TITLE: Old Enemies, New Foes
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: A storyline from the 1st season (I don't want to be TOO specific here) and into the 6th season, up to and including AS YOU
WERE.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (unless, of course, something changes)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow and Tara's attempts at reconciliation are marred by the efforts of their enemies.
NOTE: Despite the presence of Warren, the Idiots Three will not be a part of this story. Just Warren himself. I think you'll understand why soon enough.
NOTE 2: For continuity purposes, this story takes place approximately one week before the events in HELL'S BELLS, but a few days after AS YOU WERE.Warren paced back and forth across the floor of the hideout.
He glared at his watch every thirty seconds or so, then returned to the pacing. Finally, when he looked like he might explode, a computer on the nearby desk beeped. Warren turned. His eyes widened as he dropped into
his chair and slid over to the desk, hitting a key on the keyboard.
Warren turned on the external microphone, his frown never wavering.
"You're late."
"I apologize," said a digitized voice. "It could not be avoided. I had other matters to attend to."
Warren shook his head. "Whatever."
"Are we alone?"
"I sent Jonathon and Andrew on a fools errand. They'll be gone two days, at least."
"Excellent. And how goes the...project?"
Warren glanced over his shoulder. "I have to make a few more calculations. Soon, though."
"I have faith in your abilities. I am more concerned with the girl. Did you find her, as I requested?"
"I keep telling you, you don't want to mess with her. She's friends with the Slayer."
The other voiced was silent. Warren frowned.
"Hello?"
"Yes, Warren. I am here, and I am familiar with the Slayer."
"Me too." Warren didn't relish going up against the Slayer again. He'd tried to frame her for the death of his ex-girlfriend, Katrina. He was worried she knew about him, about them, now.
"Now then, the girl. Where is she?"
Warren sighed. "Fine. She lives with the Slayer. Do you know the address?"
"I can find it."
"Good. You go do...whatever it is you're going to do, but make sure to check back with me in the morning. I'll have something for you then, I promise."
"Excellent." The screen went blank.
Warren turned from the desk and rose, moving toward a large shape looming in the shadows.
"Soon..."
*****
Willow Rosenberg opened her eyes, to the comforting warmth of a ray of sunlight across her face. That was, for most people, a very pleasant way to wake up. But instead of just smiling and, perhaps, yawning, the
redhead sat bolt upright and reached for the clock on her nightstand.
"Nine-fifteen? No!" She threw of the covers and slid out of bed. Her alarm was off. It was supposed to awaken her a half hour early so she could take her time getting ready. Now, she was late. "If I don't hurry..." She rushed into the closet to get dressed.
A few minutes later she came downstairs, wearing blue jeans and a UC Sunnydale sweatshirt. She was tieing her hair into a ponytail as she ran into Buffy. The Slayer was coming out of the kitchen, clutching a big glass of milk in her hands. "Whoa, hey there sleepyhead."
"Sorry, Buffy. No time to talk." Willow looked around for her purse.
"What's the hurry, Will?"
"I told Tara I'd meet her at the library, to help with a report. I don't want her to think I stood her up." Willow saw her purse sitting on the coffee table. "Ah hah."
Buffy stepped in front of her. "Relax. Tara just called. I told her you had kind of a rough night, and that you were running a little late. She said she understands, and she'll wait."
"Thanks." The redhead relaxed, somewhat, as she picked up her purse. "I still have to go."
"What's the big deal? It's just the library."
"No, it's more than that. Buffy, this is the closest thing to a date we've had since...I just don't want to screw it up, that's all. We're finally talking. I don't want to lose her again."
Unnoticed by either young woman, as Willow headed out the door and Buffy walked into the living room, the redhead's laptop--which was spread out on the dining room table at the moment--came on all by itself. Files
began flashing across the screen, faster and faster.
*****
Tara Maclay was sitting on the steps in front of the UC Sunnydale library, sipping from a cup of coffee, when she caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of her eye. As she raised her head a rather
anxious-looking Willow came running up.
Smiling, the blonde stood. "Hey you."
"Hey." Willow stopped to catch her breath. "Sorry I'm late. I was just...sorry."
Tara nodded. "It's okay. Buffy told me."
"Well, I'm here now. Ready to work. Yes, Little Miss Professional, that's me. All business."
