Fic: Trouble on the Way 5/6
Aug. 22nd, 2010 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonyphoenixTitle: “Trouble On The Way” 5/6
Characters: In this section: Xander, Buffy, Ripper, Joyce, and Oz.
Rating: PG-13
Concrit: Please, in comments
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, not yet, but the will be once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha.
Summary: There's a new female demon, a werewolf, in town. Guess who's attracted.
Note: This story is set around the time of “Band Candy”, but, in my version, Xander and Cordy have already broken up. Sorry. Basically I wrote the story and, in a later edit, decided I needed to associate it with a specific episode. “Band Candy” fit best in terms of time-line and demonic activity so I went with it despite the fact that Xander and Cordy were still an item then.
Note: Thanks to diebirchen, the most gracious Fairy Godmother of Verbal Usage, for the beta. All errors, of course, are entirely mine.
Note: I borrowed the terms kakodaimon and eudaimon from Lit Gal's Kin of the Heart, which I highly recommend. The specific chapter that defines the terms is here.
Note: I've been forgetting to add this. Thanks to Lonecannan for kicking me in the butt and convincing me to finish this story.
All chapters of this story can be found here.
* * *
Helen ran, trying to find a place where she could be alone and get her bearings, but the parks were full of grownups acting like teenagers. Groups of old men were standing around everywhere. Women, as old as her mother and older, giggled as they walked past the men. Everywhere she looked, grownups were acting as badly as kids. No, worse than kids, she thought as some guy, old enough to be her father, wolf-whistled at her.
She turned and yelled, ready to lash out at anyone. “You old pervert,” she started, but then she heard the squawk from what sounded like a police radio followed by, “Spotted her near corner: Fairmont and Wilmington.” As Helen raced off into the night, she could tell, with senses she hadn't had even a month ago, that four– somethings were converging on her. People? Monsters? Did it matter? Some months after she'd been slashed by the werewolf, Helen had noticed that she could run faster than most people. Picking up speed, she left her stalkers behind.
Helen dashed through Cedar Knoll Cemetery, leaping over gravestones as she ran. As Helen spotted the far exit, she looked back to see if she was still being followed. Slowing a bit as she ran through the gates, but with her attention still focused on the cemetery, Helen didn't notice Xander walking along on the sidewalk until they were both a tangle of arms and legs on the ground.
“Helen,” he said, smiling, as if he got knocked over so often he didn't even notice it.
As they stood up, she saw that his knuckles were bloody. “I didn't do that, did I?” she asked tentatively.
“Nah,” he replied, wiping off the blood. More welled up from the cut. “Some old geezer hit me with his cane as I was helping him to the hospital.”
A twig snapped somewhere behind them in the cemetery. Helen jerked her head around but saw nothing. Something is there, someplace, trying to find me, Helen thought. She stared at the blood. Her grandmother had told her to be careful. The smallest bit of her saliva could curse another if it made it's way into his bloodstream. Then I'd have someone to watch my back.
“Hey, Helen,” Xander said, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “You OK?” When she looked up, he had a wary look in his eyes. Helen froze, uncertain what to say. “Here, hold this a second,” he added, pulling something out of his back pocket and handing it over.
Helen looked at it and wondered why he'd handed her a cross; he didn't seem to be that religious. Xander took it back and pocketed it without offering an explanation. “You really shouldn't zone out on blood like that. It might give someone the wrong impression.”
Helen hunched her shoulders and crossed her arms, curling them around herself. She glanced at Xander and then down to the ground. In the distance, Helen heard one of the monsters from the Bronze, the one that Xander called friend, and that was what decided her. There was too much going on. She needed someone. Once Xander was a werewolf, he'd have to help. He'd have the same problems she had. “Here,” she said, taking Xander's hand in hers. “Let me kiss it better.”
“Mom,” the monster wailed. “Giles. Stop kissing.”
“S'not Giles,” someone responded.
“Fine. Ripper, back away from my mother.”
The words tugged out a memory of her parents kissing on the couch while she and Tracey made faces. Looking at Xander, Helen could tell by his open expression that he trusted her. She shoved him to the ground. “Stay away from me,” she shouted.
“Helen, what?” he asked as he pulled himself back up.
