Something To Atone For. BtVS/AtS, Doyle SI.

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 10: Crossing Paths​

The grim realization that he doesn't deserve the chance to be happy settled in Liam's gut as the days of fruitless pursuit piled on. Allen had one simple job for me and I completely screwed it up.

Even after Whistler told him where to go, the Irish vampire was unable to walk away from the first time he had been counted on in decades. Faith must be so scared right now.

The lack of rain is the only reason the girl's incredibly tantalizing scent still provided a trail to follow. With the biker's plan to travel only at night, enough to convince Liam it's a fellow vampire he pursues towards Ohio. One of Trick's goons must have grabbed Faith.

All because I got careless. After the taillight a few cars a head signals, the vampire with a soul follows them into the rest stop.

Complete with a picnic area that seems to be used often and a beach along a slow running river, Liam turned off his lights only seconds before the bike's rumbling died. The well maintained site even has a large brick building that doubles as both showers and a bathroom, with Faith making a mad dash towards it.

Strangely the driver didn't give chase, instead pulling a tent out of his saddlebags while Liam lurked in the darkness.

The wind changed direction and brought the unknown rider's odour right to the vampire. He's not a vampire!

Shocked to hear a heart beating in the teen's chest, Liam found himself at a lose. What the hell is going on?"

"You've been following us for two states..." Pulling a wooden stake out of the tent bag, the rider's defiant words are directed into the shadows. "Let's get this over with before she's done showering."

"What are you doing with Faith?" The question about the as of yet unnamed Pike's nature, hangs unsaid under the starlight.

But it is very much implied by the defensive posture the rider takes on as he refused to provide helpful details. "Keeping her safe from vampires."

The rider pulled out a small yellow device that looks an awful lot like a drill minus the bit. It gets pointed at Liam for only a few seconds with the leather clad rider letting out a growl as he checks a display.

"Room temperature." The infrared thermometer is replaced with a hatchet and Pike prepares to face of with the vampiric stalker. "That means you're one of Trick's boys."

Despite Liam's attempt to defuse the situation with mere words, the terrified teen threw himself into the fray. The rapid pace breathing and hammering heartbeat of the teen is all it takes for the vampire to hold back.

Instead of breaking the boy's wrists to disarm him, Liam settled for slapping the sharp objects to the ground. This wasn't enough to break Pike's spirit though and he dropped his shoulders for a nearly perfect tackle.

It worked and let him bring the vampire to the dirt. But once locked in a grapple on the ground, the teen from California rapidly became aware of his idiocy.

"What was that supposed to accomplish?" Confusion filling him at such an amateur mistake, Liam carefully manoeuvred his underage foe into a headlock. "If you know what I am, you should know how much stronger I am than you."

A girl's cough alerted the pair to Faith's return, the stake's tip pressed firmly against the vampire's back. "It was supposed to distract you long enough for me to do this!"

Rage and grief are intermingled in her voice as she shoved the stake into the vampire's back. His hasp of pain brought smirks of satisfaction to the duo.

Either her emotional state or inexperience ended up being the only reason Liam doesn't get turned into dust. The wood slammed against the vampire's rib cage and was diverted the few inches needed to keep him existing.

A roar of agony emerged from the vampire suddenly in game face. The increased strength is more that enough for Liam to keep Pike pinned with one arm.

The free hand snaked backwards to clamp down on Faith's wrist, the force just shy of what would be needed to cause a fracture. "Don't do that again..." The hiss of rage was left hanging for a few moments. "It really hurt."

"It was supposed to kill you!" Screams the pissed off preteen as she swung the hatchet for the vampires exposed wrist with all her might.

With a snap of the targeted appendage, Liam tosses her into the bushes nearby. In an attempt to buy time for an explanation, he holds the boy up as a very clear hostage.

"Enough!" Roared an exasperated vampire, his temper very close to exploding. "You're both going to calm down and we're going to talk this out..." He let the threat of 'or else' remain unsaid but very obvious.

"Get out of here Faith!" Ignoring his own impending death, Pike bellowed at the girl to flee.

She ignored the demand and scrambled out of the bush with only the stake still in hand. "He followed us this far, I'm not getting much farther by myself."

"I don't want to hurt either of you..." To the pair's disbelief, Liam carefully lets go of his hostage.

"Feeling's not mutual," Admits the grumbling Pike as he rubbed feeling back into his shoulder.

"Whistler didn't say anything about help." Doubt coloured Pike's voice as he confronted the apparent 'friendly' vampire. "Feels like he would have mentioned you."

His turn to be stunned, Liam tried not to let his face reveal the fact. "... Whistler's not really great at giving all the details."

Trading details of the balance demon, the two guys eventually came to an understanding. Though Liam is careful not to reveal his own part in Faith's forced flight from Boston.

But he does let them know about his own guide being based in Sunnydale. "He's the one who wanted me to check in on Faith."

"What's so special about me?" Conflicted at the idea of being special and that being what got her family killed, Faith tried not to blame her supposed protectors. "I'm just a girl."

"You have a lot of potential..." Liam offered with a frown, taking a few seconds to realize that's pretty much all Allen told him. "Not really sure for what though."

"Whistler just told me to get her to Robin in the woods." Shrugs the conflicted teen as he racks his mind for a reason why Benny couldn't have been a nice vampire like this one. "But he hasn't told me which forest to check. Just that it's somewhere in Ohio and I'm supposed to bring the girls to this Robin chick."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 55: Out For Drinks​

The way Russel hesitates after asking is enough to stop me from turning the desperate guy down out of hand and actually consider the invitation. A few drinks after work should be fine.

The girls have self defence today, it's not like I'm needed at home until after seven. "You care if we have a 'regular' crowd when we shuffle in? Or is it alright if I bring you to my regular place?"

But the second Jenny overhears that part, she gets an intrigued expression. She holds off from joining the crowd of students heading home for the day and waits for the offer to be extended.

"You two actually know how to have fun?" Disbelief fills each chuckle. "Oh, I need proof of this."

"Just be careful talking to strangers." Willy doesn't have the friendliest clients and the vice principal is more than capable of pissing someone off. "I really don't want to get in another fight. Willy is going to start making me pay for furniture if I keep breaking stuff."

That is of course the same moment a troublemaker is being led past the teacher's lounge. With Jack O'Toole letting out impressed remark I know will be spread around campus by morning.

"A teacher who gets in bar fights?" The leader of one of the local gangs cackles to himself as he's escorted into the office. "Oh, that's awesome!"

"I hate that bastard." Grumbles Russel with a shocking amount of hatred. "His dad was just as bad when we went to school. Thought it was funny to have his girl say something nice to me, just so he had a 'reason' to run me up the flagpole."

Jenny doesn't change her mind by the time we reach my van and it seems to have left Russel dumbfounded. "You aren't going to suddenly remember you have something better to do?"

Ignoring the judgmental tone, Jenny gives the strict man conspiratorial look. And she actually knows how low to keep her voice, if she want's me not to hear.

"Really?" Suddenly excited, Russel doesn't even know to try hiding his response. "I guess it's fine to stay out a little late. As long as Allen can scare off anything dangerous."

"I'm not some kind of guard dog..." I don't mind joking about my nose. But it's actually starting to piss me off when I hear other people direct the comments my way. Really given me a dose of sympathy for Gunn and his friends.

Russel's face twists into his closest attempt at an apologetic look. "And I don't eat babies. But I'm still going to hear Chief Munroe suggest it every time we have a meeting with the Mayor."

Confused at the byplay between us, Jenny has her ears trained as we pile into my van. With her silence, Russel even seems to forget her presence momentarily.

"Are you going to be coming to the next meeting?"

Fear floods my body as I try not to visibly react. "... I guess I probably should."

I can't keep telling Russel I'm working for the Mayor and not meet the guy. In the show, he made it very clear to Trick that he doesn't like a bunch of unbidden favours.

"When is it?" That would get me close to Wilkins so I'm ready to take the guy out. Probably be a good way to find out the power players in Sunnydale too.

Russel's answer has me frowning. Though I do eventually agree to go with him on the seventh. Not very much time to plan this out, this will be risky.

Can I actually trust Russel? Or is he just the shithead Snyder all the students think?

"You do know he's evil, don't you?" Silence fills the vehicle after my sudden declaration.

"The man so nice he could be Mister Rogers' brother?" It ends up being Jenny who voices her doubt first, while Russel just stews in thought.

"The man who's been mayor for nearly a century and plans to eat everyone present at his centennial."
Please don't make me disappear you Russel, I'm really going out on a limb right now.

A growl of betrayed understanding emerges in Russel's voice and I feel a seed of relief blossoming. "The one he plans to hold at graduation?"

"He sold his soul when this place was just a settlement and was the one who designed Sunnydale as a deathtrap." Either the whole truth shocks the guy into rediscovering his morals or this drive is about to take a deadly turn. "Even set up a spell so people ignore the horrific deaths that keep piling up." I cannot let the Mayor know I'm onto him yet.

"How is one man going to eat so many people?" Logic has finally reached through Russel's shock and given him some good questions to ask. "And how do you know any of this?"

"Because the Powers don't want an Old One slithering around on Earth." Let's see if you care more about keeping order or personal safety. "So they send me skull splitting visions and expect me to figure it out. You're the first one he eats."

Paling rapidly, Russel is having a hard time picturing the kindly man doing such a thing. "What?"

"But no one can ever deny you have balls bigger than a school bus." No one can call Snyder a coward, not even his biggest haters.

"I really need a drink." More aware of the true danger I just mentioned, Jenny's hands are shaking when she unbuckles herself.

Not waiting for me to turn off the engine, Russel is already hoping out of the sliding door. "I need ten."

He isn't exaggerating and orders two pitchers while I place my bets with Willy. But this just gets him intrigued when Jenny and the bartender both duplicate my choices.

Seemingly distraught at his life's foundation being destroyed, Russel shocks me to my core by adding his own cash. "I know how much you get paid, this explains a heck of a lot."

Once he has the third drink in him, Russel stops being quite so surly. When he finishes the second pitcher without any help though, that's when I really start believing his claim of being part Troll.

How is he putting it all away? His stomach can't have anymore room. Shock fills me as he shuffles to the bar for a refill instead of the bathroom.

"I didn't think he could actually smile," Jenny confides once our coworker finally proves he's human by entering the swinging door. "Do you have a camera? I might want a day off."

After Russel rejoins us with two more pitchers, he actually lets us share one of them this time. The conversation steers towards difficult lives and impossible expectations, with Russel surprising us with his genuine distress.

"Wilkins promised to make things better..." His head hangs low, almost touching the cheap wooden table Willy stocks. "But he's just the more of the same selfish lies. The world is never going to change."

"Not unless people make it." I'm already fighting fate, what's six billion stubborn humans?

"You at least know what you need to change. How am I supposed to do anything?" The helplessness in his voice pulls on my heartstrings and I can even see Jenny wincing in sympathy.

Everyone knows the future, I just know a little bit more. "You know the sun's going to come up tomorrow and life is going to suck for a whole lot of people. It's up to you if you add to the misery or you show the world what it could be."

"How do I do that?" Raw desperation fills Russel's every word as he stares desperately across the table.

"Well..." I've been putting this off long enough and whining about not having a guide of my own. "What's your favourite song?"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 56: Open Mic Night​

Lorne is giddy when I bang on his door, eagerly ushering the three of us inside for the show. But once I tell him I finally want to sing, he's even quicker to get Clem to hook up a microphone.

Does Clem ever go home? He's here every time I stop by.

"It's about damned time Bright Eyes..." The flamboyantly dressed empath shakes his finger in my face, really making me notice the gaudy gold watch. "I was wondering when you'd let me guide you. Was starting to think I should have just stayed with the Maclays since you didn't seem to need me."

Hearing a slight edge to his voice, it's hard to deny I need to visit more. "I know you don't want to get involved in this stuff. Didn't want to pressure you into anything."

"You make up your mind yet?" Ignoring the tension between the Host and I, Jenny tries to turn the conversation back to our reason for being here.

"I'm just supposed to pick my favourite, right?" Russel's ears have turned slightly pink as he realizes all of our eyes are on him.

Nodding with a soft smile, Lorne does his best to put the nervous man at ease. "It will give me the clearest reading. But you can sing whatever you're comfortable with."

"Not Pinball Wizard!" A frantic Clem's wrinkles pull back so much he takes on a menacing form by pure accident. "That's my song."

"Don't worry, I'm positive you haven't heard this one yet." To everyone's confusion I decide to sing something that isn't going to come out for another decade.
​

The words to 'Womanizer' are sung by memory, with my slower take on the song being purely from nerves. I know I wouldn't have been able to do this without the stop at Willy's and keep my eyes screwed tightly shut until I finish.

I don't get an applause when I dare to open my eyes. But nobody laughs either and I take that as a win.

"Did you write that yourself?" Envy shines in Russel's eyes as he assumes this is yet another thing I'm better at.

"Stole it from Britney Spears..." I know the rough time it came out and shrug as I give up the credit. "About a decade from now."

Russel closes his eyes and seems to count to five before taking the chance to open them again. "So you just know everything that's going to happen? Seems a little unfair."

"It's more like a bunch of five minute clips that I have very little context for." Lorne's smile lets me know he's aware of my white lie.

But he thankfully doesn't squeal and I know I'm going to be owing him. "This part is private, we'll be right back."

"I'll make sure they put everything back in the right order." With a watchful eye on my coworkers, Clem takes his task seriously as I'm led into the washroom.

"Just let me turn these on first." The shower and faucet are both turned on full blast to covr up the sensitive words. "Perfect. Now let's dive right into the juicy stuff."

"What am I supposed to be doing?" I've been making a lot of assumptions, steering the direction of many people as if I know best for everyone.

"Don't look so worried Cupcake. You're not as far off as you think." Smiling wide in an attempt to reassure me, Lorne reaches over to grab my trembling hand. "Teach the Champions to work together. You're all on the same side after all."

Unable to accept my task is that hands off, I shake my head firmly in denial. "That can't be it."

"You should probably know that if you keep doing all the planning..." His scarlet eyes bore into me and lay my aura bare to his special sight. "Sure you might get all the credit when things go right. But when something goes wrong, all the blame is going to fall on you."

"I can't expect the kids to make hard choices yet. They've just found out the monsters under the bed are real." I'm trying to get as many to choose the support role as I can and it's proving rather difficult.

Though considering how many of them have gone to the first three self defence lessons, I seem to be horribly failing at my goal of scaring them off. The harder I try to convince them to leave it to me, the more stubborn the teens seem to get.

"I didn't see any teenagers walk in with you tonight." He smirks at me as the truth sinks in.

"I'm still worried I might have to make Russel disappear." I can't let him tell the Mayor anything important. "Really hoping you get a good reading on him." Even if it means I have to kill a friend who hasn't actually done anything wrong yet.

Pursing his lips, Lorne gives me a look as if I'm an idiot. "You want to keep your secrets, they get to keep theirs."

"Just tell me if he's a lost cause or not." No point beating a dead horse, Lorne's not going to spill any details. "I'm not scared of some hard work, just not going to waste my time on something hopeless."

"Four more things." Holding up a closed fist, my Pylean friend lifts a finger with each point. "First, you really need to take Fred out more often."

"Uh..." Not really sure why that's so high on the list. "Alright?" But even if it's just Lorne being a good friend, I'm not going to ignore the advice I should have already been following.

His smile expands once I agree and Lorne lifts his second finger. "The more people you care about, the more people who care about you."

"That's pretty self explanatory." Quirking my lips, I try not to roll my eyes at the obvious statement.

"But you don't really seem to understand it. It seemed like you needed a reminder." His third finger goes up with it's pair of emerald siblings. "You may want to find that glove before the Slayer shows up. Otherwise it might get lost in the Post."

Holding in a groan at another vague instruction, I don't get my hopes up at getting anything more out of Lorne. "Which cemetery is it in?"

"No idea. Just know that you don't have nearly as much time as you think." Shrugging at my confusion, the music lover's final finger goes up. "And finally, I hope you don't mind having a destiny. Because you're stealing the lion's share of one."

"Hurry up!" Russel bangs on the door with desperation filling his voice. "I need to pee!"

He grumbles about the running water while we shuffle past him back into the living room. Jenny is trying incredibly hard not to laugh. But Clem has no such kindness and is slapping his knee with each chuckle.

"You pick some songs?" Ignoring the gasp of pleasure from behind the closed door, I turn my full attention on Jenny. "Or am I the only one brave enough?"

"One Way or Another." Her response is simple and confidently spoken almost as if she is daring me to say something.

Happy to disappoint in this area, I just give her a thumbs up and an honest grin. "Nice. What about Russel?"

"He said it was going to be a surprise..." Jenny's challenging look morphs into an expression of uncertainty when I bring up our pissing friend. "But to be honest, that's how I've felt the entire night. He's not the same guy he is at work."

When he emerges from the bathroom satisfied and with dry pants, Russel insists on going next. When Nine Inch Nails starts to play, I'm stunned into complete silence for the whole song.

Russel's rendition of 'Hurt', is raw and the words contain a lifetime of anguish. He's not great and yet the passion he sings with is more than enough to smooth over the rough edges.

After he finishes, Lorne is true to his word and pulls him into the washroom for his own private talk. The only information I receive either way when the door finally reopens is a nod directed towards me alone.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 57: Shocking Touch​

"This is what you do?" Somehow Russel has managed to remain the most sober, looking very conflicted about where I bring us once Lorne ushers us out for the start of his show. "Loot graves?"

Can't even really call the place Liam's anymore since it's yet another place I'm apparently paying the rent on now. Willy should probably spreading out the bets to different bookies, don't want anyone halfway clever putting things together.

"I'm not selling anything I find." Slightly offended at the accusation, I spin on my heel beneath the Restfield gates. "It's really closer to bomb disposal." Or maybe toxic waste clean up.

"This thing might blow up?" With a wood axe clutched in his extremely anxious grip, Russel is at least brave enough to make sure a wary Jenny is hemmed in between us.

The shrill hiss just makes me snort, the pleasant buzz keeping me from firing back with a more sardonic response. "The glove's only going to be a problem if someone stupid puts it on."

Only one person I can think of who might be better off with the damned thing stuck on her arm for life. Not sure if it's a good thing or a shame that I have absolutely no idea where to even begin looking for her.

"Before vampires get a whiff of three humans in a cemetery..." Sneezing out the avocado green skin and thorny barbs nearly shocks Russel into dropping his weapon. "You two should spray up."

Pulling out the bottle of deer musk, I hand it over to a disgusted Jenny. "This stuff better be the synthetic kind."

"Of course not." I don't even let the grimace on her face fully form before turning it into a full blown scowl of annoyance. "Vampires can tell the difference." Liam was very clear on the fake stuff just smelling like chemicals.

"What's the hairspray for?" Jenny frowns at the extremely fragrant brand I had in the van.

"Slather your neck in really strong perfume or cologne before you go out clubbing and you're pretty much ignored by the fang faces." As long as they have a selection to choose from, vampires will ignore the foulest tasting people by a mile.

Grimacing in frustration, I can already foresee the upcoming body-spray craze being even worse than it was in my first life. "And if you smoke, kind of have an instant blowtorch if they're really hungry."

"We need to do something about the new swim coach. Preferably before he returns the teens to the Black Lagoon." Trying to keep the conversation lighter than grave robbing, I seem to fail based on the horrified gasp Jenny lets out.

"Shouldn't we be dealing with that first?" Visibly holding in her panic, Jenny settles for continuously flicking the red lighter in her hand.

"It's not urgent until the team starts to actually win." The guy still has to finish his formula and a few blood transfusions will clear the effects. "We have about a year."

Rage flows out of Russel so powerfully, he kind of looks like a leading man in the moment. "... Mutating my students? I don't think so buddy." He swings the bat a few times, his hands no longer shaking. "Think it's time I called in one of my favours and get Flutie to fire the guy."

My friend is revelling in being able to do something about the unfairness he's been faced with his entire life. But sadly I have to put my foot down.

"That just sets him loose on another school somewhere else and those kids won't have us to protect them." I'm the only one who actually knows what this coach is capable of and I can't expect my friends to help me kill him without any proof.

"Best plan I have is have you seduce the nurse. She's working with the guy and should know where to find the files." He can't be dumb enough to just have them on his school computer.

