Disclaimer: see part 1
Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Carol.Clarke@mail.state.ky.us
Chapter 19
Urgent Interpretation
Two weeks, it had been two whole weeks since Doyle’s death. Angel seldom left Cordelia’s side; the visions started a day or two after his death.
Cordelia never seemed to stop crying. Crying for Doyle, for all the people needing help in her visions. And then there were the messages. Every other day Cordelia called her on the phone with a message from the powers that be. Most of the messages went something like this: “Willow, it is the time of sunset and I believe in you, believe too.”
Willow paced around her office not really getting any work done. Martha had given her all the FBI had on Doyle's death. Kate had given her what Martha didn’t get from the LAPD. It was useless; the answer wasn't going to be on paper or inside a book. No computer program was going to save them now.
“And damn it why did Buffy pick now to go to Norway!” the little witch shouted at the empty room.
“Well at least now I know why you've been acting crazy all day. You’ve finally scared Elaine. Well I think you scared her, she stopped asking questions for almost twenty minutes today, that has to be a world record.” Pam said before closing the door and sitting in one of Willow's ‘guest’ chairs.
Willow just threw her arms up in the air before flopping down into her own chair.
“Do you always get this bitc... ah... well like this, when Buffy goes away for a while. It is just a while, I mean she is coming back right.” A worried Pam asked.
“Not this bad, but I don’t get those warm fuzzy feelings inside either.” The pissed off Witch said.
“Well, while you are already pissed, I might as well ask... Ellen’s silence would not be caused by witchcraft of any kind?” Pam asked putting on her best light-hearted voice but failing terribly.
Willow began mindlessly flipping through pages on her desk. “And for the hundredth time I am only going to say, I do not use my magic for personal gain. Me good witch, not do nasty magic on friends.” Willow was too lost in her own thoughts to even let the question bother her.
Pam was really worried that her question didn’t raise a reaction out of her friend. The dark haired doctor took the time to look around the room. On the corner of the desk where a small stack of cards. Pam picked up the stack noticing the back had the words, “Chosen Ones” in a dozen languages or more. She turned the cards around. At first glance she thought they were Tarot cards. Seconds before returning them to the desk she saw that the top card was “Twilight Warrior”.
Pam pulled the deck back and began going through them. “Willow, what kind of tarot deck is this, Seer, Sinner, Healer, Twilight Warrior.”
“They’re not part of a Tarot deck. They’re the Twelve Chosen Warriors of Light.”
“Oh.” Pam said still looking at the twelve cards. “So what are the Twelve Chosen Warriors of Light?”
Willow, still in ‘mindless pissed off mood’ began to babble the answer. "There are always twelve people on Earth fighting against the darkness. Like Buffy, she is the Slayer. Look at the Slayer card it has her face. Her face on Joan of Arc’s body. I don't think Buffy was real happy about that."
“And that is why she is in Norway?” Pam asked confused
“No she is in Oslo because there is a big bad ugly demon she has to kill, so people can continue to use their cell phones without the nasty evil demon eating them when they’re dialing.” Willow said, now mindlessly floating pencils in and out of her top draw.
Raising her eyebrows, Pam said, “OK, So where did you get the cards, or is it something they sell at K-marts.”
Willow was now up to three pencils, said, “From a cosmic chess player.”
Willow floated the pencils back in the draw and turned to Pam. “From the Oracles.” Her face was dead serious.
“I’ve read vague references to them, why?” Pam asked
“Why what?” Willow answered.
“Why did they give them to you?” Pam stated
“Wish I knew. No, they want me to gather them for the twilight time.” Willow said sadly
“Like the Twilight Warrior?” Pam asked
“No I know where Kir is, well most of the time I know where she is.” Willow stated as she began to levitate her paper clips and connect them together in the air with her mind.
“You know the Twilight Warrior?”
“Yeah she and Buffy were once a hot item. Kir is ok. You may have met her when I was under the influence of that sex-crazed spell. Actually Pam I know most of the twelve and I have a few good guesses about the rest. Most of us have been fighting evil most of our lives. Well most of them are my friends.”
“Normally I would say you have some serious issues with visions of grandeur, but having met many of your friends...” Pam didn't complete the sentence.
