Author: Michael Weyer
Title: Pantheon Rising
Copyright July 2001
Legalese: Aside from those characters I name, I do not own anything and am using them without
the permission of their creators, all rights reserved to those creators.
Spoilers:
Buffy:
Up to Season 2, Phases.
1. Buffy died fighting the Master but became Immortal. Her death activated Kendra as a Slayer.
When Kendra was badly wounded, Faith became a Slayer.
2. Jenny Calendar was not killed by Angel and is still alive.
3. Faith does not go bad and Kendra was not killed by Drusilla so both serve as Slayers.
4. Amy Madison never turned herself into a rat and is a member of the Scooby Gang (and still
blonde as well).
5. No Tara, Willow is still with Oz.
6. Joyce Summers is still alive.
7. Buffy never underwent the Cruciamentum, so Giles is her Watcher.
8. Larry is not only alive, he is part of the team.
9. Cordelia, Jenny, Willow and Amy are Amazons with abilities blessed by Artemis, Greek
Goddess of the Hunt. Xander, Giles, Oz and Larry carry equal empowerments from Robin Goodfellow.
10. Also Amazons: Dana Scully, Melissa Scully, Teresa Santigo, Andrea Parker and Maxinne.
Empowered by Robin: Fox Mulder, Jarod Russell, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, Jackson "Jax"
Briggs and the Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (Rhoan, Diedre, Ivar, Angus and Torc).
Highlander:
Up to Season 5 finale.
1. Richie Ryan is still alive.
2. The Watchers are now known to all Immortals and some are even aiding them in fighting demons.
3. A Scroll discovered by Steven St. Wolf has shown that the Game is a fraud, begun by an
ancient Immortal as a joke and got out of hand. (Of course, Steve doesn't know that the Scroll
itself is a fake. Read Immortal Kombat for more on that.)
X-Files:
1. Mulder and Scully became Immortal in 1996.
2. The two are married.
3. Skinner is their Watcher.
4. Melissa Scully became Immortal when she was shot in season 2 and was trained by Teresa
Santigo (the Queen of Swords). The duo are also lovers.
5. As noted above, both Scully sisters and Teresa are Amazons while Mulder has an equal empowerment from Robin.
Wandererverse spoilers: Immortal Kombat by myself, Inside Out by Tim Knight.
Summary: Hiding out from the angry Sunnydale gang, Robin and Liam get involved with a group
of people who have a destiny greater then they could imagine, to be decided on a distant planet.
In Sunnydale, the gang tries to aid a woman to defeat her mad brother in another
extraterrestrial affair.. But things may not be all they seem in both cases.
Elizabeth Corday, Lucy Knight and ER owned by Warner Bros.
Maximus Decimus Meridas owned by Dreamworks
Steven St. Wolf, Randi Jessup, Brian Jessup and the Sprit Guardians created and owned by Steve Panktovich.
Shaw Hunter and Ulric Johannsen created and owned by Tim Knight.
Deep breath........
Robin Goodfellow, Liam Danahure, Calliway Burton, Marybeth Andrews, Shirley Denvers, Nicky
and Katie McDaniels, Kim Wagner, Sean Cavendish, Cal Reynolds, Father Bernard Tarring, Mel
Tarrick, Dullrena, Romino, Fahn, Zev Mundac, Roz Candrum, Eril Koenig, Ujaki, Father Conrad
Garrow, the people and planet of Varra, the concept of the Pantheon and the cosmic personas of
Apalla, Darknighter, Astra, Shamaran, Elementra, Pretor, Imator and Soldar are all my own
creations and belong exclusively to me.
WHEW!!
Dedications:
Thanks to Steve for inviting me into this madness in the first place and okaying things with the
story.
Immense, immeasurable and seemingly never-enough thanks to Tim Knight for dialogue,
character aid, brilliant ideas and agreeing to my suggestion as to just who could win the heart of the half-elf he created.
Let's get ready to rock........
Somwhere
Sometime
"Avatar."
Silence
"Avatar."
More silence.
"AVATAR!"
"What do ya want already?"
"You must prepare."
"Prepare what? Dinner? Party? Rave? Orgy? Oooh, hope it's the last one."
"Avatar, cease this foolishness."
"Sure, what foolishness do you want to see?"
Sighing.
"Avatar, you must be ready. Forces are converging that will cause you to release your debt at long last."
"Aw, man, don't tell me the Cubs actually won the World Series."
"No, Avatar. They are coming."
"Really? Cool, great, I'll get ready."
Silence
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
"Shows, huh?"
"The protectors you have awaited. The ones who will embody the powers you have kept
sacred.. The souls worthy of the energies to save two worlds."
"Could you be a tad more specific?"
"The Queen of Light. The Sage of Shadows. The Mistress of the Stars. The Master Mage. The Fury of Nature. The Pride of the Wild. The Dreamweaver. The Gladiator."
"Oh, them."
"With them will be others, two of whom are known to you. It is time, Avatar."
"Cool, I'll order a pizza."
"Be wary, Avatar. Cosmic forces are converging in a way that may cause chaos to all." "Ain't that always the way?"
Chicago, Illinois
May 23rd, 1999 - 1823 hours Central Standard Time
The sun was beginning its downward motion towards setting, throwing summer shadows onto the skyscrapers of Chicago. Even in May, the gusts that gave the Windy City its name kept things from becoming too warm. There would be hot days down the road in a few weeks but for now, Chicago still felt like spring weather, jeans and jackets still the normal dress code.
The dress code would appear to be lost on the two figures who were walking down State Street. One had an unruly mop of red hair, a wide grin and was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a green shirt and a green jacket with a large shamrock insignia on the back. It would have taken a keen pair of eyes to see the pointed ears peeking through his hair. His companion was even wilder, wearing a pair of red slacks, a red vest over a black shirt and a red overcoat flapping behind him thanks to the wind, yet his red cap stayed on his brown hair, the small bangs on either side of his face blowing a bit in the wind.
"Ah, I missed this town," Liam Danahure said with a grin, arms spread wide, his Irish brogue heavy even in a light tone. "You can feel the Irish in it. Well, once you get past the Italian, Hispanic, Chinese and African-American influences ye can."
"Hmph," Robin Goodfellow sniffed, evidentially not in the same good spirits as his long- time best friend.
Liam shook his head. "What are you upset about? Isn't this a great town?"
"It's not our town," Robin replied. "I want to be back in Sunnydale."
"Kind of hard since they want our heads," Liam reminded him.
"Oh and whose fault is that?" Robin asked. "The guys decide to throw a welcome-to-town party and hire a stripper who happened to look just like Kathleen, your all-time favorite wife. Okay, you were pissed, I accept it, so was I, I couldn't believe they could do something so cruel. And Artemis backed us up. Of course, none of us were aware of the fact that it was a coincidence and the kids had no idea who Kathleen was. So when the monthly Big Bad comes to town and casts a spell that switches the guys' bodies around, including Shaw, despite the fact she had nothing to do with the joke and, like Joyce, had chewed the guys out for it, everyone thinks you did it. But you managed to convince them otherwise but still decided to do payback by filming the entire week-long switch. Now, while it was hilarious to see the guys going a week in each other's bodies, I couldn't be with Amy since she was in Shaw's body and then a pack of lunatic elves come to town along with the Balrog and we have to fight them all off. So we get things back to normal, at which point the guys learn we taped the entire mix-up and sent copies to every one of their allies, so they run us out of town. The only reason they haven't come after us is because we sent them all copies of a master edition showing how Shaw, Larry, Faith and Kendra were all helping us out with the gag all along."
"Thank you, master of the bluidy exposition," Liam said sourly. "Look, Robin, it's not that bad. Just give it a few days and they'll be more pissed at Shaw so the heat will be off."
"It'd better be," Robin muttered. "I'd kind of like to get back to my own home sometime soon."
"Ye always were a worry-wart, Robbie," Liam smiled. "Ye've been in Sunnydale too long, a road trip will do ye some good! We check out Chi-Town a bit, maybe catch a Cubs game, maybe even check out that lass you said played the best you in 'A Mid-Summer's Night Dream' last year and then I think Disney World is a great place to unwind."
"Liam, try to contain yourself," Robin said in a slightly chiding tone. "Remember, we're both on a lower power level now, we can't just zip around anytime we feel like it. Low profile, Liam, you do know the meaning of the words low profile?"
"Chill, laddie," Liam said. "It's just a little vacation, what's the worst that could happen?"
Robin groaned. "Oh, God, Liam, didn't you learn your lesson last week? You say that and now anything-------"
As if to validate his unspoken comment, a man came running around the corner and slammed right into the two faeries, knocking them back. The man bounced off and fell to the ground, the copy of the "Chicago Sun-Times" in his hands falling to the ground. "Shit, sorry about that," he said in a nervous voice. He seemed to be an average-looking guy, somewhat handsome with dark hair, dressed in jeans and a faded shirt, hurriedly coming to his feet and brushing himself off.
"Sorry," he repeated. "I'm kind of in a hurry, didn't see you coming this-----" He broke off and glanced around. "My paper. Oh, God, where's the paper?"
"Right here," Robin said, holding up the paper he had caught in his hand. "We've got it all, Mr.....?"
"Gary Hobson," the man answered. "Can I get that back?" He reached for the paper with Robin glancing at it.
"Hold up a minute," the faery replied. "I need to check what the weather------" He paused as he looked at the heading on the paper, then looked closer. "Liam, what day is this?"
"What?" Liam frowned. Before them, Gary groaned and rolled his eyes.
"What day?" Robin repeated. "As in, the date."
"The 23rd, why?" Liam asked in confusion.
Nodding, Robin held up the paper to show the heading, letting Liam clearly read the date just under the paper's name. "May 24th," Liam frowned. "Well, I'll be damned."
Gary swallowed. "Look, there really is a perfectly good explanation......."
"Ye got one of the prophecy papers!" Liam said, glancing at it.
Gary froze and stared at him. "The what?" he choked out.
"Prophesy papers," Robin explained, checking out the headlines. "Our nickname for them. Just people around the world who, for some reason, get tomorrow's news today."
"People?" Gary repeated. "You mean......You mean, I'm not the only one?"
"Course not," Liam sniffed. "There's people around the world who get it. What do you use it for?"
"What?" Gary said, not believing these two were just accepting this.
"I mean, do you check out lotto numbers, stocks, horse races, that sort of thing?" Liam pressed.
"Um, no," Gary shrugged. "I just sort of......try and help people out, stop disasters and stuff like that."
"Well, well, a humanitarian," Robin smiled, handing the paper over to Gary. "So nice to know there's still people like that around."
"I can't believe it's not just me," Gary muttered.
"I'm surprised too," Robin said, turning to Liam. "I thought you'd talked Callie out of doing this!"
"Since when have I ever talked Callie out of doing anything?" Liam shrugged.
"Well, you have me there," Robin nodded.
"It's probably better that she still does it this way," Liam pointed out.
"What do you mean?" Robin frowned.
"You want to imagine Callie online?"
Robin shivered at the image of Liam's four time ex-wife and seer on the Internet.
"Wait, wait," Gary shook his head. "Someone is actually giving these to me?"
"And yer using them the way she wanted," Liam replied. "That's why she created them."
"I thought she created them because she lost the bet on the '51 pennant game," Robin remarked.
"What can I say?" Liam shrugged. "Not even Callie saw Thompson's homer coming."
Gary looked at the two, shook his head and spoke. "Listen. Normally, I wouldn't ask this but since you two seem to know already, maybe you can help me out. I've got two major emergencies to deal with, one's about a block away, one's halfway across town, they're both going to happen at the same time. Can you two help?"
"Sure thing," Liam nodded. "What do you need?"
Gary flipped open the paper and folded it to a certain page to let Robin and Liam see what was written on it. "I hate to ask," he repeated. "But------"
"Say no more," Liam said, rising. "Come on, Rob, let's do some good work, might influence our karma."
"We could damn sure use it," Robin muttered, shaking his head as they moved off. Gary watched them go, shook his head and took off. He'd figure out what they said later, right now he had a car crash to prevent.
"Lad needs to take on some helpers," Liam said as he and Robin moved off. "Callie wouldn't want him to drive himself into a nervous breakdown."
"If he couldn't do it, Callie wouldn't have picked him," Robin said. "Come on, let's do our good deed for the day."
In the days and weeks and months to come, the two faeries would look back on this moment and wonder if just maybe that story had been intended for them, not Gary Hobson, who was fortunate to avoid the events that were to come.
It wasn't a tall building, only six or seven stories. Given its proximity to the river that cut through the city, it was a popular spot for businesses and some swank apartments but not exactly stargazing so it was a safe bet the young woman standing near the edge wasn't there for the view.
She was about 17, a little over 5' 6", with short black hair cut in a pageboy style around her face. She was pretty, not overly attractive but with the right effort, could show her beauty clearly. Her beauty was marred at this moment with streaks of makeup, tears rolling down her face, drops on the insides of her glasses, dripping down to the nice green dress she wore.
Marybeth Andrews had turned 17 last week and fully expected to be dead inside the next two minutes.
It wasn't what she had planned for her life but she knew life wasn't fair. She'd gotten that lesson about half-an-hour before and just couldn't handle it, which was why she was balanced on the edge of the building, looking down, her mind automatically making the computations to push herself out so she'd land in the river, hopefully not too messy.
Closing her eyes and steeling herself, her mind raced. Seventeen years wasn't a long time so she figured her life wouldn't take too long to flash before her eyes. But some things just came to the surface right now. *Mom. Dad. I love you. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.* Swallowing, she took one last breath and kicked herself outward----
---And a pair of hands grabbed her and yanked her back and onto the roof, pulling her away. Marybeth yelled as she shook her head, staring at the two men in wild clothing. "Who the hell are you?" she yelled.
