Darrel Gibson re-entered his office. He placed his suitcase on the table and flopped down into his chair. His trip to phoenix, although productive, was unfulfilling. He managed to get rid of Drukar but he was too late to arrive at The Chamber building. He rubbed the temple of his nose. He was so close yet so far away from The Signum Key. There was a knock on the door which made Darrel look up.
“yeah!” he snapped
The door opened and an associate entered he was brandishing a piece of paper.
“Welcome back sir. How was Phoenix?” the associate asked
“Unproductive,” Darrel replied, “The key is still out there somewhere.”
The associate smiled.
“Then this should brighten your day.” He said as he laid the piece of paper on Darrel’s desk, “Four people arrived in town last night.”
“And why would that make me happy?” Darrel asked as he read over the document
“For starters our intelligence tells us they came from Phoenix. Plus they’re carrying something with them something powerful.”
A look of surprise crossed Darrel's face as he finished the document he looked up at the associate.
“That’s right sir. These four people are carrying the key with them. You want to hear some more good news?”
Darrel smiled.
“Go ahead.” Darrel replied
The associate handed him a second piece of paper.
“This is the woman leading them.” The associate happily
Darrel's smile grew.
“I think this is going to be the best day of my life.” Darrel replied
~ Raleighfield University, Raleighfield California ~
Penny stood nervously out side the door to the lecture hall. She bit her bottom lip as she watch her brother Alex teach his class. Next to her Brett stood curiously watching his girlfriend. Brett held Penny’s hand and felt how much she was quivering.
“So are we going to go in or just yell from behind the door?” Brett asked
“Ah he . . . he looks busy maybe we should come back later.” Penny said nervously
“He hasn’t seen you in two years I don’t think he’s gonna complain.”
“Yeah I guess,” Penny replied anxiously, “I just don’t wanna . . .well.”
Brett frowned sympathetically at her. He stroked her hair caringly.
“What’s wrong Pen?” he asked
Penny looked over to Brett fighting back the tears.
“What if he’s mad at me? What if he doesn’t like me anymore?”
Brett sighed and pulled Penny into a hug.
“Oh babe,” he said in a caring tone, “I love you. But don’t make me push you in there.”
Slowly Brett opened the door and motioned for Penny to enter. Penny took a deep breath and walked in. Alex was scribbling down some equations when he heard the door close. He stopped writing and leaned against the blackboard.
“Whoever that is you better have been missing or dead because I’m not going to accept . . .” he said angrily
Alex turned around and froze. The chalk dropped out of his hand as he saw Penny at the top of the stairs. This was too much for Penny she covered her mouth as the tears started to flow.
“Penny?” he asked with a cautious optimism
Penny nodded. Forgetting her fear she rushed down the stairs an jumped into her brothers arms. Alex hugged Penny tightly as the tears began to flow. From the top of the stairs Brett watch happily. He had only known Penny for a few months but he knew how much she wanted to see her brother again.
Rebecca sat in her office writing up notes on the students she was working with. She smiled to herself as she went through the memory of discovering her sister in law alive and well. Rebecca stopped for a moment and looked at the photo of herself, Penny and Shona. The only way this moment could become more perfect is if Shona arrived in town.
“Congratulations.” A voice said from the doorway
Rebecca looked up and the smile dropped from her face as she saw Darrel Gibson leaning in the doorway.
“What the hell do you want?” Rebecca demanded
“I’m just here to join in the moment,” Darrel shrugged, “I heard on the grapevine that you got your husbands sister back.”
Darrel walked in and sat down. He placed his feet on Rebecca's desk and folded his hands casually in his lap.”
“I bet you’re husbands really excited about it.” He continued
“Get out.” Rebecca said coldly
“Oh come one Rebecca just because I’m trying to kill you doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Oh, while we’re on the subject of Penny, she didn’t happen to bring anything with her did she? Say, for instance, a stone disk of some kind?”
Suddenly Darrel's purpose for visiting became very clear. Rebecca glared at him purposefully.
“There is no way I am handing over the Signum Key.”
“Really,” Darrel replied calmly, “well, in that case, I’m going to have to get you and her arrested on possession of stolen goods.”
Darrel stood up and headed out the door. He turn and smiled at her.
“You don’t understand how difficult I can make you life. I want you to remember that before you make your next move.”
~ Graces café, Raleighfield California – 10 minutes later ~
Alex, Penny and Brett were already seated as Rebecca rushed into the café. Rebecca noticed the strange sight of a small bird sitting on one of the poles of the chair.