Both women stayed quiet for a few minutes then Pam asked, “So this twilight time it has something to do with the twilight warrior.”
“Not the way you’re thinking. The twilight time is like the end of days in this cycle. Just think bad and multiply it. Doesn't really matter, it has been my experience from my other end of the world experiences that unless you are fighting the evil you don't notice anything outside the norm. Well Earthquakes and stuff but for the most part you won't notice.” Willow babbled.
“You have been through other apocalypses before?” Pam asked startled.
“A few, we won, not much to tell.” Willow had picked up the cards and was looking at Kir’s card. “It is so hard to see Kir as a warrior. First time I met her she was about two and half feet tall, nothing but blue fuzz. She was so afraid of humans.”
Pam leaned over Willow and looked at the card. “Doesn’t look fuzzy in the picture.”
“No when she started puberty the fuzz fell off. She grew really fast. She looks human most of the time. With the glasses I gave her she can keep her eyes human for most of the day. Honestly I have always liked Kir. Even when Buffy was sleeping with her. She is a nice kid. Odd but nice. She works as an undercover cop, LAPD. She still helps out Angel and Buffy at the drop of a hat.”
“So why is she the twilight warrior?” Pam asked. The curiosity was more then she could bare.
“There are peaceful demon races. Not really demons. Kir is half elf and half human. She lives in the gray between the human world and the demon world. It some ancient writings it is called the twilight. Basically Kir has lived most of her life in the gray, part of the human world and part of the demon world but not really belonging to either. But that is not why she is the Twilight warrior. She fights on the side of light yet belongs to the twilight. Kir is Kir.” Willow explained
“So you are gathering the people you know and you’re like the general.” Pam asked
“Maybe, I am not sure.” Willow asked puzzled
“Well what do the others say?” Pam asked
The question hit Willow like a ton of bricks. She had never considered just asking them. “Stupid, I am so stupid, with Doyle's death I haven’t even talked to them about it.” Willow screamed turning off her computer and grabbing her coat. Pam just watched as Willow picked up her cards and left the office.
Pam just continued to sit there soaking up information she didn’t want to believe and didn’t understand. She had no idea how long she was lost in thought when Martha stepped into Willow’s office.
“Please tell me it isn’t magic?” Martha asked
“What? I mean no, I was just thinking.” Pam answered in a fuzzy haze of thought.
“Well Elaine is talking off Herb's ear so I figured it wasn’t magic. But now looking at you I might have to rethink that statement. So where did Rosenburg take off to?” Martha asked
“To save the world. And Martha I mean it literally. She has to save the world and not for the first time. If I didn't see the things she is capable of I wouldn’t believe it.” Pam babbled
“It gives me brain lock too. I suppose I will have to list her on assignment again. Come on Pam lets go get a couple of beers.” Martha said pulling up her colleague.
**************************************************************************
Several hours later Willow was nervously pacing circles around the Franks graves. The Franks were not happy to see the little witch again; her lover wasn’t even there for entertainment value.
“Why on earth would you pick this spot for a rendezvous?” Kir asked from almost beside the witch.
“Can you make noise when you know it's a friend or something.” Willow scolded.
“Sorry, so what’s so important. And we really should move away from here. There is some weird couple the PD keep hearing about that do... well I don’t really know what they do but it’s supposed to be kinky in the extreme.” Kir said.
“Oh, I didn’t think about that.” Willow said nervously.
“What?” Kir asked confused by Willow’s expression.
“Kate must have mentioned something and I must have forgotten.” Willow lied.
“You never forget anything...You mean you forgot why you needed to see me.” Kir asked puzzled
“Sorry. Let’s go to the café down the street they have good coffee and their bagels are fresh.”
“Leave it to you and Buffy to know were all the good restaurants are near the cemeteries.”
“What can I say, marry a Slayer, know all the hot spots next to graves.”
“So has Buffy ever bumped into hot crazy sex couple. From what the guys at the station told me they aren’t exactly quiet. So has Buffy seen them?”
“Possibly, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Which is a good thing, do you know the visions I have had about ‘that’ couple, Willow Rosenburg.” Cordelia Chase said as she tapped Willow to move over.