"Two people who are trying to save your life," Robin said.
"I don't want it," Marybeth muttered, moving back to the ledge, Liam grabbing her arm.
"Lass, come on, ye don't want to do this," he said, Marybeth tearing her arm away.
"You don't know what I want!" she yelled. "You don't know what's happened, what that jerk did to me!"
"What jerk?" Robin frowned.
"Randy Morris," Marybeth muttered, turning away from them.
"Who?" Liam asked.
"Doesn't matter," she said, wiping at her face. "Nothing matters now."
"Lass, come on, it can't be that bad," Liam said. "There can't be a good reason to kill yerself."
"Oh, it can't?" Marybeth said, turning to them. "You want to know how bad it is? You want a good reason? Fine. Three days ago, the captain of the football team, the big hunk, comes over and asks me to go the big dance with him. Me. ME! The biggest geek in school! So, I get my hair done, I blow three months allowance on my dress, get makeup that will work with my glasses, a new haircut, everything, I come down here and I wait for him and guess what?"
"He dumped you, didn't he?" Robin said gently.
"Oh, no," Marybeth said sarcastically. "No, he doesn't just dump me. First, he has me wait outside the train station for twenty minutes. Then, he drives by in his limo, having it slow down enough for him and Monica Heathers, head of the rich bitch popular crowd, his *real* date, to pop out and throw a couple of rotten tomatoes in my face, then drive off laughing! I figure, hey, no way I'm gonna be able to show my face in school, so what the hell?"
She turned away, wiping at fresh tears as the two men looked at her with compassion. Liam sighed. "Lass, trust me, it doesn't matter what he did. There is no one and I mean no one worth throwing your entire life away for. Especially not a piece of shit like this."
"Trust him, lady, he knows all about being a piece of shit," Robin nodded.
"Yer not helping, Rob," Liam shot at him.
Marybeth threw up her hands and turned to them. "Okay, Irish boy," she shot at him. "How many women have you had, huh? How many women have you had walk out on you?"
"Well, first you have to consider the fact that I've been married 287 times......." Liam started.
Marybeth stared at him, her tears forgotten at the shock of his statement. "287 times?" she said hoarsely. "Who the hell are you, Liz Taylor?"
Liam shook his head. "No, lass. I'm Liam Devlin O'Shaunnesgy Patrick Dillon O'Hara Paddywick McHale Thornton Danahure of the Leprechaun Glens."
Marybeth stared at him for a full minute before shaking her head and turning to Robin. "Let me guess," she said dryly. "You're a faery, right?"
Robin was taken aback by surprise. "How'd you know?"
Marybeth stared further. "Robin Goodfellow," Robin smiled, shaking her limp hand. Marybeth just kept staring as Liam turned to his old friend.
"Robbie, me lad," he said in a tight voice. "A grave injustice has been done to this girl. I see it as our duty, nay, our moral obligation, to ensure some payback."
"I know," Robin nodded. "I mean, honestly, asking her out on a fake date and throwing tomatoes at her? I've done so much better than that. The younger generation shows no imagination these days, I mean, if it had been me, I would have------"
"Robbie?" Liam interrupted. Robin paused, looking at him, then at the still staring Marybeth. "Oh, right," he nodded. He turned to her. "Where's this dance?"
"Um, hotel ballroom downtown," she answered. "What......What are you going to do?"
"Never plan an act of vengeance, lass," Liam answered, turning and walking towards the exit door. "Just let it happen naturally."
"Although getting inspiration from an Italian bartender and a leggy lawyer do count," Robin added with a smile. Becoming more rapidly convinced by the minute that she was in the presence of two escapees from a lunatic asylum, Marybeth followed them out.
Rushing towards the scene where the car accident was going to take place, Gary Hobson quickly checked his paper. As he looked, the headline HONOR STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE OVER PRANK faded and was replaced by another headline. HIGH SCHOOL DANCE TURNS INTO DEBACLE. Shrugging, Gary raced on, not giving the two people he'd met another thought, unaware of just what he had set into motion.
County General Hospital
1844 Hours CST
The room was quiet, not surprisingly given it was a morgue. The chill in the air seemed to suck all the sound out of it, making it seem even scarier than it really was. Lined around were bodies, most naked, some still with clothing, bloody and torn, tags on their toes, sheets covering them. Most were strangers, people who had never been seen before by those who worked here. But tonight that was different, tonight one of those corpses was well known.
Tonight, the ER mourned one of its own.
The clicking of heels broke the silence as a figure moved down through the row of metal slabs carrying the corpses, glancing from one to the other until it found the appropriate one. A pair of hands drew back the sheet to expose a lovely young woman, a fragile beauty with dark blond hair flowing around her. Her face seemed serene, as if she had just stopped off for a nap instead of left this life. The sheet was pulled down to expose her small body, still wearing a professional outfit with a white lab coat, the doctor's uniform. Her blouse and coat were both stained with blood, a massive red blot on her abdomen, a match of the one on her back.
The figure didn't need to glance at the information to know who this was and what had brought her here. Lucy Knight, intern, bright and energetic if inexperienced but learning, a woman seemingly with her entire future in her hands.
Until a disturbed man she had treated earlier in the evening came back and stabbed her in the stomach and back. John Carter, another doctor on staff, had also been wounded and, after a great deal of surgery, had been put into stable condition. Lucy, on the other hand, hadn't been so lucky. Everyone had tried their best but it just wasn't enough and she had been declared dead less than an hour ago.
The figure pulled the sheet away and checked the body, looking under the clothing to where the wound had been. Finding what had been expected, the figure nodded and quickly moved to lock the morgue door. Coming back, the figure leaned against a table, eyes fixed on Lucy's body and waited.
It didn't take long.
Lucy's eyes shot open suddenly, the table under her shaking as she took in a gasp of breath, eyes whipping around as she came back to life. She sat up, heaving with breath, shaking her head as she tried to get her bearings together. She glanced around her, starting as she saw all the bodies around her. She glanced down at herself and let out a small yelp as she saw the blood on her clothing, jumping off the table and looking around.
"Okay.....okay......" she said softly. "Just.....just take it easy, Lucy. Think this through. You got stabbed.....They wheeled you in.....And then.....And then...."
She yelled and grabbed her head as a sharp pain suddenly filled it. It almost blinded her, the sudden buzzing in her head, the drop in her stomach and the icy feeling running up her spine. "Oh, God," she moaned. "What was that?"
"We call it the Buzz," a British accent cut into her. "It's always scary the first time. You get used to it after a while."
Startled, Lucy glanced up in amazement at the woman standing before her. "Doctor Corday?"
Dr. Elizabeth Corday let out a small smile as she stepped forward, wearing a loose blouse and jacket with dark slacks, her reddish-brown curly hair framing a face that was the perfection of English beauty. She looked Lucy up and down and smiled. "Lucy. Sorry I couldn't be here sooner."
"Doctor Corday-----"
"Please," Corday smiled. "Call me Elizabeth. You'll be getting used to it, believe me."
"Okay, Elizabeth," Lucy sighed. "What the hell is going on?"
Elizabeth's smile faded and she sighed. "Lucy, there's no easy way to say this," she said as she came closer. "I had hoped to get to you beforehand, maybe even hide it, but the fact is, it's now official." She straightened and looked Lucy dead in the eye. "You died, Lucy. You bled to death from the wounds, there was nothing anyone could do and it's important you understand this. You died."
Lucy stared at her, trying to process that statement. "But.....but...." she whispered. "I....I don't.....How can I be here? This doesn't make any sense!" She saw a smile on Elizabeth's face. "What? What are you smiling at?
"You," the older woman shrugged. "God, it brings back memories of my first time."
"First time?" Lucy frowned. She glanced at the corpses and went a little pale. "I don't want to know."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Not that. I mean the first time I died."
Lucy stared at her. "What?" she asked automatically before she could think of anything else.
Elizabeth glanced over and saw a scalpel nearby. Picking it up, she held it before her hand. Gritting her teeth, she dragged it along her palm, opening a huge cut, straight to the bone. Lucy instinctively moved to her but Elizabeth held up her hand. Lucy stopped and stared as what appeared to be bolts of electricity covered the wound, the blood seeming to vanish and in seconds the hand was good as new.
"Damn," Elizabeth muttered, shaking it a bit. "Always forget how much that hurts."
Lucy just stared. "Please tell me I'm dreaming," she whispered almost pleadingly.
"That's what I said when I came back the first time," Elizabeth nodded.
"When was that?" Lucy asked before she could really think about it.
"1771," Elizabeth replied quite naturally.
Lucy just stared, unable to accept what she'd just heard. "That----How-----What---- You're-----"
"Two hundred and sixty one years old," Elizabeth nodded. "My name is Lady Elizabeth Corday, born in Manchester, England in the year of our Lord, 1738. Killed in a holdup in Paris in 1771. I'm Immortal, Lucy. And now, so are you."
Lucy just stared in shock. "I-----I don't understand....."
Elizabeth nodded and moved over to a locker. "Let me find you some fresh clothes and sneak you out of here," she said, rummaging through the clothing inside. "I'll explain it all, I promise you, once we're on holy ground."
"Why holy ground?" Lucy asked.
"That's one of the things best discussed on holy ground," Elizabeth answered, coming up to her with arms covered in spare clothes.
"Why?" Lucy pressed.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Americans," she muttered. "Here, put these on." She pushed the clothing at her but Lucy just stared at her. Sighing, Elizabeth leaned down and looked her right in the eyes. "Lucy, please, you have to trust me, this is the single most important thing you are ever going to hear in your life. I promise, I'll answer all your questions but not here and now. Please, trust me."
Somehow knowing she was going to regret this, Lucy peeled off her bloody clothing and swiftly changed. Elizabeth handed her a dark cap and bundled her hair inside, then a pair of glasses. "Back entrance should be empty," the Englishwoman said. "But best not to take chances."
"Why?"
"Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into?" Elizabeth moaned.
Radisson Hotel Ballroom
1845 hours CST
Richard Jacobs wiped a handkerchief along his forehead, sighing as he felt how high the bald skin was starting to rise on his head. Only in his forties and he was already getting bald. Well, he was the principal of a high school so he supposed that was inevitable, given all he had to deal with. At least the summer gave him a chance to unwind a bit before the whole cycle started over again. He tugged at the collar on his shirt, wishing he didn't have to be so formal tonight. But, for dances, it was a necessity, to give himself an air of authority.
He turned at the footsteps behind him, frowning as he saw the three people coming up. The dance had been going on for about an hour and everyone who was supposed to come was here. He had left some of the other teachers inside to make sure things were okay so didn't know who would be coming this late.
His frown deepened as he saw that two of the people were quite easily too old for high school and one was quite familiar to him. "Marybeth?" he asked, coming forward and looking over the stains on her dress. "What's going on?"
"Hi, Mr. Jacobs," Marybeth nodded respectively.
"What happened?" Jacobs said, looking over Marybeth's disheveled appearance.
"Well, we're about to give the majority of the bunch in there a much-needed lesson in manners," Robin answered with a smile.
Jacobs looked at him and Liam and somehow knew letting these two into the dance was going to be a bad idea. "Now, wait, I don't want any trouble------"
"Little late for that," Liam broke in. "Ye know a couple of folks by the names of Morris and Heathers?"
"Randy and Monica?" Jacob frowned. "What of them?"
"Well, they played a big joke on the lass here," Liam explained, nodding towards Marybeth. "And basically, we want to give them some payback for it."
Jacobs shook his head. "Listen, I'm not going to allow you two to-----"
"Mr. Jacobs," Robin interrupted gently. "If it weren't for my friend and I here, Marybeth would be floating in the river right now thanks to those two."
Jacobs stared at him and then at Marybeth, who nodded solemnly. "What'd they do?"
It took less than a minute to tell the story and Jacobs bit his lip, thinking. "That was....very nasty. But I just can't watch you two to do something to my students." He slowly nodded. "Give me a minute to get all the teachers out of there."
The large ballroom was filled with decorations with a sea theme, some miniature fountains and even a small aquarium near one wall, albeit without any fish in it. The "Under the Sea" dance a huge success, teens in the best suits and dresses mingling among themselves. Well, that wasn't exactly accurate. The fact was that the room seemed divided between the popular kids and the less popular ones, with little contact between the two. Still, they were all united in failing to notice how the teachers, after a quick talk with Jacobs, left the room. And all were united when the doors burst wide open and Robin and Liam marched in.
Without warning, the music cut out, an angry roar going up at the loss of their dance tunes, cut off as everyone took notice of the two bizarre figures who slowly strode to the middle of the floor. They took a moment to look all around the room, gauging the reactions of those inside before Robin spoke up.
"Has anyone heard what happened to Marybeth Andrews?" At the faery's question, several seniors on the popular side snickered while some of the unpopular clique looked down at the floor or wore sad expressions.
"I'll take that as a yes," Robin said, looking around until his gaze focused on an athletic young man and his apparent date, a blonde-haired beauty in a light dress. "Let me guess. Randy and Monica, right?"
"Um, yeah," Randy frowned. "What do you care?"
"We're friends of Marybeth," Liam explained. "Good ones."
"Wow, she has friends?" Monica smirked. "When did this happen?" The smirk faded as she took in the hard look on Robin's face. The faery took a step forward until he was looking Monica in the eye.
"That girl almost died tonight," he said in a low tone. "She almost died because of what you did. She was ready to kill herself because of that stupid joke you pulled."
Monica shrugged. "So?"
