rose gave him a sad smile. "No one really, they're just doing a job that I wouldn't be a part of because of my family."
"Well that sure as hell makes them sound like the bad guys." He replied.
"No Mickey. Hear me out and you'll see that it's not as black and white as all that."
"It never is, is it?" He questioned.
So, Rose explained what it was that she overheard, how the world would end. How the Council was picking and choosing who they would save. This upset Mickey but she told him how she agreed with it and why. Then she asked what he would do. He said he would call everyone and tell them to get their asses to Africa or die.
"Then the people would be lost in a new land out of their depth without any means of support, food, or medical care."
"But they would be alive."
"And most likely suffering." Rose retorted. "I don't know if you've heard but Africa isn't such a nice place. And when this happens, and it will happen Mickey, there will be disease and dysentery. People will look to take advantage of the next guy. It's not going to be pretty. You'll only prolong the suffering of many. But I think the G.C. is making a mistake. The slayers need family to be effective. They need something to fight for. The Council doesn't see that though."
"But I thought you said they were favoring the slayers without family."
"There are only so many. On one of their lists, they're looking at slayers that don't get along with their families and then they will be taking whoever is left to get the numbers they need. In the end it's not going to be pretty."
"But I still don't understand why you left and are making them think your dead. From the sound of it you're one of their favorites I would think you were a shoe-in to be saved."
"And you might be right Mickey but what about you my oldest friend and my Mum. They aren't going to tell any of the slayers that there going to Africa to be saved they're just going where they're told and when the cleansing starts it will be like they were lucky to have been there."
"I don't think that's going to work out so well for them in the end. Those girls aren't that stupid. Once they realize that none of them have family to miss they put two and two together." Mickey surmised.
"Yeah but for that same reason they won't be so angry at the Council that their loved ones were left behind if they were going to suffer as much at the slayers are going to in the end. Listen I'm not saying I agree with them but I can see what and why they are doing it this way and I really don't blame them for the way they're going about it. It really needs to be this way." Rose pleaded for Mickey to see it that way.
"Alright, we'll play it your way. But when do we tell Jackie?"
"We'll do it when Buffy stops coming around. You'll need to talk with Mum to find out what Buff said and maybe you could try keeping her spirits up. I don't need her starving herself to death. I'm trying to save her life after all. In the mean time if I can use your computer I found the links to Charlie Frost's web site and I can give you better details of what's going on."
/Scene Break/
Oz, Jim, and Blair parked the car in the first available parking lot in China town. They were told if you needed to find Caine all you had to do is ask, so they asked. They're wasn't one person they talked to that didn't know who Caine was and were able to point the way to his place.
As they made their way into his building they heard two people talking and the topic of the conversation is what caught their interest.
"Listen Pete, I'm telling you there's something going on. The government is covering something big, really big. And it has to do with China. I traced a lot of our countries resources ether going there or for some reason Colorado Springs. I don't even know if they're connected. And it's not only our country everyone is sending large shipments of all kind of materials to those locations. What its all about I don't know but something is going to go down and soon."
"Is it weapons?"
"Only a very small amount mostly it's building supplies. Lots of steel, I mean huge amounts, enough for a hundred luxury liners or more. Then there's food and other supplies, all of it going to China."
"So what's left to go to Colorado?"
"Corn and other grains, lots of cattle, farm animals, and lots of farm supplies too. A whole forest of fruit trees they're getting them shipped to them by the thousands." Kermit announced.
"You know normally I would tell you your paranoid but some of this does sound suspicious but I don't know what we can do about it Kermit." Peter replied.
"We can tell you what it's all about." Oz said entering the room. The people of China town had all said that Peter had an open door policy as a mater of fact there wasn't a door just some beads strung across the frame.
"And just who are you?"
"My name is Daniel Osbourne call me Oz this is Jim Ellison and this is Blair Sandburg."
"Peter Caine." Peter said by way of introduction.
"Yeah well they call me Kermit, Detective Kermit Griffin and you're trespassing as well as eavesdropping on private conversations. I should have you arrested."
"Really, because my two friends here are detectives as well and we were told that Mr. Caine here had an open door policy. With that kind of policy it would seem fair to assume that people would eventually walk in on a private conversation and I thought you wanted answers to those burning questions. But if you want to arrest us I'm sure the government would like to know the name of the person that's been sneaking in and out of the computer systems."
"I never said I was the one to retrieve the information or where my source got it."
