Part 21
“So you're going to use the DSN as decoys for me?” Willow was trying to wrap her mind around the idea of multiple Willows running around.
“That's one of the plans. The Shapeshifters can also be inanimate objects and animals besides taking human form.”
“Why don't they shift into Ethan and control his army?”
“You think like a shifter, Willow.” Stacy's empathic abilities were slowly getting back to normal though she kept a discrete distance from Willow. “That's a little known fact in the last war. They didn't shift into Ethan but one of them did shift into a high ranking wizard and turned the battle to our favor.”
“I don't mean to be rude but have you ever fought in a war in your world?” Robert asked Willow as he took a seat on a nearby chair. “Wesley and Rupert have told us a little about your life so we know that there are parallels and that magick isn't prevalent in your reality.”
Willow nodded, she understood the question that Robert was asking. This would be a war not a fight against the big bad of the week. “I fought alongside Buffy, our Slayer, since I was fifteen so I've battled demons, vampires and a Mayor that wanted to Ascend into a demon. Hell, I've been on the other side as well but no I haven't fought in a war like atmosphere like this will be.”
Faith got a belligerent look on her face as she turned to the Council members. “I've not fought in a war either. Sure skirmishes with Gwendolyn, Ethan and his army but the last big battle happened six years ago before I was even called. Hell, half of us here haven't fought in a war. Willow has more experience to draw on then most of us, probably even you.”
Willow hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open. It was a surreal experience to have Faith defend her to others. Rupert smiled at Faith as he reached for Willow's hand. It might take a while for his Slayer to like you but once she did you were part of her family and NO ONE messed with Faith's family.
Robert cleared his throat but Willow interrupted before he could respond to Faith's declaration.
“Thank you, Faith but I think Robert was just making sure that I could take care of myself and others in a war situation where everyone is a target or a potential threat. You all have taken a lot on faith and my word and I can't tell you how much that means to me but the Council knows about me even less and they can't afford to take my word for anything.”
Willow turned to Robert and Stacy, “In my world most of the demons, vampires and others are after the Slayer and the Slayerettes are sort of in the background. Oh we help Buffy and in some cases have saved her but in the end it's the Slayer that does the fighting. However, you'll find there's nothing more menacing than a powerful witch on a rampage defending those that she cares about.”
In a quiet voice she told the Council and the others in vivid detail what she had done against Warren, her Giles and friends. When she finished talking the silence was deafening to her ears. Rupert absently rubbed the back of Willow's hand that was grasping his tightly. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
Wesley had a shell-shocked look on his face while the Council members looked at her with interest. It looked like they were calculating the best way to use her now they knew what she was capable of.
Jesse stood and walked over to Willow and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “My Willow would have done the same thing if I'd have died.”
Willow whipped her head around as Jesse's words sunk in. He wore a sad smile, “I told the others not to tell you, I didn't want you to feel awkward around me. It was bad enough for you here without knowing that Willow was my fiancé before she died.” He reached down and wiped a tear off her cheek.
Faith and Tara looked at her with a mixture of awe and wariness. “Damn, Red remind me not to piss you off and can I be the one to tell Veruca what you can do?”
A soft sigh escaped Willow's lips as the tension in the room got noticeably lighter after Faith's comment. Rupert and Dru had been the only ones that knew the true extent of her powers and actions back in Sunnydale. Dru because she glimpsed it in Willow's mind when they first met and Rupert because she wanted him to know EVERYTHING about her. Stacy slowly relaxed the tension from her body. Now she knew the causes of the extreme emotions that she felt when she'd shaken Willow's hand. She could erect better shields now that she knew the extent of Willow's past.
“Our operative in Ethan's army said that Ethan felt your power as soon as you entered our reality. Now I can see why he did and why Gwendolyn became obsessed with you,” Amy said. “She's powerful but not enough that it would cause a magickal ripple to be sensed half a continent away. You must have given her nightmares.” A slow smile spread across Amy's face as she said that.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted the meeting. Wesley looked around curiously before he asked the Council members, “Are you expecting anyone?”
Amy shook her head no, “Only a select few even know that we're here.”
Jesse stood to answer the door, “Well, obviously it's not an attack otherwise they wouldn't have rung the bell.”
“What the hell!!”
The others came running to the front door at Jesse's exclamation.
Standing on the front porch were two Jesses and a Wesley.
Wesley stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the two Jesses and the other him. It always spooked him when he saw a shapeshifter using his body. The first time he'd seen one he thought it was a robot that Jonathan had made.
