Xander rubbed his temple as he read the book placed on the table in front of him. He had seen countless entries about demos with the power to control and now
on to his fifth book they were no closer then they had been at the start.
"I think I got another...okay I so can't pronounce that..." he said.
"It's not him." Hope said looking at his book for a second before turning back to her own.
"How do you know, you didn't even look..." Xander spoke before Hope held out her hand for the book.
"Not our demon." she said looking at the picture before giving the book back to Xander.
"The particular race that that demon belonged to only has the power to control children, that and he was killed some time during the forties by a slayer." Hope said with grin.
At this Xander gave Giles a questioning look.
"She's right." Giles said sounding a little too surprised as he saw the demon in question.
"What can I help it if I aced demonic studies?" she asked seeing Faith and Xander surprised looks.
"Watcher's pet." Xander said in a playful tone before turning his attention back to the book in front of him.
"How is it that you know these things?" Giles asked from where he stood beside Xander.
"What you think a slayer can't read?" Hope asked in a serious tone causing Faith head to pop up.
"Well…I…of course I…" Giles stumbled over his words.
Hope couldn't do it any more she burst out laughing as Giles tried to answer her question.
"Relax Mr. Giles I was just kidding." Hope told him.
"Ah, so I see it's still customary for you slayers to make fun of watchers." Giles said.
"It was actually one of the council's new policies, demonic studies I mean, slayers had to learn about demons, then that way we would be truly prepared when out on patrol" she informed them.
"That's a very smart move." Giles said.
"You should think so it was your call." she said causing a small smile to spread across Giles's face.
"You also made us fill out a report when we got back from patrol." Hope said causing Faith's face to drop.
"Ok now this new system we’re not talking about all the slayers right?" Faith asked
"No, you and Buffy didn't have to... I don't think that Kennedy did either." Hope answered.
"Besides what would you have written? Vamp's dead I'm not. Five by Five." Xander joked earning him a punch in the arm from Faith.
"Yeah I wasn't too keen on that part, I think my first one went something like...Demon, Slayer, dead demon." Hope admitted.
The group continued to research for what seemed like a life time, Dawn and Buffy had since joined the group at the table, and were once again in heavy research mode.
Dawn spared a glance across in Hope's direction the future slayer was now sat on the floor in the corner of the dining room. A number book's lay open at her feet. Her eyes wondered the space in front of her, clearly not interested in the book she was holding. Her left foot tapped the floor softly in a rhythmic motion, while her fingers did the same on the book cover. Dawn turned her attention back to the book in front of her for a second before glancing back over to.....
"Ah!!!!!" Dawn cried out jumping out of her seat, the spot were hope had been a second ago was empty.
"What the..." Kennedy asked as the others came into the room after hearing Dawn's outburst.
"Hope she was there and then.." Dawn said pointing to the empty corner.
"Hope?" Buffy called out, entering the dining room she found Hope slipping on her jacket.
"You're leaving?" Buffy asked, as the others entered the kitchen.
"I'm sorry but I've entertained this idea for long enough, we've been researching for the better part of the night and we've found squat." Hope said wincing as she pulled on her jacket.
"Hope, we'll find something, but going off half cocked isn't the best thing to do." Giles said.
"Yeah well it beat's sitting around here looking for answers when we don't even know if we're asking the right questions." Hope told him
"Hope, just wait we'll find something that will tell us what's controlling..." Hope didn't give Buffy time to finish her sentence.
"Why are you so stuck on this, you're not even willing to accept the possibility that they're doing this of their own free will. None of you are." she said raising her voice.
"You don't seem so surprised at that concept." Giles said crossing his arms.
"You didn't seem so surprised when you came back here with Spike either, pissed off sure but not really surprised." Kennedy added.
"Now Kennedy that's not what I meant I was simply..." Giles began.
"You're right." Hope told them.
"What?" Faith asked.
"I wasn't surprised...I wasn't surprise when the door flew off its hinges, I wasn't surprised when they stepped into the bar, when they killed that man in cold blood. In act I can even tell you that they're out there right now looking for a way to draw you out." Hope told them with a small smile on her face.
"Okay Hope you wanna tell me what the hell's going on." Buffy said anger clear in her voice.
"Don't you see... you're too busy trying to find out what's going to happen? Hope said stepping
in front of Buffy.
"When the truth is it’s already begun." Hope told her.
"You're one of them aren't you?" Faith said stepping forward, with clenched fists.
"As simple as that would make everything right now... sorry to disappoint you but I'm one of the good guy's" Hope said to Faith holding her hands up in mock surrender.
"But you said Kennedy was..." Willow said.
"Okay we've wasted enough time this evening a little more can't hurt..." Hope muttered before tuning back to the group.
"You're spell worked like a charm... what was it you said now..." Hope paused as if trying to remember.
"Oh that's right every girl in the world who could have the power... will have the power...and then we did, even those of us who weren't even born yet." Hope said placing both hands on her chest, to indicate herself.
