Futures Hope: Return to chaos: chapter six
by little firecracker
Disclaimer: The buffyverse and its character's do not belong to me, however Hope does.

A/N: Okay this is Chapter six. I've tried to make the chapters a little longer and add more detail so I hope that I've succeeded. Please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. You love something or hate it tell me.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


When she woke up, Hope could still feel the pain in her chest where the bolt had hit her, tilting her head she saw that she was in a warehouse, she tried to move but found she was tied to the table by her wrists and ankles. She grunted as she struggled against her bounds, stopping when she saw someone coming towards her.

"Ah you're awake... I was beginning to think you'd be out for the night." Ethan said as he walked towards her.

Hope began to pull on the ropes once more.

"That was a very powerful sedative. I'd say you’re about an hour of your game." Ethan told her.

"So you're her, the future slayer. The one that has the demons in hiding, well any demon with half a brain anyway," Ethan told her with a small smile that made Hope feel sick to her stomach.

"What do you want with me... you could've killed me while I was out... you must need me for something?" Hope finally spoke.

"Cleaver girl...as a matter of fact I do need you, you're going to help me bring the slayer down once and for all." he told he placing the palms of his hands on the table.

"Yeah, see here's the thing, I was a total bitch to Buffy before I left this evening so as far as bait goes I'm pretty sure you picked the wrong girl… sorry I guess she’s not gonna show. " Hope said with a mocking smile.

"Well then it's a good thing I see you as more then bait isn't it. Four years I've been preparing for this day, Do you have any idea what it's like to be strapped to a steel table while a bunch of scientists do painful and complicated things to you're body, to try and see what actually makes you tick, to be drugged up with whatever sedative they picked out that week."

"You ask me you had it coming." Hope told him straight up

She soon regretted her choice of words when Ethan sent another volt into her chest, only this one was stronger then the last and longer. Hope's body raised a few inches above the table, as she screamed out in pain, the current flowed into her for what seemed like a life time, just when she though she was about to pass out he finally let up.
Her body dropped back onto the table, I hope I was wrong when I said they wouldn't come.

"Now then... is there anything else?" Ethan asked

Hopes only reply was a small shake of her head, a she lay still on the table, her breath's coming in small gasps.

"It wasn't too bad though being cooped up with a warlock for example, so good of him to give me these before he died." he said pulling a small pouch away from his belt.

He slowly opened the pouch and emptied the contents into his hand, two black orbs he held them just low enough for Hope to see.

"The orb's of Nezzal'khan." Hope whispered,

"Yes, and with them I will be power full enough to kill Ripper and the girl." he told her placing them back on his belt.

"And soon-my-electro-ray-will-destroy-Metropolis, first rule of being the bad guy, Ethan, never reveal your plan to the enemy." she said shaking her head at his stupidity.

He raised his hand electricity crackling at his fingertips.

"Do we really need to go through this again?" he asked with a cocky smile.

"It doesn't matter." she said grinning back at him.
"The girl's, the new trick's up your sleeve, the orb's none of it matters, you're still going to fail, and believe me I should know, after all Buffy was still alive in my future, so was Giles. I know you have a heart in there somewhere too after all I was there the night it was ripped from your chest, under different circumstances I might have found some satisfaction in your death.

Ethan's jaw tightened as he listened to the future slayer,

"Maybe you're right but thing's change child. I have something now that I didn't have before." He said he loomed over her.

"And what's that?" she asked

"You." he said as he placed his hands on her one on her head and the other on her chest.

Within seconds black energy began to circle around them like a small tornado, his hands glowed as the same energy passed from his hands into Hope's body which convulsed on the table, his eye's turned black and an evil smile spread across his features.


Buffy and Faith rounded the corner of the building, both of them keeping their guard up as they walked across the street towards the magic box.

"What if we run into the next generation, what happens then?" Faith asked

"We fight I think that we've proven that we can take on our own." Buffy said with a small smile.

"Once or twice," Faith said as they stepped into the ally.

"Okay the spell said she should be somewhere in this ally." Buffy said looking forward.

"Well unless she's invisible...she ain’t here." Faith said as they walked further into the ally.

"I'll call Willow ask her to try the spell again maybe..." Buffy paused seeing something shiny on the ground.

Closing her phone she walked over, picking it up she saw that it was a necklace, with a small silver cross.

"That's Hope's." Faith said seeing the chain in Buffy's hand.

Moving it aside a small amount of blood smeared across the palm of Buffy's hand.

"That's not good." Buffy said aloud.

"Its hers." said Spike from the shadows causing them both to jump.

"She was here," Spike said stepping out of the shadows, and walking towards them.

Faith heard a noise coming from behind the magic box, turning away from the others she began to walk towards the edge of the building.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Spike said.

Faith disappeared around the corner, a few seconds later she swung back around the corner, her back firmly place against the building her face as white as a sheet.