“No. Get back. Don't– don't trust me like that.”
“You really shouldn't trust her.” Five people, all dressed in combat black, stepped out from behind trees and gravestones. Each one had a gun aimed at either Helen or Xander.
Xander stepped between Helen and the guns. “I don't know what's up with you people and guns,” Xander told the newcomers, “but they're not really the weapon of choice in Sunnydale.”
Oh my God, Helen thought. He just did that for me, and I almost bit him?
“All we want is the girl,” the woman said. “You can walk away from this. In fact, I'd recommend it.”
“Not going to happen.” Helen hadn't known that Xander could sound so determined.
“Xander?” a voice called out, as Buffy stepped into view. Seeing the guns, she added, “Hey! Who the hell are you?”
A woman, wearing a dark jacket with feathers along the edges said, “Her Mom is so going to wash her mouth out with soap.”
The man who was holding onto her hand and looked like James Dean in those old movies her Mom used to love, replied, “Thought you were her mother.”
“Oh yeah,” the woman giggled.
The man seemed to recognize the people with the guns right off. “Ooooh,” he mocked. “Look at the tough little Jagers out hunting monsters. We've already taken out the demon, so sod off and go home.”
Ignoring him, a man who looked Asian but sounded American, said, “Slayer.” While Helen didn't know what he meant, Buffy seemed to make sense of it.
“So you know who I am,” Buffy said. “I still want to know why you're aiming guns at my friends.”
“They aren't hunting demons.” Mr. Nash, panting as though he'd been running for his life, stopped clutching a stitch in his side. Next to him– Helen took a few steps back from the shock of it: a werewolf. Helen didn't know how she knew, but she was certain.
“What's up?” he asked calmly.
“Giles,” Buffy asked, “Who or what are they?”
“Ripper,” he corrected, rolling his eyes.
Grabbing him by the collar, she replied, “Your name is going to be mud it you don't give me some answers now.”
As she released her hand, he pushed away and combed his hair back, but the dark-haired woman spoke up before he could reply. “We're called Jagers. Because the Slayer can't be everywhere, an order of knights was created whose sole purpose is to destroy kakodaimons.”
“Kak what?” Buffy asked.
“It's a Greek term meaning evil demons,” Ripper supplied.
“Wait, I thought all demons were evil,” Joyce said.
“You're knights?” Xander asked.
The dark-haired woman shrugged. “More of a military unit now, but the history is there.”
“How about some names?” Buffy said.
The dark-haired woman, who was apparently the leader of the group, nodded and a man, whose hair was the same sandy blond as Rafe's, although his build was slighter, stepped forward. “Sergeant Caterina Ramon, our squad leader and demolitions expert,” he finished.
Xander blinked and mouthed, “demolition?”
“Makoto Meyers is our sorcerer and medic,” he added. The Asian man gave them a nod of the head so formal it was almost a bow.
“Robert Savitch, our pilot and vehicle expert.” A dark-haired beanpole of a man tipped an imaginary hat at the group.
“And I'm Wayne Cadwell, second-in-command,” he finished.
“Rogue demon hunters,” Angel said, stepping out of the shadows. At Buffy's quizzical look, he added, “I saw your car window getting smashed at the hospital. Thought I'd follow to see you safely home.” Nodding towards the Jagers, he finished, “Glad I did.”
“Be careful whom you call rogue, vampire,” Sergeant Ramon said. Then, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to stave off a headache, she told the Jagers to lower their weapons.
“Sergeant? I don't think that's such a good idea,” Wayne said. “I don't care if she is the Slayer. They're working with a Domuti and a vampire.”
“That's not enough to keep us on full alert,” Sergeant Ramon said, putting away her gun. “You know Domuti aren't the enemy, and the vampire does seem to be a friendly. We're here to recruit, not hunt.” The other Jagers put away their guns as well although Makoto and Wayne took more time about it.
“Recruit?” Xander asked with a start. “Me? I mean I've got the soldier memories and all, but why–”
“Not you,” Mr. Nash said, stepping forward as he interrupted Xander. He pointed to Helen.
Xander shook his head. “Helen? But–”
“She's a werewolf,” Oz said, laying a comforting hand on Xander's shoulder.
