Reset - Chapters 6 & 7
Sep. 22nd, 2003 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to…I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon all episodes up to and including the season 6 finale.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Warren and his accomplice begin their revenge on the Scoobies unaware that help is on it's way from an unlikely, powerful source...
Timeframe: A few hours after "Power"
Buffy rolled over on her back and flinched at the pain that shot through her body. She slowly became aware of her surroundings. It was dark and damp. She pulled herself up into a sitting position trying to remember what had brought her to this place. Her eyes adjusted to the dark. She noticed that she was in a small cell that was set into...what? A cave? That would explain the darkness and the dampness.
"Hello? Anyone there?" A voice that Buffy recognized as Willow’s asked from somewhere to the left of her.
"Will? Is that you?" It was Xander now. His voice seemed to come from in front of Buffy.
"Yeah it’s me Xander! Who else is here?" She asked desperately.
"Me," Dawn stated, sounding scared. "And I’m stuck in a cage!"
"I’m here too, same situation," said Anya.
"M-m-me too," Tara said stuttering.
"I’m here too. Wherever here is." Buffy said, her voice rising with anger. The last thing she remembered was Warren freezing her.
Before any of them could say another word, they heard approaching footsteps and saw a faint light bouncing off the walls. Someone was coming and Buffy was going to be ready for whoever it was.
The light came closer but Buffy still couldn’t make out who the person was that was carrying the torch. There was enough light in the cave now though, that she could see where her friends were. They seemed to be in a semi-circle of individual cells with hers and Dawn’s in the middle of the group. Each cell was set into the walls of the cave, almost like a zoo exhibit. She squinted in the dim light and tried to survey the area and to make sure that everyone was in one piece. Everyone looked okay.
Buffy stood as the figure came into full view. "I am so going to kick your ass, Warren. Cause if you thought you could get away with this…" But she stopped in mid threat. She had expected the person with the torch to be Warren. She wasn’t prepared to see her. She was taken aback for a second but then regained her composure and lunged at the girl.
"Anyanka? Are you here? We have to talk," Halfrek said as she looked around the Magic Shop. It was empty and dark. No one was there. "Anya," she called out again, figuring she would use her friend’s human name. Again she was answered with silence.
She walked over to the wall and flipped on the light switch. The lights flickered and came on. The shop was neat as a pin, nothing out of place. She walked over to the table and took a seat. She figured she might as well sit and wait for the rogue demon to return. They really needed to talk. D’Hoffryn had gotten wind of Anyanka’s decision to tell Buffy about the vengeance directed at her. That was strictly against the rules and Anyanka knew it. To say that their boss was pissed off was an understatement. She had pleaded with him to let her go to Anyanka and talk to her. Reason with her. Make her understand that her place was back with them now. So she waited, flipping lazily through a magazine that had been left on the table.
Buffy flew against the back of her prison and cried out in pain. She looked down at her hands, which were burned. She glared at the girl who was now standing in front of her cell. "You bitch."
"I would advise you not to touch the bars. They’re electrified. You’ll heal fine but the others, well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be too good for them." She walked around the cave and lit the other torches. The room filled with light.
"Amy," Willow said trying to get her attention. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why? Because, I can. Because, it’ll be fun. Remember fun?" She asked, looking at Willow. "No, of course you don’t. You’re still that same scared girl that you were in high school. And you don’t have to be! You’re a powerful witch Willow, yet you won’t use your powers. We could have been a force to be reckoned with, you know. Instead you’ve chosen to be little miss goody."
"I’m not the same person I was in high school," Willow said calmly. "I’ve changed. I’ve grown up. I know first hand how power can corrupt a person."
"It doesn’t have to be this way, Willow. You could join us and..."
Willow cut her off. "And do what, Amy? Kill people? Kill my friends? Rule the world?"
Tara had been sitting quietly in her cell watching the exchange. Willow was different lately. She was still Willow, but she was more...melancholy? She thought maybe that was because Willow wasn’t using her powers and she really wanted to but didn’t want to risk losing her again. Now she was getting the feeling that Willow wasn’t using them anymore for a completely different reason.
"Amy, why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you?" Dawn demanded.
Amy looked at Dawn and smiled. Then she looked at the others one by one. Finally, she walked over to face Buffy. "I’m doing this because I’m tired of Buffy’s attitude. I’m tired of being looked at as something evil because I like to use my powers." She stopped and looked over at Willow; rage building in her voice. "And because you could have de-ratted me long before you did. It took that other witch leaving you for you to want me around again, so that you had someone to say it was okay that you did magic."
No one spoke.
"Oh. In case you’re thinking that’s just not enough, I’m also doing it because I have this amazing guy now that really cares about me. He doesn’t have any hang-ups with who I am. And, oh yeah, he hates Buffy and pretty much all of you. So I think that’s a good enough reason for me."
Halfrek had lost track of the time while she paged through the magazine. She’d wait there all night for Anyanka if she had to. As she turned the next page to continue the story she was reading, a man materialized in the shop. He walked quickly to the counter to check the answering machine. She jumped out of her chair, knocking it to the floor with a loud crash.
He whirled around to look at her, pointing a crossbow at her chest. "And you are?"