"Come on man who are you trying to kid. With all that accurate information and it is accurate you have to be Kermit, one of the top ten hackers in the world. I should know being in the same top ten. We've even met before, virtually."
"Really, which one? You don't look like what I'd expect the BurgerMeister or the Red Witch to look like."
"Well we just left the Red Witch a couple of weeks ago and I can tell you I'm not the BurgerMeister."
"Yeah I can see that because I can see that you're just a name dropper. You don't know the Red Witch the only one that knows her is…." Kermit's face fell as he realized who stood before him. You're the Red Werewolf." He whispered.
"That would be me." Oz replied.
"Can you prove it?" Kermit asked.
What fallowed was a string of computer code that flowed between the two as if they were speaking a foreign language, easily understanding each other.
"I take it that that's the equivalent of a secret hand shake." Peter commented to Jim and Blair but it was Kermit that answered.
"Oh yeah. Peter whatever this man says you can take as gospel."
Oz turns to Peter with a smile and says. "Spicy hummus makes a great hair jell."
Peter chuckled and Kermit pinched the bridge of his nose. Oz turned back to his partner in hacking.
"Listen Kermit, you need to stay away from those government sites. You have no idea the dangerous game you've been playing. People have started to die after learning too much. We came here because some of Peter's friends asked us to warn him of what's coming. That you happen to be here talking about that very thing I have to assume that it isn't a coincidence."
With that Oz pulled out the portable DVD player and his laptop. After setting it up he turned to Kermit once more.
"All you really had to do was look to Charlie Frost's web site. He's been gathering all the information you've been after. He not only tells you what's happening he has names dates and whose been killed for giving him the information. He would have been shut down long ago but he's been on the move and the Red Witch among others has been protecting the web site and covering his trail."
"So what is happening?" Peter asked.
Oz started the DVD. A few minuets later Kermit and Peter were in varying degrees of disbelief.
"Tell me this is a joke."
"Of course it's a joke Pete at least someone's version of one because I know the Red Werewolf wouldn't create such a hoax for fun or money. So what's your angle Mr. Osbourne?"
"It's not a joke or a hoax, this is happening." Oz said as he opened the laptop and showed Kermit the government web sites to access. Oz showed them the temperature increase between two thousand ten and now.
"With the information you were able to retrieve yourself you should see that it's the only thing that makes sense." Oz pointed out.
"Kermit felt a jolt of panic go through his body as well as a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach after seeing the numbers."
"What does this have to do with China?" Peter asked.
"Believe it or not…arks." Blair said.
"What do you mean like Noah's ark?" Peter asked in disbelief.
"More like monster versions of the original. They're supposed to be huge and there's more than one."
"That would explain the steel heading to China." Kermit said after some thought. "But what's going on in Colorado?"
Oz Jim and Blair looked at each other with trepidation.
"The ark project is very highly classified. But what's going on in Colorado is something that is working in conjunction with the arks but we believe it's so much more classified that they wouldn't be able to kill you fast enough." Oz replied.
"But you guys know what it is?" Kermit said as he saw how they looked at each other.
"What I can tell you is that I was supposed to be reactivated into the Army Rangers. Norad is where they are recruiting the military from every country just for this cause. As for the supplies being shipped there I'm not at liberty to say. It's far too dangerous for me to say any more." Jim explained.
"You said you were suppose to be reactivated why weren't you?" Kermit asked.
"Medical reasons." Jim replied.
"So, why come here with this information?" Peter asked. "Are you guys inviting us onto these arks?"
"No, we have nothing to do with that. Besides you'd need one billion euros to board one." Oz said
"So you're saying only the rich will survive?" Peter asked
"After spending one billion euros they wouldn't exactly be rich anymore but yeah, they are the ones financing the whole thing." Blair supplied.
"Now that makes sense. I was wondering where they got the money just to move the stuff." Kermit realized.
"Then there are the government types but we believe everyone else may have been chosen for their genetics." Oz explained.
"Again I ask, why are you here telling us all of this if there is no hope for us?" Peter asked.
"The people I work for have found these events to be prophesized. And the prophecy alludes to a safe land free of the devastation." Oz said.
"Alright, that's as far as I go. Stop the bus I'm getting off. I don't believe in Prophecies or any kind of magic mumbo jumbo." Kermit said.
"And what about all those things you witnessed with my father and I." Peter said.
"Those were things reserved only for Shaolin priests like you and your father only they can do what might be considered magic."
"Well I happen to be a shaman. We see magic in all things." Blair replied.
