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Slayers and Trollhunters (Buffy/Tales of Arcadia Crossover) (Complete)

Chapter 26: The Wizard
Chapter 26: The Wizard

Glastonbury Tor, January 20th, 2017

The room James Lake Jr entered was dusty. Really dusty. Several tables filled the room. The largest stood in the centre, almost three yards long and one and a half yards wide, and cups and beakers and exotic tools were spread on its top - Jim could see that much even with the thick coating of dust obscuring the details.

There was a picture on the wall, also covered in dust. And glowing crystals, encased in metal this time and spread out so the whole room was evenly illuminated. There was even a fireplace - no, a forge; there was an anvil - in a corner. This was… a workshop.

"A wizard's workshop!" he heard Blinky exclaim.

Turning, Jim saw that the others had arrived.

"Someone needs to call their cleaning service," the Slayer commented, looking around.

"Buffy! Show some respect - this might be Merlin's workshop!" Mr Giles said.

"Oh!" Willow made a beeline for the shelves. "The books must be priceless!"

"And protected by spells, I wager," Blinky commented, "since they have lasted through centuries without anyone caring for them. Trust me, that takes magic."

"Oh." Willow stopped up in front of the closest shelf. "That would make sense, I suppose."

"Although Merlin's workshop was in Camelot, as far as I know," Blinky went on, walking around. "This… well, if this is the Gate to Avalon, it might belong to any wizard."

"Or it might be Merlin's secret real workshop, where he worked what he didn't want anyone to know," Willow speculated. "After all, the Scythe was hidden here as well."

Blinky beamed at her. "Quite a reasonable theory. That would indeed fit his character, as far as I knew him - and while I only met him a few times, and under pressing circumstances, I was his contemporary."

"So…" The Slayer looked around. "He used the Scythe's secret location to hide his own stuff? Sounds kind of… sneaky."

"Oh, Merlin was very cunning!" Blinky said. "He had great magical powers, but he was valued for his wisdom and intelligence more than for his magic. Although that might have been a result of him adapting to the general hostility amongst humans towards magic at the time."

"Right." The Slayer nodded. "So… is there anything we could use here?"

"The books!" Willow stared at them.

"Which might be cursed," Mr Giles cautioned. But he was looking at the tomes with the same hungry expression, Jim found.

"Well," Jim said, "there's also the second door here." He pointed forward.

"Another Trollhunter only door? This is so unfair! This was the Slayer cave!"

"I suggest we explore the entire area before we allow ourselves to become distracted by potentially cursed books," Blinky said.

"Seconded!" the Slayer agreed. "If we let Willow and Giles alone here, we won't ever get them out."

And Blinky seemed to be of half a mind to join them, Jim suspected. "Yes. Let's check the rest out. There might be a connection to Avalon."

"This is supposed to be the Gate to Avalon," the Slayer commented.

"The gate is supposed to be here - but this cave or tunnel might not be related to it," Mr Giles replied.

"But the Guardian said she founded Avalon. Although she didn't say what it is."

Jim suppressed the urge to shake his head and opened the next door. Which revealed another dimly lit tunnel. He quickly made his way through it - and entered a huge cavern, lit only by a giant crystal set in, or growing out of, the ceiling. And right below it, in the centre of the green beam of light shining down from the crystal, was a stone slab with a body.

Jim drew a hissing breath. The body was covered in dust and cobwebs, but it seemed to be a man. "Merlin…" he whispered.

"Merlin's Tomb!" Blinky whispered, a little more loudly, behind him.

"That's Merlin?" the Slayer asked.

"I recognise his robes," Blinky said, taking a hesitant step forward. "Though he was wearing armour last I saw him."

Jim took the lead, slowly approaching the stone slab. "Why didn't they put him into a coffin? Or one of those Egyptian thingies."

"Sarcophagus, Buffy."

"Thanks, Willow."

"His apprentice must have left him like this. Or he was sent away, and Merlin lay down here to die," Blinky said. "He might not have wanted to have anyone see him die - or handle his body."

"That sounds paranoid," the Slayer commented.

"As the foremost wizard of his age - or any age - he had good reason for such measures." Blinky shook his head. "What would more ruthless mages have done with access to his workshop - or his body?"

"Ew."

Jim cocked his head to the side and studied the figure under the dust. "Whatever he did, it preserved his body." Merlin looked like he was merely asleep - Jim could see no sign of decay. Just a coat of dust. Like on a forgotten mannequin in the attic. He shook his head. This wasn't right.

"Indeed. It might have been a necromantic ritual to stop decay," Mr Giles said.

Before he could help himself, Jim reached out to brush away the dust on the body's face. The cobwebs crumbled under his touch.

"Master Jim!"

"Watch out!"

Jim shook his head again. "We shouldn't let him like this, gathering dust. At the least, we should…" Dust him? That sounded far too profane for the occasion. "...clean him up."

He reached out again and brushed more dust away.

"Well, good luck trying to get that out of his beard," the Slayer said.

"Buffy! Show some respect!"

"I'm just saying - getting dust out of your hair is harder than it looks! I should know!"

"Buffy! Willow!" Mr Giles spoke up. "Please behave."

"Alright. I'm just… I'm feeling a little antsy," the Slayer said.

"Is your Slay-dar pinging?" Willow asked.

"No, no. I'm just… I'm feeling… energised, and I want to do something."

"Hm. That could be the Scythe, I presume," Mr Giles said. "It is said to empower the Slayer."

But Jim felt full of energy himself. He looked up, at the glowing crystal. Then down at Merlin's body. It was like a spotlight. But the dust...

He gasped. The cobwebs he had brushed aside had landed on the body's chest - and they were moving.

No.

The chest was moving.

"He's… he's alive!" Jim blurted out. Merlin, the greatest wizard of all time, was alive. The wizard who had created the Trollhunter. This was...

"What?" The Slayer was at his side in a second, Scythe raised. "Alive?" She cocked her head. "Yes… I can hear his heart beating. Although very, very slowly."

"How can he be alive?" Willow whispered.

"According to some legends, Merlin had demon ancestry," Mr Giles said.

"Demon?" The Slayer sniffed the air, then sneezed. "He doesn't smell like a demon."

"I never heard about that," Blinky said. "I doubt that Arthur would have tolerated a demon at his court."

"It might have been added after his disappearance and apparent death to disparage his reputation."

"Whatever," the Slayer shook her head. "What do we do about it?"

"We…" Jim looked up at the crystal, then down at Merlin. "We should leave him here. I think the light is healing him. Or keeping him alive."

"Magic!" Willow breathed. "Magic that kept him alive for centuries!"

"It kept him from dying from a mortal wound!" Blinky stared with all six eyes wide open.

"It's marvellous. The knowledge and magic this must have taken…" Mr Giles shook his head.

"And your blathering presence has just disturbed the fine balance needed for my spell to work."

Jim gasped and jumped back a yard.

"Dear Lord!"

"Oh, my God!"

"Great Gorka Morka!"

"He's alive!"

Merlin had opened his eyes and was glaring at the Slayer. "Barely, yes. No thanks to you."

"What?"

The wizard slowly sat up with a soft groan, one hand poking his own stomach. "You've brought the Scythe into my tomb, disrupting my carefully wrought magics. What possessed you to do so?"

"What? I didn't disrupt anything!" the Slayer protested. "Did I?"

"At least it seems my wound has been sufficiently healed so I will not be needing this tomb for its original purpose any time soon. Unless, of course, your foolishness has not limited itself to stumbling around in places you were not meant to enter." He scoffed, wincing a little. "I would ask how you managed to enter my tomb in the first place, but the answer's plain as day." Merlin glared at Jim. "Trollhunter. You must have broken into my workshop. Why did you do this?"

"Uh…" Jim blinked. "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to enter. I just… I saw the door, and…" He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Didn't my apprentice tell your predecessors that my tomb was to be sealed?" Merlin's glare shifted to Blink. "I remember you."

"Yes. I, ah, was at the battle of Killahead Bridge," Blinky told him.

"Stumbling around, were you? Yes, you were." Merlin groaned again, then shifted around and turned so his legs dangled from the stone slab. "And yet, you survived where many others, many of them your betters, died."

"Ah… I fought as well as I could."

"You could have hardly fought worse, as I recall." The wizard scoffed. "The Trollhunter and the Slayer, in the same room. I didn't see this coming. If I had, I would never have allowed the Guardian to hide the Scythe so close to my workshop."

"Sir… do you require assistance?" Mr Giles spoke up. "I'm Rupert Giles. I'm…"

"...her Watcher, I presume." Merlin cut him off. "Unless you are a master wizard, I doubt you could assist me with anything. And a master wizard would never have let those children roam around in my workshop, risking limb and life."

"What?" Jim gasped again.

"Boy!" Merlin glared at him. "Did you expect my workshop - my resting place and eventual tomb - to be unguarded? It's only your presence that prevented my defences from obliterating your intrepid group of tomb raiders. Or, rather, the presence of your amulet."

Jim grimaced. As did the Slayer. But he hadn't known that!

"I did think it was going a little too well, actually," Willow said. "Historically, tombs and laboratories of practitioners of magic have been guarded with traps and curses."

Jim glared at her. Couldn't she have mentioned that before?

"Which would be one and the same," Merlin replied. "But yes. I did not expect the Trollhunter to join forces with the Slayer. Or that the Trollhunter wasn't aware that my workshop was to remain sealed."

"Uh… his training wasn't… we're working on it, the fault is entirely mine, though we were pressed for time, so we focused on the more practical aspects," Blinky said.

Merlin scoffed and stood. His legs wobbled for a moment, prompting another groan, but he didn't sit back down. "And him being human didn't help, I suppose. You probably had to teach him basic troll etiquette."

Jim clenched his teeth. That wasn't his fault nor Blinky's!

"Master Jim being chosen was a surprise," Blinky said. "But a very welcome surprise. He has proved his mettle and spirit time and again."

"Of course. My amulet would hardly have chosen a craven, would it?" Merlin scoffed again. "Have people forgotten about me, to doubt my work?"

"No! You're known as the greatest wizard of all time!" Willow said. "Although most think you are a legend, not a real wizard."

"Most people think the earth is flat. That doesn't affect it."

"Most people have no idea that magic is real," Mr Giles said. "The population explosion…"

"Yes, yes. A contingency plan we thought of centuries ago, to prevent the growing number of humans from waking up the Old Ones by their fear of them and demons and magic in general." Merlin made a wave with his hand. "Now, where did my useless apprentice put my armour and staff?"

Jim had to struggle a little to keep from frowning at the old man's attitude.

*****​

Buffy Summers narrowed her eyes at the rude old geezer. That was supposed to be the greatest wizard of all time? Well, he certainly had the greatest ego she had ever seen. It was even bigger than Cordelia's!

"Ah, I don't know, Master Merlin," Blinky said. "We haven't seen your apprentice since you and he left together after the battle. The Battle of Killahead Bridge."

"Since I spent the last few centuries here, it certainly couldn't have been after any other battle, could it?" Merlin scoffed. "Now, my staff… You haven't seen it, or you would've shown a reaction. Which means it wasn't stored in my workshop, through which you entered this room and disturbed my recovery."

Buffy clenched her teeth so she wouldn't offer to help the man get back to being in a coma. But… "Didn't you give your apprentice specific orders what to do with it?"

The old man glared at her. "No. My staff has a mind of its own - the result of a thousand years' worth of magic being wielded through it. It will be nearby, ready for me to use it. And given the deplorable state of my body, I certainly could use a walking stick."

Buffy had some doubts about this - it sounded a little too convenient as an explanation for having misplaced his staff.

Willow, on the other hand, looked impressed. "A sentient or semi-sapient staff? Oh!"

"Why are you surprised? It would be a surprise if a wizard's staff didn't grow with its wielder. If you don't wield enough power for that, you aren't powerful enough to forge one in the first place," Merlin told her.

Blinky moved towards him and offered his arm. The old man grabbed it without saying thanks, looking around. "So, where would it be? Hidden, obviously, but close."

"Maybe your apprentice took it," Buffy suggested with her best fake smile.

"Hisridoux? Stealing my staff? He would have known better. He isn't the brightest lad in the world, but repeated failures have taught him not to court disaster any more, even though it took him far too long."

"I can see how your attitude inspired the fiercest loyalty," Buffy told him. "Who wouldn't follow your orders to the letter if you were praising them like this?"

Merlin glared at her. "I am far too old to bother with pretty lies that only will lead to an apprentice overestimating their talent and getting themselves killed. Trust me, I've seen it before."

Death would probably be preferable to suffer that attitude for long, in Buffy's opinion.

"Sir, we haven't noticed a staff on our way in," Giles added.

"I already deduced that, boy."

Boy? He was calling Giles 'boy?'? Buffy wasn't sure if she should be amused by this - or insulted; Gles was her Watcher, after all.

"Ah. Clever." Merlin stopped moving and stared up at the ceiling.

"Clever?" Willow asked, but the wizard ignored her.

Merlin raised his free hand and closed his eyes. A moment later, Buffy heard stones grinding against each other - and when she looked up, she saw dust glittering in the crystal's eerie light as it fell from the ceiling. And…

...there was a staff sliding out of the rock! And floating.

"Oh!" Willow stared.

"The Staff of Avalon!" Blinky announced when the thing floated into Merlin's hand.

"Yes, yes, my staff," Merlin confirmed. "There's no need to act surprised - I did announce this, didn't I?"

Buffy could see the staff glow with green light, but it quickly grew dimmer. Though Merlin released Blinky and straightened with a deep sigh."

"Oh! Did the staff absorb some of the healing energy from the crystal? Which you just absorbed?" Willow asked.

The old man turned to look at her, his eyes widening for a moment in apparent surprise. "Precisely. You seem to possess, if not a talent for magic, then a keener intellect than seems the norm amongst your group."

"Willow is a powerful witch and a genius!" Buffy told the rude old wizard. Her bestie could probably take the guy. At least right now - Merlin didn't look like he would break in two if you elbowed him, but he still looked weak. Which, of course, could be an act. But Buffy didn't think so - Merlin struck her as the kind of guy who wanted to impress everyone with his power.

"A witch? Without a staff? A hedgewitch, perhaps?" Merlin asked in the same tone Cordelia used to talk about Sears.

Willow pouted in return. "That's a rather disparaging attitude! There's nothing wrong with alternate magical traditions - not every practitioner needs to wield a staff! That's pretty cliched."

"Not everyone has to compensate for something," Buffy added with a smirk.

"Buffy!" Giles sounded shocked.

Merlin, though, seemed amused for a moment. "Staffs are used because they are proven to work."

"In your tradition, maybe. Others such as Wicca do not use staffs," Willow retorted.

"Yes. And you can't just walk around with a staff these days without people wondering what a weirdo you might be," Buffy said. "Unless you're hiking, of course."

"Claire uses a staff," Jim spoke up.

"Oh, yes," Blinky chimed in. "The Shadow Staff. She has saved all of us several times with it."

Merlin gasped. "The Shadow Staff? And this 'Claire' wields it?" He took a step towards Jim. "Where is she?"

*****​

James Lake Jr took a step back, recoiling slightly from Merlin. The old wizard suddenly looked… very intense. Dangerous. "Claire?" he replied, trying to buy time. Something was wrong here.

"She's home, in Arcadia Oaks, although she's currently staying in the Shadow Realm with the families of the Trollhunter, the Slayer and their allies."

Apparently, Blinky hadn't noticed anything wrong. Jim clenched his teeth.

"She's with your families? Who is this Claire? How did you meet?"

"She's…" Jim straightened. "She's my girlfriend. We met at school!"

"Your girlfriend? I see." Merlin looked rather grim.

"Hey, Mr Wizard!" the Slayer cut in. "What's with the sudden Inquisition? Claire's a nice girl."

"The Shadow Staff is not something a 'nice girl' wields."

"Hey! She took it from Angor Rot - she has earned it!" Jim protested. Claire hadn't done anything wrong!

Merlin scoffed. "Angor Rot? And how did he lay his hands on Morgana's staff?"

"Morgana?" The Slayer looked puzzled. "Arthur's sister?"

"And my former student," Merlin said. "As well as my greatest enemy. She gave me the wound that almost ended me." He put his hand on his stomach. "I thought I had sealed her staff with her, but it seems I was mistaken. Or something worse is afoot."

"Morgana has not made an appearance since you defeated her at the Battle of Killahead Bridge, Master Wizard," Blinky told him.

"Or she merely wasn't seen. Or recognised."

Wait! Was Merlin implying what Jim thought he was?

"What? Do you think she's free and working in the shadows or something?" Willow asked.

"A wizard is tied to his staff," Merlin told her. "It matters not whether they actually have the staff in their possession - they are still its master. To break such a bond and make the staff your own requires immense strength." He scoffed. "That's why I wasn't worried about the staff of Avalon - the odds of anyone being able to truly wrest it from me, to sever my ties to it, are infinitesimally low. My apprentice most certainly couldn't have done it."

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Well, Angor Rot was using the Shadow Staff, and Claire has been using it ever since she took it from him in battle."

"Using the staff doesn't mean she masters it. Quite the contrary," Merlin retorted.

Jim really didn't like the wizard's attitude. "You don't even know her!" He was acting as if Claire was… wrong or something.

"But I do know Morgana. I must see this girl. And the staff. Too much is at stake."

"You're right about that," the Slayer spoke up again. "But wrong about the girl."

"Really?" The old man turned to glare at her. "And you would correct me?"

"Well, yes. Morgana's not the problem. Glory is." The Slayer nodded.

"Glorificus. A hell-god banished to our dimension by his former co-rulers of his home dimension," Mr Giles added. "He's…"

"I am aware of Glorificus's nature," Merlin cut him off. "And while he's a formidable opponent, Morgana is far more dangerous."

"What? We've got two skanks trying to end the world?" the Slayer blurted out.

"Sir, I think you might underestimate the threat Glorificus represents," Mr Giles said. "He seeks to return to his home dimension and is willing to break the dimensional barriers separating Earth from hell - all the hell dimensions - in the process."

"Yes, yes, but in order to do so, he would need the Key, and the Key is protected by the Order of Dagon. Glorificus would have to…" Merlin trailed off, apparently reading their expressions. "The Order of Dagon has fallen?"

Mr Giles winced. "As far as we know, yes. They sent the Key to the Slayer for protection."

The Slayer nodded. "Yeah. I found the last one of them, and he told me before he died."

For the first time, Merlin looked shocked. "This is… How could this have happened? The Order was formed specifically to oppose Glorificus and stood firm for millennia!"

"Well, it looks like your information isn't up to date," Willow said, then winced a little, as if she were surprised at her own comment.

Merlin snorted. "It seems a lot of things have changed drastically while I was recovering - and not for the better. Nevertheless, I must see this 'Claire'. The threat that Morgana poses cannot be ignored. And this girl is the key."

The Slayer winced at that, Jim noticed. He was scowling himself - Claire was his friend. His girlfriend. She had...

"The Fair Claire has proven herself as an invaluable ally," Blinky told Merlin.

Yes, that. Jim nodded.

"It wouldn't be the first time Morgana used subterfuge to attack her enemies from within," Merlin retorted.

"Wait… do you think Claire is working for Morgana?" Jim gaped at the wizard.

Merlin raised his eyebrows at him in return. "I would have thought that was obvious. Do I have to spell out everything as if I am talking to a simpleton?"

"Claire would never work for Morgana!" Jim protested.

"She is, in the best case, dealing with forces beyond her comprehension."

"And in the worst case?" the Slayer asked. With a toothy smile, she added: "And keep it simple!"

Merlin scowled at her. "In the worst case? She is Morgana."

Jim gasped. Merlin… he couldn't be serious!"

"That's impossible!" he blurted out. "Claire isn't Morgana!" He would've noticed.

"Oh? So you're the expert on Morgana, now?"

"No! But I know Claire!"

"Really? Boy, how long do you have known her? A year? Two years?" Merlin scoffed. "And I am not talking about looking at her half-hidden behind a corner or daydreaming about her. I mean being her friend. Spending every day with her. Knowing how to brew her favourite tea and what cut of meat she favours. How she laughs when she means it and how she laughs if she's merely being polite." The old wizard was looming above Jim. "Do you know her as I have known Morgana?"

Jim gritted his teeth. "I know her!" he spat back.

"Then you're a fool. I knew Morgana like that - and I was fooling myself. I didn't know her at all. I didn't fathom the depths she would sink to achieve her goals."

"But…" Jim trailed off. Repeating that he knew Claire would make him sound stupid. But he knew her! Claire wasn't Morgana! She couldn't be!"

"Oh, get real!" The Slayer scoffed. "You think an ages-old witch could act as a Californian teenager? Good enough to fool everyone? Hell, Giles's been living in California for years and still has trouble understanding us. Can you imagine him trying to pose as a teenager?"

"Without band candy, at least," Willow added.

Mr Giles frowned at both. "I have to point out that it's not as much the difference in maturity, but the difference in upbringing. I am quite capable of understanding British teenagers."

"Your midlife crisis will be fun," the Slayer shot back.

"I thought that was why he bought his new car?" Willow grinned.

Mr Giles opened his mouth, then closed it and started polishing his glasses. Jim half-expected the Slayer and Willow to high-five each other based on their grins.

"Are you quite finished with your pointless antics? We have to deal with a potential threat to the world entire."

The Slayer turned back to glare at Merlin. "We're not going to let you terrorise a girl because you've been traumatised by your lover or something!"

"Morgana wasn't my lover! She was my student."

"As television has taught me, one thing doesn't exclude the other," the Slayer shot back.

Merlin didn't ask what television was, Jim noticed. But he couldn't know about modern technology, having slept for centuries. So, was this just him saving face and refusing to admit his ignorance?

"Anyway, we're not going to let you go all Spanish Inquisition on Claire," the Slayer added.

"You have no idea how dangerous the Shadow Staff is, girl," Merlin told her. "Using it is like juggling with poisonous blades while drinking ale."

"I bet I could do that all day!" the Slayer told him. "Unless it's demon beer."

Blinky cleared his throat. "While I am convinced that the Fair Claire hasn't been possessed or influenced, Master Merlin is the most experienced wizard amongst us and has the most extensive personal knowledge about Morgana. I don't think we should dismiss his concerns out of hand."

Jim glared at Blinky. Claire wasn't Morgana! Or mind-controlled. He would've noticed.

"Thank you." Merlin nodded at Blinky. "At least someone isn't blinded by their youthful fancies."

"Hey!" That was going too far, Merlin or not. Jim glared at him. "You can't just dismiss our experience like that!"

"Yes!" Willow nodded. "I bet you don't know anything about modern teenagers! We've changed since your time. Society has changed! Technology has changed! It's an entire new world!"

"That's what the Egyptians thought. And then the Greeks and the Romans. After them, the Christians talked about a new era." Merlin scoffed. "But did the people change? No! Beneath their different clothes and fashions, they were all the same. Ruled by passions, wilfully blinding themselves rather than facing reality, they made the same mistakes humans have been making since time immemorial."

"Well, it's clear you haven't changed at all," the Slayer shot back. "You're like every old geezer, ever, complaining about us!"

Jim nodded. "You can't just assume we act the same as the people you've known."

"I've known so many people in my long life, I doubt anything you do would be a surprise." Merlin gave him a very dismissive look.

Jim clenched his teeth again. Merlin was wrong about Claire. Jim knew it - and he would prove it.

"Now, let's leave my workshop before more uninvited guests stumble in thanks to your clumsy meddling. And then make haste to this Arcadia Oaks."

"You don't even know where it is!" Jim protested.

"But evidently, you do, since you've travelled from your home to this place. Unless you got lost on the way, which I wouldn't exclude as a possibility, mind you, you should be easily able to lead me back." Merlin raised his staff, and a greenish bolt shot out of it, hitting the crystal above them. A moment later, light washed over it, and the crystal stopped glowing.

Which plunged the entire room or cave into darkness for a moment until everyone used their flashlights.

"Couldn't you have waited until we were out of the room?" the Slayer complained.

"If a dark room inconveniences you, you must be a very weak Slayer."

"Weak?"

"Enough prattling. Let's go! We have no time to waste."

"Prattling?" The Slayer complained. "We're not going to simply follow that fossilised geezer, are we?"

Jim wanted to agree, but as Merlin swept past them, he looked around. Except for the Slayer, none of the others seemed willing to contradict Merlin.

"We do not have a lot of time to spare," Mr Giles said. "And we recovered the Scythe, so the goal of this trip was achieved."

"We also recovered a recovering jerk," the Slayer protested.

"But… he's Merlin!" Blinky said. "The most powerful wizard of all time."

"And he knows about Glory!" Willow pointed out.

But the wizard also thought that Claire was controlled or possessed by Morgana. Or that Claire was Morgana, however that was supposed to have worked out. Jim snorted - he'd rather believe that Claire was a changeling, and he had seen her handle a Gaggletack!

"And he knows nothing about the modern world! Cars will shock him! Women's lib will shock him! Airplanes will... " The Slayer blinked. "You know what? You're right! Let's go."

"If you presume I will be amazed by what paltry progress humanity has achieved during my sleep, I fear you will be disappointed," Merlin's dry voice sounded from the door to the workshop. "Your attitudes and behaviour show that not much, if any, progress was achieved in the most important area. Humans are still the same quarrelsome people with petty concerns I am intimately familiar with."

"Were we just insulted? I'm pretty sure we were insulted!" the Slayer blurted out. "You're no prize, either!" she snapped - but she was headed to the workshop as well.

Jim sighed and followed the others.

They found Merlin… floating pieces of armour out of a chest Jim hadn't noticed the first time into a bag.

"You gonna recycle that?" the Slayer asked. "Metal shouldn't go into the landfill."

"My armour is still entirely functional," the wizard replied without even looking at her.

"But you were dealt a near-fatal blow," Jim objected.

"Which was the result of a magic spell that went through the armour," Merlin told him. "Quite a clever, if predictable, attack by my former student."

"So, the armour's useless against magic?"

"It was less than optimal for repelling certain spells but otherwise will serve quite well."

For all that he apparently had been outsmarted by Morgana, Merlin's ego certainly hadn't suffered even a scratch. Or, Jim thought with a wince, this was him humbled.

"Are you taking your books?" Willow asked.

"I've already selected the books I'll need," Merlin replied. "The rest is sealed here. Now, how are we going to travel to the new world? I do not assume it'll be by ship. Did you fly? Or sidestepped the distance through a magical realm?"

"We took the Gyre, Master Merlin," Blinky told him. "A network of tunnels connecting most troll settlements across the world which allows us to travel to any point on earth, or close to, in a few hours."

"That does sound quite convenient." The old man looked impressed, Jim realised. "I gather that this has allowed the trolls to form a united realm despite the physical distance, then."

"Err…" Blinky winced. "It has allowed us to tighten our ties to other communities, yes."

"And yet, you are still divided amongst yourselves." Merlin shook his head. "Truly, nothing important has changed in my absence."

"A lot has changed!" Willow protested. "Democracy has spread over the globe! We aren't beholden to kings or nobles any more!"

"Democracy? That Greek concept?" Merlin scoffed. "They never understood that while a single man can be wise, a mob will never show the slightest sign of intelligence. As the Romans showed, it doesn't last."

"Hey! It has lasted centuries!" Willow glared at him. "And compared to being led by some inbred noble because the moron has been born a prince, democracy has been proven to be a lot better as a governing system!" She blinked. "And we can get rid of bad leaders without a revolution!"

"You are subject to the whim of the people, which changes more often than the wind and is as fickle."

"We've still done better than any kingdom!"

"So you claim. And yet, the world is facing not merely one lethal threat, but two - or more."

"With all due respect, Master Merlin, but not even having an advisor as wise as you kept King Arthur from declaring a crusade against magic that almost doomed the world," Blinky spoke up. He flinched when Merlin glared at him but stood his ground.

After a moment, Merlin chuckled. "Point. I should have handled that much better. But what's done is done. And now we have to deal with two urgent threats, so I suggest we make haste to your Gyre."

"We need to inform the Council that we've accomplished our mission," Mr Giles said, "but we can do that over the phone, I think. Otherwise, I agree, albeit I'm not looking forward to the ride back."

Neither was Jim - and not just because the trip would be like being stuck on a rollercoaster for hours. No, the sooner they were home, the sooner Merlin would accost Claire.

And that wouldn't end well, Jim was sure. It never did when people were convinced they knew best no matter what.

*****​

Outside Camelot, January 21st, 2017

"Camelot."

The old geezer sounded… well, almost as if he had feelings. Buffy Summers suppressed a snort. This wasn't the time to get back at the guy. Even though it looked as if he was staring at an empty field next to a cliff. Of course the wizard could see through the magic thingie that fooled everyone else.

"It still stands as you left it," Blinky said. "The seal is holding - we regularly check."

"Of course the seal is holding; I cast it to last an eternity."

She rolled her eyes. Arrogant much?

"It is remarkable that none has detected it - none who didn't know its location beforehand," Giles said.

Could Giles sound any more like a fanboy? Wait! Buffy frowned. Had that been a subtle dig at the wizard? Reminding him that the trolls could still see the castle?

Judging by Merlin's frown, the answer was 'yes'. "Absent wiping the minds of every troll from the area, this was unavoidable. The magic was cast on the location, and, therefore, its effect applies to the area. A fresh apprentice would know that."

"Oh!" Willow tilted her head. "That means the human survivors of the battle, and the residents who were driven from the castle, still knew where it stood but couldn't return, and their descendants were prevented from learning about the location? So, if all the trolls who lived at the time of the Battle of Killahead Bridge died out, none would ever be able to find Camelot again? Except for you, I mean."

The wizard looked at her with a frown. "And my apprentice. And Morgana."

"So… if we weren't following Blinky, we wouldn't have been able to find it? And we won't be able to find it without his - or your - help?" Willow asked.

"Yes."

"So, it's affecting our minds. And yet, we could mark its location on a map and on a GPS," Willow went on. "So, is it a spell that makes us leave the area? It must be, or someone would've stumbled into it - literally - since then. The cliff is a great spot for pictures; Instagram would be full of this mystery by now. But how would the spell spare us when we're with Blinky? Is it a very subtle influence? Could we overcome it with sufficient willpower?"

Oh! Buffy grinned. If there was one thing she was good at, apart from fighting and accessorising, it was being stubborn.

Merlin was staring at Willow now as if she had two heads. Well, she was smart enough for two very smart people. Or more. "It seems your education in magic wasn't as rudimentary as the first impression you made caused me to assume."

That compliment was so backhanded, it came around full circle.

Willow frowned in return. "That's the fault of your prejudices! Just because I don't follow your tradition with your phallic symbol staff doesn't mean I'm ignorant!"

The wizard scoffed. "So you claim. Yet, a few clever ideas are no replacement for knowledge and experience. Shouldn't your master have impressed this on you?"

"I don't have a master!" Willow retorted.

Now Merlin rolled his eyes openly. "Your teacher, then."

"I don't have a teacher, either." Willow pouted, then grew serious. "Not since…" She trailed off with a glance at Giles. Who was looking at the empty cliffside as if he could see Camelot. Buffy sighed.

Merlin nodded. "They died, then. And what did you do? Looked for another teacher? Begged for some scraps of knowledge from established wizards?"

"I studied on my own!" Willow was annoyed now, Buffy saw. "And I did well!"

Merlin scoffed. "Unless you had access to the Library of Alexandria - which burned centuries before Camelot fell - or the archives of Shangri-La, which require more wisdom and humility to access than you have shown so far, or were close to your Mastery, which I doubt was the case, you are fooling yourself."

"With all due respect, Sir," Giles spoke up, "you don't know Willow. Judging her based on your prejudices and lack of knowledge does not suit you."

"Yes!" Buffy chimed in. "Willow's saved us all more than once! And she's been working hard for years!"

"Years? It takes decades to gain sufficient skill at magic to be more of a threat to your enemies than to yourself."

"But Master Wizard, I thought Morgana was King Arthur's sister - and I remember the time he was crowned, still a child," Blinky said. "She couldn't have had centuries of experience, yet she almost bested you, didn't she?"

"I was her teacher, and she was a unique case," Merlin replied. "She had so much power and talent, she took years for what others took decades. And yet, without other factors, I would have vanquished her at the Battle of Killahead Bridge."

"Other factors?" Giles asked.

"There, she showed more power than I had ever seen - unnatural power. Possibly demonic in nature; I couldn't analyse them before I was forced to deal with her."

"Demonic power?" Buffy snarled. She could deal with demons. And not in the witchy kind of dealing.

"That would seem to be the most obvious source of power."

"Apart from Gaia and the various other goddesses," Willow said.

Merlin scoffed again. "Calling upon gods is merely a crutch at best, at worst a way to fool yourself. A wizard knows that they, and only they, are the source of their power."

"Did you just insult my religion? I mean, one of my religions?" Willow spat.

Blinky cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should table this discussion and take the Gyre back to Trollmarket?"

That sounded like a good idea. If Willow got going about religion, they'd be here until morning. Or longer.

*****​
 
Chapter 27: The Suspicion
Chapter 27: The Suspicion

Trollmarket, January 21st, 2017

Travelling by Gyre still felt like an hours-long rollercoaster ride on the second go around. It was great! Buffy Summers was grinning widely when she stepped onto the platform in the troll village. Sometimes, being the Slayer had some nice perks. Like eating what you wanted without growing fat, superhuman grace and strength without having to exercise like a loon, healing wounds in days instead of weeks, skin that rarely scarred and showed no blemishes… Alright, being the Slayer had a lot of perks. It didn't quite make up for the whole 'destined to die fighting' stuff, but it was nice to have.

"And this is Trollmarket, Master Merlin. Well, the Gyre station of our settlement. The actual village is right behind the door."

Merlin grumbled something unintelligible instead of making a biting remark about something being obvious, so he was either tired out from the trip - Giles still looked shaken - or warming up to them. Buffy bet on the former.

She glanced at Jim, who had been, as far as she could tell, uncharacteristically silent during their journey back, and slowed down a little, letting Blinky, Merlin and Giles pull ahead. "Hey."

He frowned and looked at her. "Yes?"

"What's eating you? Merlin's proclamation about Claire?"

His frown deepened. Well, it might have been obvious, but better ask than assume, or so she had learned. That time she had thought she knew what was bothering Xander…

"She's not Morgana. Or possessed."

Willow nodded, joining them. "Well, the latter should be easy to check. And if she's the former, wouldn't that mean she lived years as Claire? Then she'd still be Claire as Morgana since you never knew another Claire."

Buffy winced. Willow wanted to be supportive, but this wasn't exactly helping.

"Claire isn't Morgana!" Jim snapped. "I'm not dating a thousand-year-old sorceress!"

Buffy started to nod, then frowned. Was that ageist? There wasn't anything wrong with dating an older partner. Angel had been… alright, in hindsight, he hadn't been a good boyfriend, even without the turning-into-a-mass-murderer-if-we-have-sex thing, or the vampire thing, but his age hadn't been an issue. It wasn't as if Mr 'Destiny wants me to leave you' had been particularly mature about the whole thing.

"Well, you might just not have realised it," Willow went on with all the helpful tone-deafness of a… Well, Buffy couldn't think of an example.

"Willow," she hissed. "Claire isn't Morgana. If she were, she'd have killed everyone already. Probably by stranding us in the Shadow Dimension or something." That would've removed the Key from Glory as well, as soon as Dawn died. Which she wouldn't. Buffy would protect. She would slay the damn skanky hell-goddess and save the world or die trying. As usual.

"Oh…" Willow blushed as she bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, I just…"

Jim sighed. "Thanks," he said, in a tone that meant 'don't help me!' - Buffy was very familiar with that tone; Dawn used it a lot.

They reached Trollmarket, and Buffy could hear the whispers about 'another human' start up. It's like those trolls had never seen a human before.

But before they caught up to the others, the whispers had turned into gasps and 'Merlin!'-s. "Apparently, they've recognised him."

"Well, many of the trolls were alive at the battle of Killahead Bridge," Willow pointed out.

"Master Wizard!" And there came the troll mayor. "We assumed you had perished."

"I almost did," Merlin replied. "Vendel, was it?"

"Yes." The troll mayor turned to glare at Blinky. "Blinkous once more seemed to have presented us with a fait accompli."

"Vendel!" Blinky protested. "I had no idea that we would find Merlin's tomb - and the master wizard alive! We've travelled to find a weapon for the Slayer."

"And we did find it!" Buffy raised the Scythe to the sky. Or ceiling, in this case. "The Slayer Scythe!" Once more, the blade sang, even though no one except for her could hear it. She could feel the blade's power. Its desire to… Oh. She clenched her teeth and tried not to wince as she lowered the Scythe. She'd have to ask Giles later how to teach an ancient weapon that trolls weren't demons. Having to struggle not to go all Slayer every time she was surrounded by unfamiliar trolls would be a hassle. Even - or especially - if they didn't look very impressed by the blade. This was the legendary weapon of the Slayer!

"I had been asked to guard it for its guardians," Merlin explained. "And this group saw fit to disturb my healing sleep after they recovered the blade."

"We didn't know you were alive," Jim protested.

"So you were set to disturb my eternal rest instead?" Merlin's bushy eyebrows rose.

"No! We didn't even know you were there," Jim went on.

"Blinkous and the Trollhunters have shown a tendency to stumble into situations," Vendel said.

Merlin nodded. "So I gathered. In any case, I have woken from my trance - fortunately, I had already recovered sufficiently to survive the experience."

"Well, you could've taken more or better precautions against being disturbed," Willow said. "And I don't mean deadly traps that the Trollhunter can pass without noticing but, like - a manual? A warning? Some information taped to the door? How could we have known what we were doing without sufficient information?"

Buffy nodded.

"Cautious people - such as experienced wizards or Trollhunters - shouldn't have assumed that they knew enough to proceed with their exploration of the unknown." Merlin sniffed. "But what is done is done. We need to focus on preventing this from repeating itself - and on stopping Glorificus's attempt to destroy the world, of course. Now, how can we contact your 'girlfriend', Trollhunter?"

*****

James Lake Jr clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. He wouldn't lose his temper over that dig. "We texted her before we took the Gyre," he said - and grinned when Merlin looked confused for a moment. "She'll be opening a portal to Blinky's home in…" He checked his watch. "...ten minutes." He lost his grin quickly, though, remembering that they hadn't warned Claire about Merlin's presence - which included his suspicions. He should've wanted her, but… He buried that thought. Claire wasn't influenced by Morgana.

"Texting is a method of communicating by sending electronic text messages over the cell phone network," Willow explained with a wide and - in Jim's opinion - quite gloating smile. "It's not magic," she added.

"What is a cell phone network?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, I'm happy you asked!" While Willow began to explain electronic communications, starting with telephones and the Internet, they walked to Blinky's home, Vendel tagging along.

"So, do you now have the weapons to deal with Glorificus?" he asked Blinky.

"Ah... We have more powerful weapons with divine characteristics," Blinky told him. "We still have to test if they are sufficiently powerful to hurt and possibly kill the hell-goddess. We are optimistic, however. And, of course, Merlin's return is a huge boon as well."

"Do not expect me to single-handedly deal with Glorificus. The hell-god would've been a challenge for me at my peak, and now that my magic has been drained to heal my wounds, I can only assist you with my experience and advice. This will remain so for the foreseeable future, with my ritual disturbed by interlopers." Merlin turned towards them while Willow stopped talking and pouted.

"Hey! We didn't know that you were there! Besides that, what if Glorificus destroys the world while you're asleep?" the Slayer protested.

That was a very good question, in Jim's opinion. He wouldn't let Merlin blame him for waking up without his magic powers. Not if the alternative would've been not waking up at all. Although… "Can you make more magic armour?" he asked.

"Is the Amulet of Daylight - enhanced by all three Triumbic Stones - not enough for you?" The wizard raised his eyebrows.

"I mean for my friends," Jim explained. "They only have magic weapons, no armour."

"I assume you count your girlfriend amongst your friends." Merlin's lips twisted into a faint sneer.

"Yes," Jim replied through clenched teeth. "Once you realise that she's not Morgana or Morgana's pawn. So, can you craft magic armour, or are you too weak for that as well?"

"Crafting armour doesn't require as much power as battling a hell-god, so it would be an effective use of my magic." Merlin turned away and continued walking.

That wasn't an agreement. But it wasn't a refusal, either.

"Wow, that's the worst 'you have a good idea' line I've heard in a while," the Slayer whispered.

Jim nodded.

And Willow went on. "So, after the Internet took off in the nineties, mobile phones started to become affordable and popular, and Nokia launched the Communicator - a phone that couldn't just make calls, but also use electronic communication beyond texting. It still took a few more years until…"

Was that a groan from Merlin? Jim glanced at the Slayer to check. She was giggling. So, yes, it probably was a groan.

They entered Blinky's home almost right on time.

"...and that's why mobile phones are also called cell phones."

"Fascinating," Merlin said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "So the ruler of the land has now the means to track all their subjects no matter where they are?"

"Citizens!" Willow corrected him. "And only as far as to the cell the phone connects to. Although you can narrow that down further if you use a few more networks, so…"

A green portal opened in the middle of the room, cutting off the witch - and making Merlin gasp. "Shadow magic," Jim heard him whisper.

"Jim?"

Claire! He stepped forward as Claire appeared in the portal and embraced her. "We're back," he stated the obvious. "And we've brought Merlin."

"Merlin? But…" Claire's eyes widened.

"Alive and well, despite the efforts of Morgana as well as those of a few unwitting nosy children and their lax guardians." Merlin walked towards them, narrowing his eyes at Claire.

Claire frowned back. "Nosy children?"

"He means us," Jim told her.

"Merlin's mad that we woke him up before Glory could kill him in his sleep."

"I am quite justifiably irked that it was sheer luck that you didn't arrive at a time when waking me up would've been fatal," the wizard retorted. "Although the fact that if not for the coincidental presence of the Trollhunter, they would've all died a brutal death in my workshop seems to be ignored by everyone involved, possibly in an effort to not ponder the aforementioned close brush with death and its ramifications."

"Jim! You almost died?" Claire gasped.

"No, I was perfectly safe," he corrected her.

"We almost died - or so Merlin claims. Since he's a little out of synch with modern life, we'll probably never know if we could've handled his centuries-old traps or not," the Slayer commented. "So, let's go through before Dawn complains about missing Instagram for longer than a minute."

Jim released Claire and nodded. As he stepped to the side, together with her, to let the others through, she whispered. "Has he been like this for the whole trip?"

"I think it's his normal mood," Jim whispered back.

Claire frowned in that cute, pouty way of hers, then firmly nodded. "Well, that won't fly here!"

As soon as everyone was inside the Shadow Realm, Claire raised her staff, and the portal disappeared, being replaced by a tiny one leading to a spot near a cell tower. "That should shut up Dawn," she said.

"I take it Dawn is relying on her phone?" Merlin - who hadn't left them out of his eyes - commented. Apparently, he had grasped the basic concept of cell phones. Jim reminded himself that ignorant didn't mean stupid.

"Most people do," Claire told him.

"And how many use them for anything other than gossip?"

"People use them for everything," Claire told him. "For work, for reading, for taking pictures, listening to music, watching TV - and to talk to and text friends."

Something, Jim knew, Willow had mentioned already.

"And if they lose their phone, they lose their life - figuratively." Merlin shook his head.

"Only temporarily," the Slayer chimed in - she hadn't left for her family. "You can buy a new phone in every mall. It's not as if we're talking irreplaceable magic artefacts here."

"And they aren't too expensive, either - partially because everyone wants one." Willow was hanging around as well, Jim noticed - everyone was watching them, actually. Great.

"Usually, something everyone covets becomes scarce and expensive as a consequence," Merlin replied.

Willow grinned. "Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of mass manufacturing and robots. Well, it's not as wonderful for those making those phones, but it means that a huge number of things can be produced in, well, huge numbers."

"Fascinating, I'm certain. But we have a more urgent topic to discuss." Merlin turned towards Claire, cocking his head as he eyed her. "Mainly you, young woman."

Jim could hear a hint of sarcasm in the wizard's voice when he said the last part. Claire, though, straightened and met Merlin's eyes. "Me?"

"Yes. The staff you wield…"

Claire clutched the Shadow Staff with both hands in response. "I took it from Angor Rot!"

"An impressively brave deed - if you actually did it. But also an impressively stupid deed. None of your friends knew the slightest things about a wizard's staff."

"I know enough to use it," Claire retorted. "And I'm learning more every day."

"I've no doubt about that," Merlin said. "We all should learn something new every day, after all. But are you learning the right things?" He scoffed, turning it into a rhetorical question. "A wizard is tied to their staff. And this staff was made by Morgana. Forged with her magic. It is as much a part of her as her hand or eye - more, actually, since she lost a hand, but I digress."

Claire stared at him, then at the staff. "She can see through the staff? Wait! She isn't sealed away?"

"We're here to determine that."

"He thinks you're influenced by the evil witch who almost killed him," the Slayer added.

"What?"

Merlin glared at the Slayer, then turned back to Claire. "I find it rather… convenient… that you mastered the use of the staff so quickly to offer access to the Shadow Realm. Morgana's favourite realm."

"Claire's talented!" Jim told him.

"So you claim. We shall test this."

"'Test this'?" Claire asked, then looked at Jim.

He could only shrug helplessly in response. Merlin hadn't told them any details about what he was planning.

"A test of character."

"You're going to make her pull the staff out of a rock?" the Slayer blurted out. "Isn't that a cliché now? Arthur, me… now Claire. Or is that your signature move?"

Merlin scowled at her. "I have spells to judge a man. Leaving a weapon stuck in stone is merely a precaution to prevent theft."

"Really? I could so have lifted the entire rock with her in it!"

"I think you overestimate your strength. I chose the stone for the Scythe with the Slayer's power in mind."

"Can we leave that for later?" Claire asked. "What test of character?"

"He wants to test you for corruption by Morgana or her powers," Willow explained. "He doesn't trust Tara's aura reading."

"Which he totally should," the Slayer added. "Hey - we haven't tested him for corruption and general evilness, have we?"

They hadn't. But he was Merlin. Blinky and the other trolls had recognised him.

"I am Merlin. You were in my tomb."

"And you took a spell from Morgana, filling you with her magic or something." The Slayer shrugged. "Good enough of a reason, in my book, to check you for evilness." Without waiting for an answer, she yelled "Tara!" over her shoulder.

"This is ridiculous," Merlin complained as Tara joined them.

"This is mandatory!" the Slayer replied.

"It is certainly a good precaution," Mr Giles chimed in.

Blinky nodded, although somewhat reluctantly.

And Jim shifted a little. Just in case Merlin turned out to be possessed or something.

But Tara blinked, then stared at the wizard. "Your aura… you're hurt. W-w-weakened. N-not c-corrupted, but…"

"Oh, great," Merlin spat. "Reveal my weakness to a potential tool of Morgana? Did humanity stop using their brains in favour of those phones?"

"That's not an uncommon complaint amongst the older generation," Mr Giles said.

"Giles!"

*****

Shadow Realm, January 21st, 2017

Buffy Summers glared at her Watcher. Just because he was a technophobe didn't mean it was wrong to use modern communications!

"I'm not a tool of Morgana!" Claire snapped.

"That remains to be determined," Merlin replied. He was tense now, Buffy noted - staff held tightly, feet apart in a not quite familiar stance. Probably some wizard style.

"And how?" the girl asked with narrowed eyes.

"Tara already read her aura," Willow pointed out. "And she read yours as well."

"And she's an expert in shadow magic?" Merlin scoffed. "Morgana is able to hide herself and her powers, working through the shadows."

"Literally?" Buffy asked, looking around. They were in the Shadow Realm, after all. And while she didn't trust the old geezer's paranoia, she couldn't exactly fight a whole dimension. What if a witch just had the shadows swallow the whole floating island?

"Both literally and figuratively," Merlin replied. "I trust you see the danger unwittingly using her staff created?"

"I took it - it's mine!" Claire retorted. "And I'm not under her control. Or influence!"

"Of course you'd say that." Merlin scoffed. "Now, will you submit to be tested?"

"What k-kind of t-test?" Tara asked. "B-because you d-didn't explain yet."

The wizard rolled his eyes. "Obviously, I will test her aura for Morgan's presence."

You say 'test' instead of 'examine'," Willow pointed out. "Words have meanings."

"And you're trying to avoid answering Tara's question," Buffy added with a frown. That sounded suspicious.

Jim and Claire were now standing so close together, they were almost touching, and both seemed ready to fight. Well, so was Buffy.

The wizard looked at every one of them, then scoffed again. "I will cast a spell. Should the witch be under Morgana's influence, the result will be obvious - and painful."

"What?" Jim blurted out, taking a step forward. "I won't let you…"

"Jim!" Claire put a hand on his arm. He turned to look at her. "He can cast his spell. I'm not under anyone's influence. I'll be fine!" She nodded curtly with a determined expression, then faced Merlin with a scowl.

The girl wasn't quite as confident as she claimed, though - Buffy could tell. She was clenching her teeth, and the way she tensed…

"Hand the staff over, child," Merlin told her. "It is part of Morgana, and my spell will react to its presence."

Claire looked at the old man for a moment with her lips pressed together, then turned and handed the staff to Jim with a huff. Then she straightened and faced Merlin again, squaring her shoulders.

Buffy held her breath. If Merlin was right and Claire was under Morgana's influence, what would she do? And what would Buffy do? Would a possessed girl let herself be hit by such a spell? Or was Merlin bluffing and hoping Claire would panic and reveal herself? He was weakened, after all, and such a trick seemed just like him.

Merlin scowled himself, then waved his staff, and green light shot out of the tip of it, striking Claire - and covering her in a shiny green glow.

And nothing happened. No screaming. No twitching. Well, Jim was twitching and probably cracking his teeth with the pressure he put on them - Buffy could hear the grinding. But Claire didn't move or make a sound, quietly meeting Merlin's eyes.

Seconds passed. Ten. Twenty. After half a minute, Merlin lowered his staff and harrumphed. "You seem to be free of her influence. For now."

The man was such a sore loser! Buffy shook her head. Some people just couldn't admit to being wrong.

Claire scoffed and held out her hand to Jim, who handed the staff back.

"We told you so," Willow said. "Tara's the best at reading auras."

"And how much experience does she have in dealing with centuries-old wizards?" Merlin shot back. "My apprentice spent longer assisting my work than you've been alive before he could even dream of earning his own staff." He turned to look at Claire. "Do not mistake your current state for being safe from Morgana. As long as you wield her staff, you are vulnerable to her magic."

"And you're free to test me any time!" Claire snapped. "I'm not under her control!" She nodded at Tara. "You can test me too."

"I only r-read auras," Tara replied. "I d-don't t-t-test people."

"Well, it's a sort of testing," Willow commented. "Just not in the painful magic spell way."

"Anyway," Buffy spoke up. "Now that we know we're not about to be blasted into the shadows by Claire… let's get something to eat. I'm starving! And I can smell a nice sauce!" Mrs Domzalski must have put up a huge pot. The woman knew how to feed Slayers.

"A meal wouldn't go amiss, I believe," Giles said. "And then we can plan our next steps."

"What's to plan?" Buffy asked. "We've got our shiny new weapons. Now we need to find Glory and see if we can cut her." And she was sure she could!

"When dealing with gods, hell-gods or others, it is advisable to plan ahead lest you wish to suffer a fate out of myth and legends," Merlin said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Details, details. The core of the plan is simple: We cut her up. Or down."

That worked, after all.

*****

James Lake Jr smiled widely as the others returned to the campers. Claire wasn't possessed by an ancient witch! Just as he had known. And she wasn't Morgana either - Tara would've noticed that, too.

"You didn't mention that you found Merlin when you texted me."

Jim froze at Claire's comment. This was… damn! "Uh…" He bit his lower lip. What could he say? Should he lie? No.

Claire was frowning at him now. Damn! "Did you know that he thought I was under Morgana's influence?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Damn again. What could he say? And he had to answer, and quickly. He took a deep breath. "He mentioned it, yes. He was convinced that you were being influenced by her through her staff. I couldn't convince him that this wasn't the case."

She looked at him for a moment. "But you didn't tell me when we texted."

He clenched his teeth. "No, I didn't." Better safe than sorry? That sounded cheap and stupid. "If he had been right…" He trailed off, fighting the urge to shrug.

"Then Morgana would've been warned." Claire slowly nodded.

Did she understand? Did she accept it? Or was she hurt? Both? "Sorry," he said in a low voice, hoping the Slayer had missed their talk.

"It's not your fault. If I had been possessed…" She trailed off, and he could see that she was staring at the staff. "But I'm not. And this is my staff. I took it from Angor Rot."

"Yes."

"Part of Morgana or not." She nodded again with a very determined expression.

"Yes."

After a moment, they started walking back to the campers. Jim almost wrapped his arm around her waist - after removing his armour - but didn't. That would've felt like… He didn't want to push things. She hadn't said that she didn't understand, but… it must have hurt her anyway. In her place, Jim would've felt hurt. Even though he did understand. He sighed. What a mess.

"What?"

Had he said that out loud? "The whole… thing. Merlin's alive. And cranky. And weakened, so he can't just blast or seal up Glory. And he seems more concerned with Morgana than Glory." After a moment, he added: "And he's a jerk."

Claire snorted. "Yes, he is. Arrogant, too."

"Yes." Of course, the man was ancient - literally ancient. At least a thousand years. And famous. Everyone knew his name. He had TV series and movies. Even Disney had used his name. Jim blinked. But Merlin didn't know that. He sighed again. "And the Slayer doesn't like him."

"I don't like him either," Claire stated as they reached the camp.

"I don't know if anyone likes him," Jim said. The others were standing in the centre of the camp, apparently introducing Merlin to the rest of their group.

"Yes, yes, I'm Merlin, court wizard of King Arthur. Apparently, the legends got that right. But whatever else you have heard is likely to be made up - this bunch certainly didn't know anything," the wizard said, nodding at the Slayer. "Which is remarkable since the resident troll actually lived in my time."

"Well, we didn't exactly travel in the same circles, not until the Battle of Killahead bridge…" Blinky said.

"Unless you faced Morgana, an event I would surely remember had it happened, we didn't travel in the same circles back then, either," Merlin cut him off. "I was woken from my slumber prematurely, so no, I cannot wave my staff and solve your problems with a spell. Not that I would do so if I could."

"We didn't ask you to!" Dawn blurted out.

"Oh? So I wasn't told about Glorificus in the hope of rendering assistance?"

"That's your problem, too," Willow said. "Since you live in this world as well. Unless you plan to change dimensions and leave your world to its fate. Which would be possible, I guess - if you had enough power to cast such spells. Which is doubtful."

"I do not think such bickering is helpful," Blinky spoke up. "We need to work together to defeat this threat to the world entire."

"Yes." Jim nodded. "We're facing a hell-goddess that shrugged off Daylight - my sword, not the, well, daylight." He frowned at his own lapse. "Anyway, we need to stick together. Work together."

He looked at the others. Most of them nodded, though the Slayer seemed to do grudgingly. And Spike just took another puff from his cigarette.

"This should be obvious. But if there's anything I've learned in my lifetime - apart from magic beyond the ken of others - it's that the obvious is seldom as obvious as it should be, at least to most people." Merlin, of course, had to comment himself. He looked around. "Now, where are my quarters? I wish to rest."

Jim blinked. That was…

"We can't put him up," Anya quickly said, grabbing Xander's arm. "Xander can't give me orgasms with someone else present."

"Anya!"

"What? It's true!"

"It's not something you just blurt out."

"But they need to know that we can't have him in our camper."

"Not it!" Dawn blurted out. "Buffy is bad enough; I don't need another jerk in my home."

"Dawn!"

"You are a jerk, and you know it."

"You brat!"

"Children!" Mrs Summers shook her head. "But they're right - we don't have space for you, Mr Merlin."

"Neither do we," Mrs Nuñez said.

And Strickler - who was hiding in his tent for now, Jim noticed, which was probably a smart decision - was out as well. A Changeling and Merlin in the same tent...

"Do we have to steal another camper? And who's going to explain all the modern appliances to him?" the Slayer asked.

"You can stay in our camper," Mrs Domalski said.

Toby looked horrified.

*****

Buffy Summers winced in sympathy. Living in the same house with Merlin would be bad enough. In the same camper? The advertising lied. It wasn't a home on wheels - it was far too small; she might as well be living in the same room as Dawn. Especially with her Slayer senses. Not only did she hear every whispered curse from Dawn when she was chatting on the net, but her brat of a sister also didn't want to change her perfume, either, despite the fact that it made Buffy want to retch. And Mom was taking her side just because she couldn't smell it!

Well, better Toby than her, and Mrs Domzalski ought to be able to handle the cranky wizard. The old woman had lived through World War II, after all. In Poland. Buffy wasn't quite as good at history as Willow or Giles, but she knew what had happened in Poland. And why Mrs Domzalski knew so much about living in a campsite while hiding from and fighting evil monsters.

"Oh, man," Toby complained in a low voice, "this will be horrible!"

"Come on, Tobes - it's going to be OK. It's not going to be forever," Jim tried to reassure his friend, but Buffy could tell without looking that he wasn't very good at it.

Merlin, meanwhile, was looking at Mrs Domalski. "Very well. I require a room of my own."

"You can bunk with Toby-pie or sleep in the living room on the converted table," Mrs Domzalski said with the same warm smile she had been showing.

"I've slept centuries on a slab of stone; the table will do fine."

"It's not actually a table," Toby tried to explain. "We lower it and then pull the bed out from the bench…" he trailed off at a glance from the wizard.

"Spare me the details. I shall adapt, as I've always done."

"Now, now, don't be rude, Mr Merlin. Toby-pie was only trying to help you."

Mrs Domzalski was still smiling, but her eyes met the wizard's, and both stared at each other. Buffy could almost touch the tension. Touch it and cut it with her Scythe.

But Merlin sniffed and looked away, which was almost as good as seeing him admit defeat.

"If you need help adapting to modern times," Anya spoke up, "don't ask me. I'm still trying to figure out those weird new rules."

Merlin looked at her, cocking his head. "And where did they find you?"

"They didn't find me - I was summoned," Anya replied.

The wizard narrowed his eyes and moved his staff as Xander stepped in front of Anya. "And she's a perfectly normal human now!"

"'Now'?"

"I was a witch back in Sjomjost," Anya said, apparently not afraid or unaware of Merlin's intentions. "And then I was the most successful Vengeance Demon for a thousand years until one measly little mistake got me turned back into a human and stuck here."

"A very happy mistake," Xander said.

"Which was all your fault."

"Only indirectly, and I did take responsibility, didn't I?"

"I seduced you."

"Well, yes, but it's the afterthought that counts, right?" Xander grinned.

Merlin turned away. "Let's leave this pointless display of domestic dysfunctionality and let's head to my new temporary shelter."

"It's this one," Mrs Domzalski said. "And wipe your shoes before entering."

Buffy grinned at the way Merlin twitched just a little at that. "Well, that's settled," she said, turning to her friends. "So, who's up for some Scythe testing?"

"Uh… how are you going to test it? Not against Glory, are you?" Willow asked.

"No, no. I just want to cut things," Buffy explained, then blinked. "Wait! That came out wrong."

"My sister, the serial killer," Dawn muttered.

"Dawn!" Mom snapped. "That's no way to talk to your sister. Apologise!"

"I was just joking!"

"Apologise!"

Rolling her eyes, the brat sighed. "Sorry, Buffy, for joking about your brainfart."

Buffy glared at her, but the rest of her traitorous friends snickered. It hadn't been that bad! "Whatever. Let's go and see how many rocks I can cut into little rocks with her!"

"Oh my God! She's treating the weapon as a person," Dawn whispered. "This is going to be worse than Mr Gordo in kindergarten."

Buffy clenched her teeth. She had been six at the time - Dawn only knew about that because Mom had told her the story. And the stuffed pig had helped her through some trying times when Melissa Carter had stolen her best friend in kindergarten.

But she kept from snapping back at Dawn until she had reached the training area with Giles and the others.

"Didn't you test it in Merry Old England?" Spike asked.

"Her," Buffy corrected him. "And I wanted to, but Giles said we didn't have the time or the resources."

"I do not believe that leaving half a forest devastated would have been a smart course of action," her Watcher replied. "Not to mention environmentally friendly."

"Hey!" Buffy protested. "Old trees giving way to younger trees is the circle of life!"

"Is it?" Xander asked.

"You could say it," Willow replied. "Though Disney has much to answer for."

"Come on, guys," Buffy told them. "Less snarking, more cutting." She walked towards a particularly large rock and raised her Scythe.

It cut through the rock like a stake went through a vampire - there was almost no resistance.

"Whoa!"

"I dare say that this is more impressive than I expected."

"Cool!"

Buffy smiled. Glory would never know what cut her.

*****

"Willow! Where do I put the potato salad?"

"On the buffet, Dawn."

"Yes, but where? Is it vegan or vegetarian? I know it's organic, but that's all."

"Ask Mrs Domzalski; she made it."

"She made it? Then it's vegetarian," Dawn stated. "At best."

"Better check for bacon bits."

"Good idea."