"Me?" Russel blinks as I stop in front of a mausoleum, reading the correct name once I tilt my head enough. "But you're the cool one." I hate cursive.

Grinning at her own apparently genius idea, Jenny shows I'm not the only one who thinks Snyder is an actual friend. "I actually might be able to help with that."

She explains how unsettled she was by the magical jacket's effect. With the idea of Amy helping the techno pagan turn the jacket into a less potent artifact.

Shocking them even more, I reveal one of the perks of being a drama kid. "Ted had a sewing machine, I can take care of it as long as you don't want anything too fancy."

"If we can reduce the material by turning the jacket into something like wristbands, the effect should be more like beer goggles." The way Jenny shudders really reveals her distaste for the enchanted jacket.

"Can we Shallow Hal the things?" Instead of just making anyone look better, it would be a good way to training better people. "Sorry, that's another movie that hasn't come out yet..." Neither of my friends look impressed at what sounds like a casual flex. "Could you make the effect reveal a person's inner beauty?"

Considering the idea, Jenny doesn't give me a hard no. "That should be possible. But I'll need to ask Mary about it first."

"I'm thinking just enough to make a nice person look like they've been touched up for a magazine cover." A smirk grows as I think of the reverse also being true. "And jerks will look like they haven't bathed in three months."

Checking over my shoulder and not seeing anyone watching, I bend the Von Hauptman's iron wrought gate open widen enough to slip someone small inside. "Russel, still want to help?"

"Nothing's inside?" Confidence brought on by three pitchers flows through him as he prepares to enter. "Just some spiked glove?"

"It really should be called a gauntlet." You know what, that's what I'm calling it from now on. "Just grab it so we can get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this place."

Not sure why the hair on my neck is standing on edge, I strain all of my senses to find the threat. But no matter which shadow my eyes peer into or how many whiffs of the air I take, no one is revealed to me.

"So what did Lorne tell you?" Jenny doesn't seem to care the advice from earlier was supposed to be private. "Because mine was really just life advice I should have already known. Except for the part about using the present to bring back the past, that was actually helpful."

"Pretty much the same thing..." Thinking back on my own words of wisdom, I decide some of it wasn't too personal to share. "I'm supposed to take Fred out more often. Apparently my soul knows I'm being a bad boyfriend."

"Probably a good thing I don't have to share a charge with you anymore. The Elders wanted me to get close enough to influence you, no matter what it took." She keeps her voice low enough that the grunting Russel can't hear us. "But since you've been straight with us, Uncle Enyos said is was best to listen to the Oracles."

Blinking at the admission, I have my own dumbfounded one to make in response. "... You've been trying to seduce me?"

"Not very well it seems." Rolling her eyes now that the secret of her old orders is out in the open, I get a sense that real friendship is now possible between us. "No idea how Fred got you to notice her."

Well that's easy. "She saved my life at least four times now and I like a confidant woman who knows what she wants."

A crack of electricity inside the mausoleum is followed by a bang as Russel is thrown against one of the walls. Before I can really worry about the guy's status, he's crawling out with his jacket wrapped around the Gauntlet of Myhnegon

"Ow." What little hair Russel still has is standing on end as hands over artifact to Jenny, her smirk of amusement being held back admirably.




Notes: I just fell asleep writing this last night, sorry. I'll post another one today to catch up.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 58: Scoping Out The Sunset​

"The club's not actually dangerous. But it is going to become a deathtrap when someone starts to think outside the alley." Though with Ford not eligible for the same offer as in the show, I have no idea how long the place could remain safe.

"You really want to bring us inside with you?" Clem has faced a lifetime of exclusion and clearly expects my plan to fail horribly. The loose skinned demon doesn't even try to lower his voice. "Allen really needs to start being realistic about these things. If people actually knew how to be tolerant, he'd have no problem showing his real face."

That comment wriggles around uncomfortably refusing to let go of me. "I don't have a real face and I don't appreciate people telling me I have to choose between them."

I may not know much of anything about my newfound demon half. But just like in my first life, I'm not just going to let people erase half of my existence.

Abashed at my gruff tone, Clem hurries out an awkward apology before the good mood sours. "I just meant that you can actually walk into a store and pay for something before anyone screams."

"You want us to do your grocery shopping too?" Fred offers as we walk into the cleanest alley I've seen since becoming Doyle. "Just put the stuff on Lorne's list."

Blushing pink, Clem reveals how close he and Lorne have been getting the last couple months. "Kind of already have been. I'm over pretty much everyday."

"Well here at least, the kids should be nothing but supportive of how you look." Just need to give the Lonely Ones a proper introduction to the night life before I'll feel safe letting Angel come by alone. "This will be a perfect test to see if Lorne's ready for a trip to the mall."

"You know..." Trailing off as she realizes everyone is giving her our full attention, Angel swallows a lump in her throat before finishing. "If we're using the radio to get people used to Lorne. What if you went on and did an interview, tell people it's a liposuction job that went horribly wrong?"

Hope fills his posture as Clem looks over to me. "Would that work?"

"In Sunnydale?" Frowning in thought, I consider how much the citizens can rationalize away. "... Almost definitely."

As ignorant as I always am, I missed something in Clem's undertone. But Fred proves her intuition is far superior to my own when she grins at our former roommate."Ooh, we could go on a double date."

Wait a second... "Since when have those two been dating?"

"Do you pay attention to anything besides your visions?" Smirks Fred as I slip the doorman enough to cover the whole group.

"Well you have afternoons free to catch up. I'm kind of out of the loop." Reminding her who has more free time only gets a giggle out of my girlfriend. The loose curls she put in for our date really open up her face and go excellently with her own attempt to emulate the fashion inside.

Her skin tight leather pants have been painted on once again and it's taking a whole lot of effort to walk beside Fred. Her silver top is strapless and accentuates her curves in ways that make sure I know how stupid I've been for ignoring her since the move.

Xander and Amy are the only two who took Angel up on the invitation and I can't help but be curious at the sudden lives the rest have. Willow actually went over to Warren's house to study and it was willing.

Knowing they have the schematics to build a robot frame, curiosity burns as I try to figure out if Warren is still making a sex-bot. Willow's pretty naughty herself and that Doogie Howser fanfic she wrote is proof. But I'm not sure if she's ready to open up about that yet and work on robots designed for such a sole purpose.

Jon and Marcie are still in the honeymoon stage and seem to find an excuse to be elsewhere most nights. Even Jesse has plans that aren't last minute and is at the beach with his new friends on the swim team.

The witch in training seems to have taken advantage of her dad's desperation to make up for leaving her with Cathryn. The spell used to keep her father away wore off and he's been making up for years of missed birthdays.

"After the introduction is over, just make sure you don't leave until we're back to pick you up." These lonely teens need to know enough to keep out the real vampires.

"I thought you wanted to make them like us..." Clem grumbles as we descend into the bomb shelter turned into a gloomy club out of an 'Interview with the Vampire' fan's wet dream. "I'm just going to make this place smell like a barn."

Wisps of fog trail around our legs, pooling just around the edge of a slightly raised dance floor. The effect is magnified by dim yellow lights that cast massive shadows over the many corners of the club.

Our entrance is noticed almost at once by the regulars, with the whispers turning excited once they can all see Lorne. He exchanges nervous glances with Clem and forces a blinding smile onto his face.

"This place is actually decent." Hisses the empath with a wink thrown my way to make sure I know he's only teasing. "I might just have to make this my regular hang out."

"Angel!" A teen I sort of recognize from one of my classes darts over with a wide smile. "You came." His eyes finally slide over to me and become a confused frown. "And you brought a teacher."

"I'm only going to be here for five minutes." Careful to assure him the club is still safe from adults, I get the introduced 'Diego' to bring us to the stage.

It takes more convincing than I would like and it's only when Xander joins the pleading that the regular agrees. "Fine. But you better not do anything weird."

"I'll keep it short." Holding in a snort, I try not to make my opinion on the place obvious as the band introduces me between songs.

"Most of you probably know who I am." And Lorne seems to be even more popular already. "So let's keep this quick so you can go back to pretending teachers' don't have a life."

Amused voices allow me to continue and gesture for Lorne and Clem to stand beside me. "You know Lorne and this is our friend Clement. You probably think it's make up, like how all of you are just dressing up like vampires."

The crowd starts to sound annoyed at my judgmental attitude and I have to hurry before i;m thrown out. "But this is how they really look and I'm going to show you proof."

Pressure builds behind my nose and I force my demon half to emerge to shocked gasps. Whether the teens will run or listen to my words rests on a knife's edge.

"Vampires are real and so are a whole lot of the monsters you've been told are just make believe." Triumphant cries answer me and it takes almost a whole minute for the club goers to calm down. "But even though some species can be friendly, only two vampires on the entire planet have a soul. The rest are soulless demons who just want to drink you."

Before they can start denying my claims, Clem steps up to do his part. "Please don't be too scared. I'm not going to hurt anyone."

With that warning given, Clem's folds of loose skin are pull back to expose his true visage to the crowd. The screams are deafening and at least four people faint at the horrific sight, the cacophony only ending when Clem stops flexing.

"Nine out of ten demons want to eat you and vampires are the most common species you will encounter. Werewolves are a far better choice to base your obsession on." Before I can be answered with shouts of betrayal, I hurry to explain my reasoning. "Two out of three werewolves actually retain sanity for more than a year and can live normal lives."

Once I've stunned the crowd into silence, it seems like the perfect time to leave my friends the clean up. "You have any questions, Lorne and Clem will be here all night."

Looping arms with an amused Fred, the pair of us are indeed back outside before my speech reaches the five minute mark. "Ready to go bowling?"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 11: Snide And Her​

Pursing her lips in clear disgust at the tale of his childhood, Jenny ignores the smashing of metal to commiserate with Russel. "At least you got to go to an actual high school. Even if that troll kicked you out before graduation, you actually got to make friends before you turned twenty."

Roaring into the pit loud enough to drown out any possible response from Snyder, the star attraction of the monster truck rally was finally ready to crush it's foes underwheel. The 'Red Devil' launched off it's entrance ramp, smashing down on top of some strategically placed cars.

This is incredibly cathartic to watch. The thought bounced around inside the vice principal's skull, growing with each new vehicle turned into scrap before his eager eyes.

Why have I never come to one of these things before before? We have a rally almost once a month.

"Fat lot of good it did me..." Pulled back to his bleak youth, Russel reveals what happened to 'all' these friends he made. "Jennifer went missing in grade ten. They never did find a body and everyone blamed me."

He tells her how the rest of his friends in the jazz band, they all conveniently forget it was them who chose to make the pair walk home. "They said she needed to lose the weight and my face would scare away any creeps. I thought she would be fine, it was only a few more blocks."

His head hung low, Russel's long concealed grief came out in wracked sobs. His only relief at breaking down in public was that no one could possibly have heard him over the crashing trucks.

"The Mayor helped me find a place and even set me up with a scholarship." Conflicted at his formerly greatest memory being tainted by his current knowledge of the warlock, Russel's face screwed up in anguish. "He just asked me to help him keep things orderly. Promised me people would be safe if they just followed the rules."

"You must have gotten real good at denial." Very aware of how dangerous Sunnydale still is, Jenny shook her head with amused laughter.

Guilt filled the balding educator's whole body. "At first I tried to keep all my students alive. But I just wasn't strong enough to do it by myself."

"After a few years, I just tried to make sure the good kids made it to graduation..." He growled with years of pent up rage tainting each syllable. "Now I just try to scare the kids into following the rules. It means I don't have to get attached to anyone and the survival rate went up a few percent."

Jenny listened quietly until her friend's grief was released before sharing her own difficult past. "Darla still sends a childe after my people every decade or so. I had to live with my uncle Enyos after my parents died back in seventy four."

"It's not just some long forgotten memory of revenge, is it?" Understanding shone in his tired eyes as Russel showed he did in fact understand what empathy is. "You got sent to watch that one vampire because his sire wouldn't let it go either."

"Exactly. We could have let it go eventually if the bitch just let us grieve."Fury simmered just beneath the surface as Jenny paused to cheer for the 'Red Devil's triumph over the 'Thunder Lizard'. "But Darla seems to be obsessed with making the Romany suffer."

"You seemed pretty motivated after you sand for Lorne." The man with just a hint of troll blood couldn't stop thinking about his own words of wisdom.

What did he mean? 'Opening myself to love will change my life'. I've tried plenty, it's the world that rejected me each time.

Why do I need to choose between security and happiness? I'm happiest when I'm safe.

The last part was the strangest tidbit and had been wriggling around in Snyder's mind each time his eyes closed. Perceptions shape us?

"The curse on Angelus lasted a century. I don't need to waste my life watching Darla once my vengeance is complete." Smirks the woman with a hundred year old mission.

"How's the translation going?" Completely lost whenever she talks about magic, Russel is never the less extremely interested in learning whatever he can about the subject. "You need any really strange stuff for the spell?"

Relieved at how useful it is to have a seer do the shopping, Jenny's frown softens just enough to be called a smile in the right light. "Allen already picked up a pair of the only thing out of my price range."

"That uncle really wanted you to seduce him?" Russel tries not to let the envy show on his face.

"Anything it takes to make our enemies pay." Shrugged the computer teacher with no apparent problem. "Just glad Allen turned out to be a friend. Because I really don't want to find out what Fred would have done to me if I actually succeeded."

Changing the subject with a strangled gasp of air, it took Russel a moment to recover enough to get the words out clearly. "... I've been thinking about this whole swim team thing. Can't you or Rosenberg just back track the guys files?"

"If you can give us access to the school records, we should be able to find something concrete." Suddenly inspired by the idea, Jenny slapped the blushing Snyder on the back. "That's a great idea Russ!"

"Allen doesn't want to make the guy disappear without proof. I figured why not get some instead of waiting for him to do anything to our students." Even the dour Russel got caught up in the excitement of having a plan, rising to his feet to cheer along with the rest of the crowd as the surviving trucks do a victory lap.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 59: Political Rivals​

"Come on Willy. We both know I could just hit the answers out of you." Trying to control my temper at the greasy man's sudden bout of stubbornness, I slide him over a slip of paper with tonight's bet instead.

Speaking loud enough that the nearest patrons will be spreading the gossip, Fred's voice takes on a dangerous tone that makes me shiver. "Take advantage of the fact that people know how much money we're making you and save yourself a black eye."

Having discovered a slight problem with my plan to shove a soul in Darla, I'm in a rush to find the four hundred year old vampire before the translation is finished. We need her somewhere secure when we perform the Ritual of Restoration or Darla will just be killed by the Master before I get my directions.

Since I've already sent Liam of on his mission to Africa, I don't actually have any idea how to find the lair under the city. Kind of a problem if I want this all over before Buffy moves to town.

"It's not her I'm worried about..." Pale with fear, Willy doesn't even bother making a crude joke. Of course that's probably because my spikes are out. "Her 'family' are kind of a big deal. I kind of like living."

That's actually fair. It's going to get out very quickly what the plan is and Willy will be a prime target for Aurellian revenge.

"What if I give you a really big game to 'bet' on?" Swallowing my doubt, I know this is the easiest way to get answers.

Scribbling down to exact scores for every single game the Red Wings will have in the Stanley Cup this year, I watch the greedy man nearly faint with glee when he snatches it from my hands. "Yeah. That should pretty much cover it."

"Where does Darla hunt?" Liam made it very clear vampires establish a territory and rarely feed outside of it.

"She's old enough to get a slice of the juicy teens." Voice low, Willy's eyes reveal his already forming plans of flight. "Darla's allowed to feed at the Bronze on Saturdays. Rest of the week she's got to make do with the tourists dumb enough to stay out after dark."

Disgusted at her sudden thought, Fred blurts it out. "It sounds like the opposite of wine."

"Blood just gets worse with age." Leaning over to reveal he's heard the entire conversation, a heavily tattooed vampire grins wide enough to reveal his fangs. "I don't even bother tasting someone with grey hair now. It's almost as bad as all this swill the Americans call beer."

His own Spanish accent really makes him stand out as someone more important than just a minion. But since his face doesn't even strike a chord of memory in me, I'm left to wonder about his possible threat level.

Harmony said in the show that it took effort to stay in game face and yet this guy has been in it since we walked in. He's got to be over five hundred if even Darla prefers to look human.

"They do the whisky alright..." Trying not to offend the unknown vampire, I offer my own recommendations. "And this close to the border tequila is strong enough to strip paint."

"Wine's pretty good." Fred offers her own opinion, holding up the glass of white with a brave face. "At least if you ignore the cheap stuff Willy dares put on the menu."

My eyes dart to the owner and his string of chuckles. "I'm not even going to pretend to be offended. Anything under four bucks is not fit for human consumption."

The conversation is tensely taken over by the unnamed vampire as he stares me down with piercing yellow eyes. "You really intend on going after Darla of Aurelius?"

"She's had four hundred years to make something of herself and she's still just a lackey. Why would I be scared of her?" Refusing to allow a shred of my intense fear into my voice, my gaze doesn't waver.

My bluster seems to be bought by the smirking corpse, who really seems intrigued now. "The Master's wrath doesn't bother you?"

"He's next." Any vampire loyal to the bald freak beneath me would react with instant violence at such a remark. When this one doesn't, I at least know he's got a different boss.

"So it is true..." Tattoo-face seems to have reached a conclusion all on his own. "The Mayor does have a seer taking care of the trash now. I'll make sure to let everyone know this one's off limits."

The way his eyes trail over Fred disgust me. Yet somehow neither of us visibly react and maintain the illusion.

"At least until it's just the real powers left in Sunnydale." The once friendly tone is replaced by a deadly warning. "Since Wilkins is making moves again, so will we."

With those words hanging in the air like a tangible threat, the vampire struts from the bar before I can even start forming a response. Who the hell does he work for and what kind of moves does he mean?

"Cabeza likes you..." Sliding over refills before I even need to ask, Willy watches the door swing closed behind the vampire. "That's not really a good thing."

"You feel like sharing why?" I'm in the dark until I get home and do some research or the Powers decide to give me a vision.

"The Mayor has political rivals and they seem to be aware of you. Shitty luck my friend." Guilt fills his voice as the New Yorker avoids making eye contact.

"Shitty luck or just you accepting bribes?" Noticing his distinct lack of bruises, I know he hasn't been roughed up in a few weeks.

Getting defensive at my own tone, Willy throws up his hands in an attempt to ward me off. "Hey now, I made them hit me the first few times. But they keep coming back and you know how much I like money."

"Well I guess you have enough money that you don't need all of these." Growling as I reach for the bartender, he instinctively moves to protect his face.

Having no desire to even touch the slimy man right now, I grab the list I made and tear it clean in half. "That should cover my information and now I don't want to hurt you." As much.

Before I can change my mind and use my fists, Fred drags me out of the bar. "Come on, we still need to pick up the kids."

My specific demon genes mean I need to use alcohol as a digestive aid. So the two drink limit means I still blow a zero on a Breathalyzer and am perfectly fine to drive the teens home.

"I'm just glad it's a weekend. I don't want to deal with my new boss with a hangover, she's already a bitch from hell most days." Fred brings up the research post she accepted two weeks ago with a grimace directed at her demanding professor in charge of the project.

"Do anything interesting?" I know better than to ask about any specifics and keep my questions vague.

Grinning up at my lack of pressure for details, Fred just gives me a single word response filled with excitement. "Yep."

"Well tell Graham if he doesn't try to intimidate me again..." Sticking out my tongue as we reach the van, I make it clear I'm just teasing and invite her cousin to the Christmas gathering I have planned a few days before her flight home. "I guess you can invite him to the barbecue."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 60: Big Decision​

Not willing to let anyone play bait with such a known danger as Darla, tonight I wait alone above the alley. At only two stories, I know it's a short enough drop to spare my knees any serious pain and am ready to pounce.

I'm not going to tell Fred about this part of the plan though. She'd just call it needless dramatics and I can't really come up with a counter argument besides it made me feel like Batman.

Forced to witness two separate feedings during my lurking on the roof above, I actually manage to aim my drop properly enough to do more than scare off the second vampire.

They may be supernaturally durable. But a vampire is just a blood demon possessing a corpse and they require simple things like functioning nerves to move.