"I’m...uh...Halfrek. I’m a friend of Anyanka’s," she said stumbling over the words. "You can call me Hali." Then she added, "I’m waiting for Anyanka to come back so we can talk."
The man relaxed and put the crossbow down at his side. "Right. I take it then that no one is here?"
Halfrek shook her head, still staring at him.
"Bloody hell," he said and picked up the phone.
Halfrek wasn’t sure who he was or why he was there but he seemed agitated and desperate in his attempt to reach whomever on the phone.
He slammed down the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Have you seen Buffy or Xander or anyone from the group?"
She shook her head. "No. I’m sorry. No one is here. I’m not exactly friends with them and Xander isn’t exactly someone I’d want to hang out with."
"Right. I guess not. Anya e-mailed me and told me what happened," he said removing his glasses to clean them. "I know this is a long shot but do you have any idea where they might have gone? I’m rather concerned. I can’t seem to reach anyone."
Again Halfrek shook her head. She was starting to become concerned for her friend. She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Anyanka’s pain but couldn’t find it. "I can’t sense her anywhere. But..." Wait. There was something stronger. Ah yes. The vengeance aimed at Buffy. Not her problem.
"But what?" The man asked.
"Oh. Nothing," she said with a light tone to her voice, hoping that he didn’t catch the lie. "I thought it was something but it wasn’t." She smiled at him.
The man eyed her suspiciously, but as he was about to say something the phone rang. He rushed to answer it. "Hello? Buffy? Oh. Hello, Angel. No. No one is here. I can’t find them. Yes I did get here rather fast. How? Uhm...I took the concord," he said lying, hoping that Angel didn’t catch it. "Are you quite certain Cordelia’s vision was correct? Yes? All right then. Yes, I will call as soon as I find out anything."
He hung up the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Buffy is in dreadful danger and I’m afraid that the others are as well."
She was really concerned for Anyanka now. But first she needed to know who this man was. "I’m sorry," Halfrek said looking at him intently. "I didn’t catch your name."
"That’s because I didn’t give it. I’m Giles. Rupert Giles."
Halfrek knew this name. Anyanka had mentioned him several times, referring to him as the father she never had.
"I’m going to ask one last time," he said, coming closer to her and raising his crossbow again. "Do you have any information that may be helpful to finding them?"
They were all still sparring with Amy and didn’t notice that Warren had entered the cave. He walked over to Amy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled brightly and kissed him long and hard. "Is everyone comfortable?" He asked with a grin after breaking off the kiss.
Xander glared at his captors. "Define comfortable."
"Harris," Warren began, sounding bored. "You would think that after my fist met with your face causing messy results, that you wouldn’t be so quick to challenge me." He walked over to Xander’s cell and looked at him with an evil smile. His eyes flashed red.
"Warren," Buffy said with contempt in her voice. "This fight is between you and me. Let the others go."
"No can do slayer," he said with a laugh. "I can’t have them running around town trying to destroy me once you’re gone. Although, it would take a lot to bring me down now."
Buffy moved to the front of her cell, carefully avoiding the bars. "You’re such an idiot, Warren, if you think you’re some kind of all powerful being. Everyone has a flaw. Even you."
"That might be true. But I’m not going to worry about it right now because now, we’re gonna have some fun!"
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to...I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon all episodes up to and including the season 6 finale.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Warren's lack of information and his arrogance lead to surprising results...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Revenge".
Halfrek glared at Giles menacingly. "I suggest you lower your weapon. I wouldn’t want to hurt you."
"And I suggest you give me the answers that I’m looking for and I won’t have to hurt you."
The silence hung in the air. Each stood their ground staring at the other. It seemed like hours had passed since either one had spoken but in reality, it was just a few seconds.
"I don’t have the time nor the patience for this waiting game," Giles said tiredly. "There are people out there that need my help, and I have this sinking suspicion that you know something that you’re not revealing to me." He took a step closer to the demon.
She sighed. "Fine, you’re right! I do know something, but it would be against the rules to tell you. Anyanka has broken the rules. She’s probably suffering the consequences of her actions."
"You mean to tell me," Giles scowled. "That you’re willing to let your friend die? What kind of friend are you?"
Halfrek looked at him and then looked at the floor. She shifted nervously on her feet. Anyanka was her friend but if she told this mortal what he needed to know, she herself would pay the price for breaking the rules.
"Damn it woman! Answer me," he shouted, bringing the crossbow to her chest.
"If you kill me you will never know where they are, and I certainly don’t think you want that to be the case," she said, putting her hand on the crossbow and moving it away from her person. If he was right, and Anyanka was in trouble, she wasn’t sure she could live the rest of eternity knowing that she could have prevented the death of a friend.
With a sigh she said, "Fine. I’ll help you."
A look of relief spread over Giles face. He threw his weapon down on the table and folded his arms across his chest. "Thank you. Now, tell me what you know."
Warren and Amy had disappeared from the cave about ten minutes ago and hadn’t returned yet. Buffy wasn’t sure where they had gone or why, but it couldn’t be good. They were toying with them. Since the duo had left them alone she figured she would use the time to explore her cell more thoroughly, looking for any hint of a way out. There wasn’t any. Frustrated, she kicked at the back of her cell hoping to find a weak spot in the wall but her foot just glanced off the rock. "Definitely slayer-proof," she said aloud and sighed.