James Lake Jr chuckled as he checked the grill. One of the few good things that had come from having to hide in a campsite in the Shadow Dimension were the times everyone ate together. Like a pasta parade, where you had a huge buffet of pasta and sauces of all kinds. Or today's barbecue. Provided the grill was cooperating. Jim would have preferred a grill using propane, but everyone else had insisted on coal. And coal took its sweet time to heat up the grill.

"Ah… I think this is getting ready!"

Jim pressed his lips together. Mr Nuñez was wrong - the grill wasn't ready yet. Not nearly. And it should be obvious. But pointing that out would be rude. And Claire's parents already had a bad opinion of Jim. "We better give it some more time," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Jim said, nodding firmly.

Mr Nuñez looked at him for a moment before also nodding. "Well, you're the expert, I guess."

"Barbecues aren't my speciality," Jim replied at once. He wasn't going to claim he was an expert in barbecues. He could cook decently well, and that was about it. Though he did make a mean curry, according to both his friends and Mom's colleagues, who had tasted it at a potluck.

"But you're a great cook." Mr Nuñez leaned over, crouching down a little. "Better than Claire, or so I hear."

"It isn't a competition," Jim told the man, tensing up. Who had told him that? And why was he bringing it up now? Was that related to Jim's failure of warning Claire about Merlin's suspicion?

"Of course not! But the way Claire talks about your cooking, it's clear that you're a great cook."

"Ah." Claire talked about his cooking like that? Jim caught himself smiling stupidly. "I'm sure she exaggerates."

"No, no. And we've tasted your cooking before. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with a proper barbecue!"

"So am I," Jim lied. The last barbecue he had attended with the Nuñez… well, he didn't like to remember that particular embarrassment. "Though I'm more of a side-dishes guy when it comes to barbecues. I've made a marinade for chicken, based upon a Jamaican chicken recipe I have, but I can't tell yet how that will work out."

"I'm sure it'll be great!"

"So am I." No pressure there. None at all.

"Jim!"

He turned, almost glad for the distraction. "Yes, Dawn?"

"Where is the cow?"

"The cow?" Jim blinked. What did she mean? Oh. He rolled his eyes. "So you can tell Buffy she's having a cow?"

Dawn pouted. "Don't ruin the joke! But seriously, you know how much the bottomless pit eats. Do you have enough?"

"I heard that, Dawn!" the Slayer yelled from the other end of the camp. "Also, Jim, do you have enough?"

"I shopped!" Willow yelled from the buffet. Or stole, Jim thought.

"Great!"

Jim sighed.

"They're a lively bunch," Mr Nuñez said.

"You can say that you're glad Claire's not like us," Dawn told him.

Claire's father chuckled. "Oh, when Claire loses her temper, she's much louder!"

"What? Really?" Dawn echoes Jim's thoughts. "Wow."

That was… so, Jim had never seen her lose her temper… He frowned. Was that a good or a bad thing?

"Oh, yes. She gets her temper from my wife."

But Mrs Nuñez was always cool and controlled. Oh.

"I guess still waters run deep, right?" Dawn laughed. "So…"

"Jim! Dad!" Claire was walking towards them. "How much longer until we can put the meat on?"

"Wow. Talk about transparent," Dawn whispered next to Jim. "And insecure."

"A few more minutes," Jim told Claire after a glance at Dawn.

"Good." Claire stopped next to him and peered at the grill. "We're growing hungry. Tempers are rising."

"Oh, great. Buffy's already trying to eat raw burgers?"

"I heard that, Dawn!"

"I know!" Dawn yelled back. "Really. Imagine living like that 24/7! I don't have any privacy!"

"Well, the walls of a camper aren't really thick," Jim pointed out.

"Oh, yes," Claire said with a sigh.

Mr Nuñez didn't comment - he kept staring at the grill. Oh.

Jim blushed. "So... " He looked up. "How's the buffet doing?"

"We're done."

"Almost done."

Dawn and Claire glared at each other for a moment, then Dawn snorted. "I'll go check dessert."

Claire huffed as the other girl walked away.

"Jimbo! Claire!"

"Tobes?" Jim turned. Toby was walking towards them. "A few more minutes," he told him.

"What? Ah, good." Toby nodded absentmindedly. "Man, you have no idea how bad it's at home. Temporary home. Merlin and Nana…" He trailed off.

"What are they doing?" Jim asked. Did Merlin bother Toby's grandmother?

"They're… I can't really say. They're like fighting and not fighting. Merlin's all sarcastic and stuff, and Nana is all 'don't be like that' and 'nonsense'. It's hell!"

Yes, Jim could imagine that. But… as much as he felt bad for thinking so, 'better you than me' still was true. He wouldn't wish Merlin on his mom. Or anyone. But Toby's nana seemed to be able to handle the cranky wizard.

And if she couldn't, she'd probably poison his meals.

And, speaking of meals: Jim had to grill steaks and burgers now.

*****
 
Chapter 28: The Forge
Chapter 28: The Forge

Arcadia Oaks, January 22nd, 2017

Walking through the streets of the town, Buffy Summers felt frustrated. She should be patrolling, not… walking to a meet-up with some soldiers. Which included her stupid ex-boyfriend, Riley 'I can't handle a girlfriend who's stronger than I am' Finn. Whose unit of 'special demon-hunting forces who are totally not the survivors of the old Initiative' had finally arrived in town.

"This sucks," she muttered.

"Huh?" Jim asked, cocking his head.

"Nothing," Buffy forced herself to smile. "Just… woolgathering."

"'Woolgathering'?" The boy blinked at her.

"Yes, woolgathering, Having stupid thoughts about irrelevant stuff." She was a college student; she could talk like one, too.

"Oh." He nodded. "I thought you were worried about the soldiers."

"Why would I be worried about the soldiers?" she asked.

"Because the other soldiers shot at us when they caught us out after curfew?"

"They tried to catch you; they didn't succeed," she corrected him. "And those were totally different soldiers. And I don't worry about them." Absolutely not.

"Yeah. Buffy once curb stomped them in an exercise," Willow chimed in.

"And that was without my baby here!" Buffy patted the Scythe on her back. The holster the trolls had rigged up was working well so far. If only it didn't clash so much with her best top...

"Ah." Jim nodded. "And they don't resent you for that?"

"We also saved the butt when their cyborg demon hybrid thingie ran amok." Buffy shrugged. "So, yeah, we've got some history with those soldiers." She sighed.

"It's not set in stone that Riley will be there," Willow told her.

Buffy tilted her head and gave her a look. "Of course he'll be there. He's probably in command by now. And they know that he knows me."

"Oh. Your ex." Jim nodded. "I mean, your other ex."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the boy. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I just…" The boy blushed. "I mean…"

Buffy sighed and turned to Willow. "Really? You talk about my boyfriends now?"

"Uh… just when it's, well, relevant." Willow had her 'I'm feeling really guilty about this' smile on, Buffy noticed.

"Great. Instead of finding a way to beat Glory, you've been talking about my love life." Past love life.

"We are trying to find a way to attack Glory, but…" Willow bit her lower lip. "I mean, if we attack her to test the Scythe and Eclipse, we should have a plan ready to deal with her once and for all as well, so we don't waste the, ah, element of surprise?"

"I know," Buffy spat. That didn't mean that she liked it, of course. She wanted, needed to take out Glory right now. As soon as the skanky hell-goddess made an appearance, at least - she hadn't done anything for days now. They weren't even sure if she was still in town. Though there had been some suspicious cases of people losing their minds...

"Well, anyway, we're almost at the meeting spot," Jim said.

"Indeed," Giles spoke up for the first time since they had left the camp. "Buffy?"

She rolled her eyes. "Alright. Going to check for a trap."

"I was merely suggesting to, ah, prepare yourself for the meeting," Giles corrected her.

She scowled in return. "Well, scouting for an ambush will do that." With a nod, she sprinted across the street and up the small slope there. Time to make a sweep through the area.

She blinked. Damn. That was Riley-speak. And she had been doing so well.

She scoffed and started a quick run around the blocks - well, houses; Arcadia Oaks didn't really have blocks like L.A. - surrounding the small patch of forest on the hill on which they'd be meeting the soldiers.

She didn't spot anything suspicious. Of course, they could be hiding inside a house, totally silent and not moving… Well, in that case, they probably had some advance warning. Enough to take out whatever stooges were at the meeting and escape through one of Claire's portals.

By the time she caught up to the others, Jim had changed into his shiny armour, and they were at the foot of the hill.

"Nothing around us that I could spot from the outside. About six people up top." Buffy nodded.

"Very well. Let's go on, then."

"I've got Claire on the line," Willow said, patting the pocket with her phone. "If anything happens, we'll be gone in a second."

One soldier was covering the path; Buffy saw him before she heard him whisper into his radio: "Four people approaching."

She was so tempted to yell: 'It's me, Riley!'

And there he was. Standing next to some old but still pretty guy with the ugly buzzcut soldiers had, just with a bit of salt and pepper. Two soldiers behind them, in camouflage better suited for the jungle, with night vision gear hiding their faces. With another watching from the treeline and the one who had announced them, that made six.

Someone was feeling insecure, she thought with a grin.

"Miss Summers," the old guy spoke up. "Mr Giles. Miss Rosenberg. Mr Lake."

Jim twitched a little at them knowing his name, but Buffy wasn't really concerned. That had been expected - the US military was good at the sneaky CIA stuff. They just sucked at actually hunting demons unless they could shoot them.

"Major Ellis," Willow said with a smile. "Hi, Riley! Hi soldiers I don't recognise."

Buffy grinned. "I'd say it's been a long time, but it hasn't."

Riley winced at that. Point Buffy. "Buffy." He was frowning. As usual. No humour.

"Riley." She bared her teeth. "How's life in the jungle?"

"Good." And here came his teeth.

But the Major frowned. "We here to discuss the situation in this town."

Riley straightened. "Yes, sir!"

"Quite," Giles said. "Have you been informed about Glorificus?"

"We've been briefed," the Major replied.

"But not about everything going on here, and not with the latest information," Giles told him.

Willow nodded. "We know it because we know what those who briefed you know, which isn't all they should know, so…" she trailed off.

"We have acquired weapons that should be able to harm Glory."

"We have weapons of our own which have proven to be effective against demons," Ellis said.

"What kind of weapons?" Buffy asked. "If it's those taser thingies, they won't work."

"We have special ammunitions." The major started to look a little annoyed.

"Do you have a holy hand-grenade?" Willow asked. Cringing, she added: "I'm not joking. Not completely. You need divine weapons to hurt Glory."

"Powerful divine weapons," Buffy added, patting her Scythe. "Blessed by a priest won't do it - we tested that." All weapons of a Slayer were blessed or had been blessed at one point, after all.

"What?" Riley stared.

"Yes. We've fought Glory. Couldn't even scratch her with anything else," Buffy explained. "Bullets just bounce off her skin."

The Major and Riley exchanged a glance.

"If you have planned to engage Glorificus, then you might have to reconsider your plans, sir," Giles told them. "The hell-god is nigh-invulnerable to conventional attacks."

"They just ruin her cheap dresses and make her mad. But if you shoot one of her shoes off, it might slow her down," Buffy helpfully added. "Basically, keep an eye out for her and evacuate people."

That didn't please the Major guy. Or Riley. Buffy could tell. Tough.

"How do we acquire divine weapons?" the Major asked.

"Good question!" Willow piped up. "As Buffy told you, blessings by a priest of any faith won't be enough. You need magic and some sort of powerful divine blessing. And, well… there's not much of either around these days." She shrugged. "But there're some other demons around you can hurt, only…"

"...there are also non-humans you can't hurt because they're the good guys and fighting Glory," Buffy took over. "And one who isn't a good guy but still on our side. Two, actually, counting Spike."

"Spike?" Riley snapped with a glare. "Hostile-17," he told the Major.

"You've got a vampire working for you?" The Major didn't like that.

"We've got Spike working with us. And he can't hurt humans," Buffy explained. "So, no staking him. Or capturing him or experimenting on him." If anyone staked Spike, it would be her. She cleared her throat. "But we're talking about the good guys here. The trolls."

"Trolls." The Major had narrowed his eyes. As had Riley.

*****​

"Yes, the trolls." James Lake Jr took a step forward. "Below Arcadia Oaks is a troll settlement, Trollmarket." He nodded at the Major and Riley. Or Finn. Probably Finn. "I'm the Trollhunter. I protect trolls and humans against demons and evil trolls." The two soldiers looked him over, and Jim straightened. He was the Trollhunter, chosen by the Amulet of Daylight. Judged worthy by Merlin himself. So to speak. He had no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed.

He was still glad that his helmet covered most of his face.

"You don't look like a troll," the Major growled.

"I'm a human," Jim replied. "The first human Trollhunter."

"And where are the trolls?"

"Not here. They're not supposed to head out while Glory is around," Jim told them. "I speak for them, though."

"If they won't come to the surface, we won't have trouble with them."

"We can't guarantee that," Jim said. "Things change. And if we're fighting Glory, they might help." Unlikely, for most trolls. But Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! would help.

"So… don't shoot everything that looks like a moving stone statue."

"We need a description, preferably with a picture, to show the soldiers."

"Trolls have very diverse appearances," Jim told the Major. "Some have six limbs, some have four. Some have horns, multiple eyes - mostly two, though."

"Great. Rules of engagement will be a bitch."

"Welcome to my world." The Slayer smiled, baring her teeth. "Oh, wait - I can sense demons. So, guess you have to be careful."

"The trolls need to be careful. This is an American town," Finn said.

"The trolls were here before there was a town," Jim corrected him. "Before the USA annexed the area. And they are a sovereign nation." Jim didn't actually know if most trolls would agree, but they would agree that they were not citizens, much less subjects, of the USA.

"We were thinking of arranging a meeting between your troops and the trolls at a later date," Mr Giles spoke up. "To prevent misunderstandings."

The Major growled again. "Let me be clear: We won't let anyone endanger American citizens."

"And residents!" Willow piped up. "Not everyone is a citizen." She cringed a little when the Major glared at her.

"If we see someone attacking a human, we take them down."

"Or try to," the Slayer said. "But that's fair.

"Just be aware that there are evil trolls who can take human shape," Jim pointed out. "And they will have been inserted into human society as a child, replacing a human child, so they will have a paper trail and a legal identity."

All the soldiers were now staring at him.

"They're called 'Changelings', like in the legends," Jim added.

"That's… you're telling us that trolls infiltrated our society?" The Major looked struck.

"Changelings - trolls that have been kidnapped as babies and altered, to be able to take human forms," Jim corrected him. "And they are working for Gunmar. The trolls of Trollmarket have nothing to do with them."

"And how can we find those 'Changelings'? Do they turn to stone in sunlight?"

So they knew something about trolls, Jim noted. Or they were guessing based on the myths. Either way, they were wrong. "No, Changelings can resist the sunlight. But if you touch them with a Gaggletack, they resume their troll form. That's an enchanted iron horseshoe," he added. "And if you rescue the baby who was kidnapped and replaced from the Darklands, they cannot take their human form any more."

"The babies are still alive?" Finn asked.

"Yes. They, ah, don't age while they're in the Darklands," Jim explained. "So, as long as the Changeling is alive, they are kept alive."

"And if the Changeling dies?" the Major asked.

Jim pressed his lips together for a moment. "As far as we know, the baby gets killed." And probably eaten. Gunmar had only one use for humans, after all.

The soldiers looked grim. "We need those Gaggletacks. If there's a Changeling in the government…"

That would be bad. They could send the army after the trolls. But revealing a Changeling meant dooming their familiar. And yet, the thought of having a Changeling so close to the President… Jim frowned. He didn't like doing this, but there was no choice. "They're not too common, but I'll get you one." Somehow. Even if he might have to ask Merlin for help.

"One? We need more."

"I'll see what we can do about that, but we need them as well to battle Gunmar and his followers." Without him, the Changelings wouldn't be as dangerous any more - and probably revealed. They would have to save the kidnapped babies at any cost in that case. Jim shuddered at the thought of what the goblins would do if Gunmar was dead.

But first, they had to deal with Glory.

"Remember that they were kidnapped as babies as well," Willow pointed out. "Not all of them are evil."

"But they were raised under Gunmar," Jim retorted. "We've found two defectors, and one of them we pretty much had to force to change sides." And he still didn't trust Strickler.

"We need access to them - we have to interrogate them. If they know the identities of more infiltrators…"

Letting the army interrogate Strickler? Part of Jim smiled at the thought. But they had a deal with him. "We can ask him. But he's not a prisoner we can hand over to you," he explained.

The Major didn't like that. Not at all.

"Well, that's troll stuff," the Slayer cut in. "You can handle that once Glory is dead. We have to focus on saving the world from her."

"Gunmar wants to conquer the world as well," Jim reminded her. "And he wants to turn day into eternal night so his Gumm-Gumms can hunt and eat people as much as they want."

"Which will rapidly render humans extinct," Willow commented, "as well as many other species. But I guess sustainability isn't a big thing for evil trolls."

Sometimes Jim wondered about her priorities. And he didn't seem to be the only one - she blushed and mumbled: "I'm just saying…"

"Anyway," the Slayer went on - in a slightly patronising tone, Jim thought. "We know you need to be seen patrolling so the government can save face. Just keep an eye out for a blonde skank in cheap dresses and shoes, and call us as soon as you spot her. We're working on a plan to kill her once and for all."

"We have visual documentation on the threat," the Major said.

Jim blinked. 'Visual documentation'? Ah! The man meant pictures.

"Good." The Slayer nodded. "Willow, can you give them our number?"

"Yes, of course!" Willow handed out a slip of paper. "That's going directly to my relay, so even if we're not connected to the internet, we'll receive the message as soon as we do."

"You don't have permanent communication channels?" Finn asked.

"That's classified," the Slayer told him with a toothy smile.

Finn scowled at her, and the Major looked annoyed. "Is there anything else?" he asked.

"Nothing I can think of right now. We'll stay in touch." The Slayer waved her hand. "Be seeing you."

"Well, I've got a list of creatures you can safely shoot. And probably should shoot," Jim said. He pulled out a sheet as everyone turned to look at him. "Goblins, for one. But there are other monsters you need to be aware of. Like Stalklings. Those are flying trolls that are immune to sunlight and generally act as assassins."

"Flying trolls… Like gargoyles," Finn muttered.

"Not exactly," Giles corrected him. "Gargoyles are an entirely different kind of creature, although the myths might have mixed them up since the similarities are obvious."

Judging by the expression on the soldier's face, Jim didn't think he had been aware that Gargoyles existed. Well, Jim hadn't been either. But he wasn't a demon hunter - he was the Trollhunter.

*****​

"That went well," Buffy Summers said as they walked down the hill.

"For a certain definition of 'well', I suppose, Giles commented.

She pouted at him. "They won't shoot us - or so they said - and they will call us if they see Glory. What else did you expect?"

"I expected worse, actually," Giles replied. "But I hoped for a more coordinated response to the threat posed by Glorificus than just staying out of each other's way."

She scoffed at that. "With the Military? It's their way or the highway. They would have to follow our orders to be anything more than target dummies, and can you see the Major listen to me?" Or Riley, Mr 'I can't handle having a girlfriend who's better at my job than I am'.

Giles cleared his throat. "I would assume that Major Ellis might be more receptive to following your directions if you had acted a little more…"

"..professionally?" She scoffed again. "I'm a young woman. I could have arrived in camouflage fatigues and talked all military-like, and he wouldn't listen to me any more than he has been. That's how the military works. I'm just a civilian to them."

"We're all just civilians to them. The Initiative didn't really listen to us, either, until they had no choice," Willow pointed out.

"And you're just a foreigner," Buffy added, nodding at Giles, then looked at Jim. "And you're a kid." Which was, well, true, but mentioning that would weaken the point she was making. Which was that the soldiers didn't listen to her.

"Well, they did listen when I told them about the trolls," Jim said.

"And demanded one of your magic artefacts," Willow retorted. "So they could do things their way. And wanted to interrogate Strickler. Who is, technically, not our prisoner, anyway."

"To be fair," Giles spoke up in his 'I am being so reasonable, and you're not' tone, "expecting a member of the American Military to trust the safety of their government to a foreign organisation seems a bit much."

"Well, are we actually doing that?" Buffy asked.

"No. The Secret Service has specialists ensuring that the government isn't unduly influenced by magic or demonic forces," Giles replied.

"See? And as their Demon-hunting - or baiting - commander, he should've known that."

"I doubt that, given his tasks and the risks he takes, he is privy to what measures have been taken to protect the government against the very forces he fights."

Jim cleared his throat. "Well, giving them a Gaggletack shouldn't do any harm. It might even expose more agents of the Order of Janus before they can use their position against us."

"Or threaten them into acting in haste against us before being exposed," Giles pointed out.

Jim's face fell, Buffy frowned at Giles, then smiled at the kid. "Well, they would do that sooner or later anyway. And if they're forced to step up their plan, they'll make mistakes." Probably.

Jim nodded in agreement. "And we managed to get them to agree not to shoot trolls on sight."

"Yes. But better keep them down below anyway," Buffy told him. "What they say and what they do, at night, when they see shadows move, are two different things." Just like what boyfriends said and then did were often two different things.

"At least we're not any worse off than before," Willow commented. "Their predecessors shot at us, after all."

"Yes." Jim frowned. "That's progress, at least."

"I'm in favour of any progress that doesn't get me shot," Willow said.

Buffy grinned at her. "And how long until you've hacked their systems?"

Her friend smiled back. "Well, they don't have the same security as the stupid base had, and their computers have to be mobile - or connected to mobile computers, and I'm already familiar with the Initiative computers from Sunnydale, so… it shouldn't take too long."

"Good." Trust, but verify. The last thing Buffy wanted was another Walsh 'researching' demons.

They reached the first road near the hill and started following it.

"You didn't tell them about the Key," Jim said.

"Of course not!" Buffy knew how soldiers thought. "If they knew about the Key, they would insist on taking Dawn 'to a secure location'. Or kill her. Probably both."

"Oh."

"That's the military for you," Willow added.

Not just the military, Buffy thought. The Watchers had the same view.

"Are we far enough?" Willow asked a minute later.

Buffy looked around. "I don't see anyone observing us, but they might be watching us from the air with drones or something." Even a Slayer's senses had a limit.

"That can't be helped, and they will discover the portals sooner or later anyway," Giles said.

"Claire?" Jim asked. "We're close to the old BMX shop."

"Alright." came the answer through the phone. "Opening a portal."

A moment later, a green portal opened near them. A quick walk later, they were back in the Shadow Dimension.

"Jim!"

"Claire!"

And watching the kids hug each other. Buffy wasn't jealous. Or envious. Not at all.

Well, perhaps a little. Why couldn't she meet a guy like Jim, only older?

And there went Willow greeting Tara.

No, Buffy wasn't jealous at all.

*****​

Trollmarket, January 22nd, 2017

"...so they want a Gaggletack. To check the White House for Changelings," James Lake Jr explained, leaning against the table in Blinky's home.

"A Gaggletack. We don't have many of those," Blinky replied, sighing.

"Can we spare one? Or make some more?" Claire asked. "Jim's right - the danger of having a Changeling near the president, or in a position of authority, is too great. If they send the police or the army after us…" She trailed off, her lips forming a thin line.

Jim himself winced. The army had come after him and Toby. Probably not for being the Trollhunters, but he didn't want to repeat the experience. Certainly not against soldiers specifically sent after him by a Changeling.

"That is a very good point," Blinky agreed. Claire smiled in return, still looking a little upset.

Jim wanted to hug her, but… he had upset her as well, with his handling, or mishandling, of Merlin.

"However," Blinky went on, "we truly suffer a scarcity of those items. Truth to be told, for quite some time, we didn't have much use for them, so we didn't keep a lot in stock."

What? "Why?" Jim asked.

"They serve to expose Changelings posing as humans. For centuries, we rarely had any interaction with humans, so why would we worry about infiltration by Changelings in human form? You know how Trollmarket's residents reacted when they saw you for the first time."

Right.

"But that hasn't changed," Claire pointed out. "So you could spare one."

"Unfortunately, that would see us bereft of one," Blinky said. "Vendel wasn't really, ah, happy about us using it before."

Jim narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "You didn't ask him beforehand?"

Blinky's embarrassed smile was answer enough.

"Great. Can we make more?"

"The secret of forging a Gaggletack has been passed on by troll smiths for generations, but, unfortunately, as a result of a past dispute over apprenticing, Trollmarket's smiths are not privy to that knowledge. It was a really minor matter, all things considered, but…"

"I see," Jim interrupted a likely lengthy explanation he knew he didn't need or want. "Then I guess we'll either have to ask another troll settlement - or Merlin." He didn't quite know which option was worse.

Judging by Claire and Blinky's expressions, they didn't know either.

"Well, procuring a spare Gaggletack from an amicable settlement wouldn't be too hard, I think, although they might wonder why we need one - and likely disagree with our reasons. Many trolls are somewhat isolationist with regards to humans, I fear. Also, they might speculate about Changelings being a problem for us, which might result in a few awkward questions for Vendel."

"Who will blame us." Jim shook his head.

"Oh, I don't worry about that. I worry more about the consequences if Trollmarket becomes known as being overly involved with human affairs."

"Don't like." AAARRRGGHH!!! slowly nodded with a sigh.

"Yes. Your folks, especially, are isolationist," Blinky told him. "But your home is here now."

The big troll slowly nodded.

"I guess Merlin it is." Jim sighed.

Claire nodded with a frown.

"Maybe he'll understand why we need one, and this won't be too bad," he added with a smile.

*****​

Shadow Realm, January 22nd, 2017

"You want me to make a Gaggletack."

James Lake Jr nodded, smiling at the wizard. It wasn't hard - there was something funny about seeing a wizard in robes standing in the middle of a camper.

"You already have two known Changelings here - which is foolish to the extreme, albeit you seem to have taken the most marginal precautions against betrayal, at least. No matter how ineffective they would be if tested. So, clearly, you already have access to one Gaggletack. Unless you lost it through carelessness or stupidity, and expect me to rectify that so you don't suffer the consequences for your actions."

Oh, for the love of…! "We don't need the Gaggletack for us," Jim explained. "We need it so the army can check the president and his cabinet for Changelings."

"The president? The leader of this country, I presume."

"Yes. Our elected leader," Claire said.

The wizard scoffed. "A king would have a court wizard."

"I doubt any of the remaining kings and queens have a court wizard," Toby, sitting at the table, pointed out. "It kind of went out of fashion."

"With the knowledge of magic becoming a secret, yes. An unfortunate but necessary development if we are to avoid waking up the Old Ones as mankind's numbers grew. However, not everyone turned ignorant, so it would have befallen them to protect their leaders."

"Yes," Jim agreed, "but they don't have a Gaggletack. Can you make one?"

"Of course I can, even in my weakened state. The question is: Should I?" Merlin cocked his head at them.

"Why shouldn't you?" Toby asked. "If a Changeling makes the president send the army after us, you'll be a target too!"

His friend looked a little better, Jim noted. Despite Merlin's presence in their camper.

"A trifling threat, at most."

"It would also be a way to foster good relations with the army," Claire said. "And we need to work together to stop Glory."

"And you include me in this 'we', I suppose."

"Yes," Claire told him.

Jim nodded.

"One for all, all for one. Or two," Tobes added. "United we stand, divided we fall."

"A mangled saying, I have no doubt. But somewhat applicable. And creating a Gaggletack shouldn't overly delay my other preparations. At the very least, it can be used to ensure there are no other such 'guests' amongst us here. Very well, I shall craft one. Where is the forge?"

"Uh…" Jim grimaced.

"Grand Theft Forge?" Toby offered.

"You not only lack access to a forge, but you plan to steal one?" Merlin didn't sound amused.

"Well, there's a forge in Trollmarket," Jim said, "but it's probably in use. And we can buy one from a hobby shop or something." They should be able to afford one.

"A hobby shop?"

"Blacksmithing isn't much of a profession any more," Claire told him - with a toothy smile, Jim noted. "People do it as a hobby - something to pass the time. To have fun."

"Like crocheting? Reading?" Toby shrugged. "Playing games? Biking? Hiking?"

"Blacksmithing isn't a profession any more." Merlin frowned.

"There are some, but… it's pretty exotic," Jim explained. "It's not as if we need many horsed shoed any more."

"So, those cars of yours are created by…?"

"Factories," Toby said. "Like… big halls where hundreds of people work on those."

"I see."

Jim doubted that. "So, we can go ask the trolls to use their forge, or we can get one from a hobby shop."

"I don't think a 'hobby shop' will have a suitable forge," Merlin said.

Claire scoffed. "You should at least take a look at one before you dismiss it!"

Merlin narrowed his eyes at her - he was still suspicious of her, Jim knew - and then slowly nodded. "Very well. Let's take a look at such a 'hobby forge'."

"In Los Angeles," Jim said. "We don't want to risk encountering Glory."

"That would cut this trip short, I believe." Merlin just had to have the last word, it seemed.

*****​

Los Angeles, January 22nd, 2017

"I stand corrected. This hobby forge is a marvel of craftsmanship! The way the heat is controlled and kept at a constant temperature without needing to adjust it… and the size."

Merlin sounded actually impressed, Buffy Summers realised. Who would have thought! She had been sure he'd dismiss modern technology like… like some uber-Giles dismissed computers. "And do you like the colour? It also comes in red," she said with a grin. "Though not sure we can get a green hood to match your threads."

Merlin frowned at her in return. "And as expected, while the technology has advanced, human nature has not." He turned to Jim, Claire and Toby. "I require two of them. And the anvil over there. And a full set of tools."

Jim nodded. "OK, that would come to…" he pressed his lips together as he tallied up the prices.

"Don't worry, I can charge it to my council credit card," Buffy told him. Well, Giles's, but he had given it to her for this trip, so it was hers for the duration. And it wasn't really too expensive - well below a luxury handbag, so that should still leave some new shoes, like those darling Manolos she had seen on the way into the mall...

"And then we shall require materials, of course."

Right. But iron and steel or whatever they needed couldn't cost too much, could it?"

"Material for blacksmithing is in this aisle," the young sales clerk told them. "How much do you need?"

"That depends on the quality. Some refining might be required."

"We only sell the highest quality, sir!" the man insisted.

Well, Buffy knew sales-speak when she heard it.

And Merlin looked doubtful when he went to inspect the iron thingies there.

But again, his expression changed into something that probably would've been a smile on a less grumpy old man. "You spoke the truth - this is pure iron. Almost too pure if we were to make working horseshoes."

Jim cleared his throat. "We should get a few more ingots. Just in case we have something else to forge."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. Jim looked like he was trying too hard to sound casual.

"And what do you have in mind?" Merlin, obviously, had noticed it as well and was giving the kid the evil eye - after sending the sales clerk to get them another shopping cart rated for heavy metal.

"I was thinking that Claire and Toby don't have armour," Jim said.

"Jim!" Claire protested.

"Toby almost died because he wasn't wearing armour," Jim told her. "And Glory will be coming after you - or send her minions after you."

"And as you've said before, you wish me to craft armour for your friends." Merlin's tone could have frozen water.

But Jim met the man's eyes without flinching. "Yes. This is about beating Glory. And we need every advantage we can get."

Merlin frowned even more - Buffy hadn't thought this was possible - and then stared at Claire.

Who also met his eyes with a frown of her own.

"You are aware that I will take precautions so whatever I craft cannot be used against me or mine."

What? Buffy's eyes widened. "You want to slip in a kill-switch?"

Now she got the frown. Or sneer, in this case. "I do resent the implication that I would try to 'slip in' such a thing. I am openly announcing my intention to take this precaution so we do not have to deal with an armoured vessel of Morgana."

"Alright," Claire said.

"Claire!" Jim looked aghast.

She shook her head. "I won't be possessed by Morgana, Jim. So let him build whatever safeguard he wants."

They stared at each other for a moment before Jim nodded. But he turned back to Merlin. "Nothing lethal, though. You can do that, I assume."

Merlin scoffed again but didn't contradict Jim.

And then the sales clerk returned, and they had to load the cart with enough iron to make its wheels creak.

And guess who would have to push the cart through the portal?

*****​

Shadow Realm, January 23rd, 2017

James Lake Jr didn't stare at Merlin working the forge. Not really, in any case. And he was too far away to actually bother the wizard. At least now, after Merlin had snapped at him and threatened to turn him into a newt. Which made Jim move, of course, but also wonder if the wizard could do it in his current state. And whether or not he had seen Monty Python somehow.

But Merlin working was a sight to behold. He had both forges running - Jim made a note to stock up on gas - and the tools they had bought were mostly floating around him, holding glowing bits of iron so close to the old man, Jim worried Merlin might burn himself by accident.

Not that he would say that out loud - the wizard had a temper to match his ego, and Jim really didn't want to make him come back at his agreement to craft armour for Jim's friends.

Footsteps behind him made him turn. Perhaps… No. It wasn't Claire - it was Strickler. The Changeling hadn't left his tent except to get food since Merlin had arrived, so why was he out now? And he was in his troll form.

"A sight to behold, Young Atlas, isn't it?" he echoed Jim's thoughts.

Jim pressed his lips together for a moment, suppressing the urge to snap at the troll. And trying to remember if he had been taught the expression by Strickler. That would… Whatever. He grunted something and shrugged.

Strickler snorted. "To see the great Merlin, long thought dead, working wonders again. Many would give a great deal to be in our place. Trolls and humans alike."

"Yes." Jim shrugged again. "It's not like there's anything on TV."

The other's snort turned into a chuckle - he would see through Jim's lie - they had Internet access, after all. "Do not worry, Young Atlas. A wizard's word is his bond - or so I've been taught; Merlin was before my time."

"How old are you?" Jim asked before he could help himself.

"A few centuries," the troll replied, his eyes on Merlin.

Jim snorted. As if he could expect the truth from the Changeling! "I thought you wanted to hide from him."

"One does not hide from Merlin, weakened or not. I merely removed my presence so as not to provoke him simply by existing."

"He wouldn't kill you - that would endanger Mom!"

Strickler tilted his head and looked at him as if Jim had given the wrong answer in class. "He is Merlin. King Arthur's court wizard. He knows all about making decisions for the greater good. If he decided that I'm too much of a risk to saving the world, he would see me destroyed no matter the cost - and he would arrange it so I would be blamed for my own demise."

That was… not entirely unlikely, Jim had to admit. But it also was a transparent attempt to throw suspicion on Merlin. "You think he can break the curse on Mom."

"Who if not Merlin could break the curse?" Strickler shrugged, his wings twitching for a moment. "And while we have a deal, and I would not question your word, I do not extend the same trust to your allies."

"Probably wise," Jim admitted. The Slayer probably was just waiting for an excuse to kill the Changeling - Jim had heard Xander joke about her 'going cold turkey' on slaying. And Jim wasn't sure if the man had actually been joking. Some comments he had overhead from the group, and the Slayer in question's complaints about not being able to patrol and the lack of demons to fight… He sighed.

"In my position, caution is the highest virtue."

That made Jim roll his eyes. "We're all facing the end of the world.".

"Indeed. But I am facing more peril should we succeed."

Jim looked at Merlin. Several pieces of glowing metal were now being struck by floating hammers. Jim wanted to record the sight, but… Merlin might take offence. He glanced at the troll. "That's not our fault."

"I could argue the point. Your interference is directly responsible for my current situation."

"Your decision to work for Gunmar brought you to this point," Jim retorted.

"Would you have preferred it if I deserted and doomed my familiar in the process?"

Jim clenched his teeth. As if he'd want to sacrifice the babies. "You could've found a way to fool Gunmar." Strickler had completely fooled Jim and his friends, after all.

"And fake incompetence?" Another snort. "Bular almost killed me a few times merely in response to a setback caused by you. If I had actually failed or faked failing…" Strickler shook his head. "Young Atlas, you do not seem to quite realise just how little Gunmar cares for the lives of those he commands."

"There's always a way," Jim retorted. "And do you think Gunmar would have cared for your lives after he had won? You and your friends should have realised already that he was just using you."

"Of course. But a revolution, which you suggest, of the Order of Janus would have required both bravery and trust. And we were raised to be cunning and treacherous. At least one of us would have sold out the others in a short-sighted attempt to win Gunmar's favour at the expense of everyone else. And a few would have embraced the chance to take over the Order for themselves." Strickler sighed. "But the die has been cast. I can but try my best to survive this. And I should better become used to be restricted to this form."

"Like everyone else," Jim told him. "It's not as if…"

He trailed off as he saw the metal bits - now formed like horseshoes - float towards the basin to the side of the forge, plunging into the water and causing a small plume of steam to rise.

Merlin had finished the Gaggeltack. Or, rather, the Gaggletacks.

That meant he could start on the armour for Claire and Toby.

*****​
 
Chapter 29: The Plan
Chapter 29: The Plan

Shadow Realm, January 23rd, 2017

"The key to defeating any opponent is controlling as much of the battle as possible. If you are allowed to pick the battlefield, you have a great advantage. Doubly so if you have time to prepare the field," Merlin said, leaning over the map of Arcadia Oaks they had spread out on the table they had moved to his forge from the middle of the camp.

Buffy Summers rolled her eyes. "That's just common knowledge," she said. "The Art of War had it way before your time." Teach your grandmother to suck eggs, or however the saying went?

"I knew Sun Tsu, by reputation, if not personal acquaintance," Merlin retorted. "But that only reinforces my point: A plan that relies on finding your enemy before attacking them at that location is squandering a potentially decisive advantage from the start."

"Well, it's not as if Glory is waiting to line up for a battle," Buffy shot back. "So it's search and destroy." As Riley would put it.

"Glorificus might not announce their itinerary or location by claiming territory, but you know her goal. Which means you can control where they will be."

Buffy drew a hissing breath through her clenched teeth. "We're not going to use my sister as bait!" Over her dead body!

"You'd rather face a hell-god under conditions controlled by them so your defeat is almost assured and your sister left defenceless?" Merlin sneered.

Giles cleared his throat. "I wouldn't go as far as that, Sir. With the Slayer's Scythe and Eclipse, we have two powerful weapons that should be able to hurt Glorificus."

Merlin scoffed. "If you didn't have those weapons, I would not even consider facing the hell-god in battle. Yet, they hardly guarantee victory or survival."

So? Facing demons was what a Slayer did, no matter the odds. No Slayer ever died in bed. Unless it was of wounds taken in battle or something. Buffy shrugged. "Nothing in life is sure other than death and taxes."

No one laughed. Not even Xander.

"Well, I don't want to endanger Dawn, but with Claire's portals, she is pretty safe," Willow said.

Buffy glared at her, and her friend cringed. 'Pretty safe' didn't cut it. "You know how fast Glory is. If she managed to solve her problem with changing directions, she could grab Dawn before Claire can get her away."

"If she learned how to use her speed like the Flash," Xander cut in, "then we're pretty much doomed if we face her. We'd better hole up here until the constellations for her ritual have changed or whatever."

"That would take a while," Giles said.

"And while hard to access without the Shadow Staff, the Shadow Realm is not impossible to access without it," Merlin said. "Morgana didn't create this dimension - she discovered it. But before her, others have reached it. Stumbling through tears in reality, taken by the whims of raw magic or brought along by whatever forces created it - people have discovered this realm in the past and will do so in the future. You cannot trust to remain safely out of a hell-god's reach forever."

Buffy glared at him. "We just have to be safe for a while. And that's only if we fail to kill Glory."

"With a half-baked plan." Merlin scoffed again.

"A half-baked plan that won't endanger Dawn."

"But which will endanger others," Giles spoke up in a soft voice. Buffy turned her head to stare at him, and he slowly nodded. "Glorificus might very well decide to take hostages - or begin a rampage - to force us to confront them."

Buffy opened her mouth to retort, then closed it again. If the skanky hell-goddess started killing people… Well, they would find her, at least.

"And if we let her pick the battlefield, we'll have to deal with collateral damage," Xander pointed out. "And it'll limit our weapons. We can't exactly pull a Mayor on her in the middle of a mall or hospital."

"We can't let her into a mall or hospital!" Jim blurted out.

"We'd have to evacuate people," Claire said.

Which meant she wouldn't be able to focus on keeping them safe while fighting Glory. Buffy gritted her teeth. She knew this, but… She couldn't endanger Dawn!

"And if we want to exploit the few weaknesses we found, like blinding her, we need to prepare that," Willow said. "We can't set up on the fly. Well, we could, but we'd take some time, even using magic, and that will mean we'd be spread out and not focused, unable to support each other, and that means…" She trailed off, biting her lower lip with a half-sniffle.

Buffy knew what it meant: Glory might kill one or more of them while they were busy like that. But that was what the Slayer was about - she was supposed to risk her life so the others would be safe. She looked at Jim.

"But Buffy and I are the ones abe to hurt Glory," the kid said. "We've got the best chances to survive the battle."

"Jim!" Claire gasped.

"That doesn't mean you should act recklessly - or in a moronic manner. Proper planning will greatly increase your chances of surviving this," Merlin said. "Besides, shouldn't the choice of risking her life be hers?"

"What?" Buffy glared at him. "We can't ask Dawn to do that or make such a choice!"

"I think you mean you don't want to ask her. However, her time of staying blissfully ignorant has come to an end."

What? Buffy whipped her head around. Dawn was back at the camp, safely out of hearing range, and Buffy would have heard her if she had tried to sneak up on them…

But Dawn was walking towards them. And her expression… was that a green light at her ear?

Buffy whirled and glared at the old geezer. "What did you do?"

He didn't even flinch. "I allowed her to decide her own fate - something everyone deserves, wouldn't you agree?"

Buffy wanted to kill him. But she couldn't do that. She turned. "Dawn!"

"Don't," Dawn told her with a glare as she approached. "Don't." Her little sister took a deep breath as she stopped at the table. "This is my decision. Mine."

"No!" Buffy blurted out.

"Yes!"

Dawn was trembling, Buffy noticed. But she wasn't backing down. She knew that expression. This was the stuffed lion dispute all over again. No matter how wrong her little sister was, she wouldn't budge. "I'm telling Mom," Buffy told her.

"You won't."

"Yes, I will!"

"I've got the Key inside me - this is my decision. Not anyone else's."

"You're still a minor. This is Mom's decision!"

Merlin looked puzzled. "Aren't you of marrying age?"

"No!" Buffy snapped. "She's fourteen!" This was sick!

"Yes?" Merlin blinked. "That means she's an adult according to both Common and Roman law."

"No! Adulthood is eighteen!" she told the old geezer. "It's not the medieval age any more!" What was he thinking, anyway?

"Or twenty-one, if you count being able to legally drink as the true coming of age," Xander cut in.

"Drinking isn't a sign of adulthood."

"Of course it is, Willow. You aren't really an adult until you can buy a beer."

"We aren't talking about the drinking age!" Buffy told them. "We're talking about my little sister!"

"Shut up!" Dawn all but screeched. "It doesn't matter. This is my life. My decision."

"No, it isn't!" Buffy insisted.

"Yes, it is! Or are you trying to tell Jim and Claire and Toby that they can't decide to fight Glory or anyone else, either?"

That was… "They're sixteen!" Buffy retorted. The three weren't reacting, but she ignored that to focus on her sister.

"Which isn't eighteen!" Dawn bared her teeth at her.

"But you're fourteen!"

"You were fifteen when you were called as a Slayer!"

"That's different!" Buffy spat. "I didn't decide that!" She drew a short breath and blinked. Why was Dawn being so damn stupid?

"And you didn't ask Mom if you were allowed to fight and risk your life! You didn't even tell her when you walked to your death against the Master!" Dawn glared at her.

"What?" Buffy turned. "How do you know that?" Who had told her that? Xander?

"I heard you telling Willow about it!"

"Oh, you sneak!" Buffy scoffed. "That was different!"

"'That was different'? Don't you have an actual argument?" Her sister sneered at her.

"Guys!" Willow stepped between them. "Please, calm down!"

"I'm calm," Buffy lied. "And Dawn's not going to risk her life."

"I am already in danger. And you heard Merlin - you need me to lure Glory into an ambush, Or you'll risk your own lives. More than you already do!"

That was alright, though - they knew what they were doing. And they were all adults, at least the Scoobies. Unlike Dawn. She could tell Mom. Mom would fix this. Lock up Dawn.

Dawn took a step past Willow, looking straight at Buffy's eyes. When had she become so tall? "I'm not going to let you all risk your lives when I could help!" she hissed.

She had tears in her eyes, Buffy noticed. And she was trembling terribly. "You don't want to do this, Dawn!"

"I have to do this! Too much is at stake."

"Like you!"

"If anything goes wrong, I need to die anyway, to stop Glory."

Buffy gasped. "No!"

"Dawn!" Willow shook her head.

"We can't risk the world for me." Tears were running down her cheek. But Buffy's stupid little sister wouldn't budge.

"You are correct," Merlin said.

Buffy whirled and snarled at him. "Shut up!"

The old geezer ignored her. "If our attempt to vanquish Glorificus fails, the hell-god will come after you. While there is a chance that you will remain safe here until the time to conduct the ritual has passed, I do not think we can be assured of this outcome."

"We're not going to kill Dawn!" Buffy clenched her teeth. "Over my dead body!"

"You will actually be dead at that point," Merlin replied. "In any case, it would behove us to ensure that our attempt on Glorificus has the greatest possible chance of success - even if that might put your sister at a slightly higher risk than she already is."

"Yes," Dawn whispered. "I have to do this. It's my best chance."

Buffy shook her head. No, it wasn't. But as she glanced around, only Willow and Merlin met her eyes, the former blinking through tears, the latter with a stony expression. Everyone else looked away, not saying anything.

"S-see?" Dawn smiled and wiped her eyes. "I'm right, and you know it."

Buffy wanted to slap her. And kill Merlin. And run away. Or go cut up some rocks. This was wrong! She was the Slayer. She risked her life, so others were safe!

But her little sister was standing there, crying and trembling, but determined. Stupidly determined.

So Buffy hugged her. And sobbed herself.

Why did her stupid sister have to take so much after her? Mom would kill them both.

*****​

James Lake Jr looked away when the two sisters started sobbing. This was… well, he couldn't say it was none of his business, since Dawn had the Key inside her and this was about fighting Glory, but he felt bad for watching this moment. And ashamed for not having said anything before on the topic. Even though Dawn was right; this was her decision and no one else's.

Besides, fourteen years wasn't that young. He was sixteen, as were his friends, and they made their own decisions. They were the Trollhunters.

He glanced at Claire, who looked ill at ease as well, and Toby, who was concentrating a little too much on opening a Mars bar. Yeah, they didn't want to see this either. Not that the Slayer's friends seemed to be feeling any differently. Willow took a step towards the two sisters, hand raised, then stopped and dropped her arm again, biting her lower lip. And Mr Giles was polishing his glasses ever since the two had started crying.

Then Merlin cleared his throat. "With that settled, what is your decision, girl? While it seems obvious, appearances can be deceiving, after all."

The Slayer and Dawn separated, wiping their eyes, and Dawn raised her chin to frown at the wizard. "I'll be bait."

Jim felt a little more ashamed of the relief that filled him at this moment. But he couldn't help it - Merlin was correct that with Dawn as bait, they had the best chance to fight Glory in a place they had chosen and prepared.

Now all that was left was picking and preparing that place. "So…" He cleared his throat when everyone turned to look at him. "Where do we fight Glory?"

"Outside the town," Xander said at once. "No civilians around to watch out for. And we should pick a place with cover and concealment but a clear view of all approaches so we can see her coming."

"Can we actually see her if she runs all-out?" Jim asked. The hell-goddess had almost seemed to teleport at times during their fights. Not quite, though.

"We could put up detectors, of sorts. Like radar detectors used to catch speeding drivers," Willow suggested.

"If you can set that up without tying yourself down to a computer," Xander replied. "You have to be mobile."

"What about the desert?" the Slayer asked. "No people around, mostly even terrain, and no one cares if we blow up the place."

"The desert is actually a complex ecosystem," Willow objected. "Blowing up parts of it will have a significant impact on the local flora and fauna."

"Opening the gates to all hell dimensions won't exactly be good for the animals and plants, either," Xander retorted. "And we wouldn't blow up all of the desert."

"But the army might. If we fail, that is," the witch countered.

"Since we would be dead by then, I don't mind."

"No one will be dead," the Slayer said. "But the desert is a little far from here."

"Glory found Dawn here pretty quickly," Claire pointed out. "And we won't have to fear her taking hostages in the middle of nowhere."

Except, of course, for themselves. If Glory captured one of them and wanted Dawn to be handed over in exchange for their lives… Jim shook his head. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know if he could do it. What if she captured Claire?

"Good point. And there are lots of rock formations in the desert that will provide us with cover and concealment," the Slayer said.

"But you won't be able to get away from her since she'll see you retreating," Spike spoke up, "and she can catch up to a car."

"That won't stop my portals," Claire told him.

"Those only work if you see them. And if you do, Glory can see you," the vampire retorted.

"We won't retreat anyway," the Slayer said. "We will beat Glory." She sounded as if she was convinced.

"You are very confident for someone whose main weapons haven't been tested yet in battle against your foe," Merlin said.

"Do you have a better plan?" The Slayer sneered with her hands on her hips.

"I cannot say that until you present me with an actual plan instead of the seed of one," the wizard shot back.

"That's what we are doing here!"

Well, what they were trying, at least, in Jim's opinion.

"So, does anyone know a good spot in the desert? A little hill with lots of rocks?" Xander asked. "Good for ambushes? We can place some explosives to soften her up."

"That won't do much," the Slayer said. "But wrecking her cheap dresses and cheaper shoes will make her mad, and that means she'll be making mistakes. More mistakes."

"It's crucial to blind her," Willow reminded her. "And for that, we need a delivery system for tar or something similar."

"Or sticky paint. Paintball gun?" Xander asked.

"That will require a line of sight and good aim - and I'm not sure even Buffy could do it reliably. And she would have to be exposed to fire the gun," Willow said. "No, we need something... "

"...more area-effecting, Xander finished for her. "Like a paint bomb."

"Can we make a paint bomb? Or steal one?" the Slayer asked.

"Well, in theory, yes," Willow told her. "But it's harder than it looks. I mean, I've never done it before. I've read the Anarchist's Cookbook, but not for the bombs. And they don't involve paint. But I didn't account for magic yet."

Well, the planning is definitely on, now, Jim thought.

*****​

"...so we need to find a place to fight, and we need to find a truckload of glue or paint. Or paint-glue," Buffy Summers summed up.

"And a tactic for fighting Glorificus other than 'charge'," Merlin interrupted her.

She shot him a glare. "I was coming to that point. Yes, we'll also need to prepare tactics for several situations, including a demon army helping the skank."

The old geezer cleared his throat but didn't say anything else. Good. She still owed him retribution or something for dragging Dawn into this.

"I'll get on the paint," Xander said.

"I'll help. We need special paint - something that's liquid for deployment but dries up almost instantly," Willow said. "We might need to use magic for that. I've got a few ideas."

Buffy saw Anya frown at that - the woman was really insecure about her relationship with Xander. Then again, as a former Vengeance Demon, she probably had seen more cheating than anyone else here combined. And there had been that thing back when Xander had been dating Cordy…

"What kind of spell are you planning to use?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know yet," Willow told him. "Probably a variant of a stasis spell, to keep the paint from drying until it touches skin. But I don't know if Glory's skin qualifies as skin. It could just look like skin and be something completely different, so the paint wouldn't dry in that case, and she'd blink or rub it away. A skinning spell doesn't work on all demons, for example, according to the books I've read."

A skinning spell? Buffy's eyes widened. What kind of spells was Willow reading? Tara, who had been really quiet, didn't seem to be bothered, though.

"It does not," Merlin agreed. "However, those would be demons with stone or metal skin, which are beyond the spell's power to handle."

Willow scrunched her nose. "And we can't exactly overpower Glory. If we could, we wouldn't need to plan this."

"Precisely." Merlin looked smug. "So, how do you propose to solve this?"

"I could add a time delay, but that would require exact timing, which we cannot count on."

"Just make it react to makeup," Buffy told her. "The skank is covered in makeup."

"Oh, right! Jim told us that the substance he used - accidentally - reacted to that!" Willow pouted. "I should've thought of that."

"Do you know a spell to react with 'makeup'?" Merlin asked.

"No, but it shouldn't be hard to adapt one perhaps a detection spell. Or some cleaning charm. Oh! I have to check SpellNet for makeup magic; some of those spells use illusions, but some might create actual makeup!" Willow grinned. "That should help us."

"SpellNet?" Merlin asked.

"A forum for witches. Well, witches and everyone else who can get on. We use it to swap recipes and chat. And discuss things, as long as it's not politics or magic." Willow nodded with a sage and, Buffy noted, slightly guilty expression. "Flame wars tended to involve actual curses, so the admins banned all that."

"I see," Merlin said. Buffy was sure he didn't. "Once you have your inspiration, come see me. We cannot afford any mistakes here."

"Yes," Willow replied with pursed lips. She seemed to want to add something else, but Tara touched her shoulder, and she sighed.

"So, that's everything settled, I think," Buffy said. "Unless I forgot something?"

"I can't think of anything we haven't covered," Giles said. "I can think of a few things we shouldn't have covered, however."

Buffy snorted, as did most of the others. Merlin, of course, didn't. "So, I'll declare this planning session over. Go and relax or something until dinner."

"You heard her, Xander!"

"I don't think she meant that, Anya."

"It's the best way to relax. Come!"

Yes, Anya definitely was feeling insecure again. Buffy shook her head as she watched her all but drag Xander to their camper.

"So… we'll have to train to fight together," Jim said.

Buffy turned to face him and Claire and nodded. "Yes. You and me specifically." They were the ones who could hurt the skanky hell-goddess.

"And Claire," Jim added.

Claire herself nodded, gripping her staff a little more tightly. "Yes. I'll be doing my best to protect you. We know Glory can't pass through portals, so I can shield you as well."

Buffy smiled. "Oh, good idea!" She could imagine Glory charging straight into a portal. See how she liked that!

"But difficult to do," Spike added, lighting up a cigarette.

"That's why we're going to train hard for that," Jim told him.

"Just remember that you aren't actually fighting Glory. Get too used to training conditions, and you'll be dead in battle."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We won't." Not that they had too much time, anyway. "So, let's look into that tomorrow." She had had enough planning for a while. And, she added to herself with a glance at Dawn, who was already chatting on her phone again, there are other matters to attend, as Giles would say. "Dawn!"

Her sister looked up. "What? I'm trying to find a way to send Glory to Mexico."

"We need to talk to Mom."

Her sister paled. Revenge was sweet.

*****​

James Lake Jr winced in sympathy. Telling your mother that you would be risking your life fighting Glory? He knew how that went. And he was the Trollhunter, with Merlin's armour and sword. Not a girl with the Key stuffed into her and no experience in combat. Other than nearly killing Tobes, of course.

He watched the two sisters head towards the camp, followed by Willow and Tara and the others.

"She's learned a spell for skinning people and demons?" Claire whispered next to him.

Right. Jim had almost forgotten about that, what with all the concerns about fighting Glory. "Well…"

"It's a spell for skinning animals and demons, mostly, to acquire the material needed for crafting certain pieces of armour."

Jim turned. Merlin was standing over five yards behind them. How had he…? Oh, right. If he could let Dawn listen in to their planning session, he could listen in to their talk himself.

"A spell for tanners?" Claire asked.

The wizard chuckled. "A wizard, working as a tanner, like a common peasant? Surely you jest. Whoever had failed to teach their apprentice even a shred of the pride fitting for a wizard would die from shame and embarrassment." He shook his head.

What a charming view. Jim pressed his lips together, so he didn't blurt out his first retort.

Claire didn't. "There's nothing wrong with working as a 'commoner'!"

"Everything is wrong with that! People with enough potential to become actual wizards instead of some hedge witches or warlocks are incredibly rare. To squander such talent on something anyone could do with a minimum of effort and skill would be a crime against nature. Would you rather I produce shoes than pit my magic and experience against a threat to humanity?" Merlin scoffed. "Wizards have great power - and great responsibilities. For one to run from that to live like a commoner would be as wrong as for a Trollhunter to abandon their duties."

That was… well, Merlin wasn't entirely wrong, but… "You can't force people to risk their lives."

"Of course I can. When your liege calls upon you to serve in war, to protect your home, it's everyone's duty to pick up arms and fight. To violate your duty is a craven crime."

Right. Merlin had lived in the medieval age.

"That's no longer the case," Claire objected. "People aren't forced into the army. It's all volunteers."

"Yes!" Toby chimed in. "The draft was abandoned decades ago!"

"Really? And what if the enemy is at the gates, and you need more people in your ranks than volunteers are available? Will you tolerate such treason and accept losing the war - and possibly your lives?" Merlin shook his head. "You have a duty towards your family and liege. A wizard has more complex and encompassing duties, as befitting their greater powers, but they are ultimately the same."

"But they didn't choose that," Jim said.

"They were chosen. Like you."

Jim clenched his teeth. That was… Not the same. I couldn't be the same.

"Nevertheless, this conversation is entirely hypothetical, and we have other concerns to address. You mentioned your desire to have me craft armour for your friends."

"Right!" Toby beamed at the wizard. "Time to armour up!"

Claire nodded with a more cautious expression.

Merlin frowned for a moment. "Crafting armour is a complex process, even aided by magic. To begin, I need your exact measurements."

"What?" Claire blurted out, blushing slightly.

"What?" Merlin repeated. "Would you prefer to enter battle with ill-fitting armour that will hinder you more than help you? A plate that is not fitted to you might break your bones when it receives a blow instead of deflecting it."

Jim grimaced at that particular thought.

"Oh, right. But what if we grow? In height, I mean. Will the armour adjust?" Toby asked.

"To a certain degree," Merlin replied. "Enough to compensate for some growth, but not overly so. Unless you plan to change your body to emulate those men and women shown in your 'advertising', it shouldn't be an issue. Certainly not for this coming fight."

"'Advertising'?" Jim asked. "Oh."

Toby flushed a little, as did Claire, though for different reasons, Jim thought. He cleared his throat. "So, let's start?"

"Indeed." Merlin waved his staff, and green light covered both of Jim's friends. A moment later, green glowing figures appeared in front of Merlin. Life-sized copies of Toby and Claire, floating above the ground, Jim realised. And wearing bathing suits. Like in the character generation menu of a computer game.

"Oh, neat!" Tobes commented with a grin.

Claire didn't smile. "Is that all?" she asked in a terse voice.

"Unless you demand to have a say about your armour's appearance, yes."

"Oh, we can choose? Awesomesauce! I want a badass-looking suit! And in red! Or black!" Toby's grin widened even more.

"Yes, I want to have a say in how my armour will look," Claire told Merlin. "I don't want to end up in some… some battle bikini!"

"Yes. Not like the costumes we wore in Sunnydale!" Toby chimed in.

Merlin scoffed. "With armour, as with most things, form follows function."

That probably meant no chainmail bikini, Jim thought. He was both relieved and a little disappointed.

*****​

"...and that's why I'll be bait," Dawn said with a slightly shaky nod.

Buffy Summers winced. She should have known that Dawn would be too… too Dawn to gently break the news to Mom. "You're not bait! You just attract Glory to an area we'll have prepared to fight her."

"As I said, bait."

"No, not bait."

"A stalking goat."

Those were the goats who got eaten by the tiger, right? Or the scapegoats? Buffy shook her head. "No!"

"A lure."

She had used that word, hadn't she? Damn. "It's not quite like that."

"Then how is it?"

"It's…" Buffy should have prepared better for this talk.

"Girls." Mom's low voice cut her off before she could find the right words. "You're going to do what you can to draw the attention of the hell-goddess from whom we're currently hiding." Mom looked at Dawn, who grimaced.

"Perfectly safe," Buffy cut in. "She'll be through a portal before Glory can blink."

"Really? I thought Dawn would be using Claire's staff to open portals."

"Err… Yes? But only at the start, like what happened in Arcadia Oaks. It'll take some time for Glory to arrive."

"And she won't suspect a trap."

"She's too dumb for that," Buffy said, nodding firmly. She had fought Glory often enough to know that. Granted, Glory had proven too strong for a trap, but that had changed with the scythe. And Jim's sword. Probably

"You should never underestimate your enemy."

Buffy clenched her teeth. Mom sounded like Giles! "We don't. We're planning this!"

Mom didn't look convinced.

"Mom!" Dawn spoke up. "I have to do this. It's our best chance to kill her. I can lure her to the desert, away from anyone else."

"By risking your life."

"I'm already at risk. She wants me. And she'll kill anyone between her and me to get at me," Dawn went on. Lots of 'me's there, Buffy thought.

"Dawn will be perfectly safe!" she added.

"Nothing is perfectly safe," Mom replied. "What if Glory surprises you?"

"She won't." They had her number.

"Are you sure?"

Buffy had to be sure.

"What if she runs so fast, she's at Dawn before you realise it?"

"We'll have Willow build a detection system," Buffy told her.

"To cover the entire area?" Mom looked very dubious.

"We'll ask the army for help if we need to." Let Riley be useful for once.

"I'll be sitting in front of a portal, and as soon as we see Glory, I'll go through," Dawn said.

"She'll be standing in front of a portal. With me in front of her," Buffy corrected her sister.

"No!" Dawn protested. "You are needed to fight Glory."

"So I should be closest to you since she'll be heading to you. And I have the best reflexes."

"No!" Dawn shook her head.