"What..., what is it a demon?" Buffy asked Spike.

"Worse." said Faith as she walked over to them.

"What could be worse?" Buffy asked.

"Well right now... half of Sunnydale's police force who happen to be standing around that very corner, decorating the ally with their pretty yellow tape." Faith told her.

She and Buffy both looked at Spike for answers as to why.

"There's been a murder." he told them.

"Hope." Buffy asked looking at the bloody necklace in her hand.

"It's not our girl, they found the body about an hour ago, bloke was stabbed in the chest, straight through the heart." he informed them both.

"Can you tell where she went?" Buffy asked him.

Spike stood for a few second with his eyes closed, smelling the air around him.

"Her trail ends here, she din't walk out of 'ere that's for sure." He told them.

"We need to get out of here." Faith said not taking her eye's of the ally ahead of them.


Walking through the back door Buffy saw that Kennedy and Xander were seated at the small counter while Giles stood in the corner. Faith walking past her took a seat at the counter beside Kennedy. Spike closed the door and stood beside Buffy.

"Did you find something?" Giles asked.

"You could say that." Faith said.

"The ally was a bust?" Kennedy asked noticing that Hope wasn't with them.

"Not entirely." Buffy said pulling the bloody necklace onto the counter in front of her.

"That's Hopes." Xander said after taking a closer look at the necklace.

"She wasn't there?" he asked.

"No." Buffy said before looking at the bloody necklace for a moment.

"Did you find anything else?" Giles asked folding his arms across his chest.

"Didn't really get the chance to look. Half of Sunny dales finest were standing around the corner." Faith told them.

"Huh?" Kennedy asked

"Cops," Faith told her.

"The police were there?" Giles asked.

"There's been a murder a man was stabbed around the corner." Buffy told them.

"Good Lord." Giles said

"There's blood on it." Kennedy said aloud as she lifted the necklace of the counter.

"Yeah we already got that part." Faith told her.

"We still sure she's one of the good guys?" Kennedy asked.

"What?" Xander asked.

"Come on tell me I'm not the only one seeing this. She storms outta here and less then two hours later there’s a dead guy in an ally with a hole in his chest. The same ally where the spell took you to in the first place." Kennedy told them.

"You're wrong." Xander said not wanting it to be true.

"I think the bloody necklace proves otherwise." she told him

"It's her blood... on the necklace." Spike pointed out to them all.

"So maybe he fought back...it wouldn't be the first time..."Kennedy said stopping suddenly.

"You wanna finish that sentence, Brat?" Faith asked clearly not in the mood for this.

"You need to back off... right now..." Xander told Kennedy his voice low and dangerous, caught all the others by surprise.

Their little shouting match quickly drew the attention of Dawn who came into the kitchen.

"What's going..." she began to ask.

"Did you find something?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing so far but..." Dawn began only to be interrupted once more.

The sound of Willow's voice came from the dining room, but what she said wasn't in English. Spike and Giles both looked up instantly recognizing the language as Latin.

"What?" Xander asked seeing a huge smirk appear on Spikes face.

"I had no idea Red used that kind of language." Spike said as they all filed into the dining room.

"Y' know I might actually finish a sentence before the day is finished." Dawn said as she followed them.

The others began to stand in different areas of the room while Buffy when to stand beside Willow.

"You are not gonna believe this." Willow said.

"I did what you said, checked out motel bookings, new leases..." Willow told her.

"And." Buffy asked.

"And look who’s back in town." Willow said pointing at a name on the screen.

"I swear if a demon doesn't kill this guy I'm gonna." Buffy said

Stepping forward Giles looked at the computer screen in front of him.

"Ethan." he said a bitter edge in his voice.

"Say's here he's been renting a small warehouse, not too far from the docks." Willow told them.

"Is there and address?" Giles asked.

"Yeah it's right here." Willow showed him.

"How long...how long has he been here? Buffy asked.

"About a month and a half." Willow said looking at the screen.

"Right about the same time our newest house guest showed up." Kennedy said referring to Hope.

"Okay would you stop..." Xander said

"She's right." Buffy said.

"Buff' this is crazy. Have you thought about this really?" Xander asked.

"Xander's right B, it doesn't add up." Faith said

"There's a lot that doesn't add up... you heard Spike, the slayers back at the bar were gonna kill her." Willow said standing up.

"Red's right luv, it doesn’t make any sense killin' one of there own." Spike told her.

"Then I guess that we'll just have to ask her." Buffy said.

"Gather what weapons you want but be quick about it we're leaving now." she told them.

The others began to spread out gathering what they needed, Faith walked over to the weapons chest and pulled out a set of throwing stars and a small knife which she placed into her boot before stepping aside allowing Xander to reach for the axe.

"Question?" Faith said.

"Shoot." Xander replied as he turned to face her.

"Who the hell is Ethan?" she asked.

"Come' on I'll fill you in on the way." he said with a small smile.



This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=13886