“Do you know how painful my visions are, and I do not appreciate having to watch the slayer witch S & M channel visits the graveyard. So if ‘that’ couple knows what’s good for them they will knock it off.”
“God I am stupid, graveyard, kinky sex, I’m a cop, I should have guessed, Hi Cordy.” Kir laughed while hitting her head in a jester of stupidity.
“Happy now Cordelia?” Willow asked while blushing.
“Not really, instead of getting a simple phone call from one of my oldest friends, I have to get yet another stupid head ache to get invited. Plus I had to ditch dead boy. Have you ever tried to ditch Angel? Hey can I get some coffee over here.” Cordelia shouted the last sentence at the waitress.
“I’ll take some coffee too.” Faith said to the waitress as she came around the counter. “So what the hell was so important I had to be on time for Cordy?” Faith then shoved Kir over and took a seat across from Cordelia in the booth.
“You called Faith?” Willow asked Cordelia.
“Part of the vision. Hey she’s your sister.” Cordelia said as she checked her spoon for cleanliness.
“That she is, actually I should have called you myself.” Willow said to Faith’s surprise.
“Ok, we are all happy Miss ‘Aggression 2010’ is here, can you please tell me why I am here and not at home doing homework.” Kir asked.
“I need some advice. The Oracles gave Buffy and I these cards.” Willow then laid the cards on the table. “They want me to gather the twelve Warrior’s of Light. Well I think that’s what they want.”
The waitress was standing at the table with her tray of coffee and bagels. In the next second Faith had grabbed the waitress around the neck and was knocking her into the booth on the other side of them. Kir and Willow were helping to pull the people sitting at that booth out of the way while Cordy grabbed the cards and stood out of the way. When the waitress knocked Faith out the window Kir jumped in and threw a few punches before getting thrown out the window as Faith was trying to come back through.
When Willow saw Faith go back down with Kir on top of her, she extended her mind and the waitress was pinned against the wall.
“Who were you after?” Willow asked.
“Does it matter little witch, one dead Warrior of Light is as good as another.”
“You’re hiding in there, come out.” Willow ordered.
The demon obeyed and crawled out of the waitress body shell. The waitress was long since dead
“That was a foolish move little girl. I am so much stronger in my natural form.” And the seven-foot tall green slug leaped at Willow. Only to go smack against a hard mental barrier.
“Actually seeing you in your true form makes it easier for me to do this.” And with the blink of an eye, Willow crushed the demon like he was a cockroach.
The sound of police cars in the distance caused the group to look around. “You’d better let me handle this.” Kir said pulling out her police badge.
“Don’t forget Willow has a couple of nasty badges too, Ms FBI slash CIA thing.” Faith said.
“I’ll stay too, but Faith honey, with the whole in and out of prison thing you better go.” Willow said
“You knew?” Faith asked
“Hacker thing, will talk later. Would you take Cordelia back to my house and wait for me. And stay close to her. The dark side likes the idea of taking out our seer.” Willow asked.
“Well that’s not a pretty thought. Come on slayer chick we’d better go out the back way.” Cordelia said while tugging Faith’s jacket.
Once Faith was out of ear shot Kir asked “In and out of prison?”
“Yeah, she just did 6 months in Denver before she showed back up here. Bar fight. You know her walk abouts; a lot of them were short jail stays. Nothing big. To be honest, if I were a psychiatrist, I would say she liked prison. And with her history it makes sense.”
“Yeah well I never did ‘get’ Faith. Five years in a coma. Permanent brain damage, all because Buffy wouldn’t fuck her. Man, she was a Slayer. How cool is that.”
“Not as cool as you might think. I know Buffy would have given it up for a shot at a normal life in a heartbeat many a time. Beside it was a lot more than just a Buffy issue.”
“All right everybody freeze.” Came the voice of a uniform member of the LAPD.
“It’s alright office, everything is under control. I am Detective Dinovich and this is Dr. Rosenburg of the FBI.” Kir said holding up her badge.
“Right kid, you know impersonating a police officer is a federal offense.” Said the second patrolman.
“Do you think I will ever look my age?” Kir whispered to Willow. Then said loudly, “Just check it out, Dinovich, Kir badge number 354672, Narcotics Division, under Captain Mitchell. Current assignment undercover opt. # 357.”