"I don't want both of my girls playing bait," Mom said. "I don't want either of you playing bait. Or anyone at all."

"Mom! Someone has to!"

"And…" Buffy pressed her lips together.

"Someone has to." Mom shook her head. "But why does it need to be you?" She was blinking. Damn, those were tears in her eyes, Buffy noticed.

"It's my fault," Buffy said. "They put the Key into Dawn, so I would protect her." She sniffed once and bit her lower lip.

"It's not your fault," Mom told her. "It's the fault of whoever did this to Dawn. And of whoever chose you as the Slayer."

Well, the monks were all dead, and the Shadow Men who created the Slayer were dead as well, and Buffy doubted that you could do anything to whatever magic chose Slayers these days.

"My poor girls!" Mom was crying now. Damn.

And then Mom hugged them both. And Buffy started crying herself, somehow.

*****​

"How did it go?"

Buffy stopped wrecking a target dummy and turned to frown at Spike. He was standing at the edge of the training area, lighting a cigarette. "Those will give you cancer," she said.

He snorted. "That bad, then?"

Buffy clenched her teeth. As far as attempts to change the topic went, this hadn't been her best attempt. "Mom's not happy."

"But she won't stop either of you. I knew it."

"If you knew it, why did you ask?" Buffy spat.

"I was wondering how you are doing." Spike took a drag from the cigarette.

She huffed. "I'm doing fine." Another kick almost broke the dummy.

"I can see that."

"Then you don't need to ask."

"You never do well with emotional stuff," Spike said.

She glared at him. "And you do? Do you remember what you did when Drusilla left you?" She pressed her lips together - that was a bit of a low blow.

Spike tensed before he shrugged. "Never said I'm good at it, either. But it's not my sister playing bait for Glory. Or my mum having both her children going to risk their lives."

"I'm fine." She scoffed. "Dawn will be safe."

"And you?" He slightly tilted his head as he asked, blowing smoke to the side.

"I'll do what I always do." Fight until she died.

Spike nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

*****​

Shadow Realm, January 24th, 2017

James Lake Jr stared. He had seen a lot of things as a Trollhunter. Magical things. Mythical things - he wasn't quite sure where the difference lay. And they were currently in a magical realm removed from the world. Another dimension, for all he could tell, that was only accessible through magic portals. And he had seen Merlin work on Gaggletacks.

But seeing Merlin surrounded by floating pieces of shiny armour, green streams of magic passing from one to the other, a slight ethereal humming in the air, was still one of the most impressive things he had ever seen. Dozens of plates slowly turned around him while he watched a floating hammer pound a larger piece into shape on the anvil and a pot pour molten metal into a form next to it. Crafting the Gaggeltacks looked easy and boring in comparison.

"Awesomesauce," Toby whispered next to him. "He must have been working through the night since he wasn't on the table this morning."

Claire's reaction was a little less vocal, but the way she slowly nodded was telling enough for Jim.

It really was an awesome sight.

"Yes," Merlin growled without turning to look at them. "We are pressed for time, after all, and it wouldn't do to lose any of our allies against Glorificus due to weak and inferior armour. Such as might be crafted by someone distracted by chattering spectators who should know better than to disturb a wizard at work."

And there was the grumpy old wizard they had come to know - somewhat. Jim sighed.

"We brought you breakfast!" Tobes piped up. "Nana said you hadn't eaten."

Merlin scoffed, and Jim half-expected him to say something about how a wizard didn't need sustenance or how the mind overcame flesh. Instead, he turned to face them, and the armour pieces between them and him parted. "Breakfast?" It sounded weirdly… expectant. In a very grumpy way.

Toby held the covered plate he had brought up. "Full breakfast."

"I suppose I could avail myself to this. It's not a meal cooked by Arthur's court chef, but it shall do." He waved his staff, and the plate rose out of Toby's hands and slowly floated towards him.

Toby took a step back, then frowned. "Nana said to eat up." In a whisper, he added: "He usually finishes the whole meal."

Merlin glared at them - at Toby - for a moment, then started eating, the plate hovering in front of him as if it were placed on an invisible table.

"Magic camping table", Toby whispered. "Handy!".

Claire took a step forward. "So, how long until you're done? Xander said he had found a decent site, and Willow's working on a detection system for Glory."

Or anyone else moving at impossibly high speeds on the ground.

"You should know not to rush a wizard," Merlin retorted. "Crafting anything magical is a delicate, challenging process. The slightest fault can cause the spells involved to become twisted, turning protective enchantments into curses. Many are the ignorant men and women who fell prey to the consequences of their own impatience." He sneered at her.

Claire held her ground, though. "I'm not impatient. I just would like to know when we can expect to be ready so we and the others can plan accordingly. Proper planning is, after all, the key to defeating our enemy."

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Your new armour shall be ready in the evening. But I will need at least a night's rest. Inform the Slayer and her friends of this." He turned away, the meal following him, to look at the anvil again. Another wave of his staff turned the plate, and the hammer continued to whale on it.

It was clear that they were dismissed. And trying to push Merlin further wouldn't be wise, in Jim's opinion. They could use more training anyway. So, he cleared his throat. "Alright, let's go back to the others."

Claire was pouting when they walked back to the campsite. "Treating us like messengers…"

"Well, someone has to tell the others; Merlin's right about that," Jim said.

"It's not what he says. It's how he says it," Claire retorted. "He's talking to us like we're servants."

"Or apprentices," Toby chimed in as he rolled his shoulder. "Almost good again. I only feel a twinge now and then. I'll be back in the saddle for sure tomorrow!"

Ready for the battle against Glory. Well, ready to train to face the hell-goddess. Jim clenched his teeth. Tobes would be wearing magical armour. As would Claire. Like him. But theirs wouldn't be as good as Eclipse. Merlin hadn't told him that, but Jim knew - he was sure that the old wizard would have informed them quite clearly if he were crafting anything comparable to Eclipse. Merlin wasn't one to act humble or shy, after all.

But that was neither here nor there. He smiled at his best friend. "Good, Tobes." He didn't say 'we'll need you'. That was clear as well - everyone knew that they needed all the help they could get.

"We'll kick her butt!"

"Yes!" Jim said with as much conviction as he could muster. Even though he knew that the best Toby could do was distract the hell-goddess with his war hammer. Unless… His eyes widened. "Tobes!"

"Yes?"

"We need to ask Buffy if you can wield the Hammer of the Troll Gods!"

"What?" Toby stared at him. As did Claire.

But Jim smiled. "We know it can hurt Glory better than simple magical weapons. And you've trained with war hammers."

"But…" Toby grimaced. "It's a divine hammer. For Trolls. And Slayers. I'm not…"

"We'll see about that," Jim told him. Toby was a Trollhunter, after all.

*****​
 
Chapter 30: The Preparations
Chapter 30: The Preparations

Saddleback Butte State Park, Mojave Desert, California, January 24th, 2017

"So… this is where we make our stand," Xander said, spreading his arms as he stood between a few large rocks. "Like in Conan."

"In Conan, two men were facing an army. Here, it's more the other way around," Willow said. "I mean, we have the literal army on our side."

That remained to be seen, in Buffy Summers's opinion. Riley was with them, but he had yet to offer anything constructive. She glanced at her ex-boyfriend as he looked around.

"Good lines of fire, decent cover." He looked up. "But any airstrike would waste the entire site."

"We're not facing the air force," Buffy told him. "We're facing a skanky hell-goddess who can't fly."

"She can just run as fast as the Flash," Xander pointed out, "is as strong as a locomotive and can't be hurt by mundane weapons."

"That means that airstrikes or artillery won't do anything to her," Buffy told Riley with a toothy smile. The army tended to think that as long as you used enough bombs, it would solve any problem.

He frowned in return but didn't say anything. Spoilsport. And that after they had given them the Gagglethingies!

"We're going to install sensors here," Willow said, "so we'll get advance warnings before she arrives. I would ask for a satellite coverage or a drone, but…" She winced. "They wouldn't be able to pick her out from the ground clutter."

"If our drones and satellites can't pick up the target, how are you planning to do it?" Riley asked.

"My sensor network, although it's more like placing radar sensors at key spots based upon the obvious approaches, is based on radar guns from the police," Willow told him. "Tweaked and improved, so they aren't limited like the ones highway patrol troopers use."

Buffy wasn't sure that she wanted to know what exactly Willow had done to the radar thingies.

"And how are you going to get so many radar guns?" Riley asked.

Willow blushed a little - that wasn't the effect of the desert heat at noon. "Well… the police had a lot in storage, and I kind of… slipped transfer orders for upgrades into the system? We can pick them up from the warehouse they'll get delivered to in a day."

"Did you just steal all of the cops' radar guns?" Riley stared at Willow. Had he already forgotten how smart she was? And what she could do with computers?

"I didn't steal them!" Willow protested. "I just kinda borrowed them. And we need them, and if Glory wins, catching speeders won't be high on any police officer's priority list."

"Never underestimate a cop's desire to give you a ticket!" Xander cut in. "I'm sure that even during a zombie apocalypse, some of them would chase the cars fleeing the mob."

"Well, they would probably be shocked and just doing what they were doing, without realising it, unable to cope with the sudden change in reality…" Willow trailed off. "If that was a real scenario and not just a joke," she added with a frown at Xander.

"Exactly!" Xander grinned.

"Back on topic," Buffy said. "The rocks here look large enough to stop Glory from simply smashing through them. Or throwing them around."

"That's probably because she wouldn't have the leverage even if she had the strength," Willow said. "Although I need to run the calculations, and…"

Buffy raised her eyebrows at Willow, and her friend fell silent. She cleared her throat. "But we need more than that for a successful ambush. How are we going to deploy the paint to blind her?"

"Shaped paint charges!" Xander said. "Just push a button and BAM! Glory's coated with paint."

"Extra-sticky paint that won't easily burn," Willow clarified.

"Push a button? Can't you use tripwires?" Riley asked.

"If she's running, then she's too fast for that," Willow explained. "The bomb would go off too late to catch her in the blast. I thought about layering the tripwires, so they would cover all approaches at all speeds, but… any animal could set up one of them, and it's a desert, not a sealed environment. Plus, if a bush is blown across the wire by the wind…"

"But if you need to push the button, you'll be even slower," Riley objected.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We'll push the button once she's standing still. And she will."

"Why would she stand still? That makes no tactical sense," Riley said.

"Have you forgotten everything about the big bad evil guys we taught you?" Buffy frowned at him. "She'll stop to gloat when she thinks she's got us."

"But that would mean…" Riley trailed off with a grimace.

"Yes. We'll have her think she's got the upper hand," Buffy said. And that would involve both Dawn and herself playing bait. "She likes to talk and grandstand. She'll stand still." But she might grab one of them until then. Or kill them.

Riley stared for a moment, then clenched his teeth. "That's a dangerous plan."

Thank you, Captain Obvious, Buffy thought. "Glory is dangerous."

"Very dangerous," Willow added. "And the longer we wait, the worse it'll get."

Buffy nodded. A few more days and they would be ready.

"And what if you can't hurt her with your weapons?" Riley asked. "You haven't tested them yet."

And they wouldn't - it would ruin the surprise. "If they don't work, then we retreat through the portal," Buffy said.

Those who were still alive, at least.

*****​

Shadow Realm, January 24th, 2017

"You want to try wielding the trollhammer?" The Slayer narrowed her eyes.

James Lake Jr stood his ground, though, and nodded. "Yes. Well, not me, but Tobes."

"Y-yes!" Toby nodded several times. "Just to check if I can wield it. If I could, I could hit Glory with it."

The Slayer's frown deepened. "Didn't you try grabbing it and couldn't?"

"Ah… right," Toby said.

"Yes," Jim confirmed. "But that was when we just wanted to recover the Hammer of the Troll Gods. Now we're trying to save the world - and the trolls."

The Slayer didn't look as if she thought this would work out. To be fair, Jim wasn't sure it would, either. "Even if that works, I already tried hurting her with it, and I couldn't," she said.

"Yes, but…" Toby trailed off, then cleared his throat and straightened. "You could hurt her, just not enough. If I can wield it, I can at least, uh, distract her in the fight. I mean, more effectively distract her. She can't completely ignore me that way."

"That could be decisive," Jim added. Which was true - a blow at the right time could create an opening, even if it only scratched the hell-goddess.

"Don't you have a flaming war hammer?" the Slayer asked.

"Yes, but it's not a divine weapon," Toby replied. "It won't do anything to her, not if Daylight barely scratched her."

The Slayer sniffed. "It could set her cheap dress on fire. That would distract her."

"Yes, but that won't really last," Jim cut in. "And if Tobes sets her dress on fire, she might focus on him until…" He trailed off with a wince.

"Ah, yeah." Toby swallowed as he nodded. "I wouldn't be much use if I distract her once, and then, ah…"

"...you get turned into a thin paste on the ground. Or a red paste inside your armour." The Slayer shook her head.

"Exactly." Toby looked a little pale but still pressed on. "So, with the Hammer of the Troll Gods, I could hit her, make her stumble and stuff, but she wouldn't want to kill me too badly. And then you can attack her - we can trade hate."

"Trade hate?" The Slayer looked lost.

"Like in a boss fight in a game," Jim explained. "The mob tends to go after the most hated character, so if you time your attacks right, you make it spin around as it keeps switching targets."

"It's not a game!" the Slayer snapped. "We're facing a skanky hell-goddess who has already massacred dozens of knights!"

"I know it's not a game!" Jim snapped back. "It's just an example."

"Glory's not a game character."

"No, she isn't. But the principle is the same," Toby said. "I can do something without making her too mad. A good distraction." Jim saw his friend wet his lips rather nervously, but Toby still stood his ground.

The Slayer scoffed again. "I guess you're going to fight either way, trollhammer or no trollhammer."

"Yes."

"I want it back after the battle, though," she said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to hand it over to you. I still won it fair and square."

Jim rolled his eyes. "We're going to fight a hell-goddess to save the world, and you're worried about losing a hammer?"

"It's the principle of the thing." She snorted. "Anyway, let's get the thing, see if you can even lift it." She turned and heard into her camper.

Jim nodded and tried not to show how nervous he was. If Toby couldn't wield the hammer, he'd… well, he'd be feeling down. Jim knew the feeling. And the way Toby had complained about not being able to help, he'd grab his flaming war hammer and fight Glory, even though that might set her off. Maybe they should reconsider this. But how to stall without being obvious?

"Alright." The Slayer appeared with the Hammer of the Troll Gods slung over her shoulder. "Here!" She dropped it on the ground, shaft up.

"Righto." Toby licked his lips again and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing!" He grabbed the shaft, took another deep breath and lifted.

Jim held his breath. For a moment, nothing happened other than Toby grimacing and puffing his cheeks out. Oh, no…

But then, the hammer rose, and Toby smiled, almost as if he couldn't believe it. He raised it in the air. "Yes!"

Then he wobbled and staggered around before he managed to sling it over his shoulder. "Yes!" he repeated himself as he beamed at them.

Jim forced himself to smile. "Great, Toby!" It was - but it also meant that Toby would be in the thick of it. Then again, his friend would've been there anyway.

The Slayer looked surprised. "Well, let's hope that grumpy guy manages to make some good armour. You're gonna need it."

Jim couldn't help hoping the same. Merlin had been at it all day and wasn't finished - well, he was finished smithing, or whatever you called creating the armour pieces - but he'd been busy doing magic since noon. Enchanting, Willow called it.

"Oh, yes." Toby nodded again. "I don't wanna end up Toby-paste."

She winced in return. Feeling guilty about her remark? It was true, though - Glory was so strong, she could literally pound a human into paste. At least in theory. She probably wouldn't bother with that in the middle of a fight against people who could actually hurt her.

"So, let's plan tactics now that we've got three people ready to fight her!" Toby said.

"Right." The Slayer didn't sound very happy about that.

But there was nothing she - or Jim - could do about it. They had to defeat Glory to save the world. And they needed every help they could get.

And Toby could wield the hammer. Whether that was because the troll gods had deemed him worthy, or the Slayer had agreed to let him wield it, Jim didn't know. But it meant something.

*****​

There they went, with the trollhammer. Her hammer. Won fair and square. Buffy Summers pressed her lips together as she watched the two kids walk to Claire's camper. She probably shouldn't have agreed to let Toby try to lift the hammer. But who would have expected that a fat kid who would be picked last for your team in every P.E. lesson would be able to lift the trollhammer? Hell, all three kids together hadn't been able to pick up her hammer in the Magic Box!

So, what had changed? Had the kid become worthy or something? Chosen by the troll gods? Did the hammer know what the fight was about now and relaxed its 'worthiness' requirements?

Buffy really hoped Toby had gained some insight or character growth through getting almost killed by Dawn because the other options were… not good. Double bad ungood, actually. If either the troll gods or the trollhammer - if that wasn't one and the same - were changing the rules, then that meant her and her friends' chances of beating Glory were worse than Buffy thought. And she was already pretty pessimistic.

She closed her eyes for a moment before entering her camper. And now Toby would be fighting on the frontlines with them. Another kid. It was bad enough that Jim was with her, and he was wearing super magic armour, not whatever bargain bin magic armour the old grump was cobbling together right now with what was left of his magic.

She couldn't protect both of them. And, even worse, she couldn't afford to. They had to beat Glory to save the world. And to save her sister. And if Toby helping them as a distraction would help with that, she'd go with it.

No matter how guilty it made her feel that the kid would probably die. And die rather gruesomely, likely getting his head torn off in his helmet or his insides pulped through the armour.

Damn. She sighed.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

Rats. Mom was there, looking concerned.

"Just feeling a little blue," Buffy lied. "We were 'doing recon' of the battlefield, and Riley was there."

"Oh." Mom nodded in apparent understanding. "Well, that's normal - your breakup was very recent."

"Yes. And he's all snippy about it. As if it's my fault that he couldn't stand that he's not as strong as the Slayer."

Mom leaned against the kitchen counter, well, against the sink - the camper didn't have a proper counter. "Well, he's a soldier. He's trained to protect others, not be protected."

"Fragile male ego, check." Buffy shook her head and grabbed a soda from the fridge. "So, should I blame the toxic macho culture in the army? Or in Hicksville, Iowa? Instead of, say, Riley himself?" It was the twenty-first century! They even let girls fight in the army now; Riley had no excuse!

"To be fair, Buffy, he also had to deal with withdrawal from the drugs they were feeding him. And he had abandoned his career, or so he thought, to stay and help you."

She took a swallow from the bottle - she wasn't going to get a glass if they were talking Riley - and frowned at Mom. "And so he compensated by letting some vampire skank suck his blood. Perfectly understandable."

"He what?" Mom looked surprised.

Oops. Buffy hadn't told her about that, had she? Or had she told Mom, and Mom had forgotten because of the tumour? Either way, she would have to explain. Wincing, she took another swallow. "There was this 'suck house' - a house where people went to let vampires suck their blood. Like a brothel, just, ah, for blood stuff."

Mom looked as disgusted as Buffy felt just remembering.

"And he didn't go just once. He was a regular." Buffy clenched her teeth and blinked twice. "He had me, and he went and… let some undead monster suck his blood. Because he couldn't handle that I was stronger than him. That I was protecting him." She blinked again. She wasn't going to cry over the asshole. "He went to a vampire while we were together!"

Mom took a step forward and hugged her. "Oh, Sweetie!"

"Why did he do it? Why didn't he talk to me? Say something? And why did he go to a damn vampire?" She sniffled, then shook her head. She couldn't cry now. She had to hold it together. They were planning to fight Glory, and they needed the Slayer. Not some weak little girl who cried over a jerk boyfriend. There were thousands of crying girls, but only one Slayer. Well, technically two, but the evil one didn't count.

Mom rubbed her back. "It's OK, Sweetie. I understand. We understand," she added. "And we don't think less of you."

'We'? Oh, Dawn was watching. Buffy glared at her.

"And we won't make fun of you," Mom went on.

Dawn flinched a little, then pouted.

"You should have told me, Sweetie," Mom whispered. "I can't help you with your slaying, but you're not the only woman hurt by a stupid man."

Right. Dad, who had left her for his secretary. Of course Mom would know all about dealing with a cheating ex. Buffy sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, Mom."

"It's alright," Mom repeated herself. "In this situation…" She trailed off.

But Buffy knew. The stress. The pressure. The danger. Dawn. Mom's tumour.

Lots of excuses. And none of them was working for her. She should have told Mom.

*****​

"Here are your suits of armour." Merlin sounded as grumpy as he usually did - maybe a little grumpier - but James Lake Jr thought he could hear some pride in the wizard's tone. Or that was just his imagination.

"Awesomesauce!" Toby beamed at the two suits - which, honestly, looked more like piles of armour plate than suits.

Claire was a bit more reserved as she eyed the two piles.

"It shall not hurt you… unless you turn against us," Merlin told her.

"I won't," she replied with a glare.

"I certainly hope so."

Jim cleared his throat. "So… try them on?"

"Yes!" Toby rolled his shoulder. "I'm as good as new." Then he winced. "Almost. So… is there a magic command to make it suit up?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "And perhaps a magic command to fight the battle for you? With a command to feed you grapes and honey as well?"

Toby cringed a little, then straightened up. "But Jimbo's armour does that."

"The Armour of the Trollhunter has been enchanted to fit every chosen troll or man. Combining the spell that measures its wearer with a spell that fitted the armour lent itself well to actually fitting it," Merlin said with a scoff. "But do not mistake those two suits for one of my masterworks. They will protect you well enough so a glare from Glorificus shall not kill you on the spot, but do not expect them to be the equal of Daylight or Eclipse."

So, Jim still had the best armour. He clenched his teeth at his thoughts - that was petty and selfish. And stupid.

"And you made Jim's armour when you weren't drained of your power," Claire said.

That earned her a nasty glare from the old wizard. "Correct. If I had my full power at my disposal, I would have crafted those suits in less time it takes you to put them on unaided. I certainly would not have spent a day and night crafting the suit and weaving the enchantments into it. However, it would behove you not to underestimate me - I am still ready to oppose Morgana, should she show her head."

If that was a bluff, it was a good one, in Jim's opinion. For a moment, Merlin's eyes seemed to glow, even. Or that was a trick of the light. Jim cleared his throat. "So… Who needs help putting the armour on?"

"Both of you," Merlin said. "You are not trained knights, and even men-at-arms who have worn armour for decades and could manage to don it without help would prefer a hand or two." He looked at Jim. "And unless you have been living an entirely uncommon life for these times, you do not have any experience actually donning armour, either."

"We watched a YouTube movie about it once," Toby said. "It was pretty complicated."

Merlin sighed. "Let me demonstrate, then. Pay attention, I am a wizard; not a valet or squire. I shall not repeat myself." He stepped to the pile coloured in tan and pointed at Toby. "Move over here and spread your arms." Toby did as he was told, and Merlin mustered him. "Not quite a gambeson, but it will do. You can deal with some chafing. Skin rubbed raw builds character."

"Uh…" Toby looked apprehensive. "Skin rubbed raw?"

"Nothing a dab of ointment will not help with. Now stand still. We start with this." He turned to Jim and Claire. "And you two, come closer and watch. I expect you to do this afterwards without holding your hands."

Merlin expected Jim to do it for Claire? His eyes widened at the thought that. That would be… well… Jim felt his face flush a little as he watched Merlin put the armour on Toby piece by piece.

"It looked more complicated in the tutorial," Tobes commented.

"I have added a few minor spells to make the armour fit together more easily so that it would better cover any gaps. A trifle for a wizard like me."

Ah. Jim smiled.

Soon, Toby stood encased in tan-coloured armour, turning to look at himself as he bent and twisted. It looked pretty much like Jim's own armour. Though that would only be logical, of course.

"It's so light! I hardly feel it!" Toby cheered as he started to walk around.
"I used the same style of armour as for Daylight," Merlin confirmed Jim's thought. "The most advanced of my time. And, as a quick inquiry with the witch proved, still the most suitable design. So much skill and knowledge lost…" He shook his head.

"Well, let's do it," Claire said, walking over to her own suit. Jim swallowed and followed her. Now… Merlin started with this piece… Probably.

It took him a little longer, and too many acerbic corrections from Merlin, but Jim managed to put the armour on Claire.

And she looked hot! Jim smiled when he handed her the helmet. The armour looked sleek on her. Stylish. Dark purple. Not a match for Eclipse's colour, but… Beautiful.

"Don't stare at her like a love-sick fool. Now it's time to put the armour through its paces. You do not have much time to get used to fighting in it, so you better start now. Just because it won't weigh you down does not mean it will not hinder your movement, which could be fatal if you are not prepared for it."

Right. Jim nodded and forced himself to stop staring at Claire, who was glaring at Merlin. Training time.

*****​

"Ooof!" Her opponent stumbled back, staggering a few steps before he managed to regain his footing.

A good patrol with half a dozen demons to slay was just the thing to work out some issues after an emotional talk with your family. But Buffy Summers couldn't go on patrol in Arcadia Oaks since it was only afternoon, since there were soldiers patrolling anyway, and there probably weren't any demons around, either.

That left a nice training session where she could blow off steam. Knock Spike around a few times, wreck some training dummies, turn a few boulders into rubble with her Scythe…

Her second opponent came in from behind - she heard the sound of air being displaced behind her - and Buffy ducked to the side, letting momentum drive them past her and helped them along with a kick to the rear. More like a light tap, actually - nowhere near the kick she wanted to deal out that would destroy a target dummy or break a few bones in a vampire.

But she couldn't do that either because the Trollhunters needed to train in their new armour, and they didn't have a lot of time to get ready before they would have to face Glory. Plus, Merlin had been clear that he would be 'most cross' or what he called it if she broke the armour. Never mind the fact that if Buffy could break it - without the Scythe - then Glory wouldn't even notice it, so it would be best to find that out before the battle.

She scoffed under her breath. "I thought we're supposed to be training dodging."

"We are," Toby said, lifting her hammer. "It's just that we're still working on it. The armour's light but not that light."

"Does Merlin take complaints?" Buffy joked.

Claire chuckled - right before she vanished through a portal.

Buffy cocked her head - air displaced on the right side - and moved her arm, lashing out in a straight line.

Claire managed to twist out of the way, but Buffy's follow up tap caught her in the gut and threw her back. Claire fell and rolled a few times over the stone floor.

"Claire!" Jim exclaimed, already moving towards her.

"I'm alright!" the girl snapped with her eyes on Buffy.

Buffy grinned in return. That was the right attitude - for a Slayer. She wasn't sure if it was the right attitude for a witch. Even an armoured witch. Then again, Claire wasn't supposed to enter melee. She was supposed to hang back and use her portals to save others and hinder Glory. This was just training so she could dodge if anyone reached her.

"But…" Jim obviously didn't share Buffy or Claire's opinion.

Tough. Buffy stepped out of the way of another blow from Toby and tagged him with two quick jabs to the side that were barely strong enough to move him, then jumped over him as he ducked and landed next to Claire.

The girl dropped to the floor to avoid Buffy's telegraphed haymaker but wasn't quick enough to roll out of the way of Buffy's kick, so she got to roll a few more yards until she came to rest on her stomach.

"I'm fine!" she said, getting up again.

"I, uh, didn't say anything!" Jim protested.

"Good!"

And here she came at Buffy again. This time without any portal stuff. Or… that's what she wanted Buffy to think.

As expected, a second before Claire was in range, a portal appeared in front of her. Buffy turned. Now, where would…

Movement caught in the corner of her eye warned her, and she dropped to the floor as Claire stepped through the portal and swung her staff. Sneaky!

Buffy grinned as she rolled towards the girl with a Capoeira move, legs scissoring to trip Claire.

Toby tried to exploit that, attacking with another overhead swing, but Buffy rolled over her shoulder, out of the hammer's way, and jumped to her feet. She was in his face before he could recover, one foot trapping the hammer and the other kicking him away.

"Good, but not good enough," she said, taking a step back as the two started to get up.

Claire snarled and lifted her staff but didn't attack. Looking for another trick to try, no doubt.

Toby, though, huffed, panting, And rubbed his shoulder. Or his shoulder plate.

"Tobes? Are you OK?" Jim asked.

"Yes. This armour is great. I'm barely feeling a thing."

"That's not a good thing," Buffy joked. At least she hoped that she was joking.

"I don't mean like that. I don't feel the blows. Not unless they're strong enough to move me."

Which was still bad if your enemy could hit you with enough force to send you flying. "You're still too slow to recover if you overextend," Buffy told him. "And you need to do more dodging instead of portaling," she added with a glance at Claire. "Come on!"

They came at her again. With predictable results. But they were showing signs of improvement. A few weeks of this, and they would be great.

But they didn't have a few weeks. Glory was out there, and sooner or later, she would find a way to get to them. Buffy knew that in her gut. You couldn't just hide from the big bad and hope the problem would go away. You had to go out and slay it. And that was what she would do.

*****​

"Ow...Awesomesauce," Toby said as he rubbed his belly after removing his chestplate.

"You took a beating," James Lake Jr pointed out the obvious as he unfastened the straps holding Toby's greaves in place.

"From the Slayer," Toby replied. "That's OK." He blinked. "I mean, it's not OK in that getting beaten up is OK, but it's OK in that she's the Slayer. And I did better against her than I did against her little sister." He chuckled at his own joke.

Jim snorted, but he didn't really think it was funny.

"We had a training session," Claire said, stretching - she had already removed all her armour with Jim's help.

"And it was a good one." Toby nodded.

"She was holding back," Jim said before he could help it. Damn.

"Of course she was. It still was a good session," Toby insisted. "We learned a lot about moving in our new armour. At least I did."

"And we were holding back as well," Claire added. "I didn't use portals against her - I just used them to move around."

And caused Dawn and Willow to complain about the constant loss of connection to the Internet, but that wasn't a real issue as far as Jim was concerned. "You used them to attack her as well."

"Only to move so I could take a swing at her. I didn't use them to move her somewhere else. Or open a portal to the ocean and blast her with salt water to the face." Claire bared her teeth. "Place the portal deep enough, and the pressure would be massive."

That was creative. And quite nasty. Jim both approved and worried. But… "Don't you need to be in a place first, before you can open a portal to it?" That would be a little difficult without a submarine.

"I need to have a connection to the place, yes," Claire replied with a frown.

"And we don't have access to a DSV," Toby pointed out. "A deep submergence vehicle. Or a rocket so you could open a portal into space and suck Glory into vacuum."

"She can't pass through portals," Jim retorted.

"Right. Forgot about that. But she would be pinned to the portal, then!"

"And we'd get sucked through it. Together with the local air," Jim said.

Toby grimaced for a moment, then shrugged. Blinking, he rolled his shoulder. "No pain any more," he said. "Well, a twinge, but compared to how the rest of my body feels, it's nothing! I'm back!"

"Great, Tobes!" Jim smiled, though he was still conflicted.

"I'm going to smash Glory with the trollhammer!"

"The Hammer of the Troll Gods," Claire corrected him.

"Right." Toby nodded. "New armour, new hammer, Slayer-trained - I'm a completely new Toby!"

Jim cleared his throat. "Yeah, but… Glory's stronger and faster than the Slayer."

Toby's smile turned wry." I know, Jimbo. But I can't really sit back and let you two face her by yourself, can I? I'm part of the team."

Of course he could! That was what Mom and the others would be doing. Jim didn't say that, though. Couldn't say it. Toby knew as well as Jim did - maybe better, after almost dying in Sunnydale - how dangerous this would be. And still chose to do it. "Yes," Jim said instead and forced himself to smile.

"Yes," Claire agreed. "And we'll beat the hell-goddess. Together."

"High five!" Toby raised his hand.

Jim slapped it, as did Claire.

"So, I'm gonna get something to eat," Toby announced afterwards, dropping the last piece of his armour on the pile, then bundling it up. "Training makes me hungry." He glanced at the camp.

The others were just setting up the dinner, from what Jim could tell. That meant it would be about half an hour to an hour, depending on the meal, until they could eat. Enough time for a post-training snack. The Slayer would be snacking already.

That was the opportunity he had been waiting for, Jim knew. "Alright. We'll clean up here, then join you," he said, glancing at Claire. There wasn't much to clean up at all, but...

She nodded. Toby looked at them, then smiled and nodded as well before walking towards the camp, armour bundle dangling from the shaft of the hammer slung over his shoulder.

"So…" Jim started to say and trailed off.

"I know it's dangerous," Claire told him. "But you need me."

"Ah. That wasn't what…" Jim bit his lower lip. "I didn't want to talk about that." He took a deep breath. "I just wanted to… I mean, we're about to face Glory. So, I wanted to let you know, just in case…" He swallowed. He should have planned this better.

"Jim?" Claire tilted her head to the side, looking slightly puzzled.

"I love you!" he blurted out. "Just… I love you."

"Oh." She blinked, then smiled almost shyly. "I love you too."

Jim stifled a half-gasp half-snort, nodding as he opened his arms. She stepped up to him, tilting her head back, and they kissed.

He didn't want to lose her. He didn't want her to risk herself. He didn't say either. He just kissed her and tried to forget the upcoming battle.

At least until the next training session with the Slayer. They had to train how to fight the hell-goddess, after all.

*****​

Shadow Realm, January 26th, 2017

"...and this is how it will transform when it makes contact with makeup. So it'll stick to people wearing makeup, but not to bare skin," Willow explained. Well, explained to anyone who knew more about magic than how to beat up warlocks.

Buffy Summers wasn't a witch, after all. All she got from the babble was that she couldn't wear any makeup once the paint bomb went off. That was a bit of a bummer - you wanted to look good when you fought - but she could deal with it.

"I see." Old Grumpy leaned forward, leaning on his magic staff. "I assume you have tested this?" he asked in a tone that told Buffy that he didn't think so.

"We've run tests on leather, with various makeups. Also, it doesn't react to chemicals, but the concept of makeup. So, it doesn't matter what kind of makeup Glory is using, only that she uses makeup," Willow replied.

"And she does," Buffy cut in. She could confirm that - the skanky hell-goddess had no taste for quality, but she used makeup. Probably enough to cake over lots of demon zits or evil stains or something.

"And w-w-we'll be using g-goggles," Tara spoke up. "So we won't b-be b-blinded anyway. Just in c-case."

Merlin narrowed his eyes and made a coughing noise. "But you have not yet tested your crude modification of a spell with an entirely different purpose on anything resembling an actual target?"

Willow narrowed her eyes, and her lips turned into a pout. "We wanted to get your opinion on it, first, before moving on to such tests. You're supposed to be an authority on magic, aren't you?"

"I am one of the most experienced wizards left in this world - as far as I can tell based on the information available to me."

Woah, way to be humble! Buffy snorted, which earned her an annoyed glance from the grump. Point Buffy!

"Well, magic's not just wizardry," Willow retorted.

"To think that different ways to wield magic result in different forms of magic is a delusion I would hope even hedge witches are not suffering from any more."

Willow twitched. "You cannot just claim that all magic is the same simply because you ignore the various ways in which magic does differ! Whether you call upon the Earth Goddess or Hecate or make a deal with a demon matters! The results will show crucial differences!"

"A different coat of paint does not change the nature of a cart in any significant way."

"Unless you want to hide it in a forest or a desert," Buffy pointed out.

"Either way, a tarp of the appropriate colour or shrubbery will be a better solution," Merlin retorted.

"It was an example, just like yours!" Buffy shot back.

"And I refuted yours."

"You cannot just claim that your definition of magic is the only one which matters and dismiss everyone else's!" Willow protested.

"I just did." Merlin scoffed. "The same spell, cast by different practitioners of the art, will not differ in any meaningful way when striking your target. In any case, you need to test this spell thoroughly before you assume it will work as you intend it to. Many were the wizards who were ruined by their own arrogance or laziness, foregoing the thorough testing that is needed before working new magic."

While Buffy would pick her best friend over a grumpy old fossil any day of the week when it came to magic support, Merlin had sort of a point here.

"And we will test it! I just wanted another opinion before testing it, to save time if there was an obvious flaw in my spell!"

"If it were obvious, wouldn't you have noticed it already?"

"Oh, you!" Willow glared at him, then turned to Buffy. "We'll do a few tests now. We need a subject without makeup."

"I'll fetch Xander."

"And one with makeup," Willow added. "And one with makeup that is then removed. And probably face paint, too. In case we have soldiers in the area."

This was turning into a bigger affair than Buffy had thought it would. Willow was in full Willow mode. Buffy was sure she'd end up covered in paint one way or the other before this was over.

And it was all Merlin's fault.

*****​

"Can't you wear something?" Buffy Summers complained. Topless Spike was distracting in a way that vampires without a soul weren't meant to be.

"Woman, if I am to be covered in paint, I will not risk my best coat. I earned that coat." Spike sneered at her.

"You looted it from a Slayer you murdered," Buffy shot back.

"As I said, I earned it. Besides, letting her coat be ruined would dishonour her memory."

Buffy blinked. Was he seriously trying to pull that? "Honouring a slayer by wearing her clothes?"

"Her coat! It's unisex!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Step into the target area."

"I understood the first time."

"Just get on with it! We're almost through the first test series!" Willow yelled from the edge of the area.

Buffy blinked. "The first?" She had already had a T-shirt ruined by paint. And a hoodie to protect her hair, but she had taken that from Dawn, so it wasn't a real loss.

"We'll have three test series to cover all bases."

"A bare necessity. We are betting the fate of the Earth on this spell, after all," Merlin, looming over the witch - he hadn't served as a target dummy so far - agreed.

Great. He still had a point, if he worded it like that, but Buffy really didn't like it.

But she'd like facing Glory without a working plan even less.

So she nodded, pushed Spike into the target area, now marked with splashes of all colours of the rainbow, and took a step back.

At least being covered in paint would be an improvement over his current appearance.

"Test ten of series one," Willow said. "Launch!"

A small object flew towards Spike, detonating in a cloud of paint around him. Buffy heard Spike gasp.

"My eyes!"

Then the paint started to run down his body, not leaving any trace, as he rubbed his eyes. "Bloody hell!"

"Spell is working as intended. Now put on makeup so we can counter-test it!" Willow ordered.

"If I have to regrow my eyes after this, I'll expect some compensation!" Spike complained.

Buffy smirked. At least his vampireness came in handy. They couldn't really risk blinding anyone else for these tests. Well, maybe the changeling.

She handed Spike a makeup kit - Dawn's - with a smile. If this worked out, then they were ready for Glory.

Ready to end this.

*****​
 
Chapter 31: The Battle
Chapter 31: The Battle

Shadow Realm, January 28th, 2017

"So…" James Lake Jr took a deep breath and looked at his mother, who was preparing something in the kitchen. "We're ready now. We're about to fight Glory." More or less ready - they didn't stumble into each other while training any more. It wasn't as if they could train with an actual Glory as their opponent, so any training with a dummy might introduce bad habits. Or so the Slayer claimed.

Mom froze, her knife clattering to the countertop. "I… I thought you were still preparing," she said as she turned to face him.

"They've just got the radar guns we needed," Jim said. There was no need to mention where exactly the Slayer's friends got them with Claire's help or that the Califonia Highway Patrol would be unable to catch speeders for a while. "Toby and Claire got their armour sorted out, Willow's got her spells ready…" He shrugged. Merlin had been critical but ultimately approved of the spell. Even if he had done it in the most reluctant and backhanded way ever. "So, yeah, we're about to move out."

"But…" Mom wiped her eyes, and Jim looked away.

A few seconds passed. Mom sniffled. "I should head to the hospital."

"What?" He blinked. "No! Why?"

"If anyone of you gets hurt, I would be at the hospital already. Claire can open a portal straight to the entrance, but what if they don't have doctors available to treat you? I got a call a while ago from work. They are swamped with patients in the mental ward - they have that intern from Sunnydale volunteering and are still overworked."

"Oh." Jim bit his lower lip. He hadn't thought of that. None of them had, actually. "That's… a good idea, Mom," he said, nodding. If anything happened, Claire could easily get them away. Unless something happened to Claire. And, of course, the odds of anyone surviving a hit from Glory were not very good. Even with the new armour.

"But…" Mom shook her head, still sniffling. "You and the others, you'll face her."

"We're prepared," Jim said. "We've got her number." He hoped so, at least.

She slowly nodded, and he hugged her. And held her for a while.

*****​

Saddleback Butte State Park, Mojave Desert, California, January 28th, 2017

James Lake Jr sighed as he leaned against a rock and stared out into the desert. Soon, they would be fighting Glory. And he'd find out if Eclipse was powerful enough to hurt the hell-goddess. And whether or not their preparations were enough. What he could hear from behind him, where Willow was setting up, wasn't exactly raising his confidence.

"Alright… I'm booting up the sensor grid!"

"Way to go with the milspeak, Willow!"

"That's not military speak, Xander! That's just the correct term for this setup."

"Sure, sure, you little general you!."

"Oh, you! Just go and check the southern area; one sensor is not responding."

"What? I set it up perfectly. I bet that was the coyote I saw - it was eyeing me the whole time."

"Are you sure it was a coyote and not a stray dog?"

"Yes, Dawn, I know a coyote when I see one."

"It could've been a coyote demon."

"Dawn! There are no such things!"

"Are you sure?"

"Well, c-coyote is a t-trickster spirit in m-many Native American religions."

"Yes, Tara! See, Xander?"

"I really doubt that the mutt that was watching me set up a radar gun was a major spirit! The last Native American spirit I saw tried to kill us all, remember?"

"Well, the Chumash had a lot of reasons to be angry at us - at the people currently living on their land. It's not fair that they blamed us, but there's a certain irony in them striking at us while we celebrated Thanksgiving."

"I didn't kill any of them!"

"But you unearthed the old Sunnydale Mission building, which disturbed their rest."

"I was acting under orders!"

"That hasn't been an excuse for decades!"

"Whatever - I'm going to check the sensor now! Claire, can you open a portal to the southern grid?"

"And check the one next to it as well - it's giving me weird readings!"

"Maybe we shouldn't have gone with the cheapest radar guns we could find."

"There was no choice - those were the only ones the police had available."

"Typical! Always going with the lowest bidder!"

"Not always, Xander. If the bidder is a friend of the politician in charge, they'll go with them no matter the cost."

"Here's the portal!"

"Thank you! Keep it open, I'll be right back!"

Jim sighed. Everyone seemed to be on edge. Well, that was to be expected, of course. They were facing a hell-goddess, with the Earth at stake.

"So… your mom's at the hospital."

Jim turned and looked at Toby. "Yes."

"Nana just said she'd prepare a huge dinner and expects everyone to attend. But she was..." Toby swallowed.

Jim nodded. "Yeah."

"But we have to do this, right, Jimbo?"

"Yes."

"No matter what. If we don't do it, everyone dies."

"Yes." Jim nodded. His friend sounded like he needed to convince himself. Perhaps Jim could ask him to protect the others, back in the Shadow Realm. A last line of defence? No. Toby would see through that lie.

"That's it, then. The final fight. Well, until Gunmar."

"Yes."

The sun was setting. As planned - the trolls and Spike would be able to fight as well. "Blinky's coming too," Jim said. Even though he wouldn't be able to hurt Glory at all. But the troll had insisted - if he had fought at Killahead Bridge, he would fight here.

"Yes. And AAARRRGGHH!!!."

So many of his friends would fight. Jim couldn't protect them all. But he'd give his all to try.

*****​

"Alright! Everything's set up now - all sensors are working as intended. We've got full coverage of all approaches to our position."

"Way to go with the milspeak, Willow!"

Buffy Summers rolled her eyes. "Stop repeating your stupid jokes, Xander." She walked over to Willow. "So, that means we're ready, then."

"Yes. I could probably tweak the system a little more, and we're still missing coverage of the wider area outside the obvious approaches, but…" Willow swallowed. "We're ready."

Behind her, Tara put her hand on Willow's shoulder. The witch shouldn't be here - she wasn't exactly a fighter. But she wouldn't leave Willow alone. Well, that was her decision.

It was too late to try and change her decision, anyway.

Buffy nodded. This was it, then. Time to lure Glory in and hit her with everything they had. Blind her, then surround her and attack from all sides. Cut her down before she could recover. Hamstring her so she couldn't flee. Kill her once and for all.

She took a deep breath. "Good. Everyone, get ready. Dawn! Claire!"

"Yes?" Dawn jumped up from where she had been sitting on the ground, checking her phone, in front of Claire's portal.

"Yes?" Claire separated from Jim.

Buffy walked towards her sister, waving at Claire. "Let's do this."

Dawn was nervous - she was sweating a little despite the cold, and Buffy saw the hand holding the phone tremble. "Alright."

Claire was frowning as she joined them, gripping her staff harder than needed. Well, Buffy understood that. She still didn't like that Toby was using her hammer, whether he had been proven worthy or not. Who cared about troll gods, anyway?

But Claire still closed the portal and handed the staff over to Dawn, who took a deep breath of her own, then held it out. "Here we go…" she whispered, then opened a portal in front of her.

Buffy took a step closer to her. "Open it behind you, so you can flee if needed," she reminded her.

"I know! This is just testing," Dawn retorted. "Don't have a cow!"

"I'm just looking out for you!"

"Don't distract me!"

The portal vanished, then reformed. And did it again. Then two portals formed, and Dawn stepped through them.

"Dawn…" Buffy said.

"Just in case she senses me travelling through portals instead of the portals themselves," Dawn explained, repeating the feat three more times.

That was… a good point, actually. Still a risk, though. "That's enough, I think," Buffy told her.

"A few more times - like in Arcadia Oaks," Dawn said. And did it.

Buffy clenched her teeth. Why wasn't anyone else saying anything? This was dangerous? But Merlin was just staring at the desert as if he had never seen one before. Jim and Toby were with Claire - no surprise; Jim would be ready to step in front of a charging Glory for Claire. And the others were sitting behind large rocks, hopefully hidden from the skanky hell-goddess's sight. Well, the trolls looked more like rocks themselves when they didn't move.

"Anything?" Buffy asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Nothing yet. The system is filtering out animals, but I double-checked with an override; it's working. Well, we don't know where she was when she noticed Dawn the last time, so our estimate of her speed might be off. Although I don't think we're too far off. And we're not any further than we were before," Willow told her.

"Maybe she's looking for a limousine," Xander joked. "She strikes me as the kind of hell-goddess who likes to travel in style."

"And she wouldn't care about the environment or global warming, so she would likely pick a gas-guzzling SUV," Willow agreed.

Dawn was still creating portals, but, finally, just portals leading her back to the Shadow Realm - Buffy could see the camp in the distance. She tensed. As soon as Glory appeared, she'd push Dawn through the portal. And then she'd hand the staff over to Claire.

Any minute now.

"Perhaps she's asleep?" Xander asked.

"A hell-goddess, asleep?" Buffy scoffed.

"Glorificus is said to be hiding amongst humanity," Merlin said, "passing as a human. He might be in a form that cannot sense the Key."

"That's…" Buffy trailed off. That would suck very much. All this, for a no-show? Their plan foiled by a hell-goddess's laziness? That would…

Her phone rang. She pulled it out. Riley's number. What…? She accepted the call. "You've reached Slayer's Catch-a-Hell-goddess. How can we help you?"

"We've just got an alert from the Arcadia Oaks hospital. Blonde woman in a red dress is attacking patients and staff."

Buffy gasped. "What?" But if Glory was around, why didn't she react to Dawn's antics?

"Mom! Mom's at the hospital!" Then Jim's phone rang. Buffy cocked her head.

Riley continued: "It sounds like Glory. We're deploying to verify and evacuate the people."

She wasn't really listening. She was listening to Jim's call.

"Mom?"

"Jim!" That was his mother. And she sounded… strained. "It's… Glory's here. She…"

"Ah, damn it, give me that!"

Buffy's eyes widened. She knew that voice!

"Alright. How does that work? Ah! Listen up, little boy! I've got your mother. If you want her back in one piece, you give me my KEY!"

*****​

Glory had Mom. James Lake Jr almost crushed the phone in his hand. The hell-goddess bent on destroying Earth had his mother.

"Do you hear me? Is this thing on?"

"It is, Your Magnificence!"

"Didn't you hear me? Give me my KEY, or I will start pulling off pieces of your mother!"

"No!" Jim blurted out. "Leave her alone!"

"So you do hear me! Good. Now, I want my KEY!" she screeched.

"Don't do it, Jim!"

"Mom!"

"You shut up!"

He heard the sound of something striking… and heard Mom cry out in pain.

"Mom!" This couldn't be happening. Glory had Mom! Jim looked around, blinking - he wasn't crying, was he?

Toby was grimacing but gripping the Hammer of the Troll Gods. Blinky was looking at him with the saddest expression Jim had seen on his face. AAARRRGGHH!!! looked… grim. And Claire… Claire was looking at him with tears in her eyes. Oh, no - she would know exactly what this felt like. Her brother was in Gunmar's hands.

"Hello? I didn't accidentally destroy this thing, did I?"

"No, Your Magnificence!"

"Let her go!" Jim snapped.

"Only if you give me my KEY! If you don't, I'll let her go - from a cliff!"

The Slayer was there, making cutting motions across her throat. What? What was she mouthing? Oh! Cut the mic.

"Wait!" Jim blurted out, then muted the mic. And covered it with his hand to make sure. "What?"

"She's at the hospital. We need to strike at her there," the Slayer said in a tense tone.

"But she's got Mom!" Jim protested.

"And we need to get her back. We can't do that from here. We need to head there and fight her!"

"I'll gather the bombs!" Xander was moving.

"I'll help!" Willow, followed by Tara, ran after him.

"But…" Jim shook his head.

"It's the only chance she has. We can't give them Dawn."

Jim glanced at the girl. She looked frozen, blinking - shocked. Trade her for Mom? Part of him wanted to do it. But he knew it wouldn't do any good. Once Glory had Dawn, she would destroy the world. Hell on Earth. He couldn't make the trade. But he couldn't sacrifice Mom, either. He couldn't.

"It's the only way. We head to the hospital - portal there. We confront her, and at the first opportunity, Claire portals your mom away."

"You need me," Dawn whispered. "If I'm not there, she'll know we won't trade me for Jim's mom."

"No!" The Slayer snapped. "We can't risk you!"

"You have to." Dawn swallowed, looking deathly pale in the moonlight.

"She is correct," Merlin spoke up. "It is obvious that this plan has failed. Glorificus, albeit of seemingly limited metal ability, will not fall for your trap. Our best and, possibly, only viable option is to strike now. Adapt the plan, if you will - but we must make haste."

Dawn handed the staff to Claire. "Open a portal to the hospital. I don't know where it is!"

"Dawn! No!" the Slayer protested.

Claire looked at Jim.

Could he do it? Risk Mom like this? Risk Dawn? And the world?

He couldn't not do it. Jim took a deep breath and nodded. "Do it. Front of the hospital." They could lure Glory out of the building, at least.

Claire nodded back at him, then moved her staff, and a portal appeared in front of them. Jim could see the front lawn of the clinic. And the entrance - the sliding doors had been wrecked. He heard sirens nearby. The police were here. Of course they would be.

He stepped through, then unmuted the phone's mic. "We're in front of the building," he said as the others filed through the portal.

"Which building?"

"I see them outside, Your Magnificence!"

"This building? Why didn't they say so? Come, maggot!"

"Maggot?" Jim spat. Who was she talking to?

But there she was in the lobby. Red dress, blonde hair, sneer on her face.

Glory.

And she was dragging Mom with her. Mom who had blood running down her face. Glory had hurt her.

Jim would kill the hell-goddess for this.

"There you are!" she crowed, looking at Dawn. "My Key!" She smiled widely - derangedly - at them. No, at Dawn.

Behind Jim, Willow, Xander and Tara stepped through the portal.

"Riley's coming," the Slayer whispered. "For all the good that will do."

Jim didn't care. He stared at Glory. And at Mom.

"Now, hand over the Key!" the hell-goddess demanded.

"Let Dr Lake go first!" the Slayer snapped.

"Do you think I am a fool? As soon as I let go of her, you'll use your stupid portals to get her away! I won't release her until I am holding my KEY!"

She was back to screeching, Jim absentmindedly noted. Dawn shivered.

"And as soon as you have Dawn, you'll kill Dr Lake!" the Slayer retorted.

"No, I wouldn't!"

"Do not doubt the word of Her Magnificence!" a small, hooded demon cried from the side.

"Silence!" Glory screamed and kicked the demon back into the lobby - through the glass wall.

She was about twenty yards away. Too far for a surprise charge. Too far to hurl Eclipse and cut her arm. What could they do? They had to do something!

"Oh!" he heard the Slayer gasp.

A moment later, a huge figure crashed into Glory from above, and Mom cried out.

*****​

Arcadia Oaks, January 28th, 2017

The moment the hulking troll fell onto Glory, Buffy Summers moved. She charged across the lawn, her scythe held high for an overhand blow - let's see the skank hold onto Dr Lake with a severed arm!

"Aarghaumont!" she heard Blinky cry out behind her, followed by Jim's "MOM!" as the kid charged as well.

But for all her speed, she was too slow to reach Glory before AAARRRGGHH!!! flew through the air, crashing into the upper floor of the hospital - through it, actually. Yet the skank had let go of her hostage to deal with the troll, and a green portal appeared below Dr Lake just as Buffy jumped.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Glory was holding Dr Lake's arm again, half of the woman's body already through the portal. "I'm not going to…"

Buffy twisted in the air and slashed down with her scythe, cutting the skank's arm. It wasn't a clean cut - the scythe was almost ripped out of her hands when it met resistance. As if she were hitting a rock with a staff.

But then the hell-goddess screamed, recoiling - and holding her arm. Her bleeding arm!

"Mom!"

But Dr Lake was screaming as well as she disappeared into the portal.

It didn't matter now - Buffy could hurt Glory. Could kill her. She bared her teeth and slashed at the hell-goddess again.

Glory jumped back, but the tip of Buffy's blade left a tear in the cheap dress - and a red line in the demon's skin.

"You… you cut me!" Glory gaped at her.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Buffy grinned.

"You'll pay for this!" Glory snarled.

Then Jim slashed at her from the side, and the hell-goddess recoiled again, screaming as another red line appeared in her side. Yes!

"You maggots!" she spat, stumbling back another few steps on her cheap heels. "I will…"

Buffy cut her off with a lunge that drove her scythe into Glory's stomach - or would have; it slid off rather than sink into her stomach and only left a shallow cut. Not that it mattered. If they needed a thousand cuts to kill Glory, Buffy would happily deal them all. She was going to be here all night!

And with a cut arm, Glory couldn't… Buffy's next blow was deflected. By the hell-goddess's hurt arm. Which wasn't hurt any more, Buffy realised as she jumped back, dropping down to avoid a haymaker.

"She's regenerating!" Willow yelled.

This was so unfair!

Jim slashed at Glory, making another shallow cut before he was driven back when the skank whirled and lashed out at him. He took the blow with his magic shield, but still slid back a few yards from the sheer power of the strike.

"We need to stop her from healing!" Buffy yelled as she charged again.

"How?" Jim yelled back.

Glory whirled again, kicking out at Buffy, but she dodged by dropping to the ground and slid over the lawn, scythe cutting into the demon's ankle.

"Fire?" Toby asked.

"No fire!" Spike yelled as he moved forward to attack the hell-goddess. He hit her several times, but to no effect, and caught a blow that sent him back, crashing against a car.

Glory turned towards Buffy and charged. Buffy rolled to the side, evading an attempt to stomp her like a bug, and jumped up again. Jim's friend was circling them but not attacking. Good. He wouldn't be of any use right now.

"Tried that. Didn't work," Jim replied, striking another blow at Glory, but getting thrown back by another haymaker that he mostly evaded in the last instant.

"Stop that! That is a designer dress!"

"It's a cheap prom dress!" Buffy retorted, attacking again. Once more, the skank blocked her blow, but this time, Buffy twisted the blade and had it cut into Glory's arm again.

"You lie!" the demon-goddess snarled.

"Yes, I did - it's a cheap copy of a cheap prom dress!"

Uh, oh! Buffy clenched her teeth when Glory suddenly vanished and started to jump to the side. She had barely begun to move, though, when something hit her in the side and sent her flying.

She landed hard on the lawn, bouncing once, then rolled a few yards more. And her ribs hurt. A lot.

Groaning, she got up - just in time to see Glory grab Jim's shield, then lift him up, armour and all, before slamming him onto the ground - on the concrete in front of the clinic's entrance.

"Jim!" Toby charged.

But Glory lifted Jim up again. "I'll squash you like a bug!"

This time, though, a green portal appeared over the concrete, and Jim disappeared into it. And Glory screamed again as her hand holding onto Jim's shield met the portal and was stopped.

She let go of the shield and cradled her hand. "You… you bitch! How dare you!" she snarled as she turned to glare at Claire.

Claire snarled back as Jim landed next to her. "How dare I? Easy!"

Not the best comeback, Buffy thought as she took a deep breath - and how that hurt! - and prepared to charge. But the girl was trying. And she had gotten Dawn to safety. Something Miss Raging Demon-Skank hadn't even noticed yet.

But Glory was far from beaten. She slapped Toby away with a backhanded blow without even looking at him and stalked towards Claire. "I'll rip you to shreds, then your friends, and then I'll start on your pets!"

Then she vanished again - and appeared in front of Claire and Jim, smashing into a portal. Through which the two kids jumped, appearing next to Buffy.

"We need a better plan," Jim snapped. "We can't keep this up."

He was right. They couldn't keep this up. Not against a regenerating, cheating hell-goddess.

At least Dawn was safe, and Willow and the others were… where?

*****​

This wasn't working! James Lake Jr resisted the urge to rub his side - Glory had caught him with a blow that probably would have killed him if not for his armour, glancing blow or not. But they weren't hurting her fast enough to overcome her regeneration. At least Mom was safe now.

"Stop moving so I can kill you!" the monster screamed, rubbing her nose, as she turned around.

"She'll wise up soon," the Slayer snapped. "Where are the others?"

That was a good question.

"Moved them further aw...AY!" Claire yelled as Glory finally spotted them.

A moment later, the hell-goddess crashed once again into Claire's portal.

But it had been close. Too close, Jim thought as they stepped through the portal and onto a roof.

"Where's Willow? We need her bombs!" the Slayer snapped.

"Here!" Claire waved her staff - she was panting, Jim knew, either from the effort or the shock - and another portal appeared in front of them. It led to a roof.

"Willow!"

"Buffy!"

"I need the bombs!"

"We haven't set them up yet."

"No time for that! I'm going to use them myself!"

"But…"

"No, Willow. No time. Glory's going to start a rampage if we don't stop her, and we can't do that without..."

Jim pressed his lips together. If the Slayer was going to use the bombs, she would have to be facing Glory - and have Glory face her. That would be dangerous, to say the least. Like taking a blow to land a blow, as Draal put it - but he had taught Jim that that was something you only did in emergencies. And a blow from Glory was deadly…

"I go!" A huge arm grabbed the bundle of bombs that Willow held out to the Slayer. "Tough enough."

"AAARRRGGHH!!!" Jim protested. The troll was hurt already. And he had risked everything to save Mom!

"Aarghaumont! You cannot take another such blow!"

"You can't, either."

"No!" the Slayer protested.

"Buddy!" Toby shook his head - his chestplate was a little dented, Jim noticed.

But AAARRRGGHH!!! shook his big head with a sad smile. "Wingman." Then he stepped through the portal and joined Jim and Claire. "Portal," he said.

"Where's Glory?" Claire asked, looking around.

The Slayer cocked her head sideways. "This way! Around two hundred yards!" She pointed down the road.

Claire opened another portal, leading down to the street again.

"Come out and let me kill you! I'll wreck the entire town if I have to!"

And there was Glory. Lifting a pickup over her head. A familiar pickup. Senñor Uhl's truck.

"Over here, skank!" the Slayer yelled.

The monster turned, then smiled widely - and heaved. The white pickup flew through the air, but Jim was already jumping to the side, taking Claire with him.

And AAARRRGGHH!!! charged straight at the hell-goddess, roaring like a madman. Jim felt a shiver run down his spine.

Then both his friend and Glory vanished in a cloud of pink paint. Yes! Jim started to smile.

And stopped. Claire gasped. Two pink forms emerged from the cloud as it settled. AAARRRGGHH!!! and Glory. And Jim could see Glory's arm buried up to her elbow in AAARRRGGHH!!!'s chest.

"What? What did you do? My eyes!" the monster screeched. She pulled her arm back, scratching at her face. "My eyes!"

"She's blinded!" the Slayer yelled.

But all Jim could do was watch AAARRRGGHH!!! fall down, slowly turning to stone. A portal caught him - his body! - before it hit the road and could shatter but… AAARRRGGHH!!! was dead.

"Jim! Hit her, now! Don't waste the opportunity he gave us!" The Slayer slashed her blade across the stumbling monster's back.

Jim shook, blinking. Right. AAARRRGGHH!!! had died for this. And Jim would make his killer pay! He clenched his teeth and charged, yelling loudly.

"Don't yell! She can still hear you!" the Slayer snapped, diving to the side as the blind hell-goddess lashed out.

Right! Stupid! Jim changed course, then attacked from another angle, hacking with Eclipse at the flailing arms of Glory. His blade cut deeper into her this time.

"No! Stand still! I'll crush you!"

