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Chapter 27: Counterpart
Last time on Slayers United: "I'm in love wit someone else..." Connr's back but Austin has moved on, but things change when Lewis comes in with a warrant for his arrest.
Lewis and his squad stood before me, he and two other police officers stood facing me, expecting the worse of me. I looked from Lewis to the others, to Connor. I guess the group had heard the ruckus from the office and rushed to find the scene that was unfolding.
"Lewis, what are you talking about?" I asked.
"I think you know." he said, throwing the warrant at my feet, " A woman, claims a guy fitting your description, attacked her and her unborn baby. You traumatized a little girl and physically hurt her husband."
"This was..." I started.
"...In the time you disappeared." Lewis said, faltering, " You should just come with us and we can settle this downtown."
"You know I can't do that. you don't know the story behind this. I didn't do it." I said quickly.
"all I know is that I have a job to do." Lewis said sympathetically.
Oz stepped forward, " I can vouch for him." he said.
"No, you can't. The only person that can vouch for me is sitting on a pedestal and loving this." I said angrily.
"Okay, everyone just calm down." Connor said, " Lindsey McDonald is behind this all, if you could..."
"I CAN'T!" Lewis yelled, " I have a job to do."
I nodded, " So do I." I said, looking to the goup. Lewis walked over to me and tried to cuff me, but as he tried, I elbowed him in the face and ran to the next cop, kicking him in the face, then pushing my way past the other! Just as I got out the door and rounded the corner, a bullet hit the wall beside my head!
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Mary asked.
"Yes, of course, honey." Robert, her husband said, " What if it was Charlyn he came after? What if he comes back? I don't know if I can defend us against him."
"I know, but he didn't. He attacked me, but there was more to it." Mary said, thinking, " I don't like that lawyer either, there was something about him that...makes my skin crawl. He's...He was too happy about me pressing charges."
"Of course, he wanted to see justice." Robert said, trying to reason with her.
"I don't know. It's just...the boy, he seemed so familiar. So filled with something that I couldn't identify. I still can't." Mary said.
"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that mind, Dr." Robert said, kissing her forehead and rubbing her belly before leaving the room.
Mary smiled and looked down at the metal handle on the dishwasher, which she had ripped off without even trying, " Sometimes I wonder what's going on outside my body." she said, noticing her daughter standing in the doorway.
"Mommy?" she asked, " Mommy, are you mad?"
"No, sweetie, just a little..." Mary paused, " just a little sick." she smiled, moving to Charlyn.
Charity's new clothes fit her. A mystery. You'd never expect someone with such a dark personality to project such a neutral style. She wore a grey sweater with khaki cargo pants and some knee high heels. Shhe twirled a sai in her hand, making it glisten in the light and smiling to herself as she played with it. Lindsey watched her.
"Whatcha starin at?" Charity smiled, " You don't swing this way."
"I remember." Lindsey smiled, " Just imagining you locked away somewhere."
Charity stopped, " Who told you that?" she asked.
"It's on your record." he said.
"Hold on, record? That's real!?" she asked.
"Yes," he chuckled, " and it's a mile long."
"You see it, but I lived it. I'm good with my past, how about you?" she asked.
"Past is the past." Lindsey said, " No use in dwelling."
"Really? Then why can't you let this slayer go?' she asked.
"Because he's not the past." Lindsey smirked, " And it's my job."
"He's your future? Ha, doubt it. He hates you." Charity smiled, " You took away something so precious to him and even made him go against everything he believes. He's not like us, we're rebels."
"What?" he asked.
"We all have records." she smirked, " Besides, you took away his ability to make his own choices. You made him a victim." Charity explained, " Worst thing a slayer can be. You took away his power, everything he owns."
"And how do you know that?" he asked.
"Been there." Charity said lightly.
"Sorry." Lindsey said.
"It's okay, he's dead now." Charity smiled to herself.
Lindsey chuckled, " Just when I thought you couldn't lose anymore humanity." he said.
"Look who's talkin, you sitting up here with nothing but yourself and the only person who even possibly saw good in you, you're rapin him over the coals. But hey, I lack the humanity to see that." she sneered.
"So, what about you? All you've talking about is killing him." Lindsey said heatedly.
Charity smiled weakly, " He's going to kill me, so I have to do it first. I'm just playin the part." she smiled.
Lindsey stared at her, noticing something he hadn't noticed before, her heart. It was uncanny how much heart was in this woman, this killer, this feeling yet uncaring serial killer. Lindsey smiled, he knew what she did, what she was doing. She was elimanating the competition, but why? The First? The Senior Partners? Or was she just scared?