"I thought you were a cop." Kermit said.
"I'm that too."
"I was a Shaolin cop once upon a time. And Magic isn't reserved for just them." Peter whispered to Kermit.
"He's right; there are all kinds of magic users out there." Oz announced.
"How the hell did you hear that? I barely did and I'm standing right next to him."
"Magically heightened hearing. Part of the magical curse put on me."
"Magical curse, right." Kermit replied in disbelief.
"What kind of curse." Peter asked with concern.
"It's not really a curse any longer. I made it part of me. I was a werewolf like my screen name suggests now I'm a moon wolf."
"Now I know who sent you. Only the Native American's have that legend of the moon wolf. How long ago were you bitten?" Peter asked
"I was sixteen at the time." Oz replied.
"You don't believe this crap do you Pete." Kermit asked.
"I've never seen one in person but it's not something someone would lie about."
"Well, I don't and I'm not waiting around for a full moon to see it happen."
"Moon wolfs don't need the moon to transform." Blair said.
"Now you just put your foot in it. If you're a werewolf and don't need a full moon, lets see it."
"Give your gun to Jim." Oz replied not missing a beat.
"Fat chance, I don't hand my gun over to anyone let alone anyone unknown even if you say he is a cop."
"Fine, give it to your friend Peter."
"What's the matter, I thought only silver bullets can kill werewolves." Kermit said sarcastically.
"It doesn't mean that they don't hurt." Oz explained.
Kermit squinted at Oz for a moment. "Fine, hold on to this Pete." He said pulling his gun from his holster and handing it to his friend. To Kermit's horror Oz immediately began his transformation.
"Holly Christ!" Kermit exclaimed as he tried to pull the gun that wasn't there. He turned to Peter to make a grab for his gun but Peter kept it away from him.
Seeing Kermit's fear Oz immediately turned back.
"Hey it's all right. I won't hurt anybody Kermit. Unlike a werewolf being a Moon wolf means I have control of the Wolf."
Kermit had been stunned. He never had seen anything like it.
"You poor bastard." He replied.
"Not these days. I look at it as a gift. It's helped me find many lost people. I heal fast and I'm stronger and faster in that form than my human one. Because I can keep my human mind it gives me an edge when fighting demons."
"What do you mean demons?" Kermit asked with a kind of panic in his voice.
"I think we're getting off topic. About this safe land, can you tell us where it is?" Peter asked.
"Not at the moment they're still trying to decipher where it is but you'll be told soon after we do. We will be buying property there to make sure we own it when the Main Event happens. If you don't find anyplace you can stay with us we'll be looking for something like a hotel or school or something that will have a lot of room."
"That could be a problem I'll be taking more than just myself. I'd want to take the people of my temple."
"A Shaolin monastery? That would be so cool." Blair said excitedly.
"That would be okay as long as you know that you'll be responsible for the people you take." Oz said.
"When is this Main Event supposed to happen? If this place turns out to be half way around the world will we have enough time to get there by the time they find out?" Kermit asked
"Peter will be sent a magical devise called a portkey that will take you there almost instantaneously."
"So we're to rely on some untested magic thingy to take us to safety?"
"It is tested, by the people we work for. We use the device ourselves to get back to them at a moments notice when need be." Jim replied.
"Well perhaps you can give us a demonstration." Kermit asked.
"You know what; Oz has been more open with you than anyone we've come across. He's held nothing back and for the life of me I can't see why. All you've done is tried to disbelieve everything we've been telling you." Jim argued.
"Because that's what the hacker Kermit is known for" Oz announced. "debunking everything. As soon as I realized who he was, I knew he would be a hard sell. Being a hacker he's like extended family and you just don't want to lose family members, even if he is a crazy uncle none of the rest talks about too much." Oz said. Here hold onto this." Oz said holding out a length of rope. Everyone did and Oz said the password.
With a pull behind the navel they felt like they were in a hurricane Kermit tried to let go but felt his hand was cemented to the rope. Peter simply looked at the calm faces of the three men and relaxed knowing that this must be normal. When they finally stopped they found themselves in the circular transport room of the Guardian Council."
"What just happened? Where the hell are we?" Kermit said.
"You wanted a demonstration of a portkey. We are in Cleveland."
"Ohio?" Kermit nearly shouted.
"That's the one." Blair replied.
