When you think of the word evil what do you think of? No, not the little 'e' type of evil, like cheating on your taxes, I'm talking the big 'E' type of evil. The nasty stuff that only seems to come out after dark, because even it doesn't like to look at itself in the light, type of evil.
Most sane people would say that mass murderers are evil along with all of their ilk. Some people say that war is evil. A few people believe that lawyers and politicians are evil. Damned if they aren't right.
The office wasn't on the huge side of large, but it was nicely decorated in a slightly rustic manner. Everything was tidy and in it's place. Dust and germs were some things that didn't seem to belong in this office, so they didn't. The owner wouldn't allow dust in there anyways, much less germs. A name could be made out on the glass of the door to this office: Mayor Richard Wilkins III. Here was evil. With a big 'E'.
Mayor Wilkins was smiling. He always seemed to be smiling, but tonight it was just a little wider than normal, the teeth just a shade brighter. Plans were working out. Life was good. Leaning back he contemplated the two individuals seated before him. They were punctual, he liked that. "My boy, you don't know how happy you have made me."
The youngish looking man sat up a little straighter in his chair and pushed his unruly mop of hair back up away from his face. "It was nothing, your Honor. I am happy that I could repay some of my debt to you." There was a slight accent to the voice and only after the hair had shifted could one see that he was Oriental.
"Ah. Yes. Giri is the word for debt in your language isn't it?" The Mayor's smile grew a little more as the powerfully built young man nodded his head. Almost two years ago He had taken a calculated risk. He'd helped a young Japanese teenager out with some peculiar problems that the young man had. His investment was still paying dividends, the teenager was now a sturdy young man who had gone on to realize his potential and he'd hadn't come to regret his spur of the moment action yet to date. "Well my boy. And young lady", he added quickly with a look at the second person seated across from him. "It seems that yours and mine dealings are mutually beneficial, do they not? I have helped you, you helped me. It's the way that things work in this great land. A small problem taken care of. obstacles removed. rebellious elements dealt with."
The man across from him leaned forward in his chair just a touch and it was only when he grabbed the armrest did one realize how big and how strong his hands were. "I'm very sorry about Mr. Trick sir; he didn't want to follow the orders that you had sent me to give him. The Slayer…" He lowered his gaze.
"Don't worry about it my boy, he wasn't a team player. There's no "I" in Team you know. He was very much an "I" type." The young lady seemed a bit confused at his comment for a moment but she smiled sweetly just the same. "You two make such a nice couple. It's good to see good kids being good kids." He was rewarded with a wide smile from the pretty young lady. It was a definite bonus that she was dressed demurely in a very simple but nice dress. It was so rare to see girls in nice clothes these days. Like her companion the girl was obviously Oriental, though the hair tended to throw one's perception of this off just a bit. Unfortunately the young man still looked a trifle depressed. "Hey, come on, don't be discouraged. You're a bright, young, energetic man with a whole life ahead of you. And I won't tolerate brooding. With the loss of Lurconis and the late un-lamented Mr. Trick out of the way, I think that I need someone a bit younger, more... robust, to help me in these troubled times. What do you say my boy?"
The speed at which his head snapped up almost broke the sound barrier. "Sir? Uhmm.. You want me to work for you full time?"
"Well, it's not like you and I haven't been helping each other for some time, true? I'm proposing a more stable arrangement here. You help me with some of my more pressing elements and I in turn give you a nice little job, with perks that don't include crazed demon hunters and those silly young girls in those scandalously short skirts. Whatever are their parents thinking of, letting them out in public like that?" He paused for a moment in contemplation and then continued. "You're not still having problems with that rather compulsive young man from Japan, are you?"
The short bark of laughter from his guest settled any fears the Mayor might have had on the front. "The last I saw of him he was a complete wreck, sir. I doubt he managed to survive much less climb out of his pit of depression. Even if he did manage to survive he will never become a threat anytime soon."
