Strange Prophecy: Part One
by Windrider
Disclaimer: The characters of Adam, Megabyte, Masters, Lady Mulvaney and General Damon are not mine, they belong to Thames TV and/or Roger Price. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, and Ms. Calendar are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I promise to return them when I get done with them hopefully none the worse for the wear. All other characters are mine.

Author's note: Telepathy messages are shown by * *. This story takes place in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and after "The Culex Experiment" on The Tomorrow People. Also thanks go out to my beta reader Zandarah, who's help was greatly appreciated.



***


Buffy sighed. It had been a long day. First she had been late for home room, then there was the paper due in English. Finally, the pop quiz in fifth period algebra had been terrible. Because the teacher had a habit of giving pop quizzes, she had even studied with Willow just in case the night before, though it had done her little good. Thank goodness it was Friday.

"Hey, Buffy!" two voices called out in unison.

"Hey, Xander. Hey, Willow," she greeted unenthusiastically.

"What's the matter, Buffy?" Willow asked as stopped in front of Buffy. "The quiz not go okay?"

"Yeah, you could call it a historical disaster. I am the Slayer not an algebra whiz like you," grumbled Buffy as she started toward the library with Willow. "I mean if it's a vampire I slay it but the Quadratic Equation or the x+y=z stuff is beyond me."

"Hey, am I sensing a little hostility there, Buffy? I mean you know that we need this stuff in real life, don't ya," laughed Xander as he followed his friends toward the library.

"Xander, that is one of the few things I don't need right now," Buffy remarked as she walked into the library.

"Well on that note, pending any doom and gloom prophecies from Giles then what say you, me, and Willow party at the Bronze tonight?" Xander quickly changed topics.

"I am up for that. How 'bout you, Will?"

"Fine with me, but I need to study for my history test," the hacker answered.

"Come on, Willow, that test isn't until Monday, so chill a little!" Xander teased.

"Yeah chill, Will," Buffy agreed as she walked up to the table where Giles was sitting, engrossed in another of his dusty old volumes. "Hey, Giles." When he didn't respond, she tried again, louder this time. "GILES!!!"

"Um, yes, Buffy," said Giles as he finally acknowledged the trio standing before him.

"Anything up that I should know about, beside the fact that you need a life beyond these books."

"Yo, G-man! Anything up?" asked Xander.

"Not that I can tell, Buffy. There is a prophecy that I am trying to track down, but it does not seem that important it is very vague...And, Xander, I thought I asked that you never call me that again."

"Sorry. Forgot," smirked Xander.

"Prophecy, Giles? What do you mean?" asked Willow curiously as she sat at her computer.

"This text says..." Giles began to quote, "'The boy with the fire hair and new first man shall disappear in lighting' and 'knowledge is power, thus then danger shall arrive from this for the Slayer.'"

"Oh, yeah, that is cryptic much," commented Xander as he sat down a the table beside Willow.

"I agree with Xander there, Giles that seems awful vague to me. Besides, I am always in danger from something either vampires or reptile boys," Buffy replied nonchalantly.

"Don't forget invisible girls and giant praying mantises," chimed in Xander as Willow shuttered, "Or demonic metal boyfriends and zombie brothers."

"I know, Buffy. That is why I was looking for more on this new prophecy when you walked in, just now," sighed Giles as he took off his glasses and began to rub his temples to relieve the headache that was developing.

As she started to turn toward the door, Buffy said, "Well, since you said that this seems to be a very general prophecy, I think, if there is nothing else, that we will leave you alone with your books. Right guys?"

"Yep," said Xander as he jumped up to follow Buffy, grabbing Willow as he went by.

"Okay with me, I guess," Willow said as she was pulled by Xander away from her beloved computer.

"Wait, Buffy," called Giles before the teens could get very far.

"Do be careful just because this prophecy seems to be sketchy at this time, it does imply that you will be endangered so don't do any thing rash."

"Don't worry, Giles. We are only going to the Bronze tonight," called Buffy as the trio left the library.

"That is what worries me," muttered Giles.


