<see
Part 1 for disclaimers>
Red Moon Series, Book 8
Frau Hunter Ash
Part 5
Rating: R
# # #
Brad and Theresa Santiago sat in the living room the next afternoon with all the Scoobys, Giles, Joyce, Spike and Demmy. The only one absent was Buffy who was still in the hospital despite her protests that she was fine.
“So this Hell-God guy is able to toss Buffy around like a rag doll and wants Demmy or Dawn for some ritual?” Brad summarized with a frown.
“Why not just turn me over to Praetorius?” Demmy asked calmly. “We know that it’s probably me with the screwed up DNA.”
“But you have your memories and stuff!” Dawn protested. “But so do I,” she continued softly and thoughtfully.
“We don’t know for sure which one of you it is and turning either of you over to that insane brat is not an option!” Giles snapped. He relaxed slightly when Joyce took his hand and squeezed it. None of them had gotten much sleep and the stress of wondering who was the Key was wearing on all of them.
“Either of us could be… a fake?” Dawn demanded with a frown.
“Yes,” Giles answered softly, refusing to lie to either of them.
“How do we know?” Brad asked, trying to steer to conversation back.
“I don’t know,” Giles admitted. “The monks made the energy totally human, complete with memories. At this point they are both human, the only thing special is that their blood can cause a doorway to open that would bleed all the dimensions into each other.”
“More human than human,” Xander mumbled.
“What?”
“Tyrell Corporation,” Xander responded. “It’s from the movie Blade Runner. They make replicants and their logo was More Human Than Human. They made genetically designed humans.”
“Pop culture reference aside, what do we do?”
“Protect them both,” Giles answered firmly. “Suggestions?”
“Find a way to kill a Hell-God?” Xander offered. “I mean Buffy stopped Acathy-guy.”
“By stopping Angelus, not the actual demon-god,” Giles
countered. “
“What about
“Me?”
“Why not? You sent Quentin Travers half way around the world,” Anya smiled, satisfied with her idea.
“That wasn’t me, that was just… the Powers using me,”
“Not even his fellow Hell-gods could kill Praetorious, only send him to this realm,” Giles pointed out. “I’m not sure if we can do what they couldn’t.”
“Again, why not kill the human host?” Xander asked. “Wait until he shifts to whatever and take him out.”
“We don’t know who the host is, just as Praetorious doesn’t know who the Key is,” Giles sighed.
“Besides, you blokes couldn’t kill a human in cold blood,” Spike smirked, sipping at his cocoa, having spent the night in the Summers basement.
“If it gets rid of an insane Hell-God, doesn’t that make it
ethically okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Giles frowned.
“Well, the population of the insane has doubled in the last
month,” Brad sighed. “
“Praetorious needing their mental energy to maintain his slight grasp on reality,” Giles nodded.
“What about destroying the Key?” Anya asked and looked surprised when everyone began snapping and almost shouting in protest. “No, not kill Dawnie or Demmy!” she shouted back. “I mean can’t the energy be altered so Praetorious can’t use it?”
“I’ve got the Council researching that now,” Giles said as everyone calmed down.
“Okay, worst case stuff. What do we do if Pratty gets Demmy and Dawn and starts the ritual? Can it be stopped like Buffy did with Acathy?” Xander questioned.
“Once the gates begin to open, they’re remain that way until the Key’s energy is gone,” Giles frowned, consulting his notes. “Once the blood begins flowing the gates open and then close when the Key is dead.”
“You mean instead of killing Praetorious, we’d have to…” Xander squeaked.
“No, we can’t kill either of them,” Willow protested.
“That’s not an option!” Joyce agreed.
Dawn and Demmy were quiet as the adults argued over the validity of possibly having to sacrifice one or both of them. Dawn also noticed Giles was quiet as well.
# # #
Dawn walked with Buffy from the hospital. After being kept in a bed for two days the Slayer was anxious to stretch her legs. Sometimes having Slayer healing didn’t help when the doctor and hospital staff expected her to be injured for days instead of hours.
Doctor Benjamin had been very attentive to Buffy and her family and very puzzled by some of Buffy’s tests. Buffy and Giles had been very anxious to get the Slayer out of the hospital.
The young teen was quiet and Buffy didn’t push the conversation. Finally, half way to the Summers house Dawn began.
“Do you think I’m a thing?” Dawn asked softly.
“No, you’re my annoying younger sister and Demmy is my younger brother,” Buffy said firmly. “I don’t care how either of you got here. Slayer manipulated DNA or some monks doing magic mojo.”
Dawn smiled and nudged Buffy. “Goof.”
“What can I say? I died once, I was almost a werewolf, I’ve been tripping around Giles’ memories, having you as a younger sister is the most challenging,” Buffy said with a smile.
“What if we can’t stop Praetorious? What if the only way to stop him is to kill me or Demmy?” Dawn asked, turning serious again.