Landing right on top of the vampire with a look inspired by the Lost Boys, the sound of his bones breaking is incredibly satisfying. Landing's a whole lot softer when I have someone to land on.

Thankfully the wails of agony are cut off as suddenly as the crippled vampire's existence. Th sharpened pool cue pierces his heart before the victim has recovered her coherency and gives me time to revert to a human appearance.

"Mister Doyle?" I recognize the shaking redhead's voice as a one of my quieter students. "What are you doing here?" One I never would have thought had the nerve to ditch her friends to go neck in an alley.

"Picking up my sister. But I figured you didn't want to get picked up by someone wanted by the police and told him to get lost." The lie is out before I even need to think about it and it makes it easy to get the girl's friends to take her home. "I think he was that guy who stole Lance's jacket. Because his face was all green and spiky."

With that bit of gossip ready to spread, the preppy girl and her friends get picked up long before I'm needed back in the alley. I also make sure to send a quick page to Jenny the moment after I see y target with her prey.

When I reclaim my perch on the roof, it's easy to let such a small change go to my head. It really doesn't mean anything.

That's what I have to keep reminding myself as the night wears on with only those two kills. They just moved to safer places.

The vampires are just smart enough to know they're not untouchable anymore. All but the dumbest are only here to lure victims back to the nest for the feeding and I know very well that Darla is no moron. Her four centuries prove she has a few brain cells.

It's almost closing time when I'm finally proven correct and Darla emerges from the club. Her prey is clearly drunk and under her charm enough to follow the apparent naughty school girl anywhere.

Expertly avoiding the alley itself, she leads the stumbling teen out onto the poorly lit street out front instead. "It's so kind of you to walk me home. My dad works the night shift so most nights are pretty lonely."

That reminder of the blonde having no chaperone at home gets the boy to through his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to look casual. Pretty sure he just needed the support to actually stay upright.

"Well I don't mind keeping you company..." The slurred words still contain a very clear message of intent as I make a careful jump to the next roof.

Rolling as I land to minimize any noise, I hopefully manage to make it seem like the pigeons I scared got disturbed by a cat instead. But to my frustration, it didn't work on my target at all.

Now wary of whatever is watching her, Darla is quick to agree with her victim's offer in a way that only makes his feet move faster. "Thank you so much. It's just, we haven't gotten all of our furniture yet and don't actually have a couch you can sleep on..."

Hint caught after only a few seconds of Darla's leering, the teen I think graduated last year is lead towards his doom. This is of course the time I choose to strike and throw myself off the roof.

The vampire hears my footsteps in time to know I'm coming. But the speed I hit her with was too surprising for Darla to avoid.

My flying tackle sends all three of us to the sidewalk hard and the drunk teen just moans on his side. At least it's hard to use dead weight as a hostage.

Darla recovers a hell of a lot faster than the other two fledglings I tried this on tonight and slashes at my face with her claws already out. "Here I was thinking the Slayer had finally come to Sunnydale. But it's just some amateur demon hunter?"

Relaxing her demonic face once she evaluates my threat, Darla takes charge of our dance with a flurry of blows. Barely able to keep up with her strikes even with my training, it's proven clear I need more than a few months to become an actual warrior.

It's only when the vicious woman goes for the throat that I decide it's time to reveal my own surprise with a sudden headbutt. The shower of blood is because of my choice to go Brachen just before the impact, the barbs tearing trenches that weep crimson all across the once perfect appearance.

Shocked at feeling pain, Darla reaches a hand up to touched her scarlet covered cheek. Rage quickly becomes her only emotion as the vampire promises my end will be agonizing.

"It's a good thing you aren't all human. I can take my time making you suffer!" Rushing at me even before he words are finished, it's only desperate instinct that makes me react.

Forced back against each of her attacks, I'm worried to realize she's actually stronger than me. Not by a whole lot though. Maybe just enough to put her in the next weight class.

It's more the fact that she bothered learning how to fight that really makes me worried for my life. I really hope I gave Jenny enough time.

"I've seen how I die..." Grimacing as I manage to block a strike with my now trembling forearm, it takes all of my willpower to utter a noise beyond screaming in pain. "It's three years after you get turned to dust."

Shock flashes across the vampire's face as she recognizes the words of a seer, letting them sink in with horror. One benefit of being around Drusilla for so long, the whole Whirlwind is very easy to be convinced of fate.

"Mine actually means something!" Probably better if I don't tell her I'm planning on changing both of those until after I survive the night.

My first punch to connect shatters her nose in another spray of scarlet and leaves her too stunned to block my second. But those are the only two clean hits I get on Darla and she quickly recovers from her shock.

Back on the offensive and angrier than an entire stampede, Darla returns my blows threefold. With my head spinning from several powerful punches, it takes me more than a few seconds to realize the storm has stopped.

Wiping blood out of my eyes without knowing which one of us it belongs to, I finally see Darla with an expression of grief. The few minutes needed for the memories to return to her passed while I caught my breath and I know we need to move fast.

Ignoring the vast pain coursing through my entire body, I take a careful step towards the distraught girl. "I can't even imagine how horrible this must be for you and I really am sorry it was necessary. But I promise you don't have to live with the memories unless you choose to."

Explaining my plan, I lay out all of the options I could come up with. "You can have your memories erased so it it's like you have amnesia. It would really be more like we reincarnated you."

Despite her overwhelming grief, Darla is able to laugh at my incredibly stupid suggestion. "... I'm just supposed to trust a man to meddle around in my head? That's exactly how I wound up like this, trusting men."

"Well we have some trained professionals ready to provide therapy and will help you find a new life after it's finished." They just aren't exactly trained in the therapy part yet.

She's just as dismissive of my plan to put her in hibernation until I can turn her back into a human. But once that idea is in the open, Darla has no interest at all in the option to put her soul in a robot.

"Give you some directions, get some therapy, and what?" Darla really has trust issues and is looking for the double cross in my words. "You want me to atone for four hundred years of the demon's sins?"

"Of course not. That's a stupid idea and if that's what I wanted, why would I offer to erase the memory of them?" My blunt response is barely enough for her to nod in wary agreement.

The Kalderash people want vengeance and they think they're getting it. But who says the spell turned out the way they think it will?" I sigh in relief when I see her finally understand the meaning of my words. "If they think the spell went wrong, that's on them for not translating it before I suggested it. They had a century to get it right."

"What do you expect out of me? You seem to know an awful lot." Disgust flashes across her face for a brief moment as she assumes me to be like the average man she knows.

"Liam has a century of sins to atone for." He fed from dozens of lowlifes and criminals during that time and let many good people die with his inaction. "But it's not because of the one he spent without a soul. It's because of what he did with it."

"You paid for your sins when Nest turned you." She recoils at the name but eventually nods in understanding. "The demon paid for hers by losing control. And right now, you're a newborn with the whole world ahead of you." And I'll do my very best to give you the one you choose.

"But if you just can't handle remembering everything..." Holding up my pool cue, I make the offer clear. "I can let you rest after you give me directions."





Notes: For anyone concerned at how fast the spell took to be translated, the show does it in 3 episodes, which is about 3-4 weeks time. Jenny has had about 2 months to do it here.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 61: Unintended Consequences​

By the time Fred collects me and the vampire and we pile in, Darla's become wracked with anguished sobs. I hadn't really understood what the exact details of the Ritual of Restoration entailed and am horrified by my results.

"Liam didn't say anything about this..." No wonder he couldn't just get over his trauma in under a year the same way Spike with a soul could.

"You did make it seem like you already knew all the important stuff," reminds Fred as she races South on the freeway. "Why would he?"

Grimacing as I realize it made me come across kind of like an ass, a tired sigh escapes me. "The curse really is a perfect torture."

"It doesn't just tear a soul out of the afterlife." Voice tight with her own guilt in the ritual, Fred keeps her attention on the road to distract herself. "It makes the innocent soul remember the face of every single victim the demon killed."

"No more making fun of Liam when he gets broody." I see a vision once and it's already as much as I can take.

My champion however has seen those same crimes for a hundred years and hasn't staked himself yet. Liam really does have what it takes to make things better.

Bitterness flashes through me as I remember I'm only filling in until he returns with a secure soul. I guess that's the difference between the hero and the support staff.

The wails of distress pick up again as yet another terrible memory overwhelms Darla. But when I try to reach down to comfort her, she recoils away knowing full well I'm the one responsible for this.

"Why me?" Snapping at my hand with fangs out, Darla is determined to get answers. "Why didn't you do this to the Master and end the whole line?"

"Because even if he didn't kill himself immediately, either Luke or you would have just taken over within a few weeks." If four hundred years is this hard to cope with, I really can't even begin to imagine what a thousand's like.

"Wouldn't have worked anyway. Jenny was pretty clear that the caster needs to wish great vengeance on the target or nothing would happen." A tense Fred has actual facts instead of just my hypothesis.

Which pretty much excludes any random vampire from getting a soul until they make it so personal I wouldn't want to spare them. "Your demon wouldn't leave the Romany alone and one of them finally found her. Of course it would have been harder if you moved around a bit more."

"Wouldn't have been found if a seer wasn't looking for me," hisses Darla with a hundred unnamed emotions churning just beneath the surface of her false calm. "You're the one you chose to punish an innocent soul because you needed a map!"

The accusation stings with truth and fills me with dread as I fail to find any kind of argument. "... You're right."

"You knew what Liam was going through and you decided that-" She cuts herself of mid sentence as my response sinks in. "... You're not arguing?"

"I completely screwed you over and nothing I say is going to make you feel better about the why." Facing her cross expression with all the courage I can muster, somehow I manage to stop myself from flinching in guilt. "But I'm not going to lie to you and say I regret it. It's a sin I'll just need to atone for myself once the Master is ash."

Snorting at my declaration, Darla seems amused for the first time since the curse took hold. "Lots have tried. None have even come close."

"That's just a bald faced lie." Not letting the grave threat intimidate me into inaction, I focus on the one part I know wasn't exactly true. "Wilkins would probably like to argue that point."

He was just a regular guy when he achieved that victory and I have a few advantages of my own to work with. Mainly knowing you only write down a prophecy so someone can change it.

"Mary said you can stay with her as long as you want if you chose rehabilitation." Dennis is going to need help readjusting to modern life anyway so I hope this works out.

In an attempt to ease Darla into the strangeness of the Hyperion, Fred reveals what the nurse has been doing. "She's working with the werewolves and a revived mummy right now. But once they get a doctor signed on, Mary will have time to focus on you three out of timers."

"With a Slayer on hand to make sure I know my place..." The scowl is back in full force as Darla crosses her arms. "Sounds like a great place to get therapy."

"Do you have a better option?" Shooting back my own stern expression, I make it clear someone cares. "Because as long as it's more thought out than just letting you walk off into the night, I'm willing to give it a listen." Even if it's just out of guilt ridden shame.

She doesn't come up with one the rest of the drive and it ends up being a tensely silent hour. When Darla does finally break the silence, it's with a warning that chills my blood.

"The Master isn't going to let this go." Her words are grim with the promise of suffering being sent my way. "Luke is a lot better fighter than I am and the Three have been itching to get off leash for years."

"And if I really get scared, I'll start throwing lightning at your family." Vague flex out of the way, I refuse to elaborate anymore. Really shouldn't have said even that much when she's staying at the same hotel as Gwendolyn Post.

Saving my bacon with an even more interesting distraction, Fred mention's the Princess. "Or just bring a second Slayer. That would probably do the trick."

The second hour is a lot better and Darla seems to be out of the overwhelming trauma stage of the curse. "I'd rather try to cope with my nightmares than be erased."

"Well just know that if you change your mind, Mary has the ingredients for all three spells." She also has a stake if that's what you choose. "You can pull a sleeping beauty until Liam Shanshus and I'll make sure you get included." I really need to get cracking on the book I got from the Oracles.

It's supposed to have information on Mohra demons and yet I can't read a single word. Written in German that nobody on my team knows how to translate, I'm stuck waiting for Giles to move closer before I can actually get started on pulling off my own prophecy.

"I really want to hate you for what you did to me..." Darla's expression is wavering as she tries to decide. "But you're really going out of your way to give me choices and that's just not something I'm used to."

"It's a big decision and you really don't need to rush into it. It's better if you take the time to think it over first because we can't undo the choice very easily."



Note: So some people mentioned the SI hadn't really done anything he needed to atone for. This was always going to be his actual act that made him guilty of sin and not just the inaction from the beginning.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 62: Reboot​

It's several sense seconds in the apartment once Mary and Tara finish the binding spell. No one wants to break the silence and reveal we failed, leaving the task to fall to an impatient Darla.

"Are you still a ghost Dennis?" Arms crossed in some of Tara's borrowed clothing, the blonde vampire is oddly concerned about the phantom.

Nothing moves of it's own accord, allowing hope to rise in all of us as our eyes move from the whiteboard to the robot.

Only one eyelid flickers open at first, with the blue orb dilating rapidly before settling on a smirking Tara. With some signal the two must have decided on long ago, Tara puff's up her chest.

"It's alive!" The attempt at an Igor impersonation is admittedly terrible. But seeing Tara collapse in glee filled giggles makes me just enjoy the moment for what it is.

Smirking back at the younger Maclay, I have to give her credit for a good joke. "We really should have done this during a thunderstorm. I'm glad one of us was thinking about the stuff that really matters."

"He-" Stiff from lack of practice, Dennis tries to speak his first words as Ted. "-llo." Once the mouth is in motion, the rest of the sentence starts flowing better. "Thank you... so much. I though I was going to... be in that wall forever."

"Not sure if you beat Amy out for the worst mom." Extending a hand to Dennis, I have to use quite a bit of strength to pull him up. "But everyone here aside from Fred has at least one crappy parent."

The comment confuses Tara enough that she has to speak up. "But you never even met my grand parents."

"Who do you think gave your father the idea for the curse?" Mary's confession comes with more dark details. "It's a family tradition to pass the lie on to the new son-in-law."

Giving me a sidelong frown, Angel reminds me I really need to watch what I say around my students. "No wonder my friends cling to every word. Jesse seems to be the only one with two parents who care."

That would probably explain why he didn't like me talking down to him at the zoo. It's not like fans knew anything beyond the fact that Jesse was a pervert and with all the minor changes that have been piling up... Which means I can't really keep relying on my meta knowledge for personal details.

Big stuff should still be relatively unchanged since the villains have plans older than Giles. But I can't treat anyone like a character. They're all people and I'm just one in a crowd. What I think is best, may not be what anyone wants.

"So we just trapped a ghost with technology..." Smirking at Angel, Fred calls back to our introduction. "We really are the Ghostbusters now."

Unable to accept the praise, Angel instead frowns with anguish. "But I didn't do anything to help."

"What did I ask you to do when I gave you a room?" Recognizing the tone from my own use of it in my teens, I refuse to ignore a cry for help.

She only hesitates for a second before listing the three simple tasks I gave her. "Clean my room, wash the dishes, and do my homework."

"Well the dishes have been done every every night and I don't smell anything weird in your room." I've yet to actually go inside and plan to keep it that way. "And since Russel hasn't said anything, I know you're turning assignments in." Every kid needs some privacy, especially one with a past like Angel's.

"Best roommate I've ever had." Fred is quick to throw in her own agreement as soon as she catches on. "You actually want to watch Red Dwarf with me." Her eyes slide over to me, shifting into a scowl. "Unlike someone."

"I liked the episode where they meet the alternate universe versions of themselves." Guilty at being called out in front of everyone, I can feel my ears heating up as I scramble for words. "The one where time goes backwards was pretty neat too."

"You gave it a try, that's all I can ask." The expression softens so I know she was only teasing. "Besides, you don't make me watch Xena. So we're even."

Dennis seems to get the hang of his body pretty quickly, with only a few odd facial expressions as he settles into the robot. "All you want me to do is keep Darla safe?"

"Curses can still be broken." Grim faced as I answer, it's impossible to avoid thinking about the ways it could happen even temporarily. "Darla deserves a real second chance and I'd really appreciate it if you could keep her safe for a few years." At least until I can deal with Nest and the rest of the Whirlwind.

"Anything for my 'son'." Winking to make sure I know he's in the loop, Dennis seems perfectly willing to run with our public cover.

With a snort at how convoluted my false family tree is becoming, Fred's joke isn't really so much of one. "Do you have a chart so I know what I can tell my coworkers about?"

"Charles has one," Tara answers before realizing it was rhetorical and goes pink as soon as it sinks in.

"Gunn has files on me?" Shocked at what seems like a lack of trust, I can't help but feel hurt.

"He has them on everything and everyone." Focusing on my quest to force away the embarrassment, Tara shares what she learned from Alonna. "He doesn't like feeling stupid so he writes down everything. Says every Watcher needs a journal."

"Can I talk to you two?" Pointing to me and my newest responsibility, the mother heads into her room for the private words.

Knowing this could only be about a couple of things, I try to play dumb. "What's up Mary?"

"I owe you a lot for getting us away from my husband..." Hands trembling at her side, Mary squares her shoulders for what needs to be said. "But you never said the curse could be broken or that people might be coming after her."

Doubt, frustration, and betrayal, mix into a stormy expression as Mary's eyes dart back and forth between us. "I'm sure you're a lovely girl Darla." Her eyes and tone both soften just a bit when they're directed at the vampire. "But I have a daughter to keep safe and you bring an awful lot of danger into our home."

"But she needs hel-" My words of defence get cut of when Darla presses my jaw shut with one hand.

"Mary's right. It's not safe for them if I stay here." Not offended by the mother's honesty, Darla rather seems impressed by the foresight I apparently lack.

It's Darla's unlife. I really don't get a vote, I can only offer my opinion and respect whatever she chooses to do.

Unless of course she plans on hurting people. If that's what happens, I have pretty huge mistake to clean up before Liam returns.

"Thank you for understanding." Relief fills her voice as Mary finally releases a tension she had been building in secret since I arrived. "It's really not personal."

"Wish I had a parent who cared as much as you. Might not have ended up with such terrible choices." Bitter at her existence, Darla points all of the fury at me instead of the mother she actually seems to like. "I don't trust you not to mess with my mind once I'm out of sight."

"I wouldn't do tha-" Again I get silenced when she presses my mouth firmly shut.

"Yes you would." Darla shakes her head and laughs ruefully. "As long as you had a good enough reason that is. Which is something I can respect." Nodding her head in what appears to be approval, the vampire's gaze pierces me right to my core.

"I'm sticking close until you make good on the promise to turn me human." Does this mean I need to tell people my 'dad' came home with a new girlfriend?​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 12: Hostile Four​

Once the news was delivered, the Master punched right through the unlucky messenger's chest. Pale claws emerged from the fledgling's back before a scream can even escape the minion's lips and drag the black heart towards one of the candles lighting the cavern.

When the minion finally managed to realize his fate, the scream was drowned out by the whoosh of flames. None of the onlookers dared even flinch and draw the Master's wrath, they just let him vent over the lose of one of his favourites.

"I have a task for you Luke." Trembling with fury, the Master's voice promised pain for the one responsible for the loss of Darla.

"Ask anything and it will be done." Quick to deflect any blame from himself, the hulking vampire had a hard time keeping the satisfied smirk from his face. "I will avenge our families loss with blood and anguish."

The promise made a pleased grin fill the eldest vampire's grim visage. "Just make sure not to kill the one responsible. Hurt him as I have been and make the suffering the stuff of legends."

"Apologies Sire. But is it wise to allow the seer to live?" Luke kept his tone deferential as he bowed low.

The thousand year old vampire wasn't upset by the question and simply pat his final favourite on the head like a good boy. "Why would I kill someone who could be so useful to us?"

Courage filled the eldest of the Three and he risked his sire's ire with a suggestion. "Wilkins' pet seer has proven reliable. He's been making money every week gambling at the mixed bar."

"See Luke, we just need to train the brachen like the dog he is." Unconcerned by his own execution of four vampires, the Master only has evil eyes for the one who stole from him. "He must have those he cares about. Find them and make my displeasure known."

With his word given, Luke marched back to the surface with deadly purpose. Each step echoed off the tunnels carved through the rock as the brute began his hunt.

His efforts led him through the underbelly of Sunnydale until finally bringing him to one of Balthazar's minions. The confrontation with Cabezo is brief and filled with promises of each one's master being victorious one day soon.

It did give Luke enough information to find out about the college girlfriend. But this proved to be his undoing.