***
Laying in the sun on deserted beach on a south seas island a young man was reading a book while catching a few rays. He was average looking, with dark hair and a slender build. But looks could be deceiving, because Adam Newman was far from average. He was the leader of the Tomorrow People, who were the next stage in human evolution. A Tomorrow person would be perceived as normal up until they reached puberty and then some time during that period a hormone would activate their powers and they would "break out". Adam was telepathic, could teleport, and had an intermittent ability to heal other people by touch.

* Hey, Adam? *

* Yes, Megabyte .*

* What's you doing? *

* Just laying on the beach reading a book . *

* You want to come over and hang out with me? *

* Sure, why not, be there in a second. Just let me change my clothes. *

With a flash of light, Adam teleported to the inside of the old abandoned space ship that lay, mostly buried, in the sand on the island. There, he changed into some jeans and a t-shirt.

The ship was Adam's home and the meeting place of the other tomorrow people. The ship for the Tomorrow People was like the library for Buffy and friends. It was left on earth by some ancient alien race, intended for aiding in the next stage in human evolution. It sent out a beacon that attracted newly "broken out" Tomorrow People. However, it also had an annoying miscalculation, because instead of drawing them to the ship itself, it would drop the new person in the sea near the ship. The newbies would then be bought ashore so that they could be taught by the others to use their powers.

Marmaduke "Megabyte" Damon was a normal looking teenager that loved to do normal stuff...like sit in front of the TV, or hangout at the mall and play video games, or even to surf the net. But his computer was currently being upgraded, and there was not much on TV. To put it simply he was bored to death. He hated this new town. Why did his mom and his sister get to stay in England while he was stuck there with Dad? Just because Dad wanted to watch over him was no reason to make him come here.

Megabyte looked up as Adam teleported in. "Hey, man, how is things?"

"Fine," Adam replied as he glanced around the living room of the rented house. "So how do you like Sunnydale?"

"Its boring, school sucks, and there is only one club The Bronze in this town. There is no real mall to speak of because it is so small. I wish Dad had not taken this job here. He's never here because he's overseeing the design and implementation of SunCal's security system. This normally would be good, but there is nothing to do. I promised not to leave the Sunnydale area when he is gone, because he worries about me...Otherwise I would just teleport to England to see Kevin or Ami."

"Yes, but remember, Megabyte, that he's doing this to help get the money to pay for your college education. You do want to go to Berkeley next year, don't you? And after all the trouble that you get in, I would not want you to leave the area either," says Adam parentally.

"Yeah, but this is Sunnydale, California, not Los Angeles or even San Francisco. There is nothing to do here at all," huffed Megabyte.

"You said there was a local club, why don't we go there and 'do something' later?"

"Okay that beats just sitting here and surfing the channels. But, Adam, there are some people that are different somehow. Especially this one girl named Cordelia. Let me tell you...the first day of school here she nearly drove me crazy with questions like where was I from, who is hot and not, what is the music I listen to and stuff like that."

"Well, I will try to avoid her. Any one else that I should be aware of?" asked Adam.

"Although when I went to the club, some of the people gave me the willies...not really."

"Well then, Megabyte, let's go get some pizza, then go to The Bronze afterwards."

"That sounds like a plan, Adam."


***
The bronze was packed because it was a Friday night. The majority of the patrons had just had a long hard week of school that required a full weekend of partying to overcome. There was a live band that had the place rocking. Not everyone, however, was rocking the night away.

"Willow, come on! We've been here for over an hour and all you have done is sit there and watch everyone else dance including me and Xander."

"I know, Buffy, but you know I don't dance well and all those people moving and shaking makes me nervous," Willow yelled to Buffy over the noisy background.

"I know but if you ask Xander I am sure that he will dance with you 'cause you are 'his Willow'. Anyway, he looks silly just dancing out there by himself," shouted Buffy as she sat at the table sipping her diet coke.

"I don't think so..." replied Willow. "Gee, I wish Buffy would leave me alone about this dancing thing," she thought. "Why did Angel have to be pulling one of his disappearing stunts? If he were here then I know she wouldn't think a thing about me..."

"WILLOW, BUFFY, COME ON! DANCE WITH ME!" a very enthusiastic Xander called out as he "danced" near the table interrupting Willow's thoughts.

"There has to be way out of this, gotta think..." Willow scanned the crowd for away out of this. "Geez, where's a vampire when you really need one?"