Xander paced in his cell. "What’s the plan? I mean, we’re not going to just let them kill us, right?"
"We’ll think of something," Buffy said quietly. Her mind was racing through all of their options. They didn’t have any weapons, but they did have two powerful witches and a vengeance demon, not to mention that she was Slayer. That had to count for something.
Dawn stood up in her cell, "Tara, Willow, you can do a spell, right? Maybe get us out of these cells?" She was scared. She wished that Spike was still in town. He would have helped them. The thought of him being gone for good was too overwhelming and she tried to push it to the back of her mind so that she could concentrate on the now.
"What about a teleportation spell, Will?" Buffy asked hurriedly.
Willow looked at her friends and then looked over at Tara. "I can’t do any spells," she stammered. "I don’t trust myself. I’m sorry. Maybe Tara could do a spell to unlock the doors."
Tara looked at her lover. She could see the fear in Willow’s eyes. "Willow," she said soothingly. "You don’t need to worry about me leaving you. This is a different situation. You’d be using your magic for a good reason. I’m not as powerful as you are. I don’t think I can do much to help us."
"I just can’t," Willow gulped trying to hold back the tears. "I can’t."
The pleading in Willow’s voice was hard to miss. Tara could feel how afraid Willow was about using magic. Something definitely wasn’t right. She had given Willow her blessing to use her powers but her lover had flatly refused. Now she knew that there was something else holding Willow back. Something big.
"Okay," Buffy said, taking charge. "We need to think of something else. Fast. We’re not going to bully Willow into doing something she can’t." She gave her friend a small smile to reassure her that it was okay that she was standing firm in her convictions not to use magic.
"Anya," Buffy continued. "What kind of powers do you have now?"
Xander’s head snapped up and he stopped pacing his cell. He glared at his former fiancé. "Yes, Anya. Why don’t you tell us all what you can do..."
Warren pulled his shirt on and buttoned it. He and Amy had gone off to another part of the cave to let the others stew for a while, and to relieve the tension that was building in his body. The thought of killing the slayer and her friends had excited him. So much so, that he was afraid that he would kill them all too quickly. He wanted it to last and he wanted the slayer to suffer. The power that was coursing through his veins had put him on edge. He had felt like a tightly wound clock that was about to explode. Thankfully, Amy had calmed him down and he began to refocus. A wicked grin crossed his face as he though about how much he could definitely get used to job perks like this.
He wasn’t worried about leaving the Scooby gang alone. He had separated the witches so that they couldn’t grab hands, plus, he had electrified the cell bars. Even Buffy wouldn’t be able to deal with that. He had been concerned about Willow since she was pretty powerful, but Amy had convinced him that the witch wouldn’t use her powers. She had given them up. He didn’t understand that, having all that power and not using it. How stupid could she be? And as for the other three humans, they were just that, humans. He had them all right where he wanted them. There was nothing and no one that could stop him now.
Anya looked defiantly at Xander. She was getting tired of his hurtful comments and glares. "I cannot do anything to Warren or Amy. In fact, I’d have to grant Warren’s wish if he asked for one. That’s the way it works."
Xander stood facing her and laughed. "You’re joking, right? Whose side are you on?"
"It’s not that easy," Anya said with a sigh. "The call for vengeance is coming from Warren and directed at all of you. Not the other way around." She knew that Xander wouldn’t understand but there was nothing she could say or do to change that. She knew that now. Then, several seconds later, she realized that there was something she could do to help. "I’ll be right back," she shouted and then disappeared.
They looked at her empty cell in shock.
Anya appeared inside of the Magic Box and went to the weapon cabinet. She didn’t notice Giles and Halfrek standing by the front door looking dumbfounded. Her only thoughts were to get as many weapons as she could carry and teleport back to the cave before Warren and Amy knew she was gone. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn’t hear Giles come up behind her. A hand fell on her shoulder. She dropped all of the weapons to the floor as she spun around to see who it was.
"Oh my god," she gasped. "Giles? Is it you?"
"Yes. It’s me."
She was so relieved to see him that she almost forgot what she was doing. "You’re not here to take the store back are you? Because even though I’m a demon again, I don’t want to give up the money..."
"Anya, no. I’m not here to reclaim the store. I’m here because Cordelia had a vision that Buffy was in trouble..."
"Buffy," she gasped. Suddenly, she bent down and started picking up the weapons. "Hurry! There’s no time! I have to get these weapons to Buffy before Warren knows I’m gone. I don’t think he knows that I have powers again."
"Anyanka?" Halfrek asked in amazement. "Are you seriously going to help these humans, again?? Do you have any idea what D’Hoffryn is going to do to you once he finds out? And he will find out you know!"
Anya looked over at Halfrek and then at Giles. A look of determination crossed her face. "I’m going to help my friends," she said emphatically. "And if you’re my friend, you’ll help me."
One look at Anyanka’s face said it all. There was no way Halfrek was going to be able to talk her friend out of this suicide mission. She threw her hands up in the air and grabbed an axe. "Alright," she sighed. "Let’s go."
"She’s not coming back, is she?" Dawn asked with tears in her eyes.
"She’ll be back Dawnie," Willow stated, trying to comfort the distraught girl. "She wouldn’t leave us here like this. She may be a demon again, but she’s still our friend."
