Dispatches from the War: the First Battles: the Taming of the Hart (2/3)
Continuing a story of Rulesverse future: ensemble, PG13, this part featuring Xander, Buffy, Giles, Faith and Spike.
The prologue was here. Part one is here. The first war has begun, and allies are needed.
On the Slayer Council's Operations Line, January 2016
"Are you insane?"
Xander's line was lousy, for whatever technical reason it was this week, and he couldn't tell who had said that. Or how many. But he knew it was more than one person.
"We need the magicks on our side. This isn't just a demon war, there's a whole spiritual dimension and our witches are losing. Did you hear what happened on Borneo? We need Willow."
Giles's voice, definitely, this time. Cold as hell.
"We are all well aware of the dangers. We are somewhat reluctant to add to them by reactivating Willow's powers. You know how she struggles with control. It was her last major slip that essentially caused us this crisis, by breaching Wolfram and Hart's usual balance."
"Not lately; she's been cool. Seems like her kinky-wild polygamous lifestyle's pretty good for Wills' headspace. You know Oz and Talia won't let her go nutso again. And shouldn't we let her try to help?" Xander knew Willow wouldn’t thank him for this. She was quietly doing tech support for the Ecuador mission right now, content in her backwater. But he knew she could be great again.
"Xan-" That was Buffy, tight as a migraine. "You weren't here when it all went wrong. You don't know-"
"I know. Okay? Spike's told me more than you think. And he definitely thinks it's time to try her again. She hasn't slipped in years."
"She hasn't had a chance." Giles and Buffy pretty much in unison on that one.
"So we lose the war because you're scared." Xander rubbed at his eyepatch, which covered a deep ache. "Maybe the Hart beats the Wolf and the Ram, or the flipside, but whatever happens, people die, we lose ground... Because you two won't take a risk."
There was a stiff silence on the line. About 25 people who weren't Buffy, Giles or Xander were keeping very quiet. Not that they didn't have views on this; Xander knew it was discussed in local meetings all the time. But this disconnect among the original Scoobies was too deep to bridge at present. Times like this, the Council's efforts at democracy looked very thin.
After a while, Dawn coughed slightly, and said, "So, we need to look at how we can strengthen the magicks…" And discussion moved on.
Xander thought of the footage from Borneo. There were a lot of people bleeding in those pictures. Homeless and hopeless. This was their third major failure. Two deaths from among their own so far, but far more among those who didn't know they were living through a magical global war. Not enough demons down, either, and the Hart seemed to have some portal magic going on, with endless transdimensional reinforcements tromping out to fight.
All of which was deeply depressing, sure, and signalled that they needed more than Willow. "Oh, and we should call the Initiative too. They can help. They have weapons and tasty government contacts we could use about now. Buffy's got a certain Major Finn on speed dial, right?"
"Are you insane?"
Hello, déjà vu. But Xander knew he'd win this one. He'd win the Willow argument too, given time.
*
Amid the Ruins of a City in Indonesia, January 2016
Spike kicked furtively at a passing rat, sleek with feeding on demon and human victims. "So, how are you planning to greet the return of Captain Cardboard and his miraculous draft of weaponry?"
"I hear he got promoted. And I'm kinda hoping we don't have to speak. Last time we met, there was a thing-" Faith shook her head, refusing to finish that one. But they needed reinforcements for sure.
"When did you meet?"
"I was taking Buffy's body for a spin and-"
Spike cackled, absently; the reflex leer barely registering. "Oho! Spun with the Captain, did we? I know you were having fun that day. Remember it well, what you said to me…"
Ancient history, but the memory of Riley was making Faith almost nearly blush, and Spike probably thought that was for him. Time to go on the defensive: attack. "You got a lotta happy memories of Major Finn, huh?"
"'S it happens, not so much. He staked me once. Funnily enough, last time I saw him I was naked, too. Not a good memory, except for the look on his face."
That was a Buffy memory too, Faith could tell. Spike always had a Buffy-look for these times. But they had a war to run, and no time for him to go back on his histories.
"So, evil dead, we gonna hate him or are we gonna work with him?"
"Don't spose both is an option?"