Robin stared at her in disbelief, then at Randy, who wore the same uncaring look. "Oh, that's it." He gazed at the seniors who appeared to be confused as to what the fuss was about, then at Liam. "Liam. Music."
Smiling, Liam raised his fingers and snapped them. Instantly, the speakers began blasting out a hard rock tune. Robin listened to it and looked at his friend. "'Ballroom Blitz?'"
"Figured it was apros," Liam smiled as he waved his hand. A table filled with deserts started to shake, everyone staring at it in confusion. Liam made a motion and the table flipped up, the pies and cakes on it smashing up in a large arc before coming down on top of the seniors, Randy and Monica getting the full burnt of the ariel drop.
The two were gasping for breath, wiping sticky desert off their faces when Robin got into it. Another wave and the punch bowls went flying off a table, keeping upright as they floated over the heads of the group. Robin slowly raised his thumb, then turned it down, the bowls unloading their punch onto the screaming teens, two bowls landing right on Monica and Randy's heads, causing them to stumble in confusion as they tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Eat yer heart out, Carrie," Liam grinned as he flicked his fingers. The teens near the back of the crowd shrieked as they felt the aquarium break apart, deluging them with water. The small fountains along the walls streaked out water at the group, dousing them down, yet managing to avoid hitting any of the less popular crowd, who were watching it all with absolute amazement on their features.
Robin glanced at the dishelved seniors and then to Liam. "I think they could use a rinsing, don't you?"
Smiling, Liam nodded and faced the group, concentrating hard, Robin with him. Nozzles came alive from the ceiling, spilling water down onto the dance floor. What made it unique, however, was how the water seemed to stop inches short of the younger part of the class while the seniors and other popular kids were doused hard, shrieks clearly heard over the pounding drops.
With a wave of the hand, both Robin and Liam let out a final magical burst that stopped the downpour, then stood, watching their handiwork. The music cut off, stunned silence filling the hall. Slowly, the younger classmen came up behind them, not sure what was going on but definitely enjoying the sight of the people who had long tormented them now getting a taste of their own medicine.
Randy threw off the bowl from his head, his hair sticky from the punch and the deserts. "What-----how-------" He broke off as Liam reached over and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him in tight. Randy felt a shudder of fear go through him as he gazed into the leprechaun's cold eyes.
"Right," Liam said in an icy tone. "Me and me mate here are going to beat the shit of you and you know it and these people know it and we all know you deserve it." He hauled back a fist as the jock closed his eyes in readiness.
"Don't hit him, Liam." Everyone turned to see Marybeth come up, her face hard. Liam stepped back as she walked up, looking Randy right in the eye with a steely resolve she'd never shown before. She clenched her jaw and talked to him.
"I can't believe I was actually going to throw my life away because of you. You're beneath me, you know that? It doesn't matter how rich your father is or how big on campus you are. When we get out of school, it's a whole new ballgame. When I'm working at NASA and getting ready to go to the stars, you'll be lucky to be a middle-class manager at some investment firm. I don't need you to date me, I don't need you to make me feel special, I can do that on my own. And right now, I'd love nothing more than to nail you one myself. But then I'd just be sinking to your level and I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror for two days."
She turned on her heel and walked off. She took two steps before stopping, apparently thinking something over, then shrugging. "Ah, what's two days?" She spun around and launched a kick that nailed Randy right between the legs, the man gasping in pain as he bent over, almost every student there dropping their jaws open in shock at the sight. Marybeth let out a tiny smile as she turned again to walk by Robin and Liam.
"You bitch!" Monica shrieked. "Look at me! Look at my dress! When my mother learns what you did------"
"She already knows." Every single person in the hall turned to see Jacobs standing before them, a sour look on his face that was minored by the teachers behind him as well as the two middle-aged couples standing on either side of him, both looking quite angrily at Randy and Monica, who both shrunk back a bit.
"Mom?" Monica stammered, looking at her blonde-haired mother and her sandy-haired father, both with very angry expressions on their faces. "Dad? What----what are you-----?"
"We took the liberty of calling them before dropping by here," Liam explained with a smile.
"You called our parents?" Monica asked in disbelief.
"Well, it was that or jail," Robin shrugged. "And let's face it, parents are scarier than jail."
Randy stood up, wheezing for breath a bit before coming up to face his father, a red- haired man who stood by his black-haired wife, both not looking happy. "Look, Dad," Randy started. "I don't know what you've heard, but it's all been blown out of proportion."
"Really?" Mr. Morris said. "So you didn't ask that girl out solely for the purpose of humiliating her?"
Randy licked his lips nervously. "Well, yeah," he said, shrugging. "But, Dad, come on. I think you should reconsider hooking up with her dad like you were talking about. Look at me, look at what she did! I mean, look at her, she's a loser, he probably is too, probably worked as a cook or a busboy or-------"
Randy trailed off as the fury on his father's face finally impacted upon him. "I've got news for you, Randy," he said coldly. "I've been a cook. I've been a busboy. I worked at a garage and a mail room and a lot of other minor menial jobs before I joined the company Maybe that's the education I should have given you instead of spoiling you. I tried to give you what I didn't have at your age and this is the result. A son who think it's all right to hurt an innocent girl just because he feels like it."
"Oh, come on, Dad!" Randy barked. "Look at her! She's a geek, a loser, she has no friends, she was so obviously up for a date, hell, she's not even that good-looking!"
As Marybeth winced a bit from the insults, Mrs. Morris stepped forward, a hurtful expression on her face as she looked at her son. "You know something, Randy? I was a lot like her when I was in high school. And I had people trashing me every day but I got beyond it, I grew up, I married and I raised a family. And I can't believe my own son would actually do something worse than even they could."
"Um, scuse me?" Robin announced. "Hate to interrupt this, but sorry about the mess, my friend and I will clean up------"
"Oh, no, no, no," Jacobs said with a slight smile. "I wouldn't hear of it. No, I think Randy, Monica and their little clique will be just right for the job."
"Um, sir?" Monica asked, wiping her hair. "I have to get home. I've got this big trip for New York planned with some friends and I have to start packing------"
"Oh, honey," Mrs. Heathers said in a chiding tone. "You can forget about New York. In fact, you can forget about a whole lot of things."
"But, Mom," Monica started in the whining tone that had helped win her mother over many a time before.
"It's going to work this time, honey," Mrs. Heathers said in a cold tone. "You almost drove a girl to kill herself over a joke that was just cruel and thoughtless. I can't believe you'd actually treat another human being like this."
"Mom, come on," Monica said, laughing. "She's not exactly a human being."
"That comment just cost you the car," Mr. Heathers interjected.
"What?!" Monica shrieked.
"Honey, don't even *think* of interrupting again," Mrs. Heathers went on. She turned to face the principal. "Mr. Jacobs, Monica has just volunteered for any summer programs at the school and will be happy to aid you in anything you might think of, say, cleaning some of the halls?"
"I think that will suffice," Jacobs said with a smile.
"Wait a minute," Randy said, holding up a hand. "I'm going to be spending the summer getting ready for college-----"
"Randy, you've just proven you are in absolutely no mental state to go to college," Mr. Morris said. "If you think I'm letting you take this attitude of looking down on people to a college on my money, think again. Until I think you're ready, college is off, it's going to be a long, hard, menial labor career until you learn something."
"Oh, I like him," Liam smiled.
"Hey, Randy?" A young man wearing an ill-fitting suit and overgrown glasses spoke out from the dry side of the hallway. "How does it feel to be pushed down for a change?"
"All right, that's enough," Jacobs said, his face and tone hard as he took in the entire student body present. "Now, I know you people may feel some joy at seeing them get their comeuppance and it might be deserved. But by feeling this way, you're no better than how they've felt about you. I can't pretend that feelings like that can change overnight. I don't expect that. But I will say this."
He turned to the soaked seniors, his gaze still hard. "I've lost count of how many times I've seen people like you push down people like Marybeth just because they didn't fit the definition of 'cool.' And I've lost count of how many times I've seen reunions where the cheerleaders are now overweight and stuck in dead-end lives and the people they tormented are now the true beauties and successful. Think on that very carefully because it's like the old saying goes: watch who you step on the way to the top, because they'll be waiting for you when you go to the bottom."
He turned back to the lower classmen. "Hating them for how they treat you is no better than how they feel about you and may even be worse. You should be above feeling that, you should be above hating due to differences, yours or theirs. Judge people by what they are, for what they're worth, not for what they seem to your standards. You people are the next generation. Start acting like it."
A long silence hung over the room that was broken by the sound of hands clapping together as Robin and Liam began to applaud, the wave spreading to the teachers, then the students, even some of the soaked ones acknowledging the wisdom of Jacob's words.
"Sure, the guys couldn't have gotten *him* for a principal back in Sunnydale," Robin smirked.
Mr. Morris turned towards Marybeth and smiled. "I think your father can count on that little business deal going through. If he's got half the strength of his daughter, he's just the kind of man I want to know."
"Thanks," Marybeth said with a smile.
"If there's anything we can do to make up for what they did-----" Mrs. Heathers started.
"No," Marybeth said. "Just.....do what you want with them. That's fine by me."
"Spoken with wisdom beyond your years," a voice came up behind her. Marybeth turned and grinned as she saw a young man in a nice suit come forward. He appeared to be about 18, with short black hair and handsome features, a few inches taller than Marybeth and looked happy to see her. "Good to see you bounce back, Marybeth. Believe me, if I knew what was going to happen, I would have asked you out."
"You didn't need that excuse," Marybeth said shyly.
<Someone's got it for someone> Liam smiled.
"Friend of yours, Marybeth?" Robin asked.
"Just a study partner, really," Marybeth said. "Mel Tarrick, this is Robin and Liam."
Mel shook hands with each, looking around the hall as he did. "Nice work. Just how did you....do this?"
"Trade secret, laddie," Liam smiled. "You complaining?"
"Oh, no," Mel said, shaking his head. "No, no, I don't disagree at all. Those people did need a lesson a lot of teachers wouldn't give out."
"Always our pleasure to hand such things out," Robin smiled.
"Yeah, we figured it was best we help her now," Liam said. "Otherwise, she'd carry the hate and resentment of what happened within her for years until it warped her mind and drove her insane so she'd come back to the reunion and start hunting down and killing all her tormenters off one by one......" He trailed off as he saw the three staring at him.
"When we get back," Robin said carefully. "You're off the Sci-Fi Channel and the USA Network for a month."
Mel nodded and looked at Marybeth. "Are you okay getting home? Train and all?"
"Well, I haven't gotten the chance to call my mom and dad yet," Marybeth frowned. "I guess they still expect me to be out for a while longer."
"Hmm," Mel nodded, glancing about the soaked ballroom. "Look, it's going to be a mess here for a while longer. Would you like to....go somewhere? I mean, just take a walk, maybe ice cream or something? It'd be a shame to waste a night like this, you know?"
Marybeth looked at him and slowly nodded. "Sure. Sure, I'd like that a lot, thanks." She looked over at Robin and Liam. "I don't know how to thank you guys, really."
"Our pleasure, lassie, our pleasure," Liam stated. "Just go and enjoy yourself. Tonight and the rest of your life."
"Well, I think our work here is done," Robin said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "Have a great time, kiddo and be sure to spread the legend of the dance around. I could use all the good press I can get."
With a grin of thanks, Marybeth allowed Mel to take her arm and headed towards the exit.
"Good kid," Liam stated. "Nice, calm, dependable, good head on her shoulders. And the lad seems a decent sort too."
"Very true," Robin nodded. "So, how far a distance you think we should follow them from?"
"Seventy feet?"
"Sounds good. Let's go."
Our Lady of Heaven Catholic Church
1920 Hours CST
The church was of the old style, built in the 1930's, with a wonderful Gothic feel to it. The large chamber held nearly a hundred rows of pews, stained glass windows catching the lights starting to come on from the streets outside, the chamber nearly empty, save for a man near the back and the two women sitting near the front, facing the large altar.
Lucy was wearing a hastily thrown on pair of jeans and a light shirt with jacket, taken from the laundry, the jacket turned inside out to hide the blood stains left from its previous wearer. Elizabeth was dressed in a light blouse and slacks, her hair flowing around her as she looked at Lucy. After taking her out of the morgue and sneaking her out of the hospital, Elizabeth had walked Lucy the few blocks over to the church. Once there, she'd told Lucy everything: Immortality, the Game, beheading, faking identities, everything a newly made Immortal needed to know. It was quite a lot to take in so Lucy's reaction was understandable.
"I'm gonna be sick," she moaned, holding her head as she leaned forward. "Oh, God, this can't be happening."
"It is," Elizabeth said firmly. "I'm sorry, Lucy, but you have to understand that right here and now. Your life is over, literally."
"Oh my God," Lucy said, sitting up. "My parents.....The hospital's probably called them, I have to-----"
"They're not your parents," Elizabeth said gently.
Lucy looked at her, her face pale. "What?" she choked out.
Elizabeth sighed. "Immortals are foundlings. I was apparently adopted into a wealthy family, probably to replace a baby who died. So, I'm sorry, but the people you think are your parents aren't."
"What?" Lucy said in shock. "But.....But what about your mother?"
Elizabeth frowned for a moment before understanding. "Oh, you mean that woman who was at the hospital the other week? Old friend. I saved the lives of her and her family during the war, dying in the process, so they repay me by popping back in every now and then to pretend to be family." She chuckled lightly. "Mind you, she liked it better when she could pass for my younger sister instead of my mother."
"Oh, I don't believe this," Lucy said, anger coming to her voice. "First you tell me I'm dead, then you tell me I'm Immortal, then you tell me I have to kill to survive, now my parents aren't my parents? I want out of this, okay?"