"Goddess Willow, you sound like a girl on her first date." Tara put her hand on the redhead's arm. "We're just here to study. Anything else is just...an added bonus."
Willow slowly, almost hesitantly, trailed her fingers down Tara's arm and into her hand, and when the blonde did not protest or pull away she smiled. So did Tara.
*****
Later in the day, in the computer room of the library, Willow was showing Tara how to make a graph for her report. She had one hand resting on each of the blonde's shoulders. Every so often she would lean down to point something out, or to type something on the keyboard. Whenever that
happened a lock or two of her hair swung into Tara's face and the blonde caught a whiff of her shampoo. Each time she smiled wistfully, before returning her attention to whatever Willow was saying at the moment.
Behind them, the camera on top of one of the other computers came to life. It brought up an image of Willow and Tara on the screen. The image rotated so their faces could be clearly seen, then it zoomed in on Tara.
Soon, her face filled the entire screen.
*****
Warren was in the middle of some very complex calculations when his computer screen suddenly went blank, and then an image of Tara flashed in front of his eyes. He frowned.
"Do you know who this is?" the synthesized voice asked. "Her name. I need her name."
He turned on the microphone and cleared his throat. "Why?"
"That's not important."
"It is to me. Why do you want to know?"
"She was with Willow."
"Ah, of course. The object of your bsession."
"Do you know who she is or not?"
Warren shook his head. "I have no clue. And you know what? I really don't care." He took the camera off the top of the computer, and pointed. "See that? I'm kind of busy already, working my ass off for you. Besides, you have resources of your own. You want to know who she is so bad? Find her
yourself."
The screen went blank again, then a few seconds later his files started
flashing across it. His entire hard drive was being probed, and Warren gritted his teeth.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"
*****
"Do you, uhh, want to come home with me? For dinner?"
Willow and Tara were just leaving the library, when the redhead asked her question.
"Who's cooking?"
When they were still living together Tara had convinced Buffy, Willow and even Dawn to try their hands at cooking at one time or another. They determined that she was the best cook, though Dawn could do so if need
be, but both Willow and Buffy should be kept out of the kitchen at all costs.
"Nobody," said Willow. "Buffy's bringing some stuff from work. I don'tthink she'd mind picking up another bag, if you want to come that is. So? Do you?"
Tara thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
"Really?" Willow smiled. "I mean, great! That's great." Almost out of reflex she started to reach for Tara's hand, but then she thought better of it and pulled back. She didn't want to push.
Tara sighed. She slid her hand under and into Willow's, smiling when the redhead glanced down with widening eyes. "You don't have to be afraid to touch me, Will. It's okay."
"In that case Tara, I was wondering..."
"What?"
Willow was fidgeting, and appeared to be nervous all of a sudden.
"Xander and Anya's wedding is next week, and I was just wondering...I mean, do you have..."
Tara bit her lip, to keep from smiling as Willow tried again.
"I know you're going. Anya invited you. I just thought, if you're not...goddess! Why is this so hard?"
Tara stopped, turned, and put her hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Let me make this easier. Willow, would you like to go to the wedding with me?"
"I...hey!" Willow blinked. "Wait a second. Did you just ask me out?"
"Depends. What's your answer?"
Willow made a face. "I don't know...it's so sudden..."
"Hey!"
"Of course. Of course I'll go with you!" Willow threw her arms around Tara, her face lighting up when the blonde hugged her back.
*****
Dinner went well, thought Buffy had to drop the food off and go back to work for another shift. Dawn ate, but she spent most of the time watching Willow and Tara, the way they leaned into one another, the way they
laughed and smiled and finished each other's sentences. Just like the old days.
When they were done with dinner Dawn offered to do the dishes, something she never would have done if her sister was around. In truth she wanted to give Willow and Tara some time alone; she was hoping they would just
get back together and make everybody, especially themselves, happy. She
was already thrilled by the fact they were going to be going the wedding together.
Eventually, Dawn went upstairs to do her homework. Willow and Tara were left on the couch, and when they discovered there was nothing on television they started to talk.
"Riley got married?" Tara was asking. Willow had just finished filling her in on the last couple of days. "How did Buffy take it?"
"About as well as you might expect. It surprised her. It surprised all of us." Willow smiled. "You should have seen Xander and Anya though. They were all over them, asking about the wedding, the reception, the
marriage, and Anya even asked about their wedding night. It was a mess."