Faith dropped into fighter stance, reached for a stake and stood in front of Wesley. She let her Slayer instincts take over but she couldn't tell the differences in the Jesses. “Jesse what's Xander's favorite food?”
Both Jesses turned to her, one said Twinkies the other said Ho-hos.
Damn, they even sounded alike but she grabbed the arm of the Jesse that had said Twinkies and pulled him behind her. The other Jesse smiled and then morphed into Faith before saying, “Very good, Slayer.”
The others watched in fascination as the shapeshifters morphed into their true forms. Willow took an instinctive step back when the two suitcases morphed into a humanoid form.
Amy whispered in her ear, “We did say they could be inanimate objects as well.”
Darla, Angel, William, Dru and Xander had heard Jesse's exclamation, the accelerated heartbeats and the sound of running feet, which brought them into the courtyard in full vamp face.
“Everyone alright?” Angel asked as his face slowly relaxed into its human form.
“Yeah, it just caught me off guard.” Jesse said over his shoulder. He hadn't taken his eyes off the form that had been him. He didn't think he'd get over the shock of seeing himself on the other side of the door any time soon.
“I am Erado of the DSN. We offer our services on behalf of our government and the Wizarding Council.” One of the shifters came forward and shook Rupert's hand and then turned to Robert, Stacy and Amy. “Have they been briefed?”
“We gave them the latest intel on Ethan and his plans for attack and that the DSN have been called.”
The Erado turned to Willow, “We believe that Ethan will target you, Rupert and the mirror himself. The others will have their hands full fighting Ethan's armies all over this city and others. There will be two prong assault and we hope to meet him on both fronts.”
Part 22
Xander softly growled as he paced the inner courtyard at Angel's mansion. The soft fading light of the sunset wasn't enough to calm his racing thoughts like it normally did. He'd heard about the shifters and what they accomplished in the last war but he didn't trust them. He didn't trust anything that could so easily switch shapes and be undetectable even with his vampiric senses.
When he'd first heard Jesse's shout his heart had dropped. The first thought that crossed his mind was that Ethan had finally told his army to begin the assault and they were now attacking the mansion. When they had lost Willow a part of his childhood had died along with her. Sure they'd survived things that even adults couldn't have and it was mainly due to their core of friendship. Jesse used to quote that stupid Garth Brooks' song all the time, “Blood is thicker than water and love was thicker than blood.” Secretly Xander loved when Jesse would do that but of course he'd always groused when Jesse had started to sing it.
They had been the three musketeers since first grade. Inseparable and loyal to each other almost to a fault. When Jesse's feelings toward Willow began to change from friendship to love they never made Xander feel like a third wheel. They may not have been related through blood but they were related through love and even the pull he felt toward his sire and clan couldn't dull the pull he felt towards the only remaining member of his FAMILY. A soft noise behind him caused him to spin and face the intruder.
Willow paused as she saw that Xander seemed to be working through something. She hadn't wanted to interrupt but the instinct to comfort her childhood friend had taken over and she took a tentative step inside the courtyard.
Her heart began to race as Xander spun with his brow ridged and fangs bared. She didn't think he'd attack and she knew she was powerful enough to hold him off if his vampiric instincts did take over.
Xander's yellow eyes faded to his normal chocolate brown as he saw that it was Willow that had come into the patio. However, his ridges remained on his brow without his realizing it.
“Are you okay?” Willow had the uncontrollable desire to run away in fear dueling with the urge to wrap her arms around him like she would her Xander.
“Yeah, I'll be fine. Just not used to being around strangers and having to fight the urge to have a taste. William says it'll be awhile before I'm strong enough to control it. It's easier around you guys ‘cause you're familiar.”
Willow didn't answer but kept her concerned eyes trained on him. Finally she gave a little half smile, “You know you're not any better at lying than my Xander was. Plus, the whole ridged forehead kinda gives you away. I'm here if you ever want to talk. I know from experience that sometimes it's easier to spill your guts to a stranger than someone you care about.”
Xander raised his fingers and felt the ridges. Damn, he needed to learn how to mask his emotions better. As he forced his thoughts away from picturing Jesse lying lifeless on the front stoop his ridges slowly faded.
The silence between them stretched but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Finally Xander spoke, “You told us about your rampage after Tara died but what would you have done if it had been your Xander?”
She didn't answer right away, her first reaction was to say that she'd have mourned him but didn't think she'd have rampaged. Their life on the Hellmouth and helping Buffy lent itself to danger and death. If Xander had died as a result of fighting the good fight Willow did believe that she would've mourned and gone on like when Jesse died. Probably devoting more energy to defeat the big bad.