"We haven’t exactly acted like her friend lately though," Tara said flatly and with downcast eyes.
Xander leaned up against the back wall with his arms folded across his chest. He was tired and his head hurt. Not to mention the fact that he was hungry. Hadn’t Willow said something a couple of weeks ago about him always thinking about food? He laughed softly to himself. He didn’t want to think about what was going to happen to him and his friends. He didn’t want to die this way, like a caged animal. Out of the blue a thought occurred to him, what if Anya had left them to their fate because of the way he had been treating her? What if she really wasn’t going to come back? "It’s my fault," he said repeatedly.
"Xander don’t say such a thing," Willow shouted at him. "It’s not your fault that we’re here. It’s stupid Warren’s fault."
"No, Will. It’s my fault that Anya’s not coming back. It’s my fault we’re going to die."
Buffy had heard about enough. "That’s it Xander. Get off the pity party train. We don’t have time for this. Anya said she’d be right back and we have to believe that she will be. But until then we have to think positive and figure out a back up plan."
Seconds turned into minutes, but no one noticed. It seemed time was standing still. Just as Buffy was about to give up on Anya returning, the vengeance demon appeared in her cell. Surprised, Buffy struck a defensive stance until she realized who it was. "Anya," she murmured. "What took you so long?"
Anya shoved a crossbow into Buffy’s hands. "No time. Here," she said in a rushed whisper. "Take this and hide it. Help is on the way."
Buffy smiled at Anya. She took the weapon and put it in the darkness at the back of the cell. Buffy turned to ask Anya what she had meant by ‘help is on the way’ but the girl had disappeared from her cell and had re-materialized into Willow’s.
Anya teleported into each cell, stopping only long enough to hand the occupant a weapon and to say few reassuring words. Xander’s cell was last. When she went to hand him his weapon, he grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes. "An, I’m sorry. I’ve been a big jerk."
His words hit her like a truck. She couldn’t believe he was apologizing to her at last. This was what she had been waiting for since he had walked away on their wedding day. She stared at him, not sure what to say. Finally the words came to her. "Well, we’ve both said and done hurtful things. I’m sorry I had sex with Spike. I didn’t mean to hurt you, not that way." Her eyes filled with tears.
Xander pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Anya," he whispered. "No matter what happens. I want you to know that I still love you."
"I love you too Xander," she said, fighting back the tears.
Buffy was glad to see that the two had kind of made up, even if it did take their lives being placed in jeopardy to do it. Her thoughts turned to Spike. Where was he right now? Would she get the chance to tell him she was sorry? Or that she cared for him, maybe even loved him? Why was she even thinking about him at a time like this? She chided herself for letting him invade her thoughts. As another Spike thought started to take shape, she heard soft footsteps coming their way. "Uhm. Guys. Later with the smoochies, okay? Anya, get back in your cell. Someone’s coming."
Amy entered the holding area first, followed closely by Warren. He looked around at his prisoners and smiled evilly. This was going to be so much fun. Amy looked over at him and smiled, nodding her head.
He held his hand up and the bars in front of Dawn’s cell disappeared. Amy moved quickly to get the girl. As she reached out to grab Dawn’s arm, the young girl kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying across the room. Dawn stared at Amy as the girl slid down the wall, unconscious.
Warren glared at Dawn. He ran over to make sure Amy was okay. She was still breathing. He decided that the youngest Summers was going to pay first. "How exciting!" Warren exclaimed as he walked in front of Dawn. "Do we have a little slayer wannabe on our hands?" He grabbed her before she could reply and pulled her out of the cell, mostly by her hair. "I want you to say your goodbye’s to your big sister before I start torturing you. It’s gonna get kinda messy and I’m not sure you’ll be able to scream, let alone talk."
Dawn struggled to free herself. She could hear Buffy yelling at Warren to let her go. She felt around for the dagger Anya had given her. If she could just get her fingers on that, she could stab him and try to break free. Before she knew what was happening, Warren lurched back with a cry.
"Surprise," Buffy said, leveling the crossbow at him again.
Both he and Dawn fell to the ground. Dawn realized her hands were free and reached for the dagger. She put both hands around it and raised the weapon into the air hoping to get enough momentum to make the wound fatal when she connected. But what she saw froze her.
Warren’s eyes began to glow a fiery red. With minimal effort, he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and threw it to the ground. His wound healed quickly. "You stupid bitch," he laughed at Buffy. "Did you think that would stop me? I’m not one of your undead boyfriends." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dawn with the dagger. Suddenly it started to glow with tremendous heat. She dropped it immediately, leaving her helpless against him.
"I’m not exactly sure how you got these weapons," he said turning to Buffy. "But no matter. They’re useless against me. I’m indestructible now." He walked over to Dawn and grabbed her by the throat. "And now I’m going to kill your sister."
Buffy glared at him. "As I said earlier Warren, everyone has a flaw."
"Oh please. I don’t think so. Stop trying to bait me. You’re not going to get out of this. Your sister is going to be the first one to die and there’s nothing you can do about it."
"She may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but I can," said a voice from behind.
Warren spun around with a look of surprise on his face. He knew that voice.
