Part Three
Giles yawned as he slowly made his way down the steps. He was careful not to re-damage the banister pole, he just fixed. Some nails here, some spackle there...no one would ever had known that a week ago he was a demon....well, most everyone.
“I was wondering when you were going to get up,” a feminine voice, rose from the living room.
Giles stopped and woke up immediately. There sitting on his couch was a beautiful woman. But more importantly, a total stranger. The tall woman stood up and smiled at him. She brushed her dark hair behind her ears, and stared at him with deep blue eyes. Giles wasn’t sure if he should be alarmed or ask her out on a date, but he knew one thing was certain...he did lock his front door.
“H-how did you get in here,” he began cautiously, “And, who the hell are you?”
“You don’t recognize me?” she sang, “Oh, of course you wouldn’t. I look so...normal.” With that she transformed into the Tempora demon he encountered the previous night, “Better?”
“Sharna?”
“Well, you didn’t think I would be gallivanting around town, in broad daylight, looking like this,” she smiled, changing back to her human form, “did you?”
Giles narrowed his eyes, as he reached the bottom step, “What do you want?”
“World peace,” she said flippantly, “but since that won’t happen any time soon....I need your help.”
“My help? Why me?”
“You Watcher....her Slayer...”
Giles sighed, and walked into his kitchen. He put the tea kettle on the stove and said, “And demons usually try to avoid us at all costs.”
“Usually, I would agree,” Sharna nodded, “but this Slayer-”
“Buffy,” Giles corrected.
“Buffy,” she agreed, “She has a reputation of being the best at what she does...but she’s also known to be fair, and just. She doesn’t take it upon herself to be the executioner to ALL demons. This new group...does. Look, do you know how hard it is for me to come to a human for help? I’m a warrior...a guardian...but if the rumors I’ve been hearing are true...”
“What rumors?” Giles asked, pouring two glasses of tea.
“The demon population,” she began, as Giles handed her the glass, “Thank you. The demon population is scared. Scared beyond words. This Initiative, as you call it, is really causing a stir...”
“And that’s a bad thing?” he said, sipping his tea.
“It is, when they’re not particular of who they go after,” she shook her head, “you saw that last night, with Teala...”
“How is she?”
“Fine...and safe...for now,” Sharna went on, “but I don’t know how long that’ll last. And then there’s the mysterious 314,” she saw the look on Giles’ face and asked, “Do you know something about it?”
“Only, as you say, rumors, and speculation,” Something called 314 has the potential of causing a real threat to the demon population. As to what that is...”
“Well, we have to find out exactly what it is, before it’s too late,” Sharna stated.
“Too late for what?”
The demon placed her tea cup down, and stood up. For the first time since her arrival at his apartment, Sharna looked scared. Which was a very unnerving sight for a Tempora Demon. “You are aware, I’m sure, of the history of demons on Earth?”
“Yes,” Giles nodded, “Watcher’s training, 101. Although I knew about demon lore long before then, when I dabbled in the...well...black arts.”
“Mmmm,” she agreed, “I thought I caught the scent of demon on you.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Humans and demons have very different scents,” Sharna explained, “But when a normal human comes in contact with demons, especially on a constant, or intimate basis...they tend to pick up the scent of the demon...pheromones left behind as a marker. That’s why some people are... ‘demon magnets’, while others may never see one their entire lives. You smell of demon. And, actually...quite strongly.”
Giles lowered his head, embarrassed, “Yes...um...I’ve recovering from....a life altering experience....as one.”
“YOU were a demon?!”
“It’s a long story,” he huffed, “One in which I would rather not discuss...ever.”
“Fair enough,” she smiled, “Then I think we should discuss, 314...and the plunge into Chaos.”
“Why are demons so dramatic?” the Watcher asked.
“This goes way beyond drama,” Sharna sniffed, “Ever since the Ancient Ones retreated back to their dimension, leaving the lesser demons to fend for themselves, things haven’t been too bad. At least for those lucky enough to escape the Scourge. Some demon clans, like Teala’s family, fled our dimension to come here, for a better life.”
“I thought ‘Hell’ is a good place for demons?” Giles asked.
“You have a lot to learn, and I really don’t have the time to teach you about demon politics,” she cut him off, “Let’s just say...things aren’t always what they might appear. But even if we escape the wrath of the Scourge...we now have to deal with this Initiative. And if they start hunting every single demon they see, good and evil...”
“It will throw everything off balance,” Giles said, remembering Ethan’s words, “But what will happen?”
