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Chapter 43: Shrouded.
A few months ago...
"We're here to help everyone of this town. We rebuilt this town to help those who lost everything in Sunnydale. We know the sort of things that happened there and we want to bring your town back to you!" Parson Young smiled, looking out onto the crowd, his eyes stopped at one person. Austin. His grandson. Though he was wearing that leather coat with the hood draped over his head, he could tell his grandson's aura from a mile away, " Me and my wife want what everyone wants. For ourselves, for our grandson," he gestured towards Austin, " And for you and your children." he couldn't help but notice the odd arrangement of people associated with Austin. A resident football player, a blonde girl who looked very fragile, a girl with multi-colored hair, and two read-headed guys, one shorter that the other, " We're making all things possible. Just like Magic." he finished, with a small.
Later that night....
"I'm gonna..." I hit the vampire, " Make all things...." I kicked, then hit the vampire, "....Possible. Just like, unnh," I staked the vampire and looked up at Oz, who just stared at me, " Magic."
"Wow. You're mad." Oz said slowly.
"Still monosyllabic?" I sighed, " It's just that they are possibly trying to destroy the world and now they're all love and peace? I'm not buying."
"So, you are mad?" Oz asked.
I looked up at him, " There is a Hell Goddess loose and lately all I've been able to do is bruise her fist with my forehead. Not only her fist. Her foot. Her head..." I sighed.
"At least you can remember stuff." Oz said.
"Speaking of which, you should be getting back, right?" I sighed.
"Yeah. I should. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Oz asked.
"You must not remember me at all." I frowned, " Go, be rememberful."
Oz laughed and walked in the opposite direction. I looked down and walked on into the graveyard.
Present...
"They just took my scythe!" Buffy said.
"Buffy, we have to get the scythe back. Who knows what they'll do with it!" Willow persisted.
"I think I have an idea about this." Xander said, turning to Renee, " Go, ready the helicopter." he said.
Renee nodded, " Yes, Xander." she said, leaving.
Buffy and Willow said nothing.
"Where you going?" Willow asked.
"I know somebody who might be able to help." Xander said.
"Sorry," I said, entering with two other slayers, " I'm not there." I smiled as the red-headed slayer took a seat at a computer.
They all turned to me, " What're you doing here?" Buffy asked, hugging me.
"I was on the continent, so..." I smiled, hugging Willow, " I decided what the hell."
"You look...great." Buffy said, " Where are the rest of the gang?"
"I could ask you the same thing." I smiled, " They're back in California. I'm alone."
"Alone?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, this is the third stop in the 'Slayer Road Trip'. I was in Rome, then...sorta in L.A., and now Scotland. Being a slayer takes you to so many different places." I joked.
"Really?" An Asian girl asked, turning from her computer.
"Yeah. I mean, there is the whole, die young thing, but the travel is pretty awesome." I smiled, " Who are you?"
"I'm Satsu." she smiled.
"Hi Satsu." I said, " So, Buffy, Willow, Xander, where's Dawn and what's up with the wildlife around here?"
They all exchanged looks.
"What?" I asked.
"Two things, those were vampires." Buffy explained, " And they stole the scythe."
"Oh." I said, stunned.
"And..."
"Wait...there's an 'AND'?" I asked.
"And Dawn is...ummm, Dawn..." Willow said nervously.
"Is big. I know." I said.
"I don't think you do." Xander said.
"Not really shocked anymore." I shrugged, " How tall could she be?"
"Tall." Satsu said.
"Hey!" a familiar voice said, " If it isn't our resident Slayer of the Vampyres." Andrew said, hugging me.
"And I thought you were in Rome." I smiled, " Where's Faith, Giles, and Charity?"
"Last time I saw Faith, we had a sudden death. Giles said it was all in the plan." Buffy said bitterly, " And Charity is on a mission."
"What about that one guy, Voll, haveyou heard from him?" I asked.
"Not as of late, but we're prepared if we do." Willow said proudly.
"I did hear about Amy and the undead army...she's been watching too many movies." I said, walking to the computer and seeing an enormous Dawn playing with some leprechaun or something, " Oh...wow. Tell me that isn't Dawn."