“Werewolf?” Xander shouted with a start.
“There wolf,” Helen said, pointing towards her own chest.
“Wait. What?” Joyce asked. Ripper, taking advantage of Buffy's distraction, put an arm around Joyce's waist and whispered in her ear, presumably explaining the situation to her.
As a couple of old geezers ran past in the street, trailing toilet paper behind them and shouting at the top of their lungs, Buffy said, “How about we take this someplace private?”
“Or maybe we could find out what happened to Rafe first,” Wayne countered.
“Oh my God. I left that demon with my roommate,” Helen shouted.
“Demon?” Buffy asked. “What demon?”
“I,” Helen started. Buffy started tapping her foot against the sidewalk. The unexpected sound grounded Helen. “The one from the bar the other night. He's back at my apartment with Kris. I should, oh God, I should have bashed its head in with a frying pan or something. Who knows what it's done to her.”
“Hey,” Wayne said, storming up to Helen. “That's my brother. I'm the only one who gets to bash his skull in.”
“Brother?” Buffy asked. “I thought he was a demon.”
“Well you see,” Ripper started up.
“Quiet,” Sergeant Ramon shouted. Everyone shut up and looked at her. “Rafe was sent to recruit you. He should have followed you out of the apartment,” she said, almost sounding like she was accusing Helen.
“They're in her bedroom,” Helen said.
“That does sound like our Raphael,” a Southern accent drawled out. When Helen looked over, Robert shrugged.
“Call him up,” Sergeant Ramon told Wayne. “Tell him to meet us,” she stopped and turned to Buffy. “Where do you suggest we go?”
“My shop has space in the back,” Mr. Nash offered.
“No,” was all Sergeant Ramon said, but it was enough.
“My digs are a couple of blocks away,” Ripper offered. “I'm sure you know the way,” he said.
Sergeant Ramon nodded and turned to Wayne. “Tell him if he doesn't want to be cleaning toilets for a month, he'd better beat us there.”
“Mom. Giles. Behave,” Buffy said, dragging her mother off of Ripper and gesturing for him to lead the way. While Sergeant Ramon and Wayne stayed with the group, the other Jagers disappeared into the shadows. At a nod from Buffy, Angel vanished as well.
Xander strolled along next to Helen. “Can everyone you know do that?” she asked him.
“What, vanish like that? Nah. Angel can because he's a vampire,” Xander replied.
“Vampires. Monsters.”
“And werewolves, oh my!” Xander said jokingly.
Buffy, still holding onto Joyce, joined them. “Hey,” she asked Helen. “Are you OK?”
“Of course,” Helen said.
Scrounging through her purse, Joyce came up with a piece of gum. “Here, you look like you could use this.”
“Um, thanks,” Helen said.
“You don't look OK,” Buffy said bluntly.
“It's been a difficult week,” Helen shrugged, trying to make light of it. She didn't want to break down and cry in front of so many strangers.
“Don't worry,” Buffy said. “Nobody's taking anyone anywhere against their will.”
“Good to hear,” Oz said as he joined them.
“Huh?” Xander asked.
Oz shrugged. “They're after werewolves.”
“And you're not interested in being recruited against your will. Can't blame you,” Xander said. “When I was in the army, they had us doing push-ups from–“
Wayne, putting away his cell phone, turned to the group and said, “That's not how we operate.”
Oz glanced over at Mr. Nash, who was walking at front with Ripper, and Wayne bristled. “Don't believe everything that old Domuti tells you.”
“Caldwell,” Sergeant Ramon barked.
“Sorry, ma'am,” he replied.
“What was that about?” Xander asked.
“Well,” Joyce started. She blew a bubble with her gum and then continued. “That Wayne guy was being really nasty about Mr. Nash. That Ramon lady probably wants, you know, to make a good impression if she wants to recruit Helen for whatever it is, and Wayne there isn't helping.”
Oz shrugged. “Makes sense.”
Helen tried not to stare. The woman did have a point, but why did she sound like an aggrieved teenager? Helen lowered her face and didn't look up from the stairs; they must be getting close to Ripper's apartment and to whatever confrontation was going to happen there. When they stopped she glanced up to see Rafe waiting near a door. He nodded as he caught her eyes. Helen hid behind Xander.