The gang ran around crazily, trying to think of what to do next. Connor and Oz were doing their best to reach Austin's cell, but there were no results. Kelly, Groo, and Doug found themselves standing by, for what else could they do?
"Where could he go?" Kelly asked.
"I don't think that's the question." Groo said, " I think the question is where would he go?"
"Ok, then where would he go?" Doug asked.
Connor heard the question and turned to them, " He'd try to fix the situation." he said.
"So, he'd go see Lindsey?" Kelly asked.
"No...yes. Maybe He would probably go after the woman, to apologize and see if she can do anything. He's smarter than people give him credit for. But first, he'd need somewhere to rest." Connor said.
"Colby!" Kelly blurted, " I mean, he has other friends, but Colby is the primary."
"So, all we need is the address." Oz said.
"Yeah...ow..." Connor said, grabbing his head.
"Are you okay?" Groo asked.
"Yeah, just a little jet lag from...you know, hell." Connor replied.
"Well, all we have to do is find him and you can rest. We just need to find him before...Giles?" Oz said, turning to the door.
The rest of the group looked up to see Giles surrounded by eight grils. He stood and looked at each of them.
"You don't have to worry, we shall find him." Giles said, wiping off his glasses and looking around the Hyperion.
I ran to the Hyatt where Colby was staying until his dorm room was secure. Apparently there are very many people who know him. I was fairly shocked that I was not caught yet, but with slayer powers, I can see how I was getting away. As I ran through the alleyway behind the Hyatt, I was cornered when I saw that a light was passing through attached to a guy attached to a police car. I looked around and quickly ran to the backdoor of Hyatt. It was locked, so I wrenched the handle and it broke and I slipped in just before the light hit me.
"What are you doing back here?" A voice asked.
I looked around to see a man and woman standing in front of me.
"Hello!" the woman shouted.
"I...um, my soup was too cold! AND I'm pretty sure this is not regulation! My father will hear of this!" I said, stomping off as if I was a guest in the hotel. Once I made it to the lobby, I slid into the elevator and pressed the button that said 'Penthouse'. As I ascended, I thought back to the events of the last few days. Life was so unfair! I freakin hate the universe sometimes. Not only had I found someone new, but the one I used to love came back. Then there was the whole Mind Erasing thing Lindsey had done and I was wrong, not everyone deserves redemption. then Charity, whom I hadn't seen yet and of course, there was Dawn. My precious Dawn! She had needed me, but...then Oz is mad and Oh yeah, the police are on my ass! I cannot believe this. Lindsey should be the one paying for this and I should be out there saving the world. There was a freaking rogue slayer that really needed my attention! As I cursed the name, I heard a voice.
"Um, who is it?" the voice asked.
"Austin Young." I said.
"Austin?" Colby said in the background, " Send him in."
"Thanks." I said, sighing with relief. As the door opened, I was shocked to see a bunch of guns pointed directly at me, " Um, wrong floor."
"No, stop it!" Colby said, pushing his way to me, " THey are just up in arms at the fact that you are, apparently, on the run."
"About that..." I started, " It's complicated."
"So, you attacked that pregnant lady?" he asked.
"Yes, but there was more to the story." I frowned, " I had amnesia and...this guy made me do things...also, there's this chick, and she seriously kills people."
"How can I help?" he asked.
I smiled, " I need somewhere to rest." I said quickly.
"Of course." Colby said, hugging me, " I'd do anything for you."
"Nice to know, I umm, gosh, I just need to take a shower." I smiled.
"How about food?" he asked.
"Great. Are you sure you're not gonna call the cops as soon as I leave?" I joked.
Colby frowned, then moved closer, " I love ou, I would never do anything to hurt you." he whispered.
I smiled and moved to the bathroom, avoiding the smiles of his bodyguards. I reflected. He'd said that he loves me! Wow...he loves me...
"He cannot be far." Giles sighed, " We heard about a rogue slayer and automatically assumed...I had no idea there was a Faith-esque copycat."
"She's gonna flip when she hears." one of the slayers said.
"Where is Faith, anyway?" Connor asked.
Giles looked at Connor, " We were informed that you were in an alternate dimension." he said, shocked.
"Was, someone brought me back." Connor said.
"How particularly Angel of you." Giles said, " When?"
Connor crossed his arms, " Why?" he asked.