"This isn't a health club, Lucy," Elizabeth said in a chiding tone. "There's no going back. Now that you're Immortal, the only way out is a beheading and I think we want to avoid that."
"How?" Lucy shot back. "By killing someone else? I can't do that."
"You'll have to learn," Elizabeth said tonelessly.
"I'm a doctor, dammit! I took the same oath you did! Do no harm."
Elizabeth looked at her with a flare of anger in her eyes. "I was Immortal for a century before I became a doctor, Lucy. I've had to do a lot of things I didn't want to in order to survive and playing the game was one of them. And might I add, the Hippocratic Oath was not intended to be a suicide pact. It's kill or be killed, it's that simple."
Lucy looked at her, a soft horror covering her. "And you've done that? You've..... killed people?"
Elizabeth looked away. "It's something I had to do," she said softly. "And I hated it every time, believe me. But you have to learn or you die."
Lucy stared at her. "How long have you known? About me?"
Elizabeth looked down. "Since the first day we met. I didn't say anything because that's not how it works. I had to wait for it to happen naturally and hope I could get to you in time."
A thought struck Lucy and she stared at the older Immortal. "Did Benton know? Or Greene?"
Elizabeth sighed at the mention of her former boyfriend Peter Benton and her current one, Mark Greene. "No. Neither of them knows."
"Not even Dr. Greene?" Lucy pressed. "You haven't told him?"
"Well, it's not exactly the sort of thing that just pops up in idle conversation," Elizabeth barked back. "'Hello, Mark, how was your day, I'm older than your country, pass the potatoes.' It's not that easy, Lucy, especially when you've got a couple of centuries on you."
Lucy rubbed her head. "What now?"
Elizabeth sighed. "You're dead in Chicago for about fifty years. You're dead in America for about twenty. First thing is to find someplace you can hide until I can arrange a new identity and a way to get you out of-------"
She cut off and straightened as the Buzz hit her. Lucy gasped in pain, gripping her head as it came over her again. "God, is it always like that?"
"Headaches will fade soon," Elizabeth said, turning around to the back of the church. "The chils up the spine and the drop in the stomach still remain." Lucy looked back as well as the two took in the man walking down the aisle towards them. His pace slowed and stopped as he faced the duo.
He wasn't that tall but he did have a strong and athletic build. Even under his suit, tie and long coat, the two doctors could tell he had a well-muscled build yet flexible enough for a fight. His brown hair was cut in an almost military-like style and his face showed off signs of age as well as some small scars. But it was the eyes that caught Elizabeth's attention. Eyes that showed off an age she knew well surpassed her own. When he spoke, it was with a deep and commanding voice, laced with traces of an odd accent Elizabeth couldn't place. "Max Sufington."
"Elizabeth Corday," the Briton replied. She nodded to the bewildered Lucy. "Lucy Knight."
The man glanced at Lucy, sizing her up instantly as a newbie, then returned his gaze to Elizabeth. "I'm not looking for a fight."
"We're on holy ground," Elizabeth pointed out.
"I meant at all."
"I'm not a hunter."
"Then we have no quarrel then."
"Some other time," Elizabeth nodded as the man continued to walk on, heading toward the office door near the altar.
"He was......" Lucy trailed off.
"Yes," Elizabeth nodded.
"How'd you know he wasn't going to fight you right now?" Lucy asked.
"We're in a church," Elizabeth explained.
"What, he's Catholic?" Lucy frowned.
Elizabeth sighed. "No, it doesn't matter what beliefs he has. The one rule that's never broken is that we don't fight on Holy Ground. At all."
"What happens if someone breaks that?"
"According to legend, that's only happened once," Elizabeth explained. "In Pompeii. In 79 A.D."
"But that's when the volcano------" Lucy trailed off. "Oh."
"Could just be a coincidence but no sense taking chances," Elizabeth shrugged.
"That's kinda scary."
"Get used to it. Scary is part of your life now."
The knocking on the door caused Father Bernard Tarring to close his book and place it on his desk. He stood up, instinctively adjusting his white collar, his dark robes flowing well over his body, which, while having added a few extra pounds, was still in good shape even in its 50's. He glanced at the mirror, chastising himself a bit for caring about the growing white appearing in his black hair. Going to the door, he opened it to see the man who had identified himself as Max Sufington waiting on the other side. "Max! Come in, it's good to see you again!"
"And you, Bernard," Max said, a smile breaking onto his face. "I had some extra time after classes and thought I'd drop by and see how you were."
"Oh, the usual budget hassles," Tarring sighed as he sat down, Max taking a seat across from him. "Thank you for your generous donations. I just wish more people could give like you do."
"More people don't have as much experience as I do," Max smiled.
"Yes, 2000 years does give one time to build a sizeable bank account," Tarring nodded.
"I'm not that old," Max smiled. "I still have a century to go before I hit the big two zero zero zero."
"Well, since I won't be around, I suggest a drink a little early," Tarring said, moving to a small cabinet and taking out a pair of bottles. "So. Coke or Sprite?"
"No liquor still," Max smiled. "You'll be the death of me, Bernard."
"Max, my friend, I doubt anything could be the death of you," Tarring smiled as he poured.
Near the back of the church, a tall, well-built black man in his late twenties glanced at his watch, the lights reflecting off the gold plating. He adjusted his coat and crossed his legs, his leather pants and dark shirt blending well with his skin, his hair cut short against his skull, a scar on his right cheek marring what otherwise would have been a handsome face. He glanced behind him as two figures entered and shook his head. "Bout time," he muttered. "I've been waiting here for ten minutes."
"Crime never sleeps," a male voice stated. "You should know that." A man and a woman sat on the pew behind Cal. Both were in their late twenties and looked athletic. The handsome man had short brown hair, the bangs hanging over his forehead, wearing a pair of jeans, dark sweatshirt and short jacket. The woman was quite attractive, her face shown more by her long dark blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, draping over the collar of her blue jacket and blouse, jeans covering her lower half as well. Each of them wore a badge on their lapels, the initials CPD evident on them.
"So, how's life treating my favorite honest cops?" Cal Reynolds asked, throwing a smirk back at Detectives Sean Cavendish and Kimberly Wagner. The two partners looked at each other and rolled their eyes before Sean came forward.
"Cal," he said in a stern tone. "I'm feeling very sluggish today. So don't make me slug you."
"Watch it buddy," Cal said harshly. "We're in a church. My momma wouldn't appreciate threats like that here."
"Really?" Kim said in a light mocking tone. "And how does she feel about what you do for a living? Low-level con man, stoolie, informant?"
"Hey, you want this info or not?" Cal said sharply.
"It'd better be good to drag us out here," Sean warned.
"Your money's good, my info will be," Cal reassured him as he started to talk.
<Rob, I thought we were going to do more than just follow this kid around all night> Liam telepathically asked his friend. He and Robin were walking down the streets of Chicago, keeping a fair distance from Marybeth and Mel but always keeping track of them.
<Just making sure they're okay> Robin stressed. <I kind of like this kid, I don't want anything else to happen to her.>
<Ah, the humanitarian Robin Goodfellow. Ye should show that side to yerself more often.>
<Nah. I'd hate to ruin my image.>
As the two walked, neither of them took notice of the taxi driving past them, which means that they were among the few who didn't see the incredible image of its driver.
The first thing people generally noticed about Shirley Denvers was her hair. Naturally brown and grown long, the hair was streaked with a wide shade of colors, which shifted as the mood struck her. Currently, orange, blue, purple and green mixed with her brown color, the hair usually got people's attention, at which they'd notice the other amazing thing about Shirley: her dress sense.
She didn't have one.
Currently, she was wearing a pair of orange and red pants with large white shoes, a zebra- style jacket over her green and white blouse, a large necklace around her throat and long hoop earrings.
"How about this weather, huh?" she said in her usual loud manner that laced humor in every single word. "Great for baseball, you know? Especially the way Sammy's going, that will be kick-ass this season, don't know if he can top last but maybe you're Sox fans, hey I don't hold it against you, we're all one town here, you know, we can live together. Or maybe you're not baseball fans at all, you just like to stay home and watch TV, you watch 'Suddenly Susan?' No, you strike me as 'Seinfeld' fans, hey, that's okay, personally nothing can beat MST3K for laughs, way I see it. Am I babbling? Tell me if I'm babbling, if there's one thing I can't stand more than someone who's babbling is somebody who won't tell somebody they're babbling. Am I that way?"
She glanced behind her at the two people in the back of the cab. They appeared to be in their early thirties, the man wearing a nice tuxedo that fit over his trim body, his black eyebrows raising towards his black brow as he glanced at the woman beside him. She was wearing an elegant black dress which fit well over the curves of a body that, while not supermodel material, was highly attractive. Her beautiful face was scrunched up in confusion over Shirley's remarks, her earrings not as large or elaborate as Shirley's, but they were real gems inside, glinting near her short cherry-red hair.
"Remind me again why we couldn't take the limo back," Katie McDaniels asked, a soft glare at the man next to her.
"Hon, it was buried behind all those other cars," Nicky McDaniels told his wife. "It was your idea to leave early, you know."
"I just didn't feel like going through another big art opening," Katie said. She smiled and nuzzled her face against Nicky's shoulder. "Not when you and me can have some fun tonight."
Nicky smiled as he brushed her hair. To say it had been an instant attraction between the two didn't even come close to describing it. They had met at a restaurant bar, both unwinding after college finals and within twenty minutes, they were in his apartment, tearing each other's clothes off. Ten years later and that passion still hadn't faded.
"Ooooh, I see a romance here," Shirley smiled as she glanced at the rear-view mirror. "Say, I don't suppose you'd be able to save some for me?"
"Sorry," Katie said in a cool tone. "He's mine."
"Who says I was talking about your man, honey?" Shirley grinned at the looks on Nicky and Katie's faces. "Although, if you want, he's welcome to join us."
The McDaniels looked at each other, then at Shirley. "Pull over here," they said in unison, pointing at the church standing to the side of the road. Shirley did so, her eyes widening as Nicky handed her a fifty-dollar bill. "Keep the change," he said as he opened the door and moved around to let Katie out.
"Whoa! You guys are loaded?" Shirley grinned as she put the car in park and hit the 'service' light off. "Hold on, I wanna show you my artwork." She stepped out of the cab, allowing the full effect of her outfit to be seen by the McDaniels as she reached into the cab to pull out a large canvas covered with a wild blotch of paint. "Whadya think?"
Katie and Nicky looked at each other and without a word, turned around and walked towards the church. "Is she following?" Nicky hissed under his breath.
"I don't know," Katie said. "Just hope she won't be able to enter a holy place." They moved up the stairs towards the church, a confused Shirley trailing them.
"Thanks for the ice cream," Marybeth smiled as she licked at the cone in her hands, Mel dropping his finished one into a garbage bin. "And the walk. And the talk."
"Always a pleasure," Mel smiled as the two turned to a corner, the large cathedral before them. "Like I said, I am sorry I didn't ask you out myself."
"Well, I was surprised you went," Marybeth said. "I mean, you've always been so private and quiet since you started there. I've only seen you at classes, I don't even know where you live."
"I board at a house near school," Mel explained. "I help around and it cuts down on my rent."
"You don't live with your parents?" Marybeth frowned.
"They died when I was young," Mel said, looking down.
"Oh," Marybeth said, her face falling. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right," Mel shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Another life, it seems like. I'm just trying to make a new one in my new home."
"Sounds good," Marybeth nodded, finishing her ice cream. "Any chance getting together more with me might be in the plan?"
"It's always a poss----" Mel broke off and stopped in place. He had caught something out of the corner of his eye, something that looked almost familiar. He looked again and froze in place. Hanging in the alley of a nearby building, almost impossible to see unless you knew what you were looking for, was a small globe the size of a softball that seemed to emit a bright red glow. A red dot pulsed around it, as if searching for something. The moment Mel saw it, the pulse quickened, the flashing increasing as the globe slowly started to move in his direction.
"Oh no," Mel whispered.
"What?" Marybeth frowned, not seeing the globe. "Mel, what is it?"
"He found me," Mel said hoarsely, not hearing her. "He actually found me after all these years. I don't know he found me but he found me."
"Who?" Marybeth said, starting to worry. "Mel, who found you?"
"We have to hide," Mel said, grabbing Marybeth by the wrist and yanking her away as he started to run. Marybeth stumbled for a bit, trying to catch up as Mel, with a surprising strength for his size, dashed down the street.
<Uh oh> Robin remarked. <Something tells me this date isn't going to end well.>
<I hope the lad doesn't have bad intentions> Liam answered as the two began to move. <I hate being proven wrong.>
<Why? You should be well used to it by now.> The two took off, a blur in motion as they swept down the street, a burst of wind following in their wake which Chicago veterans barely noticed.
"Come on, look at this!" Shirley was still following the McDaniels as they walked down the church's aisle, holding up the canvas. "Come on, this is great work here, you gotta admit that!"
"I admit it was a bad idea to take the cab," Nicky sighed to his wife, rubbing at his head.
"I'll be grateful you admit to be wrong later," Katie sighed. "Where's the priest, maybe he can do something."
"An exorcism?"
"It crossed my mind."
"Good to see we're not the only couple having a hard time tonight," Sean remarked as he, Kim and Cal watched the interesting exchange. Had he been looking closer, Sean might have seen the tiny flash in Kim's eyes when he mentioned the word "couple."
"Hey, I came here to dish info and get my money," Cal said.
"You're not telling us anything new, Reynolds," Kim said sternly. "We need to know more than just who's involved, we need where and when."