“The fight against evil is not the Slayer’s job only,” she continued, “There are other’s out there who fight secretly on her side. Demons, looking to stop the return of the Ancient Ones.”
“Like Whistler.” Giles nodded.
“You knew him?”
“Whistler,” Giles whispered, “was the demon who helped Buffy a few years back. What happened to him?”
Sharna was quiet for a moment before she spoke, “I don’t know. He disappeared. So did many others like him. And soon, there will be no one to stop the Return.”
“ ‘And Hell will return to Earth.’” Giles, quoted from memory. He was beginning to grasp the enormity of the situation, and it scared the hell out of him. The Initiative, although they thought they were doing the world a service, was, in fact, helping the very evil they were trying to fight.
“Now you see why it’s very important we find out what 314 is?”
Giles stood up on shaky legs, still reeling from the notion that the end of the world could be through their own carelessness, “Yes I do. And, I’m hoping I will get some more information tonight...”
****** Buffy felt very much like a tourist, as she was lead around the underground facility. There was an almost antiseptic quality about the white walls and floor. It reminded her of those science fiction movies about alien experiments. And, when she thought about it, dealing with demons might seem almost alien to most people.
But not to her...or the Initiative.
“This is....impressive,” Buffy said, looking around at the vast array of computers, rooms and technicians that filled the large hall. “You guys are real...organized. Very...high tech.”
“Yes,” Maggie Walsh said smugly, “we are. From here, we can track down hostiles within the entire city limits...”
“Demons,” Buffy corrected.
“What?”
“Demons,” Buffy repeated, “They’re demons. Not all of them are hostile.”
Maggie stopped and gave Buffy a slightly patronizing look, “I would think *you*, of all people, would have a different view on that. Agent Finn has informed me of the many years you have spent fighting hos...demons. And I’m quite impressed. To be slaying them since you were fifteen...but, how much have you really accomplished? We’re on the verge of total containment. As a ‘Slayer’, you should see the enormity of it.”
Buffy sighed and nodded sadly, “Yes, I do.”
Maggie didn’t catch the look and continued, “These demons have infiltrated our world, and must be stopped-”
“I agree...but-”
“And we now have the means to do just that.”
They came to a large door, and stopped. Buffy gazed at the security keypad and cocked her head, “What do you mean?”
Maggie appeared as she was going to say something, then shook her head, “In time, you’ll see. We need to run a few more tests.” She quickly changed the subject, “So, we’ll get you a pass card and code for access. You are also free to use our training facility, which I’m sure you will find to be top quality. Once we get everything in order, you’re training will begin-”
“Training? But I already tr-”
“If you want to work with us,” Maggie stressed, “you are going to need to be retrained. I will not tolerate anyone who is undisciplined to be part of this. It’s too dangerous.”
‘Undisciplined?’ she thought to herself, as Riley lead her to the elevator.
They rode in silence until stopping at the top. When the doors opened, Riley turned to her and asked, “So, what do you think?”
“Like I said,” Buffy admitted, “Impressive. I have a question?”
“Shoot.”
“What’s behind that locked door? I mean, it looked awfully top secret. Is that the project, Professor Walsh was talking about?”
“Yeah,” Riley nodded, “but don’t ask me what it behind there. Even I don’t know...that’s how secret it is. Only a handful of scientist, and Professor Walsh, have access to that.”
“Oh.”
“Buffy,” Riley asked, concerned, “What’s wrong? You look a little worried. I didn’t tell Professor Walsh about our encounter in the cemetery. I don’t think she would understand...I’m not even sure I do. But that secret’s between you and me.”
“Riley,” Buffy sighed, as they left the dorm, and stepped out into the daylight, “What would you say if I told you that not all demons are evil, and going after the ‘nice’ ones might be a huge mistake?”
Riley smiled and took her hand, “I would say, you’re heart is bigger than most people, but not in the right place.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” he explained, “It’s not only a matter of them being hostile. They’re coming into our country without our permission-”
“So do thousands of people everyday, but we don’t do experiments on them.”
“No, but they’re human. There’s a difference, right?” Riley said, “Look, you’ve been fighting them for years, you should know that.”
Buffy looked at her boyfriend and shook her head. She had to remind herself that Riley was just preaching what was drilled into his head by Professor Walsh and the Initiative. If he really knew...
“Yeah, I guess,” she sighed, kissing him on the lips.
“So, when are we going to train?” he asked, brightly.
“Later,” she answered, “First I have a few things to do.”
They parted, as the Slayer headed out to Giles’ place. She might not have found a whole lot of new information about 314...but what she did learn, frightened her.
And if she was scared...
God help the world.
|
|