When the favoured of Nest chose to follow her scent onto the college campus one night, five men in black suits ambushed him. A pair of them drew holy water filled squirt guns, covering the three who went into melee with stun batons.

"You picked the wrong girl to follow!" One of the agents was more than a little agitated at the thought of a vampire stalking his cousin and took point on the attack.

Graham Miller and Riley Finn worked together with Forest Gates, none of them breaking formation as the vampire hissed in agony. Plumes of steam erupted anywhere the holy water hit, leaving the flesh red and blistered.

Before Luke can decide to come back with minions later, a weighted net pins his struggling form to the grass. It wasn't enough to keep him down for good only long enough for three crackling batons to pummel him into unconsciousness.

Riley waited for Graham to check the downed vampire's pupils to be unresponsive before grabbing the radio on his hip. "Hostile Four has been captured and wow..." The Iowa native watches his two friends struggle to lift the dead weight between them. "He's a big boy."

"Good work Agent Finn. Bring him back to base so we can try the new shock collar." The voice of Maggie Walsh came out of the military grade radio without a hint of static.

Scanning into the elevator hidden in Professor Walsh's classroom just behind the left most blackboard, Riley let go of his eyelid the instant the green light finished scanning his face.

The five field agents carried the vampire through the base, with Forest's groan of relief when the hostile sub-terrestrial is finally dropped face down onto an examination table in the lab. Walsh and her assistants are quick to restraint the thing that looks human.

The chains used are made of high quality steel and have already tested against Luke's predecessor. But Riley could easily remember how scrawny she was and his eyes snap towards the sheer mass of the current subject.

"You should get that collar on him before he wakes up. He was fully aware not even a dragon could face down Walsh. "I really don't think those will hold this guy for long."

The thought of the vampire waking up when someone was alone in the room with him. That was one which made the field leader care enough to speak up despite Walsh's distaste for the behaviour.

"Once the collar's on, the chains are coming off anyway." The government funded scientist reminded her soldier of the upcoming tests. "Our goal is to condition the creature into something useful and we can't do that if he's restrained for the entire stay."

"Is Fred going to be helping with those?" Graham frowned at the idea of his sweat little cousin taking part in the mad science. "Because I thought she was just going to help you with the computer stuff."

"She's the most capable assistant to ever work under me." Frowned Walsh with her voice going ice cold. "You better get used to Fred getting her hands dirty or you'll find out which one of you I can easily replace."

With a cough quickly covered up by a dark hand, Forrest couldn't help but mock his friend. "That means you."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 63: Arm Wrestling With Fate​

Once the explanation is out in the open, I wait nervously for anyone at all to react. Gunn's entire crew seems shocked into disbelief at the idea of what I had done to Darla and even the Watcher's seem equally speechless.

"This is completely unprecedented..." Ripping off his glasses to polish them furiously, Giles is the first one to find his words. "It changes everything about how vampires are fought."

"No, it really doesn't." It's not like we can give every vampire a soul. "The caster needs to want vengeance against the specific demon."

That bit of detail is a splash of cold reality that Giles is forced to accept. "It's probably for the best. I don't know if I could trust the Council to resist the urge." It's left unsaid that I was just as unable to resist the temptation of the easy way.

This is just another reason people shouldn't be looking up to me. I'm not the champion Buffy or Liam turn out to be.

It took a while to realize my place in the world and Lorne's words ended up being vital. I'm not the hero of this story, just a guide meant to make the journey easier for the real ones.

Now when Buffy finally moves to Sunnydale, she isn't going to be nearly as alone as she would have been. And whenever Liam returns, he isn't going to think the only reason to exist is a sixteen year old girl.

"You want to leave a vampire here at the hotel..." Gunn is incredulous at my suggestion and starts pacing to work off his frustration. "With me?"

"Vampires are sociopaths with a thirst for human blood. It's impractical to try to condition the entire species." That isn't going to stop the government from trying in a few years though.

Making a mental note to keep an eye out for any commandos moving into Sunnydale, I try to stay focused on Gunn's bitter response.

"I just need you to keep her safe for another month or so. This is really important Charles." Pleading with the bald teen, I have no plan of action if he still says no.

"What's happening in a month?" Wrinkling his brow in concern, Gunn presses for details.

Buffy chimes in with a curious 'yeah', making my pit of dread grow even larger. Take a deep breath and don't say anything rash.

"Going around a prophecy." My tired eyes bore into her bright blue ones in an attempt to stop the exact words from being spoken aloud. "Thought I had a few more months but I've already seen a sold sign on your new house.

"Well wouldn't it be better to wait for me to show up?" As if it's an obvious thought, Buffy starts to look around for support.
"Absolutely not!" Sterner than the blonde has ever heard, my voice comes out almost as a yell.

It makes her pull back in shock and purse her lips in concern. "Did I do something wrong?"

Closing my eyes to think it over, I realize lying to her now will only destroy any trust I've built. "Do you want the honest truth on what the prophecy is or do you want blissful ignorance?"

"The truth." She doesn't need even a split second to consider the choice.

"I'll remember that." One more deep breath to buy myself a few more seconds. "If a Slayer fights the Master, she dies and he goes free."

I have a hard enough time figuring out which street a vision is on. The one who made this prophecy was vague enough for it to just be at the turn of the millennium.

Buffy's jaw goes slack with the blunt delivery, leaving me little time to reassure her before the depression sets in. "You're fifteen, don't even think about worrying about this."

But-" She tries to argue only to get hushed right back into silence by me.

"No buts. I don't have one to brag about and you're just making me feel bad." My joke cuts through the grim mood just long enough for me to explain. "Now as I was saying before someone so rudely interrupted me without so much as a raised hand..." Buffy blushes cherry red at the teasing. "People are self centred and you're only focusing on the part about the Slayer dying."

She ducks her head and winces at being caught out. "...Yeah."

"The prophecy was supposed to warn you away from fighting Nest." Smug at having an answer she hasn't considered, I can only press on before she manages to find an argument I haven't considered. "Not give you time to write a really bomb obituary."

"But I'm a way better fighter than you and Fred says you still aren't being very careful." Her frown is back as Buffy tries to find a nice way to say that I can't do it.

"Hey Dennis. Are you a Slayer?" Glancing at the ghost in a robot shell, I appreciate the thumbs up he fires over without need of explanation.

"Nope." He grins wide at being included in our grand adventure.

Tapping the counter in front of me, I vacate my stool with an excited grin. "Would you be so kind as to arm wrestle Miss Summers for me?"

Winces fill the faces' of the crew and I even catch Gunn rubbing his shoulder in sympathy. But this just gets Buffy excited for another chance to show off and she practically skips over.

"I'll try not to break anything." Offers the pint sized Slayer as she slams her elbow down on the wooden counter.

"But Allen said I'd finally be able to go all out against someone," Dennis whines, creating a very strange sight with his face being identical to John Ritter's.

"Tell you what." Giving him a playful smirk, Buffy still isn't taking this seriously. "You give it everything you have and after ten seconds, I'll return the favour."

"Ten seconds?" Dennis mutters to himself before grasping the girl's hand in his own. "Okay."

Once I call out the start of the challenge Buffy is seen visibly straining against the robot's strength. But Dennis barely even seems to notice the exertion, his lips slowly counting out the ten seconds.

This only aggravates her further soon getting the Slayer flushed red with effort as she forces Dennis' hand back just a few inches. "You're a lot stronger than I was expecting."

"So are you." Dennis counts to ten and announces it out loud.

Buffy grins in triumph as she can finally unleash everything left in the tank. But to her shock, the once slowly descending arm is now still against her grip.

"Are you going all out yet?" Blank faced as he asks, Dennis visibly tenses.

"Yes..." She grits her teeth and growls in frustration at her lack of progress. "You?"

"Now I am." Nodding once, Dennis slams the back of her hand against the counter with a single motion.

The silence afterwards is deafening as Buffy tastes defeat for the first time. Well, one that wasn't just technical.

"Don't worry Buffy. I'll keep him safe until you move." His tine carries a hint of something that makes Buffy's cheeks turn pink and the wink turns it into blazing red. Does she really think I'm that bad at fighting?​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 64: Eternal Duty​

"Where's Merrick?" Following Giles into his office, I can't help but mention the official Watcher's absence tonight.

"He's in Boston right now with Lydia. The two are looking into a missing..." He trails off at the last second, remembering I'm not actually part of the Council despite our alliance.

While Buffy shows Darla around the hotel right now, I only have a little bit of time to get things cleared up and waste none of it asking a question. Potential.

"What happened to Faith?" Worry shoots through me as I realize Liam still hasn't called in.

"You knowing about her can only mean one thing." He returns the favour and speaks frankly, ripping off his glasses to polish them at them grim thought.

Nodding stiffly makes my response sound even darker. "Why do you think I'm working so hard to deal with Nest before you two move?"

"I see." His grimace lets me know he really does.

"But since that's not going to happen..." Staring down the British man, I really hope my attempt at intimidation doesn't look ridiculous. "We really need to have a talk about Buffy's birthday."

Frowning at the strange subject matter, Giles doesn't seem to pick up on my tone. "Do she ask you to talk to me about trying to get her license?"

"Not that one or even the next." My hard stare is finally noticed.

Giles takes on a solemn expression as he nods. "You know about the test."

"But what I don't know, is why you stopped telling the Slayer about it." Let's see if I've built up enough goodwill to smudge history.

His eyes bug out of his head as the words bounce around inside it. "... What do you mean?"

"When I asked the Oracles about whether or not I should try get Buffy away from the Watchers, they said it would be better if I told one I trusted about the changes made to the organization."

"It's a good test and reminds the Slayer how much harder it is for everyone else." My smile vanishes and my tone goes ice cold. "But I'm telling Buffy about the test the day she moves to Sunnydale. You have that long to do it first and keep her trust."

"If I don't?" It's not a denial, just clarification of my intent.

Shrugging stiffly, I only have one thing to add. "I guess I do become her Seer."

We go back and forth for a few minutes and it's quickly made clear that Giles is on my side in this. He even makes sure to promise he'll sound out the other Watchers stationed at the hotel.

"How's the arm?" Changing the subject to something potentially just as tense, I watch Giles carefully.

I'm happily shocked when he pulls up his sleeve with a wide smirk and reveals bare skin. "Anything else you know about me?"

"You aren't getting a job as the librarian?" I guess that really did get screwed up.

Shaking his head, Giles explains his change in career path with actual interest. "The museum recently had an opening and was quite excited to receive my application."

"Oh..." I really wasn't expecting that.

"Something I should know about the place?" Wary at whatever I have to say, Giles really doesn't seem to have even noticed my earlier attitude. And isn't that just embarrassing, I at least knew what Graham was trying to do.

Unable to think of anything else, my response is an unsure shrug. "Qullana was the only thing I knew about. Not really positive where Acathla ends up so maybe keep an eye out for a big stone demon next year."

"I'll be sure to do so." The lack of horror in his voice lets me know he doesn't recognize the name off the top of his head. Wonder if Wesley would?

"You notice anything weird about Post?" She seems to be trying to worm her way into the Princesses' good graces and was never more than a few feet away from the Incan pair.

"She's been working with some of Charles' team to upgrade some more vehicles. Each one is getting a few propane tanks converted into holy water storage and something that makes them require a pulse to start."

He tells me about a few more upgrades Post has been behind, like adding a second sprinkler system that's connected to another tank of holy water. "As long as we change the water once a month, it remains potable."

"And thus can be blessed." As soon as I catch on, it's impossible to hold in a few impressed laughs. "How long will it last?"

"About forty five seconds if we turn on every floor at the same time." Giles returns my grin with one of his own.

Doing some quick math, I'm unable to do more than round that to about five minutes for a single floor. "Should be a shock if any vamps make it inside."

"That's the plan." He fiddles with a pen as he tries to phrase something properly. "This Dennis fellow. Is he like you, another hybrid?"

"I mean technically, in the same way Darla is." I guess I kind of made my own robot vampire.

"What species?" He's ready to take notes and do an investigation that I sadly have to stop.

"Robot with a ghost in control." The words don't seem to register for a few seconds and it's not until he gasps in understanding that I continue. "One of my students thought of it and I have them working on a couple more shells frames already." Would like to deal with the teacher student combo before someone gets shot.

"I was mistaken before." The glass of tea shatters on the floor as he misses the table by a few feet. But the intellectual doesn't care about the hot fluid that splashes him and can only focus on my words. "This changes everything about how the Council fights evil."

"Uh..." Not quite catching on yet, I fish for more details. "You did hear me say you need to stick a ghost in one."

"Do you have any idea how many old properties are haunted by the spirits of Watchers who have failed?" He's excited in a way I'd never thought possible. "If your student is willing to teach us, we could reclaim so much knowledge. Finally be able to support the Slayer as we always should have been!"

His rant continues with no need of input from me. "I believe you can be expecting Post to speak to you about the details herself. Artifacts are her field of specialty after all."




Notes: Power went out for a couple hours last night due to a wind storm. Fell asleep waiting for it to come back up. Sorry, you'll get a second one tonight.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 65: Safety First​

Watching Buffy and Qullana spare against each other just makes me embarrassed about my own skills. The Princess may not have the full strength of a Slayer anymore. But she's been getting stronger by the day as her spirit settles into Cathryn's body.

My only consolation is that even Darla seems envious of the grace on display. "It's not fair how easy it is for them. It took me centuries to reach that level."

Something in the four hundred year old's tone doesn't even seem sure of that claim. But being a consummate gentleman, I don't point out the green hue she's taken on.

"Not like Slayers even get a decade, so I think they still get the short end of the stick." Only three vampires on Earth can even feel bad about anything they've done and I made one of them.

While Apo and Giles call out advice to the combatants, I notice Tara and Angel approaching nervously. "You don't have to worry, Darla isn't going to bite."

"Unless you ask me to." Smirking at the suddenly Canadian coloured girls, Darla thankfully keeps any laughter from popping out of her mouth.

Pale with fright at the idea of being drained by an actual vampire, Angel is quick to reject the offer. But Tara's red face is complete with an incredibly embarrassed posture.

Tara's light up with amusement as she sees something in the vampire. "You don't really mean that."

"How do you know that?" Darla's shoulder's tense at what sounds like the witch's challenge.

"I can see your Aura. It's how I know you aren't a bad vampire like all the rest." Growing confident in her words, Tara's voice almost loses the stutter in her voice entirely. "You're just scared we're going to stop being nice once they leave. But we're still friends with Ford and he's a jerk."

"First he was blaming everything on the cancer and now he can't do anything because he's to tired all the time." Rolling her eyes at the thought of the classmate who has to check in three nights a month, Tara makes it clear his attitude isn't much better than it was in the show. "He's just one of those people who wants to blame the world for all of his problems."

The confidence in her statement makes me positive Tara's evaluated his aura just the same as she did with the rest of us. "Not Real Ghostbuster material?"

The kind witch considers it for only a few seconds before shaking her head. "No. Billy wouldn't do good in a crisis."

"Good enough for me. I trust your judgment." No talking about anything important the nights he's checked in.

My instant acceptance has Darla staring at me as if I'm a completely new species. But she doesn't say anything and reevaluates her opinion of me in silence as Buffy pins the Princess.

"Anyone want to keep snickering about the arm wrestling?" Barely over five feet tall, Buffy somehow towers over the members of the crew watching the action.

"It's funny because now you know how all of us feel." Gunn is the only one of his guys brave enough to face her wrath and he does it with a swagger. "But it's just a more extreme case of you versus Doyle. Dennis is even stronger than that and that means he's even slower."

"You could tell?" The phantom chuckles as a bunch of heads swivel his way. "I thought I'd gotten pretty good at moving around."

The smirk grows as Gunn leans against the wall. "I may not have the book smarts the Watchers got. But I have more field experience than all of them combined."

His specific phrasing sounds like he's repeating a speech his sister gave him and not coming up with it on the spot. Though however he came up with them, the words get mutters of approval from his boys.

"Glad you aren't being so hard on yourself anymore." Everyone seems a lot more stable than when I first met them at the ramshackle hideout.

"I might not be able to hit the books." His chest puffs up with cockiness that isn't just bravado. "But I can hit the demons almost as good as Buffy."

Snorting at the ridiculous statement, Buffy doesn't correct him. "Well you better be able to. I'm not going to be here much longer and it's up to you to pick up the slack."

That grim truth makes the laughter stop as the crew are faced with the knowledge these few months are really only a vacation from the true danger of the mission. But as reality settles onto the stone faced crew, Qullana has to speak up with her broken English.

"You not do alone." Even though she looks like a middle aged mother, the Princesses' voice seems more like she's been dubbed over by foreign language network. "My mission too. Not over."

Tight faced at the idea of needing a soccer mom to save them, Gunn surprises me by forcing himself to laugh. "At least the guys are treating the old ladies better. Just sad it took being scared of super powers to get them all doing it."

"I told them I get to pick the next Slayer when I die and each one of them that I really like their girlfriend..." Whispering low enough the crew can't hear her, Buffy smirks at the bald teen.

"Well I'm not correcting them." Gunn snorts in clear amusement. "Don't have enough time to teach the boys how to be proper men. Barely have enough time to show them how to fight before one of them dies."

"Excuse me?" His grumbling seems to annoy Buffy into correcting him. "How many of your crew have died since we started working together?"

Flushing with the reminder such a petite girl is the one responsible, Gunn eventually grumbles out an answer. "... Two."

"And how many happened in the field?" Crossing her arms, Buffy has far too much swagger for a conversation about death.

"None..." Rolling his eyes, an annoyed Gunn's answer makes me frown in confusion. What?

She notices my face and nods respectfully my way. "Never going to say anything about you making people wear a helmet again."

"Uh..." Completely lost, I look around for someone who will throw me a bone.

Thankfully Tara takes pity on me and provides a whispered explanation. "Car accident last month. Wasn't anything supernatural at all."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 65: Divorced From The Truth​

Buffy's shock at being invited out for dinner with my 'family' was quickly swapped out for annoyance when I told her to extend it to Joyce as well. But she did so with only a little bit of grumbling and promised the duo would meet us at the International House of Pancakes.

Our phantom is quite excited to be going out to do something normal and is practically bouncing with each step. Of course Angel is busy explaining some of the societal changes since the seventies while we wait to be seated when Dennis makes a few out of date comments.

"Racist robot..." Fred's pinched expression meets my tired eyes as Tara starts to back up her 'aunt's' words. "Was really not expecting that."

"Good thing he's not staying at the hotel." He'd probably get turned into scrap for treating one of the crew like the help.

Mary's groan is followed by her stepping in to settle things with Dennis. Of course since the phantom is supposed to be our father, Mary's public tongue lashing is more than a little amusing.

It does the job though and soon the android is promising not to repeat his more colourful phrases. He never apologized for any of them though, makes me leery about what he might try teaching the girls.

With Darla spending the evening with Giles, it at least means the evening should be free of any unnecessary tension. Not sure why she volunteered to spend an evening with the Watcher. But I'm not going to turn up my nose if my newest responsibility wants to be helpful.

We barely get our pitcher of water before the Summers ladies arrive in clothes that put Dennis and myself to shame. Really need to ask Lorne if he still wants to throw out my wardrobe. If I'm going to be taking Fred out more often, I need something better than work clothes.

"This was unexpected but certainly a welcome invitation," Joyce greets us with a smile that nearly conceals a tenseness to her posture. "And it seems this isn't the only thing I need to thank you for. Buffy's grades have only been improving since she befriended your sister."

"Mom!" An incredibly embarrassed Buffy flushes pink.

Rolling her eyes, Joyce's amusement seems to wipe away the stress. At least for one meal. "I'm just happy I don't have to worry about you repeating senior year now."

"Wasn't that bad..." Staring hard at her menu, Buffy tries to stop the teasing from working. The way her ears go red just proves the attempt failed though and I make sure not to smirk.

"You're the one running around with a gang. Don't blame me for being worried about you." Joyce's hard stare bores into her daughter's head and I realize this is Joyce still in the dark about everything.

Holding in a wince at my failure to remember the entire timeline perfectly, I try to do some damage control. "Are you talking about Charles and Alonna Gunn?"

Nodding stiffly at the names, Joyce reveals she has been doing her own motherly investigation of Buffy's social life. "The ones who 'pranked' the dance."