"Hey, that's gonna cost extra, 5-0."
Sean glared at him. "Talk now or talk in a cell, Reynolds, your choice."
Before Cal could shoot back a reply, the doors to the church banged open and Mel ran in, dragging a yelping Marybeth behind her. "Mel, let go!" she yelled. "That really hurts!"
Instantly, Sean and Kim were on their feet, walking towards the two teens, each instinctively unsnapping the holsters underneath their jackets. "There a problem here?" Sean asked as the two came up.
"Do you guys ever get sick of those cliches?" Cal remarked as he stood up and came up to them.
Mel looked at the group around him, his face covered with fear. "Everyone, get out of here. Get the hell out------"
"Watch the language, pal!" Cal stated. "We're in a church."
"Shut up!" Mel yelled at him. "All of you, just get out now, while you can!"
"Is there something going around here?" Katie asked, glancing from Mel to Shirley.
"Beats me," Nicky shrugged. "At least he's got some fashion sense."
"Does no one appreciate art here?" Shirley demanded, waving her canvas.
A bang from the direction of the altar got everyone's attention and they looked up to see Max and Tarring come forward. "Just what is going on here?" Tarring demanded. "If you have differences, I advise you to take them out of God's house. At the very least, conduct yourselves in a civilized manner."
"Like Americans know about civility," Elizabeth sniffed.
"Hey!" Lucy said in an angry tone.
"Sorry," Elizabeth said. "Old upbringing dies hard. You were still a colony when I was growing up."
At the back of the church, Robin and Liam stepped through the doors and stopped, looking at the strange tableau before them and turning to stare at each other. Liam's eyes fell on Max, widening in recognition. "Well, I'll be damned."
"Undoubtedly, in my opinion, but I guess that's between you and the Almighty," Robin said in a light tone.
Liam nodded towards Max. "Recognize him?"
Robin bent his head and squinted before his eyes widened as well. "Is that.....?"
"The man himself," Liam nodded.
"Looks a lot better then the last time we saw him."
"Robbie," Liam said, biting his lip. "Ye get the feeling something's going on here?"
Robin bent his head in thought. "Well, it could be the Fates, using their usual great power and inimitable skills to inveigle a group of strangers into accepting a previously unforseen destiny." He paused and shrugged. "Or it could all be one big coincidence."
He and Liam looked at each other, sighed and nodded.
"Fates," they both said.
"Well, don't look at me," Liam added. "I never dated a Fate."
"Oh, bring that up," Robin said, rolling his eyes. He felt a blur suddenly pass by him and saw the red globe fly through the open doors and stop several yards away from the group. The humans were all staring at it in varying degrees of confusion and surprise, watching as the globe rose up several feet and then began to spin.
"Oh, shit," Mel whispered. "Oh, shit, everyone grab onto something!"
"What?" Marybeth frowned as Mel grabbed her and hustled her over to a pew. The others stared in confusion at him, then all jumped as a loud booming sound came out from the globe. Without warning, the globe flashed and then opened up into what appeared to be a bright red vortex. The candles on the altar winked out, one by one, as if a giant wind had blown through them. Prayer books and mass cards began to fly out of the pews, some whipping across the church, others yanked towards the red hole that had appeared in mid-air.
Too late, the group inside realized that the vortex was like a whirlpool, a massive wind tugging at them, blowing them off their feet and towards the red hole. With a shriek, Shirley was yanked off her feet, flying into the air, the canvas ripped from her hands as she flew through the vortex. She flew right into the center, vanishing into thin air.
Kim and Sean each gripped onto a pew, feeling their feet lifted off the floor, tugging towards the vortex as they hung on. Sean's grip loosened and he felt himself start to let go. Seeing him start to go, Kim immediately reached out to grab his arm. The result had Kim yanked away with him, the two flying towards the vortex.
Cal was next to go, his attempt to get a better grip ruined with a piece of the pew came loose in his hands, his yell echoing over the wind as he was sucked away.
Lucy pushed herself in between two pews, hoping that would be enough to hold her in. She looked up and was amazed to see Elizabeth holding a sword in her hands, the blade wedged into a pew. Lucy couldn't begin to wonder where she had been hiding that thing as the wind intensified and the pew behind her suddenly ripped out of the floor, holes in the tile behind it. Lucy yelled as she fell back, the pew flying up and into the vortex. Lucy skidded on the hard tile floor, her arms flaying about, reaching out for something to hold onto.
Feeling her hand grip something solid, Lucy automatically tugged on it hard. Unfortunately, the solid object turned out to be Mel's leg and the tug was enough to dislodge his tenuous grip on the wood pew. Yelling, Mel went flying loose, Marybeth, who had been holding onto him, going along for the ride, the three young people screaming as they vanished.
Seeing Lucy go, Elizabeth was racked with indecision. Part of her felt the responsibility of making sure the newly Immortal Lucy was all right. The self-preservation instinct within her, however, dictated she save her own hide first. That problem was solved when the wood paneling of the pew gave way, her sword ripping through it, Elizabeth barely able to hold onto it as she flew out, her hair whipping behind her as she hit the energy and vanished.
Katie let out a long scream as she felt Nicky's grip loosening. The two had been holding on near one pew, Katie's legs wrapped around Nicky's waist for support as the wind grabbed at them. Nicky tired to pry Katie's hands loose, hoping to let her grip the pew herself. Katie glanced at him, though, with a look that let him know she wasn't letting go of him no matter what. Unsure if this was the last thing he would ever do, Nicky kissed his wife hard, the two embracing as they flew into the vortex.
Knowing he wasn't going to last long, Max tried to crawl his way up the aisle and away from the vortex but it was like crawling up an avalanche. The hole tugged at him harder and harder and he knew before it happened that the tile under him was actually coming loose, sending him into the vortex.
Given his age, Tarring thought it a miracle he had lasted this long but seeing Max vanish let him know it was almost done. Deciding to bow to the inevitable, he let go, crossing himself and whispering a prayer as he hit the vortex.
At the back of the church, their coats whipping around them, Robin and Liam stood firm, magically held back as they watched the others vanished. The two Eternals faced each other in contemplation.
<We should help them> Liam "said," knowing he couldn't be heard over the wind.
<I know, I know> Robin nodded. <But why do I get the feeling this is going to be bigger trouble than what we got into back in Sunnydale?> With that, he and Liam ran up and jumped to the portal, vanishing within it.
The wind died down as the vortex seemed to fold in on itself, swallowing its own energies up. There was a rush of wind and then it was gone, vanished as if it had never existed, leaving behind only a silent church to bear witness to the incredible event.
Sunnydale, CA
May 24th, 1999
1031 Hours PST
Joyce Summers sighed as she went over the books from the previous day. She knew Buffy had tried her best but she had already spotted a dozen mistakes in the records for the week her daughter had been running the shop. Then again, Joyce hadn't been that great with Buffy's homework, so she supposed it balanced out.
After spending a week in the body of her Immortal teenaged Slayer daughter, Joyce was finding being back to her true age a relief. Funny, a second youth sounded so good on paper but when it actually happened, it was a nightmare. Stuck in Buffy's body, watching as her own body hugged Steve, who was in Giles' body at the time, having to deal with that huge fight, it took its toll. And finding out every moment of it was recorded on video for everyone connected to Section Seven to see was just rubbing it in.
Unlike the others, however, Joyce didn't feel any animosity towards Robin and Liam for that touch. She had been dismayed to hear that the kids had played such a cruel joke on Liam, jumping to the same wrong conclusion as Liam, Robin, Shaw and Artemis, that it had been deliberate. Even after learning the kids had no idea who Kathleen was, she still thought the very idea of the stripper to be in bad taste. So, she could understand Liam taking advantage of the switch scheme to get a little payback.
Joyce also didn't feel any hostility towards Shaw, Faith, Kendra or Larry for helping the faeries along with the joke. The truth was, she had somewhat suspected something was going on when Faith and Kendra kept telling her details of the Slayers that she was pretty sure didn't exist. Unlike most of the gang, as a mother, Joyce had a built-in bullshit detector that let her know that it probably wasn't true that doing training in the nude in the morning was a tradition for Slayers.
Frankly, Joyce was fine letting the teens sort things out. As far as she was concerned, both sides had viable arguments for getting at the other but that was their problem, not hers. She was happy being back at work, getting the gallery together and actually welcoming the paperwork involved.
She glanced up from her ledger to see Sherlock pad in. Joyce had to smile. While they had been firmly in Robin and Liam's side when the switch was pulled, the Spirit Guardians had gotten dragged in due to an element of the switch that hadn't counted on: That the Guardians' telepathy could be heard both by their owner and by the person in their body. Meaning that Sherlock had been forced to put up with hearing the thoughts of both Joyce and Buffy during the week they'd been in each other's bodies. And the pets had also been in on the video prank so the guys weren't happy with them either, so it was no surprise Sherlock was hanging closer to Joyce then ever.
<Someone's here> the dog spoke, Joyce raising an eyebrow.
"One of the guys?"
<Nope. Looks like a customer. Expensive type too.>
"Really?" Joyce said, standing up and brushing at her dress. "Let's go see what he wants." She stepped out from behind the counter, walking over and glancing behind a shelf to see the figure Sherlock had identified.
He was just under six feet tall with dark black hair in a short but stylish cut, streaks of gray at the temples. He was wearing a gray suit that looked to be worth more than Joyce's car repair payments, his black shoes well-polished, a coat draped across his shoulders. Joyce could see that he had a good build, not overly athletic but nice and trim yet carrying a strength to it. But it was his face that got her attention. Handsome, the light wrinkles made it appear he was in his early forties at the most, strong features, a sharp nose and tight jaw. Set in the middle of that were a pair of dark eyes, eyes that seemed to carry a long past to them, and a sad one at that.
Her quick apprisal done, Joyce put on a smile and spoke. "Hello. Can I help you?"
The man looked up at her, letting a smile come onto his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hello," he said in a deep yet somehow gentle voice, no traces of any accent whatsoever. "I was hoping I could speak to someone who'd know about what kind of stock you might have. Do you know who would be in charge?"
"That would me," Joyce smiled. "Joyce Summers, I own the gallery."
"A pleasure," the man said, shaking her hand. "I was wondering if you might be of help finding a certain item."
"Certainly," Joyce nodded. "What is it you're looking for, Mr.....?"
"Zev."
"All right, Mr. Zev------"
"I'm sorry," he interrupted. "Let me clarify. Zev Mundac."
Joyce raised an eyebrow. "That's an unusual name."
"I'm from abroad," Zev answered easily as he reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a photograph. "I was hoping I could find this."
Joyce looked at the photograph, which showed what appeared to be a simple ruby, not very large but eye-catching, marked by a strange spiral design in the middle. "Nice," she remarked. "But I'm afraid I haven't seen anything like that here."
"Are you sure?" Zev asked, a touch of intensity in his voice as he spoke. "I was told the owner would be bringing it to this town and thought you might have heard about it."
"Sorry," Joyce said, handing the photo back to him. "I haven't heard about anything like that and something with such a unique design would get some attention."
Zev sighed, disappointment in his voice as put the photo back. "It couldn't be that easy, of course," he muttered to himself. He shook his head and looked back up at Joyce, smiling. "Well, thank you, anyway. I still believe it will be coming to this town soon so I guess I'll just have to wait and see."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Joyce said apologetically.
"It's not your fault," Zev remarked as he turned and started to walk off. He paused suddenly, a thought striking him as he slowly looked back at Joyce. "Ms. Summers?"
"It's Mrs., actually," Joyce said.
"Really?" Zev remarked, looking at her hand. "I fail to see a ring."
Joyce couldn't help but feel a bit thrilled that he had actually looked, automatically rubbing her hand as she answered. "Divorced. Three years ago."
"Hmmm," Zev said. "So.....if I were to ask if you would be free for dinner tonight, that wouldn't be a stumbling block?"
Joyce stared at him, trying to keep the surprise off her face as she processed his request. "Are you....are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Mundac?"
Zev appeared to think about it before nodding. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I am at that. Of course, if you agree, I'll have to insist you call me Zev."
"And I'll have to insist you call me Joyce," Joyce smiled. "You're really asking me out?"
"Oh, come now," Zev smiled. "Surely this isn't the first time this has happened to a woman as attractive as you?"
Joyce bit her lip, hoping to hell she wasn't blushing too visibly. "No. It's just...been a while and that didn't exactly end well."
"I hope I can do better," Zev said. "I'm new to town and if I'm going to be staying here for a bit, I believe I'll need to get the lay of the land, so to speak. And I can think of worse company to keep while getting that."
Joyce looked at him carefully before nodding. "All right. When and where?"
"For the latter, what's the best restaurant in town?"
"Maison Declaire," Joyce answered. "But if you're trying to get something for tonight, forget it, they're booked weeks in advance."
"Is seven o'clock all right with you?" Zev asked.
Joyce shook her head. "I don't think you understand. It's impossible to just walk in and get a meal."
"I understood," Zev said. "Seven o'clock?"
Joyce had to let out a little laugh. She stopped when she saw Zev staring at her in slight confusion. "Sorry. Yes, yes, seven will be fine."
Zev smiled and this time Joyce could see it in his eyes a bit. "All right. I'll be waiting." He turned to leave as Joyce looked at him. "Zev?"
He turned to face her smiling face. "I'm somewhat surprised. You're asking out to dinner a woman you only just met? For all you know, I could have a secret life."
Zev paused by the doorway and looked at her and that melancholy look was back in his eyes as he spoke. "We all have secret lives." He walked out, the door shutting behind him as Joyce and Sherlock watched him go.
<Gee, *that* wasn't foreboding or anything> Sherlock remarked dryly.