Buffy walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, " Yeah. She got bigger." she said.
"And she's still in those clothes." I said, still stunned by her size, " Why is she that big and why..."
"She won't tell us." Willow said.
"Oh..." I said, looking at Xander, who looked nervous, " When SHE, not me, wants to tell you all, she will. I'm just here to see her."
"Why?" Xander asked.
"I've been...I'm facing a big threat. Not scythe stealing, but pretty big. I need to get a better perspective on it. I need to figure out who I am. Where I've been. I found something, but I'm not sure it'll help."
"Care to share?" Buffy asked.
"It's not...I'm not sure I have enought time left. Buffy, I needed to find you guys and tell you that if she kills me, you have to stop her." I frowned, " She'll probably need the Key."
"The key?" Buffy said, immediately realzing what that meant.
"Yeah. And I'm seriously lacking of things to hurt her with." I turned to Buffy, " Not everyone has a magic scythe."
"Wanna borrow it?" Buffy asked, " I mean, if I get it back."
"Sorry, blondie, but I don't have that time." I chuckled, " So, where's Dawn?" I asked.
As I stepped outside, I expected Dawn to be as tall as she was when she left. She was tall then, but I wasn't quite prepared for what I saw. Dawn was playing with something...or things that seemed to disappear when I came outside. The gang had decided that they should continue their plans. Good thing, because the scythe in the wrong hands could cause some huge chaos. I stepped out a little, not wanting to get stepped on. I looked up at her and smiled nervously. She overshadowed the large apple tree that stood above everything else. Dawn stopped and looked shocked at the sight of me.
"Austin?" Dawn asked.
"Dawn." I said slowly.
Dawn motioned to hug me, but stopped, causing her gigantic form to stop, " Sorry, but I can't exactly give you a hug, but I'm really..." she stopped, " So, how are things?"
I looked at her with a furrowed brow.
"Oh god, who died?" Dawn asked.
"Dawn...I have something to tel you, but you really can't freak." I said quickly.
"What is it?" Dawn asked.
I frowned, knowing that she might just stomp me when I told her what was about to happen.
Kelly smirked as she and Doug walked on into the cemetary.
"I can't believe he hasn't called!" Doug said.
"Well, he's doing the slayer thing." Kelly said cheerily, " Has to be done."
"He could be dead." Doug said angrily, " How are we supposed to know he's not dead?"
"Oz said he talked to Buffy, who let him in on the arrival of our friend." she said.
"Still. If he would have called, he would have known that we really need his help. This whole endless night thing is weird."
"What's even weirder is that shroud thingy over the college." Kelly said, " She can do that? She's smarter than Glory, right?"
"Just a little." Doug said, " I mean, but Glory had those scabs, remember, Austin said she could conjure things and stuff."
"Hello." a vampire said, causing them to stop.
Kelly and Doug stopped. Doug noticed that this vampire was different than ones he had seen before. Paler, darker. Less fun, more doom and gloom. Kelly reached into her purse and pulled out a crossbow, allowing the purse to fall to the floor. Doug slid open his jacket and withdrew a stake. The vampire smiled, his face stretching and his teeth inching out. Kelly gasped, obviously shaken.
"You don't think I'm beautiful?" The vampire asked.
"Just lovely." Doug said sarcastically.
The vampire gestured around, " We all are." he said.
"We?" Doug asked, noticing all the vampires crowding around. There were maybe twenty three.
"Oh god." Kelly said, noticing them too.
"No. No God." the vampire whispered loudly.
Kelly whimpered softly and clutched at Doug's arm, but he had closed his eyes and began to chant. Kelly thought that the language might have been latin and she thanked God that Doug had began to chant. Doug WAS supposed to be on a no-magic basis, but it was great when he equated into helping. The vampires began to move faster and one got closer than she liked, but they all stopped just as Doug chanted the spell and the area around them froze, immediately catching the vampires.
"What'd you do?" Kelly asked.
Doug breathed deep, " What I had to..." he said breathlessly, " Now stand back." he said. He immediately began chanting again as Kelly took a step back. He whispered the latin and soon the whole cemetary illuminated and the vampires shrieked and ran off! Doug fell to the ground, immediately unconscious.