“357? Is it this week Kir?” Kate Langley said as she climbed in through the broken window, gun in hand.
Kate then moved over to the uniformed officers. “So what happened here?”
“Don’t know yet, before we could find out your nut case friend tried to tell us she was a cop and get this, the red head is a feebee doctor.”
“Yeah don’t say.” Kate said with a smile. Then Kate walked over to the corpse or rather husk of the waitress and said, “So Willow have you looked at the body yet? From the look of her, we will probably send this to your department. It has project Raven written all over it.”
“Actually I haven’t had a chance to take a look but you’re right, Raven would be the right place to send the body. Want me to call Pam or do you want it done through channels?” Willow answered moving over to the body.
“Channels would be better. Thompson get on the horn, call the murder crime scene desk and tell them they will need to call the FBI’s occult unit out for this case.”
“You’re kidding right?” The officer said.
“Thompson, Harris I would like you to meet one of the FBI’s top pathologists. Dr. Willow Rosenburg Summers. Her specialty is weird. And I’d also like to introduce to you one of LA’s finest undercover narcotics officers, Kir Dinovich. Her youthful appraise is a big plus undercover. And yes I am serious.”
After a great deal of police protocol, Kate made it over to Willow. “So what really happened?”
“Slug demon took over the waitresses body, killing the girl in the process. Slug then tried to kill one of us. Faith and I fought it, got knocked around a lot. See broken window. Willow did witch thing. Slug is now dead. See large green smushed object.” Kir explained.
“You really need to spend some time outside of high school.” Kate said
“I need to call home and check on Faith and Cordelia.” Willow added as she pulled out her cell phone.
“You know were Cordelia is? Angel is going crazy, I was looking for her when I ended up here.” Kate said.
“I’ll tell her to call Angel.” Willow said as she started to dial.
“Don’t bother.” Angel said from behind the police lines. “We’ve got problems” Kate waved Angel through and the patrolman guarding the line let the vampire in.
“Angel it’s almost dawn.” Willow said concerned.
“Yeah I know. Cordelia called me from your house. When I got there, it was pretty messed up, they left a note, and they have Cordelia, Faith and Xander. At least that is what the note said. Oh, and your cats in my car.” Angel said in his quiet tone.
Chapter 20
Requiem in a Minor Key
She had been through her house about a hundred times. Kir, Angel and Kate were still in there looking for evidence and in general cleaning things up. Not that it was worth cleaning up. The Scooch demon left most of the house with fire damage. Not that Willow was worried about the house. Being married to Buffy meant accepting the loss of cars, books, high schools and houses. They could be replaced. No, what Willow was worried about were her friends.
She had called Amy and had her pack her kids off to Tara’s in San Francisco. Giles and Joyce would meet them there. Between Tara and Amy and the natural magic of the bay area, they should be able to keep themselves safe. At least Willow hoped that was the case.
Amy would probably turn her into a frog if she didn’t bring Xander back. Kate had used her pull to discover Xander had been taken from his car lot. About seven of his cars were torched so it looked like the demons grabbed him first then Cordelia and Faith. From the events in the house Faith put up a hell of a fight. She might have won if she didn't have a seizure disorder. Faith could only fight at full speed for a certain amount of time before she had a seizure and from the blood around the house Faith was badly hurt in the fight, if not burned. Scooch demons were not lightly messed with. “And Faith is so bull headed.” Willow said to her empty back yard.
Willow had gone out in the backyard to think. She was no closer to figuring out who ‘they’ were. And ‘they’ had Xander, Cordelia, a pregnant Cordelia at that, and her sister. Willow was surprised at the comforting effect thinking of Faith as her sister gave her. A piece of family. She just hoped Faith would live long enough to regret having her as a sister. “And if she thinks she is going to drink her life away well she hasn’t seen resolve face.” Willow announced to her apple tree.
“Ok, what to do, I need to do something.” Willow said as she started to pace around the yard. “Three of the warriors are prisoners. One is in Norway. ‘Does it matter little witch, which of the Warriors of Light I kill?’ That is what it said. I wonder does it matter? Doyle was killed and Cordelia got his power. Buffy died and Kendra was called. Then Kendra died and Faith was called. Faith gets gutted by Buffy, does a header goes into a coma and Mary was called. And so on. One Slayer per generation. What is a generation? How many Slayers have I meet and I haven’t lived a generation yet. Does it matter?” Willow babbled as she paced.