“I think it would depend on the circumstance. If it was in a battle where we knew the chances were good that we'd die then I think I'd mourn but not have rampaged. But, honestly, if Xander were murdered instead of being killed I probably would have done almost the same thing as when Tara died. Minus the whole trying to end the world and beating the crap out of my friends thing of course.” She grew silent as she wrestled with her memories until she finally continued, “I don't think I'd have embraced the dark magic but I would have used everything in my power from the supernatural to the natural to avenge his murder. I've never told anyone this even my friends but when I went with Giles to the coven to help control my powers one of the hardest to control was my ability to play god. I held and can still hold the lives of others in the palm of my hand. I can decide whether they will live or die. That's a very powerful feeling and one I struggle with even now.”
Willow took a deep, calming breath before she continued, “Do you know how hard it is not to try to embrace my powers here, teleport to Ethan where I can torment and torture him for all that he's put everyone through?”
Xander interrupted her, “Yeah, I DO know how hard it is. It's how I have to fight my demon all the time. When I heard Jesse's yell, I immediately pictured Ethan's army attacking and Jesse staring lifeless on the front porch. I had an overwhelming desire to torture Ethan, plunge my hand into his chest and rip out his still beating heart. So yeah I know how hard it is to not embrace your power when you can hold the life of someone in the palm of your hand, especially someone like Ethan.”
Willow smiled wryly and held her hand out to Xander. He smiled and gently pulled her into his embrace, “What a pair we are, huh?”
~~~~
Rupert gently faded back into the shadows not wanting to interrupt Willow and Xander. He'd been concerned about Willow when she'd abruptly left the room so he had gone in search of her while the Shifters and Council continued the discussion on their assault strategies.
He'd overheard her confession to Xander and his heart broke just a little more for her. He had gone through almost the same thing with the whole Eyghon disaster of his youth. He hadn't confessed this to anyone especially Ethan but he had loved the feeling of power that Eyphon had given them. He had been very close to following Ethan and turning to the Dark Arts. It was only the death of their friend that had been enough to pull him back. He shuddered as memories flooded his mind of everything he had done at Ethan's side. Things that he'd reveled in doing at Ethan's side. It was one of the reasons that he understood Ethan so well he was very close to being like Ethan.
It was truly one of those “there but for the grace of God go I” that separated him from Ethan. Ethan hadn't had a solid background to catch him when he fell like his family had been for him. Ethan had mocked him when he had told him that he wouldn't follow him but was going home. “Do you really think you're so different than me? Do you think you can look your family in the eyes and see their disappointment when you walk back into your family home? You'll come back when you realize they'll never invite you back into their home after what they know about you… about what we've done.”
Rupert was afraid that Ethan would have been right that if his family had turned their back on him when he went home to think about the direction his life was taking he would have returned to Ethan and been just as ruthless. But thankfully his family had opened their arms both literally and metaphorically even when they knew about the blood on his hands.
He was very glad that Willow had had the same support back in her Sunnydale. He was infinitely proud of his other self for being there for her. He was also very glad that the Giles of her world didn't see Willow in the same way that he saw her. He didn't even want to think about what psychologists would have to say about him fighting with himself over the love of Willow.
A small laugh escaped him as he pictured both of them in their “Ripper” mode going at each other as Willow stood horrified on the sidelines.
The sound caused Willow to turn in Xander's embrace and see Rupert in the shadows. “What's so funny?”
Rupert made his way over to the two, “Nothing, just glad that you're here with us.”
Xander placed a small kiss at the top of Willow's head, “Second that, G-man.”
Part 23
Willow cursed the full moon that lit the night sky as they waited near where Ethan's Sunnydale stronghold was purported to be. She had wished for the cover of darkness but it didn't look like the fates were smiling on them. She really hoped this wasn't an indication of how the battle would go.
Tara, Rupert, Wesley, Jesse and Willow had placed themselves strategically around the surrounding area while the shifter-versions of Willow and Rupert were also interspersed among the Wizards. It had taken a bit getting used to seeing all the versions of her and Rupert. Having seen the vamp version of herself she was a little prepared but it still was unnerving to see an exact replica of yourself. It was also a little annoying. Kind of like an irritating two-year-old niece or nephew that mimics everything that you do.
Angel, Druscilla, Darla, William and Xander were on their way to where Oz and Veruca were, according to the latest intel. Rupert had sent his illusions of were-hyenas on ahead as a distraction until the vampires could arrive.