Jim jumped back as she started to tear up the street, then throw pieces around. She was blinded but moving almost too fast to track - and if a piece of road or sidewalk caught him…

The Slayer went in again, hitting Glory's leg. Slashing her Achilles tendon. And the monster dropped. "My leg! What did you do?"

The Slayer didn't answer - she moved and slashed at the prone form instead. As did Jim. He dashed forward, then struck and jumped back again. Glory wouldn't escape now. No matter how long this took, she'd die here.

The Slayer struck her legs again, dodging out of the way of a wild swing, and once more, the hell-goddess cried out. She was now tearing at her own eyes, Jim realised as he cut at her arms again. Could she rip out her eyes and regenerate them without the paint?

Gritting his teeth, he kept slashing and hacking. A finger flew past him when he caught her hand. Blood splattered on the ground when the Slayer drove her scythe into Glory's back. A kick with her good leg almost caught Jim, but he managed to sidestep it - she was still flailing blindly. They could do this! Just a little more!

He almost got her throat with the next slash, nicking her shoulder instead. Yes!

Then a splash of liquid hit the hell-goddess. Jim had been about to move in and jumped back. A few drops landed on him, anyway - and sizzled. Acid! The Screeching from the hell-goddess grew louder.

"No!" the Slayer yelled, turning around.

Jim saw a figure running away. A portal opened in front of it, and it landed next to Jim. It was a man.

"Why did you do it?" the Slayer exclaimed. Then she gasped. "Demon!"

"Doc!" Spike yelled.

The man's mouth opened, wider than possible for a human, and a long tongue shot out of it, towards the Slayer. Her scythe cut it apart, she stepped forward - and the demon's head rolled over the pavement. "You bastard!"

"What?" Jim blinked.

"The acid… it's dissolving the paint!" the Slayer snapped as she turned towards Glory.

Oh, no!

*****​

Buffy Summers clenched her teeth and slashed at the skanky demon again. They had to kill her before she regained her sight! She left a cut alongside Glory's arm, enough to give even a vampire pause, but the monster didn't even seem to react.

"My eyes! My face!" Glory shrieked. "What have you done?"

An opening! Buffy lunged, but Glory threw her head to the side at the last moment, and instead of impaling her through the eye, the scythe sliced her cheek open.

The demon's screams turned into unintelligible roars. Jim tried an overhand slash, but that only smashed into Glory's shoulder. And the cut in her arm was already healing.

"We need to cut her head off!" Buffy spat. "I'll open her up!"

"What?"

But Buffy was already moving, using her blade to deflect one flailing arm, then slicing deep into the other and driving the hilt into the monster's smoking face.

Yet instead of having her head driven back, exposing her throat, the hell-goddess was barely shaken - and Jim's blow didn't land on her throat or neck but dug into her still-healing shoulder again - and the sword got stuck!

Buffy cursed and kicked at Glory. It was up to her, now, and… she was flying through the air, breath knocked out of her. She hit the concrete, rolled a yard or so, coughing and panting. Then the pain hit her. Broken rib, at least - she knew the feeling. Just moving hurt. But she had to get up. Had to strike Glory down before… before…

Another scream. Jim flew through the air, crashing into a small tree that broke under the impact.

And Glory stood. Snarling and bleeding, but with her eyes open. "You filthy maggots! You tried to burn me!"

The stupid hell-goddess hadn't even realised what had happened! Buffy would have laughed if her chest didn't hurt so much.

She got to her feet, brandishing her scythe. This was bad. Very bad. Glory was healing before her eyes. They had to keep up the pressure. Had to put the monster down for good while she was still bleeding.

But Jim was still trying to get up. Well, it wasn't the first time Buffy had faced the big bad evil guy - or gal - alone. She wasn't a fan of the whole 'the Slayer fights alone' shtick, but she could do it as well as any Slayer if she had to.

Clenching her teeth to ignore the pain, she started towards Glory, blade raised.

Shots rang out, many of them, and Glory twitched. Riley had finally arrived, it seemed. Had they stopped evacuating the civilians?

"What now? More maggots?" The hell-goddess snarled, turning around. "Where are you? Come out and..."

A rocket hit her face, and she vanished in a fireball. LAW, Buffy recognised it - she had used one against the Judge. But unlike the Judge, Glory wasn't blown to bits.

Just scorched. And she was mad. "My dress! You… you maggots!"

Not the largest vocabulary, Buffy thought as she stepped to the side to hit the monster from the back. But she couldn't charge into the hail of bullets that were striking Glory and doing about as much as hail hitting Spike. More LAWs flew at the monster, but Glory vanished before they hit. Running away? After the explosions, Buffy heard a crash from further ahead. From where the shots had come. Then screams. The soldiers!

"Claire!" she yelled. "Portal, now!"

A portal appeared in front of her, and Buffy almost ran into Claire as the witch stepped through, looking at "Jim!"

"I'm OK," the kid managed to say as he got up.

"Portal to the soldiers!" Buffy snapped. More screams - cut short - reached her.

"Where?" Claire asked, turning her head. Right. From her angle, she hadn't seen the soldiers.

Buffy raised her sword to point at the building across the street just as a body flew over the roof, hitting the road below. A head followed, landing on the lawn nearby. Buffy glanced at it and gasped. Riley. The bitch had killed Riley.

Buffy'd kill her!

She started running towards the building - just fifty yards; easy even with her broken rib. She just had to… A portal appeared in front of her, and Buffy charged through - and found herself back next to Claire. What…?

"My nose! Stop that!"

Oh. Glory had run straight into the portal. Again. Would have run straight into - or through Buffy if not for Claire. "Thanks for the save!" Buffy told the witch.

The portal vanished and reappeared, stopping the next attack by Glory. And then Claire vanished through another portal, which closed before Buffy or Jim could follow.

Leaving them with Glory.

"Where is the witch?" the demon screamed. She was bleeding from the nose, Buffy noticed, but her other wounds had healed. The dress was a total loss, though, as were the shoes - not that anyone with taste would miss either.

"Fight us!" Jim yelled, raising his sword.

Glory turned her head to glare at him, then grinned and slowly walked towards the kid.

So, the monster could learn. But if she didn't run too fast to see, she was vulnerable! Buffy started to circle the monster. Another portal opened nearby, and Toby stepped through it. Followed by Spike.

They had Glory surrounded now. For all the good that would do them.

*****​

The hell-goddess had completely regenerated, James Lake Jr saw. The remains of her clothes left no doubt about that.

"Good! You're all here!" the monster spat with a tooth, deranged smile. "I'll kill you all!"

"Blah blah blah!" the Slayer retorted. "Heard it before."

Was she baiting Glory to attack her? She must be. Jim clenched his teeth - the Slayer wasn't wearing armour. Jim was. "And you have failed to kill us!" he yelled. "Just like you failed at everything!"

Glory whirled to face him. "I killed your friends!"

Jim hissed. That she had. AAARRRGGHH!!! And she had kidnapped and hurt Mom. "And we destroyed your ugly dress!" he spat.

"That was high-fashion!" Glory glared at him.

"It was a cheap copy of an ugly prom dress no fashion model would be caught dead in!" the Slayer yelled. "The only thing uglier than that dress were your ugly shoes!"

Glory whirled and vanished. A portal appeared in front of the Slayer, but this time, the hell-goddess didn't run into it. She didn't appear in front of it, either. Where was she?

Jim looked around.

"Move!" the Slayer yelled.

Jim's eyes widened, and he jumped to the side. Glory had to be attacking from a different angle!

Something sped past him - a reddish blur - and the Slayer flew through the air, hitting the pavement and rolling a few yards before getting up. "Missed me!" the Slayer called out.

"I didn't miss you! I hit you!"

There was Glory! Standing to the side of them, next to a streetlight!

"It was just a glancing blow!" the Slayer yelled back - but she was grimacing. She must be in a lot of pain to show such a reaction.

"I'll rip your head off!" Glory screeched - but instead of vanishing, she seemed stuck. Like trying to move through transparent mud.

"Great, Willow!" the Slayer cheered. "Keep her trapped!"

Another portal opened above Glory, and paint fell down, splashing over the pavement and the trapped monster.

"Now! Let's kill her!" The Slayer was already charging. Jim did the same. As did the others.

"Die!" Toby screamed, holy hammer held high. But he was huffing already - he had been hurt before. Jim remembered. What was he doing here?

The Slayer reached the trapped hell-goddess first, slashing at her head. Somehow, Glory managed to block the blow with her arm. And the scythe, deflected, seemed to get stuck in the invisible force holding the demon.

"Her head and shoulders are free!" Jim yelled, raising his own blade to strike. "Don't miss!"

His own overhead strike was caught as well but cut deeply into the limb.

Glory howled but was cut off by Toby hitting her on the head from behind, screaming like a madman.

The hell-goddess's head rocked forward but wasn't smashed in. "Stop that!" Her eyes were open - not covered in paint.

Spike hit her with a crowbar, but that didn't even fate her. She slapped him away, and he went headfirst through a glass door nearby into a bar, leaving the shards covered in blood.

Jim struck again, but Glory managed to move to the side, and he hit her shoulder instead of her neck. Again.

And the Slayer jumped up, then struck, the scythe slicing through the wounded arm. It fell off in a shower of blood, but the scythe ended up trapped in whatever magic held the demon.

"MY ARM!" Glory howled, and Jim felt as if his ears had burst.

He struck at the trapped monster anyway, screaming as well. She managed to turn her head in time, but Eclipse still cut into her head, slicing off an ear.

"NOOO!" The howling grew even louder. And she was rocking back and forth. But she was still trapped, and they were killing her. They just needed to behead her. The Slayer was still trying to get her stuck scythe free again, but Jim could attack. He bared his teeth as he drew his blade back for a swing that would cut Glory's head off.

Before he could strike, though, the Slayer stumbled back, scythe in hand. And Glory was free - and whirling to face the Slayer.

"DIE!"

A portal appeared in front of the Slayer, stopping the monster. Glory whirled. "STOP CHEATING!" The portal vanished, replaced with two that hemmed her in.

And green tendrils of magic grabbed the hell-goddess, keeping her in place. Merlin's magic! Yes!

Jim charged ahead, sword held high. At the same time, the Slayer came at Glory from the side. Eclipse bit into the monster's good arm, not quite slicing through it. The scythe cut into her back.

"NOOO!" The green tendrils shattered and dissolved as the monster broke free. Jim turned to slash at her, but a foot caught him in the stomach, sending him flying - into a building.

No, into a portal! Jim came out of it a few yards away, on a patch of grass, and carved a through into it. He still couldn't breathe and lay there, coughing, for a moment. God, this hurt! She must have broken his ribs! Or something else. And… was that blood on the ground?

But they had to kill her! He forced himself to get up despite the pain.

Another portal opened next to him, and Toby came flying through, crashing into the ground. Jim stared. What the…? Toby didn't get up. But Jim heard him groaning. He needed to… No! He had to kill Glory, or they would all die. "Claire!" he yelled.

A portal opened in front of him. He stumbled through.

And he was back at the fight. Watching Glory charge into a building. A moment later, an explosion rocked the building, filling the ground floor with smoke and flames. A trap. And there was movement on the roof. Claire and the others must be up there, he realised.

But Glory stumbled out of the smoke, coughing and yelling. "Stop cheating and let me kill you!"

"She's really not the brightest demon I've ever met," the Slayer muttered next to Jim.

He glanced at her - she looked worse than he felt. Covered in blood, one arm hanging down at her side, bent over, beaten black and blue...

And the monster had just heard them. Glory turned to face them. "YOU!"

Two portals appeared in front of Jim and Buffy. Angled and forming a wedge. Glory slid around it, bouncing off and hitting the road, rolling through smashed concrete and asphalt.

Jim turned. That was an opportunity! He just had to…

He was on the ground. Something had hit him in the thigh. A piece of concrete, half-crushed, lay next to him.

Buffy screamed.

Jim lifted his head - Buffy was on the ground, holding her leg. Glory must have hit her as well with a rock or something. Damn.

He tried to get up, but the pain was too much. He couldn't give up, though. Not now, Not when everyone needed him. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to sit. Sit, then stand. Even if his leg felt as if it wanted to fall off. Was falling off. He had to stand and...

Glory was approaching. Slowly. She was smiling, white teeth showing through her sliced cheek. "I'll kill you slowly! And I'll have the cheating witch watch! I'll…"

A purple bolt struck her, smashing her into the pavement. Purple glowing ropes wound themselves around her body, pinning her down.

"Cut off her head!"

That was Claire's voice! Jim started towards the hell-goddess. He tried to run but had to limp. Glory was trying to escape, but the magic was holding her. And her head was exposed.

"Gotcha, bitch!"

Buffy was limping next to Jim, using her scythe to prop herself up.

But it was just a few steps, and they were at Glory. Jim raised Eclipse. Buffy raised the Scythe.

"No! No! NOOO!"

Jim struck. As did Buffy. Their blades hacked into Glory's neck. Her screams turned into incoherent wheezing noises, and blood splashed over the pavement. But they hadn't managed to behead her - she was still alive. Despite his aching ribs, Jim raised Eclipse again. Buffy mirrored him. Both struck again.

And the demon's head rolled over the pavement. It flickered for a moment. Jim blinked.

It wasn't Glory's head. It was…

"Ben the Intern?" Buffy gaped at it.

"He was her human host. Glorificus is dead."

Jim blinked. Claire sounded… off. He looked up.

Claire was floating above them. Smiling. And her eyes were blazing with purple magic.

*****​
 
Chapter 32: The Curse
Chapter 32: The Curse

Arcadia Oaks, January 28th, 2017

"Claire?" James Lake Jr asked, staring at her floating form. Why were her eyes glowing purple? And since when could she fly? And cast spells that knocked down hell-goddesses?

"That's not Claire! She's been possessed!" Buffy snapped next to him.

"Possessed?" Jim blinked. How could…? Oh, no! "Morgana," he whispered. Merlin had been right!

"Yes!" Claire's face twisted into an evil smile. "The little witch who stole my staff resisted for a long time, but this battle finally weakened her so much, I could take over!" She cocked her head to the side. "I would thank Glorificus for this - if that upstart hadn't tried to destroy the world."

"No one but you gets to destroy the world, huh?" Buffy yelled.

"Exactly! The world is mine to rule - or to destroy!"

She was still wearing Merlin's armour, Jim realised. And Merlin had placed a spell in the suit for this exact event! But where was he? He glanced back at the building where the others were.

"You first have to conquer it!" Buffy retorted. "And that's harder than you think! The world's changed a lot since your time! We're not living in caves any more!"

"You think I am as ignorant as Merlin was?" The witch threw her head back and laughed. "I've been watching this new world through my vessel's eyes ever since she picked up my staff!" Once more, she bared her teeth in a very unlike-Claire smile. "Why do you think I let her keep my staff, anyway?"

She had seen everything? Even when Claire and Jim had…? Jim felt sick. Then he felt rage. "You didn't let her keep the staff!" He shouted. "She won it!"

The witch scoffed in return. "A child barely out of the crib, with my staff? You wish!"

Where was Merlin? Why wasn't he using his prepared spell to take down Cl… take down Morgana? Jim glanced around.

"Looking for your precious Merlin?" Morgana cackled. "You'll be disappointed!"

What? What had she done?

"Did you think I would expose myself like this if there was the slightest chance that he could stop me? I'm finally free again!"

"You're not free! You're just possessing Claire's body!" Buffy yelled. "And we'll exorcise you!"

"Really? You and your scythe?" Morgana laughed, and, for a moment, she sounded like Claire. Then she sneered at Jim. "Or will you behead your precious girlfriend?" She scoffed. "Not that it matters. You did well in helping me get rid of Glorificus, but with that threat gone, your and your friends' usefulness has expired. It's time to tie up the loose ends."

No! Jim clenched his teeth and gripped Eclipse. Morgana was floating about ten yards above them - even if his leg hadn't been hurt, that would have been a stretch to jump.

"I'll distract her - you go and… check on the others," Buffy whispered.

"I'm not leaving you!" Jim snapped back.

Above them, Morgana pointed the staff at them. Its tip started to glow.

"Get ready to dodge!" Buffy hissed.

Dodge? With his wounded leg? Jim got ready to list his shield and block whatever was coming at them. "Get behind me!" he snapped.

Morgana laughed. "Any last words for your girlfriend? She can see and hear everything I do, you know!"

You monster! "Claire! We will save you! Don't give up!" Jim drew a short breath. "I love you!"

"How touching. Goodbye!"

The glow intensified. Jim stared at it, trying to guess the best moment to block the spell.

Then Morgan's arm jerked, and the staff swerved, a purple bolt smashed into the already damaged building nearby. A moment later, it blew up, sending broken bits of concrete and wood flying across the street while smoke billowed up.

Jim didn't care. He was staring at Morgana. What had…? Claire!

"Oh, you peasant!" Morgana snarled. "How dare you!"

Claire was fighting her!

"Push her out!" Buffy yelled. "You can do it! You're stronger than her! It's your body!"

"No, you can't!" Morgana shook her head - but she was trembling, Jim saw. And she was bobbing up and down in the air. "This body is now mine! I won it! I own it!" She jerked her arm downwards, pointing the staff at Jim and Buffy again. Then she opened her hand, sending the staff falling. "No!"

Jim started to move, but the staff stopped falling, then returned into Morgana's hand. "You!" she spat. "I will not…"

A rock hit her in the head, glancing off her helmet. Jim gasped - Buffy!

She was already picking up another rock. "Catch her when she falls!" she yelled.

Was she crazy? But Jim was moving, limping ahead, towards the spot directly below Morgana - below Claire!

"Enough!" A portal appeared in front of Morgana, swallowing Buffy's next rock. Then it disappeared.

And Morgana - Claire! - was gone.

No! No! "No!" Jim stared up at the empty sky. Claire was gone. Possessed by Morgana.

He fell to his knees despite the pain in his leg.

Claire was gone. He hadn't been able to protect her.

He had failed.

*****​

"She could be anywhere!" Buffy Summers whirled, then hissed at the pain in her leg. Damn Glory! "Stay on your guard!" If the possessed Claire returned...

"She's gone," Jim muttered. He was still on his knees.

"Get up! She could attack us at any moment!"

He shook his head. "Claire was fighting her. She won't fight us like that."

That was a good point. And Jim knew Claire best. Still… "Then we need to use this time to get away." Buffy gasped. "The others! What did she do to our friends?"

"Blinky!" Jim got up, groaning. "Toby!"

"Jimbo?"

Buffy turned. There was Toby, staggering towards them from where Claire's portal - or Morgana's - had deposited him. Well, he was alive. And...

Her eyes widened. "Spike!" He had disappeared into that smashed building, Flung into it by Glory's blow. And he hadn't come back!

She was off across the street - well, limping, not dashing. Damn Glory!

The entrance was completely smashed - she used the scythe to clear some broken glass - covered in blood, ew! - and entered the building. "Spike?"

"Slayer?"

So, he was still alive. Or not dead-dead. undusted. Whatever. But he sounded pretty…

She entered the backroom, through another smashed door, and winced.

Spike was hanging on the wall across from her - literally. Impaled on what had been some piece of modern art. Or a mangled metal chair. Two pieces of metal were sticking out of his chest, and another had pierced his right arm.

He coughed, trying to laugh. "Fortunately, it wasn't wood." He snarled. "But I don't have any leverage."

She shook her head - ow! - and approached him. "This will hurt," she said.

"I can take it."

She knew that. She put the scythe down, grabbed him under the armpits and pulled.

Her own hiss of pain was drowned out by Spike's scream. "Careful!"

She scoffed in return. "We need to move," she told him. "Glory's dead, but Morgana possessed Claire and wants us gone. Claire's fighting her, but…"

"Yeah, let's go." Spike coughed some blood, but he was a vampire - he'd be fine. Eventually.

She dragged him towards the door. "Also, Ben the intern was Glory's host."

"Fuck!"

"We'll beat her," she told him.

"Not that. My coat's ruined!"

Buffy couldn't help it - she laughed at that as she dragged Spike out into the street.

Toby and Jim turned towards them, and she saw both wince. Toby wasn't bleeding, from what she could tell, but he could've internal bleeding. Nothing they could do about right now.

"Where are the others?" Toby asked. "Did Morgana…?"

Jim didn't look like he wanted to answer that. Buffy scoffed. "She probably did a number on our friends. We need to check on them." She started towards the building where their friends had been hiding.

"You mean… she killed them?" Toby asked with a gasp.

"She didn't kill us," Jim said. "Claire didn't let her. She's still fighting the witch. So…" He looked at the roof.

"She might have left them alive in case she needed their help against Glory," Buffy said. But that was a slim hope. On the other hand… Jim was correct; Claire would have tried to stop her. So, maybe...

Buffy steeled herself when they entered the building. And stopped. The stairs had been blown away - right, that had been the trap for Glory. "Xander overdid it," she muttered. "And we need to get up there."

But with her leg, she would have a bad time climbing. And the others weren't in any better state. "Let's push the furniture together and make some stairs," Buffy said.

Moving the parts that weren't broken too much was painful, but they managed, and a few minutes later, Buffy was climbing up the stairs. She hesitated on the next floor - what if Xander had booby-trapped those stairs as well?

Damn it. She couldn't see any bombs, though, or any tripwire, so she moved upstairs.

As she feared, Morgana had done a number on her friends. Xander was crumbled against the chimney in the corner. Tara and Willow were slumped over each other. And Blinky was on the floor, snoring. They didn't look hurt, at least. Probably some sleep spell or curse. But Merlin… Merlin was lying in a pool of his own blood.

Obviously, Morgana hadn't wanted to keep him alive. Damn.

A cough made her gasp. Merlin was still alive?

"I am not as easy to kill as you or my former apprentice might believe," Merlin groaned. Had she said that out loud? "I was prepared for her - just not prepared enough, as it turned out. She neutralised my traps." He coughed, blood dripping from his lips. "But my spells deflected most of her curse. Yet, I need to sleep again. For a long while, before it's too late."

"Oh." Did they have to go back to England? They would need the Gyre again, then. But…

"No!" She shook her head.

"What is it?" Jim called from below.

"They're alive, but Merlin needs to magic-sleep soon. And… Without Claire's staff, we can't reach the others in the Shadow Realm!"

Mom, Dawn, the rest of the families… They were stranded in that dimension.

And Morgana could reach them!

*****​

James Lake Jr gasped. Their families - Mom! - were trapped in the Shadow Realm! They couldn't get out, not without Claire. Who was currently possessed by Morgana. "We have to save them!"

"Nana!" Toby whispered.

"First, we need to save our friends here!" Buffy yelled down. "I can't wake up Willow and the others." After a moment, Jim heard her add: "No, I can't break a magical spell. Unless a kiss works. Thought so."

Merlin had to be really hurt if he couldn't make himself heard two floors down. But Buffy was right - they had to move the others. And leave town before Morgana might return. And they needed a doctor to examine and treat them - what if Toby had more internal injuries? And Merlin needed help!

What could they do? Jim blinked. "We need a car. A truck or a van."

"Yes," Toby agreed. "Buffy can drive. And we can… Uh. We need to get to a hospital."

"The Slayer can't drive," Spike protested.

"I heard that, Spike! I so can drive! Come on, Willow, don't just hang there! Wake up!"

Jim looked around. The cars in the street had suffered during the fighting. And… "Do you know how to hotwire a car?" he asked.

"I can do it," Spike said. "Well, if you find a decent car, not one of those driving computers."

"I thought vampires were supposed to live in the past," Toby said. "Or un-live in the past."

"I'm not a wanker like Dracula who still thinks it's the 19th century! Do I dress like a dandy?"

Jim had no idea what a dandy was, much less how they dressed. But the vampire dressed more like a punk. Although he didn't have a mohawk hairstyle. It didn't matter - they needed a car. "Let's look for a…" Jim trailed off. That was the sound of an engine. A loud engine that… sounded familiar. Oh.

"The Army's coming!" Buffy yelled down. "And someone help me lower Willow down! Jim, grab her!"

Jim limped to the rackety stairs they had constructed. Buffy was balancing on one leg on top of them and held out Willow towards him. "I'll fetch the others!"

Jim managed to hold onto Willow and carry her - with Toby's help - outside. She was completely out of it; she was breathing regularly but deep asleep. Not even being jostled and almost dropped fazed her.

And before he could return inside to get Tara or Xander, three Humvees drove around the corner, soldiers manning the machine gun mounted on top of each car.

"You're late!" Buffy yelled from the roof.

The Officer - Major Ellis - who climbed out of the lead car didn't like that. He frowned as he looked around, an assault rifle in his hands. "What happened?"

"We killed Glory. But she killed Riley's unit before we could get her," Buffy explained from above. "That's the beheaded corpse of her human host."

Jim pointed at Ben the intern's remains as another Humvee drove past, taking up a position at the crossing.

"So, it's over?" one of the soldiers in the Humvee with the Major asked.

"Nope!" Buffy yelled. "Help me get the wounded down, will you?"

"Smith, Brown - help the Slayer," the Major ordered. "Anyone else hurt?"

Jim almost snorted. Was the Major missing how Jim and Toby looked? Or ignoring it for some reason?

"I'll be fine with a pint or two of blood," Spike mumbled from the floor.

A soldier aimed his rifle at the vampire, but the Major held up his hand. "Sitrep. What's the situation?"

Jim took a deep breath - and that hurt! - before answering. Could he trust the Army? If they knew about Claire, wouldn't they try to kill her? But if they didn't know, and Morgana in Claire's body approached them… Jim clenched his teeth. "An ancient witch possessed Claire," he said. "She escaped before we could take her down."

Spike snorted but didn't contradict him.

"And what kind of threat is this witch?" the Major asked.

"The kind of threat you cannot underestimate, soldier."

That was Merlin! Jim turned around. The wizard was leaning heavily on Buffy, but he was standing. And they somehow had managed to get down the stairs while the other soldiers had carried Tara and Xander out of the building.

"Who're you?"

"I am Merlin Ambrosius. Court wizard of King Arthur. You might have heard of me."

"What the fuck?" one of the soldiers - Smith, Jim thought - muttered. "King Arthur is real?"

Merlin ignored him. "And we are facing my former apprentice, Morgana. She managed to waylay me and the others. Now, do you plan to stand around here and watch us die, which will result in Morgana easily defeating you and your men, or will you ferry us to a location where we can get our wounds treated and then start on dealing with her?"

"This Morgana… can she use those portals?" the Major asked.

"Yes. And unlike Claire, Morgana is a sorceress I trained personally. You cannot underestimate her. Do you understand the threat now?" Merlin sneered at the Major. "I am dying as we speak, and if you are not going to render us any aid, I will look for an alternative."

Major Ellis glared at him - Merlin really had a gift to make friends - and then snapped. "Carlsen! Call an ambulance - make that four. We need a medevac!"

"Tell them to bring a few bags of 0 positive! Positive, not negative - it tastes way better."

Jim couldn't help it - he chuckled at Spike's comment despite the pain and their situation.

*****​

Military Base East of Arcadia Oaks, January 28th, 2017

Buffy Summers didn't like secret underground military bases. She hadn't met many of them - only one, actually - but that one had left an impression. A bad one. And while this secret underground military base wasn't hidden under college dorms, and the soldiers weren't masquerading as students or overly fit teaching assistants - she clenched her teeth; she wasn't going to think about Riley right now - the style was the same. 'Early 21st century concrete bunker period', Xander would joke if he were awake instead of being treated in the base's medical facilities.

Which were suspiciously extensive for what was supposedly a simple supply depot. She almost expected vivisected demons in the next room, but she hadn't smelt any demons since she had entered the base with the others. Then again, she wasn't the best at smelling demons. She hadn't even noticed that Angel had been a vampire at the start - talk about embarrassing!

"Miss Summers?"

She rolled her eyes at the doctor standing in front of her. "I'm fine. Go treat the others."

"We've done everything we could for them, Miss," the woman replied. "But you're still wounded."

"I'm healing." Buffy refrained from crossing her arms over her chest; that would've looked more pouting than intimidating. Besides, she was healing. Her leg barely hurt any more, and her bruises were fading. Her ribs still hurt, but she was familiar with that. "Just leave me some bandages," she told the doctor before the woman could try another line. "And some disinfectant."

She was fine. And she didn't want the soldiers to get her blood or inject something into her - Major Ellis seemed to be on the up and up, for a soldier of a secret special demon-hunting force - and wasn't it weird that she felt safer knowing the former initiative soldiers were present? - but the colonel in charge of the base here reminded her of Maggie Walsh. The way she looked at them, especially at Blinky, Spike and Buffy…

No, Buffy didn't like this base at all. But her friends needed help. Especially Jim and Toby, who had been beaten up by Glory. And Merlin, of course.

Speaking of… She cocked her head and listened to the argument in the next room.

"No, I do not need bed rest, you imbecile. I am perfectly aware of the state of my wounds - more than you are, seeing as I understand magic and you do not - and I know that resting here would only lead to my death. You cannot cure what ails me with your medicine. You did what you could to treat the symptoms."

"Sir, our examination clearly shows that you have been gravely wounded. Your vital signs are telling. We can treat you, but you should be resting. And some medication would relieve your pain…"

"And would let me meet my end in a haze of pleasant dreams, unable to think clearly - or think at all. Is that what you want? You can see the effects of the curse with which I was struck, but you cannot comprehend its source. Nor can you stop it. I am still alive because I am fighting it, but not even I can hold out forever by myself."

"Then let us help you, sir!"

"You cannot help me! Is not the fact that you have failed to wake up the others, struck by a fairly simple if powerful sleep curse, enough to make you realise that you are out of your depth? Enough of this! I shall talk to someone who at least is not as ignorant as you."

"But the Colonel is…"

"I wasn't talking about your leader."

The door opened, and Merlin slowly walked inside. "Slayer."

"Wizard."

"We do not have too much time."

Buffy bit back a pop culture reference. Merlin wouldn't get it. "Yes." Merlin was dying. Her friends were cursed, and Morgana was loose, probably about to take their families hostage.

"We need to wake up your friend. She is a mere hedgewitch, barely aware of the higher mysteries of magic, but her potential is quite impressive."

"Duh, I wasn't planning to let them sleep through this," Buffy replied. "But waking them up hasn't worked."

Merlin rolled his eyes, then coughed. "The reason for that is that this is a curse. And to break it, we need magic - more than I can currently spare without dying."

"So we need another witch?" Buffy didn't know any other witch. None that she would trust. The Council might be able to help out, but… She didn't really trust them, either.

"We do not have time to find a competent, trustworthy wizard - nor do we know if there is any such individual left in this world," Merlin retorted. "If my wayward apprentice were around, perhaps…" He tilted his head. "No, we will need to use your magic."

"What?" Buffy jumped up, then winced at the pain in her leg. Still healing. Damn Glory. "My magic? I'm the Slayer; I'm not a witch!"

"You are a magical creature. The latest of a line dating back to the dawn of history."

Well, only if you didn't count Kendra and Faith. Wait! "Creature?"

Merlin took a step closer. "And we can harness your magic."

Buffy refrained from taking a step back. The Slayer didn't run from dying old geezers. "That doesn't sound good. The last time we messed with the Slayer's magic, the Slayer Spirit almost killed all of us."

"Would you rather doom your friends to eternal sleep?"

Put like that… Buffy glared at him with clenched teeth. He was a jerk, but he had been correct so far. And she couldn't leave her friends in a coma. "What do I need to do?"

That smug smile on Merlin's face made her want to hit him, though.

*****​

"I need to guard you during a ritual?" James Lake Jr asked.

"Yes, Trollhunter. Do you require me to repeat myself again, or is this confirmation enough?" Merlin rolled his eyes. "And do not ask for the vampire to guard us instead; they still haven't fed him so he is quite useless."

That was a little rude, in Jim's opinion. Then again, the wizard was currently dying, so Jim wouldn't hold it against him. Or, to be honest, he wouldn't, if Merlin hadn't been as grumpy ever since they had accidentally woken up the wizard in his tomb.

Buffy sighed. "We need to do a ritual so Merlin can syphon off some of my magic in order to wake up our friends. And we need to do it outside the base. Don't want to rile up the Slayer Spirit any more than necessary. She's not… nice."

Now that made sense. Waking up Blinky and the others? Jim would do anything to help with that. The sight of Blinky, still as a statue, being loaded into a truck...

"And what about me?" Toby asked, rubbing his side - he was out of his armour, and his chest was covered with bandages. He had been hurt worse than Jim - Eclipse had resisted Glory's blows much better than Toby's armour.

"You keep an eye on our friends here," Buffy told him. "It's not that I don't trust our generous hosts but… Well, I don't trust them."

"But… they're the Army!" Toby protested.

"They also shot at us," Jim told him.

"Right." Toby nodded firmly. "I'll have to don my armour again."

Jim wasn't sure if that was a good idea. On the other hand, without his armour, Toby wouldn't even be a speed bump for anyone coming for their helpless friends. "I'll help you."

Merlin sighed loudly, but Jim ignored it - if the wizard had enchanted the armour to cover the wearer automatically, they wouldn't have to do this.

He was careful, and Buffy helped, but Jim still felt Toby tense and jerk while they put the armour on him. It couldn't be helped, of course - Jim wasn't exactly unscathed, either. Fortunately, he hadn't suffered a broken leg; that would have been horrible. The bruises he had were painful enough, and he thought he had cracked a rib…

But they finished before Merlin had to comment more than three times about their 'appalling lack of skill and speed compared to even a half-witted squire', and Jim, Buffy and Merlin were on their way out of the base.

Or would have been, if not for three guards trying to bar their way to the elevator. "No one gets in or out. Commander's orders."

"What?" Buffy snapped. "Who ordered this?"

"The base commander." The guard in charge sneered a little.

"Does the commander have a name?" Buffy glared at them, and two of the soldiers flinched.

Not their leader, though. "Colonel Kubritz's orders were very clear."

"Are you trying to tell me that we're prisoners?" Buffy asked. "Because if so, I'm going to break out and break you in the process." She took a step forward, and the soldiers raised their guns.

"The base has been sealed. No one is allowed to enter or leave."

"Good for you. But we need to get out. You know, to save the world."

"Our orders are clear."

Jim wet his lips. This was… something was wrong. "Where's Major Ellis?" he asked.

"He's not the base commander!"

"Can you turn those stooges into frogs?" Buffy asked Merlin, cocking her head sideways. "I don't think they're going to listen to us."

This was going out of control. Jim took a step forward. "Call Major Ellis. This is important."

One of the soldiers pointed his gun at him in return. He tensed - Buffy might be able to ignore that, and Merlin acted as if he was dealing with annoyances of no consequence, but… Jim couldn't just ignore this. He was in his armour, but a gun was a gun. "Call Major Ellis," he repeated himself. "We're working with him."

"He's working with us!" Buffy cut in.

The soldier's leader looked unsure. Jim kept looking at him, trying to ignore the guns pointed at them.

After a few seconds, the leader clenched his teeth and muttered a curse, then tapped the headset he was wearing. "Checkpoint Beta. I need Major Ellis at the main elevator ASAP."

Jim allowed himself to relax a little while Buffy rolled her eyes, seemingly in sync with Merlin. Good. They could sort this out.

"We do not have time to waste," Merlin complained anyway. "Every minute we are held up on the orders of some ignorant soldier grants Morgana more time to complete her plans."

"But going through the guards here will cause even more delays," Jim pointed out. Especially since they would have to carry their friends out - and moving Blinky would be a problem by itself.

Merlin grumbled, which Jim took as agreement.

Fortunately, Major Ellis arrived quickly. Unfortunately, so did the base commander.

"What's going on here?" the Major asked.

"Those three stooges are trying to keep us from saving the world. Again," Buffy said, pointing her thumb at the soldiers.

"We need to get out of the base for an important ritual," Jim explained.

"The base is sealed!" the Colonel snapped. "We cannot risk any threat escaping."

"Can't you do the ritual in here?" the Major asked.

That was actually a good question. Was the Slayer Spirit really that bad?

"If you like the possibility of an out of control spirit cutting her way through your soldiers, sure," Buffy replied with a shrug.

Right. That was a good reason.

The Major looked grim but nodded. "Let them out."

"This is my base, Major!"

"And my mission, Colonel. And I get my orders directly from Washington. Do I have to call the Pentagon to remind you that you are supposed to support me?"

Jim pressed his lips together as he watched the Colonel grind her teeth so he wouldn't smile.

After a moment, the woman turned to the soldiers and snapped: "Let them through!"

Whew. Catastrophe averted. For now, at least.

*****​

Forest Outside Military Base East of Arcadia Oaks, January 29th, 2017

"Is this a suitable location?" Buffy Summers wasn't whining. Not really. She was merely asking a pointed question. Maybe with a little annoyed undertone to let Merlin know that time was pressing. Perfectly understandable, too, since they had been walking through the forest for a while, so it was now past midnight. And Buffy was also still hurting from the fight against Glory - even the Slayer didn't heal up that quickly.

And she'd gotten her best Slaying boots dirty, too!

Merlin, however, didn't seem to be impressed by her question's undertones. He looked around, the almost permanent scowl on his face barely changing. How he could see anything - it was the new moon, after all - Buffy didn't know. Probably magic.

Finally, he nodded. "I think this is a suitable spot. Barely so, but it shall have to do. We cannot waste any more time."

Buffy bit down on pointing out that the only person who had been wasting time had been Merlin himself - she would have been fine with doing the thing right next to the road leading to the military base.

"Thank God!" Jim said, leaning against a tree.

Buffy frowned as she glanced at him. He hadn't said much during their trek up the mountain. Hadn't complained either, and she knew he was hurting. But he had to be thinking about Claire. Well, having your significant other be possessed by some evil demon - or, in this case, an evil witch - was something she was familiar with. And she knew how hard it was to fight someone you loved. She should talk to him about that.

"Sit down here," Merlin interrupted her thoughts, pointing at the ground in front of him.

"On the bare ground?" Buffy asked, putting a hand on her chest in fake shock. "But my pants will get dirty!" They already were, but that was beside the point.

The old wizard rolled his eyes. "A sacrifice I am willing to make. Sit. Down."

"It's not your sacrifice," she shot back as she moved to the spot. "So… cross-legged? Or in some eastern meditation pose?" She used a flippant tone, but that would hurt - her leg hadn't healed up yet, and hiking the forest hadn't helped with that.

"Whatever suits you," Merlin replied as he sat down with a slight groan - he was sitting cross-legged.

Buffy huffed and sat down in a more comfortable position, resting her weight on her good leg.

Merlin pulled out a jug from somewhere and put it down in front of him.

Buffy blinked. "'Property of the U.S. Army'? Did you steal their coffee pot?"

"I appropriated a necessary ingredient for this ritual," Merlin replied. "Now be quiet - I have to focus."

"You're turning my magic into coffee?"

"No. Do you think I am a hedge-witch forced to stoop to such mummery? This is merely a symbolic vessel to facilitate the transfer. Now be quiet lest you want to risk losing more than a bit of magic."

Buffy clenched her jaws. The old man was seriously getting on her nerves, dying or not. He'd better save her friends if he knew what was good for him! But she shut up - magic was tricky, and she knew from experience what could go wrong when things went wrong. Or something like it.

Merlin started chanting in Latin. She didn't quite catch the exact meaning - his pronunciation wasn't like Giles's - but she could feel something in the air. A sort of tension growing stronger.

And the tip of his staff, laid across his legs, was glowing. If anyone were looking for them, they would soon have an easy time finding them. Like Morgana.

Buffy looked up. Just in case the bitch opened a portal above them. Fighting flying enemies wasn't fun at all. She should've nicked a gun from the soldiers, now that she thought of it. Although Jim would probably not be happy if she shot his girlfriend's body, even if it was only the leg and arm or something. If she even got through the armour, of course. That might be…

She gasped as she felt something gripping her. But there was nothing - just a green light. And… something felt as if it was tugging at her. Without exerting any force. Magic.

She suppressed another gasp as she saw a faint wisp of glowing mist or something leave her as she breathed, flowing towards the pot of coffee, to swirl above it for a moment before vanishing into it.

And suddenly, she felt as if she had just run a marathon or something. Everything felt… weaker. Tired. Not exhausted, but...Her leg hurt some more. And her ribs as well. Damn.

And Merlin rose, holding up the pot. "And we're done." He moved his staff, and the glowing mist moved out of the pot, to the staff - and disappeared. "Perfect," he said with what probably was meant to be a smile on his face. "This should be enough to break the curse on the others."

"It better be," Buffy mumbled. She wasn't looking forward to hiking back to the base in her present state. And if the evil Colonel had planned something - and Buffy would bet her second-best pair of boots that the woman was planning something - then fighting a bunch of soldiers would be a pain in her current state.

"Great!" Jim interrupted her thoughts. "Let's go back then!"

Well, someone was happy. Or, at least, not as brooding as before.

*****​

Military Base East of Arcadia Oaks, January 29th, 2017

Lying on a specially reinforced bed in the base's infirmary or whatever they called it, Blinky didn't look like a dead troll. His skin had his usual tone, not the grey of stone James Lake Jr knew far too well. Jim still pressed his lips together as he watched his friend - Blinky wasn't moving at all, except to breathe, and it was easy to miss the slow movement of his chest.

"No one did anything to them," Toby reported, gesturing vaguely into the direction of the cots on which the others had been placed.

"They better not," Buffy growled.

Jim pressed his lips together. The soldiers were supposed to be their allies - were their allies in the case of Major Ellis's troops. But the soldiers stationed on the base here… They were acting a bit odd, indeed. Always on their guard, seemingly ready to shoot them at a moment's notice.

Of course, they did have a troll and a vampire in their base. But Jim hadn't forgotten that they had shot at him and Toby.

"Welcome back, Slayer. Happy to see you too."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike."

"They still haven't given me any blood, even though they have tons of it in stock!" the vampire complained. "Do you know how annoying it is to try and rest with holes in your body?" He was sitting upright in a bed, dressed in a hospital gown.

"No, can't say I do," Buffy replied. "Seeing as such wounds would have killed me."

Him as well, Jim knew. Impaled on several pieces of metal pipes or whatever it had been.

"Well, it's bloody annoying!" Spike snarled. "I've spent way too long in such a state before and I don't want to go through that again!"

"At least you aren't bleeding to death," Merlin commented. "Or over all your clothes."

"Don't remind me! My coat's been ruined! That was a great coat!"

"A mere trifle. Material things are immaterial, especially in our current situation," the wizard retorted. "We need to stop Morgana at all costs before she frees her own body - and Gunmar from the Darklands."

"Wait! She can do that?" Jim blurted out. "Gunmar's sealed there!"

"If she uses the Key," Merlin replied with a slight sneer.

Jim clenched his teeth. Right. The Key. Anything with the power to free a hell-goddess banished to Earth would be able to free Gunmar as well. But…

"She touches the Key, I'll rip her head off!" Buffy snarled. "I mean… her real head, not Claire's," she added after a moment, with a sheepish expression.

Jim wasn't quite sure that she meant it, though.

"We can only hope that the Key's current guardian will not let her use it," Merlin said.

Dawn. But how could Dawn stop Morgana? Jim drew a hissing breath. "What if she fools… them?" he asked. "The others wouldn't know she is possessed."

The lack of any surprise on Merlin's face told Jim that he had considered that already.

"Don't underestimate Giles!" Buffy said.

But even if they managed to see through Morgana's lies, what could they do? Everyone who could fight had been with them facing Glory. And, Jim added with a frown, some who shouldn't have been here.

"We shall have to quickly find a way back to the Shadow Realm to evacuate your families," Merlin said. "And for that, we need to wake up your friend the witch." He nodded at Willow. She lacks the training to even be considered as an apprentice wizard, but she has enough potential to serve as a source of magic."

"You're not going to use her as a battery!" Buffy spat.

"Needs must. The world is at stake," Merlin replied. "Would you sacrifice your family for your pride?"

Buffy glared at him, all tense. Jim took a step back.

"I thought not. Do you think your friend will let her pride stand in the way of saving them?" Merlin didn't wait for the answer and took a few steps to stand next to Willow's cot. "Let her decide."

"You just want her magic so you don't die!" Buffy spat.

"Keeping myself alive long enough to help prevent the destruction of our world is amongst my goals, yes," Merlin said, holding his staff over Willow's chest. "Though only because you need my help to save the world."

"Are there other sources of magic?" Jim asked.

Merlin cocked his head sideways. "Magic freely given is best. The alternatives are… morally questionable. Many a wizard using such means has fallen to the lure of power, often becoming nothing more than a parasite leeching magic off others in pursuit of power that is increasingly used for nothing but to feed their cravings."

"Warlocks," Spike said. "Some of them can drain other wizards."

"Precisely," Merlin said. "And your other friend has not quite the same potential. She would be at a grave risk. Now, be quiet, all of you - curse-breaking is a delicate task."

He raised his staff, closed his eyes, and started chanting in Latin. Green mist appeared around Willow, glowing softly. A few more chants later, parts of the mist - around Willow's head - glowed more brightly.

"Too obvious, even for a rushed ambush," Merlin muttered. He waved his staff, and the mist dispersed. "But there is no time to carefully sound out the traps."

"Wait! Traps?" Buffy asked.

But Merlin was already muttering short, harsh words in a language that Jim didn't recognise, and then Willow's entire body glowed - and jerked.

"Willow!"

"Whoa!"

"Watch the magic, wizard!"

Merlin ignored them as purple tendrils rose out of Willow's chest and flung themselves at him. He took a step back and parried them with his staff in a flurry of quick movements, then drove the tip of it down into Willow's chest.

A light so bright, Jim was blinded for a moment, filled the room. When he could see again through blinking eyes full of tears, Buffy had Merlin pressed against the wall, one hand on his throat.

"What did you do?" she spat through clenched teeth.

"I broke the curse," the wizard replied.

And Jim saw Willow open her eyes.

*****​
 
Chapter 33: The Wild Wood
Chapter 33: The Wild Wood

Military Base East of Arcadia Oaks, January 29th, 2017

"What… where am I?"

Buffy Summers released Merlin and whirled around. "Willow!"

Her best friend was blinking and turning her head back and forth. "Buffy?"

"Willow!" Buffy was at her side - at her bed - in an instant. "You're awake!"

"What happened?" Willow started to sit up, and Buffy helped her - those army infirmary beds couldn't be very comfortable. "Where are we?"

"We're in the army base near Arcadia Oaks. And what happened… Morgana possessed Claire and cursed you and the others with a magic sleep spell."

"A sleeping curse," Merlin cut in, then coughed and rubbed his throat.

Buffy scoffed - she hadn't gripped him that strongly! She had just choked him a little. "That's what I said," she told the old geezer.

"A curse?" Willow gasped.

"I broke it," Merlin said. "Despite the Slayer's best efforts to throttle me for it."

"Buffy!"

"He drove his staff into your chest!" Buffy defended herself. "It looked bad. And I didn't hurt him."

"My bruised throat would disagree."

"You got cursed to death by Morgana but you worry about a little bruising?" Buffy frowned.

"You got cursed to death?" Willow gasped. "Wait, Morgana possessed Claire?" She whipped her head around. "Tara!"

"She's sleeping as well. All of you on the roof were cursed, but with a sleeping curse," Buffy repeated herself. "But after we killed Glory, Morgana attacked us and cursed Merlin."

"But Claire fought her, and forced her to flee," Jim said.

"Tara! Tara!" Willow tried to slip out of the bed. Buffy moved to stop here, then hesitated. She had been asleep for only a few hours, not a months-long coma, but…

"Calm down, young witch," Merlin said, leaning against the wall. "They are not harmed and will not be harmed by the curse, and we have more urgent problems. We need to gain access to your families trapped in the Shadow Realm before Morgana takes them hostage."

"We need to wake up Tara! And Xander! And Blinky! And we need to heal you!"

Buffy nodded at Willow's priorities.

"We cannot afford to. I am at death's door - the scant remains of my magic are all that keep me alive," Merlin replied. "And you do not know how to break the curse - and avoid the traps Morgana placed in the enchantment. She was quite devious; she must have spent considerable time planning for this."

"You broke the curse on me!" Willow retorted. "Show me how to do it!"

"That would take time that we do not have," Merlin protested. "And they would not be of any help, anyway. I need some of your power to open a way to the Shadow Realm."

Willow glared at the wizard. "I said show me how to break the curse!"

That was Willow's resolve face. Buffy almost felt pity for Merlin. Almost - leaving their friends in cursed sleep? You didn't do that!

"I cannot teach you a complex curse-breaking method in a day, and we do not have a day to waste." Merlin shook his head, then winced.

"I don't need a day! Show me!"

"I do not have the power left to waste on a demonstration." Merlin shook his head, then coughed again. Buffy really hadn't gripped him that hard. Right, Morgana's curse.

"Take some of mine, then!" Willow snapped.

"I would not waste that on people who are of no immediate use right now. We have to set priorities."

"I can spare the power. Do it!" Willow held out her hands, palm forward, to Merlin.

Who looked a little confused, Buffy noticed.

"What?" Willow scowled. "Grab them! We're just two, but it's enough for a closed link."

"That's not how you drain magic power."

"That's how we share power - by linking hands and joining each other," Willow told him. "Follow my lead!"

Merlin looked like he wanted to object further but held out his hand. Willow gripped it, closed her eyes and started mumbling a prayer to Hecate.

"This isn't working," Merlin complained.

"You're blocking me. Open yourself to me."

"That's not how it works."

"That's how it works! Open yourself - lower your barriers. I'm not your enemy."

Not unless Merlin insisted on leaving Tara and Xander cursed, at least, Buffy mentally added.

"You…"

"You're dying - what do you have to lose?" Buffy asked him.

He snorted in return. "Very well."

Willow started mumbling the prayer again. And their joined hands began to glow.

Merlin's eyes widened. "By the Order! This…" He took a deep, shivering breath. "This is…"

"Power," Willow said. "Now show me how to break the curse!"

Merlin released one of her hands and grabbed his staff. "Very well. Watch, then."

He held the staff out over Tara's sleeping body. And, once more, the green mist appeared, glowed, and Merlin drove the staff down.

And Tara's eyes flew open as she gasped.

"Tara!" Willow released Merlin's hand, leaving the old wizard to shudder and sit down on her former bed while she hugged her girlfriend. "You're back!"

"What… What happened? I remember Glory, and we were…"

"We killed Glory, but Morgana possessed Claire and cursed you," Buffy explained once more while Willow hugged Tara. "And we need to save our families before she subdues Claire and enters the Shadow Realm to grab the Key." When Willow glanced at her, Buffy shrugged.

Merlin was right about the fact that they couldn't waste time - he was just wrong about what was a waste of time.

*****​

"Alright, I think I got it now," Willow said.

"You think?" Merlin raised his eyebrows. Willow and Tara sharing their magic with him hadn't really improved his attitude, in James Lake Jr's opinion.

Willow frowned. "I am pretty sure, yes," she replied.

"That generally doesn't cut it when it comes to competently cast curses." The wizard scoffed.

"It does in this case. I was merely being cautious with my claims," Willow told him.

"It would behove you to be cautious when working magic, not just when talking."

"D-do you want t-to t-take the lead?" Tara asked him.

"It would be safer," Merlin said.

"I can do it," Willow insisted. "I've paid attention - and Morgana might be the second-greatest witch of your time, but that was a thousand years ago. Approximately," she added. "Magic has made some progress since then."

"So you claim. Yet Morgana is the most dire threat to the world."

"She isn't the first dusty, mouldy ancient threat," Buffy cut in. "And the world is still standing. We just defeated Glory."

"With crucial help from Morgana," Merlin retorted.

"After she took you all out." Buffy stood her ground. "We could've done it ourselves."

Jim wasn't quite sure he shared Buffy's view - they had been on their last leg, literally in their case - but he wasn't about to contradict her. Instead, he said: "Whatever you do, do it - we can't lose more time." They had to save mom and the others.

"Quite."

"I can do it. Just watch me, linked with Tara, and step in if you need," Willow suggested.

Merlin sighed but didn't contradict her. Which meant he agreed.

Willow approached Blinky while Tara and Merlin held hands. She took a deep breath, then started chanting - like Merlin had done. Instead of a staff, she held out her hand, and the mist that appeared was pure white. And… was her hair turning lighter?

Jim squinted. It was either glowing or turning lighter, and…

Willow slapped her hand on Blinky's chest with a gasp. A moment later, Blinky groaned. He was waking up!

"Blinky!" Jim rushed to his friend's side.

"Master Jim?" Blink slowly opened his eyes and turned his head until he saw Jim. "You're alive."

"We defeated Glory," Jim told him. "And we didn't lose anyone else, after…" He pressed his lips together. AAARRRGGHH!!! was dead. Killed by Glory.

Toby sniffled behind Jim.

Blinky sighed. "Aarghaumont will be missed. His sacrifice saved us all, I believe."

"It certainly helped," Merlin said. "But we do not have the time to lament the dead. Morgana has possessed Claire."

Blinky gasped and sat up. "She has taken control of the Fair Claire?"

"Yes. She cursed you and the others and attacked us," Jim filled him in. "But Claire is resisting her - she didn't let the witch kill us."

"She will not be able to resist for long," Merlin said. "We need to reach and evacuate the Shadow Realms before she takes your families hostage."

"But… without her staff…" Blinky trailed off.

"We need to enter the Shadow Realm through another portal - a permanent one," Merlin said. "And for that, we require passage on the Gyre since the only such location I or anyone else is familiar with lays in England."

"And we need to wake up Xander," Willow cut in.

"Then do so."

"Does that mean that you admit that I know what I'm doing?" Willow's smile was very toothy.

Merlin huffed.

But Xander was woken up a minute later, and they only took another ten minutes to get a transport from Major Ellis to return to Arcadia Oaks despite the bad-tempered Colonel's attempts to stop them.

And Jim was even more grateful that they were in an Army vehicle when they reached the town - it was full of police and people in suits, and soldiers. The clinic was swarming with them. It looked like every police and spy agency was there - not that Jim could tell them apart. And… Oh! "We should call Agent Moore and inform him," he blurted out.

"Oops. We totally forgot about him," Buffy said. "That's usually Giles's job."

"Buffy!" Willow gasped.

"Hey! You were cursed, we were beaten up, Claire had all gone demony… It slipped my mind. And Everyone else's!" Buffy replied. "I'm calling him now, happy?" She pulled her phone out and tapped the screen. "Hello? Agent Moore? I've got good news and bad news..."

Jim shook his head and stared at the buildings as they drove past. They had beaten Glory, only to face a worse threat. Or so it seemed. Morgana. And Gunmar.

"Do not despair, Master Jim," Blinky said. "The Fair Claire will not surrender or give up."

"You underestimate Morgana. A mere child will not be able to contest her control of the body for long," Merlin told them.

"Claire's not a mere anything!" Jim snapped. "She saved our lives - I saw her fight Morgana. She's the reason the witch fled."

"A temporary setback," the wizard replied. "We cannot count on a repeat of such an outcome. We have to prepare for the worst."

The worst? They had already prepared… Jim gasped. "You want to kill her."

"As a last resort."

"...and thank you. We'll call you once we know more." Buffy stored her phone, then stared at Merlin. "A last resort? And what will we try before that? Do you have a plan for that?"

"We need to find Morgana's original body and deal with it."

'Deal with it'? Ah!

*****​

Wild Wood near Camelot, January 29th, 2017

"You know, this is the second time we had to return to this area for something we wanted to do after passing through," Buffy Summers pointed out as they walked through the forest. "We could've saved a lot of time and hassle if we had just done everything right when we arrived here for the first time."

Merlin turned his head to not quite roll his eyes at her. "Do not blame me for your inefficiencies. You woke me up on your first return, didn't you?"

"We didn't know that we would have to return here," Willow objected.

"Hindsight is always 20//20," Xander added. "Though if this is the way to reach Morgana's frozen body, we could've done that when we were here. Well, you, actually - this is the first time I set foot onto Merry Old England. Weird - I expected Giles to be present for the occasion…" He trailed off, and Buffy glared at him. Giles was in the Shadow Realm. Cut off and possibly in danger from Morgana!

Willow spoke to Merlin again. "You could've said something about this being the way to reach Morgana's body."

"If I did that, Morgana would have taken control of your friend at once - and we would have been forced to fight her without being prepared. I would not have given us good odds for such a battle," the old geezer replied. "The shock of seeing your friend possessed would have kept you from doing what is necessary."

"We're not going to kill Claire!" Jim told him.

"Indeed, we shall not sacrifice the Fair Claire in this struggle," Blinky agreed.

Merlin stared at the two. "Do you honestly think that your friend will survive you, should you fail to vanquish Morgana? She will free her body and then dispose of the girl." He scoffed. "And even if Morgana felt, for some reason, merciful, I doubt your friend would do anything other than attempting to avenge you. With predictable results."

Well, Buffy had to admit - not aloud, of course - that this was likely. She could easily see Claire making a suicide attack on Morgana, given the chance, if Jim and the others were dead. But you didn't kill your friends! You saved them! Just as she had saved Angel. Eventually.

"Claire won't let Morgana kill us! She'll help us defeat the witch!" Jim spat.

"Your trust in your friend is quite touching, but I fear it might be misplaced. Resisting Morgana's control once was already a remarkable feat. To do it twice? And after Morgana had more time to solidify her power over the girl?" Merlin shook his head. "We cannot count on such a thing happening again when we make plans to face her."

"P-plans t-to face her?" Tara asked, "We are going to find Morgana's real body, aren't we?"

"We are. But my former apprentice will not let us do as we please with her body. On the contrary, she will attempt to stop us. And we must prepare for this."

"She shows up, we knock her out." Buffy shrugged. "And you shouldn't underestimate Claire as you underestimated Willow."

Merlin narrowed his eyes at her. And he ignored her reminder that Willow had proved him wrong. "Do you truly expect to be able to easily 'knock out' one of the greatest witches of the world?"

Buffy didn't, actually - things rarely worked out as she wanted them to. See: Angel. Or Riley. But this wasn't the time to be all defeatist. "Won't know until we try. Do you have a better plan?"

"It didn't work well last time," Jim pointed out.

"Last time, we were all hurt, tired and surprised," Buffy retorted.

"Uh… we're still hurt and tired," Toby said.

He and Jim were. Buffy had some bruises left, but her leg was fine. "And we were down to just us two. Now we have everyone!" Willow should be able to give Morgana a run for her money. Or at least hinder her long enough for Buffy to reach her.

"I'll do my best, but I'm not sure what I can do. My non-lethal options are a little limited," Xander said, patting the shotgun dangling at his side. "We didn't manage to get rubber bullets for this."

"Shoot her in the leg, then," Buffy told him.

"No!" Jim objected.

"A mundane bullet will not be able to pierce the armour I crafted, anyway," Merlin said.

"Well, then I can shoot her to distract her!" Xander said with a grin that Buffy knew was forced but might fool the others.

"We need to get the staff away from her," Blinky said. "That is how Morgana can control her."

"It was the means that allowed her to possess the girl," Merlin said. "But after Morgana has taken over a body, she can relinquish the staff without relinquishing control of the body. Of course, removing the staff from her hands will also greatly reduce the threat she poses to us."

He wasn't using Claire's name, Buffy realised. Always 'the girl' or 'your friend'. Was he distancing himself from her so he could kill her more easily? She'd read about that in college, but she wouldn't have expected Merlin to need that to do what he thought was necessary. "So, what's your plan to stop Claire then?" she asked.

"We hold her at bay while we break through the seal keeping Morgana's body captive to destroy her body."

"Won't that leave her still in Claire's body?" Willow asked.

"No. She is merely projecting her mind, not her soul."

Buffy hoped the old geezer was right about that.

"So… we need to stall her and break through centuries-old seals?" Willow asked.

"Yes." Merlin nodded. "I shall take care of the seals, and of her body, while you keep her from reaching me."

That sounded like a working plan. And it meant Willow wouldn't have to kill Morgana. Or Merlin fight Claire.

But things rarely worked out like planned, Buffy knew that.

*****​

"How much longer do we have to walk through this damned forest?" Spike complained. "It's getting a little late - or early. I don't fancy seeing a sunrise out in the open."

James Lake Jr tried to check his watch, then frowned - it was underneath his armour, which he should've known. But it was getting late, and he hadn't slept since yesterday. He'd have to check his phone for the time, and…

"It's still several hours until sunrise. Don't start whining," Buffy said. "We didn't get you blood from the Army infirmary just so you can whine about walking."

"Pardon me for being concerned about an existential threat. You might only get a few more wrinkles if you keep tanning in the sun, but I'll be burnt to a crisp."

"'More' wrinkles?" Buffy blurted out, and Jim winced at her tone. "I'm the Slayer! I don't get wrinkles! Right, Willow?"

"Uh… I don't actually know. I mean, no Slayer really reached old age, I think, so it probably never came up. But you didn't stop growing when you were called, did you? And you aren't stuck in puberty."

"Oh my God!"

"Cease your pointless whining. We are deep in the Wild Wood - daylight has no claim to this land. If a troll can safely walk the grounds at noon, a vampire should not have to fear anything either."

"'Should' isn't exactly reassuring, old man," Spike replied.

"And who cares about sunlight? I need to know if I am going all wrinkly!"

"So focused on your appearance…"

"I can assure you, Master Vampire, that we are quite safe here from the sun. My people might have left the area, but the old enchantments remain - no sunray will touch the ground here," Blinky said.