“Sorry I’m late I had a . . . visitor I had to deal with.” Rebecca said apologetically
“It’s okay we haven’t started yet.” Penny replied
Rebecca smiled at her warmly. Penny giggled excitedly.
“I cant believe this,” she said, “I though I wouldn’t see you guys again.”
“So what happened to you?” Rebecca asked curiously
Penny sighed she doesn’t like thinking back to the battle.
“During the battle I was pulled out by The Wanderer . . .”
“long story there.” Brett commented
“ . . . Anyway he told me I was chosen buy Hope to be her new champion.” Penny continued
Rebecca looked at Penny in confusion. Penny smiled at her as the Night-Hawk landed on the table.
“This is Hope. . . ” She said
The small bird chirped at them.
“. . . She says hello”
“Oh that is so cute you got yourself a pet.” Alex commented
The bird chirped at him and what he interpreted as an angry tone which made Penny laugh. Alex looked at his sister confused.
“She said she doesn’t like the patronizing attitude your giving her.” Penny explained
“You can understand her?”
“Yeah it was a little weird at first,” Penny replied followed by a small pause, “God I missed you guys so much, I mean, after I went to the Hyperion and saw all that blood I . . .”
“Whoa, wait,” Rebecca commented, “When were you at the Hyperion?”
“I think it was about two weeks after the battle.”
Alex rolled his eyes and dropped his head into his hands
“Oh my god.” He said
“What?” Penny asked curiously
“Penny,” Rebecca said seriously, “We were there.”
Penny looked shocked.
“What?!” she said in a more urgent tone
“We were on the third floor. I was still recovering from the battle and didn’t leave the room much.”
“What about all the blood?”
“Well we did just come back from a huge battle there was a lot of bleeding people and floor of the lobby not that easy to clean.”
Brett sensed the tension coming from penny and put his arm around her in a comforting manner. Penny looked at Alex and Rebecca stunned.
“Man,” she said softly, “I didn’t know.”
“Did you bother to check!” Alex snapped, “Did you even think about searching the place or was it just in and out.”
“No it was just . . . “ Penny fumbled
“God that is so like you Pen! Never finished what you started. Didn’t you think for one . . .”
Rebecca put her hand on Alex's to tell him to stop. Alex took a deep breath and pulled himself back.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t . . .”
Penny frowned hurt. Brett pulled her in closer. Rebecca noticed the two of them and decided to change the topic quickly.
“So this is your boyfriend huh?” she asked as cheerfully as she could, “How long have you two been going out?”
“About a month,” Brett replied, “Well there was the awkward bit where pen went kind of . . .”
Brett felt Penny elbow him in the ribs.
“Kind of what?” Rebecca asked
“We don’t need to go into that.” Brett replied sharply
Brett noticed Rebecca studying him which made him a little edgy.
“Listen, it was great meeting you two, but I have to head out. Gotta find the others.” He said
Penny looked at Brett in confusion as he stood up and headed for the door. Penny excused herself and caught up at him at the door.
“Don’t go.” She said
Brett smiled at her.
“It’s okay Pen you need time with them alone,” Brett replied, “You have a lot of catching up to do.”
“You don’t need to leave.”
Brett hugged Penny and kissed her on the forehead.
“I’ll talk to them later okay? I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’m going to see them.”
Just then Brett’s cell rang. He answered it
“Yeah?” he said
“Brett, it’s Megan, how quickly can you get into town from where you are?” Megan said on the other end of the line
“I’m hear now, why?”
“You know those people who were looking for Penny?”
“Yeah.”
“They just showed up here.”
Brett looked at penny urgently. Penny looked at him curiously and mouthed the word ‘what?’.
“Alright tell me where to meet you and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“What’s going on?” Penny asked
“Those people The Wanderer was talking about, the ones looking for you, just showed up.”
“We better get on this quick.”
“No you stay here. We’ve got this one.”
“Brett!”
“You’ve got family to catch up with. Plus it’s harder to find you if you’re not there.”
Back at the table Alex had his head in his hands. Rebecca was rubbing his back caringly
“What am I doing?” Alex asked, “I haven’t seen her in two years and what’s the first thing I do? Yell at her.”
“You’re just shell shocked Alex, We’re both are, last thing we expected today was to see Penny again.”
“That’s no excuse.”
Rebecca smiled and pulled Alex’s face up to look at her.