“Not an option,” Buffy said, frowning. “Never an option. Even if we lose Demmy to the DNA breakdown, we won’t rush it. Giles thinks that there’s a time limit that Praetorious can do the spell. We keep you and Demmy out of his hands until then and we’re home free.”
“Can we keep it from a God?”
“We have to,” Buffy said firmly. “Dawn, I’d rather risk the world than kill either of you.”
# # #
“Alright, I’ve had it with this juvenile spoiled brat of a demi-god!” Buffy yelled as she slammed the door to the
apartment shut.
“You alright, sweetie?”
“Yeah, he just ruined my best Slayer blouse!” Buffy complained. “Nice and tight in the right places but large enough in others to hide stakes and daggers. And! And he has these creepy little troll like guys running around groveling at his feet and trying to find out how the Key is.”
“At least you’re not hurt,”
Buffy smiled and walked up to her wife and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Tare. Where’s Will?”
“Helping Demmy study,” the witch answered, her voice dropping an octave as she nuzzled Buffy’s neck, wrapping her arms around the Slayer. “We’re alone for the evening.”
“Perfect,” Buffy mumbled, responding by kissing
# # #
“Do we have any idea how long this guy’s timeline is?”
Xander complained as he fixed an ice pack for
Giles sighed and shook his head. “No, none. Did that creature say anything other than demanding to know who the Key is?”
“I don’t know,”
“Uh, that means they’ll focus on anyone new,” Xander muttered, glancing towards Dawn and Demmy, the two teens sitting on the sofa looking uncomfortable.
Joyce got up and began pacing. “What can we do, Rupert? We have to protect them!”
“I know, I know,” the Watcher muttered. “The Council is less than helpful. Their solution is to eliminate the Key to prevent Praetorious from having a chance to perform the ritual.”
“Rupert!” Joyce snapped and Giles held up his hands.
“Not an option, I know!” he said defensively.
Demmy looked at Dawn and motioned with his eyes towards the kitchen. The teens got up quietly and left the room while the others argued and discussed how to defeat a god.
“What do we do?” Demmy asked Dawn softly as they stood by the back door.
“I don’t know. One of us could destroy the world,” Dawn said thoughtfully. “Problem is we can’t figure it out.”
“What if we ran away?” Demmy suggested.
“Could we manage that with your weird disabilities?” Dawn asked softly.
“I think we need to risk it,” Demmy shrugged. “We let those little troll things know that we’re running and they’ll leave the others alone. If we stay one step ahead of Praetorious, he might run out of time.”
“And brains to suck on,” Dawn nodded. “Brad says most of the homeless population is now in the nut ward. Not that there were that many to start with because of the vampires.”
“We go then?” Demmy asked, turning to the younger teen for the major decisions. Having been raised by Watchers and scientist, the youth usually held back, letting others decide things.
“Yeah, tonight after Buffy checks on us,” Dawn nodded, frowning to herself. Buffy always did her usual patrol and vampire dusting and then would drop by and check on everyone at the Summers house late at night.
“Alright, we’ll take Giles’ car. He’ll be upset,” Demmy ventured.
“Yeah, but they’ll also understand. Probably try to find us
but I learned a lot in
# # #
Part of her mind thought that Buffy must have slept in the other bed, having come in late from slaying.
“Hello,” she muttered, answering the phone.
“Tara, Demmy and Dawn are gone,” Joyce said frantically. “They left a note saying they’ve run off so Praetorious can’t get either of them!”
“How long have they been gone?”
“We’ll be right there, keep Giles there!”
“What’s the 411?” Buffy demanded, pulling on a pair of pants.
“Demmy and Dawnie
ran off to protect everyone,”
“Goddamn stubborn kids!” Buffy complained and reached for her boots.
# # #
Demmy sighed as they hid behind a McDonald’s. They had planned on getting out of Sunnydale hours before but stopping for snacks for the road trip had proved disastrous. Little troll-like creeps had shown up with Praetorious. The trolls had recognized Demmy from hanging with Buffy and the chase had been on. That was two hours ago and the young male Slayer was exhausted and Dawn was so tired she was napping in his arms.
Across the street was the car they had abandoned earlier and he was waiting to see if anything moved around them. The last thing he wanted to was Praetorious getting his hands on either of them, especially Dawn. The insane demi-god had shown that he didn’t care about innocents. If they couldn’t help him then he usually drained their minds, their intelligence and cognitive thinking.
“Come on, Dawnie,” Demmy said softly. “Let’s try it.”
Dawn sighed and opened her eyes reluctantly. “If staying up all night running from bad guys is a Slayer thing you can keep it. I changed my mind that being a Slayer is cool.”
Demmy grinned and helped Dawn to her feet. “I’m going to go first and start the car. I’ll swing around and you get into the passenger side, da?”