"But! Plants need sunlight to live! How can there be bushes and grass and other growth without sunlight?" Willow protested. "We should be walking through a wasteland covered by a dense canopy. Oh! You must have used magic to supply the plants. That's… Oh! That means you probably can grow anything below the earth, too!"

"Unless the enchantment used merely prevents sunlight from reaching anything but the plants," Merlin said.

"That would work, but wouldn't it be easier to just strip the magical part of sunlight that hurts vampires and trolls?" Willow asked. "Like a shield, placed in the forest's canopy?"

"Green sunblock!" Xander added.

"That is how it was done," Merlin grumbled. "Which is why it's not a practical means to deliver sunlight underground."

"Something we are all grateful for," Blinky said. "While I know that we are safe here, I cannot help but worry that the enchantment might fail. Without solid stone above us, or at least a building, most trolls won't feel safe enough to rest."

"Yeah," Spike agreed.

"And what about my wrinkles? Is there a spell that can remove the part of sunlight that causes wrinkles?"

"You don't have wrinkles, Slayer!"

"But I could get wrinkles!"

"That would be a good business idea - magical wrinkle prevention. Don't let Anya hear that."

"Xander!"

"You know she would jump at it, Wills."

Jim shook his head at the antics of the 'Scoobies'. They were about to face Morgana - well, once they found the entrance to the Shadow Realm Merlin said was in the woods here - and they were still joking. Just like they had been with Glory.

He clenched his teeth. And how had that turned out? Claire possessed, AAARRRGGHH!!! killed, Mom almost killed, their families lost - temporarily - in the Shadow Realm…

Toby, next to him, sighed. "I still can't believe that AAARRRGGHH!!!'s dead."

Oh. Jim winced. "Yeah," he said.

"He sacrificed himself for us - for your mom - for everyone. I can't help thinking that if I had been… stronger, then he wouldn't…"

"Tobes…" Jim trailed off, pressing his lips together. What could he say? He thought the same, after all. If Jim had been strong enough to handle Glory, AAARRRGGHH!!! would still be alive.

"Aarghaumont chose his fate," Blinky cut in. "Tobias, Master Jim - do not blame yourself. It was his decision, and I dare say he saved us all. He knew what he was doing, and I am convinced that the last thing he wanted would be for you, for anyone, to blame themselves for his actions."

"But I can't help it!" Toby blurted out. "We had all the plans, and then something goes wrong, just one thing, and everything fails and AAARRRGGHH!!!..." He shook his head, sniffling, and Jim carefully acted as if he didn't know that his friend was crying.

Blinky sighed. "Tobias… It wasn't your fault. Every battle is a risk, and sometimes, the smallest slip or stumble means someone died who should have lived." Jim heard him sigh again. "I saw that at the Battle of Killahead Bridge. My own brother… was killed in the battle, and I have often wondered if I had just been a little more competent, a little more attentive, if I had noticed him being dragged off sooner…"

"Oh." He had seen his brother die in battle? Jim shook his head. That had to be…

"I know you are blaming yourself. Trust me, I know how it feels, but you should not. Aarghaumont knew what he was doing. We should honour his sacrifice, not let it poison us."

"It still hurts," Toby replied.

"And it always will. But you will learn to live with it."

Provided they survived Morgana, Jim knew. And as Blinky had said - even if they defeated her and saved Claire, not everyone might survive.

But this time, Jim would make sure none of his friends died on his watch. He was the Trollhunter; that was his duty.

*****​

"...and with your Slayer healing, you really don't have to worry about wrinkles as far as I can tell. The way you heal smaller wounds without scarring means your skin should be more resistant to this."

Buffy Summers tuned out the talk between Jim, Toby and Blinky a few yards behind her and nodded at Willow. "Good, Willow!"

Her bestie was trying her best, so to speak, but it wasn't as if Buffy really worried about getting wrinkles. She was one of the oldest Slayers in history already, after all - well, longest-running would be more precise - and she was barely into her twenties. Her odds of reaching the big thirty were about as high as her winning the Powerball lottery. Of course, if she had been getting wrinkles already, that would've been different.

"Are you now satisfied that you shall not prematurely suffer the ravages of old age?" Merlin asked.

She beamed at him. "Yep!"

He rolled his eyes in response.

"So, not to copy Spike's whining," Buffy went on, "but how much longer are we going to walk? Not asking for me; I can go on for hours, but if we're about to fight Morgana at the end of this hike, we might want to take a rest before we enter her lair. Or her prison." Merlin wasn't looking very hot himself, after all - she knew that his magic was the only reason he hadn't keeled over already. And Tara and Willow were lagging a little, Jim and Toby were still hurt…

"It's not very far any more," Merlin said. "We are almost in the heart of the Wild Woods, where the barriers between the realms are thin - so thin, many a wanderer has stumbled through them without noticing, only realising their predicament when one of the numerous dangers of the Shadow Realm preyed on them."

Buffy gasped. "Wait! What 'many dangers' are you talking about?" Mom and Dawn and the others were in the Shadow Realm! And without anyone to protect them except for Giles and Stricklander, and the changeling looked more like Blinky than AAARRRGGHH!!!. That didn't have to mean he was useless in a fight, of course.

"The Shadow Realms are a land of magic and shadows. Many monsters that shun the light - in more than one way - retreated there when mankind pushed back the borders of the wilderness."

Buffy rolled her eyes. That kind of talk made Giles sound hip. Purple Prose at its worst. "Can you be more specific? Like, how do those monsters stack up against, say, a changeling?"

"Are you worried about your family, left stranded in the camp?"

"Is water wet?" she shot back. Dumb question, dumb answer.

"The changeling should be able to see off most monsters. And, thanks to the curse binding him to the Trollhunter's mother, he should be motivated sufficiently to do so."

"What if he breaks the curse?" Willow asked.

"That would require a ritual which I doubt he could perform without your Watcher noticing."

That was a little reassuring. But Buffy wasn't quite sure how Giles could stop the troll from doing it anyway. On the other hand, Giles knew a lot more about magic than Buffy did. Or even Willow. And he didn't trust the changeling, so he probably was prepared for this. Probably.

She pressed her lips together. That was the best she was going to get until they kicked Morgana out of Claire's body. "How much longer till we reach the heart, then?"

"Not very long. It is not merely a physical journey, either."

"Oh!" Willow perked up. "Do you mean it's also a spiritual journey? Like a vision quest? Do we need to be in the right state of mind to enter the Shadow Realms?"

Merlin turned to look at her with a frown. "While being open-minded helps when walking through the barrier, I was talking about the fact that the forest is magical and changes in response to intruders. We could, for example, take a rest here and find ourselves in the Shadow Realms as the Wild Wood shifts around us."

"I vote for a rest!" Xander chimed in, raising his hand.

Merlin scoffed. "I said that this could happen, not that it would. We cannot count on this - we have to physically reach the heart of the woods."

"Why did you mention it then?"

"To explain that I cannot accurately predict how much longer we have to walk, of course."

Buffy clenched her teeth. The old geezer was yanking her chain - no one asked for a precise number; a guess would've been good enough. Hell, on a trip, asking how much longer the trip would take was more a social norm than an actual question. At least according to the script she had read in college.

"Now kindly cease thy questioning; we are about to enter the territory of a monster that has not retreated into the Shadow Realm."

"A monster? What kind of monster?" Buffy asked, looking around. Her Slayer senses weren't doing any sensing.

"The Wild Boar. An ancient being of great power and ferocity, born into the Wild Woods when they were still young and spreading all along the coast. It has defended the heart of the woods for millennia. We might have to parley with it unless we want to risk a battle that might leave us too wounded to take on Morgana."

That didn't sound good at all. "How do you parley with a boar? I don't speak pig," Buffy said. "Do you?"

"I have been told by reasonably qualified sources that I eat like a pig," Xander joked. "But that's all I can do."

"There are spells to communicate with animals," Willow said.

"The Wild Boar is no mere animal. It is akin to a primordial spirit in some ways. We will be able to communicate. The question is whether it wants to communicate with us." Merlin looked around. "We shall soon find out."

"Great. In case it doesn't want to talk, is it edible?"

The annoyed look Merlin turned on her made Buffy grin in response.

*****​

"You do not eat the Wild Boar. It's a spirit who has taken a physical form!"

James Lake Jr grinned - behind the wizard's back - as Merlin berated Buffy. Sometimes, he couldn't stand their joking, but he could use a laugh right now. And he had the strong feeling that Merlin's Plan B was still 'kill Claire to defeat Morgana' or something like it.

"Well, if it has a physical form, we can kill it," Buffy said. "And if you kill animals, you shouldn't waste them."

"Yes," Willow chimed in. "Sustainability and respect for the environment. I don't like hunting, but if you hunt, you should eat the animal. Trophy hunting is the worst."

"And wild boar is supposed to taste great," Xander added.

"Really?" Toby looked interested. "I've never had boar. I thought it tasted like pork."

"It's supposed to be different," Xander told him.

"Jimbo?"

Jim shook his head. "I never made boar - or ate it - myself. Sorry."

"Ah."

"Cease this inane prattling about eating a guardian spirit!" Merlin spat. "You risk enraging it, should it be listening to us. We are already in its territory - the heart of the woods - and at any moment, it could appear to face us. Disrespect it at your own peril, but do not do so when we are facing Morgana's return."

Well, the man had a point. Sort of. Jim didn't like it, but he nodded. "Let's go." They had to enter the Shadow Realm and save their families before Morgana overpowered Claire and took them hostage. Or worse.

Merlin nodded in apparent approval to him, then turned and walked past a denser patch of underbrush - and suddenly stopped.

"Oh," Buffy said, peering past the wizard at what he was staring at, "It looks like someone beat us to eating boar."

"What?" Jim followed the two into a small clearing. In the centre, he could see a skeleton - an animal's skeleton. It was huge, easily dwarfing the cow's skeleton they had seen on an excursion to a ranch.

"That's a boar's skeleton - look at the tusks in the skull."

"Holy…" Toby whistled. "Look at the size of that thing."

"We are looking," Xander said.

"Who killed it?" Buffy asked. She sounded a little envious, Jim thought, but he wasn't sure.

"A kill-stealing hunter?" Xander snorted.

Merlin still stared at the skeleton.

"It might not have been killed," Willow said. "The bones are all in place. Maybe it just… died?"

"It could've been poisoned or wounded in a fight, escaped and died here, in its lair," Xander speculated. "We would need an autopsy to find out. If you can run an autopsy on a pile of bones."

"It would be more like a forensic analysis of the skeleton," Willow said. "I think so, at least."

"Or it d-died b-because t-the magic is fading from t-the woods?" Tara speculated.

"It doesn't matter. The Wild Boar is dead. The woods are bereft of its defender." Merlin shook his head.

"Yes," Blinky agreed. "A great loss, indeed. I've never met the Wild Boar before, but I knew about its legend."

"Yes, yes, a pig's dead. Can we move on?" Spike asked, looking up. "I don't trust the whole sun blocking woods thing."

"With the Wild Boar dead, the entrance to the Shadow Real might have shifted," Merlin said. "Let me check…" He waved his staff and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again. "No. It's still there. Right at the skeleton."

"So… the big bad boar died right on top of the entrance of the Shadow Realm? That's not exactly giving me good vibes," Xander said.

"Good vibes? It's not the seventies any more, Xander," Buffy said.

"The seventies will never die!"

Merlin huffed, interrupting them. "The Wild Boar must have guarded the heart of the woods to the last. The least we can do is to honour this dedication." He waved his staff again, and the skeleton moved aside, forming a pile of bones.

"That's honouring the dead?" Toby whispered next to Jim.

Jim would have chuckled at the comment, but… "Something gives me the creeps, Tobes," he whispered.

"Me too," his friend whispered back.

"So… we just walk through?" Buffy asked.

"You do not simply walk into the Shadow Realms," Xander said in a deep voice.

Jim laughed at the reference, as did the others, but Merlin frowned. "I did explain that many have passed into the Shadow Realm without noticing until it was too late for them, did I not? Yes, we merely have to walk through here." He pointed his staff at the area where the bones had laid just before.

"And you really need to see Lord of the Rings. Or read it," Buffy said - but she walked past him, right onto the spot he was pointing at.

And vanished - faded from view within a second. Toby gasped.

"Do not dawdle," Merlin told them, a moment before he, too, faded.

"Well, let's go," Jim muttered. "We don't want to get left behind if the entrance shifts around."

He walked straight along the path Buffy and Merlin had taken. Missing the entrance would be embarrassing. As he reached the centre of the clearing, he held his breath. One step. Then another. He felt a slight chill wash over him - like a soft breeze.

And he was somewhere else. In another forest, darker. With a sky that was familiar.

The Shadow Realm.

*****​

The Shadow Realm, January 29th, 2017


"So… how do we get to our camp? This doesn't look like a floating island in a sea of shadow stuff. It looks like a rather non-floating forest in some shadow… something."

It had sounded better in Buffy Summers's head before she said it, but the gist should be clear: Which way to Mom and Dawn and the others?

"We are standing in the heart of the representation of the Wild Wood in the Shadow Realm - its counterpart, so to speak," Merlin replied. "The 'sea of shadows' you described is far from here - beyond the Dark Sea. It's not tied to an actual physical location but formed from the dreams and fears of the people."

"That sounds rather ominous," Xander commented.

"Yeah. I've had some really bad dreams sometimes. Before a test, or if I overeat," Toby added.

"I don't want to visit my fears. Not again," Willow said.

Oh, yes. Buffy nodded with her lips pressed together. That hadn't been a fun Halloween. Not at all.

"You should have thought about this before setting up your camp on one of the few manifestations of solid ground there," Merlin retorted.

"We didn't know," Jim spoke up. "It was the best thing we could think of. And it felt safe."

"And you could've said something sooner," Buffy told the old wizard. "Not like now, when it's too late."

"I was not certain whether or not this was a deliberate choice by Morgana," Merlin replied. "Or if she had merely influenced the girl's thoughts to make her pick the location."

Buffy scoffed. It wasn't as if Merlin had held back with his other opinions. "So, how do we get there? Walk, then swim? That'll take a long time." England was only about half the size of California, as she had once pointed out to Giles, but that was still a huge island.

"Of course not. In the Shadow Realms, physical distances do not mean nearly as much as they do in the physical world." Merlin sneered. "If we can fix our destination firmly in mind, we will be covering leagues with every step."

"Uh… And if we can't?" Toby asked. "I'm sometimes easily distracted."

"Then you will be lost. I suggest not letting yourself be distracted. Think of your family." Merlin didn't quite shrug, but his tone made Buffy think he didn't really care one way or the other.

"So… we think of our loved ones, then click our heels together three times and poof - we're there?" Xander asked. "Or is it more like a walking thinking thing?"

"We walk." Merlin obviously didn't get the reference.

"Great. More hiking. At least there's no sun here."

"Are you ever going to stop complaining, Spike?" Buffy asked.

"No." He bared his teeth at her in a warped smile.

Jim spoke up: "Let's focus on our camp, guys! We can't waste time."

"Do we close our eyes for that?" Toby asked. "I can focus better with my eyes closed, but walking is harder."

Buffy heard Merlin sigh and grinned. Even though their situation wasn't particularly funny - they did have to reach their camp, and quickly. And… Wait! "And how do we get back to the real world with the others?" she asked. It was one thing to focus on her family, but to focus on a pile of bones? And Dawn and Mom wouldn't be able to - they hadn't seen the pile of bones in the first place.

Merlin turned towards her. "We need to reach them first. Then we can decide on our next step."

"And what if Morgana was already there and has gone again?" Toby asked.

"Then we will find your friends and families dead or worse," Merlin said in a flat tone.

Buffy clenched her teeth. She couldn't stand that attitude - Merlin acted as if everyone was expendable. And as if he was their leader. "They aren't dead!" she snapped.

"I do hope they are not dead. But every minute we waste here discussing the obvious means more time for Morgana to reach them. We need…"

Buffy held up a hand, interrupting him. "Quiet!" She hissed and cocked her head.

Merlin actually fell silent.

Buffy turned around. Something… she could hear something moving through the shadowy forest. It was trying to be sneaky and silent, but it wasn't good enough to fool her. "Something's coming, she whispered.

"What is it?" Willow asked.

"Don't know," Buffy replied. "But I doubt it's something good."

"Great. Can we go through the Sunshine and Rainbow Dimension next time?" Xander commented as Willow and Tara held hands, a soft glow appearing around Willow's free one.

"I hear it too," Spike said. "It's big."

"A bear?" Xander asked.

"Bears are extinct in England," Willow said. "As are most large predators."

The huge thing that stepped around a tall tree wasn't a bear. It was a wolf. A wolf the size of a small elephant. And with spooky red eyes.

"Someone forgot to tell it that it's supposed to be extinct," Xander muttered.

"I think it knows," Tara whispered as the wolf growled. "It's very angry."

"Great. It's the Thanksgiving vengeful spirit part two," Buffy said. "Even though it wasn't us who killed all the wolves in England."

The wolf opened its mouth - its maw - and howled.

*****​
 
Chapter 34: The Shadow Realm
Chapter 34: The Shadow Realm

The Shadow Realm, January 29th, 2017

"Where's Oz when you need a wolf whisperer?" Buffy Summers muttered through clenched teeth while the wolf-spirit-of-vengeance howled louder than a ship's siren or something. The thing was huge - as tall as an elephant. A small elephant, but still.

And it was mad - it was literally frothing at the mouth; she could see green drool splatter against the pitch-black fur. She clenched her teeth. If the thing charged, she wouldn't be able to stop it - it was too massive. It would charge straight through her, and trample or eat her friends behind her. No choice - she had to play bait.

She gripped her scythe with both hands and charged at the thing. "Flank it, Jim! We need to keep it focused on us!"

"No!" Merlin yelled behind her.

But she could see Jim starting to move in the corner of her eye. And then she reached the wolf - which tried to bite her in half. She jumped to the side, rolling over the ground and coming up in a crouch, blade held in front of her. "Come on, doggy! Here I am!"

The thing roared and charged her. She gritted her teeth and moved to the left again, leading it further away from her friends. A second before it reached her, she jumped over its jaws and slashed at it.

Her blade passed through it as if it wasn't there, and the sudden lack of any resistance sent her stumbling. "What the…?"

Jim had reached it as well, and Eclipse passed through the wolf's flank as if it were just an illusion. Either the sword or the wolf.

"It is a shadow spirit! Its form is merely an illusion!" Merlin yelled.

"So what do I need to cut?" Buffy yelled back as she jumped over a paw swipe.

"Can it hurt us?" Toby asked, standing between the monster and the others, hammer gripped in both hands.

Before Merlin could answer, another paw swipe sent Jim flying through the air. He bounced twice before he came to a stop in a bush.

"Jimbo!"

Buffy charged the thing again, slashing left and right at any part of the thing's body.

"I'm Ok," she heard Jim say. Good. Then…

The monster whirled to face her and tried to bite her again. Buffy spun to the right, moving her scythe to keep the thing at bay, but it went straight through the blade. She managed to jump up at the last moment, so the teeth didn't rip her in half, but its nose slammed into her, and she went flying as well, tumbling head over heels. This was going to hurt.

She smashed through the crown of a smaller tree, then into the underbrush and finally hit the ground.

Gasping for air - her ribs were on fire again - she dragged herself up. She couldn't let that monster get to her friends. She had to stop it. Slay it. Mom and Dawn and the rest depended on her!

"Jimbo! No!"

She raised her head and saw Jim take a flight again. Damn. "This stupid monster is doing better than Glory did!" she muttered as she started to run at it again.

"You need to hit it when it hits you!" Merlin yelled.

That was… "How?"

"I've got an idea!" Jim yelled as he got back up after ploughing a trench into the soft ground.

Toby stood his ground, hammer raised, as the wolf turned towards him.

"I tried to capture it, but my spell's not affecting it!" Willow had her hand pointed at the monster, but that was all Buffy could see.

Spike was moving next to Toby.

"What's the plan?" Buffy snapped as she drew up next to Jim.

"I let it hit my shield, and you hit it at the same time."

That was… it could actually work. But Jim was already wounded.

"I got the shield," Jim said as if he had read her thoughts.

Buffy looked at him for a moment. He had his jaws clenched. He wouldn't budge. "Alright," she said.

Screaming, he charged the wolf while she followed him.

The monster whirled to meet them, opening its maw - and Jim charged straight into it, raising his shield at the last moment to smash it against its teeth.

And Buffy jumped over Jim's head, scythe held in both hands, then brought it down right when the monster tried to chump down on Jim. The tip of her scythe sunk into the wolf's skull - and met resistance! Yes!

Baring her teeth, she drove the blade down, into the creature's brain. It jerked, and she was sent flying again, her scythe ripped out of the monster's head, but she had enough time to adjust and landed on her feet.

Just in time to see Toby bring the trollhammer down on the monster's head when it swung back.

The wolf collapsed, then started to fade away - like a cloud of smoke in a breeze.

Buffy drew a deep, shuddering breath. "That went well." Kinda. No one died.

But her ribs were hurting again, and Jim was limping once more. Not the best way to start their trip through the Shadow Realm.

And Merlin looked furious, but that was par for the course.

*****​

The Shadow Realm, January 30th, 2017

James Lake Jr could see the camp. He didn't even have to close his eyes for that. The campers, forming a half-circle, the dining area in the middle, next to the grill, the training area with the cut, smashed and ground rocks, the edge of the island, with the shadows beneath and beyond, Mom sitting at the table, tired but smiling…

And he could almost feel himself getting closer to the island with each limping step he took. The woods gave way to fields, then to shores. Then he was on an island, then on land again, two steps took him past hills, three past mountains.

"It's like flash-stepping!" Toby said next to him as they crossed another lake. Or inlet - it was hard to see the landscape when it was blurring past you.

"Yes," Jim said. They were racing through the Shadow Realm - but they had still spent hours to get here, with the trip to the Army base, the ritual and then the trip to and through the Wild Wood. Could Claire have held back Morgana for so long?

He pressed his lips together. Claire was strong. Stubborn. Fantastic. She wouldn't give up. He had to trust her. But Morgana was a thousand years old. And she had been trained by Merlin himself…

Another mountain rose in front of them. Two steps took them to the top. Three more down the slope on the other side.

"This is amazing!" Jim heard Blinky's voice from behind. "We're even faster than the Gyre! This could revolutionise travel!"

"If you don't mind dealing with the shadow monsters," Buffy commented - of course she'd overhear them even though she was taking the lead. Then again, somehow, they were still all together, more or less.

"Ah, right," Blinky replied. "That would be a drawback, yes."

"We didn't 'deal' with the spirit," Merlin complained. "You slaughtered it."

"Hey!" Buffy retorted. "I'm the Slayer. A monster attacks my friends or me, I slay it. That's how it works."

"And the spirit didn't seem to want to talk," Willow, slightly out of breath, added.

"It was full of rage," Tara agreed.

"And if it had attacked first, it would have stomped everyone. Including you," Buffy pointed out.

"If it had attacked," Merlin retorted.

The wizard had been rather cranky about the fight against the shadow wolf spirit thing, Jim knew. Though Jim sided with Buffy here - they couldn't have risked the monster attacking first. And he wasn't quite sure if Merlin was cranky that they had killed the spirit instead of trying to talk to it or retreat - or if he was cranky because they had done so without waiting for him to say so. The wizard certainly wasn't planning to talk to Morgana, from what Jim could tell.

Not that Jim was against that - as long as Claire didn't get hurt. If they had to kill Morgana to save Claire, Jim would kill her himself without hesitation. To take over Claire's body, try to kill them all, after watching through Claire's eyes… He shuddered and clenched his teeth.

"Well, if it didn't want to attack, it should have fled," Buffy said.

"We were in its territory," Willow pointed out.

"We were just passing through."

"It's dead. Why are we arguing about it?" Spike said. "Let's get to the camp, evacuate the others, then go and kill the bitch."

Well, Jim couldn't argue with that.

Merlin probably could, but the pace they were setting must have made it more difficult for him to talk since he only grumbled a few more times before they were passing through a forest again.

Another step, and Jim reached a shore - no, an edge. This wasn't shadowy water in front of him but just shadows. And…

"I see lights ahead," Buffy announced.

"The island we seek," Merlin told them.

"How do we reach it?" Toby asked.

"We fly, of course." Merlin sounded rather curt. Jim looked at him. Yes, as expected, the wizard seemed out of breath. The same as Willow and Tara.

"Fly?" Blinky sounded surprised. "I'm no Stalkling, alas."

"You don't need to be to fly here." Merlin took a step forward. "Gravity is a state of mind."

"What does that mean, Yoda?" Buffy asked.

"It means that you can fly if you think you can fly."

"Uh. And if we don't think we can fly?" Toby asked.

"Then you will fall."

Jim frowned at Merlin. "That wasn't helpful at all."

"We are a short hop away from our goal. We just travelled a thousand miles in a few steps." Merlin took another deep breath. "Why would you baulk at flying?"

"That's because, well… flying involves falling if you fail. Failing at walking just means… stopping?" Toby shrugged. "I'm afraid of falling to my death. I'm not really afraid of falling behind."

"You won't fall behind or fall down," Jim told him. He licked his lips. If this failed… "Just jump. I'll catch you if you fall. We've taken longer steps than this."

Toby slowly nodded. "Right." He licked his lips. "Just… jump. I can do this."

"Watch me!" And Buffy dashed forward, pushed off - and flew towards the island.

Spike snorted and followed her. But then, vampires were said to be able to fly, weren't they? At least in some movies.

Merlin scoffed and flew off as well - though at a slower pace.

Willow and Tara looked at each other, closed their eyes, and slowly floated off the shore.

Blink cleared his throat. "I must profess that the thought of flying is terrifying."

"You can do it," Jim told him and Toby.

"Are you sure?" Xander asked. "We're not exactly team magic. Well, you've got the super-armour."

"But our families are waiting over there!" Jim told them. "They need us! We have to jump!" He couldn't leave them behind.

Xander cursed under his breath, then started to run. "If I fall, it's your fault!"

But the man jumped and flew towards the island.

"Nana. I need to go to Nana." Toby took one deep breath after another. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." He started running, jumped - and fell down screaming.

Jim cursed and jumped after him. His friend was already picking up speed. "Focus!" Jim screamed. "You can fly!"

"I'm trying! It's not working!"

"Try harder!"

"I'm trying! I'm try…" Toby suddenly flew up, almost crashing into Jim.

And now Jim was the only falling. He closed his eyes. Mom. He had to fly to Mom. Mom was on the island. This wasn't real - it was the Shadow Realm. If he believed, if he wanted to, he could fly. He just had to want it. Want it hard. Mom. Claire.

He felt the air change and opened his eyes. He was flying. He was flying!

Laughing, he shot back up towards the edge. Towards Toby. He couldn't help it - despite their situation, he whooped with glee when he cleared the edge - he was flying!

"Impressive, Master Jim."

Right. Blinky. Jim sobered up. "You can do it. You just need to want to fly!" Jim told him.

"I tried." Blinky shook his head. "It's not working."

Jim clenched his teeth. He wanted to fly to the island and check on Mom. What if Morgana had been there? What if she was still there? He looked back. No sign of any fighting. And between the others, they should be able to at least give some kind of signal that they were fighting. But…

He flew over to Blinky - and dropped as soon as he was above the edge-shore, crashing into the sand.

"Jimbo!"

"Master Jim!"

"Ow." Jim got up, spitting out some sand. His side hurt again. Fortunately, he hadn't been up too high. "You can't fly above this part. You have to jump off," he told Blinky.

"Oh." Blinky eyed the shore. Swallowed.

"You can do it, Blinky!" Toby encouraged him. "Just jump and think flying thoughts. Like in a dream. Or in a game."

"I never dreamed of flying. Or play such a game," Blinky replied, taking a few steps to the very edge of the, well, edge.

"Just jump!" Toby repeated himself. He sounded impatient, Jim realised. They were… well, not wasting time. But Mom and Toby's nana were so close. And they must be worried.

Blinky closed all his eyes, then took another step - and fell.

Jim jumped and dived after him, followed by Toby.

*****​

"Mom! Dawn!" Buffy Summers yelled as she entered the camp. "We're back!" Where were they? All the lights were off. Well, it was very early morning depending on your view, but...

The door of Mom's camper opened as she approached it, and… "Giles?"

"Buffy!" He smiled at her, then turned his head. "Joyce! Buffy's back!"

"Buffy!" She could hear her mom cry out in the back of the camper. A moment later, she arrived behind Giles, wrapped in a bathrobe. At least Giles was wearing his tweed, Buffy noted. If they had… No, not going there!

"What happened?" he asked. "We were unable to make contact with anyone outside the camp."

"Ah." Buffy pressed her lips together. "We beat Glory - her human host was Ben the intern. But Riley and AAARRRGGHH!!! died, and…"

Mom hugging her cut her words off. "Buffy! You're safe."

Relatively safe. But that could wait a moment. As more doors were opened all around them, Buffy hugged Mom back.

"Glory's dead?" Dawn asked - she was standing there in her pyjamas.

"Glory's dead?"

Buffy glanced around. Everyone was coming out of their campers. Anya. Dr Lake, Nana, the Nuñez, and the changelings.

"Where is Jim?"

"Where is Claire?"

"Where is my daughter?"

"Where is Xander?"

"Big Sis?"

"When will Toby-Pie arrive?"

Right. Buffy grimaced and released Mom. "We defeated Glory," she repeated herself, "but we have a problem."

"Where is Jim?" Dr Lake asked with an impressive glare.

"He's coming. He just needs to figure out how to jump a mile," she told the woman.

"What?" Dr Lake blinked.

And Giles stopped smiling. She saw him glance towards Claire's parents. So, he had figured it out already. "We've got a problem," Buffy said again. "Everyone except for Riley and AAARRRGGHH!!! is alive." She could see the others relax. "But…"

"Xander!" Anya's scream interrupted her.

"Anya!"

The two all but tackled each other. Buffy sighed and looked away as they started kissing.

Willow and Tara, followed by Merlin, arrived. Still no Jim.

"Where is Jim? What happened?" Dr Lake said, looking around.

"He's coming," Buffy told her. What was taking Jim so long, anyway? He should be explaining this!

"Where is Claire?" Mrs Nuñez blurted out. "Why didn't she create a portal to the camp?"

Right. Buffy clenched her teeth. "Claire got possessed by Morgana."

"As I feared," Merlin said.

Buffy glared at him. This wasn't the time for any 'I told you so's!

Mr and Mrs Nuñez gasped. "NO!" "Claire…" They hugged each other.

"Possessed?" Giles looked grim.

"Yes. She is now the greatest threat to our world," Merlin told him. "We need to evacuate you to a place she doesn't know, then deal with Morgana."

"Where's Jim?" Dr Lake asked again.

"He's…" Buffy cocked her head. That sounded like… "...coming." She turned and saw Jim and Toby arrive at the edge of the island, carrying Blinky between them. They came in low and didn't fall down.

"Jim!" For an older woman, Dr Lake could do a decent impression of a sprinter - she met Jim halfway to the camp while Blinky was still patting down his body as if he was checking for missing parts or something.

"Mom!"

"Nana!"

"Toby-Pie!"

"I have to say, flying is quite… disturbing," Blinky said.

"I found it comes naturally to me," the changeling commented.

"I much prefer the solid ground. And rock over my head."

"What happened to big sis?" Not-Enrique asked.

"Yes." Mr Nuñez nodded with a deep scowl. "What happened to my daughter? How could you let her get possessed?"

Damn. Buffy could see Jim flinch worse than when he was struck by Glory. "It wasn't his fault!" she snapped.

But Jim shook his head and released his mom. "It was my fault. I should've seen it coming."

*****​

It was his fault. James Lake Jr knew it. Claire was his girlfriend. He should have noticed something. Or should have had a better plan for the fight against Glory. If he had been with her when it had happened, he could have… done something. Anything.

Mr and Mrs Nuñez were glaring at him.

"Jim! It wasn't your fault!" Mom said, hugging him again. Despite the armour.

"You couldn't have done anything," Buffy cut in. "Merlin expected it and prepared for it, and it didn't help."

Now Merlin was scowling. "I did what I could in my weakened state. But the girl didn't notice Morgana's presence in her mind, which allowed my former apprentice to prepare for my precautions - and counter them."

"Yeah, yeah." Buffy snorted. "Don't blame this on Jim. He isn't a wizard, and he wasn't next to Claire during the fighting."

"Indeed. Morgana got the better of everyone of us," Blinky cut in. "And she chose the time to strike well - everyone was distracted by the fight against Glory."

"Yes. Kinda hard to notice someone getting possessed if you're fighting for your life a hundred yards away," Buffy said.

"So, what? No one could've done anything?" Mr Nuñez asked. "It was Claire's fault?"

"No!" Jim protested. "It wasn't her fault! She even let Merlin trap her armour to stop her!" It wasn't Claire's fault! She had been willing to let Merlin curse her to stop Morgana! They had failed her, not the other way around!

"Which is why she took him out first," Toby said.

"Claire let you trap her armour?" Mrs Nuñez bellowed. "What were you planning?"

Merlin didn't flinch. "What I had to to save the world. What I did and will do, as long as I live."

Mr Nuñez took a few steps towards him, but Buffy moved and put her hand on his chest, easily stopping him. "You can't hit him, sorry. We need to focus on getting Morgana out of Claire. And save the world."

"And we will save Claire," Jim said. No matter the cost.

Merlin scoffed at that.

"And Merlin's dying," Willow added. "We don't have much time."

"Indeed, we do not." Merlin seemed to ignore Claire's parents. "Morgana will come after you soon enough - she wants the Key to free Gunmar." He nodded at Dawn.

"What?" Dawn gasped. "But… Glory's dead!"

"This is true," Merlin said. "But the Key remains. And many will covet its vast powers."

Dawn blinked. "But…"

"What do you mean? Will more of those crazies come after Dawn?" Mrs Summers asked.

"If the knowledge spreads, yes," Merlin said. "The power to breach dimensions is too tempting for many. Especially for those who deal with forces from beyond our dimension."

Dawn wrapped her arms around herself. "But… I didn't ask for this!"

"Of course not," Buffy told her. Mrs Summers moved to hug Dawn.

"It does not matter what you wanted. You have the power, and others crave it." Merlin shrugged. "Best prepare to deal with it. Such as we should, now." He looked at Jim. "Instead of wallowing in guilt."

Jim glared at him, clenching his teeth.

"Don't blame my son!" Mom snapped.

"I do not. He is blaming himself," Merlin retorted. "And we cannot afford such foolishness. Not now." Toby's nana frowned at him, and he scowled in return. "Morgana could strike at any moment. With her staff, she can reach any place she has been before. We have to move now."

"But where would we go?" Mom asked.

That was a good question. Morgana knew everything Claire knew since she had taken the staff. Los Angeles, perhaps? Not Sunnydale. Never.

"The one place where Morgana cannot enter, of course. The one place where she is barred entry by forces greater than her own," Merlin said. "Camelot."

"Camelot?" Mom gasped.

"Did I stutter?" Merlin scoffed.

"But I thought it was sealed," Jim said.

"It is. I sealed it, using the castle's own power, after Arthur had fallen," Merlin explained. "But there are ways to enter it which I know."

"You didn't mention that when we were there," Buffy said.

"There was no need for it," Merlin retorted. "I would not risk opening Camelot to those who might exploit it unless there was no other choice."

"We wouldn't exploit it!" Willow protested. Tara nodded.

"Yes, we wouldn't," Toby said.

Jim nodded in agreement.

"You would not, I admit that. But what about your successors? Your friends, allies and descendants?" Merlin shook his head. "You might only share the secret with those whom you trust, but even I was fooled by Morgana. A mere year before she turned on us, I would have trusted her with my life."

"What exactly is so valuable that you need to protect it so much?" Willow asked.

"The Heart of Avalon." Merlin grimaced. "My greatest work - and my greatest folly. How do I wish I had never created it! The danger it poses to the world rivals that of the Key."

"So… what does it do? Is it another dimension breaking thing?" Buffy asked.

"An unlimited source of magic?" Willow looked a little too interested, in Jim's opinion. "Wait! If it were, you'd have gone to it when we arrived in England to cure yourself!"

"Neither. And I shall not compound my mistake and tell you anything about its nature." Merlin shook his head. "And do not try my patience with guessing games lest you like living as a newt."

Xander, who had been raising his hand, lowered it again. "Never mind!"

*****​

"So, how do we get there?" Buffy Summers asked. "I'm fresh out of seven-league boots." Dawn and Mom couldn't imagine the Wild Wood or Camelot and then rush through the Shadow Realm like Buffy and the others had just done. "And flying doesn't work overland."

"There are alternatives," Merlin said.

"Alternatives?" Buffy blinked.

"We're on the edge of the Shadow Realm. As you undoubtedly noticed, the laws of nature are different in the realm - especially here, where the firmer, more focused lands give way to dreamshapes," the wizard explained. "So, you can fly using your willpower."

"Yeah, yeah, I got that," Buffy replied. She was a college girl. "But we had to walk through a lot of woods, hills and mountain ranges to reach this part. We can't fly over them. And we can't just rush through them, 'cause not everyone has a connection to Camelot."

Merlin raised his eyebrows at her. "You are stating the obvious."

Buffy clenched her jaw.

"It's obvious, but it's also an obvious problem," Willow said. "So, what's your solution?"

"We will enchant one of the wagons here to fly, of course," Merlin said.

"What?" Buffy blurted out.

"It should hold all of us, and I can guide it back to Camelot easily enough," the wizard went on.

"A flying camper? They can't even move without a car to pull them - or a Slayer," Xander said. "Do we get winged horses to pull them?" She smiled at him behind the old geezer's back. Way to go!

Merlin glared at him. "Magic will suffice."

"You mean our magic," Willow said.

"Obviously. You want to save your friends and families, so this should not be much of a sacrifice," Merlin replied. "Further, you want to learn how to enchant a vehicle to soar through the skies."

Willow pouted but didn't contradict him. Buffy nodded in agreement - he had her bestie's number.

"Why do I foresee a greater number of UFO sightings in California after this is over?" Xander commented.

"I would never!" Willow protested. "I would enchant the car to be invisible and I'd stay under the radar!"

"But you are planning to enchant a car."

"Well… the advantages are obvious," Willow said.

Of course she was. Buffy sighed.

"A flying car!" Xander grinned. "You know that you'll have to call it the Fantasticar!"

"Or the Willowmobile," Dawn added. "I'll have to learn how to drive!"

"You have to be sixteen first," Mom said.

"But this would be for safety!"

"Could we cease counting the chickens before they have hatched?" Merlin cut in. "We need to make haste unless you prefer to risk fighting Morgana surrounded by ready-made hostages."

That was what Merlin had been planning, wasn't it? And Buffy had no doubt that he would still prefer to fight Morgana here and in Claire's body, hampered by Claire's soul, instead of in her own body.

But they had to evacuate their families.

"Then let's get started," Willow said.

Tara nodded, and the two followed Merlin towards Toby and his grandmother's camper.

"You should pack in the meantime," Jim told the others. "Just grab what you need - we'll have limited space in the camper."

"Let us hope that weight is not a problem," Giles commented as the others moved to their own campers.

Buffy looked at him. "Shouldn't you be packing as well?"

"I already prepared the necessities," Giles told her.

"Books and a toothbrush?" She grinned.

He smiled in return. "Not quite as spartan, but I do think we'll need information more than a spare suit."

Probably, yes. Buffy nodded.

"What about you, my dear?"

She shrugged. "I got a bug-out bag ready." Riley had once told her about that. Good advice, even though Riley had bugged out later. She sighed.

Giles polished his glasses. "Buffy…"

"I'm fine," she told him.

"I have to admit that I doubt that," he told her. "With this new development, and the loss of your…ex-boyfriend..."

"We weren't together any more," she said, cutting him off. "And he knew the risks."

Giles put his glasses back on and sighed. "That does not make it any easier to bear."

It didn't. But they didn't have time to deal with this. Riley was dead - he wasn't going anywhere. They had to focus on saving Dawn, Mum and the others. And the world. "Let's go help the others pack," she said.

As she walked over to her family's camper, she tried not to listen to Mr and Mrs Nuñez worrying about their daughter. Fortunately, Anya was loudly complaining about leaving perfectly good clothes and other valuables behind. And trying to make Xander pack them all by claiming it was about sustainability instead of greed.

Buffy was smiling as she entered her camper.

*****​

"Alright. That should be all," James Lake Jr said, looking at the two suitcases. They would have to leave a lot behind, but they could replace things. They couldn't replace lives. "Let's go check how Merlin and the others are doing."

"Jim…"

He looked up. Mom was leaning against the kitchenette. And she had that concerned expression on her face that she usually had when Jim had messed up. And he had messed up royally, hadn't he?

"It wasn't your fault," she said.

"I should have noticed," he retorted at once. "Should've done something." Anything.

"How could you have known? No one noticed. Not even Claire's parents. Merlin himself expected this and couldn't do anything either." Mom shook her head and took a step forward, placing a hand on his shoulders. "Don't blame yourself."

"But I'm the Trollhunter! I'm supposed to protect everyone, trolls and humans." And certainly his friends!

"I'm a doctor, Jim."

Jim blinked. Did Mom just quote Star Trek?

She frowned, then snorted. "Not that." But she immediately grew serious again. "I'm a doctor, Jim. I am supposed to save people. But I don't succeed all the time. And it's not my fault. Some cases can't be saved - people who are too far gone. I still try my best, but it's not my fault if they don't make it."

"But…"

She shook her head again. "Sometimes, there's nothing you can do, Jim. I know it's easy to blame yourself, to think that if only you had done something differently, the patient would still be alive. I do that, too. But I had to learn that it's wrong." She leaned forward and looked into his eyes, her nose inches from his. "You cannot blame yourself for things you couldn't help. Please understand this."

Jim pressed his teeth together. That was all fine and well, but… "This is different! I've been with her all the time since she got the staff. Merlin told me about the danger!"

"And he himself couldn't stop it." Mom sighed. "Jim. Morgana is that Morgana. A witch with a thousand years of experience. And she was watching and waiting, wasn't she? She didn't take over Claire until the last moment, did she?"

Jm blinked. That was right. "Still…"

"How could you have noticed this? Can you read Claire's mind?" Mom raised her eyebrows. "That would be news to me."

Jim blushed. No, he couldn't read Claire's mind. That would have made a few things easier in the past. And probably far worse, too. "But I knew of the danger!"

"As did Merlin, who prepared for this. And everyone else knew as well, didn't they?"

Jim pressed his lips together. The others had been informed as well, yes. Those who fought. They hadn't told the rest. "Sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault, Jim. You have to accept that."

Jim sighed and slowly nodded. It made sense. He couldn't have noticed Morgana until she did something. And how could he have stopped her while fighting Glory? But that didn't change that Claire was still possessed.

And that he had to fight Morgana in Claire's body.

He closed his eyes. "I have to save her."

"And you will do your best, Jim. I have no doubt about that. And that is all anyone can ask of you."

But what if his best wasn't good enough? What if Claire was killed? What would Jim do then? Yet Jim nodded. "Yes, Mom."

Mom smiled at him. "Good. Now, let's go and see if the camper's flying already."

"We didn't hear squeals or screams, so they probably aren't finished yet," Jim said.

And indeed, when they left their camper and walked over to Toby's, Merlin and the two witches were still standing in a triangle, hands linked - Tara in the middle - and facing the camper.

Buffy and the others were a bit further back, various suitcases and bags at their feet. The Nuñez were there as well, but a bit apart. And they were glaring - at Jim.

Mom scowled. "I'll have a word with them," she whispered.

"No, Mom!" Jim retorted. "They just heard about Claire, and… What would you do if it had been me?"

She looked at him for a moment, then sighed.

But before she could say anything else, Merlin raised his staff in front of them, then pointed it at the camper. He spoke a weird word, then green magic rushed from the tip of his staff to the camper, covering it in a soft glow.

Willow pointed her hand at the camper as well, repeating his word. The glow intensified, shining so brightly for a moment, Jim had to squint. Then Merlin waved his staff, and the magic seemed to seep into the camper.

"Whoa," he whispered under his breath as runes and symbols appeared on the walls, shining brightly once more before fading.

"Awesomesauce!" Toby didn't whisper.

Merlin staggered, gulping down air, and it looked as if he had to use his staff to keep from falling. But he kept standing, taking deep breaths, as the camper rose about a foot from the ground before moving towards him, slowly turning so when it stopped, the entrance was facing Merlin and the others.

Willow and Tara looked tired as well - not as bad as Merlin, but both were panting. And sweating.

Jim looked around at once. If Morgana attacked now, they would be in a bad spot. But he couldn't see the witch. Or any portal.

"It is done," Merlin said. "Now come, enter - we should not linger here while we are recovering from this feat."

"Yeah. Let's all board the magic camper!" Xander said. "Camelot awaits!"

*****​

Buffy Summers put up a confident facade when she entered the camper, but she couldn't help feeling a little ill at ease. She trusted Willow, of course, but this was Merlin's idea. And he was old and close to dying. Not exactly the kind of pilot you wanted for a trans-shadow flight or whatever you might want to call it.

Yet she couldn't tell Dawn, Mom and the others to take the camper and walk back to the Camelot herself. What if they were attacked en route? Or something happened? Xander would say 'never split the party' with a grin, but it wasn't wrong.

So she forced herself to smile as they filed into the camper. "I guess we won't be returning this one to the dealer," she commented as she saw that the interior had been slightly remodelled to fit more people, presumably.

"I don't think so," Xander agreed. "Probably better if we don't - they can just file their insurance claims instead of going through another round of investigations once the campers are returned. And we won't be starting another conspiracy theory."

"Area 101, the mysterious camper site!" Willow said. "Aliens need our mobile homes to turn them into spaceships!"

Everyone - except for Merlin and the Nuñez - had a laugh at that, though it was a little forced in some cases.

"No seatbelts. The FAA would never certify this," Buffy added as she picked a seat in the presumably front - Merlin was already seated there.

"I do not know nor do I care to know what that is," the grump replied.

"It's the Federal Aviation Administration," Willow piped up as she took a seat next to Merlin, followed by Tara. Right, they had to feed the geezer magic so he wouldn't die. And they needed to hold hands for that. Creepy. "It's a government agency that regulates air travel.

"As I said, I do not care to know."

"Just saying, we kinda violate their regulations, and…" Willow shut up with a slight eep when the camper shook, then started to rise.

They rose until they were about tree level - larger trees - then turned and accelerated towards the 'firm land' across the shadows. Buffy could hear nervous chuckling from the back. Tough - this was their best shot at saving everyone.

Soon they were flying overland, or overshadowland, as Xander commented. Buffy tried to spot the route they had taken, but from this angle of view, it was impossible to match the glimpses she had caught to the landscape. They were going faster than they should. A seven-league boots effect.

With the outside just streaks and glimpses, she focused on the inside of the camper. Merlin looked stressed and strained, and Willow and Tara were mumbling some chants, so they were feeding him magic already.

She turned in her seat and looked at the rest. Xander and Anya were sharing a seat, but they weren't making out, just cuddling. Spike and Giles were talking about Camelot in 19th-century literature, of all things. Hearing Spike arguing about poems was creepier than an old wizard feeding on magic from two young women.

She glanced at the rest, huddled together at the other end of the camper. Mom and Dawn seemed to be holding up OK. The Nuñez were holding each other and not looking at anything or anyone. And Blinky was telling Jim, Toby and their families about Camelot as he remembered it.

"It really feels like a flight," she muttered. "Just waiting for the crappy in-flight meals."

"Toby's nana made sandwiches," Willow commented.

"Those aren't crappy!" Buffy's eyes widened. "Do we have enough food?" The camper was full already with everyone and their luggage. Where could they have stashed more food?

"We've got some," Xander spoke up. "But we'll have to restock in a few days. There just wasn't enough room." He grinned. "We should have taken the biggest RV the dealer had."

"The one with the garage for a sports car?"

"Yes." He grinned.

"Yes!" Anya agreed.

"There was only one," Buffy pointed out. "And we would have had trouble moving it." She wasn't sure that it would have fit through a portal.

"But it would be so much more useful right now," Anya said. "We could have some privacy."

Xander blushed a little, and Buffy quickly turned away. This was too much information! Sometimes she suspected Anya knew exactly was she was doing when she talked about sex. Although…

She blinked at the sight in front of her. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at the shiny light ahead.

Merlin snorted. "What do you think? That's the shadow counterpart of Camelot."

"It's glowing," Willow pointed out the obvious.

"Camelot was the shining light of civilisation in its day. Of course that would be reflected even in its pale shadow," Merlin explained. "You should see the pyramids in the Shadow Realm."

"Weren't those, like, tombs?" Xander asked.

"Yes. But they were also beacons and symbols of the height of the Egyptian civilisation," Merlin replied.

"I wonder what shines in America," Willow said.

"Probably a Walmart," Xander joked. "Or a gun store."

"Xander!" Willow pouted at him. "I was thinking of the Library of Congress!"

"Cease your pointless arguing. We have arrived," Merlin cut in before Xander could tease their friend a bit more.

They were already settling down in a small clearing in the shadowy woods.

"Camelot awaits."

*****​
 
Chapter 35: The Prison
Chapter 35: The Prison

The Shadow Realm, January 30th, 2017

The camper set down almost in the centre of the clearing - James Lake Jr could see the bones, or the shadow of the bones, of the Wild Boar.

"Watch out in case there's another shadow wolf monster around," Buffy said.

"There is no need for that," Merlin replied. "I will steer this contraption to the Wild Wood."

"The entire camper?" Willow gasped.

"How else would we transport all the luggage you insisted on taking along?"

"But what if anyone sees us?" Toby asked. "Flying campers are, well… they'll draw attention."

"By the time anyone of note will be notified, we will be safely ensconced in Camelot. Now be quiet; I do not wish to miss the spot and damage the vehicle."

Jim pressed his lips together. Merlin was as abrasive as usual. But he was right. Probably. You shouldn't distract your driver. Or your pilot.

They turned right, then left, until they were facing the centre, then flew forward. Slowly, slower than someone would walk. Jim held his breath, but they passed through whatever was there without issue. Not even a scratching sound. If a shadow gate made such a noise, anyway.

"Oh!" Mom whispered when they found themselves in the clearing. "Look at the size of those bones!"

"It's the Wild Boar," Jim explained. "The remains of it."

"And it's getting close to dawn!" Spike complained. "Can we get a move on? I don't want to fry!"

"Get a blanket!" Buffy snapped.

"That's only a temporary measure!" the vampire retorted.

"Then get into a suitcase! Not mine!" Buffy told him.

"Not mine either!" Dawn was quick to add.

"Cease this prattling. We will reach Camelot before the sun rises over the mountains," Merlin snapped. "As long as you stop blathering about insignificant issues."

"I do not think imminent death by sunlight is an insignificant issue", Strickler complained.

"I concur," Blinky agreed.

Merlin grumbled in response.

Could the camper actually fly in the real world? The laws of nature were different in the Shadow Realm, after all. But Merlin was the expert here. Jim had to trust him.

Though seeing Willow and Tara transfer more magic wasn't very reassuring. Mom hadn't noticed - she was still staring at the bones - but Toby's nana was frowning as well.

She didn't say anything, though, and they were already rising again - and breaking through the canopy overhead. Jim tried to catch a glimpse of how much damage they had done - exposing the heart of the woods to the sky wasn't a good thing, or so he understood - but the camper was flying too fast already, headed towards Camelot.

"Should've done that the first time," Spike complained - blanket held ready.

"I don't think we could've found the heart of the woods from above," Mr Giles pointed out.

"It would still have been faster than walking," Spike insisted.

"We're getting close to the coast," Mom said. "Is Camelot on an island?"

"No, that's Avalon," Blinky told her. "Or it was an island - a thousand years is a long time to pass. Camelot is on the coast. But it's magically hidden. You will not be able to perceive it until we reach it, I presume."

"Oh."

"Yes, Mom," Jim said. It was too bad, too - Camelot was an incredible sight.

But they were kind of in a hurry. It was much better to get everyone into the castle as fast as possible than to stop outside just for sightseeing. You couldn't even take a picture.

"Where exactly was the castle again?" he heard Buffy ask.

"Next to that cliff, I believe," Mr Giles replied.

Well, they were flying straight at the spot. Would Merlin just punch through whatever seal he had created?

No, When he landed, Jim still couldn't see any castle.

And Merlin leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Merlin?" Willow asked.

He held up his hand. "I need to focus."

"Do you need more magic?" She was looking rather haggard herself, Jim thought.

"No." Merlin's reply was curt. Then he stood. "Outside."

Willow slid out of the way, and Merlin almost stumbled down the stairs as he left the camper, Jim and the others hot on his heels. "I will temporarily suspend the seal. Be ready to push the contraption over the drawbridge," he said as he raised his staff.

"I'll take front!" Buffy said.

"I'll push," Jim replied.

He had barely reached the rear end of the camper when Merlin spoke a single word, and, suddenly, the castle appeared in front of them - with the drawbridge lowered right in front.

"Oh!"

"Wow!"

"Oh my God!"

"My friends won't believe me!"

"Dawn!"

"Do not stand and stare! Move! Hurry!" Merlin snapped.

Jim pushed with all his might. Buffy pulled. Spike joined them. The camper started to move, the wheels creaking. They had to strain some more to keep it from rolling into the ditch or over the others who were moving forward as well, but together, they managed to push and pull the camper onto the drawbridge.

Merlin, leaning on Willow and Tara, followed. He waved his staff again, and the gate opened, revealing a gleaming courtyard.

Camelot.

*****​

Camelot, Britain, January 30th, 2017

The castle was huge. Bigger than the Army bases Buffy Summers had visited. Granted, she only had been on three bases so far, but still!

She glanced at the others. Giles was… looking around as if he were in a daze. And smiling as if he just had… Ew, not going there!

"Let's get inside! I see the sun coming up!" Spike snapped from under his blanket.

"How can you see anything through the blanket?" Xander asked.

"I can feel it!"

"Is that a vampire power? Always knowing when the sun rises and sets?" Toby asked.

"No!"

"Then how…"

"I've got an app!"

"Then that's not really…"

"Where are the bloody dungeons?"

"Over here," Merlin said, pointing at a door to the side. "Don't lock the door behind you," he added before coughing several times.

"You need more magic," Willow said as Spike rushed off.

"Save it. I only need the Heart of Avalon. And battling Morgana will take everything you have left."

Buffy thought that the wizard looked like he was one step from falling over dead, but if he thought he could make it… "So, where is the Heart of Avalon? And where are the guest quarters?"

"Heart of Avalon first!" Willow insisted.

"The main tower," Merlin replied. Willow and Tara kept propping him up as they walked across the courtyard.

"That's probably not where the guest quarters are," Xander commented as they started to follow him.

Merlin didn't answer.

"This is marvellous! I've never been here before," Blinky said, "and the trolls who had visited were only familiar with the dungeons." He blinked. "Although I do think we should enter the castle itself, since the sun is starting to rise." He started to walk faster towards the doors. Strickler followed him.

Buffy glanced at the others. Jim and Toby were looking around in apparent wonder. Well, they were boys, and this was a medieval castle. Probably the medieval castle. Everyone had heard of Camelot. Or seen the movie. Oh! "Can we see the round table as well?"

Merlin groaned, though Buffy had a feeling that it wasn't from pain.

"This is cool," Dawn said, moving to walk next to Buffy. "But it feels… off somehow. Don't know why."

"It's a magical castle," Buffy replied. "Sealed by magic. And has some magic super-thingie in it."

"'Magic super-thingie'? Are you a college girl?" Dawn replied.

"Are you a brat?" Buffy shot back.

"Buffy! Dawn!" Mom cut in. "We're guests here. Behave."

Buffy glanced at Xander, but he didn't comment or quote Austin Powers. Well, Anya was hanging on his arm and explaining all the different features of the castle.

"And there's the outhouse, built into the wall. I heard about this from some of our men - we never had a wall at the village. And there are the stables!"

She sounded excited. And happy. Right, for her, the castle was probably like coming home. Now the tables had turned, and she got to explain everything to Xander. Well, good for her. Buffy wasn't looking forward to living in a medieval castle. Outhouses and chamber pots… She shuddered. Didn't they have magical baths, at least?

They entered the tower, and Merlin led them straight to the stairs next to what looked like a great hall. "Wait here. I shall return shortly."

"Can you make it up the stairs by yourself?" Buffy asked.

"I would not tell you to wait if it were not so." Merlin scoffed. That probably meant that he was going to make it.

"We should go with you," Willow said.

"No. I will not expose you to the temptation of the Heart of Avalon." Merlin shook off Willow's hand and started towards the stairs. "Wait here."

That wasn't exactly how you kept Willow from temptation, but it didn't look like Merlin was about to stay and argue.

And he locked the door behind him.

Willow pouted. "He's so stubborn."

"That he is," Mrs Domzalski agreed. "But he should know what he is doing. This is his home."

"Right."

"Camelot." Giles sighed. "To walk the very halls where Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have walked before… This is a dream come true."

Must be a British thing. Or a boy thing. "You didn't sound as awed of Merlin," Buffy commented.

Giles actually blushed. "Well, he's… not quite what I expected."

"Never meet your idols?" Xander asked.

"Something like that," Giles agreed. He sighed again. "Many of my colleagues would give an arm and a leg to be in our place. And not merely fellow Watchers - some of my colleagues from university would probably gladly murder each other for the mere chance to visit this castle."

That had to be hyperbole. At least Buffy hoped it was. On the other hand, Amy's mother had been willing to murder just to get her daughter on the cheerleader team… "I'm so glad I'm not studying medieval history!" she said.

Everyone chuckled at that.

"So, now we wait? Anyone getting hungry?" Xander asked. "We can look for the kitchen, but I don't think there's any food left."

"There's not enough dust and no sign of any weathering or other destruction," Willow pointed out. "Food stores should be fine."

"Merlin didn't say we had food here, though," Buffy pointed out.

"The food was probably taken along when the castle's residents left," Giles said. "But I would strongly recommend staying here and not haring off to explore a mythical, magically protected castle on our own."

That was a good point. Buffy looked at Dawn.

"What? I'm not planning to sneak off!"

But she sounded like the time she had promised not to sneak off to a party.

Buffy shook her head. Mom did the same.

*****​

Camelot. They were in Camelot. James Lake Jr had to clench his teeth to keep from smiling like an idiot. This was where King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had lived. Legends had walked these hallways!

Until they had died fighting Gunmar and Morgana at the Battle of Killahead Bridge. The same enemies Jim and his friends were facing. And Morgana in Claire's body...

He didn't have any trouble any more to keep from smiling. Quite the opposite.
"Awesomesauce, Jimbo!" Toby beamed at him. "This is great!"

"Yeah, it is," Jim managed to reply with a forced smile.

"You seem troubled, Master Jim."

"Overwhelmed!" Toby said. "Right?"

He couldn't fool Blinky, could he? Jim sighed. "I'm just worried about the… The whole thing, I guess. We need food. We need quarters." He shrugged.

Now Toby looked grim as well. "And we'll have to fight Morgana."

"Yes. In the Fair Claire's body." Blinky nodded. "But we knew that already. And with Dawn safe and secure here, we do not have to worry about facing Gunmar at the same time as we face the sorceress."

"Yes." Small mercies, but still.

"And we'll free Claire from the bitch!" Toby said. "Right, Jimbo?"

"Right, Tobes."

"That's the spirit."

Jim turned and looked at Dawn.

She shrugged. "Hey, just agreeing with you. There's a reason I never joined the cheerleader squad, and it's not because I wouldn't have made the cut."

"The cut?" Toby asked.

"You know - pretty enough, athletic enough, busty enough." Dawn grinned. "Buffy was on the cheerleader squad in Hemery High school, after all."

"Hey!" Buffy glared at her sister from across the hallway.

Dawn snorted. "Slayer hearing. It's a pain, but it can be fun to mess with her."

"I heard that!"

"See?" Dawn grinned before growing serious again. "Anyway, 'rah, rah, Trollhunters go!' and all that stuff? I'm not good at it." She raised her arms and let them drop again.

Jim chuckled. "Thanks anyway."

"It's the thought that counts, right?" Toby said.

"And we're the only teenagers here, so we should stick together," Dawn said. "Right?"

"Yes." Toby nodded.

"Yes," Jim agreed a moment later. Everyone else was already an adult. Or old. Which was still an adult.

"Great. So, what's the plan to free Claire?" Dawn asked.

"Uh…" Jim bit his lower lip. "We're kinda… working on that."

"We're not the wizards of the group," Toby said. "We can probably grab her, but we can't force Morgana out of her. Need a wizard for that."

"Or a witch. Or a priest," Jim said.

"A young and an old priest?" Dawn grinned, then rolled her eyes when neither Jim nor Toby laughed. "The Exorcist, guys!"

"Ah." Toby nodded. "Never saw it."

"Me neither," Jim said. "I'm not much of a fan of horror movies."

"Now Gun Robot or Earth Invaders, those are great movies!" Toby agreed. He moved his hands, fingers spread like guns. "If we had Gun Robot here…"

"Well, we don't," Dawn said. "I doubt we'll find any robots in Camelot."

"Golems, maybe?" Toby asked,

"I don't remember any in the legends of Camelot," Jim said.