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to…I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon all episodes up to and including the season 6 finale.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Warren and his accomplice begin their revenge on the Scoobies unaware that help is on it's way from an unlikely, powerful source...
Timeframe: A few hours after "Power"
- 6 -
Revenge
Revenge
Buffy rolled over on her back and flinched at the pain that shot through her body. She slowly became aware of her surroundings. It was dark and damp. She pulled herself up into a sitting position trying to remember what had brought her to this place. Her eyes adjusted to the dark. She noticed that she was in a small cell that was set into...what? A cave? That would explain the darkness and the dampness.
"Hello? Anyone there?" A voice that Buffy recognized as Willow’s asked from somewhere to the left of her.
"Will? Is that you?" It was Xander now. His voice seemed to come from in front of Buffy.
"Yeah it’s me Xander! Who else is here?" She asked desperately.
"Me," Dawn stated, sounding scared. "And I’m stuck in a cage!"
"I’m here too, same situation," said Anya.
"M-m-me too," Tara said stuttering.
"I’m here too. Wherever here is." Buffy said, her voice rising with anger. The last thing she remembered was Warren freezing her.
Before any of them could say another word, they heard approaching footsteps and saw a faint light bouncing off the walls. Someone was coming and Buffy was going to be ready for whoever it was.
The light came closer but Buffy still couldn’t make out who the person was that was carrying the torch. There was enough light in the cave now though, that she could see where her friends were. They seemed to be in a semi-circle of individual cells with hers and Dawn’s in the middle of the group. Each cell was set into the walls of the cave, almost like a zoo exhibit. She squinted in the dim light and tried to survey the area and to make sure that everyone was in one piece. Everyone looked okay.
Buffy stood as the figure came into full view. "I am so going to kick your ass, Warren. Cause if you thought you could get away with this…" But she stopped in mid threat. She had expected the person with the torch to be Warren. She wasn’t prepared to see her. She was taken aback for a second but then regained her composure and lunged at the girl.
******
"Anyanka? Are you here? We have to talk," Halfrek said as she looked around the Magic Shop. It was empty and dark. No one was there. "Anya," she called out again, figuring she would use her friend’s human name. Again she was answered with silence.
She walked over to the wall and flipped on the light switch. The lights flickered and came on. The shop was neat as a pin, nothing out of place. She walked over to the table and took a seat. She figured she might as well sit and wait for the rogue demon to return. They really needed to talk. D’Hoffryn had gotten wind of Anyanka’s decision to tell Buffy about the vengeance directed at her. That was strictly against the rules and Anyanka knew it. To say that their boss was pissed off was an understatement. She had pleaded with him to let her go to Anyanka and talk to her. Reason with her. Make her understand that her place was back with them now. So she waited, flipping lazily through a magazine that had been left on the table.
******
Buffy flew against the back of her prison and cried out in pain. She looked down at her hands, which were burned. She glared at the girl who was now standing in front of her cell. "You bitch."
"I would advise you not to touch the bars. They’re electrified. You’ll heal fine but the others, well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be too good for them." She walked around the cave and lit the other torches. The room filled with light.
"Amy," Willow said trying to get her attention. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why? Because, I can. Because, it’ll be fun. Remember fun?" She asked, looking at Willow. "No, of course you don’t. You’re still that same scared girl that you were in high school. And you don’t have to be! You’re a powerful witch Willow, yet you won’t use your powers. We could have been a force to be reckoned with, you know. Instead you’ve chosen to be little miss goody."
"I’m not the same person I was in high school," Willow said calmly. "I’ve changed. I’ve grown up. I know first hand how power can corrupt a person."
"It doesn’t have to be this way, Willow. You could join us and..."
Willow cut her off. "And do what, Amy? Kill people? Kill my friends? Rule the world?"
Tara had been sitting quietly in her cell watching the exchange. Willow was different lately. She was still Willow, but she was more...melancholy? She thought maybe that was because Willow wasn’t using her powers and she really wanted to but didn’t want to risk losing her again. Now she was getting the feeling that Willow wasn’t using them anymore for a completely different reason.
"Amy, why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you?" Dawn demanded.
Amy looked at Dawn and smiled. Then she looked at the others one by one. Finally, she walked over to face Buffy. "I’m doing this because I’m tired of Buffy’s attitude. I’m tired of being looked at as something evil because I like to use my powers." She stopped and looked over at Willow; rage building in her voice. "And because you could have de-ratted me long before you did. It took that other witch leaving you for you to want me around again, so that you had someone to say it was okay that you did magic."
No one spoke.
"Oh. In case you’re thinking that’s just not enough, I’m also doing it because I have this amazing guy now that really cares about me. He doesn’t have any hang-ups with who I am. And, oh yeah, he hates Buffy and pretty much all of you. So I think that’s a good enough reason for me."
******
Halfrek had lost track of the time while she paged through the magazine. She’d wait there all night for Anyanka if she had to. As she turned the next page to continue the story she was reading, a man materialized in the shop. He walked quickly to the counter to check the answering machine. She jumped out of her chair, knocking it to the floor with a loud crash.
He whirled around to look at her, pointing a crossbow at her chest. "And you are?"
"I’m...uh...Halfrek. I’m a friend of Anyanka’s," she said stumbling over the words. "You can call me Hali." Then she added, "I’m waiting for Anyanka to come back so we can talk."