"Oh, shut up," Joyce smiled as she walked back to the counter, a slight spring to her step. Sherlock stared at her in mild surprise. <You're not actually going to meet him, aren't you?>
"Any reason why I shouldn't?" Joyce asked. "You didn't detect any demon stuff on him, did you?"
<No. But that doesn't mean he's a nice guy.>
"In this town, I'll take what I can get," Joyce remarked. The phone rang and she reached over to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hi, Mom!" Buffy's voice came over the line. "I was just checking in quick, Steve was talking about having a big dinner tonight, try to smooth things over with Shaw, Faith, Kendra and Larry, before patrol."
"That sounds good, honey," Joyce said. "Glad you're getting over them helping Robin and Liam."
"Oh, we're not," Buffy replied good-naturedly. "We're just putting them off-guard so they won't expect our payback. So, you wanna come?"
Joyce sighed. "Unfortunately, honey, I can't participate in you getting even tonight. I've got a date."
Joyce had to smile as she imagined the look of utter disbelief on Buffy's face right now. "A date?" Buffy asked, breaking the silence. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, with a guy?"
"I thought that would beat the other alternatives," Joyce answered dryly. "His name's Zev, he was a customer here, he asked me out so I said yes."
"Mom," Buffy said in a concerned tone. "Are you sure this guy's......"
"What? Wealthy, handsome, respectful?"
"Human?"
"Well, he was walking in broad daylight, none of the demon detectors went off, Sherlock seemed okay with him and I didn't get any bad vibes. I didn't see his arm open, so the robot theory may still hold."
There was a long silence before Buffy spoke. "Okay. We'll talk about this at home later." She hung up, Joyce chuckling as she hung up her end. She looked down to see Sherlock staring up at her, his eyes carrying a great humor to them. "What?"
<You don't get it, do you?> Sherlock said, making it seem like he was laughing.
"Get what?" Joyce frowned.
<Buffy's going to tell the girls, which means when you get home, you're going to have a daughter dealing with her single mother going out on a date on the Hellmouth on the one hand and a bunch of teenagers, who also happened to be a mix of Slayers, Amazons and witches, giving you advice on how to dress and act on the other.>
Joyce took a moment to reflect on that, then slumped on the counter, her head in her hands. "Oh, God, what have I done?" She lightly banged her head on the counter as Sherlock just laughed.
Somewhere Else
Time relative to present-day Earth calendar
The vortex blasted open without warning, the wind blowing across the lush grass of the hill below it. It spat out red energy and flickers of lightning, a howl covering it. The howl was soon overcome by another one, a more human one as the vortex spat out Shirley, who let out a loud whoop as she landed hard on the hill, rolling down it before coming to a stop on the bottom, stunned.
There was a double yell as Kim and Sean emerged, the two breaking apart as they rolled down the hill, Kim's gun pressing hard on her side as she slid down for a bit, her ponytail coming loose as her long blonde hair whipped around her. Sean yelped as he hit the bottom of the hill on his back, Kim landing next to him.
Another yell came out of the air, Cal slamming onto the hill and rolling down to Shirley, slamming into her stomach and knocking the wind out of her.
A triple yell filled the air next as Lucy hit the ground with Mel and Marybeth, the trio mixing together in a painful pile as they went down the hill, Mel ending up underneath the two girls, gasping for breath through it all.
Elizabeth didn't let out a long yell, just a short shriek as she hit the ground, wincing as she felt a couple of fingers break under the impact. By the time she made it to the bottom of the hill, they were swiftly healing, the Englishwoman shaking her head as she joined the others on the bottom of the hill.
Katie and Nicky were still holding on tight to one another as they left the portal, refusing to let go even as they rolled down the hill, each trying to put themselves on the bottom but their partner rolling them over to take the burnt of the hits.
Max was next and as he landed, neatly rolled forward and came to his feet, managing to slide down the hill, keeping his balance so he ended up in a standing position, his body tense as if ready for action.
Tarring's calling didn't forbid him from letting out a yell as he landed hard on the hill, biting back the instinct to curse as he felt dust and dirt cover his robes, gasping as he came to a stop next to the McDaniels.
A final flash disgorged Robin and Liam, the two Eternals easily landing on their feet at the top of the hill and calmly walking down as if it was no problem whatsoever. Behind and above them, the portal remained flashing for a few more seconds. Then, with a sucking sound and a flash of light, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, only air left behind.
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"We have confirmation. The portal has been opened and the prince is here. Should we send a squad after him?"
"No, I kind of thought I'd let him run around the planet for a few years, whip up a resistance and bring down everything I've been trying to create."
There was a sound of steel whipping through the air, followed by a gurgled choke.
"Moron."
Several moans could be heard as the humans slowly got their bearings, rising to their feet to try and figure out just what had happened.
"God, my body feels crazy!" Katie hissed, rubbing at her arms. "My skin's burning up but my insides are freezing!"
"Gotta love spatial portals," Liam remarked offhandedly, brushing at his coat as he offered an arm respectfully to Tarring, carefully pulling the priest up. "There ye go, Father."
"Thank you," Tarring said, brushing at his robes. He looked over to where Max stood. "Are you all right?"
"Why shouldn't he be?" Lucy said bitterly. "He's the only one who didn't do a tumble act down that hard-ass hill!"
"How did you do that, anyway?" Marybeth said, placing her glasses back securely on her nose.
Max was looking about, trying to get his bearings, even as he answered the teenager's question. "It's not my first rough fall."
Sean got up and offered a hand to his partner. "You okay, Kim?"
"Yeah, thanks," Kim said in an easy tone, accepting his hand and letting him pull her up. Nearby, the McDaniels watched the way she clutched his hand and shared a knowing glance.
"Sure, no one gives the brother a hand," Cal groaned as he got up, rubbing at his back.
"Give it a rest, Reynolds," Sean said coldly. "Anyone know what the hell just happened?"
"No," Cal shrugged. "But odds are, I'm gonna die first."
"What makes you say that?" Katie asked in confusion.
"First rule of action and/or horror movies involving large groups in strange surroundings," Cal answered. "Black guy is the first to go."
"That's Hollywood!" Katie said in disbelief.
"They have to get the idea somewhere," Shirley pointed out.
"Thanks," Cal nodded at the woman.
"Anyone have any idea what the shit just happened?" Kim said, shaking her hair loose.
"Young lady, I know this is a trying situation but please try to refrain from foul language," Tarring said in a chiding tone, adjusting his collar so it could clearly be seen.
"Sorry, Father," Kim said, chastised.
"It is all right," Tarring stated. "Since we seem to be in this together, I believe introductions are only proper. I am Father Bernard Tarring."
"Marybeth Andrews."
Kim and Sean both held up their badges. "Detectives Sean Cavendish and Kimberly Wagner."
"Cal Reynolds."
"Shirley Denvers."
"Dr. Elizabeth Corday, this is Dr. Lucy Knight."
"Max Sufington."
"Nicky McDaniels."
"I'm his wife, Katie."
"Robin Goodfellow."
"Liam Devlin O'Shaunnesgy Patrick Dillon O'Hara Paddwick McHale Thornton Danahure."
It took a moment for everyone to shake that lengthy introduction off, then all realized there was one person who hadn't chimed in. "Mel?" Marybeth asked, looking about. "Mel, where are------" She looked up to see him standing at the top of the hill, staring outward. Marybeth walked up after him, the others following, all still a but unsure what was happening. "Mel?" Marybeth called again as she reached the top of the hill. "Mel, what are-------"
She broke off, her eyes widening in shock as she saw what he was looking at. One by one, the others joined them, each reacting with the same stunned silence, save for Robin and Liam who rolled their eyes in "oh, great, *here*" expressions.
Before the group was a massive plain of grass. What made it unique was that the grass was red, a plain of crimson leading to a nearby forest, a river flowing through it. A set of craggy rocks was set on the side, the gray boulders creating small pockets of caves within them. To their left, some distance away, was what appeared to be a simple village. What was getting everyone's attention, however, was the massive sight before them.
In the distance, in what appeared to be several miles away, was a city. That it was so visible from such a distance hinted at its size but it was its layout that got their attention. Massive towers jutted upwards, several set on what appeared to be platforms that added to their height, the towers reaching up for what seemed to be miles. The entire city appeared to be set on a pedestal, one that made it seem more majestic than ever.
It was the architecture that really caught their eye. It seemed to be a mix of classic European medieval castles and the type of futuristic cities that were often seen in movies of the 1950's. Small dots flew about the air, what appeared to be flying craft moving about, an odd contrast against the castle landscape they moved about in. Everyone was silent, several gaping with mouths open, barely noticing how they were stepping a bit down from the top of the hill.
A cry got the attention of the group and they looked up to see a massive winged shape flow over them. It appeared to be a dragon-like creature, a pair of huge wings flapping as it flew over the hills toward the distant mountains, tail flicking behind it as he went. As they watched him go, the humans could see in the sky the outline of what appeared to be two moons.
"Well......" Shirley said after a full minute and a half of silence. "That's something you don't see every day."
"Actually, we do see stuff like that every day," Robin remarked, although no one seemed to hear him.
"That.....that was....." Katie stammered. "That was real. Wasn't it?"
Sean swallowed and put into words what they were all thinking. "We're not on Earth."
Cal looked at him incredulously. "Wow, you really cracked this one, Columbo!"
Sean rolled his eyes. "Columbo wasn't a cop. He was an amateur sleuth with a badge. Did you see anything on that show that remotely resembled proper police procedure?"
"And that's why he actually solved his cases," Cal shot back.
"Hey!"
"Excuse me!" Lucy shot out. "Can we concentrate on the big stuff here? Like where in the hell------"
"Ahem," Tarring coughed.
"Where in the *heck* are we? What is this place, what just happened, can we have a frame of reference here?!"
"Varra."
Everyone turned to look at Mel, who was staring off, his look not one of shock but of sadness. "It's called Varra," he continued. "I'd estimate we're about five or six light years away from Earth, at a rough guess. To be technical, we're on the continent of Laushana, right by Varran, captial city of the planet."
Everyone stared at him. "And," Shirley began. "You'd know that how?"
Mel turned to look at them, his eyes carrying a sad acceptance. "Because it's my home."
It took the group about a minute or two to digest that information, Marybeth naturally taking it hardest, staring with her mouth wide open at his schoolmate. "Wait a minute......" Lucy said carefully. "Are you telling us you're.......an alien?"
"No, actually," Mel replied.
"Oh, good," Lucy sighed in relief.
"See, we're on my planet right now, so, technically, *you* guys are the aliens."
Another long silence filled the air as the group took that in. Mel turned and rubbed at his hair, taking a deep breath. "I hate to say it, but......I'm the one responsible for you guys being here."
"Oh, you are, huh?" Cal said dangerously, taking a step forward.
"Easy, Reynolds," Sean said, putting an arm on Cal's shoulder, pulling the black man back. "Let him explain himself."
"Yeah," Kim said, eyes narrowed at Mel. "Maybe then, we'll all want to take a stab at him!"
"Can we not mention stab, please?" Lucy muttered, wincing in pained remembrance.
"Mel?" Marybeth whispered, staring at the friend she now realized she didn't know at all.
Taking a deep breath, Mel faced them and spoke. "My real name is Melroy Tarrickton and what I'm about to tell you is what I discovered when I was eight years old. Twenty-five years ago, as you measure time, my father was the king of this planet."
"The king?" Kim said dubiously. "So, you're a prince?"
"I guess so," Mel shrugged. "But just try to keep quiet and listen, okay? I'm trying to get this all out." Rubbing at his forehead, he went on. "Twenty-five years ago, my father, the king was caught in a major internal political move. Following a war my people barely got through, one of his advisors, Mingor Fahn, began a massive rebellion that ended up removing my father from power. It was pretty ugly, from what I could tell, major civil war with lots of casualties. Among them......" He swallowed. "Were my mother and father."
The others were spellbound by the tale, Mel wiping at his eyes before continuing. "Just before he......died, my father managed to get together a small craft. It wasn't too big, just enough for one passenger. Me, his only child, heir to the throne, the man needed to unite the planet if need be. Varra is.....sort of unique in the technology department. No nuclear power, but we have made strides in anti-gravity and energy weapons that Earth never did. Sort of 'Blade Runner' meets Camelot, I guess you'd call it. Anyway, we didn't really journey outside our planet so our space program wasn't exactly up to your standards and what was developed was kept secret so my father knew Fahn would have no idea of his emergency backup plan. To send me out on a lone capsule, sent to Earth, out of harm's way in case he fell. The hope was that somehow, someway, I could land on a space-faring planet and, when I grew up, manage to get the resources together to return to Varra, unite the planet and overthrow Fahn, reinstalling the rightful rule.
"Unfortunately, he vastly overestimated how powerful the spaceship's engine would be and I ended up on a planet whose people haven't even gotten past their own moon and where aliens are considered fiction. So, my ship lands in the middle of Wisconsin, found by a former military officer who knows the value of keeping it quiet. He and his wife raise me as their own until I reach the age of eight at which point, I get the unwelcome birthday present of an unlocked memory archive my father put in, letting me know what I really am and what's expected of me."
"Hold up," Shirley said, holding up a hand. "Let me get this straight. An infant placed on a rocket ship by his father to escape the doom of his world, sent through space, crash-lands on Earth, is taken in by an old couple, gets a message from his dad revealing he's an alien and that he's meant for a great destiny?" She glanced about. "Am I the only one thinking 'Ripoff!' here?"