"Because, there are effects that you might not be feeling yet. Temporary as they might be, some have not survived inter-dimensional travel. You are a special case, being taken early in your childhood." Giles explained.
"So, where is Faith?" Connor asked.
"She is in Cleveland." Giles said, " Then she shall be heading back to England with me."
"I thought everyone was in Scotland." Kelly asked.
Giles turned to her, " Just Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Xander...and of course their slayers. Andrew and his slayers are...here, but they stay in Rome. And, of course, I am stationed in England." he explained.
"Oh. So, how do we prove Austin's innocence?" Doug asked.
"I do not know, but whatever we do...Good lord." Giles paused.
"What?" Oz asked.
"Andrew and his slayers are searching for Austin right now." Giles said.
"What's the issue?" Kelly asked.
"They don't know he's innocent." Connor said, turning to Oz, " Can you track him?"
"Maybe." Oz said, " I'll try."
"Ok, is there a way to get a hold of Andrew?" Doug asked.
"No. His phone is...well, it's right here." Giles said, holding the phone up.
"Austin isn't going to go willingly. I hope Andrew and his slayers are prepared." Connor said.
"Do we know where his...Colby is staying?" Giles asked.
Kelly chuckled, " I called the college and they said that due to an incident, he is staying somewhere else." she smiled.
"Where would that be?" Giles asked.
"We could check the Hyatt, I mean, it's a nice place and not too far from Campus." Oz suggested.
"Get on it." Giles ordered, causing them all to scatter.
"How are you?" Colby asked.
"I'm running from the law...so, just peachy." I smirked.
"So, what is the story behind this run?" he asked.
"I..." I said, looking up at him, " I can't tell you yet."
Colby looked shocked for a minute, then nodded, " I understand." he said.
"How could you? I just barge in here and you help me and I can't tell you the one thing that I really need to tell you." I said angrily, " god, I feel like I'm on a bad episode of Alias. Look, my clothes are turning all spy-y."
Colby sat beside me on the bed, " I do. It's a secret and it's important." he smirked.
"I should get moving, I mean seriously." I said, standing.
Colby bonced to the door, " You can't, you just need to stay here and..." he started.
"No. If they find me, I'm not the only one that will go to jail...I need to find some way to get those charges dropped or I'll be in some jail doing a Zac Efron." I said quickly.
"Singing in jail?" Colby asked.
"No. More like...well, yeah, I guess." I said thinking about it.
"Wait, this woman, maybe you could reason with her." Colby said.
"Sounds like a sound possibility." I nodded, " I should go."
"Maybe I should go too." he said.
I kissed him, " I can't let you." I said.
"Alright." he said.
I rushedout of the room, trying to find my way to this lady's house again.
"Is the tracker on him?" Colby asked.
"Of course."
Mary had been gardening when she was confronted by these four girls and one man. The girls were odd. There was one with bright red hair, another girl who was african american, an asian woman with her hair in tiny wraps annd last, but not least, a brunette woman who looked so glamourous, like a movie star. The guy was cute, in a geeky way. He had introduced himself as Andrew. He introduced the girls also, the red head as Vi, the african american girl as Rona, the asian girl as Suki, and the glamourous girl was named Dana. They all seemed so familiar. She had invited them into her house and her husband had offered them lemonade and cookies, to which they had demolished.
"So, who did you say you were?" Mary asked.
"You are the woman who brough up the case against Austin Young, am I correct?" Andrew asked.
"Yes, he attacked m...us." Marry said caressing her own belly.
"So, has he contacted you?" Andrew asked.
"No. I kinda wish he would." Mary said, " There was something so familiar about him."
"Could you elaborate?" Andrew asked.
"I just...feel connected to him." she looked from Andrew to the girls, " I feel connected to them too."
Andrew looked from Maryt to them, then back, " Good googly-moogly! Could it be that you are...one of us?" he asked.
"Us?" Rona asked, looking at him.
"Them, whatever, no one wants to be in your little club anyways...please!" Andrew begged.
Vi sighed, " ANDREW!" she said impatiently.
"What do you mean I'm like yo...them?" Mary asked.
Andrew looked at her, " You are a slayer of the Vampyres." he whispered.
"What?" Mary chuckled, " That's crazy."
"That would explain the abundance of dead slayers around the world. He's killing off the competition." Rona said.
"That doesn't sound Austin-ish...sounds more Faith-ish, or at least Faith back when." Andrew said slowly, " Saint Buffy! Maybe he's possesed by an evil alien due to destroy the world by taking over L.A."
"That's bodysnatchers." Suki said.