"There aren't any," Dawn confirmed. "But, waiting for Merlin and the others?" She grimaced. "They seem pretty exhausted."

Half-dead, in Merlin's case. Jim nodded. "And we can't really rest. Not with Morgana on the loose."

"So… how do we take down Morgana without killing Claire? Dawn asked.

She wasn't talking about not hurting her, Jim realised.

"Knock her out?" Toby shrugged. "I've got a hammer. It's what I do."

If they bashed Claire on the head with a trollhammer, Mr and Mrs Nuñez would kill them. They'd certainly kill Jim for letting it happen. He glanced at them. They were standing a little away from the rest, hugging each other. And not really staring at the castle. Damn.

"We have to take the staff away from her. Without the staff, she can't open portals to escape," Dawn said.

"But you can use it," Jim added.

"Yes. Too bad I don't know a prison dimension to lock her up in," Dawn said. "That would be really handy."

A prison dimension… Jim's eyes widened. "Oh! Camelot has dungeons. We need to find out if any of the cells could contain a sorceress!"

"They were strong enough to keep trolls imprisoned", Blinky said, "but wizards?" He tilted his head to the side. "I fear Morgana's arcane powers might be too much for a cell."

"The cell could be magically sealed or something," Toby said.

"Or we can seal the cell. Well, Merlin, Willow and Tara," Jim added. "If we prepare a prison for her, and we get the staff away from her and to Dawn…"

"...we can imprison Claire and then take our time expelling Morgana!" Dawn finished with a grin.

"Yes!" Toby cheered.

"That's a big if, though," Buffy pointed out, walking over to them.

"Do you have a better idea?" Dawn asked, crossing her arms.

Buffy frowned at her. That probably meant she didn't have a better idea.

"Great. So, we have a Plan A." Dawn grinned.

"You don't even know if you can witch-proof a cell!" Buffy said.

"We don't know that we can't, either!" Dawn retorted. "Willow! Got a question!"

*****​

Merlin returned after an hour, looking… well, he looked better. He walked without using his staff as a cane or crutch, and his face looked a little less haggard. But he still looked like he couldn't pass in front of a clinic without the doctors rushing out to grab him and drag him inside for treatment. Buffy Summers nodded at him. "All better?"

"I have sufficiently recovered to do what I must to oppose Morgana."

"So, still dying, but it's not urgent, got it."

That earned her a glare from the old geezer, which she took as a sign that he really was feeling well enough to do his part.

"Do you need more magic?" Willow asked.

"No. Save it for the upcoming battle."

"Speaking of battle…" Jim spoke up. "We've got a plan for rescuing Claire."

Xander raised his hand. "Can we get the civilians settled in before we start planning? We didn't want to accidentally run into some traps or something, but I don't think we should squat in the hallway."

Merlin grumbled. "For once, you showed caution, then, and didn't stumble through the castle like barbarians entering Rome. The guest quarters are in the east wing. They can easily house every one of you. Follow me."

"What about the kitchen? Can we use it?" We have the kitchenette in the camper, but that's going to be a little cramped if we have to cook for all of us there," Jim spoke up. "And we didn't take any grills with us."

"Yes. You might have to adjust to traditional tools, but it should not hamper your ability to cook simple fare."

"Yay. Medieval week," Buffy said. That would be fatty and bland. "Let me guess: There's no bathroom, either?"

"You are easily able to carry a bathtub to whatever room you select and then fill it with water."

Definitely medieval week, then. Buffy could already feel her hair starting to suffer without proper shampoo, hot water and conditioner. Great.

But the others looked eager - well, most of them - to finally settle down again and followed Merlin up the stairs.

The guest quarters were as medieval as Buffy had expected. Tapestries on bare stone walls that were stone cold since it was winter. No central heating. Thick dusty carpets that didn't quite cover the wooden floor - which was rather rough. No walking around barefoot unless you loved splinters. Not that it was warm enough for walking around barefoot, anyway.

"I should have brought my tools," Xander said. "I could work on the floorboards."

"You are free to avail yourself of the tools left by the castle's carpenters," Merlin commented before guiding them to the rest of the rooms.

"I'll clean this up a little," Mrs Domzalski announced after seeing her own room. "This much dust isn't healthy."

Merlin frowned at that, Buffy noticed, though he didn't comment. Couldn't stand his precious Camelot being criticised, could he? Too bad for him. Humanity had advanced since his time.

"Well, we do have to take into account that for all its splendour, Camelot is a thousand years old," Giles commented.

"There's a thousand years' worth of dust here, yes," Toby's nana retorted, grabbing a broom from a corner. "But we'll fix that!"

"Do that," Merlin commented. "But meanwhile, we need to prepare to strike at Morgana - at her real body."

"Which is still sealed somewhere, right?" Willow piped up.

"Unless Morgana has managed to not only free it but keep me from noticing that my seals were broken, yes. But she will be working on it, so we cannot waste more time," Merlin retorted.

"And where is she?" Jim asked.

"In what will become her final resting place," Merlin replied.

"Which is?" Buffy really didn't like these sorts of non-answers.

"Where I and my apprentice imprisoned her after the battle of Killahead Bridge."

"That's close to Camelot, right?" Jim said.

"That depends on what you consider close. It's closer than your home, but that does not mean much. Would you consider the abandoned troll settlement close?"

"Dwoza," Blinky added. "It's called Dwoza."

Merlin sniffed. "In any case, the prison was designed so only my staff could break the seals, and while recent events make me suspect that there are other ways to break her free, Morgana will not be able to swiftly discover, much less implement, them."

"You underestimated her once," Willow pointed out.

"And I shall not do so again. But our course of action is clear: We need to strike at Morgana before she frees herself."

"We also need t-t-to rest," Tara said.

"And in an ideal world, we would. But we cannot afford to rest and take the risk of Morgana freeing herself - she must have spent all her time since our last confrontation on this already."

Going to battle a sorceress with their own wizard and witches exhausted or dying wasn't what Buffy would call a good idea. But they really didn't have any choice. "So, let's take a stroll?" She asked with fake cheerfulness.

"Absent horses, yes."

Toby groaned. "Can't we get a car?"

"That probably wouldn't be able to go where we need to," Jim said.

"Just close enough would be fine."

Merin rolled his eyes.

Buffy grinned. They were off to a good start.

"I'm coming with you," Dawn said.

Or not.

*****​

"You're staying here!" Buffy snapped at Dawn. "It's not safe fighting Morgana!"

James Lake Jr winced at the expressions of both girls. He was glad he was an only child.

Dawn narrowed her eyes and raised her chin. "You need someone to control the Shadow Staff once we take it from Morgana, and I have experience with it. I can use it against her!"

"Willow can do it!"

"Willow didn't use it before," Dawn retorted. "And if she's using the staff, she's not using magic to contain or counter Morgana. And you can't afford that!"

"Well, we have Tara, Merlin and me," Willow said. "So, we should be able to cover that."

Dawn rolled her eyes, but Jim spoke up before she could. "Merlin is hurt and weakened. Tara is more of a support witch, which leaves you."

"What's a support witch?" Tara asked.

"You're like the party healer or crowd controller," Toby explained. "You don't do damage, but help others."

Tara blinked, then nodded with a shy smile. "That would fit. Though I can't really heal."

"You saved my life," Merlin cut in. "And I agree with the Trollhunters - we might need a witch who has proven that she can wield the Shadow Staff."

"But Dawn has no experience fighting anything!" Buffy protested.

"I've fought the Trollhunters!" Dawn retorted.

Toby winced and touched his shoulder.

"You ambushed them and ran!"

"See? I have experience in fighting intelligently!" Dawn bared her teeth.

"That won't work against Morgana!"

"Says who? If you're underestimating me, then she will do so as well!" Dawn once more crossed her arms.

"She won't," Merlin cut in again. "She knows what your friend saw since she took the staff. She won't underestimate you, girl."

"But she also knows I have the Key. She will attempt to capture me, not kill me. And that means she'll be vulnerable," Dawn pointed out.

"You're not playing bait!" Buffy shook her head.

"You're not going to stop me."

"We'll see about that. Mom!" Buffy yelled.

"What? That's not fair!"

"Buffy!" Jim blurted out.

"Buffy?" Mrs Summers appeared in the hallway. That was fast. She must have heard them yelling at each other. Or she had been looking for Dawn.

"Dawn wants to play bait for Morgana!" Buffy told her.

"It's the best way to save Claire!" Dawn quickly said.

Mrs Summers, though, gasped. "Dawn!"

"Mom! I have to do this! It's like with Glory - she wants me, and that will help us. It'll help Buffy, too!" Dawn pleaded.

"It's too dangerous!" Buffy insisted.

"It's a decent ploy that might even work," Merlin not-helped.

Jim cleared his throat. "Mrs Summers. We've made plans. We need Dawn."

"It's like the fight against Glory," Tobes added.

"You don't need her!" Buffy yelled. "And it isn't! We don't have a portal to get Dawn to safety."

"It's more likely that Morgana will be able to capture Dawn with her portals," Xander pointed out.

That was a good point, but… "As long as we stay alert, she can't just capture us with a portal. We can't jump around, though, and we need to be careful with charges," Jim said. "But if she's trying to capture Dawn, she'll be distracted."

"And that will leave her vulnerable," Merlin added. "She might choose to ignore your daughter, but that, too, will grant us opportunities to exploit."

Mrs Summers looked from Dawn to Buffy and back. "Dawn…"

"Mom! I have to do this! I can help! And we have to save Claire! If I get the staff, I can capture her - we can magically seal a dungeon cell here, and I can drop her straight into it! It has to be me!"

"We can handle her without you!"

"Like you could handle Glory?"

"If we fail, she will come after you and yours," Merlin said. "And then she will unleash Gunmar's Hordes."

"But the Military..." Mrs Summers trailed off.

"Might use Dawn as a sacrifice. Or for experiments," Jim said. Buffy shot him an angry glare.

"Yes. Like the Initiative," Dawn said.

"Walsh is dead," Buffy retorted

"But that base we were," Willow spoke up, biting her lower lip. "It was… it didn't feel right."

"I didn't sense anything," Buffy retorted. "No demons around."

"But they are hiding something," Xander agreed. "And the Colonel in charge gave off Walsh vibes."

Buffy clenched her teeth but didn't contradict Xander. "It's too dangerous!" she insisted.

"Then it's too dangerous for you!" Dawn told her. "Claire knows how you fight. Which means Morgana knows. She'll go after you. You need me as a distraction."

She was talking to Buffy, but her words were aimed at her mother, Jim realised. And she was right. "We're teenagers," he said, "but this is also our fight."

"Yes!" Toby agreed.

"It's the best plan we came up with," Jim went on. "It's risky, but fighting Morgan is already dangerous."

"It's too dangerous. For Dawn, I mean."

"Buffy." Mrs Summers looked at her. "How dangerous is Morgana?"

"We can handle her!"

"You can't. Not without me." Dawn shook her head.

"She took out Tara, Willow, Xander and Merlin," Jim reminded them. "We need to give this our best shot."

"Mom! I need to do this. I can't let Buffy do this alone."

"I won't be alone!"

"Dawn, Buffy." Mrs Summers shook her head. Then she looked at Merlin. "How safe is Camelot?"

"It will not hold Morgana at bay forever," Merlin said. "And she will be coming for your daughter."

"Not if we take her out first!" Buffy snapped.

"Yes, 'if'," Merlin replied.

"I can't just stay hidden for the rest of my life. And I can't let Buffy get killed for me," Dawn said. "I need to do this. And I won't be safe anyway. She's not the only one who will come after me if word gets around."

Mrs Summers sighed and wiped some tears from her face. "Keep Dawn safe," she whispered.

"Mom!"

"Yes!"

Jim sighed with relief. And with guilt. This was the best plan to save Claire, but it would put Dawn at risk.

*****​

Mom had allowed Dawn to go fight Morgana! Even half an hour after that talk, getting ready to leave for Morgana's prison or what you called it, Buffy Summers still couldn't believe it. Why? This was dangerous. Too dangerous. If her sister stayed in Camelot, she would at least be safe from Morgana. For a time, but Buffy would make sure that Morgana wouldn't be a threat any more before she could reach Camelot. Whatever the cost.

She glared at Jim. He had supported this stupidity! But the boy didn't even notice her - he was talking to Blinky.

"I am sorry, Master Jim, but with the sun in the sky, I cannot leave the castle to come with you."

"That's OK, Blinky. Someone has to stay and help the others adjust to, ah, medieval life."

"I do feel that Mrs Domzalski has that in hand - she seems very proficient with wooden stoves."

Probably from the experience of living in the woods during the time she was 'camping', Buffy thought. Well, at least Blinky didn't try to come with them.

"But you are the one who lived in the time of Camelot," Jim said.

"Yet I never entered the castle."

"Still, they can use your experience and advice."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Was everyone going crazy? Taking more civilians with them would only give Morgana more targets. Or hostages. Talk about ego!

"Buffy."

She turned, clenching her teeth, and barely managed not to glare at Mom. "Yes?"

"Keep her safe." Mom blinked - her eyes looked wet.

Buffy looked around. Dawn was talking to Willow and Tara. "She'd be safe here."

"For a time."

"Long enough." Buffy took a deep breath through clenched teeth. "She shouldn't come with us."

"They have a plan."

"A stupid plan." It endangered Dawn.

Mom smiled sadly. "And do you have a better plan?"

"Yes. Keep Dawn in a cell here, go kick Morgana's butt." Mom raised her eyebrows, and Buffy sighed. "I can improvise. React to the flow. Adjust plans on the fly. Exploit opportunities as they appear." Mom shook her head, and Buffy sighed. "I hate this."

"I hate it as well," her mother told her. "But what's the alternative?" She shook her head. "I hate it, but I can't really let you go and fight and keep Dawn from using her talents." She sighed. "I learned that from you."

Oh. The time Buffy had run away. To fight Angelus in Angel's body. When Mom had forbidden her to fight. "But… that wasn't the same!" she weakly protested.

"I don't want to lose you. And what if Dawn runs away? How long will she be safe, by herself?" Mom asked. "What if you…" She swallowed and shook her head. "Just keep her safe. And yourself."

"I will." Buffy hugged her and pushed the guilt she felt - if she hadn't run away for months after beating Angelus, would Mom have kept Dawn here? - away. She had to focus on the fight against Morgana.

"Alright. We've gone over the cells and warded one of them, which was used to hold trolls," Willow announced. "If we get her staff, Dawn should be able to drop Claire in the cell, and we can deal with Morgana's body."

"The magic of the Heart of Avalon will suffice to keep the girl imprisoned until we have killed Morgana," Merlin added.

Otherwise, they would just serve their families on a platter to a vengeful sorceress. But they didn't have a lot of options to capture Claire without hurting or killing her. So they would have to take this.

Buffy glared at Jim again. Teenage solidarity, hah! She was sure that the only reason he was supporting this plan was that it was the best chance to save Claire even though it put Dawn at risk.

This time, he noticed and flinched. Good. She knew what he was doing, She would do the same for Dawn, but still!

"If everyone has finished saying their goodbyes…" Merlin looked around.

"Almost!" Buffy said. She walked over to where Spike was waiting at the wall.

"Slayer."

"Spike. Buffy tilted her head. "Keep the others safe."

"I can't do anything against Morgana." He tapped his temple.

She shrugged. "You can fight trolls or whatever she might send after Camelot." And he could grab Mom and run.

He snorted. "Yeah.

She nodded. "Good."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

She looked at him for a moment longer before joining the others. Xander had stopped kissing Anya - for a while, it had looked as if they would go for a quickie - and was checking his shotgun. Jim released his mother, Toby waved at his grandmother. That left…

Buffy looked at Giles. He smiled sadly at her. "I should come along. I am not a wizard like Merlin, but I do know a bit about magic."

And he was good with a crossbow and a sword. But… "Someone has to stay here and watch the cells. And the castle," she told him. Then she hugged him. "Keep Mom safe," she whispered.

"I shall do my best," he whispered back.

She let go and sighed. "These kinds of goodbyes need to stop. I mean, because we beat the enemy, not because you know…" She shrugged as she trailed off.

"Yes."

"Does anyone wish to hug anyone else goodbye? No one? An urge to give a speech? Use the outhouse? No?" Merlin scoffed. "Then let us be off at last!"

"Well, someone's not feeling mushy at all," Buffy commented as she joined Willow and Tara.

Both giggled as they walked out of the castle.

*****​

Wild Wood, Britain, January 30th, 2017

"We are going towards Dwoza," James Lake Jr said as they passed a stone and tree combination that looked very familiar - Jim doubted that there was another stone with trees growing through it.

"Of course we are," Merlin replied. "The Battle of Killahead Bridge was fought near the Troll settlement, and after defeating Morgana, I did not waste any precious time by travelling far with her."

That made sense. Sort of. But something bothered Jim. "Why didn't you kill her then? You had defeated her. Why did seal her in a prison instead of killing her?"

Merlin sighed. He wasn't looking at them, Jim noticed, but straight ahead.

"Oh my God!" Buffy blurted out from behind them. "Don't tell me you were in love with her!"

Merlin jerked. "What? No!" He glared at them. "I was not in love with her - she was my apprentice! Who do you take me for, someone who would abuse his position to seduce a pupil?"

He sounded honest to Jim, but… he was Merlin. And Jim was a teenager. Merlin might sound innocent, but such things happened. Even at a high school.

"Hey! How should we know? That might have been totally normal in your time!" Buffy defended herself. "And older men are attractive to some women." Xander coughed behind them, and Buffy turned her head to glare at him before turning back to face Merlin. "Besides, hadn't she finished her apprenticeship already?"

"Even once she finished her studies - though a wizard never stops learning until they die - our relationship was never romantic." Merlin glared at them for a moment, then his expression softened, and he sighed. "No, I spared her life for another reason. No less selfish, ultimately, than love would have been." He paused as they walked past a tree felled by lightning.

Jim cocked his head, glancing at the others. Toby was listening attentively, as were Willow and Tara. Xander looked… amused. But also grim. And Dawn was staring at Buffy.

After a moment, Merlin went on: "The Battle of Killahead Bridge was a massacre. We won, but at a terrible cost that was even worse than the price Pyrrhus himself paid."

"Pyrrhus?" Toby asked.

"A king who won a battle against the Romans," Willow explained in a hushed voice, "but took so many casualties that he ultimately lost the war."

"King Arthur had fallen. As had most of the Knights of the Round Table. The best and brightest of the kingdom lay dead on the field. I knew then that while we had defeated Gunmar and Morgana, Camelot was lost - the paltry number of survivors left would never be able to hold the kingdom against its enemies. Arthur, both my king and my friend, was gone. My life's work was destroyed. I had, effectively, lost everything I knew and cherished." He sighed. "Morgana was one of the last remains. Arthur's sister. My former apprentice. I could not bring myself to kill her. So I sealed her in a prison only I could open."

"And you hoped when you returned, you could… change her? Save her?" Willow asked.

"I was not thinking ahead like this. Or not thinking at all, in hindsight." Merlin shook his head, not looking at them. "I was a fool, and now everyone is paying the price for my weakness."

Jim wanted to agree, but he didn't know what he would've done in Merlin's place. Or if he had to fight Toby or Claire. The real Claire.

"Well, we're going to rectify that," Buffy said. "We're going to kill Morgana."

"Indeed."

"But you have to break the seals first," Willow said.

"I can do that easily with my staff."

"And we need to defeat Claire before that," Toby added. "Probably."

"Most likely. Morgana will anticipate our plan and prepare accordingly," Merlin said. "She might have gathered what allies she could find as well."

"So, where is she? Her body, I mean," Jim asked.

"I sealed her in a crystal crafted from magic itself. Anchored to the heart of the Earth." Merlin sighed once more. "Many would have considered it a masterwork, but it remains my single worst failure."

Buffy turned her head at Jim and rolled her eyes. "Dramatic much?"

That made Merlin glare at her. "In any case, we've almost arrived. Be on your guard."

This was really close to Dwoza, Jim realised. Not quite at the entrance, but… If he remembered the layout of the village correctly, they were above its borders. Or very close to it.

He looked around. "Where is it?"

"Below us, of course. Anchored to a natural magical crystal formation which sustains the spell for eternity." Merlin raised his staff, then brought it down, striking the earth with the end of it.

And the ground parted, revealing a winding staircase leading down.

Buffy sniffed. "I don't sense anything demony."

"She might not have recruited demons. There are other allies of hers. Such as the Order of Janus," Merlin said. "This might be a trap."

"Great." Buffy pressed her lips together. "I love traps."

"Only when they are ours," Xander said, peering down. "So, any way we can trigger them without walking into them?"

"With magic, of course," Merlin said. He waved his staff, and a green ball of light appeared, then shot down the stairs, following them. Jim saw it grow dimmer and disappear, then suddenly flare up and glow steadily.

"Was that a trap? Or is that supposed to happen?" Buffy asked.

"It reached the cavern," Merlin said with a deep frown. "Without detecting a trap or curse."

"Great. Let's go down then."

"But to leave herself defenceless…" Merlin shook her head. "Something isn't right."

"Let's find out!" Buffy all but jumped down the stairs. Jim clenched his teeth and followed her - he was the Trollhunter.

They dashed downstairs. Jim expected someone to attack him, but no one did until they reached the cavern.

The empty cavern.

"No!" Merlin gasped behind Jim. "This is impossible. The seals were anchored to the crystals! She was sealed inside the crystals, hidden from view! Without breaking them, you would have had to move the entire crystal formation! When did Morgana find the time to do this? Where did she find the help?"

"Sometime in the last thousand years, I think," Buffy said. "For the first question."

"And how could anyone have found it? I would have felt it if my seals had been broken!"

Jim blinked. A natural magical crystal formation? That would… "The Heartstone! You anchored her prison to the Heartstone!" he whispered.

The Heartstone, which the trolls had taken with them when they had left England and which rested under Trollmarket.

*****​
 
Chapter 36: Morgana Part 1
Chapter 36: Morgana Part 1

Wild Wood, Britain, January 30th, 2017

"The Heartstone?" Merlin sounded as confused about Jim's exclamation as Buffy Summers felt herself. Was this a troll thing she hadn't heard about yet?

"The Heartstone of Trollmarket. Of Heartstone Trollmarket," Jim explained.

It was a troll thing.

"That's the full name," Toby added.

"It illuminates Trollmarket."

"You mean… they moved the entire crystal formation?" Merlin said. "From here to America?"

"Yes."

"Hell and Damnation! Why would they do this?"

"The trolls need a Heartstone," Jim told him. "It provides them with light in the caverns, and it provides them with magic."

"And healing if they need it," Toby said. "The first Heartstone rotted, and Gunmar was born. So, they took this one with them to let it grow in Trollmarket."

"Grow?" Buffy asked. Crystals didn't grow, did they? She dimly remembered hearing something in school about that.

"The crystals absorb and contain magic and will grow if left undisturbed," Merlin said. "But I sealed this one. It should not have grown at all - its magic should have been spent on keeping Morgana imprisoned."

"Uh." Jim looked up at the ceiling above them, then around. "The Heartstone is far bigger than this cavern."

"I am aware of that," Merlin snapped. "If I had realised that it was the same formation…" He scoffed. "If it grew so much, then Morgana's prison must have been weakened as a result."

"But your seals are still unbroken, right?" Willow asked.

"They remain undisturbed as of yet. But without the magic of the crystal reinforcing and strengthening them, they will not be as hard to break as they should be. A sorceress like Morgana would not be stymied by such a task - she should be able to break them far more easily than I predicted."

"Claire must be holding her back!" Jim blurted out.

Merlin looked at him as if he was an idiot. "Or, far more likely, Morgana has been working on something else."

"Like what?" Buffy asked.

"Gathering allies. Even weakened, my seals will take both time and her full concentration to break, lest my traps and curses will do her in. So, she cannot risk being disturbed. Which means she cannot count on sneaking into Trollmarket to clandestinely free her body." Merlin clenched his teeth.

"Uh…" Toby frowned. "She could just open a portal close to the Heartstone."

"Which will be under guard," Merlin said.

"Yes." Jim nodded. "We warned Vendel when we passed through to get to the Gyre. They won't trust her."

"And Morgana will be aware of that," Merlin said. "No, she will not risk sneaking into the troll village."

"Then what will she do? She knows where her body is imprisoned, right?" Toby asked.

"She will gather her allies and attempt to conquer the village," Merlin explained.

"The Order of Janus," Jim gasped.

"Exactly." Merlin shook his head. "And thanks to her observing us through your friend's eyes, she is aware that I was not told that her prison had been moved. Which means she will have been able to anticipate this detour - and plan accordingly."

Buffy clenched her teeth. "She'll have called the entire Order."

"Yes. My mistake has granted her the time to recall all of the changelings for this task. They will even have time to find excuses for their sudden travel plans," Merlin spat.

"But… will they follow her orders?" Jim asked. "They don't know her, and they work for Gunmar, not Morgana."

"All she has to do is to tell them to contact Gunmar, and he'll verify her claims," Merlin said.

"So, let's hurry back," Buffy said. "And get ready to fight an army of changelings."

"We've got an army of our own," Xander said. "Right in place."

"The trolls won't like humans entering Trollmarket," Jim said.

"They'll hate it!" Toby agreed.

"It's better than losing the village, isn't it?" Dawn asked. "And they already know there's a troll village below Arcadia Oaks."

"But not where it is," Jim said. "And how could the soldiers tell good trolls from changelings?"

That was a good point. "They'll shoot every troll," Buffy agreed.

"And what are the odds that the army forces have a changeling amongst them?" Willow shook her head. "What if they are waiting for this?"

"The Initiative survivors should have protocols to safeguard against such infiltrations," Xander replied. "But the army base troops? It depends on what exactly they have been doing there."

"Great. So, we're on our own and, worse, we actually need to hope that they were doing illegal experiments with demons and other creatures and so were ready to spot a changeling infiltration or we'll have to deal with the army as well…" Buffy sighed. What a damn mess!

"Ironic?" Xander asked with a grimace.

"Wasting time," Merlin said. "We need to make haste back to the Gyre."

"To Camelot," Jim said. "We need Blinky for this. It's his home."

"Fetching the troll would cost us hours. Hours we cannot afford to waste. And the sun is up - how do you propose we move a troll to the forest? Or a vampire?" Merlin retorted. "No. We are right next to the troll settlement. We need to move to your home at once if we wish to have a sliver of hope to defeat Morgana and save the trolls."

Buffy nodded, even though she was sure that the wizard had just named his priorities in order. "Yes. Let's go save the trolls."

"And save Claire," Jim added.

"Both of which depend on killing Morgana." Merlin turned and strode towards the stairs.

*****​

Gyre Tracks, East of California, January 30th, 2017

Blinky should be with them. James Lake Jr couldn't help feeling that they should have gone back to Camelot to get Blinky. Sure, it would have taken them a few hours to reach the castle, and more to get back, and they would have had to find a way to safely block the sun, but… rushing to defend Trollmarket, Blinky's home, without him just felt wrong.

And if Blinky were with them, Jim wouldn't have to steer the damn Gyre. It was bad enough as a passenger. As the pilot? Damn it.

He clenched his teeth as the cart took another far too tight and far too fast turn, and he had to grip the controls hard to keep the Gyre from derailing. Even so, they jumped a few yards - or so it felt - and the whole cart jerked when they returned to the tracks.

"Careful, Jimbo!"

"I'm doing what I can!" Jim snapped, then pressed his lips together. This wasn't Toby's fault. None of this was. They should have taken the time to get Blinky. But what if Morgana destroyed Trollmarket in the meantime? And if she freed her body, what would happen to Claire?

"How much longer?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Jim said. He hadn't really paid attention on the other trips - he had had his eyes closed, actually, for big parts of it.

"You don't know? You're driving this!" Buffy protested.

"Yes. And we're on tracks. I can't miss Trollmarket!" Jim told her.

"I'm not as much worried about missing the station than about crashing into it!"

"We won't!"

"I think so," Toby added.

Jim rolled his eyes. He was doing his best!

Another turn followed that wouldn't have been out of place on a rollercoaster.

"I wish we had a signal down here," Dawn piped from behind Buffy.

"You don't need to check your Instagram!" Buffy told her.

"I know. I want to know what the Army's doing."

"The Major got our message. They know about the Changelings," Buffy said.

"But we left before they could answer us!"

"We could not take the time to wait until the officer finally answered us," Merlin commented. "How often do I have to remind you that time is of the essence?"

"We know," Willow cut in. "But it's not as if we can do anything else but worry. And it would be helpful to know what the Army is doing. We won't have a signal in Trollmarket, either."

And the trolls wouldn't want them to open the entrance to Arcadia Oaks, not with both Morgana and the Army in town, Jim knew. Even though Morgana could enter Trollmarket whenever and wherever she pleased thanks to her staff and having seen through Claire's eyes. Sometimes, Vendel was rather foolish.

But Jim and his friends would save Vendel and the others anyway. Unless it was too late already, a voice in his mind whispered.

He shook his head. It wasn't too late. Gathering the changelings would take time. They couldn't take the Gyre. And even Morgana wouldn't be able to use portals to take them to Arcadia Oaks from halfway across the world. If she was powerful enough for that, she would've already wiped out Jim and his friends.

Jim held on to that thought as they took another turn.

"This looks familiar," Toby said next to him.

"What?" Jim asked.

"Already past it!" Toby replied.

"Eyes on the road!" Buffy yelled from behind.

"We're on tracks!" Jim yelled back - but when he turned to look ahead, he saw the Trollmarket station quickly growing closer. "Oh, shit…" he muttered - and pulled on the brakes with all his strength.

The cart almost jumped off the tracks again, and everyone was slammed forward - Jim heard the exclamations and groans behind him - but he managed to bring the cart to a stop inside the station. Mostly. Jim had to climb over the backrest to get out.

"We've arrived," he said, gesturing to the stairs ahead.

"We should've taken Blinky," Dawn muttered. "We almost got killed before we arrived."

Jim opened his mouth to protest - he hadn't been that bad a pilot - but Toby spoke up. "Jimbo! Shouldn't there be guards here?"

Yes, there should be guards. Jim looked around. No one was at the station. "This is…"

"...highly suspect. We should proceed with caution," Merlin said. He strode down the stairs and then towards the gate into Trollmarket proper. It was closed, but a wave of his staff made it open.

Buffy sped ahead, taking two steps at a tie, stopping at the gate. "There's some rubble on the stairs."

Rubble? Jim gasped and quickly joined her. Yes. Small rocks covered part of the stairs. Enough of them to… He knelt down and grabbed one of the rocks, turning it around. Then he hissed as he held it up, showing the others the buckle made of stone on its side. "We've found the guards."

"Damn," Buffy cursed. She cocked her head, then blinked. "I hear a battle! Come on!"

And she was sprinting up the stairs, Jim hot on her heels.

Soon, the noise of a battle became obvious. Trolls screamed and roared, metal clashed on metal, and things - masonry broke and crumbled. Jim hoped they weren't trolls.

Then they reached the top of the stairs, and he could see more dead trolls on the ground, as well as people fighting in the streets.

"Where is the Heartstone?" Buffy asked without turning to face him.

Jim pointed ahead to the big crystal formation.

"Oh, that's it?" Buffy shook her head. "Let's go!"

"But we have to help them!"

"How can you tell one from the other?" she yelled over her shoulder as she dashed into the next alley.

"I know them!" Jim saw a huge troll attacking another outside a shop selling socks. He didn't know the name of the defending troll, but he recognised the face - and he didn't know the other troll. Gritting his teeth, he charged. The troll didn't see him coming until Eclipse cut into him from behind, and he broke into pieces before he hit the ground.

"Trollhunter!" the other troll gasped. "You've returned! We're under attack by changelings!"

"We know," Jim told him. "Get somewhere safe! We have to stop Morgana."

"Nothing is safe!" the troll wailed. "They came through portals!."

As expected. "Go to your neighbours! Or hide inside!" Jim told him. He looked around. Buffy was at the mouth of the alley, ahead of them. Behind him, Toby arrived, followed by Merlin and the others.

"We need to stop Morgana," Merlin - predictably - said.

"Then let's go to the Heartstone!" Buffy yelled. "I can see it from here!"

You could see it from anywhere in Trollmarket. "We can't just abandon the trolls," Jim said as he ran to Buffy. The changelings were attacking everyone all over the place!

"We cannot effectively help them as long as Morgana lives and commands her staff," Merlin complained again. "Taking her out is the key to victory. Anything else merely draws out the killing - as long as Morgana is in control of the Shadow Staff, she can easily outmanoeuvre you."

"I know!" Jim snapped. He did - and he hated it. Buffy dashed past another group of trolls fighting, breaking the weapon of a burly one trying to hit her with a blow from her scythe. But Jim knew two of those trolls as well. He laid into the two trolls attacking them, cutting one down before it could turn, while Toby smashed the other's head in with the trollhammer.

Despite how quickly this had ended, the others had already passed them, and Jim and Toby had to hurry after them - past broken stalls and smashed doors. The changelings were going all-out. Jim turned when a shadow moved across a storefront. What the…? He gasped and looked up. A Stalkling was sweeping down at them. "Watch out!" Jim yelled, brandishing Eclipse. Then his eyes widened. Was that Strickler? Had he somehow managed to reach Trollmarket from Camelot? Was he still linked to Mom? Jim couldn't hurt him!

His shock almost cost him his life - the troll bore down on him before Jim realised it wasn't Strickler, but Tobes stepped up and met his charge with his hammer. The Stalkling's leg broke with a crack, and he veered off to crash into a pillar of stone. "Jimbo!"

"Sorry… thought he was…" Jim cut the troll down before he could recover, twisting the blade in his guts until he turned to stone.

"Oh."

"Let's go." Jim clenched his teeth. He couldn't afford such lapses.

They hurried after the others.

*****​

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

This was too confusing! Trolls were attacking each other, and Buffy Summers had no idea who the good guys were. Everyone looked the same, even to her. And she hated it.

Ahead of her, halfway to the Heartstone's base, a bunch of trolls were fighting. "Can't they wear a uniform?" she muttered. How was she supposed to know who to slay?

Then she saw a little troll stumble and try to crawl away from a big one hefting a sword coming at him. And heard him cry out for his mom. Yelling, she dashed forward. The wannabe-child killer froze for a moment, then turned to face her just in time to get her scythe through his guts. "Dusted!" she yelled as he started to crumble.

"More like rocked!" Xander said behind her. "Or stoned?" He fired his shotgun at another troll but barely dented the thick stony skin. But it distracted the brute, and Buffy made short work of the troll and of his friend.

"Rocked!" Buffy told him. Much better than 'stoned'. Where was…? Ah, there came Jim and Toby.

"Get inside and hide!" Jim told the other trolls.

"Trollhunter!"

"Save us!"

"We're doing our best!" Buffy told them. Not that they were listening to her. They were even ignoring Merlin.

One of the trolls tried to grab Jim's arm, but the kid dodged. "We have to stop Morgana, or she'll keep sending more changelings here! Go hide!" he told them.

Buffy shook her head. This was such a mess. "How many changelings did she gather?"

"Too many," Willow replied.

They passed a burning shop with tell-tale 'rubble' in front of it. Two dead trolls, Buffy estimated. Damn.

Then they rounded another corner and found a line of trolls blocking their path.

Buffy almost attacked them before she recognised the troll mayor in the middle.

"Vendel!" Jim yelled.

"Trollhunter!" The mayor troll took a step forwards. "You have finally arrived!"

She saw Jim flinch. "We came as fast as we could," he said.

"And where is Blinkous?"

"He's safe," Jim said. "There was no time to get him."

"And there is no time to waste exchanging useless information," Merlin snapped. "We need to destroy Morgana once and for all, and for that, we need access to your 'Heartstone'."

"What?" the troll mayor frowned. "Why do you need access to the Heartstone? Is that why the changelings attempt to drive us from it?"

"Morgana's body was hidden inside a crystal formation which apparently you took with you when you left your home," Merlin explained. "Now, let us pass so we can end this."

But the troll stepped into the wizard's way. "What are you planning to do with the Heartstone?"

For a moment, it looked to Buffy as if Merlin was about to raise his staff and do something to the troll. But the wizard shook his head. "I am not going to do anything to your crystal other than extracting Morgana's body from it."

"The Heartstone is of crucial importance for Trollmarket. Without it, we…"

"Yes, yes, without it, you will have to find another one." Merlin rolled his eyes. "It did not break when I hid Morgana inside it; it will not break when I take her out. Now, move aside; my patience has reached its limits."

"Please, Vendel," Jim added. "We need to stop Morgana; as long as she's alive and controlling Claire, she can open portals everywhere in Trollmarket."

The troll mayor hesitated for a second but finally moved aside. "Let the Trollhunter through."

Buffy clenched her teeth. The jerk was blaming all of this on Jim, even though this was clearly Merlin's fault and work. But they had more important things to worry about than troll-human relations.

Although in some ways, this was about troll-human relations, she amended as they passed through the line of trolls and started going down a winding set of stairs made out of softly glowing crystals or stones.

"Why doesn't Morgana open a portal directly to the Heartstone's base?" Dawn asked as they went down.

"Claire was never there," Jim answered. "We weren't allowed to go there."

"In hindsight, that was a fortunate precaution," Merlin commented. "Albeit a questionable one, given the expectations they have of you."

Jim pressed his lips together, Buffy saw. Merlin was a jerk but he was probably not completely wrong.

"What about Morgana?" she asked. "She was there - is there, right?"

"Her prison does not allow her to see the world around her."

Harsh. But probably deserved.

They reached the end of the stairs, and a hulking figure stepped into their way. "Who goes there?"

"It's me," Jim told him. "Vendel let us through so we can deal with Morgana."

"He didn't tell me!"

"Oh, for the love of magic!" Merlin stepped forward. "I tire of this pointless posturing. Move aside, lest you be moved."

For a change, the troll did step aside without further grumbling. Although Vendel should really have told the other guards down here that they were coming - or sent someone with them. Unless this was a changeling who had sneaked past the guards…

Buffy kept her eyes on the roll as they walked past, but he didn't try anything. And Jim seemed to know him.

And then they were in front of the giant glowing crystal - well, in front of its base. She had to crane her neck to look up and only saw bits of the ceiling around it.

"Whoa!" Willow gasped. "How do we get Morgana's body out of this?"

"And where is Morgana's body?" Toby asked. "I don't see it."

"Of course you cannot see the body; I said that I hid it. A hiding place would not be of any use if it were visible to everyone."

"Well, there's hiding in plain sight," Buffy told him with a grin.

He scowled at her, then turned to face the crystal.

"D-d-do you need m-m-more magic?" Tara asked.

"Not for this:" He pointed his staff at the crystal with a wide, sweeping motion and spoke a few more magic words. Green light flared and hit the crystal, which then started to kind of melt, but without flowing away or down.

"Why do I feel like a fly about to enter amber?" Xander whispered behind her.

"Flies didn't enter amber," Willow whispered. "They were caught in resin which hardened and turned into amber."

Buffy tried to ignore them and focused on the crystal. Was something moving inside it? She couldn't tell; the crystal was glowing and not very transparent. But… yes. Something was moving. Was Merlin liquefying the entire crystal? That would probably be bad, what with the huge size of the thing.

But then, a piece of crystal started to emerge from the giant one. A smaller crystal, but still larger than Buffy herself. As large as a coffin - and completely opaque.

"Morgana," Jim whispered next to her.

"Indeed," Merlin said. "Both protected and held by my seals, which I now have to dismantle. This will not take long, so be on your guard. We cannot afford to let her escape."

"But she doesn't have her… Oh. She can switch back and forth - once she can see where we are, she can take a look and then get here with Claire's body through a portal!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Precisely. I shall lift the spell hiding her from sight last."

"Good. How long…" Buffy trailed off. Above them, the troll mayor was yelling. The troll guards were under attack!

*****​

"They're attacking the trolls above!"

James Lake Jr jerked at Buffy's yell and whirled. The changelings were attacking Vendel!

Buffy was already sprinting up the stairs. "Keep the others safe!" Jim snapped at Toby as he followed her.

"But… Right."

Jim didn't have to look back to know that Toby wasn't happy. But his friend would still do it. He was the only other one in armour, not counting Merlin, who would be busy doing magic.

Jim still felt slightly guilty as he raced up the stairs.

Buffy was just too fast. And she'd had a head start. When he reached the top, she was already in the middle of a melee, cutting down a slender but tall troll with her scythe.

Vendel was in the back, behind a line of guards, commanding. Not in immediate danger, then.

Jim dashed forward to the frontlines. A hulking troll - same size and appearance as AAARRRGGHH!!!, he noted, clenching his teeth - was beating down a guard. The guard had lost his spear and was trying to hide behind his shield, which was being battered with every blow.

Jim slipped past the staggering guard and slashed with Eclipse. The other troll managed to jump back, though, narrowly avoiding the blade's edge.

"Trollhunter!" he snarled.

"Yes!" Jim spat, lunging.

Once again, the troll, far too nimble for his size, dodged.

"And Slayer!" Buffy yelled from the side. "Don't forget me!"

The changeling - probably; Jim couldn't tell right now - hissed and charged at Jim, hefting a huge hammer over his head.

Jim stepped forward to meet the charge, moving inside the troll's each, lifting Eclipse for a sideways slash that would cut straight through… The troll's leg smashed into him, propelling him back, and Jim had to roll to the side to avoid the follow-up blow from the hammer.

Damn. This troll knew very well how to fight. That meant taking him out would help a lot. Not that Jim had a choice. He jumped up and attacked with a series of crisscrossing slashes. His enemy gave ground, taking a few swipes with his hammer mainly to keep Jim at bay - and was slowly driven towards a dead troll on the ground.

Jim gritted his teeth and lunged, forcing the troll to jump back - and to stumble as his feet slipped on the rubble. The huge troll fell down with a curse, and Jim jumped, clearing a last wild swipe with the hammer, to bring Eclipse down on the troll's head…

...only to miss as the troll shrank at the last moment, turning into a stodgy human. Jim's eyes widened. So the troll was a changeling! He ripped Eclipse out of the stone it got stuck in and whirled, staring at the man who was scrambling back on all fours.

He looked exactly like a human.

But Jim's hesitation cost him. The changeling turned into a troll again, surprising Jim, and threw a chunk of rubble - of dead troll - at him. Jim managed to side-step and deflect it with his shield but staggered under the impact anyway.

That allowed the troll to recover his hammer. Growling, he started swinging it like a madman. Jim fell back, trying to find an opening, but the troll was too fast now. This was going to…

He grinned as he jumped over more rubble, glancing at the stone pillar behind his enemy. Yes, that would work! Jim moved forward, sending his short blades whirling at the troll and lunging with Eclipse.

The troll managed to dodge the flying blades and parry Eclipse with his hammer, roaring in triumph.

Then the blades returned, striking him in the back. As he stumbled, Jim circled to the side and slashed at his legs. The troll collapsed, his leg cut, and Jim finished him off with another blow to the head.

He looked around. Buffy was killing two trolls at once, and the guard line had shrunk but was still holding. Jim moved in, quickly killing two more changelings attacking Vendel's spot before they broke and ran.

He took a few deep breaths and watched the last of the surviving changelings disappear in the village. They had done it. They had defended the Heartstone.

"Whew." Buffy wiped an arm across her face. "I worked up a sweat."

"I got a really good fighter," Jim told her. "Took me a while to kill him."

"Hate it when that happens," Buffy replied. She looked around. "You good?" she asked Vendel.

"We'll manage, Slayer," Vendel replied with a brief nod. He looked grim - and with good reason, of course; the troll guards had lost half a dozen.

And they were staring at Jim and Buffy with… fear? Jim frowned. They had just saved them.

"Shh!" Buffy raised her hand and cocked her head.

Jim held his breath. Did anyone…?

"They're arguing below. Everything's fine," Buffy said with a smile.

Jim sighed with relief. "Good."

Vendel snorted. "I would not call our situation good, Trollhunter."

"It could be worse," Buffy said, baring her teeth. Then she blinked. "Oh, damn…"

Jim blinked. Huh?

"Ah. It probably didn't count," Buffy told him with a grin. "I didn't say it couldn't get worse."

Then a portal appeared behind Vendel - at the top of the stairs.

*****​

"Watch out!" Buffy cursed whatever powers had been waiting for this - and her own stupidity for provoking this - as she rushed ahead, bumping a troll who didn't get out of the way fast enough to the side.

"Claire? If you can hear me, hold on!" Jim yelled behind her. "Fight her!"

The first evil troll was coming out of the portal just as she reached it. He carried a shield as tall as himself. And a halberd, which he wielded one-handed. She snarled and struck with her scythe, but the troll took the blow on his shield, then tried to cleave her in half with the halberd's blade.

She jumped back, baring her teeth. Jim was circling around, trying to flank the troll - good thing trolls were so huge, Buffy and Jim could double-team them in this narrow staircase while the trolls couldn't fight next to each other. If they could hold the troll here, the enemy wouldn't be able to move more of…

The portal vanished behind the troll. What the…? She parried another blow and counter-attacked, cutting off a part of the shield.

"No!" Jim yelled, attacking the troll from his open side, slashing at the halberd. "The portal's moved downstairs!"

"What?" But Morgana had never been down there! Buffy struck at the troll's shield again, cutting it in half now.

Behind it, halfway down the winding stairs, she saw something flicker, and flicker again, further down. The sorceress was walking the portals down! "She's looking through the portals to place the next!" Buffy yelled, lunging. With Jim cutting the halberd into two and the shield gone, the scythe sank into the troll's stomach before he could react. Buffy twisted the blade, then pulled, ripping the troll's chest open.

The troll collapsed, turning to stone in a puddle of blood, but Buffy was already rushing down the stairs, Jim following close behind. "Watch out! Portal incoming!" she screamed as she took three troll-sized steps at a time.

But it was too late - she heard roaring and yelling from below before she cleared the last corner. Dawn! Then shots rang out.

"No!" Jim screamed behind her.

A dozen trolls were already in the crystal room, trying to kill her friends. Toby whirled the trollhammer around, fending off three of them while protecting Merlin, Willow and Tara. Xander was firing his shotgun, but it had no effect on the trolls. The troll guard was down already. And Dawn… Dawn was running from two trolls trying to grab her.

Not her sister! Buffy charged into the room, roaring incoherently. A troll moved to block her, but she was too fast, darting inside his reach before he finished turning towards her, then slashed his chest and face. Howling, he staggered back, holding his head, and she jumped at the next.

He ducked behind his shield, but that was OK - she hit the shield feet-first, stepped on it, then pushed off its rim to jump over the troll. "Dawn!"

She landed and whirled, slashing at the legs of the troll behind her, then rolled forward, under an axe blow from another troll - whose axe she cut in passing - and came up behind one of the trolls after her sister.

Clenching her teeth and howling, she drove the scythe into his back, twisting it as he screamed, then kicked the dying troll off the blade. One down, one to…

"Buffy!"

The other troll had managed to grab ahold of Dawn's ankle, and she was dangling from his massive hand. "Drop the blade!" he roared. "Or she dies!"

Buffy drew a sharp breath. "Think again!" she spat. The troll held Dawn in front of him as a living shield. Unfair. But not impossible to work around. She just had to…

A shot rang out, and the troll screamed as buckshot hit his head - and all four eyes of him. Xander!

Buffy rushed forward, sliding around the flailing Dawn, scythe lashing out at the troll's arm.

Another scream, and the troll stumbled back, blood pouring out of his stump.

"Ah!"

Buffy turned but was too slow to catch Dawn before she hit the ground.

"Dawn!"

Her sister rolled to the side, rubbing her face. Buffy was about to help her up when she heard Xander cry out. She looked up just in time to see Xander fly through the air and hit the ground, hard, sliding into a corner of the room.

Jim was fighting three trolls, Toby was struggling with two, and Willow and Tara were literally holding back the rest with magic. But more trolls were entering through the portal in the corner.

Buffy dashed towards them, glancing at Merlin as she passed. Morgana's casket thingie was still intact but floating in front of him. "I cannot set it down, or Morgana will have it fall into a portal and remove it!" he yelled.

Great. Another thing to worry about. Snarling, Buffy rushed the two trolls at the portal. She cut the first one down with a swipe of her scythe while sliding past his spear thrust, then turned on the other. She parried two strikes of his sword, then managed to slip her blade past his guard, into his groin.

The troll screamed like a banshee as he fell down, which left the portal, which would be leading to Morgana…

The portal disappeared and reappeared in the other corner.

Damn! Buffy hated fighting smart enemies!

*****​

James Lake Jr clenched his teeth as he whipped around, and Eclipse bit into the side of the lanky troll - changeling - fighting him. He kept turning, drawing the blade through the troll's body, and two halves fell down to the ground, shattering upon impact.

One of the two trolls left fighting him howled in rage and tried to grab him with both hands. Jim ducked, twisted and cut the troll from neck to navel as he flew over Jim. That left one, who… was running away towards the portal in the other corner.

The portal that would lead to Morgana! Jim snarled as he cut down a troll stumbling around with his hands holding his head and went after the fleeing troll.

"She's moving the portals!" Buffy yelled.

That was to be expected. But she couldn't move them too much - she had to be in the vicinity to see them. And she couldn't trap the portal's exit as long as trolls stepped through. That meant if Jim timed this correctly….

"Jimbo!"

Jim slashed, cutting open the back of the fleeing troll a few steps before the portal, and whirled. Toby was mobbed by half a dozen trolls. They were focusing on him to get at Merlin! Jim's friend smashed one troll's arm with the hammer, dodged a blow from another, but was caught by a spear thrust from a third that sent him stumbling back a few more steps.

"Tobes!" Jim charged towards his friend. Two trolls tried to block him, but he smashed his shield into the first, driving the enemy away, then slashed at the second before he could react. As the troll spun away, blood spewing from a slashed throat for a moment before he turned to stone, Jim barrelled into the trolls going after Toby. Eclipse cut through the leg of one, sending the slender troll down to the ground screaming, then Jim engaged the next, making short work of the axe-wielder. A spear - wielded by the same troll who had gotten a hit on Tobes - stabbed at him, but his armour deflected the blow, and Jim first cut off the spear's head and then the troll's. "Tobes!"

"I'm OK!" Toby yelled back, fending off two trolls using hammers to try and smash him into the stone floor while he tried to get up. "Armour stopped it!"

Jim twirled Eclipse, driving back two trolls trying to rally, then jumped on top of the back of the troll to the left who was fighting Toby. The changeling overbalanced and fell down, Jim driving his boots into the troll's back, then Eclipse through his neck.

That allowed Toby to get up. With the second troll glancing at Jim, Toby slipped past his hammer and smashed the troll's face in. "There are too many of them!" Toby yelled.

"We need to get through the portal," Jim hissed as he stood next to his friend, facing another half a dozen trolls charging at them. "When someone's coming through!"

He met the leader of the charge with his shield, weathering a blow from a maul that sent him staggering two steps back, then slashed at the one fighting Toby, crippling the troll's leg before following up with a strike to the first troll's face. Eclipse sliced open half the troll's cheek, but the changeling managed to fall back despite the wound, and Jim had to block and parry like a madman under the assault of the next two trolls.

Once more, he was driven back - until Toby smashed his hammer into the one on his side, sending the troll stumbling into those attacking Jim. Three quick strikes later, all were dead and rubble on the floor.

But this was pointless - they had to stop Morgana and save Claire. "Cover me!" Jim yelled - and charged ahead towards the portal. No troll was coming out of it, and was that a flicker? A trap?

He drew up short, then stepped to the side - just in time to avoid a yellowish spell that flew through the portal. "Fight her, Claire! I'm coming!" he yelled.

And jumped through the portal just as it flickered again.

"Wait for me!"

"What?" As Jim passed through the portal, he turned his head and saw Dawn jumping after him.

"Dawn! No! Stop! Dawn!" Buffy screamed.

Then Jim was through the portal and crashed to the ground - at the feet of Claire's body. "Claire! We're here!" he yelled as he jumped up. Dawn fell down to the ground next to him.

"You maggot! I had a trap prepared! Kill him! Get the girl!" Morgana spat in Claire's voice.

Jim was about to attack her when he noticed the two dozen changelings surrounding him and Dawn.

Then a shotgun bellowed, and Morgana took a step back. Snarling, she waved her staff, and the portal vanished.

"We need to get at Morgana," Dawn hissed as she took up a position behind Jim, cocking the shotgun.

But before Jim could say anything, half a dozen trolls charged him while the others pelted them with knives and rocks.

Where were the others? Where was Buffy? She wouldn't abandon Dawn!

"She's closed the portal to our friends," Dawn hissed. "So, all we need to do is take her out, and we've won. Easy!"

Jim chuckled. Then he caught a glancing blow from a rock on his helmet, and the changelings reached them. He beheaded one who had stumbled while charging, then whirled, driving the others back from Dawn with a wild slash before looking at Morgana.

"Claire! Fight her! Fight her!" he yelled again.

But Morgana pointed her staff at him, and a bolt of crackling, glowing energy shot at Jim.

*****​
 
Chapter 37: Morgana Part 2
Chapter 37: Morgana Part 2

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

"Dawn! No!" Buffy Summers screamed as the portal vanished. Jumping into a portal after Jim? To Morgana? "You idiot!"

She clenched her teeth and whirled, snarling at the trolls left in the room as she hefted the scythe.

One of the trolls, a tall, hulking one, took a step back. Another, slender one, raised two curved blades - Egyptian style, Buffy noted as she dashed forward to vent her rage.

The other troll was good - they parried Buffy's first two strikes, though they had to give ground. "Balar! Help me!" they - she? - yelled.

Buffy hissed under her breath as she feinted, then lunged, to be parried again. One good fighter and more trolls to help her? This might become a little tricky.

But the other troll backed off. "We have to kill Merlin! Keep her busy!"

"No!" the female troll yelled. "We need to deal with the Slayer first!"

"Oh! Stabbed in the back by your friends?" Buffy grinned and redoubled her attack. The troll had to fall back some more, and Buffy almost had her once - the scythe missed her stomach by inches.

The troll tried to riposte, but Buffy swatted her lunges away with two quick twists of the scythe. "Not used to fighting someone stronger than you, huh?" And the troll's friends were all moving away.

In response, the troll bared her teeth - lots of shiny sharp ones - and charged her, blades whirling. "Die!"

It looked impressive, like an approaching harvester, just with swords, but this kind of move was predictable - especially when wielding two long blades. Buffy took a step back, then slid to the side and lunged. Her scythe caught one of the curved swords on the backswing and whipped it to the side, unbalancing the troll and creating an opening large enough to drive Giles's car through.

Before the troll could recover, Buffy slid forward, going low, and gutted her with an overhand slash. By the time she jumped up, the troll was already turning to stone. One down for Dawn!

That left… about a dozen trying to get at Merlin and the others. Most of them were trapped by some spell of Willow and Tara, it seemed - but they looked exhausted. Toby had killed a few more and was keeping the rest at bay with Xander, who was limping but still wielded his axe.

"Heads up!" Buffy yelled, baring her teeth as she waded into the trapped trolls, cutting throats and slashing bellies as she passed the brutes, leaving crumbling stone corpses in her wake. When she reached Toby and Xander's small line, only four trolls were left.

Buffy cut down one from behind, ramming the scythe through his back, allowing Toby to kill another with a two-handed strike straight into the face. The other two turned to face her.

Or to run - the hulking one who had left Buffy alone with his friend cursed and started for the door. "Keep them busy! I'm going for reinforcements!"

"Balar! You CowARGH!" Xander used the distraction to plant his axe in the other troll's neck.

"One's getting away!" Toby said, panting as he propped himself up with the trollhammer.

Buffy cocked her head, grinning as she listened to the sounds of troll boots coming down the stairs. "No, they're not."

A moment later, Balar returned, dashing into the chamber, then drew to a stop, looking around.

"No portal," Buffy told him. "No way out." She smiled, showing her teeth.

Behind the troll, Vendel and the others arrived.

"You're trapped," Buffy said, slowly circling the troll. "If you want to live, you better tell me where you came from." And where Dawn and Jim were right now. "Otherwise, I'll cut you to pieces - slowly. She lifted her scythe for emphasis.

Balar panted, his head twitching as he looked around. "They're… they're in our headquarters!"

"The Order of Janus's headquarters? Where is it?" Vendel demanded.

"It's… it's beneath the old Omni-Reach Travel Agency!" Balar blurted out.

"I know the place! That's in Arcadia Oaks!" Toby said.

"How far from here?" Buffy asked.

"Not too far, but…" Toby looked back at where Merlin had set down the casket or coffin with Morgana's body.

"You cannot leave. Morgana knows of this chamber now, and she will be able to send all her remaining forces through the next portal," Merlin said. "Unless we can destroy her once and for all. And for that, I need to break the seals."

"We'll protect you," Vendel said, "while you do what you must."

"Morgana has Dawn. Or will have her soon. That means she can open a portal to wherever Gunmar is."

"The Darklands," Vendel said.

"Dawn got my shotgun!" Xander sat down with a groan, holding his side.

Willow and Tara had all but collapsed, leaning against each other.

Buffy looked at Toby.

He clenched his teeth - she saw tears in his eyes - but he shook his head. "We would be too late. It's up to Jim now. Jim and Claire and Dawn. We have to stop Morgana."

They had to go and save Dawn. And Jim! "How long will you take?" Buffy asked Merlin.

"Longer if you keep distracting me."

That wasn't helpful. Buffy looked at Toby, then at her friends. Could she leave them here? Open to another attack?

Could she leave Dawn?

What should she do?

*****​

Beneath the Omni-Reach Travel Agency, Arcadia Oaks,
January 30th, 2017

"Down!" James Lake Jr yelled, throwing himself in front of Dawn and dragging her to the ground. The crackling, glowing bolt of magic barely missed him - and struck a troll who had stepped forward to brain Jim with a mace.

The changeling gasped in surprise, remaining frozen for a moment, then started to scream as his stomach suddenly started to tremble, bulges appearing one after another, growing rapidly. To Jim's horror, the limbs and head of the troll were being sucked in at the same time. A moment later, with a splattering noise, the troll turned into a wobbling mass of bleeding flesh. And then to stone.

The other trolls looked as shocked as Jim felt and halted their charge.

"Get him, or you're next!" Morgana screeched.

And the trolls came at Jim and Dawn again. He parried a blow from a changeling wielding a spear, kicking the troll away, then whirled to face the next troll when a chain wrapped itself around Eclipse - another troll was using a weird chain weapon and started pulling on it at once, trying to disarm him. Jim snarled and bashed a third troll with his shield, then twisted Eclipse, cutting the chains.

That sent the troll stumbling back, bumping into another. Both fell down, and Jim lunged, stabbing the chain-wielder through the face with his sword.

That left about twenty trolls. He rolled back, kicking one troll trying to grab Dawn in the face and stabbing another through the chest.

He couldn't keep this up. Not against so many trolls. Not against Morgana. He couldn't protect Dawn.

They were completely surrounded now. Jim slashed at a halberd trying to separate him and Dawn, cutting its head off, then jumped to the side to avoid a spear thrust.

"Damn it!" Jim turned and saw one of the trolls in the second row had turned into a human and pulled a gun out. He stepped in front of Dawn at once, flaring his shield. Several shots hit his shield, two bounced off his armour. Dawn pressed herself against him, then moved the shotgun past his face, barrel pointed towards the firing troll.

The shotgun roared, and Dawn fell back with a surprised yell. Jim caught her with his left hand while parrying an attack by a lunging troll. "We need to get out of here!" He hissed.

"No, we need to get Morgana!" Dawn replied. "Hey, Claire! Take your body back, or I'll take Jim!"

"What?" Jim stared at her, then had to duck below a wild swing with an axe.

"I know how to motivate her!" Dawn said. "I can… NO!"

A net dropped on her head. Jim whirled, slashing with his sword, and managed to cut the rope attached to it before Dawn was pulled away, but she was still entangled.

Something hit him in the back, throwing him to the ground. He rolled to the side, avoiding the follow-up blow, but he ended rolling into a spear thrust that barely glanced off his chestplate.

Dawn shrieked - a troll had grabbed her, net and all. Jim scrambled to his feet, batting away another spear thrust and gutting a troll trying to block his way, and rushed forward.

A halberd caught his legs, and he fell again.

"Kill him! Kill him now!" Morgana yelled.

Jim caught a sword on his shield, cut the tip off a spear, but an axe hit his legs, and he screamed in pain. Propping himself up on one knee, he whirled Eclipse, catching one changeling in the face, then threw his blades. One caught the troll carrying Dawn in the knee. The other sliced through the troll's fingers which held the net.

Jim caught a blow to the back from a sword, but Dawn fell to the ground and rolled out of the net.

But two trolls rushed towards her at once. Jim shrugged off another blow and dashed forward again, ramming into one of them headfirst. It felt like ramming a wall. Or Draal.

But it caught the troll in mid-jump and made him miss Dawn and crash into the oher troll. Both fell down. Jim cut an axe in two before its blade could reach him and jumped, despite the pain.

With only one leg, he fell short, but he rolled the last yard to Dawn.

She was already up, but she had lost the shotgun. And they were about to be surrounded again. "To the wall!" Jim snapped.