Upon walking out of the teleport room Kermit saw a notice on the wall next to the door that told travelers to reset their watches with the clock in the reception area if they have traveled between time zones. Looking at his watch and comparing it to the clock on the wall it told him that they might actually be in Cleveland
"If you want to see the sites I can get you a map to Garfield Memorial or Squire's Castle." Blair joked.
Oz looked though the roster to see which Council members were in when he noticed that all the scoobies were here except Xander.
"You're in luck Kermit, the Red Witch is in." He said filling in their names.
"The Red Witch…she lives here?"
"Yeah kind of." Oz replied. He looked to the security guard and told her to notify Willow they were here.
"So where are we? Is this some sort of computer hacker think tank or some thing?" Peter asked.
"Actually this is the Guardian Council Academy for gifted girls."
"Wait a minute, that's one of the most prestigious schools in the world. What are we doing here?" Kermit asked.
"There's a reason it's prestigious and you're both here to find out what it is." Oz said walking into the waiting room to wait for Willow to arrive.
"Why are you doing this? I mean we believe you about this so why try to further convince us?" Peter asked.
"You believe Peter, Kermit is still on the hard sell. He would rather agree with us in public but consider us nut jobs in private and that would be okay if he first had all the facts before dismissing it all as bunk." Blair explained.
Peter looked to Kermit. Kermit sighed and nodded in conformation to what Blair said.
"But you just got here by magic. You've seen Oz transform." Peter said in disbelief of his friend's disbelief.
"This is all too new for me Pete, you know I'm a guy who has to do hours of research on the computer to believe any information I get. I've never found any information that Magic being real and Clarke's law states any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
"Just goes to show you what an idiot Clarke was." A new voice came from the door. "Don't get me wrong, he was a great science fiction writer but people take that quote as if it were written in stone… Okay maybe he isn't an idiot but the people who quote that line are."
"Hey Willow."
"Hey Oz, why are you back here? Is there a problem?"
"No, just trying a new technique in convincing the unconvinced."
"Is that a good idea?" She asked.
"It had to be done. He's one of us. He's family."
"The guy that looks like a man in black reject is one of us? Which part? Does he slay demons or use magic and if he is one of them how can he be unconvinced?"
"He's nether. He's Kermit."
"Willow quirked an eyebrow "… the frog?"
"He's Thee Kermit, the hacker."
"Oh!" Willow said as her eyes widened and she got really excited. "Oh my gosh! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm a big fan and I've known you from when I was just starting to learn how to hack back in high school. Well, I had a lot of time to play around with computers back then with my computer teacher dying mid term and Snider putting me in charge of teaching the rest of the class and all. Most of the time I'd just give the class an assignment and I spent the time following you when you were hacking into some government website. I learned sooo much. I've become a better hacker because of you."
"Is she in danger of running out of air? Should one of us be ready to catch her in case she faints?" Peter asked.
"I think she uses a circular breathing technique flute player's use." Blair commented with a smile.
"Kermit, I'd like you to meet the Red Witch. Willow Rosenberg."
Kermit paused. He was a little stunned. He then gathered his wits and approached her and shook her hand. "It's an honor to be in the presence of the number one hacker in the world and thank you for the compliments. But I'm sure I had little to do with your rise to stardom in the virtual world, especially when you were able to follow me without my knowing. I'd like to compare notes some time to find out how you did that."
"Oh I have a special algorithm set up to…" But Oz interrupted her as he said.
"We can talk shop later guys; after all I did bring them here for a reason."
"Right, well how far have you gotten?" Willow asked.
"Werewolves and portkeys." He replied.
"Oh, barely scratched the surface then. I suppose we can just go onto the whole slayer spiel and then move onto the other hidden worlds."
"Hidden worlds?" Kermit inquired.
"I think a history lesson on the initiative would be right up his alley as well." Oz recommended.
"From what I remember of Kermit you may be right. That whole secret government agency would probably work for him." she replied.
"Yeah, but he's probably already exposed himself too much to the government. He's been looking into China and Colorado." Oz informed her.
"Oh that's bad. Maybe he shouldn't go home." Willow said worriedly.
"Oh come on. I'm right here and it couldn't be that bad." Kermit said not liking being talked about as if he wasn't there.
"Then you'll need to get to a computer to look through Charlie Frost's website before anything else. Once you see the list of the dead you'll want to stay away from them. Oz probably got you away from where you were just in time."
"Just then Oz spotted a slayer pass the doorway with a black arm band."
"Willow, what's happened? Did someone die?" He asked.
"Every eye went to Oz."