The power of holding such an elaborate illusion over great distances had impressed Willow. She, of course, had felt Rupert's power before but she hadn't realized how much of it he had kept behind shields until she watched as a part of his mind still controlled the weres.
The Wizarding Council had decided to coincide their strikes to go along with Rupert's plan. A Wizards' high alert had gone out to all their branches so the attack could occur simultaneously.
“What about an illusion of fog or something to block the full moon?” Willow whispered in Rupert's mind.
“Fog will make an excellent cover for the others. I'm sure Ethan's aware of our existence by now, in fact I'm counting on it.” Rupert glanced to where one of the shifter-versions of him was waiting. “With their ability to mimic our power levels, they ought to be enough of a distraction for Ethan's forces.”
“You're hoping to go one-on-one with Ethan aren't you?”
“Hoping has nothing to do with it. I've known since we've taken opposite sides that the final battle would be between he and myself.”
Willow sent a warm breeze to softly caress Rupert's cheek, “Just don't be the hero and take unnecessary risks.”
Rupert softly smiled as he felt the warm touch of the wind across his cheek, “I won't, love. Too much is riding on this.” He refused to think about what would happen afterward. Too many conflicting emotions were surging through him. He wanted the battle to be over with once and for all with Ethan.
There were no doubts that even if, no when, Ethan and Gwendolyn were defeated that a new power would rise among Ethan's ashes. For time immemorial there has always been ying and yang. Dark must always coexist with light for balance to be maintained.
When he had begun his magickal apprenticeship with the Wizarding Council he'd found references to “The Powers That Be” making alliances with the “The Forces of Darkness” to maintain the balance.
As he watched Ethan's rise to power, he'd wondered if the Powers would make an alliance as Ethan began this Second Wizarding War. Willow's appearance also caused him to wonder about the Force and the Powers manipulating the fates to maintain balance.
But had the alliance included Willow's fate? Would she be taken from him as soon as the battle was over? Nimue and Merlin had alluded that they would see Avalon again, was this why?
A shift in the magickal aura around him pulled him from his thoughts. “Get ready, love.”
“I'll meet you inside.”
Just as a flash of bright light lit the night sky, Willow concentrated while she made thick fog descend over the group of the Wizarding Council that was closest to her. When she noticed that the illusion was holding steady without much effort on her magick, the fog spread to encompass those even further away.
When Willow learned that Druscilla and Darla were not going to be with her and Rupert but actually launching the second attack on Ethan's elite forces she had sought them out in the mansion. She'd had a favor to ask and one she didn't think Rupert would agree to do. A slight grimace crossed her features at the memory of the vampires' violent reaction to her request but she'd been adamant. She was going to tap into the dark magick and it hadn't been that long ago that she trained with the coven. Her draw to use dark magick was something that she fought everyday and she knew that Ethan would probably try to get her to use enough of the darkness so that she wouldn't care. Her fear was that she'd get lost in the darkness and not find her way back. She'd wanted them to stop her by any means necessary, even death.
Willow concentrated on the meeting point inside Ethan's compound where she and Rupert were to meet. She'd only teleported a few times and even with Rupert's guidance she was nervous. She hoped she had control over it and didn't reappear in-between the walls or something. The Willow and Rupert shifters were to teleport in different areas throughout the complex making it next to impossible for the others to detect and track them.
A wide grin split Willow's face as she saw a smiling Rupert standing a few feet to her left.
“I did it. Did the others make it in yet?”
“Tara and Jesse just checked in and they'll begin their phase of the operation soon. Wesley set the explosives in his area and he's gone off to check on the progress of Faith.”
Before Willow could ask Rupert another question she was knocked to her knees by a powerful blow. Rupert spun to face the assailant and narrowed his eyes when he saw it was a Dark Fey.
“Such power this one has, no wonder Ethan wants her. Maybe I'll take her as a present to my King.”
“Vincire.” A green light shot out of Rupert's hand and wrapped around the Dark Fey's torso binding his arms to his side.
The Dark Fey began to struggle while mumbling an incantation of his own.
Willow rose to her feet and smiled cruelly at the captured Fey. “Did you really think your fey magick was strong enough to cause a dent in ours?”
“Dropped you to your knees.” He smirked as he felt the bonds around him loosen slightly.
Willow walked to within a hair's breath from the Fey, “Last time someone was suspended in front of me I flayed him alive. Want to see if I still can?”