"I'm sorry I missed that."
"Don't be." Willow sighed. "I'll be glad when this whole thing is over. They've been driving themselves crazy, and they're trying to take the rest of us with them."
"Still, it does make you think though. About the future."
"Like...ours?" Willow asked. She bit her lip as Tara turned to face her.
"Do we have one? A future, I mean? Is there any chance for us, Tara? Tell me the truth."
The blonde was silent for a moment. "I can't, because I don't know. I want to be with you, Will. I do. I miss it, the closeness. I miss you. I..."
"What?"
"I still love you, Will."
Willow blinked. "I love you too. Tara, what..."
The blonde held up her hand. "Let me finish, please. Otherwise..." She shook her head. "Will, that spell you cast on me, do you have any idea how it made me feel? After what Glory did to me, after I finally got my
mind back, I thought nothing could ever hurt me again. But I was wrong. What you did, Will, was almost worse than what Glory did. Because I loved you. You betrayed me." Her eyes filled with tears. "The thing is, I
betrayed you too. When I left, I was scared. I was afraid you would hurt me again. It never occurred to me that my running off would cause you so much pain, you would go even deeper into the dark magick that drove me away in the first place. If I'd stayed, I might have been able to help you. I might have been able to keep you from giving in to the peer pressure from Amy, and I damn sure could have kept you away from Rack."
"No," said Willow. "Goddess!" She stood up. "Tara, you were right to leave. If you'd stayed I probably would have ended up hurting you even more, and I don't know how much worse things would have gotten. I
needed to hit bottom, in order to understand how far I was falling." She was trying not to cry now too. "I'm just sorry that Dawn got caught in the middle of my mess."
Tara put an arm around the redhead. "Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? What's past is past."
*****
"Done!"
Warren typed a final key and turned in his chair.
"Try it now."
A massive, inhuman figure rose in front of him. It was a demon, broad at the shoulder, with mottled, leathery skin, thick horns and dark red eyes smoldering beneath its bony brow. The creature raised its arms and
gazed at its hands, and when it spoke it was an angry growl.
"This body is very...impressive. Much better than the last one. You are to be commended. You have captured my true form perfectly!"
"You gave me the specs. After that, it was easy." Warren smiled.
"Thanks to all your cash."
The demon clenched and unclenched its fists. "Transferring the funds you requested was simple. Your human currency means nothing to me. My only concern, is power!" Its eyes glowed. "Once again, I am made flesh! My name will be spoken in fearful whispers."
"Yeah, about that. When I hacked into the old CRD data files I found on the 'net, I never expected to wake up a demon." Warren clasped his fingers behind his head. "So how in the world did Moloch the Corrupter
end up as a computer program anyway?"
The demon, who looked just as life-like as any of Warren's human creations, turned. "It was her."
"Who her?" Warren frowned. "Wait, her her? You mean the Rosenberg girl? The Slayer's friend? What does she have to do with this?"
"As I understand it, several years ago she scanned a book I was trapped inside into a computer. I was released from one prison into another, existing as digitized information instead of flesh and blood. But the internet was a glorious place, and I discovered power even I had never
imagined. I urged a few of the more gullible members of your race, under the guise of CRD, to construct a new body for me. It was primitive, especially compared to this one, but it would have served my purposes.
Before transferring my consciousness into it, however, I backed up my essence in an encrypted file, just in case my acolytes were not as capable as I thought."
Warren nodded. "It's lucky for you I came along when I did then. Otherwise, you'd still be asleep, and I would have a whole lot less money. I guess you could say we both won."
"I must admit, I enjoyed the freedom of being an incorporeal non-entity. The internet was a wide open region I did not get the chance to fully explore. But, there is also something to be said for physicality."
Moloch picked up a chair and crushed it, then scattered the resulting debris.
"I'll put that on your tab," said Warren. "So, what now?"
Moloch frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Now that you have a body again, what will you do? Are you still determined to get the Rosenberg girl? 'cause if you're planning to do anything to her, you'll have to answer to the Slayer. And you know, as well as I do, how tough the Slayer can be."
"The Slayer is not my primary concern." Moloch sneered. "I want Willow Rosenberg!"