"Hey, Willow? Do you know who those two guys are over there by the bar are? The red head and the taller dark haired guy?" Buffy asked.

"Well the red head is called Megabyte. He's new in town. I guess his father is some security analyst or something. I have computer class with him during second period. The other guy...I have no idea...never saw him before. Why?" inquired Willow as she leaned over to talk to Buffy without having to yell.

"I don't know. Giles wants me to work on my Slayer senses more so they will get stronger...It's just that there is something that is different about those two especially the dark haired one," Buffy looked them over more closely. The dark haired one did not feel like a vampire, but he also did not feel like any of the other people in the club. "Willow, since you know at least one of them, maybe you could introduce me so that I investigate them closer," commented Buffy. Besides, the dark haired one was kinda cute...though he was no 'Angel'. He did, however, have her spider senses tingling.

"Okay, let's invite them over and talk to them. I wanted to talk to Megabyte about an assignment that we have due next week, anyway. He's as good with the computer as me, or so says Ms. Calendar."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Will."

Adam was not having a good time. There were just too many people and too much noise to think straight, let alone keep up with the conversation that Megabyte was trying to have. He had also been having the strangest feeling that someone was watching him. He scanned the crowd, but did not notice anyone except the blonde and red head at the table across the dance floor from him. They seem to be watching him, but probably it was a coincidence..

* ADAM? *

"Yeah, Megabyte, what did you say?"

"I said 'so what do you think of this club?' It's really packed and things seem to be looking up, 'cause that blonde over there has been checking you out for the past several minutes."

"I don't think so, Megabyte," Adam said as he glanced at his friend "There is something about her, though, that seems weird...Do you know who she is?"

"Well, I think that her name is 'Buffy' and the red head beside her is 'Willow.' I have class with her she seems nice, is very smart, and great with a computer!"

"Do you know anything about this 'Buffy' girl?" wondered Adam . "Or that guy that just sat down with them?"

"Not really, I have heard that she is a troublemaker but I seriously doubt that, because she hangs with Willow all the time...and Xander. That's Xander who just sat down beside them. He's okay," said Megabyte as he finished off his coke. "You want to go over and talk to them and see what's up?"

"We could," Adam said as he a Megabyte stood up and started over to the trio.

"What's up that has you two so occupied," asked Xander as he plopped down on a stool next to the table where Buffy and Willow were sitting. They were getting ready to get up to go talk to Megabyte and his mysterious friend.

"Nothing," Willow replied as she turned to Buffy. "We were just wondering who that was with Megabyte. Because Buffy says there is something unusual about them, we thought we would go over and check them out. Right Buffy?"

"Right," she said as she turned to face Xander.

"I don't think that will be necessary because, here they come," replied Xander.

* Megabyte, you know these people better than me, so you go first and introduce me as an out of town friend.*

Adam looked over at Megabyte as they neared the table. Right then, the guy said something that made both girls quickly turn and look toward them.

* All right, Adam. *

"Hello, Willow, Xander. How are things going? This is my old friend Adam Newman. He is here visiting me while on vacation from school. I don't believe I have met your friend, here," he said, turning to Buffy. "Hi, I am Megabyte."

* Smooth, Megabyte. * Adam groaned inwardly as he put on a warm smile and said hello to the trio.

"Hi. I'm Buffy," said Buffy as she wondered about Adam's accent. What was an Austrian doing in Sunnydale? And how did he come to be friends with an American teenager? "Why don't you two have a seat and let's chat a while."

"Sounds good to me. How about you, Adam?" asked Megabyte as he pulled up a stool and sat beside Willow.

"Okay," replied Adam as he sat next to Buffy. Xander remained seated in between Willow and Buffy.

As the night wore on and the crowd slowly began to calm down, the two Tomorrow People and the Slayer and her Slayerettes got to know each other. After an initial uneasiness in the conversation between the five, the conversation took on a more normal 'getting to know each other' tone. Willow and Megabyte discussed computers while Xander and Adam discussed similar interests. While everyone else calmed down, however, there was still an unspoken tension between Buffy and Adam. Neither could figure out why they were bothered. Each sensed strong power in the other, but not what the power was. Things were fine otherwise, until The Bronze closed and the five left to go home. That is when the trouble began.


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