"Rose Tyler died while on patrol. We believe she was ganged up on by several demons. We never found the body."
"I'm sorry I don't think I knew her." Oz said.
"Maybe not, but Jim and I did. She was an incredible slayer. She was really smart." Blair interrupted.
"She was the head of her class in almost all of her subjects. I mean she wasn't going to be a witch but she was well versed in the handling of magical weapons. Needless to say Buffy's a mess over it all. She took Rose under her wing to teach her. She's been portkeying back and forth from here to England to comfort her mother. A friend of the family finally had to step in to tell her she's done enough and to let Jackie move on." Willow explained.
"I'm sorry for your loss. But the way you've been talking it sounded like she was out there hunting these demons." Peter said.
"That's pretty much the definition of a slayer, yes."
"But why?"
"Like I said, that's what a slayer does you see the world is older than you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magics, and certain creatures. The last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixing their blood. He was a human, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding, killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. They're waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return. They are the vampires."
"Vampires? Really?" Kermit asked in disbelief.
Peter ignored Kermit and asked. "How does this pertain to the slayers?"
"For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will be given the strength and ability to stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. When that one died another would awaken. They were all in their teens."
"But I'm getting the impression that there is more than one. This is a school for gifted girls after all."
"We changed that rule a few years ago. Normally there would be one slayer and a bunch of potentials. Now every girl that could be a slayer is a slayer. It had to be done. The potentials were being hunted and killed by demonic forces."
"So let me get this straight. All these girls have super powers?" Kermit asked.
"Yep." Willow confirmed.
"Do you have superpowers?" Kermit asked.
"I'm not a slayer but I didn't call myself the Red Witch for nothing." She said as she pulled out her wand and turned a lamp into a toucan. The toucan flapped its wings and circled the room."
"Yes! It worked, it actually flew this time. I can't wait to tell Hermione." Willow said a little excitedly.
"Congratulations, I'm guessing that this isn't a swap but a creation you actually made." Peter said as he approached the bird for a closer look.
"You're absolutely right. Do you think it looks real enough?" She said as she had made it land on the coffee table.
"Peter was taking a closer look but it was Jim that commented that he couldn't hear a heartbeat."
"How they hell are you supposed to hear a heart beat from that far away?" Kermit asked.
"I can hear yours." Jim replied.
"That's not possible." Kermit said.
"It is if he's a sentinel." Peter said.
"And what's a sentinel?" Kermit asked.
"He has heightened senses. Now I know where I've seen you before. That whole faked dissertation. It wasn't a fake after all was it?" Peter realized.
"You know what, I don't want to know. I'm more interested in why there's a young women dead and how the local L.E.O.'s can just let this slide under their radar." Kermit replied.
"First of all the cops around here see what they want to see. Some times they get involved other times they look the other way. I suppose it has to do with who finds it and who's on duty. We call it SunnyDale syndrome but it isn't as prevalent as it was there."
"So you've lost people before to these so called vampires." Kermit asked
"And demons, and don't worry we'll be sure you see what we're talking about before you leave."
"Did you say SunnyDale? Like the place that became a sinkhole back in 2006?" Peter wondered.
"Yeah, what I'm guessing is that nether of you realize that your standing on a hell mouth? It's a convergent of mystical energy that draws all sorts of demons to it, trying to force it wide open. It's our job to make sure it stays closed. SunnyDale was a bigger hellmouth then here in Cleveland but when we shut it down it made the others around the world slightly more powerful."
"Just like shutting off a pressurized garden hose at the nozzle with pinholes down its length. Turn off the sprayer head and the water from the pinholes spray water with more force then it did when the sprayer head was on." Peter said in realization.
"That was the analogy my friend Xander came up with." Willow said with a smile of approval.
"Well I only have two pertinent questions I'd like answers to. When do you estimate this earth crust displacement to happen and how far along are you on finding the safe land." Kermit asked.
"The prophecy…"
"This word made Kermit visibly cringe. The others could see it even behind his dark green glasses."
You may not be one to believe in prophecies Kermit, but since the government won't let you on the shiny ships the prophecy is all you've got." Willow said reprimanding him. "Anyway the prophecy is in a very old dialect and is slowly being deciphered. From what we have so far it looks like a vague clue which we will also need to figure out, but that's also in our job description."
"What, you figure out old text and clues?" Kermit asked
"Yes, the more information we can give the slayers about the demon of the week, their modus operandi, and the ritual they plan on using to accomplish what ever demonic deed they have in mind the faster they can take care of the problem."