"Well, it depends," Marybeth suddenly said. "I mean, it was Wisconsin, not Kansas, military guy instead of farmers and the hologram from his real dad was the post-Crisis John Byrne Superman continuity, not the pre-Crisis-------"
She trailed off as everyone stared at her and threw up her arms defensively. "What? A smart girl can't like comic books?"
Mel sighed. "To make a long story short-------"
"Too late," Robin and Liam remarked in unison.
"I realized that there was no way in hell I was getting to Varra with Earth technology," Mel went on. "So, I figured if I was stuck there, I might as well make it my own. I've pretty much forgotten about Varra and what it was like, what the recording from my father showed me. I just couldn't live up to my destiny." He looked about and sighed. "Apparently, destiny didn't get my memo on the subject."
"It rarely does," Liam observed.
Kim shook her head, holding up a hand. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," she stated. "There's one thing here I don't get."
"ONE thing?!" Lucy asked in disbelief.
Kim fixed a hard gaze on Mel. "If your technology isn't to space-faring level, how could this guy manage to transport us over several light years?"
"That's a good question," Mel admitted, rubbing his chin. "I wouldn't think even my people could be up to transwarp tech in just a few decades. And to send it several solar systems over is a major achievement, I don't think it's ever been done before."
"So what you're saying," Elizabeth said carefully. "Is that we're the first people from Earth to ever set foot on your world?"
"As far as I know," Mel nodded.
Elizabeth quickly reached into her coat, rummaging through her pockets, before letting out an "Aha!" as she found what she was looking for. She pulled her hand out to reveal a small Union Jack attached to a tiny stick. Clearing her throat and holding her head high, she spoke out in a clear and concise tone. "I hereby claim this land in the name of her Royal Majesty, Queen----"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Mel exclaimed, staring at her in shock. "You can't claim my planet!"
Elizabeth held up her small Union Jack. "I have a flag."
Mel stared harder. "So?" he yelped. "That doesn't mean you can just claim any territory you want!"
"How the bloody hell do you think they built their empire?" Liam interjected with a smile.
"You have a problem with the British Empire?" Elizabeth asked, looking back at Liam.
The leprechaun let out a snort and returned the gaze. "Lass, note the hair. Note the build. Note the bloody Dublin accent. What do ye think?"
Elizabeth's face dropped and she swallowed as she faced the Irishman. "Now, I think we've got more on our hands than politics--------"
"Really?" Liam said, raising his red eyebrows. "Ye're the one trying to claim his planet, just as your countrymen have been trying to claim lands not theirs for centuries on end. Course, I don't blame you. All that spotted dick."
"I'm sorry?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.
"Yer food," Liam clarified. "Yer.....cuisine, if you'll excuse the expression. Spotted dick, toad in a hole, warm beer, boiled every damn thing. Let's face it, the English conquered the world just to escape their own cooking!"
Elizabeth stared at him, then turned to the chuckling Robin. "Are you going to let him talk about Britain like that?"
"Why not?" Robin smiled.
"Well, you're British."
Robin stopped smiling, his face now in confusion. "I am?"
"You have a British accent," Elizabeth stated.
Robin stared at her, then at Liam. "I do?" he asked both.
Elizabeth stared at him in amazement. "Are you trying to tell me you honestly didn't know you speak with a British accent?"
"No," Robin said in a stunned tone that showed it honestly hadn't come to his attention before. "Well, I'll be damned," he remarked, scratching his head. "I never noticed that before. I can't believe none of the guys ever mentioned it before."
"Well, they've been hanging out with Giles," Liam pointed out. "Probably used to it. Could be why Amy likes ye so much, the whole James Bond aura."
"See, there's a good example of English culture!" Elizabeth stated.
"Hate to burst yer bubble, lass," Liam said in a tone that made it clear he didn't hate it at all. "But he was created by a 1400-year-old Irishman."
As Elizabeth's face fell, the others in their group exchanged perplexed glances. "Are all Europeans like this?" Cal asked.
"You'd be surprised," Max remarked. He suddenly jerked his head as if he'd heard something, his eyes peering about nearby.
There was a loud and sudden pounding and then a growing volume of voices coming from the other side of the hill. The group moved back up to the top, Max in the lead, stopping at the top of the hill and looking down at the spot the group had occupied a few moments before. "I was afraid of this," he muttered.
"Afraid of-----" Sean broke off as he came up behind Maximus, staring at the sight before them. The others soon spotted the same sight, which once again shocked them into silence.
At the bottom of the hill, slowly moving upwards, were a pack of armored figures, nearly twenty in all. They all wore dark black armor, their helmets and chest plates carrying strange symbols, all carrying what appeared to be sharp blades, each with an odd glow to them. What made them so unique though was their bodies. All were strong and burly and each had a green- colored skin that, as they came closer, could soon be seen to actually be scales. The ones whose faces weren't obscured by face-masks had plainly reptilian features, yellow eyes set in their hard faces. From each set of armor came a long and apparently strong tail, which flickered about behind them to give them a truly alien appearance.
"Shit," Mel whispered. "The Lizardon."
"Who?" Marybeth meekly asked.
"They've long been an outcast race," Mel explained. "Murderous and brutal, many of them aided Fahn in the rebellion. Apparently, they now work for him."
On the side, unseen by the others who were staring transfixed at the soldiers, Max slowly knelt down and scooped up a small clump of dirt. He briefly rubbed it between his hands, loose dirt sliding out as he rose, brushing off his hands, one moving to the side. "What is with the glowing swords?" he asked as he came up to Mel.
"Probably unilether," the young man replied. "It's a special metal from the Hinterlands, creates a layer of heat around the blade, meant to make the blows more deadly."
"Good to know," Max nodded.
One of the creatures, the bright coloring on his symbols marking him as the apparent commander, stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the group before coming to Mel. It spoke, a series of hisses and grunts that nonetheless conveyed cold hate.
"Um, translation?" Kim asked.
"Sure," Robin nodded. He and Liam each snapped their fingers, a spark of energy appearing between them. Without warning, the Lizardon's hisses turned into words. "-----Now or we will kill them all."
"How the hell------" Katie started.
"Oh, just the magical equivalent of an instant Berlitz course," Robin replied good- naturedly.
Throwing the two a strange glance, Nicky came forward, coughing to get the Lizardon's attention. "Excuse me......sir?" The creature glared at her. "It is sir, isn't it?" The creature still glared, evidentially understanding Nicky's words but not really caring about them. "All right," the man calmly said. "Now, I understand you probably have your orders here but perhaps we can talk about this? You see, we've only just arrived and we really don't have much of a grasp of the situation so perhaps if we could talk to your super------"
Elizabeth had kept careful watch of the Lizardon, her instincts for survival and danger warning her that Nicky's talking wasn't going to do the job. She could see the tension in the creature's muscles as he pulled his blade back. Instinctively, Elizabeth rushed forward, pushing Nicky out of the way just as the reptilian's arm shot forward, the blade ripping through the Englishwoman's stomach. She let out a gasp at the blow, not just at the blade itself, the tip jutting out of her back, but also the feeling as if the blade was on fire, heat filling her stomach. She fell onto her knees as the Lizardon yanked the blade out, then spun around, his tail whipping through the air and smashing Elizabeth on the side of her head. A loud cracking sound rang out as her head whipped hard to the left, the chin on the other side of her shoulder. With a light grunt, Elizabeth fell, dead before she hit the ground.
"ELIZABETH!" Lucy screamed as she watched her fellow surgeon collapse from a massive wound and a broken neck. Tarring automatically crossed himself as the Lizardon snarled, his blade held up as he moved to the others.
There was a blur of motion, the sound of steel moving through the air and suddenly the reptile's sword was on the ground, most of his arm with it. The Lizardon chief barely had time to register any pain before Max's sword dived forward, slicing the creature's throat. Without a word, the Immortal ditched his coat and suit jacket and dived into the fight, slicing down the troops with incredible skill.
Although they were facing an opponent unlike any they had ever seen, Kim and Sean's training automatically kicked in. In seconds, the two had their pistols out, both taking well- practiced stances and opening fire on the oncoming troops. Their first shots against the armor were ineffective, but the two swiftly changed to shots at the unprotected head and throat areas, several of the soldiers quickly going down.
Cal had ducked under his coat to pull out his own revolver, blasting the large gun out. To the surprise of Kim and Sean, several of his bullets went through the armor plating of a pair of soldiers, sending them down. "You realize you're under arrest for illegal armor-piercing bullets," Sean let out as he sent a bullet through a Lizardon's eyepiece.
"Just keep shooting!" Cal let out. "Either of you get wasted, I'm getting blamed for it and you know it!"
Putting Cal's lovely observation aside, the two cops stood back to back, trying to make their shots count.
Katie screamed as a Lizardon grabbed at the hem of her dress, tripping her up. The creature leaned over the redhead, his foul breath nearly causing her to swoon. The reptilian let out a howl and stood up, a discarded blade sticking out of its back. With a snarl, Nicky let go of the blade and yanked the Lizardon off his wife. The creature landed on his back, the blade slamming in and swiftly ended its cries of pain.
Shirley yelped and ducked a swing from one soldier, standing up to let out a punch. Another tried to come up behind her and she swung backwards, yelling as her fist met the metal helmet. She grabbed the thing's wrist and, on impulse, brought her teeth down to it and bit down. The creature screamed, his sword falling from his hand as Shirley brought a fist right into its jaw, sending it down.
From her cowering position, Marybeth stared up at Shirley. "Wow," she whispered. "How'd you-------"
"You grow up where I did after high school, you learn to protect yourself," Shirley shrugged, kicking the creature in the ribs.
Mel ducked a blow from a blade and launched a savage kick to the solar plexus. The Lizardon he faced growled and swung back out with its blade. Mel ducked again, rolling on the ground and coming to a blade that had been discarded by a fallen soldier. Grabbing it, he spun about, raised the flat edge and brought it down right on the lizard creature's tail, severing it. The creature let out a horrendous scream of agony that cut off as Mel smashed the butt of his sword onto the back of its head.
Lucy was scrambling to get to Elizabeth, letting out a howl as she felt a blade just cut her cheek. She stared at the Lizardon who stood before her, his blade hoisted high. Suddenly, Tarring appeared, the priest grabbing the creature with a strength that belied his age. Whispering a prayer of forgiveness, Tarring punched the Lizardon in the face, rocking it.
"Father!" Lucy cried out and Tarring glanced behind to see another Lizardon charging him, his blade down with the point aimed at his back. Quickly, Tarring grabbed his opponent and pulled him forward, giving him a shove. As it happened, that Lizardon's blade was also aimed point-first so he and his compatriot ended up skewering each other, both letting out long and loud gasps of pain before collapsing onto the ground.
"Go with God," Tarring whispered, making the sign of the cross swiftly before moving toward Lucy. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, just a little cut," Lucy said.
"What cut?" Tarring frowned. Lucy touched her cheek, amazed to look at her hand and see no blood from the cut that had been there moments before. "Wow," she whispered before thoughts of Elizabeth once more took hold.
<You know, I'm really not in the mood for this> Robin remarked as he saw a trio of Lizardon charge him and Liam.
<Come on, we can have fun> Liam smirked.
<Liam? Reminder time. We no longer have near unlimitless power and we're on a distant planet.>
<Damn, you're right> Liam frowned. <Great, ruin my fun.>
<Ah, relax> Robin said. <We can still protect ourselves.> He and Liam each let out a wave and the soldiers changed in mid-step, turning into a trio of worms that were quickly stamped down by the two Eternals, who looked at the rest of the conflict.
At the top of the hill, the gunfire was quieting, Cal and the two Chicago police officers running out of targets. Cal placed a final bullet into one Lizardon's chest and lowered his gun. Letting out a small smile, he turned to see Sean's gun sticking into his face. Without a word, the officer held out his hand. Glancing at Kim's gun, also aimed at him, Cal sighed and put his revolver into Sean's hand. It still remained up, Sean raising an eyebrow and with another sigh, Cal reached into his coat and pulled out a set of bullets, putting them with the gun.
Lowering his gun and pocketing Cal's, Sean glanced over to see what else was going on. Shirley had just punched out another Lizardon, Marybeth behind her, looking a bit overwhelmed. Mel had used the butt of his blade to knock out another trooper and sent him down. Robin and Liam appeared to be watching the entire affair with looks of mild amusement, as if enjoying the chance to appraise the group. The McDaniels had moved over to the middle of the field, staring in amazement at the same sight that soon drew the attention of the three gun wielders.
Max was in the middle of a large pile of Lizardon corpses, all with savage blade wounds on them. He grabbed an attempted thrust, yanking the blade away, spinning it in his hands, and slamming it into the soldier's throat. He had his own blade up and ready to block the blows of another trooper, slicing his chest and then slamming it into his throat. Yanking the blade out, he spun about and hurled it behind him, the sword slamming right into the eyehole of a masked Lizardon behind him, the creature falling back before it could even register its own death. Another Lizardon charged Max. The human slid his foot under a discarded blade and kicked it upward, catching it in mid air, smashing the point into the Lizardon's chest. Max took the other blade out of the stunned troopers' hand and slammed it into the other side of the wounded being's chest. Reaching out to take a knife out of the Lizardon's belt, Max easily threw it at the sole remaining soldier on his feet. The blade slammed right into its throat, sending it down. With a look of utter calm, Max reached out, took the two blades, yanked them out of the Lizardon's chest and then slashed inward, his arms coming together, the blades neatly slicing the creature's head off.
Max let the blades drop and calmly walked toward the Lizardon who had Max's sword in his helmet. He let out a grunt as he put a foot on the dead creature's helmet and pulled his blade out. He wiped the green blood off on his coat as he turned to face the others, almost all of whom were staring at him in a mixture of horror and awe.