"DOUG! DOUG!" Kelly said quickly, trying to bring him back around.
Dawn sat with her knees against her body and looked at me, " So, there's a new Glory?" she asked.
"No. This isn't Glory. Sinew is way smarter and not so crazy." I said slowly, " She hit Oz with a desk...he lost his memory for a little while."
"Oz...." Dawn said quickly.
"He's good now. He's..." I put my head down, " I just feel out of my league."
"So you came to enlist Buffy?" Dawn asked, " She's looking for the scythe, plus she did die last time."
"Kinda makes me wonder am I gonna die too." I said, causing her to stare down at me.
"You're scared?" Dawn asked, " I would be too...I am, with my key-ness, but I mean..."
"I faced her before." I said, cutting her off.
"What?" Dawn asked.
"All that time I was gone, I'm finally remembering and it was a hell of a fight. Not sure I actually won." I sighed.
"So, you fought her before and you lived, and you're worried?" Dawn asked.
"It's different. I'm different. Before it was like a dream, now it's real." I said quickly.
"Is that why you haven't been home?" Dawn asked.
"What?" I asked, looking up at her.
"It's kind of like you're running." Dawn said.
I stood, " DAMN IT, DAWN!" I shouted, " I don't want to die."
"Now..." Dawn asked.
"Ever. Not ever...put them together and you get never! If I get to choose, I pick later. If I face super-ho, then I might not get that choice." I said carefully.
"But if you don't face her, who will? One of the other slayers? Kelly? Doug?" she stopped and looked directly at me, " Connor?"
I sighed and turned to walk away, but stopped and turned to her, " You remember when we wished we could be Buffy. To slay, have a boyfriend, and have adventures?" she nodded, " I don't want to be her."
"No one said you had to be." Dawn said, lumbering over me, " You're just human."
"I'm the Slayer." I said, " As cocky as that sounds, I am THE slayer. No other slayer is gonna do what I do."
"Nope." Dawn said, " Cause Buffy and Faith have their own problems."
"I'm seeing that more and more." I said just above a whisper.
"Have you seen Connor?" she asked.
I looked at her. It was a dream, that's all. I had no answer for her question, but if I said no, that was a lie, " Been living Connor-free."
"What about..."
"Gone. RJ is gone." I said quickly, " Wasn't meant to be. Not really."
"Sorry." Dawn said.
I nodded and walked back to the door, " Why? I'm not." I said.
"Don't be afraid." Dawn said, causing me to stop, " TO be who you really are. If you need me, I'm only a call away."
"That's what I used to think." I smiled weakly, " Bye Dawnie." I said, leaving.
The Next Night...
Oz, Cale, Gemma, Kelly, and Doug walked into the cemetary, obviously taken back by the recent occurences with the new vampires. Doug was still recuperating but was sure he could help. Kelly and Gemma disapproved, but one he set his mind to it, there wasn't any going back. They crept quickly and split up into three groups, Cale and Gemma, Doug and Kelly, and Oz decided to go it alone. The others worried about Oz, but he didn't because he had a special gift for these nasty vamps.
"Oz, are you sure?" Kelly asked.
"Yaeh. I'm good." Oz said, taking off in the other direction.
Oz found a nice place to just sit. A crypt near the middle of the cemetary. There was graves with flowers and a distinct aroma of vampires. Oz could feel them here. That werewolf thing really came in handy and sometimes, just sometimes, he felt lucky to be one. Lately, he had been honing his transformation and his skills and he had also been thinking more about who he was. Who he is. Who he will be. He also thought about Austin once he regained his memories. He had been stressing over a decision, one that would determine the next chapter in his life. Oz frowned as he sniffed the air. Someone was there.
"Hello." it hissed.
Oz looked over his should to see a gang of vampires. Oz snarled at them. The leader looked at him in awe.
"Werewolf." he said quickly.
"Oh yeah." Oz grinned, beginning to transform. Across the cemetary, Kelly and Doug were walking together when they saw the same vampire and a few of his followers.