Characters: In this section: Xander, Buffy, Ripper, Joyce, and Oz.
Rating: PG-13
Concrit: Please, in comments
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, not yet, but the will be once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha.
Summary: There's a new female demon, a werewolf, in town. Guess who's attracted.
Note: This story is set around the time of “Band Candy”, but, in my version, Xander and Cordy have already broken up. Sorry. Basically I wrote the story and, in a later edit, decided I needed to associate it with a specific episode. “Band Candy” fit best in terms of time-line and demonic activity so I went with it despite the fact that Xander and Cordy were still an item then.
Note: Thanks to diebirchen, the most gracious Fairy Godmother of Verbal Usage, for the beta. All errors, of course, are entirely mine.
Note: I borrowed the terms kakodaimon and eudaimon from Lit Gal's Kin of the Heart, which I highly recommend. The specific chapter that defines the terms is here.
Note: I've been forgetting to add this. Thanks to Lonecannan for kicking me in the butt and convincing me to finish this story.
All chapters of this story can be found here.
Helen ran, trying to find a place where she could be alone and get her bearings, but the parks were full of grownups acting like teenagers. Groups of old men were standing around everywhere. Women, as old as her mother and older, giggled as they walked past the men. Everywhere she looked, grownups were acting as badly as kids. No, worse than kids, she thought as some guy, old enough to be her father, wolf-whistled at her.
She turned and yelled, ready to lash out at anyone. “You old pervert,” she started, but then she heard the squawk from what sounded like a police radio followed by, “Spotted her near corner: Fairmont and Wilmington.” As Helen raced off into the night, she could tell, with senses she hadn't had even a month ago, that four– somethings were converging on her. People? Monsters? Did it matter? Some months after she'd been slashed by the werewolf, Helen had noticed that she could run faster than most people. Picking up speed, she left her stalkers behind.
Helen dashed through Cedar Knoll Cemetery, leaping over gravestones as she ran. As Helen spotted the far exit, she looked back to see if she was still being followed. Slowing a bit as she ran through the gates, but with her attention still focused on the cemetery, Helen didn't notice Xander walking along on the sidewalk until they were both a tangle of arms and legs on the ground.
“Helen,” he said, smiling, as if he got knocked over so often he didn't even notice it.
As they stood up, she saw that his knuckles were bloody. “I didn't do that, did I?” she asked tentatively.
“Nah,” he replied, wiping off the blood. More welled up from the cut. “Some old geezer hit me with his cane as I was helping him to the hospital.”
A twig snapped somewhere behind them in the cemetery. Helen jerked her head around but saw nothing. Something is there, someplace, trying to find me, Helen thought. She stared at the blood. Her grandmother had told her to be careful. The smallest bit of her saliva could curse another if it made it's way into his bloodstream. Then I'd have someone to watch my back.
“Hey, Helen,” Xander said, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “You OK?” When she looked up, he had a wary look in his eyes. Helen froze, uncertain what to say. “Here, hold this a second,” he added, pulling something out of his back pocket and handing it over.
Helen looked at it and wondered why he'd handed her a cross; he didn't seem to be that religious. Xander took it back and pocketed it without offering an explanation. “You really shouldn't zone out on blood like that. It might give someone the wrong impression.”
Helen hunched her shoulders and crossed her arms, curling them around herself. She glanced at Xander and then down to the ground. In the distance, Helen heard one of the monsters from the Bronze, the one that Xander called friend, and that was what decided her. There was too much going on. She needed someone. Once Xander was a werewolf, he'd have to help. He'd have the same problems she had. “Here,” she said, taking Xander's hand in hers. “Let me kiss it better.”
“Mom,” the monster wailed. “Giles. Stop kissing.”
“S'not Giles,” someone responded.
“Fine. Ripper, back away from my mother.”
The words tugged out a memory of her parents kissing on the couch while she and Tracey made faces. Looking at Xander, Helen could tell by his open expression that he trusted her. She shoved him to the ground. “Stay away from me,” she shouted.
“Helen, what?” he asked as he pulled himself back up.
“No. Get back. Don't– don't trust me like that.”