Dawn didn't hesitate - she ran to the closest wall. Jim followed her, running backwards as he fended off more attacks. They just had to hold out a little longer. Just long enough for Merlin to kill Morgana. Then Claire would be back, and everything would be fine.

Half a dozen trolls formed a semi-circle around them. Jim could keep them at bay. He could. Clenching his teeth, he lunged, feinting at one, then turned to take a stab at another. Both fell back. Hah!

One troll tried to hit him with a maul, but coming at him from the front - Jim could dodge without endangering Dawn. Which he did, then rolled forward over the shaft of the weapon, lashing out with Eclipse and cutting the troll from shoulder to hip.

But the dead troll's place was filled by another changeling in a heartbeat. And Morgana was pointing her staff at him again.

Damn. What was taking Merlin so long?

*****​

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

"What's taking you so long?" Buffy Summers snapped at Merlin. "You said you could easily break your own seals!" She clearly remembered that.

"And this is true. However, I did not claim to be able to quickly break my seals, did I?" the old geezer retorted. "Further, we need to be ready for this - she must know what I am doing and will do anything to stop me."

"We can hold the stairs," Vendel said. "There are changelings in Trollmarket still, but they must be biding their time since they haven't launched another attack on us. Those who aren't fighting Draal."

"Or fled," Xander said. "They took heavy casualties."

"They also murdered many of us - most often defenceless trolls." Vendel shot a glare at Balar.

"That wasn't me!" the cowardly changeling quickly said. "I wasn't there - I was sent directly to this chamber! I didn't kill anyone!"

"So, you were part of her reserves?" Xander asked. "The ones held back for the crucial strike?"

"Yes!"

"Quite an important position," Buffy commented.

Balar shook his head. "No, no. It was just chance. When she was gathering us, she picked us at random."

That hadn't been smart of Morgana. Picking the right minion for the job was essential, as Spike liked to say. And Balar was obviously more suited to killing troll children than facing the Trollhunter or Slayer. Morgana must have been pressed for time. Or gotten sloppy.

"Cease your prattling. This still takes a certain finesse," Merlin complained. "'I've broken the first seal, yet two remain."

Buffy rolled her eyes. But the old man was doing, well, probably his best. And with everyone else exhausted, wounded or both, it wasn't as if they had too many options. "I guess we'll wait here, then, until I can drive my scythe through Morgana's neck." She cocked her head, eyeing the casket Merlin was working on. "Are you sure I can't slice through this?"

"Do you wish to test my defences?" he retorted. "I anticipated such an attempt, seeing as how common it is amongst the martially inclined to use brute force against every problem. Best not attempt to force the casket."

Buffy blinked. That sounded slightly insulting. Not entirely wrong - there were few demony problems you couldn't solve by staking or stabbing someone - but still a little condescending. She would've said something, but Merlin was focused on the prison thingie again.

She sighed.

"Don't worry," Xander said. "If Morgana had Dawn, she'd try to use her as a hostage. Jim must be keeping her safe."

"Unless Morgana is already freeing Gunmar after taking over Dawn," Buffy said.

"Dawn would have to hold the Shadow Staff for that," Willow pointed out.

Buffy snorted. Dawn taking the staff was the plan, wasn't it?

"And I don't think she can possess anyone that quickly," Willow went on. "And if Dawn gets ahold of the staff, she would use it to flee at once."

"Unless held at sword point," Buffy retorted.

"Jim would have something to say about that," Toby said. "He will protect her."

Unless the choice was protecting Dawn versus saving Claire. But Buffy didn't say that. Or unless Jim was already dead. She didn't mention that either.

"The Trollhunter is skilled, but even his power has limits. It was foolish of your friend to follow him to Morgana's lair," Vendel commented.

Buffy knew that! But it wasn't Vendel's business. "She is risking her life to fight your enemy," she snapped.

"And, as I understand things, risking Morgana breaking Gunmar out of his prison." Vendel shook his head. "We are in dire straits."

"We are close to finishing Morgana once and for all," Buffy snapped back. "And she doesn't strike me as the kind of person to sacrifice herself to free someone else. If she could, she would still be attacking us."

"Unless she thinks she can't save herself, and is doing what she can to spite us," Willow said.

And that would mean freeing Gunmar and his horde or whatever. Buffy clenched her teeth at the thought. Dawn, in Gunmar's hands? That troll ate people! Perhaps she could rush to Morgana's lair… "How much longer?" she asked. "I could have reached her lair by now!"

"No, you couldn't have," Toby protested. "It's not that close."

Merlin suddenly shuddered and let out a sigh. "And the second seal is broken. One remains."

But he looked pretty broken, too. Well, exhausted. And he was still cursed and dying, wasn't he? Only his magic was keeping him alive, and what he had taken from that Heart of Avalon of his. Willow and Tara looked too exhausted to help him, and if he kept going, he might…

She clenched her teeth again. He had to know what he was doing. It was his decision. And they had to stop Morgana and save Claire.

Damn. She couldn't even be mad at him if he was sacrificing his life for this. Well, she could, but it would be Cordelia-level petty. Before she lost her money and went to Los Angeles and stopped being the worst bitch on the planet.

Damn it all.

"Dawn, you better be OK," she muttered under her breath. "Mom will so ground you for this…"

*****​

Beneath the Omni-Reach Travel Agency, Arcadia Oaks,
January 30th, 2017

"Watch out!"

James Lake Jr gritted his teeth and tried to ignore Dawn's shrieking. With literally their backs to the wall, he had a relatively easy time focusing on the changelings in front of them. The troll lunging at him was feinting, anyway. Jim parried the sabre and turned a little - on his bruised leg, which hurt like hell but didn't slow him down too much, as long as he didn't try to jump.

And yes - the troll on his left side charged in, trying to exploit the opening Jim had given him, stabbing forward with a barbed spear.

Jim whirled - away from the rest of the trolls - and avoided the spear. The troll hadn't expected him to turn this way and show his back to the other trolls and so was too slow to pull back when Eclipse swung toward his neck.

With his throat torn open, the changeling staggered back, blood gushing out between his fingers for a moment before he turned to stone and crumbled.

Jim finished his turn and had to hastily parry two more attacks, taking a third on the shield, but a few quick slashes had the trolls withdrawing a few steps - and closing ranks.

Back to square one, minus one changeling. Jim took a few deep breaths. His leg throbbed with pain.

"What's Buffy doing? She should be killing that bitch's body," Dawn muttered behind him.

"You useless maggots! Kill them!"

The changelings jerked. One took a step forward, then back as Jim turned to face him. Good.

"Die!" Another spell flew at them. Jim gasped - then stared as it hit one of the trolls in the back, smashing him into another and setting both on fire.

"You dare?" Morgana yelled.

Jim blinked. Why would…? Oh! "It's Claire!" he whispered. "Claire's messing with her."

"Great. Now she has to do that a dozen times more, and we're good."

Jim would've snorted at that, but at the sight of the death of two of their own, apparently, because they weren't fighting, the other trolls charged in again. Jim snapped Eclipse back and forth, deflecting a maul and cutting the head off a halberd, then had to quickly step to the side to block a chain from wrapping itself around Dawn.

It wrapped itself around his shield arm instead, and a lunge from another troll struck his back, the blade sliding off his armour but the impact hurting him anyway.

"I've got him!" the chain-wielder - what was it with weird weapons, anyway? - yelled. Jim scoffed and cut the chain with Eclipse, then sent his blades flying at the staggering troll. One of them cut into his face, the other nicked the troll's shoulder, but either way, the changeling screamed and fell back, holding his wounds.

And Jim was still facing a semi-circle of half a dozen trolls, with more behind them.

"Kill them!" Morgana screeched again in Claire's voice.

Once more, the trolls hesitated, but that would not last. And Jim was growing tired. His armour had stopped the blows so far, but the sheer force of the impacts still hurt. "We need the staff," he whispered.

"No shit, Sherlock. That's why we're here."

More or less. But how could they get it?

One troll howled and charged, a war hammer held high as he led with a shield. Jim slapped the shield aside with a two-handed swing of Eclipse, then opened the troll's chest with the backswing. Another of Morgana's spells missed both him and the trolls, blowing up part of the wall and floor next to them, but a spear thrust hit his good leg, sliding off the armour but leaving him bruised anyway.

Still over a dozen changelings left. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Jim blinked. It was a faint hope, but… "We need to get her staff!" he yelled.

"Don't tell her that!" Dawn snapped. "Are you mad?"

"Get ready!" Jim hissed - and threw his blades so they'd come at the sorceress from an angle.

She scoffed, twisting Claire's face into a sneer, and waved her staff to blast the blades away.

Jim dived forward, grabbing the head of the hammer on the ground. He rolled over his shoulder, smashing into a troll wielding a mace, and kicked him back into another, opening a gap to Morgana. And he threw the hammerhead at her arm.

Morgana turned, scoffing - then gasped as her arm jerked to the side, her spell going wide - and the hammerhead hit her shoulder, sending her staff flying.

Jim blocked a blow from one troll, got caught by two others on his chest and side, but managed to fall back towards Dawn. "Get the staff, Cheerleader!" he yelled, then grabbed her at the waist - and turned, lifting her up.

"What are you… AHHHH!"

Jim threw her over the line of the trolls facing her. He saw her twist in the middle of the air before the changelings blocked his line of sight as they charged in, and the first blow hit his chest, slamming him against the wall.

Another caught his helmet, sending him spinning to the side. He deflected a lunge out of reflex, caught a stab on his shield, but another blow hit his legs, and he fell down to his knees.

Snarling, he lashed out with Eclipse, cutting off a troll's leg in return, but at the cost of another blow to his shoulder. He deflected a maul that would have squished him like a bug and rammed his blade into the troll's wide-open chest, then caught a blow to the back and ended up sprawled on the ground.

But he heard Morgana scream: "NOOOO!"

Dawn must have made it! That meant Morgana had lost the staff! They could save Claire!

He rolled to the side, a hammer striking the ground next to him. Before Jim could react, something hit his hip, and he was pushed back - a troll had kicked him. But that meant two others missed him. And he managed to catch another blow on his shield.

"Give it back!"

Jim twisted, a spear glancing off his thigh plate. He shifted back to a side, raising his shield, only to catch a blow to the back. He needed his sword! Where was it? Something hit his shoulder as he moved, and he yelled with pain.

"No! Jim! Heads up!"

What? Jim turned his head to look in the direction of Dawn's voice - was she moving - and was hit in the face by water. Lots of water - he was swept away together with a bunch of screaming trolls. What the…?

He was underwater! In armour! Jim scrambled to get his aching legs under him, to find purchase on the ground, and managed to get up, finding himself in waist-deep water.

"Jim!"

"Die!"

Even without her staff, Morgana in Claire's body was throwing spells at Dawn, who was hiding behind a portal.

Jim started towards her, wading through the water as fast as he could. Eclipse appeared in his hand. A troll moved to face him, legs as tall as Jim himself carrying him easily through the flooded room, but Jim threw his blades at him, then lunged with Eclipse when the troll twisted to dodge them.

But the other trolls were recovering from their shock - and most of them were so tall, the water would hinder Jim far more than them.

Damn.

"Get out, Dawn!" he yelled as he found himself surrounded.

"Not without you!"

A portal appeared in front of him, and Jim fell more than he jumped through it.

He splashed into the water next to Dawn, a spell barely missing him before Dawn could realign the portal to block the next curses.

"Kill them! Kill them now, you useless maggots!"

Morgana sounded desperate.

Jim grinned.

*****​

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

One more seal left. Buffy Summers should be out there, racing to save Dawn. And Jim. Even though it had been his fault that Dawn had jumped through that portal - if he hadn't jumped, Buffy's stupid sister wouldn't have done it either.

Buffy shouldn't be waiting here for Merlin to open his casket or whatever so they could slay a helpless sorceress.

"Morgana could send another wave of changelings into this room at any moment, you know."

Buffy clenched her teeth - no snapping at her friends for stating the obvious! - and turned to face Xander. "I know."

"That's why you were staring at the stairs as if they were an all-you-can-eat buffet?" He grinned a little lopsidedly.

Buffy sighed. Her friends knew her too well. "What was it you said about hostages? If Morgana had captured them, she would try to use them as hostages? This is the same. If Morgana could send more trolls at us, she would do it. She knows what we are going to do."

"Yes."

"So, what is she doing?"

"Fighting Jim and Dawn?" Xander shrugged, then winced.

Dawn wasn't fighting anyone. She was Buffy's little sister. Not a Slayer. Not a Scoobie. She was just a stupid teenager who should've known better.

"Dawn's your sister. Of course she'll be fighting." Xander really knew her too well, Buffy thought.

She scoffed. Then she sighed. "I hate this."

"Who doesn't?"

Good question. "Spike." He loved fighting. "He'll be pissed that he missed this."

Xander laughed. "You're right. And we can rub it in once we're back in Sunnydale."

"Right." Sunnydale. It felt as if they had left ages ago. She missed her home. Her room. Even the Bronze.

A deep sigh from Merlin, followed by a groan, drew her attention. He was holding his staff over the now almost transparent prison. "Almost…" he whispered.

Buffy was at his side a moment later, scythe raised. Staring at the sorceress.

On the other side, Toby matched her.

Xander limped over with his axe.

Willow and Tara stirred, but they had trouble standing up. And Merlin was trembling, sweat running down his face and into his beard. Ew!

Then the transparent magic glass disappeared completely, and the old geezer sagged.

And Buffy went blind.

She recoiled, blinking and cursing, her eyes hurting. Her friends were yelling as well.

"I can't see!"

"Flash-bang!"

"Morgana!"

The bitch had cast a blinding spell. Buffy gritted her teeth, raising her scythe. No. If she missed and hit a friend… She cocked her head and listened as she moved to the side. Someone screamed. And someone fell down. But there were steps. Light and sure, to her left. Too sure for someone blinded.

She pounced, barrelling into someone. Someone in armour. Someone who gasped in a much lighter voice than Toby or Merlin as they fell to the ground, Buffy on top of them. Morgana! Buffy acted on instinct, slapping the sorceress's arms away, then reaching up to grab her head.

"Maggot!" the woman spat. "I'll…"

Buffy's fingers found her face, and she dug them in like claws.

Morgana screamed. "My eyes!"

Buffy kept one hand on the woman's face and pulled her other hand back, balling it into a fist.

Then she struck. Blindly. Repeatedly. She heard cartilage and bones breaking. And screaming.

She didn't stop until she could finally see again. Could see what she had done.

Morgana was dead.

*****​

Beneath the Omni-Reach Travel Agency, Arcadia Oaks,
January 30th, 2017

James Lake Jr kept grinning as the trolls charged at him. With Dawn controlling the Shadow Staff, she could block most attacks and charges, leaving Jim to defend against only one or two changelings. And the water was flowing through the portal, to… somewhere. "Let's move to the corner!" he snapped. "It'll cover our backs!"

"I don't think letting us be cornered is a good idea!" Dawn argued.

Jim met the first troll with a criss-cross cut that wrecked the changeling's hand and then sliced his belly open. He fell to his knees, and Jim cut his throat on the backswing, turning the troll into an obstacle.

"We need to cover our flanks!"

Another tried to get around them, but with a dead troll statue covering his flank, even the knee-deep water didn't give Jim too much trouble to turn on his good leg to face the troll. A few quick parries and the troll tried to pull back, but two more behind him were blocking him. Jim had no trouble exploiting the opening created when the three bumped into each other, burying Eclipse in the troll's back.

"Jim!"

That was…! Jim turned his head. Morgana stood at the back of the room, staring wide-eyed at him. No, not Morgana, Jim realised - Claire! Morgana had left her!

He gasped - they had to get her out of this! He quickly parried a spear thrust, deflected an overhand blow that would have sliced him in half if not for his armour, and stepped back. "We need to get Claire!" he snapped. "Make a portal!

"What?"

"That's Claire!" he hissed.

Dawn hesitated. "It could be a trick!"

It wasn't. Jim knew Claire. The way she moved. The way she talked. The way she looked when she was unarmed and two trolls were turning towards her… "Do it!"

Dawn cursed, but a portal appeared between Claire and the trolls - and another replaced the one next to Jim. Claire jumped through. "Jim!"

"Claire!" He wanted to hug her. Kiss her. Hold her.

But they were still under attack. Jim had to lunge with Eclipse and drive back two trolls instead of hugging Claire.

"We need to get out of here," he snapped.

"Brilliant observation, Professor Lake," Dawn snapped.

"Give me the staff; I can take us out," Claire said.

"Nice try!" Dawn replied.

"Create a portal to the surface!" Jim snapped. It was daylight outside. Or should be - Jim had lost track during the whole race across Britain and to California.

Dawn cursed again but waved the staff, and the portal flickered.

"Go!" Jim yelled, turning to put his back to the portal and gripping Eclipse with both hands. "Go!"

"Jim!"

"Come on!" Dawn yelled.

"Jim! We're through!"

"Hurry!"

Jim feinted, then moved back, through the portal…

...and stumbled over a rock. He whirled. Where…? "The desert?" he blurted out as the portal vanished.

"I wasn't about to transport trolls to Sunnydale," Dawn said.

This was the spot where they had planned to fight Glory, Jim realised. And the sun hadn't gone up yet. Though… His eyes widened when he realised that he hadn't stumbled over a rock but one half of a troll's torso. There was water on the ground as well, turning it muddy.

"Earlier, I've had the portal high up in the air," Dawn explained. "Just in case some of them tried to go through and then return to catch us in the back."

Jim nodded. That was a good idea.

"And what if Jim had jumped through it?" Claire asked.

Dawn blinked, then frowned. "He wouldn't have! You know him - he waited to let us go through! He'd never jump through the portal first."

"Claire!" Jim moved to hold her, armour and all. "Claire!"

"Jim!" She embraced him, resting her head against his shoulder. "It was… I should've fought her off, but… She was so strong." He heard her sniffle. "Merlin was right, but his spells didn't work."

"But you fought her off in the end! And you made her miss with her magic!" Jim told her. She would have fought Morgana off in the end, he was sure of that.

"She left. I didn't push her out - she left."

"So you say," Dawn said. When Jim looked at her, she added: "It could be a trick of Morgana."

"It isn't!" Jim knew Claire!

"You're not exactly objective," Dawn said.

"Ask me anything Morgana wouldn't know!" Claire blurted out.

Jim opened his mouth, then closed it again. Something Morgana wouldn't have observed? "The play!" he said. "Tell me about the play!"

"The play?" Dawn asked.

Jim ignored her. He stared at Claire.

Who was blushing.

Jim nodded. "It's you!"

"What? Why? She didn't even say anything!" Dawn complained.

Jim didn't answer. He smiled at Claire, gently gripping her armoured shoulders. "Claire."

"Jim."

Their lips met. Yes, this was Claire. Jim closed his eyes.

Someone coughed.

Jim didn't care. He enjoyed the kiss. Claire was back. His Claire. Free of Morgana. He heard her moan a little and hugged her more tightly.

Another cough. "Hello? Did you forget that people are still fighting?"

Oh for…! Jim released Claire and pulled back, frowning at Dawn.

The girl frowned back. "I hate to break up your reunion snog, but we've got friends fighting changelings. We need to return to Trollmarket."

Right. Toby and the others.

"Give me the staff. I can open a portal to Trollmarket."

"I think I'll hold on to this until we see Morgana's corpse."

Claire opened her mouth to protest, but Jim shook his head at her. This wasn't the time to argue.

"Good. Here we go!"

*****​

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

Buffy Summers blinked - and not just because her eyes had finally recovered from whatever blinding spell Morgana had cast. Morgana was dead. Killed by Buffy. And she literally had her blood on her hands. And on her sleeves. And on her top and pants. Lots of it. Grimacing, she stood, shaking her hands, almost wiping them on her jeans before stopping.

Should've used the scythe once I had her, she thought. That would've been cleaner. But even so, the big bad evil girl was dead, and…

"Merlin!"

Buffy turned, then gasped. Merlin was on the ground, still. Too still. Willow and Tara were at his side, trying to do some magic, or so it looked like to Buffy, but it didn't seem to be working. Merlin had beaten death before, but, somehow, Buffy had a feeling it wouldn't work this time.

"She must have focused on him," Xander said, rubbing his eyes. "Took him out right after blinding us all."

"Damn," Buffy muttered under her breath. That had been the body she had heard falling. Merlin was dead because of her. "I should've been faster," she said. Should have cut instead of recoiling.

"None of us was fast enough," Xander said.

Toby slowly nodded. He was holding the trollhammer with one hand, hammerhead on the ground, looking dejected.

That didn't matter. Buffy was the Slayer. Morgana had been trapped. Buffy should've been able to kill her before she could cast a spell.

"Merlin didn't warn us, either. No countdown or something," Xander went on.

That wasn't an excuse, either. Buffy had failed. Even blinded, she should've caught the sorceress before Merlin was cursed.

In front of her, Willow sat back, sagging. And sobbing.

Tara reached out to close Merlin's eyes.

He was dead.

"Damn."

"You couldn't have done anything," Vendel said. "Morgana was one of the most powerful sorceresses in the world."

But Buffy was the Slayer. She'd had Morgana dead to rights or something. She blinked. "Oh, no! Dawn!"

"Jim! And Claire!" Toby blurted out.

"I knew I should've run to them!" Buffy snapped. "Now where…?"

A portal appeared in the middle of the room, and everyone jumped, weapons raised.

Jim stepped through, smiling widely. And behind him came Claire and Dawn! "We made it!" he said. "Did you kill…" he trailed off as he saw Merlin on the ground. "No!"

"Dawn!" Buffy snapped.

"Not now," she replied, waving the staff and closing the portal. "Can you check if Claire's Claire?"

"Morgana's dead," Buffy told her.

"Better safe than sorry," Dawn replied. "Willow!"

Willow looked up with a miserable expression. "I couldn't save him. I did all the spells, but… I couldn't break the curse."

"He was already dead," Tara whispered.

"But I could've saved him if I had been quicker. If I had known more about breaking curses!" Willow insisted.

"Willow, can you check Claire?" Buffy asked. Best to get her friend busy before Willow started wallowing in despair.

"Oh… I think so…"

"Jimbo!" Toby hugged Jim. "Claire!" He pulled her into the hug as well.

Buffy grimaced at the sight. If Claire turned out to be still possessed….

But she didn't say anything while Willow started doing her magic, joined by Tara. She just stood there, ready to act. She wouldn't fail a second time.

After about a minute, both Willow and Tara shook their heads. "No curse on her."

"Her aura is pure."

"I told you so," Jim said.

"Better safe than sorry," Dawn replied.

"Can I get my staff back now?" Claire asked, holding out her hand.

Dawn rolled her eyes but handed it over.

Claire closed her eyes and sighed as she held it. Some people really fixated too much on their weapons, in Buffy's opinion.

"So, all's well that ends well," Xander said. "The world is saved."

"It is not safe yet." Vendel took a step forward. "Gunmar still lives and plots in the Darklands. With many of the Order of Janus slain, his forces have been weakened, but so have we." He looked at Merlin, then at the other trolls nearby. The survivors of the guards.

"But Gunmar's been trapped in the Darklands for centuries," Xander retorted. "That's not really an urgent problem."

Buffy nodded. He was right. They could take their time. Recover from this. And then prepare to storm the Darklands and finish Gunmar once and for all.

Vendel shook his head again. "He remains trapped, as far as we know. And yet we are not safe from him." The big troll seemed to hesitate, then raised his head. "He has ways to hurt us. And the innocent."

What did he mean?

Claire gasped. "Enrique!"

Vendel nodded. "With so many changelings dead, their familiars are no longer needed."

Jim grimaced. "NotEnrique is still alive. As are others - we didn't kill every changeling at their base. But..."

"They might be spared. But the others…" Vendel looked grim.

"We have to save them!" Claire blurted out.

"Yes!" Jim nodded. "And we have to move now, before Gunmar comes after them!"

Great. So much for resting and recovering. But they couldn't let the evil trolls eat babies. Buffy nodded, hefting her scythe. "So, how do we get to the Darklands?"

*****​
 
Chapter 38: The Darklands
Chapter 38: The Darklands

Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017

How do we get to the Darklands? That was a good question. The Darklands had been sealed off since the battle of Killahead Bridge, James Lake Jr knew that. But they weren't perfectly sealed. There were ways around it. "We need the Fetch," he said.

"The Fetch? But that portal's not big enough to…" Toby's eyes widened. "Oh! If we can see through it, then we can open a portal into the Shadowlands!"

"You mean I can," Dawn said with a grin. "Thanks to the Key."

"We don't know if you can open a portal to the Darklands," Claire told her with a frown.

Dawn shrugged. "We can test that easily. Just give me the staff."

"We will not be opening any portals to the Darklands here," Vendel cut in.

"And we need the Fetch first, anyway," Jim pointed out.

"Where is it?"

"It's in Trollmarket's vaults," Jim told her. Vendel raised his eyebrows at him, which Jim ignored. "We put it there after we…" He took a deep breath. "After we tried to get Enrique back with it."

"Chompsky went in, but his lifeline was cut," Toby said.

"Who's Chompsky?" Buffy asked.

"He's a gnome."

"A gnome?" Buffy frowned. "What's a gnome?"

"You sent a gnome into the Darklands?" Vendel sounded shocked.

"He volunteered," Jim retorted.

"What is a gnome?"

"A gnome is a… gnome?" Toby explained. "Like a garden gnome, but alive."

"They're annoying creatures," Vendel said.

"Gnomes. Do they wear red pointy hats as well?" Xander snorted.

"Yes, actually," Jim said. "But don't touch the hats - they hate that."

"They have a big horn under the hat," Toby added. "And they're about this high." He moved his hands to show the size.

"Enough about gnomes," Buffy said. "So, we need that Fetch, and then we can look into the Darklands, and open a real portal to there."

Jim nodded.

"If Dawn manages that," Claire added.

"Let's find out."

"But with the utmost caution," Vendel said. "We cannot risk Gunmar and his horde escaping."

That went without saying, in Jim's opinion. Also… "We want to save the babies, though. We're not after Gunmar. Not yet." Especially since all of them were hurt, exhausted or both. Well, Buffy looked like she was ready to go, but Jim's legs and pretty much most of his body still hurt. More so now that he wasn't distracted by fighting for his life. But he could grit his teeth and bear it - babies depended on him. Enrique depended on him.

"But how will we find the babies?" Toby asked. "The Fetch only opens to a location, ah, relative to our location - if it moves here, it moves in the Darklands. That's why we sent Chompsky through."

"Oh, we have a friendly helper," Buffy said, smiling toothily at the troll between three guards. The changeling, Jim realised. "Right, Balar?" she said.

"Gunmar will kill me!" The big troll was trembling.

"He'll kill you anyway for deserting," Buffy replied. "So, you either help us, and live, or you die."

"A chance is better than certain death," Vendel said. "Although I believe you have alternatives," he commented, turning to Jim.

Strickler and NotEnrique, yes. "They're not available on short notice," Jim said. They couldn't spend hours travelling to Camelot and back. Not when Gunmar might start feeding babies to his trolls at any moment. "Let's go."

"Yes!" Dawn jumped up.

"What about…?" Willow pointed at Merlin's body.

"We will prepare him for a burial," Vendel said. "One more body will not make a difference."

Jim clenched his teeth. If they had been faster, so many trolls wouldn't have been killed. And Merlin might still be alive. He blinked. "There are still changelings left in their base!"

"They will have vacated it - they failed Morgana, and they know we will be coming for them," Vendel said. "They will scatter to the winds."

"Or try to go undercover again," Buffy suggested.

"They probably have bases spread over the world," Xander added.

"Yes, yes. Babies first, creepy troll shapechanging spies after," Buffy said. "Let's go before Gunmar opens an all-the-babies-you-can-eat buffet."

Jim wasn't the only one who winced at that.

They followed Vendel to the vault. "Where is Draal?" Jim asked. He hadn't seen the troll so far.

"Dealing with a few changeling holdouts. He took it upon himself to defend the trolls trapped in the outer parts of Trollmarket," Vendel replied as they reached the door. "We'll have to talk about using our vault without my knowledge," he added before opening the door and stepping inside.

Jim winced at that.

Buffy, though, scoffed. "Right after we talk about paying the trollhunters."

"Buffy!" Jim snapped. This wasn't the time.

"She's right, Jim," Claire said. "We have to discuss this once everything's over."

"What? But…" Jim shook his head. When had Claire changed her opinion?

"Babies first, salary second," Buffy said.

"Here's the Fetch!" Toby held the device up. "Careful - you can get stuck in it."

"Great. Dawn, get ready. Let's find out if we can enter the Darklands."

"Staff!" Dawn said.

Claire handed it over. She wasn't happy about it, Jim knew. But this was for Enrique.

"OK. Opening the Fetch now. I mean, operating the Fetch now." Toby opened a small portal, then moved it so Dawn could look through it.

"Wait!" Buffy held up a hand. "Show it to me, first - I want to check if there are any trolls hiding nearby."

"Uh…" Toby looked at Jim.

Jim nodded.

Buffy stuck her head through the portal while Jim held his breath. If a troll was waiting… But she pulled back after a few seconds. "It's all evil-stinky, but no trolls around."

"Alright." Dawn waved the staff, and a portal appeared.

And Jim could see another portal through the Fetch.

They could enter the Darklands.

*****​

The Darklands, January 30th, 2017

She was still in pain from all the blows she had taken - Slayer Healing was working too slowly, as always - but Buffy Summers didn't hesitate. Babies were at stake.

She stepped through the portal, scythe held ready, and quickly looked around. The other side was dark. Not pitch-black, though - there was some illumination from crystals or stuff. More than enough for her eyes to see everything in sight. "I don't see any trolls," she whispered.

"Do you hear any?" Jim whispered as he joined her.

She cocked her head, listening. "No."

Claire followed them inside. Buffy kept her mouth shut. The girl didn't have her staff - Dawn was using it so they could get out of this place again - and she wouldn't be of much use for this. But Claire wanted to save her brother. Buffy knew exactly how she was feeling.

At least she wasn't hurt or exhausted. Unlike Buffy's friends. But Buffy knew that trying to tell Xander, Willow or Tara to stay back would be pointless. Babies in danger - things couldn't get more urgent than that. Well, except for end of the world apocalypse stuff.

"I really shouldn't be here…" Balar complained when Toby pushed the trolley through the gate.

"Shut up. We need you to show us the way to the 'nursery'," Buffy told him.

"I don't know the way!" Balar claimed. "I spent my life on the surface! Amongst humans!"

"Liar!" Jim hissed. "You grew up here and then went through the Fetch to replace a child."

"That was centuries ago!"

"Then I hope for you that you've got a good memory," Buffy told him. "Lead on."

"The nursery has to be close, anyway," Toby said. "The Fetch was in range, so to speak, in Arcadia Oaks."

"That's not how it works!" Balar protested.

"Stop stalling." Buffy poked him with her scythe. "Start leading."

"I don't know where we are…" Balar looked around. "This is… unfamiliar."

Did the troll just make a pun about their 'familiars'? Buffy scowled at him and poked him again.

"Ow!"

"Did that prod your memory?"

He shook his head. "I don't remember this place… the Darklands change over time. It's been centuries!"

Damn. If that was true…

"We don't know that," Jim said.

"It does sound… well, it could be true," Claire said, biting her lower lip.

"Then we have to cast a locator spell." Willow took a step forward. She didn't quite stumble, but Buffy caught how her legs trembled.

"Do you have enough juice for that?" Xander asked.

"We're in the Darklands. The same dimension. And the nursery should be close."

That wasn't a straight answer. But Buffy didn't mention it. Babies in danger.

Willow sat down and pulled out a bowl and a plastic bottle. Tara joined her with a few bags of herbs and powders and stuff.

Buffy looked around again. This would take a bit of time. They had to protect Willow - if a spell got interrupted, things could turn out very badly. Even if it was just a locator spell.

"So… can I go back, then?" Balar asked.

"No," Buffy told him.

"We should send him back," Jim objected. "He's of no use to us here - and if we get into a fight, he could be a problem."

"Yeah," Toby added.

Buffy clenched her teeth. She wanted to drag the coward with them, if only to make him suffer for what he had done. But Jim was right - taking the troll with them wouldn't help anyone. And the coward might try to stab them in the back during a fight if he thought that might get him back into the good graces of Gunmar. "Alright. Vendel! Sending Balar back. Keep him under guard."

"But…"

Toby raised his hammer, and Balar fell silent. He stepped back through the portal with his head hung low.

Willow started chanting with Tara, and the smell of incense filled the air. It was a step up from the stench of mould and whatever, but it was also irritating - and Buffy wouldn't be able to smell any evil trolls headed their way as long as the air was filled with it.

Well, she could still hear them. And see them. She took a short breath, scoffed, then started moving around the place. Just in case.

But she didn't spot any trolls. Or goblins. Or anything at all.

Looking back, she saw that Jim and Claire were talking in low voices. Jim was leaning against an outcropping rock - and Buffy didn't think he was doing it to look cool. Jim was hurt worse than he let on. Damn. At least Toby… no, the boy was also favouring his side. And Xander didn't even try to hide how beaten up he was. At least he would stick to Willow and Tara, ready to protect them with his life instead of attacking any big bad evil trolls.

Great.

Babies, Buffy reminded herself. They had to save the babies. They couldn't wait and rest. Not with so many lives at stake.

Damn.

Then Willow finished chanting and bent over the bowl full of water.

"It's harder… I can't see… Oh…"

"There it is!" Dawn exclaimed. "Wow! How many babies are there? These must be hundreds of baskets!"

Hundreds? Oh my God! How could they save so many? And what would they do with them?

*****​

Hundreds of babies? James Lake Jr drew a breath through clenched teeth. Damn. He should have realised that there would be so many - they had fought so many changelings, after all.

"How can we save them all?" Willow asked. She was slumped over a little, Jim saw - and looking pale. The locator spell must have exhausted her further. And Tara didn't look any better. They should send both back through the portal. But Jim knew better than to try it.

"Same as we save one: We shove them through a portal and sort them out afterwards, when they're safe," Buffy said.

Jim nodded. Save the babies first, find out how to deal with them later.

"But… hundreds?" Willow shook her head. "Can we feed and care for them until we've found people to take over?"

"We can't let them get eaten by trolls. Evil trolls," Buffy said. "Let's go. We're wasting time."

That was true. What good was it to worry about feeding babies if they were in danger of being killed? "Let's go," Jim agreed. His leg was aching, but he could ignore that.

"Yes." Claire nodded firmly.

"Alright. Let's close the portal and open another," Dawn said. She didn't look exhausted, but… would she be able to hold out? But the portal already winked out and another opened.

And Buffy all but jumped through. Jim clenched his teeth and followed her.

He stepped into a huge cavern - the one they had seen in Willow's bowl. Spell. Whatever. Countless baskets hung from the ceiling, held up by ropes. Each contained a baby. And somewhere amongst them was Enrique.

A screeching sound made him jerk. "Goblins!" he spat as he saw the small spindly creatures climb up and down the ropes, pointing and screaming at him.

"They'll get help!" Buffy yelled. "We need to deal with them."

"And save the babies," Willow said. "But how do we get them down?"

"I open a portal below the basket; you cut the rope?" Dawn suggested.

"No!" Claire said. "That'll exhaust you. I can do that and get them down here - and then you open a portal home."

It wasn't a good plan, but they didn't have any time to waste.

A rock bounced off his shield - the goblins were already attacking. Damn. And some had almost reached the bottom.

Jim raised Eclipse. "Let's do it!"

"Staff!" Claire snapped.

"Here! But how do we cut the ropes?"

"Jim can throw his blades."

Right. Jim stopped advancing towards the goblins massing nearby. He couldn't fight the goblins - and the trolls once they arrived - and save the babies at the same time. Damn.

"I can cut the rope," Willow said. Jim glanced over his shoulder. In front of her floated a knife.

"Do it!" Buffy snapped. Then she charged forward, attacking the goblins.

They screamed and rushed her. But she swung the scythe, cutting three of them in half.

Jim followed, wading into the melee, Eclipse slashing through the goblins and sending green blood and body parts flying. The screeching grew worse. "If we kill them, then they will focus on us." And not on the others.

"Good to know!" Buffy replied as she kicked one goblin into the closest rock, where it splattered like a water balloon. "Don't kill any goblins," she yelled to the others. "Leave that to us!"

Three goblins came at Jim with ropes and nets. No, with empty baskets. He almost felt bad for slaughtering them. Almost.

The howling and screeching from the goblins grew even worse. They charged at Jim and Buffy in a green wave, teeth glinting in the dim light.

Jim cursed under his breath and met the wave, bashing three to one side with his shield and cutting four more into half with one swing of Eclipse. More of the little buggers pressed on, though, slamming into his legs and trying to topple him to the ground.

He kicked one away before it could grab him and struck the other on the head with Eclipse's pommel, but they were now swarming him, claws raking over his armour, trying to find a weak spot. And tearing at him, making him stumble. If he fell down...

"Jim!" That was Claire.

"I'm OK!" He lied, pushing back. "Save the babies. Save Enrique!"

He scraped two goblins off his chest, swinging Eclipse to keep more at bay, and grabbed one with his shield hand, ripping it off his waist. He smashed the screeching, wriggling monster against one on his back, then kicked out and stomped another.

"My pants! Do you know how much those cost?"

He glanced to his side. Buffy was moving her scythe so fast in front of her, it looked like a blender. The goblins attacking her looked like they had been tossed into a blender, too - and she was covered in green blood. But she was holding her ground.

Just as Jim was doing. If they could keep the goblins focused on them - and if killing them by the dozens didn't do it, then everything Jim had heard about goblins was wrong - then they could do this. As long as Willow and Claire could keep going. And as long as…

"Trollhunter!"

...as long as Gunmar didn't show up.

Damn.

"Gunmar," Jim said, kicking a goblin into an outcropping rock formation while the rest of the goblins skittered away.

"The big bad evil troll?" Buffy asked, taking up a position next to him.

A low, deep chuckle sounded from further into the cave. Then a huge, hulking figure stepped out from behind a stalagmite. Wide horns, glowing runes or veins covering pitch-black rock skin, eerie blue light flickering in an empty eye socket...

"Gunmar," Jim repeated himself.

"So, the whelp finally dares to step into my realm."

Whelp? Jim frowned.

"Was his mother a blue lava lamp?" Buffy asked.

Jim snorted against his will. But more trolls were appearing behind Gunmar, forming a line with him in the centre. Armoured trolls.

"Slayer. I will enjoy feasting on your flesh."

"That's so cliche!" Buffy snapped back.

Jim held up a hand. "He wouldn't be talking unless he has a reason," he whispered. Out loud, he asked: "What do you want, Gunmar?"

"Me? The question should be: What do you want here, in my realm?" Gunmar chuckled. "Stealing my food."

The goblins chittered at that, though Jim couldn't tell if they were angry or eager to eat the babies themselves.

"We're saving them," Jim told him. "Just as we saved the world from Morgana."

Gunmar scoffed. "Morgana, who almost brought you to your knees despite being trapped in a prison. Killing her was such a mighty feat, wasn't it? And you had to call upon Merlin himself to achieve it. Yet, where is your wizard now? What reason could explain his absence?" He chuckled. "Felled by a helpless prisoner! And you think you can best me? I am no helpless prisoner, and you have no Merlin any more!"

"If you're no prisoner, then why don't you just leave the Darklands?" Buffy shot back, baring her teeth.

Gunmar chuckled, but Jim had the feeling that it was a little forced now. Was the monster not quite as controlled as he tried to appear? It would fit with what Jim had heard about him. He glanced behind him - another baby basket appeared on the ground. Good. Claire and Willow were still at it, rescuing the babies.

"But you're not here to face me, are you? You didn't invade to fight me; you sneaked in like a thief to steal my food."

"The only thing you'll be eating is my scythe!" Buffy snapped.

"I doubt that." Gunmar smiled, revealing his teeth. He snapped his fingers, and another troll appeared. Blinky? No, not Blinky, Jim realised. Just the same four arms and six eyes. And he was holding…

"Enrique!" Claire blurted out.

Oh, no!

Gunmar laughed. "Your brother. Did you think I wouldn't know? I foresaw this!"

Jim saw the four-armed troll open his mouth, then shut it again.

"Let him go!" Claire yelled.

"He wants to provoke you!" Jim told her. If Claire tried anything now…

"You're hiding behind a baby?" Buffy scoffed.

"Hiding?" Gunmar chuckled and reached out, plucking Enrique out of the other troll's arms. "I am not hiding." He held him up. "Should I shatter his bones against the ground? Or eat him in front of you?"

"No!"

"Claire!" Jim yelled. "He wants you to attack him!"

Gunmar chuckled again. "All those whelps, and yet, you only care for this one. How typical of you!"

"What do you want?" Jim repeated himself, taking a step forward. Why was Gunmar talking like this? Why didn't he just attack them? Jim glanced around. Were other trolls sneaking up on them?

"No one near us," Buffy whispered.

Good. Or was he planning to crush them? Jim looked up, but the ceiling seemed clear as well. So why…? Oh. He forced himself to grin with far more confidence than he felt. If he was right, this could save Enrique. But it would cost… Well, he was the Trollhunter. This was his duty. And it was his fault that Enrique had been kidnapped. He scoffed. "Do you think this will impress your followers? Using a baby because you're afraid to face us?"

"Afraid? Of a pair of whelps who had trouble with a bunch of halfbreeds and goblins?" Gunmar laughed. It was a booming, deep sound, but was it real or forced? They did defeat Morgana and Glory. Glory!

"A pair of whelps who defeated Glorificus," Jim shot back. "A hell-god. Not some puny troll hiding behind a hostage." He took another step forward. "Do you think you're fooling anyone? You are afraid!"

"Afraid of you?" Gunmar roared.

"Jim! What are you doing?" Buffy hissed.

"We need to save Enrique," Jim whispered. "I'm going to make him focus on me. Claire! Be ready!"

"Jim!"

Jim took another step forward. "I killed Bular, your son. I killed Glory. I defeated Morgana." Not alone, but that wasn't the point now. "What did you do? Hide in your prison and take babies hostage."

Gunmar glared at him.

"Oh, and your eye is in my blade," Jim added. "So… I'll challenge you. Release Enrique and face me. Prove you're not afraid! Prove you're not weak! Just you and me!"

"Jim!"

"Jimbo!"

He ignored the cries of his friends. They had to save Enrique and the others. All Jim had to do was get Gunmar to face him and survive long enough to let the others escape with the babies.

Gunmar snarled, and, for a moment, Jim feared that he had miscalculated and Gunmar would crush Enrique. But, instead, the monsters handed the baby into the arms of the four-armed troll and stepped forward.

Good.

Jim took a deep breath and prepared to die.

*****​

Buffy Summers clenched her teeth when the idiot took a step forward. Jim was hurt - she could see how he slightly dragged his left leg - and he wanted to fight Gunmar alone? "Don't do it!" she whispered. "You're going to die."

"Jim!" Claire called out again.

"I have to stall him," Jim replied in a low voice, "so you can save Enrique and the others."

"You can't trust him!" Buffy was sure of that. Big bad evil guys who mind-controlled their followers wouldn't keep their word.

"He needs to fight me by himself, or he would have attacked us already," Jim replied as he walked on. "That means there are people he wants to impress."

She blinked. "But if his followers have been brainwashed, who is he trying to impress?"

"Good question," Jim said.

Any further words were cut off by Gunmar charging at Jim with a roar that seemed to shake the walls - Buffy resisted the urge to glance up to see if some dust started to fall down.

Jim sidestepped the attack, lashing out with Eclipse as the huge troll went past, but Gunmar twisted his body, and Jim missed.

The troll crashed into a rock, shattering it, and whirled, his glowing sword cutting through another rock as he brought it up into a guard position. Only for a moment, though, Buffy saw - as soon as the troll realised Jim wasn't charging at his back, he attacked again, jumping far higher those stubby legs should be able to push him.

Jim shot his throwing blades at him and dodged to the side again, but Gunmar didn't even bother to deflect them - he let them bounce off his glowing skin as he came down, his blade once more narrowly missing Jim and smashing a crater into the ground. The troll disappeared for a moment in a cloud of dust thrown up by the impact.

"Jim!" Claire yelled once more.

Buffy clenched her teeth as Jim turned his head to glance back. "Watch out!"

But too late - Gunmar burst out of the dust cloud and was on Jim a moment later. The boy managed to parry the overhead strike somehow, deflecting it into the wall next to him, but Gunmar's body rammed into his, and Jim was thrown back several yards, bouncing on the ground.

"Don't distract him!" Buffy hissed at Claire.

"Why don't you help him?"

"We can't help him - those other trolls would kill Enrique. We need to get him first," Buffy snapped.

"But… No!" Claire gasped when Jim got up just in time to get a kick to the chest that sent him sprawling on the ground again.

"Keep saving babies." Buffy clenched her teeth. "Jim's stalling until we got them and Enrique."

She just had to figure out how. And fast - Jim wouldn't last long. But how could she get Enrique away from a few dozen armoured trolls and one… one troll who looked a lot like Blinky. And acted a lot like Blinky. Who wasn't a good fighter.

She bared her teeth. "I've got an idea."

"What idea?" Claire asked - she was panting now, forming portal after portal to get the baby baskets down safely. There were dozens on the ground already.

Buffy told her.

*****​

James Lake Jr was dying. He wasn't mortally wounded yet, at least as far as he could tell, but he was getting slowly killed by a monster. He could barely run any more - his hurt leg was throbbing with pain. And every breath hurt - Gunmar must have broken a rib or two when he rammed him. Or when he had kicked him. Or when he had hit him. Jim hadn't exactly kept track after the first clash.

But he wasn't done yet. He panted and brought up Eclipse again, deflecting another wild swing from Gunmar's blade with a two-handed parry, then rolled over his shoulder - ow! - to bring his shield up before Gunmar's follow-up kick could connect with his chest.

The kick hit his shield instead, and Jim used the impact to roll back a few yards, rising only to jump to the side, hissing at the pain in his leg as Gunmar was already in the air, coming down at him.

Once more, Jim was showered with rock splinters after Gunmar shattered the cave floor. Most bounced off his armour, but one left a new cut on Jim's face, not that it mattered. He was going to die here, fighting Gunmar. That was OK, as long as the others - and Enrique - got away. And the amulet… it would find a way back.

But he wouldn't die like a punching ball. Jim clenched his teeth and dived below the next swing, stabbing with Eclipse towards Gunmar's belly. The troll managed to evade the blow, but Jim was inside his guard. Before Gunmar could recover, he changed his shield and stabbed the two throwing blades into Gunmar's thigh.

The troll howled, lashing out with his fist, and Jim wasn't quick enough to dodge completely - a glancing blow connected, and he was thrown to the side, almost losing Eclipse as he crashed into another stalagmite.

He rolled to the side at once, and Gunmar missed him again, crashing through the stone pillar. If this kept up, they would all get buried here. Maybe - Jim wasn't a geologist.

He was the Trollhunter.

He bared his teeth as he got up again.

The monster laughed, this time, instead of pressing the attack. "You can still stand? I haven't broken you enough, then. Maybe I'll break your legs and then have you watch as I butcher and eat your friends."

"No!" Jim snarled and pushed forward, raising his blade.

"Jim!"

Gunmar's smile twisted even more. And then he seemed to burst forward with a roar, faster than before.

Jim's eyes widened, and he threw himself to the side, skidding on the rocky ground, but the troll's sword hit his side anyway. He lost his footing and fell, rolling twice, before coming to a stop against another stalagmite, panting.

His side felt as if it were on fire - he was bleeding. The sword had cut through his armour! The armour forged by Merlin and enhanced by the Triumbic Stones!

Jim felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Had Gunmar been playing with him? The monster was laughing, holding up his sword, watching blood drip from it.

"Jim!"

"I'm OK!" Jim snapped, using Eclipse to stand up. There were dozens of babies left, still. And Enrique. He had to hold out a little longer. But he couldn't let Gunmar hit him again.

He gritted his teeth as he watched Gunmar slowly circle him, dragging his sword over the ground with a screeching noise. Damn. What could he do? How could he fight this monster?

Before he found an answer, a scream made him glance to the side, towards Gunmar's trolls, and he gasped.

*****​

As soon as the portal appeared in front of her, hiding her from the view of the trolls, Buffy Summers jumped through it. She appeared right where she had to be: Twenty feet above the four-armed troll holding Enrique. And everyone was staring at Jim and Gunmar! Perfect!

Baring her teeth, she swung her scythe as she descended. Her blade sliced through his shoulder and bit into his lower arm. Buffy twisted the blade as she fell, using her momentum to drive the scythe's edge through his lower arm as well, severing both limbs on his right side.

The troll screamed as she hit the ground, rolling to absorb the impact. Enrique was falling, flailing his stubby arms, but another portal appeared beneath him, and he disappeared before he hit the ground.

The wounded troll turned, both remaining arms covering his wrecked shoulder and stump, and stumbled away, still screaming incoherently. Buffy ignored him - she whirled and slashed through the legs of the closest evil troll, then jumped and drove the spike of her scythe into his head as he collapsed. "We've got Enrique!" she yelled as she parried a blow from a halberd and riposted, opening a troll's throat up to his horn.

Another one down, a few dozens left. She jumped back, avoiding two blows with a maul, and ignored how her legs hurt after that fall. And how her body hurt after everything.

Spike would really love this, she thought as she charged two trolls trying to flank her. She just had to hold them back for a little while. Long enough for the others to get clear. But… She glanced over her shoulder. She also had to save Jim, somehow.

That part of the plan she hadn't quite finished.

*****​

They had saved Enrique! James Lake Jr smiled despite the pain and his impending death.

"What?" Gunmar turned towards the screaming troll, and steam seemed to escape from his nose as he roared. "Kill them all!"

But as the troll turned, he exposed his empty eye socket - his blind spot.

Jim charged, over broken ground, armoured boots crushing rocks and splinters. Gunmar started to turn to face him, but he wasn't quick enough. Jim threw his throwing blades at him, making Gunmar flinch and raise his sword to deflect them, and dived forward, rolling over his shoulder.

Gunmar's sword came down, but Jim kept rolling - towards the troll. As the blade smashed into the ground behind him, Jim used his legs and Eclipse to push himself into a jump inside Gunmar's reach. As he rose in the air, he twisted, wielding his blade with both hands. The angle was all wrong for a cut, and he had almost no leverage, but that was fine. Jim turned the blade and stabbed forward, right at the apex of his jump.

And Eclipse sliced into Gunmar's remaining eye moments before the troll's fist struck Jim's side and blasted him away.

Jim smashed into yet another stalagmite before crashing to the ground, but he had done it. Even coughing up blood, Jim could only smile as he watched Gunmar roar and howl, flailing with his blade, glowing smoke rising from two ruined eyes.

"I'll kill you, fleshbag! I'll eat you alive!" Gunmar smashed his blade into the ground one, two, three times, turning around.

Jim drew a shuddering breath - even that hurt. But he could stand. And he could walk. Not run, but walk. And Gunmar was blinded.

Jim started towards the flailing troll, carefully taking one step after another. If he stumbled or made too much noise…

Gunmar was going berserk, blindly lashing out with his blade. One of his own trolls staggered back after taking a kick to the chest from Buffy and caught the edge of Gunmar's blade.

"Hah!" Gunmar turned away from Jim and hacked at the falling troll. "Die! Die!"

That was the opening Jim needed. He forced himself to rush, to lunge, as Gunmar raised his sword above his head for another blow at the already dead troll. Gripping Eclipse with both hands, Jim drove it into Gunmars back - and through the troll's chest. To the hilt.

Gunmar froze, his mad howling cut off. His blade tumbled from his hands, missing Jim by inches. "No…" he wheezed. "No…"

Then the monster turned to stone.

And Jim smiled as everything went dark.

*****​

"Jim!"

Buffy Summers turned inside a halberd's thrust, cutting the weapons head off with her scythe and cutting the wielder's head off with the backswing, and glanced over her shoulder. Gunmar was crumbling to the ground, but Jim was collapsing as well. Damn!

A portal appeared below Jim before he hit the ground, and he vanished. One less problem.

"Gunmar has fallen to the Trollhunter!" she yelled, whirling to face two trolls advancing on her. And three trolls tried to pass her to get to her friends.

She feinted against the two attacking her, then whirled again and dashed after the three others. She caught up in seconds and jumped on the back of the closest, driving her scythe through his head from behind before jumping off of the crumbling corpse and over the next. Buffy landed in front of him, dodged the spear thrust, then gutted him with a quick slash and twist.

The last one ran into a portal and disappeared. "Where did you…?" Buffy started to ask.

Then a glimpse of a portal at the top of the cave's ceiling answered her question. The flailing troll fell all the way down and broke into pieces upon impact.

"Jim needs help!" Claire yelled. "We have to get him to the hospital!"

Which, or so Buffy hoped, hadn't been abandoned after Glory. But it was their best hope.

As long as they survived the remaining trolls. But they still had dozens of babies to save. And… "Where are the goblins?"

"Goblins?" Xander asked, looking around. "They're gone."

"They were still hanging back when I… before Jim killed Gunmar," Buffy realised.

Then she had to dash forward to stop the next wave of attacking trolls. Evidently, the death of their leader hadn't freed them. It hadn't even left them aimless or something - they were still following his last order.

Well, over Buffy's dead body! Or, in this case, their dead bodies. She slapped the halberd slashing at her away, then rammed her scythe through the throat of the first troll, retreated a few steps and circled around the next. A two-handed swing opened his back as she kicked the third into the wall behind it. A few slashes later, that one was down as well. About… a dozen left. Toby joined her, panting, after finishing another.

"Dawn, open a portal to the hospital!" she yelled. "We can hold them!" And kill them.

"But the babies!" Dawn protested.

"We won't leave - just get Jim to a doctor, then return for the others!" Buffy fended off an attack by two trolls wielding swords and carrying shields. Her scythe cut one shield to pieces. Then cut off the shield arm of the troll behind it before parrying his friend's sword.

He tried to bash her with the shield, but she ducked beneath it and kicked it in the shin. It didn't break anything but sent the troll tumbling down, and she rammed her scythe through his eye before he could recover. The one-armed troll took another swing at her, but she side-stepped the blow and then slashed his side with her blade. Another one down.

They still didn't break - they kept coming. Toby faced off with a few of them, his hammer smashing the chest of the first. Buffy snarled and jumped into the middle of the advancing group, whirling and twisting as she cut at everyone in range. Three trolls stumbled back, bleeding from gashes. A spear ripped through her jacket, slicing her arm open, but it was just a flesh wound. She gutted the wielder in return, then rolled over her good shoulder to cut down another troll before he could recover.

Still too many left. She would have…

"Buffy! Kick them into the portal!"

Oh. Another portal appeared behind the remaining trolls. Buffy glanced up - yes, a matching portal had appeared at the ceiling. Yes!

She bared her teeth and started to herd the trolls back, into the portal. Or cut them down - she wasn't picky. Her scythe danced, cutting off halberd blades, hands and heads, and three more trolls fell before the first backed off into the portal and reappeared at the ceiling, falling to his death.

The rest was just mopping up. When Buffy finished the last troll, Claire and Willow were already back to grabbing baby baskets with a portal and a floating knife.

And Buffy could, finally, take a breather.

They had done it.

*****​
 
Chapter 39: The Aftermath
Chapter 39: The Aftermath

Arcadia Oaks, January 31st, 2017

James Lake Jr hurt. All over. His side, his chest, his legs - both of them, one more than the other. His head. Everything hurt. And he was on his back.

He opened his eyes, and his eyes hurt. He squeezed them shut again. The light was too bright. Wait. Bright light? Sunlight? The trolls! He gasped - ouch! - and tried to sit up - that hurt even more - but he couldn't sit up! He was tied up. Captured! Gunmar!

He looked around, blinking and squinting. Oh. He was… in a hospital. Strapped to a bed. With a drip in his vein and a couple of sensors on his chest. Which was wrapped in bandages. Lots of them. That explained the pain there. He could move his left arm, at least, touching his face. Another bandage on his cheek. Right, the cut there. And one on his forehead? He must have missed that.

His legs were… was that a cast? He hadn't broken his leg!

He looked around again. No one else in the room? Where was the button to call a nurse? There! He pressed it. Then he waited. It took longer than he had expected. Mom wouldn't be pleased with that response time.

But finally, a nurse appeared at the door. "Ah, you're awake," the man said, nodding. "I'll inform your friends."

His friends? "Wait!" Jim called out, but the man had already disappeared again.

What was going on?

"Jim!"

Jim gasped once more and winced. "Claire!"

Claire rushed into the room, then stopped at his bed, panting. "Jim…"

He smiled despite his aching chest. "Claire!" She looked… she wasn't hurt. She was fine. "Did we…?" He glanced at the door.

"We did," she said, nodding several times. "We got everyone out, after…" she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Enrique's safe?" Claire wouldn't be smiling, would she, otherwise?

"Yes. We got all the babies out."

He nodded. "No one died?" No one else, he should say.

"None of us," she replied. She sat down on his bed, carefully, and placed her hand on his - on the one strapped to the bed with the drip in the lower arm. "The goblins didn't return. Buffy and Toby finished off most of the trolls. The rest ran."

"Ah." That was good. "And Gunmar…?" He was dead, wasn't he?

"Dead." She bared her teeth in a snarl. "We took his head back with us. It's in Trollmarket now."

"Oh." That felt… weird. Taking a trophy, like a deer hunter? On the other hand, the trolls should see proof that Gunmar was gone. That they were safe now. His eyes widened. "Your family! Mom!"

She smiled. "Toby's gone with Buffy and Willow to tell them. And to get them back."

Ah. Jim smiled. Mom would be back. Blinky would be back. Toby's nana would be back. Claire's parents would be back. His smile slipped. He had let Claire get possessed!

"Jim!" And now Claire was frowning at him. "We won! We killed Glory, Morgana and Gunmar! You won! You killed Glory! You killed Gunmar!"

Right. Jim smiled. He had almost died doing it - he had almost gotten his friends killed - but he had killed Gunmar. Trollmarket was now safe. He could relax. He blinked. "Oh."

"What?" Claire asked.

"Gunmar. He must have allies left here."

"Why?"

"He wanted to impress someone by killing me himself," Jim explained. "Not his soldiers - they were brainwashed into obedience." And he wouldn't think about what that meant for those he had killed. "And not the goblins, I think."

Claire snorted. "No, not the goblins."

"Not the four-armed troll, either," Jim said. That had been an underling.

Claire agreed again.

"So… who did he want to impress?" Jim asked.

Claire bit her lower lip. "I don't know. The remains of the Order of Janus?"

Jim didn't think so. But, speaking o the Order… "Their base!"

"The army took it over," Claire told him. "Sealed the whole place up."

"Ah. And the changelings?"

"With the babies freed, they can't change anymore," Claire told him. "Vendel confirmed it."

"Ah." No more fearing that the spies would send the army after them. Or the police.

"According to the news, several important people are missing," Claire said. "Even in the government. The police are looking for them."

That was… both good news and bad news. "How many changelings escaped?"

"We don't know." Claire looked down. "I tried to remember - I could see what Morgana saw while she was controlling my body - but I can't remember how many were left in the base when she died and we left. Not more than a dozen were left fighting us, but did anyone else flee before?" She bit her lower lip again. "Sorry."

"Claire!" He smiled at her. "It's alright. You did great. You foiled Morgana."

"I should've done more," she insisted.

"No, no, you did great." Jim should have done more.

"Jim." She smiled, sniffling again, and reached out to touch his cheek - his unhurt cheek.

Jim took a deep breath, smiling back at her. It hurt, but it felt good as well. They had won, hadn't they?

*****​

Outside Camelot, Britain, January 31st, 2017

"So, can we enter?" Buffy Summers asked, shifting her weight from one leg to the other and back as she stared across the drawbridge. She felt better - the hours on the rollercoaster had helped with Slayer healing. Still not back to healthy, though.

"I think so…" Willow said. Buffy's bestie was still exhausted - or again; they had to walk from the abandoned troll village, after all - but she wasn't about to fall over. Hopefully. "I can't detect any curse or other spell, though since Merlin cast it…" She shrugged with a grimace.

Buffy nodded. "So, the seal's still working."

"We knew that since we couldn't see the castle without the Dust of True Sight," Toby pointed out.

Buffy rolled her eyes. Not worth trying to argue that. Toby was right, after all. Even if he was still carrying the Trollhammer - Buffy's hammer. On the other hand, he had been chosen by the hammer. If the weapon wanted him… Bah! "So, can you lift the seal?"

Willow took a deep breath, then slowly nodded. "I think so."

"If you need more rest…" Buffy trailed off.

"No, no! I can do it," Willow said. "I watched Merlin do it last time."

Sneaky. Buffy nodded. Then again, Merlin probably had been aware of that. Had probably been counting on that - the wizard had struck Buffy as the kind of guy to anticipate his potential death.

Willow took another deep breath and raised her arms. Then she spoke a few words before sagging. "It's done, but it won't last lo…"

Buffy grabbed her in a bridal carry and quickly made her way over the bridge and into Camelot.

"Hello?" she yelled. It was night already here, in Merry Old England, so the people left would likely be asleep already. Some of them, at least.

"We're back!" Toby yelled.

"Buffy."

