Willow
It took 2 days, but finally, Willow came running out of Avie's room, where she had gone to be secluded.
"I've got it!" she yelled. "It took me a while to get past their magicks, but I was able to break it down." She showed Priss the areas marked on her map. "They're somewhere in this part of Toronto. I couldn't get any closer than that, but we should be able to sense them when we get there. Also, I did a trance, like the one I did to pull Buffy out of her catatonia, and I think I know who has Jess and Isabel captive. That Owen guy, this is what he looks like." She focused hard on the image of Owen's face, and projected into Priss' mind.
"I think we can do this Priss, Between all of us, you, me, Nyx & Sabre, with Logan and Faith, not to mention Mouse & her Pack, I think we can take down whoever has them. I mean, come on, look at all the firepower we have!"
Bastet's children, Mouse and Logan
"What do we wait for then?" Priss smiled joyfully and all the map books went flying back into their places, clearing a space.
"Let's arm and go!" Nyx jumped to her feet. "What do we want?"
"Same, Niss," Sabre laughed as the prospect of action ran through his blood.
"Same for me. Logan, you want anything?" Logan smiled lazily at Nyx's question and let his claws slide out.
"I'm armed."
"Let me get Fafnir." Mouse stood and slid her knife into the side of her boot and laced it up before walking out of the room.
"They're going down!" Nyx did a dance in the middle of the room, black hair spinning. "We are gonna kick some serious alien ass!"
"And when I catch up with the miscreants who had my Sight blinded, they wilt regret ever working for this Spider," Priss's voice promised in silky tones.
Sabre cracked his knuckles as Mouse ran back in, Fafnir loping at her heels, Neyvn on her shoulder and Sidhe begging to come along. "You can't come, Sidhe," Mouse said gently. "You're too young."
Awwww. I like Taylor'n'Avie. They're nice, and she tickles my tummy. Sidhe's ears drooped in disapointment. Priss stroked Sidhe's head.
"Thou hast a stout heart, little cousin but thou art but a kitten, in truth." Sidhe sighed at Priss's reasonable explaination before skulking out of the room. "Should we tell the Hansons we have located them?"
"I promised to ring Ash," Sabre said and Mouse tossed her mobile to him. "Thanks, lovely." He dialled Ash's apartment. "Hey, we found them. We're going. Yeah. OK. See ye when we return." He hung up. "So, what are we waiting for?"
Willow
Willow grabbed a knapsack and filled it with some water, Power Bars, and several charms and amulets. Too much magick drained her, goddess or not, and she would need to refuel. Putting two more crystals in her bag she looked up.
"Okay, I'm ready, lets go kick some serious heinie."
Priss, Nyx and Mouse
"Let me just contact Mother..." Priss smiled and threw her head back as a white light came up through the floor and into her body. Her hair flared out and then slowly settled. When she looked at them again, her eyes were glowing. "I be ready."
"Nyx, do you have to do that too?" Mouse asked. Nyx shook her head.
"Nah. I had enough of a rest that if I hold back on the magick at the beginning, I can be an awful surprise at the end." She grinned nastily. "Don'tcha just love surprises?"
"Well, that type of surprise."
Can we go? Fafnir intruppted.
"Just let me get the Pack going, my wolf." Mouse put her hand on his head and breathed out slowly, then in. She looked up and the cast of her features and body language had altered slightly. "Let's go play." The corners of her mouth quirked up in a predatory grin.
See this? This is what I call fun. Fafnir laughed.
"You still holding that up?" Sabre asked Priss. She nodded.
"They have not the slightest idea that I be about through. Five. There be five more layers to their spells, and then we go."
Faith
"Guess we mount up then. How we getting there by the way? Some sort of hocus pocus? Should I call for Paige to orb me there?"
Faith turned to the others. "I need more weapons."
Nyx, Logan and Mouse
Nyx had a thought. "Anyone want tazers? They have a kick to them like a mule, and sting like hell. And they're not even fatal! Unless you shock someone to the head, so let's try not to do that, shall we?" Nyx held up her hands and several tazers fell on the floor in front of her. Mouse picked one up and stowed it in her jacket pocket.
"Sounds like fun."
"I'll have one." Logan bent down to get one as well, and handed one to Nyx. She smiled at him before grabbing his shoulders and kissing him firmly.
"You know, I'm gonna havta make sure you come back in one piece, sexy." Logan just nodded. "What weapons do you want, sweetie?" Nyx asked Faith. "Anything you want, Wicca?"
FAith
"Crossbow me, and I'll get my knife. I should be good. I'm not gonna need many weapons really. Hand to hand is more my strong point."
Nyx
"Sure thing, Faithie love,' Nyx said agreeably, and raised her hand. A crossbow smacked into it, which she tossed to Faith then a bolt of quarrells. "See me when you run out. I'll fetch ya some more." She tossed the ammunition to the dark haired Slayer.
Faith
Faith caught the crossbow and the bolts easily. "Don't know how much I'll use it, it's a bad choice in terms of it needs to be reloaded. But I'm ready now."
"Thanks by the way." Faith loaded three quarrells into the crossbow and smiled in satisfaction.