“You really shouldn't trust her.” Five people, all dressed in combat black, stepped out from behind trees and gravestones. Each one had a gun aimed at either Helen or Xander.
Xander stepped between Helen and the guns. “I don't know what's up with you people and guns,” Xander told the newcomers, “but they're not really the weapon of choice in Sunnydale.”
Oh my God, Helen thought. He just did that for me, and I almost bit him?
“All we want is the girl,” the woman said. “You can walk away from this. In fact, I'd recommend it.”
“Not going to happen.” Helen hadn't known that Xander could sound so determined.
“Xander?” a voice called out, as Buffy stepped into view. Seeing the guns, she added, “Hey! Who the hell are you?”
A woman, wearing a dark jacket with feathers along the edges said, “Her Mom is so going to wash her mouth out with soap.”
The man who was holding onto her hand and looked like James Dean in those old movies her Mom used to love, replied, “Thought you were her mother.”
“Oh yeah,” the woman giggled.
The man seemed to recognize the people with the guns right off. “Ooooh,” he mocked. “Look at the tough little Jagers out hunting monsters. We've already taken out the demon, so sod off and go home.”
Ignoring him, a man who looked Asian but sounded American, said, “Slayer.” While Helen didn't know what he meant, Buffy seemed to make sense of it.
“So you know who I am,” Buffy said. “I still want to know why you're aiming guns at my friends.”
“They aren't hunting demons.” Mr. Nash, panting as though he'd been running for his life, stopped clutching a stitch in his side. Next to him– Helen took a few steps back from the shock of it: a werewolf. Helen didn't know how she knew, but she was certain.
“What's up?” he asked calmly.
“Giles,” Buffy asked, “Who or what are they?”
“Ripper,” he corrected, rolling his eyes.
Grabbing him by the collar, she replied, “Your name is going to be mud it you don't give me some answers now.”
As she released her hand, he pushed away and combed his hair back, but the dark-haired woman spoke up before he could reply. “We're called Jagers. Because the Slayer can't be everywhere, an order of knights was created whose sole purpose is to destroy kakodaimons.”
“Kak what?” Buffy asked.
“It's a Greek term meaning evil demons,” Ripper supplied.
“Wait, I thought all demons were evil,” Joyce said.
“You're knights?” Xander asked.
The dark-haired woman shrugged. “More of a military unit now, but the history is there.”
“How about some names?” Buffy said.
The dark-haired woman, who was apparently the leader of the group, nodded and a man, whose hair was the same sandy blond as Rafe's, although his build was slighter, stepped forward. “Sergeant Caterina Ramon, our squad leader and demolitions expert,” he finished.
Xander blinked and mouthed, “demolition?”
“Makoto Meyers is our sorcerer and medic,” he added. The Asian man gave them a nod of the head so formal it was almost a bow.
“Robert Savitch, our pilot and vehicle expert.” A dark-haired beanpole of a man tipped an imaginary hat at the group.
“And I'm Wayne Cadwell, second-in-command,” he finished.
“Rogue demon hunters,” Angel said, stepping out of the shadows. At Buffy's quizzical look, he added, “I saw your car window getting smashed at the hospital. Thought I'd follow to see you safely home.” Nodding towards the Jagers, he finished, “Glad I did.”
“Be careful whom you call rogue, vampire,” Sergeant Ramon said. Then, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to stave off a headache, she told the Jagers to lower their weapons.
“Sergeant? I don't think that's such a good idea,” Wayne said. “I don't care if she is the Slayer. They're working with a Domuti and a vampire.”
“That's not enough to keep us on full alert,” Sergeant Ramon said, putting away her gun. “You know Domuti aren't the enemy, and the vampire does seem to be a friendly. We're here to recruit, not hunt.” The other Jagers put away their guns as well although Makoto and Wayne took more time about it.
“Recruit?” Xander asked with a start. “Me? I mean I've got the soldier memories and all, but why–”
“Not you,” Mr. Nash said, stepping forward as he interrupted Xander. He pointed to Helen.
Xander shook his head. “Helen? But–”
“She's a werewolf,” Oz said, laying a comforting hand on Xander's shoulder.
“Werewolf?” Xander shouted with a start.