"Oh, well, maybe he's gone all dark Rosenburg!" Andrew suggested.
"We need to find Austin." Dana said.
Mary looked at them, " Ok, right...slayers...vampires...You're all crazy." she said.
"Maybe, but we know what we're talking about." Rona said, " Have you done anything you have wondered about? Extra strength? Super speed? Able to catch a fly in your hand?"
Mary thought back to the handle on the dishwasher. The doorbell rang, shaking her from her thoughts and she excused herself, going to answer the door. When she opened the door, she almost gasped.
"Hello. I know you probably think I'm a bad, bad man, but hear me out before you..." I stopped when I saw past her, " Andrew? RONA? VI?" I asked.
Mary turned to look at them, then back at him, " I believe you didn't..." she began.
"Ah," andrew said, stepping up, " Austin, Slayer of the Vampyres. One succumbed to the darkside, you shall perish, dark one."
"Andy, stop reading those freakin Star Wars fanfics! And videos...and commentaries...god, you're a geek." I said impatiently, " What are you doing here?"
"We've come to fetch you, dark one." Andrew said.
"Can someone who doesn't speak totally geek answer my question?" I asked.
"We came to get you, evil man." A chinese slayer said.
"Evil man?" I wondered, " Oh, crap! The council thinks I tried to kill her."
"What now?" Vi asked.
"I didn't. It was..." I began.
Andrew threw up his hands, " Save it, oh magnificiently evil one, we shall take you now." he said.
I rolled my eyes, " Gosh, they could have sent anyone else." I said, turning away and walking to the sidewalk. As I got to the street, I felt a hand grab the back of my shoulder and I turned to see Rona.
"Sorry, I can't let you go." Rona said, " Orders from Giles himself."
I sighed, " Yeah, orders and me aren't related." I said, pushing her backwards.
Rona tried to punch me, but I ducked and backhanded her, then threw her to the side.
"Andrew's Angels, get him!" Andrew shouted, sicking his slayers on me.
"Andrew's Angels? You really are lame." I said, blocking the chinese slayer's fist and footsweeping her into the concrete, " Did you just get these girls?" I asked.
Vi jumped in the air and kicked me in the chest, knocking me farther into the street and I fell awkwardly on my back. Before the last slayer, I'll call her "Crazy, Psycho, serial killing" slayer, Dana for short, could stomp me, I jumped back up and kicked her leg, making her stumble back and I jumped into the air, kicking her. I stood across from Vi, who looked angry.
"I'm not gonna hit you, Vi." I said bitterly, " I just need to leave."
"No. You'd better hit me, beause if you don't, I'm gonna kick your ass!" she said, running at me.
I shrugged and punched her in the face, " Buffy should be teaching you physics, taunting + running + fist = ground." I said, turning to be face to face with Giles and another group of slayers, " Ok, this is gonna be a bit harder." I said, taking a stance.
"Kinda don't want to face him." A girl said.
"I assure you, you are not." Giles said, " We know the truth. You were brainwashed."
"Duh!" I said angrily, " Tried to tell king of the geeks, but he's just not there."
Andrew sneered, " Stinky-head." he said, sticking his tongue out at me.
Giles sighed, " Sorry about that, we should get you somewhere safe, there should be..." he said.
"I can help." Mary smiled behind us, " I can drop the charges."
"No, I have another idea." I smirked.
"Come in while I call the police." Mary said, ushering everyone into her house.
Across the street, Colby and his bodyguard were watching in shock.
"He just took out four girls." his bodyguard said, " Slayers at that."
"Slayers? I am not used to this lingo, what is a slayer?" Colby asked.
"I'll explain later." he said as the car sped away.
Charity and Lindsey sat in Lindsey's office, waiting for word on the capture of the slayer. When it didn't come, they got worried. Charity began pacing.
"Where the hell could he be?" Charity asked.
Lindsey shrugged, " I didn't think it would take this long." he said.
At the same moment, the police burst into the office, Lewis out front.
"Charity Abrahams, you are under arrest for the murders of several woman and the attack of Mary Ryan." Lewis said, pointing the gun at her.
She looked from Lindsey to the policemen and kicked the gun from his hand, rushing her way from the office.
"Looks like you lost her." Lindsey smiled.
Lewis smiled too, " Got you though." he said snapping cuffs on Lindsey, " You're under arrest for perjury and the formation of a plan against and innocent victim. And also, you're sheltering a suspect." he said happily, " Anything you say, can and will be held against you..." he began.