His heart slammed in his chest as he felt the ancient power rolling off of the witch as she allowed her shields to drop slightly. Though Fey weren't immortal, it did take a lot to kill them. He'd had body parts amputated and reattached as a lesson in discipline. It wasn't the flaying threat that had caused his heart to skip a beat, for he would eventually heal from that. It was the source of their power. He'd felt the recent touch of Avalon in them. Unlike other Wizards and Witches in this realm, whose bond with Avalon is tenuous, theirs was strong and could inflict much damage on those of the Fey race.
The Fey may be many things but the core of their being is survival at all costs. There wasn't a fey alive that wouldn't sell their mother to survive and this Dark Fey was no different. It seemed the Wizarding Council had the backing of Avalon in this battle and no fey would go against Avalon. The birthplace of all magick and the home of Oberon.
“Wait! I can take you to Gwendolyn and Ethan.”
Rupert narrowed his eyes, he knew their captive wouldn't be phased by Willow's threat of flaying for they survived much worse. Why was this one giving up Ethan and Gwendolyn so easily? He didn't trust his motives but the fey had played right into their hands. He already knew where Ethan was for he could feel him, as he was sure Ethan could feel his presence. They hadn't been sure where Gwendolyn would be. Some of the Wizarding intelligence claimed she was in Los Angeles leading the attack there but they knew she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to prove herself with Ethan by going against Willow and winning. Ethan had hinted since their first confrontation that Willow had been merely playing cat to Gwendolyn's mouse.
Willow cocked her head to the side with a feigned look of interest. “Now why would you give up that information so readily?” She gave a small pout, “I was looking forward to hours of torturing you. I really haven't had much practice and I've never worked on a magickal creature before.”
She turned to wink at Rupert, “Or does a Hell Goddess count as a magickal creature cause I helped in kicking the ass of one.” Willow thought it prudent to leave out the part that she'd been weakened by her human half when said ass was kicked.
“I feel Avalon's blessing.”
Rupert masked his shock at that one simple sentence well. His heart beat frantically but his facial features were bland. Had Nimue and Merlin given them some of Avalon's magick when they'd glimpsed them in the mirror? There were only a few things you could count on with the Fey, they would never go against those that had the blessing of Avalon.
Rupert's arm raised in an arc as he mumbled an incantation releasing the bound Fey. “Take her to Gwendolyn.”
The Fey looked questioningly at Rupert, “Don't you want to know where Ethan is?”
“Well actually, you don't really have to look for me. I decided to join your little party.” Ethan's voice came out of the shadows in the corner.
Willow watched in horror as the Fey was suspended in mid-air by Ethan's magick and slowly his skin began to turn in on itself. She fought down the bile that had risen in her throat as the screams of pain filled the air.
“I might not be strong enough magickally to kill you, Lochlain but with the pain you'll wish I could. You'll serve as a lovely monument to those that would betray me.”
Ethan turned to Rupert and Willow, “Now the question is are you real or are you yet another shifter pair? Good plan by the way, Ripper. You're the third Willow-Rupert pair I've run into.”
Willow's mind gave the call that the shifters had been waiting for. A series of flashes of light filled the room and the only sound was Ethan's mocking laughter as he saw the many pairs of Willows and Ruperts.
Ethan clapped his hands slowly, “Bravo, Rupert, Bravo. Which one is the original and which are copies? Hmm, Should I waste my time trying to figure out who's who or go for the direct route and kill you all, sorting it all out later?”
One of the shape shifters that had morphed as Rupert raised an eyebrow at Ethan. “You really think you're a match for all of us?”
A Willow shape shifter morphed into Ethan and sent him back his own smirk, “Or defeat yourself?”
Soft growling came out of the darkness in the surrounding corridors and Ethan smiled at his opponents. “Do you think I wouldn't have sent for reinforcements?”
Willow turned toward the noise and stiffened when a pack of werewolves stepped out of the shadows. SHIT! Oz and Veruca were supposed to have been on the opposite side of town. What had Druscilla and the others found when they got there if not the weres?
Ethan smiled at Willow's reaction. “I see you recognize my pets even in their wolf form. Don't you find glamour spells useful especially against vampires?”
Before Rupert or Willow could answer there was a loud explosion on the opposite side of Ethan's compound. Rupert inwardly smiled at Wesley's perfect timing.
“Ripper, I'm quite impressed that you started using weapons instead of relying on your magick.” Ethan turned toward Willow, “Must be your influence, he's always been a traditionalist. Unlike myself that uses any means necessary.”
A clicking noise to Willow's left startled her and she spun to greet the latest threat from Ethan.
OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD. Her worst nightmare came walking toward her. As horrible as it was to see Oz mated with Veruca and being a part of Ethan's elite forces it didn't compare to seeing Warren among those that stepped out of the shadows.