"But I guess that you were a little to busy playin’ God to see the big picture, think of it as a worst case scenario... as long as there's been a slayer there's had to have been one, some turned their backs on their calling, while other's were killed after only hours in the field, hell some only made it as far as a psychiatric facility..." Hope said
"Hope that's enough." Xander said.
"Can you imagine been being four years old and having dreams of demons and every other creature that hell spat out..." Hope said.
"I wasn't surprised because where I come from this happens everyday, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of slayer's but when the darkness came none of that mattered, any slayers that managed to survive... they abused their power, instead of fighting the demons, they worked with them, leaving us who still gave a damn to clean up their mess." Hope said before turning to leave.
Hope turned away from the others and took a step toward the door way bumping into Kennedy who now stood blocking her path.
"Okay don’t get me wrong I do have respect for my elders but we're not in the future here so reality check... I can still kick your ass." Hope told her
"You gonna step aside or do we throw down?" Hope asked Kennedy who still didn't move.
"Kennedy." Giles said wanting to avoid any conflict.
Doing as she was told Kennedy stepped aside, Hope quickly brushed past her opening the door she quickly exited slamming it behind her.
"Not one of the bad guy's... I think I need a little more convincing on that one." Kennedy said taking a seat at the kitchen counter.
"What do we do now, follow her?" Faith asked.
"I'm not so sure that's the best thing right now, best to let her calm down first I'd like to avoid anymore confrontation if possible." Giles answered.
Hope was slowly calming down as she walked the streets of down town Sunnydale, she hadn't meant to go off at the others like that but, they hadn't seen the future they didn't have to live there. She didn't blame Buffy for what had happened. If I'd been in that situation I probably would have done the same. Truth be told she was grateful to Buffy for what she had done, If it weren't for the power inside of me I would have been dead long before the world went to hell. She was sorry for what she had said, but she knew that they would forgive her, that's the type of people they are, were she corrected herself, they were all dead where you're from remember. She just hoped they would be so forgiving of her if they were to ever find out the truth about her... who she really was...
Her trail of thought was interrupted by the sounds of a struggle coming from the ally just in front of her, she took off into a run coming to a stop when she saw a figure slumped against the wall, as she got closer she saw that it was a man. Standing over him she saw the slack expression on his face, his eyes stared into nothingness.
"I'm sorry." she said knowing that she had been too late.
"Don't feel so bad for him, it was a quick death." came a voice from the shadows a voice that she would recognise anywhere.
"There's no such thing." Hope replied turning away from the body in time to see Ethan step out from the shadows.
"I should have known you'd have something to do with this, you haven't changed much have you Ethan?" Hope asked as he walked across to her.
"Actually you'd be surprised." he told her.
With a quick flick of his hand electricity shot out from his fingertips hitting Hope in the chest, causing her to fall to the ground in pain. She stayed down for a few seconds, the pain in her chest causing her breath to come out in heaving gasps. After a few seconds she managed to slowly raise herself so that she were on here knees. Ethan stood in front of her, thinking he had won, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Is that... the best you... got?" she said laughing in his face, even as her teeth were covered in a thin layer of blood that was slowly beginning to trickle from the side of her mouth.
"Actually..." Ethan didn't finish he just nodded to someone behind her.
The pain in her chest was too much for Hope she didn't have time to turn and see who...suddenly she felt someone’s arm wrap around her neck she struggled in vain as she felt a sudden prick in her neck, the ally in front of her began to swirl as she felt someone tilt her head backwards.
"That was just a warm up...I'd say that this has been a pleasure but apparently we've already met." she heard Ethan say.
"You...son ...of…a...."Hope didn't have time to finish as darkness overcame her.
The group stood around various places in the living room, each of them watching silently as Willow concentrated on the map that lay on the coffee table in front of her, various road's and placed lit up as she did so.
"You sure this thing's gonna work?" Faith whispered to Xander who stood beside her.
"Positive." he whispered before turning his attention back to Willow.
"Okay I... I found her she's just around the corner from the magic box, she's behind it in the ally." Willow told them pausing a second.
"What is it Will?" Xander asked knowing that something wasn't right.
"Okay I've got good new and bad, I found Spike." she said with a small smile.
"and the bad news?" Buffy asked.
"Okay see here." Willow said pointing to a glowing dot that was moving on the map.
"That's Spike that's a strong signal, were as Hope's..." she paused pointing the other signal.
"It's barley glowing." Kennedy said.
"Wait what does that...is she..." Xander questioned.
"It could be for a number of reasons. I think the best thing to do right now is..." Giles began
"Already ahead of you, 'you coming?" Buffy asked.
"You bet I am." Faith said pulling on her jacket.
"Okay we'll find Hope, Kennedy I need you to stay here in case any of our new friends decide to start making house calls. I need you the rest of you to keep looking into this, Willow check the net if anyone's rented out motel room's, large spaces I wanna know." she said before walking to the door with Faith in tow.
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