Mouse, Priss and Sabre
"When do you think we can go?" Mouse asked Priss.
"A day, I think," the cat said calmly.
"A day?!"
"This be hard work, Mouseling." Priss frowned.
"I know, but, but I miss him so much! And I'm so worried about both of them, and, and," Mouse broke down into tears and Sabre quickly enfolded her in his strong arms as she hiccuped her way back to silence.
Faith
Faith frowned, wondering what she could do to help Mouse. She'd never really been the comforting type, and she couldn't start now, it would just sound so wrong coming from her. She opted for an encouraging smile instead.
Faith turned to Priss. "So it's coming down slowly, but surely? The sooner we manage to get out there, the better we'll all be, I think." She gestured around as though showing Priss the misery which had consumed the Hanson household.
"Mouse, they'll work it out. We have the best of the best working on it, trust me, nothing is going to happen to anyone. We're all going to fight and we're all going to win." Faith paused and frowned again. "You know, I knew I wasn't good at this reassuring thing, I don't know why I said anything at all. Just forget I said anything."
Mouse
"No, no. You're doing good." Mouse wiped her eyes and breathed in a shuddering sigh. "Thanks." She smiled waveringly at the Slayer.
Faith
"Thanks." Faith replied uncertainly, looking awkward. She walked over to a couch and collapsed on it, sick of standing around doing nothing.
"There's not by any chance a gym or anything in this house where I could work out?"
Logan
"Nah. Already loked around. But we can go and pound each other some," Logan suggested.
Faith
"Ok, but no claws. I heal quick, but not that quick. Sorry. That's the one rule." Faith grinned innocently.
Logan and Sabre
"That's fine. Sabre would probably kill me anyway if I did." Logan waited for the black tomcat's reaction, smirking slightly.
"Damn straight," Sabre growled. And there it was!
"See ya in a few, Nyx." Logan patted her shoulder and headed out, eager to have a bit of violence.
Willow
"Nah," she grinned, "weapons are only for people hwo can't stop them before they attack. I have a stake in case we meet some vamps, but otherwise, I'll just fight my way." Demonstrating she used her power to pull open the doork, and then sent out streaks of blue lightening into the tree in the Hansons yard.
Nyx and Mouse
"Nice," Nyx said, raising her eyebrows. "I think the Hansons might miss the tree though." She peered thoughtfully at the smoking crater.
"She's got a point,' Mouse said, shrugging her shoulders.
Willow
Willow grinned. "It's a good thing I'm an Earth goddess then," and she held her hands out as a new tree, almost identical to the original grew in its place. "Think anyone'll notice?"
Faith
Faith followed Logan, slightly apprehensive about fighting someone with claws and an advanced healing factor. She pushed aside her doubts and figured, well a spar's a spar really.
This would be good training for the bigger things to come.
Mouse
"Nah." Mouse grinned. "Looks almost exactly the same to me!"
Logan
"I promised no claws," Logan said as he rolled his head around on his shoulders, loosening up. "You might like a warning though. The metal in my claws? Runs through my entire body." The vertebrae in his neck clicked as he twisted his head from side to side. "Ready?" He took up a fighting stance, eyes gleaming.
Faith
Faith took another deep breath. "I guess it's now or never." She raised her fists ready to fight and performed a cartwheel, kicking Logan twice as she landed.
Logan
Logan stumbled back a few steps as her feet hit him, and grinned nastily. He hit her in the face with an uppercut, sending her back a few paces and then grabbed her shoulders to send his skull crashing agianst hers. Their foreheads collided with a thunk as his metalplated skull collided with her normal one. "Next?" He leant back onto his left foot, ready to take anything she threw at him.
Faith
She roundhouse kicked, connecting with his cheek as she finished, and proceeded to feign a few punches then kicked him in his stomach and sent his reeling back.
"I haven't had a spar like this since Sabre."
Logan
"Same." Logan grinned nastily as he followed through with some vicious jabs to her stomach and chest. "He's pretty good...for an imitation Irish layabout." He kicked out and hooked his foot around the back of her knees, sending her crashing to the ground. If she'd been human, they would have broken, but as it was...she was back up in a few moments. Logan shook his sweat drenched hair out of his eyes and set his body ready for her return blows.
FAith
Faith charged at him and gave him a series of short kicks and jabs, trying to rebuild her strength. As it was though, seeing as he was so built and his stomach was so firm, it was just like hitting a punching bag. Well, a punching bag that had claws and that occasionally hit you back.
Logan
Logan danced backwards, taking her blows as he moved away,. lessening their impact. It almost wasn't fair, really. He healed sofast and his body kept rejuving itself while they were fighting, while her healing factor took a bit longer to kick in. He decided to call a halt to the proceedings. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty dry by now. What say we shower, and then go find somewhere to have a drink? I'm sure Mouse and Sabre could stand to get out of the house for a while."
Faith
Faith nodded, holding her arm. "Damn, I need to get Priss to fix me up. And I think I should get changed. I'll meet ya upstairs."
Faith hobbled away calling for Priss.