“I know how much you love your sister. You’re just trying to look out for her like a big brother should. Penny more then understands that.”
“I wanted her back for so long Beck. And now she’s here and I don’t know how to react.”
Rebecca hugged her husband.
“Just be happy.” Rebecca replied
Unknown to all of them, across the road from the café, they were being watched. The thin lizard like demon watched the scene with interest before he pulled out his cell.
“Yeah this is Benny,” the demon said down the phone, “I found him. Looks like their playing catch up.”
“Excellent,” Rorgia said down the other end of the phone, “Keep on him I want to make his welcome warm.”
~ Center of town, Raleighfield California ~
The Wanderer leaned casually against the wall of one of the buildings. What he found out about this down worried him. The amount of unusual events suggests that this town in on a Hellmouth but there was something different about this Hellmouth. As he was thinking about the information he was researching The Wanderer noticed a bright flash of light come from one of the alleyways. Cautiously he walked over and noticed the pair standing around curiously. Recognizing them instantly The Wanderer’s next move was to the payphone nearby. In the alleyway Angel and Willow stood impatiently.
“Didn’t the note say anything else?” Willow asked
No all it said was ‘be in Raleighfield in four days’.” Angel replied
“Maybe we should go talk to Rebecca see if she has any idea what’s going on.”
“No.” Heidi said from behind them
Angel and Willow turned curiously and stared at the teenager.
“Heidi? What’s going on?” Willow asked
“I-I can take you to Nighthawk now.”
“Now?” Angel asked, “Wait a minute. Back in phoenix you weren’t leading us towards Penny you were leading us away. Why?”
Heidi shifted awkwardly.
“The key is important . . . I-it needed to be safe,” she said, “P-people were in the wrong place to do that.”
Angel and Willow looked at each other. If the Signum Key was involved they knew trouble was going to follow quickly.
“Can you take us to her now?” Angel asked
Heidi looked past the both of them.
“N-need to deal with them first.”
Again Angel and Willow turned around to see Brett and The Wanderer holding crossbows at the both of them. Megan stood ready with an energy ball. On The Wanderer’s shoulder a small bird sat and watched them curiously.
“Why can’t we ever meet nice fluffy bunnies when we go somewhere?” Willow asked
“Can we help you?” Angel asked
“Yeah you can,” The Wanderer replied, “start by telling us who you are and why you want Nighthawk.”
“You know where she is?”
“Don’t you know it’s rude to answer a question with a question?” Brett commented
“We don’t want any trouble.” Willow commented
“Neither do we,” The Wanderer replied, “But if you make one move to try and hurt her we are going to be on you like a horny dog!”
Angel and Willow looked at them curiously. There was something off about this situation.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding here,” willow explained, “We don’t want to hurt Nighthawk we just want to find her.”
“Why?” Megan asked
“To give peace of mind to her brother and sister in law,” Angel replied, “my name is Angel, this is Willow, we’re friends of hers.”
Slowly The Wanderer lowered his crossbow.
“Hold on guys,” he said indicating to the other two to lower their weapons, “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
“Let Penny decide,” Angel replied, “If she doesn’t recognize us you can kill us.”
“Sounds fair,” Brett replied, “But no funny business.”
“Agreed. Are you coming with us Heidi? . . . Heidi?”
There was silence from behind them. Angel turned and noticed that Heidi had left. That girl had gotten stranger and stranger since he met her.
~ The Mall, Raleighfield California – 10 minutes later ~
Sarah walked slowly on the second level of the huge shopping complex. This was a daily ritual for her as money wasn’t an object. As she walked she heard her cell ring.
“Hello.” She said cheerfully
“Neighborhood Watch?” Rodger said on the other end of the line, “This is Rodger Stone.”
Sarah stopped. She found herself a quiet corner and made sure no one was looking.
“Yeah sir?” she asked
“I received a report from one of the other watches in California that the wayward slayer might be making her way to Raleighfield. If she arrives I want you to find her and report back immediately.”
Sarah smiled evilly.
“Can do sir,” she replied, “I’m all over it.”
Sarah hung up the phone and walked out of her hiding place only to be confronted by Heidi. Although startled by her sudden appearance Sarah never lost her cool.
“What do you want freak?” she asked, “Trying to find a new girlfriend?”
Heidi just stood and stared at her. After a moment of awkwardness Sarah picked up her bags and walked off. Heidi watched her go. Sarah was going to cause trouble if she wasn’t stopped. with this Heidi was going to need help.
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