*****
Willow ran into Tara at school the next day, and after classes they
decided to go to lunch together. Then they stopped by the Espresso
Pump, so Willow could check her e-mail. Since they were there they ordered some coffee and sat down to talk.
"Hey, Buffy's off tonight. I think she said she was going to do an
early patrol, but we were talking about going to the Bronze. Do you, umm, want to come?"
The blonde put her hand on Willow's. "I would, but I've got to finish
that report. Rain-check?"
"Sure. That's..." Willow leaned back, shrugging her shoulders. "...sure. No big deal." She licked her lips. "So, you'll be home all night? I could, maybe, stop by?"
Tara shook her head. "No, Will. I need to concentrate and frankly..."
She put her hand on Willow's cheek. "If you're in my house, near my bed, I wouldn't be anything but distracted. We'll do it another night, okay? Before the wedding, I promise."
"Okay." Willow smiled, her cheeks flushing almost as much as Tara's.
As they gazed at each other they missed the pair of smoldering crimson
eyes that seemed to be watching them from a nearby computer monitor.
*****
Moloch jerked his hand off the top of the computer so suddenly it was
As if he had been burned. He clenched and unclenched his fist and snarled.
"So, she betrays me?"
The Corrupter who had awakened, thanks to Warren, was the same demonic
force who had taken the guise of Malcolm Black in order to get close to
Willow. Since he had backed up his being before being transferred into
his first robot, he had no memory of Willow's turning him down or his
decision to kill her. In fact, he had not even physically encountered
the Slayer, though by that time he had sent several of his human associates to try and kill her, and in turn murdered one of them to throw her off his trail. In other words, the demon was still as obsessed with Willow as he first had been six or so years before.
"I will not allow her to turn her back on me!" He was still at the
hideout, though his human ally had since left to spend some of the
funds he had received from the demon. "But first this other must be dealt with! How dare she try to steal the heart of my subject! Willow Rosenberg is mine!"
Moloch put his hand back on the computer, closed his eyes, and extended
A part of his still electronic being back into the computer. He searched the DMV and UC Sunnydale records, as well as the files he had copied off Willow's laptop, searching for a name and address for the blonde he had seen with Willow. When he found it, a rather frightening smile bared his fangs as the demon chuckled.
*****
Tara lay across the bed with books and papers spread out in front of
her.
She was nearly done with the report, but now that it was getting late
And she was tired it was becoming harder to concentrate. That caused her mind to wander, which invariably brought thoughts of Willow.
Fortunately, she was no longer besieged by pain and doubt like she had
been after she first left. It didn't hurt to think about Willow
anymore.
She found instead it brought back pleasant memories of Willow's eyes,
Her lips, and her breasts. She loved Willow's breasts. Actually, she loved everything about the redhead.
Tara lay her head back and closed her eyes. Now that they were talking,
and spending time with one another, again she was starting to wonder
about the future. To wonder if they were really going to have a second
chance at love. Nothing was guaranteed, of course, and nothing in
Sunnydale ever seemed to come easily, but she was still hopeful. For
The first time in a long time, she was really, truly happy.
All of the sudden her door exploded inward. Tara rolled off the bed to
avoid flying debris.
A demon strode into the room; long, dark robes streaming out
Majestically behind it. Moloch growled when he saw her watching him with wide eyes.
"There you are, witch!"
"W-What?" Tara blinked. "You w-were looking for me? W-Why? W-Who are
you?"
The demon shook his head. "How soon they forget. Once, there was a time
your kind trembled at the name of Moloch the Corrupter."
The name struck a chord, though Tara wasn't sure where she had heard
it.
"What do you want with me?"
"You are in my way, child! You seek to possess the heart of one who
rightfully belongs to me! I will have her, and if it means ridding
myself of an obstacle, such as you, to do so, then so be it!"
Tara knew she was in trouble. This demon was huge, he was obviously
strong, and he seemed to be fixated on her for some reason. She needed
to get away from him and find Willow or Buffy, but he obviously wasn't
going to just let her walk away. What she needed, was a distraction. Out the corner of her eyes she saw a red and blue shape sitting on her desk, and without turning her head so much it would alert the demon she realized it was a comforter she had taken out of her closet to wash.
Moloch growled. "I do not understand. By this time, most humans would
Be trying futiley to resist me, or else begging for their lives. Why do
You remain silent?"