"Excellent, my boy." He said as he stood up and started to usher his new employees towards the door. It was late after all. Only upon rising, did you realize the size of the young man. Big and broad are too very good adjectives. They didn't do the man justice though. He moved with deceptive smoothness as he picked up a large backpack from near the door. It didn't take an expert to realize that here was someone well versed in martial arts. The young lady at his side made no noise at all which, in its own way, was much scarier than the obvious dangerousness of her companion. "You do still have the Amulet of Chaldor don't you? I would so hate for you to have problems with your curse at this point in time."
At the quick nodding of the man's head, the Mayor smiled once more. "Great! Those things don't grow on trees you know. Do be a good boy and be careful with it. As for Mr. Trick... there's no use in crying over spilt milk you know." He paused for a moment, just as his hand was reaching for the doorknob. "You are quite sure that the Slayer problem is corrected right? Well half corrected anyways."
Instead of answering the young man turned to his companion, who smiled demurely. Then her features shifted as her form grew smaller, her hair darker. The dress became a pair of extremely tight fitting blue-jeans and an abbreviated black tank top. She no longer looked Japanese in the least and her voice no longer held the slightest trace of an accent as she grinned up at the Mayor.
"Trust me Boss, we'll handle your Slayer problems and anything else that comes our way. Everything is 'Five by Five'."
Mr. Trick is killed while trying to get away from Buffy shortly after she kills the Demon Lurconis with a make shift flame-thrower. Mayor Wilkins has brought in some new full time help: A young Japanese man and a young Japanese woman (who now looks just like a Slayer named Faith.) Giles and Joyce are trying to cope with the fact they became... intimate. On a Police car. Twice.
The desert air was cold. Most people don't think of a desert as being cold, but it sure feels that way. When the temperature hits 115 degrees during the day and then drops to about 60 at night... well, that's a huge difference no matter how you look at it. Not that the young woman noticed the temperature a whole lot other than the way it affected the performance of his motorcycle. The Coca-Cola red and black Ninja cut through the knife air like a fat lady through the candy aisle at the nearest grocery store. The ZX-7R's engine was close to being redlined as it sped down the highway.
Suddenly the driver braked hard and the bike shuddered and slid to an eventual stop. Fumbling at her leather riding jacket she finally pulled out a small cell- phone and then remembered she was still wearing her helmet. Finally yanking it off, she snarled into the phone.
"What?, Damn it." "Where the hell are you going?" The voice on the phone was female and pissed.
"I'm on my way to California. I got a lead on them."
"Where?"
"Someplace called Sunnydale." The sounds of someone typing wafted through the connection. "I picked up word of them from a group of Gargoyles in Utah. Seems they broke into some vaults there looking for a box for someone."
"They broke into the Mormon's Vaults? Wait a minute... they're working for someone?"
"Seems that way."
"Damn... Did you get the name of their employer?"
"Nope."
Sigh "Damn."
"Yep. Got any news for me?"
The pause was too long. She just knew that she didn't want to hear whatever her friend on the other end of the phone had to say.
Sigh "You want the bad news or the worse news first?"
"Shit". She turned the bike off and set it on its kickstand. She knew she'd better sit down from the sound of her voice. "Hit me."
"Xian finally died."
She grunted as if belly-punched. She had known she wasn't going to make it, considering her injuries, but her actual death still came as a blow. "Kohl- Lon?"
"She's gone all quiet and Yoda-ey."
"You know Xian was the last of her line, right? All of her family is gone now."
"Yea, I know." The reply came in a very quiet voice. "Mu-Tse is still in a coma. They can't have a trial until he comes out of it."
"You know he didn't kill her. He didn't even have the heart to actually fight her for real much less kill her."
"You know that and I know that... Kohl-Lon isn't sure. Suppressed rage and all that. Add in that it was one of his swords..."
"Bullshit." She was shaking now and had to sit down.
"Look, there's nothing anyone is going to be able to do until he comes out of his coma. Then we'll handle it as best we can." Her friend's voice was just as harsh as hers was, she realized. This was hitting her hard also.
"What else?" she asked after a slight pause.
"Tachi is back in the hospital. He tried again."
"How this time?" She asked resignedly.
"His pain meds. 'Dachi doesn't know how he got the bottle open considering his hands" (the words 'or lack there-of' went unspoken but recognized) "but he did. Took the whole damn thing. They managed to stomach pump him in time."