Okay, we can do that, thought Faith, and once again dropped the Buffy references. It wasn't the moment. Whenever that would be, it would be later.
*
Part three
The prologue was here. Part one is here. The first war has begun, and allies are needed.
On the Slayer Council's Operations Line, January 2016
"Are you insane?"
Xander's line was lousy, for whatever technical reason it was this week, and he couldn't tell who had said that. Or how many. But he knew it was more than one person.
"We need the magicks on our side. This isn't just a demon war, there's a whole spiritual dimension and our witches are losing. Did you hear what happened on Borneo? We need Willow."
Giles's voice, definitely, this time. Cold as hell.
"We are all well aware of the dangers. We are somewhat reluctant to add to them by reactivating Willow's powers. You know how she struggles with control. It was her last major slip that essentially caused us this crisis, by breaching Wolfram and Hart's usual balance."
"Not lately; she's been cool. Seems like her kinky-wild polygamous lifestyle's pretty good for Wills' headspace. You know Oz and Talia won't let her go nutso again. And shouldn't we let her try to help?" Xander knew Willow wouldn’t thank him for this. She was quietly doing tech support for the Ecuador mission right now, content in her backwater. But he knew she could be great again.
"Xan-" That was Buffy, tight as a migraine. "You weren't here when it all went wrong. You don't know-"
"I know. Okay? Spike's told me more than you think. And he definitely thinks it's time to try her again. She hasn't slipped in years."
"She hasn't had a chance." Giles and Buffy pretty much in unison on that one.
"So we lose the war because you're scared." Xander rubbed at his eyepatch, which covered a deep ache. "Maybe the Hart beats the Wolf and the Ram, or the flipside, but whatever happens, people die, we lose ground... Because you two won't take a risk."
There was a stiff silence on the line. About 25 people who weren't Buffy, Giles or Xander were keeping very quiet. Not that they didn't have views on this; Xander knew it was discussed in local meetings all the time. But this disconnect among the original Scoobies was too deep to bridge at present. Times like this, the Council's efforts at democracy looked very thin.
After a while, Dawn coughed slightly, and said, "So, we need to look at how we can strengthen the magicks…" And discussion moved on.
Xander thought of the footage from Borneo. There were a lot of people bleeding in those pictures. Homeless and hopeless. This was their third major failure. Two deaths from among their own so far, but far more among those who didn't know they were living through a magical global war. Not enough demons down, either, and the Hart seemed to have some portal magic going on, with endless transdimensional reinforcements tromping out to fight.
All of which was deeply depressing, sure, and signalled that they needed more than Willow. "Oh, and we should call the Initiative too. They can help. They have weapons and tasty government contacts we could use about now. Buffy's got a certain Major Finn on speed dial, right?"
"Are you insane?"
Hello, déjà vu. But Xander knew he'd win this one. He'd win the Willow argument too, given time.
*
Amid the Ruins of a City in Indonesia, January 2016
Spike kicked furtively at a passing rat, sleek with feeding on demon and human victims. "So, how are you planning to greet the return of Captain Cardboard and his miraculous draft of weaponry?"
"I hear he got promoted. And I'm kinda hoping we don't have to speak. Last time we met, there was a thing-" Faith shook her head, refusing to finish that one. But they needed reinforcements for sure.
"When did you meet?"
"I was taking Buffy's body for a spin and-"
Spike cackled, absently; the reflex leer barely registering. "Oho! Spun with the Captain, did we? I know you were having fun that day. Remember it well, what you said to me…"
Ancient history, but the memory of Riley was making Faith almost nearly blush, and Spike probably thought that was for him. Time to go on the defensive: attack. "You got a lotta happy memories of Major Finn, huh?"
"'S it happens, not so much. He staked me once. Funnily enough, last time I saw him I was naked, too. Not a good memory, except for the look on his face."
That was a Buffy memory too, Faith could tell. Spike always had a Buffy-look for these times. But they had a war to run, and no time for him to go back on his histories.
"So, evil dead, we gonna hate him or are we gonna work with him?"
"Don't spose both is an option?"
Okay, we can do that, thought Faith, and once again dropped the Buffy references. It wasn't the moment. Whenever that would be, it would be later.
*
Part three