"Just concentrating," said Tara. She gestured, and the comforter
unfurled itself from its place on the desk and flew across the room. It wrapped itself around Moloch's head before the demon knew what was happening, and left him temporarily blinded and disoriented. She ran for the door.
"What's this? Witch! I'll rip your heart out!" It was a simple matter
for Moloch to shred the comforter, but by the time he got his face
uncovered Tara was long gone. "No!"
*****
The entire Summers household was awakened by a frantic pounding on the
front door. It was two o'clock in the morning, and that kind of noise
could only mean trouble.
Buffy was first. Her Slayer senses primed and ready, she came down the
stairs clutching a stake.
"Stupid vampires..."
Willow came close behind. She appeared to still be half asleep as she
followed Buffy.
"I don't think vampires knock."
Dawn stumbled out of her room as well, rubbing her eyes, but Buffy
Waved her back to bed.
"Willow? Buffy? Let me in, please!"
The redhead was instantly awake. "Tara?" She unlocked and threw open
The door, only to have the blonde fall into her arms. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"D-Demon." Tare was shaking like a leaf and her stutter was worse than
usual. That only happened when she was scared or anxious. "It b-broke
in and came after m-me. I b-barely got aw-way."
Willow gently stroked the blonde's hair. "Okay. Take it easy. You're
Safe here." She glanced plaintively over at Buffy, who shrugged her
shoulders.
"Tara, did the demon say what it wanted?" the Slayer asked.
Before she said anything else, Tara closed her eyes for a moment and
Took a deep breath. She managed to get her stutter under control. "He said I possessed the heart of one who rightfully belongs to him. I'm not sure what he meant, but he seemed to think I was in his way."
"Possessing the heart?" Willow frowned. "Was he talking about me?"
Tara nodded. "It's not as if I'm in love with anyone else." They both
smiled briefly. "But how would he know to come after me? And what does
he want with you?"
"We'll find out," said Buffy. "And when we do, we'll take him down."
*****
Moloch sat on a throne of his own creation, made from the crushed
Remains of other furniture and some spare computer parts. He was surrounded by banks of monitors, each one displaying a different series of numbers, letters, or images, and was connected to them all by a series of wires, which ran into a node on the side of his neck. His eyes were closed, the lids fluttering up and down and side to side as he analyzed all of the various bits of data flowing into his mechanical brain at once. The demon had selected a local computer store as a makeshift temple, though he had no followers, and was in no mood to try and convert any at the moment. In this day and age true acolytes were hard to come by.
However there was a human present; a security guard who had been unfortunate enough to stumble across the demon and stupid enough to try and stop him. His corpse lay in a crumpled heap in a corner, while his head was currently being used as a footrest by his murderer.
Moloch's failed attempt to eliminate the witch meant Willow and the
Slayer likely knew of his return, or else they would soon. That meant they would be ready for him. Worse, they might come looking for him, before he was ready to strike back. That was why he had decided to set up an information center, to try and learn as much as he could about his enemies.
He delved into the Slayer's financial records, and learned a lack of funding had led her to seek employment at a local food serving establishment. Coupled with the passing of her mother, that was a potential emotional lever he filed away for possible use at a later time.
He also discovered that the Slayer's Watcher, one Rupert Giles, had
Left the city. He also shared ownership of a local magic shop with one of the Slayer's other associates, a place where she and her allies often gathered. He knew the sense of safety they had about the place could be exploited.
Most fascinating of all, to Moloch, was Willow and her magick. When he had known her she had never really even thought about the black arts,
But since then she had become quite a powerful witch. Now, an addiction she barely had under control left her psychologically vulnerable.
The demon disconnected himself from the computers, opened his eyes, and smiled.
*****
Tara was obviously exhausted, but until she got to Buffy's and was
Safely in Willow's arms she couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. But once she was there, cuddling on the couch, she drifted off with her head on Willow's shoulder. Buffy gave the redhead a blanket and returned to bed.
The next morning, after seeing Dawn off to school, the three of them
Went to the Magic Box, to start trying to identify the demon. Tara described it for Xander and Anya, and told them all again what the demon had said.
It was a little while later before she remembered it had also told her its name.
Willow, Buffy and Xander made the same face, and had the same reaction.
"Moloch?"