“Dr. Rosenburg may I have a word with you?” Came the voice of her nosey next door neighbor.
“What! I mean yes.” Willow said walking over to the fence.
“Look, I know you live a different life style. And normally it is none of my business, but last night, maybe if you had your parties on the weekend it would be different, I have children. And... it would be nice for them not to hear you yell profanities at each other while you tear your house apart.”
Mrs. Wesley asked in a way that said ‘You people make me sick.’
“At least Faith didn’t go quietly.” Willow muttered. Then Willow let her head click into detective mode. Maybe her time at project Raven had not been wasted. “You heard what happened at my house last night?”
“The whole neighborhood did Dr. Rosenburg.”
“Wait here.” Willow said as she ran into the house. A minute later she ran back out with Kate and Kir in tow. Kir was still trying to get her badge out of her coat pocket. It was a little too sunny for Angel to go outside.
“Mrs. Wesley this is detective Sergeant Langley and this is detective Dinovich of the LAPD. I need you to tell them everything you remember about last night. Even something little might help.” Willow explained.
“But I have seen both of these women at your house before.” Mrs. Wesley protested while examining Kir’s badge. No one ever questioned that Kate was a cop.
“That’s right Mrs. Wesley we are both friends of Dr. Rosenburg. But now we need to piece together what happened last night. Dr. Rosenburg was working on a case in her official duty as a FBI pathologist when last nights events occurred. Since she was in the presence of several police officers she could not know what was happening at her house which is why we need an eye witness account from you Mrs. Wesley.” Kate knew most of what she said was pure bullshit, but she was a good judge of people and this woman needed this line of bullshit to get her to speak.
“Wasn’t your wife home?” Mrs. Wesley asked
“Buffy is in Norway on business.” Willow explained. She could see the walls weakening.
“Well... A little after midnight I saw that woman that stays at your house sometimes.” Leaning forward Mrs. Wesley whispered. “The one that drinks a lot and has that medical problem.”
“My sister Faith. And its epilepsy.” Willow said patiently
“I thought it was alcoholism.” Kir said only to be stared down by both Kate and Willow. “Sorry. Go on Mrs. Wesley.”
“Yes, I remember, you introduced us. Anyway your sister Faith and her friend. A brunette woman dressed like a model. Actually kind of looks like a model. I have met her before too, she is kind of...”
“Bossy” Willow said
“Ah, yes.”
“So the two of them went in to the house?” Kate added to help things along.
“Actually there were three of them.” Mrs. Wesley said as she tried to remember the events.
“Three, who was the other person?” Willow asked, Kate had been sure Xander was taken from his car lot.
“The woman doctor from your office. The one you have over to dinner ever so often. The one you tried to set up with her.” Mrs. Wesley was now pointing at Kir.
“Elaine!” Kir stated.
“Ok Mrs. Wesley the three of them went into the house.” Kate said trying to get everyone back on target.
“Yes, I think they were surprised to see her too.”
“She was waiting for them?” Kate asked
“Yes, now that I think about it. The other two came in a car and she was waiting on your front porch.”
“And they went inside?” Kate cued.
“Yeah, all three of them.”
“Ok, then what happened?”
“Nothing at first then there was a lot of profanity and breaking of glass. Well it was after that, the people from the costume party showed up. It must have been a monster theme.” Mrs. Wesley explained.
“Kate, can you see what else you can find out. I have a something I need to do.” Willow suddenly asked.
“Willow, you’re not going anywhere alone.” Kate said firmly.
“Kir can come with me. It’s still five hours until sunset and she is the closest thing to a Slayer our side has now. Plus she can move fast. I need you to stay with Angel; he is still a target. I’ll call you before nightfall.” Willow said resolve face in place. “Oh and can you keep Sarah at your house for awhile?”
“Sure, but you know how much Angel hates cats. The poor thing must have been frightened to death.” Kate said.
**************************************************************************
“Ok explain this to me again. We are just going to bust the door down because your neighbor, who is clearly the nosiest human being on the face of the earth, thinks Elaine might have been at your house last night?” Kir asked. She had liked Elaine and was hoping to have another date with her.