"Giles." Buffy Summers smiled at her Watcher when he appeared in the closest doorway. Then she narrowed her eyes. Giles didn't look like he had been sleeping - she had woken him up often enough to tell. Had he been so worried about them?

"We beat Morgana!" Toby blurted out. "And Jim beat Gunmar!"

"Great Gorka Morka!" Blinky came up behind Giles. Perhaps they had been talking about books and lost track of time? "Gunmar and Morgana are dead?"

"Yes!" Toby nodded. After biting his lower lip, he added: "But the changelings invaded Trollmarket, and they…"

Blinky slowly nodded. "I understand, Tobias."

"Vendel and Draal made it," Toby added. "But not Merlin."

Both Giles and Blinky gasped.

"Morgana got the drop on us and killed him before I killed her," Buffy explained. She suppressed a grimace - that hadn't been a clean kill, like dusting a vampire. Or slicing a demon's head off. No, she had blinded the witch with her bare hands and then beaten her to death. She had been covered in the witch's blood…

Giles's hand on her shoulder interrupted her not-flashback.

"We saved Claire," Toby said. "And we saved the babies!"

"So I assumed when I could not change into a human any more," Strickler said, stepping through the door as well.

Blinky turned to frown at him. "You said it was more likely that Gunmar started eating babies in response to your betrayal or a general failure of the Order of Janus."

Strickler shrugged, favouring his arm, she noticed. "That was also a possibility. I did not wish to give you false hope."

Yeah, right. Buffy so believed the troll - not!

"Young Atlas fulfilled his destiny, then."

"Killed Gunmar in a duel, yes," Buffy said.

"And he survived the experience."

"He's in the hospital, but he'll be back," Toby said.

"Angor Rot will be pleased, then," the changeling went on. "In any case, we should wake up the others so they can be reassured that they can return to their homes." He raised his eyebrows at them.

"Yes, we're here to fetch you," Buffy told him. "No flying caravan, though - you'll have to take the troll rollercoaster."

"The Gyre," the changeling corrected her. "Not much of a hardship to be reunited with a loved one." He cocked his head. "To satisfy my idle curiosity: How did the Order of Janus fare?"

"We killed most of them," Toby told him with a glare.

"As was to be expected. Otto was never amongst the wisest trolls. Clever, yes, but not wise enough to avoid this." Strickler nodded and turned to walk across the courtyard.

They followed him. "Where's Spike?" Buffy asked.

"He's with Joyce," Giles replied.

With Mom? Buffy narrowed her eyes. She didn't like that.

"She was worried about you and Dawn."

"Of course she was." That didn't explain what Spike was doing there.

They entered the main building, whatever it was called in old castle speak, and Buffy yelled again: "We're back!"

"Nana!" Toby yelled as well.

A moment later, Buffy heard the first doors being opened a floor above them. "Buffy!"

"Toby-pie!"

"Claire!"

"Jim!"

Buffy winced. "Jim and Claire are back in Arcadia Oaks!" she yelled as soon as she saw the first person - Mom! - on the stairs. "They're fine!" She really didn't want to deal with the Nuñez or Dr Lake right now.

"Nana!" Toby dashed forward to hug his grandmother.

"Toby-pie!"

"Buffy!"

"Dawn's safe," Buffy told her a moment before Mom hugged her. "We're both fine."

And Mom started sobbing, shuddering in Buffy's arms. She must have been so worried. Buffy felt her stomach fill with guilt.

She was almost glad when Spike appeared, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, and complained: "So, can we get back to civilisation now? Living in a castle gets old real quick, you know? And I used to live in a crypt!"

*****​

Arcadia Oaks, February 1st, 2017

"My leg's broken?" James Lake Jr asked.

"Yes." The doctor didn't quite roll his eyes, but he sounded as if he wanted to.

"But… I could walk on it." And fight. And even jump, somewhat.

"It's not broken like you might be imagining," the doctor said. Jim had seen him before at a get-together with Mom, he thought, but couldn't remember the man's name - wait, he wore a name tag! Dr Killigan. "But you have hairline cracks on your bones."

Oh. "How bad is that?" Jim asked.

"It isn't too bad - but it will get worse if you keep putting weight on that leg before it's healed."

So, Jim was stuck with a cast. Damn.

"Though I doubt that you'll be mobile before that, anyway, since you've got three cracked ribs, and that cut in your side…"

Jim winced. If Gunmar had been a bit faster, a bit stronger, if Jim had been a bit slower… "How bad is that?" he didn't look at his side and focused on the doctor's face.

"It's a ragged cut. It'll leave a scar you can impress your girlfriend with, but it should heal up fine. If you let it heal." The doctor stressed the last part.

Claire wouldn't be impressed by a scar, Jim was sure. But as long as there was no curse or something on the wound that would keep it from healing… Well, he had to ask Tara or Willow to look it over; the doctor probably couldn't really detect curses. Jim didn't want to die from a lingering spell now that the battle was finally over.

The doctor talked about his health regime - which was just about 'stay in bed and rest until your body is healed, no junk food'. Jim was familiar with the terms from Mom, so he only listened with half an ear.

It really was over. Glory was dead. Gunmar and Morgana were dead. Jim wasn't going to die fighting those monsters. He was… well, he was still the Trollhunter. Would be the Trollhunter until he died. But that was now quite a bit off. Hunting down violent gnomes wasn't exactly the same as fighting the likes of Gunmar. Sure, there were the survivors of the Order of Janus, but with the babies saved, they couldn't change into human forms anymore. That meant they couldn't send the cops or the Army after Jim and his friends. And Jim could handle trolls. By the dozen, if needed.

Although… Was the Army still in Arcadia Oaks? Jim had forgotten to ask Claire before she had fallen asleep on his bed and had been carried out by a nurse. Apparently, she had stayed up the whole time he had been unconscious, taking care of Enrique and the other babies.

He would have to ask someone else about that - there had been something odd about that Army base.

"...so, do you have any other questions, Mr Lake?"

Oh. Dr Killian had finished. Jim slowly shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Good. Now rest."

Rest? Jim had rested the whole night. And it wasn't really early morning any more either. But he nodded again. Doctors didn't like their patient arguing about that stuff, Jim knew that from Mom's rants.

Mom… Jim wished he had his mobile phone. But it was with his other things - including his amulet. Clair would get both to him, she had promised, but she was probably still asleep.

Not that he would be able to call Mom while she was travelling in the Gyre. The trolls' underground network had no cell phone signal. But he might be able to contact others.

"Yo, Jim!"

"Dawn?" Jim blinked.

"Finally woke up?" Dawn grinned as she stepped into his room. "Before you ask: Claire's still asleep, and no one's going to wake her up."

Jim smiled wryly. "I figured."

"Yeah." Dawn sat down - on the chair, not his bed. "So, I thought I'd keep you company until the others arrive. We finally got enough nurses taking care of the babies - they had to transfer them from L.A. The hospital is basically a giant nursery right now."

That was good. If they had had to take care of hundreds of babies… Oh, God!

Jim snorted. But speaking of the time… He turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. If Buffy had gone back to Camelot yesterday, using the Gyre, shouldn't they be back already?

"They had to walk from Camelot to the troll village," Dawn answered his unspoken question. "But they should arrive any minute."

Right. Jim nodded. "So, what else has been happening in town?"

"Claire told you about Trollmarket?"

"More or less, yes," Jim said. They were recovering. A lot of trolls had been killed, but many more had lived. Draal and Vendel were alright.

"So, the town's evacuation has ended, and people are returning. Most shops are still closed, and the Army is still patrolling, though." Dawn shrugged. "Gonna take a while to get back to normal, I guess."

"What did they say about Glory?"

"That she was the head of a gang and was killed by the Army in Arcadia Oaks. Everything's fine now, citizens," she added with an obviously fake smile.

"Ah." Jim felt… not quite disappointed. He didn't want to be known as Glory's killer, certainly not to everyone in town, but… well, maybe he was a little disappointed. Just a little. "That's good."

"You bet your ass it's good," Dawn said. "We can return to Sunnydale as well, now that Glory's officially dead."

"Ah." Buffy and the others would leave again. Of course they would.

"Don't look too disappointed. We'll stay in touch." Dawn grinned. "Claire should learn to open portals to Sunnydale without collapsing soon enough. If not, I can take the Shadow Staff and do it."

Jim gave her a flat stare. Claire wouldn't let Dawn get the staff outside an emergency, he was sure of it.

She laughed. "Yeah, right. Anyway…"

She was interrupted by the door opening. Jim tensed for a moment. Then he saw who was in the doorway. Mom! One arm in a sling, and looking thinner than he remembered, and she was crying, but…"

"Mom!"

"Jim!"

Jim barely noticed Dawn slipping out as he carefully hugged Mom.

"You're safe," she whispered. "You're safe."

"Yes." It was a silly thing to say, but what else could he say?

She sobbed, and Jim clenched his teeth. He had made her worry so much! He blinked - he was crying himself. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered.

"No! You're safe."

She kept crying for a while, Jim trying to hug her without touching her arm, until she finally pulled back and took a handkerchief to wipe her face.

Jim just used his sleeve to wipe his eyes. "Ah, Mom… What happened to your arm?"

She sighed and smiled - weakly - at him. "Glory."

He blinked. Oh. Back when the hell-goddess had held her hostage. "But… why didn't you say anything?" And why hadn't Strickler complained?

"I didn't want you to worry, and it wasn't too bad - bruises mostly. Probably some hairline cracks; I will need to have an x-ray made."

"Mom!" Why would she do this? Claim to be fine, hide her injury!

She snorted and then tilted her head to look at him. "You got your own stubbornness from me, Jim."

Oh. Jim felt himself blush. Although this was different! He was the Trollhunter!

"And it's over now. Well, it'll take a while to heal completely, but it also means I won't have to deal with the hundreds of babies you saved," Mom went on.

"Ah…" Jim grimaced. "Sorry about that."

"Never be sorry about saving lives, Jim."

Well, he could agree with that.

*****​

"So, what do we do with Merlin?" Buffy Summers asked, sipping from a soda - the last that had been in the vending machine in the hospital. Someone had to restock the machine, but the nurse at the reception desk had told her everyone was busy dealing with the babies dumped on them. As if that was Buffy's fault! Well, in a way, it was, but should they have left them with the trolls? That wouldn't have gone well, and not just because the trolls were still dealing with the aftermath of the attack on their home.

In any case, they didn't deserve the angry looks from the hospital staff. It wasn't as if anyone was using the lounge right now, with the Army still guarding the building and everyone else being busy feeding kids and changing diapers.

"Well, I believe we should bury him in his home," Giles said. He was drinking tea, of course, even though his expression when he took the first sip had told Buffy all she needed to know about its quality.

"Yes," Willow said. "In his tomb. Only this time, it'll be a real tomb."

"I guess that means going back with the Gyre," Buffy said. They could have taken Merlin's body with them when they went to fetch the others, but hindsight was always 20/20. And transporting a corpse would have been creepy. Would be creepy.

"We will have to find a way to keep his tomb safe from any looters," Giles went on. "The thought of anyone desecrating Merlin's tomb is abhorrent, but if his library and staff were to fall into the wrong hands… Secrecy will only go so far; too many know roughly where we found him."

"Well, we didn't expect him to die," Buffy defended herself. "And he didn't say anything about not telling people - or trolls - either. Hell, he took us to Camelot!"

"Which is another issue we will have to deal with," Giles went on. "As much as it pains me, seeing as it is such a huge part of England's mythology and, as we know now, history, we need to keep it hidden as well. If an ancient castle were to suddenly appear in England, magic itself would be revealed to too many people to be safe."

"Yes, yes," Buffy said, a little flippantly - if only to cover up her own concerns - "Too many people believe in magic, and the kind of demon-things even demons are afraid of waking up."

"Buffy! It's a serious concern!" Willow said.

"I know." Buffy finished her drink, crushed the can one-handed and threw it into the bin across the room without looking. It went in, of course. "So, how long will Merlin's mojo last?"

"We don't know," Giles said. "We need to ascertain that as soon as possible."

Willow nodded. "And that means either we do it, or we tell the Council about it."

Buffy pressed her lips together. Telling the Watchers Council? They might not be as bad as she had thought, but that was a very, very low bar to clear. But if not the Council… "I guess we'll have to move there, then?"

"Some of us, at least until we have a handle on the situation," Giles said.

"And we need to find out about the Heart of Avalon," Willow said. Buffy narrowed her eyes at her, and she blushed. "It's obviously very dangerous, and without Merlin, we need to be able to deal with it - or even destroy it."

"If that is possible," Giles said, finishing his tea. "What Merlin told us about it, scant as it was, makes me think it might be impossible to destroy, or he would have done it himself."

"It's not something we can let fall into the wrong hands," Buffy agreed. "So, who's going, and who's returning to Sunnydale?" she asked, though she was sure she knew the answer already. Jim was a given - they needed him to pass through Merlin's defences.

*****​

Arcadia Oaks, February 2nd, 2017

"...and the authorities are still not commenting on where the hundreds of babies who are currently being taken care of by volunteers from all over the state of California as well as Army nurses are coming from. Speculation abounds about so-called 'baby farms', and several adoption organisations are supposedly under investigation…"

James Lake jr shook his head and switched the TV channel.

"...Representative Smith was quoted that 'illegal immigrants regardless of their age fall under the authority of the ICE and should be…"

Jim switched the channel with a curse. He hoped the Army would shut that crazy down.

"...and babies don't just appear out of thin air - someone gave birth to them. Someone transported them to Arcadia Oaks. Someone handed them over to the Army. Who is this someone, and what are their plans? And where did they get those babies? Why hasn't anyone come forth and reported a missing baby yet? And how is this related to the drug cartel war that is being waged in the area? These and more questions remain unanswered as…"

"...Army has refrained from commenting about the operation in Arcadia Oaks. While the residents have been allowed to return to their homes, the Army patrols remain, and…"

"...Sunnydale, then Arcadia Oaks! Which idyllic town will be next? And what is the government doing to prevent this from happening again? We are now asking our correspondent in Washington DC who…"

"...dozens of dead in Sunnydale, followed by a blatant attack on a police station and a hospital in Arcadia Oaks - both supposedly peaceful towns in Central California - raise questions about the Governor's…"

"...and unconfirmed reports claim that just a day ago, several children were admitted at the hospital in Arcadia Oaks with grave injuries, contradicting claims that the threat posed by armed criminals was over. So far, we haven't been allowed to contact any of the families of the victims, and…"

Jim sighed and switched the TV off. What a mess! He leaned back and closed his eyes. With Glory, Morgana and Gunmar dead, things were supposed to go back to normal. Not to… end in this mess. The press was camped outside the clinic. Claire had to use portals to sneak Mom and the others out of the hospital without the press swarming them!

And Jim still wasn't allowed to leave the bed. Even though he felt fine. His side didn't really hurt that much any more - he had suffered worse pain in training with Draal. But the doctors, even Mom, once she had seen his wounds, agreed: He had to stay in bed.

And he had to use a bedpan, which was extra-humiliating. At least Mom had given him his phone and his amulet - she got to walk around, of course.

He checked his messages. Half a dozen messages from Mary.

"Hey, Jim! How R U doing? R U back home already?"

"I talked to Steve. He heard from the Coach that school will be reopening in 1 week."

"Claire told me U R in the hospital! Why didn't U reply?"

"Jim?"

"Jim?"

"R U OK?"

He frowned. They weren't that close, were they? Was Mary just fishing for information? If she saw the news - and she would have - was she trying to find out if Jim was the injured teenager mentioned?

Well, if she had spoken or texted to Claire… He quickly typed a response. I'm OK. Broke my leg in a fall when we got home. Mom sent me to the hospital.

That should do it. His phone pinged a moment later.

U fell down @ home? OMG! Does Claire know? How badly hurt R U?

Jim groaned. I'm OK. Hairline fracture.

This time it took a little longer. Probably googled 'hairline fracture', Jim thought with a snort.

Poor Jim. When will U b Back?

Well, yeah, poor him. And as long as he couldn't leave, they couldn't head back to Camelot and Merlin's tomb since they needed the Trollhunter to pass through Merlin's defences. Which meant Merlin's body was currently stored in Jim's basement, in magical stasis.

All because Jim was held up by small wounds and stubborn doctors.

He sighed once more and typed: Dunno.

Then he put his phone away. He really needed to get out of bed. People needed him. He had to check on Trollmarket. What would the trolls think if he was in bed while they had to rebuild?

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. "Yes?"

Mr and Mrs Nuñez entered, carrying Enrique. Oh. They were smiling, although it looked a little forced.

Jim's own smile didn't look any better, he was sure. "Hello, Mr Nuñez. Mrs Nuñez," he said.

"Hello." Mr Nuñez nodded at him.

"Hello."

A moment passed.

"Enrique?" Jim asked, smiling at the child. Claire's brother didn't react.

"Yes, it's him." Claire's mother took a deep breath. "We wanted to thank you for… for everything. Claire told us what you did."

Oh. Jim's smile slipped a little more. "I just did what I had to."

"No, no - you saved her. And you saved Enrique." Mr Nuñez shook his head.

"Claire saved Enrique," Jim retorted. She had used the portals to get the babies.

"That's not what she says."

"Well, she's wrong!" Jim insisted. "She saved us!"

The two adults exchanged glances, and their smiles seemed to grow more honest.

Jim had no clue why.

*****​

Sunnydale, February 4th, 2017

"Seriously, Buffy, I'm fine. Really. I'm just going to the mall." Dawn leaned forward and glared. "Don't follow me!"

Buffy Summers sighed. "But…"

"No! I'm not going to meet my friends with my big sister in tow. I might as well take Mom!"

"I heard that!" Mom called from the kitchen.

"Mom! I didn't mean it like that!" Dawn protested.

"Dawn!" Buffy shook her head. "Glory's minions know about you."

"We don't know that they know."

"We have to assume that they know. And with her dead, they might tell other, powerful demons. Minions are like that." Buffy knew that. "You aren't safe." Dawn might not be fading away after Glory's death like Buffy had feared, but she wasn't safe.

"If they know about me, they know about you. And about the Trollhunters. How many demons would come after me if it meant pissing off the people who killed Glory?" Dawn bared her teeth as if she had made her point.

But they had gone over that before. "Lots. Demons are stupid."

"And how dangerous are stupid demons?"

"Glory was practically braindead," Buffy pointed out.

Dawn pressed her lips together. "So, I have to have a bodyguard all the time now?"

"Only until we find a better solution," Buffy told her. Locking her up in some underground base or exiling her to a warded island - or Camelot - was still an option in Buffy's opinion, even if everyone, even Giles, disagreed.

Dawn huffed. "At least stay out of sight, Miss Bodyguard."

Buffy opened her mouth to protest - she could watch over Dawn much better if she was with her, and why would it be awkward if she was with Dawn, anyway? She was the cool older sister, not their Mom - but reconsidered. "Alright." Let the girl have that victory, at least.

"Good. You know where I am." Dawn turned and left the house.

Oh, that… Buffy quickly grabbed her jacket and hurried after her.

"Keep your distance!"

"Dawn!"

"I mean it!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. She really wished they wouldn't have returned to Sunnydale yet, what with Jim still in the hospital. Arcadia Oaks was safer than Sunnydale, despite the Army patrols and all the press still hanging out there.

But Mom had insisted.

Sighing, she followed Dawn.

*****​

"That was delicious, Mom!" Buffy Summers smiled at Mom as she finished dinner.

"Yes," Dawn added, a little belatedly.

"Thank you. Now go and do your homework."

"But Mom!" Dawn whined.

"You were out of school for weeks, Dawn. You need to catch up to your friends."

For a moment, it looked as if Dawn might protest, but Mom gave her a look, and Dawn caved.

Buffy shook her head as her sister trotted up the stairs.

"Buffy. We're all still dealing with the… consequences. Dawn most of us all," Mom told her with a tired smile.

"I know," Buffy replied. But her sister could be a little more considerate. And… She narrowed her eyes at Mom. "And you have a checkup scheduled in the hospital, don't forget it!" Sure, Mom had been released - technically - but all the travelling and stress couldn't be good for her so early after surgery. Better have her checked out thoroughly.

"I know," Mom said in the same tone that Buffy had used.

Buffy looked at her for a moment, then both of them laughed. "I'm going to get some fresh air," Buffy told her.

"A patrol?" Mom sounded a little too casual.

"Just a short one." Buffy didn't add 'I'm fine' even though she was all healed up. Mom still worried about her every time she went out.

And as expected, Mom nodded but busied herself at the sink with the dishes even though they had a dishwasher.

Buffy sighed - silently - as she stepped out on the porch. She was the Slayer, and Sunnydale was on a Hellmouth. She had to patrol, or people would die. More people, anyway - she couldn't catch every vamp before they ate people. Not that she wouldn't try, or… She turned as she felt something nearby.

"Slayer."

Spike. She nodded at the vampire as he stepped out of the shadows near the house and lit a cigarette. "You know, that's really not a fad any more."

"It's not going to kill me," he replied.

"Unless you fall asleep with a lit cigarette and burn." She grinned.

He chuckled. "If I do, I deserve it." He took a drag, then blew the smoke out. "So, what are you going to do about the niblet?"

"Keep her safe, of course," she replied.

"You can't keep guarding her her whole life," he retorted.

"I know. It's just…" She trailed off. They had gone over that before. "Until we find a better solution."

"Should get her the witch's staff. She could escape any demon with it," Spike suggested.

"Leaving aside that the staff belongs to Claire, if Dawn had the staff, she would think nothing of heading to New York for the afternoon. Or to London," Buffy pointed out.

"Good. That would make her unpredictable."

And would ruin Buffy's nerves. "She'll never get the staff."

"Perhaps not that staff." Spike shrugged. "But what about Merlin's?"

The Staff of Avalon. Which currently, Willow was studying. "That's not going to open portals."

Spike made a noncommittal noise. "You still need to sort out that mess."

"I know." And they hadn't talked to the Council yet, either. "We're waiting until Jim's out of the hospital for the trip back."

Spike nodded. "Tough little boy."

"Yeah." And Jim needed to sort out his relationship with the trolls. But Buffy had meddled enough there.

"So, going to hunt?" Spike put out the cigarette.

Buffy bared her teeth in return. It was time to teach the demons in Sunnydale that the good times were over. "First Stop, Willy's."

*****​

Glastonbury Tor, February 11th, 2017

Merlin's tomb. Favouring his leg, James Lake Jr looked at the entrance, revealed again, and suppressed a sigh. Now it really would be his tomb, not his workshop. It hadn't even been a month since they had set foot inside for the first time. So much had happened in the weeks following that day. So many people and trolls had died. Merlin had died. If only Jim had done something, anything, differently…

"So… let's go in?" Buffy asked behind him. "It's not as if Merlin's getting heavy, but… we don't want him to thaw, you know, before he's in a grave. Or a coffin."

"Sarcophagus, Buffy," Mr Giles commented.

"Yeah, yeah. Stone coffin thingie."

Jim couldn't help grinning at the sight of Mr Giles's expression in response to that. But they were right - it was still night, but it was better not to linger here. "Yes."

He entered the cave, the others following.

"That's Merlin's tomb?" Dawn asked. "It's a bit of a letdown."

"It gets better once we're inside," Willow told her.

"It's Merlin's workshop and tomb," Toby said. He sounded awed rather than slightly disappointed.

"The real tomb is hidden beyond the cave where the Slayer's Scythe was placed," Mr Giles explained. "And stick together - Merlin himself warned us that it was only Mr Lake's presence that kept his defences from activating."

"I know," Dawn complained. "You've said that a dozen times."

"Well, with you, we need to say it two dozen times."

"Hey!"

"Show some decorum. This is, for all that matters, a funeral," Mr Giles said.

"Indeed," Blinky added.

Surprisingly, the two shut up after this.

Jim led them through the cave, into the hidden tunnel to Merlin's workshop, and further in, until they reached the tomb - the crystal room.

Buffy set the corpse, still in a body bag, down on the stone slab upon which Merlin had slept for centuries. "So… We aren't going to leave him in plastic."

"Just unzip it and take him out," Xander said.

That was… Jim shook his head. It didn't really look dignified, but they had no choice. And it was icky - Claire, standing next to him, grimaced as the Scoobies pulled Merlin's body out of the bag and laid it down on the stone slab.

It did look as if Merlin was just sleeping - no sign of decay. Willow's stasis spell had been working.

No one said anything. Merlin hadn't talked about his religious beliefs, and Jim didn't want to say the wrong kind of prayer. That would have felt… disrespectful. He could imagine Merlin frowning at him, making a sarcastic, cutting remark about assumptions. Or about foolish delusions - the wizard struck Jim as the kind of person who would dissect the bible with cold logic.

So, everyone just stared at the body in silence, hands folded, for about a minute. Then Buffy nodded and took a step back. "All yours, Willow."

Willow nodded as well, swallowed and stepped up to the stone slab, spreading her hands. As a slight glow appeared around her fingers, she started chanting. The light slowly turned green, illuminating the chamber. And the green crystal above her started to glow as well.

As Jim watched, green light began to… form around Merlin's body. In the shape of a coffin. He had been told this would happen, but it was still a wondrous sight as a crystal grew, sealing Merlin's body.

Just like Morgana's had been sealed. After about fifteen minutes, Willow sagged, and the crystal settled on the stone slab.

It was done. Merlin's tomb was now a tomb in fact.

Jim sighed and reached out for Claire's hand. All that was left was to leave and seal up the place again. And place some spells on it so no one would disturb the tomb.

He turned to leave the chamber, feeling both sad and relieved. It was over.

Someone coughed behind him, and he whirled. Then he gasped. As did everyone else.

Merlin was floating above his corpse. "So, I did die. Finally."

"Merlin?" Jim whispered.

"Before you embarrass yourself by asking questions, this is not me; merely a message I left for whoever placed my body in my tomb. Which, given you are still alive, will be the Trollhunter. Probably Mr Lake, unless he did not survive the fight against Morgana either."

"When did he do this?" Claire whispered.

"It must have been when he went to the Heart of Avalon," Willow replied in a hushed voice.

"If it is you, Mr Lake, do not blame yourself for my death. You did what you could. And no, I have not foreseen this - I would have prevented my death if I had knowledge of the future. But my amulet chose you, and it does not make mistakes."

This wasn't the time to bring up the not quite so proud or lucky Trollhunters who had gone before him, Jim thought.

"In any case, if you are hearing this message, I did not survive the fight against Morgana, but, seeing as you are entombing me here, she was defeated and the world saved. Congratulations, I suppose."

Jim wasn't the only one who snorted at the dry tone of Merlin's words.

"But my death leaves a hole. Not an immense hole - I was sleeping for centuries, after all - but a hole nonetheless. And someone has to fill it. Maybe Miss Rosenberg. Or Miss Nuñez, should either or both of you have survived. Maybe Miss Maclay. Or Mr Giles. Perhaps even the younger Miss Summers. I cannot predict who it will be, only that someone has to follow in my footsteps and keep my tomb and Camelot safe. Amongst other things."

The transparent image smiled for the first time. It wasn't a nice smile. "I did not have the time to create an amulet of the wizard to judge my successor. And, seeing as a wizard's duty is often more complex and less clear as a Trollhunter's duty, the odds of it working as well as my other creation were slim to begin. So, instead of having you chosen, you will be proven."

The smile turned into a toothy grin.

"My workshop is protected. As is Camelot. Whoever can retrieve the knowledge stored in either place shall be my successor."

"Oh!" Willow gasped. "He didn't just…"

"Be aware that failure will have consequences most dire. And be aware that the defences I placed around the Heart of Avalon require more than knowledge to pass. They require wisdom beyond mortal ken."

Merlin's image nodded. "Now leave me to my eternal rest."

As the wizard slowly faded away, Jim took a deep breath. This was it.

"Well, that's so him!" Claire spat. "Leaving us with cryptic orders and no help!"

"Yes," Willow agreed.

"But you will do as he says anyway," Buffy said.

"Of course!" Claire nodded.

"You heard him," Willow said. "Someone has to make sure that this tomb - Merlin's knowledge - and Camelot don't fall into the wrong hands.

"I guess destroying both is out of the question?" Xander asked, then cringed under the glares everyone except for Jim, Buffy and Toby levelled at him.

Jim sighed and glanced at Buffy. She looked resigned herself as she smiled at him with a wry expression.

Yeah, Jim knew the feeling. Very well. They had to protect their friends. Perhaps even from themselves, in some cases.

But Jim didn't really mind. They were his friends, after all. And he was the Trollhunter.

He'd protect everyone. Until the very end.

*****​
 
Epilogue: Two Years Later
Epilogue: Two Years Later

Sunnydale, May 8th, 2019

Buffy Summers didn't tense or even grip a weapon when the green portal opened in the living room. Instead, she leaned back on the couch, and when Dawn stepped through, she asked as nonchalantly as she could - it wouldn't do to let her little sister think she was surprised by this since she wasn't - "Did you bring the tea?"

Her sister stopped, blinked and stared at her. "What?"

"The tea," Buffy repeated herself. Dawn's blank stare didn't change. "The tea Mom asked you to bring from London?" Buffy explained.

"Oh!" Dawn blushed a little. "That tea."

"Dawn?" Mom called from the kitchen.

"Berightback!"

And Dawn was gone through the portal again. Buffy shook her head.

Mom entered the living room. "I thought I heard Dawn."

"She forgot your tea," Buffy said. "She'll be back in.. about five minutes or so, I guess."

Mom shook her head and sighed. "I'll never get used to portals."

Buffy shrugged and went back to checking her messages on her phone. "It beats taking the Gyre. Or," she added with a shudder, "a plane." The airports always made such a fuss about a few weapons in your luggage! What girl wanted to travel without protection?

"Still, all that instant travel around the world can't be healthy for your biorhythm," Mom objected. "It's what, noon, in England?"

"So, our dinner will be Dawn's lunch," Buffy said, shrugging. It wasn't as if she had a natural biorhythm herself, what with being a Slayer and working at night. "It's not really any different than working shifts."

"Dawn's sixteen," Mom complained. "She shouldn't be working shifts. She should be in school."

"Technically, she's in school," Buffy pointed out. "And she's not really working shifts."

"Camelot isn't a school," Mom said, turning away.

Buffy sighed. There was no point in pointing out that 'Camelot Private Academy' technically was a school, being registered with the British government and all, even though it only had one student - Dawn. Or that Willow was a much better teacher than anyone at Sunnydale Highschool. Hell, Willow's teaching apps were much better teachers. Mom wouldn't agree. It was a small miracle that she had agreed to Dawn 'transferring' at all. As if letting the Key - or, as far as Mom knew, the Holder of the Key - go to school in Sunnydale would be smart. Sometimes, Buffy wondered if her Mom had not taken a bit of brain damage. The clinic had said they had found the aneurysm in time before it could have done anything, but…

She shook her head. Mom just was stubborn. Like Dawn or Buffy herself.

Another portal opened, and Dawn arrived, holding a box of tea with one hand. "I'm back!" she yelled. "And I brought tea!" She waved the box around with a smile. "Willow and Tara send their regards."

"Thanks."

"Thank you, Dawn. How was your morning?" Mom asked as she took the box.

"Oh, the usual." Dawn shrugged and sat down on the couch. "Willow and Tara are still busy trying to decurse the grimoire they found in that shop in London, so I've been mostly rereading stuff I already learned."

"Ah." Mom nodded and didn't ask further. She knew as well as Buffy did that 'stuff I already learned' didn't refer to maths or history, but magic. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so go and wash your hands."

"Mom! I'm not a little girl any more," Dawn pouted.

Buffy grinned. "So, go and wash your hands."

"You too, Buffy!" Mom called from the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes but got up anyway. Mom meant well. "Any trouble with the Council?" she asked as they went to the bathroom.

"As if!" Dawn grinned. "Giles has it in hand."

With Willow's help, of course. Since she was one of the most powerful witches in the world - according to Giles, who knew what he was talking about - and in control of Camelot and Merlin's legacy, the Council needed her far more than she needed them.

"What about that guy you met in London, Cartman?"

"Carter," Dawn hissed as she started soaping her hands. "And there's nothing about him."

"Oh?" Buffy raised her eyebrows and leaned against the doorframe.

Dawn snorted. "He's got a girlfriend. A snotty, snobby English girlfriend," she said with a sneer.

"I thought he flirted with you in the bookshop," Buffy commented.

"He did." Dawn finished washing her hands and walked past her.

"Ah." Buffy nodded. Well, she wasn't exactly in a position to tease Dawn about her love life. And even if she were, it wouldn't be worth potentially losing access to instant travel to New York or London or Paris. She could always ask Willow, of course, but her bestie was a little too much into 'responsible use of magic' ever since she started reading Merlin's diary, and Buffy didn't want to listen to a lecture about 'frivolous use of magic' before or during a shopping trip. Tara, of course, wasn't helping either.

She sighed and finished washing her hands herself. In a way, it was weird to have her friends spread out over the world like this, yet being able to visit instantly whenever they choose to. On the other hand, as Xander said, it was just a better version of video calls. A much better version.

She was about to return to the living room when she heard the doorbell ring. Frowning, she went to answer it. Who could visit at a time like this?

"Come on, Slayer."

That was Spike. Wasn't he supposed to be in Los Angeles? She opened the door and stepped aside.

The vampire entered. "Hello, Joyce, hi Niblet!" he called out.

"Hi, Spike."

"Spike!"

Buffy wasn't fooled, of course. "What's wrong?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He scoffed. "Your ex-boyfriend, that's what's wrong."

Angel? Buffy frowned. "What did he do this time?" Angel had handed that mess with Cordy's instant-growth baby somewhat messily, but Los Angeles was still standing last she checked.

"It's what he's planning to do," Spike said. "The idiot is thinking about joining Wolfram & Hart."

Buffy blinked. "What?"

*****​

Trollmarket, May 8th, 2019

"And I've told him that he can't grow mushrooms in the cellar, not without sealing it up to keep out gnomes!"

"You said no such thing! And if you seal the cellar, the mushrooms don't grow right! Every troll knows that!"

James Lake Jr rolled his eyes. It was bad enough that he got another 'pest control' call, but having to listen to two trolls argue with each other? Sometimes, being the Trollhunter really sucked. At least he got paid these days. Not a fortune, but enough. For now.

"That's a myth! No one has ever proven it!"

"Because no one is dumb enough to try to seal their cellar if they want to grow mushrooms!"

"But at least one troll is dumb enough to plant mushrooms for gnomes!"

"Why you…!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Jim snapped. Enough was enough. "I don't need to - nor do I want to - hear about your differences. I'm here to get the gnomes out of the cellar, nothing more." He tilted his head slightly.

"Of course!" "Sorry!" The two trolls cringed and quickly nodded. To Jim's dismay, his reputation as the Trollhunter who killed Gunmar in single combat had only grown in the telling, as Blinky had said.

But sometimes, it was useful. He nodded. "So, this is the cellar." He walked towards the door. The door had scratch marks on the bottom - gnomes left those when they wriggled underneath it and their caps caught the wood.

"Yes!"

"Good." Jim opened the door and peered down into the cellar. "Hello the gnomes!" he yelled. "I'm the Trollhunter. And I need you to leave this cellar. So, we can do it the easy way or the hard way."

The high-pitched not-quite-screaming from below didn't seem like the gnomes wanted to leave peacefully. Jim sighed. It was too bad that the gnomes weren't really impressed by his reputation. Fortunately, he wasn't counting on only his reputation. "Well, in that case, I'll have to call my girlfriend. Claire."

The gnomes' screaming changed in tone, and he heard tiny feet tap over stone - they were moving. A moment later, the sound changed slightly - they were on the stairs now. Jim took a step to the side and watched the gnomes - a dozen of them - file out.

If only they knew that Claire's 'gnome-removal spell' had been her first attempt to create a spell to retrieve Chomsky from the Darklands… Jim smiled at the memory. Claire might be embarrassed by her 'failure', but it all worked out - and it was a useful if traumatising (for the gnomes) spell to deal with unwanted houseguests.

And Claire had later recovered Chomsky, mostly hale and whole - he was missing the tip of his horn - with the right spell and a little help from Dawn.

He turned to smile at the two arguing trolls. "All done."

"Thank you, Trollhunter!"

"I don't know what we would've done without you! Smoking out gnomes ruins the cellar for years!"

"That's why I'm here." Jim resisted the sudden urge to add: 'your tax dollars at work' and left.

Outside, he checked his phone. No new messages. And it was a little early to go home; Claire wouldn't be back from her trip to check out another possible college in San Francisco until about six. He quickly tapped out a message.

Cleared a cellar of gnomes with your help :)

He hit send and waited. The 'router' Willow had installed in Trollmarket was sometimes a little slow, but texts always got through.

Claire's reply arrived fifteen seconds later.

Not again!

He chuckled and typed another text.

See you at dinner. Love you.

Her answer was even faster this time.

Love you.

He sighed with an undoubtedly silly smile on his face.

"What did the Fair Claire tell you, Master Jim?"

Jim turned. "Blinky! You're back from Camelot?"

"For the rest of the week, yes. I need to look up a few things in my library." Blinky said.

"Did you take the Gyre?"

"I did not want to ask Willow to strain herself," Blinky replied as they started towards his home.

"Ah." Unlike Dawn, who had mastered creating portals without the Shadow Staff in record time, Willow was struggling with teleporting - not something she liked to be reminded of. She could teleport, but it took a lot out of her. Unlike, say, turning someone into a rat or newt.

"So, how fare Trollmarket and Arcadia Oaks?" Blinky asked.

Jim shrugged. "Nothing of note happened." And he was quite happy with that.

"I've heard rumours about another demonic intrusion near the school," Blinky said.

"That was a particularly large raccoon," Jim explained. He didn't go into details - Blinky didn't need to know how long it had taken Jim to catch the little critter. And how long he had waited for it to appear.

"So, it seems Sunnydale remains the main focus of demonic activity in the area, then."

"Yes." Which was one reason why Jim and Clair often spent an evening or two or a weekend in Sunnydale. Buffy might not need their help, but it didn't hurt her either. And Jim could keep in shape - dealing with gnomes or the occasional troll drunk on motor oil wasn't exactly a challenge for the Trollhunter. "We're planning to…"

His phone beeped again. Had Clair sent him another text? He pulled it out and frowned.

"Master Jim?"

"It seems something is up," Jim told him. "Buffy called for a meeting tonight."

*****​

Arcadia Oaks, May 8th, 2019

"Jim!"

"Claire!"

James Lake Jr embraced Claire on the threshold of his home. Mrs Trent went by with her dog and waved, but he barely noticed.

"I was only away for the afternoon," Claire said with a slight smirk when they separated.

"I know," he replied, stepping to the side so she could enter. Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies had drilled the 'never invite anyone or anything inside' into his head.

She stepped inside.

"Mom's still working," Jim told her before she could ask.

Claire nodded and sat down on the couch. "So… Buffy needs us?"

"Probably." Jim shrugged as he grabbed a tray of snacks he had prepared from the kitchen counter. "She didn't text the reason."

Claire briefly frowned as she grabbed one of the finger sandwiches. "That's not good."

Jim nodded. Their communications were supposed to be secure, after all - Willow had done them. "She probably doesn't want us to snoop around and spill the beans."

"'Spill the beans'?" Claire raised her eyebrows.

"Xander's been watching old movies," Jim said. It went without saying that the man would quote them.

"Ah." She nodded. "Don't let Mary hear that - she'll worry about possession."

Jim snorted. In hindsight, it had been a miracle that Mary hadn't stumbled onto the supernatural world earlier than last summer, the way she was about making new videos for likes. Still, she had kept the secret at least, though, apparently, it had taken Willow threatening to make the number of Mary's followers tank if she tried to use this to make more appealing videos. But this wasn't a concern right now. "Anyway, it sounds pretty serious."

Claire nodded and grabbed another sandwich. "Dinner still on?"

Jim sighed. "No. We'll eat in Sunnydale." And he had already prepared everything for a lovely stir fry!

Claire didn't look too disappointed. Well, Joyce's cooking was great.

The doorbell rang again. "That must be Toby." Jim stood and went to answer it. His friend stood outside, a large gym bag thrown over his shoulder. "Jimbo!"

"Tobes." Jim let him enter.

"Hi, Claire." Toby dropped the bag on the floor, which caused a clunking noise.

"Hi, Toby. I could've opened a portal to fetch your armour and hammer," Claire told him.

"I didn't want to be defenceless on the way after Jimbo called for all hands on deck." Toby let himself fall into the free seat, then sniffed the air. "Toasted sandwiches?"

Jim pushed the plate over to Toby's side of the low table.

"Thanks!" He grabbed two. "These are great!" After eating both, he went on: "Is anyone else coming?"

"We're getting Blinky on the way," Jim said.

"Oh. He's back from Camelot?"

"Yes."

"Good." Toby grabbed another sandwich.

Jim reached for one himself. "Strickler's coming too."

His friends tensed. "Ah." Claire slowly nodded.

Toby frowned. "Then it must be really important."

That was obvious - Buffy wouldn't call the changeling - well, former changeling; he couldn't take a human form any more - otherwise.

"They, ah, didn't call Angor Rot, did they?" Toby asked.

Jim shook his head.

Claire snorted. "Angor Rot and Strickler in the same room?"

"But why is she calling him as well?" Toby shook his head. "We don't need him."

Jim nodded. Strickler was a decent fighter, but not exceptional.

"Then it must be about what - or whom - he knows," Claire said. "He's been around for a long time, and he's been a spy."

Jim sighed. Claire was probably right - she usually was - but it meant this would be a complicated thing.

"Probably something demony," Toby said.

"Of course it is!" Jim nodded. They would've handled anything troll-related.

"That doesn't narrow it down," Claire said. She checked her phone. "Well, I've told my parents that we have a meeting."

"I've left Mom a note." Jim sighed. She would be worrying, but that couldn't be helped.

"Nana knows."

"Then let's get Blinky and go to Sunnydale."

*****​

Sunnydale, May 8th, 2019

"I'm back!" Dawn announced as she stepped through another portal in the living room. "And I brought friends!"

Buffy Summers nodded. "Hi, Willow. Giles."

"Hi, Buffy!" Willow waved at her. Tara smiled and waved as well.

"Buffy." Giles nodded. "Joyce." He smiled at Mom.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Xander stepped through the portal, followed by Anya.

"Xander. Anya."

"Yo." Spike nodded at them from the wall against which he was leaning.

"You're the reason for this meeting?" Xander asked.

"Not me. Captain Hairgel had another brainfart."

"Spike." Mom shook her head when he looked at her.

"Sorry." The vampire even looked as if he meant it. "Angel's lost what was left of his mind."

"Again?" Xander asked. "Wait, in the 'Angelus is back in control' sense, or in the 'I have a stupid idea and won't let anyone tell me otherwise' sense?"

"The second," Buffy told him. "He wants to infiltrate Wolfram & Hart with his gang."

"What?"

"How?"

"Does he think they won't recognise him somehow?" Xander shook his head. "Did he buy a fake moustache and glasses?"

"It's worse than that," Spike said. "The senior partners offered him control over the LA branch as a reward for dealing with that demon daughter of Cordelia."

"And he doesn't realise that's a trap?" Willow blinked.

"You know him." Spike shrugged. "He thinks he can turn the trap around."

Buffy pressed her lips together. Sometimes, she thought she had never known Angel at all.

"This sounds a bit optimistic," Giles commented.

"Just a bit," Spike added.

"What's the Council's reaction going to be?" Willow asked.

"They won't be happy about this. Some of the old guard will take this as proof that Angel cannot be trusted - or that he has lost his soul," Giles replied.

"Again," Xander muttered.

Buffy rolled her eyes. As much as she didn't like the old geezers around Travers, some of Angel's decisions since he had moved to L.A. had left her with serious doubts about his mental health. And his intelligence. And that had nothing to do with his decision to leave her and have some child with Darla of all people - well, of all vampires turned back into people. Whatever.

"Well, is Angel planning to accept?" Willow asked.

Spike shrugged. "I don't think even he knows. Last I heard, Wolfram & Hart also offered to take over caring for Cordelia. Medical benefits, or something."

Everyone scoffed at that. As if you could trust a demon lawyer firm bent on destroying the Earth - on their terms - to take care of your comatose not-girlfriend!

"Does anyone else think it's weird that this was the second time Angel had to deal with a child born and then instantly turned into an adult?" Willow asked. "I mean, Connor was taken to a dimension where time passed faster, so it's not quite the same as Jasmine, but…" She shrugged.

Buffy really had to struggle not to make a snarky comment about what happened when you trusted the Powers-That-Be.

"What about Faith?" Xander asked, then cringed when Anya glared at him. "I'm just asking to know where the other living Slayer stands in all of this."

Anya didn't look like she was happy with the explanation. The girl really needed to grow a little less jealous - or insecure.

"Probably following Angel around like a puppy," Spike said. "So she can feel redeemed."

Buffy pressed her lips together. Angel had said he wasn't, well, in a relationship with Faith, but she had no doubts that Faith would jump his bones as soon as she was given the slightest hint he might let her. Couldn't the girl have found someone else to 'redeem' herself with? "So, we can't rely on her to beat some sense into Angel."

"Not unless the idiot starts eating people or something," Spike said.

Buffy sighed. Who would have thought that Faith, of all people, would be an even worse pain in the butt when she finally started working with others? Well, her actions working for the Mayor kinda showed that, but still! This was different.

Before she could say anything, another portal opened in the middle of the room. Everyone tensed, but then Jim stepped through. "Hello, everyone. Hello, Mrs Summers."

"Call me Joyce," Mom told him not for the first time.

"Good evening, everyone." Blinky entered, followed by Toby and Claire. And Strickler. "I already ate," Blinky said, "so don't bother with a different meal on my behalf."

Of course Mom shook her head. "I've already prepared some socks for you."

"Well, if you already prepared them… Thank you, Joyce!"

Strickler nodded his thanks as well. Buffy kept her eye on him.

"Whose socks?" Dawn asked. "Mine or Buffy's?"

"New socks I bought for the occasion," Mom replied.

"Ah."

Buffy was glad. Used socks would've been very creepy. And disgusting as well. "So, since everyone's here - let's eat!" she said. "Planning goes better on a full stomach."

"Let's hope so, at least," Xander said.

Mom had cooked up a spread on short notice, and everyone dug in. Buffy didn't watch while Blinky slurped down some socks as if they were pasta. At least Strickler ate them a little more discreetly. Then again, the former changeling knew more about human table manners - and had more reasons to behave, of course.

"So, Angel plans to 'take down Wolfram & Hart from the inside'?" Jim asked between bites after Buffy had filled him in.

"That's the plan, at least according to him," Spike, who wasn't eating, replied.

"And Wolfram & Hart would in no way expect this," Dawn said.

"No, no, they'll be outplayed by Angel the genius," Xander added. "And he certainly won't lose his soul - again - in some scheme this time."

"It does sound more than a little optimistic," Giles commented. "The 'senior partners' will have anticipated such a plan. And they have a lot of experience tempting mortals and corrupting them."

"They're lawyers; of course they have experience with corruption," Dawn said with a smirk.

"That's actually a cliché," Willow objected. "And a harmful stereotype."

"Not every lawyer is Matt Murdock," Xander replied.

"Can we focus on the totally evil demon lawyers instead of on comic books or stereotypes?" Buffy cut in before her friends could get started. "We know Wolfram & Hart are evil."

"And Angel knows that as well .- he's been fighting them for some time," Giles said. "According to Wesley."

"Speaking of Wesley," Xander said. "What's his take on this?"

"I didn't talk to him," Spike replied.

"He hasn't been in contact with the Council about this as far as I know," Giles said. "Not that he has been in contact with the Council very often since his, ah, change of employment."

"Great. Another unknown variable." Buffy sighed.

"What exactly is your goal?" Strickler asked. "Do you want to stop Angel and his group, or Wolfram & Hart?"

That was a good question.

*****​

James Lake Jr didn't like Strickler. He might not want to kill the former changeling any more, but he would never forget what the bastard had done. Taking Mom hostage, trying to get Jim's friends killed, working for Gunmar… Still, the troll was smart and had a lot of experience - and he was aware that Jim and his friends were the main reason Angor Rot hadn't killed him yet. After the curse linking him to Mom had finally been broken.

But that was a good question indeed. One Buffy had to answer.

He saw her sigh. "I wish we could just solve this with a talk to Angel." Spike snorted, loudly, which prompted a frown from her. "But leaving aside how Angel thinks he knows best thanks to being a 'champion' or whatever…" Xander snorted, but Willow frowned at both, Jim noted. He had expected that - Angel was a touchy subject. "...Wolfram & Hart are a threat to the world. We have to stop them."

"They are," Strickler agreed. "The Order of Janus had had contracts with them, but always only in the short-term - we were aware that they had plans that, ultimately, ran contrary to our goals."

"Yeah, such as keeping on living," Xander commented.

Strickler tilted his head, acknowledging the point. "And the fact that both Gunmar and Wolfram & Hart wanted to end the world as the humans know it on their terms."

"It's a wonder that such competitors worked together at all," Toby said.

Willow sighed. "That's what makes Wolfram & Hart so dangerous: They are absolutely willing to work together with anyone, including their sworn enemies, if it serves their goals. They're utterly pragmatic."

Once more, Strickler nodded in agreement.

"They're lawyers; what do you expect?" Xander quipped with a grin.

"So, Angel has reasons to think they might play ball?" Dawn asked, leaning forward.

"Only if he forgets that Wolfram & Hart will betray anyone and everyone as soon as it becomes advantageous," Mr Giles said. "Something, I fear, that's not very unlikely. Angel likely thinks he can act against them before they reach this point."

"Bugger always thought he was smarter than everyone else," Spike muttered.

"Yeah." Buffy frowned.

Claire was frowning as well, Jim noticed - but it was her thinking frown. "But Angel taking over the Los Angeles branch does offer an opportunity to find out more about the whole organisation. If we don't wait too long until we act, that would benefit us a lot, wouldn't it?"

"It would," Willow agreed. "Knowing is half the battle."

"Yo, Joe!" Xander commented.

The witch blushed. "You made me watch those cartoons!"

"And to see that you retained their core message decades later is something I'm proud of!" Xander replied.

"We're not that old!" Willow protested.

Buffy cleared her throat. "Can we focus on the evil lawyers instead of on cartoons?"

Willow blushed, but Xander just grinned.

"While a sound strategy at first glimpse," Mr Giles said, "I fear that this is exactly what Wolfram & Hart are counting on. They have been active for millennia, and even this latest guise of theirs as a supposedly respectable business goes back centuries. They will have so many secrets, anyone would be tempted to wait a little longer after each tidbit they unearth to ferret out more secrets."

Buffy winced. "And on the way, people will lose their way. Or something. Angel's crew isn't exactly, well…"

"They're a bunch of morons led by king moron," Spike said. "They almost killed each other a few times."

Well, Jim and his friends had fought the Scoobies as well at their first meeting. But they hadn't fought each other since they had started working together.

"That is an indication that at least some of their members might be led astray by the right incentive or deception," Blinky spoke up. "Which counter-balances the advantages of more information."

"Information that might be prepared for them to find, anyway," Xander added.

"Quite." Mr Giles nodded. "As tempting as it might appear to infiltrate the enemy, doing so on their own invitation seems more foolhardy than wise."

"Quite," Buffy imitated him. "So, all in favour of kicking evil lawyer butt?"

"Always," Xander said. Most others nodded, some a little hesitantly, though.

And some did so very enthusiastically. "And then we loot their assets!" Anya smiled widely.

"But Los Angeles is just one branch," Willow pointed out. "They have at least six more spread out over the world. They might retaliate."

"They cannot let one of their branches get destroyed without retaliation - the loss of face this would cause would hurt their reputation and their business," Strickler said.

"They want us gone anyway," Buffy retorted.

"But probably not right now," Xander said. "They might think we're still useful as long as we keep their competition down. Like Gunmar and Glory."

Jim nodded. That made sense. And yet… "Wouldn't we make the same mistake we think Angel's doing if we count on that? I mean, if we think they won't move against us first?"

"Indeed, Master Jim, we should not assume that as long as we do not move against this organisation, they will return the favour." Blinky nodded.

"In other words," Buffy said, "we have to take on all of Wolfram & Hart."

Jim tried not to wince. That was a big task. And a dangerous one. Very dangerous. "Can we do this?" he asked.

"In a word: No," Mr Giles replied.

"Giles!" Buffy protested.

"Or, I should say, not by ourselves," Mr Giles went on. "Wolfram & Hart's influence rivals - perhaps even surpasses - the Council's. Many people have sold their souls for power or are otherwise beholden to the firm."

"Great," Toby commented. "We took out the Order of Janus, and now there's another conspiracy infiltrating the government."

"Technically, Wolfram & Hart has been operating for centuries; they didn't spring up in the two years since the Order was destroyed," Willow pointed out.

"And we only managed to destroy the Order of Janus," Claire added, "because we saved all the babies who were used as their familiars."

Jim nodded. And that had been a close call. But compared to explaining how over two hundred babies had been found and rescued from kidnappers without revealing trolls and magic? That would've been impossible without the government's help. And even so, conspiracy theorists still went on about 'baby farms' being covered up by corrupt politicians. Or babies smuggled into the USA by an underground railroad to take over society. Or cloning experiments to seed the population with ESPers, or whatever the latest crazy theory was. Between the crazies and the honest investigators visiting Arcadia Oaks, Jim and his friends wouldn't have been able to remain Trollhutners without Claire's portals. But the babies had found homes, and that was what mattered.

"Indeed," Strickler said. "The Order has left a vacuum which was filled by rival organisations."

"Organisations? There are more conspiracies than Wolfram & Hart?" Toby blurted out.

Strickler showed that faint grin that usually announced a sarcastic remark in school. "The various intelligence agencies of the USA, for one. And, of course, foreign ones as well."

"Those aren't rivals of Wolfram & Hart!" Claire protested.

And there came the look that usually followed a wrong answer. Jim was quite familiar with it as well. "How refreshingly naive. Intelligence agencies work basically the same as the Order of Janus did, or Wolfram & Hart, merely with less supernatural tools. Corrupting contacts and turning them against their friends and allies is business as usual for such organisations."

Mr Giles cleared his throat. "While I have no doubt that the CIA and similar agencies work like that, they generally do not have the goal of destroying the world."

"I would say destroying the environment for power and profit qualifies," Willow muttered with a scowl.

Mr Giles glanced at her before he continued: "Nevertheless, such agencies are our allies when facing Wolfram & Hart - provided we can ensure that they haven't been infiltrated by the agents of the firm."

"Can't we just zap all their headquarters?" Buffy asked. "You know, a simple, violent solution. We've got Merlin's power, don't we?"

"We're studying Merlin's records," Willow corrected her. "That doesn't mean we can just wield his magic. Well, we can cast most of the spells in his grimoires…"

"Most?" Xander interrupted.

Willow pressed her lips together for a moment. "Some of the spells are… well, it seems the rumours of druids sacrificing people weren't completely fabricated by the Romans."

She looked like she hated admitting that, in Jim's opinion. He glanced at Claire, who nodded in agreement with the witch - she had been studying Merlin's grimoires as well, after all. "Yes. We aren't going to use those spells under any circumstance," she said.

Tara nodded with a very determined expression.

"What about the heart thingie?" Buffy asked. "You said that was for emergencies. This is an emergency!"

"We haven't even begun to understand the Heart of Avalon," Willow said. "We know, though, that it's immensely powerful."

"And we don't want to risk whatever disaster we could cause by messing with it without fully understanding it." Claire shook her head.

Buffy sighed. "Fine. So, we need the government on our side. The government that might be infiltrated by the same demons we want destroyed."

"Not just our government, I mean the United States," Willow pointed out. "They have firms all over the world."

"And contrary to what we see in action movies, the CIA isn't capable of running blacks ops in all those countries," Xander said. "Tom Cruise, you have failed us!"

Jim and Toby chuckled at the reference. But Claire looked annoyed, as did Willow.

"So, to the great disappointment of my violent sister, we can't just smash Wolfram & Hart," Dawn said.

"We so could smash the L.A. branch!" Buffy protested.

"We could. But as we established, that would cause the rest of the firm to retaliate, presumably on an unprecedented level for which we might not be prepared," Mr Giles told her.

Buffy groaned. "So, that means we have to convince Angel that he's being dumb."

"That would be the logical conclusion," Mr Giles said.

"I would have really preferred to just smash Wolfram & Hart one branch after another," Buffy complained.

"That would be easier," Spike said.

Jim hoped that the vampire was joking.

*****​

"Hey!"

Buffy Summers turned away from staring at the backyard and faced Jim, who had just stepped out on the porch. "Yes? Want to join me on a patrol?" She wasn't going to head to Los Angeles without making sure her hometown was safe. Well, as safe as it got on a Hellmouth.

Jim nodded. "Yes." He rolled his shoulders. "A walk will be nice," he said.

"Is anyone else coming?" Buffy asked.

"Claire and the others are discussing curses Wolfram & Hart might use. Toby is talking with Xander about explosives."

Buffy wasn't disappointed about that. Both would have to put on their armour the normal way, so they would be quite obvious when walking around. Unlike Jim, who could just use his amulet to be encased in it.

And Toby would be carrying the Trollhammer. She might have left it to him since he could wield it and, therefore, was worthy, but that didn't mean she liked seeing him carry it in her town. "Let's go then," she said, stepping off the porch.

"Alright. Where are we going first?" Jim followed her, zipping up his thin jacket.

"The Bronze," she said. Most newcomers of the undead variety tried to hunt there, or so it seemed.

"OK."

Buffy sniffed the air as they left the yard. No scent of evil demony stuff. Well, Dawn had put a few wards on the house, 'as practice'. And after Willow and Tara had fixed the one that had attracted every cat in town, they seemed to be working well.

"So, how's Trollhunting?" she asked.

"Mostly… boring," Jim said. "The only fights I've had were demons trying to move to Arcadia Oaks."

"Boring's good," Buffy told him. "But sometimes, you want to slay something." She flashed her teeth at the thought of a nice fight.

"Well…" Jim shrugged. "I wouldn't say that." Of course he wouldn't - he was no Slayer. "But it feels a bit weird to draw a salary for basically not doing much."

"You draw a salary for being ready to help when you're needed."

"And for dealing with gnome infestations," Jim replied.

"Seriously?" She tilted her head to look at him.

He nodded with a sigh.

That was too funny! She giggled but quickly grew serious. "Still no sign of those allies of Gunmar?"

Jim shook his head. "No. Although with Gunmar gone, the different troll tribes and communities have become more divided again. The Deep Trolls have almost completely withdrawn into their lands. That makes finding any allies of Gunmar more difficult."

If there were such. Buffy was starting to have some doubts. "They'll be lying low, anyway. Without him, what could they do?"

"They could still make trouble," Jim replied. "If they think we're on to them, they might grow desperate, and desperate people - or trolls - do desperate things."

Buffy shrugged. If trolls made trouble, they could handle it. Hell, the Trollhunters could handle it - Claire had learned a lot more magic than just creating portals since Glory. "Oh. Any news about Angor Rot?" That was a dangerous troll.

"Not since he got his soul back and returned to the lands of his tribe," Jim told her.

Buffy thought that was rather creepy - the tribe had been wiped out centuries ago, as far as she knew, so their underground territory would be empty.

They walked a block without talking until it became awkward. "So… Claire's found a college yet?" Buffy asked. It was a kinda sensitive subject, but she wasn't going to ask about new TV shows.

"She's still looking. There's still time," Jim said. "And with the staff, she can commute easily."

Buffy nodded. It wasn't that simple, of course - Claire would be drawn into college activities; she was that kind of girl. But that wasn't her business.

"What about you?"

"Working on my degree," she said. Which was true. She was just not working as hard on her degree as she could. A girl had to have some free time in her youth. Not that she was likely to grow very old anyway. "I'm in no rush."

"Ah." He sighed - no, that was a deep breath. "So… About Angel."

She tensed. "What about him?" she asked. Perhaps a little too sharply.

"Ah…" He trailed off.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "That he's my ex-boyfriend isn't an issue." Really not. She was over him. He had left her, and she had gotten together with Riley. She was over Angel. Mostly.

"Of course not!" Jim said quickly.

She looked at him for a second longer and nodded. Good. Her love life was… complicated and not something she would be discussing with anyone. Certainly not with Angel - her ex wasn't really rational about it. Especially since Spike had, well, stopped trying to kill her.

"Will he really be stubborn about this?" Jim asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Probably. But he'll see reason." She would make him see reason if she had to. You didn't join the evil lawyer firm and turn it around. Certainly not when you didn't have any experience with running a business, the law or undercover work, and the big bad evil guys asked you to join. "This trap is about as obvious as the Trojan horse," she added.

"Yeah," Jim agreed.

They walked another block. Buffy could see the Bronze now. And she could hear the music inside - a new band she didn't know.

And she could smell… She took another sniff and grinned. "Demon!"

"Oh?" Jim tensed. But he was grinning as well.

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "I'll go in and flush it out; you wait in the back and stop it?"

Jim nodded and raised his hand while she started walking towards the entrance, Mr Pointy hidden in her stylish jacket.

"For the Glory of Merlin, Eclipse is mine to command!"

This would be fun!

*****​

The End

*****​
 

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