She blinked rapidly and shook her head to clear her vision. God, please let this be a mind trick or an illusion or ANYTHING but Warren holding a gun.
“Love?”
Rupert turned sharply when he saw Willow's panic. His eyes roamed over the mercenaries but didn't see anything that should cause her frightened reaction. He knew about her girlfriend's death from gunshot but Willow hadn't seemed to be afraid of guns.
Ethan smirked when he saw Rupert's concern for the red head. Gotcha! Shape shifters may look like Ripper, act like Ripper, even have his magickal aura but none of the other Ruperts were as concerned for the witch.
Willow grabbed blindly for Rupert's hand, “The dark haired man near the middle wearing a blue shirt with a white stripe.”
Rupert's eyes followed to where Willow described, “Is there a double in your world?”
“I-it's Warren.”
Warren? WARREN. Shit just what they didn't need. Oz, Veruca and Ethan on one side with the face that still haunted Willow's nightmares on the other.
“Ah, love.” Rupert whispered in Willow's mind, “You don't have to face this…”
Willow cut him off in her thoughts, “I HAVE to Rupert. I have to know that I can face Warren and not go all Darth Rosenberg.”
“Right, then. You take Warren and his group, I'll take Ethan and the shifters can take the weres. Wes and the others should be here in a bit.” Rupert turned his attention to the DSN to let them know the plans had changed a bit.
Ethan watched fascinated as all of the shifters morphed from their Rupert/Willow shape back into their natural shape. He didn't know what Rupert had planned next but he knew it would be a wild ride. Ethan always had good times with Ripper.
Willow straightened her spine and faced the mercenaries holding their guns at the ready. She knew she could defeat them without much drain on her magick it was the not going to the dark side part that she was having problems with. She hoped that Darla and Dru would keep their promise to kill her.
“Funny thing about bullets, certain ones inflict certain pains.” A voice to Willow's left uttered.
The only betrayal of Willow's recognition of that voice was the clinching of her jaw. How could she not have noticed him? Her only excuse was that Warren had garnered all her attention and she didn't notice any of the others. Riley, Riley with a very long ragged scar down his cheek, raised his weapon to his shoulder and pointed it at Rupert's back.
“Some bullets are silver, quite deadly for the weres.” Some of the soldiers pointed their weapons at some of the shifters that had become weres.
“Some have special ingredients in the gunpowder that render magick useless. Tsk, tsk the DSN might not be able to transform to anything.” Some of the soldiers pointed their weapons at the DSN that were in their natural state.
“And some bullets are designed to do as much damage to the human body as possible.” The rest of the soldiers aimed their weapons at Rupert and Willow, with a few turning theirs toward the other entrances. “Those are my favorite.”
Alrighty, time to beat Riley with a shovel. Metaphorically speaking of course. Willow's eyes began to glaze over as she connected with the Earth's magick. An unexpected jolt filled her body. This was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. This was more than when she sucked the dark magicks from the books; this was more than the rush of the white magicks that Giles and the coven gave her.
The soldiers that had their eyes on the red headed witch only gave away their nervousness by the ticking of a muscle in their jaws and the slight tremor of their trigger finger. Her hair was billowing around her like the snake filled head of Medusa and her eyes were glowing an eerie white.
Lochlain, the Fey that had been turned inside out by Ethan, began screaming in horrific pain as the healing magick of Avalon flooded the room and his insides were turning back to their proper place.
Ethan's eyes widened as he felt the ancient magick the witch was calling on and not even realizing she was doing it. ‘Oh yes, this one would make a fine addition to his side.' Just imagining the power of Avalon turned to the dark brought a dark smile to his lips. He'd done his research or rather his spies had done their research and found out about Willow's soulmate dieing recently by gunfire in her world. He'd planned for the mercenaries to be the first step for her delving into the dark magick.
Rupert didn't like the look on Ethan's face as he watched Willow. It was way too smug. Without wasting time and knowing Willow could fight her own battles he threw an energy bolt at Ethan.
The energy blast knocked the dark wizard into the far wall. He stood and cracked his neck side to side. “That wasn't very cricket, Ripper.”
As soon as Rupert's energy bolt hit Ethan, Oz gave a loud roar and signaled his weres to attack. The DSN in their natural state bonded together into a large liquid mass that caused some of the younger weres to be trapped in their gelatinous grasp.
Some of the soldiers fired into the liquefied DSN causing areas to harden and crack off. The figures of the trapped werewolves continued their struggle against the mass.
At the sound of the first gunshot Willow's arms rose from her sides and a barrier was erected. Only a few bullets got through but the rest bounced harmlessly onto the floor.