“Pretty much, yeah.” Willow said as her eyes began to glow. With the force of an explosion Elaine’s front door blew apart. Kir ducked to avoid flying wood splinters. When Kir looked up, she saw Willow levitating into the house.
“What? You can’t just walk like the rest of us?” Kir complained.
Elaine was calmly waiting in the living room drinking wine. At least Willow hoped it was wine. “What, not going to keep up the pretense of being harmless little Elaine?” Willow asked before taking a seat in a large comfortable chair facing the couch.
“Since I’ve been sending you all the clues to figure it out, no. Did you know how hard it was to pick out which noisy neighbors to use to plant the clue to send you here? Do you know how hard it is to plant ideas? Frankly I was so tired of our little game. At least you brought the little mongrel half-breed along so I can gloat. You don’t know how hard it was not to snap your neck when we were in bed together.”
“Kir, you didn’t mention you slept together.” Willow said
“Yeah well, under the present circumstances that might be a good thing.” Kir replied a little hurt.
“Please! Can you two make with the drivel later.” Elaine shouted. “We have things to discuss.”
“Does it matter little witch, one dead Warrior of Light is as good as another. It’s an interesting message.” Willow said before she pulled a kitchen chair into the living room with her mind. “Kir please sit down.” Willow asked calmly.
“It is an interesting message, what is your interpretation, Willow?”
“Knock down one of the Warriors of Light and another will rise. There are never less then twelve warriors of light on the planet at any given time. Which also means there are never less than twelve warriors of the dark on the earth. Our battle is eternal. So if I were to, lets say, break your neck another warrior would rise up and take your place.”
“And to think I actually thought of you as nothing more then a control subject. A failure.” An evil smile spread across her face as she spoke sending shivers down both Kir’s and Willow’s spines.
“I am glad to disappoint you, mother. It is mother right. It was your experiment. It was you who manipulated my genes. Does it matter which warrior you kill, the answer is no. Imprisoned or weakened yes it does matter. It was you who cut the arms off of Xander’s grandmother and my great grandmother, Ellen Jameson. It was you who tortured Rachel. In my visions, I have seen pieces of the story, but I never saw your face. It was you.”
“You haven’t been having visions long. Or should I say your visions are rather short sighted. Do you know how long I have been manipulating the human race? Changing the fate of mankind. My name is Prometheus. It was I who brought man fire. I knew it would lead to the atom bomb. It was I who taught a bunch of primitive apes to make stone axes. They thought it was for hunting, I knew, sooner or later, one of them would use it against another. Do you think Cain wasn’t coached before he killed his bother? And when that wasn’t enough I used subtler methods."
“Alexander the Great thought I was just a simple cook. That was until I poisoned him. Helping dear Brutus with his anger control, or is that anger ‘mismanagement’, was so much fun. I loved the look of betrayal on Caesar’s face as he fell. The asp in Cleopatras’ bath I thought was a nice touch. She thought I was a simple washer girl.”
“Look are you going to drop names all night or get to a point. I already understand that you’re evil.” Willow said in a bored voice.
“Fine. After a while I got tired of assassination. So I began manipulating the human gene pool. The Spanish Inquisition was some of my best work. The glorious sounds of women screaming as they were tortured. It was during that time that I managed to invent the watchers counsel. I simply had to get Slayers into the hands of Christians. It was so easy to do anything evil when you simply did it in the name of Christ. It’s why the Inquisition worked so well.”
“The trick is to avoid big names. Yes, I gave up name dropping after a while. The trick is to start with people no one likes. It doesn’t matter who it is either. The Jews were a convenience in Germany, nothing more. People were hungry and frightened and needed a scapegoat. Adolph, my lovely son Adolph, hated his father, a Jew, so I let him choose Jews.”
“Hatred is the easiest emotion to work with, to manipulate. When humans hate they don’t think first. Love is hard for humans. To love, to give. To hear others out. To let people speak or say things you don’t agree with. In China most of the Internet is banned. And not for the reasons you might think. For example the government is afraid of people reading fanfiction with gay characters, far more afraid than they are of people reading the Washington Post. The reason is clear. If people see that humans can live side by side with people of other orientations, be it sexual, spiritual, or political, without killing each other then the foundation for their government would crumble. If the Chinese people find out sameness is not necessary for survival then why would they need that kind of leadership.”