Tara nodded. "That's what he said. Moloch the Corrupter. Why? You know him?"
They told her what had happened with the demon back in high school.
Tara realized Willow had told her part of the story before, which was where she had heard the name.
"So what do you think mister talk, dark and ugly wants?" Xander asked.
"And how'd he pull himself back together anyway?" said Buffy. "We took his body apart after what happened at CRD. They couldn't have rebuilt it."
"Someone must have used magick," Willow offered. "They may have found a way to resummon him."
"That's the problem with those kinds of demons," said Tara. "Some are very resilient."
The Slayer crossed her arms. "So how do we stop him?"
"We could try what we tried the last time," said Willow. "Putting him into a book. I mean, we don't have the one he was originally trapped in, but won't any blank one work?"
"Maybe," Tara replied. "Assuming it's been properly prepared. I'll have to study the rites. Entrapping a demon in a book is no simple task, but
I think we can pull it off."
Now Anya, who had been silently counting the money in the register all this time, spoke up. "You'll want to have some wards too. If you want to make sure of trapping him in a book you'll need to confront him directly, which means you'll need a way to keep him still, or busy."
"She's right," said Willow. "I know books with the best warding spells in them. You'll have to cast them Tara, but I can figure out what you'll need."
Xander smiled. "Nicely done, hon." He leaned across the desk and kissed his fiancee.
"I'll start patrolling at sunset," said Buffy. "If Moloch is around, he'll show sooner or later."
*****
Moloch closed the trapdoor and looked around the training room in the back of the Magic Box. When he was studying the blueprints of the store he had been delighted to discover it had sewer access. It was the perfect way to surprise the Slayer and her allies, and he waited until just after dusk.
Snarling, the demon started toward a door which led into the shop itself, but stopped when he heard voices on the other side. He didn't recognize any of them, but then again it had been several years. He was also hesitant to simply burst into the room, because he didn't know how many of them there were or what sort of defenses they might have arranged. Fortunately his robotic body had capabilities his demon-form did not, and they were more suited to the task at hand.
Moloch's eyes glowed red as he switched to thermal vision; this allowed him to perceive heat sources through the wall. Technology was a fascinating thing. He often wondered how he had ever gotten along without it, since magick could be so unreliable. He saw two bodies--visible to him as bright colors and vague shapes--seated at a table, and another standing behind a counter. Three. He could not tell one from another, but at least this way he knew how many there were and where in the room they were.
If one of them was the Slayer he would concentrate on her first. The others would be easy.
If Willow was not among them he would kill two and force the other to tell him where she was.
And if Willow herself happened to be there he would take her, killing anyone who got in his way. No one was going to stop Moloch the
Corrupter.
The demon chuckled as his vision returned to normal.
*****
"Hey, Anya?"
The ex-demon, who was closing out the cash drawer, looked up to see
Tara pointing at something in one of the books she was reading.
"Do you have any onyx crystals? Big ones?"
"I think so." Anya turned to the shelves behind the counter. "Let me check..."
It was just after dusk, and Buffy had gone patrolling with Spike. They were checking the usual places, as well as a few hot spots where a demon like Moloch might hide. Xander was over at Buffy's, watching Dawn, where Anya was planning to join him shortly.
"Oh man." Willow slammed another book closed and stood up. "I need to take a break. Some of these books, I think they're the same ones I..."
She shook her head. "I think I should get out of here for a while. This is a little harder than I was expecting it to be, Tara."
The blonde nodded. "It's okay. You're doing great, Will." She closed the book and stood up. "I think we're done anyway. Once we have the onyx, that should be all we need."
"Here are the crystals." As Anya started around the counter the door of the training room came flying off its hinges. It passed within inches of the ex-demon, knocking everything off the top of the counter, including the cash register. "No! The money!"
Moloch strode into the room, his smoldering gaze taking notice of Tara and Anya before focusing, finally, on Willow. He smiled. "Long time no see, my love."
The redhead's eyes widened. "T-Tara?"
"Don't worry." Tara stepped in front of Willow and spread her arms. "I won't let him hurt you."
Moloch chuckled. "Oh, this is priceless. Do you honestly think you can stop me, witch? You were fortunate to escape me the last time. I will
Not be so forgiving this time."
"Hey!" Anya rose from behind the counter, brandishing a crossbow. "You owe me a new door!" She fired, the bolt striking Moloch in the chest.