She didn't reply, as she knew none was expected. She just sat there and thought about it all. Letting the remorse fill her and settle. This wasn't the time to stand and rant and rave against it all. This was the time to accept it for now and deal with it later. If there had been anyone around they would have noticed a slight green haze that seemed to flow around her body. Finally she muttered a simple "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." At her bark of laughter, her friend got mad again. "Damn it! I mean it. No-one could have known, okay?"
"Okay, okay." She shook his head, trying vainly to clear it. "Anything else?"
"No. Not really. Dachi wanted to know if you needed more money or another bike yet." The last part of that sentence was spoken with not a little sarcasm.
"Hey! I haven't needed a new bike now in almost a month."
"I know... You're overdue." Came the dry comment in return.
"Whatever." She stood and stretched, her body making the occasional popping noise. "Look, I got miles to go before I get there..."
Yea. I know. By the way, take the next right turn you come to. It'll cut 50 km off your distance and the police don't watch that area too closely."
"You're hacked in again aren't you?"
"What did you expect me to do? Go dancing?" She winced at the comment, thinking back to the active girl she'd known. The one who was now in a wheelchair.
"I'll get him. I promise. He's a walking dead man. He just doesn't know it yet. And I'll get her back to you if I can."
Buffy sighed yet again in exasperation.
Giles was being even more the research fanatic. Willow was trying to be all group-therapy-ish. Xander had gone all Inquisitioney and really wanted to go after Angel. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why Xander had always had it in for him. Oh, yea she knew why he hated Angelus, but Angel wasn't like that now. He had his soul back. It wasn't him that did what he did, when he did it. She frowned in thought for a moment, replaying that last bit. Yep, that works.
Then again Xander had more than just Angel on his hands right now, as he and Cordelia had gotten into some huge fight over something or another and had broken up. For a moment she considered all of Xander's previous 'girlfriends'. Cordy sure fit right in with that group.
Add in the new super-anal Watcher, Gwendolyn Post that had shown up for Faith, and things were officially strained. It didn't help that Faith had been acting weird lately also. Well, weirder than she normally was. She'd been quieter and colder. True, she didn't know Faith very well, never had now that she thought about it, but something wasn't right. It felt 'off' whenever she was around her.
Things were falling apart and she didn't have a clue on how to fix them. Okay, so she hadn't told them that Angel was back. She hadn't lied about it; she just hadn't... volunteered the information. Hey, he had found the the glove thingee hadn't he? He was helping. Killing this demon Lagos would at least bring a nice warm fuzzy feeling anyways.
"Okay, so we're all cool on this right? Willy says that he overheard some fledglings mention this Lagos guy and the warehouse district. We go in and scout it out, if we get a chance to nail him, we take it."
Xander was muttering to himself how he should have gone ahead and gone on to The Bronze. It wasn't like she needed him with Deadboy around again.
Willow looked over at Buffy a little apprehensively, the crossbow in her hands shook slightly as she loaded it. "And we all know that Willy is good for the info thing, right?" She looked around "Right?"
"Oh yea, completely trustworthy." Snorted Xander hefting his axe as they started down the alleyway "Almost as much as a Vampire."
"Damnit, Xander, we so do not have time for this." Buffy whirled and faced him. "Look, I'm sorry. I made a mistake okay? I should have told you all, but he's better now."
"Better for how long, Buffy? I mean, did you even think about that?"
As they grew closer and closer together during the argument Oz leaned towards Willow and whispered: "When do think she's gonna get it?"
"How's never?"
"How'd they make it through the last two years?"
"No clue."
Suddenly Buffy and Xander stopped arguing. It was quiet, too quiet.
"Oh shit." Said Xander. "We're screwed."
There was at least 25 Vampires spread out in a loose line some 30 feet in front of the foursome.
"Uhmm... Buffy…" Oz said quietly. "I hate to tell you..."
"Let me guess. More behind us?"
"Yep." Came Oz's usual massive-type reply.
"Are they as badly dressed as the losers in front of us?" Buffy asked in her usual sardonic way. "Where are the forces of evil getting their lackeys these days? I mean... total geek fest."