Warren signaled for the others to begin firing. “She can't block us all.”
The soldiers that were aimed at Rupert, Willow, and the shifters began to fire simultaneously. Willow's glowing eyes shone brighter and her hands moved into a semi-circle as if to erase the bullets.
Riley and his second in command watched in fascination as the bullets melted into nothingness as they hit the barrier. Riley yelled in shock as his gun turned into a hissing cobra in his hands.
A roar and a blast of heat brought Rupert's attention to the ceiling above him. His face drained of color as he saw Eyghon peering down at him. “What's the matter, Ripper? Cat got your tongue?”
His mind knew it was an illusion but his soul was afraid. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ethan advancing and it was that movement that brought Rupert out of his stupor. With a casual wave a vampire appeared next to Eyghon and the demons battled before both disappearing in ashes.
One of the soldiers keeping guard on the entrances fired into the hallway as Faith rounded the corner. Only her quick Slayer reflexes allowed her to miss being hit by the bullet as she rolled out of the way. Jesse laughed as Faith came up swinging and the soldier fell unconscious to the ground.
“Lesson one: Never piss off a Slayer.” Jesse lobbed a teargas bomb over the prone body and into the room. “Lesson two: Expect the unexpected.”
As soon as Jesse tossed the teargas Wesley placed a barrier so the gas would affect only the soldiers. A smile lit his face as he watched the mercenaries fight with an assortment of animals that had once been guns and the oncoming results of the gas.
Faith stood in the doorway with hands on her hips, “Damn, they started the party without us.”
Willow was frantically trying to rein in the magick that was currently flowing through her body uncontrolled. The current sensation felt like the first time she saw a vampire and realized they were real. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweaty and her skin felt clammy. The power coursing inside her was ancient and powerful. Willow feared it was too much too soon. The only reason she wasn't as scared as she might have been was that it wasn't dark. The only other time she'd felt this pure white magick was when she'd sucked the magick out of Giles that the coven in England had given him. But unlike then this was no rush.
Peripherally, she knew that the fighting was continuing around her. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Rupert was battling his own demons both real and imaginary. The teargas that Jesse lobbed into the room and the fighting that ensued also penetrated her consciousness but to Willow, her world was telescoping down to her internal battle.
Ethan and Rupert both stumbled to their knees as they felt the effects of the powerful magick that now permeated their section of the room. Rupert swiftly turned his head to look at Willow as he dimly heard Jesse call Willow's name.
Faith, Jesse, and Wesley battled the soldiers frantically trying to keep the mercenaries' attention away from Willow and what was happening on the other side of the barrier. They knew something was wrong when the snakes the soldiers were fighting suddenly turned back into their guns.
Wesley could marginally feel the potent power that was emanating from behind the barrier. His eyes widened as he saw both Ethan and Rupert brought down to their knees. He knew that if the magick was that powerful, he and the others would not be able to function.
“Keep fighting. We must stick to the plan.” Wesley shouted to Faith and Jesse. They had to keep fighting the warriors and let the high wizards fight their own battle.
Jesse noticed two of the soldiers stopped fighting and turned toward the barrier and Willow. The brunette soldier reached inside his pocket and pulled out a grenade. With a maniacal smile he pulled the pin and tossed it toward Wesley's force field.
Jesse instinctively shouted Willow's name as he saw the grenade fly toward her.
“SHIT! RUN!” Faith yelled as she tried to pull Jesse and Wesley toward some cover.
Rupert watched helplessly as Willow's body rose in the air and her muscles tensed. Her arms were flung ramrod straight out from her body while a white beam shot out of her eyes. The light engulfed the room a millisecond before the grenade exploded.
The blast from the grenade knocked Jesse, Faith and Wesley to the ground behind the makeshift wall that Faith had made. Faith shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears. “You okay?” She asked Wesley as he wiped debris off his head.
“Fine. Jesse?”
Before Faith could answer, Jesse groggily sat up and rubbed the trickle of blood from a small cut on the side of his head. “Oh, just peachy.”
None of them had time to evaluate injuries as mass confusion seemed to dominate the room. Faith could hear the soldiers yelling for everyone to fan out. Their leader seemed to be frantically looking for someone or something but she didn't hear what. She dismissed them as a threat as some of them left. She knew that the second wave of Tara, Amy and others of the Wizarding Council would be there to capture them. Out of the corner of her eye, Faith caught movement and she turned to investigate. She watched as the weres that had survived their battle with the DSN shifted back into their human bodies. It wasn't until then that it registered that she hadn't seen any of the shifters since the blast. Her eyes glanced over to where she had last seen the shape shifters and only saw some remaining soldiers milling about keeping watch on the weres. It wasn't until one of them winked at her that she realized they were the shifters disguised as mercenaries.