"I think Buffy left some important details out..." Trying to make Buffy stay silent with a discreet wink from behind my own menu, I spin things as best I can. "Because I've been to the Hyperion and it's a medical clinic for the underprivileged."

Shock fills Joyce's face as she turns to her child. "... You aren't in a gang?"

"No." Crossed arms and a hurt voice is Buffy's response.

"Buffy's been helping me volunteer for weeks now," Tara is quick to support her best friend with our fibbing.

Catching on quicker than I would have expected, Buffy spins the yarn even further. "I thought they could help Billy."

"Oh." The name of the werewolf Buffy has known most of her life is enough for Joyce to start 'understanding' the secrecy. "And you didn't tell me because?"

"I didn't know if he was going to make it." The grim words slip right out of the Slayer's mouth before she has a chance to censor herself. "I just didn't want to talk about it once I got home."

"Is that why you're buried in your diary whenever you are actually home?" Joyce starts making connections to the change in her daughter's behaviour.

Shrugging off the concern, Buffy tries to deflect by throwing me under the bus. "Mister Doyle suggested it and it's really been helping me cope with..." Her face contorts for a brief moment in wry amusement. "Stuff."

"How's it been coming?" Unable to resist the temptation, I take the bait Buffy dangled for me. "Did you come up with an outline for the story yet?"

"Actually?" Scared about being judged for academic interest, Buffy only continues when she realizes no one at the table will laugh. "I think I'm almost done with my first draft. Could you take a look at it over the holidays?"

Shock swiftly changes into excitement at the idea of Buffy having actual interests outside of violence. "Of course I can. I'll send it back with Tara after she spends Christmas in Sunnydale."

"You live in Sunnydale?" Curiosity surges from Joyce. "What's it like?"

With that unintentional opening, I do my best to steer the Summers women away from the deathtrap. It doesn't work of course and when I find out she's already purchased a house, I switch to giving her the upsides.

"You'll be lucky to see a live show unless you like local talent. And the Mayor has some pretty heavy restrictions put in place on anything broadcast in town." Really just adds more to the explanation for why the teens have so many references from some weird mixture of the good old days. "But as long as your tastes aren't too modern, the art scene is pretty decent."

"That's a relief. I was worried I was going to be bankrupt by the end of the year." Joyce explains how she's leased the art gallery in town and was worried Sunnydale wouldn't have enough interest with a population under fifty thousand.

Thinking back on my memories of the show, I know she does better than ninety percent of new businesses just by virtue of not closing down the same year she opens. "Expect to be expanding before too long. And if you really want to do well, just tell Buffy to make friends with Cordelia."

Conversation starts to bounce between topics when our food is brought out, with Dennis being the one who surprisingly takes charge of the majority. He does splendid at sticking to the cover story and none of his embellishments turn out to be retcons I need to correct.

"I've been married three times and I can admit the loneliness can get bad some nights." The phantom has seemingly mastered his facial expressions when gives Joyce a sympathetic smile. "But I at least got four wonderful children out of it. Just worried I might have passed that trait on to my kids since the oldest two both got separated this year."

Mary doesn't react with anything beyond some words of encouragement towards Joyce. But I get tense as I notice how many curious eyes are on me right now.

"You're divorced?" Confused at my young age, Joyce's eyes narrow as she tries to do mental math.

"Not yet, Harry hasn't sent the paperwork yet." She told me not to contact her in the message, so I kind of have to wait until she does.

"What happened?" Buffy is desperate for answers she can apply to her own situation and it's obvious at by the way her eyes keep darting to her mother. "Who's fault was it?"

Stiffly shrugging at the question, I try to give an answer that isn't going to make me look terrible. "Mostly mine."

"What did you do?" Fred is shocked into breaking her silence, her brown crinkling into one of the deepest frowns I've ever seen her have.

"Felt sorry for myself for too long and she got tired of watching me self destruct." No point sugar coating the mistakes made before I became Doyle, I have no emotional attachment to them. "A marriage is a partnership and I was just letting Harry row us around in circles." That's what happens when only one person is rowing.

Mary proves to have some actual emotional intelligence though and takes over the conversation with a warm tone directed at a concerned Buffy. "Children aren't the ones to blame for a divorce. If it truly was your fault, they'd have just put you up for adoption instead."

"OF course it's not your fault!" Gasping at the words, Joyce pulls her daughter into a tight hug. "Hank and I have been fighting for years." Despite her cries of protest, Buffy doesn't actually resist the kisses being peppered onto her head right now.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 13: Target Of Opportunity​

The way Cordelia and her posse intently examined the less popular teens lasted for nearly an entire hour before the 'queen' approached. Her scowl was primarily directed at Xander who refused to back down, his own posture puffing up in preparation for banter.

"I'm impressed. None of you hurt my eyes tonight." Cordelia's eyes darted over to the Jewish girl and softened microscopically. "You even got Willow to look decent."

A cherry red blush covered every bit of Willow's exposed skin at the backhanded compliment. Her glee at finally having other girls to help her shop quickly replaced with shame at the need for it.

Marcie's protest was ignored by everyone in place of listening to Xander's sudden tirade. "I've spent weeks looking at fashion magazines and you know what I've realized?"

"How grateful you are for my attention?" His smirk worried Cordelia but she wasn't able to back down in front of such a big crowd.

"Nothing any of you have worn this fall has been high fashion." The retort slipped out of his lips before he could stop himself and the instant scowl is almost enough to make him regret it. Almost.

Quickest to catch on, Amy threw her own support behind the burn. "At least not this year. I'm pretty sure Harmony's dress as in style last spring though."

Furious insults fired back and forth between the two groups after that opening salvo and lasted until security was forced to kick out the whole lot of teens. This of course just made the rich girls even more enraged, with promises of school being even worse than it was before.

After the preps made some guys with cars drive them home, the less popular group was forced to walk home. Jonathon and Marcie broke off first with clear plans to enjoy the last hour before her curfew in private.

Though when Willow tried to take the few blocks to her house solo, the other three firmly rejected the idea. Amy quickly pointing out that Willow was the only one without a cross.

"Jesse can walk you home. It's practically the same distance for him either way." Amy suggested a tad too quickly for it to be completely unplanned.

"But I don't want to walk past the hot sauce factory," Whined Jesse with a pout taking over his face. "It always burns my eyes."

"As much as it would to be crying at my funeral?" Doe-eyed and with an oddly sweet voice, Willow turned to Jesse with unspoken threat in her posture.

The logic in her statement just made the lanky teen groan. "... Fine. But I'm stealing some more of the brownies you made."

"Already ate them all," Apologized Amy as with a guilt free look exchanged with her fellow girl. "We asked if you wanted to bake brownies with us."

"But why did Xander get some?" Betrayed at the knowledge his best friend has a few sealed in Tupperware, Jesse's whine only got more petulant. "I know he didn't help. I've seen Xander burn a salad."

"Did the dishes." Chest puffed out in smug amusement, Xander rubbed his belly for emphasis.

Glad the teasing was off of her, Willow happily joined the change of subject. "Wrinkled hands worth the chocolate?"

"Only because you didn't put walnuts in mine." He made a disgusted face at the idea and even pretended to gag. "The peanut butter doesn't make me think you're tricking me into eating something healthy like that zucchini cake we had at your birthday."

"Did you even notice until I told you?" Her eyes rolled at the attitude as Willow clearly remembered his initial reaction a few weeks ago. "Because you really seemed to like the first two pieces."

"It was a dirty trick!" Horror filled Xander's voice as he had to resist the urge to scrape his tongue. "You just don't feed a guy vegetables like that. Not without telling him at least!"

Trying to earn back some brownie points, Jesse muttered a contrary opinion. "... I liked the cake."

"Really?" Eyes now wide with excitement, Willow turned on the tallest among them eagerly. "So you want us to make one for your birthday too?"

"Uh..." Confronted with the sudden inquiry, Jesse realized he was trapped unless he wanted to hurt her feelings. "Sure. That would be fantastic."

They reached the redhead's street not too much later, with promises to meet up tomorrow being exchanged before they split up. But when Xander and Amy continued on into the cheaper neighbourhoods, neither noticed the stalker.

Colin could only feel relief when his prey made itself vulnerable at last. Without knowing what happened to Luke, his own attempt at revenge was more cautious.

For days now he had followed the teens the seer had taken under his wing. The stench of something not quite human was enough to make the six stand out like beacons.

Once the seer had left town the night prior, Colin knew he had to act fast. He's never been gone for more than a few days. Worry over the seer intervening filled the Aurellian vampire as he worked up the nerve to charge. I need to do this before he comes back!

With a hiss of fury, Colin threw himself at the duo as soon as they got close to the bushes he was crouched in. "Time to be the favourite!"

The words don't make any sense to the teens. But they can easily hear the wish for violence in the voice and react faster than the vampire would have liked.

The one called Xander pushed the witches daughter away and tried to hold off Colin with his cross. But aside from making him flinch away for a few seconds, the distraction failed to really do anything.

I fear failure more than the faith. The mantra repeated in Colin's mind as he chased after the brunette, while the girl sobbed in fear behind him.

Unlike his normal prey, this teen was fit enough to run more than a few blocks before collapsing. Just means the blood will taste better.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 67: Plan For The Practical​

As soon as Amy sobs out the words, guilt sears right through me as a single thought reverberates in my skull. This is my fault.

Sure a few more people may be alive. But since I don't know anything about those nameless faces I've saved, they mean nothing in the face of such a personal loss.

Xander was my favourite and now he's gone. If I would have just let him and Jesse be immature teens, he'd still be alive right now.

I hate having to voice the question and yet someone must. "Has his body been found yet?" It's nearly noon and vampires are known for 'littering'.

"No." With a humourless voice, Jesse stares me down with blame only moments from being placed at my feet. "But you told us what that means."

"I'm so sorry," My apology slips out even though I know it's meaningless to the three devastated teens.

Willow shakes her head desperate to convince herself something can be done. "But you gave her a soul. Why can't we give Xander his back?"

Flinching at the suggestion, Darla visibly shudders before she answers. "Do you hate the boy?"

"Of course not!" Tears streak down Willow's face as she starts to work herself into a fury. "How could you even ask something like that?"

"Because it's curse and every hour is filled with suffering," Hisses Darla at the shocked redhead even as her rage filled eyes pierce through me.

Trying to cut through the suddenly tense atmosphere in my kitchen, Angel plays peacemaker. "Xander said he didn't want to be a vampire though."

Silence fills the room as we all know the words are true. Only one thing left we can do for him.

"Make sure none of you go out at night until I deal with this." I'm not losing another student because I got careless. Hell, this one might be enough to break me once the adrenaline wears off.

"Deal with this how?" Understanding fills Jesse's eyes even as he tries to deny it with every fibre of his being.

"The only way we can curse Xander is if the vampire does something terrible enough that one of us wants revenge," Amy explains the finer details of the spell with a frown. "But once that happens, Xander will be stuck with constant flashes of the vampire's crimes."

I wasn't aware of that detail when I came up with my plan and it makes me feel even worse for Darla. Guess that was proof of how I'd handle the trolley problem though.

"Jenny's the only one who can do it and that would mean she has hate him." All eyes swivel back to me. "Friends don't let friends get cursed by Gypsies."

"And he says we talk weird?" Jesse's annoyed mutter gets a grin of amusement out of Amy. But it doesn't even last five seconds before the dark mood wipes any hint of humour away.

Ignoring the remark, I struggle to get my head above the pool of guilt about to drown me. "Don't invite Xander inside. It's not him anymore."

Willow flinches away from my intense stare and starts to sob into Amy's arms. But even though I had assumed Jesse would be laying all his fury at my feet. It's strange to realize his rage isn't being directed my way.

"You're going to put him to rest, right?" Hands trembling at his side, he only gets them to stop by clenching both fists tightly. "I'm helping."

"So am I." Amy's own vocal agreement joins him and is quickly followed by a 'me too' from Willow. But Jon and Marcie are being awfully quiet right now.

"I don't think that's such a good id-" My attempt to dissuade the teens is interrupted.

Willow's sudden fierce shocks me into silence as she explains exactly why I'm not going to turn down the aid. "You told us to take lessons and we did."

Her voice stops quivering by the end of the declaration and her green eyes bore into me. Just knowing what Willow is capable of when she really sets her mind to it, has me resisting the urge to take a step backwards.

Darla ends up being the one who ends the discussion with her honest words. "Can't just keep moving the finish line on us if we're supposed to trust anything you have to say."

She's right. "It's not like I'm in charge of any off you once the bell rings."

Even if I tell them to stay at home, how well did that work on Xander in the second episode? The fact that they can still remember the truth of the night is proof I'm not going to be able to scare them off.

"If you insist on helping me..." My eyes scan the three volunteers for any sign of doubt. Of course I don't find even a shred of it between them though.

"We do." Amy doesn't wait for even a second, her insistence being backed up by two stiff nods of agreement.

"Well get ready for one of the worst tests I'm ever going to give you." Vampires wear the victims face and the show definitely brushed over how hard it is to drive something sharp into a person's heart.

Confusion passes between the teens as they struggle to come up with an answer. But judging by the various expressions each of them ends up with, I'll need to explain exactly what I mean.

"It's going to look and feel exactly like you're killing Xander again." Rage at my failure to keep him safe bubbles inside me. "So let's make sure you can at least do that to a stranger first."

"How do you train for something like that?" Jesse growls in frustration when he thinks I'm just looking for another excuse to bench them.

If I handle this the wrong way, they're just going to start working behind my back and someone else will get hurt."I'll knock a fledge around for each of you and pin it down. Anyone who can actually ash the vampire, gets to start helping out with the real stuff."

"Really?" Waiting for the other shoe to drop, Jesse's eyes narrow onto me.

"We made a deal..." Even if I thought most of you would have quit by now.

The surprises continue to pile up as Darla smirks at me. "They should probably all get an idea of how strong a vampire really is and I think the message will have more of an impact if I'm the one to deliver it."

"Huh?" Amy tries not to reveal how excited she is at what the teens think just became an easier task. "But aren't you stronger than vampires?"

"Not the really old ones." Somewhere between three and four hundred years is when they start edging me out in sheer power.

Still not used to the idea of immortality, none of the teens seem to realize I'm including Darla in that category. With both Jesse and Amy insisting they get this over with before sunset, I'm glad at least one of us seems excited after the news about Xander.

Jesse turns down the offer to borrow some of my sweats and cockily helps me clear some space for the mats. But even though he started out eager to get his hands on Darla's body, the perverted teen regrets his mistake quickly.

In less than a ten seconds Jesse is on his knees and whimpering as Darla twists his arm painfully behind his back. "How old are you?"

"Don't you know better than to ask a lady that?" Darla hisses in annoyance as she's reminded of centuries of terrible memories, the glare at her opponent now being full of real heat.

"He really doesn't know better than anything," Offers Willow as she tries to hold in a burst of laughter. "Good luck making anything stick."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 68: Feel The Failure​

"Ready Willow?" Straining against the vampire in my grip, I wrestle the dirt covered demon to the ground.

Jesse's own pile of dust has already blown away in the wind while we waited for another grave to stir. Not a single joke has slipped out of his lips since and it's clear he's having a difficult time coping with what I know feels like committing murder. Unless the vamp is in game face, it feels exactly like snapping Seidel's neck.

"Do it fast," His comment is stiff with tension.

"And don't miss." My words have more than a hint of frustration as my thigh throbs in pain.

Not teasing him about needing to try three times, Willow heeds the advice with a tight expression filling her face. Roaring with primal fury, the redhead brings the stake downwards with all her might.

Actually having studied a person's anatomy, her weapon does pierce the heart on the first try. The cloud of ash explodes over the two of us and leaves us both wheezing on the grass as the others cheer for the girl.

"Good job..." I finally manage to cough out when my breathing slows back down to normal. "Definitely an A plus."

Flushing in embarrassment at my sidelong glance, Jesse shuffles over to embrace a shuddering Willow. "That was horrible!"

"But you did it." He pats her back as she tries not to sob. "With a shiny gold star and everything."

It's hard to hide my own trembling hands as Fred pulls me to feet. Once her worried eyes lock onto my own with a promise to talk later, it becomes completely impossible.

"You do this every night?" Pale as a sheet, Jonathon is clutching his cross so hard I'm concerned he might snap it. "Fight monsters?"

"Not every night..." I try to insist.

Only for Fred to snort in amusement and correct me immediately. "You've only taken five nights off this month, Mister Workaholic."

"Well I am on salary." Thinking fast, I manage to come up with a response that makes her smile. "Pretty much means I'm always on call for the Powers."

The teens pick up on the flirting with various expressions of awkwardness. All of them except Willow that is, who suddenly looks furious.

"What are the Powers?" Her questions shut everyone up. "And why didn't they warn you about Xander?"

"Um..." That's a good question actually. "The Powers are pretty much gods." Why didn't they send me a vision? "And I have no idea why they let this happen." But I can probably guess that it's my fault.

I did get pretty confrontational with the Oracles. This could all just be to teach me a lesson. That thought makes my rage bubble up again and it takes a hell of a lot of effort to bury it so I can try to think of plausible reasons.

"It could have been some kind of interference." Cordelia's visions got hijacked by Wolfram and Hart after all.

"That's a little terrifying." Amy's voice is full of dread as she speaks for everyone. "Who could have that much mojo?"

With a voice a little louder than her friends, Marcie is next to voice her concern. "You did say the Powers are gods."

Well that just fills me with all kinds of happy thoughts. Now my fears are filled with the First, Jasmine, or the law firm already targeting me and it's hard to think straight.

"One thing at a time." Fred's voice splashes down over me like a miracle and I soak them up eagerly. "Xander and the Master first."

"We really can't do anything for him?" Desperate for anything, Willow pleads with Amy for some kind of magical answer.

Guilty at having to say no, Amy eventually gets the words out. "Miss Calendar took away most of my mom's books. She said they're way too advanced for someone at my level to even think about looking at."

"I don't hear anymore digging." Straining my ears doesn't reveal any more fledges in this cemetery. "I think we can call it for the night."

"But I didn't get one..." It's not quite a whine that escapes Amy, more of a relieved groan.

"We can try again tomorrow night," insists Fred as she notices me favouring my right leg. "Someone's just going to get hurt if we keep going."

"It was an accident!" Throwing his hands up in guilt, Jesse flinches away from my girlfriend's glare. "... And I said I was sorry."

A dark chuckle comes out of a smirking Marcie. "You're so going to fail his class."

While the other teens banter back and forth on the way to my van, Jonathon remains quiet the entire way. His face is grim while he buckles himself up and it's obvious he feels conflicted about something.

It's not until I pull up outside his house that he reveals what it is though. "I don't think I can keep doing this."

Once he gets the words out, the short boy cringes in preparation for his friends' backlash. But it never comes and eventually he relaxes enough to open his eyes again.

None of us are mad and that's enough to get a sigh out of Jonathon. "I'm just not cut out for this kind of thing. I was terrified the whole night."

"So was I," Jesse admits with a light dusting of pink on his own cheeks. "But I'm too mad right now."

"I'm not really an angry person though..." With more confidence than his earlier confession, Jonathon shares his fears with his friends.

"Well I am." Willow's voice is filled with enough conviction to fill a stadium.

Flinching away from the redhead's rage, Jonathon looks ready to change his mind. But Marcie sees this and refuses to be ignored this time.

"You aren't listening!" Emotions skyrocket along with Marcie's voice. "We're scared!"

Glad some of you have some sense. "... Good."

Shocked cries are mixed with relieved sighs as my words just stir the pot. But I ignore the bickering and whistle loud enough to cut through the cacophony.

"Enough!" Glaring at both Jesse and Willow, I make it clear they've crossed a few lines. "This is volunteer work, they aren't draft dodging. You are not going to make anyone feel bad for being scared."

"But Xander-" Jesse tries to argue just to be shut up when I level a stern glare on him.

"Xander is gone." And it's all my fault.

"And I'm terrified one of us is going to be next!" Jonathon finally admits the real issue as his pained eyes meet my own. "... Amy said the vampire was trying to hurt you."

Taking over for her now silent boyfriend, Marcie says what I know everyone has to be thinking. "It's not safe to be around you."