“There wolf,” Helen said, pointing towards her own chest.
“Wait. What?” Joyce asked. Ripper, taking advantage of Buffy's distraction, put an arm around Joyce's waist and whispered in her ear, presumably explaining the situation to her.
As a couple of old geezers ran past in the street, trailing toilet paper behind them and shouting at the top of their lungs, Buffy said, “How about we take this someplace private?”
“Or maybe we could find out what happened to Rafe first,” Wayne countered.
“Oh my God. I left that demon with my roommate,” Helen shouted.
“Demon?” Buffy asked. “What demon?”
“I,” Helen started. Buffy started tapping her foot against the sidewalk. The unexpected sound grounded Helen. “The one from the bar the other night. He's back at my apartment with Kris. I should, oh God, I should have bashed its head in with a frying pan or something. Who knows what it's done to her.”
“Hey,” Wayne said, storming up to Helen. “That's my brother. I'm the only one who gets to bash his skull in.”
“Brother?” Buffy asked. “I thought he was a demon.”
“Well you see,” Ripper started up.
“Quiet,” Sergeant Ramon shouted. Everyone shut up and looked at her. “Rafe was sent to recruit you. He should have followed you out of the apartment,” she said, almost sounding like she was accusing Helen.
“They're in her bedroom,” Helen said.
“That does sound like our Raphael,” a Southern accent drawled out. When Helen looked over, Robert shrugged.
“Call him up,” Sergeant Ramon told Wayne. “Tell him to meet us,” she stopped and turned to Buffy. “Where do you suggest we go?”
“My shop has space in the back,” Mr. Nash offered.
“No,” was all Sergeant Ramon said, but it was enough.
“My digs are a couple of blocks away,” Ripper offered. “I'm sure you know the way,” he said.
Sergeant Ramon nodded and turned to Wayne. “Tell him if he doesn't want to be cleaning toilets for a month, he'd better beat us there.”
“Mom. Giles. Behave,” Buffy said, dragging her mother off of Ripper and gesturing for him to lead the way. While Sergeant Ramon and Wayne stayed with the group, the other Jagers disappeared into the shadows. At a nod from Buffy, Angel vanished as well.
Xander strolled along next to Helen. “Can everyone you know do that?” she asked him.
“What, vanish like that? Nah. Angel can because he's a vampire,” Xander replied.
“Vampires. Monsters.”
“And werewolves, oh my!” Xander said jokingly.
Buffy, still holding onto Joyce, joined them. “Hey,” she asked Helen. “Are you OK?”
“Of course,” Helen said.
Scrounging through her purse, Joyce came up with a piece of gum. “Here, you look like you could use this.”
“Um, thanks,” Helen said.
“You don't look OK,” Buffy said bluntly.
“It's been a difficult week,” Helen shrugged, trying to make light of it. She didn't want to break down and cry in front of so many strangers.
“Don't worry,” Buffy said. “Nobody's taking anyone anywhere against their will.”
“Good to hear,” Oz said as he joined them.
“Huh?” Xander asked.
Oz shrugged. “They're after werewolves.”
“And you're not interested in being recruited against your will. Can't blame you,” Xander said. “When I was in the army, they had us doing push-ups from–“
Wayne, putting away his cell phone, turned to the group and said, “That's not how we operate.”
Oz glanced over at Mr. Nash, who was walking at front with Ripper, and Wayne bristled. “Don't believe everything that old Domuti tells you.”
“Caldwell,” Sergeant Ramon barked.
“Sorry, ma'am,” he replied.
“What was that about?” Xander asked.
“Well,” Joyce started. She blew a bubble with her gum and then continued. “That Wayne guy was being really nasty about Mr. Nash. That Ramon lady probably wants, you know, to make a good impression if she wants to recruit Helen for whatever it is, and Wayne there isn't helping.”
Oz shrugged. “Makes sense.”
Helen tried not to stare. The woman did have a point, but why did she sound like an aggrieved teenager? Helen lowered her face and didn't look up from the stairs; they must be getting close to Ripper's apartment and to whatever confrontation was going to happen there. When they stopped she glanced up to see Rafe waiting near a door. He nodded as he caught her eyes. Helen hid behind Xander.