The man relaxed and put the crossbow down at his side. "Right. I take it then that no one is here?"
Halfrek shook her head, still staring at him.
"Bloody hell," he said and picked up the phone.
Halfrek wasn’t sure who he was or why he was there but he seemed agitated and desperate in his attempt to reach whomever on the phone.
He slammed down the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Have you seen Buffy or Xander or anyone from the group?"
She shook her head. "No. I’m sorry. No one is here. I’m not exactly friends with them and Xander isn’t exactly someone I’d want to hang out with."
"Right. I guess not. Anya e-mailed me and told me what happened," he said removing his glasses to clean them. "I know this is a long shot but do you have any idea where they might have gone? I’m rather concerned. I can’t seem to reach anyone."
Again Halfrek shook her head. She was starting to become concerned for her friend. She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Anyanka’s pain but couldn’t find it. "I can’t sense her anywhere. But..." Wait. There was something stronger. Ah yes. The vengeance aimed at Buffy. Not her problem.
"But what?" The man asked.
"Oh. Nothing," she said with a light tone to her voice, hoping that he didn’t catch the lie. "I thought it was something but it wasn’t." She smiled at him.
The man eyed her suspiciously, but as he was about to say something the phone rang. He rushed to answer it. "Hello? Buffy? Oh. Hello, Angel. No. No one is here. I can’t find them. Yes I did get here rather fast. How? Uhm...I took the concord," he said lying, hoping that Angel didn’t catch it. "Are you quite certain Cordelia’s vision was correct? Yes? All right then. Yes, I will call as soon as I find out anything."
He hung up the phone and looked over at Halfrek. "Buffy is in dreadful danger and I’m afraid that the others are as well."
She was really concerned for Anyanka now. But first she needed to know who this man was. "I’m sorry," Halfrek said looking at him intently. "I didn’t catch your name."
"That’s because I didn’t give it. I’m Giles. Rupert Giles."
Halfrek knew this name. Anyanka had mentioned him several times, referring to him as the father she never had.
"I’m going to ask one last time," he said, coming closer to her and raising his crossbow again. "Do you have any information that may be helpful to finding them?"
******
They were all still sparring with Amy and didn’t notice that Warren had entered the cave. He walked over to Amy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled brightly and kissed him long and hard. "Is everyone comfortable?" He asked with a grin after breaking off the kiss.
Xander glared at his captors. "Define comfortable."
"Harris," Warren began, sounding bored. "You would think that after my fist met with your face causing messy results, that you wouldn’t be so quick to challenge me." He walked over to Xander’s cell and looked at him with an evil smile. His eyes flashed red.
"Warren," Buffy said with contempt in her voice. "This fight is between you and me. Let the others go."
"No can do slayer," he said with a laugh. "I can’t have them running around town trying to destroy me once you’re gone. Although, it would take a lot to bring me down now."
Buffy moved to the front of her cell, carefully avoiding the bars. "You’re such an idiot, Warren, if you think you’re some kind of all powerful being. Everyone has a flaw. Even you."
"That might be true. But I’m not going to worry about it right now because now, we’re gonna have some fun!"
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to...I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon all episodes up to and including the season 6 finale.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Warren's lack of information and his arrogance lead to surprising results...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Revenge".
- 7 -
Surprise
Surprise
Halfrek glared at Giles menacingly. "I suggest you lower your weapon. I wouldn’t want to hurt you."
"And I suggest you give me the answers that I’m looking for and I won’t have to hurt you."
The silence hung in the air. Each stood their ground staring at the other. It seemed like hours had passed since either one had spoken but in reality, it was just a few seconds.
"I don’t have the time nor the patience for this waiting game," Giles said tiredly. "There are people out there that need my help, and I have this sinking suspicion that you know something that you’re not revealing to me." He took a step closer to the demon.
She sighed. "Fine, you’re right! I do know something, but it would be against the rules to tell you. Anyanka has broken the rules. She’s probably suffering the consequences of her actions."
"You mean to tell me," Giles scowled. "That you’re willing to let your friend die? What kind of friend are you?"
Halfrek looked at him and then looked at the floor. She shifted nervously on her feet. Anyanka was her friend but if she told this mortal what he needed to know, she herself would pay the price for breaking the rules.
"Damn it woman! Answer me," he shouted, bringing the crossbow to her chest.
"If you kill me you will never know where they are, and I certainly don’t think you want that to be the case," she said, putting her hand on the crossbow and moving it away from her person. If he was right, and Anyanka was in trouble, she wasn’t sure she could live the rest of eternity knowing that she could have prevented the death of a friend.
With a sigh she said, "Fine. I’ll help you."
A look of relief spread over Giles face. He threw his weapon down on the table and folded his arms across his chest. "Thank you. Now, tell me what you know."
******
Warren and Amy had disappeared from the cave about ten minutes ago and hadn’t returned yet. Buffy wasn’t sure where they had gone or why, but it couldn’t be good. They were toying with them. Since the duo had left them alone she figured she would use the time to explore her cell more thoroughly, looking for any hint of a way out. There wasn’t any. Frustrated, she kicked at the back of her cell hoping to find a weak spot in the wall but her foot just glanced off the rock. "Definitely slayer-proof," she said aloud and sighed.