The pair slip out of the van without a promise to come over tomorrow and I know it's for the best. The other three teens whisper back and forth until I drop them all off and I can finally exhale in relief.

"I think quite a few of us would disagree with what Marcie said." Fred's sudden words of support cut through my gloom. "I know it was a lot more dangerous for me without you around and I'm pretty sure Angel would agree."

"Thank you." Somehow I manage to keep my emotions together until we get home, only breaking down completely when we're alone in our room. At least getting more roommates had one benefit.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 69: Sharing The Burden​

Walking into the kitchen for breakfast makes me freeze in confusion. Dennis is sipping a cup of oil heated up as if it's coffee and Darla has done the same with the sheep blood. But it takes me more than a handful of seconds to recognize Angel with her adjusted look.

My eyes are locked onto now raven black hair before they roam onto the complete lack of colour in her wardrobe. Gone is any of the red that made her fit in with her new friends at the Sunset Club, replaced with a full commitment to the goth look.

It takes me a few seconds to get my mouth in motion and the croaky voice reveals how little sleep I got. "... New look?"

"Can't play pretend anymore." Angel's grim words are accompanied by a face filled with self disgust. "Better if I'm just honest with myself about how terrible the world is." That explains the new style.

I'm not sure exactly what happened to her in the show's timeline. But I know she was supposed to end up a lot happier than this. Just one more person I made things worse for.

"Jonathon and Marcie finally smartened up. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to leave too." Mary would probably let you stay with her.

Of course I just blurt the words out without any real thought and mistake the expression of terror on Angel's face for fear of staying. "You could have gone back to a normal life and I never even asked what you wanted."

"You don't want me to stay?" Buried under miles of my own grief, I miss the very obvious hurt in her voice.

"Not really." I want you to have a long and happy life, something people aren't going to get around me and my stupid ideas.

A gasp escapes Angel as she tries blinking away tears I once again misconstrue as ones of relief. "... Oh."

The only sound in the now deathly quiet kitchen comes when the microwave beeps. Darla ignores our tense mood to retrieve her warmed mug and only says something after draining most of it in a single gulp.

"You do know how that sounded, right?" The vampire's emerald eyes shine with sympathy as they settle on the teen beside her.

Scowling at her, I have no problem hissing out my growing self hatred. "Like I'm a trouble magnet and she's safer anywhere I'm not."

"Uh..." Dennis starts to speak only to hesitate when three sets of intense eyes swivel towards him. "That's not really what I heard."

"It sounded more like you just don't want me around." Voicing her own fears makes me turn to see Angel's tear streaked face.

Guilt surges through me. "Well that's because I don't think before I open my mouth sometimes."

"Really?" The way her voice is shaking clearly shows me this is a make or break moment in our relationship.

"I'm terrified of losing any of you." I know how ironic this sounds. "That's why I don't want you anywhere near me."

A cough behind me is followed by Fred's snort of frustration. "Well that's just stupid. You've given us all plenty of chances to walk away and we keep rejecting them."

"When are you going to let us help?" Angel loses the shakiness in her voice and replaces it with some of Fred's borrowed willpower.

"You're right." As hard as it is to admit it, I need help. "So does anyone have any ideas for dealing with our problem?"

It shocks me when Darla turns out to be the first one with a suggestion. "Whatever you do, better get started before Xander spills everything to the Master. Luke and Colin will be coming after you in force once he spills his guts."

"My plan A was to make a robot blow up in the Master's face..." Glancing over at Dennis guiltily, I make it clear the plan has changed. "But that was before I knew how you worked. Isn't really going to work now."

"What was plan B?" Fred starts loading her plate with french toast that I know is about to be drowned in syrup.

I know she's not going to like my answer and it comes out barely above a squeak. "... Use the lightning gauntlet."

"The one that doesn't ever come off?" She doesn't even look at me when she asks, just lets the disappointed tone do all the work.

Lowering my eyes in shame, I see no reason to keep my plans quiet anymore. "Jenny's already working on that part for me."

"And how's it coming?" Fred finally turns her scowl onto me directly.

Letting out a tired sigh, I reveal the many failures. "... Terribly."

"You need to thin the ranks first, if you're really dumb enough to attack the Master that is." Grim faced but with eyes full of hatred directed at someone besides me, Darla keeps giving out the good ideas. "Best if you start with Fork and then take out the Three. That would leave you with mostly minions in the lair."

She fills us in on the amputee vampire and his current lack of favour before moving on to details of the trio of warriors. Eventually filling us in on Luke and her most likely replacement Colin, Darla seems even more invested in this than I am.

"Once his capable help has been cut off, we can attack right after sunset." Eager to pay back the one truly responsible for her cursed existence, Darla is practically vibrating. "Feeding time is when he has the least protection and your only chance."

"I'll have Willow and Warren help me make some combat modifications to Dennis." Fred's eyes narrow in thought as her mind races with possibilities. "Hope you don't mind plugging your nose."

Not sure what she has planned, I never the less commit to whatever it is. "I'll pick up some swim masks just to be safe."

Once we have the beginnings of a plan, Darla frowns as a stray thought hits her. "Did you warn Xander's parents?"

"Nope." And I really don't plan on it, not with what I know of them.

"What about telling his friends that he would probably come for them as soon as he rises?" Shit!

Worry makes me surge to my feet. "How long does that usually take?"

"Sunset the next day. Which means last night is the earliest the demon could have risen." Her words chill me as I hand Angel the phone, asking her to call Willow to avoid any awkwardness with parents who may or may not be home.

When the phone rings for the first time and I don't hear a voice on the other side, my heart starts to plummet. It picks up speed when the second ring is just as unanswered. But it turns into a skydive when the third ring sounds.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 70: Conversation With A Dead Person​

The fourth ring is ended halfway through and a familiar voice greets Angel's hello. But it's not Willow or even one of her parents who answers.

Vampire Xander's cocky good morning has me shaking with anxiety. What did he do to Willow!

"Can you put your brother on?" He dismisses all of Angel's questions with a single one of his own. "I really think it's best if I talk to someone who matters and we both know that's not you."

"Ignore him." Grabbing the phone from her shocked fingers, I growl my response to the demon I'm just going to think of as Vander in my head from now on. Save me a lot of time.

"Before you freak out..." The smug voice starts off as soon as he can hear me breathing. "Willow's fine, if a lot stupider than I ever thought she was. She let me inside after promising Jenny had figured something out with the curse and just never told you."

The phone gets pressed against a chest with a still beating heart as proof someone is alive on the other end. The frantic pace lets me know it's not a willing person and my fists tighten.

"We had a wonderful night together..." Dread fills me at the implication and Vander revels in it before eventually deciding to clarify. "Told her exactly what I did to my parents while you lot ran around Restfield. Didn't think she'd puke so fast." He snorts darkly. "Barely had time to get the gag off before she choked."

"What do you want?" Not wanting to hear anymore, I growl into the phone with a promise of pain.

He hums softly in thought and makes me wait for his demands. "What anyone wants. The right to exist."

"Not really making that more likely right now." If anything happens to Willow, I'll tear your head off with my bare hands.

"I just needed to make sure you listened to me." The mockery is gone from Vander's tone and I can detect a hint of desperation.

He can't hurt Willow as long as I keep him talking. "Have something important to say? Because I'm all ears."

Ted and Fred are already gearing up and they slip out the front door while Vander reveals his true plan. "You can see the future and shove souls in vampires. I'm not dumb enough to go against that kind of power unless you make me."

"I know you can't curse me unless I make it personal, so this is me letting you know that I could have." The words are delivered without any audible threat and just come out as pure facts.

"Message received." I feel the plastic crack in grip as I try to control my temper. "Now let Willow go."

A few dark chuckles greet my demand. "That all depends on if you're too stubborn to make a deal with little old Lex."

"What kind of deal?" Against my better judgment I ask for details.

"You want the Master gone and I really don't like following orders!" Sudden rage fills Vander's voice and I have to pull the phone away from my ear while he yells. "I get you to him and you let me take over."

"Not going to just let you prey on whoever you want." That's non negotiable.

A snort is his first response, quickly followed by smug words that seem to have an answer for everything. "I know a place full of willing donors who would just love to ease my newfound loneliness."

"Why would I agree to what is obviously a trap?" I let out a snort of derision. "Luke and Colin going to be waiting for us with the Three?"

"Luke's missing and the Master thinks you're responsible," chuckles Vander with a hint of his own curiosity. "Are you?"

"Don't usually ask your kind for a name before I take them out." Still thrown off by his strange cordiality, my response lacks it's usual wit and I settle for another crude threat. Who could have taken out that massive thug?

He doesn't get mad and lets out another amused laugh. "You don't have to worry about Colin either. I took care of him when he tried to make me kneel."

"So it's just Nest and the Three..." That doesn't actually sound impossible.

"Don't forget about forty minions." The reminder finally makes me smirk.


Darla's information fills me with confidence and I share it with Vander. "Got that part covered already."

"I'll help Darla and Dennis take care of the Three Stooges." The offer almost makes me drop the phone in shock. "I mean if you actually think you can take care of the Master by yourself that is."

"Let me talk to Willow first." I can't decide until I know that's her heartbeat.

"Fine," Vander growls out in response and I can hear him struggling with something on the other end. "Just make it quick."

"Doyle!" Dropping the mister for the first time, Willow's voice isn't as scared as I feared. Doesn't sound like she's hurt either.

"Are you alright Willow?"

She thankfully soothes my greatest fears with her answer. "He didn't do anything to hurt me, just wanted to talk about his plans."

"What kind of plans?" Fred and Dennis should be about halfway to her house by now, just need to keep Willow talking a bit longer.

The phone changes hands after a very brief struggle and Vander's growl answers me once more. "Enough questions, I need an answer before I have to hurt whoever you sent here."

"You betray us and-" My warning gets cut off.

Vander proves that skull indeed has brain cells that he just chose to use on jokes most of the time. "And one of the witches will probably hate me enough to cast that curse."

He knows me too well. "... If I say yes?"

"I let Willow leave with the ride you sent." The vampire's tone is light enough that it almost hides the menace.

"And if I say no?" What's the worst case scenario here?

"I turn Willow and kill whoever gets out of the car." His voice doesn't raise or even sound any crueller. "Call one of the other minions and tell them to care of Jenny and Amy before they have a chance to do any magic. Then try and kill you before you get a vision."

The matter of fact way he lays out his plan is more chilling than if it was screamed with hatred and it's what makes me agree. "Okay."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 14: Not So Innocent Whistles​

Peering down at Sunnydale from his spot on Kingsman's Bluff, an incredibly smug balance demon was ready for the fireworks to really go off tonight. "Useless am I Doyle? Guides don't get involved for a reason and you're about to find out why you fool."

Boss lady isn't happy you got her back on the Powers' radar and it's high time you paid for daring to even speak her name. He let out a string of cackles that lasted far longer than humanly possible, all with a single hate filled breath.

"Angelus might be out of the cards now." His mocking words echoed over the city, only to be swallowed by the sky before reaching anyone ears down bellow. "But you've given us so many possible replacements. This is going to be so much fun."

His eyes peered through the street with perfect clarity and focused in on the small band of champions in the catacombs underneath. Led by the freshly turned Xander and the ensouled Darla, they managed to avoid running into any stragglers going out to feed.

Next he took a glance over at the first stages of what are sure to be an entire military installation. The tests performed on Luke haven't sunk through the brute's skull yet and have currently left the vampire twitching on the concrete floor beneath the university.

Whistler does grow interested when he sees a pair of her agents approaching the home of the Soviet scientist. "Hope that causes lots of drama when Doyle finds out what his girlfriend did."

He made sure to check in on the disgruntled Zookeeper and his plot for revenge. Even left the man a few clues to steer him in the right direction.

Not daring risk even glance at city hall for too long, Whistler instead settled for sending the mad seer a warning of what would happen if she arrived before recovering her strength. But this brief distraction was enough for Wilkins to find him.

A pulse of divination magic warned Whistler he needed to leave or risk fouling his Lady's plans. "Shame, I really wanted to see how many more kids he got killed."

With a final curse towards the century old warlock, Whistler vanished with the sound of a dog whistle. No humans heard it thankfully. But along with the canine population, a vast majority of the demons winced in pain.

The scenery around him was replaced at once by the Los Angeles skyline as Whistler stood on the roof of the Hyperion. His eyes still pointed down, widened at the sight of two sneaky Watchers."

"Well isn't that interesting..." He watched Gwendolyn Post and her attempt to sway the werewolf to her cause. "She's going to have her own little gang pretty soon."

Only a two floors above in his own office, Rutherford Sirk was on the phone with his contact at Wolfram and Hart. Promises of favours and great wealth was all it took to sway the Watcher, getting him to provide every bit of security on the hotel.

"Can't let that plan take off." Eyes narrowed at the idea of the law firm getting a win, Whistler already had a few ideas for how to meddle.

His gaze is soon pulled to the active Slayer and the hapless fool she 'chose' as her Watcher. Really wasn't hard to make sure he was the best option.

A smirk returned as he noticed the frosty attitude between the pair. "He actually told her about the test!"

"Naughty Giles." A few more giddy snorts sneak out of Whistler. "Travers isn't going to be happy with you. He almost had the Council crippled for his boss."

When he gets to the Inca princess and her guardian, Whistler's expression hardened. "How many messes did that damned Brachen leave me to clean up?"

Before his rage could grow enough for the balance demon to do something noticeable, he vanished with the sound a boiling kettle. This time reappearing all the way in Ohio, Whistler was able to relax at the sight of someone actually doing what he was told.

"At least someone is staying on task." He sighs in relief at the sight of Pike and Faith facing off with a vampire outside a truck stop. "Just has to keep collecting Potentials for us and we don't need to worry about them being lead astray with any of this nonsense Doyle's spouting off about them mattering."

Even though Liam was chased off by the pair a few days ago, the balance demon is extremely pleased to find the runaway teens aren't returning to a normal life. The two had nearly made it to Robin Wood and his distinct hatred of the Watchers Council, which finally let Whistler relax.

"Can't wait to get this face off." A final shrill whistle covered his disappearance as the human flesh began to melt away and reveal a silver carapace.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 71: Battle Preparations​

Fred and Willow have nearly finished with the battle modifications for an eager phantom and my anxiety grows with each new screw they put in. Pretty much everything is going to rest on you tonight, really hope you're up to it Dennis.

A thud from the basement has Jesse let out a roar of success that I can't find it in me to get mad about. Good on him, finally pinned Darla.

Darla is going through some last minute pointers with him and Angel. Which has thankfully given me enough time to pull Lorne off to the side.

"I know you aren't the warrior type." He snorts at the incredible understatement. "So I was hoping you could make sure the kids stay safe at the Sunset Club."

Catching on quick, my horned friend's voice loses most of it's humour. "Thought you made a deal?"

"I did, when Xander told his friends he didn't want to be a vampire." With no reason to keep it secret, I fill him in on my plan to make things difficult for the strangely cordial vampire.

"You're sure about this?" His hum of doubt does nothing to dissuade me.

"I can't bring anyone who smells human into the sewers. So I'm going to have Fred and the teens set an ambush of our own for Vander." If he's the one who returns to the surface once things are finished, I'm not just going to let him turn the club into a buffet.

"You have anymore friends to call before things get hairy?" His tone is odd and it almost seems like Lorne is waiting for a very specific answer.

Not sure I can provide it though. "Not calling anyone in LA for this."

"One a little bit closer to home." I can picture his smug face perfectly.

Holding in a groan makes my voice strained. "Jenny's already working on some welding goggles so I don't get hypnotized."

"Strike two."

"I literally only know one more person's phone number." Not sure why Russel would want to get involved in something this dangerous. "Guess I can ask him to help you spread the word around town." Might even get the Mayor to take care of the cleanup this way.

But when I do give the vice principal a call, his voice is strangely tense once I do fill him in. Knew he wasn't ready for this kind of thing yet.

"Harris is dead?" His voice doesn't seem shocked by the news.

"Was walking Amy home and they got jumped by a vampire." What is Lorne thinking? "Xander made it follow him so Amy could get inside safe." Russel hated the kid.

Silence lasts long enough that I almost think the call got dropped. "... He did?"

"Can you do me a favour?" Words out on me already, no reason to keep my head down.

His gruff 'of course' is almost instant and makes me relax a fraction of a percent. But even though I've already made up my mind, stress surges through my suddenly sweaty pours.

"I need you to let city hall know it's open season on Aurellians tonight." Wilkins should be able to thin out any of Vander's potential forces.

To my continued shock, Russel doesn't hesitate with his response. "Anything else I need to know?"

"If I don't come in to work tomorrow." My voice drops down to just above a whisper. "... I'm probably dead."

"Want my advice?" His voice holds just a hint of hilarity.

Letting him pull me into a brief moment of distraction, my lips curl upwards. "Long as it's free."

"Don't do that." The comment is as simple as I've been called many times in my life. "Hard enough to find a substitute who will actually show up. It's going to be impossible to replace you before summer."

"Better hope I have some unfinished business." Shouldn't take too long for Warren and Willow to finish a new robot. Might even be able to get the face to look sort of like my original one.

Awkward silence starts to grow until Russel throws me for yet another loop. "Good luck."

"You too." School's still not much safer than the sewers.

Hanging up, my eyes scan the assembled team. The Gauntlet of Myhnegon is in the unliving hands of Dennis as he demands answers from Warren.

"-nd if it doesn't come off?" He clutches his only recently acquired hands tightly. "You can really just make me a new arm?"

"We hack it off at the elbow and pop on a new one. No big deal at all." The nerdy boy is fully confident in his answer.

Sighing in relief, Dennis looks a whole lot more confident in the plan. "Okay, good. I was really just starting to get used to having hands again."

"Thanks for doing this." Can't regrow one of my arms. "Really wasn't looking forward to facing the Master myself."

"Fred would turn me into scrap if I let you do it." He visibly shudders at the stern look being directed at the back of his skull. "Rather fight the vampire than the person who knows exactly how I was put together."

She giggles nervously when a bunch of eyes swivel towards her. "I wouldn't do that unless you hurt him yourself. Would only change your voice modulator or something like that if you let him die on me."

"You can do that?" Dennis' eyebrows shoot all the way to his hairline.

"If I wanted to." The stern tone really doesn't match Fred's playful smirk.

Willow leans in to whisper and I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who hears what is said. "I'd change it back after a few days. Don't worry Dennis."

"We start chanting at eight thirty sharp and between me and Amy..." A frowning Jenny looks up from the goggles she has finished with. "We can give you thirty minutes of silence. Any longer and we risk losing concentration." That would be bad.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 72: Snap to It​

The sudden whiff of sour milk is brief but almost enough to make me gag. Thankfully it seems to bother Darla and Vander nearly as much and I'm not alone in plugging my nose.

The sewers have already given way to century old brick tunnels and it's only the muffle spell that stops each step from echoing. Rage is the only reason I'm not shaking in fear as we creep towards our very possible deaths.

Dennis is the only one who doesn't have a grim expression. At least he's polite enough to have stopped grinning like fool.

The magic gauntlet on his arm occasionally lets of a spark of power and startles one of us. But that just reassures me it's still in working order. Really didn't want to find out it was out of juice at the last minute.

Fred really wasn't happy once I revealed what I needed the humans to do. But she did bring the teens and Jenny to the Sunset Club to make sure Vander actually asked for donors.

Not going to dust him until he does something actually evil. Just need to make sure he's really on the up and up before I let him take over the club. And I feel a whole better about it with the idea of the mayor doing some clean up.

Knowing the three have at the very least decades of practice on me, I didn't waste time by grabbing any of my real weapons. The red crowbar clutched tight in my hands will have to do.

Vander decided to follow my lead and ignore anything sharp. But he did accept the hairspray and chain with a cruel grin.

At least one of us actually knows how to wield a blade properly and that's why Darla is leading us ever downwards. With one of my shorter swords in her grip, she understandably seems even more terrified than her newly risen kin.

The goggles Jenny coated with... something magical, are tight on my head. But they're barely tinted and don't hamper my sight that bad.

When Darla freezes, the rest of us follow suit at once. With movement only starting when our guide is positive we're alone.

A quick glance at my watch lets me know we're running out of time and I hold my wrist up. But she dismisses my warning by holding up a hand with only three fingers.