“You got it, just be careful,” Dawn urged.
Demmy sprinted across the road and slid behind the wheel, his eyes darted around, watching for trolls and gods. The car started easily but before he could put the auto into gear, a hand grabbed him from behind, a tight grip on his neck.
“Where’s Dawnie?” Buffy demanded in his ear.
“Across the street, I’m to pick her up,” Demmy explained through gritted teeth. “Praetorious has been after us all night.”
“Spin the car around and grab Dawn. Then we’ll talk as you drive,” Buffy growled.
“Drive?”
“Just get her!” Buffy snapped, releasing his neck and hitting him smartly across the back of his head.
The male Slayer spun the car around and leaned over, opening the passenger door. Dawn was in the car and shutting the door before the car had completed its stop. Demmy sped away from the curb.
“Where am I going?” Demmy asked as Dawn’s eyes widened, seeing Buffy sit up in the back seat.
“Where were you planning to go in the first place?” Buffy countered.
“Uh, well,” Dawn stammered.
“Come on,” Buffy snapped. “North, South, East, what?”
“East,” Demmy answered.
“Then drive,” Buffy sighed, leaning against the back seat. “Fasten your seat belts, we don’t want to get stopped.”
Dawn looked at Demmy, confused by Buffy’s behavior. “Can Praetorious look like other people?”
“No, just himself and whoever the host is,” Demmy answered softly.
“Slayer hearing!” Buffy said loudly as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed. “Will, yeah, I’ve got them. They came back to the car. Yeah, I’ll stick with them and let you know.”
The Slayer hung up and crossed her arms, watching both male Slayer and Giles’ daughter. Dawn gulped and wondered if she could disappear into the passenger seat.
“Stick with us?” Demmy repeated.
“I’m going with you,” Buffy announced. “You guys are really messing with my life here, by the way. Not that Praetorious hasn’t done a good job the last month. Giles thinks you guys might have a good idea but wants somebody with you. He figures maybe a week or two and Praetorious should give up.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Dawn asked.
“He has to run out of time soon,” Buffy shrugged. “Now find a diner, I need coffee. My bag is already in the back and I’ve got a thermos here.”
“Dad is okay with this?” Dawn asked softly.
“No, but he’s willing to try,” Buffy sighed, closing her eyes as they crossed the city limit lines. “Find coffee, please. I swear I want spank that little brat!”
Demmy pulled into a 7-11 parking lot and shut off the car. He was tired already and knew they were just beginning their journey, wherever the hell that would end up.
Buffy crawled out of the car with a moan. It was nearly
Buffy turned with her forearm up instinctively, seeing something moving at them from the corner of her eye. The Slayer yelled as a large pole came down across her arm. “Run!”
The Slayer kicked the troll between the legs, sending the smaller creature flying. She spun with a kick, taking out another one trying to stab her with a sword almost bigger than it was.
Dawn squeaked in surprise when she and Demmy started for the store only to find that it was now an abandoned Laundromat. Standing in front of the door was Praetorious.
Demmy grabbed Dawn and pulled her behind him as Buffy ran up beside them.
“Get in the car and get out of here,” Buffy said calmly, watching Praetorious.
“We can’t leave you!” Dawn protested.
“You were leaving us, remember! Get out of here!” Buffy snapped, leaping into action, aiming a flying kick at Praetorious head.
Praetorious grinned and grabbed Buffy’s foot, tossing her up and over him, onto the roof of the old building. He grabbed Demmy by the throat as the young male Slayer tried to attack him.
“You two are the most recent additions to this stupid little group,” Praetorious sighed, pretending to be bored as Demmy struggled. “Logically, one of you is probably my Key. Just tell me, we do a little dance, a little ritual and I go home.”
Dawn was torn, she wanted to help Buffy and Demmy but she knew they’d both want her to run. She squeaked when troll creatures grabbed her arms.
“Oh fine, let’s do this the hard way then,” Praetorious snarled, placing a hand over Demmy’s face and closing his eyes.
Buffy jumped off the roof, right onto the male teenager and hell-god. Landing hard, Buffy shook her head as she got to her feet. Demmy looked stunned and shaken.
“Demmy, get Dawn and get out!” Buffy shouted.
She tackled a surprised Praetorious, her fists flying at his head and face.
Demmy knocked on troll aside and Dawn smacked the other over the head with her backpack. The male Slayer handed her the keys to the car. “Go, start the car. I’ll grab Buffy!”
Dawn nodded and ran to the car as Demmy turned and saw Buffy thrown into the wall of the laundry mat, bouncing back with a sickening thud. Praetorious backhanded her into the wall again. Demmy grabbed Praetorious’ collar from behind and tossed him into the two trolls. He grabbed up the metal pole and began bashing the three of them.
“Buffy, run! Go!” he shouted.
“Damnit! I’m not the one he wants!” Buffy protested.