"Okay, that's just about the single most horrible thing I've ever seen in my life," Kim said with more light a tone than she felt.
"Damn," Cal whispered, the Cabrini-Green native actually shocked by the brutality he'd just seen. "That was incredible."
"That was hardly incredible, young man," Max stated calmly.
"Then what do you call it?" Cal said in disbelief.
The vaguest hints of a smile came onto Max's face. "A decent workout."
As Cal gaped, a choking sound came over the hill. Everyone looked over to where Lucy and Tarring knelt by Elizabeth's body. Lucy brushed at Elizabeth' face, tears coming down her cheeks. "You told me we couldn't die..." she whispered. "You told me......"
"Well, looks like we were wrong," Shirley said, looking to Cal. "The white British girl got it first."
"About time the brother got a break," Cal replied.
"Hey!" Katie yelled out with an anger that surprised them both. "She just died saving my husband's life. So show respect for God's sake."
Tarring knelt before Elizabeth, his cross in his hands as he whispered in Latin, making the sign of the cross above her body. "Eternal light grant unto her, O Lord," he stated solemnly. "And may perpetual light shine upon her-------"
Without warning, Elizabeth's body shook under Lucy's hands, the younger doctor unable to restrain a yell as the Englishwoman's head suddenly came to the side, another cracking coming out as her neck reset itself. A burst of lightning covered the wound in her stomach and then Elizabeth's eyes and mouth open, a huge gasp coming out as she took in air.
"Jesus!" Nicky yelled, he, like about everyone else, jumping back from the unexpected resurrection.
"Somehow, I doubt it's him," Shirley managed to quip, her eyes wide.
"So...." Cal said, looking at the startled Tarring. "I take it the perpetual light is on hold?"
Elizabeth groaned as she rubbed at her neck. "I hate that," she sighed. "Every damn time it happens, I hate it. Getting my neck snapped is the worse, I'm going to have a crick in it for hours." She paused as she looked about, realizing everyone had just witnessed her return to life. "Oh, damn."
"How.....How did-----" Kim stammered, unable to accept what she'd just seen. "How did you----You were------"
"Dead," Elizabeth sighed. "Not for the first time. Not for the last, unfortunately." She groaned as she started to stand up, balancing herself out carefully. She brushed at her coat, cursing at the hole in her shirt before speaking. "I was born in 1738 in Manchester, England. I died for the first time in Paris in 1771. I'm Immortal."
"Immortal?" Marybeth whispered. "You mean.....you can't die?"
"Oh, no, I can die," Elizabeth replied. "I just won't stay dead very long, as you've just seen."
Kim shook her head, her mind whirling. She turned toward Max and her mouth fell open. "Oh my God."
As one, the group turned to see what she had seen: A burst of energy covering a wound on the man's back, taking with it the large cut along his back a lucky Lizardon had managed to inflict. "You," Kim whispered. "You.....you're like her, aren't you?"
Max turned to look at her and nodded. "I am."
Sean asked the question they were all wondering. "Who the hell are you?"
Max stared at him for a long moment, then let his gaze sweep over the entire group, appearing to gauge his response on something he saw in them. He evidentially found it as he rose to his full height, his eyes suddenly taking on a much older and experienced look as he opened his mouth to speak.
<Oh, boy> Robin grinned. <Here it comes.>
<Prepare for the dropping jaws> Liam returned with a smile as Max spoke out.
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridas. Commander of the Armies of the North. General of the Felix Legions. Loyal servant to the Emperor Marcus Aureilus. The gladiator known as the Spaniard."
*****
Summer's Residence
Sunnydale, CA
May 24th, 1999 - 1601 Hours PST
"What do you think about the dress?"
"It looks fine. Now, he was out in daylight?"
"Yes. What about my hair, is it all right?"
"Looks terrific. None of the demon detectors went off?"
"None of them. Which earrings go better?"
"The gold ones. Sherlock didn't sense anything spooky off of him?"
"If he did, he didn't mention it. How do I look?"
"Great. And he didn't give you anything either?"
"Nothing. Buffy, he's not a demon and I doubt he's a robot."
"Still leaves a few dozen nasty options, Mom. Plenty of guys out there who'd be trying to get at me or Steve by using you."
"Buffy. This may be a bit hard to accept, but not everything in Sunnydale revolves around you and the group."
Buffy rolled her eyes as she sat on her mother's bed. She was dressed in a loose white skirt and light top, having come over directly from school to her mother's house, to try and find out just what was up about this date her mother had suddenly made. Joyce had been spending the last half-hour getting ready for it, adjusting her earrings and making sure her nice black dress was ready to impress.
"Look, Mom, maybe we should wait a bit," Buffy said. "You know, I could get Willow to do a check on the guy, run through stuff and--------"
"Buffy," Joyce said in her best "I am your mother and my word is final" tone. "I know you are nervous about this and uncomfortable. I remember full well the last time I got involved with someone, he turned out to be a homicidal robot who fed me drugged brownies and both of us believed you'd killed him before we found out the truth. So, I understand you're a bit off about me dating again. But you will not, I repeat, NOT, do computer searches on this man, you will not stake out the restaurant and you will not take time out from patrol to follow us or get any of the others to do the same. I want to see for myself how this man is and I can handle that much. So please, just let me handle that, all right?"
Buffy bit her lip, knowing her mother wasn't in an argument mood right now. "Okay, Mom," she said softly. "I'm just a bit thrown. I mean, you just spent a week in my body, okay, but does that mean you have to just jump in with a date with someone?"
"It's just dinner, Buffy," Joyce replied, combing her hair again. "Just a nice dinner, hopefully quiet. I was never the type to do more than that as a teen."
"Okay, way more info than I needed," her daughter said, holding up a hand and shaking her head. "It's just a bit sudden, Mom."
"Well, hopefully, it won't be too bad," Joyce said.
Before she could go further, there was a banging on the door downstairs and the sound of a female voice calling out. "Buffy?"
"Up here, Cordy," Buffy called down. As Joyce stared, Cordelia Chase and Amy Madison came up to the room. Cordelia was wearing a short black skirt with a nice blouse. Amy had on a simple yellow dress, her newly-shortened blonde hair flipping behind her as she smiled at the two Summers ladies. "Hey, Joyce," she smiled. "We heard about the date and thought we'd drop by."
Joyce turned to Buffy, her hands on her hips. "You told them about my date, Buffy?"
"Well, I did mention it when we were done talking," her daughter defended herself. "I didn't really expect them to come over."
"So, come on, details!" Cordelia grinned. "Who is he? Where's he from? What's he like?"
Joyce sighed and rolled her eyes. "His name is Zev Mundac."
She saw all three girls staring at her blankly. "Zev Mundac?" Amy repeated. "What the hell kind of name is that? Where's he from?"
"He didn't say," Joyce shrugged. "I hope he'll tell it tonight. Anyway, he's about six feet, dark hair with a bit of silver in the temples, nice suit, good build, he seems like a good guy."
"What else do you know about him?" Amy asked.
"Well, you and Cordy didn't try to set him up with Mom," Buffy answered with a smile. "That's one plus in his favor."
The two rolled their eyes. "Sure, we make one mistake------" Amy started.
"You set your cousin up with Jack the Ripper, Amy," Buffy pointed out. "And let's not even bring Larry into this."
"I don't know, I wouldn't mind doing that," Faith Pryce grinned as she waltzed in. She had on a pair of extremely tight pants and tighter shirt, a loose jacket over it. She grinned widely at Joyce, giving a thumbs-up. "Hey, Mrs. S! Just got the 411. You've got a date? Good going!"
Joyce threw her hands up. "God, Buffy, did you post it on the Internet?"
"Willow's working on that," Buffy smiled at her put-upon mother. "Hopefully, we can get volunteers to check out the place first."
Joyce sighed again. "Why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut?" she muttered under her breath.
"Okay, Mrs. S, let's see what we can do," Faith started, pulling out a large bag and putting it on the bed.
"Oh, God," Buffy moaned, her eyes widening at the thought of what Faith had gotten her mother for a date.
"Okay, first off, I think you need something a bit flashier," Faith said, looking over Joyce's dress. "I mean, you wanna impress the guy, you gotta show some flash. Here, check it out." She reached into the bag and pulled out a long black dress. She turned it back and forth, letting Joyce see the plunging neckline and the nice dip in the back, with a slit up the leg of the outfit. "Whadya think?" Faith grinned.
Joyce stared at her for a long moment, then back to Buffy. "Buffy, if she gets within twenty feet of the restaurant, you have full permission to knock her unconscious."
"No problem," Buffy nodded.
"Oh, come on!" Faith pouted. "I haven't shown you the killer perfume I got, guaranteed to drive guys nuts and ready for fun, I use it myself!"
"Buffy?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"Make it thirty feet."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mrs. S! Don't you want to get a guy going?"
"Faith, do I need to bring up the time in February when I had every guy in town except Robin going for me?"
"And Ulric," Buffy added.
"Because Shaw put him out for most of the night," Joyce replied. "I much prefer taking things a bit slowly this time, all right? Trust me, I do not need more nightmares of me with Xander and Oz, thank you very much."
Amy and Cordelia had to giggle at the pout on Faith's face. "Well, sounds like you'll probably have more fun than me or Xander," Cordelia muttered, her face downcast.
"Why?" Buffy asked. "What happened?"
"We tried to do our usual thing at the Motor Lodge, now that we were back in our own bodies instead of each other's," Cordelia explained. "But some jerk bought out our room!"
"What?" Amy frowned. "I thought you guys had it reserved!"
"We did!" Cordelia said in outrage. "This guy slaps some big wad of cash down and he's got our room. He's so lucky he wasn't in, I wanted to kick his ass!"
"Sounds bad," Faith smiled. "I know you wanted to get back together bad. Week of celibacy was tough, huh?"
"Hey," Cordelia shot out, pointing at the Boston Slayer. "You spend a week in the body of your boyfriend while he spends a week in yours and then talk to me about it."
"I'd need a boyfriend first," Faith replied. "Man, almost wish we'd been caught up in it, I could have gotten Larry."
"Oh, we would have needed that," Buffy groaned. "I'm still recovering from looking into a mirror and seeing Mom and Giles hugging."
"Yeah, must be nice for Steve to talk without the British accent," Faith smirked, to dirty glares from the rest. "Say, where's Will?"
"School," the other teens replied.
"Still?" Joyce asked in surprise. "Classes were over a while ago."
"Jenny's got her doing extra credit," Cordelia replied. "Little payback for what happened during the switch."
"She's still mad about that?" Joyce frowned.
"Gee, let's see," Cordelia said sarcastically. "Willow in Jenny's body and Oz in Frank's body go out and try going to a bar for the first time but drastically underestimate how much liquor they can handle, leading to a drunken night of passion so that, technically, Jenny and Frank slept together which seriously pissed off them, and Giles too, and from the look of shock on your face, this is the first you've heard of it." Cordelia swallowed. "Oooops."
Joyce stared in shock at the revelation. "I.....I was talking about Willow making Jenny feel like the student when they were switched, I didn't........" She swallowed. "Wow. Guess I got lucky."
"Not yet, but if you play your cards right, then tonight......"
"FAITH!" The two Summers yelled.
Amy sighed and brushed a hand through where her hair used to end, feeling empty air there. "At least none of you got an unwanted makeover," she muttered sourly. "God, I miss Robin."
Cordelia stared at her. "After all he and Liam put us through?"
"Hey, I was pissed about the tape and all too," Amy replied. "But that's just who they are, you know. Besides, Robin did tell me he loves me. That means a lot."
"Yeah, it does," Cordelia admitted. "So, you going to forgive him for letting Shaw cut your hair when she was in your body?"
"He told me he liked it a lot."
"Damn, he's good," Cordelia muttered.
"Who is?" the group all looked up to see Shaw Hunter standing in the doorway. The half-elven fighter wore a set of loose pants and a nicely-cut black shirt, professional yet somehow seeming casual at the same time. Her eyes swept over the group, seeing the remaining hostility from Buffy, Cordelia and Amy. She was used to it, none of the group exactly happy over the fact that she had been helping Robin and Liam with their special video of the guys during the switch, helping to pull some gags and add to the already wild situation.
"The guy Joyce is going out with," Faith answered. Since she, Kendra and Larry had also been helping out with the gag, she was sympathetic to the Harper's predicament.
"Yes, I had heard of that," Shaw said. "Cordelia and Amy did not set her up, did they?"
"No, he just asked me out," Joyce answered.
"Good, that will save us much trouble."
"HEY!" the two Amazons yelled.
"She's got you there, guys," Buffy smiled. "Your track record with her alone......"
"Now wait a minute," Cordelia said, holding up a hand. "Joyce is normal. That makes things a lot easier......."
"No," Buffy said coldly.
"Buffy, we wouldn't set your Mom up," Amy reassured her.
"Learned your lesson or self-preservation?" Buffy asked.
"Duh," the two Amazons replied.
"So, Shaw, what brings you here?" Faith asked.
"I picked up the ingredients Amy wanted," the Harper replied, holding up a bag.
Everyone stared at her. "Excuse me?" Joyce said, a tiny twinge of fear at the remembrance of a night in February coming back to her.
"I said, I picked up the ingredients Amy sent me to buy," Shaw repeated.
Buffy looked at her, then her cousin, then to Joyce. Coming to her feet, she yanked Amy off the bed with one arm and with the other grabbed Shaw. The two cousins were taken aback at the treatment, surprised as Buffy marched them downstairs and to the foyer. "Buffy, what-----" Shaw began.
"Out," Buffy said, letting go of her long enough to pull the door o