It went right through, to where his heart would have been if he was still organic. But his robotic body had no components there, crucial or otherwise, and so it did him no significant damage. And as a mechanical being he did not feel any pain either. He sneered. "That wasn't very nice!"
Anya blinked. Something was wrong. She didn't know Moloch personally but she had encountered this sort of demon before, and that shot should have killed him. As he yanked the bolt out she saw a flash of electricity and a little silver metal, then the flap of skin fell back in place. Her eyes widened. "No! He's a..."
Moloch's reach proved greater than Anya was expecting, as did his speed.
He lashed out, backhanding the ex-demon with such force she was knocked completely head over heels. She crashed into the shelves behind her, bringing several of them along as she slid to the ground, blissfully unconscious.
"Anya!" Willow and Tara screamed simultaneously.
"She lives. It was only a glancing blow." Moloch approached Willow. "I have returned, my love. If you come with me now..." He nodded at Tara.
"...your trollop there may yet live."
The redhead's eyes narrowed. "Hey!" She stepped out in front of Tara and crossed her arms. "Watch what you say about my girlfriend!"
"So, your heart has decided then?" Moloch shook his head. "A pity. I would have offered you the world. But if you would spurn me, your treachery must be punished!"
While Willow and the demon were facing off, Tara drew a small pouch from her pocket. They had gathered a number of things they hoped would be of use against Moloch. Like the little golden spheres that Anya said had a concentrated, mystical form of anathestic in them. They were rare, valuable--they had to promise Anya to pay her back before she would let them use them--and harmless to humans, but most demons and vampires could be rendered unconscious for some time with just a couple. Not knowing how many would be needed she took out a handful of the spheres, and held them ready.
Without warning, Moloch bellowed and lunged at them. Tara put her hand on Willow's shoulder, the redhead ducked, and she threw the spheres as hard as she could. They simultaneously exploded in Moloch's face and the demon staggered, growling, momentarily blinded by a thick cloud of gas.
*****
"Bloody hell, Slayer! Would y' watch it?"
Buffy was half-carrying, half-dragging Spike, who had apparently been impaled.
"I'm dieing over here!"
The Slayer shook her head. "You're already dead idiot. And would you please stop whining?"
They had been searching for Moloch, but came across a next of particularly vicious vampires instead. During the fight one of them tried to shove a large piece of sharp metal into Buffy's back. Spike stepped in front of the Slayer and was run through, then staked his attacker staked a moment later.
"It's your fault you got hurt. What the hell did you think you were doing anyway?"
"Trying to help." Spike groaned. "But your gratitude makes the excruciating pain worth while."
"Oh, be quiet. We both know you'll be fine in a couple of days. We're almost back to the Magic Box. We'll get you fixed up there." Buffy sighed. "You didn't have to do that, you know. I saw him."
Spike chuckled, then winced. "Now you tell me."
"Here." Buffy kept one arm around Spike, and used her free hand to open the door. As soon as they stepped in they both stopped, shocked to find
Willow and Tara face to face with the very object of their search. Moloch the Corrupter, swatting away the wispy remnants of some kind of gas.
*****
Moloch began to laugh, even before he could see again.
"If that's the best you can do witch, you'd best give up now and save yourself a great deal of pain!" He swatted the rest of the gas away and glared at Tara. "As protectors go, you're no Slayer!"
"No," said Buffy. "But I am!" She gently shrugged Spike aside as all eyes turned to her.
Moloch eyes narrowed, and he growled. He had very much been looking forward to this confrontation, almost as much as the thought of getting
Willow back. He had always wanted to test himself against a Slayer. The fact his previous robot body had been destroyed seemed to indicate she had defeated the other version of him, but it would be a different story this time. She didn't even know he was a robot.
"Your time has ended, Slayer!"
*****
Willow and Tara went to check on Anya as Buffy and Moloch confronted one another.
They found the ex-demon crumpled in a heap on the floor, but there was surprisingly little blood. The various cuts and bruises and contusions were, for the most part, superficial, and she didn't have any broken limbs as far as they could tell. There was no way for them to know about internal injuries or a concussion until they got her to a hospital, but it appeared that she had been incredibly lucky.