“Neither am I,” Demmy said urgently, glancing towards the car where Dawn waited, car running. “He did something, it’s not me.”
“Oh God, no,” Buffy whispered as Praetorious struggled to his feet.
“Go!” Demmy shouted, shoving Buffy towards the car as he turned and smashed Praetorious over the head with the pole.
Buffy hesitated and then dashed to the car, diving into the passenger side. “Drive! Back to Sunnydale!”
“But Demmy!” Dawn protested.
“Go!” Buffy yelled.
Demmy felt his jaw break as Praetorious took the pole and smashed it across Demmy’s face.
# # #
“It’s me, Will,” Buffy answered, sounding tense to her wife. “I’m with Demmy on the way to the hospital. Dawn should be arriving there in a minute or two.”
“What happened, we thought you were leaving town,”
“So did Praetty,” Buffy answered grimly. “Demmy kept him busy so we could escape and then I went back and found him. Weird thing, Will, that doctor that took care of me was there already, looking really confused.”
“Confused? And where is ‘there’?”
“Just outside of town, abandoned laundry matt. No car or anything else around, just Demmy and the doctor. I left Demmy there fighting Praetorious and when I go back it’s the doctor and Demmy’s hurt bad.”
“You think the doctor is the human host for the
Praetorious,”
“Not right now, she’s helping saving Demmy’s life,” Buffy said softly.
“I hear Dawnie pulling up, we’re
on our way. I’m going to leave Tara and Joyce here with Dawn,”
“Make it Giles,” Buffy said softly.
“Okay, on our way.”
Buffy clicked her phone off and watched in the ambulance as Dr. Benjamin worked on keeping Demmy alive with a broken jaw, crushed ribs, collapsed lung and a broken arms. Buffy ignored the numerous cuts and bruises, knowing his Slayer healing would help with that if he survived the ribs poking into the lungs and obvious concussion.
“How did you end up out here, Doc?” Buffy asked, her eyes firm as the doctor kept an eye on Demmy’s vitals.
“I… damn, I have blackouts and wake up in strange places at times,” Dr. Benjamin sighed. “I woke up at the edge of town and went to the nearest building. I saw Demmy there and he was pretty bad off. Why was he out there alone and what happened to him?”
“Usual Sunnydale gangs, they didn’t like his accent or something,” Buffy said easily but with a frown. The doctor had helped Buffy after being bashed by Praetorious but now evidence pointed to the doctor being Praetorious. Was Brenda Benjamin aware her body housed a Hell-God? If so, would she piece together that Demmy wasn’t the Key and that probably left Dawn?
Buffy watched quietly, thoughtfully.
# # #
Joyce knelt in front of her daughter. “Buffy? Baby?”
Buffy shook her head, her eyes red from crying.
“Demmy’s gone, Will,”
“That’s not… he’s…”
Buffy nodded as Joyce wrapped her arms around the Slayer. “It was weird, that doctor is the host, I know it! And she worked hard to save Demmy but she’s the reason he died and I don’t know what to do.”
Joyce held her daughter closely as Tara held
Joyce refused to think about the fact her husband was added to that list as well.
Buffy looked up and glanced at her mom. “Yeah, Dawnie is the Key to the end of this universe and Praetorious probably knows it too.”
“Does that mean we kill the doctor?” Joyce asked thoughtfully. “Kill the human host and the hell-god is trapped, right?”
Buffy frowned as
“Dawn has memories, is human and has a life but she could be used to destroy the world,” Joyce countered. “Do we leave the doctor alive and risk the entire world?”
“I don’t know, Mom,” Buffy said softly.
“I… I’ve killed,”
“Does Dawn know?” Joyce asked with a frown.
“Yeah, she does,” Buffy sighed. “I’ll find out where that doctor is. At least we can keep an eye on her. Maybe we can figure out when she switches to Pratty and maybe prevent it. We need to tell Giles.”
“Giles has known for several days,” Joyce said, surprising all of them. “Don’t yell at me or him for not telling you. We felt that all of you would fight just as hard for Demmy and Dawn if you didn’t know.”
“And couldn’t give it away if we didn’t know,”
“How did Giles know?”
“The hospital called, the DNA test that showed he is Dawn’s father caught someone’s eye and they ran the tests again. They wanted to re-run the test because the results couldn’t be accurate. Instead of showing half of Giles’ DNA - it was a match of 98 percent.”
“That’s not possible with a mother and father input,”
“Giles thinks the 2 percent difference is her energy as the
Key and being female,” Joyce explained.
Listen, I’ll take
Buffy knew her mom would break down later, probably in the shower or in Giles’ arms. The Slayer trotted down the halls towards the Nurses’ station to find where Doctor Brenda Benjamin was.
What was that horror writer’s tag line for a movie? What do you do when all the choices are bad?
# # #