Xander stared across at the vamps in front of him. "Hey!" he suddenly exclaimed, turning his head to give a mock glare at Buffy. "I own a shirt just like that one." He said pointing towards one wearing a lurid blue and orange Hawaiian shirt.
"..."
Even some of the vampires looked at Xander like he was a total doofus.
"What?! It's a cool shirt. I wear it when I go down to the bowling alley for no-tap night."
By this time even the vampire who was wearing the aforementioned shirt looked embarrassed.
"Look, we can discuss your fashion sense later okay? Right now we have some vampire butt to stomp into dust bunnies."
"At least they don't have some big demon guy helping them."
Of course, at that moment a large, roughly eight foot tall demon stepped up towards the middle of the vampires facing them.
"Xander. Shut up!" Was heard to come from the mouths of both Buffy and Willow.
"I want the Glove of Myhnegon. Now!"
"Hmmm, I guess that you would be Lagos huh?"
"Give me the Glove. Now!"
"Hmmm... Not big on the witty repartee are you?" As the demon stepped forward she got her first real good view (and smell) of him. "Woof." She said as she shook her head slightly. "Not to big on the deodorant either huh?"
The Demon was at least 8 foot tall. Cloven hoofs for feet holding up a massive frame. His face looked to be made up of equal portions of human and boar with stringy black hair obscuring his eyes somewhat. "Get them. Find the Glove."
That was all it took for the vampires to start closing in. Obviously they were more afraid of the demon than they were of the Slayer. As usual, this was fatal for quite a few of them. Things were going fairly well for about the first five minutes.
Willows crossbow was only fired once, and when she had problems reloading it she fell back to her holy water-water balloons.
Oz was surprisingly holding his own with a pair of short swords.
Xander, after losing his grip on his axe was busy beating up a vampire's fist with his face until he finally staked it. The other Scoobies were to busy to notice that Xander's eyes glowed with a slight yellowish tinge for a couple of seconds, and as he started towards the next vampire his bruises had already faded a bit. He was also starting to move a little quicker than normal as the pain registered on his system. He moved in on his next opponent in a sliding step that looked deceptively slow, but was in fact exceedingly quick.
Buffy... was Buffy. The Slayer. Quips fell from her lips almost as fast as the punches and kicks she threw. She was everywhere and fighting almost everything. The odds were stacked against them and she was in her element, but she new it couldn't last. The demon had yet to enter the fight and it was only a matter of time until...
Willow screamed as the vamp that had snuck up on her, back-handed her to the ground. Buffy whirled around but she already knew there was no way she could make it there in time. Xander was off to one side fighting two vamps and Oz... was nowhere to be seen.
With a snarl the vampire lifted Willow up by the throat, and Buffy felt her eyes widen as she could only stand there and watch.
The motorcycle seemed to come out of nowhere. One moment nothing. The next moment there it was, coming through two rapidly expanding dust clouds, the rider's hands held out to the sides holding stakes, and then just as suddenly gripping the handle bars and kicking the vampire that held Willow in the chest. The blow was so sudden and savage that the vampire literally flew through air and disintegrated when he hit the brick wall some twenty feet away. Willow fell to the ground winded and bruised but otherwise relatively unhurt.
As the motorcycle continued down the alleyway the demon suddenly stepped forward and swung a club of some sorts at the front of the rapidly approaching bike. The front forks snapped at the contact and the front end of the bike immediately dropped, catapulting the rider down the alley.
More than amazingly, the rider came up from her impromptu flight rolling down the street and then rising up to her feet in one smooth motion, absently killing two vampires who stood within arms reach of her as she stood. The other combatants ground to a halt as they watched the newcomer reach up and remove her full-face helmet. Hefting it for a moment, the rider then calmly tossed it up in the air and kicked it into the face of a vampire standing beside Buffy, some twenty feet away, instantly dusting the creature.
Xander looked over at the dust pile and then at the rider. "Okay. When exactly did we enter a John Wu film'?"
Buffy could only gape as she watched the red-haired woman wearing black leathers walking towards her, her blue/gray eyes flashing in the glow from the streetlights. "Who are you?"
"Ranko Saotome. Devil Hunter. Who the hell are you?"