Jesse drew a sharp intake of breath when his eyes scanned the room and he saw that Rupert, Ethan and Willow were nowhere to be found. A feral growl erupted from his lips as he ran toward the weres and Oz. He avoided Faith who reached for him as he neatly dodged her hands and continued toward his target.
“Where is she?” Jesse shouted as he ignored the soldiers and grasped a bloodied Oz by the throat.
A small smirk flitted across Oz's face as he stared into Jesse's eyes. “Dead.”
Jesse's grip grew tighter and he watched in satisfaction as the smirk slowly faded from Oz's face.
“Jesse! NO!” Faith yelled as she used her Slayer strength to peel his hands away from the werewolf's throat. “He's not worth it.” Faith sighed in relief as she felt Jesse's fingers slowly relax under her grip.
One of the shifters approached Jesse. “The wolf lies. I don't know where Ethan or your friends are but they aren't dead. I think they may have teleported out. Just before the weapon exploded a blinding white light filled the room and the three of them faded from sight.”
~~~
Rupert blinked rapidly as his vision slowly cleared. One minute he watched in horror as Willow's body rose in the air and the next they found themselves not in Ethan's lair but in a wooded glen. His eyes scanned the area, frantically searching for Willow. His heart leapt into his throat when he couldn't find her. Rupert's eyes narrowed as he saw Ethan slowly starting to rise.
A snarl escaped his lips as he tackled Ethan to the ground. Rupert's fist landed a solid blow against his jaw. “Where is she?”
Ethan's head snapped to the side from the force of Rupert's blow. He laughed hollowly as he wiped the small trail of blood from the side of his lips. “You know as much as I do, old mate.”
Rupert clinched his teeth in anger and punctuated each word with a kick to Ethan's stomach. “Where… is… she?”
A drop of blood fell on the ground as Ethan coughed. “I told you. I don't bloody know.” He raised his hand as if to ward off another blow but instead he threw an energy beam at Rupert knocking him off his feet.
Ethan cautiously rose while he kept a wary eye on Rupert. He chanced a glance around the wooded area hoping to glean his exact location. Unlike Rupert, he didn't give a rat's ass where the lovely Willow was; he was more concerned with himself and his survival.
Rupert stood and threw an energy blast at Ethan's back knocking him into a tree. A small smile flitted across his lips as he watched Ethan slump to the ground.
“Irretite.” He watched in satisfaction as the vines along the forest floor began to move and twine their way around Ethan's body tightly securing him to the tree.
“Ripper, wha…” Ethan's voice was suddenly cut off as the thick vegetation that encircled his head sent a tendril to cover his mouth.
“Shut it. You've caused quite enough chaos, Ethan.”
“We quite agree, Knight.”
Rupert spun at the sound of the feminine voice.
Nimue, Merlin and two others that Rupert didn't recognize appeared in front of him.
“Only four times in the eons of keeping stability between Light and Dark, have we had to make an alliance in order to maintain the delicate balance.” Nimue turned unfathomable eyes toward Ethan. “For too long you have been allowed to cause havoc in this mortal realm. The balance was tipped and we sought to rectify it.”
Merlin smiled at Rupert. “You need not be concerned with your lady. She is safe and resting.”
Rupert slightly relaxed. Merlin hadn't said that he would see Willow again… just that she was safe. As much as he wished he could be noble and say that as long as Willow was safe he was happy, it would be a lie. He was selfish enough to admit he wanted to be with her. Wherever she was.
Ethan listened in horror as a high pitched keening sound echoed through the woods. It was the sound of the Banshee and it caused shivers to shoot down his spine. For the first time since the vines had ensnared him, he was grateful the vine hid his screams.
The two cloaked figures that had appeared with Nimue and Merlin waved their hands, which caused a dark fog to envelope Ethan.
A cool mask fell across Rupert's face as he watched his old friend become engulfed in the Dark fog. He hoped the last thing that Ethan saw on this earth was his uncaring face. Rupert waited until the Dark Ones and Ethan were gone before turning his back on the empty space.
“Willow? Can you take me to her?”
Nimue laid a soft hand on Rupert's shoulder. “You have earned your request, Knight. Your lady awaits.”
The same bright white light that had enveloped Ethan's lair now filled the forest as Nimue and Merlin escorted Rupert to Avalon.