Just then Buffy came into the waiting room.
"Hey Will, anything wrong?" She asked
"No, why would you think that?" Willow wondered.
"Well, the boys are back in town." She said as she pointed to Jim, Blair, and Oz.
"Oh, yeah I thought that too when I saw them here."
"And like Oz told Willow, it's a new way to convince the skeptical." Jim explained.
"Oh okay, well, I just wanted to tell Willow that Faith is giving a fighting lesson to a bunch of slayers. She plans on making an example of Nancy by pitting her against Ming."
"Nancy the know-it-all verses Ming the merciless? This is going to be epic do we have cameras set up."
"Andrew is way ahead of you. I think he said something about having it recorded in 3D."
"Which one's Nancy?" Blair asked.
"I'm not sure you've met her yet." Buffy replied. "She's only been on an outing once but she's so arrogant that she wont listen to anyone. She thinks she knows everything about every demon but the one time that she was on duty she nearly killed two peaceful demons that we have a treaty with. Not to mention the other slayer, and the victim of the demon mauling who knew nothing about demons before that night. Normally we would provide counseling but Nancy screwed things up so bad the woman ran off before we could do that. Now she's a basket case in a mental ward telling the doctors about monsters. It wouldn't have happened if we got to her first but when she saw us on the street she ran thinking we were out to kill her for what she knows. Nancy doesn't even feel the slightest bit of responsibility and feels justified in her belief that she did everything right. We had her at the Guardian Council Academy in Hellam, Pennsylvania near the inactive Seven Gates of Hell. Faith brought her in just to teach her a lesson."
"And which one is Ming?" Jim inquired.
"Ming is a Magical creature known as a Quintaped that Faith rescued. He doesn't speak English but he can understand it. It took us a while to find a name he liked. I think he just likes the title that goes with it." Buffy replied. "So who are our handsome new friends here?"
"This is Peter Caine and his friend Kermit Griffin." Blair supplied.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. If you guys are looking for an introduction to slayers 101 then you're in the right place at the right time. This fight should show you everything you need to know. But just so you know not everyone here knows about the cleansing so don't speak of it with anyone outside of this room unless we give you the okay."
Both of the new-comers looked at her in confusion. It was Jim who supplied the answer to their unasked question.
"The Prophecy refers to the earth crust displacement as the cleansing. We usually call it the main event but have been known to call it by code words when in the presence of people not in the know like the softball game or the bake sale."
Kermit snorted at that last one. "Only in a girl's school." He thought.
"Hey Oz, You'll never guess who I found out has been appointed to run interference for the government information on the cleansing." Willow said.
"Who?"
"Theodore Donald Finch, AKA 'The Rat.'"
"Really?" Kermit asked. "Probably because they didn't know the identity of any of the better hackers."
"Who's The Rat and what do you mean he's running interference?" Buffy asked.
"The Rat is a much lower echelon hacker than Oz, Kermit, and I. On the government list of top hackers The Rat is in the number one slot of the top ten Hackers. But on the Hackers list he doesn't even reach the top thirty. His job is to cover up anything to do with the main event on the internet and other media."
"Who's number one on the Hackers list?" Buffy asked. Kermit and Oz pointed to Willow as Willow blushed. Buffy gave her a one armed hug saying that's why she was so proud of her.
They all trooped out of the waiting room to head down to the gym where the demonstration was being held. Willow made the toucan fly up and land on her shoulder on her way out. She would need to remember to turn it back into a lamp and place it back in the waiting room later.
As they reached the gym they saw a small sectioned off space where Dawn was trying her hand at dueling with Hermione. Hermione was obviously going easy on her but was impressed with Dawns progress and imaginative castings. As she cast a blasting hex at some of Dawn's magically conjured Knights they exploded into a swarm of wasps. She found herself on the defensive as she shielded herself from the attack. With a burst of magic Hermione turned each one of them into grains of sand. They were sent back to Dawn and slid past the sides of her shields never hitting her, but dissolved upon hitting the wards which protected the onlookers.
"That's amazing." Peter and Blair said in unison.
"Yes, it's impressive." Kermit said trying not to let the awe he felt come out in his voice.
As the school bell rang Hermione called a halt to the duel and congratulated Dawn on her progress. She then waved her wand and the temporary wards came down.
"That was incredible Dawn. If you keep that up I just may have to let your security detail give you some space."