Logan and Bastet's children
Priss looked up to see the dark haired Slayer stagger in the door. "Oh, my dear, come here right away!" She stood up and moved quickly over to Faith and ran her hands over the Slayer, healing her. "Logan..."
"What? She wanted a spar, she got a spar!"
"I'm sure she did not want concussion, thou knave!" Priss slapped his face. Shocked, he didn't even try to defend himself. She cursed and shook her hand, which shocked the people in the room almost more then the slap. She looked at her hand, then at Logan and remorse spread over her face. "Logan..."
"Save it, Priss," he growled and stalked out of the house. Mouse looked around, and then caught Nyx's eye pleadingly.
"Go fix it, sweetie." Mouse nodded in relief then got to her feet and ran after Logan. "Well, for someone of such sweet nature, that was rather a shock," Nyx said carefully, eyeing Priss. "Care to explain?"
"Oh my goddess. I can't believe I hit him." Priss looked like she was about to cry. "I'm just so frustrated by the fact that we cannot break through, and then I saw Faith, and he was just *there*..." Priss covered her face with her hands.
"Aw, Logan will get over it. Ye didn;t hit 'im in tha balls, at least. That's the unforgivable with him, he tends to take it kinda personal," Sabre drawled and then stood up. "You alright, Faith me lovely?"
Faith
Faith smiled weakly. "Yes, thanks Sabre. And thanks Priss. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you so... are you alright? Priss..." Faith stopped, unsure of what to say to make the situation better.
"I'll just go see Logan."
Faith ran outside and saw Logan sitting on the wall, waiting for the rest.
"Logan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to hit you. Are you alright? Thanks for the spar, by the way."
Faith finished awkwardly. She'd never been a real people person, and now that she was making sort of friends, she realised she was perhaps causing more trouble than she ought to be. Maybe she should just leave.
Mouse and Logan
Logan looked up and nodded slowly. "That's fine. And you're welcome." Mouse hesitantly put a hand out to his and briefly touched his skin where the claws came out, sending a wave of peace through him. "What was that?"
"I'm empathic. I...can help people. I feel them, and I can send feelings back." Feeling a bit braver, Mouse took his rough hand in both of hers and sat down so she could concentrate. "Faith, are you sure you're alright?" She patted the ground with a hand. "Come, sit and talk. I would like to hear more about demons and stuff..."
"Me too, actually. Whadda ya say? GOnna impart you wisdom to us?"
Faith
"Wisdom? Not much from me. I've worked along side some demons. That's what ya gotta know, there are good ones and bad ones. Generally more bad than good, but some often working for redemption. Like my tagline."
Faith sat down next to Mouse. "I don't know. Physically, I guess I'm alright, but at the moment, I don't know how to feel. Still trying to work out B's death. Must be hard on Dawn though. I've only lost two people that I actually cared about, and then I almost lost Angel to a while ago in LA. It hasn't been the best year for anyone, I guess."
"What about you, Logan? I mean, you have claws. That's pretty news worthy."
Logan and Mouse
Logan snorted in derision. "They're government built and installed. News enough?" Mouse jumped at the surge of bitterness, and concentrated on soothing it away. "Me and Spike have a bit of a kinship ther, but you really havta wonder how stupid they were. him, they weakened. Me...just made me stronger and gave me some handy dandy claws and armourplating on my bones."
"Oh, that's awful," Mouse said sympathetically.
"Eh, I'm used to it," Logan shrugged and got one of his cigars out of his pocket and lighting it up with his free hand. He inhaled on the lit cigar as he returned the lighter to his pocket.
Faith
"Never been a huge one for authority either. Watchers council tried to capture me many times. And once they got Buffy. Who was in my body at the time." Faith shuddered. "None too proud of that."
Faith turned to Mouse. "What's your story? I mean, you're an empath, but sure you must have some demons up your sleeve."
Mouse
Mouse ducked her head, not wanting to look them in the eyes. "My parents were killed by the man who's taken Tay. I, I was five. He made me watch," she finished on a broken whisper. "After that, it's the usual. Foster homes, mostly bad. I had no idea I was an alien before I turned up here. I skipped out when I was eleven, and then just wandered, looking..."
Faith put her arm around Mouse awkwardly.
"I know the pain of no family. Although in my case, my mother didn't care about me even when I was with her. So I was on my own basically until my Watcher found me when I was 16. Then... when he died, I found B. And that tale is still going."
Faith closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "Where the hell is Sabre? I thought he was coming to get coffee."
Logan, Mouse and Sabre
"Coffee for her, sure, but I'd like something a bit stronger,' Logan said gruffly, a little uncomfortable with the general feelins sharing. He looked up in relief as Sabre stepped out.
"So, where are we going?"
"Somewhere that sells coffee," Mouse said firmly.
"As long as we don't take Nyx," Sabre threw back. "So, let's go." Mouse and Logan stood and walked with Faith to Sabre who had rung up a taxi while inside.
Faith
The taxi pulled up and Faith and Sabre jumped in, with Mouse and Logan following closely behind.
Faith told the driver to take them to a good coffee house and the driver complied. They arrived there in about ten minutes.