Does she mean three minutes or three miles? Because we barely have enough time if it's the first.

Thankfully we reach the final fork not too much later and Vander breaks off to slip among the Three. Or this is when he betrays us and Dennis has to bring the whole cavern down on our heads.

The short trip through a side tunnel brings us out on a ledge where the stench of old blood is nearly overpowering. Checking the countdown has me holding up six fingers as can't help but overhear the Master greeting Vander.

"You return to me..." The tone is stiff with barely concealed fury. "I trust you have a good reason for your absence?"

Nest is actually a few inches shorter than his new minion. But her towers over Vander who has been forced to kneel in an inch deep puddle of blood.

A trio of vampires stand guard at the entrance Vander just came through. Judging by the swords, those are the Three.

With baited breath I watch the seconds pass, not daring to look away for even a second and miss the signal. Each minute brings us closer to the attack and I lower a finger as each one passes.

At the ten second mark, I start mouthing the countdown. 'Three...'

Vander's tenseness is noticed by Nest who pulls his minion's face up with a clawed hand. "What aren't you telling us Lex?"

The muffling spell ends just when Jenny said it would. Every sound the four of us made during the last half an hour echoes out in a single deafening bang.

The sound is so loud, it makes four of the five vampires below screech in agony. Hands clutch at their ears even as Xander endures it thanks to the beeswax in his own. Only reason mine aren't bleeding right now.

With the signal announced with deafening volume, all three of us waiting D's drop off the ledge to the complete shock of the Master.

"Darla?" It's clear Vander never told him she was still existing and the betrayal in Nest's voice makes me grin.

Her response is bitter and full of hatred that I can't even begin to imagine. But she doesn't lose track of the plan and is only trying to keep the Master distracted.

Vander and keep the Three more than just busy. The demon wearing my favourite student's face whips the hairspray out of his jacket pocket and turns it into a roaring flame with a flick of the lighter in his other hand.

The cloud only ends up containing the ash from one of the ancient warriors. Both of his fellows manage to avoid the blaze long enough for it to sputter out and they face us with live steel at the ready.

It soon becomes clear as I parry the frantic slashes from the foe I claimed that they aren't even as old as Liam. I'm both faster and stronger than my Third, actually snapping his sword in half somewhere around the twentieth block.

The time it takes me to stake the surprised vampire is enough for the final member of the Three to overpower the cocky Vander. The very chain that was only moments early his weapon, is now wrapped tightly around Vander's neck.

The reflex to breath is still fresh in Vander and he chokes feebly in his opponents grip. Before I even have a chance to stop myself, my body is already in motion.

The stake still in my tightening hand rises as I charge forward. The rage at everything that has gone wrong gives me a speed I wasn't aware I had.

Piercing the Third's heart by going up through the armpit, he joins his siblings as nothing but dust. The hacking coughs make me wonder what the long term effects could be and I make a mental note to get a family doctor.

"-n't believe this!" Shrieks the Master, making my gaze whip over to the real action. "You've betrayed me for the humans?"

Darla's answer is not nearly loud enough to be heard over the sudden 'KRAKOOM' of thunder. None of us are prepared for the blinding flash of blue that comes a mere instant later either.

The only thing I do know. The Master is no longer saying anything.

My hand shoots down with the same reflex that made me save Vander and is what turns out to be my downfall. Still barely able to see, I'm completely unable to stop him from spinning me around and gripping my head with a vice like grip.

"Looks like the robot ran out of gas..." Vander's tone is filled with snide mockery as he tilts my head towards Dennis.

My stomach drops when I blink a few times and can finally see the steaming pile of slag that the Left half of Dennis has become. Only one of his eyes is still recognizable as such and locks on to me as the light slowly flickers out.

"No one can stop me from taking over now." His voice becomes a growled promise of misery for everyone. "And if I'm not mistaken, you left all my friends waiting for me." He knows!

"It was so kind of you to get rid of any of my kin who might have stood in my way." Vander is smug with victory as his grip on my head tightens no matter how hard I struggle. "Say hello to Xander for me."

With that final mocking goodbye, his demonic strength suddenly twists my neck the opposite way I was straining. The crack echoes in my ears and is instantly followed by pain almost as bad as the snakebites.

My last coherent though it disgust when Vander drops me like yesterday's trash. My face splashing down in the same puddle of blood he was forced to kneel in.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 73: Angel​

"You have the directions?" Not even five seconds after the bomb shelter door slammed shut, Fred's determined expression turned towards me.

"She promised to mark the forks with chalk." Nodding stiffly, it's impossible to ignore the anticipation at being able to finally start repaying Allen.

"Also said anything dairy would cover our smell the best." Disgust soaks through Jesse's voice as he stares at the containers of spoiled yogourt being put on the counter by Diego. "Really hope she wasn't just screwing with us."
"We really get to help do magic?" Clutching his blue cape around himself tightly, Diego's eyes are filled with excitement.

Once the appropriate number of candles have been handed out to the club goers, Jenny motions for Amy to take her place at the head of the second circle. "If we want to keep the second group hidden, we're going to need the help with the chanting."

"It was nice of them to leave the good weapons." Holding up an incredibly well made wood axe, Jesse looks a little to eager to use it. "Don't feel completely helpless now."

Knowing her stun gun isn't going to be enough this time, Fred grabs a shorter sword for herself. "You sure about this Lorne?"

"I may not like violence. But it would just break my heart if Fred lost her hunk and I didn't even lift a finger to help." The charming radio host looks at the dagger he's chosen with clear distaste.

Revelling in the complete lack of disgust in any of the teens' eyes, Clem is more than happy to help. "I can get us through the sewers just fine. But I've never been brave enough to really explore the catacombs."

Once the well wishes are exchanged between incredibly nervous teens, Fred leads our group out of the club. Jesse and Willow are of course with us and flank me with a lot less joking than I'm used to from them.

The alley above the club isn't as empty as it usually is though and I'm more than a little surprised too find my vice principal waiting for us with a quickly forming expression of disgust. "You all smell terrible."

"Price of being a hero I'm afraid." Lorne is the one who breaks our groups awkward silence with one of his cheeky remarks. "You willing to pay it?"

Something about Snyder is off and it takes a few seconds to realize what's different. He actually looks decent tonight.

"I looked at the possible replacements we have on file. I'm not letting Allen die tonight." The normally crooked teeth are just a little bit straighter and the usual sneer even looks more like a confident smile.

From the shadows behind him, an even more surprising trio emerged. Two of them have expressions of guilt ridden shame. But Warren just gives a cheeky wave.

"He called my house..." Jonathon admits with far more gratitude than I've ever heard directed towards Snyder. "Told me I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I just stuck my head in the sand and let my friends die."

"People like us don't get very many chances at having friends," explains Snyder when our stunned expressions return to him. "Didn't want him turning out like me."

Marcie is quick to voice her own reason for being here tonight. "My biggest fear is being invisible. Can't believe I was about to treat all of you like that."

"I'm just as shocked as the rest of you," Warren admits with a nervous chuckle. "I was just going to give you these." He hands a pair of night vision goggles to Willow and it's very easy to see how red his cheeks are. "I didn't have time to take them apart yet."

"Don't have time for this..." Growls Fred as she points to the dumpster. "You want to come, get something to cover your scent."

Horrified at the order, Snyder is the first one to follow it. He grumbles the entire time and swears us to silence or face a lifetime of detention. But the vice principal does cover himself in some of the foulest trash he can find.

It doesn't take long to get the other three coated in their own rancid perfume and soon after the whole lot of us lose our voices. It takes a few seconds of charades to explain the plan and calm down the four who decided to join us. But once it's done, Clem can finally lead us down into the sewers.

He knows shortcuts through them that Darla never seems to have learned and before too long brings us to tunnels of incredibly old brick. Has to be a hundred years old.

Each step makes my skin crawl and not just with the desire to shower off the filth. This is where vampires really live? The club really should think about switching to werewolves.

The muffling spell ends before we make it to the action. A deafening boom lifts up a cloud of century old dust, quickly followed by the sound of clanging metal.

"Move!" Roars a frantic Fred, making the lot of us follow Clem at a sprint.

Desperation fuels me as my legs pump with effort. Each step brings us closer to the action and soon a rage filled roar can also be heard. That's not a voice I recognize, hope that's a good sign.

The tunnel comes out on a ledge about the fighting and my heart plummets at the sight before us. The only two people still standing are both vampires, with Darla doing her best to rip off Xander's head.

It's not going as well as it should. What appears to be a broken arm is really stopping her from taking control of the fight.

Sparks at the far side of the room draw my eyes to Dennis next. Or what's left of him.

His left arm is completely gone. Only some melted steel at his shoulder shows where the limb used to be.

But Fred's anguished shriek is what makes me see the worst of it all. Face down in a puddle lays a motionless Allen.

"No!" She's the first one off the ledge.

She's only a few seconds ahead of the rest of us though. With each of us rushing to where we can be the most help.

Jesse and Snyder seem to be in a race to join the fight itself. I don't have to worry about Dennis either, the smartest among us going right to the robot's side.

By the time I reach Allen, he's already been rolled over by a desperate Fred. "He's not breathing!"

"Get out of the way." It's clear she's too distraught to do proper CPR and I have to shove her.

I know I'm doing it right when I feel at least one rib crack and get lost in the rhythm. I'm so relieved when he starts to cough, I completely ignore the bile on his face.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 74: Fred​

Relief surges through me when Allen starts coughing and I lose track of everything else in the cavern. Both the fight between the vampires and the desperate attempt to keep Dennis online are forgotten.

But the one thing I can't ignore, is the knowledge that this isn't the last time it's going to happen. Allen's not going to stop this.

"Angel?" Groaning with pain as he struggles to sit up, Allen's eyes dart back and forth between the two of us with growing confusion. "Fred? What are you doing down here?"

"Seems like you're not the only one who can see the future..." My tone is mixed with equal parts relief and frustration. "Because I told you this was going to happen."

His face contorts in shame as he doesn't deny the claim. "You did."

"Going to let us help out for real now?" Angel tries to cut through the strange tension. "Or should we start cutting you out of the real plans?"

Doesn't matter if he does. None of Allen's plans are actually long term.

Green hands grip the side of his face before twisting to the left with a chilling crack. "That's going to hurt for days." Not as much as my heart will.

"Did the plan work?" When she realizes I'm not going to say anything, Angel asks about the Master with a worried voice.

"Really hope so..." The infuriating hunk reveals he's just as in the dark. "Because I really don't think we get another shot at hitting Nest with lightning."

All three sets of eyes turn towards Dennis and his still smoking body. At least a third of his body melted away or as horribly misshapen by the intense heat and I know it's going to be nearly impossible to fix. Good thing Warren and Willow are working on a back up already.

"Hand me the hack saw!" An incredibly focused redhead holds out her hand for the demanded tool. "And get the jumper cables ready."

"What are you doing to me?" Terrified at the sudden amputation, Dennis is unable to anything but demand answers.

"All your systems are shutting down..." Through grit teeth, Willow fills in the terrified phantom. "We need to connect your back up power to the car battery Warren brought."

"Don't worry Dennis. You'll be walking around again by the new year," Promises Warren with a nearly concealed grimace. "You even get to pick what you look like this time."

Gotta give him credit for just giving up his sexbot so easily. But considering how much time he's been spending with Willow, maybe he's lost interest in that aspect of robotics.

That seems to do the trick in calming down the terrified Dennis. "... You'll make me look handsome?"

"Just like Doogie Howser," Willow consoles the head in her hands.

A roar of frustration diverts my attention to the fight between the vampires just in time to watch Jesse pull his weapon out of the side of his best friend's body.

Russel tries to follow it up by leaping on his most hated student's back. But Vander kicks the axe wielder into him, sending both student and vice principal to the ground in a heap.

About to pounce on the fallen pair, it's only a sudden whistle that seems to change the snarling Vander's mind. "This isn't over!"

With a final snarl of rage, the vampire flees into one of the many tunnels surrounding the central cavern. Lets see if you still feel that way after I tell Maggie about you.

"Glad the rumours are true." Clutching what looks like a broken arm, Darla still seems to be the best off of the three we came to rescue. "Wasn't really sure if you could survive that."

"Think the lesson's going to stick this time?" Lorne stares down at Allen with a scornful expression. "Or do you need to almost die a few more times first?"

Closing his eyes in the face of such blunt truth, Allen seems to actually realize his mistake. Too little, too late.

"Not like the kids are going to listen to me anymore. I'll be lucky if they even listen to my ideas for a while." He accepts Lorne's help up and winces in pain.

Darla coughs to get our attention, tension creasing her brow as she glances between the various passageways. "We should get up to the surface. It's not just my bloodline that calls the catacombs home."

"But Xander..." Not happy with letting his best friend's body just get away, Jesse doesn't know who to glare at. "We can't just let him go!"

"He's a freshly turned vampire. Lex is going to be obsessed with all of you." Darla uses the name the vampire chose for himself instead of the mocking title Allen provided. "You'll all have plenty of chances to face him again."

"Oh..." Terrified at the knowledge he can enter her home anytime, Willow is pale as a sheet. "That's not good."

Allen flushes with guilt. "You can stay at house until Jenny has a chance to rescind his invitation."

With a little more urging from Darla, we do finally start making our way back to the surface. Lost in my own tumultuous thoughts, I don't pay much attention to the conversations around me.

No matter how much I care about Allen or he about me, the mission is always going to come first for him. It's not a future with me he's planning for... just the next emergency.

No one wants to go home after we reunite with the others at the Sunset Club. So we end up bring the entire team back to the house for celebratory cartoons.

Savouring the moment, I curl up against Allen's undamaged side and just enjoy 'Yogi Bear's First Christmas'. But when Angel pops the second tape in, I let him know we need to talk.

Thankfully he doesn't make a joke about the phrase and just follows me into the kitchen with a grim expression. "What's up?"

"What's the most important thing to you?" This is the last chance to convince me I'm wrong.

Without any hesitation, Allen proves he's the man I fell in love with. "Keeping my students safe."

"That's what I was afraid of." I don't need to be the first thing he thinks about. "Which is why this is so hard." But I know I'm just going to be a distraction to his destiny and it's time I started working on my own. "We can't be together anymore Allen, I can't keep seeing you like that. You're going to leave me all alone."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 15: Friends Filled In​

Nestled on the couch under a pile of blankets, Tara could only let out a huff of annoyance when the phone rang and forced her out of the cocoon. It was early enough that the good cartoons hadn't even started yet and the witch in training knew it must be important.

Both Buffy and Alonna pretended to sleep through it all. At least that was the plan before Tara let out a startled gasp.

Only hearing their host's side of the conversation had both of her friends too curious to remain 'asleep'. With Tara's expression enough to chill the good mood, it soon becomes clear why.

"What do you mean Angel?" Tara's voice lost any of it's usual warmth and stammered out the last few words. "He almost died?"

"Who did?" Prodded a frowning Alonna as she realized the Slayer's hearing is a lot better.

"Allen..." Pale in the face, Buffy refused to believe the words. "But how? He can see the future?"

Quick to grab her friend's hand to stop it from going to her mouth, Alonna stopped her from chewing on the fresh nail polish. "Not like he can watch six billion movies everyday. Lots of stuff can still surprise the guy."

Once the call was over, Tara did her best to explain the details of such a terrible night. She filled the other two girls in on how one of his students was turned and the attack on the Master's lair.

"I Don't think Giles is going to be as excited about the robots anymore." She winced at the thought of the friendly phantom being trapped in a useless shell. "Dennis needs a new body already."

"No offence. But Dennis is already dead." Allona awkwardly pointed out. "I wanna know what happened to Pinhead."

Having wanted to avoid any specific details, Tara goes pale with concern for her crush. "... His neck got broken and he was found face down in a puddle."

"Well shit..." The blunt response slipped out of a guilty Alonna. "Probably would have been better off if he did just kick the bucket last night."

Horror filled both of the blondes as they turned on the blunt speaker as one, Buffy's response only beating out Tara's by a half second. "How can you even say something like that?"

"That's not what I meant!" Shame filled Alonna's voice as she realized her mistake. "It's just...." Her eyes had a hard time meeting either of her friends'. "He's not really going to be walking away from a broken neck."

Anguished at the idea of what Allen sacrificed for her, Buffy still hadn't noticed the part about his breakup. "... Oh."

"If he really feels what goes on in those visions," The Slayer gasped with guilt ridden understanding. "That's going to be a living hell for him."

"Guess that explains why the vampire didn't know either..." Tara mumbled out awkwardly.

"Know what?" Frowned Alonna.

Her lack of grief finally explained, Tara clarifies exactly what she was told. "Brachen can actually walk away from a broken neck. He's just going to be sore for a few days."

Relief surged through Buffy at the news and the feeling wasn't something Alonna was immune to either. All three girls had different reasons to owe the half demon. But none of them wanted him to suffer.

"Well now that he's taken care of that stupid prophecy..." Relief rushed through Buffy and she didn't even bother keeping the grin from her face. "He's just going to have to deal with having to patrol with me."

"Giles isn't trying to convince you to go solo once you move?" Alonna knew that Gwendolyn and Sirk both had rather outdated ideas. With Merrick back in England, it's just Wesley and Lydia who don't piss me off each night.

"He told Post that if her ideas had any merit, she would be the one assigned to the Slayer right now." Smirked Buffy as she revealed her Watcher wasn't going to cramp her style in the slightest. "She hasn't talked to him in four days and I don't think Giles minds."

A growl of annoyance escaped Alonna's lips. "Really wish he'd tell her to leave my brother alone. Charles actually seems to listen the guy."

"She can't be that bad, can she?" Tara didn't want to make any waves. But hadn't really spent much time around the Watcher focused on artifact recovery and didn't have a proper opinion.

"Post seems to think she's already been chosen to take over once you move." Pursed lips made Alonna look like she was ready to commit murder. "But Wesley said the four of them are splitting the responsibility. So I'm not really sure what's going through her head."

Buffy was elated to have a topic to switch to that wouldn't leave her so red in the face. "Wesley said?"

"When was this?" Quick to join in on the teasing, Tara was quite happy to shift the topic away from Buffy's interest in older men.

"When I was trying to make him see the goods were up for grabs." Alonna grumbled bitterly as she glanced down at her pyjama clad body. "But for as smart as he seems to be with some things, the guys clueless in pretty much every other way."

"Sure he's not just terrified of your brother?" Teased a smirking Buffy as she threw a pillow at friend's head. "I know even I get wiggie when he hasn't had his coffee."

"It's the eyes, so intense." Agreed a grinning Tara, quickly being forced to duck the pillow thrown at her in response.

When her friends finally got up for the morning and stretched, it would have taken more strength than Tara had to look away. They're both beautiful and I'm just plain old Tara. No wonder Buffy never looks at me like that.

"Can't really blame you for waiting anymore." Alonna pulled a fresh shirt from her bag and this time Tara really did turn around. "How do you just get over a guy who died for you?"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 75: Two Months Later
​

The guilt over how everything turned out with the Master has finally lessened enough that I can meet Angel's concerned eyes in the passenger seat. I haven't Fred very much since she had Graham help her move her things to campus.

It's finally sunk in that she really getting away from all the crazy since the last time we spoke was when Dennis got his new body. Glad someone I care about is able to have a normal life.

"You have enough chew tabs?" Worried about how fast she's going through the latest batch the Maclays sent, I have absolutely no idea how to fix this mistake of mine.

She's pure human... The visions will kill her in just a couple years and I still haven't figured out something better than slipping some Mohra blood in her coffee once a week.

Determination to avoid that has had me taking advantage of Jenny's online expertise and my growing wealth has been put towards quite the collection of esoteric books. Giles might even think I'm a proper educator when he sees how many shelves have been filled.

"As long as I don't have more than one vision today." Winces my brave passenger as the front door swings open the reveal a waving pair of Summers women. I really need to start recording stuff before Dawn changes all my memories.

"If you do have one?" My voice demands with worry filling it.

Angel rolls her eyes and the dark eyeliner really makes the expression sting more than it should. "I go straight to you, Jenny, or Snyder."

Can't believe he's the one who said they can call him that, just because he thinks it's cool to just go by only a last name. As strange as it is to even think about, it seems like Russel is actually being accepted by the group.