"Yeah like that will ever happen." Dawn replied.
"Why does she have a security detail?" Peter asked.
"She's Buffy's little sister and Buffy may be a smidge overprotective." Willow replied.
"I see." He said.
"Hey Hermione look." Willow said pointing to the toucan. "It flies." She said as she sent it up in the air.
"That's fantastic." Hermione said. "I don't think anyone has ever done that before."
"You mean you can't make a bird fly?" Blair asked.
"Well yes, I can, magically. But Willow wanted to make one fly under its own power. She made hers aerodynamic and flies by the movement of the wings alone."
"Well if it's never been done before, that is impressive." Jim said.
"These two have been progressing in leaps and bounds. They finished years of magical study and application in just months. I wonder where I would be today if it weren't for Document zero."
"Document Zero?" Kermit wondered.
"We'll talk about it later. Right now it's time for the match." Buffy announced.
"Just what we came here to see, a chick fight." Kermit said in a bored tone.
They walked over to a chain link enclosure.
You guys have cage matches?" Peter said worriedly.
"It's for the spectator's safety as much as the fighters. It works better now that the witches put some unbreakable magic on it as well as magic cushion spells. It's double that of a regulation rings because of the strength of the slayers." Buffy announced.
As they approached two slayers were warming up in the cage when all of the sudden they attacked each other with such fury it scared the hell out of the new comers. At first they were able to block each others blows but eventually one of them got under the others defenses and landed a blow with such force the resounding crack shocked Peter and Kermit. The slayer that got hit only smiled and kept attacking; the other went on the defensive until she saw an opening two seconds later. It didn't work however and she left herself open for a knee to the chest that sent her flying across the ring and eight feet into the air only to stop when she hit the side of the cage. As soon as her feet hit the floor she ran at her attacker like a mad woman. She lost all sense of the fight and was in a rage. She was out for blood. She wanted to kill the other slayer, but she jumped over the raging slayer doing a twist as she went. She flipped above her enraged opponent landing behind her she then caught the other slayer and put her in a choke hold rendering her unconscious.
Faith blew her whistle and called the winner. When the other girl woke up, she claimed fowl. She claimed the other girl must have used an illegal move. A move not used by slayers on each other so that they didn't kill one another.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's never your fault is it Nancy? Last time it was because you weren't feeling well. The time before that was because you let your opponent win because you didn't want her to feel bad but you said that while she was still here. If she actually believed you she would have felt bad anyway so your kindness turned out to be backhanded. We've tried and tried to make you a better slayer but you won't take instructions. If we let you out to patrol at night you would just get yourself and others killed."
"I would not. I can take down any vamp or demon out there." Nancy yelled.
"Demons and vamps won't go as soft on you as everyone here has. They don't follow cage match rules they also come with unexpected fighting abilities. Some have horns or pincers. Some even have more than one set of limbs." Faith explained.
"And I'm telling you I can take any of them just give me the chance to prove it to you." Nancy insisted.
A smile grew on Faiths face. And unnoticed by Nancy all the slayers behind her smiles grew as well.
"I'll make a wager with you. I'll pit you against an opponent that you will fight until you either win or submit. You win we let you out on patrol under probation. You lose and you go through the whole training program all over again staring with how to take a fall and remember you will not kill anyone or any thing during a cage match or your scholarship will be revoked."
"But I earned that on my studies alone."
"So what your saying is that you plan on killing your opponent because you ether can't or wont follow the rules. Maybe it would be better if you were a washout."
"No, I can follow rules. I won't kill anyone." Nancy promised.
"Well, you ether put up or shut up. Ether that, or admit that you're not that good of a fighter let alone a slayer, and start taking directions."
"I can take anyone just give me the chance." She replied
"Fine, well let's put you to the ultimate test then. You won't be fighting a slayer but you won't kill the opponent I put you up against."
"Fine let's do this." Nancy agreed.
"Kim, can you bring in Ming the merciless, please?" Faith asked.
Nancy snorted. "Oh I'm so scared I'm sure."
Kim opened the door and Ming charged in with a fearsome roar looking enraged and ready to kill. Nancy lost all color. Ming ran at the cage and jumped the ten feet it took to get over it landing in the middle of the ring with an earth shaking thump and another enraged roar. The crowed went wild.
"What the hell is that thing?" Nancy screeched.
"That's our newest sparing partner, Ming the merciless. Good luck. You're going to need it. And the fight began with Nancy on the offensive."