“Interesting, and if you were coming over for dinner I might want to hear more on the subject but it doesn’t get me any closer to why I am here?” Willow interjected.
“Did you know when Faith took her trip to the dark side, her spot wasn’t filled right away. It was only when Buffy gutted her and threw her off the building that another Slayer was called. Even though Faith didn’t die.” Elaine said with her evil grin.
“The ‘talking a lot’ thing wasn’t a cover right? Yes I knew that. But Buffy didn’t throw Faith, she jumped.”
“Then think about it.”
“I got it already really, black and white chess pieces. Kill one and it’s replaced. If you injure a piece like Faith, it is also replaced. So you are left with imprisoned pieces, which also has its drawbacks, or getting the pieces to change sides. So you manipulate the gene pool and play games to weaken the pieces. Like Faith. Lots of demon blood, the right background. Having her raised by a heroin addict mother and a child molesting stepfather was a nice touch. Faith still won’t talk about her childhood, I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t so carefully kept in those microfiche cards you left for me. By the time you sent her to Sunnydale she was perfect for the mayor. When she turned back to the light you must have been crushed.”
“Disappointed. I knew I shouldn’t have used Succubae genes. As if mankind needs a demon to make them lust. Do you know most Succubae end up being marriage counselors instead of, well, whatever the hell it is they are supposed to be doing. As demons go they are almost as pathetic as your little friend sitting there.”
“And yet you slept with her.” Willow reminded her.
“Will, do you mind.” Kir whispered.
“Yes well she does have some talents in that department. You really should have her lick your pussy sometime. Maybe you can make Buffy watch as she is tied up over that tombstone you two love so much.”
“While I would love to talk to you about voyeurism, can you just get to the point Elaine.” This time Willow's eyes glowed and a strong wind started blowing around the apartment.
“Nice temper you have. I just guessing, asking you to change sides is out of the question?” Elaine asked.
“Yes”
“Even if I kill Faith and your other two friends if you don’t?” Elaine said.
“If you were going to kill them they would be dead already. You need them alive, uninjured, and imprisoned. I am learning the rules of the game.”
“Fine, I will return your friends in exchange.” As Elaine spoke her eyes glowed just as Willow’s were and the wind in the room increased turning in circles.
“I am not sure I can open it.” Willow stated calmly. Kir just looked at them both confused as the air formed a wind funnel.
“Then your friend will be staying were they are. But at least they won’t be alone.” Elaine laughed evilly, as a picture of Tara’s house was shown to her across the twisting air. Pictures of Amy, Giles, Joyce, Tara and the kids being carried out of the house by Scooch demons played across the air. Then the picture switched to an unconscious Kate, and Angel being dragged to a car in chains. Angel’s hands and face burning as he tried to fight back. Next a picture of two nuns being dragged outside of a burning church. Pictures of three more people Willow had seen in visions but didn’t know. Then a picture of Leah and Katherine's shop exploding and them being carried away by Drongian demons. The last picture was of Buffy fighting off seven Trolls.
“We haven’t captured your wife yet but it really doesn't make any difference. I’ll even allow you to keep the Twilight Warrior. Outside of her talent in bed she is of little value to me.”
“That’s big of you.” Kir said sarcastically.
“And you think you can end the game by opening the gate?” Willow asked.
“Don’t you?” Elaine smiled.
“I will meet you in two days at the site. If you hurt one of them you will live. I promise you that you will live.” Willow said
“Live?” Kir asked.
“You really are dense little one. She means I will live and suffer, isn’t that right daughter?” Elaine retorted.
Willow just got up and started out the door.
“Oh, and Willow dear, it isn’t wine. It’s Faith’s blood. Very tasty.” Elaine added.
**************************************************************************
Once by the car Willow said, “Don’t ask me to explain, I need to think.” She then handed Kir the keys and said. “Would you drive?”
“I need to know were?”
“Airport, we need to talk to an Oracle about getting a new deck of cards.”
End Part 10
Concluded in Part 11