Darla gives him less lip than anyone besides Jesse and the teens have stopped sassing him all the time. Of course they still give him his fair share of teasing, it's just spoken without actual hatred now.

Hell, Snyder's even taken over coaching the swim team ever since the fish guy vanished without a trace. Fred couldn't even find a trail, so I'm really thinking he just got unlucky one night.

Since Nest's defeat, Vander has been laying so low I was worried he left Sunnydale. It wasn't until he started leaving Willow 'love' notes, that I knew for sure he was still around.

"Or Buffy." I know you and the other teens have started staking vampires at the Bronze without me.

At least if Buffy helps I can stop asking Darla to keep an eye on you all. I'd prefer if she helped Lorne keep the Sunset Club safe anyway.

No matter how many facts I spouted, the teens latched onto the idea of Darla, Liam, Dennis, Lorne, Clem, and I, being the true 'Lonely Ones'. They don't think all vampires are just misunderstood now and the costumes at the club have become more varied. But It's really strange to see the one guy who really seems to be trying to cosplay a Brachen.

Of course Lorne loves his little clutch of groupies who insist on covering themselves in green body paint every night. Do they start the second they get home from school?

The owner was quick to offer him a nightly spot to host his radio show live and the greedy gleam in Lorne's eye had me slightly concerned. But it's given both Dennis and Darla something to do each night too.

Dennis is just as good a cook as the show claimed he was and has turned the Sunset's kitchen into something of actual quality. Of course Darla refused to have anything to do with that part of the business and took the bouncer's position eagerly.

Enough of the teens liked Frankenstein enough that Jenny's been able to start a science club. With Willow helping Warren take charge of the club, it seems like the girl is starting to open up again.

Giles really was even more disappointed by Dennis' performance than I thought. He made it very clear the Council can't afford to be replacing all of it's robots each patrol and I was able to sleep soundly once that phone call was over.

"As long as we can keep making it seem like it's me who has the visions," It was Jesse's idea and I have to admit it was quite brilliant. "The Mayor shouldn't care about you at all."

"You're really going to that meeting with him?" Her face scrunches up at the idea. "And just with Snyder?"

"After our help making sure the Aurelians became an endangered species, Wilkins apparently just wants to find out what other ways I intend to help." The cheque Russel handed me on Friday was big enough to make it clear the Mayor seems to think I'm on his payroll now.

"It's probably best if we split the teams up and you lot handle the stuff at the school." I've dealt with enough of the filler that you shouldn't be completely overwhelmed by it now.

Joyce follows her daughter to my van with a warm smile. "Thanks for all of the help Allen. It's made the move so much easier on us both."

"We're already going right past the place, no reason you need to leave early." My shrug is casual as Buffy pulls open the sliding door with her own 'good morning'. "And hey yourself. Ready for hell on Earth?"

"He's exaggerating. I've been to way worse schools." Didn't Angel pretty much get 'home schooled' by Caleb? "We'll let you know which teachers to stay on the good side of."

Conceding the point with a chuckle, I wink so Buffy knows I was just referring to why she should avoid the library. "Not quite as many extra curriculars at this school and the teachers might not be as highly acclaimed as the ones you had at Hemery. But the cliques intermingle more than you would think."

Even in the show, Cordelia and her friends knew far to much about the 'cretins'. And for such an apparent loser even Jonathon was getting invited to some of the parties.

"Angel's friends usually come over after school to study. What time do you want Buffy home?" Leaving the power entirely with Joyce, I can practically feel Buffy's irritation coming off in waves.

Joyce considers the question for moment and goes over how much work she has to do at the gallery before it's ready for opening day. "I'll be home around six."

My expression twists into one of sympathy. "Why don't you just stop by and join us for dinner? That's way to late in the day to worry about food and I pretty much have to have enough food to feed an army."

Glad to avoid dishes tonight, Joyce gratefully accepts the offer and lets me back out of the driveway. I keep the conversation basic until I turn off Revello Drive before giving Buffy a serious look in the rear view mirror.

"It's going to be a whole lot safer if you tell your mom about everything..." Her face goes pale at the idea hanging in the suddenly tense van. "Want to do that that tonight at dinner?" Should make patrolling a whole lot less stressful for the next two years.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 76: Lounging Around
​

The morning classes pass by in the same self-pitying haze that the last two months have been full of. Every single time I see a couple of blushing teens, my stomach twists uncomfortably.

I made the choice to stop being just a guide. No one to blame except myself for being stuck with a lifetime of loneliness. Either that constant grief.

I'm part of the Buffyverse... The bitter thought burns inside my head. We don't get happy love lives.

Stopping outside the lounge, I force my expression into a neutral state. Don't need to spoil Russel and Jenny's good mood.

Finding the pair engrossed in a conversation already, I'm not in any rush to join them. Taking my time at the coffee pot, I even refill it before grabbing the lunch Dennis made for me last night.

Not giving me even a minute to dig in, Russel throws me under the bus as soon as I sit down. "And I'm delegating to Allen. He actually seems to like spending time with the kids."

"What am I doing?" The way his eyes are kind of popping out has me uncomfortable.

The smirk grows on Russel's face. "Field trip to the zoo needs more chaperones."

"I've got a dentist appointment that day."

"Haven't told you when it is." His voice is full of triumph.

I can feel myself going pale at the idea of going back to the scene of my crime. "Haven't booked it yet."

"Please?" It's still so strange to hear him ask for anything.

"You have no idea how bad that place smells..." My growl is deep enough to make the secretary give me a strange look.

Chest puffed out as he reminisces about chasing Vander off, Russel just makes Betty look even more confused."Can't be worse than the sewers."

"Have we gone back into them?" My snarky retort has the secretary leaning in closer for the juicy gossip.

"It's either this or you handle the talent show in May." The choice is offered with a mocking grin. "Your choice."

"Give me the talent show!" The urgency shocks Russel out of his cockiness. But I can only focus on one very small detail I overlooked.

I haven't done anything about Morgan or Sid yet! The realization that this is the third person in Buffy's life with a brain tumour, really has me wondering if it's just bad luck. Or are some of them maybe a side effect of something magical?

Well since I'm already helping some of the teens with start up funds for a robotics company once they graduate... Maybe I should talk to Amy about Mohra blood.

"Really?" Russel's shocked voice brings me back into the moment. "I thought I was going to be stuck with that damn thing again."

"I'd rather risk my ears." Better get used to bad singing before Liam comes home.

"How's the ID coming along?" Once the secretary leaves the three of us alone in the lounge, Russel steers us towards the important topics.

Shrugging awkwardly, I fill them in on the very little I know. "Fred said it would take a while."

"It's been two months..." Jenny's lips twist into a frown. "I'm pretty sure I could have gotten something whipped up by now."

"She's just making sure to stay under the radar." I did warn her the government is keeping an eye on Sunnydale. "Don't want any suits grabbing Dennis."

Wrinkles form on Russel's forehead right before he speaks. "What happened to Dennis just reclaiming his own identity?"

"He didn't want to be nearly a hundred." Wouldn't have been able to experience anything life has to offer that way.

"Makes sense," hums Russel as he finds nothing he can argue with. "Does that mean you're going to pretend he's another half sibling instead?"

Shaking my head, I try not to dwell for too long on the how. "Can't keep getting away with that. Fred's just going to surprise us with his backstory." And for some reason, Dennis is perfectly fine with just getting a random identity.

"How's the swim team treating you?" I'm not just curious about the teams' physical health and actually care about the sudden volunteering my friend did.

Jesse hasn't complained once and that's what I find most unusual. But as I watch my friend shoot another beaming smile at Jenny, I realize it's not actually such a mystery.

"Apparently my attitude is just what the swimmers need to really push themselves." He lets himself smirk. "I'm pretty sure we can avoid the bottom rankings at the next meet."

"Really?" I'm impressed, in the show the team was barely worth being called one.

Russel's grin goes from confidant to unnervingly feral. "I'm going to break the boys down and spend the spring turning them into actual competitors."

"You sound like you actually care..." One of my eyebrows goes up. "Feeling alright?"

"I couldn't understand why you spent so much time on the teens." Admitting this seems to bring him physical discomfort and Russel shifts in his seat. "But after Percy beat his best time, he called me coach and he actually meant it."

A chuckle escapes Jenny as she narrows her eyes on her beau. "Is that why I've been having less than half the kids in detention?"

As the newest member of staff, the responsibility has now fallen to her. And I'm perfectly happy being able to go home when the bell rings.

"How are the little mad scientists?" Turning the inquiry onto her and the club Willow talked her into hosting, my lips curl into a smirk. "Anyone else I need to scare straight for you?"

"Chris was the only one I was worried about." Jenny's grimace is enough for me to avoid bringing up how she had to kick his friend Eric out of the club. Pretty sure that kid terrifies all of us.

"He's going to work with Warren and Willow on designing his brother's face?" As long as the coma rumour holds, Daryl Epps will be able to go back to school by spring break.

Humming her agreement between bites of blueberry muffin, Jenny explains why Angel's vision was so easy to deal with."It's not like Daryl wants to look like a monster. He's very willing to go with whatever story we come up with as long as he gets a normal life back."

"Even if he can't play sports anymore?" He can't exactly face any kind of medical scrutiny.

"You get to choose which face you wear." She snorts right in my stunned face. "He's stuck looking like a rotting corpse and will agree to any conditions we set."

My face turns a bit green at what the future could have held. "I just don't want him making a corpse bride out of several cheerleaders."

"Angel never said anything about that!" Shock is mixed with disgust as Jenny resists the urge to jump to her feet.

"I just have a wild imagination." And hopefully that's all it will ever be now. "You find any dirt on the lunch lady yet?"

Not missing a beat when I turn to him, Russel has an answer ready with a smug expression. "Her last day is next Friday."

"And what happens if Miss French calls the school?" Since Russel decided to start helping out, I've really taken advantage of his administrative connections to handle upcoming problems.

"Tell you right away." He shudders at the idea of the She-Mantis.

A thoughtful smirk suddenly appears on Jenny's face and she leans towards the now sweating Russel. "Why don't you stop by for dinner and we can make sure she keeps her eyes off of you."

The words make me freeze in place. I don't think I was supposed to hear that part.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 77: On The Spot
​

As the students start to file out of my class before I can pile on anymore homework, I'm relieved Buffy seems to be meshing well with everyone. Cordelia wasn't even giving her a hard time about hanging out with 'losers'.

Actually seeming to respect Willow's grief, I haven't had to call either of them out since Xander's funeral. Proof the self proclaimed 'Slayer of Dating' was never really heartless.

Unless her and Angel suddenly become best friends, I think that's at least one of the Scoobies safe from fate. In less than three minutes, everyone not getting a ride home with me is long gone.

Giving the teens my full attention, I have to admit Jesse stunned me today. I was expecting him to pretty much replace Xander in the group. But he's proven to be his own man and not shifted his attention away from Cordelia.

Though he has stopped being creepy about it. Just a few tame compliments each day and it seems to be working. I guess it doesn't hurt that he's on a team now and isn't going to ruin her reputation.

"Thought about my idea?" Directing my words to Buffy, I remind her about dinner tonight.

"You really think it's a good one?" Her lips pull down into a conflicted frown. "Giles and Merrick both said it's safer if she never finds out."

"That might have been true in a city like Los Angeles..." Marcie finds her voice and speaks up, even though I can see it on her face that she expects to be ignored in such a large group.

Earning a friend for life, Buffy's enhanced hearing doesn't miss the words. "Is Sunnydale really that bad?"

"Already had to get rid of two teachers since I started here and I'm keeping an eye out for anymore." Considering the risk carefully, I give Jesse a warning look. "Some demons like to hunt virgins specifically. So you should all keep that in mind if a teacher suddenly starts putting the moves on you."

"The Mayor is going to eat us all at graduation..." Jesse tries to change the subject back to how dangerous the town is, his face flushed at what he must think was me singling him out. "You should at least tell your mom about the vampires."

Turning the suggestion back on the lanky boy, Buffy still isn't convinced. "Have you told yours?"

"It was the only way I could think of to keep Vander from getting invited in while I was out one night." His voice is suddenly tight with frustration. "No way my parents would have left him out in the rain, not without me ruining his memory at least."

"And they actually believed you?" Buffy's doubt gets turned away from me and focuses on Jesse's claim.

"Dad already knew about the vampires." Lips quirk into a wry grin as Jesse shares how it went. "He said it's one of the reasons so many of the doctors on staff drink."

Her shocked jaw drops at the same her voice rises in pitch. "Why would a normal person keep living here?"

"Lots of people live right beside an active volcano." Points out Jonathon. "This isn't really that different."

"And every job pays at least twice what you would make even just moving outside city limits." Amy explains her dad's reason for staying. "It's enough for anyone who notices the strange to stop looking in the shadows."

Having gotten the worst results with her folks, Willow nod her agreement. "Mom just told me to keep my voice down and to be inside by sundown."

"I'm not going to tell your mom unless you want to. Just wanted you to know you don't have to break the news alone." Darla should be enough proof of concept and if she's not, I can always just sneeze."

"May as well," Buffy concedes with a strangely relieved face. "Giles isn't going to be happy though."

"The Council does a heck of a lot of good in the world..." My words are as honest as I can be on the subject. "But they are still just people and we're known for screwing up. Either by betrayal or accident, not everyone in tweed can be trusted."

"But you can?" Noticing what seems like hypocrisy, Warren shows some use outside of the computer lab.

"I'll never lie to you unless a life is immediately on the line." My eyes lock onto Buffy's blue pair as I desperately try to make the words sound true. "You've more than earned that from a comrade."

A snort at the classroom door announces the arrival of Angel. "Does that mean you're going to tell her about all the 'visions' you have written down? Or are those still things we don't need to worry about right now?"

Exhaling all my frustration out one nostril, I force myself not to react anymore visibly than that. "... I put most of them on the calendar."

"After you died!" My 'sister' is quick to retort with betrayal filling her voice. "And you still aren't telling us everything. I saw how many pages you just flipped past."

"Those ar-" I'm about to explain those away and have to freeze when I get hissed at.

"Don't bother telling us those have already been dealt with." Willow joins the rest in showing me under the bus. "I already know you use blue Post-Its on those ones, just not sure what the pink ones are for."

Well crap... These kids are too damn smart.

All eyes bore into me and I know they won't let me avoid the truth this time. "Those are the things that could end the world."

Gasps of shock fill the air as Willow stares at me with horror. "But you have at least ten of those."

"And Wilkins isn't even on that list." I use the Mayor and his plans as a reference base for the scale of threats I'm talking about. "He's barely a state level threat." Even if Wilkins beats us, he's going to be bombed into paste before he reaches the Rockies.

"So what do you consider world ending?" Lips tremble as Jesse pries for answers.

I start holding up fingers as I count some examples off."Cult of all female demons who want to open the Hellmouth, evil spirit trapped in the internet, or a statue that wants to swallow the world."

"I'll tell my mom..." Buffy shares a conniving look with the teens but doesn't reveal the ringleader behind this. "But only if you let me borrow that diary."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 78: Revelations
​

The table is set and everyone who isn't at least pretending to be someone's relative has left with the promise to join us for patrol. Of course that had Buffy quite a bit more interested in the activity than she seemed to be down in LA.

Since Qullana is trying to adjust to a normal life, Buffy could just be looking forward to not being the only special one. It's not like Gunn's boys could really push her and now she has three of us to share the burden with.

"Giles will be here at seven. He's going to drive Mom home and answer any of the hard questions while you show me the hot spots." The incredibly nervous girl hangs up the phone. "But he's really not happy about this."

"If this doesn't turn out the way we hope, they can just ignore my advice with the next Slayer." Before Buffy can finish her gasp of shock, I hastily hold up a hand to correct myself. "They can have the next sixty years to figure out a better system."

"Thanks for making Giles tell me the truth." Her face crinkles into an odd expression I can't quite name.

Trying to play it off as a smaller deal than I know it really is, I can only shoot her a half smile. "I did the same thing I do with all of my charges. I gave him the facts and let Rupert choose how to react." Really glad he made the right call though.

Her eyes dart behind me to the clock before sliding towards one of my roommates. "Well that's good. Because I've been told you're still moping around and I can't figure out why."

"You might have noticed Fred isn't here." Whatever reason could I have for feeling depressed?

"She dumped you months ago though..." Darla snorts derisively from the stairs, letting me know it's Angel behind me. "At this point you're acting worse than William."

That really stings and I know my face has contorted into a shocked grimace. "You take that back!"

"Well stop brooding like a bloody awful poet." The scorn in the vampire's voice cuts right through me. "You've been split up as long as she lived with you."

"Time's up on the socially acceptable grieving period," adds a smirking Buffy.

As much as I want to bicker the point, I know they're right. Even if my moods only partially about Fred calling it quits, I'm not really ready to share the full details of my future knowledge.

If it was this hard taking down the Master, can I really make a difference against the bigger threats coming up? Or am I just going to get even more people killed?

The address book I've been using to keep track of the things I could remember is open in the Slayer's hand. "How do you make sense of any of this?"

"It's just some notes so I don't forget the big things." It's not like I was writing down a synopsis of every episode for you to go over with a fine-tooth comb.

"Go to little league games and watch the coaches." Turning the book towards me, Buffy's frown is directed at thee incredibly brief descriptions I left her. "How is that helpful to anyone?"

"I got eight years worth of visions all in a single night. Wasn't easy to even get that much written down before I forgot it all." And I'm pretty sure I still didn't even get half of it in the right order.

"How come I didn't get that?" Angel doesn't let me out of the frying pan. "I've only had ones about stuff happening that day."

Darla saves me from answering when she ponders aloud. "Probably because they just got passed on to you. No reason to repeat the same visions Allen already saw."

"I guess..." Not really sounding convinced by the suggestion, Angel side-eyes me intently for clues that I can only hope are absent from my face.

"What about this one?" Flipping to one of the pages with a pink tab, Buffy snorts at the limited information. "Demon Sorority and zombies with a bomb on the same night. That's literally all you have written down!

It's like taking notes for school, you only use key words and phrases to trigger the memory." Would have been awfully stupid of me to leave all that information written down for someone evil to steal.

"How is that worse than the Mayor trying to eat us all?" Confused at my ranking system, Angel is finally distracted enough to stop the glaring.

"The military can blow up a giant snake." Some homemade explosives did the job just fine. "I'm not sure they could close the Hellmouth."

Everyone goes quite at that grim thought and it lasts a few awkward moments. Thankfully Joyce's headlights shine through the window and the mood shifts to a lesser tension.

"I'm really doing this." Buffy takes a few deep breaths and darts to the door ahead of me.

I remind her who really has to worry about consequences tonight. "I'm the one she's going to be mad at. Worst case scenario and she just thinks I'm trying to take advantage of you."

Her cheeks go pink with what I assume must be embarrassment at the idea. "But Mom likes you."

"Let's see if that holds true after she learns what we do most nights." Or that my family is freakier than the Munsters.

"Probably isn't going to be that mad once you mention the savings accounts." Darla brings up the envelopes with each teens' name on it that I brought home from the bank.

"What is she talking about?" Buffy isn't the only one to blink in confusion, with Angel mirroring her stunned movements.

"I made sure to use my visions properly when I had them." An amused smirk appears on my face. "I've invested in some stocks that I know will pay off for everyone helping out." Least I can do considering the fact that both shows make finances an issue at some point.

Joyce is let inside by a chuckling Darla, instantly noticing the undercurrent of excitement I just created. "Buffy is asking about stocks? I'll know it's a lie if you try telling me she's interested in math now."

"Do you prefer to be eased into shocking news or would you rather I just dump you right in the deep end?" Flustered at how many eyes are on me, I attempt to go for levity.

"Is Buffy already in trouble at school?" The groan reminds me that Joyce wasn't always the most understanding parent.

"She's not in any kind of academic trouble." Not with Russel on our side. "We just thought it was time you knew the truth."

When my spikes emerge along with the dark green skin, Joyce let's out a terrified gasp. It only gets repeated when Darla reveals her own fangs with a smirk revealing she's enjoying this at least a little bit.

"Run Buffy!" Joyce's first instinct is to bar her arms wide in an attempt to give her daughter time to flee.

Of course Buffy doesn't move and I'm quick to shake my face back to human. "Now that you know we're telling the truth, let's talk about what kind of town Sunnydale really is."​