Xander paced in his cell. "What’s the plan? I mean, we’re not going to just let them kill us, right?"
"We’ll think of something," Buffy said quietly. Her mind was racing through all of their options. They didn’t have any weapons, but they did have two powerful witches and a vengeance demon, not to mention that she was Slayer. That had to count for something.
Dawn stood up in her cell, "Tara, Willow, you can do a spell, right? Maybe get us out of these cells?" She was scared. She wished that Spike was still in town. He would have helped them. The thought of him being gone for good was too overwhelming and she tried to push it to the back of her mind so that she could concentrate on the now.
"What about a teleportation spell, Will?" Buffy asked hurriedly.
Willow looked at her friends and then looked over at Tara. "I can’t do any spells," she stammered. "I don’t trust myself. I’m sorry. Maybe Tara could do a spell to unlock the doors."
Tara looked at her lover. She could see the fear in Willow’s eyes. "Willow," she said soothingly. "You don’t need to worry about me leaving you. This is a different situation. You’d be using your magic for a good reason. I’m not as powerful as you are. I don’t think I can do much to help us."
"I just can’t," Willow gulped trying to hold back the tears. "I can’t."
The pleading in Willow’s voice was hard to miss. Tara could feel how afraid Willow was about using magic. Something definitely wasn’t right. She had given Willow her blessing to use her powers but her lover had flatly refused. Now she knew that there was something else holding Willow back. Something big.
"Okay," Buffy said, taking charge. "We need to think of something else. Fast. We’re not going to bully Willow into doing something she can’t." She gave her friend a small smile to reassure her that it was okay that she was standing firm in her convictions not to use magic.
"Anya," Buffy continued. "What kind of powers do you have now?"
Xander’s head snapped up and he stopped pacing his cell. He glared at his former fiancé. "Yes, Anya. Why don’t you tell us all what you can do..."
******
Warren pulled his shirt on and buttoned it. He and Amy had gone off to another part of the cave to let the others stew for a while, and to relieve the tension that was building in his body. The thought of killing the slayer and her friends had excited him. So much so, that he was afraid that he would kill them all too quickly. He wanted it to last and he wanted the slayer to suffer. The power that was coursing through his veins had put him on edge. He had felt like a tightly wound clock that was about to explode. Thankfully, Amy had calmed him down and he began to refocus. A wicked grin crossed his face as he though about how much he could definitely get used to job perks like this.
He wasn’t worried about leaving the Scooby gang alone. He had separated the witches so that they couldn’t grab hands, plus, he had electrified the cell bars. Even Buffy wouldn’t be able to deal with that. He had been concerned about Willow since she was pretty powerful, but Amy had convinced him that the witch wouldn’t use her powers. She had given them up. He didn’t understand that, having all that power and not using it. How stupid could she be? And as for the other three humans, they were just that, humans. He had them all right where he wanted them. There was nothing and no one that could stop him now.
******
Anya looked defiantly at Xander. She was getting tired of his hurtful comments and glares. "I cannot do anything to Warren or Amy. In fact, I’d have to grant Warren’s wish if he asked for one. That’s the way it works."
Xander stood facing her and laughed. "You’re joking, right? Whose side are you on?"
"It’s not that easy," Anya said with a sigh. "The call for vengeance is coming from Warren and directed at all of you. Not the other way around." She knew that Xander wouldn’t understand but there was nothing she could say or do to change that. She knew that now. Then, several seconds later, she realized that there was something she could do to help. "I’ll be right back," she shouted and then disappeared.
They looked at her empty cell in shock.
******
Anya appeared inside of the Magic Box and went to the weapon cabinet. She didn’t notice Giles and Halfrek standing by the front door looking dumbfounded. Her only thoughts were to get as many weapons as she could carry and teleport back to the cave before Warren and Amy knew she was gone. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn’t hear Giles come up behind her. A hand fell on her shoulder. She dropped all of the weapons to the floor as she spun around to see who it was.
"Oh my god," she gasped. "Giles? Is it you?"
"Yes. It’s me."
She was so relieved to see him that she almost forgot what she was doing. "You’re not here to take the store back are you? Because even though I’m a demon again, I don’t want to give up the money..."
"Anya, no. I’m not here to reclaim the store. I’m here because Cordelia had a vision that Buffy was in trouble..."
"Buffy," she gasped. Suddenly, she bent down and started picking up the weapons. "Hurry! There’s no time! I have to get these weapons to Buffy before Warren knows I’m gone. I don’t think he knows that I have powers again."
"Anyanka?" Halfrek asked in amazement. "Are you seriously going to help these humans, again?? Do you have any idea what D’Hoffryn is going to do to you once he finds out? And he will find out you know!"
Anya looked over at Halfrek and then at Giles. A look of determination crossed her face. "I’m going to help my friends," she said emphatically. "And if you’re my friend, you’ll help me."
One look at Anyanka’s face said it all. There was no way Halfrek was going to be able to talk her friend out of this suicide mission. She threw her hands up in the air and grabbed an axe. "Alright," she sighed. "Let’s go."
******
"She’s not coming back, is she?" Dawn asked with tears in her eyes.