"S-s-s-s-s-so, you have returned." The vampire hissed.
"What can we say, we're gluttons for pain." Doug said quickly.
"Tough talk for the wizard. Oh, look, did he over-exert himself?" the vampire taunted.
"Hey, listen, ou're an asshole with a bad over-bite." Kelly sneered.
"Little girl...pretty little girl. I think I shall keep you around." He muttered, walking towards them, to which they took a step backwards.
"I'm thinking..." I said, causing everyone to stare at me, " You should leave my friends alone."
"S-s-s-s-s-slayer." The vampire hissed in disgust.
"I'm attention guy." I smirked, walking up beside Doug and Kelly, " Hear you been causing a whole mess of trouble, blocking out the sun and such."
The lead vampire lunged at me, but I moved and spun around, staking him through the heart. The other vampires advanced and I felt kicks and punches, but I did a whirl-kick and knocked them down. I looked over to see Doug chanting and I rolled over to him, and grabbed his hand. He stopped and smiled.
"Keep going!" I said frantically, kicking an oncoming vampire. In no time flat, Doug had finished the spell and light eveloped our part of the cemetary, dusting the immediate vampires. I looked down at Doug's hand and up to see him smiling.
"Good to have you back." Doug smirked.
"Good to be back." I smiled. Off in the distance I heard some fighting and growling and I looked at them, " Where's Oz?" I asked. They shrugged and we immediately set off down the path, trying to find him! I ran until I saw a giant furball fighting and clawing at the mass amounts of...soldiers? I saw a soldier hit him with a tazer and I ran to him, kicking the tazer from his hand! He turned with a punch, but I ducked it, grabbing his arm and punching him in the stomach, and back kicking him, sending him to the ground.
"Austin?" Oz gasped. I looked at him, on the ground, back to himself, and I ran to him, " I didn't know you were coming. I'd have worn..clothes."
I shook my head, " It's probably better this way." I smiled, hugging him, " Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just naked and tazed." Oz said, looking around, " The Initiave." he said, looking behind me.
I looked back and saw a group of soldiers watching. I remember one, " Please don't tell me Voll or the Initiave is back."
"No. We were sent here because of the endless night." The familiar soldier said, " I'm Sergent Miller."
"Grahm." I said qquickly.
"I know you. Soldiers, stand down." he commanded, " You're that kid who used to hang out with Buffy and her kid sister."
"Yeah, otherwise known as Austin." I said, " I'm surprised that Voll didn't make a guest appearance."
"He's busy." Grahm replied, " I heard that they rebuilt Sunnydale, but..."
"Yup, they are thorough." I frowned, " Why were you trying to kill Oz?"
"Oz?" Grahm asked, " We didn't know. All we saw was a gang of vamps taking on a werewolf."
"You guys still fighing for the black and white, huh?" I asked, helping Oz up.
"Evil is evil." one of his men said.
I turned to him, " Not always. I've known plenty of demons who weren't exactly Big Bad. Known a lot of good guys that weren't really good underneathe it all. Vampires that save the world. So, your theory...bogus."
"So, do you know what's causing this?" Grahm asked.
"We're kinda in the dark." Doug sneered.
I frowned, " He's a little out of it. The spell and all. I think we're going to have to wing it." I said.
"Well, it first started a month ago." Kelly said, " Around the time..."
They all looked at me.
"I didn't do it...not on purpose. And even if I did, I don't know how or why." I said angrily.
"We're not saying you did...we're just.." Kelly started.
There were growls all around us and we looked around, seeing vampires everywhere. I looked at them, glassy-eyed, " It isn't my fault. I try so hard to be like other guys. To be....I can't." I said, letting the first tear fall, " I can't beat her and I have to, I brought her here!" I said. I finally looked up, as did everyone else and we saw the vampires advancing towards us. Maybe the whole cemetary, but in an instant, the clouds moved and the sun shone down on all of us, causing the vampires to dust instantly! Oz put his arm around me and I gasped, trying to keep together.
"Time to go home." Oz said, pulling me closer as we began to leave the cemetary.
Thank you for reading. If you want another chapter, I'm really going to need more feedback.