"I don't understand," said Tara. "Anya told us one or two of those
morphos crystals would be enough to knock out most any demon. I hit him with at least a dozen, yet he didn't even flinch."
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he's stronger than we thought."
"Maybe." Tara stood up, and reached for two large stones sitting on the counter. They had elaborate symbols etched onto them. "But Buffy might still need our help. Here..." She handed one of the stones to Willow. "...we should get ready to do the containment spell with these runes.
Just in case."
"Tara, I-I can't. The magick..."
"It's okay. Don't worry. I'll be doing all the casting. You only have to get on the other side of him and hold up the runestone when I tell you to. Okay?"
Willow nodded. "If you say so."
*****
Buffy glanced around, but all of the weapons were in the back room, and the only thing she had on her were a couple of stakes. She didn't know whether or not they were any use against Moloch but she also wasn't worried; if they proved ineffective she'd find another way. She always did.
The demon abruptly lunged forward and punched Buffy. Or tried to. But as fast as he was the Slayer proved to be just a little faster. She jerked her head to the right and brought her hands up, caught the demon's arm, and brought it down across her knee in an effort to break it. It was a tried and true method. Only this time, Moloch didn't flinch, and all she got for her trouble was an explosion of pain in her leg. He was even more solid than he looked, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.
"Well done, Slayer!" Moloch clamped one huge hand down on Buffy's head, and lifted her off her feet. "I'd be impressed, if you weren't such a weakling!" Before anyone, including the Slayer, could do anything to stop him the demon turned and threw Buffy across the room.
At the last moment she twisted herself around so it was her back and side that slammed into the wall, and not her face. Even so the resulting pain radiated through her entire body, echoing the dull throbbing of her leg, and she slid to the ground, stunned, and unable to defend herself.
Out of nowhere Spike, in full vamp-face, came flying at Moloch with an angry snarl. Ignoring his own pain the vampire wrapped his arms around the demon's neck and began to squeeze, though it was hard to tell if he was trying to choke Moloch or break his neck. Either way it didn't work, as Moloch reached back with one of his exceptionally long arms and grabbed the collar of Spike's leather jacket. He tossed the vampire to the floor and stomped on him, causing Spike to howl in pain.
Tara, meanwhile, moved in behind Moloch. She held the runestone over her head and began to chant, while Willow did the same thing--without the chanting--on the other side of him. That put her in the demon's line of sight, of course, and he laughed when he saw her.
"How easily you give in to temptation. Turning to the dark arts to stop me, Willow? Perhaps..." As Moloch's gaze settled on the redhead he realized she was neither moving or speaking. But someone else was. He turned, just as the two runestones were starting to glow. "What are you doing?"
Shafts of light burst out of the two stones and began to swirl around
Moloch. Whenever two, or more, made contact with one another an energy nexus was formed. Pretty soon a complex web of energy had been spun in a dome-shape around the demon, caging him.
"Witch! You'll pay you this!"
Tara and Willow lowered the stones. Despite his bravado, they knew the demon would not be able to get out unless they let him out. This particular spell was a powerful one; but limited in that it could only be used once, after which the stones became nothing more than paperweights.
It was special because it relied on the mystical energy of its captive to strengthen itself; the more a demon or other magical being within it struggled against it, the stronger the cage would become. Unlike just about every other time in his long life, Moloch's power was his own worst enemy in this case.
"We got him," said Tara. She smiled. "I just need to finish the enchantment on our book, then we can put him away once and for all."
She went back over to the table.
Willow glanced over her shoulder at Moloch. "How do you like the
Chaon?"
She wasn't worried about Buffy or Spike, she knew they would be fine now, so she went to help Tara.
With the witches distracted, Moloch reached out and tested the barrier by touching it lightly. There was not a flash or light or a surge of energy, he wasn't knocked back nor shocked. In fact, the beams of light did not seem to react at all. He pushed with more force, and still nothing. The demon smiled.
Chaon. A containment spell if he was not mistaken. Powerful magicks, which--under normal circumstances--were, indeed, totally inescapable.
Then again these circumstances were anything but normal. It was intended to be used against a mystically-based being. A demon. But he was no longer a demon, he was a robot. An artificial lifeform. This sort of magick would have no effect on him.
Brimming with confidence the demon stepped forward, right through the barrier. At that moment Willow and Tara had their backs to him, and did not notice.
*****