"She’ll be back Dawnie," Willow stated, trying to comfort the distraught girl. "She wouldn’t leave us here like this. She may be a demon again, but she’s still our friend."
"We haven’t exactly acted like her friend lately though," Tara said flatly and with downcast eyes.
Xander leaned up against the back wall with his arms folded across his chest. He was tired and his head hurt. Not to mention the fact that he was hungry. Hadn’t Willow said something a couple of weeks ago about him always thinking about food? He laughed softly to himself. He didn’t want to think about what was going to happen to him and his friends. He didn’t want to die this way, like a caged animal. Out of the blue a thought occurred to him, what if Anya had left them to their fate because of the way he had been treating her? What if she really wasn’t going to come back? "It’s my fault," he said repeatedly.
"Xander don’t say such a thing," Willow shouted at him. "It’s not your fault that we’re here. It’s stupid Warren’s fault."
"No, Will. It’s my fault that Anya’s not coming back. It’s my fault we’re going to die."
Buffy had heard about enough. "That’s it Xander. Get off the pity party train. We don’t have time for this. Anya said she’d be right back and we have to believe that she will be. But until then we have to think positive and figure out a back up plan."
Seconds turned into minutes, but no one noticed. It seemed time was standing still. Just as Buffy was about to give up on Anya returning, the vengeance demon appeared in her cell. Surprised, Buffy struck a defensive stance until she realized who it was. "Anya," she murmured. "What took you so long?"
Anya shoved a crossbow into Buffy’s hands. "No time. Here," she said in a rushed whisper. "Take this and hide it. Help is on the way."
Buffy smiled at Anya. She took the weapon and put it in the darkness at the back of the cell. Buffy turned to ask Anya what she had meant by ‘help is on the way’ but the girl had disappeared from her cell and had re-materialized into Willow’s.
Anya teleported into each cell, stopping only long enough to hand the occupant a weapon and to say few reassuring words. Xander’s cell was last. When she went to hand him his weapon, he grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes. "An, I’m sorry. I’ve been a big jerk."
His words hit her like a truck. She couldn’t believe he was apologizing to her at last. This was what she had been waiting for since he had walked away on their wedding day. She stared at him, not sure what to say. Finally the words came to her. "Well, we’ve both said and done hurtful things. I’m sorry I had sex with Spike. I didn’t mean to hurt you, not that way." Her eyes filled with tears.
Xander pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Anya," he whispered. "No matter what happens. I want you to know that I still love you."
"I love you too Xander," she said, fighting back the tears.
Buffy was glad to see that the two had kind of made up, even if it did take their lives being placed in jeopardy to do it. Her thoughts turned to Spike. Where was he right now? Would she get the chance to tell him she was sorry? Or that she cared for him, maybe even loved him? Why was she even thinking about him at a time like this? She chided herself for letting him invade her thoughts. As another Spike thought started to take shape, she heard soft footsteps coming their way. "Uhm. Guys. Later with the smoochies, okay? Anya, get back in your cell. Someone’s coming."
******
Amy entered the holding area first, followed closely by Warren. He looked around at his prisoners and smiled evilly. This was going to be so much fun. Amy looked over at him and smiled, nodding her head.
He held his hand up and the bars in front of Dawn’s cell disappeared. Amy moved quickly to get the girl. As she reached out to grab Dawn’s arm, the young girl kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying across the room. Dawn stared at Amy as the girl slid down the wall, unconscious.
Warren glared at Dawn. He ran over to make sure Amy was okay. She was still breathing. He decided that the youngest Summers was going to pay first. "How exciting!" Warren exclaimed as he walked in front of Dawn. "Do we have a little slayer wannabe on our hands?" He grabbed her before she could reply and pulled her out of the cell, mostly by her hair. "I want you to say your goodbye’s to your big sister before I start torturing you. It’s gonna get kinda messy and I’m not sure you’ll be able to scream, let alone talk."
Dawn struggled to free herself. She could hear Buffy yelling at Warren to let her go. She felt around for the dagger Anya had given her. If she could just get her fingers on that, she could stab him and try to break free. Before she knew what was happening, Warren lurched back with a cry.
"Surprise," Buffy said, leveling the crossbow at him again.
Both he and Dawn fell to the ground. Dawn realized her hands were free and reached for the dagger. She put both hands around it and raised the weapon into the air hoping to get enough momentum to make the wound fatal when she connected. But what she saw froze her.
Warren’s eyes began to glow a fiery red. With minimal effort, he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and threw it to the ground. His wound healed quickly. "You stupid bitch," he laughed at Buffy. "Did you think that would stop me? I’m not one of your undead boyfriends." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dawn with the dagger. Suddenly it started to glow with tremendous heat. She dropped it immediately, leaving her helpless against him.
"I’m not exactly sure how you got these weapons," he said turning to Buffy. "But no matter. They’re useless against me. I’m indestructible now." He walked over to Dawn and grabbed her by the throat. "And now I’m going to kill your sister."
Buffy glared at him. "As I said earlier Warren, everyone has a flaw."
"Oh please. I don’t think so. Stop trying to bait me. You’re not going to get out of this. Your sister is going to be the first one to die and there’s nothing you can do about it."
"She may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but I can," said a voice from behind.
Warren spun around with a look of surprise on his face. He knew that voice.