"Are you serious? That thing looks like it will tear her apart." Kermit asked worried he was going to see a slaughter.
"No she's safe. Faith found that Ming likes pro wrestling on TV which is where he got the idea for that intro of jumping into the cage. He is a serious fighter though. The girls have been kept on their toes when sparing with him. He's been told that Nancy needs to learn a lesson so he's going to draw out the fight and show her that her fighting skill are nothing compared to the things out there and that in the field she would be dead."
"Oh Buffy, he's setting her up for a piston kick." Willow said excitedly.
"What's that?" The five men said in unison. They found out the next moment as she was sent into the cage wall and landed on her face. She got up with murder in her eyes until she heard Faiths voice.
"Remember, you kill Ming you lose that fancy scholarship of yours."
Immediately Nancy lost her rage and tried to concentrate on how to defeat Ming.
"What if by some miracle Nancy wins." Kermit asked.
"Not going to happen." Buffy and Peter said in unison. Buffy continued.
"She doesn't have enough of the right moves under her belt." She said.
"She's not that coordinated ether." Peter added.
"Sadly he's right." Buffy agreed." I guarantee she'll be maneuvered into position for another piston kick and won't even notice until it's too late."
"Maybe even twice." Willow added.
"In the end it actually tuned out to be three times. And Ming was disgusted with her fighting skills by this time. You could see that he thought she should just surrender already. She was swinging so wildly at this point it was like she didn't have any formal training at all. Ming gave her a half hearted hit to the chest but after so many piston kicks that turned out to be the last straw as she coughed up some blood. Unconcerned she got up ready to continue but couldn't even stand without wobbling. She wasn't even able to see straight. After seeing the blood Faith put the whistle in her lips to stop the fight but didn't need to as Nancy fell on her face. She blew the whistle and the crowd went silent because they had seen the blood also. Medic! Faith yelled. Luckily Katie Bell was there. Ming backed off and was upset about what happened.
"It's all right, this was probably inevitable Ming." Faith said. "She's more hard headed that I was at the beginning and needed to learn that she could fail. She'll be aright by morning."
"How can you say that? She has internal bleeding." Kermit said as he approached. She'll need surgery and recovery for that could take months.
Faith looked up at the group and turned to Buffy and asked.
"Newbie?"
"Yep." Willow answered while Buffy nodded.
"Okay, first of all that lady over there tending to Nancy is a med witch. She can cure most any physical injury, sometimes in an hour sometimes overnight. And Nancy as well as the majority of the women here are slayers. A slayer has accelerated healing ability. One good nights sleep and we're right as rain by morning. Cuts, broken bones, and black eyes will be all gone. Put the two together and well you can imagine that we're a force to be reckoned with."
"There won't be any surgery." Buffy said. "Katie will simply wave her wand and give her a horrible tasting potion and by morning she'll be arguing that she did everything right and that Ming probably cheated somehow. It would be a lie to us but a truth in her head. As a counselor I've been trying to break her of that for some time now but she is one stubborn slayer." She then turned to Faith.
"I want her trained from the beginning. I want Ming to kick her ass every other week. I'm going to intensify her counseling sessions. She needs more than three days a week so she'll be coming to me once a day for however long it takes to get through to her." Buffy told her.
"I'd like to stay and help. I teach kung fu." Peter announced.
"That would be great if I thought Nancy could scale down her strength to learn and spar from you."
"I can instruct without contact. I can get another slayer to help." Peter replied.
"There aren't too many that will still work with her." Willow commented.
Buffy sighed. "I guess I'll do it. I just said she'll have to come see me once a day. May as well spend some of that time in the ring."
"You training? You haven't done that for some time. Are you sure you want to?" Willow asked
"Hey I may be head slayer and the oldest slayer but there's one thing you've got to realize…I'm still a slayer. That means I still have the urge to fight and slay and I still have all those funky slayer dreams. Just because I took myself out of the game doesn't mean I've gone soft, it just means that after all those years of being the only slayer I think I earned the right to step back and make myself only available for the annual apocalypse but it doesn't mean I want it to be that way forever ether. And as a counselor I need my slayers to have a good head on their shoulders so yes, training."
"You won't be getting any argument from me. I was just making sure it had nothing to do with Mr. Caine here being a hottie." Willow said with a smirk.
Faith had a bright smile and Buffy went red. Peter was amused and Kermit looked disgusted.
A.N. Theodore Donald Finch, AKA 'The Rat' is from the movie 'The Core.'
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